Is $60 Million a year enough - what about the rest of the team?

333 BaseballBiz On Deck AAA

Mark Corbett: [00:00:00

welcome to Baseball Biz on Deck. I am Mark, of course would be is Mr. Mat Germain And my gosh, I've been away for a couple days, but Matt's been digging in 'cause there's been news a coming. Hey Matt, how you doing brother? 

Mat Germain: Doing well. I think that the bandaids finally being ripped off of free agency. And it's fun to digest what it all means now that we, we wanna get there before spring training arrives.

So now we finally get to look at what the teams are starting to shape,

Mark Corbett: man, I mean it's only been a couple days ago you and I were recording this show and we were talking about Alex Braman, we're talking about Ranger Suarez, and I said, ah, I don't know if Tucker's gonna do anything before spring training starts, or maybe even then.

And Oh yeah, Bichette out there and some other things going on, but that door. That door opened and closed quickly right after that show was posted. So what's been [00:01:00] going on the last few days with the free agents? 

Mat Germain: I think when we left off that podcast Pete Alonso had been the free agent that signed for the highest annual average value.

Yep. So looking at about $31 million a year, depending. I know right now, like we can't assess everything that people sign for because there's so many deferrals. So it depends on when you say, but. Just to keep it clean. 31 million is what Pete Alonso got. That was the highest. So then there was a lot of tug of war going on between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays and the Yankees.

Eventually, some. Some snapping ended up happening and from what we gather, the Blue Jays had the longest term offer out there. The Mets also got aggressive and gave a short term offer to Tucker, but the Dodgers just went above and beyond what the Mets did to the point where Tucker decided to grab onto that.

Now [00:02:00] 31 million a year is what Pete Alonso was getting. And Kyle Tucker doubled that. So just to, you put it in perspective, right? Like you're talking about one player. How badly did the Dodgers want Tucker and need him Oh. And are willing to pay for him. They're paying double what the Orioles gave Pete Alonso.

You're talking about a player that's a four war player. Mark junior Caminero was more valuable in 2025 than Kyle Tucker was. So Junior Caminero is 4.6. Kyle Tucker was 4.5. Kyle Tucker had some, minimal injury issues, but it there, there seemed to be like nagging injury issues every year that come up.

And he's entering an age where a lot of times outfielders start to lose a little bit of their speed. So you could see the speed value that he brings to a team lowering. Slightly through the course of this deal, 'cause they had to push it to four years in order to [00:03:00] top what the Mets were offering. But just in the context of the Dodgers mark and to stay it in focus of why they were desperate to do this 10 of their 13 projected players right now on their 26 man roster from FanGraphs are 31 or above.

Yeah. So just put that in context of, mentally, that's a lot of aging players, so they had to get younger. Now did they have to go Tucker Younger with the money that's involved, and just to throw some. Theory out there they could have gone after Pete Alonso, who's 31, right?

But then again, they're adding another aging player, right? Alex Bregman, he's 32. They would've been adding another aging player, Kyle Schwarber. They could've gone after him 33, but they're not gonna block dh. That was never gonna happen. So when you look down at the free agency market, there was just nobody that really.

Matched up well with them unless they went to the Japan route. Which, [00:04:00] the White Sox, the guy that signed with the White Sox Murakami, or the guy that the Blue Jays just signed, one of those two might have been a possibility. But then you're adding risk and I don't think the Dodgers are very much into the risk game.

They want that certainty. They want that star player and they certainly got it with Kyle Tucker. He's about as consistent as you can get over the last four years. 

Mark Corbett: It is amazing when you think about it and you're talking about the aging of that team. And the, who's won the last two World Series.

And I'm thinking they got a very a pitcher who's aging now, he's 31 years old. He's a dh. Good lord, man. And you think about what what the, how long that contract they still had with Tani is I can't, Ima I don't, I, I don't know off the top of my head how old Mookie is, he's been around a little bit too.

Mat Germain: In the playoffs, I think people started to see mokis, I don't wanna say weaknesses, but his bad speed just isn't what it used to be, right? So he's having a little bit of a harder time catching up the pitches, how, whether [00:05:00] or not he can, fix that this off season and work on things, I'm sure there's things out there that, that can help a hitter through those things as they're aging.

He's not the first guy to age in the league, but it does bring, when you add him with. Freeman with Will Smith, who's been worn to the nub over the last two years. The amount of catching this guy's doing is insane. Wow. So at some point in time he's gonna be worn out as well. The pitching, the, I think.

That's the one area I look at right now with the Dodgers and they say they have no holes on the pitching side because they have so much depth and so many young guys coming up behind that are ready that I'm not really concerned about that. What I will say is that, if you're looking for weaknesses that will hurt their pitching in 2026.

It's the defense side of things. So when you have an aging team, there's a lot of cracks that start to come up defensively and and so I could see them taking a step back when it comes to defense. But it's also disheartening for the rest of the NL [00:06:00] West though, mark. So if you're the, if you're the Diamondbacks, you're the Padres, you're the Giants, and you watch this going on, you're just like, p.

Mark Corbett: What are we what am I? Yeah. What am I gonna do? It's, we feel like it's unfair advantage across the entire league of Major League Baseball. But to think that, both leagues in a sense, but to think that you have to be in your division, that's who you have to face with a bulk of your games may are gonna be played there and.

It's I'm ne I'm not gonna win my division. It's a foregone conclusion. I don't have that kind of money. What can I say? Angels aren't gonna spend any money, whoever it is, they're not gonna spend that kinda money giants, excuse me, rather. And some of the other ones. So what does it, the worth of the game.

It goes away when there's not competition not when there's valid competition. And it, it is great to be able to immerse yourself at a game and watch some of the greatest talent, in the world on that field, but it [00:07:00] feels like it's a Harlem Grove. Harlem Globetrotters playing the senators or whatever it was years ago, and it's yeah, they're the team that comes in and makes the Harlem Globetrotters look good.

I don't want to see that consistently happen, in my division in baseball. 

Mat Germain: Looking at next year's commitments that the Dodgers have made. Okay, just hear me out here for a sec. They have eight players that are going to make $22 million or more next year. 

Eight. Like when you're thinking about a context of I don't know, let's say the Dodger's point, or sorry, the Padre's point of view, right?

So if you have eight players, like two of them. So one of them is Kyle Tucker, who's gonna make 60 million, right? Yeah. And Tyler Glass Snell's gonna make 32. You have shhe Tani, Blake Snell, that are both gonna make 28. Yamamoto is gonna make 30. Freeman's making 23 [00:08:00] bets is making 25. And then you have Edwin Diaz at 23.

So altogether, before they even start talking about arbitration, their commitments for next year are 300, 311 million. Which is Loweghable because you haven't even gone through the arbitration process with any of your young guys yet. You're gonna be adding onto that, right? There's going to be, I don't know, at least another 30 million ish, 20 million maybe.

It depends on where, which arbitration level that those guys are at. But they'll make some moves and they'll make some things happen to mitigate that. But the point is more like when you're looking at it from. Let's say you're Steve Cohen right now, or you're rear Rogers and you just made serious bids for Kyle Tucker, and you went like almost double what Pete Alonso had gotten.

Yeah. You think you're getting the player, you think you've committed more than anybody ever had in the history of the game and you're on average annual value side of things. And you're thinking, [00:09:00] wow, if this is where we're headed. And it's gonna keep happening year after year.

'cause now we're into years of this happening with the Dodgers. 

You start being open to that salary cap thing because you're just, you're not. You're never going to top what that level of aggression is doing. And let's say they do drop off a little bit, then it'll be the Mets doing it now. So now you have 26 teams that can't even bid on some of the best players in the game.

Or even fathom it because they're just not at that level of revenues. But I will say this. So then we'll move on to another move. So Bob Bette ends up signing with the Mets and to me, first of all, before we move on to the Mets, it's a huge loss for the Blue Jays. Yeah. Yeah. Because he was their best hitter.

He had the most hits by far. He had the most doubles by far, had the most rbis by far. So before, like we even start saying, oh, the Blue Jays are gonna repeat. When you lose your best hitter in the lineup, that's a [00:10:00] significant drop off. I know they brought in a talented Japanese hitter. They think Addison Barger can take a step forward.

They're happy with their lineup overall, but there's no guarantees in there. And it heightens the risk factor for a team that's also watching George Springer slow down as he ages so, so there is some. Eh tendency to look at things a little bit more tediously when it comes to the Blue Jays as Bo Leaves town.

But he's going to a lineup that features Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. So when he joins those three at the top, they're gonna have a heck of a lot of fun together. Yeah. Jorge Polanco's behind them, they've got talented bats like Mark Vitos and. I think now their tong, Brett Beatty, might end up being a utility type that goes in the left field and does a couple of things.

They've got a really young, talented group in Carson Bench and Jet Williams. I think Francisco Alvarez, as he matures, as he gets older as a catcher, is gonna do better as well. So they're starting to get a lot of versatility. So [00:11:00] if I looked at it from a point of view of, okay, what did the third baseman do for the Mets last year?

Yeah. So last year it was 102 WRC plus, so it was league average, like just barely league average. And bobette apparently will play third base, and whether it's him or Polanco, it doesn't really matter. They were both at the same caliber. They're both about a hundred thirty two, a hundred thirty four WRC plus.

So they've moved that position up 30%. Now, you could argue Pete Alonso to Jorge Polanco at first is a 10% drop off. That more than makes up for it. So when you're looking at the corners combined, the Mets have improved and I would say that defensively they've improved as well. So that's where I like the versatility, the moving around.

Let's say one Soto did end up having to go to first, 'cause his defensive abilities really start struggling in the EL field. They could put 'em at first, move Jorge Polanco to second or bullish at the second, move the other one to third base. [00:12:00] They have that versatility now for the next three years to shore themselves up in the infield in a really talented infield and second base is going to be a lot better defensively for them.

So I really love, this is the first move this off season where I'm like, it makes a lot of sense for the Mets. I like it. I even like him more than I would've liked Cal Tucker for the Mets. I think Bobette is going to. Outproduced Kyle Tucker, over the next three years, 

Mark Corbett: were you surprised that the Blue Jays did not keep him?

I know that the Steve Cohen with the Mets has the money to put a lot out there. And the reason I ask that is were there some concerns with Bichette Health and is, and with that, that could impact his value as far as what they're willing to pay. 

Mat Germain: So there's a reason why he only got a three year deal.

There's a lot of questions about his injuries he suffered last year. Before that, there was concussion issues as well. So there's always going to [00:13:00] be that nagging, how much longer can he keep this up? But as a hitter, there's no question about Bob Behe. Yeah, so even as a dh, the DH position for the Mets is very fluent as well, like you could slide in there if need be and be fine. You put him in at the top of the lineup if you want, and he's gonna hit you 300 and above and and drive the other pitchers crazy. You look at him in the playoffs last year and he was, banged up like crazy and he still produced.

Yeah. So he's not one of those players that I think you have to worry about not showing up in the big moments when it matters in the playoffs and putting himself through the ringer. To get, those big moments completed. So even if he misses some time during the season I don't think it's a major worry for the Mets.

I think the cost, like if you're looking at the Blue Jays point of view, it would've brought them just a bit above 315 million. I think right now that's where the Mets end up. [00:14:00] I don't think Rogers is comfortable with the luxury tax payments, that they would have to make at that level.

Whereas Steve Cohen just looks at it and says, yeah, if it has to be done, it has to be done. And the Dodgers do the same kind of thing. 

Mark Corbett: You and I both have said cap. And you have, so you have two owners at least who willing just basically just open the wallet wide open. And I don't know how wide the Orioles were, was going to do that, but we had Nathan on the other day.

It sounded like they're ready to give Mike Elias the to go ahead to spend money. So if we're saying just it's those two teams, though, Mets and the Dodgers. What do you think those other 28 owners are going to do? Do you think they say, they'll say, yeah, we need a cap, but do you think they'll push for it?

I know the players won't want it, but do you think there's enough team owners who want it? 

Mat Germain: I think the players who aren't the top 10% should be the ones pushing for it most. 

Mark Corbett: [00:15:00] Think about the CBA. We talked long the last C, b, A, the people who were on the executive committee. You were talking I think like Scherzer and some other ones.

They were guys who were top tier money guys and the, they were pushing against, but the body of all the rest of the players said, no, you know what? It looks okay, we're gonna sign this. So there's it. It can be a cross purposes if you're top money guys, and I'm not gonna say that you have to, I'm sure Scott Boris gives some guidance on, things to make sure they protect their money for the future.

I don't know where this is gonna end. I, we, there's gonna be a lot more to look at over the next few months when it comes to that. I don't wanna go down that road completely, but it is interesting to me to think how much the players would actually rank and file, if you will, would come up and say, Hey, either spread the wealth around.

Mat Germain: I'll give you an example, so if you're a player, you're a really good player on a really good [00:16:00] team, and you continuously miss the playoffs, because the dodgers are always going to be in there you're not getting the chance to shine in that big moment simply because the system is built against your team.

And so that this is where the. The value starts being lost in MLB because nobody gives a crap. If the Dodgers win another championship, they really don't. Like Fred Freeman could win five more championship. I don't care. I don't. I would care more if I saw the Reds win a World Series. Yeah. If I see the Dodgers win another one.

So when you're looking at it from a league point of view and from giving all your star players a chance to shine in those spotlights, you need to build a system that allows them the chance to get there. The NFL is a great example, right? You can have a team go from bottom of the barrel one year.

To top of the barrel the next year and they each will get a chance in the playoffs. There isn't a team out there you [00:17:00] haven't seen in the playoffs in recent years. Why does MLB allow that to happen in their league? Why is it okay that the pirates haven't been in the playoffs since I can remember I can't remember the last time the pirates were in the playoffs.

I literally cannot remember. You look across the MLB, like the Rockies, it's been forever since they were in, since Tulo was there. And there should be a more consistent presence in the playoffs for all of these franchises. Great. 

Mark Corbett: It 

Mat Germain: begins with instilling a a system that allows owners and team in front offices to compete.

It doesn't have to be exact, but it has to be within a range that is palatable. Like it, it's just getting obscene at this point. That's the word that I would use, mark. 

Mark Corbett: And it is, and it's hard to criticize what players are making when we know that the owners can afford it. Yeah. It's, but it's, I think it's part of, it's [00:18:00] finding equity across all of the players and I don't know what M-L-B-P-A is going to do.

I'll strive to get one of those folks on here, Matt, because I would love to hear what they're doing here. Here's a quick question for you too. Okay. Right now. With the raise. Pete Fairbanks, he's gone elsewhere. He was basically their chapel chairman or union representative, I believe, for the team.

I wonder what teams do during the interim with that so that, if Pete's no longer part of the raise, who's representing that faction? I don't wanna go down. That's something for the future. Maybe we'll talk about in the raise. Next. Episode we do on the race, but as far as representation, I'll just go back to what we were saying earlier, that the rank and file didn't follow what the top paid guys that were getting.

And 

Mat Germain: so I do wanna, I think this needs to be said though, mark, because some people think, oh he got the money he's worth. [00:19:00] Sure. Okay, so you have the one guy, Kyle Tucker gets what he's worth. How many guys are the Dodgers not going to pay? Yep. A good amount because they are stuck paying Kyle Tucker.

What I think is a serious gross overpayment more than double what he's worth. Yeah. If so what, who isn't getting that money now? Because they've gone there with Kyle Tucker. And wouldn't it be better if Kyle Tucker had gone to the Mets, let's say and the Dodgers ended up pivoting and signing three or four other guys, and then they get paid a serious amount and then the Mets aren't gonna turn around now and say I'm gonna go out and pay Eugenio Suarez $50 million just because now we have to pivot. They ended up going to get Bob Bette who does get paid. But again, that 42 million takes away from what they can pay other guys. So the pro, the problem is that 10% eats away so much of the, of the cake.

Now that you're not able to, I, we're [00:20:00] seeing guys not get tended con tendered contracts at arbitration at like minute levels and they're, because the teams are starting to, trying to whittle down 500, we're seeing arbitration cases over 500,000, right? And then there's this inequity. I don't know how many guys are still looking for jobs right now that can't get paid, that it can't even get major league jobs. Yeah. And teams aren't willing to commit to a contract for them. So I just would love to see a floor to help a lot of those guys. Yeah. And I think that goes hand in hand with the ceiling.

This whole penalizing with draft picks and money just is not working. It never will work. And it's Loweghable to be honest. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah, it really is. It is sad and it's Loweghable and it is, it's a dag on shame because we think about all the efforts all those other players are putting out there, and no one player, is going to be worth what they're getting paid at that level. Now, granted show Tani is [00:21:00] like a player of a generation, somebody like him, you could see maybe a player, coming with like that the other, he he is great. He's stupendous and et cetera. The other ones are just great.

Mat Germain: Yeah, but Mark, we're going to Lowegh when something is going to happen to him where he can't pitch anymore.

Yeah. And at some point in time, both him and Mookie's contracts will be aborn. Like they'll be weighing down that team for a long time. Who was the team that had, I think it was the Braves, that for a while were like stuck. Or maybe it was the Red Sox. And then they had to offload all these deals because they had spent so much money on this core group that they thought they would have forever, and they just became so disgustingly bad that they had to pay off.

They had the Cardinals basically recently paid no na out of the same kind of thing. I think you're gonna see that more and more. So again, is it better that. You spread that money out across a lot of players or that you just give it to a player that's washed up and [00:22:00] isn't really earning it, it doesn't make any sense, mark.

No, the system has to change somehow. I do wanna point out though, like the Kyle Tucker thing, just to go back to it. Yeah, please. Chris Rose made a comment right before he signed that was really. It took me back. I was like, oh, it's the first time I hear anything like this. But he said that Kyle Tucker may suffer from the Anthony Randone Syndrome, and that's why he wasn't getting aggressive offers for long period of time.

I was like that just doesn't seem

Mark Corbett: no, 

Mat Germain: that sounds weird. On a 

Mark Corbett: good day. 

Mat Germain: Yeah. So I wouldn't go there. I would say that Kyle Tucker, I think the Dodgers were, a more welcoming environment, so he chose them over to Mets partially because of that. I think it, it's more of his style in terms of personality.

I don't think he's in New York. Chicago style. He did seem extremely comfortable in Chicago. Yeah. Being the guy, right? He fits more into the, oh, I'll be the second, third, fourth, fifth guy on a team and just let [00:23:00] me do my work, right? That's essentially what he comes across. But I would never label him so far anyway, from what I've seen as a Anthony Rendon.

Now, maybe Chris Rose has spoken to him and he comes across very low key. And maybe that's why he went there, but that's a heck of a statement to make and I just wanted to touch on it quickly. 

Mark Corbett: Geez. Talking about having the money to take care of people. 

And if we bring up the reds and we look at.

Cruz. 

La Cruz was looking at, see what they, he, I think he passed on last year on something that they offered him. Lemme see if I can find what they did this year. This is from mlb.com. We engaged in spring training in 2025 and presented an offer Red's President, baseball and Operations. Nick Crawl told MLB on Friday, the offer would've been the largest contract in Red's history.

We didn't have any further conversations regarding the offer. 

Mat Germain: This is the other [00:24:00] thing, mark, that really triggers me because he's gonna be a free agent in 2030 and we brought him up during the conversation we have with Lou and all those contracts that are being signed, whether it's Vade, junior, Soto, Ani, Kyle Tucker, Bobette, they increase all these guys that are not.

Extend it yet. Yeah. Or looking at that going, why in the world would I extend I'm about, I could become a free agent at 27 and make fill 40, 50, 60 million a year. I'm not gonna sign. Now, having said that the equalizer is a cap going to come in? Because that's the one where players have to weigh on their own and their agent's not gonna bring it up because they wanna maximize the money.

But maybe the agent will bring it up too, because he wants the money for the long term. The agent is banking that a cap is going to get in, put in place at some point. Then signing extensions now makes sense. [00:25:00] So it's an interesting story. You of okay, so if I sign now I get guaranteed money.

I'm good to go, my agents get paid, everybody's happy, and we get to that maximum amount. Whe whether or not a cap goes in place, if a cap gets put in place next year, the year after, whatever it ends up being. I may end up losing 10, 15, 20 million a year based on what they would be willing to pay knowing that cap is in place.

That's a serious decision to make if you're looking at the length that a lot of times these teams are offering that. You're talking Elliot Dollar Cruz. Maybe they'll offer him 9, 10, 12 years, depending on how how long they want to bank on him. Like the Reds gave Joey Vato a heck of a deal.

He was with them until he was 40 or 41. They're not afraid to go to those links in order to get a guy signed. I think Ellie's gonna have to sit there and have a serious talk with Scott Boris and say, listen Scott, are you guaranteeing me that a cap [00:26:00] isn't going in place and that we're gonna lose out on his money?

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: If he likes Cincinnati and he wants to be there long term and he's ha he doesn't wanna move around, then I think he will. He'll ask to have that extension talk, get further and deeper, but. I don't know, mark El Della Cruz. He seems like he really enjoys the spotlight and would, do, what he can to get to a larger market?

That's my hunch. So I fully anticipate he will be in a bigger market come 2030. 

Mark Corbett: He is an amazing player to watch. Man is fast, fast, got a heck of an arm on him. But going back to not picking things up, not going ahead and doing an extension. Now I'm like you, I can see the whole thing about having his negotiation with Boris saying, Hey, do you think there's gonna be a cap?

Here's one for you too. If there's a cap put in place, and I'm one of these future players and I'm looking down the bench and I see a guy [00:27:00] who I know I can't make what he's making in the future at all. He's grandfathered in pre cap, so to speak. And yeah. I gotta wonder, a good player focuses on the game, but you gotta think that has to gnaw on the back of the mind a little bit.

Sitting down there and seeing that other player and saying, look, I know we're both in the MLB Players Association and you're a wonderful guy and. Good player, but who the hell are you anyway? Why? Why are you worth so much more? 

Mat Germain: But other sports went through that. I remember seeing that happen with hockey.

Like especially when you were measuring the top guys, right? Yeah. Because Sidney Crosby, how much more was he making than Gretzky had made and Lamu had made and all this stuff happened. So the the comparisons are always gonna exist there, but to be honest, they move quickly. Yeah. Like we, sometimes our memories, we think it's gonna be forever, but it's, it happens so fast that it's almost like a blink of an eye.

And so if they were to put in a cap and a floor my hunch is that. You know [00:28:00] that awkward period of time would be two to three years, and then after that it would become almost meaningless for the majority of the players. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. Yeah, I get that. Oh my gosh. It's gonna be interesting, Matt, I tell you what, but it's all popped up so quick.

We're, I have to tell you though, brother, I've enjoyed the last few days watching some of your posts. On Blue Sky, I loved your free agent All-Star team. You wanna share with the folks who you had two days ago as opposed to ha who you have maybe right now for your All-Star by positions, 

Mat Germain: right?

So there's there's points at the off season where it's feast or famine. So I wanted to get a feel for how quickly things are changing, right? So I had put it up on, on January 15th. If you were to paint like the picture of the best free agent team, it was JT Rio Muto, Ty France, Louis Reyes Bobette, Eugenio Suarez Cody Bellinger, Harrison Bader, Kyle Tucker, Reese Hoskins, and then.[00:29:00] 

The pictures, which haven't changed so far. A day later I had to modify that and now it becomes, because there was two signings in terms of the catchers, right? It went all the way down to Reese McGuire. It just like a heck of a drop off. And then you have Ty France, Louis Res, Ramon Res for the shortstop position and then Yono Suarez, Cody Bellinger, Harrison Bader, and then Jesse Winker is who I I put in the right field.

I think a lot of teams liked what he did for part of the season last year. But he, he had a rough time as well, in occasion last year, so I don't know. It's one of those where now when you're looking at the outfield, it's Cody Bellinger, Harrison Bader, and essentially a lot of wild cards behind that.

It'll be interesting to see how team how many teams are willing to to give multiple years to Harrison Bader because he's, I think he's a valuable, but he's so marginal when it comes to, okay. Do you use one of your [00:30:00] prospects? Or do you spend the money for a Harrison Bader and how much do you want to commit or block your younger players for the second, third year that he might be looking for?

I think in some cases it's that, but all that to say that if you look at those players out of that group. You have maybe three players that are left now position, player wise Yeah. That are significant boosts to a team. That would be like that game. I won't say game changer, but that would seriously amp up their.

Their production next year. Now I do Ty France a lot. I think he's a player that could, surprise or have a big year, if ever he stays healthy for long enough to make it happen. And he's an excellent defender. So if a team really needs a first baseman, like that's that's somebody I would jump on.

Mark Corbett: Wow. Pardon me, Matt. I'm trying to think right now. I'm I'm guessing the next big ones that we're looking at here. And [00:31:00] hopefully we'll see something in the next few days. Any projections? 

Mat Germain: I think, the tug of war now between the Yankees and the Blue Jays for Cody Bellinger is gonna be one to watch.

'cause like I just said, like Bob Bichette loss is more significant than people give it credit for. And the Blue Jays in their minds had already spent that money on Kyle Tucker. So if they. Get a quote unquote rebate on Cody Pellinger. I think that, and to be fair, like Vladi Guerrero is not exactly the most spry person overall.

I know he has a lot of energy. He's still young. Getting him off his feet once in a while and letting Cody play first. There is nothing wrong with that. And giving Buddy the DH role, eventually George Springer old leave. So I'm not talking about for this upcoming year, but more like next, the year after that and the years beyond that, like depending on how many years Cody is gonna get, that's going to become something that's nice to have.

Not a necessity, but it's good to be able to do once in a while [00:32:00] without hurting your light up much at all. So I'm expecting him to land with the Blue Jays, to be honest. Sure. And I'd be surprised if he doesn't. And then I could see the the Yankees turning around and doing a trade somewhere.

Somehow. They always have, what I call their affiliates so teams that they like to feast on when it comes to opportunities missed. We'll see. I think there's a good amount of trades out there that are possible. And I think Harrison Bader is one that, you know, if the affiliates were willing to go to a certain level with Kyle Tucker and Bo Biche.

I think Harrison Bader is a solid ad for them that would help them defensively. And to me, that's a good position for them to take with him two years maybe two years in an option or three years max. But those are my three predictions that I'll throw out there. 

Mark Corbett: I love it. I love it.

Thank you, Matt. I do want to congratulate you two, man. I, maybe that's an overstretch, but the thing of it was. On the last show I enjoyed more than just about anything. [00:33:00] Your suggestion of bringing the Mets into the Al East and moving the race out and I the idea of the Mets and the Yankees and the same division and then the Marlins and Rays the same division.

Oh gosh, man I think I was Loweghing still two, three hours later. Just 'cause it just is. I thought it. It was an amazing or amusing thought but it would be so much fun to see as a fan. 

Mat Germain: Wouldn't it be appreciated around the league? Do Oh yeah. Fans get tired of the same makeup of divisions all the time.

I think they do, and I think travel wise it would make travel cheaper and easier. They're saving money. They love money. I love money and everybody wins. 

Mark Corbett: Oh no, I just wanna bring it back. 

I 

Mat Germain: have a guy think, go ahead, sir. I have one more. So Josh Lowe got dealt Oh yeah. To the angels and and you know that we're talking about the Anthony Rand syndrome.

I love this deal for the angels because we've watched Josh Lowe and a [00:34:00] raise for a long time. Yep. He's about as zen and happy and easygoing as you're going to get in a player. When you're talking about the change an organization goes through. In terms of the makeup of their team and their personality.

I don't think I've ever seen such a drastic change in personalities from what the angels did this off season. You're not gonna recognize the smiles on their face constantly. Honestly, though, oh my gosh. They're just gonna have such a more loosey goosey kind of attitude, and I think that's gonna serve.

All of them. So I wish him and the angels all the best. I hope he fits in there. I hope he stays healthy and he actually makes good on his potential. So that's the first part of it. I want to just say, you know what, thanks Josh. We know you had potential. We wish it would've worked out with Tampa. But I think he's gonna enjoy rubbing shoulders with Mike Trout and a couple of other guys over in in LA and the transition, I [00:35:00] wanna appLowed them for this too.

They get younger. And they get more left-handed and they move Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez. When you're looking at that transition, they still end up with an outfielder of quality that's MLB caliber and very strong, and when he's healthy and going and clicking. You're looking at Grayson Rodriguez as a talent.

That's a huge, kudos to them for doing that. Now the rays get Gavin Lux in return. Gavin Lux. To me is a better fit at second base than Brandon Lowe was. Yeah, so the rays immediately improved defensively. Now, I'm not gonna say he's gonna win gold gloves. He's not that kind, that caliber, but he's a very solid second baseman that can go.

He has decent range and he's a better on base percentage guy. So one of my. Beefs with the way the rays built their lineups over the last few years is that they kept putting Brandon Lowe at the top of the lineup, and he's not a on-base percentage guy. Yeah. He's a power guy. So I think the way that [00:36:00] it's going to work out for the Ray is positive to a degree.

They do lose the power that Brandon Lowe had and the punch that he gave the lineup and the one hits that he could change the game with. But I think as a lineup and wearing down opposing pitchers and playing better defensively behind their pitchers. Yep. The rays have done a good job overall by bringing Gavin Lux and changing that around.

And they brought in Chris Clark, who's a double A pitcher. It's a solid, backend poten rotation potential guy. And I've said this to you before. I think the rays now have a 11 guys in AA that. Are slated to be starting pitchers, so at some point in time something's gonna happen, mark and oh, the, yeah.

Anyways, I'll get that on the Wednesday pod. But I think there's going to be a trade from a raise point of view that this frees up as well because they're adding so many double A guys between the Shane B [00:37:00] deal and this one, and it's getting to the point where, yeah, something's gotta give.

So I can't wait 

Mark Corbett: to talk about that. 

Mat Germain: And so Brendan Donovan would be an example, right? Do they, if they want to go after somebody like that, or any other player really, or a pitcher then they have the goods to trade, two or three guys from their AA stock or AAA and and make a few moves that way.

Mark Corbett: Exciting times, Matt. I tell you what, brother, I'm glad you were very able to be available to pull this together here in Sharp notice. Like I said, man I walked out of one meeting at this pod fest in Orlando, and the guy said have you seen it? You know the trades? I said, yeah, lots was really amazing.

They looked at me and suddenly it's dropped. Two more Ga, Tucker and Bette. Okay. Did I? I left the room. I came back. Okay. The world's changed. So thanks Pat for getting back here and giving us a chance to get some fresh news out there for all the folks. 

Mat Germain: Yeah, no, it's great. And just keep eating those $10 hot dogs and [00:38:00] $15 beard guys.

'cause the teams need your money to pay these guys, $60 million a year. The, they're gonna be crying poor pretty soon. Is it the Cardinals owner that keeps crying poor? I can't remember which one. 

Mark Corbett: Geez. I can't see how they, I can't either, my friend. I can't either.

Yeah. All right. Folks, thank y'all again for joining. Matt, Jermaine and I here today on Baseball Biz On Deck, and taking a look at the free agent Fracas going on out there and wanting to see what's gonna happen. It's been interesting and I'm sure the days the come will be as well. We'll look forward to chatting with you soon, and we'll have a raise up edition coming out here in a few days as well.

So thanks again for joining us all, and Matt, any other final words? 

Mat Germain: No, enjoy life. Live free and live hard. 

Mark Corbett: There you go. Ooh, I like it. All right. Thank you again for joining us here, and we'll talk again real soon. Alright, man. Let's see. Thanks, brother. Not a problem. No you look, go ahead. Oh, go ahead.