Blue Jays' Offseason Options with David Samson

0:00All right, welcome back to Boyer and Barker on Sportsnet 590. The fans are supporting it. You okay? Nah, nah. You're definitely off the Christmas card list. Huh? Yep. Producer Mark Boff was... He's a Hurtin' Poppy. He is. He already told. He already told. Yep. But he showed up. Well, he did. He did. He's a gamer. Most wouldn't. He did. He's upset at Will You. For sure. Well, I mean, yeah. Getting live. You know who isn't upset with me today is David Sampson. I bet he's upset with you. Yeah, I bet he is. He never gets upset with me. No, ever. No. Never did. Never will. Hello, David. Hey, buddy. I am so not upset with you. You have no idea. Nothing but love. There you go. Constant. Why? Never ending flow of love. Wow. There you go. I think the same... I was told the same story whenever I got sent down. This is what I was told. It was so much fun.

1:00It was so much fun. It was so much fun. It was so much fun. Of course. I had never loved the player as much as I loved you. But it's just the numbers game. Sorry about your luck. Yeah. How much it hurts me to send you down, but you go down and you keep working. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We love your makeup. Yeah, yeah. And we love your effort. And man, we'll see you soon. Never is the hardest decision I've had to make. Yeah. Since lunch. I've just sent my ticket. I did some movement. That's all I saw. Yeah. believed it to be fair. After that, I started to wonder. One of the things that we said to our GM and AGMs as they were moving up the ranks and sending players out, we said never say we'll see you soon. Never because you may never see them again. So don't ever say that. So you just say, listen, see you later. Yeah. I think that's the only way to do it. That was it. One person one time when I got released and I know we'll move on. Flip me the released paper like I was on the, I came in a room or it's like six coaches

2:02in there. So I knew some was a boss or six weird. I've been released before. It's never been six. And then that person was sitting and when he told me I needed to basically said, hey, we've released you here. Sign this. And when he said here, sign this, he flipped it kind of and it was slow motion. And the only thing I was thinking was, well, I 'll be arrested if I flip this and stand on it. That's where that's the only thing I can think. I don't even think I signed it in a right place. Give me any stories of guys who were rep before being sent down or being traded. Oh, yeah. Of course. There are players who were angry. There are players who said they stormed out of the office before we could even finish what we were saying. There were players who wouldn't come in the office. They would stay in the shower of the food room and we had to go get them at some point or another. Some players, you send the pitching coach out to get if it's a pitcher, but some you know you're going to have a problem with. So you have the manager do it. Sometimes the GM sometimes I would go and get them. You never know because players talk. They realize

3:06when Ross Roos are coming, they know when someone's coming off the injured list, they just have an inkling. It's like a sewing circle in every clubhouse. So there's very few secrets. Yeah. David, we had a couple of divisions clenched. Obviously the Dodgers clenched clenched again, but so did the Brewers. I think it's their fourth straight. Best time of central title. They are well record would suggest they're the best team in baseball. Is this the is this the year that it translates into the postseason? Do you think there would be some kind of irony when they're going on with CBA negotiations if the Brewers actually win the pennant and make it to the first world series since 1982 and then win it for the first time ever. I think baseball already knows what the spin is, which is you can't look at one year. We're looking at a collection of years. We're looking at a larger sample size. The union on the other hand is saying, look at this year Bruce Meyer is going, you know, on a media tour saying, look at the raise and look at the Brewers. Don't give

4:07me anything about competitive and balance and small revenue teams not having a chance. So everyone can use facts to their own advantage, but really none of that is relevant when it comes to the negotiation that actually happens. Okay, sticking with that, how about the Dodgers? You know, I was watching the Dodgers the other day and I heard somebody call Kyle Tucker, King Tuck. And that's that was no to me because, you know, I've watched him play all year and he was way far from King Tuck. Is he a big factor going forward just because of what they're doing where they're at is a lineup. You know, they do look a little older as a lineup. Like you can get them out with velocity. They played a lot. Like him getting hot at the right time. Maybe that's a boost going forward or am I overthinking this? It just threw me when I heard King Tuck. No, that's funny. I was thinking King Tuck and it made me smile because I haven't thought about King Tuck in a super long time. And listen, someone's going to get hot in October. That's how it works. Could it be someone on the Dodgers? It's happened two years in a row. Could it be a third? And of course,

5:09their lineup is looking old because news alert, they are old. And that's what happens when you get a collection of veterans. Eventually they get old, but you're going to stick with them because they keep winning. But some players, as you guys know, fall off a cliff and they don't come back, but you don't say that after a year. So yes, he's had a down year. He can save that year with a good October. But it doesn't mean that he's not a big part of their lineup next year because one off year does not a career end. But if next year we're having the same conversation where Tucker is a well below average player and really just a drag on the lineup to say nothing of being nothing in the clubhouse, then you start thinking, wow, the Dodgers are going to have to do something about that. And they've got the revenue to do it. Okay, well, that's it. If you're running the Blue Jays, what are you doing the off season to fix the offense? I've been thinking about the Blue Jays nonstop because I expected them not to be under 500 with 10 days to go. I expected them

6:09to be a not just competing to win a pennant. I expected them to actually be in the World Series and win the World Series. That's where my head was before the season started. And it's like they've got the hangover that sometimes and often comes with the World Series winning team. And that's why it's been so hard to repeat. And the Dodgers doing it twice in a row is really remarkable and going for three in a row for the first time in, you know, 25 years when the Yankees did it. So I'm worried that the Blue Jays feel like they already won something because they haven't. They didn't win the World Series no matter how close they came. And they all of a sudden felt like a team that would just flip the switch and all of a sudden be ready to compete and win. And then before you know, you're in the middle of September. And I worry greatly about what to do as a front office person on that team because your tendency is to leave them be because you have to believe that they're going to wake up in October. If they're not there and say, wow, that was a wasted

7:11year of our career in terms of team winning and that they'll come back and be ready to go again next year. I think that's probably their best move because if they start moving out pieces, it puts a sort of message of panic into the clubhouse. And I wonder whether that's the right makeup of the team that will respond to a panicked front office. And my guess is no. Yeah, it's, it's interesting because we have seen this team. They use the phrase course correct. And we've seen them do it a couple of times in Ross Atkins GM has admitted and talked about getting rid of Teosca Hernandez and Lurda Scoriel Jr. And, you know, put the emphasis on defense and we overworked as he said they over over over corrected course, correct. But David, it's being patient has to be one of the hardest things for front office, isn't it? It's so bad. I can't even tell you it's worse when you've got an owner who is not patient. And you are forced then to over correct and be more patient than you want to be. So is not to basically bolster an owner's view that one blown save

8:16means that player cannot save another game. You sound like you're speaking from first hand experience. I mean, I'm speaking from 18 years of first hand experience. And I know very well that what I had to do was pretend that I wasn't as despondent as I was, pretend that I wanted to give players a longer leash than I wanted to because I didn't want to make changes as on a whim. And sometimes we did or were asked to do and then fought to not do. When you have an owner like the Blue J's owner, I wonder whether from a company standpoint, an individual standpoint, the Rogers view it as listen. I understand the ups and downs of players. I understand the ups and downs of teams. That's the dream owner. And sometimes I think as a corporation, you get that latitude. And I don't have the inside knowledge of what happens inside the clubhouse in Toronto, whether Rogers acts like an individual owner or a corporate owner because to me, that's a huge difference. Yeah, I just don't know what's going to happen to with with the labor stoppage with spring or leaving with the unknowns around Vlad. I don't care what you say. You have no

9:19idea what that's going to look like. It is he willing to make big time adjustments. Like you have no cent and there they signed hadn't played in two years since they signed him. Like basically the middle of your order is not going to be here next year other than the Vladie thing. And with what's going to happen with Major League Baseball, I just, and then Jeff Passon came on and said the free agent market offensively is just not great. So you would think you're going to have to trade for an impactful thing like it's up in here. Can I comment on saying the free agent market isn't that great? Absolutely. That's the musings of somebody who's not in the front office. I don't need a GM to tell me to sign Shohei Otoni as a free agent. I'm looking for someone like the Kansas City front office to sign Seth Lugo to a three year deal and have him outperform his contract. Every year there are free agents who are signed that get poo pooed by the media. But there's a reason they're signed and every once in a while like every year there's free agents who outperform their free agent deals because the front office saw something in that player that was going

10:24to be a good fit for that team at that particular moment. So no front office has ever gone into an off season saying, ah, the free agent market stinks. There's no hitting. There's no pitching. That's hogwash. There's always hitting pitching and defense available on the free agent market. It's the good front offices who find those free agents. And the question is are Shapiro Ackins? Is that duo a front office that does that? Or do they want to be like the Dodgers where you just sign the best of the best and every once in a while it doesn't work, but the majority of the time it does work. And this off season will be interesting to see which way the blue jays go. I can't wait. Yeah. Hey David saw the mets and the orals play this week. Peter Lonzo making his return to New York and there was of course, it happened. He hits just 300th home run. He gets a curtain call at city field. He had another home run as well. The people still get upset about that kind of thing. Like I know Sean Menai. I think had some comments about it. I mean, I don't know. I just

11:26think I look at Peter Lonzo. And you know, my first reaction to the mets is, well, don't be in the last place. If you don't want visiting players to get a curtain call. Did you have an issue with that when you were when you were president? Or even as a baseball fan David, even as a baseball. Yes, you do. I'm happy to give a player who I traded away a ovation before the game. I'm happy to do a 30 second video if the player was nice on the way out the door. But a curtain call. No, not interested. When you're on the other team, if you want to politely applaud a a milestone, I'm happy to do it. But that wasn't a curtain call for Peter Lonzo. That was really the fans manifesting their anger that Peter Lonzo was replaced by players who can't play, whether they're hurt or ineffective. If the mets were a playoff team or in the running to be a playoff team, there's no curtain call there because Peter Lonzo and his money are out the door and you've replaced him with greatness. So you would applaud Freddie Freeman when he comes back to Atlanta because

12:29of what Freddie Freeman did in Atlanta. But you have Matt Olsen at first base who's helping your team continue and continue to win. So I really think it was more of indictment on where the Mets are as a team than on actually a curtain call for Peter Lonzo. Is this interesting hearing you say that because I made a comment to I've not could say who but a former, a police general manager, I asked him one time because the Leafs are famous for every time a player comes back, they give him a 30 second thing at the start of the game and everybody taps their stick and everything. I go, yes, guy was basically nothing. I mean, you know, it's not like it's not like a stars returning. And I said, I said, I asked him what time? What do you guys do this? And he said, because I'd rather the fans do whatever they want to do before the game is started or early in the game than in the third period if he scores a winning goal or something like that. And now, and I just hearing what you said makes perfect sense. Do it right away. It's a full conversation that we have before every homestand we will keep track with the

13:31marketing department, the in game entertainment department who are playing which players on the other team are former Marlins or former expos. And then we go down the list. Is this a video worthy guy? Is this simply the PA announcer does it with more verb on the intro guy? Do we wait and think that he's going to pause as he goes for his first app bat for a little hat flip and an ovation guy? So we'll have that conversation and it's funny when you put players in different categories. It definitely depends on what they meant to your franchise where they part of something that was positive where they just a released player that ends up being great on another team in which case you want to bury your head in pretend that he's not playing for the other team or that he never played for you. It's not like the Minnesota twins did an entire video for big poppy when he came back when the twins had released him as a rule five guy. It just makes me laugh that people think that there's no thought that goes into it because there's plenty of thought. Yeah, I wonder if you're a pity. You know what you're thinking of that? I really walk out there and throw my hand. Oh, I do it. Of course I do. I really said. No, they're not a curtain call. Never turn

14:36down a curtain. What are you will would have done it? Oh, you guys have been like, no way. I'm doing that on the road curtain call. I spent my whole career wanting to win road games more than home game. To say that for my fans, but I'll tell you this for fans of the team, it's way way better to silence a crowd than to be drowned out by the deafening roar of home approval. Yeah, there's just and I'm sorry to tell you that, but that's how I've always felt in the players were very similar. It's a hell of a lot of fun to win on the road. Yeah, that I remember the celebration on field when you won the world series with the Marlins at Yankee Stadium. That was enjoyable. You guys had a lot of fun. Scene Cubs fans cry at the end of game seven is one of the great memories of my career. Literally one of the top two three memories of my career. The silence at Yankee Stadium was deafening. It sounded like the roar of a crowd. It was so quiet. So yes, Mark Shapiro remember said that last when the Yankees eliminated the Yankees last year and he was being

15:38interviewed in the field. He said here that there was nothing. He goes, it's one of the best sounds I've not heard. Yeah, it's like Seattle smoking cigars here at the Roger Center. I mean, you know, never will forget that right. Me and Jeff doing the show at the field. They're on the piano out there. You know, they're doing their little tail thing and running all over the place. I go this last one will let you go as Major League Baseball because I haven't I have been putting a little thought of this. You think Major League Baseball as a whole has had a good year with what the American League has done this year or hadn't done the National League is a little bunch together with how good the teams are. Like you could basically pick the team, I think that could be with the Dodgers. The American League is all over the place. That a good year. You think as a whole when Major League Baseball. Let me ask you your pre-season predictions. How did they go? Awful. I picked the Blue Jays go to the World Series. So it's been awful. I picked Seattle. I picked a team actually worse than. So do I define a good season as a team where every team met expectations or some teams exceeded them and some teams did not meet them.

16:40I go with the latter. I think a good year is defined by teams that exceed expectations and teams that don't meet expectations because that's what makes things interesting. I think what I always like is interesting versus apathy or interesting versus what is just guaranteed. Like the Yankees winning 81 or more games and the Dodgers winning their division. I think that that becomes a little boring. So I like the idea of teams doing things. Do I love the idea by the way that a team under 500 could get a buy in the American League playoffs? It's not great, but it's not like it happens every year. I was asking somebody. I don't think it's ever happened. So in that regard, if we're seen something we've never seen before, even if it defines mediocrity, does that make it interesting? I guess it does to a point, but I would not say it's a bad year. But this year was absolutely colored by the fact that people are worried about next year already. And that's what happens definitionally in the last year of a CBA. And this year's a little worse because of the guaranteed nature of the lockout and almost the guaranteed nature of a late start next season. And I feel as though

17:45people are a little reticent to enjoy this moment because they view the future moment as being negative. And that's a terrible way to live. You should always try to enjoy this moment, regardless of what you think may or may not be coming next year. This this year in the American League, that team under 500 could win a round in the playoffs. That's the thing. For me anyway, that's the sad part of it is if that team under 500 gets in, you could you could see him beating the Rangers. You could see him beating the Astros. You could like you could see him doing it. So I'll push back a little bit because what I love about October is that it's so hard to get there over 162. And once you're there, you have to be good again. You can't rest on your laurels of 162. You have to be hot. You have to get contributions from players you didn't expect. You have to put starters into the bullpen and have them with their arms still attached. Try to save games and give you innings. You have to find ways to win defensive games three to one or four to two. And I love the

18:48fact that any team can win an October. That's what makes it that's what's supposed to make it exciting. And we'll see what happens this October. It'd be fun. Dave are going to let you run. Man, good to chat. Well, buddy. See you guys soon. See you later. David Stamps and host of nothing personal with David Stamps and he is of course a former president of the Marlins and the expose. So so if you have so if you repeat a lot, though, yeah, you would be okay on the road. Absolutely. You would be absolutely. I wonder how he's up to get. He's a really good dude. Obviously, he's always wanted to be a man forever. He makes no bones about that. Now he's an Oreo. Okay. I would think it'd be a little odd. If I even first teammate now, if I had been there for two years, then I wouldn't. But long time that you know, he's had some big hits. He has. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd be okay with that. I don't know. I don't know how his fear. What are us teammates felt about that? The Orioles team. Yeah. I don't think they'd probably might. I don't know. I mean, I remember the camera. They were yucking it up in the dugout. They thought they'd never seen that. They thought it was great. That's like you're doing that in New York. Go do it.

19:51They thought it was great. I would just wonder. Might be a little odd. Okay. Let me ask you this. What is odd or that? Or Vladie getting a curtain call for hitting his first home run of the year. Like do you take the curtain call? If you're Vladie, you basically have had a down year. You've had a down year. You just hit your first home run. And the school, you know, school kids are back in school and you've hit your first home run at the Rogers Center. Well, I'm just saying. Look, I thought about that. See, you asked me if I'm Vladie, I'm not doing that curtain call. Nope. I'm not doing that curtain call. But if I'm Peter Lonson, damn right, I'm out there and do I'm going out there waving. Well, you I'm pointing to people in the stands. I'm waving. You want me to stick my head down that hole, though. I'm just saying. I'm going to ride the fence on that. I don't have an answer for you. So you would have wanted to say no. I wouldn't have gone out there. No, I would have stood in the

20:53tire and taken my gloves off and everything. You feel less about me? I wouldn't go. You feel less about Vladie? Did it? No, I don't feel less about you. No, I know because no, any more than the fact that he's been dumping Gatorade and people after games are he's gone. So you don't feel less. You don't feel less. I'm saying. See how you did that. I want to see how I did that to get you to do that. Hey, we got a little bit of breaking news. We've got trivia. We'll get to that. Yeah. Stop me. You've heard this before. Your day to air. Your daily Anthony Santander update brought to you by Volterran. What? I don't know. Anthony. Anthony Santander. Did not play today for the triple A Buffalo Bisons. There's three games left in the triple A season. Why didn't he not play? This is a wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I don't know. I don't know why. I just I just have information passed on to you. It is becoming a joke. A little.

21:55Oh, we've got bad back. Oh, yeah. We've got tickets to give away to see the Jays and the Reds. Yeah. On September 25th at the Roger Center. Yeah. I think it's game of the year. Holy could be. No, it could be. I'm sorry. I'm kidding. We've been giving you the chance to win Blue Jays tickets all season long here in Blair and Barker. All you have to do is text the correct answer to our daily Facebook tribute question to 59590. Standard message and data rates may apply. Who know? You may be the who knows? You may be the only person this year to win and see Vlad. He had a home run at the Roger. Really? Or the Gatorade? Our last question and answer was he played for nine different major league teams, including the Blue Jays and Tigers. He's a two time world series champion with two different ALEs teams. He's made his MLB. No, he didn't. He made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays and had two separate stints with the organization. He's one of 24 pictures to throw a perfect game name him. The answer was the one and only the legend, the man and the myth, David Wells. There he is. I don't even know why you're reading this one. I don't need your.

22:59I mean this is a good one. I'm just not gonna get that one. You're not gonna do it. Just be the first caller through. Okay, I'm just getting here we go. Yeah. He played for four different major league teams, including the Blue Jays and Red. He's really good. Following his playing career, he became a broadcast. Oh, that's a terrible mistake. He is close with this says multiple recipients of the Jack Granduord, but let's be clear. It's just one. He is close with multiple recipients of the Jack Granduord, given up by the Canadian baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He has proclaimed that he is one of the quote best five o'clock hitters to ever play. He told me and he made his MLB debut in August 1999 following the Hall of Fame stint at Virginia Tech. He played for four different major league teams, including the Blue Jays and Reds. Following his playing career, he became a broadcaster. He is close with multiple recipients of the Jack Granduord, given up by the Canadian baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He has proclaimed that he is one of the best five o'clock hitters

24:02to ever play and made his MLB debut in August 1999. Following the Hall of Fame stint of Virginia Tech name him. That's rude about that five o'clock thing. You can text the answer to five 9590 for your shot to win. See rules at sportsnet.ca slash five 90. And in this case, trust me standard message and data rates. I mean, I never had play a person that ever played the seven o'clock. He said all the stuff in five o'clock. But uh, you know, but I already was pretty good at Virginia Tech. Stubbs, I think is better. It's the only guy that's ever been better. It still holds a school record for triples if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, get it down. Get it. Sing it. Round and basis. Boy, he was skinny then. Not just good looking. Was he? Oh, yeah, he's better looking. Less wrinkles. Better attitude. Definitely better attitude. A way better attitude. Much better attitude. I just feel like it was heavy lifting today. That's a good question. Day off.

25:02I mean, you just threw a little bit. I mean, you just threw a little bit. You just threw a little bit. Glad he ride under the bus. So. Well, it was something I was thinking about. And we never really had a chance to bring it up. And I thought, you know, you're on your own. You're on your own ripping pita lawns. I had three hundred three home run. I'm gonna tip my cat. It's not really a rip. I didn't rip, Pete. I just said it might have been a little uncomfortable for Pete. I wouldn't have gone out if I was. And you went to the hot one and no grade rate. How come Gladys had a curtain called this year in Okamoto hasn't. I think OK. I don't think he has. I'm pretty sure yes. As he. I seem to remember hearing in one broadcast that he has. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. Come on. Jeff. This is where we're going at the break. Damn. This is where. I run a stuff. You're on your own. Big. Jesse Rogers is ESPN's MLB reporter. He focuses on the white socks and cubs. Pretty good. Pretty good year to be a Chicago based not bad. Absolutely. Pretty good. Surprise and living up to it. Yeah. And MVP. Yeah. Kid me. It's been a. It's been a great year for

26:08for Chicago baseball. And Jesse Rogers joins us next. It's Blair and Barker on Sportsnet 590. The fan and sportsnet. The fans are off tonight. They will open a three game series against the Texas Rangers tomorrow. In our link with the Nate 10 first pitch, but but but but there is baseball on the network tonight. As though we keep track of the teams in and around the blue jays in the wild card race. You can catch the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros at seven o'clock on Sportsnet.

27:08Sportsnet plus we'll have the Tigers and the white socks. 7 30 PM. I'll be watching that one. And today clock the Boston Red Sox are in Texas to take on the Rangers. That's on Sportsnet 1. And I'll be flipping over after the after the soccer Tigers. It's been a pretty good year for baseball and Chicago. I would say it's probably been one of the best years for baseball and Chicago in a while. Of course, the cubs are. I've had a great year. I think they've probably got in Pete Crow Armstrong nationally. Game VP and the Chicago white socks have been not only a revelation in terms of winning record. And in terms of where they are in the standings even in a down year for the American league. I mean, Kevin and I we've talked about this lot. They're also fun to watch. Yep. Like they are they are good value. They they are reason in the eyes at times. Jesse Rogers, CSPN's MLB reporter. Of course, he focuses on the white socks and cubs. He joins us on

28:09Blair and Parker. Jesse, thanks so much for joining us today. I think I'm right in saying that. Am I not that this is a pretty good time to be a Chicago baseball fan, isn't it? Yeah, it is. The Southside is a little bit shaky these days. That's where I am tonight for the socks and tigers. Cubs look like they're going to clinch the number one wild cards. Seat least in my opinion, but the white socks are hanging in there. It's kind of limping to the finish line, but it's exciting to have September games that matter on both sides. Yeah, Jesse, what do you think has to happen going forward for the wide size? Well, they got nine games left, you know, they're right there. There's some guys that matter that have hit a bunch of homers that are going through it. Like you mentioned, you know, down the stretch here, it looks like the pitching staff as a whole might be going through a little bit going forward here. Just to sustain this the next little bit. Is it going to be tough for them to do? And if they don't, how will you be talking about the white socks? Yeah, well, answer the first question first. I think they're going to have to limp through this weekend a little bit. The four game series against the tigers, the end of 13 or row, which in September is a lot, finally a day off Monday. And then it

29:15becomes the last place royals and the last place Rockies. And so if they can't get it done against those two teams, they don't deserve to be in the playoffs, right? To answer your second question, they don't get in. I would still call it a successful season of strides and development, but a completely disappointing finish. You can't be in first place from July 4th to September 15th. Yeah, that was yesterday, right? And then and then falter and say it's some great accomplishment. You could say it was a successful developmental season, but still be wholly disappointed in the finish. And that's the way I will look at this if they don't complete the deal, but they are gassed. I mean, you mentioned some guys going through it. If you take their top five hitters that were the reasons they ascended the first place, four of them have struggled mightily in the second half. Moons, you want to talk a more Tommy close to Montgomery, Davis Martin and Sean Burke, two pictures, two hitters. So four of your five best players outside of Miguel Vargas struggling. It's almost

30:15a miracle. They're still in it, you know, so they've had some other guys, especially in their bullpen step up, but the bullpen's a little gassed. You saw that yesterday in Cleveland. They could really use a day off. It's not going to come to a Monday. I would think, you know, you mentioned Miguel Vargas. It seems to me that he's a guy we probably aren't paying enough attention to when you look at his numbers this year. And he's low key had a really, really good year, hasn't for this team. And he's one of the he should get some down ballot consideration. I would think, should he not frame VP? Yeah, that's a great point. McDonald ballot for sure. You get 10, you know, they name 10 places. So if he's seven, eight, nine, 10, it makes sense because without him, they'd be screwed. I mean, he's posted every day. That's important. He's played as many games as anybody on this team. And he's been as consistent. He hasn't gone through the volatility at the plate or on the mound that some of these other guys have had. He's the team MVP. I'd probably say Tristan Peters is behind him there. But Vargas, yeah, absolutely, he's made a name for himself in this city and in this league as a consistent contributor place, both corner infield spots.

31:18Has real power. And it doesn't look like it's a fluke. I think he's he's established a nice floor for himself as a major league player. How's Burakami, man? You know, the 31 homers, the, you know, what he said, the last 57 games in a buck 71. Tell me about his year. Well, I'm watching him as we speak, talk to his agent who flew in from New York, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures. One of the biggest agents in the game, Casey Close and him are huddling now. And they're I see I see his agent have actually showing some swing plane type things with his hands like that, you know, he's just off right now. He had a great start. And that's what's confusing. Sometimes you come, you know, it's a rookie or a guy that comes over from Japan, you struggle early. And then you have success. That would make sense, right? It's the other way around, which sometimes happens. The league doesn't know you and then they figure you out a little bit. Thing is, it doesn't have a lot of complication to his game. It's walk, it's strike out, it's home run, just much fewer home runs and walks lately. A lot more strikeouts.

32:20And the proplexing part of his scouting report is he misses in the zone a lot. It's not all chasing. So it's really hard to understand what's going on here lately after having such a good first half. I think it is definitely in his head. It's between his ears and that can impact you mechanically eventually if you start pressing and trying to do things you're not supposed to be doing. So, you know, this would be a great time for a reset form. It's just you're contending, you're on a contending team in September. You can't reset. So he's got to work his way out of it, either on the field or be sitting on the bench, which is amazing for a 30 home run guy. But he didn't start every day in Cleveland, for example. He's starting tonight against the lefty, but you know, I'm not sure how much success he's going to have two days ago. He had four strikeouts in a huge game against the Guardian. So it's really confounding to see him have so much success early and have none lately. Jesse's Tristan Peters, a lock for next year with this team. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, he's just a rookie and he's hit for the cycle. He's had an 18 pitch at bat. He made

33:22the all-star team. He had home runs and five straight games. I mean, that's a career full of accomplishments for some players. And he didn't as rookie here. So, you know, could he be splitting time out there? Yeah, sure. He's already been splitting time and they still have some, you know, this year and they still have some outfield prospects on the move. So I don't see why he wouldn't be starting against Morse Wright-Handers based on his season this year. Okay, flip it over to the cubbies. If they don't make a series run at this thing, how disappointing would that be? And PCA, is there anything that you didn't know beginning of the season that you know now about him impressive wise? I mean, sure, absolutely. He didn't have this plate discipline a year ago. So the fact that he's taken his walks and forced pitchers in the zone more has been a pleasant surprise. His ability to pull any pitch out to Wright Field, which is not an easy place to home regularly. People probably think it is left field to lot easier. Wind blows in from right a lot. So that ability, that twitchiness to not have to go to left center to be able to pull that out with this kind of

34:27frame that he has, all of that is a surprise. Now, he had on runs last year, but not at this level. So there's a bunch of surprises there. Now the raw talent, not a surprise, the base running, the defense, even some of the power, not a surprise, but this is a whole other level. Nobody expected this. Jesse, we're going to let you scoot, man. I know you got some work to do tonight. Thanks for doing this. Thank you, Jesse. We appreciate it. You got it guys. Enjoy the stretch run. Thank you. Thank you. That is Jesse Rogers, ESPN Chicago based MLB reporter. If you want to watch the game, tonight, Tristan Peters is of course from Winkler, Manitoba. You may want to pay attention tonight. You may want to make a little bit of noise for him tonight against the Detroit Tigers this season, 12 for 25, 480 against the Tigers this season. And you know, you look at his rankings amongst all AL rookie players. Third and average, you 73, third and extra base hits, 47, fourth and OPS, fifth

35:29and slugging, fifth and on base, six and hits, seventh and RBI, ninth and homeruns. You got 12 for him. Not his team though. How's that? Okay. And you know, the, the, the JZ LL they can get all the up, they need. Right. Yeah. There's been some guys on that white slug team had a really good year. You know, you'd hate for it to go to waste. I mean, I guess that's not probably the right way to say it. But if you can't finish it off, I would think there's a little something that you wouldn't like to be hanging over the organization, just trying to figure out how to, yeah, maybe there's a blueprint now that if you don't, how can you get some more older guys in there who know how to sort of finish the job? I think, I think the white socks are, I think they're poised for a really extended run here. They've got some good young players still coming up. They are going to have some decisions to make in terms of their position players. But you know, I'm just looking, I'd, you know, again, you try to keep track of things. But Miguel Vargas is here. It's insane. He's 30

36:31doubles, 30 home runs, 20 steals 100 runs scored. One more steal. He'll become the third white socks player. You have 30 doubles, 30 homers and 20 stolen bases become the fourth white socks player to lead the American League and run scored. Tim Anderson, Frank Thomas and then John Maustal in 1925. But he's having a remarkable year and he will get some, yeah, especially if they make the playoffs. He should get some MVP. And he's not going to be up at the top, but he should certainly get some MVP. Yeah, he's been solid down the stretch here too. He's not one of the reasons why that was against. Yeah, they're pitching. Yeah, I think is what Jesse was talking about, about being gassed and a couple of those guys about maintaining good swings the entire year. It's not the easiest thing to kept up to velocity and lay off a break and expectations now of the sudden around the white socks. Right guys, we're not used to that either, which that'll grind on you mentally. So yeah, it'll be fine down the stretch. There's a bunch of teams here that I don't know if they get in how serious she's taken, but watching them try and get in,

37:35that's the most fun part of it. Yeah. Yeah, I, you know, and again, you made the point. Whoever gets that third, that third wild card spot is, you know, it's a good year, even if you have to creep in to do it because the Yankees and Red Sox, one of those two, I mean, they're going to kill each other off. And then the winner gets to go on against the race. Yeah. So, you know, theoretically, you're looking at playing the Houston's, the Guardians, the White Sox. Yeah. Got a chance. You do. Yeah, you really do. And it's, if the J's get into, they'd have C Soriano game one and two, that's a big deal, right? So depending on how it sets up, I still, it does set up that way. You know, with where Dylan's throwing tomorrow, when he'd be throwing next, Ed lineup for the 29th. By the way, just to mention this, the White Sox minor league system, despite all the young guys they brought up, they're still

38:35solidly in the middle of the pack. So it's not like they're down on the bottom there, about 14th sure in baseball. So they're going to end the other thing too. They finally, I think they finally found their manager, like they finally found a guy that can make the young guys, can make it all work. Like, I mean, you know, you can make the case. You can make the case that when you look back at the blue J season, the White Sox are, you know, we're talking about this, this is a reason the J's haven't made it. This is the reason the White Sox are one of the reasons that J's aren't holding the wall cards. Yeah, that range of series, that A series, those two series didn't help either. But yeah, they're, they're one of the reasons why. I mean, they, they really, they beat the Merleon in the year and they, they, they set them a lot of the J's, they set them behind. They self-inflicted. Yeah, a lot of going on anyhow. So there you are. The, there it is. Pitching matchup tonight is Eric Fettig against Femte, Framber Valdez. Hey, you really think it's a big deal if a team makes a playoff and isn't in his 500 or I do. It's a terrible look. That's just me. Yeah, but that's the beauty of the three wall

39:41card is everyone wants to while you're going to have a stinker get in. But again, I get back to that. If you, if you fight and call and you just get in because of who you might have to play, I don't know how you would change the wall card thing. I don't know. We were talking to pass in about that, receding. Yeah. But then one of the things I really like about baseball is I like the fact that the division matters, right? And, and, and, and yeah, otherwise why are we doing it? Why aren't we just having, you know, two division league beauty of this thing that they're in now is the Jays would have been out of it. Let's be real. Two months ago. But they're not because of the American League and the third wall card. That's a big deal, right? It gives fans a chance to root for their team until the end. And there's a bunch of things in the American League because a bunch of thinking going on that you're allowed to do that. And I like that part of it. The under 500 thing. I don't like that. I think that's a terrible look. You know, you're, you're rewarding stink, which I don't think that should be the case. You should, you should, the 162 should mean a ton.

40:46But see, I think it really don't matter. Well, see, I just don't mind very much. I disagree. How many, how many, I'll ask you this, sir, how many meaningless games are going to be played in the American League in the final week of the season? It's not fair. No, no, just fair. How many meaningless games, every, almost every game in the American League is going to matter. Jays under 500. Game under are, are they at 500 or 200? Aren't there a game? I like there. You know, 76 and 77. There it is. So yeah, come on. I mean, but they'd be like eight back in the National League. It's my point. That's the way it should look. I'm not again. It's one of the mirrors. It's what pastor said. I you kind of agree with that. And you don't want to make this a habit. But you asked me my opinion. I just think it's. But the reality is a bunch of them teens, if they get in, they get hot and the right guy with the right part of the lineup and one of them pictures gets hot, they could make a run in the

41:50American League. You could have a team. Yeah. Oh, you could have a team with 81 or 82 wins in the A. S. Absolutely. You really know, boy, no. Psych. I'm sorry. That is no boy, no, because you're basically are saying to the red slacks, the Yankees and the race that what you did in the regular season really means nothing. But that's to be in the sport right now. Is it it's getting more eyes and more fannies to watching them sitting around baseball, which is the most important part out all that, but man, I'm trying to the jays have had a bunch of stink a lot. Okay, here we go. I'm going to read out. Fewest wins, fewest regular season wins by a world series championship team. Okay, okay, we're going to leave aside, uh, you know, COVID and strike years because the Dodgers had 43 wins during the COVID year in 63 and 81. Okay, fewest wins. 2006 Cardinals won. They had 83 regular season wins. 87 twins.

42:57Really celebrated team. Hall of Famers. Great team. 85 regular season wins. 2000 Yankees. 87 regular season wins. 2021 Braves 88 regular season wins. 2014 Giants 88 regular season wins. So, uh, yeah, an 82 win world's team to go to the work, to win the world series would be something we haven't seen in a regulation year. I have the red socks. I was that the red socks at 75 wins, but that was in 1980. Yeah, you made my point for me. Stakes. But Zorret. I don't know. Four five me rooting for 2000 teams, now, it's 2000. It's six Cardinals teams. You know, I mean, you think because they had 83 wins. No, that's different. You know, it happens. It's so far in a few between. Kind of like this year, you're hoping this is not the norm and you're hoping that what the off season holds doesn't ruin it. And whatever, whatever it is. But yeah, I mean, there's,

43:59there's some stink. It's happening in the American league. But, you know, again, I would rather watch John trying to figure out his pitching staff. And it mattered than me not watching. I kind of like John over there being real red faced trying to have a serious conversation with Beaty. You know, I would rather see that. So I'm going to take that side of it than I am complaining about the records and it's one of them years. Why don't care about the records? I just like it. You do because every time we have a guest to come on, you say you, you, you, you, I asked David question around David Green. You asked the question. You know, is this a travesty that blah blah blah? He is a travesty. Well, there you go. You just figure it out. We'll figure it out. Well, this year, you just said you don't really go forward. Don't make it a habit. Well, don't make it a habit. No, you think it's not like it's not like Rob Manford has organized this. Don't make it a habit. What do you mean? Everybody's gotten together and said, you know what? From this point on, let's make sure that 82 win teams get in. Come on. Yeah.

45:01Just trying to see if there's any update in there and judge here. No update on there. Hey. Maybe they can win the American League without judge. No. No, they've had they got really good pitching. They haven't been able to win the American League use without judge. They've gotten they've got some pretty good pitching. This is some of the better pitching they've had in the wall without a healthy judge. Judges don't really show up in the playoffs anyway. So it's not like up without without a healthy judge. You think they can be they can beat the Red Sox. I think anybody can beat anybody in the American League this year. How you like that? There's no front runner. If the race got beat whenever they play for the first time, I wouldn't be shocked. Just sorry, I wouldn't. Now, if the Guardians make a deep run because the Guardians never do that because sooner or later, if you would think they'd have to go to Yankee Stadium, which I have a real tough time doing. That's a little different. Like there's

46:02certain teams that players you could there. It is like you know, the Jays with what their lineup is not doing and Vlad is non-existent. I mean, I'd be shocking a little like they'd have to do some major major heavy lifting. But who knows like it's one of the sport right now. One of the things you know about the Guardians. I mean, they've got guys. There's always a lot of Brian Rokio happening. Yeah, they got September knocked on October. October's different than September. October's one star shine. Oh, look at me. I'm selling it. You are absolutely selling it. Hey, oh, so we were talking about the American League. I want to take Earth and nationally. I want to take a look because we really haven't touched base in the nationally standing. So I just want to check the wild card thing here. So I admit I haven't paid hotrays. I haven't paid any attention. I've been doing something. Hey, we talking about the American League. Well, I mean, you know, it is what it is. Right. That's kind of that's kind of what we're all about. We should take a look at the nationally standing just for giggles.

47:05The nationally wild card race get caught up on it here. The brewers, Dodgers and Braves have got their leading their divisions. The Cubs are a game and a half back. The Cubs are a game and a half up in the wild card. The Fils are a game up San Diego. It's got the final wild card spot. The Diamondbacks are three and a half back. The Marlins. Marlins are the same record as the Blue Jays. Hey, there's seven and a half back. Pittsburgh seven and a half back. How serious you take the podra. Based on what well, they're nine and one in their last 10. Yeah. Their record against teams over it. Say, okay, all right, because here we've talked about how bad the American League is. Yeah. So let's look at the Cubs records against teams of a 500 or better record because the podra is our 12 under against teams of the record 500 or better. So it's

48:05harder to take them serious. Phillies are nine under. Okay. Cubs are three over. Strangely enough, the Cardinals are 38 and 38 against teams over 500. They've got a better record than the teams that are currently holding the clock. So maybe that's not such a big deal. The thing is, you know, the people we've talked to, so many people just said that it just seems, it seems like the pod rays for whatever reason there's there's there's something going on there right now. You know, nine and one, they made Casey Meis and Robbie Ray have been nice form. Yeah. You know, they got a two junior. You got to do it at the end of the game. Tatees juniors come around. Yeah. You know, some of their other guys like a Merrill have started to play better. Yeah, but I just I don't think it'd be fun because you wouldn't get to see him in San Diego. You know, that place rocking and play else be fun at first series. I still, who's got the who's got the

49:05who would they play if it started tomorrow? Don't ask tough questions. It'd be Phillies and Cubs in one series. Wow. That's a good. Pod rays and braves. Oh, that's another good one. And they'd have to go to Atlanta. I've for the last two months. I've been talking about the Cubs and I'm going to stick with them. Even though I think there might be some pitching issues there. There are. They're running their way through. Cubs run differentials. 143. Yeah. The brewers are 197. Top five in the R.A. and Redscore. We got a scoot. McDonald's is putting value back on the menu. Whether you're craving a big Mac, McNuggets or sausage egg and cheese McGrittle's make it a meal and save. Your favorite is now your wallets favorite to extra value meals are back. Sun rises prices fall. Get a sausage Mcmuffin with egg

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