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00:00Zach Meisel was there last night. He was one of the guys blowing off the fireworks out on the parking
00:05deck,
00:05so let's get the lowdown from him as well.
00:07He is from The Athletic, and of course he is on The Wise Art Right, We Make It Right, Call
00:12Kyle Right Hotline.
00:13Zach, how are you? Good to talk to you.
00:15Mr. Meisel?
00:16Remember years ago, the person shooting off the fireworks from the roof of the parking garage across or next door,
00:23they like screwed up twice, and I went up there to try to interview them to write about it,
00:30and I don't know how they get up there. I couldn't find my way up. I was just shouting from
00:35a floor below.
00:36I think there's an office up there that you can walk up through a door to get up on that
00:42roof.
00:42It is a weird spot, though, and like I said last night, I watched it, and I didn't realize it's
00:47just two guys sitting in lawn chairs
00:49and folding chairs that they're just waiting, and then I feel bad for Hoskins because he got gypped out of
00:55one of the fireworks last night.
00:56Those guys were hustling to try to get in. Back-to-back is probably like their hardest situation they ever
01:01have to deal with, right?
01:02Stressful.
01:03They got to reload, and then they got to make sure they do it quick, and I mean, Hoskins was
01:07already rounding third heading for home
01:09before he even got his first firework. Most guys get the little sparkle ones, and then they get the big
01:14one.
01:14He just got the sparkles.
01:16There's a lot of pressure. I mean, what if a guy makes a great catch at the wall,
01:20and sometimes they don't show the baseball in their glove right away because they like to kind of play coy,
01:26and, you know, it's tough. If you screw that up, everybody is looking at you.
01:33You had one job, and you couldn't do it right.
01:35Yeah, but you also have digits on the line there, too, and you don't want to be the guy counting
01:39the nine
01:40because you blew off the wrong one.
01:43And we think a team that can't hit's an issue. Wow.
01:47We're worried about the fireworks, guys.
01:49I mean, it was impressive that they brought enough. They had enough in the holster.
01:53That's true.
01:54Seven home runs from that team.
01:55Yeah, maybe they had a couple left over from them Saturday night because they were blowing those off Saturday night.
01:59What's Joe Ryan thinking today, Zach?
02:03It was weird, and not only that, but the Twins are in a weird spot, and he is – I
02:09don't know that Tarek Skugel is going to get traded,
02:11and if he doesn't, Joe Ryan might be the next best thing on the trade market.
02:16So if you're one of the teams that needs a starting pitcher and you're watching him last night,
02:20there were a bunch of scouts in the ballpark last night watching Joe Ryan, among others,
02:26and I don't know that they loved what they saw.
02:30Zach, though, you could kind of –
02:31Maybe Joe just wants to stay in Minnesota.
02:33It was – I mean, it was a really, really good night.
02:36Like, the air was perfect to hit the ball out of the ballpark last night.
02:39I'm not – I kept thinking – one of the home runs was kind of short.
02:42And I'm like, I don't know if that goes out in April or May or even, you know, September or
02:49October.
02:50There was just something about last night.
02:51It was warm enough.
02:53Are you with me on this, or am I insane?
02:55If I'm insane, just say it.
02:56No, it was the first day in ever that I felt like the air felt good, right?
03:04Like, it wasn't – there wasn't oppressive humidity.
03:06There wasn't smoke.
03:08I think I – I'm trying to remember what the exact number was.
03:11It was almost 2,800 feet of home runs.
03:15And then you think about who hit them, and it's pretty impressive.
03:19When you're talking Petey Halpin, Patrick Bailey, Reece Hoskins hitting, too?
03:23Like, these weren't your usual suspects.
03:25Not going to lie, I thought the ball was juiced for last night's game.
03:27I'm just going to be honest.
03:28It could be.
03:29It went through my mind.
03:31They switched the baseball at some point in June.
03:34We had it on the Athletic, I want to say, a week and a half ago.
03:38And so there was, like, an error in manufacturing.
03:42So some of the baseballs are, like, leaking a little bit, and they're, like, stained yellow,
03:47and they're definitely traveling differently.
03:49I don't know all the science behind it.
03:52As long as they're not using that magenta ball from the home run derby, everything's going to be okay.
03:56I don't think that, but I think we've seen just across the league the home run rate since, like, June
04:021st has really spiked.
04:04Now, not in Cleveland until last night.
04:07It felt like the Guardians had been using the same baseballs they've always been using, but that was nice to
04:13see.
04:15How's the team done since what I call Black Saturday when, you know, Delauder, Jose, Angel went out?
04:23We wanted them to tread water.
04:25They seemed to be treading water, Zach.
04:28Yeah, they've been fine.
04:30I mean, they're very, very fortunate that the American League just absolutely stinks.
04:37That's not – that's an understatement.
04:40It's pitiful.
04:40I've never seen – I mean, this is, like, the NBA Eastern Conference when, like, the New Jersey Nets could
04:47sleepwalk to the finals with Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.
04:51Right?
04:51Like, remember how bad the East was some of those years in the early 2000s?
04:56That's what the American League is this year, where even the best teams in the AL, the Rays and the
05:02Yankees, those teams have really come back to earth lately.
05:06So there's just – it helps that all they needed to do was kind of what you said, Jeff, or
05:11just, like, hang in there.
05:13And they've done that.
05:14But it's – you see the elements, right?
05:17You see Travis Pazana look really good for a rookie.
05:20You see Chase Delauder look like the best hitter on the team.
05:24You see Stephen Kwan come back to life a little bit.
05:27You see the starting pitching just give you quality start after quality start.
05:32And it's like, man, you kind of want more.
05:34It feels like this team has the ingredients to run away with the division, but they just haven't been able
05:39to string much together.
05:41It feels like two wins in a row, then two losses in a row, then two wins in a row,
05:45two losses in a row.
05:46And maybe Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez coming back will help push them in the right direction and let them
05:54– I don't know if they'll run away with this division, but at least take command of it.
06:00But they need more, too, right?
06:02Like, those guys – obviously, Jose is the face of the franchise.
06:05Martinez was having a better season, but he was still about league average offensively.
06:10So they need some more, and they need the young kids to keep doing it and not get fatigued when
06:15they play 162 games for the first time.
06:18So we'll see where this goes.
06:20Zach, let's go back to Stephen Kwan for a second because I don't – I think it's a weird spot.
06:25Maybe if he had these numbers in April or May, we might be talking about trading him, knowing what his
06:30contract situation is.
06:31So tell me, when you look at Kwan now, like, are you thinking differently than you did a month ago?
06:38I mean, he's hitting 405 this month, and 17 hits, 8 runs, 4 RBI, 8 walks.
06:44He's only struck out three times.
06:46I mean, he's on fire.
06:49And he played great defense last night, too.
06:50I don't even want to overlook that, too.
06:52Well, and that's a big part of it, right?
06:54Because his floor is going to be decently high because he still plays gold glove caliber defense,
07:00and moving him to center part of the time didn't trip him up at all.
07:05He's been great there, too.
07:07So there are elements here of a really good player, but the bat was just nonexistent for three months.
07:14And I think a lot of people were asking how this could be possible because it's not like –
07:21you know, you see some power hitters, like Kyle Manzardo's gone through it lately,
07:24where you see power hitters just – the timing's off, and it wrecks everything,
07:29and you have this really extended slump.
07:31But with Kwan, the swing is short and compact, and he's just trying to hit singles and doubles.
07:37So it felt like a slump like that shouldn't be possible for him.
07:41But it was because he was being passive.
07:44Pitchers were throwing to the outside part of the plate, and he couldn't really counteract that.
07:49So what we've seen over the last month is, if you just watch, you don't need stats to back it
07:54up.
07:54He is just slapping line drives the other way.
07:58You're going to throw him pitches on the outside part of the plate.
08:00He's just going to hit him to left field.
08:02And so eventually, the hope – Kwan even said this, you know, in asking, like,
08:07are you back? Is this the old Stephen Kwan?
08:09And he said he's cautiously optimistic.
08:12And the reason is he hopes that this will then earn him fastballs on the inside part of the plate,
08:17which he likes to turn on, and then you see this guy who's really tough to pitch to.
08:22So I think the question, getting back to your point, Andy, is, like, what is his future?
08:27Because he's got one more year left.
08:29He's probably going to make $9 or $10 million next season in arbitration.
08:32Do the Guardians want to pay that?
08:34Do they have ready replacements for him if they don't want to pay that?
08:38Will there be a full season?
08:39Will there be a salary floor so they have to pay some people?
08:42I mean, there's so many questions here, which makes me think he stays through the deadline.
08:48But I have given it thought in recent weeks, like, is there another team out there when he was struggling
08:54who thought, well, we can fix him, so let's just throw them a lottery ticket,
08:58and we'll take on Kwan's money, and we'll turn him into the old version of himself.
09:03Like, that – I had thought that that was a possibility, but now he's figured it out himself anyway.
09:09So, I think more than anything, he's just a good part of what they've got going right now.
09:15Is there any way – I mean, if the Guardians wanted to keep him, and they felt like – that
09:20he says,
09:21you know what, this organization really stuck by me until I got to this point in July,
09:25and now I'm taking off again.
09:26I don't know if that's – that's Pollyanna.
09:31Yeah, that's cute.
09:31Yeah, I just – but there is – isn't there a part – there's got to be a part of
09:35him that's saying –
09:37I mean, until this last month, I just haven't been able to do what I want to do at the
09:40plate,
09:40and I do kind of have to give these guys some credit.
09:43They stuck with me and helped me out.
09:45I don't know.
09:45I think that's the way I want things to be, and this is not the way they are, though.
09:48Well, I do think he's a very – he's a realist, and he's a self-deprecator,
09:52and he's more down-to-earth than maybe the average player his age who can smell free agency
10:00and thinks, I'm going to go land some $300 million contract.
10:04And he knows that's not going to happen for him, but I also think because he's such a realist,
10:10he knows this – he's got to rebuild his value, and he's got a year and a half to do
10:16that
10:16before he gets to free agency, and he's been betting on himself all along anyway,
10:21so I wouldn't think that that changes now.
10:24Zach Meisel joining us from The Athletic.
10:26Trade deadline coming up.
10:29I'm against the idea of trading top prospects,
10:32but you have three catchers sitting in AAA right now, Huff, Engel, and Bo Naylor.
10:40Is there a market for Naylor out there,
10:43and would the Guardians be okay with moving Huff or Engel as well?
10:48Yeah, I think two of them can get traded.
10:51I think there's a market for Bo Naylor.
10:54I've heard from a couple teams, National League teams, that have just kind of sniffed around.
11:01I don't think you're going to get much for him.
11:03I think it's more a case of a team that needs depth.
11:06Maybe their backup is injured or something, and they need somebody to fill in,
11:10and clearly he doesn't have a future in Cleveland,
11:13so I think the Guardians are – I think they've waited until this point in time for a team
11:18to maybe get desperate and offer them something useful for Bo Naylor,
11:22but it won't be a ton.
11:23And then the other interesting one is Cooper Engel.
11:26You know, he had to shift to left field because it was the only way to get his bat in
11:32the lineup in Cleveland,
11:33and we saw how that went for a couple of weeks,
11:37and it was a tough position for Cooper Engel to be in.
11:40It certainly doesn't need to be his entire Major League story,
11:44and so he's back at AAA right now, and he's played a little left field,
11:49but he's also back catching because I think teams want to know whether he can be a viable defensive catcher
11:56in the majors to go along with a bat that should be able to play.
11:59So you've got Austin Hedges, and you've got Patrick Bailey,
12:03and you've got Cody Huff as insurance.
12:05I don't think that there's a path to Cooper Engel catching in Cleveland anytime soon,
12:09so it would seem to be a guy who could certainly be part of a trade.
12:16You got your eye on anybody for this team moving forward in a trade?
12:21I have my eye on a lot of people, but who's going to sell?
12:25Like, it's such a weird market because, at least in the American League, nobody's good,
12:30but nobody's bad enough to be out of it.
12:32So, yeah, I mean, like, does Spencer Steer do anything for you?
12:37Does Isak Paredes do anything for you?
12:40I think there are players who can help this team.
12:44You know, maybe you turn some Fs in the lineup into a B or a C.
12:48I don't know that there's going to be a ton of marquee names traded just because, you know,
12:56it's just there aren't that many sellers.
12:58And I think a lot of the teams that want to be buyers know that they're playing for a wild
13:07card spot,
13:07and their roster probably isn't good enough to win the pennant.
13:11So I don't think the Guardians necessarily fall into that category.
13:17And I would encourage them to go be pretty aggressive here.
13:22You know, you've got a good farm system that you can trade from, and there are some clear needs.
13:27But it's going to be the case of who is actually available.
13:31And I think that I don't think there's going to be much clarity for another week to 10 days.
13:37So there are only three teams in the American League that aren't within five and a half games of a
13:42playoff spot right now.
13:44Yeah, I mean, look what the Red Sox have done.
13:45The Red Sox have won 14 in a row, and they've gone from obvious sellers,
13:49and you would have had Sonny Gray out there, Wilson Contreras out there, Aroles Chapman.
13:53And now they feel like they can go win the American League.
13:56They're a game and a half ahead of Texas for that third spot in the playoffs.
14:01I mean, they're sitting in the third spot.
14:03Heck, they're only a game behind us in the wild card stands.
14:07And, you know, the Tigers are going to hold up a lot of these conversations
14:11because everyone wants to know if Tarek Skubal is going to be available, Casey Mize, Clay Ratorrez.
14:17So, you know, the Astros are another team to watch.
14:20I don't think they would trade Jordan Alvarez either way.
14:23But if they do end up lightly selling, they've got some hitters who teams want.
14:29So it's tough.
14:30Like you said it.
14:31But everybody thinks they're in it, whether it's real or not.
14:37Zach, do Guardians fans get a look at Angel Hannau this year?
14:42And do they get a look at Ralphie Velasquez?
14:47Yeah, I think they would love Velasquez to just, like, dip his toes in the water,
14:56just get a taste of what it's like to be in the big leagues, even if it's only for five
15:00minutes.
15:00I think he will certainly be part of the plans next season.
15:04Hannau is a tricky one because he's pretty much ready.
15:10But where does he play?
15:12He's a shortstop.
15:14And he's bounced around to second base and third base.
15:16But those positions are all blocked in Cleveland.
15:21So the only way I can imagine him making sense in Cleveland is next year.
15:27And that would involve moving Travis Pazana to the outfield.
15:31I don't think that's a conversation they're ready to have yet.
15:34So, I mean, Hannau could be a trade ship, too.
15:37I don't think they want to move him.
15:39But he would, you know, he's a consensus top 50 to 75 prospect in baseball.
15:46And he's having a great year.
15:48He's super athletic defensively.
15:50He has some power.
15:52He hits for average.
15:53He draws a bunch of walks.
15:54Doesn't strike out much.
15:55That's a good player.
15:56It's a player that the Guardians would love to have, too.
15:58They just have to figure out how he fits.
16:00And this season, I don't think there's a fit there.
16:04Your thoughts on all those guys, and there were girls out there, too,
16:08waving their towels with no shirts on?
16:11I've just been waiting for you guys to join them.
16:13I actually, I mean, I was probably 10 rows away from those guys last night.
16:17And my wife looked at me and she goes, well, I'm like, well, what?
16:20I ain't going over there.
16:22So I just wanted to make sure.
16:23Do you guys remember, were you guys around when the,
16:27I'll redact the name of the longtime media member who basically started
16:32that movement 20 years ago up there in the upper deck one afternoon?
16:36There was a media member that started that?
16:39We'll talk off air.
16:40I will definitely have to talk off air.
16:42Wow.
16:44All right.
16:46You have one more point?
16:46You know him well.
16:47You know him well, and when I remind you of this, you'll say, oh, of course.
16:50I'm pretty sure I can think of it off the top of my head.
16:52Like, who would do that?
16:53I know exactly who would do that.
16:56No questions asked.
16:57All right.
16:57I'll text you after the show.
16:58What, uh, you good?
17:00Because I have one more very, uh, go ahead.
17:03No, this is a very, very important question.
17:04It has nothing to do with baseball that I have to ask.
17:07By all means, this is the format for it.
17:09All right.
17:09Well, Zach, with the athletic, obviously, and you're in conjunction with the New York
17:13Times, must you play Wordle every day?
17:17I started to, and then I, I got so, what is the point of it?
17:22Wordle?
17:23I, like, I encourage everybody to play it.
17:25Of course, I'm a company man.
17:26Um, but what, what is the goal here?
17:29Because it is impossible to get it in one.
17:31One, and if you get it in two, I've done it one before.
17:34I've gotten one.
17:35You just got to get really, really lucky.
17:37It's super hard.
17:38Yeah, I just, here's what I think, here's what I think it is.
17:41I think that we all look at some of these, like, crosswords and jumbles, and we hear
17:45how good that is for your brain to continue to start doing that when you're done with
17:49school at some point, and you're trying to keep your mind working in good order so that
17:54you have a healthier mind when you get older.
17:56That's the beauty of Wordle.
17:58Yes, but I don't need puzzles anymore because I saw the report that drinking five cups of
18:02coffee a day can help you live longer and healthier, and that's, that was speaking
18:07to me.
18:08Ah, all right.
18:09Um, you win.
18:11Do you have a free account at least?
18:12Thank you, Zach.
18:13For Wordle?
18:14Do you get to play for free?
18:16Uh, I do.
18:17Yeah, that's great.
18:17It's good to know you.
18:18It's good to know people, very important people.
18:21Zach, thank you.
18:21We appreciate you.
18:22Thanks, bud.
18:24You got it, guys.
18:24Keep your shirts on.
18:25We'll talk to you later.
18:26Always.
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