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00:00It's a drive by Derry Dyson, Charles Chisholm goes deep.
00:09Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of Pinstripe Post.
00:11I'm Ryan Sampson, but he's the star of the show, Joel Sherman.
00:14Today is Friday, July 24th.
00:15Joel, we're a little over a week away from the trade deadline, so I thought I'd get you
00:19back on here to talk about some of these names that we're seeing out there with the rumors
00:24going around.
00:25It's crazy, the hot stove season right now.
00:27But before I get to any of that, as always, I got to start.
00:30How are you doing today, sir?
00:32Oh, you're always nice, Ryan.
00:33You always ask.
00:34And so I want to make sure I send it back.
00:37How are you doing before I answer?
00:39I'm good.
00:39This is the grind, but you are grinding more than anyone else right now.
00:44This is a time of year, you know, like I can't, I had breakfast with somebody in the industry
00:48this morning who I thought might know stuff that's going on.
00:52If you, I hope the phone likes paying my bill on text message.
00:56There's certainly been a lot.
00:58There's some calls I made walking home from breakfast.
01:01You know, it's just, you're trying, it's liar's poker.
01:04There is a certain amount of blindness.
01:07And by the way, justifiable blindness.
01:09We are talking on Friday afternoon.
01:11The deadline is a week from Monday at six o'clock.
01:14And when I ask people, do you know who's in this market or not?
01:18They are still telling me that it will go through at least this weekend.
01:22And I had multiple executives say, I think some teams will push it to next weekend to
01:26declare buy or sell because, and what makes it fascinating, Ryan, as the big picture thing
01:32I would leave you with right here is if we decide the two biggest names who could be traded
01:37in this market are Tarek Skubal, the starter of the Tigers and Mason Miller, the closer of
01:43the Padres, those are two of the teams in the middle trying to decide whether they buy, sell,
01:49et cetera.
01:50And they both have pressures to do both sell and to buy.
01:56And so because of that, it is like, for example, I know we'll get into it.
02:01The Yankees more than anyone else, I think, want Mason Miller in this, in this marketplace.
02:08So, for example, I'm just going to throw out a name.
02:12I'm not sure the Mets would make a trade with them, but I think they like Luke Weaver a lot
02:16also.
02:17Well, you can't spend the capital on Luke Weaver and then find out three days later, the Padres
02:23are trading Mason Miller and something they wanted.
02:25It was in the Weaver trade.
02:27Right.
02:28Part of the delay here is, especially if you plan on eating at the top of the market, is
02:34you have to wait a little bit to, even at this late date, I know it feels like a lot
02:39of fans and trust me, a lot of reporters and a lot of executives are like, come on, man,
02:44let's go.
02:45But until some of the teams fully declare and you know the full marketplace, it's hard.
02:52Like, like, again, like, I know we're going to get into all of this, but say the Yankees
02:57wanted Shea Langeleers and he was available, which I don't know if he is or he isn't.
03:01Uh, uh, do they have to know if Adley Rutschman is getting traded?
03:06Do they have to know if Hunter Goodman's getting?
03:09So like, like there's just still enough moving parts that, and, and, and it's, look, the
03:18one thing is starting about five years ago, waiver trades were removed.
03:22Remember, you used to go to August 31st.
03:23The last one the Yankees ever made was Andrew McCutcheon in like, I think it was 2018.
03:28It used to be if a player gets through waivers.
03:30So there was a little leeway to not do something before this trade deadline.
03:366 p.m. on Monday, a week from Monday is pencils down, Ryan.
03:41You, the test is over.
03:43That is really your last moment where externally you can improve your team.
03:49So you want to fully know what's available and what the true costs are, right?
03:55Because again, deadlines create real negotiation for create, create deal.
04:00A team could still ask for its a package back today, but Saturday, next Saturday, next Sunday,
04:07certainly next Monday, they might say, I got to really get this money off my books.
04:12And I'm willing to say, you know, the, where I asked for these four guys, if you give me
04:16three, I'll do it.
04:17So like, like that's part of what, so fans know that's part of what's going on is as
04:22close as the deadline seems, they're still not full definition of the deadline.
04:28No, I mean, part of that definition, Joel, is what you're hinting at right now.
04:31I mean, the Tigers are looking at four games back of the wild card right now in the American
04:34league.
04:35The twins, we've heard Ryan Jeffers name, maybe that's something we're going to mention a
04:38little bit.
04:38They're two and a half games back in the wild card.
04:40So some of these teams that you would think, you know, might sell some of these bigger pieces,
04:44they still have to figure out where they're positioned right now in the season, whether
04:48or not they want to go for it, or they want to sell some of the pieces that they have
04:51that
04:51are worth the value.
04:52So I think for, for this episode, what I want to ask you is, is who are three names that
04:58you think are realistic that Yankees fans like myself should be watching over the next
05:03week and, and being like, all right, maybe this is someone they could be targeting and what
05:08that package back could potentially be.
05:12Well, this is the moment where I know I'm about to waste my breath and say, this is based
05:16on reporting and some of it, and none of it may happen.
05:21And our aggregator friends are not going to care about that, but I am willing because people
05:26are nice enough to watch this.
05:27I'll share with you what I'm hearing.
05:30Uh, uh, and I think that there's three, there's two things the Yankees want to walk away with
05:36from this marketplace 100%, which is a really good reliever or two and a right-hand hitting
05:47catcher who can hit lefty pitching and maybe even play halftime, if not more with Austin
05:53Wells.
05:53Yeah.
05:54And if there's a third thing, if there, I would put it someplace between righty bat,
06:01probably extra righty bat with some flexibility and, or an extra starting pitcher that might
06:09make the ability to trade a Ryan Weathers or Will Warren a little easier.
06:14And, or this is me.
06:16I don't sense it from the Yankees, which is still middle infield.
06:19Yeah.
06:20And I do not sense when I talk to non, not the Yankee executives, executives elsewhere.
06:25And I say, what do you feel from the Yankees?
06:27Ryan, if they're looking for middle infielders, it's not happening to the group of people I'm
06:32talking to, which again, those are people who talk to me.
06:36I don't talk to all 30 teams, people on teams I talk to who are not final decision makers
06:41who might not handle everything, but just so I always want to be transparent to people
06:46nice enough to watch.
06:47I'll start with number one.
06:49I think if the Yankees got Mason Miller, it's almost anything else that would happen after
06:56that would be thought of by them.
06:58And I think probably guys like you who are Yankee fans and other fans as a huge victory
07:02at the trade deadline.
07:05Will Mason Miller be traded?
07:07I hate to give a number like an odd, like 50-50.
07:12If I had a guess, I would go lower than 50-50.
07:15I don't think the Padres want to trade.
07:19I think they want to go for it.
07:21I think that becomes a little harder and harder for them as this goes along because they're
07:26just, they have so many issues that they must solve.
07:31And like they need multiple starting pitchers.
07:34And I talked to somebody in the last 24 hours who's like, I have no idea if Joe Musgrove,
07:39Hugh Darvish, or Nick Pavetta are pitching again this season for San Diego.
07:44And they might need three or four starting pitchers to feel good.
07:49They need a bat.
07:50One at least, maybe two.
07:53And you know what they don't have a lot of right now?
07:55A lot of collateral because good for them.
07:57They've really gone for it these last few years.
08:00And so they're not as stocked.
08:03But conversely, this is the greatest period in the history of the Padres.
08:08They've never made the playoffs this often in their history as they have in this last
08:14five or six year period under AJ Preller.
08:16They've never had crowds like this.
08:18They draw over 3 million people a year and they have new ownership coming in that's going
08:24to get approved sometime in August.
08:27And so there's a new ownership as their first act would like to be explaining why Mason Miller
08:31is no longer a Padre.
08:34Now, I think it could be fan friendly to just be honest.
08:37Be honest with your fan base and say, we can keep him, but having a great closer on a
08:44not great team is like having a great roof on an outhouse.
08:48Like the fact is, the ball doesn't get to Mason Miller with a chance to win enough with
08:55San Diego.
08:55And they could turn around and get four or five players from Pickett, Seattle, the Yankees,
09:05maybe Tampa Bay, maybe Milwaukee, like maybe the Dodger.
09:09If he's out there, they can do a lot of restocking.
09:14I think that what the Yankees have is an ability to use Ryan Weathers or Will Warren as a front
09:21piece of, hey, you don't want to give up right now, right?
09:25Adrian Morihone or Jeremy Estrada or if Jason Adams gets healthy, can close.
09:30Can they close like Miller?
09:33No.
09:33You know why?
09:34No one on the planet is going to close like Miller.
09:36So everything's going to be worse, but your bullpen would stay somewhat strong with a
09:41legitimate closer without him.
09:44You can get a starting pitcher who goes right into that weak rotation right now, all right?
09:51You can get, again, I assume, let's say Lombard is off the table and I'm not sure you could
09:57take him off the table in this trade, but let's just say he's off the table and there's going
10:03to be other minor leaguers involved, Dax Kilby or Henry Lillain or Carlos LaGrange.
10:10They could also say, if you're trying to win, does Anthony Volpe playing second base help
10:16you right now?
10:17Like, is it a better option than what you have with some control or does Spencer Jones,
10:22you don't hit enough home runs, do you think Spencer Jones could go to center field for you
10:27or left field or whatever and help your team or Jason Dominguez or, or like, like, like,
10:35I think there's some extra, extra stuff.
10:38Again, I don't want this misinterpreted.
10:40Joel said Anthony Volpe could get Mason Miller.
10:42It's going to take good stuff.
10:45The stuff that's going to hurt the Yankees to include in a trade, but the Yankees might
10:50be able to help their major league team right now when San Diego wants fans to keep coming
10:57and doesn't want to quit, but you know what?
10:59So could Seattle.
11:01Seattle has six starting pitchers in their rotation right now.
11:05You know what else they have?
11:06The number one pitching prospect in the sport, Kate Anderson, ready to come up right now.
11:11By the way, they have one of the other better prospects, Ryan Sloan, who will be up next year.
11:16They have Logan Evans coming back from Tommy John next year.
11:19So could they take a Bryce Miller or an Emerson Hancock?
11:23So, so the, if he's really available, it is going to hurt the Yankees so much to go get this
11:32player.
11:32It's going to be like, where you just can't say, well, that guy's off limits.
11:35It might take Lombard.
11:37And then you're going to have to decide, do you really now Lombard to me?
11:42I think the Yankees are holding back on Lombard until after the trade deadline,
11:46because if you send Volpe to the minor leagues, does it bother anybody in the industry a little
11:52bit?
11:52If you're thinking of trading for him, they think so little of them.
11:54They just send it to the, so I think that George Lombard is an August 3rd and after
12:02decision.
12:02And I think he is a decision for them.
12:05And if he is playing shortstop sometime in August for the New York Yankees, I would be
12:090% surprised.
12:11And I think the Yankees very much in any trade might just say everyone else, but not him.
12:17And then can they pile enough else in it to do?
12:20So you have to play the game.
12:22If it's not Miller, why?
12:25I think you've got to give a call to Cleveland and say, would you trade Kate Smith?
12:31My suspicion is they would not.
12:33I do think Toronto has gone into sell mode, but that's probably their walkier guys.
12:40Kevin Gosman, George Springer, Dalton Varshow.
12:45Can somebody, Tyler Rogers has two years left after this.
12:49Can somebody talk them into Tyler Rogers?
12:50Rob maybe, but the question is, would they try to restock big with Louis Varlin, who
12:57you could argue after Miller and maybe Duran has been the best guy.
13:02Again, like Kate Smith, I don't, I would think not, but I think you've got to make the phone
13:10call.
13:10So now you get to the next level.
13:12The next level to me includes, hey, San Diego, you're going for it, but you don't want to
13:19trade Mason Miller, but Adrian Morihone is a free agent at the end of the season.
13:24He does.
13:26But by the way, I'm about to say, he does what the Yankees like.
13:28He does what everybody likes.
13:29He just wipes out a ton of people and keeps people on the ground.
13:34So like, you know, if you're thinking of, and doesn't walk a ton of guys, like in a
13:38relief pitcher and you were drawing it up, oh, I'd like a lot of strikeouts, a lot of
13:42ground balls and not a lot of walks.
13:44He does that.
13:45Would you like to take a couple of our guys for a walkier guy where you still have Miller
13:52and all those other relievers where maybe you take a shot at it?
13:55Maybe that's the trade that Ryan Weathers is in or Will Warren is in is to get someone
13:59like Morihone.
14:01So I think that he's that kind of guy that's in it, or maybe Jeremy Estrada, if he's healthy,
14:09or if they thought, I don't think Jason Adams is going to be healthy enough by the trade
14:14deadline where you could do it.
14:15Here's the other one.
14:17And I think it's a good $64,000 question.
14:21Would the Yankees and Mets trade with each other at this time of year?
14:24In Brian Cashman's time, they have traded player for player at the trade deadline one
14:31time in the early three decades.
14:33The Yankees acquired Armando Benitez for three nothing pitching prospects and fled so much
14:38of Armando Benitez that within 10 days, they traded him again for Jeff Nelson to Seattle.
14:43So like it was a very minor trade.
14:45The Yankees still love Clay Holmes and the Yankees still love Luke Weaver.
14:52Now, I would think whatever the price is on those guys, and they will have good prices,
14:58would be if it's $1.10 for everyone else, for the Yankees, I think it might be $1.25.
15:04Because look, we both have friends who are Met fans, right?
15:07This has been a horrible, horrible year for them.
15:10If you were thinking about what would make it worse, it would be Luke Weaver and or Clay
15:15Holmes going to the Yankees and helping them get a parade.
15:17Like that would be a storm-flushing moment if it happened.
15:22So I think that David Stearns is a pragmatist.
15:26And if he's going to move one or both of those guys, it would probably be for the best package.
15:31Does somebody like Steve Cohen step in and say, I don't care what the package is.
15:36You can't trade them to the Yankees when our fans hate us this much right now.
15:40But those are kind of the guys I'm thinking about because they're all –
15:47and the Clay Holmes one is goes into your rotation now, folds into the bullpen in October.
15:53I mean, Yankee people love Clay Holmes.
15:58Like Clay Holmes is not a Yankee anymore because of any burned bridge or anything like that.
16:03He got a lot of money to start, which he wasn't going to get with the Yankees.
16:09But he has nothing but a fan club in the Bronx.
16:13I think all of the names I just mentioned are of interest to the Yankees.
16:19And all of them, for a variety of reasons, are very, very, very tough to get.
16:24And if I were – you forced me to pick a guy, I would pick Morahone as kind of a
16:32middle ground guy
16:33who makes a lot of sense even for a San Diego team that doesn't want to give up
16:39to go ahead and maximize right now.
16:42And I could see the Yankees trying to do a lot to try to win for him.
16:50And then the question becomes like, is that a place where you get your extra righty bat
16:55by saying, we'll do – we'll give you those guys if you make it Morahone in Thai, France?
16:59For example, like a right-hand hitter who could play a little third
17:02when you don't want to play McMahon against a tough lefty.
17:06First base is not a big deal if you're keeping Goldschmidt.
17:09But like, you know, in theory he could do that.
17:11He's a guy on the bench.
17:12Do you think he's better?
17:13I think it's probably becoming a little harder and harder for the Yankees
17:16to think that Ahmad Rosario is going to make it to the finish line with him
17:19because he was so good for about six weeks and it's really gone bad.
17:24So I just wonder if that's a place they have to upgrade by the time this is all done.
17:30So I think I – you know, like then there's a next level down,
17:35Emilio Pagan, players like that where it's like you start thinking more
17:41these are seventh inning guys on a championship team.
17:44And I think – look, you know what the reality is.
17:47Why I would move heaven and earth to try to get Miller is pretty simple.
17:52I think by the time you and I on this show start talking about bats,
17:57as much as we can make a case the Yankees need bats,
18:00it's my thing I say on this show all the time.
18:02There's not a store on 35th and Madison where you could just buy bats.
18:07It's going to be a horrendous market for bats.
18:11Horrendous.
18:12It's like the free agency class coming up, right, Joel?
18:14Correct.
18:14It's a bad market for bats.
18:18And I think the Yankees might have to double down on run prevention.
18:21And if you – like this is why Miller is a dream.
18:26And it might be beyond possible, the impossible dream.
18:29But if you had Bednar slide to the eighth and Miller in the ninth,
18:34and now you have that other group of Hedrick, Cruz, Blackburn to work fifth, sixth, seventh whenever you did.
18:42By the way, you might get Clark Schmidt back as a hybrid guy to join that at some point.
18:49You might get to a point with a fully healthy rotation where you have 13 pitchers you're comfortable pitching in
18:57a postseason game.
18:58And what you are going to go for is extreme run prevention at the highest level so that if you're
19:06having trouble getting to three or four runs regularly,
19:08you are in every game.
19:10As we've seen, the Yankees aren't losing recently because they give up too many runs.
19:15It's because they score too few.
19:18And I'm not sure that this marketplace is going to help them score more.
19:23So you might have to have a situation – and no team in the history of the sport should understand
19:30the value of turning a game into a seven-inning game
19:33like the team that had a dynasty because it had Mariano Rivera.
19:37Now, nobody is Mariano Rivera.
19:39Nobody, including Miller, is Mariano Rivera.
19:43But he's pretty unicorny.
19:45And if this is the version of Bednar you're going to get to the finish line,
19:49you might be telling everyone else in the sport, hey, if you don't have a lead after 21 outs in
19:55seven innings, good luck.
19:57By the way, like it's been a long time since Brad Hedrick has given up runs.
20:01It's been a long time since Paul Blecker.
20:03Maybe I'm shortening the game to 18 outs.
20:06And by the way, the front 18 outs are Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gary Cole, and Coach Carlos Rodon.
20:12Like I think that in this marketplace, if they can get – if Miller is available – and again, I
20:20have no idea.
20:22But if they could get to Miller, I think you have to experience the pain and go get Miller
20:31because the shortest distance from here to the Canyon of Heroes is taking what's already –
20:37by the way, the major league leaders in ERA, these are no slouches today.
20:43And literally beginning a game by saying, good luck scoring against us.
20:50Good luck if you don't have the lead after the fifth or sixth inning against us.
20:56And I think because of that, they need to experience pain if Miller is on the market
21:03and do everything they can to win for him.
21:06While it does not address the reason they are losing in the short term.
21:10But I can't – like I can't buy a five-room house if they're not available.
21:15So I have to get the best three-room – you know what I mean?
21:18It's like it just might be that what you want is not available, if that makes sense.
21:24It does, Joel.
21:25It would certainly – I see the path that you're talking about.
21:28If they were to lean fully into it, if Miller were to become available,
21:32why they would go fully on board and trying to get him.
21:35It would be delicious as a Yankees fan, I won't lie, to see something like that.
21:40And obviously, like you said, it would hurt.
21:42But at the end of the day, prospects are prospects.
21:44They're not up here.
21:45You're going for it this year.
21:47This is what this is supposed to be.
21:48You're hoping Aaron Judge can return in September probably if you can get lucky then
21:52and make this team whole.
21:55All right, so the relief pitching is one thing.
21:58The right-handed and catching, you had alluded to it earlier about how maybe half
22:03or even more.
22:04Now that, to me, since from what I'm hearing, being a big-time catcher,
22:10who are some of those names that we should be paying attention to there?
22:14So, yeah, look, take it for what it's worth.
22:19Austin Wells, for about his last six or seven games, has hit the ball a lot better.
22:23Like, I don't know what that means.
22:25I think the last time we did a show together, I mentioned something that Paul O'Neill told
22:31me 30 years ago during the dynasty, which is, if you win a championship, everyone had
22:35a good year.
22:36And I think that someone like Austin Wells has to convince himself there's nothing he
22:41can do to make his numbers pretty for the season.
22:43But if he's a good at...
22:44Like, the most encouraging thing about Austin Wells to me over the last week is he started
22:48to draw walks again.
22:50But when we liked him, when we would talk about him in previous years, when we thought
22:54he was a good hitter, he was constantly drawing walks and hitting in good counts.
22:58He had become such an easy out who never got on base beyond hitting the ball occasionally.
23:05And so, if I was looking...
23:07And it's a week, man.
23:08You're talking about small sample size.
23:10They need a catcher.
23:12I'm not here, but like, I'm not saying it's impossible that you're going to get a better
23:18version of Wells the rest of the year.
23:21And by the way, even if the Yankees get a catcher, they could really use a better version
23:25of Wells the rest of the year.
23:27Because if it's a right-hand hitting catcher, you'd still like Wells to get tons of reps against
23:32righty pitching.
23:33Right.
23:33So, let's deal with the top.
23:37I know there's a lot of Hunter Goodman talk.
23:41I put it at a very low percentage without saying zero because I think he's the kind of player
23:49the Rockies are not talking about.
23:50But if you want to make a phone call to them, they'll listen.
23:53And to move it is going to take, I think, a package the Yankees aren't going to be comfortable
23:59with, especially the publicly available stuff on Goodman, is he's a good catcher.
24:07But I have talked to multiple executives in the NL West, and they've told me, ignore that
24:14data.
24:14Metrics.
24:15Yeah.
24:16They said he's going to end up a first baseman DH.
24:19Wow.
24:20Okay.
24:21Okay.
24:21And we can't ignore this.
24:23One of the reasons Austin Wells has continued to catch is he's an extremely good catcher.
24:27Yeah, and he was thought of as just a hitter, first baseman, feature DH.
24:31And Ryan, this is like one of those things is like at some point, we always have to say
24:34it doesn't really matter what Ryan Sampson or Joel Sherman wants.
24:37The Yankees, so Tyler Stevenson is a right-hand hitting catcher in his walk year for Cincinnati.
24:43He literally has the worst framing numbers in the major leagues.
24:48Literally has the worst.
24:49The idea that the Yankees would acquire the catcher with the worst framing numbers in the
24:54league when they were at the vanguard of making, framing what it is today and continue to believe
25:02even in an ABS world.
25:04In fact, they believe it more in an ABS world to steal strikes now is valuable.
25:09I would say that's a hard one to believe.
25:13Now, these are the Yankees that could be desperate.
25:16Hey, we've got to get somebody who hits the ball a little bit and we'll put them with our
25:20catching guy and we'll make terrible somewhat passable, maybe, but I think it's got to be
25:25a guy who's better on defense.
25:27Shea Lange Lairs, I think is in the same category to some degree as Goodman, though, because he's
25:35closer to free agency and because he's already turned down an extension and because he's represented
25:41by Scott Boris, I think you make the right offer, you get the player, I think.
25:48So this is what I mean by you have to exhaust the market to know what's available.
25:54The Yankees want to use their A package to get Miller.
25:59Okay.
26:00They don't want to, say, trade for Langoliers today, then find out Miller is available.
26:06Miller's available, yeah.
26:07Because, again, and I think you and I would have it in the same order, right?
26:11We'd put number one, Miller.
26:13So they've got to know, and I don't think the A's are in a rush to do this.
26:18So the A's could take it to Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
26:22And at that point, do the Yankees pivot with aversion?
26:27The Yankees, the A's desperately need pitching.
26:31The Yankees have minor league depth in that area that is close to or in the major leagues.
26:40So, you know, like, I think that they could match up.
26:44I think that it's still unlikely.
26:47And this is the moment where you need to know the Tampa Bay Rays are looking for a catcher
26:52and have a better farm system than the Yankees' perception in the sport.
26:56The Chicago White Sox are looking for a catcher, and they have a strong farm system.
27:02The Dodgers are worried about if Will Smith is coming back or not.
27:06The neck injury, yeah.
27:07And they need a catcher.
27:09So the Yankees are not running alone here.
27:12Now, I don't think the Dodgers are looking to expend big capital to get a catcher.
27:16I think they want more of a backup type.
27:18But they're also playing for third straight World Series.
27:20They're not just going to be like, oh, we're going to take Joey Barton.
27:23That's good enough, right?
27:24Like, they're going to get somebody they believe could start in a playoff game if Dalton
27:28Rushman doesn't start, right?
27:30And they don't have Will Smith.
27:32So there's that.
27:34Adley Rushman just went on the IL for the third time, this time with an ankle injury.
27:38But I keep hearing it's not debilitating, going to keep him out a long time.
27:46Do the Orioles deal with the Yankees?
27:48Do they actually trade the Yankees a guy who was the number one overall pick in the draft
27:52ahead of Bobby Witt?
27:53I find that a little bit in the Met category.
27:55I don't think it's going to happen.
27:57And so I could keep naming other catchers, and all roads lead back to Ryan Jeffers.
28:04And I will offer this insight.
28:10Almost no team in the major leagues keeps three catchers in the major leagues.
28:14You know, you only have 13 position slots.
28:17People are playing matchup more than ever.
28:20Since the day Ryan Jeffers came back from his ham eight injury two weeks ago, the Twins
28:26have kept three catchers.
28:27Why do they keep three catchers?
28:29Well, the other two, Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson, they do not have options.
28:35So if you were to go to two catchers now and then trade Jeffers, then you'd be scrambling
28:43for your other catchers.
28:45So I'm suspecting.
28:46Now, it's also possible they trade Victor Caratini.
28:49And they keep Jeffers because the Twins are so so this is one of those moments where you
28:54don't want to insult Twins fans.
28:57They're in the race.
28:58Yeah, they're in a not very good division.
29:01I think any fair rendering, if you look at the Twins from 20,000 feet, is they should maximize
29:08a walkier guy like Jeffers at a time where multiple good contenders need a catcher.
29:14And if you're still trying to win, then don't trade Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton now.
29:18You could do that in the offseason.
29:20But trade Jeffers now and you live with Caratini and Alex Jackson.
29:23You were playing fine with them.
29:25And go ahead and they need bullpen help.
29:29And this is one of those things.
29:31And again, if the Yankees do this, they're going to have to give up a good prospect or
29:35two.
29:35But one of the things the Yankees could do is say, hey, Jake Byrd and Camilo Duvall are
29:40not working here.
29:41They are not working here at all.
29:43But they've got good stuff and they might just not handle New York.
29:48Do they help finish a trade because they go into your bullpen today?
29:52They don't really work in our bullpen anymore.
29:54We're going for a championship.
29:56We're not going to give them the ball in a big game ever again.
29:59I mean, we saw it.
29:59Will Warren pitched the other day instead of Duvall.
30:02Crazy.
30:03Byron got sent down.
30:04So to me, are those guys finishing pieces in a trade where you include a good pitching
30:12prospect?
30:12Ben Hess, Bryce Cunningham, Thatcher Hurd, you know, pick your guy who they might like,
30:19maybe another prospect in that.
30:21And we've mentioned this many times during the show, but because we're so close, I just
30:26want to mention it one more time.
30:28Brian Cashman, in his 30 years, has acquired a significant catcher one time at the trade
30:33deadline.
30:33It was Pudge Rodriguez, who's actually a Hall of Famer, and he hated every second of it
30:37because even 20, 25 years ago, it was hard to integrate a catcher into your program this
30:44late in the year.
30:45And so he kind of vowed never to do it again, and he hasn't done it again, but he's at
30:50a
30:50crisis point right now.
30:52And he said to the media the other day where he said, catcher is a problem right now.
30:56And so if you were going to introduce somebody, it would probably be someone maybe your catching
31:04coach has a lot of familiarity with.
31:06And Tanner Swanson was part of the, he did the video work literally on Ryan Jeffers when
31:14the twins drafted him and then was one of their catching coordinators for Jeffers first two
31:19years in the system before he came to the Yankees.
31:21So he is just the most logical guy.
31:26So if you're starting to build it, and I told you nothing else about the Yankee deadline,
31:31and they ended up with Maura Hone and Jeffers, that feels like par, right?
31:37Like, like you would walk away and say, they're better at catcher and better in the bullpen.
31:43Like, they got one of the 15 best relief pitchers, and they got a guy who could start a playoff
31:48game at catcher.
31:50And it's an immediate upgrade offensively at catcher too.
31:52Let me throw in one thing about Jeffers you've got to worry about in the playoffs.
31:56He does not throw well.
31:59You know, he is not, it's going to be up to your pitchers to control a running game.
32:05Max Freed's good at that, but yeah, the other two you'd be worried about.
32:08Run away from, from this because he, he's a good framer.
32:13His reputation is good game caller.
32:15And he's clearly a good offensive hitter, especially against lefty pitching.
32:18So like, I think he's the right guy.
32:21I also think there's other teams that have needs.
32:24One of those teams, the Rays is actually ahead of the Yankees still in the AL East.
32:28They're not just going to like gift the Yankees something that helps them.
32:32On the other hand, the Yankees don't want to.
32:33So that's one of the reasons I think the twins should act here is I actually think they could get
32:38at least a bidding war between those two teams.
32:40If not the White Sox and Dodgers and maybe some other team I don't realize wants a catcher, but I
32:46know those four do want a catcher.
32:49And so I think this is a moment in time where the twins, like maybe try to have their cake
32:55and eat it too.
32:56Like they're not giving up by trading Jeffers, but they're still at a moment in their history where I think
33:01they have to look at it from 20,000 feet and what's good for the big picture.
33:05And if I were doing that and I was advising their guy, here's take the Yankees out of it.
33:12The Yankees, Austin Wells is playing like an all-star.
33:14So they should trade him to the Rays.
33:17Like I'm not doing this because, oh, this is better for the Yankees, whatever.
33:21I think they should trade Jeffers because he's a free agent at the end of the year who's probably going
33:25to make a nice amount of money because catching is hard to find.
33:28It's certainly the name that everyone keeps circling, Joel, and it's been like that for a while now.
33:34They clearly need to make this upgrade.
33:36Like you said, though, even if Austin Wells is a seven-game stretch, you're encouraged by what you're seeing a
33:41little bit at the plate.
33:43It's been too long of a season where you can't live with what you've been getting offensively.
33:48Because even if Wells is going good, it's okay to have another one.
33:52Yep, completely.
33:54So you mentioned finally a right-handed bat, which is interesting because it's a little bit different than what we
33:59had talked about with Luis Arise, which I saw John Heyman's note last night about that on Postports Plus talking
34:06about how Arise, the fit for the Yankees, and we talked about this on the show, is it doesn't make
34:10sense really.
34:11Where would you play him?
34:13So can you talk more about the right-handed bat options you think that are out there and why Arise,
34:17if you agree or not, that he wouldn't make sense for them right now?
34:21So Arise makes sense if you could trade Jazz Chisholm.
34:24I've seen some stuff about moving Chisholm back to third base.
34:28I think that would be an unbelievable mistake.
34:31He was not real good there.
34:33Whatever you think of Ryan McMahon, if Max Fried and Rodon are in your rotation and even to some degree
34:39Ryan Weathers, there's just a lot of ground balls to third base.
34:41You can't, you know, the Yankees' defense, when McMahon plays, McMahon, Wells, and Bellinger, and when Judge plays, besides that,
34:53they're a negative defensive team almost every place else.
34:56I would not turn third base into a problem.
35:01I have talked to a lot of NL, like, you know all those NL West teams I was talking to
35:06about Hunter Goodman?
35:07I asked the same question.
35:08Luis Arise's defensive numbers this year are very good at second base.
35:12As opposed to Goodman, they said, believe him, he is playing the hell out of second base.
35:17So if you told me there was a trade Chisholm and put Arise at second, because I hear, look, I
35:25think if you acquire him, he'll do what you say, I assume.
35:28I've heard he does not want to play first base.
35:32So I think, could he?
35:34Yeah, but now, like, start playing the game out.
35:37He goes to first.
35:39Ben Rice goes to DH.
35:42Do you wave Goldschmidt?
35:43What happens when Stanton, if Stanton comes?
35:46I wouldn't make plans around Stanton, but he might come back.
35:49At some point, you're going to have an inflexible bench.
35:51So to me, if I'm going to get Arise, I've got to know I could trade Chisholm.
35:55And I would do that because I think one of the things the Yankees are lacking, even in this day
36:00and age when there's not a lot of respect for it, is I think they're lacking some batting average.
36:04Sure.
36:05I think they're lacking some get the ball out there, force the other team to play.
36:09And I think Arise would really help with that.
36:12Having said that, I also think the Yankees' greater need is a righty hitter.
36:16I would not ignore Arise if I could make a double move, and I'm sure the Yankees are investigating.
36:22Like, the Yankees, again, as opposed to whatever social media world thinks, are a very well-run team.
36:32You know, like, the person I had breakfast with, we were talking about the Yankees.
36:35Again, somebody who is not affiliated with the Yankees and was made, we made the point, say, you know, the
36:41Blue Jays got within a pitch of winning the World Series last year.
36:44They're in last place this year and are probably sellers in the next week.
36:48The Mets are spending $380 million in the same city, and they're sellers at the deadline.
36:54The Yankees are in it every year, and I think there's probably a little less respect for that than there's
36:59generally than there should be.
37:01It's hard to be this good every year.
37:03They're this good every year.
37:04Having said that, they still obviously have needs.
37:07I think they need a righty bat.
37:10Draw it up.
37:12I think Casey Schmidt of the Giants is the perfect guy.
37:16I think because he could play anywhere, he's had a breakout year, he hits lefties, etc.
37:25Do I think the Giants are trading Casey Schmidt?
37:28I think you would probably have to make an incredible offer that is unlikely to happen when what they're looking
37:37to do is get out of their moneyed guys, etc.
37:39But I would call the Giants and say, remember, the Yankees made a big – you're most likely to make
37:47trades with teams you've made trades with.
37:49It means you think of value players in a certain way where whatever.
37:52It probably means they really extensively watched your system last year for Milo-Deval trade.
38:00So there's probably four other guys they liked that are sitting there in the minors.
38:05And I would at least say – because I could make a case a little bit like Jeffers would become
38:10the primary catcher.
38:11I could make a case that Schmidt would become the primary third baseman.
38:14Yep.
38:14Though, again, I like the idea of him everywhere.
38:17Right.
38:18Playing a lot and whatever.
38:19But I could put him at third and I would be real comfortable on both sides of the ball.
38:24What's the next one?
38:26So a name that's come up a lot is Spencer Steer.
38:28I was going to mention him.
38:29I wanted to know if that was real or not.
38:31I think he could be gotten.
38:35I think the problem for him is the Yankees think his best position by far is first.
38:41Okay.
38:42And they think he's not good in the outfield.
38:44Like not good in the outfield.
38:46And so –
38:47Would that be the worst thing though, Joel, if you put him at first and you put Ben Rice as
38:51a DH?
38:51Like you said, you don't know what Stanton comes back.
38:53It's like the Lewis and Rice thing is you have to be comfortable potentially releasing Goldschmidt or Stanton.
39:00Because you can't have just a non-functioning – neither guy could pinch run.
39:04Neither guy is going in the field any place but first base just for Goldschmidt.
39:08But like you're going to have to come to peace with releasing like really decorated players at a pretty late
39:15date in the season.
39:16And I don't think they're there.
39:19So I think that they don't want to get locked into a guy who's first base.
39:23Because I think if you ultimately end up where you're like, I want to improve at first base a little,
39:28I think you can get an outfielder and put Bellinger at first base if like everything else –
39:32I think their best defensive first baseman is Cody Bellinger.
39:34Yeah.
39:36Yeah.
39:36He's so damn good in left field though.
39:38That's why you don't want to move him.
39:39So I'm going to throw a name out.
39:41It's a player they've liked in the past.
39:43I think it's a player who can play all three positions.
39:45I think it's a player who could hit lefty pitching.
39:48And it's Lane Thomas of the Royals.
39:51Recent power surge.
39:52So like I would say, ultimately, especially if they've got to use Dominguez and or Jones in a trade.
40:00But even if they didn't, would you rather have Jones and Dominguez in the minor leagues
40:05and Lane Thomas taking at-bats, especially against lefty pitching and playing the outfield
40:09and having some versatility, at least in the outfield.
40:12He can't come to the infield.
40:13He's not like Schmidt or a little like Steyer where he can move around.
40:17And I would still, I keep looking for the player who's versatile enough to help them outfield, infield.
40:22It's hard to find.
40:24Unless the Tigers become sellers and maybe they have some guys.
40:28And even then, I'm not sure.
40:32So the Royals are open for business.
40:35Totally.
40:36They're going to trade Daniel Lynch.
40:38They're going to trade John Schreiber from their bullpen.
40:41You know, I think teams are going to come hard and at least talk to them about Michael Waka.
40:45I'm not sure he gets moved in this marketplace because they want to try to win with Bobby Witt next
40:50year.
40:50And Waka would be part of that.
40:56So he's just like, he feels like a, the deadline is six o'clock on Monday.
41:05In the Austin Slater, it happened at four o'clock on the deadline day last year.
41:11That's what it feels like.
41:12Like we've exhausted everything else.
41:14We've told the Royals, we've told the Royals, if we can't get A, B, C, and D, we're going to
41:18come to you at E with this guy.
41:20Are you interested?
41:28And now I throw it out to you, who's a Yankee fan.
41:31If the trade deadline ends up Maura Hone, Jeffers, and Lane Thomas, I look at that as kind of like
41:39a B trade deadline, especially because a lot of fans have their hearts set on bigger people, especially Miller.
41:46I think that deadline helps the Yankees, especially, and I really, and it's the duh moment.
41:54They need Judge to come back and come back in full.
41:57Otherwise, it's going to be hard to get to the finish line the way you want to get to the
42:01finish line.
42:01I think those three players with a healthy Rodon, Judge, Schmidt, you know, again, it means health the rest of
42:13the way.
42:13They're not going to have that.
42:14Somebody's going to get hurt.
42:16Judge is going to regret something.
42:17But they do have a way, and again, like, who knows, like, Stanton's a wild card in this.
42:23Like, we've seen Stanton dominate postseason series.
42:26And, you know, like, if he's fully going in your DH spot, it's a real threat.
42:30Like, right now, they're too easy to pitch to.
42:33There's no threat.
42:35I talked to a coach for another team, and he was like, the only guys who really work counts are
42:41Grisham and Rice.
42:42He said, besides that, we're throwing it, like, we're challenging.
42:44I've been surprised how bad Bellinger's been at the plate with working counts, at least, lately, too.
42:49Strikeouts are disturbing because it's not part of his portfolio when he's right.
42:55He's such a good contact hitter.
42:57So I think I mentioned this last time I talked to him, and I asked him if he felt he
43:03was trying to do more without Judge around.
43:05He insisted he wasn't.
43:07I wonder if he is, that it's just subconscious, and it's hard not to do it.
43:14But, yeah.
43:15So I think, like, am I going to be right about any of those three?
43:19I would bet against me.
43:20I bet I'd go 0 for 3.
43:21But if I were playing a game of what their deadline could look like if they don't get Miller.
43:29And, again, we could play the game.
43:31If Scooble's out there, will they make calls on Scooble?
43:34Probably.
43:35Why not?
43:37Maybe the Tigers like a couple of guys the Yankees have that the Yankees don't love as much as they
43:43publicly say.
43:44So you've got to take the phone call.
43:46But Brian Cashman seems to be kind of a literalist.
43:52Yeah.
43:52I think he's like Dave Dombrowski's like this with the Phillies or wherever he's been, Boston, Detroit, when he was
43:59with the Marlins.
44:00And if he needs – there's a lot of people in the analytic world who believe fully in the you
44:06can – to improve, you can score more or give up less.
44:11And they're like, oh, if I need a shortstop and I can't get a shortstop, I'll just get another pitcher
44:16and give up less.
44:17I think Cashman is a literalist.
44:20If he needs a catcher, he isn't going to get a third baseman.
44:23He's going to try to get a catcher.
44:24If he needs a relief pitcher, he's going to try to get a relief pitcher.
44:26If he needs a righty bat, he's going to try to do that.
44:28Now, I did say at the top of this that like because bats are not really out there, I think
44:33that they – even though the strength of the team is pitching in general, I think that they would double
44:40down on Miller just because they'd be so tough to score on in the postseason.
44:45And it's a way – and then like dream on it.
44:48Judge and Stanton come back.
44:49They add someone like Jeffers, another good righty bat.
44:53Like now you're rolling and you're like, if it is a series against the Dodgers or pick your team, you
44:59feel like there's a – like more than a puncher's chance at it.
45:03And I think they're going to try for it.
45:05I do.
45:05I think if Miller's out there, I think it's a white whale for them.
45:08They're going to try like hell for it.
45:11That's the –
45:12I'm not – but I'm not – here we are nine days to the deadline and I'm just not sure
45:18that player is getting out there.
45:20And if he gets out there, I'm not sure that the Mariners don't say, here's one of our starting pitchers
45:24that you really, really like plus three prospects from probably a deeper farm system.
45:29And the Yankees are then scrambling around and seeing if the Mets will do Luke Weaver or if the Padres
45:34are in a full cell and will do Morajone or –
45:36I'm sure there's a relief pitcher or two out there that the Yankees like the underlying data on.
45:41Is there a next Clay Holmes?
45:43Is there a next Paul Blackburn?
45:44Is there a next Luke Weaver?
45:46I mean you can't be discouraged, right, Joel, if they miss out.
45:49Like let's say like someone outbids them for Mason Miller.
45:51You can't be discouraged.
45:52Like I'm sure Cashman has on the board.
45:54You know him more than anyone else.
45:56Like he circles like other names.
45:58Miller doesn't happen.
45:59Here are the other names we're targeting and going after.
46:02And I don't think that would affect ultimately their team.
46:04Like you said, Miller would be more than just the topping.
46:09I mean he would truly take them over the top it feels like in terms of where they're positioned.
46:13But I think if you address – if they address the bullpen and they get Jeffers or that right-handed
46:18catcher, I think like you said, who knows what happens with Lombard.
46:22And maybe one more righty bat that's significantly better than Austin Slater was last year.
46:28Like somebody who actually starts a playoff game against a tough lefty, like Lane Thomas probably would.
46:34You know if he's right.
46:35And he's been pretty good for like the last two months.
46:39And he's a player – this is the problem is I remember him with Washington and watching him play against
46:48the Mets a lot.
46:49And this is why I probably can't be in charge of something because as opposed to data, I like Lane
46:54Thomas as a player.
46:55So I've probably overinflated him here and maybe even that the Yankees have a scintillum of interest.
47:02He's a player I like historically.
47:05He's not that player anymore.
47:07Is there enough still left that he would help the Yankees?
47:12I like the player.
47:14You know, it's one of those things.
47:17And I actually am a person – I like a rise for this team.
47:22I just think that it's chess moves.
47:24You've got to make a bunch of moves to get a rise, to make it happen.
47:30I would think seriously about making those moves.
47:33Like, again, I don't – so I'm not going to mention a team.
47:39But I would say to a team, for the player we want, this player X, we're going to give you
47:46all the prospects you want.
47:47But you have to take Chisholm for the rest of the year and then turn around and get a rise.
47:54Like, that's the – or, by the way, say to the Giants, we'll give you the prospects for a rise,
47:59but you've got to take Chisholm.
48:02Like, we'll give you the prospects.
48:03And Chisholm's a free agent at the end of the year.
48:05By the way, if we do this today, you've got a week to try to trade him, too.
48:08Like, I think that the batting average in an era when people don't care about it, but I think when
48:17you don't have enough, and the Yankees don't have enough batting average, the bottom of their lineup is 270, 205,
48:25209-ish.
48:27Which I am willing to give away some slug and I'm willing to give away some on-base percentage for
48:32a runner on third base and this guy comes up, you've got to play defense against him because he's going
48:38to put the thing in play against any kind of lefty, righty, good, bad, indifferent pitcher.
48:43And so I think he – I like the player especially because I trust the people I talk to in
48:49the NL West who tell me the second base play is real.
48:51Part of the problem is with Jazz this year is Jazz hasn't played well at second base.
48:56Like, I think it's in Jazz to be a good second baseman, but he has not been a good second
49:01baseman this year.
49:02He has not been.
49:03Man, he almost cost them again yesterday, the last game, by being caught flat-footed on a ball.
49:10And I actually think the guy was safe and they didn't get over –
49:13I did, too. I was crazy.
49:14You know, and so to me, I would get out of kind of the drama of Chisholm and a lot
49:22of things and get to the batting average and believe that if and when Judge and Stanton comes back, I'll
49:27make up for the home runs.
49:28And by the way, Jazz has had probably five hits this year that have been substantial hits.
49:33Yes.
49:34There just hasn't been enough of them.
49:35No.
49:36And there hasn't been enough overall play, and I'd rather get to the batting average.
49:40I think that it's too – it's probably easier for me and you to talk about, hey, I'm going to
49:46move this here, then I'm going to make that trade.
49:48Especially in what, nine days, eight days, Joel?
49:51In nine days, when any team that wants Luis Arise might just say to San Francisco, here's the uncomplicated way
49:58for us.
49:59You know, like you could make a case.
50:02No team has a lower strikeout percentage in the major leagues than the Tampa Bay Rays.
50:07They also have among the worst production at second base.
50:11I can make a case that he fits the Rays like a glove on hand and that they're the team
50:17that should go get Luis Arise because he also plays defense, which is something they like.
50:23This year, at least, you're getting defense out of Arise.
50:26So, like, it's the problem for all this.
50:29The Yankees are not alone in the marketplace for anything sexy.
50:33Obviously, Brian Cashman's history is when he has a good team, and I think even though they've stumbled for a
50:39couple of weeks here, I think this is a good team.
50:41I think this is – they've got the bones of a really good team because they could pitch.
50:46They could pitch so well, like if they just hit a little bit, they'd be far better.
50:51But I think they've got the bones of a team that can win and win big.
50:55And that when he has that, he does make multiple trades at the deadline.
51:01That's his history.
51:02And I would be very surprised if I made the over under two and a half trades, I think he'll
51:08go over.
51:09Final thoughts, Joel, and this is my last question for you.
51:13If they're not as active as we're saying here, over two and a half trades, would that signal to you
51:19internally that Aaron Judge is not coming back this year?
51:23That's a good question, Ryan.
51:26Like, look, I think the Yankees could be – I want to use the right word – squirrely about injuries.
51:36But they have definitively said, on the record, multiple people, including Judge himself, that he is going to be back
51:46this year.
51:48So unless this latest round of imaging was like – not only is it not healed, it's not close to
51:58healed.
51:58I don't know enough about –
52:00Right.
52:00It's such a unique injury.
52:02It's such a unique injury.
52:03Right.
52:03This is not a hamstring where I go four to six weeks or, you know, no bleep.
52:08That's two months or whatever.
52:10This is a football injury, a contact at the top of the body football injury that he got diving to
52:17avoid Jazz Chisholm, right, and then played with for about three weeks and probably made worse by creating a stress
52:25fracture because he felt the obligation to try to play through pain.
52:28And then the pain became too much as we saw, like, his numbers began to really tilt downward in late
52:34May.
52:35And he's out now.
52:36And I'm of the belief – I believe a player – like, even recently, I know he first went on
52:43John Boy and then he said it to the – at a press conference that he expects Stanton back sooner
52:48than later.
52:49All right.
52:51Cool.
52:53I'll believe it when I see it, and I'll believe he could put five games together in seven days when
52:57I see it.
52:58Like, that's what I believe at this point.
53:02I'll say this is I would make no plans around – I think you've got to plan as if you
53:07have Judge back.
53:08Okay.
53:08Because if you don't have Judge back, a lot of this is probably, like, you're not going to quit because
53:13you do have the pitching.
53:14You could get to the series.
53:14You have the pitching. Absolutely.
53:16Right?
53:16Like, they played the Dodgers pretty closely.
53:19Yes.
53:19For all those three of those games.
53:21So, and that's as good as it's going to get in the sport.
53:23Can a team without Judge win a series?
53:26Maybe multiple series?
53:28Maybe the whole thing.
53:29Who knows?
53:30But, like, I feel it's academic if they don't have Judge.
53:34So, I think you have to – unless their medical people are saying, you don't have Judge.
53:39Right?
53:40And they don't want to let the industry know how desperate they are.
53:44Right.
53:44And maybe we'll know something more at 6.01 p.m. on August 3rd.
53:47Yeah.
53:48Like, where they've traded for a bat we didn't see coming.
53:51And or they admit to us that night, oh, by the way.
53:54He's out for the season.
53:55He's now going for this procedure.
53:57Yeah.
53:58You know, thoracic outlets or whatever.
54:00And so, they've been – they're always closed mouth about Judge.
54:06They've been particularly closed mouth.
54:07But the one thing is, they are on the record saying he's going to come back.
54:10And so, I would never plan around Stanton because it's never going to be for very long.
54:17And I think that's sad.
54:18I actually – of the guys in the clubhouse who I like to talk to, I'm not sure I wouldn't
54:23rank Stanton number one.
54:25And he's not around as much when he's injured.
54:29He's mature and he has a perspective.
54:33And the ability to look at things from 10,000 feet, I miss when he's not in the clubhouse.
54:38Selfishly.
54:39I think the clubhouse misses him too for that leadership part too.
54:43I think he brings maturity and a perspective.
54:46Yep.
54:46Things you could use in your life and certainly in a baseball clubhouse.
54:50So, I think that it's a loss not to have him around selfishly for me.
54:55I like him.
54:56And even for his career, he might not hit 500 home runs now, Joel.
55:00But I can't – if I'm advising Brian Cashman or I have Brian Cashman job, I can't be, hey, don't
55:06get this guy because Stanton's coming.
55:08I just – at this point, it's pretty close to a sunk cost where you just maybe have to –
55:15you know, he's got one year left.
55:17You just even say, let's just eat it so we're not playing this game anymore and using a 40-man
55:22roster spot or whatever is going on.
55:25And I think that's sad.
55:27The guy's had a great borderline Hall of Fame career.
55:32And I don't like to say a sentence like that because that – it feels like I'm disparaging a guy
55:38and I'm not.
55:39I want – I hope that guy – selfishly, I hope that guy comes back.
55:44And the Yankees –
55:45And stays healthy.
55:45If he stays healthy.
55:46Actually, I want every player in the major leagues to stay healthy.
55:48I like seeing the best players play.
55:52You know, it's true in every sport.
55:53Like if I'm sitting down to watch a basketball or football game, I'm not like, oh, I hope the quarterbacks
55:57hurt.
55:57You know, you want all the players to play and see who actually has the best team.
56:02But I just don't think you could plan around it.
56:05It's just been too much for too long.
56:08Certainly feels like a – fascinating stuff, Joel.
56:10Thank you so much for doing this for us.
56:12Like you said, nine days away from the trade deadline.
56:14Lots happening.
56:16We'll see how it all unfolds.
56:17Which teams lean more towards the sellers?
56:19Which more are the buyers?
56:21And we're all going to be paying attention to that Mason Miller.
56:23What happens there?
56:24Obviously, Joel is Yankees fans.
56:26So I – one of my best friends is a Yankee fan.
56:30And he asked me – I think he's crazier than you.
56:35And he asked me, what do you think?
56:38And I said, do you root for the Yankees to win every day?
56:43And he said, yeah.
56:45I said, root is hard that San Diego loses every day.
56:47Yeah.
56:49Because like at some point, I think unless it's so obvious to A.J. Preller,
56:55whose instinct is to go for it, that he has no hope.
57:01And look, because he has control of Miller for multiple years,
57:04he might even decide if they fall to 55 and 63 or whatever by the deadline,
57:10screw it.
57:10I'll just trade Morihone.
57:12I'll trade Jason Adam maybe if he's healthy enough.
57:15I'll trade a lot of them.
57:16But I'm not trading Miller.
57:17Miller is great.
57:18I'm in the business of acquiring great players.
57:21So I think that there's – even if he surrenders, he might not trade the guy.
57:25But I said to my friend, if I were a Yankee fan, like if I'm a Tampa Bay Ray
57:32or Milwaukee Brewer fan or someone like that who's really me want Tarek Skubal,
57:37I'd be like, root for my team and root for the Tigers to lose.
57:42Joel, we appreciate you, man.
57:44Thank you, as always.
57:45We're looking forward to catching up with you next week.
57:47Hope we get some rest even though it's a busy time for you, man.
57:49No, it's a good time.
57:51You know, this is an interesting time.
57:52I know how much fans are – you know, this is one of those things is you hope
57:55you never do anything just into a void.
57:57And the number of questions I get at this time of year is a reminder that people
58:01really care about this.
58:02And it's important to kind of grind and see if you could explain and find out
58:06some stuff.
58:07And, you know, hopefully a show like this helps some Yankee fans through it all.
58:11It does.
58:12It's a therapy for us.
58:13Thank you, Joel.
58:14Peace.
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