00:00best move by the Mets. Well, you mentioned it. I'm going to go with the Peralta move now. I'm
00:05sure if you look at the values that they assigned to all the prospects, it'll look negative to some
00:11people based on the fact that Jed Williams is a very good prospect. And so is Sprott.
00:17But the Mets absolutely needed to get a number one pitcher. The prices were very, very high.
00:21And all these trades, I mean, all of them, Shane Boz, all of them. And this guy is the best guy
00:27who's been traded. I mean, obviously, he's not schoolable. Nobody is. But he is the number one
00:31pitcher. I happen to love Freddy Peralta. He'll be great in the clubhouse. He was a guy who actually
00:37offered to translate for me in that Milwaukee clubhouse. You know, it's a small market. They
00:41don't have an actual translator. They have a coach who does the translating. Coach was busy, not a
00:46surprise. And he speaks perfect English, perfect Spanish. I speak okay English, terrible Spanish.
00:52And he stepped in and was willing to do it. So it's a terrific guy. He's a number one starter.
00:58They absolutely needed to do it. I see the Mets are now ranked number three in some ranking,
01:02whatever those are worth. But they needed to do it. And so that's my number one Mets pick.
01:08Yeah, you know, the Mets on like BetMGM are tied with the Phillies for the second most
01:13over under projections at 90 and a half. You know, the Dodgers are like 102.5 or 103.5. Everyone's behind
01:20them. So whatever they've done, especially late has at least the betting markets seeing them as a
01:26very strong team, though, of course, they saw him as a strong team last year. John, I'm going to take
01:30best seriously here, the best move. I'm not saying it's the most impactful move, because I think that
01:35will be end up being probably Peralta or Bichette. I think their best move was Luis Robert Jr. And in a
01:42way, it was because of all the other moves and how little they gave up. Look, Acuna will probably
01:50Luis Angel Acuna will probably play in the major leagues for quite a while as a utility guy because
01:55he could really defend and really run. It's two skills that will help. Maybe he'll hit enough at
02:00some point to be a starting second baseman. But that and a pitching lottery guy who they took in
02:05the draft last year who hardly pitched is a good trade to me for a guy whose baseline if he stays
02:11healthy is play terrific defense up the middle. And again, I like it for the other things they've
02:16done with Simeon. And then you add Lindor, Alvarez, Torrens. They're really strong up the middle.
02:21Robert is a really good defender, a guy who could run and run at a high success rate, a la Carlos
02:28Beltran, who just got in the Hall of Fame. This guy steals and steals successfully. He hits lefty
02:33pitching, which helps diversify their lineup. And he hits some home runs. Low batting average,
02:39high strikeouts. The high strikeouts don't bother me as much because Bichette, Simeon,
02:43and Polanco are all guys who don't strike out a lot. Added to Lindor and Soto, who don't strike out
02:49a lot. I like that. And look, I think there's a real downside. The guy's been injured. He's had a
02:54low batting average and he strikes out a ton. Is this turnout to be a grand or more expensive version
02:59of Jose Siri? Maybe. But for what they gave up and what the upside is and how he shoehorns in on
03:07the team, I really love that move by the Mets. Yeah. They did a lot in a week, right? They remade
03:15the team in a week. Things look bad. We were kind of down on the Mets as were all their fans.
03:20Not that this was all done in a week. The groundwork of this was laid a long time ago.
03:26Peralta, they started working on during the season. Robert, we know, was at the deadline last
03:30year. So that's been many, many months, like nine months. And maybe not nine. My math wasn't too good.
03:38Seven months. And, you know, I think all these moves took a while and they all came down in a week.
03:45And the result of it is very positive for the Mets. Yeah. Why don't we flip to the Yankees,
03:51who kind of essentially it was all stay in house, re-sign, plus Ryan Weathers in a trade.
03:57What was your favorite thing, John? Well, I guess it's Bellinger, right? They needed to get it done.
04:01They stuck to the five years. I mean, I think it's a good deal for Bellinger. He's going to make
04:0685 million over the next two years, which is actually more than Aaron Judge makes by five million
04:14if he opts out. I don't know that he's going to opt out when he's 32, though. He's already been
04:18a free agent a lot. I think he likes being a Yankee. But, you know, I think it was a good deal
04:24for him. And I think it was the right deal for the Yankees. They did a nice job with it. And I think
04:29it's good that he's back. Judge is happy. If Judge is happy, I think the Yankees are in good shape.
04:34Yeah, I think I'm going to agree with you, John. I wish I could tell you there was one I liked
04:39better than that. But I think he's a Swiss Army knife. He plays left, center, right.
04:43The fact that he also plays first base at a high level matters because Ben Rice is going to be
04:48there in case the defense really does struggle there. You could always move Bellinger late in
04:52the game and use somebody else in the outfield. I know the two years at 85 up front made some people
05:00a little weasy, queasy. Not me, John. I like as a war player the last three years, he's kind of right
05:08in between Bichette and Tucker, who both got over 40 million on short term deals on three and four
05:14year deals. And this is a two year deal if he opts out. If it's a five year deal, those last three
05:19years are more in line with what he should probably be paid in that period. The Yankees strike out way
05:25too much. He doesn't strike out. The Yankees baseball athleticism and IQ got a little better last
05:31year. But that was a lot because of him. It was good they brought him back. John, worst move by
05:37the Mets. What didn't you like? Losing Diaz and bringing in Devin Williams for Diaz. I don't see
05:44that. Diaz was the best closer in their history. I mean, I guess someone can make a case for Doug
05:50McGraw, but he was an outstanding closer, maybe the best in the league. And Devin Williams, I'm still
05:55worried about because he wasn't a very good closer when he was the Yankee closer.
05:58Yeah, to me, again, John, I wish I could tell you I differ with you. It's the move I didn't like
06:04either. I get how volatile relief pitching could be. And by the way, Edwin Diaz was volatile as a
06:10Met. There were very, very good years. There were not so good years. And there was obviously an injury,
06:14a freak injury, but an injury right in the middle that cost them a season. We know how this could go.
06:20But I am always worried about the underlying number argument for a pitcher. That's the Devin
06:26William argument that the underlying numbers were not that far off from the guy who was dominant in
06:31Milwaukee. If anyone should know that player, it's David Stearns. He was the general manager who brought
06:37Devin to the majors and he had great success with the Brewers. It was a sub-2 ERA the last three years
06:44before the Yankees acquired him. But on the field and in the clubhouse, I'll take Edwin Diaz seven days
06:49a week, twice on Sunday. And, you know, with the Mets money, I wonder if they could have and should
06:55have had them both. Flip side, Yankees' worst move, John.
07:00I think it's giving Grisham the qualifying offer. $22 million, which you reported first was going to
07:07be $22 million. I, like them, could have seen Grisham going somewhere else and them getting the
07:13draft choice. And I think that's what some of them envisioned. And it didn't turn out to be
07:17correct. So I can't kill them since I thought Grisham might be able to get a three for 45
07:22somewhere else. But in retrospect, looking back at it, I think it was going to be hard with that
07:28qualifying offer for Grisham to get a three for 45, right? So I think it was an error because I
07:34don't know that he's necessary. You know, you've got a lot of outfielders on this team, right?
07:38You've got Bellinger. I'm still a believer in Dominguez. Obviously, we're a little skeptical
07:43after last year. Spencer Jones is coming. You know, I don't think it was necessary. He obviously
07:52was pretty good last year. He hit more home runs than any other center fielder in the game. So
07:56I can't kill him for it. You know, they're running the whole team back, right? It's the same
08:01team. So I think the fans aren't going to be thrilled. Overall, I think they'll be better,
08:07right? Because they'll have Cole for the year. They'll have Schlittler for presumably the year,
08:12although he's not going to throw 200 innings. It'll have him for more than they had him last
08:15year. So I think they're actually going to be better. And I don't mind that they brought the
08:20team back. But Grisham at 22 million, that's an overpay. You know, again, like a more unbiased view
08:29is BetMGM has them with the second highest over under total in the major leagues behind the Dodgers.
08:34So the top one in the American League, you know, over Seattle, over Toronto, etc. So yeah. And
08:41John, I got to say, Grisham is not my choice here. I, you know, like I heard a lot of people,
08:47Yankee fans who love to whine about everything, saying, well, they got Grisham, so they won't
08:52bring back Bellinger. Well, they did. Like, it wasn't like the money kept them from getting
08:56Bellinger. I don't think they liked the idea of Bellinger playing full-time in center. I don't
09:02know if they think Spencer Jones is close to ready to do that, play full-time in center.
09:06You know, so they needed somebody to play center field. And I would quite frankly rather have
09:11Trent Grisham for one year at 22 million than three at 45. You know, again, if the, here's
09:17another place, the underlying... I think everybody agreed with you. I don't think anyone was paying
09:21that three for 45. I think you were right. Yeah. So, I mean, I don't mind it as a one-year
09:26gamble that he's going to repeat something that looked like last year when he was not only
09:31powerful, but clutch. He had a ton of big hits, especially homers for them. For me, the downside
09:36play, and I almost mean this symbolically as opposed to on the guy, is the Paul Blackburn for
09:41two million. And here's why. I still think the Yankees are a pitcher short. And you could tell me
09:47that's a reliever. You could tell me that's a starter. You could tell me it's a better hybrid than
09:50Paul Blackburn. But at a time where, like, the big move this offseason after Grisham, money-wise,
09:56was going to be on Bellinger. I feel like, you mentioned it, John, if it goes perfectly,
10:03and Rodon comes back May 1st, Cole, June 1st, Clark Schmidt, August 1st, and they're close to
10:09who they've been. And you get Schlittler and Ryan Weathers and Louis Gale. Like, I can make an
10:15argument that will be the best rotation in the American League. It still worries me because
10:19there's enough flammability there. And I think they're a reliever short, especially a power lefty,
10:27which they don't have. Their lefties are Tim Hill and Ryan Yarborough if they don't need Yarborough
10:31in the rotation. So I'm using Blackburn more as a symbolic. I think they're one pitcher short right
10:38now. Yeah, absolutely. There are a ton of relievers left. I think Coulomb is still left,
10:43the lefty reliever. Yeah, I'm with you. They could use more help in that bullpen. I don't love
10:49either team's bullpen. I like both teams. I think overall, they're in very good shape. Some of the
10:54Mets are in a lot better shape than we thought they were going to be. But I think they're both a
10:59little short in the bullpen. Obviously, the Mets added some bullpen pieces late. Luis Garcia,
11:03who you mentioned first, and some others. Obviously, they got one in the Milwaukee trade
11:09with Peralta, with Myers, who could be a reliever. But I feel like the bullpens are still a question
11:16mark for both teams. Yeah, look, like Harrison Bader signed today, John, as we're doing this,
11:22a two-year deal with San Francisco. Financially, should the Yankees have let Grisham go and be like,
11:28let's bring in Bader to be at least the center fielder for two years. I haven't heard the money
11:34on it, but let me guess it's going to be like $10 million to $12 million in there, I would get.
11:38Right, $20.5 million. Oh, okay. So you actually know the number. So it's in that $20 million.
11:44Would the Yankees have been better off doing that and then having a little more money to spend on
11:49another pitcher in some way, a reliever, a starter, instead of bringing Grisham back? Again,
11:55like they have to make the Grisham decision when I think Bader, et cetera, was going to be looking
11:59for a lot more years and money than two at $20.5 million. So they had to make that decision.
12:05Could Bellinger have held them even more hostage if they didn't have Grisham? So, you know, like
12:09things play in a way, but it's just something to think about.
12:12Yeah, I'm with you. I think Bader, a right ain't bad, better defensively. Grisham is still okay
12:18defensively, but I don't think he was as good last year as he'd been in the past.
12:21Obviously, Grisham gives you more power, but Bader played great for the Phillies. And as you know,
12:27he's a friend of the show. So that always helps as well. But yeah, in retrospect, looking back on it
12:34related to the Grisham, yeah, I would have done Bader instead of Grisham and got a pitcher.
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