These MLB Rumors are JUICY!

a lot more Wednesday that. Honestly, the big news that's going around the office this morning is our friend Jeff Passen or maybe former friend, because he'd liked to think he'd let me know these things. Ye our Yankees have been talking to Luisa Rise continually. What's the phrase he used throughout?

me that would have an interesting stance on it. Three straight batting titles he won it last year, pretty nuts and then show hey second that guy m three sixteen, three point fifty four with Mi Haammi and then three fourteen last year and I don't want to say felt like a malaise, but his his year was never off the charts. Let me see if I get some month to month for you, because in my maybe it started

slow and it picked up. Uh yeah, three ten, three forty two, seven twenty ops three twenty one, three fifty three, seven sixty nine, so not insane, A nice August, September after Okay, so he had a lackluster middle of the season June and July ops is in the sixes. Uh. And outside of that, he was kind of who you think he is, or maybe I don't know who you think he is, because I think the part that's become interesting when the original Luis Arise trade from the Marlins happened.

Everyone was a little surprised there wasn't a ton of big time prospects involved. And it was also the Marlins that everyone was like, they took a grab bag and everyone was like, well, the Marlins have so much to fix, and none of these kids were on like a tight timeline that they were like, yeah, we'll just take a bunch of young guys and something we'll figure itself out. Maybe it will. Uh. But the interesting debate side of it is, what is Luis Rise's real value you? Because

he doesn't play defense. He graded out horribly at first base last year, He's great at horribly at second base

in previous years. He's just the best contact bat in the game, which if you're willing to use your DH position on Louis A. Rise, which I'm not necessarily against, although the Yankees have their DH spot clouded because I think hitting's hittings hitting, Like, if you're getting the production you need from different positions, like why do you care If Louisa Rise fits in as your DH, then you do that, but you do need production from else where.

His career high was ten homers in twenty twenty three. Last year he hit four. He does turn and pull on some balls, so I do wonder if there is a Yankee aspect of that. You know, if you could get Luisa rise to ten twelve homers, that feels a little less weird than four or is two that he hit in twenty twenty one. I think the thing that's interesting is he was accumulating war in twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three. He was a four point two

b war and a four point nine B War. Last year, one hundred and fifty games, he came out to a one war player. And the other thing that makes it an interesting spin Louis Arise is starting to get paid. He made ten point six last year. Do we know where an astimate is?

Because even for the best contact hitters in baseball, which Luis Arises he hit three sixteen year, which won the batting title in the AL three seventy five on base a four to twenty slugging for a seven ninety five ops so he had thirty plus doubles in each of the past three years, which makes kind of those homers. Either put him over the top or not offensively. Defensively, I don't know. I think you just put him at second base and pray or maybe first base, but that gets scary.

I guess first base. I know there's a lot of tricky plays of first base makes, but essentially, at the end of the day, you have to catch the ball. He's listed five to ten. Would love to get some updates on that both ways, both ways, both ways. Kindly for the Yankees, they've had bad defense at second base the past couple of years in Glabor Torres, who also led off for them in a lot of big moments, and with the loss of Juan Soto, you're looking for

that lefty righty balance. Luisa Rise not only does he plug in it at second base, he's your leadoff hitter and you have Aaron Judge second. So batting average, I've been on a kick that it needs to be valued a little bit more because I think on base percentage, I've been looking to get a stat that's like uncompetitive walks, you know, for the take guys in baseball, if you get thrown five balls in your first four pitches, you're going to walk if you only really chase or swing

inside the zone. That I think on basement numbers can get inflated that when it's a moment that it matters when there's runners on first and second or second and third and you have to pitch to someone. I think batting matter, Batting average matters more there, and we haven't fully we haven't fully embraced that yet. I hate to do this to my guy, because you know, I consider his brother a friend, Aaron Hicks. We've got to watch

a lot of him with the Yankees. His numbers also with runners on and I think the bases loaded were like scary bad, which again it was a small sample size and some bad luck there. He got Verlander in the playoffs. It's cool.

lot more relevant. So I think Luisa Rise has value in that factor that every time that if it were the Yankees and they had to flip the lineup, it's like, Okay, here comes Luisa Rise and Aaron Judge. I would be very interested to see how those at bats would look because the Rise doesn't walk a ton one hundred and ninety six career walks, which I think Sodo gets close to that in a season. One hundred and ninety four career strikeouts. So the man swings and hits a ball.

part of the commitment. Jazz Chisholm everyone kind of assumed he was going to second base, which I guess. You know, the Yankee people are humming around the office that Arise has played some third base. Would they put Jazz at second and Arise at third? Is that punting third base? That doesn't seem to make sense that I don't know. It seems like you made this intention to go get better defensively and go and become a better team without

Jan Soda. That's every Yankees fans. If I bump into someone on the subway that knows, that's kind of the going away line right now. It's like, I think the team's better, and yeah, it's the off season and we got to tell ourselves that with Wan Soto gone, and the Yankees have done some strategic and good additions, but it would just be weird for the Yankees to come into next year. Man that infield Goldschmidt sure into it is thirty seven. If it is a rise, then it's

a rise. Vulpi Jazz Chisholm and I don't know. I've I've I like Jazz Chishlm at third. I was impressed by what he showed and I thought he could stick over there. It's obviously gonna be on him to put in the work or see what level of third basemen he can turn into. But it's it's still gonna be a first full season, Like I don't know, where can you really set the bar? And then a rise at second base. I don't know. The numbers don't like it. Everyone that seems to have watched him doesn't like it.

That I get it for the lineup, and hey, if the defense is great everywhere else that can work. But it just seems it just seems like it's a double Like Yankee fans kind of convince themselves they were gonna get a third baseman. Jack Curry, who covers the Yankees and is very tuned in, made it seem like they want Jazz at third. The Yankees are also running out of money that I don't know. I guess the office has a little juice today about Luisa Rise. I'm a little skeptical.

turn around and get a rise. I know, a little more contact and left handed, and they are different players, but I am skeptical of them being serious about bringing a move like that to the finish line without it being like a good value play, like the caveat of Like, look, if the Padres are training because they want to be rid of some twenty twenty five salary and get whatever that return is, then like, yeah, him for freeze interesting essentially for freeze interesting, But.

And I know this sport has come a long way from batting average, but it's also a really good batting average and there's years where the on basse and ops are there, and ultimately, like this, it's one year, this salary dump for a team. That's where the Padres are at or I think they'd prefer to move off some amount of money. I would assume that preference is more about long term money if they were to do a move that salary dumpy. They're competitive like this guy's I

always love I never actually use it. Baseball Reference has similarity scores for players at the bottom of their web page. Like some of the names that pop up, like Wade Box, it's a Hall of Famer. Would we view him through different ones? I mean, the factor rice can't play defense hurts. This one's just a blind spot for me. So he'll be today's player of the day. Bill Madlock, you heard of him? Name that I know. I've heard.

on Hasong Kim to bring back? Are they in on Jerks and Profar to bring back? They have massive contracts with Bogart's, Machado and Tatis. Croninworth went from being a salary dump to a tradable salary to a kind of not tradable salary. Yeah, it's a his contract is bizarre that they've been silent this offseason and I don't know, I don't know what they're gonna do. Uh. Cronenworth actually he's kind of dj in Man. Yeah, twelve mili a year for the next till twenty thirty. It's good defense

at at least two spots. Yeah, I mean, I'd love to watch nerds like debate who's a better baseball player. Croninworth arias a guy that can play a lot of positions. Well, Hassan Kim, who's a free agent. Technically he grades out better than a rise at least last year, probably last two. So I'd three very different prototypes of players baseball it's the beauty of it. I'm interested to see what happens. I would be excited and understand the Yankees thought process

if it happens. I don't see that happening, whether it's financial or fit or other, or just believing that the Yankees, I guess the concept even for being a young doing young man things. Shannon Sharp for doing young man things

with baseball statistics, A three time batting champ consecutive. It's just been rolling that if you could have that person for free, even with some of the quote unquote shortcomings, I don't know three over the past three years, three twenty eight, three seventy one, A seven ninety seven ops. If the Yankees can put that guy in from of Aaron Judge, you have to start to a really fun lineup. You have a fun way to start every game. I know that's not what it's all about. I don't buy

it yet, I'm open to it. Let's see padres no idea what you're doing. Currently, the bottom of their lineup is listed terso Ornillis Campusano, my Guy, and then Aggy Rosario, with a bench currently listed as Mike Brosso, Wow, Tyler Wade, and Brandon Lockridge, So I don't know. I know the past couple of years we've had some questions about the Padres depth and they've kind of done work late and it seems like they might be doing that again. But it's just a question of what is that franchise doing.

Are they making money? Does their ownership want to buy more players that we'll see and maybe America's GM Jim Bowden has some insight for us.

got you covered. Bet live on in progress games as they happen, making watching the game that much more exciting and af sports betting is not yet available in your state.

This was kind of supposed to be the guy, like sure Yah Yamamoto was supposed to be a guy him and Aga kind of wasn't Sanga kind of wasn't Sasaki is the guy that we've heard for a while, because he kind of has the look like he is a tall guy, long throws hard, pumps gas like, no excuses, Yoshinobu yam modo. People were like, I don't know, he's a little guy. Is he gonna is his body gonna fall apart? Is he gonna completely translate? Just a reminder,

go check out his stats. It translated. He did get three hundred million, so I guess people thought he was gonna be pretty damn good. But Roki Sasaki a little younger, and I think a little more upside. Uh. This was the only player that Jim Bowden had a hedge on his prediction. He had the Yankees or the Padres, which those teams have been linked the Padres. Uh. I do

believe that you Darvish is like his pitching idol. The West Coast factor for a lot of these Japanese players helps, And there was a rumor for a little bit that he's hope he kind of wants to be a smaller market guy. But again, I don't know who knows where

you're getting some of these things at some point. But on the other side of that, the Yankees doesn't help my argument, Uh, the only reason I could see Roki Sasaki picking the Yankees because he essentially does get to hand pick his team between the Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, and Giants are are kind of the final possibilities there. The only reason Sasaki would pick the Yankees is if he if he wants the smoke second smoke reference. Whose

podcast was that is that? That's Stephen Jackson, who is all of the smokes, all the Smoke, all the Smoke pod. Add Yeah, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. I see the clips. I don't. I don't tune in. Because man, if Roki came to the Yankees, he would be their first see their first Japanese player since Tanaka yah was after Corota, right, so yeah, yes, and I mean Tanaka initially came over and what fifteen.

they signed Confordo as a bonus piece. Show Hey is going to pitch this year. Dodger's doing well. Reminder, Roki Sasaki would want to want all of it. He'd want to want New York City. He'd want to be the guy. He'd want to get the ring. I'm sure he wants all of that wherever he goes. But obviously New York and the Yankees and the Pinstripes they still hit a little different. I know we haven't been getting our rings recently. That the value prop with the Dodgers is very different.

I mean, he doesn't have to come in and be the guy. I mean he would be like their fifth starter, which is nuts for the Padres. He'd be a guy. But they have other reliable starting pitchers for them, so do the Yankees. But I do think there's something you Darvish has been on the Padres for a couple of years. Otani and Yamamoto for him to choose the Yankees. It would be a surprise and it would change the Yankees whole off season. Oh my god, like there was a

day with daydream Carlos rode on trades. Would that be on the table? Maybe you just got a free starting pitcher. Not gonna believe anything until I see it. It would be a huge win for any of the other teams who aren't the Dodgers, padres neat Cubs would kind of be a game changer for them. Mets, Sure, the burgeoning Mets. The Rangers absolutely, I already think they are on the upslope, but that would be huge. And the Giants who are trying to fend off the Dodgers and that whole division constantly.

I am still kind of thinking it's Dodgers, which is nuts because again, him being so cost controlled just allows them to do whatever. I don't know, I mean, that's the one that I feel the least ability to comment on. When are we gonna find out is January fifteenth the real thing?

for one fifty six, which is a bad sign. He mentions the Mets that was originally the day dream Bregman team, like he was going to change their identity. They went a little bigger than that. I don't think you can rule them out because that moves Mark Viento's to first base. There's options there. The Blue Jays have to do something. I don't think Alex Bregman is a fit. Their move has to be switch hit or lefty. We'll get to Santander and everyone's in on the Tigers, which I just

haven't figured out yet. Maybe if it's a creative contract that has the Bellinger opt outs or something like that, but they're still paying hobby By is so much money, they have so many young infielders. I don't see it. Everyone else does, so I'll leave it out there.

Duran Devers Cassus Trevor's story, You're alrighty breaking that up, Yoshida while you're a bray, you Connor wrong, Hamilton Rafaela, A couple of righties on the bench. Rob Reff, you know he's in their verse left he's any mashes okay. But if I'm the boss in Red Sox, a right handed hitter is the answer somewhere in this lineup, somewhere in the top of this lineup. And I think Bregman

would be perfect. I mean, if you could, if you could go Duran Bregman Devers, or if you'd prefer to go Duran Devers Bregman and then Tristan Cassas, and then you can use your story to to break up the lefties a little bit and dream on his comeback, hopeful comeback season. Bragman swing plays at Fenway. They're looking for the next move to put them over the top. Their rotation looks really good, their bullpen looks really solid. Lineup

looks good. It just not balanced that Alex Bregman. You moved Evers to first base, Just remove that band aid. You have him signed for a long time, have him become a high quality first baseman, and then your infield defense improves your lineup improves, you're ready to compete for the division if they sign Alex Bregman. So that's been the team that's jumped out for a while. I wonder if the Red Sox are being quiet about it. I

wonder if Bregman's market isn't going so hot. And I've wondered that about the next guy a little bit because I'm gonna go to Pete Alonzo, who he does have at four? And did all the first basemen get figured out? I don't think so. There's still teams out there, Mariners, but we haven't heard anything from them. The rumor this weekend was the Halos. I don't know. I guess you can never rule him out right. That's that's the beauty of them. You could do anything anytime. We got you

this Mike Trout ready to win some ballgames. The Mets are still there, and I guess that's where things get a little tricky too, because I talked about them in the Bregman game. Would they rather have Bregman than Alonso? Is that a better fit for the team. It's an interesting debate. Better defense at the hot corner, a reliable stick where Alonzo's bat has more upside, but probably not that. On the defensive side, I think you'd want Bregman in

a vacuum. That's gonna be interesting. Man. People were looking at my Diamondbacks as potential dark horses for Pete. I have to admit, And if you've been listening to this show, you know, I'm a little surprised that there hasn't been a bigger market for Alonso. When you're putting together your whiteboard of your team or your offensive goals for the years, Like I remember the first time the Rays, the Rays measured the season in innings instead of like five starting pitchers.

The Rays were like, yeah, we need to get through this many innings and everyone was like, whoa, okay. Rays Like, if I'm a baseball team and I'm looking at you know, I need two hundred and fifty home runs to be a good power hitting team, and I can get forty from one guy. I just thought there'd be more appeal there. So maybe misread that, and maybe it seems like Pete's not gonna age well, and I know he has some

declining numbers. I still think a team is gonna step up to the table that I don't think he's gonna have to do a creative contract. But I've my sniff test has been wrong on Alonzo so far. We'll see. I mentioned Anthony Santander. It's so funny that he's not getting a ton of buzz as a free agent. Blue Jays have been my team from the start, stays in the division. You break up Bow and Vladdie, you've kind

of created a top of the lineup. Now, if one or two of your young guys click, you have a lineup the Blue Jays offense team that has to go an extra year to get the free agent they want. Santander is that kind of free agent. Between his age and people worried about his defense, that extra year probably gets the deal done. Toronto can do that. They've done that with Springer, They've done that with Ryu. I've loved Santander. Santander are there from the start. I've always thought Houston

is a dark horse team. I haven't always thought that recently after the Kyle Tucker trade, seems like they have a spot for Santander that can make their lineup very scary. And the other teams that you're gonna hear rumored on everyone Halos those TV dough he Hunt days. I don't know, what are those teams about Giants? You shouldn't be lumped with them. I'm sorry, I take it back. Looking for a picture. How about our friend Jack Flaherty. Jack Flaherty

still a free agent. The year end numbers last year Man three one seventy R one hundred and ninety four punchies uh listed as the best starting pitcher outside of Sasaki, And we talked about the tricks of that, and yeah, we He mentions Flerty's medical reports. We heard we heard a rumor during trade season that a couple teams were out on Flarity because of his medicals. So you wonder what that looks like, or if you'll have to go for a weird opt out type deal, which I could

see him being open to. If you do that right, you could still make your money with enough security. Although in a way he should feel like he's deserved this. He was one of the best young pitchers. He kind of worked his way back after going through the struggles. Teams linked Cubs, Giants, Blue Jays, Giants Blue Jays just ended with that. The team that I haven't had connected and if they are, Jack, I would answer the phone

is the Atlanta Braves. He talks about Spencer Strider, who's going to be recover and not ready for opening Day. They lost Charlie Morton. Charlie Morton to your Baltimore Orioles. I don't know. I don't know Orioles. I'm not rooting against the Oriols. I want that out there, even if my deepest, darkest Yankee days. But they're starting to have one of those free agencies that the team better do something or you're gonna be pissed. Charlie Morton, Sigano, Gary Sanchez,

Tyler O'Neal. If you're an Orioles fan, would you rather just have one player that you look at and you're like, Wow, we got him. I don't know. Charlie Morton has thrown the innings, he continues to pitch. And the other thing I've stumbled into is maybe just the Orioles are their front office is respected, going back to some of the Houston days that like, I think depth is starting to

get value to again. The Texas Rangers had a hurt rotation outside of their rotation when they won the World Series. The Dodgers had a fully injured rotation outside of their rotation when they won the World series that maybe the Orioles getting Sigano and Morton are just like, hey, someone's gonna get hurt. I'd rather have more arms at fifteen million than have one thirty million arm. I don't know if that's right, but I think that's what they're doing. Jack.

If the Braves are calling, I like that a lot. I don't know what those dirty little braids are up to, although I did hear a rumor about number six listed free agent and those Atlanta Braves. Tanner Scott, I'll say this for the wake in j community, because you guys are my people and I appreciate you, and you're subscribing because right now I'm about to give you some inside info. I did have some birdies tell me Tanner Scott to the Braves, H, We'll see this was a little while back.

I have gotten info from said birdie's before, so I'm interested on it. And you could see that being the Braves direction, like that's a very high end team move. Adding to your bullpen, riis a Iglesias. And you know there was a while when I feel like the Braves had a bullpen. You looked at and were like, whoa, look at They're going eight deep. They have guys like Pierce Johnson has had it some nice seasons, Aaron Bummer has had some nice seasons. Dylan Lee had a great

season last year. I guess it's not the names that necessarily drive the fear into you, Like it was with a couple of the past Braves teams that I could see them adding a significant guy back there. And maybe that's the Tanner Scott landing area. And Tanner Scott's name sounds like a brave is he from that area? Tanner Scott no Texas, Texas forever. My friend went to Notre Dame born in Ohio, Tanner went to college in Texas, transferred to Notre Dame. Feel like we need the whole story.

People call him Scottie makes sense baseball. When I first heard that rumor, I was like, Okay, this checks out. America's gym has them going to the Red Sox, and if they do that, I'll be a little set other teams in the market for relief pitching. Again. I'm just gonna stop saying Blue Jays and Giants they're just looking to give people money. Dodgers, Rangers and Diamondbacks. Yeah, yes, yes, I believe in my Birdie. I'm going Tanner Scott Braves.

He mentions the Red Sox switch hitter. Sure, I mentioned they need a little more balance put him in left fields. He hasn't grayed out great so you could hide Jerks and Profar. But if we're if you're the Red Sox, it seems like there could be safer ways to spend your money. It's a San Diego reunion till it's not. Watch him be the Pirates big yet? I did that be it? Jim Bowden doesn't have that, but I do. I'm America's assistant GM. He also says the Braves would

be a good fit. They have Kellnick and Brian de la Cruz right now listed in an outfield spot.

tag Jim Bowden. I'm gonna do that now. This one's just for me. What do you think about profar to the pirates And that's Jim Bowden. That's good alliteration there. And that's just a tweet. That's how Twitter used to work people. That tweet shouldn't get any engagement. Let's get through the rest of this. Kirby Yates again, go check out how good his season last year was three point three war from a reliever. That's really hard to do.

I know my Diamondbacks really want him. They want him to replace Paul Seawald and have Martinez be their their swing manh Yeah, it's a funky list. I'm seeing the Reds Rangers. Obviously Toronto's listed. I guess hidden secret of both starting in relief pitching. Everyone could use another one, right, just stay in Texas, right.

eight war season in twenty twenty three. Going back to all the Arise conversations before, Obviously, offensively, the goal is for him to land around league average and then everything else is a plus. Apparently the Giants were in on him until they got Willia Damas. America's jam throws out the Red Sox, which it's interesting with Trevor story and a couple of their prospects that are supposed to be on the way our middle infieldish that I don't know about.

That he ends up landing on Padres, which again just brings us into this whole Padres What's going on? Are they keeping a rise? Do they have money to sign players? Are they trying to compete? Are they trading Dylan Ceese the Padres have They're going in every direction at the same time, And that's kind of Preller's mo o a little bit. But none of it makes sense to me.

nobody really likes for any party there. I just basically nobody knows where Hassan Kim is going because his value is in a very weird spot, especially with the injury.

doesn't seem like there's anything there. So interested to see where hasun Kim goes a guy that should fit on any team, whether you need a short stop or not. Getting through the rest of the list, we have some pictures. Carlos Estevez forgot about the big Man. Nice year last year, big Boy twenty six saves. They have the Cubs again, you know, the Giants and Blue Jays get listed along with the Rangers. Every team can use pitching. They have Cubs. I'd like that Cubs give me another move, get me

excited about you another reliever? Or is he not Jeff Hoffman following in the footsteps of Clay Holmes. So wow, he has a deal to build off of. Hmm, right, he was kind of better than Clay Holmes. Yeah, we're trying to do the same thing here, transition to a starter. He is the Nationals doing that. It's kind of a fun, high reward, low risk, medium risk move team that could try that a thirty two year old reliever to try to be a starter and if it works, it works.

I'm interested in that. Yet I'm now realizing, excuse me, all the pictures are borderline awful conversations because it's every team. A team I haven't mentioned is the Royals for Jose Kintana. So if you're into that, really really check in on yourself, because that's that's the stuff. Dugo and Justin Turner around out the list, which that kind of goes to show you things start getting thin quick. I see Pirates listed for Dugo. That checks out, and Justin Turner one and

a half war last year, age forty. He's got the Mariners making their move. It's a guy who hit for them last year. My goodness. The photo of Rokie Sasaki in the article is from the yomi Uri shimbum It's listed in the article. I don't know, so let's see where free agency takes us. The Sasaki thing is gonna be wild when that happens. We're Sasaki Week's almost tier. You're that team is getting a significant player changes their team's outlook for the next few years. Wonder if Santander,

Alonz or Bregman, who's gonna drop first. I'd think Santander because he still has a few teams that fit switch hit, there's almost no The question is the defense, but also it's corner outfield, and if you can find him a couple of DH days, you're gonna be all right that. I think Santander happens. Blue Jays would be funny. I'd have some older seats on that. Let's see what else is out there. We are entering the quiet times of

the baseball offseason, so watch out be scared. Oh god, I was just gonna read a guy's username who just tweeted at me, but is inappropriate, so I'm not going to read that. I will tell you again. Football this weekend was a weird one. There's like one and a half games that mattered. It all ended late last night. Late last night, Lions Vikings Lions Vikings in Detroit Place was going nuts. Tony Dungee said he never heard a louder environment. I don't know if that was true either way.

It was raucus ugly football. At first divisional teams they know each other well. Winner gets the one seed. And a bye loser has to go to La and play Matthew Stafford in the Rams. Pretty insane that it came down to that, but Lions end up rolling late the Vikings in the red zone offense. I don't know if I've ever seen something like that on a football field. Donald and the lads just couldn't find anything in the

red zone. It was discussing. There was one ball that hit Jefferson's hands that probably could have been a touchdown and that would have changed things early. There's also another one where Addison looked like he was opening the flat instantly. Donald just didn't see him. Tough, Sam Donald game also tough that this was coming after Kevin O'Connell, tall, handsome head coach, that we were on first here awaken Jake.

There's potential trade rumors with him, that he might be valuable enough to be traded in the last year of his contract. Now the Vikings are heading on the road to the Rams for their playoff game. We'll do a bunch of football on Wednesday. Maybe we'll get panic Chris Rose. I don't know. I don't know if we'll have time, but yeah, it was a weird football sounding Carson wentz nope. Josh Dobbs, all right, that was a lot. I'm late for a

meeting after to use the bathroom pretty badly. I appreciate you guys, so does Uncle Dan.