[SPEAKER_01]: Everyone JJ Cooper Matt Eddie another of the baseball America prostate podcast deep guys today in person We've got coffee.
[SPEAKER_01]: We've got met's talk met's talk here on on the baseball America classic podcast deep guys Matt a fascinating offseason.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like for the meds one where they made kind of a what they they kind of slow slow slow fast in it up making a multitude of moves
[SPEAKER_01]: after a very disappointing, obviously 2025, 2020, yeah, and if they hadn't 2020, six, it feels like this team is in a different spot than they were at this time last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, thankful, or because of the flurry of moves, you represent the end, trading for credit for all, to trading for Luis Robert Jr. signing Boba Shest, signing all right, Polanco, it's a remade roster for 26.
[SPEAKER_01]: The other thing is, obviously, that happened over the offseason, the original top 30 that we put at baseball America put in the handbook is no longer that top 30 now it's a little bit of a different top 30, but still even after that one that ranks pretty high up on our organization talent rankings and one that feels like that this is one of the better met farm systems and a different one than we've seen for quite a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: spawn the the pen and winters in 2015 you know your Jacob DeGrom no ascended guard Zach Wheeler was a part of that group pitching heavy group but this is the best it's been ten for all these speaking of pitching the number one prospect not a big surprise no on the claim the number one pitching prospect that we have in the game right now
[SPEAKER_01]: One of the best prospects as we have him in the game right now, a guy who just barely still qualifies for this list because obviously, if you're a med fan, you saw what he could do, you saw what he did in the big leagues, you know, the end of the year to be honest, he was probably, he's one guy who can say he was not part of the problem for why they didn't make the postseason.
[SPEAKER_01]: He was doing everything he could.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would imagine it was a pretty easy decision, but this is a talented Carson Bange, Jonah Tong, how easy was the decision to, that McLean was number one?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, the, the eventually gave you put them for the top.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've already had McLean number one in the summer months, like him and Bange, I viewed as at the top, but McLean's outstanding debut put them over the top.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, he's got, he's got athleticism, repertoire, he's got everything you need from look at, number two and then we started.
[SPEAKER_01]: The other thing we've seen already is like, I mean, this is, this is a picture who at his best in the big leagues can dominate, not just get you through innings, but really.
[SPEAKER_01]: But he's also a lot of times with guys like that, early on in their big league careers, their guys, you're like, okay, but their problem is they're gonna try to dominate, they're gonna get you four, they're gonna hot, you're gonna try to get them through five.
[SPEAKER_01]: The claim shows that he's got some ability to kind of also be a little bit more efficient than that, I feel like.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think his unpredictability is his weapon.
[SPEAKER_00]: He can throw six different fish types effectively.
[SPEAKER_00]: Great, great feel for breaking, killing lift and spin on his change up, you know, he has all the raw ingredients you need to be eventually started.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you said two though, you said two or three.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know one.
[SPEAKER_01]: What is it that kind of, because I'm going to use our top pitch across the game, we're very reticent.
[SPEAKER_01]: plus gains in the number one.
[SPEAKER_01]: There are number ones out there.
[SPEAKER_01]: Terrix schools number one, but we never say there are 30 number ones out there.
[SPEAKER_01]: What is it that are the concerns that would probably keep in from maybe being that that number one?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think with any any on-pitcher, command, you know, the command to be number one starter is always a question.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you're going to improve it over 30 starts over multiple seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have to think the the raw quality of his four seamers is not at ace level.
[SPEAKER_00]: His sinker is very good.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't need to diminish the whole thing, but the foreseamer isn't at that level right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: When you said like you came into it, obviously what he did kind of at the end of the season kind of runs away with it, but I think it's a good chance to talk about Carson Bench because we're going to get into cook to be next year's number one and all of Carson Bench is going to fit into that discussion.
[SPEAKER_01]: Carson Bench, the only time is not going to fit into that discussion.
[SPEAKER_01]: These are guys who are going to be the biggest, this is
[SPEAKER_01]: One of the reasons that we think that this system is so good right now is because of the number of close to proximity prospects.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is not a farm system of guys that you hope to see the arrivals in 272829.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a farm system that is very much led by guys who will already have already been up in a lot of cases or in Carson's bench cases.
[SPEAKER_01]: A guy who is very much competing in spring training for a job on a regular starting job with bench.
[SPEAKER_01]: What did you see what did you get feedback on from how he did last year that kind of kept moving him up our top 100 as well?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he kind of hit one of the bigger rises, like in the minor leagues in general, he went from off our top 100 to firmly top 20, you know, you could you could I go and up further that you're so inclined, but I think the thing is this pure hitting ability has ability to do everything well across the board potentially handle center early in his career at an above average level, but be a no doubt like right field profile.
[SPEAKER_01]: Did that also like we saw the parole to trade and in that obviously trade away multiple, you know, premium prospects for multiple top 100, you know, we saw Jet Williams and guys like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like though.
[SPEAKER_01]: You kind of look at it, like take Jet Williams, for example, not the Jet Williams is not a very useful player.
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, we sound holocaunia who, you know, was traded another the least Robert trade who, you know, we, as we can say it's not a switchhead or like that was kind of the, uh, the definitively not a switchhead or but, but what I was saying though is it, I feel like in some ways though, they almost kind of had to make a couple of moves because if you look at.
[SPEAKER_01]: for the sense between Bench and Williams.
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, when we talk about their infield because they signed the shit.
[SPEAKER_01]: So Francisco Lindor, Boba shit, there's not a whole lot of room for Jet Williams in the infield in the short term.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then you look in the outfield.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was saying there's not a whole lot of room for him there either because you probably prefer Bench, you might prefer AJ Uing because of your, you know, as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like the dollar did they get their self-better at the big league level of these moves, but it also was kind of probably something that needed to kind of clear some, you're much rather trade jet Williams now than a year and a half for now, go always still in AAA.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's the risky run with the guys who are good, but not elite.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't want them to stagnate in AAA, and then they become more difficult to trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the other factor is, it's one of those baseball dynamic trades
[SPEAKER_00]: rely less on the rookies and young players, but the low payroll teams require them to make the required talent to zero to six players to make the money work, so I think it's a perfect baseball dynamic trade.
[SPEAKER_01]: So also with Tong, Tong also moved up Tong was our minor league pitcher of the year last year, and I would say the best season, really one of the best statistical seasons we've seen in the minor league.
[SPEAKER_01]: kitchen wise and quite a while, like you saw ERA strike out Ray, you know, bonus average, all these things.
[SPEAKER_01]: He was basically among minor league leaders and all other than innings pitched and pretty much all these categories.
[SPEAKER_01]: But there is, I think, him, and you're comparing him to Nolan McLean, the hesitation, not that he's an elite prospect.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's an athlete, he's a top 50 prospect, basically.
[SPEAKER_01]: But he does it, like, McLean is like, this is the prototype of how you expect to see it, the body, the repertoire, all that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Tongue's a little bit more of an outlier type guy.
[SPEAKER_01]: Is he not?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, very much so but right down to the delivery and the fastball change up 85% of the time, which is unusual for a right hand at starter in the major leagues.
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, we saw in his brief debut, some hidden mess, the fastball wasn't getting chased and so on and missed on as much as a minor league.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's going to be the focus as we'll be getting a third pitch in there.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say the big thing that I would imagine that you want to see for the match if you want to see if your tongue is developing some sort of breaking ball.
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, nowadays this is, I feel like different than it was 30 years ago, 20 years ago, they're, they're going to lay it, they've got a buffet of breaking balls out there.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, okay, just the gyroslider work, you know, he is, you know, he is, is it a, you know, sweet, there's a variety of ways you can try, which was the strength of the, the meds group we mentioned in 2014, the 10 more than slider and he's just a gyroslider that's in regard to the ground made famous so, you know, that potential exists.
[SPEAKER_01]: But again, he has to have something like that because the problem is is right now, again, it can be effective for him, but it is if he, if they're not getting chases on that change up.
[SPEAKER_01]: then, and if he's not giving hitters in the big leagues a little bit more to worry about other than up, down, up, down, up, down, that's where this could be a little bit more, a little bit a little bit of a rockier transition of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and to be clear, Tom has shown good spin attributes and good, you know, feel for breaking stuff from the miners.
[SPEAKER_00]: He just, for whatever reason, let away from that last season.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, along those lines, our question that we like to ask
[SPEAKER_00]: much better.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the meds form is at peak value right now, which implies with the side nays and will not be as rosy just by the which is fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean the nature of, you know, graduations and maybe prototypes.
[SPEAKER_01]: Right, if Dola McLean is in your rotation, if Carson Benches is in your outfield, if Jonathan's in your rotation, if
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, there could be, you know, a other guy's who we could talk about here, like that we will talk about later Jack Wenninger, you know, like, doesn't that like, if you're graduating players who are then young talented and under team control through years to come and you go down in the prospect rankings a little bit, okay, that's, yeah, that's what you want to do.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, you said traits as well, we talked about it.
[SPEAKER_01]: This has got a lot of at the top big league ready or knocking on the door.
[SPEAKER_00]: The way behind that is there a way for us that more like this is going to be a pretty precipitous fall probably as far as through the premium prospects are I think there's a way of a pitchers and the hitters are to be determined based on how.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the sort of thing I think that it's also worth noting here, though, is that we saw at the deadline last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've been like the MS, obviously, it didn't work out.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like they traded and they didn't make the postseason.
[SPEAKER_01]: But a lot of what they traded is what I would describe as many, again, and I don't, this is about denigrating the prospects, but there are prospects who are not premium players when they came in and then through development were
[SPEAKER_01]: improved to the point where they had value and trade.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think of an Anthony Mignes, for example.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I do think we'll be in the Orioles bullpen this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, at points.
[SPEAKER_01]: Anthony Nunez was not a premium prospect, was a, I mean, was one of those rare guys who actually was a drafted player played of the position player went back to college to pitch because he was basically, you can do that at the do and then Fashions himself into being a reliever, they trained a number of guys like that, where I would say,
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a credit to the organization in some ways to be able to not, you're not trading your first run picks, you're not trading your top international sign, you're trading guys who you essentially have developed into valuable trade commodities.
[SPEAKER_01]: But,
[SPEAKER_01]: that you kind of feel a little bit better about your chance to continually regenerate those if you're pitching developments going right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I think that's a, um, that's a credit to this group, because this is something that's we're not doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you guys go, they were not generating manufacturing that pro value.
[SPEAKER_00]: My, my hot take by the way, is having new experiences, the best player they traded.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm trying to make some new years, like setting aside the jet and throw a train, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think that's going to be a helpful act of the orders.
[SPEAKER_01]: We just did the record of the deep dive with me only and we talked about him on that one too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, so yeah, okay, looking though, we say, if we go to next year, if we look ahead, we know, again, if no one
[SPEAKER_01]: bad dudes that's fans because but that means he doesn't basically pitch.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would assume again Carson Bench is going to graduate, whether he makes the opening roster or not, I would assume that Jonah Tong is going to graduate.
[SPEAKER_01]: So who are we looking at most likely or the candidates to be number one a year from now?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, this is what I mean about peak value.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think by the ranking that we're heading into this year where the AJUing is next up, he finished a AA, I think if he hits a triple A this year, I think there's a pretty good chance.
[SPEAKER_00]: He'll see some significant major league time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ryan Clifford, same deal if he hits, he's got a chance to see Major League time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, it's tricky to figure these players into a well-paid lineup.
[SPEAKER_01]: Because it's a good thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: Because Clifford, like you said, Clifford's want to me.
[SPEAKER_01]: I find it highly likely he's going to be a number one a year from now, because
[SPEAKER_01]: There are limitations to him that would also then kind of might, you hope you kind of have someone who might be a little bit higher up.
[SPEAKER_01]: But on top of that, if he does kind of fix some of the limitations, if he's making solid contact really getting for power, he probably graduates.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like it's either a, he could graduate, and if he does not graduate, he's probably not a number one prospect kind of.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jacob Breimer, and then some of the pitchers, the Jack Weninger, the Jonathan Centucci types.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you're, you might go, Mitch Boyd, or Alihan Banyak, if you want to play some more of a position dynamic in field or type of number one.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's unlikely to be either top draft picks, because the bonus pool is so low.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're drafting late.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think it's one of the players I just named, which is most likely.
[SPEAKER_01]: Painus is an interesting one as you dove into them.
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, Josh Norris Bros went to the DSL, talk a lot of people, and there was kind of mixed reviews.
[SPEAKER_01]: It had a great season statistically, but there was some questions about really about kind of the long-term upside, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, what, as you did your reporting, what was the feedback you were getting?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, there's some skepticism on the body, the ability to hit, you know, stick a short stop.
[SPEAKER_00]: All of these things, these things that we'll limit in less than really, really rakes.
[SPEAKER_00]: So those are the concerns you have in any young, physically mature player, but if he hits, those things matter a lot, he'll allow us.
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it crazy?
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, I don't think he'll be next year, but does one day as the gym kind of fit into this potentially as well?
[SPEAKER_00]: Naturally, yes, and he was their top IFA doing a short stop this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: You might, I mean, he would have to have an outstand.
[SPEAKER_00]: It would have that outseason.
[SPEAKER_01]: Right, well, I mean, the only reason I bring it up is we have seen some examples in recent years, right, where for one, like we are more aggressive about now, like trying to get as much information as we can, but like you look at, again, I am not putting, I'm not saying he's going to do this.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let me be clear.
[SPEAKER_01]: But you look at what, you know, obviously like, you know, he's this
[SPEAKER_01]: Medae, I keep doing that one.
[SPEAKER_01]: Medae, a couple of years ago, you know, obviously, Josh Warden's album is last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are seeing some examples of guys who, if you set that on fire, if you think that late kind of brought to the US, you start fitting into the, there's a little bit more comfort level now.
[SPEAKER_01]: We have a little bit more information now.
[SPEAKER_01]: The way I would put it is
[SPEAKER_01]: DSL statistics are things that are not all that useful.
[SPEAKER_01]: We know that the caliber of competition can vary pretty dramatically.
[SPEAKER_01]: The caliber pitching that you're facing or hitting vice versa.
[SPEAKER_01]: But there are now things we've talked about this in other stories that they smell American.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you understand the zone, it's one thing to say, he's got a high OVP.
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's like, okay, well, how much is he swinging at pitches in the zone versus swinging at pitches
[SPEAKER_01]: zone awareness, I feel like you can, that can be measured now by proteins in a way that it couldn't, where it's like, it's not just to high-walk rate.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're just holding the bat on your shoulder in the DSL, you could probably get to a 350 OVP, you know?
[SPEAKER_01]: But are you then swinging at the pitches that you can do damage to?
[SPEAKER_01]: That are, hey, I got to strike.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to do something with it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Those kind of things now, I feel like we have a little bit more comfort level with than we did 10 years ago.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's maybe why it's fair.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you project those with no
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I didn't want to talk about Ryan or a little bit too.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's another guy who I feel like kind of did have a nice kind of emergent season last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: The battle's really good last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: How much is his development?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is the question of the going to be with him going to be about where he ends up defensively?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like can he is third, like is that a viable long-term reserve still?
[SPEAKER_01]: Some questions about that.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's still questions, but I think we see third base.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know anecdotally, third base to me is one of those positions where players improve a lot in pro ball.
[SPEAKER_00]: You need to miss the move level to level.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I don't think he's at a point where you're comfortable, or at least at the end of that season.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was, I don't think he was at a point where you feel comfortable, but that's his future for sure, but it's possibility could get there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then late in the year, they were playing a more first base for what that's worth.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that, you know, so that's obviously could be a long-term, then that,
[SPEAKER_01]: He has the map, or maybe that is big enough to do that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, again, we said there's battles there.
[SPEAKER_01]: Because you know, on the developmental side, you've got him, you've got club to do, could have been the first place as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was going to ask you about when Andrew and San Tucci, but I think I'll ask you this question first.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this will kind of key that up, which is, what is this organization good at developing?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, over the past few years, pitching.
[SPEAKER_00]: without a doubt, the 2023 draft group, you know, you get Brandon Sprote, they've already used in a trade, Nolan McLean, Zach Thornton, Jack Wenniger, or legitimate prospects.
[SPEAKER_00]: And those guys were later like three, four, five round guys, they got Kate Morris, and they traded, and then last year, Jonathan sent 2G Will Watson,
[SPEAKER_00]: and RJ Gordon, 2024 graphics, all of them finished at AA in 25 on the Eastern League Championship rotation.
[SPEAKER_00]: So those guys came a long way in a short time.
[SPEAKER_01]: What is it with the pitching?
[SPEAKER_01]: What is it that they seem to be identifying that allows them?
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, you're, because you said, no one McLean, great success story.
[SPEAKER_01]: Kudos, two-way guy in college, you know.
[SPEAKER_01]: love to be a two-way guy.
[SPEAKER_01]: I did hit a pro ball, but then like seen to find another gear when he just focused on pitching.
[SPEAKER_01]: But, but again, that was the guy who everyone was seeing the only thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: But as you said, there's some guys here that are a little bit more kind of diamonds in the rough, and the met seem to be able to identify some characteristics that fit with their ability to develop.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I think it's integrating player development into the draft
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're also really good at bringing along the lossity and identifying the breaking boss shapes that they think can work.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they as an organization really target year three to kind of see these players blossom.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's when we're playing.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's third-party year, blossomed for instance.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's, as you're looking at when these guys might be beat value, I think you start looking at year three.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, okay, so we have some guys who are kind of meeting your three years.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'll be here the other thing to watch in 2026.
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, that 2024 draft, is that what you're talking about by your three, is about 204, 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, and that's the two two Watson, and then do lesser degree RJ board.
[SPEAKER_00]: We do better things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And also Ryan Lambert, a believer in that group as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it also we're noting though that like again, we don't college guys, but then they've done it with high school guys, you know, like Kong as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, a little bit about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, yeah, historically, they don't, they haven't drafted a lot of high school moms and tongue sign for slot value, but they violated that a little bit in the last draft when they Peter Kusou and Camden Loman, etc.
[SPEAKER_00]: They gave my over slot design.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll see how that progresses because there's no precedent for that.
[SPEAKER_01]: What about on the hitting side?
[SPEAKER_01]: What are they other from characteristics here that
[SPEAKER_00]: Not as much.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that they're good at helping players lean into the best attributes.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we saw that a little bit in 24, but Mark Santos leaning into his power.
[SPEAKER_00]: He really took off for one season.
[SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, AJ Ewing had his best year by focusing more on contact and angles and kind of leveling on his swing.
[SPEAKER_00]: He still has the UV to hit for power.
[SPEAKER_00]: He just didn't show it as much last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then helping Clipper and Vimer, you know, maxed
[SPEAKER_01]: So on the video side, this is kind of the end of the pub.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if you were on the podcast side, we are going to continue and we'll be talking about sleepers guys outside the top end.
[SPEAKER_01]: Right after this quick break.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we're back.
[SPEAKER_01]: So Matt, looking outside the top 10, who are some other names to know.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I said, this is still, that top 10 is Phil of guys who, these are names to know partly because they're gonna be, some of these guys are gonna be top 10 guys this year because we expect a lot of these guys at the top of the top 10 to graduate.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that the pictures at the next group who are most exciting to me, are Zach Thornton, the lefty from Grand Canyon and Will Watson, right handed from USC.
[SPEAKER_00]: Both do differently.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thorntons more of a command and wipe repertoire guy, but they've coaxed a lot of yellow and effectiveness out of him.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's interesting.
[SPEAKER_00]: Watson, a great fastball, could change up some relief risk because he doesn't have the outstanding pitch, but great arm, could see him in the majors this year if everything goes right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mondi is so you can mention the Dominican shortstop and one of the most fun players is Randy Guznan who is Ronald Guznan's younger brother, Kooping younger brother crazy crazy power and it came out of nowhere after two or DSL seasons so we don't know to what extent what he showed late last year was legitimate but he has caring tool and if he could introduce the hit
[SPEAKER_01]: Other thing that when I look at this picture, we know that the match just opened up a upgraded screen-craning facility on the minor league site.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, there is like, there is a real intention here that's been there for a little while as far as they want to kind of, again, there is this approach of being doctors like.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I mean that from a standpoint of, they're a large revenue team, they have a well
[SPEAKER_01]: They don't have physical limitations because they're owner who rarely wants to be good.
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's not a only major lead approach.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is something where we talked about that this is an improved farm system.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is also kind of when you bring over like their model, this is kind of it's a different group.
[SPEAKER_01]: But David Stern's, the Brewer's model, David Sterns came from a resource-limited team
[SPEAKER_01]: the knowledge and understanding of how to try to continue to contend, compete, knowing that they weren't going to be a major pre-agent player, knowing that they were going to have to figure out ways to replace players to sometimes move on from players to say, this guy's still good, but we get value for him and we can find someone to replace him.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's really interesting for the
[SPEAKER_01]: This is the team that we just used to play it out, that they signed Boba Shet to a master deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: They traded for Freddie Pearl, so they bought it in the least rubber.
[SPEAKER_01]: They, you know, they, there was a number of guys who they made moves to bring in, who are big league vets, but it's also not a, we just go after veterans, we just fill out holes from the free agent market.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a blend where even when they see someone like Peter Lanzo leave, it's not something where they say, oh, we're just immediately going to go out there and spend big to replace them.
[SPEAKER_01]: It kind of is also a little bit of what opportunities.
[SPEAKER_01]: What players do we have here who might be able to fill those holes?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, which creates a little bit of a balance I've built to it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and this is new under-game turns.
[SPEAKER_00]: The minutes prior to this setting aside the August and era that we talked about earlier, really lacked that discipline, that strategy, that cohesion, which I think the turns has brought to the organization.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that that's where you would mirror, that's where the Dodgers reference would be apt so they don't have the machining success.
[SPEAKER_01]: As a, yeah, they're getting to this point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Although I will say, like if you said, even in the Andrew Friedman era, this was the point with what the Dodgers we were saying, ow, they're, they win the division every year congratulations to them, but when are they going to get over that, that role series, you know, hurdle, not a problem now, the Dodgers know.
[SPEAKER_01]: As 20-minute fan bases will tell you,
[SPEAKER_01]: I do look at it and say, OK, there is.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's where I find this really intriguing, really interesting is there does feel like that this is a team that's kind of aiming for more of consistency rather than, hey, we're going to, it's all, we're going to be able to make a push to make a run this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's more of the developing kind of a sustainable base.
[SPEAKER_01]: And there's going to be some ups and downs with.
[SPEAKER_01]: look, I don't want to be all, you know, flowers and roses here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, they're inability to add more starting pitching at the deadline last year, probably cost them a spot in the playoffs.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, when you've finished that close, you have to go back and look and say, should we have done more?
[SPEAKER_01]: But I also look at it and say, long term with this team,
[SPEAKER_01]: filtering in the McLean's, filtering in the Carson Venge's, in addition to bringing in a mobile chat, bringing in a friendly problem.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, there is a balance here where it's like, again, we'll see, I feel like we're still waiting to see, like, okay, obviously Francisco Alvarez is part of this.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's still Viento's in Brett, 80, like in seeing what they can do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's a little bit of a mix of, they want to,
[SPEAKER_01]: They want to go out and bring in big guys who can help, but there's also, there is opportunities here.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is not something we see with the dog right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like Michael Bush could just sit there totally away for years in AAA and it's like, sorry dude, when we need a first basement, we're gonna go get 23 men, not just say you get the job.
[SPEAKER_01]: The met sits a little bit more of it.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're a premium prospect, I feel like there's a little bit more chance right now that you will be the guy who's kind of handed the keys and see what you can do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they made a point of carving out a lot of revenge in particular, and you know, McLean, at least in our dissapught last year, but I think that's not not totally uncommon, but it's unusual for a higher payroll team to say, to hear, we want this rookie, we're just clearing the path and this is your role.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they didn't really back up him, much either.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not really.
[SPEAKER_00]: No.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, this is kind of, I think my top man is in camp.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think there's some other players like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Sure, there are guys who you would put, but not like, but again, like I would say that in a lot of cases to get the Dodgers example.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, hey, we're going to bring in Michael Conforto on a one-year deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, we're bringing back Tayar Hernandez on, you know, and we're, they're like, you know,
[SPEAKER_01]: Dalton rushing is like his path, which I know he didn't have a great debut last year, but is like, do you wanna be a backup catcher for us?
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not something where you're saying like, Ben's year, the claim, I feel like Jonah Tong has a real opportunity.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is not something where you look at and say, Tong's gonna have to really scrap to get start from the big league this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's gotta be starts for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and yeah, don't fear.
[SPEAKER_00]: He had like two AAAs starts last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was very young.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think him going back to a place like you're fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: A half year AAA and then half year in majors is completely put beyond Brad and Tim.
[SPEAKER_01]: I do feel like, again, it'll be interesting to see the other thing we talked about there is is salsa team that's making splashes in the international market with pania, and now is the afternoon.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is the team that is really trying to do the all of the above approach, I'm guessing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they need that.
[SPEAKER_00]: The meds need the international market to be vitalized because, you know, they have a period where they have a medressario, Ronnie Mauricio Francisco Elvarez, and all these guys,
[SPEAKER_00]: right in succession and had a big hit now, since Elmer has came up.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's been a couple of years now, yeah, you know.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, that is our baseball America, New York Metz prospect podcast, Deep dive.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are almost done with these.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are round, we are basically sliding into home.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you haven't seen, if you're, people listen to this because you follow prospects, but you're like, wait, I haven't seen or listened to the podcast for my favorite team.
[SPEAKER_01]: Check it out, we probably have it there.
[SPEAKER_01]: We have national goals and angels left to go and then we will be done with these.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we are almost there format.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm JJ.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't everybody.