- 6 months ago
Felger and Mazz setup an Agenda Free Friday with their opening takes about the hottest topics in Boston sports.
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00:00Let's do some opening takes, and then we'll go to the calls if the people are ready.
00:02Maz, why don't you lead us off?
00:03Okay, so quickly, just as a point of note, Kenny Rosenthal is a national writer.
00:08Is a national writer and broadcaster, for that matter.
00:12Has been covering the game a long time.
00:14Has no history that I know of with the Red Sox as far as axes to grind or anything of the like.
00:19And many of the voices that you are hearing in the last several hours, going back to 6 o'clock last night, are national voices.
00:27These, in theory, are unbiased national assessments of what the Red Sox did at the deadline.
00:34Ken Rosenthal called the attempt with the Twins, quote-unquote, feeble, and said, at some point, you've got to fire the gun.
00:42Okay, now, we're going to hear a lot of different things from a lot of people about the inactivity at the trade deadline.
00:47People are pissed.
00:48And I agree.
00:50I want to talk about something Craig Breslow said last night during the press conference that began at 7 o'clock that I heard on the ride home.
00:57And, in particular, there is one little segment of one comment that he made that stuck out to me.
01:03And, Jimmy, if we could play the first half of that, please.
01:05I don't think this is about an unwillingness to include guys or anything like that.
01:12Teams have to like our players.
01:14Okay, so not about an unwillingness to include guys or anything like that.
01:19And it's that little last phrase.
01:21Teams have to like our players.
01:23Teams have to like our players.
01:24What does that mean, then?
01:27That they don't like your players?
01:28And which players don't they like?
01:30And the reason I ask this is, is the Red Sox farm system overrated?
01:35Is that what he's telling me?
01:36That they don't have the artillery to make these kinds of deals?
01:40Or was it the players they were offering that were not liked?
01:44Now, on the one hand, he said that it wasn't because of an unwillingness to offer their best players.
01:49So, if you legitimately went out there and offered your best players and they said no, then you're telling me that the team's porked.
02:00You can't make a deal.
02:02You can't make a deal for high-end talent.
02:04Is that what you're saying?
02:05You don't have the artillery to do that?
02:07So, how much longer do people have to wait?
02:09What, you got to draft new ones?
02:11Is that it?
02:12I don't believe that.
02:14I don't believe that they don't have the artillery to make a deal.
02:18I think that they were unwilling to part with the pieces that could make the deal.
02:24Now, again, I don't know what those pieces were.
02:26Maybe we'll find out that more of that comes along.
02:28People have to like our talent?
02:31So, does that mean they didn't like it?
02:34Do they look at your organization and say, you guys kind of suck?
02:37Or, the other thing I wonder about is, have the Red Sox dug themselves so deep into this thing over a span of six years that everyone knows that they're desperate and they're now trying to gouge them?
02:52So, again, to me, that comment was loaded.
02:56There was a lot in it.
02:57What does that mean they don't like your players?
03:00617-779-0985.
03:02Murray, what are your opening thoughts?
03:03That's ESPN's Adam Schefter today with the bombshell news that Washington receiver Terry McLaurin, who has been knuckle deep in a contract squabble with the team since the start of camp, has requested a trade.
03:15Oh, that cap space.
03:18The Patriots have all.
03:20Patriots are in on Tampa's Chris Godwin this offseason.
03:22Two to 30 million.
03:24Oh, did you guys see DraftKings?
03:27Patriots have the second best odds to land McLaurin since this news broke.
03:30Plus 450.
03:31It's going to happen.
03:32No, it's not.
03:34It is not going to happen because as yesterday with the Liar Red Sox proved, when it comes to the teams, plural, all of them in this town going the extra mile, overextending themselves, being hungry to win, it's over.
03:48It's over.
03:49It's not coming back.
03:50All these owners got their titles.
03:52They're fat and happy now.
03:53They're never going to make themselves financially uncomfortable again in an effort to win championships.
03:58In a way, it's kind of like what Bane said to Batman in The Dark Knight Rises.
04:04Victory has defeated you.
04:06In other words, all the winning was amazing.
04:08We loved it.
04:08It was great.
04:09But eventually, it's come at a cost.
04:10It's kind of ruined these teams all these years later.
04:13All these owners, these teams that you care about, they got it.
04:16They got theirs.
04:17They increased the value of their franchises to billions of dollars.
04:21And they're never going to feel as strongly as you do about these teams ever again.
04:25And yes, they might end up, some of them might end up falling ass backwards in titles again.
04:29Celtics probably have the best chance of it.
04:30Brown, Tatum, hopefully Tatum's physically fine coming back from the injury.
04:34And maybe Drake may end up being a stud, but jury's out on that.
04:38But unless any of these teams draft some sort of generational freak, do not ever expect any of them to overextend themselves at any trade deadline or offseason ever again.
04:47And don't believe any word any of them tell you.
04:51It's 2025.
04:52We are living in the golden age of lying and arm-waving grift.
04:57And mouthpiece worms like Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow exist solely to sell you magic beans.
05:03Everything they tell you is a lie.
05:04Don't buy it.
05:05So the Patriots being, oh, they're going to be in on Terry McLaurin.
05:08You see the odds?
05:09You see the odds?
05:10How many of my dopey friends screen capped that to me?
05:12Plus 450.
05:13It's going to happen.
05:14Micah Parsons.
05:15He's uncomfortable in Dallas.
05:16He might try to force his way out.
05:17They might get Parsons, too.
05:19None of it's going to happen.
05:21It's never going to happen.
05:22It's all too costly.
05:24It's moves that are too uncomfortable for these teams.
05:26And as far as the Patriots are concerned, you have recent proof.
05:29Fake interest in DeAndre Hopkins.
05:31Fake interest in Calvin Ridley.
05:33Fake interest in Brandon Ayuk.
05:34It's not going to happen.
05:37Okay.
05:37We will do some football just to mix up the Red Sox commentary.
05:41I want to hit on something that just started Jarvis Loose this week.
05:45And we were talking about Will Campbell and some of his struggles.
05:47And what's their backup plan at tackle on both sides?
05:50And why don't they have a backup tackle?
05:52And you guys brought up a couple different times.
05:55Well, why don't they have a backup quarterback?
05:56And you tied the two together.
05:58And I sort of rejected the linkage because I think quarterback's different.
06:03And it's really kind of a really major side topic.
06:07Well, I want to sort of go to the side topic last night.
06:09It was sort of jarred loose by watching a football game last night.
06:13Yeah.
06:14You watched Trey Lance last night?
06:15I watched a little bit.
06:16Yeah, he looked pretty good.
06:17I could have set a watch to this.
06:19So, this pisses people off.
06:21So, this is another part of the take.
06:22Immediately, Murray's annoyed that I'm going to say Trey Lance looked good last night.
06:26Right?
06:27Oh, yeah.
06:28No, like in real time watching it last night, I'm like, oh, I know someone who's falling in love with every pass.
06:33See?
06:34No, I don't know.
06:35All I'm saying is, why don't they have a Trey Lance on the team?
06:42And it does have to be Trey Lance.
06:44Oh, he sucks.
06:45Why are you talking about him?
06:46All right.
06:46Give me someone else.
06:47Well, they did.
06:48Yeah.
06:49No, if you mean like young guy that's flamed out somewhere else but they're still potentially upside.
06:53No, this part I'm with you on.
06:54No, the Patriots should have a Trey Lance rather than the pastor.
06:57This part I agree with you with.
06:59I think every team should have one of those guys.
07:01Oh, Trey Lance sucks.
07:03Okay.
07:03I know he sucks.
07:04He played last night.
07:05So, this is like a whole other part of the take.
07:08This has been going back to the big show days.
07:10I tried to talk about Dante Culpepper or whoever.
07:13It's like, what are you talking about?
07:15This sucks.
07:16Yeah, okay.
07:17It's August.
07:19You talk about backup quarterbacks in August.
07:21That's who we're watching.
07:23So, we have a show to do today.
07:25Can I talk about the backup?
07:26No, it sucks.
07:27Brady, Brady, Brady, Brady, Brady, Brady.
07:30I think it's hurt.
07:31They're screwed.
07:31Brady, Brady, Brady.
07:33Brady.
07:34And then Brady got hurt and Matt Castle played.
07:36So, it's like.
07:3711-5 missed the playoffs.
07:38But go on.
07:39See, exactly.
07:40It's annoying.
07:41I'm just giving you facts.
07:42That's all.
07:43Fine.
07:44True.
07:44Castle sucks.
07:45They sucked.
07:45It's a phony year.
07:46I don't care.
07:47What I'm saying is it's August and it's time to talk about backup quarterbacks.
07:53So, this is another little.
07:54I'm starting to get a little annoyed by some of the roster building here with the Patriots.
07:58And not even the front line guys.
08:01Why haven't they protected themselves at tackle?
08:04Because one guy's too young and one guy's too old.
08:06And so, you have someone who could just represent as a swing guy, a third guy.
08:12And they don't.
08:12Not even close.
08:14And then at quarterback, I don't need anyone to compete with Drake May.
08:21And I just like.
08:22I'm sure Trey Lance isn't competing with Justin Herbert.
08:25But I think Trey Lance with John Harbaugh.
08:29Yeah.
08:30I'd throw that into the Petri dish there for a couple years and see.
08:33Definitely.
08:34That's probably not going to amount to anything.
08:36But why not?
08:37You have 53 spots.
08:38You get the third quarterback.
08:40If Josh McDaniels is this guy, then why can't he have a young kid with upside?
08:46And you give him a couple years and see what.
08:48There's nothing to lose.
08:50Because it goes back to the word I was using with these franchises.
08:52Uncomfortable.
08:53Because it would make some of these players, these young players, these already anointed stars that we've drafted real high, uncomfortable.
08:58Again, what was the Mike Reese term when it came to Drake May?
09:00Why did they trade Joe Miller?
09:01Clear the runway.
09:02Oh, yeah, yeah, no.
09:02You've got to get that out that push broom, guys.
09:04We've got to clear out that runway.
09:06Can't make them uncomfortable.
09:07Push.
09:08Push it all.
09:09Runway's clear.
09:09All right, they're comfortable.
09:10Who's here?
09:11Bums to push it away.
09:13They should have more competition at some of these positions.
09:16Why are you talking about Trey Lance?
09:17He sucks.
09:18Yeah, I know he sucks.
09:19You watched him last night.
09:21Can you talk about it?
09:21Go ahead, Mass.
09:22I bet you Jim Harbaugh turns him into something.
09:25That's just me.
09:26I mean, I don't know.
09:27Like, that's what I mean.
09:27Another one.
09:27That's a line I could have said to watch too, too.
09:31That's why I said it, Murray.
09:33As Jim says, I root for crappy quarterbacks.
09:36It's more interesting to me.
09:37Anyway, those are our opening thoughts to you for your opening thoughts.
09:41Let's go with Jim on the Cape.
09:43Go ahead, Jim.
09:45Hey, guys.
09:46The most famous quote Breslau made yesterday was, we were uncomfortably aggressive.
09:54We all know what that means, and I want to hear your take.
09:57He's a bum, and they are bums.
10:00Thanks.
10:00So, I want to give Breslau more blame today than I ordinarily would.
10:06To me, it's usually Henry.
10:07I think the whole, the way the organization operates as a business starts with him, ends
10:12with him, and the big picture, it's about John Henry.
10:15And so, like, ultimate blame pie?
10:17I'm still blaming Henry more than Breslau.
10:18However, I think the last 24 hours exposed Breslau, Maz, as a particularly weak and ineffective
10:26chief baseball officer.
10:27I would agree with you, and I think that that is sort of one of the major takeaways of this
10:32deadline, and wait until you hear what Bob Nightingale has said in the last little bit.
10:38Jimmy, did you send that out yet, Jimmy?
10:41I haven't sent it to the show yet, but I have it.
10:44I mean, I have the tweet.
10:45If you want the tweet, if he actually said this.
10:47Oh, we have actual audio.
10:49I don't know if it's the same as the tweet.
10:50I haven't seen the tweet, but the audio is good.
10:52Jimmy, play it.
10:53Had conversations.
10:55But when you talk to Jims around the game, said it's very tough to deal with the Red Sox
10:59and Craig Breslau in particular.
11:02And if they're really going for it, you know, they did a poor job because the Yankees got
11:07a whole lot better.
11:08Blue Jays got better.
11:09So, I think they're giving me an outside look and in.
11:12I think the fact they didn't do anything, they may be sitting home and the Texas Rangers take
11:16their place as a wildcard team.
11:19Really difficult to deal with the Red Sox in general and Craig Breslau in particular.
11:25That is a freaking, that is a blow dart right into the luxury suites over at Fenway Park.
11:32Go ahead.
11:33Yeah, he wrote, I don't know if it was a tweet or in a story, but he said, weren't the Red
11:37Sox supposed to do something?
11:39They promised they were going to make this team a legit contender.
11:42Instead, a trade deadline came and went and all they did was acquire the struggling Dodgers
11:46starter Dustin May and swingman Steve Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals.
11:49It wasn't nearly enough, wrote Nightingale.
11:52He gave them an F with the grades.
11:54So, or they were a loser.
11:56They were a deadline loser.
11:57Go ahead, man.
11:57Yeah, and I just think that this has now happened for a period of years over a number of deadlines.
12:02And what do they have in common?
12:03And I would say inexperienced general managers who were in over their head.
12:08I think that to me is one of the big takeaways of this deadline.
12:11Bloom was overmatched.
12:13He wasn't ready for it.
12:14Breslau is overmatched.
12:16He wasn't ready for it.
12:17They didn't want him to take this job when they first talked to him.
12:20He was there ultimately to run the pitching part of the organization throughout the minor leagues.
12:25Pitcher development really is what it was.
12:26But they ended up giving him the chief baseball officer job.
12:29And his first offseason, you know what happened?
12:32He failed.
12:32He couldn't close deals.
12:34So what happened in year two?
12:36Theo came in, consulted him.
12:38They were able to do a little bit better.
12:39They got Bregman.
12:40I'm convinced Theo was involved in the crochet talks.
12:43And I got more on Theo later, too.
12:44So let me hold that thought.
12:45But they got to the trade deadline and they whiffed again.
12:49So you tell me, is there something to be drawn from a trade deadline year after year after year when you whiff and you have inexperienced rookie GMs?
12:58Of course there's something to be drawn from that.
13:00And I ultimately blame John Henry, which is why I don't.
13:03This is a Henry problem.
13:04Okay, now second chapter, sidebar.
13:09Breslow's another in-over-his-head clone, stiff.
13:13He's not.
13:15Ineffective, weak.
13:17You know, someone who's stronger would push back or move the owner or work within the confines better than this guy does.
13:28He's certainly given guardrails, but it's not like he challenges those guardrails or is able to move them in his direction or do anything more with them or do anything with them, frankly.
13:42He's just a weak, ineffective chief baseball officer.
13:46And I think that is once again has been exposed in the last 24 hours.