[SPEAKER_01]: Hello, everybody, JJ Cooper, Ian Kuddle.
[SPEAKER_01]: They spelled America Prospect podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: And as we did on the hot sheet show this week, we're talking about the trade deadline, because it's not that far away.
[SPEAKER_01]: We love talking about it.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's one of the times of year that, you know, the Prospect world and the major league baseball world intersect in a way that they don't always, they do it, you know, kind of spring training now.
[SPEAKER_01]: It does feel like in that this could be a really interesting one and it could go a couple of ways I'm going to basically give the ultimate equivocation here, which is it could be that almost nothing happens because everyone thinks they're in it or it could be that everything happens because they're so much
[SPEAKER_01]: away big league talent, but also a choir big league talent at the same time, lock it happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: You've been kind of diving into that you're writing a lot about this for us.
[SPEAKER_01]: Kind of what is the state of it as you kind of see it a little bit less than two weeks away from trade that one.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's really interesting because I think we're in a position where we saw, we've seen one kind of note where the deal so far with the Dodgers and that's because they're one of the few, I think, you know, more or less guarantees to be in the playoffs, you know, I look right now at the standings and then the National League.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, maybe the rays and the Yankees can feel good, but can they?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, they were up, you know, 15 games or something on the Red Sox two weeks ago.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now all of a sudden, it's like a five game lead.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they both of them have kind of struggled lately and have kind of drawn back to the pack.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just think that we're in for kind of a wait for now because we need to really get some separation between the buyers and the sellers.
[SPEAKER_00]: And right now, there's a few note where these sellers, you've got the meds, you've got the giants, you've got the rock, you've got the angels.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have the athletics, and then you have the excuse me.
[SPEAKER_00]: the Royals, sorry, couldn't remember the Royals.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have about, so three in each league that are for sure sellers, other than that, every other team is within about four or five games of the wild card.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, what do you do there?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you look at it and say, hey, there's not a lot of sellers, so I can really get good value for my players and realistically, we don't really have a chance to win a pen into anything like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or is it, do you take the opposite of a approach?
[SPEAKER_00]: Team like the Pirates, for example, I think they're fascinating, we want to watch for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because they have a winning record right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: You, they realistically have a chance to beat any of the three teams I mentioned earlier in the National League, probably not, but at the same time, you know, they're right in it.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are a couple of games back of that wild card spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're their owner, you kind of have to go for it this year.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would actually, the one thing I'll say is, is, okay, with the Pirate, are the Pirate's going to win it all this year?
[SPEAKER_01]: No.
[SPEAKER_01]: Could they win a series?
[SPEAKER_01]: I think yes, in the way 100% yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would hate to face them in a wild card series, where it's like, oh, wait, who's on the mound?
[SPEAKER_01]: Skins?
[SPEAKER_01]: Jared Jones.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you mean the way Jared Jones is pitching the last one?
[SPEAKER_01]: Who's on the mound?
[SPEAKER_01]: The next day, Jared Jones.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, that's not good.
[SPEAKER_00]: Braxed out.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's crap.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a lycar match up here.
[SPEAKER_00]: No.
[SPEAKER_00]: But so that's what, but I think that's what makes it so interesting is you have this mix two of the teams that are in it for that final wild card spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a mix of teams like the pirates teams like I think the white Sox are currently in the division league, but teams like the white Sox with their word of time of expectations, the marlins is another one.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you have those teams that were expected to be there and kind of had disappointing starts and are writing the ship the red Sox, the Orioles.
[SPEAKER_00]: the astros, the tigers, and the American League, and then you go to the nationally, the pod rays, the diamond backs, the reds, they're kind of on the periphery, but then you have the surprising cardinals, it's a very weird grouping of teams, and because you have teams that probably were expecting to sell, then are now buying the cardinals, the nationals, or they could be buyers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Excuse me, I should clarify that.
[SPEAKER_00]: The red socks, as of three weeks ago, the red socks were probably going to be selling, and now they're
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, it sounds like going to be one of the most active teams looking to buy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so much has changed in the last couple of weeks and that's kind of the danger of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're still two weeks away or just under two weeks away.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's 13 days for now.
[SPEAKER_00]: So much can change and I think that's why we're going to see a lot of teams waiting till that last minute.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, these next 10-11 days are really going to set the stage for that final weekend where I think we'll see that big sprint or everything.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just everyone is just kind of
[SPEAKER_00]: You decide hey, this is where I need to pick a lane.
[SPEAKER_00]: Are we going this way or this way and that's I think one of the most difficult decisions, you know team team decision makers have to make is when you're in the middle what link do you go because.
[SPEAKER_00]: It can really change the fortunes of your franchise going either way.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can have a surprising round like Arizona in a couple years ago, making it all the way to the world series.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I think they finish the season, what nine games over 500 or something.
[SPEAKER_00]: And as the third wildcard, or it can go the other way.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you decide to sell, you have a chance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Small one is as probably get into it a little bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you know, you have a chance to acquire a potential, you know, really valuable player at the deadline.
[SPEAKER_00]: And two could help you going forward in the future.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I think that's what makes it so fascinating is there's just such a muddled middle ground that right now we just have we don't have a lot of clarity on who the buyers are sellers are who's frankly going to even be available.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's kind of the point you just alluded to the point that I want to make and I want and feel free to push back maybe if you disagree with on this or at least have some shading to it I try to put some shading on this which is I kind of say at the deadline every year and I really do believe this which is.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're in it, the cost of going for it is usually quite marginal, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Now,
[SPEAKER_01]: I wanna lay that out and now put some qualifiers to it, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like a few years ago, we had the tigers who thought they were out of it, traded away guys, but then made a run.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't wanna make it sound like, I think it is possible to overemphasize the impact of making deals in the deadline.
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of times, the players who are at the deadline in a very short sample, because you're really talking about August and September, don't really perform all that lecture, and kind of like, oh, that didn't really do much.
[SPEAKER_01]: But at the same time, even if you're in it and you're kind of like trading away guys who are rentals, you know, or kind of in a free agency, but making other moves, a sneaky thing for the tigers that years, yes, they traded with Jack Flarity, but they also added like a trace weeny and they needed a short stop at the end of the year.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so they did get better in some ways for their big league club, while they're making moves.
[SPEAKER_01]: But the overarching point I
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, just to give an example from last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: I count 92 prospects who were traded around the deadline last year in non-DFA deals.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a lot of prospects, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: And what you're talking about, Leo DeVries, we talked about.
[SPEAKER_01]: That is a elite prospects and our number two prospecting game traded for, in the Mason Miller deal, that is a outlier, that is an outlier of all that we do not see moves like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, let's put him to the side,
[SPEAKER_01]: A's do that trade over and over again, even though base of Miller's great.
[SPEAKER_01]: Other guys traded.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is how we had them ordered at the deadline last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Eduardo Tahi, Mick Abel, Kyle Steven, Boston, Bateman, Braden Net, Alan Roden, Kendri Rojas, same as Tafura, Haisus Bias, Jerome, Jaron Watts Brown, James Tibbs, Jodher Aranamo, Cole Drake, Ashtoniz, Tyler Lockler, Adam Cernowski, Blade Tidwell, Rafael Flores, Drew Gilbert, Cobb Heitauer,
[SPEAKER_01]: Brian Berger, Edwardiel, Nunez, Ronnie Cruz, Mitch Bratt, Everston Pereira, Henry Mendes, and number 30 was Henry Bias.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, Ronnie Cruz, like that's 30, got 29 guys, if you throw a video to raise out a bit.
[SPEAKER_01]: Ronnie Cruz has ascended into the back of the top hundred, kind of really dropped off a little bit, since we put him in the hundred and think still, though, you would say the kind of prospect that you absolutely want to trade for
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll ask you this, Ian.
[SPEAKER_01]: I just ran a lot of names.
[SPEAKER_01]: I am not saying that you wouldn't want to have mekabel today, who's recovering now from injury.
[SPEAKER_01]: You wouldn't want to have Kendri Rojas.
[SPEAKER_01]: You wouldn't want to have Adam Serranowski to some extent, or James Tibbs, who obviously is now a dodger prospect who could be traded in the deadline.
[SPEAKER_01]: But is there other to injuries and with throw Ronnie Cruz in there?
[SPEAKER_01]: That's 28 other names.
[SPEAKER_01]: Are there other names there where you're like, I can't believe that that prospect got traded and look at what he's done.
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, and not really, I actually, it's funny.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the one that really stands out beyond that is probably David Hagenman David Hagenman was 30 won't just in the game on text of the trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was traded.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he was the second or third scene is the second or third piece.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think Arizona viewed it that way, but he was traded.
[SPEAKER_00]: I believe it was for Merrill Kelly.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it was for a rental starting picture like that's when you saw the prices of the other rental starting pictures I think the Kelly deal in the dust and matrade at the time really stood out to stood out to me is like oh that seems like a lot and I think both of them have proven to be that was the case but otherwise yeah I don't I think if you're if you're a buying team.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you're going for no one else really there that you listed, even the some of the top guys, you know, the guys on the periphery of the top 100.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think the Phillies regret trading Mick Abel in order to get Yohan's a ran.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they regret trading Eduardo Tahit in the same deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, maybe the pod rays, the other one I was thinking about, you know, Boston Bateman actually, someone who's going to be rising the Orioles list next time we update like he's looks very promising.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's throwing way more strikes and he has in the past 68 left hander.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's someone that maybe they're going to regret, but they did get, I think, believe that was Romal or Yano and Ryan O'Horn.
[SPEAKER_00]: I believe was that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that helped them, you know, make a run in the playoffs.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I think that, you know, that's just the cost of doing business.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you look, if you had set the overunder on two and a half guys who had a 10 year big lead career from that entire trade deadline, what would you take?
[SPEAKER_00]: Two and a half I'll probably take the over because I will say I feel like the breeze is pretty safe to get that yeah and then it's the two more that's that was I mean it's 92 players I would say but if I said it said it at four I think then it becomes really tough to take the over done that yeah because especially And and the right one of the reasons I choose that number is you look at the rankings we have of the guys traded so it was to reason number one is a hitter and word if I also a hitter.
[SPEAKER_00]: definitely a risky hit or though.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you know, there's a ton of questions about his hit tool.
[SPEAKER_00]: After that, picture picture picture picture, outfielder, picture picture.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, there's a lot of pictures getting in there.
[SPEAKER_01]: And as we not pictures get hurt, by the way.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: I did a little more work on this.
[SPEAKER_01]: of the 92.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's only been, there's been, I would say there's been one release, there's been four DFA's out of that group.
[SPEAKER_01]: A couple of our players traded, but it is noticeable that there's a number of picture of the notation I have is injured entire season, full season IL, injured entire year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, the big picture thing we're trying to say here, I guess, the way that I would lay it out is
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, you should always be concerned about like trading away.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like we could talk about one photo for James Wood and CJ Abrams and McKenzie Gore and Harlan Susanna.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like,
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know, like, you could say that the Padres absolutely should done that and should do it again because like they did make runs with with soda, they just couldn't get past the Dodgers, but they also revitalized that market is now one of the best baseball markets in the country and all that, but it's also a perfect trade for the nationals, because James Wood is a stud, CJ was a stud, the Kenzie Gores already brought them back up home and Harlan Susanna when he comes back from injury could be a stud.
[SPEAKER_01]: So like that was a great trade all the way around.
[SPEAKER_01]: There are so few trades like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: The vast majority of trades we're talking about are much more in the, you need an outfielder to kind of fill a platoon role or you need a reliever or you need a back in starter.
[SPEAKER_01]: Those trades are basically what you take on the money almost is what I would say.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, also, and it's, the nationals are another example is they made another trade similar to that, and the return is nowhere near the trade turn or trade they got back Josiah Gray, who has been largely hurt I think in terms of expectations have been a disappointment.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's how we dump us that right, but so it's like, even that, you know, we're, they're not at hitting.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're not swinging 100% with those mega deals either.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's why yeah, you know, ultimately, I think it comes down to is if you're, if you're team that's going for it, the odds are whatever trades you're going to make with few exceptions, which I think you did a really nice job of outlining today is probably worth the punt because ultimately, like the goal with this is to win a world series, it's not, you know, this year, especially if you're competitive.
[SPEAKER_01]: The best way I've spelled this up before, but like, okay, if you said, what give me an example of what we're talking about here, the braves and 21 forever will be the example to me, probably, which is the braise came to the deadline and they were basically down and outfield.
[SPEAKER_01]: Ron, who knew his hurt.
[SPEAKER_01]: They really didn't, they were like, okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: And when I say that they went out in a quiet and outfield, they went out and they got Eddie Rosario who was a salary dump.
[SPEAKER_01]: That was just like, if you'll take what we're supposed to pay him, he's yours.
[SPEAKER_01]: They got Jorge Soler, they got Adam Duval and they got Jacques Peterson.
[SPEAKER_01]: And
[SPEAKER_01]: They did not trade Alex Jackson, Bryce Paul.
[SPEAKER_01]: They didn't trade anything that ever came back to hunt them at one 15th of the value of what they got.
[SPEAKER_01]: They added a whole help field that then got them all the way and they won the World Series.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I know that that's the extreme example of it.
[SPEAKER_01]: But one of the things that jumps out to me year after year after year, this goes back to really, obviously, formative for me on this was when the Tigers traded JD Martinez to the Diamondbacks, that would have been at 2014, maybe 2015.
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, because I was before he was on the Red Sox, so yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's so, it would have been 2017, okay, 2017, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And when they made that trade, and again, I just want to lay out at that time.
[SPEAKER_01]: JD Martinez was a pure DH.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't want to make a sound like anything out of that.
[SPEAKER_01]: But he was a DH who was hitting 305 388630 for the tigers as a 29 year old at the time of the trade.
[SPEAKER_01]: He then went on to hit 302 366 741 for the D backs that year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: So.
[SPEAKER_01]: He was very good.
[SPEAKER_01]: He was 29 homers in 62 games for the D-backs, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: He made it a massive immediate impact, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And you're like, okay, well, what did they give up?
[SPEAKER_01]: Jose King Sergio Alcantara and Dawah Lugo.
[SPEAKER_01]: And at the time, I remember like, I was at, I think I was at my daughter's swim practice when this broke.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like,
[SPEAKER_01]: Wait, I'm waiting for the extra name, like the cornerstone name of that deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's like, wait, Jose King, they're like five foot eight, like rookie ball in field or yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: So they got three utility infielders for JD Martinez and the answer was yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what they got.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's what I just kind of like deals like that over and over, just remind me that you can really
[SPEAKER_01]: At the way the guy, the way I would say it is if you're trading prospects who are not sniffing the top hundred, one out of every 10 of those 20 of those 30 of those may really come back to hunt you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, and I think what makes this deadline so fascinating is the teams that are surefire buyers all either have among the top farm systems and all of baseball or our farm systems that have taken a huge step forward this year and have plenty of interesting prospects because you look bruised Dodgers raised those are three of the best records in baseball those are I think those are our top three farm systems right now I believe.
[SPEAKER_01]: Then you have the white socks, very good farm system, just out of the way, who the white socks, which will go up again, and you are post signing deadline update.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, white socks, very good mariners, very good farm system.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've had some guys take really big step forward this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: The brave's, obviously, we've talked about endlessly on here about the strides that brave's have made, and they just added a bunch of guy, they added five drafties to their top 30 this year, because I think the biggest, biggest issue with the brave system was, it was top heavy.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, there was a very good top about 12 to 14, and then they kind of dropped off.
[SPEAKER_00]: not so much anymore when you've added five drafts in the top 30, you have the braves.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you go, you know, the cubs have a decent farm system, the cardinals.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, let me just interrupt you there.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's where I want to start, starting to argue, the cubs are the perfect example of a team where the other thing you have here is if you have redundancies that are like, look, Kevin Alcantara doesn't have a half the value
[SPEAKER_01]: third of the value probably now that he had a couple of years ago.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I will say right now, like there are teams out there were like, yeah, let me give him a try.
[SPEAKER_01]: They've got
[SPEAKER_01]: Pedro Ramirez, you know, like he kind of fits for them, like, but they've got multiple type versions of that guy.
[SPEAKER_01]: Who?
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, Jefferson Rojas, is he available?
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's like, they're just like, they have plenty that to make, because those are the type of players that are cornerstones of some of the biggest deals that get done at the deadline, I would say.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sorry, you could do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, no, yeah, 100%.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that's where, you know, and that's what's so fascinating about the deadline is,
[SPEAKER_00]: Very rarely do you need those elite prospects.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it brings into place so many other systems that normally when we're When we're kind of ranking out the top 30s because of the way the valuation's work.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's very it's very top heavy.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know having those elite prospects really matters in the top 30 organizational rankings But in the deadline as you've talked about you know matters depth
[SPEAKER_00]: depth and having interesting players at key positions.
[SPEAKER_00]: One of those positions pitchers and up the middle defensively.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what teams want.
[SPEAKER_00]: They want, as you said, the Jefferson rowhouse type.
[SPEAKER_00]: They want the catcher.
[SPEAKER_00]: They want a center field there.
[SPEAKER_00]: They want guys up the middle who can help them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that brings in other teams.
[SPEAKER_00]: As you said, like the cops is a great example of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Another one who I think that that could benefit is a team like the Red Sox.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Red Sox have pitching depth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like
[SPEAKER_00]: It might not be in the high minors, they also have some up the middle depth when you get down to the low minors.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they are another team that, you know, while it might not be the best at the top, you're probably not going to trade a Franklin area.
[SPEAKER_00]: So even in Anthony, I instead of unless it's for someone who's cost control, but you're moving down to that next year.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's where it comes in gets an interesting if you're a team, you know, Andy as the car.
[SPEAKER_00]: Harold Reeves, guys like that are going to be really appealing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what's so fascinating about the way this is kind of the standings art right now is there's so many of those teams that that are really deep in those areas beyond obviously the obvious ones which are the Dodgers, the burrows and the rays who are really good and we'll have access to pretty much any player they want because of how good those systems are.
[SPEAKER_01]: Of the 92 prospects that we have kind of
[SPEAKER_01]: So, we're going to get into some of the teams more specifically right at this break.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we're back.
[SPEAKER_01]: So Ian, you've written about this up at baseballamerica.com.
[SPEAKER_01]: We set the Dodgers we know are in it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I can tell you right now that in 2028 at the deadline, the Dodgers will be in it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, you know, probably 2038 to be honest, but the Dodgers we made a trade.
[SPEAKER_01]: They already made a trade.
[SPEAKER_01]: minor one, but they've made one.
[SPEAKER_01]: But again, the kind of trade that just show like, you know, hey, they can trade Nick for also who was a, you know, significant prospect of one point is like, okay, yeah, we don't, we don't, we're all done, but I would say more than anything to just lay this out.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, the clock has started on your prime value.
[SPEAKER_01]: At this time next year, that window will start to close, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: If you are still in the minors at this time next year and you are that top tier of, who's way to Paula, Mike Seroda, Zahir Hope.
[SPEAKER_01]: Those guys, James Tibs.
[SPEAKER_01]: James Tibs, I'd say his clock is a little kicking a little faster, but those guys,
[SPEAKER_01]: are all at the upper level of the miners.
[SPEAKER_01]: We've seen this in the past.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you get to, he has 750 plate appearances in AAA.
[SPEAKER_01]: You grow a stale and your prospect value starts to diminish.
[SPEAKER_01]: Lay it out further.
[SPEAKER_01]: Cal Tucker's on a contract that basically ensures he'll be a Dodger for multiple years to come.
[SPEAKER_01]: Taiosker Hernandez is on a contract that probably ensures he's a Dodger at least through the end of next year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Any pause is their best outfielder most of the time right now best to fendered all that and their DHS showy Otane who you're not moving anyone sliding anyone to DHS for that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, we laid that out.
[SPEAKER_01]: So what are the Dodgers going to do?
[SPEAKER_01]: What do you think like they need to do here?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's fascinating.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think when I look at this Dodgers team,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gotta be starting pitching.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a high end starter because if you look the one thing and I think this is an organizational philosophy, the Dodgers are really attracted to guys with huge stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: What does that bring, injury risk?
[SPEAKER_00]: And we've seen it this year Blake Snell, Tyler Glassnell, we're both currently her, Otani's not pitching right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's, that's kind of an ominous update that they're not, like he is a knee injury that they're not really considering pitching him right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: But let me just lay out, okay, I'm sorry that I've heard this before at this time last year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I feel like the Dodgers got to August last year and it's like, the plan is every one of our real starters, the ones we're going to be in the postseason, we're going to put them on ice for a little bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: They'll be back mid September and then we'll finally go forward.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I feel like I've heard this story before, like, you know, but continue.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's a completely fair point, but at the same time, you know, you look right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have, they have Eric Lauer, who I believe was DFA by the Blue Jays, and was acquired via trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have Roki Sasaki, who I would say has been very up and down.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you have Justin Roblesky, who, there's going to be, and him, and him, and him and him, and she and her probably going to have innings limit concerns.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, kind of four out of the five rotation spots, and it should credit, Roblesky has been fantastic this year, like just
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the rotation, I think the other position that you can watch with them is catcher.
[SPEAKER_00]: With Dalt with Will Smith status uncertain, Dalt and Rushing is going to have to play in everyday role, which is something he's never done in his major league career.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, this update like they did move will Smith like literally as we're recording this I moved from the 60 day I did.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that doesn't mean he's done for the season.
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, it does mean he's done for quite a while.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I think that those are the two spots I really look at because they've already started to augment their bullpen with that with the Halvers and charades we mentioned earlier.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the good thing I think when you look at the market and you kind of look at the names that have been bandied about, you know, there are going to be some high-end starters whether Terry's school will get on the market or not.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see if he is, I mean, if you're the tigers, it would be, you have to talk to the doctors because they have everything you could possibly want in any deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: And similarly, on the catcher's market, you know, we've heard, on our good men's, we've heard Shay Lang Lears, you know, those are guys that if you're as a non-son,
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, like the daughters have plenty to go and that's and that's what makes it so fascinating is they have the ability with
[SPEAKER_00]: the way their system is structured, to kind of build out any sort of deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you want a quantity deal?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you want a quality deal?
[SPEAKER_00]: They can accomplish both of those things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it stems from when you have, there's, we have nine outfielders in our top 20 right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Six of them are double A or higher.
[SPEAKER_00]: We can do George Zacker harder, probably more like kind of bench guys long term, but both of them would be very appealing.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the teams are trained.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because if you told me those guys carved out five plus year major league careers, you can see that in a heartbeat.
[SPEAKER_01]: Can I for a PSA, yeah, if you're a team making a trade with the doctors right and they're you're working out the parameters this and you're sending them a catcher and they're sending you back prospects and then they're like, you know what.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a guy in low way, there's a guy in really ball, we'll do this deal if you throw in one little sweetener.
[SPEAKER_01]: just saying no.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, because that's what makes them so impressive is the way they've built it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You look at the farm system and the guys were talking about it and by the time this comes out, the exact year hope is the number one player identified when talking about the most blocked prospects.
[SPEAKER_00]: And my logic was he has two players on his roster who were ahead of him in prospect rankings, host way to Paula and Mike Sorota.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's not as good a hitter as either of them and he's not a good defender as serothas.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he kind of is in no man's land in that regard where he's an excellent prospect.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have a number 55 in our top 100.
[SPEAKER_00]: He made the hot sheet this week because he had an excellent series coming out of the break.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's hitting all close to 300 with I think 23ish home runs this year, 21 22 23 home runs.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the third best outfielder on his team.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, that's, and as JJ laid out, there's just not enough room for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you're willing to put him on the table, as we've seen, given how few pop 100 prospects are traded, you'll have access to anyone if you're willing to put him on the table.
[SPEAKER_00]: And crazy thing, that was not someone they dropped it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was someone they acquired in a trade for a major league player.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was part of the Michael Bush trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mike Sorota was the same thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was part of the Gavin Lux trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's what the Dodgers do so well as maximizing every little asset.
[SPEAKER_00]: Where it's, hey, we're trading you this guy, but we want that little second piece, just throw that in.
[SPEAKER_01]: And they've already been, you know, again, there's been a reporting out there already this year that they're like, I would not be surprised at all if they trade out filters.
[SPEAKER_01]: bulk up the big league club, but it may be, it may be that they bulk up the big league club, you know, kind of in a minor way, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it's one of those trades where you add a bullpen arm, but then they kind of shift it from, okay, the here hope was our fourth best outfield prospect and still one of the 20 best outfield prospects in baseball.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we've turned that into
[SPEAKER_01]: pitcher or a short stop or a catcher or some other position where the players lower rate it now, but they clearly see things that they can improve.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so they're like kind of like they're doing both.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're both trading to help the present, but as we're just keep talking about, they're also
[SPEAKER_01]: going to find a guy that they're going to turn into a top-hunter prospect on the road.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what makes them such a fascinating team is that they probably on paper already have the deepest team, but as they've shown in Andrew Friedman's shown, you know, there's never enough, they're going to keep going.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're going to push it to the max every time because all they want to do is win.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's how you have, you know, one of the best farm systems in baseball even though you're operating under the most severe draft and international spending restrictions of any team.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that's I mean, it's it's all well and good to have on you with the major league team.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's how you can get it out field like JJ just talked about, but at the same time, the way they operate around the margins and the way they built up this farm system when, you know, in the draft they had this year, I think it was just over 4.5 million or so and bonus full money last year they had similar restrictions and, you know, a couple of the guys they drafted last year now in ones of the top 100 in Charles to have a land and other ones at root is just outside the top 100.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they get Christians as wet and a trade for Caleb Ferguson and the I believe that was an off season trade, you know, it's just it's just the way that they're able to do this is just it's just so impressive and the result is you know, heading into the deadline.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're the team you have to watch because if you're one of these sellers too, this is who you're going use us to your coming calling you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Say your whole, and even taking it down to you, another guy mentioned in my article was James Tibbs.
[SPEAKER_00]: James Tibbs has appealed to other teams.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think he has a ton of appealed to the Dodgers long term for a couple of reasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, not a great defender.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's not a great runner, so he doesn't really fit in a bench roll.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a guy that you probably need as either a strong side of a platoon or as like a second division regular type.
[SPEAKER_00]: He just does not fit well in a bench roll.
[SPEAKER_00]: The odds of him starting for the Dodgers are well.
[SPEAKER_00]: odds of him starting for plenty, some of the other teams who were sellers, like for example, if you're for the other Rockies, could you see James Gibbs playing left field for them every day?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's something I could easily say, or a team like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why someone like him is really interesting to me is when you're moving down a level with the trades, that's the kind of guys you're getting.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're still very interesting players.
[SPEAKER_01]: I wanted to similarly, I wanted to throw out the ways, and I say that because,
[SPEAKER_01]: If you ask me, like, there is no guarantee that the race will be incredibly active.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll have to see, but we also know the race are always willing to trade.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I do feel like you do the race for us now.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've done for years.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like that this is an organization.
[SPEAKER_01]: Much like we just said with the Dodgers, they could do anything they wanted to do here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Because now they have literally
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say some form of every kind of prospect you could want.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you want short stops.
[SPEAKER_01]: Good news, guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: They've got them.
[SPEAKER_01]: You want your offense and short stop.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you want your defense for a short stop?
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you want a little bit of a blend of both?
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you want a dynamic up the middle guy?
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, you know, it's center field.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if they'll trade them, but they got one of those in the O'Gillin.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you need a, you want a high ceiling picture with, you know, that it's okay, you're available because there's some concerns.
[SPEAKER_01]: Brody Hopkins, what about the Brody Hopkins package?
[SPEAKER_01]: What about you need a guy who's a lot as high ceiling, but probably could help you in the second half could be in your rotation next year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, what about a Michael for that, you know, over here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, well, no, maybe you just want thumpers.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, what about a taken gray, you know, like there's just so much here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, catchers.
[SPEAKER_01]: We haven't gotten into catchers.
[SPEAKER_01]: If like, okay, how about Nathan flowing or hidden bow dying.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's so much here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Does this feel like a team that could kind of shock us by making a big move rather than just kind of a little, you know, some around the edges moves?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think so because the one thing and I think this is this is a difference between them and the Dodgers is you look at the way the raise are constructed.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have plenty of run way if you're going to go out and get a superstar or a high end player to fit them into their roster.
[SPEAKER_00]: With the Dodgers, it's like tricky to figure out where they fit into the lineup beyond catcher, just because of the way that team is, especially with Tommy Edmund back.
[SPEAKER_00]: With the race, you look.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're running cartoons at catcher, second base, right field, and center field right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: So a lot of places where you can fit someone in and in every day roll.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's why I think again going back to the catchers.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's, you know, they have catchers, but the thing with Nathan falling and and came boat on is neither them is going to be ready this year, especially full of allings a couple years away.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, bow down, you know, if you wanted to move them quickly, you could see maybe up next year.
[SPEAKER_00]: But at the same time, if they can go out and get, you know, I feel like that's the most race thing would be to go out and get like shaling a lears for the middle of their lineup.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, get another big home run hitting that to augment the power they have from junior came in air and the ADDS fit them in the middle of the lineup.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have to trade one of those catchers along with what you said, you know, if you want high school and fielders with high ceilings, they have those.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have up the middle center field types, you know, Jacob melted and Austin over and guys like Aden Smith slater to burn like they have a ton of those.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a ton of right hand pitching, which is what you said, the majority of the guys treated the deadline are pitchers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, if you want that, the rays have plenty of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have, and the other thing that is peeling, I think, with the raises, they have a lot of close to big league ready guys who can fit into that mold.
[SPEAKER_00]: You look in the pitching side.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got tied Johnson.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got Brody Hopkins.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got Michael Fret.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got Alexander Alberto.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to go to the relief pool, you know, they have a TJ nickels as another one.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a ton of guys who are close to big league ready.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think, especially on the pitching side, that's very appealing to teams.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so,
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they are primed to make a big impact and the question is will they want to pull the children on something like that?
[SPEAKER_01]: The other thing I'll say with them is when you talk about this is the things that to me are generally the cheapest to acquire are outfielders and relief pitchers.
[SPEAKER_01]: And they are a team I feel like now the rays are not going to take
[SPEAKER_01]: out there just to stand in the field.
[SPEAKER_01]: And they want think centerfielders who can play in the corners.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're always about run prevention very much about run but that said, if you said that they're like, that they're ends up being, and I'm really struggling to name for you who's the most like, I don't think it's the Joe Adele's of the world.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it has no better than that.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if there is a major outfielder getting moved,
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, okay, I mean, I don't think that I don't think that them in the Red Sox are gonna work a trade and turn around and turn them out.
[SPEAKER_01]: Ray, but that type of like if you said that there is an outfielder like that could become like, no, this is a cornerstone of our lineup guy, not a guy who plays against these certain matchups and we know that he can run and play defense.
[SPEAKER_01]: I have the name for you.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if he's able, firebox them.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now again, by Remus who said he wants to stay in Minnesota, I agree, a twins or and the twins, but yes, if you said that's exactly who we're talking about is someone like that and what I would come come back to all of this is is that they can do this like I feel like that they have the pieces to do this and we should start with.
[SPEAKER_01]: These are the teams who can do this, I should say, more fairly, they can do this and be like, this is not mortgaging the future, rounding air.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is teams, right, this is teams who, okay, if we trade three second tier prospects, because again, Leo de Vries of the world, don't get traded, the Theo, Gillins of the world, they don't get traded normally.
[SPEAKER_01]: Not saying they're never, but they very rarely do.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if you're talking that you go down for that,
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, if we go from the Cooper Fleming's and the Daniel Pierce's and the San Diego Suarez is and the Austin Overns and all that, the Thai Johnson's, the Xavier Isaacs, those you could, the rays can trade from that here a multitude of players and be like, we're fine.
[SPEAKER_01]: And where I would say is that to take, I think that the braze, we've talked about the braves are much more positioned to make moves this year, trade deadline than they have been in some other years.
[SPEAKER_01]: At the same time, even if you say Eric Hartman is off limits, which I don't know, maybe, maybe again, maybe you sell high.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's very high right now, maybe you're selling high, maybe you're selling low compared to where he's gonna be.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if you even say he's off limits, I'd still say with the braves, like if they trade from, you know, the Briggs McKenzie-O at Murphy, John Hiel, you know, Connor S. and Berg level.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to feel it.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's going to leave a gap of what?
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, here's where we were.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now here's where we are.
[SPEAKER_01]: The Brewers, the rays, the Dodgers are the team first, like, look, okay, again, we haven't talked about the Brewers much, but I'll just lay it out this way.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I keep bringing him up, but like, just sigh a heart.
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I mean, just just sigh a rag stale is a prospect who
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like that there are organizations that I'm writing right now for us.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like if Josiah Rags did, I keep saying, yeah, Josiah Rags don't keep trying to combine him and just in heart shorn, the cubs prospect in my head.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if Josiah Rags Dale was a reds prospect, he would be one of the most intriguing position player prospects they have.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't think I could carve out a path for him to the big leagues in the next two years.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, it would involve, there would be plagues that would have to happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like, it's not even a top thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: One either system, after the draft.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, and he would be top 10 in some other systems.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know at least, yeah, one of the systems I do if he would be top 10 for sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, Brady Ebel, who's 17 on the Brewers list currently,
[SPEAKER_01]: Shortstop who went pretty well last year and I would say that the plenty of teams would be intrigued, you know, the Blake birx of the world, you know, that you could just go down the list and get by the way, and or if you've said the brewers want to go a different way could be like, okay, we'll let you have our third best DSL prospect.
[SPEAKER_01]: And other teams would be like, we're listening as opposed to no, I'm not taking the third best DSL project with them.
[SPEAKER_01]: It'd be like, what do you think is third?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is that, you know, is it rookie monies?
[SPEAKER_01]: Are we talking about us?
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, like, yeah, you would actually like, you would have to clarify first.
[SPEAKER_01]: It wouldn't be like,
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, you know, I've been treated because I don't know what one of you have this third, you know, like that's that's the kind of situation we're talking about here, okay, before I wrap this up in who else stands out to you you've been like it said you've been doing this blocked prospects.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like we should touch about the Yankees because you've got another piece coming will preview it a little bit here.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll throw out something so hyper-vocative here, but I mean it, I'm not just trying to make a hot take here.
[SPEAKER_01]: I know that the Yankees keep talking about and I understand that those Spencer Jones and Jason and Ming is our trade chips of the deadline.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not saying they're not, although I think Spencer Jones, if, okay, if you have your choice Ian, Josiah Ragsdale or Spencer Jones, who do you want?
[SPEAKER_00]: Rexdale, probably.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just, I mean, Spencer Jones in his own contact rate is terrifying and James tips James tips or Spencer Jones, who do you want?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm probably taking Jones there.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just like that's the rain.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what I'm saying is that's it's that's the range.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's the range we're talking about we're not saying he has no trade value.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're saying.
[SPEAKER_01]: never.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if it was true, it was like an utter lack of understanding of who the prospect is.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't think the Yankees are that dumb.
[SPEAKER_01]: But what I'm my point being, he has value, but it's very modest value.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think that a lot of Yankees fans are prepared for the fact that Spencer Jones might net you a semi-useful reliever in a deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think Jason to Manga's goes a little beyond that to some extent.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's more value there.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's younger.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's less ceiling of this is, that he's going to be a 40-home run guy, but there's also more of like, he would be a perfectly fine pirate to basically become like, oh, he's fine in our outfield for three years, kind of guy.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I would say the one that I always that kind of bring up is,
[SPEAKER_01]: I think if the right trades are made, I think Anthony Volpi has value to other teams more than he does to the Yankees at this point.
[SPEAKER_01]: I do think that them trading former prospects is more valuable in the deals in a lot of ways than trading prospects for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I think especially when you look at the way their system is constructed, they're probably enough to go that route because it's a very pitching heavy organization or a system, especially in the top 10, you know, the only bats in their top 10 are George Lombard Jr. who it's, I believe it's been reported that he's not moving.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, that's, I would be surprised if he's going to help me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And trade both people because it's like, Vopi goes and Lombard's your shortstop the next that, yeah, I mean, would you be surprised if he's up, you know, whatever August 4th or August 5th, whenever the trade deadline as soon as it passes,
[SPEAKER_00]: because I don't think I would be, especially since he's performing back in AAA.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's back in AAA, and he started hitting again.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would say like, I'll put it this way.
[SPEAKER_01]: We have everything we know about Lumbard.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you told me, okay, could he produce for them what Volpe is doing?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the message you sin is when you bring Lumbard up is he's going to bat eight for us.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's going to bat nine.
[SPEAKER_01]: We just want good defense and then anything he provides offensively is a nice pleasant surprise.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if he's off
[SPEAKER_01]: There's really not position, you can't really trade DAX guilty right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's barely, I think he's played two.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you could, but maybe, yeah, maybe you do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that leaves the only other one on the top ten expensive drones.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, but if you're good, you know, if you end, and this is the thing too.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you've seen as teams do value proximity at the deadline.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's, it's a lot harder sell.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously in the minor deals, if you get like, you know, a DSL guy or something, that's understandable, but especially in those bigger deals, I think, having at least one ship that is close proximity to the majors matters, you know, you want to be able to sell to your fans that, hey, we're selling, but this is not going to be a long rebuild, you know, we've got someone that we can put in the line up tomorrow or next season that's going to help us and that's where I think.
[SPEAKER_00]: Volby Dominguez guys like that become really interesting and it was it was you know Volby especially he just seems like doesn't he seems like a change of scenery candidate you know I think the way that everything is going with him the kind of the the way he's been so heavily scrutinized at shortstop you know it's a hard playing shortstop the Yankees is not an easy job especially given who you're following in the footsteps up there and I think
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Volpi is just, he struggled with that.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I don't think there's anybody to say that.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's defensively and ultimately, if you're the Yankees, you don't need offense for an opposition.
[SPEAKER_00]: Your lineup is fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: You just need someone who can feel the position regularly and right now I don't think Volpi's giving them that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why, you know, if you're gonna, and if you're gonna bring up a long bar, you can't do it with Volpi still on the roster.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why I think he becomes a very interesting ship because I think there will be teams that would be charming at the bit to get a chance to bring him into their development program and try to basically just start from scratch and just build things back up again.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll propose one, excuse me.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll propose random trade, no insights on this, no reporting on this.
[SPEAKER_01]: Anthony Volpi, Brian Jefferson, probably throw it a prospect on the Yankee side too.
[SPEAKER_01]: But Brian Jefferson is better than what they're getting from the Yankee's or getting from their catchers.
[SPEAKER_01]: Austin Wells is not having a great year.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's being really kind to say not having a good year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, really struggling with the plate.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if you said Jeffers, but like we've talked about with the twins, like, and if the twins, you'd be like, well, is that mean that you're out of it?
[SPEAKER_01]: And you kind of be like, no, we do think that with Volpi and our lineup at shortstop, which allows everyone to play, you know, kind of at better positions defensively, which they kind of got into anyway.
[SPEAKER_01]: They kind of got to the point where like, Brooks Lee, you're not a shortstop removing new Royce Lewis, you're removing them defensive, but they've done all that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Volpe gives him a short stop to kind of like say, Hey, we might have this guy for a number of years here as a good defensive.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll see what he hits, but he might hit, you know, he has hit at times, by the way, earlier in his career, too, so like that's kind of one of those deals again, that's one example of it, but I do think that there are multiple teams out there, where it's like.
[SPEAKER_01]: a second, you know, like, hey, can we kind of, can we sunny gray Anthony Volpi in some ways?
[SPEAKER_01]: I know that that's a veteran versus not, but like, they're a bit of a number of guys who they're terrible for the Yankees, then they go somewhere else and back they're back to being fine.
[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, I do think that that's kind of like, there could be moves like that, but who else?
[SPEAKER_01]: What other teams are you going to be watching?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, just just briefly on that one, though, like the, recently, I really liked that is it kind of reminds me of the trade the Red Sox made a few years ago when they traded Christian Vasquez for Willier, Bray, and Emmanuel Valdez.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it worked out really well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, definitely.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think believe you had him as the best right field or traded in the last was a five years or I don't remember what the simple was.
[SPEAKER_00]: 10 years, there you go.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, but with someone like Volpe, he would be replacing Ryan Criedler who's playing everyday shortstop for them right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: like it gives you more time to let Kael and Cole Papper kind of figure it out in the mine or it's like that's a very interesting one to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: In terms of some other guys like that, I think the Cubs guys you brought up are fascinating.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kevin Alcantara, Moistus Ballistaris, even Matt Shaw, because you look their infield is completely locked up and Alcantara is, I think he's one of the longest tenured members of the top 30s.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've ever, yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm going to now, I think, finally, I think you finally, yeah, it took what eight years, I think, but like guys like that even balanced Aeros, you know, they gave him runway at the beginning of the season, but ultimately he's a DH and it seems like they don't want to have a full time DH, so they don't really have a good spot for him, especially with the emergence of Owen Aeros, he's probably never picking up a catcher's glove again.
[SPEAKER_00]: So guys like that, um,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, look pretty blocked.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the red socks.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, sorry, God.
[SPEAKER_01]: And you mentioned, oh, an air.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, I think, oh, an air is like, it would be a fascinating, like, oh, an air is just a kind of player who you don't look to trade, but what you're trying to get a sense of is, what is the valuation of him?
[SPEAKER_01]: Because if teams are treating other airs, I was like, yeah, this is a flash in the pan is having a great year.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, he's a good defensive catcher, but I still, you know, well, we'll give you a minor tray, you know, piece for him.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, we're keeping him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if someone says to you as says, we think Owen air is like, we're interested.
[SPEAKER_01]: We think that he would be our starting catcher by next year.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we're willing to pay you at that level.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, then maybe you say, you know, well, we're going to cash in on this.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the kind of guy you're listening to here.
[SPEAKER_01]: What you hear.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and so, and that's what that's what it makes us so interesting is there's so many of these guys around the game and, you know, it's every team and I think it just shows it, you know, it's one of the, one of the things that we talk about it's the jump from AAA to the major leagues or AA depending on the organization, how they feel about AAA.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just so difficult.
[SPEAKER_00]: And even guys who are just so heavily, you know, highly regarded as prospects, it can take them a long time to figure out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know, the best example of we've got right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think the one that a lot of teams are going to fall back on when they're talking about these trades and why you can't give up on the elite talents as Jordan Walker.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Jordan Walker was the guy who failed multiple times at the major league level.
[SPEAKER_00]: And finally, and this is what you're for, I believe, finally had that breakout.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, if you're a team that's looking in, and I'm not saying, again, this guy's available or anything, but if you're looking at the nationals and you have Brady House sitting in AAA at third base.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is that someone that, hey, maybe, you know, if he has a different hitting voice in his head, we can kind of tweak some things, maybe we can unlock because you know he has power, you know, he's got a good arm like other things we can work on there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Volpi same boat like there's these players all around the game that are kind of just seem like someone who could really use a change of scenery and so I think that just being, you know, it's going to make the deadline fascinating because it's in addition to having these prospects, you have these like post rad kind of.
[SPEAKER_00]: you know guys that were once very hyped prospects who have now kind of stagnated and if you're a team and you want to kind of rebuild value and it's kind of what the it's a team like the Rocky is an example of who should be doing this they did it with Jake McCarthy the soft season Jake McCarthy by the time he was DFA in Arizona and I think he was hitting under 200 it's got a call of roto and he's on pace for a 20 30 season he's going to hit over 300 you know TJ Rumpfield he wasn't as hyped as his prospect but they took him as a flyer for I believe
[SPEAKER_00]: And they've turned him into he's on pace to have like 20 home runs with a 300 batting average, you know, these are the type of guys that if your teams that maybe you don't have access or you're not a free agent destination, you can get guys that can drastically outperform their value and that's I think what makes it so exciting and it's going to make it such a fascinating deadline is you look around the rosters and this something that I'm going to be talking as you said that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mark and I are working on for later this week.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to have a couple of these guys from every team and you'll see there are there are rosters are littered with them where it's like, oh, if this guy was, you know, he, it's not really worked here, but what if it works on another team.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's why it's more interesting.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, Carson Williams.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep, he's on the list.
[SPEAKER_01]: Carson Williams like at this point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Carson Williams has really struggled to make adjustments to hit like and when we talk about windows closing right like Carson Williams two years ago you'd be like okay he's young you got to triple early you know he's yeah you can kind of very much see this kind of really developing it's the same problems with sliders same problems kind of consistently now for two and a half years two years and you're like okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, is he going to, like, there's a lot of short steps coming up behind him, is he going to be the next Taylor Walls, like, I think the offensively, you're like, looking at less, you know, like, more power, but maybe a little less defense, but that kind of player, well, I don't know if that's going to be the fit for the raise, even though they do value defense, but maybe that's the kind of guy who, again, you get a different
[SPEAKER_01]: voice in his head, you see if something happens a little differently.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, I think the challenge with all these though is it's also tough for a team to say, oh, okay, that's, it's kind of like, unless you get some real value in return, it's all downside and no upside, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, the downside is, if you keep a message, you've got to effectively give them playing time at some point, like the Cardinals did keep that going with Jordan Walker,
[SPEAKER_01]: That doesn't always work.
[SPEAKER_01]: And some, but the downside if you train that guy is, you could look really bad down the road.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, and I think that's why we see so few of those one-for-one prospect trades, which we saw, you know, I think it was maybe five, it was about what seven, eight years ago.
[SPEAKER_00]: There were a plethora of them, you know, the one that comes to mind really was the jazz chiseled Zach Alan trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, or I guess you had won this off season, you had the Jake Bennett loose prowess trade, which if your Red Sox fan has worked out great.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I don't think Jake, anyone thought Jake Bennett was gonna be as good as he's been late, least been one of the best pictures in the American League.
[SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, it's just so hard to, when you're doing that one firm, one trade on the sense that,
[SPEAKER_00]: You think the other team has more information than you so why are they willing to make this person available, but at the same time, if you get those trade wrong, that those are the ones to stick with you, I think even more so than like the yard on Alvarez trade is if you get a trade wrong where it's hey, we're trading our former top prospect, who we couldn't figure out for, you know, one of your players whoever it is, if that guy figures out in the other place, that that's a.
[SPEAKER_00]: It looks a lot worse on your ledger than it does if you traded DSL guy for someone like who's a reliever, which because we see those trades all the time and what 98% of the time they don't work out, or you know the guy you trade the DSL player doesn't turn into anything, so that's why it's just it's so difficult, but it's also, it makes it so interesting is because, you know, if you're the team that's selling you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you
[SPEAKER_00]: When do you extract?
[SPEAKER_00]: When do you, when is their value?
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you going to ultimately get into the point where it's just diminishing returns and you're just stuck with that player?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the situation you don't want to end up with.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're the raise, you have other short stops coming through the system.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have Taylor Walls who's a better version for their team, I would say, of Carson Williams.
[SPEAKER_00]: At what point is Carson Williams?
[SPEAKER_00]: Does he go from someone who is at least an asset still, which I think he still is to someone who you're just putting in as a throw into a trade?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what's so hard to manage is it worth keeping around his depth versus that potential loss of value.
[SPEAKER_01]: OK, I think this is a good way to end it, which is, I'm going to play a little story time.
[SPEAKER_01]: We did 2025 trade deadline, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Here is, I'm just going to give you a little bit of 2018, create that one, okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: These are the prospects, the premium prospects we're trading 2018.
[SPEAKER_01]: Francisco, may he a use new idea as Brett Phillips, Luis Ortiz, Oscar Mercado, Hector Perez, Dylan Tate, Jorge Alcala, Taylor Hurn, Cody Maderos, Willie Castro, Cody Carroll, Joe Hilbertos, Solstino, Dean Cramer, Yuan Duran, Ding ding ding.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll say also ding ding ding ding above that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm really castred to some extent.
[SPEAKER_01]: But Jalen Beaks Bobby Wall, Tommy Eveld, Don Carlos and Kinesi Ohm, Wachung Wang, Justin Williams, Brett Kumblin, Zach Popper, Ellen Bayon, and Franklin Kielamay, Genesis Cabrera, Giovanni Gallegos, David Paulino, tie-buttree, Seth Ellich.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the top 30.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just point that point out again.
[SPEAKER_01]: Not that there's no one out there.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, we can ask you really fine.
[SPEAKER_01]: And there's a couple other guys in there.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I'll just say, that was the top 30.
[SPEAKER_01]: I could go through the whole list.
[SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't get better after that.
[SPEAKER_01]: It gets more of like, remember some gods.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I mean, just randomly give you 50 to 59.
[SPEAKER_01]: Will toffee, Santiago, Espanol, Forest Wall, Chad Spanberger, Royal Ramirez, Cory Copping, Devon Sneltsor, Caldody, Jacob Wallspack and Johan Seamorel is number 60.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, again, it's not like I'm hiding those guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: The point being is there should be a lot of trades at the deadline because really what you are talking about, especially in the case of rentals is it also should be that the prospect recurrent is not that high, if you are trading a reliever, a back in starter, a platoon out filter, who's in the final year of the deal and they're willing to take the contract off of you.
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of times the names that are coming back and recurrent all aren't all that important.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now you just laid out there are also like yes, the rocky should not be trading Jake McCarthy away just to give him away, but at the same time, the rocky should be listening on any and every day that they have there is no one on the Rockies, 100 goodman is not an untouchable there's no one on the Rockies it's not available in the right deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: got to get to the right deal.
[SPEAKER_01]: But we'll see, you know, it should be fascinating.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll have a lot more obviously at baseballamerica.com.
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you enjoyed this, if you haven't checked out, the hot sheet podcast, the video on YouTube, on the live, we went live.
[SPEAKER_01]: We kind of rolled through some trade proposals and a lot of fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: That was a lot of fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think we're going to do that again.
[SPEAKER_01]: think we'll do another live show again to do that to just really kind of roll through that at some point before the trade deadline.
[SPEAKER_01]: So check that out.
[SPEAKER_01]: So much over the stuff that Ian talked about that he's writing this week is over at baseballamerican.com.
[SPEAKER_01]: And obviously if you're a baseball player because subscriber, you can be checking that out.
[SPEAKER_01]: We have updated the top 100.
[SPEAKER_01]: We didn't even talk about we updated the top 100 and top 30s.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, we would drive few things.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll get to that at some point, you know, but you can see where those are over at baseball