Hey, we've got our buddy Ryan Roland Smith joining us right now. Mariners TV Analysts, top Set podcast, great accent, just the whole thing working for him and he's covering one of the best teams in baseball right now.
Ryan, Great to have you on here. Yeah, and the head I'm ready to go to a game here in Baltimore. He had no. I it's Look, it's been fun, man, since the since the trade Deadline'm not gonna lie a completely different feel with this team because this is really Look, they've been really aggressive every trade deadline the last couple of years, but this is the first time where it's like there's no like justification or explaining the move, right,
It's basically like, Yep, you wanted the offense. You're banging that dramall off season and into the season. You want that extra piece, extra pieces offensively, and they got it. Here it is and there's no like yep, twenty twenty five and that's it as opposed to, you know, trying to work around the edges or add this because it's a future move or we're trying to have controllable players or whatever it is. And then everyone's fired up. Man, they try stand that took nine to ten. You know,
they had the Etro weekend. It was just it's just a really good thing happening right now in Seattle, that's for sure.
Did it need to be at the trade deadline? Did it need to be a move that was like, hey, we're you know, as a front office, we're looking at it like I don't know ownership, I don't know how good this team really is. Is Julio really good? We'll wait and see till the trade deadline. Because Suarez wasn't available, Josh Naylor was available, you could have gotten another third base back to come in and play that position all year. They might not be tied right now, they may be up on the Astros.
You're talking gone back into the off season right in regards to making those music, Well, put it this way, man, like the Marylands. You know, as we know free agents, Man, it's competitive. It's sometimes it's more than just dollars and cents to bring some of these guys in there. There's more the guys into it, as you guys know, and you go do a little bit of recruiting as well. I feel like they're big draw card is where the
players where you get it via trade. And I feel like coming out of twenty twenty four, their biggest chip was going to be pitching, whether it was in the minor leagues, anda a Triple A, or even in the big leagues, dismantling that five man rotation, and they just weren't willing to do that. They just period weren't willing to do that. So that move really wasn't out there, I feel like in the off season, and I feel like because they weren't, like I said, willing to give
up their biggest strength. And then they get into a season they kind of play, see how we go a little bit. They were slipping behind the Astros, who, by the way, were not very good at these last you know, a couple of months in regards to how they were built. They'll winning. I don't even know how they were winning, to be honest with there, with all these injuries and everything else. But you're looking at this going, man, well
how good are we? If the Astros are able to get this lead in the West and we can't keep up with them, you kind of ask yourself, well, how good is this team? And so I feel like it got to that place, and you know, we know cow role the last couple of years has been vocal about it, and they've gotten to a place now where it's like,
we've got five all stars on this team. We've got a cow ruler who's having a historic year knocking over like Johnny Bench and you know, heading towards Mickey Manlin regards to home runs for a switch hitter, it's insane. So this is the time is now, and it got to a place where it was a month after month is saying this team has something here, there's a good young core of players you need to add, and it
took up into the deadline. Put it this way too, man, I'm going to give a ton of credit to Justin Hollander because look they made the move with Josh Naylor and you look at that and fans like, yeah, great, we added and we added a player finally who's just pure rental for twenty twenty five. But you're look at that gun hold On. He's on the same team as Juno Squires. What happened to that? We love Gino, like, how come we couldn't pull that off? And Justin Hollander
that door wasn't closed. He just kept calling, calling, calling, And by the way, on the on the bullpen side as well. I think I a little disappointed they didn't get another bullpen piece because I pushed so hard to get that second guy in that ballp and a bridge that gap to Brash and Munnos, but I got to give it to him, and they just kept pushing, pushing. I think that doing the deal with Josh Naylor a little earlier, you developed that relationship where the DBAC say, yep,
we're happy with what we got. Thank you. You're happy with what you got, all right, let's keep that door open. And then I feel like the value for Gino just kind of kept sort of slipping a little bit because there's other options out there. And then they struck Man and by the way, they didn't give up any of their top one hundred prospects, so a plus at the
trade deadline. And to answer your question short in the winner, I think if you were the goal was to go get offense, you're probably gonna have to give up your you know, your your biggest attribute, and that's pitching. I just don't think that willing to do that. I'm kind of glad they didn't do that, honestly, you know, until until this point. But why this year? Why not last year? Why this year?
Is it just because of the cow rawle of the year and what they look around at the West and say the West is vulnerable this year. You kind of you kind of glossed over a little bit, But is that the main reason? Because Houston's banged up beyond unbelief? Right, they're not, They're not the same Houston. Regman's gone, All these guys are gone. Then you look at the Rangers, they're not playing very well. The Angels are the Angels clearly?
Is this is why finally Depoto in the front office was told, hey, you can do this this year, and it's awesome. They didn't give up their top prospects.
It's yeah, that's the way.
It's supposed to work. But you know, in years past they've had the ability and they've had a you know, a luxury of the starting pitching. But why in twenty five is it because the West is just not as good as it used to be?
I think so, I really did, man. I think it's you know, gone back to last year again, twenty twenty four. Gone back to that pitching, right, That's what kind of that's what got them close. And whether or not there was a move last year. Look that was still aggressive and they still went and got you know, Justin Turner and Randy rose Arena. I mean, they still got some offense.
They still got you know, Jimmy Garcia in the bullpen as well, and they again weren't they didn't need to give up a whole lot to get them, and so they still were aggresive last year. Ye pride of that they went and got Luis Castille, who was the biggest piece out there, and they added to that starting pitching wasn't as good as last year in twenty twenty three to go get Luis Cassid to fill that void. And that's kind of what the That was their anchor, that
was their you know called their aircraft carrier. That was what it was going to take him to that next level. So going into twenty twenty five and you guys know, man, it's so tough to replicate what they got out of their starting pitching last year. And that's kind of been obvious, right, Bryce Miller goes down, he struggled. You had a situation where George Kruby didn't start the year he was on
the IL. You had you know, Logan Gilbert missed seven weeks as well, so you're not going to replicate what they had in twenty twenty four. But I feel like they went into this season saying, all right, yeah, we might be limited in what we can do in regards to going and getting paying money for free agent, but we do have their capacity to make a trade at some point, and the time was right. Man. They got to a place as a group, as a team and as a front office to say, all right, we're really good,
yet we know what we need. We're going to be aggressive like they with last year and the year pride of that, and let's go and get a move that services twenty twenty five only really for the first time the last couple of years. So again, the aggression has always been there, but this year it just feels different because it's straight up not the situation where it's like we have controllable players or we can do this and that and no, no, they just went all in on
pure rentals. We just haven't seen that the last couple of years.
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All right, let's move ahead to the rest of the season. Now, Henyo Suarez has got like a three thirty ops since he's come over, and the nailer's got one thousand ops. How do you see, because you see this team day in and day out, how do you see pitchers navigating the lineup differently with those two guys in especially even because people will be like, oh, Suarez trade soft, like he's not doing to me. You add a guy like Suarez who will get hot at some point and carry
the team, but he's there all the time looming. Do you see a difference in how teams are pitching and navigating How he got a throw to a certain guy that's feasting during this time.
Yeah. The biggest shakeup, which was interesting coming out of that deadline was you had you know, JP Croft was at the top line. By the way, he's quietly having a really good year and he was at the top of line. As a matter of fact, I was kind of hoping he was gonna make the All Star team. Didn't happen. He's having an awesome year, but man, he was struggling going into that trade deadline. He was struggling. Then they get obviously Naylor, and then they get a Gina.
They come out of August first, you got to figure out how you kind of put this line up together. You put Randy at the top, Randy Rose Arena, who's having, by the way, best power year as well, and plus he's swiping a bunch of bags too. I think he's already you know, beating his career best in stolen bases, and so you look at that and say, all right, you've got the first one through. I'll throw Polanco in there as well, because he's back to what he was
doing in April one through six. Man, it's a gauntlet. It's tough because you look at that, there's no breathing room, right. Kl is still getting pitches to hit, which I thought after that home run derby, after that All Star break, all right, they're gonna have to, you know, be a little bit more careful with him. But he's still getting pitches to hit, and he's starting to figure out that swing as well. Three home runs in the last four games.
And then you've got right behind him Julio all of a sudden, you know, August and September said it's a gaunt. But now the biggest question was when you saw JP go from the leadoff spot and you guys know, man, like you see a guy lose his leadoff spot and he goes he shuffles down to seventh. All right, how's he going to react? Like, how's he gonna you know, around the around the cage or in the dugout? Wherever is he going to be that guy. But now that's
that's just not his style. Man. He's kind of come in and basically said, so excited for what we've got. Randyo Roserena wasn't upset about leaving the four spot behind cal get more pitches. He's going to have to liadoff spot. So everyone's pretty fired up about what they have in
this in this lineup. Now, you mentioned Gino hasn't quite gotten hot just yet, but it's just a tough line up to navigate, and the only breathing room you look at and say, all right, you've got three left, he's seven, eight nine, and see you're like, oh, they're going to get matched up. But the problem is JP hits left. He's pretty well and by the way, pitches per played
appearance is insane. So you've got seven to eight and nine all of a sudden since the trade deadline, seeing about four and a half pitches per plate appearance on basis over four hundred and flipping that lineup back over. So there's really no breathing room. Now. I know they only put up a one run yesterday, but going back to that homestand in Seattle, it was, man, it was relentless. You could just have that feeling, and we just haven't
had that in Seattle. You've always had those pockets where it's like, oh man, so it's coming up with two outs and you know there's run around second. You just feel like there's just gonna be that swing and miss. Especially last year, it's just not the case. Right now. I see August first and everyone can feel it. Man, it's a lot of fun to watch.
Hey, you brought up Julio Rodriguez and he was a controversial All Star pick because of where he's at. His numbers are good. Now what changed though? What He's done this for a couple of years. Now, wait where April May even in the June, it's really kind of a struggle and in July, August, September, come what what is the difference in second half Julio and first half Julio.
Yeah, so going back to you know, last year, I haven't had that big of a sample size. Really, It's not like he's done it for six years. It's been like, you know a couple of years there where he went off as a rookie, expectations through the roof, and then you know, going back to last year, right, last year, he was just trying to reinvent the wheel. The guy was like he was trying to have more plate discipline, but he was he was getting he was kind of
taking away that aggressiveness on that first pitch. He just wasn't I'm not saying the Mariners didn't allow him to be an athlete, but I feel like with him, he was just trying to He's trying to be you know, super pro at bat and all of a sudden wear a pitcher down or something. It's like they just go and swing man, see the ball, hit the ball, just rip it. And then this year it was kind of this situation. I feel like where he hits everything, he
incides out to everything to right field and it's ridiculous. Man, Like all comes off his bat just different to everyone else. It just does. That's why all those ground balls can just kind of shoot her. It's like he's playing on a little league field. And then the big conversation was, look in order to get the ball in the air with some authority and get some power, some more of the power numbers, because that was lacking. It's been lacking.
The first half. It's like he's so you know, undercooked in regards to some of the power numbers, you know, get the ball in the end of the pull side, and I feel like he was trying to do that. He was getting a little bit beaten inside. And then right before the All Star break, it's like something click. Man, he all of a sudden was able to get that bad head out and he was launching balls in the
left field. Wasn't the ball in the ground, like when you look at the ground ball rate to the left side of the infields through the roof, but the exit you is still good. I see he's still getting good contact, but you just can't lift the ball. And then all of a sudden, right before the break, I want to say,
I'm trying to remember who he took deep. I was watching he got that spin, little spinn and breaking ball, got the bad head out, cheated a little bit, and he launched ones foul into the seats and I was like, oh, man, I haven't seen I've never I haven't seen him do that for forever. And then next piece, whack boom took one into left field, and so I kind of eliminated just guys just beating him up middle ind in my opinion,
And now I feel like from that point. You know he took you mentioned the All Star Game, you know, controversial pick. He took that off because he wanted to get some work in whatever it was. But now all of a sudden, I feel like he's just got this nice little He's in this groove where he can hit that ball in the right center field with authority, but he's just able to pick his spots where you can just get that bad head out and cheat a little
bit on some of those pitches inside. So it's kind of you can't just eliminate half the plate for Julio.
So I think there's a little bit of that and plus two, I don't know what it is man psychologically, if it's something where like you get to that point where dust settles, trade deadlines, happened you had the All Star break or the All Star game, you know, whether you around your peers at the game or taking the time off and you look seeing the finish line, you just kind of have that nothing to lose sort of mentality.
I think maybe there's a little bit of that too. Psychologically, he gets to a place where it's like, all right, this is my swing right now. I'm not trying to overthink it. I'm not trying to be more patient on the plate because dude, he swings man still a ton first pitch, like it's ridiculous, and it's like, just have Adam and just swing, just be an athlete. So I feel like there's a little of a combination of that. But may what it is August September, he just lights up.
So it's it's a it's a good song for the Marinids.
And I think some people forget he's still not even twenty five years old yet.
I get it.
Some guys have MVPs and all that stuff, but he's a like he's still learning. So I mean, I think it's cool that you you know, you you see all those different things that he's learning.
To do in the big leagues. Yeah, for sure.
Last question, last question for me. Anytime I talked to an Australian baseball player, I have to ask because I haven't seen my friend Jared MANGIONI is almost exactly your same age. Yes, do you know what he's doing? And do you know who I'm talking about?
A dude on that manage? Of course of that Jared Mangier, of course, what is he doing? Oh man, you stump me? Know what he and I should know this man because all the all the Aussies past and present, we all tend to, you know, stay in the same circles. You know. You guys had Grant Balfour on months ago. He's one of my best friends. He was a groomsman at my wedding. We're really close all the way down to everyone else.
So I should know what men Jerney's up to. I'll find out though, Eric, I'll get back to you and I'll find out exactly what he's doing. But there's a that's a man, that's a name. I haven't heard it for a long time.
Yes, Prospect with the Blue Jays that I played with for for a few years. One of the guys, one of the guys.
Yeah he was Yeah, he was good man. I remember, like high school age, he was a stud. If the thing is though in Australia, like I say that now, if I say this all the time, if I grew up in the States, yeah, I know A J's got some boys right now playing you know the Showcase, doing the Showcase rounds and all that. Yeah, I feel like if I grew up in the States, man, I don't know if I ever would have gotten a chance, dude, because like you're a big fish a small point. So
I'll say me and Jerney was a study. He may know the he was out in Australia because no one, no one plays. So there you go. Ryan.
A couple of things. First of all, I mean I can go back to like Darren Fidge. I mean games that you guys are talking about. These guys, yeah exactly Williams. Yeah, I mean baseball Australia. He's big time now yep, Willow Pete Pete Moylan, you know, and he was, you know, in jail with our hitting coach the same night. I mean, I've don't do a lot of Australian stuff. Okay, all right, so listen, but here's what I want to know. I
got two questions. Were you one we played in the Hall of Fame game like it was like seven eight years ago. Has your shoulder recovered from that yet? Because it was the first time you touched the ball forever? And then also, who has better hair in dress game? You are Goldsmith because you guys have are always on point with the hair and the dressing game.
Yeah, now Goldsmith man rolls out of bed. He's just got that lego hair about him. It's unreal, like it's legit and it's got You have to cut one should otherwise it goes all over the map. He doesn't need to do that. It's pretty pretty on point a gold Smith, that's for sure. Now the Hole of Fime, I do have a story about that Hall of Fame classic real quick, because I was fired up to pitch. Was Victorino there? He might have been, yeah, I think so, yeah, he
might be. Well he he comes up to me and a couple of the guys pitches like hey man and Jack Wilson too, was like, hey, dude, make sure you throw breaking balls, change ups. You know, we want to make this competitive, not just like you know, just slogging in there like this. I was like, yeah, no worries, no problem. And my back was killing me because I did that fun, that fun run thing in the morning too, like the five K, Like I said, oh, I'll run it like an idiot, and then my back was all
blown up. But I remember you were catching and I was all fired up. Dude, like breaking balls, change ups, warm up. You walk out to the man, You're like, hey man, listen, don't be throwing any breaking balls. Change up, just start right down the middle. Let's get the hell out of here. I was like, dude, man, so there, I am just coughing up just dudes with just lacing balls everywhere because you were just going to the hosptball. I'm like, Dade, I want to spin a breaking ball.
Let's go. It's been forever, let's go. So you ruined it for me that way. Oh yeah, it's all my fault.
But but you know why I did that because the year before I did it, and Kevin Gross did it, and he's like he was a big curveball guy and he had to have like arm surgery because he He's like, I couldn't he blew his arm out the year before. So I was like, dude, just lob it in there. Let's get the hell out of here. You wanted to go full like sliders on everybody.
Dude. I was waiting for, like you know, like in spring Train this I roll it. I just just kept crushing balls, and there was a popple. I was like, what's his name, collos Pen You dropped us like a bullock for the third out, and I'm like, dude, I can't stay out here. Can we just roll this inning, and I wouldn't roll it, so I just had to keep just coughing it up. It was brutal.
Yeah, c AJ had your back. He was trying to look out for you and for any potential future surgeries that you'd avoid. But anyway, Ryan, this was awesome man. Thank you so much for catching up with us. Great to see you have fun calling obviously all the action here and keeping track of what the m's are doing. It's a fun follow right now. Good to talk to you man, appreciate it.
Thanks guys,