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00:00Why don't we start with the Mets? I think we wanted to talk about, like, it's 10 days or so.
00:05We're now up to games beginning. What concerns us? You want to start with the Mets? What concerns you about
00:10the Mets?
00:11Well, the same thing that came into camp concerning me, which is the bullpen. I mean, Devin Williams, he's moved
00:16eight miles. I don't know whether that's going to solve his closing woes that were obviously present in the Bronx.
00:23Maybe he was very good as a setup guy with the Yankees.
00:28He was very good as a closer with Milwaukee. You know, to me, the bullpen is the question with the
00:35Mets. You know, we've got arm questions.
00:38I think Raley and Minter are good pitchers, particularly Minter, when they're healthy, but questions there in terms of the
00:45health. They did add Weaver. That bullpen looks thin to me.
00:49So to me, that's their biggest question. Peralta, that was a nice move. Yeah, I think they've improved the defense
00:57a little.
00:58You know, I know for, you know, all that talk about the defense was so terrible. I don't think they've
01:04improved it that much, but they improved it.
01:06And, you know, I like Bichette's bat. It's certainly a very interesting team. Is it a better team? You know,
01:12I'm not completely convinced that it is.
01:15Yeah, you know, John, they have great variable there. Like, you could convince me it's 80. You could convince me
01:24it's 94.
01:25Better not be 80. That would be quite a disaster.
01:28Well, I couldn't believe it was 83 last year.
01:31Can we get lower than 83? I think that's good.
01:34Well, I'm with you. I have some concerns about the bullpen. I do. I will say this is I left
01:39that camp feeling much better about one thing and much worse about one thing.
01:44The thing I felt much better about was their starting pitching. Now, I know how frivolous that could be. You're
01:49always whatever.
01:49But, like, you watch McLean do everything. I mean, from what he is in the clubhouse to how he prepares
01:57to what he looks like on the mound.
01:59With health, I think he's an ace. I mean, an ace. Like, he's going to be one of the best.
02:05I think he'll get Cy Young votes.
02:07Forget about that. He's the favorite for the rookie of the year. If he makes 28, 29, 30 starts, I
02:12think he's spectacular.
02:14Which means, like, Peralta's your number two starter, which means that they get two things they didn't have all of
02:20last year.
02:21If they can get, like, 50 to 60 starts out of those guys. And then suddenly, Senga and Minaya, just
02:27one of them.
02:28And then Clay Holmes and Peterson. You know, I just think their starting pitching could be good. I'm with you.
02:32I have questions about the bullpen.
02:34They've got six weeks to do this, John, and I agree. I think the defense is better because they're better
02:38up the middle.
02:39Simeon, Robert, their catchers are very good. Lindor will get healthy and be good.
02:43I watched Bo Bichette do drills early in it. I am no scout, but I've obviously watched thousands and thousands
02:51of baseball games.
02:52And someplace in my mind's eye is what a third baseman looks like. And he just, for now, for now,
02:59it's all new to him.
03:00He doesn't look it in his movements, in his arm stroke, in his arm strength.
03:05And, like, I never thought Jazz Chisholm did either, but Jazz Chisholm was always the best athlete on the field
03:11and kind of overcame some stuff with just some quick twitch,
03:15unreal stuff to make himself somewhat average and still not be the guy.
03:20Bo Bichette comes from a baseball family. He has a high baseball intellect.
03:24I think he'll close the gap some.
03:25But for a team that was stressing defense, I'm watching the drills.
03:29And, again, this is unfair. These are the first drills he's ever done in a camp as a third baseman.
03:34So I'll be back in, like, two weeks or three weeks to Met Camp.
03:37I'm curious to what it looks like by the end.
03:40But to the mind's eye, John, it didn't look like a third baseman.
03:44Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't expect him to be spectacular at third.
03:48You know, it's not an easy position.
03:51Jazz Chisholm was a great athlete, as you said, as a great arm, speed, range.
03:57He was fine. Look, A-Rod, and I think you did something with A-Rod talking about it.
04:02You know, A-Rod was the best shortstop in baseball, then played third, and he was pretty average the first
04:08year.
04:09So I don't think we can expect Bichette to be better than average.
04:12But Beatty was better than average.
04:14So I think they likely went down at third base.
04:18I think they – first base is still a work in progress as well.
04:23Now, maybe – they think they went up.
04:25I mean, I know that.
04:26But we don't know that for sure.
04:29Certainly, Robert is a plus.
04:30You know, that helps.
04:32You know, Semien is an outstanding defender.
04:36That helps.
04:37So the defense is going to be better overall, I think, on balance, on average.
04:43But certainly, third base is a question.
04:46First base, a lesser question, but a question as well.
04:49John, why don't we flip it to the Yankees?
04:52We're – again, we're – I just got back from Bradenton.
04:56I know – I can't even tell you if it was game three or four of spring training, but it's
05:00early.
05:00But early, what are some things that maybe concern you?
05:05Yeah, I mean, I think – I mean, the Yankees obviously had a good team, and they brought back this
05:08–
05:08I mean, running it back, this is the ultimate example of running it back, right?
05:13And they could be a little bit better, certainly with Cole coming back around June 1st, we think.
05:20And certainly, Rodon will be back before long, and they'll have presumably a full year of Schlittler.
05:27So, you know, I get it.
05:29My concern is, you know, the – I think the team is wondering, you know, they weren't overwhelming last year,
05:36right?
05:36They were – they won 94 games, but they ultimately didn't win the division, which was the goal.
05:42They barely beat the Red Sox in the three-game series, thanks to Schlittler.
05:46And then they got blown out in the next series, the division series, against Toronto.
05:51So it was a good team.
05:53It wasn't overwhelming, but it's the same team.
05:55So I think that – I have the same concerns the fans have.
05:58Is it a stale story that they haven't changed anything?
06:01I feel like – I know that's a weird kind of criticism.
06:07You know, I would have liked to have seen something different.
06:09I mean, the guys, they all – they signed, they had them already, right?
06:12It was amazing.
06:13They must have loved that team.
06:15It was a good team.
06:16It wasn't a world-beating team, obviously.
06:19It was a good team.
06:20They ran the bases better last year.
06:23You know, except for that June swoon, they looked better than they did when they even got to the World
06:27Series.
06:28But they got blown out by Toronto, and it's the same team.
06:33I wonder if the players – I know they're going to say how great they feel about things.
06:37I wonder if they're starting to wonder – have the same questions that I have and that the fans have.
06:43We're running it back with a team that was good but not great.
06:46Yeah, I think the best version of them, though, was that late-season team that was better-rounded because of
06:51McMahon's defense,
06:52because of Caballero's versatility and speed, because of what Bednar did that Devin Williams didn't do,
06:58which is settle down the endgame.
07:01Yeah, they had a great deadline.
07:02That's fair.
07:03They did have a great deadline.
07:04Bednar was great.
07:05And get all those guys for a full season now, plus maybe Weathers, if they could figure him out,
07:10and Cole for perhaps the last four months of the season and a healthier version of Rodon.
07:16Look, John, maybe you and I have talked about this in the past.
07:19I'll kind of like spill something about how I always think about covering a team,
07:23which is you and I grew up on the beat when the Yankees were terrible.
07:28And I found that when you cover a terrible team, you're constantly looking for reasons that it might stop being
07:34terrible.
07:34Like that's how you're covering the team.
07:36For the last 30-plus years, the Yankees have been really good.
07:39So I usually come to spring training thinking, well, why wouldn't they be good?
07:43That's the more interesting column to me when I'm writing, which is like I could just do the drop to
07:49my knees and hail whatever.
07:51I think that's a ridiculous way to cover the team.
07:53I know there's a lot of fanboys who do it that way.
07:55But like I think that, you know, part of the job, if you're a columnist, an opinion person, is to
08:00look for the holes.
08:02And I got to tell you, every spring training, I look and go, you know, if this and this happens,
08:06this could be the 78-win year they haven't had in 30-plus years.
08:10I have a little more trouble doing it this year, John, which probably means this will be the year they
08:14win 78.
08:15Can I say the thing that worries me is I actually like the team.
08:19Like watching, I think, and I don't know what this means.
08:22I think that they're – like I watch a lot of practice for a stupid reason after all these years.
08:28I think that they're doing things – I think some of the familiarity helps them with how – the purpose
08:33they're doing things.
08:34I watched a bun drill the other day.
08:36The enthusiasm of Max Freed and the professionalism and energy of Ahmad Rosario I think changed a drill and made
08:44everybody crisp
08:46for like the kind of fundamental thing that you and I have beaten them up for before.
08:50They were working hard at it.
08:52I think they have a lot of talent.
08:53It is to me – if they can get their starting pitching in line – and who knows what Cole
08:58is after Tommy John.
08:59You're not usually fully back.
09:00But, man, that guy is a professor of pitching.
09:03If I was going to bet on somebody to kind of figure it out, I might do him.
09:06If it's him and Freed and Schlittler is the guy that he was for the 10 starts last year,
09:13I just think they have a way to be really, really good and their floor is high,
09:19which means this is the year they win 70.
09:21Like I'm almost thinking – the thing I'm most worried about is I'm usually much more critical of them this
09:26time of year,
09:27and I kind of like their team.
09:30Yeah, I mean, certainly it's a solid team overall.
09:33I don't think there's any question about that.
09:36You know, maybe it's me always thinking about the bullpen.
09:38And, I mean, is their bullpen good – I think the bullpen –
09:40Is it good?
09:41It wasn't good last year.
09:43And, you know, it's funny.
09:45I'm going to say, well, the Mets got Williams.
09:46I'm not impressed.
09:47But the Yankees – and the Yankees lost Williams.
09:49That's not great either because he was very good in that role that he was in.
09:52And Weaver, you know, was a guy who was always available, friend of the show,
09:56but always available to them and to us.
09:59And, you know, very solid reliever.
10:01Yeah, I mean, I think with all the possibilities in the starting rotation,
10:05I think that, you know, I think it'll be fine.
10:09Obviously, you've got – they're not going to win 78 games.
10:12They have Judge, so he's a 10-win player, right?
10:14As long as he's healthy, right?
10:15He's going to guarantee they're going to be over 81 wins.
10:18I mean, you know, I have no doubt about that.
10:21Well, look at them, John.
10:22What about that bullpen?
10:23I mean, seriously, Bednar, let's assume he's going to be the same guy who was great.
10:28What about the rest of it?
10:30It wasn't good last year.
10:31Are we going to assume Doval is going to be better
10:33or Cruz is going to be healthy?
10:35I think there are a lot of questions in that bullpen.
10:38I think there are questions.
10:39I would just, like, say today,
10:42I think one of the other things that hangs over the team, John,
10:46is I know that Hal, in specific, in the Steinbrenner family in general,
10:52kind of gets beat up by a certain kind of fan base that they don't care.
10:56I'm telling you, being here for five days so far,
10:59they're still not over losing to Toronto last year.
11:03Like, they're not.
11:04They're not.
11:05They were devastated.
11:07I know the caricature.
11:08They don't care.
11:09Their father cared.
11:10They don't care.
11:11They are like a baseball family now.
11:13I mean, like, the grandkids of George Steinbrenner are involved.
11:16I think they're all –
11:17like, I talked to one of them the other day.
11:19He still was talking about it.
11:21He can't get over it.
11:22And I think that that –
11:23the reason I bring it up, John,
11:25is I think that, like, when the deadline comes,
11:28I don't know who the best setup man is going to be,
11:30but I bet you the Yankees are at the front of the line for it.
11:33Like, I think –
11:33Right.
11:33Okay.
11:34I think that they're –
11:35I'm with you.
11:36I'm not sure that guy is on the team today.
11:38I do think that historically, over at least the last 10 years,
11:43the Yankees have been able to find bullpen guys, like, and make them.
11:47Do they fix Jake Bird,
11:49like, who they traded for at the deadline last year?
11:51I got to say, watching the kid, LeGranje, pitch the other day,
11:55I think he ends up in their bullpen as Dillon Batanzas at some point.
11:59He's a big kid who was throwing 103 the other day.
12:04And so I think that they'll do everything they can to fix it.
12:09But if you were going to ask me what area of the team is most worrisome today,
12:13I would agree with you.
12:14I would say the bullpen.
12:15Yeah, I always worry about the bullpen.
12:17I mean, I guess we, you know, grew up in this job a little bit with Bobby Valentine.
12:22He always pointed to the bullpen.
12:23And I don't think either bullpen is that spectacular.
12:26You know, I'm sure they're down about it.
12:28I don't know if they're devastated.
12:29If they're devastated –
12:30They are devastated, John.
12:32Well, if they were devastated, they should have improved the team more than they did.
12:36I mean, it's been 16 years.
12:38So I'm a little bit more with the fans on that one than you.
12:42You've been there, so you know what they're feeling more.
12:45I was there very briefly, and I didn't get to see or talk to Hal.
12:50I mean, if you're really devastated, the year that they won, the last year they won,
12:55was the year they really went out and spent.
12:57You know, I mean, people can say it's not about the money.
12:59Well, obviously, someone thinks it does.
13:00They want a cap in baseball, the owners do, right?
13:04And, you know, I do think, you know, it's good that they brought Bellinger back.
13:10They spend a reasonable amount of money.
13:13But, you know, I know the Dodgers are the top revenue team now,
13:16but the Yankees have been the top revenue team for most years,
13:20and they still haven't spent like I feel devastated.
13:24If you feel devastated, go out and get somebody who's really going to change the team.
13:29So we know who is – just as a way to end this, why don't we do this?
13:32It's like I'm not – I'm here – I'm agnostic generally about your point, is who?
13:38Would you have, like, been like –
13:40I didn't advocate Tucker.
13:43I wouldn't have done Tucker.
13:45I'm happy.
13:46No, I mean, you already have the best right fielder.
13:49Like, is it Gregman and trade and trade McMahon
13:50and have the better third baseman for the next five, six years?
13:53Is that the way to go?
13:55Would he have come here?
13:56Are they still holding –
13:57I mean, there were a lot of great closers out there.
13:59You know, there were like ten – I wouldn't say a great, all of them,
14:03but there were ten closers out there.
14:05You know, sign one or two of them.
14:08You know, they were – why not go for Diaz?
14:11You get Diaz and Bednar, then you have a shutdown bullpen,
14:14which was a key in preview.
14:16You know, they had Mariano and Wetland,
14:18and certainly they had a lot of pluses in those late 90s teams,
14:22but that bullpen was a big plus.
14:24You know, right now we've been talking about the bullpen.
14:27To me, that's the obvious one.
14:28Yeah, I mean, certainly Bregman or Framber or Cease or, you know,
14:33there were guys who would have improved the team, obviously,
14:36for a ton of money.
14:37But to me, Diaz, you know, to me, Diaz or somebody –
14:43I was about Suarez.
14:44That was the one I kept looking at.
14:45There were a few –
14:46Suarez.
14:47There were a few out there who would have made great setup men.
14:51If you got Diaz, Bednar is your setup man then.
14:54So that's a pretty good setup, man.
14:55So this is a differentiation between them and the Dodgers, to your point.
14:59The Dodgers signed Tanner Scott last year, and it was a disaster,
15:02and it didn't stop them from doing Diaz this offseason.
15:05I think the last time the Yankees kind of went double-barreled action
15:08with big money spent in the bullpen, it was Chapman and Britton,
15:11and it blew up on them.
15:12It didn't work well.
15:13And I think they have baseball PTSD from it and don't want to do it again.
15:19That's an area they don't want to spend.
15:21There's nothing wrong with having two great relievers.
15:23John, John, again, I'm with you.
15:25I would have tried to do Suarez.
15:26That's the one guy on the board I thought they should have gone for overkill on.
15:31Because I'm not sure why the Yankees –
15:33They need to do something.
15:34It feels like – I mean, running it back, this is the ultimate example.
15:38Like I said, it was a very good team.
15:40They won 94 games until they hit Toronto.
15:44You know, they were really pretty darn good.
15:47And I don't think anyone would expect them to be blown out,
15:50give up 34 runs in 34 innings.
15:52But that's what happened, and they haven't won in 16 years.
15:56And, you know, if you're really devastated, you know,
16:00pay an extra $20 million a year and get Diaz,
16:03or $15 million or $12 million and get somebody else really good for the back end.
16:07Right now, I'm not that confident in their bullpen.
16:09But, yeah, I have some questions about both teams' bullpen also.
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