Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Hammer Territory Podcast.

This episode two seven to six.

I am your host, Brad Roland, coming to you on a Tuesday evening.

It is the last day of September as we werefore this podcast, which means when we're listening to it, it might be October.

And I'm joined by Scott Coleman.

Scott, what's going on?

Hello, Brad.

I have to admit on Monday, just subconsciously, about three in the afternoon, I opened up my MLB app to see what time the Braves were playing.

Yeah, it's a it's an hobbit.

Yeah, at this point, it's a.

Habit because we've been doing it every day for six plus months.

But yeah, play off snow Braves.

It's an odd time because it's been a long time since the Braves have not been in the playoffs in any way, shape or form.

But here we are, and I don't know, maybe we'll get treated to some good non Braves baseball in the month of October.

Yeah, and we've teased this a few times.

We'll do a little bit of playoff talk this month, like not a ton you know, it's still Braves podcast, but we'll be watching we like baseball on this show, but certainly there's still stuff going on in Braves country or not going on so far.

We will talk about Brian Sticker in a moment, and then at the end of the podcast we'll also get into a question we got basically kind of reset in the roster, essentially, like, hey, who's under contracts, who's not under contracts?

Who do they option decisions on.

We won't do a full blown like will they or won't they and all the deep breakdowns we'll do, but just kind of a hey, here's the situation as the outside of the off season.

That'll be the second second part of this podcast.

First, though, Scott, we should acknowledge the elephant of the room.

We're what's time?

Stay at this again?

You and I record on Sunday with times ated then as well on Sunday.

Now it's Tuesday.

It's like nine ish pm Eastern Time on Tuesday night, and the Atlanta Braves have not said a word, nor has there been a word reported about their managerial situation.

And as we'll get into in a second, that is now rare.

Like the rest of the league basically has resolved its managerial uncertainties.

There are jobs that are open that were already open.

There were guys who were fired on Monday, et cetera.

But really the major will they or won't they in the entire the entire event League Baseball right night at manager is the Braves.

And it's now been forty eight plus hours as the season ended, and as we discussed on Sunday, it was weeks and weeks before that of what's going on here, and we're still in that same spot right now on Tuesday night.

So I think, just almost out of sheer necessity, a decision has to be coming on Brian Sticker's future at any moment soon.

As you said, I think four managers have been let go to this point.

A couple of them were surprisingly retained, like the Cardinals retain their manager.

The Mets kept their manager, which was a little bit in the air after the collapse they had.

So it's not like the Braves are the only ones who, you know, had to make a decision here.

And but at this point, as we sit here nine o'clock Eastern Tuesday night, they are basically the only team who has not made a definitive decision on their manager.

I think it's coming at any point maybe by the time people are listening to this, they will know and we will of course have a full reaction whether or not Brian Sniker is the manager come twenty twenty six for the Atlanta Braves.

But I don't know, man.

I mean, I'm if you asked me to put my life savings on it, I would say I am fifty one percent Brian Snicker returns forty nine percent that he is retiring.

But I mean, it's it's as fifty one forty nine as it gets, and.

That's a major change.

I think.

I don't put words in your mouth, but if I asked you that a month ago, I have a feeling your percentage of him returning would have been lower.

Is that Is that accurate?

Yeah, there was a lot of and we did kind of fastidiously make sure to never say he was definitely retiring, because there were some susumptions being made.

The reporting pointed to that all summer, all fall to this point.

But no one anywhere has ever said on the record that ry Sticker was not coming back.

No one's ever said that.

It's gotten weird though recently, as we discussed earlier, if you missed anything, by the way, please subscribe to heror Territory anywhere you get your podcasts.

We did a show on Sunday last week.

It was kind of like, all right, here's the deal.

And part of the uncertainty was Sni's been kind of not directly saying I'd like to come back, but kind of fainting more in that direction with his public comments in the last couple of weeks and Alex at Thoppolis.

Last time he spoke publicly was like three weeks ago at this point, and he you know, he did the Alex thing where he said we want it to be a Brave for life, but that does not mean manager for life.

That means part of the organization for life.

And Stickers obviously a situation where it's odd because he's been with the team for literally five decads and no one else has that type of tenure, all those factors.

I got to do it one more time, Scott, the bit that we've been doing for two weeks now.

Brid Sticker is not under contract.

That's the looming thing here.

So every time we talk about this, somebody else, I'm sure it's a new person or social media or whatever.

This is not a will there one think for Bridesticker, only he is not under contract.

That's why this is so weird.

If he was under contract, the assumption should be at this moment that he's back, because if you're not fired by now, you probably won't be.

But he's not under contract, which makes this so very odd.

And by the way, just to say, I think you said four guys were fired, it was the Rangers firing Bochie the Twins.

We've gone from Rockle Bob Delli, Bob Building got fired from the Giants, and then Ron Washington old pal got fired with the Angels, and he actually said on the record to The Athletic that it was performance based.

I though he had the health issues this year as well, but it was Steve was told it was performance related.

And of course people ask us about that too, like, hey, if Stick comes back, how about Wash I'm like, well, hey, if you want to hire one Washing at any point to not be the manager, to be something besides the manager, sign me up all about watch coming back for any reason.

I'm in on that.

But anyway, long story short, it's really weird.

Man.

I I've tweeted about this a lot.

I feel like I am for for me.

I'm not tweetings much about baseball anymore than I used to.

It really has been like bugging me though, Like how they've handled this before I offer You offered your opinion, and I will too because spoil alert, I'm leaving the country for a couple of weeks and I will have the opportunity to respond whenever this actually happens.

But before we get to that, like, I think that all parties involved have handled this kind of poorly for the Braves, Is that is that fair?

Is that reasonable to say?

I think it's just been weird.

It's just all of it just unnecessarily so as well, like yeah, and you had this long runway like you had games didn't matter for weeks, Like what are we doing?

Clearly there was some kind of disconnect.

Now we're going to get resolution on that disconnect here soon.

But if he may, maybe Brian's snicker true, Maybe the Braves gave Brian Snicker full autonomy to make a decision.

Maybe it was all right, snitt, if you're in for one more year, We're in for one more year, but you gotta let us know.

And maybe Brian Snicker truly does not know.

He might say I want to see my family.

I want to see my grandkids.

I don't want to do eight months on the road.

It might be that time for him.

On the other hand, maybe Brian Snicker decides he doesn't want to hang him up, and the Braves are like, you know what, it's we love you, Snitt.

You can have whatever title you want in the front office.

We'll pay you a really good salary.

Hell, they might give him a raise if he wants to move into the front office.

But the Braves might be like, you know what, it's time.

We want someone who's maybe a little more of a tactician in games.

You never know the behind the scenes stuff with pregame prep, scouting, everything that goes into a baseball game beforehand.

Maybe we'll find out whenever the announcement and then any follow up reporting if things get leaked.

But clearly there is some kind of disconnect, and we'll see what ultimately shakes out.

I mean, what what would you do, Brad if you were if Alex and Thopolas said, Brad, you are making this decision, what what would you do?

First?

I agree with the disconnect thing for sure, like it just doesn't make any sense.

And perhaps I think when we get the decision.

That's how well, that's how we'll know how this went.

If SNIT retires and it takes them three days to announce that or four days to announce that, maybe it's because the brave said, you know, do whatever, do whatever you want, SNIP will back you.

And if they, if they end up with a he's not you know, he's coming back, that means he may be true.

I don't know, it's gonna be interesting.

I don't I'm looking forward to resolution.

I still think though both sides, whether it comes with public messaging or whatever, have done something that I don't think is the best way to handle this.

Like you know, between I blame Alex too, like it's or whoever is in charge of this of the messaging, like you leaving this out there again, it's Tuesday night now, it could be Wednesday, it could be Thursday.

We don't know it's gonna be the momorrow.

We don't know it's gonna be Thursday.

We don't know anything.

And like lad, this dragon is just it just doesn't make any sense to me.

But alas as to the question, I if I was alex ooh, I would slightly.

I want to I want to emphasize slightly prefer to move on for Brian Sticker.

I am not in the and I might surprise people because I think when it was rocking and rolling, we were seen as being lower on Sticker than the consensus.

Yep.

I think when the season this happens and the season is really to be bad, I think naturally we're gonna not be lower because people like I am not of the mind that Brian Zicker is responsible for what happened this season.

Like I don't think a manager.

I don't think a manager is worth fifteen twenty wins, Like that's not what that that's that's not a thing that I believe could possibly happen.

So I don't think he's the greatest manager of all time.

I think he's a bet a good manager for a long time.

I think he is at the point, you know, I'm like, it's not all about age, but like just the way, you know, he seems to be slowing down, like by consensus, that's not that's very reasonable at his age, has been doing this for all time.

But so I slightly prefer to move on.

But it isn't the end of the world to me if he's back.

I'm looking I should say looking forward.

If there is an announcement made in a couple of days that Brian Sticker is back, I think the majority reaction is going to be negative.

That's my projection, at least that social media circles, you know, casual Braves fan who goes to the park on weekends.

Maybe not since obviously a very liked figure and for good reason.

But I think a lot of people will be like at least but jesh, by our mentioned by the comments the last couple of months will be frustrated by that.

I would understand it.

You know, if you have another bad year like this next year, you can't bring price Sticker back.

I'll say that, but I think you're allowed one.

I think you're allowed one.

So if you want to, if Alex sticks is the best thing, I'm okay with that.

I also think that if it was up to me, I would slightly lean and move on.

But I also personally I would not be trying to move on and just hand the job to Walt White, like that's not distrectful of what wiss But like, if I'm going to move on, I'm gonna have a search, like I'm gonna I'm not gonna just be like, oh, who's the next guy up in the organization, braves way, all that stuff, Like I want to actually look around if I'm going to do it personally, which is there's two so there's two discussions yes or no.

That's sicker.

And then if it's no, what do you do then?

And that's the part where if I'm Alex, I'm proadcasting a wide net.

But that's wishy washy.

I wish I had like a harder, like first take style answer, Scott.

It'd be better radio perhaps, but like I kind of lean to know if it's me, but you will not.

I mean I won't be available anyway, but if I was available, I would not come on here and bang the table.

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Yes me too.

Because grass is not always greener, The Braves won a lot of baseball games with Brian Snecker calling the shots.

He absolutely has flaws.

Every manager in baseball has flaws of some kind.

His post game I think especially the biggest thing for me with Snip is I have zero and I mean zero confidence in him to manage a pitching staff in game come playoff time.

We have years of data to back that up.

It's so funny because someone's gonna say what about twenty twenty one, and I'm gonna say, you know what, it worked even within that run.

There's audio evidence of us being like, man, I don't love that, but it worked Will Smith at a zero point zer already in the playoffs that season.

But I agree with you though generally.

Bruce Boshee has all those World Series rings.

Is it because he's some insane in game tactician or is it because he pressed the right buttons right for you know, four weeks at a time.

It's something we'll never know, kind of chicken or the egg.

But I think the playoffs with snit honestly concerned me more.

If the Braves had a scenario where they could have Brian Snitker as their regular season manager, I'd probably be fine with that.

But then when the playoffs come, I someone who has to understand leverage and not letting I'm gonna not letting Bryce Elder go through the Phillies lineup a third time like that kind of stuff that a high school manager understands with leverage and third time through the order and all of that like that, that's the kind of things that drive me up the wall, and frankly can be the difference between how far a season can ultimately go based on manager decisions in October.

Yeah, and then there's other stuff too.

I mean, he does very well.

And by the way, I don't want to overstate this, but and we discussed on Sunday, but a lot of the only players that were asked about it on Sunday, Some of us is what are they going to say?

But everyone was universally likes brings it back.

Not granted again they're gonna say that, but to the point he is pretty much universally beloved.

I said, pretty much.

I wonder if you give Ronald Acuna trusts here, if he would like another manager.

There's some reading between the lines there.

We don't know that for sure, but a lot of guys and forever have been like very personate.

He's a players manager.

Guys like playing for snit, so that that matters.

I don't think that should be the That's not the deciding factor if it's me, if I'm Alex at toposs, but that doesn't matter.

It's It is a challenging thing.

There's a reason why people like you and me couldn't manage baseball team.

Like it's a lot more than the tactical stuff there in the game.

You have to manage a locker room of grown ups who are rich and navigate personalities.

And he's SIT's done a very good job with that for a very long time.

So long story short, because I won't be able to respond.

I yeah, I would, I would move on.

I would, But I also I'm wavering on that on purpose, Like I don't feel conviction in that, maybe feel people might be surprised that we're not at least that I'm not stronger on that opinion.

I would move on, but I will not be you know, bringing the pitchfork to Truest Park if they announced a year for stent.

But also the weirdest part about this, and this is kind of a process thing again, but this is a process decision.

It's so weird.

What do you do contractually?

Like, do you bring Brian Sticker back and say if he comes back, let's just stip on that for a second.

If he comes back, Is it like we're gonna announce right now this is one last ride for Brian Sticker, Or do you give him a two year or three year contract and maybe he walks away anyway, But like there's a way to do that, you know, one way or the other, Like there's a way to say, look instead, he's decided.

It's literally in the press release, I've given this one last ride kind of thing.

Or it's just like a ho hum, Brian Sticker signs to your extension with the Braves, Like, I don't know how you do that.

Either way, it's interesting.

All of it's interesting to me.

I would sure think they would go a year at a time at this point.

Honestly, both sides would probably go a year at a time.

They just finished an expiring contract, which is already weird in itself.

Part of the reason why this is so odd, because we didn't say this earlier in this conversation, is that he went into this year on an expiring contract and nothing ever changed.

That's very rare for a guy his position to be going in to a year on a well we thought it was gonna be a contending team as a lame duck manager.

That doesn't really happen.

And yes, Snicker is a special case because of the history of the organization.

I will grant that.

And people keep saying that that's one hundred percent right, it is a special case.

I'm not arguing otherwise.

It's still strange.

And it got stranger the later and later and later it got with no announcement.

That's why it's so odd.

Yeah, we will know soon, Brad.

Definitively, we will know soon what the Braves are gonna do.

Big decision ahead, big decision ahead, to be sure, and yeah, I'm looking forward to resolution.

It could be.

Look, it could literally be tonight, it could be wednesday.

That wouldn't surprise us if you do the math, and we want to talk about this before we started recording.

Last year was a little bit different because they lost.

It was playoffs number one.

They lost on the West coast, which is a travel day back, right, But it was about two three days and then Alex was talking and that would be like tomorrow, it would be tomorrow, Thursday, that kind of range, And will they announce what will they have Alex announce something from the podium.

I don't think so.

I think there will be a press release either probably four Alex Hawks would be my guess either way, Like they're they're definitely not gonna have Alex come out and announce Bri Stickers not coming back.

I can tell you that right now that will be.

That would be.

That will be a pr release and followed up by talking that will not be.

Like everyone gathered around Alex and say, uh and all right, Alex, what's going on?

He says, well, Brian Sticker is gonna that's not gonna happen.

I don't think I'd I'd.

Be reading it, reading it off like a like a judge at a high profile trial, you know, like, yeah, they can't the Braves.

The Braves will make an announcement.

Alex will talk, Snett will talk, players will probably talk, regardless of what the decision ultimately is.

I mean, we have to get resolution soon because if Snith's coming back, then great, you can shift your focus to the off season and a lot of questions with this roster.

And if he's retiring, then you give the guy all of his flowers.

You do the farewell party but then Alex better start working the phones because the Braves are going to need a new manager.

Speaking of working the phones, Managerial's decision is number one on the list because of just a timeline.

Most player stuff can't happen, can or won't happen until the World Series is over.

That's the nature of the way that baseball deals are done.

Option decisions are after the World Series.

Occasionally you get an extension during during the playoffs.

The Braves have done a few of those over the years, but the vast majority of business with rosters and players happens in November and beyond.

Yeah, so that's kind of we stick Chris first.

But we got a question from Jason, a listener to the pod about like basically what the Braves have to do or will do or any of this stuff.

And it's like setting the table roster reset, like who's hitting free agency and I And it's a good idea kind of not like just read it off, but kept do are a very bite sized look at what they're doing.

First things first, there's a lot of talent still on this roster, Like I'm just gonna read some names who are under contract with no drama right now.

For next year.

Austin Riley, Matt Olsen, ron A Coo Junior special Strider, Sean Murphy, Ernonald Lopez, Jerkson Profar, Aaron Bummers on this team still, Joejah Menez, Michael Harris, guys in.

There's guys in pre orb obviously, Drake Ball wants making peanuts, specially swallow bocks making peanuts on this team still, et cetera, etcetera.

Right, a lot of talent on the roster, but there are a couple of only there are really only two free, straight up free agents, which is interesting.

It's Marcela Zuna and Ruys Sally Glacis.

Both of them are in their mid thirties.

Interesting.

Uh, anything to add on those guys.

Obviously we talked about these guys a lot already, but yeah, those are the two free agents, Louis, that's the whole list of like definite fore agents right now.

I think Marcello Zuna will be gone.

It's just hard to carry a DH only type unless you just absolutely mashed baseballs.

And there were warning signs at the end of twenty twenty four with Ozuna and then he was okay this season, but because he just literally cannot play anywhere on the field.

Tough to bring back Marcel he has loved in the clubhouse.

Maybe they work.

Something out there.

But and then with Raycell Iglesias, I would be fine bringing back Ricell on a like a one year deal or something like that.

He was terrible the first two months up until that game that we will never speak up again against the Diamondbacks where he just.

Completely blew up.

But after that he was like one of the ten best relievers in baseball.

I think he had a sub one era for a better part of the second half of the year.

So be fine bringing back Ricell if the contract is right.

But I think we've probably seen Marcello Zuna's final game in Atlanta.

I would agree on all counts there.

And yeah, if you go back to like mid June, ryce El's era was like one.

It was just he was absolutely lights out.

So he's he's the one.

By the way, if I was guessing this is a gifts if there, if we get the October fifteenth mid playoff blue square, I think it would be ryce El for one year and whatever it is, you know, a decent amount of money because that's what he's going to command.

But that would not supper.

I'm not saying it's going to happen, but if we get one of those.

Last year it was Bummer and Lopez, they got like reworked in October.

At one point there was a Morton extension in October.

That kind of stuff.

Guys on her team, Hey, Riycel one year extension quote unquote would not be surprising to me.

Yeah, just saying, yeah, I agree, I'd have him back happily.

And Alex Lexis likes to pay relievers, as we know, probably probably too probably to a fault.

That's Alex's Alexis scrypt Knight is paying relievers.

So uh, anyway, those are the free agents.

They have guys that they have to decide we are too tender in arbitration, so basically offer them a tender or not.

There are some pretty easy ones, like, for instance, Dylan Lee is an arbitration it'll be cheap, good player, Like, I can't imagine I'm not doing that barring injury.

Three million dollars projected for Dylan Lee, give or take.

That's easy.

Yes, I would agree.

A couple of outfielders, Eli White is a tender candidate and Jake Frayley who they brought him mid season.

He got hurt at the end, but Jake Frayley was a not hast Sung Kim level waiver ad but a real player.

Jake Frayley is a real player.

I don't know.

It's White's so cheap that it's probably not an easy yes because he's a utility guy too.

He plays a lot of positions.

Frayley any early thoughts again, we'll do this again later.

I just want to at least set the stage a little bit.

I would definitely bring Eli White back.

He's projected to make about a million and a half, so that's an easy That's an easy yes for me, quite honestly, I agree.

Jake Frayley made just over three million dollars this past season.

It will be his final year of arbitration, so call it four million dollars.

I don't know, Brad.

I mean, yeah, it's right, that's round the line.

I think it's not an easy no warnes yes by any means.

I think.

I think if you pull Braves fans that maybe haven't dug into this, like super deeply, the product think was like, oh, definitely no, because it sounds like a lot of money.

But he is like a like a fourth, like a real fourth outfielder, and that's like what those guys cost.

I'm not saying they'll do it, but that's not like a easy no for me.

The real question I would have is do the Braves, I guess agree with this podcast, Oh yeah, on the on the fourth fourth outfielder DH and basically rotating that player with Profar with Akunya built in insurance.

Well, we'll talk about that more, but I mean, if I would much rather take the four million dollars ode to Jake Fraley and put that towards getting a legitimately good hitting DH fourth outfielder than I mean, Jake Frayley's not going to suddenly turn into an impact player at thirty years old.

I mean he was finding a couple of years ago.

But that that's kind of my read on the situation.

He gets Writy's but no, that's as much as I think he's a real player.

If they don't tender him, it will be a normal decision.

That's fine.

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This guy people almost forget about, Jared Klnick is a guy that have to decide on I can tell you right now, Scott, what we would say.

What we would do with Jared Keelnick, and that is not tender him.

I will say, even if I assume Alex really elects to Kellick at some point, they can't possibly tender him a contract.

Yeah, like, no, you can't do it.

Jared Kelnick in Gwinnett hit two thirteen with a two eighty six on base percentage and a three to oh nine slugging percentage with the Stripers in Gwinnette tells in Gwinnette one more time underlined in the minor leagues.

That also just tells me that the Kelnick probably just gave up stop caring.

I mean, his talent, his true talent level is better than a five hundred ops and a two hundred batting average.

But I'm in I wouldn't blame Kolnick either.

I'm sure he's down on his luck.

This guy was a top ten consensus prospect, he was a top ten draft pick.

He was traded in two very high profile deals.

But it's you know, clearly it didn't work for Kelmick.

I understand what the Braves were trying to do to get a cost controlled, young talented left fielder who was going to make very little money.

But obviously it was just I mean, that was a colossal bust.

One of it only cost money, but that was like a colossal bust from alex Anthopolis in the front office.

It definitely was.

I still think it's not as bad as some discuss it as because of what you just said.

It didn't cost them like Prospect Capital.

They didn't give up Drake Baldwin to get Jerry Kilnick.

If they'd done that, that would be a true catastrophe.

But no, the word they about knick.

We'll move on.

In Seattle when he was stru he was kind of seeing as like a guy who would get to the majors and struggle and then he'd go to the miners and he'd mash like he was and this now that's what's so weird about this.

He's twenty six now and you go to the miners and you're bad.

Like maybe it's mental.

Like you said, I will be surprised if we have a meaningful Jerry coming conversation after this moment on this podcast.

Other guys they have to decide on quickly, you know, guys like Dane Gunning, Jose Suarez, Alexis Diaz, Like probably not on all accounts, I would guess the one that's really interesting as a guy that's about on Sundays.

We won't rehash this, but they they claimed Alec Manoa off waivers, which we discussed for like ten minutes on Sunday's podcast.

But he's a guy that they have to decide on, not for a while, but he's a real talent, a reclamation project and by far the biggest name of all these kind of like, well they were, won't they guys?

I mean guys.

Failey has been on the team makes more money, but Manoa would not be like a total zero dollar commitment.

If they were to tender him, probably be a few million.

I would imagine the Braves will have been throw quite a bit at their Florida complex.

See how he looks.

He's distanced himself from the elbow surgery.

You know, at the end of the day, I don't think Alec Manoa is going to make or break the off season, but it is an interesting decision because they claim this guy at the end of September, so you would think they have some level of interest in Alec Manoa.

But if they also say, if they see Manoa throw a couple of bullpens and they go, oh, boy, this you know he can't find the plate or he you know, has nothing on his breaking balls.

Then you just, you know, you can always non tender and move on.

Yeah.

After that.

It's stuff that people probably know that they're listening to this podcast.

But one that I think gets ignored, probably for good reason, is Chris Sale has an eighteen million dollars team option.

I am very sure that's to be going to be picked up unless Chris Sale's arm falls off between now on the date in which they have to sign on that he'll be back on that contract.

Any opposition to that take Scott No.

I will say, you know, Sale was going to be a free agent before they reworked his contract, and when they I mean, trading for Chris Sale was one thing.

And then when they reworked his deal and extended him, I think we were all like, oh my gosh, like, obviously this is a talented guy.

But it was a we said it with the time.

It was a calculated risk because if it worked, it was gonna look awesome, yes, but if it didn't work, it was gonna look really dumb.

The extension part of it, because the trade we loved, even even even before we knew he was gonna be awesome.

We we loved the trade because it was such a mild cost for him.

But uh, yeah, this looks great now, I will say, and this maybe will be a topic later on in the winter.

Would it surprise you at all if they reworked it again, because it would It wouldn't surprise me at all.

It would not surprise me.

I think I would hold my breath even more just because Chris with the weird ass injuries.

This guy picks up fair.

But you know, it's knock on wood.

It's never elbow, it's never shoulder.

It's just like broken ribs for the second time in five years and backspasms, and you know he broke his finger years ago in Boston on a comeback er.

Like it's it's always weird stuff with Sale.

But to answer your question, no, it would not surprise me if they worked out like a two year deal with another club option.

I could see it.

He's I mean, he is still pound for pound as good as basically anyone in the major leagues.

Yeah, and we don't know that they'll do it.

That would just be very Alex.

If Alex were to rework that into a two year deal, like he did with Bummer, like he did with Ronaldo, like he did with Morton.

At times like where you would go a little bit earlier, get a little bit more team control.

I'm not saying you give him a four year deal.

I'm not going to do that, but it would if it did, it'd be a two year.

But anyway, he's on an eight team millionllar club option.

That's an autodobrary.

Yes, Pierce Johnson has a seven million dollar team option.

Another one that's like not a total no brainer, like he's he's good.

I think people often under rape Pier Johnson.

I think he's been good with the Brapes.

But that's enough money where it's not like a it's not Chris Sale.

Chris Sale is a lot more obvious to peer Johnson.

Yeah, I think so.

Seven million dollars for Pierce Johnson I feel is fair market value.

Agreed, he is a good, not great, middle to late inning reliever.

It's not a closer.

He's not an all star, but he's also not bad.

I will say, Brad, without knowing what this team is going to spend, seven million dollars is not nothing.

And Pierce Johnson's buyout is only two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, So we're of course gonna talk about Ozzy Alby's here in a second.

The financial savings by keeping Ozzy Alby's versus paying his buyout is so minimal.

I think they're bringing Ozzie back.

But if Alex is like, you know what, I have some big ideas, but I'm gonna need some money to do it, I would not be completely shocked if they saved seven million dollars by saying no to Pierce Johnson said you know what, We'll find Tyler Kinley later in the off.

Season for half the price.

Yeah.

That's kind of why I set it up that way too, because it's like, I think we've all been assuming that it's likely Pierces on the team, But that number is not nothing.

That's a real he is.

He's worth about that much.

But when you're worth about that much, that means there's an argument against you being worth more than that or worth that much money.

Just to throw it out there, since he got to the Braves about two and a half years, he is a era of two point nine to one good peripherals, like he's a good reliever.

Yeah, not an elite one, but he's been good the entire time he's been here.

But yeah, that's real money, so won the circle.

Later on, we'll save Ozzie for last.

Tyler Kinley, the guy you just brought up, a guy who was talked about before and was just absolutely lights out with the Braves.

Was a weird pre deadline quiet in the It was a weird stretch for the Braves.

They didn't really do much, but they got him.

He does have a five point five million dollar team option for next year.

With the way he pitched, it's hard to argue against that team option because like he had a not granted, his era was like I think it was, was it sub one?

I think I might have.

Had see zero point six y four or something.

He is not that good even as a guy, even as people who liked that trade when it happened for very very little cost.

Yeah, it was a zero point seven to two era.

I just looked it up.

I think he's probably gonna be back on five five ish million.

Yeah, So Tyler Kinley five and a half million dollar club option.

The buyout is seven hundred and fifty k.

So you're saying Tyler Kinley for four point seven five million dollars.

I would pick it up.

I think that's again probably fair value for Tyler Kinley.

This guy's not going to be your closure next year.

He's not even gonna be your eighth inning guy more than likely.

But you do have to have reliable relievers to kind of bridge those middle innings.

And you know, that feels like a fair amount.

And I guess.

It's not a one hundred percent certainty, but I would say, you know eighty ninety percent that Tyler Kinley is.

Back, not one hundred percent.

Perhaps Alex will find religion on not paying relievers, but until he does, I tend to think he's going to spend money on relievers.

So there's that.

Also, we're not gonna talk about this again right now, but the last one is Ozzie obvious YEP seven million club option, substantial buyout.

I will be shocked if he is not picked up on that.

By the way, there is an argument that we made before to pick him up and trade him, which would be a hard sell, like he's a braves lifer to this point, but that would be that would be smarter than declining the option for me, for me, decline the option it's nowhere in the realm because they could easily trade him on that contract.

And if you if you have a if you have if you have a contract, that maybe maybe they don't love that Ozzie's profile anymore.

That would be understandable.

But if there's a club option on a guy and you know you could trade for positive value, you pick the option no matter what.

Yeah, that's my opinion.

Yeah, I am fine bringing Ozsi Alby's back.

I wish he didn't have a broken bone in his hand after breaking his wrist a year ago, but the fact that he really turned it on in the second half was very more Ossy Alby's like than the just abysmal player he was in the first half of the year was encouraging.

Now we just kind of have to hold our breaths and hope that with six months in the offseason he can fully distance himself from that broken handmate bone, get his grip strength back, which is something players have talked about who have broken that hand, because he's a small guy and he needs every bit of strength that he has in order to be a power hitter.

And that's I mean, we know it's it's unconventional.

There's not a lot of like five foot eight sluggers out there, but that was in his prime.

That was Ozzy Alby's profile.

Yep, we'll discuss that later on.

But he too, but from sat bit and one more that we are not doing a segment on tonight because we've done it already three times, maybe more than three times.

But there's a rare thing for the Braves.

There is a player option which again player option nothing to do with the Braves.

Hassan Kim sixteen million dollars.

We will see big.

It's a big choice and the Braves had nothing to do with Obviously, they can kind of negotiate with him a little bit about an extension, but as far as the s NO is concerned, that is the property of one hass On Kim and his agent Scott for us.

So we'll see.

It feels fifty to fifty to me whether or not Kim picks up his player option sixteen million dollars, Brad a lot of money.

And if he doesn't, that's what becomes real.

I mean, obviously I'd like for him to pick it up.

I don't want to speak for you.

I think you would, yeah, back that if he doesn't pick it up.

It gets real interesting because you can still sign him as a free agent.

You also and if you don't sign him as a free agent, your shortstop plan is is prayer.

They have no internal option at shortstop.

With due respect to Nickallen, that's not an option.

I feel, and we said this on the show on Sanday, Let's say it one more time.

I feel, and I think you do too.

One way or another, Hassan Kim will be the Braves shortstop come opening Day.

It might be on a player option, it might be on a three year contract.

We'll see where it ultimately shakes out with.

But I do think that Hassan Kim will be the Brave shortstop come next year.

I tend to agree, even if there is certainly a chance he's not, I think there is a bigger chance that the is.

So we are on the sad page there.

There is our roster reset.

Just like everybody know what's going on.

We will have a more detailed, more timely look at these things as they're getting closer.

All the option deadlines are after the World Series.

I think five days is the is the deadline for all these things in baseball.

Make a very uniform on that and then the tender deadline is much later than that.

But the option like team option stuff, et cetera, is that around there, and that's really just it's Ozzie and can't, etcetera.

So we're into that later on.

But that's the rust reset quickly, Scott.

Before we signed off.

Today was the first first day of the playoffs, which is fun.

We say it's for the end because it's if you want to sign off.

By the way, this is the end of the Braves talk if you are so inclined to not letten justus talk about playoffs for like three minutes.

Fun day of baseball.

So far, we are recording in the middle of Dodger's Reds It just started, so we don't know about that game yet.

The first three games were all fun, all low scoring.

I thought it was funny.

The three scores of the first three games were two to one, three to one, and three to one.

Pitching, baby, yeah, I mean you talk about the starting pitching today, especially, I mean Derek Scooble, unbelievable.

The Yankees Red Red Sox matchup with Max Freed and Garrett Crochet, I mean, goodness, gracious, that was a lot of fun.

Offense at a premium.

I love you Max.

Max doesn't get the loss, but they the Yankees lost this bye Max throwing six and the third shots.

It was so yeah.

Probably Freed's best performance since the World Series, quite honestly, Yeah yeah, so fun day of baseball.

A lot of baseball on the horizon for playoffs again, totally sucks.

The Braves are not involved.

But I don't know.

Maybe it's like stress free watching is not the worst thing in the world.

And all right, Brad live on the podcast.

What is the World Series?

And who wins?

Oh?

Lord, uh, I will this might this might look hilariously wrong in the morning.

If the Dodgers lose Game one to the Reds, it's gonna look way dumbnut and pick of the Dodgers though the National League.

But I'm going to despite coming out of the wild card round, I'm taking the Dodgers.

Give me Dodgers against Blue Jays.

Okay, listen, I promise I won't do the whole thing right now.

I hate they expanded playoffs.

Well, listeners know this.

It makes it incredibly random, and I don't like that.

Still love baseball, but if you want to act like anybody has more than a sixty percent chance to win any series.

I disagree with you, Like, the best teams have an advantage obviously, but if you look at some of the projections and stuff, like the Dodgers have about as big of a favorite as you can be in a three game series against the Reds and they're like sixty five percent to win.

Yeah, and it's like, good luck.

Try to project what's gonna happen in the Baseball PLAYLFFS.

Especially this year, it feels wide open, oh more so than usual, even wide open this year because it's like there's.

No no, no may.

Yeah, the teams have the best records are teams that you don't like have a trustpector with, like the Blue Jays, the Mariners, I get, the Brewers like were great this year, but like they're not some juggernaut talent wise, like the Phillies have issues, Zach Wheeler's not available like all these things.

So yeah, I am taking the Seattle Mariners to win it all.

They're hot, they have the pitching, they have a great lineup, kind of like quietly shout out to Kevin Seitzer for unlocking that lineup because Seattle was abysmal for years and now they just hit eighteen home runs a game.

But yeah, so I'll tak the.

Mariners probably at sixty home runs as a catcher, which is the dose thing I've ever seen in my life that actually happened.

But yeah, playoff baseball, and as always, we have plenty of brave stuff on the very immediate horizon to talk about.

Brad is gonna say Cyanara for two weeks.

I'm gonna country here about two weeks.

But if you're not, folks, well, we have four hosts, so we'll have plenty of content, no less and probably better off quite honestly without me.

I'm sure that if you polled listeners, some would say that.

And that's fine, that's that's the ma true of the beast.

No, it should be fun.

I love playoff baseball, Mariners honestly be fun of the If the Marriags won of the World Series, they're really be fun.

Like tortured fan base.

They've never made it there, that'd be fun.

Not quite like Cubs, you know, curse stuff.

But Marriagers have been around for a long time and they haven't made it, so it should be fun.

Yeah, all right, Scott, let's get out of here.

That's a podcast on a Tuesday.

One more PSA.

We could get an announcement any minute about a prize Sicker.

Could be tonight, could be tomorrow, could be Thursday.

We will do our best to respond.

If it happens during the day on Wednesday or Thursday, it'll still probably be the evening before we have a podcast because we all have jobs.

But there will be a podcast some point soon, yes, post post Snicker announcement, post Alex comments about other things like famously, last year, Alex had a very eventful exit interview that we broke down in detail on the show, So we will.

We will probably do a three man show whenever the Braves give us some kind of resolution on Brian Snicker, whether he's back or if he's retiring.

Very likely we would do a three men show with myself, Stephen and Sean, and then we'll probably do a whole separate episode on whatever Alex and Dappola says, because again, manager is like the big domino that needs to fall.

But then, as we kind of outlined on the show tonight, a ton of other things the Braves need to figure out this winter.

They should have some money to spend.

Oh, there's some talented free agency.

The farm system is a little deeper than it's been in recent years, so you could probably pull off a trade of significance.

It's fingers crossed.

It's going to be a busy and.

Eventful next couple of months ahead, I hope, so for our sake and the sake of Braves Country.

That's it for today.

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