Hello and welcome to Waken Jake. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, felice Navidad. It's another way to say Merry Christmas. I was talking about that downstairs this morning. Anyways, let's talk sports instead of the languages on this beautiful December thirtieth. This will be the last Waken Jake of the new year. Hey, maybe I'm wrong, Maybe Bregman signs with the Yankees tonight. No, there's no rumors on that. We will talk about some of the remaining free agents because a lot of shoes
have dropped since we last talked here. May have seen you on some other programming, but the last live episode of Waken Jake was Christian Walker's an astro.
That.
We have seen a lot of transactions since then. Mccutche into the Pirates. No, we're not going to start there, but a ton the first base market, Carlos Santana to Cleveland, Nathaniel Lowe Glabor Torres one year to the Detroit Tiger. Sean Mannaya gets the big contract on with the Mets, Walker Bueller to the Red Sox. Dreading that one a little bit, uh, and the big one, I mean Corbyn Burns signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, which still a sentence when you say it out loud, feels a little wine.
It still doesn't really feel real family wanted it? Were they? Who were they in the market? Did they call them? How'd that go down? I still want to know that.
One of the rare like zero rumor.
Major signings, no rumors. I'm I'm taking half pats on the back because I said I didn't have a Corbyn Burns team, like the Mets was supposed to be the layup and the Orioles was the backup layup. But the Orioles still haven't signed a big free agent, and the Mets it feels like they're investing in pitching or hitting, more so financially than the pitching where they're taking some chances on Montas Clay Holmes, although Maniah returns and he
was really strong for them. But still like I I don't know, I think we've hit a weird part where with Sean and I where it's like, hey, I think Sean Maya kind of took off and had a big second half. Like I don't again, I don't know what we should be penciling Sean Mania in for. But if I think he's currently the Mets one b Sanga Manaya, but I still have my theory that they're going Old
Brewers pitching factory. They will find pitching and they're paying for hitting because my god, Lindor Soto will Pete come back. Mark Fiento's Nimo gets paid a lot. People forget that and the rest of those kids, Jose Siri forgot about that. Might have to make my way to Flushing this year. Hmmm, Siri and Soto celebrate. Those will be good. Uh So
let's get into that. Our guy and future friend that we've talked about on the program, Kyler McDaniel came out with his best and worst free agency and trade move so far. That's always uh. I feel like the editors at ESPN told him, like, hey, we need this one because it's tough.
We have to be able to make this a title.
It's a great click. It's a great click about the title of this. But let's start recapping through it, and then we'll get into some football a little bit because my college football playoff let me down a little bit to start give you some thoughts on that. Uh. In the NFL Sneaks and Ekes Closer to the post Cisson. Uh, so let's go through baseball, And I forget if I said it on the way through, because I kind of
keep forgetting Jesus Lizardo. Yeah, traded to the Phillies. That one kind of got brushed out of the rug, like that guy was supposed to be one of the biggest trade prizes as of last year. And the Phillies make a strength of strike, so maybe let's start with them, and that maybe that's just because our resident Philly fans Shelfey is in the office today and said hi to him, Phillies man, and I laughed. I hit Shelfy with a like, oh it's been quiet. Huh. He's like, yeah, we're not
doing nothing. They traded for Lozardo, which that's clearly something very talented starting pitcher added to one of the best pitching starting pitching staffs in baseball. They also signed Max Kepler, which, like, again for how free agency moves go, it's not one of the biggest moves this year, but it's also could Max Kepler hit thirty for the Phillies next year and we'd be like that was nice.
Oh, we let them just have him.
Definitely hitters ballpark Max Kepler's felt like he's had the talent. A little change of scenery surrounded by more talent, it could easily go the other direction. Welcome to free agency or baseball as a whole. And yeah, I guess it just has left the question mark are the Phillies done here? They reinforced their rotation with Wheeler Sanchez, Nola Suarez, Lozardo Yo.
They also got Jordan Romano, So the Phillies standard is being held to a crazy area that we're like, it's been kind of quiet for Philly might have added a closer. Lozardo's listed as their five. He could easily be there three. We'll see how the season plays, and Max Kepler's probably more or less an everyday outfielder for them. That along with all the stars that were very familiar with at this point, Philly's been in the mix. It's just are they going to make the big move because supposedly they
keep wanting to be in on crazy moves. See I'm a Moto. They were getting in on the bidding on him last year. Was it Sodo or was it someone else they were talking to this year that they were doing the same. Phillies like, we're in on them, but that doesn't mean we need it. We just think they're really good.
I forget, and I think they ended up like not getting a SODO meeting, but everyone kind of thought they could be a sneaky one for him. Everyone keeps trying to speak Bregman to their into existence.
That's I mean, that's honestly the final thing at this point, because if you're looking for guys to play, it's the Alec Bohm rumors. Shelfy casually, so I don't want him to be held to this. But he was like, I think, I think they keep Bomber and they rolled out till mid season and see what what it looks like. Who knows, because right now, if you're looking at a starting pitcher, who are you taking out of the rotation Ranger Suarez. I mean they still have time on Walker. They signed
Joe Ross. Don't let that sneak by. You had an okay year last year. But yeah, I don't know. If they were trading Alec Bohm and signing Bregman, they would have to. It would be another move we know nothing about. I guess Brandon, I don't know. We keep doing this like Brandon marsh is listed as their center field there is is good. He's good, it's not it's not a weak spot.
Good player.
So uh, phillies are in the mix, will be in the mix. And man, there's a lot of coastal elitist stuff going on because a lot of the signings are a n l H crazy crazy all the talent that's leaving the ale and then b it's a lot of the coastal teams. I mean, even with my snakes getting involved there, and I probably should have started with them because it's Cordin Burn's o'clock. Uh is it? Six years to ten?
Six years two six after two six years.
Two ten, opt out after two crazy that there was some weird burn stuff going on about you know, his cutter had been declining a little bit and what what do the next few years look like for corn Burns finished last year thirty two starts at two nine to two. His cutter got better as the season went on, and the voice of god Ino Saras chimed in and was like, this is a good contract, Like corn Burns has one
of the best pitches in baseball. It got better as the year went on, and there are some conversations about him and the Orioles working on different shapes for the cutter. So maybe they just tried some stuff and landed back where they did. And it's not like it wasn't a disaster class. It's not like corn Burns had a four to five and then they were like, hey, scrap it, thirty two starts, one hundred and ninety four innings a two nine two era and yeah, there's some funny business
around it. There's a lot of times when we talk contract and then we land at the you know which you have a team gives them the best deal, which it feels like that's going I don't want to say by the wayside, but it's opportunity, it's money.
There's a certain minimum that any team that's gonna get him is gonna have to reach.
It's not exactly dollars and cents. But for Corbyn Burns, we had the three letter word thrown out there. Tax The Arizona taxes are better. It sounded like it was coming down to San Francisco in Toronto, which those teams have two of the worst taxes. So okay, I'm open to that being part of the conversation. It is a weird, interesting thing that doesn't get talked about with Baseball a
lot that it's half your games. Yeah, so like when they play on road cities, they get taxed that rate, which is just bizarre, like.
They like need accountant, it's not and like I get like, I get that legally, you know what happens another job does that move around?
We go on a business we go to the All Star Game in Texas. It's not like for those three days unless you're supposed.
To, like, unless somebody's trying to get us in trouble for it. We've been going to states that are knowing so we're paying too much.
I don't know how it works. Seems a little ridiculous. I do know how it works. But so that was part of the Cornburn's decision, which, Okay, when you're talking that many dollars, and you know, I think Arizona was something like four percent and you're talking San Francisco, I think it's thirteen. And no one actually knows the Toronto number. Somebody definitely knows, but everyone says it's higher than that. So whatever, So half of his games he gets taxed
at a four percent clip instead of thirteen percent. That's significant depending where the numbers landed. Now supposedly other teams had higher offers, so again, what was that gap? And the other thing I'd be interested in were the years. Like we were we were surprised when Max Freed's con track dropped and it was eight years, Like we were
doing the thing in the office. It was six years great, seven years okay, and then eight years happened and we were all like, it's also okay, Also, okay, we got Max Freed. Let's worry about that when we have to worry about that. Corbin Burns reminder younger than Max Freed, Beard effect man effect six years and the money's in a similar place. So great for Corbyn Burns. Great for the Diamondbacks, which the whole thing. Hey, people didn't know
what they'd be doing this offseason. Everyone thought the big Diamondbacks move would be dumping Jordan Montgomery, which hasn't happened yet. Currently listed in their rotation. We'll see their owner. I always have to look Ken Kendrick, I believe, Oh yeah, Ken Ken, one of the better names. Ken Ken came out and his Jordan Montgomery quotes were tough. What did he say? A horrible decision? That's tough. That's tough for Monty,
that's tough for your GM, So see what happens. But it felt like they were gonna move Monty after the owner came out and said, it's a horrible decision. We'll see what happens there. I mean, that's twenty five, twenty five point two, something like that.
That.
Yeah, there was another one of the phn X guys that I've mixed it up with them before due to my Snakes fandom. He was like, I think the tweet was, Hey, if we sign Kirby Yates, is that a successful offseason for us? So the bar was low. No offense to Kirby eight, who was incredible last year. Go check out Kirby ATE's a stats. Any team could use Kirby eights.
I think they stole on them.
Still might Arizona that had done nothing. I think they were one of the teams that really hadn't brought anyone in. They traded Josh Naylor for Slade Secone, a competitive pick. I think they were in an interesting spot with Slade and who knows what they knew about Corman Burns at the time. They know that had momentum that you know, Slade who might have been their seventh or eighth starter,
made him more expendable to bring in Josh Naylor. I also I got called out by Snakes fans, my people, because I've been saying that in my head Josh Naylor is a Jock Peterson replacement because Josh Naylor doesn't grade out great defensively that they've had two holes to replace. They've had to replace first base in DH Jack Peterson and Christian Walker, pretty significant holes. Those guys got contracts Jock signed. Yeah, no one talked about that. Someone probably did,
is mine look good today? Or bad? Do I look older? Ooh? Is it something with this hair and jacket? I can't tell hair, Little q zip if you're on the YouTube, tell me there's something with this look? Is it Star wars y? I don't know. And a as you know, we're doing year end stuff. Thank you guys. The Waken Jake YouTube up to twenty four k subs, So if you listen on there regularly, please subscribe, and if you don't, it all helps out.
Listen to the podcast apps.
We're on YouTube, We're everywhere. And yeah, there's something this is unique for me. Maybe it's the marker. It's certainly different interesting Jim'll now I've said Josh Naylor is a Jack Peterson replacement lefty power. Naylor had a breakout year last year, and he doesn't grade out that great defensively. First base defense is a weird thing to measure. But the other thing that's just in my head, this old noggin,
Christian Walker was the best. So when you think about organizations and philosophies and how the front office thinks, and everyone in our office was reading the book The Yankee Way for a month there that Okay, if you're the Yankees, the second baseman has to have a strong arm because they have to do really like organizations have little things that it's not always just put the best team on
the field. It was hard for me to picture the Diamondbacks going from Christian Walker, who led every defensive leader board, to Josh Naylor. I had some Snakes fans reach out that said, they very much believe I want to say it's their first base coach, who's their infield defense guy. They said he's done good things, so they're thinking maybe they they can coach Naylor up a little bit. I'm
not fully bought in. I thought it was interesting to see a fan base do that, because we rarely see the fan base give full compliments like that.
It's like multiple people saying something too. Yeah, Sean Larkin, I have listed as third base coach, slashing field coach. I eat it on their site if we're If that's who you were told about.
Yeah, I forget if it was him, or they have a roped up first base coach.
Dave McKay is their first base.
Everyone loves Dave McKay. Dave McKay who roped up seventy four year old Canadian man running first base, fake teeth. I like him twenty one homers in the show Born in nineteen fifty. Think about what that guy's see what he was twenty during Woodstock nineteen Sorry by Jimmy Carter. Alright, p Jimmy c one hundred wild it's cool, Wilt numbers. I want to see the Dbacks next move, as anyone does.
And there's different ways they could go about it, and hey, if they had six hundred and ten million for corn Burns, which the other thing that's a crazy note in this whole conversation is they're one of the RSN teams that their TV contract has ended in a weird spot. I believe they were selling their games by themselves last year, like you could just stream them.
Yeah, they were like the first team to kind of have to do a major pivot. I think yes.
So again, was that good for them financially? It was good enough that they were able to spend two hundred and ten million dollars on corn Burns. Again, corn Burns wanted to come there. I mentioned the tax reasons. Also, his family lives there and he has three young kids. Now I want to say there was a rumor about twins or something.
I think I know he has at least the set of twins, and I think there is a third. And spring training gets to be there two and he's from there.
The Arizona spring training thing is no joke. Depending wherever you are from, think about it. Corn Burns is gonna live in Arizona. Now, he has half his home games there where his family already lives, and two months of spring training normally is away massive. That's massive to get the contract he's looking for and erase the name Diamondbacks. The joke I made that wasn't a joke. Oh, I was wearing the hat. I took it off. I put on this other team's hat like a fool. One of
the Diamondbacks hats I have that they sent me. It's a cool one. It's got some of those cool like Arizona artwork on the brim whatever. It's their twenty fifth anniversary hat. They're a baby. They're a baby team. This is new, or at least they're coming out of infancy.
They are among if not the newest team.
Right they've gone. They went to the World Series two years ago or year however you'd measure that now. They won eighty nine games year they missed the playoffs just from that freaky Friday Mets Braves thing that went on. Obviously, they could have won other games during their season, but eighty nine wins and a World Series the year before.
It's not like Cordin Burns is signing with I don't know, the Marlins or a whoever insert team here that if you took away the Diamonbacks the name and that just kind of how you know the franchise like new Arizona team. I don't know. Maybe I'm too gung ho on it. Maybe I'm just if you've got an owner that's willing to give out money like they have the past couple of years. They signed Jordan Montgomery, remember that signed us. I know the owner came back and said bad things
Corn Burns. That surprised us. This is a World Series team. They had the number one offense in baseball last year. They signed e Rod, which that one was a surprise. Like the other thing that's just in my head is how much World Series money did they get. That's something we always talk about, whether it's selling tickets or people in the stands or whatever. Did the World Series type money and winning and packing the house? Did that allow
them to get Corbin Burns? Because the best way to bring people in and have people watch is have a winner. Uh so maybe they realize that with some of the World Series money or my other like secret option that freaks me out that I tell dimback fans don't listen to this. The next move seems clear. It seems like they're gonna trade Jorn Montgomery because the owner said it was a bad move. Jorn Montgomery still has some value. We've seen the picture contracts that have been given.
Out and on a one year, one year you could be clean of them if it doesn't work.
This is a guy that's a year removed from we thought he'd get one hundred, if not more. So there's value there and like I said, there's either a first base or a DH spot open that that seems to be the move. Jollie Olive tweeted out Jordan Montgomery for Spencer toorklesin interesting some money shaking hands there, Spencer Toorkles in Arizona state. I don't know that's like that one. Yeah, it's a young player not making a lot of high upside for Arizona.
Again, they're always looking for more pop.
So have you know that, Uh? Have Dave McKay just kind of teach him the ropes.
And they did uh for the at the by the end of the year. I know they got Josh Bell for different reasons, but they they had him in the mix too. We played some amount of first space with having Christian Walker, so that's true. Yeah, and I mean him a nailer split some time there in DH.
That's the other side. I poop pooed it for a second, but also, hey, sometimes you just do have to build the best team and maybe that's what they're looking for or so that would be the obvious move. It's manty out bringing another first basement or maybe there's something creative there. We don't know right now. Peven Smith is slotted in as a starting d H which year four of Diamondback fans being like, hey, I don't think we can bank
on Peven Smith in the nicest way. He's got a couple splits out there over different parts of four years that have been nice. Otherwise it hasn't been reliable. It's been reliable.
The one I've been thinking about for them is figuring out Monty for Yoshiet. I think they'd want more pop, but just thinking of guys that I that we think the team wants a team wants to.
Be rid of socks, kind of getting off money there. Yeah, no, that we've we've discussed that one. There's there's so many ways they can go with it that I'm uh, I'm interested to see where they land. And hey, I mean, I don't know. What if What if the Dbacks are entering their Padres moment and the Alonso price is attainable and they trade Monty, Like is that just money out?
Money in? I'm I'm not saying there's any smoke or fire there, but they rolled out two ten for Corbyn Burns I think it was like the it's like the sixth biggest AAV for a pitcher ever. Uh So, just a reminder when teams get frustrated, like when we get mad at the White Sox for never giving out big contracts, this is why. And I don't know. I I guess I'm just gung ho on Phoenix, Scottsdale and Arizona. Well, going back to the famous State Draft Don Boy Jake TV.
I don't know, like that city has blown up. The sports teams are wildly popular there, Like the Suns are crazy popular, like they brought in Katie that was a whole craziness. Like the Cardinals have had their moments, the Larry Fitz Super Bowls and things like that that. I don't know. I think it's a sports town. They host spring training and this was part of my World Series rants with Arizona that like this should become a big baseball town. And they're making some strides that way. So
let's see the next moves for them. I would love to see, Yeah, if they can, if they can make the Monty thing happen for another hitter. The dark thing for me for Snakes fans is Zach Gallen's on the last year of his contract. Like let's say this Cordon Burns thing all came together and Cordon Burns wanted to play there. We talked about the taxes, we talked about his family that Cordin Burns was like, hey, if you
get me to two bills, I'm in. Was that money they were planning on giving to Zach Gallen?
So the future money, does that make.
Zach Gallen disposable? I don't think so this is all just.
Yeah, probably not before the season, but if they went similarly to a year ago.
I don't know. It's just it's interesting to think about because Corbyn Burns is one of those signings that isn't just hey, this is next year, like this is clearly affects their next two years, opt out and then I guess you could say a little more after that. But the Snakes they play for rings in the desert, and the Diamondbacks went from quiet offseason to now kind of electric with more room to wiggle. The San Francisco Giants are doing things. The Padres won ninety three games last year.
What are they gonna do? As one of the wild questions, And the Dodgers they resigned Taoscar great, it actually is great and putting away World Series envy there for my Diamondbacks and my Yanks. He loves that city, they love him. Everything fits. I'm it's kind of how baseball is supposed to work, Like ta Oscar became beloved by that city and he fits the team, and he was a free agent, so just pay him what he deserves and he'll stay.
And that's kind of how it's supposed to work. The one that's just complete, uh, part of my French bullshit. They signed Michael Conforto just for like bonus pieces like.
That slip that in right before soda went down one.
For seventeen I think seventeen and a half, like real money, Like this isn't I don't know, this isn't. They brought in a platoon guy to kind of come up, this is you know Glabor Torres that we're gonna talk about in a minute, Like that was a big move for the Tigers, Like the Tigers got a top of the lineup second basement, like Labor's probably gonna hit first or second for them, and he got one year fifteen. Confordo got more than that. And for the Dodgers it's an
extra piece. They still have outman Chris Taylor, Mickey Rowe, Bobby Miller's currently listed as a Triple A pitcher for them. Otani's gonna pitch next year. It's the embarrassment of riches that they are currently at. And I think the other thing that's interesting is if they try to trade a James Outman or Andy Pahez, who both guys had really strong rookie years.
Uh has currently listed in Triple A.
I mean, where things really get sick, BBD. I know you've been dreaming of some Minnesota Twins trades for our Yankees. Coach Trev mentioned this. You know, relievers don't have the value we think they do. If it was a Duran for Andy Pahz Outman, I don't know like that. It just feels like that's gonna be the next Dodgers move is going to be them bringing in either a high leverage reliever or another just asset because they can that. Yeah,
I don't know. The the NL West is insane like Rockies, Oh my god, you're out no offense to Kyle Farmer, wishing him luck there. The Giants are really investing in this team, and I don't know who they're keeping up with at this point. But like dude, Willie Adamas and Matt Chapman, those were both over a buck fifty. Jung hu Lee was a Hundie.
They were in on this Corbn Burns deal too.
Something They added Robbie Ray who he gets paid money. They were in on Corbyn Burns. They're probably gonna be on another starting pitcher looking at their roster, although there's some other BBD trades that have been dreamt up there that we will see how that plays out. But I don't know. Man. The the NL West Dinebacks won eighty nine games last year. Looks like they're making moves. The Giants eighty and eighty two. They keep trying to make bigger moves to get in the mix. And Buster Posey's
running the team. Now watch it. The Dodgers are as automatic as a team can possibly be. Yeah, they can't win less than ninety games.
No, impossible. The depth and high end talent is too good.
Literally impossible. That's nuts. That's not how baseball is supposed to work.
And they've done it together already. You might remember this past year. It's not one of those things where like sometimes first your teams together is a little sloppy.
I mean the other the other joke that was making me laugh. Oh, Dave Roberts good manager now, so they've got that great manager, great Hall of Fame manager. So that yeah, the NL West. Let's see what the Padres do, because no one knows what they're doing with their money or their team. I mean they still they still have a lot of high end talent Arise Tatis, Merril, Machado, Cronenworth, Bogarts. I even still have some Louis Campusano stock. But we'll
get there. Cease King, Darvish, Basquez, Waldron So I don't know. Their bullpen is still nasty, remember that. Remember this was the team that was beating the Dodgers. So the NL West is just a beautifully stacked disaster that I don't really know. I don't know where we're gonna land, and with the expanded playoffs and the centrals both kind of need to pick it up. I know they don't want to hear that from me, but whatever, Uh, let's round
off some of these other moves. I think one of my favorite moves from the offseason is going to be Nathaniel O to Texas at first I or from Texas to the Nationals. Excuse me. Uh. At first I did not like it because I was like, Nathaniel low doesn't change the Nationals outlook for me. Nathaniel lo I think is really good. Nathaniel Lowe is the six hitter on one of these great teams in baseball. I'd be like, oh, yes, there are some ways that you can butterknife his numbers.
That he has been as consistent and as good as a lot of hitters in baseball. If you do his last three seasons two seventy seven, three sixty seven to ninety eight, ohps one twenty four ops plus, like that is a really good baseball player. And I know, like the home run numbers don't trump like the His biggest
flaw is no individual numbers off the map. Everything is a solid B two seventy seven batting average B three sixty on base it's probably closer to an A. But that's a B plus twenty homers a year B minus twenty seven doubles a year B. So it's just funny that, like almost because he doesn't have a MLB superpower, I think he gets knocked down a little bit. But he's won a gold Glove in this league. And yeah, he
had a one twenty ops plus last year. Again, the stat line isn't as jumpie as like, okay, what was jin Carlos, This will be a fun game. Jin Carlos ops plus last year one fifteen. Now he had one of the weirder stat lines you'll see two thirty three, two ninety eight, four seventy five slug seventy two homers and one hundred and fourteen games. But it's just the
concept to me that like, Nathaniel has done this. Now you know, since twenty twenty one, he has been Nathaniel Low and I think again it almost there was a Nathaniel. Maybe that's part of the problem. The sex appeal wasn't as high as it was for other hitters. That they he got traded for a relief pitcher with a lot of control, and maybe he's good and maybe that'll be the whole thing. And if Nathaniel has a bad year, you kind of have to pay him real money. So
that's part of the thought process. We don't get into as front offices on our own, but for the Nationals who were rumored to be in an Alonso or Christian Walker or Carlos Santana, they were in the first base stance, but it was like, oh, do you bring in Santana to kind of guide these young players? Do you bring in Alonso? You take him from the Mets and you kind of set the tone. But how's Alonzo gonna They found a real safe spot here with Nathaniel Lowe set
it and forget it at first base. The Nationals are going to be dictated by how their younger players develop. Does James would become one of the best players in baseball? That'll be a huge factor. Does Dylan Cruz become one of the best players of it? That'll be a factor. Where does cj. Abrams land in this whole thing? And they might be in the free agent mix still, he's one of the Bregman rumored teams. I don't it would
be a surprise. But right now we're entering Bregman surprise territory because it's starting to get late early kind of seems like it's.
Gonna have to be a surprise.
I don't know, we'll see. I think there's enough teams that can fit Alex Bregman in that he's going to be okay. But yeah, I don't know the other thing for the Nationals say it just doesn't click next year, which I just talked about your beautiful NL West the NL East. What are your Mets expectations going to be? They're gonna be pretty high. They put in a lot of work. What are your Braves expectations gonna be pretty high? They're getting some dudes back and wantn't be surprised if
they get involved in some of this offseason dance. The Phillies Uh huh. So, no matter what the Gnats really do this offseason, they're coming in as the fourth team in the NL East. So even if you like the Nats, say you got your nattitude up, you're into Jake Irvin. I think we all are. Mitchell Parker breakout continues. Yep. They signed Mike Soroka to a cheeky contract. He's got some numbers you'd like. He used to be really good. Like if it comes together for the Gnats, and maybe
it does. Who also brought in Josh Bell today? Sure so maybe they are out on Bragwow, who knows? Are you gonna like the Gnats more than the Mets, Braves or Phillies coming into the season. No, So let's say the Nats, the thing isn't fully clicking next year, Well, Nathaniel Low if he's being Nathaniel Low, which for the past four years he's only proves that he is Nathaniel Low.
You also have a pretty nice asset there. So if they need to flip him and go get some other pieces, whether it's at this deadline, the end of next season, or even the next deadline, I really like that move for them. And again, it was just kind of changing my scope from in my head them signing Alonzo and maybe him hitting forty two homers next year. That changed the Gnats feel and Low doesn't have that, But he also doesn't have the risk or the crazy contract that
you're gonna have to sign Alonzo to. So I ended up really liking that move. Luis Garcia Junior, Good's it.
Good year for him.
It was a good year for him. Eighteen homers, twenty.
Two steals, twenty four years old.
More homers than Nathaniel Low. So let's see the other big moves that need to be checked off. Carlos Santana to Cleveland. Yeah, yep, Naylor out Santana in. He likes it there. They like him one year terms beautiful thing for Cleveland. That's how they operate. Manaiah, I guess I did that one quick. But Sean and Iah three for seventy five? Do I have that number right?
I believe that's right.
Same as Nathan Evaldi. Nathan Evaldi on our friend Kylie McDaniel's not favorite contracts oh age age age. Maniah comes back with the Mets. Leg I talked about briefly. He'll be towards the top of that rotation with Sang. I mean they're listing him as the one one hundred eighty one point two innings pitch last year, one hundred eighty four. Stray I gots a three four seven era, so he was class and he clearly found something and was tapping
into something. So maybe there's more there. Uh. It is a you're playing a video game and the years twenty twenty seven, and you're like, oh, we're playing the Mets. Who's in their rotation Manaia Sanga, Montas Peterson, Clay Holmes Like, oh man, the video game really got weird. Video game really took off on us. Uh, let's see what that
looks like. They clearly think they can tap into something pitching wise, and They only got five point one regular season innings out of Sanga last year, so they should get more than that. It's just a question of what can you fully bank on from these individual guys. But maybe three out of four fully click.
And I guess we really do forget just how good Senga was in the year. He actually bitched third in the cy Young and like, there is enough you can you can start the year with this, even if you think they need another Manaiah or better come to playoffs, like you you can get that during the season if if another move doesn't come together before the season starts.
And they they have they have enough depth pieces. I mean they Paul Blackburn, McGill, Griffin Canning, watch out change the scenery guy next, Luke Weaver. Buy some Griffin Canning stock. While you can try and tell me who's a budo can start. Let's see it.
That.
Yeah, he returns to the Mats. That's another one of those good free agent signings. Like, yes, he wanted to be there, they wanted him.
Everyone like that.
Let's figure this out. The only team that probably did it, San Francisco Giants. I think they are looking for maybe the Orioles. The last body for the rotation. The Orioles don't even the Heros are starting to get me mad, and part of it is because the Red Sox signed Walker Buehler, and I like Walker Buehler a lot, and you saw why in the postseason the Boston Red Sox. We're talking about all this talent moving around and a
lot of it going to the National League. The Boston Red Sox, I think, can have a pretty good argument to be your second favorite team in the AL. It's tough to propel them above the Yankees. And there is a Derek Jeter height chart behind me if you're watching on YouTube. So again, maybe there are some biases that I'm not seeing. If I am, feel free to chime in.
But Man Crochet, Yo, that was a big one. Walker Buehler, Tanner Hauke who broke out last year, three one two from Tanner Hawk, Brian Bayo, Cutter Crawford, both with different offerings of upside or consistency. That the Red Sox have their best rotation in a while. They may have their best bullpen in a while. Liam Hendricks or all this Chapman Slayton really broke out for them last year and then they've got some lottery ticket guys, Michael Folmer with
the NRI they signed Justin Wilson. I don't know. I don't know about that. My look is throwing me off Stepanopolis. What is this? And that all goes with the Red Sox lineup, that they've got a mix of it all mostly lefties and mostly talented young baseball players. Then let's see if there's another move in there, or let's see if there's it feels like they're a righty move away. And maybe that's Bregman and oh my god, Red Sox fever will take off Bregman and Bueller. That's some Yankees
nightmare fuel. Maybe it's a trade, maybe it's more pitching. Who knows. The Red Sox could not be done yet and they could still be arguably the number two in the AL. And if you're the number two in the AL, you got a damn shot. And maybe they're higher than that, because maybe maybe the Yankees are gonna miss Soto more than they thought, or maybe the Yankees aren't gonna round off their offseason, or maybe something's not gonna click. And if you don't like Texas or Houston or Seattle or
Central yeah, Baltimore's done nothing. Sorry, Tyler O'Neal from the Red Sox. Tyler O'Neal was great last year, so I guess I should say that with a little less aggression. But I say that because they lost Anthony Santander who hit forty four homers, and they lost Corbyn Burns. They haven't lost Antonderr, he's still a free agent, but they
have lost Corbin Burns, who was their ace. And there's something to the stability of an ace and a rotation that, like, I know Eflyn came over, was great, and I know the Gray Rod breakout was kind of happening while getting banged up. And I know they signed your guy Sugano and maybe he's the second coming, maybe he's the Burns replacement. And kind of like I was saying with the team across the interstate there the Nationals, you know they're gonna need Adlee Rushman a bounce back if they want to
be good. They're gonna need Holton Kauser or Cedric Mullens to bounce back. Kouser another young guy to take a leap Like that's so Jackson Holliday be that guy, Jordan Westberg. God it takes a lot for me to not call him Jordan west Bug. Maybe we'll work on that, Maybe we'll meet him. Maybe he's a nice guy. Heston Kerstadt. I don't know. Are they gonna trade for Dylan See's Are they gonna trade more capital for another one year free agent pitcher that's gonna demand a ton of money.
I don't know enough about the business model, but I know like last year's Brewer's trade I was can you say it didn't pay off for them? I mean, Cortin Burns is really good, but Joey Ortiz looks solid. Dl Hall we don't know, I don't know. I guess we don't know yet if Joey Ortiz is good, which Joey Ortiz played really well last year.
James currently looks like he's a guy.
Is he currently the Brewers starting short stop?
It's I believe he's currently there. And I mean Orioles disappointing in the postseason and final result, not Burns his fault.
But not Burns.
You had one year guaranteed of him.
Man Tyler O'Neil had a great year. Happy for him, and hey, there is more off season left. I thought about doing, uh, you know, some winter losers before. But there's a lot off you can still coming, you can still have a full off season, you can still have a full, happy off season. The Orioles could sign Santander, they could sign they could trade for Dylan Ceas and you'd be like, wow, Okay, that's good. So uh, if your team hasn't been getting mentioned a lot, there's still hope.
But we're running out of some opportunities. I mentioned Glaber, but I'll mention again briefly. Happy for Glabe. You know, the defense at second base was tough that I was wondering, like how many teams would even allow Glaber to play second base and that's the only position he's played. And then the crazy part out of Tiger's camp was they said they were going to trade Torklsen and move cold Keith to first, which col Keith, if I remember, not
one of the biggest cats you've seen on a baseball field. Okay, listed six two to eleven. In my head, I thought we were going to bring up a six flat here and do some yeah, some cleats. So hey, if they like him and they think that can work, and they've got some other young talented infielders Okay, and yeah, for Glabor. I mean just the way Glabor Torres hits and the
way that team has been looking for hitting. Glabor Torres will hit with that team, And weirdly enough, I know it's an expansive ballpark, but I have Glabor Torres hitting some of his longest home runs in Detroit. There's one I can picture very vividly that I think I'd tweeted out without looking. I was like, is that Laborer's longest home run this year? I think I got point dexter. I think there was one or two more that were further.
But I've seen him hitting that park and he just feels like the joke I keep using is let that go tique row, But it's a little symbolic of like, get away from the Yankees.
Let's see get in a ballpark like that, you find a few more doubles.
Like America Park two games last year, eight O four ops. This guy's a stud best ever, let's see the career splits, because, yeah, if Glabor had landed in one of these small ballparks, we'd be talking about can he find his thirty homer potential again? I don't want Glabor to find that potential again. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think that's the best version of Glabor Torres career in Kamerica two eighty three, three seventy seven A one dot ops five homers in
fifteen games. Maybe it's the next Willia Damas. Imagine if Glaber couldn't see at Yankee Stadium this whole time, he could, he could. Uh, he just got coached very lightly at the start. And hey, for my central people, I'll tell you what you don't want to see. Top of the order, Riley Green, Glaber, Torres, Kerry Carpenter. Sure that'll score some runs. And again the Dodger signed Michael Conforto for more than that as a bonus piece. So that was a little
bit of a roundabout catchup of what has happened. I think I've still missed a thing or two, but upcoming Alonso Bragman. Those are two of the big ones. Pete and the Mets have been linked. Supposedly their last offer was around three for ninety and Pete wants a lot more than that, So let's see who else comes to contention. Although are a lot of the first base spots filled, should the Blue Jays.
They're one team that I've been kind of really thinking about.
God, they're so righty? How did this happen again? Blue Jays? Hey, they got him? It is Will Wagner. Wow, let's see what goes on with them. Santander Profar is out there and that's gonna be a unique free agent that no one's going to know what to do with that. But after that, your offensive weapons are really limited, and pitching wise, we're actually, you know, whatever team signs Nick Pivetta is going to talk themselves into some Nick Pavetta and I've
got no qualms with that. Our guy Jack Flaherty is out there looking for some big boy money that he deserves. Uh So, there's still a few significant pieces out there, like I can't the Jeff Hoffman is going to be a starting pitcher somewhere next next year. Let's see that story come out. Tanner Scott's gonna get some real money. Otherwise, we're starting to hit the point of free agency where it can be one or two guys that you're like, oh, I think they can help Quintana. Let's get some good
starts out of him. Who else was I looking at? It was one of the Jesse Winker. Oh yeah, Hey, if we tap into some good Jesse Winker and he can play some corner and DH for us, Hey, we might get a good ballplayer there for a year. But that's just a different scope than what we're talking talking about for a lot of these other free agents teams that really need to get going. One of my favorite segments to do Baltimore Orioles gotta have it, gotta have
something from you, and I think something's coming. I'm just nervous about what it is, and so are Orioles fans Toronto. My goodness, what is going on in the Great Noorte? Because I do not know. They are in on every free agent, it seems, but this roster is pretty bizarre right now. There's some money in that pitching staff, Springer,
but Chette Vladder still there. Yeah, is your best lefty hitter Will Wagner, Nathan Luke's Joey Loper feto I don't know again, Santander to them had been my joke throughout the year. Maybe we'll see that come to fruition because they need some some switch hitting help. But those teams have been oddly out of the mix. I should be giving Tyler or Nea Moore credit, but still parts in parts out. It's not there. Uh, let's see athletics, No White Sox, no Cleveland kind of No, they've done there.
They're they're they're a little bitt in bruised territories like yeah, blindly trust it to be good.
Detroit supposedly still in the mix with Bregman. That one's always been weird for me. With the money to buy as I just I don't see it as a fit. But Detroit probably has some more work to do. The Royals are always looking to do something, Angels scaring themselves, Twins probably unloading stuff. Let's see what that looks like. Have the Mariners been oddly quiet? I think so yes. And we know they have that pitching. They've got a couple spots in their lineup where they could use guys
right now. And they've got a couple okay spots. And that's the frustration. Man, juliocl Raleigh, Randy, go get Pete Man. Peter'll hit it out of there. I swear, I swear it.
Just give him his money.
They could use a lefty too, they have so much pitching. Houston feels like they have a couple of nuclear moves. We walked everyone through that a couple episodes ago. They've got some outfield spots and they've got some good fits that could slot in there potentially, although Jock was one of them and he's gone that again. Dere like that market has reopened up that I you know, as it gets later into free agency, I think the players get scared.
But when there's limited, when there's still holes left and you're the last guy left, I think things are gonna work out that he would be a great fit in Houston. Our Texas Rangers man Jock Simeon, Seeger Wyatt, Langford, Jack Peterson, Adoley Scarcia, Josh Young, Evan Carter, Jake Berger, and Jonah Hine. They have Jake Berger with his twenty nine homers last year, slotted as their eight hitter. I'm not this isn't an official Bruce Bochie lineup, but I think there is gonna
be some Tigers or some Texas stock being bought. Jack Peterson man he got the two year with an opt out three ninety three on base last year with twenty three homers and four under forty nine games. If there is a righty pitcher out there, throw Jock at him him and Boachi are going to be delightful. Texas is gonna be in love with him. He's gonna be beloved everywhere he goes. I mentioned Jonah him. They signed Higgy Yeah, Zeke Duran and Josh Smith on the bench, two guys
that have been utill All Stars. Leodi Tavares is currently listed on their bench. Avaldi de Gram Gray, Molly Bradford, my guy, Dane Dunning surviving. I wonder if they could be looking to add another starting pitcher, and if I wonder if they could kind of trade it from some of their depth, or maybe they're one of these old school teams. Bruce Bochie, that depth is good. That's how depth used to be. So that's exciting. Let's see anything else on West No, I'm good there. National League Snakes
in the fight. Atlanta could go either way. Sneaky Quiet Dylan sees maybe Cubbies have had a bit of an off season, without mentioning the VDL brew Han trade that let's see again. It feels like they have another move to make. It's just where are they're gonna make it. But they've already put in some work. I appreciate that. My Cincinnati Reds are kind of in a funky spot that I don't remember that Brady Singer Jonathan India trade. That was one of our first snacks of the off season.
They could be done and we'd say, okay, and I'll come back to liking this team because they're kind of deep. Okay, get me off the reds page. Colorado never Dodgers super team, I am me never. Milwaukee. Milwaukee Mets have Mets Phillies have sneakily phillied while also still being in the mix for a nuclear move Pittsburgh, ah Mm, what what is we doing? Baby?
Get someone cutches back?
Padres similar vote, but different giants are in the mix for everyone. Saint Louis is not in. The Nats are teetering that. That's kind of where it's at for December thirtieth into the offseason. You're starting to get countdowns. I think it's less than three months till opening day, so we get with those March starts. Now under one hundred day mark, yeah, I think we're under ninety. So that'll lead to spring training, which will lead to everything else.
Speaking of everything else, I mean we're laid in there, but I think it's a one ap week so let's just crank as we head towards the football, and I want to give one of our John Boy media friends a shout out here part of the inspiration today. I got Courage, he messaged me, and you know what I'm gonna I'll give the selfie to BBD to get on the screen because I was feeling a very similar emotion of you know, the holidays, and everyone's podcast is on
a different schedule. Courage sent me a selfie of himself thinking into the distance, sending to Davis Wimbledon. He said, out walking, no waking Jake, no talking Yanks, no talking baseball, Glabour gone recent, Jake, Harron. POD's getting a little long. Things are getting dark, and I think we all kind of knew that holiday feeling. So I'm glad I could be back in the lab doing this. And I can't just skip football because we're at an hour, So let's
talk about it a little bit. And I do need to throw my college football under the bus for a little bit because the first round of games were tough, the twelve team bracket that it was the first year they've rolled out, and I've talked about some of the flaws. There's courage, just in the distance, just wishing he could have headphones in hearing a voice talk about sports. I get that feeling. I know that feeling. So we're getting learnings, and it's also that weird thing that you need to
preface this with. There's only one year of data, so we need to see more data. And I do think that's true. But one thing that clearly felt off was this Boise State getting a buy in a three seed compared to the other teams. That seemed a little ridiculous. But college football did the top top qualified automatic qualifiers
from their leagues get in, And it was interesting. I was listening to Joel Klatt talk about that and they said that was non negotiable because they want championship games to matter, and by matter, they mean people pay money to go to the games. So that's where college football is that that Boise State in Arizona State should not have buys. It probably should have just been the top four teams. We're working on that, something that I think
is egregious and will be changed and maybe not. And this is where you need more data and all of that. But given college teams home field advantage in a playoff game, I don't know. I think I heard Matt Lioner talk earlier. You're like, just make all of these bowl games like at different sites. And he gets a little tricky, right because you're start doing teams in regions, but like nca basketball does that, Like they don't just rank them in order.
It's like, oh, the West Region and byus a twelve seed, Well why don't we make them that twelve seed even if it's not fair? And everyone kind of gets over it. So we'd have to figure that out with making these all bowl games, and maybe we will, maybe we won't, or maybe they like that. But SMU at Penn State, Pony Express got grounded quickly, and part of that was because of their quarterback. He played one of the worst
games you could possibly play, so that's not good. But part of that was they had an early fourth and one where he could have scrambled, he threw it into the end zone for an interception. Bad. But also that Penn State crowd got insane. Same thing with Ohio State.
Ohio State hosted Tennessee and then they thwomped them and they probably would have thow opped them anywhere neutral site in Tennessee even but the fact that they had home field and then Notre Dame Indiana, although that final score looks a lot closer than it was, and maybe these were the matchups this year and these teams never had
a shot. And I talked about some of the quarterbacks and how the quarterbacks aren't where they need to be, or you'd be surprised how they look this college football playoff. But yeah, it was all home favorites. And I think I'm talking the spread too, which is insane, but college football home field advantage is worth like ten points. I know that's not exactly how the math works out, but we're also talking to playoff game. Penn State was nuts. Ohio State as well.
So.
Unfortunately the entertainment that those games potentially could have provided got overruled. And I'm not going to do the whole speech Alabama should have been in. I think South Carolina was actually the team that got screwed the most and all this, but I don't think it would have mattered because they would have been on the road road playoff games. These places were nuts, like Penn State, I think exams were over so it was literally just drunk kids there.
That kind of matters. That's why we have home field advantages, so something to look into. Again, maybe it's just one year and it's how everything laid out, but like, Okay, Tennessee was the ninth seed, Ohio State was the eighth seed, and that gave Ohio State home field advantage. That's pretty significant. And maybe if that's as important and maybe we want to roll on with that. Cool, But yeah, that part just felt a little off to me. But I'm also
a unique college football fan. So I'll tell you this for tomorrow. Penn State Boise State. If you haven't seen Ashton Jint play yet, uh please watch. He has loads of fun twenty nine rushing touchdowns this year, his unique stance in the backfield, and it's everything. Like I was the couple the few Boise State games I got to watch this year, which was actually more like again, it's probably three Boise State games, but like, what the hell am I doing? Anyways? He is complete, Like it's not
like whoa Boise State opens up a huge hole. He beats one guy and goes like it's every carry with him. If he gets a little bit of space, he's got you. If he's bigger than you, he'll be bigger than you. If he's smaller than you, he'll be faster than you. And every run it feels like he's falling forward or getting a couple of yards when it's even when it's not the breakout runs. I'm very interested to see Everyone
thinks Penn State is gonna kill him. Penn State is an eleven point favorite because they're good in the line. So Penn State is one of the few teams that they've held up with Ohio State and Oregon and that's where the game is right that maybe they're just dominant down there, and all that cool stuff about Ginty doesn't matter.
I will be interested to see u. I the way everyone else who knows college football is talking about it that I respect is saying Penn State is going to give them the business in the way they talked about the home teams doing it last game. This isn't a home game. This is at a neutral stat the VRBO Fiesta bol Watch out eleven point Penn State. I don't know. I guess maybe I just want to believe in genty too much, and maybe they're going to be outclass and
out skilled by Penn State across the field. But I don't know. A girl can dream for now Oregon Ohio State as I'll avenge myself from those first round matchups. I said right after the Oregon highho State game, if they could somehow get these teams to play in the playoffs, and we got it. It's in the quarterfinals, which some people aren't happy about because some people are like this, this might be the championship game. They will run it back with Ohio State as favorites in the Rose Bowl
against undefeated Oregon who beat them. Yo, you want to talk about a coach being able to scream at the boys, you guys beat this team. We're going to a neutral site and they're the favorites. Meanwhile, Ohio State is playing with the vimen vigor of ten thousand suns because this is the whole crew that they never beat Michigan four years. Ryan Day supposed to be good as dead as a head coach, and they came down and they played one of the best games of the season. So that is
much must watch. I started with Boise because that's New Year's Eve seven thirty pm. Ohio State Oregon is five pm New Year's Day. Okay, talk myself into that. Before that is Texas Arizona State your Chick fil A Peach Bowl, Texas is a thirteen point favorite. This is what I'm talking about with the buys, Like parts of this system are still clearly a little broken, and this is one of them. I don't know. Again, I hope these games aren't living up to their spread billing because that would stink.
But Arizona State with scataboo, that'll be the word of the day on New Year's Day. The joke with him is you know how good is he gonna look? With Belichick in New England. That jokes about five years old now because he now coaches North Carolina. But White running back who plays just like an absolute dog. The receiving and the rushing are electric. That let's see what he can do to the Texas defense and Texas's offense has left a lot of questions out there. Uh, but I mean,
this is the Texas Longhorns. There. Their two losses are to Georgia where Arizona State. This year it felt like they kind of came out of nowhere their losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati, So you know that just feels a little different. They're head coach Arizona State. I think younger than me. That's tough. Yeah, that hurts Kenny Dillingham. Nice, it was a cool Wiki read again. Why was I there? Why haven't I read a book this year? But I
read Kenny Dillingham's Wikipedia. Let's finish off Notre Dame Georgia. This is the last game of the day. This is the smallest line again, two kind of traditional powers here. Georgia as a one and a half point favorite without Carson Beck, who's declaring for the draft even though his season is over due to injury. Uh, I mean that is kind kind of the story that I'm It depends what you believe in. Like Georgia without Hey, Carson Beck hadn't played great for them recently that now they're going
to their backup quarterback name my apologies. Who is Stockton Gunn or Stockton? That's right? Who's more of a run threat than a pass threat? That the Georgia offense was actually clicking decently because maybe they leaned into the run a little bit more, and maybe that's a good thing for them. We'll see their Notre Dame people are saying Notre Dame might be better than them on the lines. I was getting scared with that with an SEC school.
You know, when we're seeing some of Notre Dame's footage against recently like Army Virginia, I don't know, maybe that's me being rude and noxious, but this is queued up to be one of the good ones personally, no clue. I love the way Notre Dame has been playing, the way they run the ball, it's just absolutely electric. I think Georgia can say the same thing, that it should be a fun one. And maybe it comes down to the quarterbacks and you've got inexperienced gunner sockedon versus Riley
Leonard who's played a ton of college ball. I listen a lot of people like Notre Dame in that game, and not just because they're drunk irish guys. So I'm hoping that the next couple days redeem the college football playoffs. And if that whole first weekend was kind of a bust, what if this weekend is great? What if the following week is great where there's two games and then there's still a championship after that. So it's a ton of
college football. And it's so funny how far college football has come to get to this point, because this is basically professional football, but hopefully we get some electric matchups in there, and then with my NFL association, I think I can be somewhat high and tightish because the NFL just plays every day now during the holidays, so that's pretty wild. Like this week technically happened going back to Wednesday, Christmas with the Chiefs playing Pittsburgh and Baltimore playing Houston.
Both those games were a dud. I've got a few buddies in the group chat getting pretty hot that all of these short week games are kind of hot garbage, and I don't know. I think there's some data that would help, and one of those data points would be Baltimore Houston thirty one to two. So did you get to watch NFL football on Netflix on Christmas? You did?
And I loved it. I'm a sports junkie. The games were bad, So we just got to figure this out again, We're evolving, Let's just figure this out a little bit better.
Still did a Thursday game.
I don't know, Still did and that was a great game because that was Seattle Chicago three final. Hey, I don't again, I don't know how many of you come for football stuff. I don't know how many just listen to it. Maybe some of you like it, and I appreciate that, Caleb Williams, some of the numbers are in a historic area. Let's see, they're obviously a disaster. They're they're head coach, and some of the timeouts called in
that game, we're disgusting. Know who was in the building though in happ Chicago Bears posted him on their Instagram story. So it's good to be the king. Uh yeah, I don't know. The MVP conversation's fun. Go listen to the football guys talk about that, because I don't know what's gonna happen between Lamar, Josh uh Saquon Joe Burrow from
the rafters. There was Saturday football. Oh so you're looking for the good game Chargers New England for seven, some of the quarterbacks that are getting run out this weekend by Golly again, Like it kind of doesn't matter if you've made it to this part of the NFL season and hey, there's some fantasy implications. You know, some championships are going down today, but you know, the teams that are out of it feel more out of it than they've ever been. That the one good game Saturday was
my Denver Broncos versus Cincinnati Bengals goes to overtime. Joe Burr for four to twelve. Bo Nicks let a couple eat, but the Bengals and T Higgins three touchdowns. That'll go down as a fantasy legend in some circles. They get it done against the horse. He's in Cincinnati. Cincinnati has playoff hopes. They need my Broncos to lose. I want to say. The other thing is they need the Dolphins to lose next week, so that might not happen. Oh and they need they need the Broncos to lose the Chiefs.
So the Chiefs are probably resting their starters, but they also might not be resting their starters because they're going to get a bye. So if they don't play that game, I think their next game would be like twenty five days. So if you're a rust person, which I don't know if the Chiefs are, you also can't get Mahomes hurt in a game that doesn't matter. So let's see how that sorts out. Rams beat the Cardinals thirteen to nine,
again another kind of slop fest. It ended with Kyler coming back down the field plunks the receiver and the helmet pops up interception to lose. It was cool to see Arizona's tight end Trey McBride get the touchdown after setting the record for most receptions to start a season without getting one. Pretty insane for a tight end. That's crazy. Big weekend for the tight ends. Brock Bowers he set a bunch of rookie receiving records this weekend, So tight end,
big back some of them literally what was that? Joe's McFly has gotten me with that one. He keeps calling. He keeps calling thicker people big backs, and I was like, can I use that? Is that appropriate? And he's like, I think so, So I don't know it's a problem. If it's not, I'm okay with being canceled big backs. Speaking of more good football game the Jets. They got obliterated by the Bills forty to fourteen final. It was uglier than that for a little bit. Jets had a
zero on the scoreboard through three that team. Sauce Gardner's replying to people on Instagram, what a screenshot he Higgins He's put on t Higgins Instagram to not I would tell him to not sign with the Jets. That's not good. It's another thing you didn't see Belichick's Patriots doing on so media. Raiders and Saints knew no, no, no, pay that man. I will not be telling you that that's so bad. Will not be telling you that, oh bad the Jets. Speaking of Raiders and Saints, yep, the g
Man forty five points. What a game against the Colts. Maybe it's ruined their draft position, but for a day, the Giants were the Kings of the Meadowlands. Their only home win. The kick returned touchdown was just a movie by a mere Smith Marsette. Uh so, yeah, they're currently after Shador was wearing Giants cleats. They're currently sitting at the four pick right position for a quarterback like.
And they've had of the teams in the mix. I think they've had the strongest schedule even get up to two. I think they need some favors.
Uh.
And they play the Eagles will probably be resting next week, so it's it's a good time. It's a good time.
Congrats g Man. Eagles roll on the Cowboys. Another shocker Cooper Rush and Kenny Pickett, and I do want to give a shout out to our guy Tanner McKee who came into this game and got two touchdown passes. So okay, Eagles, Saquon, they are rolling in the Giants or excuse me, Cowboys aren't a very sad place for the rest of this season. Let's see, what are the other games? They need to be discussed? My computer just froze on me. Tough at this at this point, let's see I talked about Joe Burr. Well,
what was the nightcap game last night? Oh Falcons? This was actually fun. Falcons commanders a couple couple of the young, hopefully stud qbs in this league. Jaden Daniels has obviously put enough out there that everyone is now in the Jaden wagon, which reminder, well, Poppy was there early. That was a really fun night shift with Penix leading the boys some crazy throws late to get them in the mix. If you're a Falcons fan, you have to be excited
what you saw there. But Jaden, man, he is unreal dude. When he it needs to get done, he gets it done. And he's maybe my favorite QB to watch now. I don't know. Everything he did is so composed and so gliding and so in control, but yet he fights for other yards It's not like like Kyler has hit a point now where he slides early and that's fine because he's he needs to do that to take care of him, to give Arizona the best shot. Like that's just smart,
Jaden Lesson. There are times when he glides and gets through tackles while still getting down gently, where he's still picking up extra yards. Every facet of his game I enjoy and love to watch. The Commanders are eleven and five. They ended a twenty four year postseason drought. Twenty four football. WHOA, it's football, So he's the king of that town. That was a fun way to end. At the other Electric game yesterday that I skipped over because my page froze.
No it's not Dolphins Browns twenty to three, some good QB play. No it's not Titans Jaguars. No it's not bu Panthers. They put up a big number five tds for Baker Packers, Vikes, the Vikings and Sam Donald get the twenty seven to twenty five victory. Packers started off slow and the Vikings really did not. Both of these
teams are so good at spreading the ball around. Dobbs Craft on Tavian Wick's Melton, Reed, Musgrave Heath with catches, Jefferson, Naylor, Addison, Hockinson, Jones, Acres Ham Munt for the Vikings and Sam Donald's playing great and the team celebration after the locker room. If you haven't seen it on social media, go look it up today because it's really cool to see how beloved that guy is. And it's gonna lead to some fun
Minnesota offseason stuff. Slash. They're just gonna franchise them. Everyone's like, whoa, it's gonna be this big, crazy conversation. You've got such an instant get out of jail free card. He's played amazing. We can pay him one year if he does this again, he's our quarterback. We'll trade the first rounder we took last year and if not decisions made could fight by the Packers. They get back in this one. It's too little, too late. Fikes complete the final first down on a
cam Akers. WHOA. These two teams are really good. The Minnesota Vikings are fourteen and two good. Kevin O'Connell do I take credit for that tall, handsome Vikings coach saw something I didn't see this And it's just a really interesting playoff picture because If the Lions win tonight, they're the one seed, which means that drops the Vikes to
like the five seeds. So we're going from number one seed, home field through the playoffs to road playoff game to start, like I the uh NFC in a wild place, and mostly because of that NFC North and how good it's been this year. That yeah, it's an ugly one PM slate because they moved the other good games to weird primetime games this week and then those games weren't great because they were off scheduling athletes or creatures of habit,
but it still ended up on a high note. I mean that Falcons Commander's ot game that was worth the watch. We're seeing those young guys sling it. So a ton of all the playoff scenarios for this weekend. Here's the analytics. Watch some of the college football. There should be a couple of gems. Watch your fantasy weeks if you need them to play out. Although Week eighteen not for me. End your seasons in week seventeen, imo, but we will see what games matter. Can my Broncos survive the Chiefs?
Chiefs playing their backups? Probably? I think there's a couple other games that are gonna be Vikings Lions end. It kind of a playoff game Sunday night. How do you like that? So we talked a lot of sports. I'm glad I got to I'm glad you guys were here with it. Glad I could see King Bebes before ringing in the New Years. So hope this got you guys through this weird part of the year, drifting through into the New Year's, the cold weather, the gray. We will
be back, probably not Thursday Friday. I think we're catching up on other stuff. If there's something that we need to maybe otherwise. We might see you next week and we'll know, like the football playoffs. I don't know, wo crazy time of year. Tell them about Uncle
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