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00:00Jones and Keith live here at Jake and Joe's in Woburn on WEEI.
00:06Doors just open here and already, Keith.
00:09People are loading up for the game.
00:11We got 12-15, right?
00:13We're a little under an hour away.
00:15We're all in on TCU.
00:17We're all Horned Frogs here today.
00:18We're all Horned Frogs.
00:19Although I was making the rounds.
00:21I talked to Steve and Steve.
00:22We got two Steves here already.
00:23Double Steve?
00:23Maybe one Steve and then the other one gave you a fake name.
00:25That's a good radio show name.
00:27Steve and Steve.
00:28Steve and Steve?
00:28That's not bad.
00:29Not bad?
00:30We got a Gators fan.
00:31We got a Johnny's fan here.
00:32You're rocking your Paul Pierce.
00:33And it fits nicely, too.
00:34It's not like I got Stottemire jerseys.
00:35I bought a big Kansas jersey.
00:38They're like, oh, a Kansas fan?
00:39No, Paul Pierce fan.
00:40Paul Pierce fan.
00:40I've had this jersey for 30 years, probably.
00:43No, it looks like a million bucks, Keith.
00:45So stop by Jake and Joe's.
00:47If you need a spot to watch the game, we're going to be here until 2 o'clock.
00:49Taking all your phone calls, 617-779-7937.
00:54We'll go on the clock with all of our final, last-second bracket thoughts coming up at high
00:59noon, so don't miss it.
01:00And don't miss Rob Bradford, Baseball Isn't Boring, and weei.com.
01:05He joins us right now.
01:07Our Red Sox spring training coverage with Bradfoe is brought to you by, wait for it, Keith,
01:11McFarlane Energy.
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01:24By Aviva Trattoria, Italian-inspired, American-made, with fresh, whole, locally-sourced ingredients.
01:30And by Shaw's and Star Market, proud to be local since 1860.
01:36Bradfoe, what's up?
01:37May all of you have the luck of McFarlane in your brackets.
01:41It's great to talk to you, and your triceps have never looked better.
01:45I can confirm that.
01:46Oh, thank you.
01:47Mine have absolutely never looked better.
01:49I was AI-enhanced.
01:51I was looking good.
01:53I showed that picture to Cat.
01:55Cat was loving it.
01:58Yay, technology.
01:59Yeah, no, people who say the robots are bad.
02:02No, no, no.
02:02Robots are good.
02:03Very, very good.
02:04Lucas is going to have a brother now.
02:08Before we get to the Red Sox, we were just talking about the opener a week away.
02:12You were at the World Baseball Classic.
02:13You were handing out all your baseball isn't boring swag, as it was.
02:18When it comes to the final, who should we blame for the U.S. coming up short again in
02:23this tournament where I feel like they haven't won it enough, just one for six?
02:27I just felt like, and first of all, thank you, Adam Monavino.
02:30You know, I told him I would thank him for putting the baseballs in the boring sticker
02:33on the espresso machine for Team Italy.
02:35I mean, that was the ultimate product placement.
02:39So, but I felt like sort of the Team USA thing was manufactured all along.
02:46It was, even, and I know this wasn't the case, but even when Harper hit the home run,
02:51it's kind of like, oh, we're going to come out of the dugout and celebrate because that's
02:55what you're supposed to do.
02:56And I know that's not how it is, but still, if you compare them to these other teams,
03:02there wasn't that, for whatever reason, with this Team USA team, there wasn't that
03:08we are going to find a way to win mentality.
03:11There was no semblance of that in the ninth inning, certainly.
03:14So, yeah, they made it to the finals.
03:16So, you ask who's to blame?
03:18I don't know.
03:18I mean, I think maybe that you maybe not should have brought back DeRosa as the manager.
03:24Maybe you shouldn't have just said, had this MLB network, I don't know, like campaign for
03:31them, just announcing every little thing that they did.
03:35Everything just seemed so manufactured.
03:37And I think at the end of the day, that's how it felt at the end.
03:40Yeah, I just don't think they care as much about it as the other teams.
03:44I fully agree with you, especially because all the other teams are going crazy.
03:48Even the teams that were like 0 for 4 in the tournament are having an absolute blast.
03:52It means so much to them.
03:54You saw the emotion from Venezuela.
03:56And Team USA is just, it's a loaded roster.
03:59And they just aren't as into it.
04:01And I would say this, Rich, is that, you know, it's a cliche to say, oh, that team wanted
04:06it more.
04:07You know, you have the coaches.
04:08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:09I'm sure you've had high school coaches come in and say, they wanted it more than you
04:12guys.
04:12Well, did they really?
04:13Well, they, that's undeniable that Venezuela wanted it more than U.S.
04:19And I don't know if, you know, that's a testimonial to Venezuela or a negative for U.S.
04:25I just know that's a fact.
04:27I've never, ever seen a crowd that loud.
04:30And when Harper hit the home run, the crowd wasn't like, it wasn't like that usual crowd
04:35of, oh, woe is us.
04:37They tie the game.
04:38What are we going to do?
04:39It was the feeling for the team, the Venezuelan team, the crowd was, okay, let's go.
04:45You want to do this?
04:46Let's go.
04:47And I mean, so I felt like that was how it was all along.
04:51It is funny.
04:52The, oh, they wanted it more is like the worst cliche, but it absolutely applies.
04:56It like absolutely applies at this tournament.
04:59Like you could see it clear as day.
05:01Do you think there's any chance they would let major leaguers be in the Olympics in a couple
05:06of years?
05:07Because I think this was a fun tournament.
05:08People were super into it.
05:09So many major league stars got a lot of attention as it should have.
05:13The Olympics is in the United States in two years.
05:16You would have to interrupt the regular season.
05:19Is there any chance that they would do that?
05:22I think there's, there's a slim chance, but everybody is screaming and yelling about how
05:27it's going to happen and how these players are going to want to play in it.
05:30DeRosa saying it'll be, it'll be much easier because, you know, you'll be in the middle
05:35of the season.
05:35And like, what are we talking about?
05:37Do we understand?
05:38Does anyone remember what it's like in the middle of a baseball season?
05:42You have guys who don't go to all-star games because they want to, they want to break.
05:47And so to say, so it's to say that these guys in the middle of a baseball season where you're
05:55starting to feel worn down and all of that.
05:57And yeah, you want to play for your country, but it's the teams, the players, everybody is
06:03just a terribly timed thing.
06:06I think that more so in baseball, certainly than hockey.
06:09So yeah, I, my, my guess is that it seems like a good idea now, but good luck with that.
06:14But that, okay.
06:15Well, good luck with that.
06:15But that's such a baby thing from the, it's not every year.
06:18It's not like I have to do it every year.
06:19It's every three years.
06:20You can make it every four years if it was the Olympics.
06:23I mean, so what if it's not every year?
06:25It's a year.
06:26Like it's, it's like, that is the year.
06:28That is what you're talking about.
06:29It's not like they're saving the bullets for the Olympics.
06:33No, no, no, but I'm saying for the union, it's like, guys, we're not asking you to do
06:36this every year.
06:37And by the way, every other sport does it.
06:39And so I just, I don't, I don't know why that would be such a big deal.
06:41Well, because I'll tell you, because number one, the union might say, okay, we'll do it.
06:46I'm just saying it's not a good idea because you can say, I just said every other sport
06:51does it.
06:51Sure.
06:52Hockey does it and everybody else, but baseball, it's a long, it's the longest season.
06:57It's the biggest grind of all.
06:58Like all I have to go by is how these players are when you get to that point in the
07:04season.
07:04And I can tell you, and I use the all-star game as an example of this, is that these
07:09guys,
07:10there's a reason why it's the all-star break because they need a break.
07:15And, and if when you, even with the all-star game, these guys are leaving in the fifth inning
07:19to get on their private jets.
07:21And I know they'll say, well, this is the Olympics.
07:23We want to be part of it.
07:24But it, this seems like a good idea now, but I think when you get to the middle of
07:29a season, it's not going to be a good idea.
07:31And I, can I, is that American players?
07:33Because I have a feeling the Venezuelan players and the Dominican players would have zero problem
07:37doing it.
07:38That just sounds like the players from the U.S.
07:40Well, yeah.
07:40I mean, I think that certainly we've seen that, right?
07:43That it means a whole lot more, especially Venezuela who qualified to the Olympics for the
07:48first time forever.
07:49So, yeah, I think that for those players, absolutely.
07:53But even then.
07:53So it's just the American baby players.
07:55No, no, it's not just the Americans.
07:56But I think, I think even then, it's, I think whether, no matter what country it is, they're
08:02going to get in the middle of the season.
08:03And I'll just, I'm just repeating myself, but they're, they're all going to be like,
08:08oh man, you know, I want to do it, but wow, this isn't a good, this isn't a best time
08:13thing.
08:13And so for DeRosa to come out and say, well, this is going to be even better.
08:18The timing is going to be even better.
08:20No, it's not.
08:21It's just simply not.
08:23What's more likely, players in the 2028 Olympics or no baseball in 2027?
08:28Oh, no, no baseball at all.
08:31Oh, yeah.
08:32That's what I mean.
08:32Yeah, yeah.
08:33Oh, oh.
08:35I mean, no, I mean, baseball, there'll be baseball in 2027.
08:40It's just, I mean, you might, you might have spring training in June.
08:43But, you know, it's like.
08:46So, yeah.
08:47So, so you think there will be baseball, just maybe not a full season.
08:50Yeah.
08:50This is how it, this is how it always, it's going to be.
08:53I think it'll be more uncomfortable than the last one, but there'll be baseball.
08:58Yeah.
08:59Okay.
08:59Rob Bradford, baseball isn't boring.
09:01And WEI joining us here on Jones and Keith.
09:04We're live today at Jake and Joe's getting ready for the NCAA tournament.
09:08Follow Bradfoe at Bradfoe on Twitter.
09:11On the Red Sox, Rob, we're a week out from the Red Sox opener.
09:16We're what?
09:17A couple of weeks away from the Red Sox home opener at Fenway Park.
09:22What level of excitement should the fan base be getting to about this team?
09:26I think Keith and I are both pretty optimistic.
09:28And I think the performances from the Red Sox, specifically Duran, at the World Baseball Classic,
09:33I think have us feeling pretty good the closer we get to opening day.
09:37Yeah.
09:37I was going to say that.
09:39I think that, you know, being here for, I can document it, 38 days.
09:43Because today is day 30.
09:45Wow.
09:4538 days in Miami.
09:47That's tough.
09:48That's a sick, sick, sick brag, bro.
09:50That's a lot of per deal.
09:51It is.
09:52I mean, you guys had to take a pay cut for a reason, right?
09:55I mean, I don't know.
09:57There was a reason.
09:58Yeah.
10:00So, yeah, 38 days, as I've documented on Instagram, this is day 38.
10:07I've seen a lot.
10:09And I've seen, again, this is all sick.
10:10Every time I say something, I'm thinking, this is going to be a sick brag, bro.
10:14Yeah.
10:15I'd plan on that just being the case, yeah.
10:17Yeah.
10:18Let me just save you the time.
10:20I'm going to rattle off a bunch of them.
10:22Okay.
10:22So, but I would say this is that I'm more optimistic about this team than I was,
10:30say, three weeks ago.
10:31And I think that, Adam, a big reason is what you said.
10:35It's hard not to look at what Roman Anthony did, Willi Obreu did,
10:40Jaron Duran did, like these guys did, and say, okay, that's what they need.
10:44This is what we talked about with this team.
10:46They need the alphas.
10:47They need the guys to step up and be the guys.
10:50And I think that what they showed is that they have the capability of being the guys.
10:55Now, I can poke holes in the team, absolutely.
10:57I think one thing that isn't good is that you've taken out two guys in Romy Gonzalez
11:03and Rob Refsnyder who had OPSs of almost 1,000 against lefty pitching,
11:07and you haven't replaced them.
11:09So you're banking on Abreu and Meyer and Anthony to all hit lefty pitching.
11:14I think that's – and by the way, Tito Francona, how about him coming out saying,
11:19we're starting two lefties out of the gate because, you know what,
11:21the other team that we're playing probably doesn't want that to happen.
11:26So that's going to be a very real challenge for this team.
11:29But I think overall, watching the team and being around the team,
11:32I am more optimistic than I was probably three weeks ago.
11:36Yeah, I'm optimistic as well, but obviously they still have a ton of lefties.
11:39They have a lot of overlap with their players.
11:41Does Yoshida have any role on this team?
11:45No.
11:45Yeah.
11:46No, he doesn't.
11:47No, I mean, the thing is that I get it when Alex Cora says it's not a problem
11:54because it's always good to have a lot of good players.
11:57Sure.
11:58And I get it when he says, oh, Masa Yoshida is an outstanding hitter.
12:02Yeah, sure.
12:03But here's the thing.
12:04If he was such an outstanding hitter, he would be playing all the time,
12:08which he's not going to be.
12:10And it's just square peg, round hole.
12:13That's just how it is.
12:14And so I am anxious to see what they do.
12:18And by the way, Tristan Kassas, they're going to slow play him,
12:21but he looks good, man.
12:23Like he is in, I'll say it, the best shape of his life.
12:28He is.
12:29Like it's not even a question.
12:30And he's hitting and he's running and everything else.
12:33And so when he comes back, then you'll have another log on the fire.
12:38And so it's like there is no – this is not an easy answer.
12:42And by the way, Yoshida is sitting there on the roster.
12:45You are not able probably to keep an Eaton who would be your right-handed bat.
12:51It would be your Rob Refsnyder.
12:52So, yeah, it's a mismatched situation.
12:55And I don't care what they say.
12:58Like right now there is an illogical solution to it.
13:01Well, no, and like based on the roster, I know you've said before you think
13:04ultimately they trade one of these outfielders.
13:07So do you still stand with that?
13:09And I guess my other question would be if they don't, at least in the meantime,
13:12is Roman Anthony just a DH, which seems weird to do for like a 21-year-old
13:18athletic kid this early in his career to be like, all you just do is hit.
13:22Well, I'll answer that first.
13:24No, I don't think he is.
13:25But the dynamic, it becomes a weird dynamic because you're flip-flopping him
13:29and Duran DH in outfield.
13:31And, you know, you heard Duran say about DH-ing, it's like, well,
13:34I'll be the fastest DH there is.
13:37To me what that said is I should be in the field.
13:40You know, and so, you know, I don't think Roman Anthony is a fine fielder too.
13:46It's not – and you don't want a 21-year-old DH-ing.
13:49I think Alex Cora has said that.
13:52So, yeah, but you're going to flip-flop those two.
13:54It's another example of why this is sort of a mismatch.
13:58And you asked the question about trading one of these guys.
14:00Well, unless somebody gets hurt, like you can't keep going down this road.
14:05I used the example of years ago of the third base, first base situation
14:10with Lowell and Beltre and Uclus and Ortiz.
14:13I mean, it becomes a thing, man.
14:16It becomes an issue.
14:17And if Jaron Duran is going to be DH-ing all the time, I'm sure that's not what he wants
14:23at all.
14:24But if Roman Anthony – if they think Roman Anthony is better served playing the field,
14:28well, that's what it's going to be.
14:31What's the fifth starter race looking like?
14:34Honestly, Oviedo, Early, and Tully all have really good numbers.
14:38You know, I'd say Tully strikeout-wise probably looks the best.
14:41Oviedo's probably been the wildest, but his overall numbers are good.
14:45Early's thrown the most innings out of those guys.
14:46He's pitched really well.
14:47Who has the inside track on the fifth starter spot?
14:51Oh, Oviedo.
14:52And the reason – I know we talked about this before about contract manipulation and everything,
14:57and I said, well, you know, you have the other part of that,
15:00which is if you win the top two rookie of the year or finish the top two in rookie of
15:05the year,
15:05you get draft picks.
15:06Because there's a pretty big payoff for that if they are on the opening day.
15:10But that's a risk for the team.
15:13So, in other words, if they think that Conley Early is going to win rookie of the year
15:17and they're pretty confident about it, he'll be on opening day.
15:19But I don't think they're that confident about it enough to give up that service time.
15:24So, when they have the logical solution on Oviedo, who's looked good down here,
15:29then you run him out, you see what he can do, and then you go from there.
15:33And meanwhile, you get an extra year for both Toley and Early in the minor leagues.
15:39But both of them, guys, both Toley and Early, they've been really good, man.
15:44Like, they've been really, really good.
15:45So, but still, Oviedo's been good, too.
15:49And I just think because he's pitched 170 innings one year in the majors,
15:53he gets first crack at it.
15:55Jones and I will be at the WUSOX season opener a week from tomorrow.
16:00No doubt.
16:00And we assume Toley and Early will be there.
16:04We asked you this before.
16:05I think you said Brayden Ward is the guy we're going to keep an eye on.
16:07Didn't I say this?
16:08And he did, and he nailed it.
16:10Yeah, didn't we talk about that that day?
16:11Yes, Brad Foe.
16:12Yeah, Brad, it was that day you said he was going to raise the base,
16:15which, well.
16:15He kind of did.
16:16He kind of did.
16:18He took the base out.
16:18I give him credit.
16:18He picked the base up out of the ground.
16:20He didn't, like, raise it over his head.
16:21It was so quick.
16:22There was no speed.
16:23He did it to, like, win a bet.
16:24Yeah.
16:24But barely took it out of the ground, but he did.
16:26But, no, Brad, we did talk about that.
16:28But they might have kind of a loaded roster.
16:30I mean, Toley and Early, and then, you know, Christian Campbell,
16:33Tristan Casas.
16:34International League Championship?
16:36Is that their league?
16:36I think they, well, those guys might all get called up,
16:39but at least to start.
16:40Yeah.
16:40They've got to be the favorite.
16:41Good point.
16:41Good point.
16:41Yeah, see, it's like the 2023 Norfolk Tides all over again,
16:46and nobody knows what I'm talking about.
16:47But those are the Orioles.
16:49That was the Orioles wave of guys.
16:51Like, they can't be beat.
16:52But I think that the Destro on Toley and Early alone,
16:58like, that alone makes it a really, really interesting team.
17:02And I really look forward to you guys going there,
17:06and I really look forward to you guys interviewing Peyton Toley.
17:09I mean, I think that's the case.
17:11We're shaving USA into our chest, and we're going to talk to him.
17:14You guys would nail that interview, and I'm telling you,
17:18it's like if Peyton Toley was in the major leagues,
17:21he would be top five major league personalities.
17:24Definitely.
17:25Yeah.
17:26And so it's going to be a good team, but more importantly,
17:30it's going to be a good group to interview for you guys.
17:33Okay.
17:33Well, we're looking forward to it.
17:34That's a week from tomorrow.
17:35We're live at Jake and Joe's today in Woburn,
17:38taking in the NCAA tournament.
17:39Brad Foe, what did you say, 38 days in Florida?
17:4238 days.
17:4438 days and counting.
17:45You do not want to smell my rental car.
17:48It's not good.
17:49I mean.
17:49No, I don't.
17:50I never did.
17:51I never, never, never not one time did I ever want to do that.
17:53By day one, you did it.
17:54But good to know.
17:56All right.
17:56Brad Foe, we'll talk to you next week.
17:57Thanks so much.
17:58All right.
17:58See you.
17:59All right.
17:59Rob Bradford joins us here every week on Jones and Keith.
18:03I had never even dreamed of wanting to smell his rental car.
18:05No.
18:05I guess not something I ever.
18:06That could be like a new reality show where you have to like sit inside
18:08and you get money for how long you stay inside.
18:11No windows open.
18:12Nothing like that.
18:13So Brad Foe locked into a rental car that Bradford's been in for over a month.
18:16Yeah.
18:16Does he sleep in there?
18:17Brad Foe has no gas, dot, dot, dot, in the tank.
18:20No.
18:20Maybe.
18:21Car stinks to high heaven.
18:23Maybe.
18:23Fort Myers to Bradenton.
18:24Maybe the rest of the car.
18:26That's where it's all going.
18:27So anyway, you can follow him on Twitter, at Brad Foe, baseball isn't boring,
18:31and weei.com as well.
18:34Again, we're live today at Jake and Joe's getting ready for the NCAA tournament.
18:38We're going on the clock at high noon.
18:40We will give you our last second bracket picks live here from Jake and Joe's.
18:44And coming up next, we'll get to the Patriots, the latest updates
18:47when it comes to A.J. Brown and his health.
18:50That's next.
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