00:00I think it was a month before the season.
00:02I mean, when they trade Mackenzie Gore, everybody's like,
00:06all right, these dudes are just rolling in, resetting the clock on this,
00:09and they're going to trade CJ.
00:11Bob Nightingale, USA Today.
00:14I mean, I thought this is pretty damn interesting, man.
00:20According to Bob Nightingale, and he has quotes from Toboni and CJ Abrams
00:24on the record here, that the Nats, which is kind of consistent
00:28with the reporting we heard at the time, the Nats let everybody know
00:32CJ Abrams was available, but nobody met their price.
00:36And what Toboni decided to do is he just told CJ the truth.
00:42He just came out and said.
00:43He did what most, when you see most teams that people consider
00:48the front office great, he did what they do.
00:52Communicate directly and respectfully.
00:54Because, listen, every player understands that if somebody comes along
00:58that's better, they're going to move you and try to get them in.
01:00But if they just be truthful to you, look in your eyes and be truthful,
01:04instead of ignoring you and lying to you, you won't have problems.
01:08And I think, so the quotes in here are really, really interesting.
01:15From Paul Toboni, he said,
01:16I've come to realize that in most cases, it's not the fear of being traded,
01:20but what mostly bothers players is being completely in the dark.
01:24I never met a player or a coach or a front office guy who was too transparent.
01:28You played pro sports.
01:30Yeah.
01:30How accurate is that?
01:32That's what I mean.
01:34I'm going to go above 100%, 1,000% accurate.
01:37Because so many times as a player, people want to try to make you feel good
01:43and they tell you a complete lie.
01:45Just like if you tell your parents a lie and they find out the truth,
01:48they're pissed at you, tell your girl or a girl, a guy tell,
01:52a girl tell you the wrong thing, you find the truth, you're completely pissed off.
01:57If somebody tell you directly what something is, whether you like it or not,
02:01you have to get over the initial shock, but they were truthful.
02:05And you have to respect that.
02:06And I think that's what happened.
02:09CJ, they came in and they said, look, bro,
02:13we are putting you on the market.
02:16But they got to clear a high enough damn bar.
02:19See, we really like you.
02:21Just because you're trading somebody don't mean that you dislike them.
02:23Sometimes I'm trading you because you help out our overall team.
02:27But we put this price at a certain price to where if they want you,
02:31the person that's going to take you from us is going to have to really,
02:34really want you and like you.
02:35And the fact that he told CJ that directly, nobody was able to go to that price.
02:40Look at how he's playing now.
02:42Doesn't it seem like he's finally released a lot of that pressure, that stress,
02:48and he's just playing freely now?
02:50Well, I think the plate discipline is by far the best thing that CJ's got going.
02:56I think eventually you've got to kind of figure out where he belongs in the field.
02:59But his walks, coming into this year, he averaged 35 walks and 130 Ks a year.
03:06Right now through whatever we're at, 60 games, 27 walks, 49 strikeouts.
03:13So he's on pace to absolutely smash.
03:15He's way down on the strikeouts so far.
03:17Just getting on base, right?
03:19And I think he's done a way better job of just being disciplined at the plate.
03:23And I think having a lineup that just mashes all the time helps a ton too.
03:30And on top of it, when you don't know, you're always trying to impress.
03:36So what do you do?
03:37You get too aggressive.
03:39You're jumping at stuff you know you should take.
03:41I started watching this fight last night.
03:44See, I got tired of it because the one lady just destroyed.
03:47There was the women MMA.
03:49And the young lady that was supposed to come in, she was exceptional boxing.
03:52But you know what she kept doing?
03:55Overswinging.
03:55And every time she overswinged, the other lady just came behind her, took her to the ground.
04:00And kept her down there for three minutes or something.
04:02And then she'd get up.
04:03Everybody thought, oh, she's in great shape.
04:05She didn't throw one punch.
04:07You can't throw punches on your back fighting.
04:10So CJ was pressing.
04:12Now he's doing what the other lady did.
04:15I'm going to sit back and relax and let you make a mistake.
04:18And I'm going to get you.
04:21And it's just crazy because I don't know what's going to happen with baseball.
04:28And there is.
04:29So Abrams had a quote in here, which I thought is pretty damn fair.
04:32He said, I mean, I'm still here.
04:34I'm with the Nats.
04:35And I want to win with the Nats.
04:36I probably think, I think fans would go ballistic.
04:47But I wonder, if somebody called Taboni today with the right offer, CJ's probably still available.
04:55Listen, bro.
04:56The right offer makes everybody available.
05:00You know, you got people right now super comfortable, not even thinking about selling their house.
05:05Keenan McCardell.
05:07Keenan McCardell had built this house, badass house, in Houston.
05:11Keenan wasn't selling it.
05:12You know, if I was knowing Keenan, if I knew John at the point, I'd be like, call John.
05:17But you know who rolled in and said, hey, I'll offer you this?
05:20You know what Keenan did?
05:21He moved out the next day.
05:22So, Tracy McGrady rolled in.
05:25I like this house.
05:26Not for sale.
05:27I'll pay you this.
05:28Ah, we'll be out tomorrow.
05:29That's amazing.
05:30That's how quick it happens.
05:31This is no lie.
05:32This is just facts.
05:33So, people, everybody has a price.
05:36And yes, CJ's playing great now.
05:39You got through the other stuff.
05:40You don't want to let him go.
05:41But if somebody rolled in here and offered the right price, as he said before, they got a high bar
05:46to clear.
05:47If they come up here now, like Hollis Conway, and go over that 7'10", that's a high enough bar.
05:53And they'll get you.
05:54Rick is in Waldorf.
05:56Rick, what do you think is going to happen with CJ?
05:59Hey, I got a question for you guys.
06:01Do you guys think that it's just a wake-up ball?
06:05Like, you know, they might be saying, hey, we know how good CJ is.
06:08Do you think they're just trying to wake him up to get his full potential for that?
06:12No, I think that they passed that.
06:14I mean, when they came in, they rolled in here before the season started telling him, look, you're on the
06:20market.
06:20I think the fact that they actually traded Gore means they were having very real conversations.
06:25They were talking about it.
06:25I just think, like, sometimes guys need to hear the truth.
06:30Then they can go with that.
06:31You know, when you're in the dark and you don't really know, you're out there trying to say, in other
06:36words, I don't know what I need to do to get their attention.
06:40Well, they came in and say, this is what's going on.
06:43This is what we like about you.
06:44We have somebody offered now.
06:46They got a high bar to go.
06:47We'll get rid of you.
06:48Right.
06:49But he now know, like, listen, they like me.
06:52They put the bar high enough.
06:55He turned it around.
06:57So, like, maybe they won't even shop him at all now.
06:59Maybe they're just like, well, damn.
07:01That's the question.
07:02I'm going to put it on the radio.
07:03My bad.
07:04You know, you're all right.
07:04You can say damn.
07:05Yeah, you can say damn.
07:06Hoover damn.
07:07Hoover damn, yeah.
07:08Because he actually just woke up.
07:10Like, we broke the bed.
07:12Now he's ready to rock and roll.
07:13I think they're still shopping him.
07:15Thank you for the call, Rick.
07:16I appreciate you.
07:17I said this.
07:19Whether he's here or at the next stop, you always, you learn these things like he just learned, and you
07:26take it with you.
07:28So, my mindset always was, I'm going to be damn good for you or against you.
07:34A lot of guys have that mindset where if somebody trade them, they shut it down.
07:38Like, oh, man, I can't believe.
07:39Man, get the hell over that.
07:40You're still getting paid to play, right?
07:42Right.
07:42Show the other team that they made a damn mistake.
07:45I also wanted to point out just some stats.
07:47Zach Littell has been on fire.
07:49James Wood, 16 homers now on the year.
07:53Tied for second in the National League.
07:56Schwarber just hits nukes.
07:57So, Schwarber's leading the NL.
07:59He might be leading all baseball with 22 home runs.
08:02But, if I may, James Wood has 16 home runs on the year.
08:07Fellow by the name of Bryce Harper in Philadelphia has 13.
08:11Fellow by the name of Juan Soto has 13.
08:13So, Wood outproducing those.
08:15He's raking it, baby.
08:16Yeah, at least in the power numbers.
08:20Yeah, Schwarber leads the majors with 22 home runs.
08:23Then you've got a pair.
08:24There's like five guys ahead of where Wood is.
08:27But one of them is Aaron Judge.
08:31He's in pretty elite company.
08:33I think the Nats are just playing good, clean baseball.
08:38And it's just fun to watch, man.
08:41Can it just be the whole, the way things are being run has relaxed a lot of the guys?
08:47Because it ain't just one guy.
08:50It's multiple guys that are playing better baseball.
08:53And they're winning in different ways.
08:55That's what I'm saying.
08:55Like, on Saturday, they, I think Saturday was the comeback, right?
09:00And then they had the huge, like, 7th or 8th inning.
09:04And then yesterday was kind of, not quite a pitcher's duel, but it was a 4-2 final.
09:08And it was, like, kind of tight down the end.
09:10I have another complaint.
09:12But I'll save that for the next week.
09:14No stuff.
09:15Next week.
09:16You got something to complain about?
09:17Larry, what's up, dude?
09:19Hey, fellas.
09:20Absolutely, they're trying to trade him.
09:22Or else he would be playing second base right now.
09:24So, the return on a shortstop is much more lucrative than it is for a second baseman.
09:30Nunez, we all know, should be playing short.
09:32He's the better fielder.
09:34However, they're looking to trade Abrams because they can get more for a shortstop than for a second baseman.
09:39If you see him switch to second base, then they've taken him off the market.
09:43That's, you know, that's my sense of the situation.
09:47That's a very good point, dude.
09:49But the flip side of that point is he's not the cleanest shortstop in the majors.
09:53Like, the errors are there.
09:55So, if you're trying to trade him, you don't want to see all the errors neither, do you?
09:58You're trading CJ for his bat.
10:00Yes.
10:01And the team that is willing to pay that price will figure out where he goes.
10:06The other part of this is they have this kid who's just raking a AAA, Seaver King, kind of prepared
10:13to replace CJ.
10:14So, like, I think they're in a – I think they have more of a PR problem than they do
10:20a baseball problem because the correct baseball decision-making is to trade CJ.
10:25And at the highest of his value is probably going to be at or around this trade deadline.
10:31But I think that is why they put –
10:32A PR problem.
10:33But they put it at a point where if you want him, you have to get to our number, which
10:41means you're going to set us up.
10:43If you don't go there, we're not letting him go.
10:46That's what I believe is that.
10:48Dude, the kid Littell, I mean, he's been nails over the last month.
10:55I mean, he went six yesterday, struck out six.
11:00The pitching has caught up here.
11:02I told you, when you got back, you can – as a pitcher, you can relax, bro.
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