Proper Player Ingredients for your MLB Team's Thanksgiving - No Turkey Zone

Thanksgiving “Recipes” for 30 MLB Teams

AL East Power Shifts

• Red Sox add Sonny Gray, creating a potential rotation anchor alongside Crochet
• Yankees uncertainties: Garrett Cole’s health, unproven young arms
• Orioles lose Grayson Rodriguez
• Blue Jays surge by adding Dylan Cease and retooling their rotation
• Is it now a Red Sox & Blue Jays division for 2026

What does it take to get a top tier player  - Cash - Payouts - Location - Teams

Blue Jays Go All-In

• Toronto surpasses the 2026 luxury tax for the first time.
• Dylan Cease deal 
• building a legacy around young starter Trey Yesavage and a veteran rotation mix of Gausman, Berríos, Bieber, and Cease
• Bo Bichette’s future with Blue Jays or elsewhere & getting out of Vladdy's shadow

What does it take to get a top tier player  - Cash - Payouts - Location - Teams

What’s cooking with the Rays Roster

• The club DFA’s Jake Fraley to avoid arbitration—then brings him back and save over half of a million .
• Cooking ‘up a stew for Tampa Bay’s outfield mix:
•  Jake Fraley, Ryan Vilade, Chandler Simpson, Josh Lowe, Jonny DeLuca, Richie PalaciIos, Jake Mangum.
• Does Rays’ aggressiveness lag behind AL East rivals.
• Extend Junior Caminero – a punch of positivity for the future of the Rays & the fans
• Loving past Rays players including Isaac Paredes & Joey Wendle
• Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman - who would you choose
• Longevity vs immediate impact performance
• Mat  “you never want to pay for what they did. You want to pay for what they're going to do.”
• Kyle Tucker with Rays, Cubs, Dodgers and at what price 
• Randy Arozarena - a talent undervalued
• Vernon Wells - Anthopoulos hot potato unloaded

Anthony Rendon & Angels Buyout

Gil Meche walked away from Royals leaving $12 million behind

Measuring beyond Analytics 

• Mental health considerations
• Character evaluation should factor more heavily into long-term contracts.
• Big-moment - Clutch rating
• Being a good teammate & building comradery
• Reflect on 2020 Rays’ energy and Arozarena/Phillips sideline moments 
• Contrast drawn with Anthony (Eeyore) Rendon negative presence & how moving on could re-energize Mike Trout and the Angels.

World Baseball Classic Excitement

•  WBC iconic moment - Trout vs. Ohtani 
• Japan’s dominance, Yamamoto–Ohtani 
• Should MLB should pause season or adjust the All-Star break to improve WBC pitching quality.

Scheduling Challenges Across Sports
Overlapping sports calendars 

multiple leagues compete for fan attention.

Women’s Pro Baseball League – WPBL Draft
Draft Day party at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers during the first WPBL draft.

600+ players evaluated

120 drafted

4 teams, 30 draftees each, later trimmed to 15

Notable talent: Kelsie Whitmore, Ayami Sato

Several players from the USA Women’s National Team 
 Reflection on MLB’s support for women's softball vs. women’s baseball

Pay to Play & Record – Youth sports can penalize parents & team standings if parents record sports at some locations.

Find Mat at @matgermain.bsky.social or reach Mark @  baseballbizondeck@gmail.com BaseballBiz on Deck, @ iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, & at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com 
Special Thanks to XTaKe-R-U-X for the music Rocking Forward

Transcript

BaseballBiz On Deck 2025 Thanksgiving

Proper Player Ingredients for your Team's MLB Thanksgiving team

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Welcome to BaseballBiz On Deck. And aren't you in for a wonderful Thanksgiving surprise? I know the good folks up in Canada have already had theirs about a month ago, but here, down here in the States, we're getting ready. We are gotta, we gotta find the right recipe.

[00:00:14] We've got 30 teams to look across and figure out what kinda recipe we can build for each team, for them to have. Great Thanksgiving and a 2026 boom. Doggle of a year. Boom. No, that's the wrong word to have a 2026 blast of a year. So we're gonna see. There's a lot to talk about. Matt, how you doing brother?

[00:00:35] Mat Germain: I'm envious. I'm envious that you guys are about to get more pie and to get stuffing and the whole thing. I would do it twice if I could, so I might just cheer you guys on with a, a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner of my own. 

[00:00:50] Mark Corbett: Well, since you've already had yours. You've been able to look at the ingredients. I know you've been looking at ingredients a lot the last few days of when it comes to the players and the activity and there has been [00:01:00] a lot going on.

[00:01:00] I mean, uh, a couple of weeks ago there was a couple of drops going here and there a little drab. A little drab. And I mean, big one for us being Rays fans of course was seeing Pete Fairbanks go, uh, see, I think that, uh, we still have Brandon Lowe, which. In some ways is a surprise, but there's been a whole lot of movement all across MLB just today, alone.

[00:01:23] Uh, I've, I mean some folks we'll talk about today, I'd like to hit Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, Anthony Rendon, Jake Fraley. There's all kinds of good folks who's on the top of your little list? 

[00:01:35] Mat Germain: Uh, that's been moved. I, I think, Sonny Gray, , to me, I, if you're looking at what happened last year and, and it basically coming down in Yale, al to, uh, the Yankees, um, Mariners and Blue Jays really dominating things in, in the American League.

[00:01:54] Then the Red Sox were sort of, you know. They had the [00:02:00] talents, but they were missing some pieces. They weren't really calibrated. Right? Yeah. Is what you would say. But by bringing Sonny Gray in, assuming he stays healthy and you can keep performing the way he has. You're, you're putting together between him and Crochet some guys that are really gonna be tough to beat on a day-to-day basis.

[00:02:18] And it's gonna maintain some consistency that the Red Sox were lacking before. And to me, he just shifts the balance and so. You don't know what the Yankees are going to get from Garrett Cole and, and, and, and his return from injury. The Yankees have a lot of question marks with Carlos. Rone Clark. Clark Schmidt.

[00:02:40] Um, they, they've got a lot of, of up and coming young. Pitchers but who aren't really exactly proven so, but then when you look at the, you know, the balance of power in in the a l east and you take away Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles, you add in the Dylan Cease and the Blue Jays, and suddenly you're saying, okay, [00:03:00] is it now a Red Sox, blue Jays heavy or favorite, division.

[00:03:06] There's a good argument for it. 

[00:03:10] Mark Corbett: How long do they last? And it's, we know from past conversations, even with, with Jane Leavy from some of the folks she talked about, she said that the word was in the Rays organization. Just wear the arms out. We'll bring another one up. And that seems to be the strategy. So what are we willing to pay a pitcher when, what are those expectations?

[00:03:34] Uh, often, Matt, I think that we pay more than probably pay them less than what they're worth today, but we put 'em on a longer contract just so that we can keep them and keep them happy with that team, , and in effect. Then there's all kinds of bonuses that are put in play as far as whatever their achievements are year to year, and th those come into play also as far as what that player is gonna be able to reap from their talent.

[00:03:59] Mat Germain: [00:04:00] Right. And you also have to understand that, you know, if you sign a picture, like the Blue Jays just signed Dylan cease for seven years, they're not expecting him to be healthy seven years, right? They, they fully understand that there may be a one and a half year lapse at some point in that span, but they're willing to accept that to get the other five and a half years from him because he is, you know, that kind of talent that can push you to the next level.

[00:04:26] But the most interesting thing out of that. Deal with the Blue Jays and Dylan Cease is that when the Blue Jays lost out on Shohei OhOhtani word is that they were willing to go above what the Dodgers did dollar wise, and he just accepted less money to go to the Dodgers. That was, that was what came out in the news afterwards.

[00:04:50] So when you take $500 million and you give it to Vladi Guerrero Jr. And then you take the 210 million and you give it to Dylan Cease, [00:05:00] that proves the fact that they probably were willing to go to 710 million for show Ohtani. And I don't know if it's the scheme of how the payouts were gonna work out that, you know.

[00:05:13] Shohei, preferred the other way, or, or if you just wanted to be in California for all kinds of reasons. It, it's an interesting deal because, it gives credence to a front office that was really torn apart when that fell through for the Blue Jays. Yeah. So, uh, for them it's, it's a significant move and one that mark, for the first time ever, the Blue Jays will be above the luxury tax in 2026.

[00:05:39] Mark Corbett: Who'd thunk it? Man, I tell you what, after being that close to winning the World Series A seven Game World Series, my gosh, this has to be one of the best ever. And to be within a hair of just a play or two could have made all the difference, you know, of bringing that trophy home. And I realize it sounds like they've made [00:06:00] that commitment.

[00:06:01] But as far as that large monetary commitment that that willingness to take on the luxury tax and say, hi, I'm a major market. I'm just as big as what they're doing in LA and New York, et cetera. Are they, is there more that they're willing to take on with Bo Bichette? 

[00:06:19] Mat Germain: There's a good chance, um, you know, it's, it's one of those, if there is another way, because I don't know where Bo Bichette's head is.

[00:06:30] I don't know what he, they, but nevermind the Blue Jays. Let's leave the Blue Jays out of it right now. 

[00:06:35] Okay. 

[00:06:36] He's been working in, in Vladdy Guerrero Jr's shadow the entire time that he's been in Toronto. , Despite putting up elite numbers as a shorts. Stop and offensively anyway, and, and being one of those staple guys that you really can change a lineup with if you bring him aboard.

[00:06:55] So I think he wants [00:07:00] to get a chance to be part of a different team to put his stamp on that team. That's what. Gut tells me. I don't know if that's fact or not. I don't know if that's the way it'll turn out. I can't, you know, get in his head to know exactly. Uh, but there are landing spots, like with the Braves for instance, he could easily walk onto the Braves and take him to a whole other level.

[00:07:22] Oh yeah. If he decide to sign them. Right. And, and that's with Ronald Acuña Jr. And eventually, if Ronald Acuna Jr. Leaves the Braves. They still have a staple bat in their lineup and they're able to build around him. Alex Anthopoulos loves him. That's just one of the examples I can use. , The Blue Jays though, like leaving away the, the Bo Bichette question aside if your re Trey Yesavage, right?

[00:07:44] You just had this experience, this wonderful moment and, and series and, and all the, the memories about it. But then. You know, you don't know what to expect the next year. So what do the Blue Jays do? Well, they surround you with Kevin Gausman, who's 35, [00:08:00] very experienced, knowledgeable. You went through the battle with him, the, you know this off season, you know him well.

[00:08:06] Jose Barrios will be back with him. He's 31. Dylan Cease, they bring in he's 30. And Shane Bieber, those are your four other guys that you're sitting on the bench with. Learning from. Oh yeah. All of them are right-handers, all of them can help you learn your craft. You know, you want this pitch, you go to that guy, you want this pitch, you go to that guy.

[00:08:25] You want, you know, like trading a savage is just surrounded by the, the kind of thing that you want to be surrounded by. So, I mean, you talk about going into a season with confidence. I, I'm envious of, of what they've built now by having. That kind of comradery , and understanding that, , the benefits are gonna go well beyond the contracts that they've signed these guys to because Trey Yesavage then will become that leader that every single other prospect coming in through the Blue Jays will learn from.

[00:08:57] Mm-hmm. And he will pass on [00:09:00] those things. Right. So now you're building a legacy. That's what's happening. And only that Mark, but Ricky Tiedeman has been struggling with his health for I don't know how long. There's a very good chance he ends up in a pen now and, and he's a very highly skilled, uh, pitcher. All of their other pitchers behind them.

[00:09:18] Eric Loweer, who's his lefty, he becomes a long reliever. He can strengthen their pen. All their triple late talents that they have that aren't very like, you know, if they wanna start behaving like the Yankees. Those are not the guys that you lean on going into a season, right? They're the guys that. Plug holes with once in a while, like when you need to, but you want to be armed and ready, you know, when you go into the playoffs with the, the lean and mean guys.

[00:09:42] Yep. So that's what they've built and, and I appLowed them for it 'cause it's the first time in, in an off season where I see the Blue Jays fully going for it and saying, we are here. This is us and we're ready to fight and pounce on it now. 

[00:09:59] Mark Corbett: That is a heck of a [00:10:00] commitment and more than one that I would've guessed to make at the beginning of, uh, the season, I should say the beginning of 2025.

[00:10:06] But, 

[00:10:07] Of course, you know, they did at that point. They had already made that, that, or were in the middle of making that commitment with Vladdy Jr. So that that much was already there.. Well, looking across all the rest of MLB. Unless you got something else we should add about the other good friends in Toronto.

[00:10:27] Mat Germain: It's not that Mark. You know what it is? So we've just spoken about the Jays going out and spending $710 million between two players, right? Yeah. And so the blue, the rays go out and get an L fielder. They suppo supposedly want, right? And then they put him on waivers because they don't, or DFA, him, I can't remember what they did.

[00:10:50] Mark Corbett: They DFA'ed him and 

[00:10:51] Mat Germain: yeah. And then. Uh, because he was gonna get paid 3.6 million and they wanted to shave, you know, a half million off of [00:11:00] that. 

[00:11:01] Mark Corbett: Thank you. I mean, I, I, my notes for today, I wrote down here, I said, Jake Fraley. Yeah. Drafted by the Rays in 2016, you know, and some movement elsewhere. Oh. And then we brought him in and then.

[00:11:12] We df a him about a week or less ago, and it was because going into arbitration, he would make more than if we actually were able to bring him back and negotiate with him as a free agent. And that's what they've done. They've taken him, they've taken it away from him as far as arbitration. They've made him a free agent and now they're gonna pay him less.

[00:11:33] So some things don't change, but come on guys, that just seems heartless. 

[00:11:39] Mat Germain: Yeah, it's more or less saying, you know, well, I, I don't know if there was an angle in terms of like, they knew what Jake wanted, where he wanted to live, and there was reasons behind it, but, but it, it sounds or feels more like, uh, you know, go ahead, go out there and see who wants you for this amount of money.[00:12:00] 

[00:12:00] And then he came back and he signed for the amount that they said. I don't know if it was exactly what they had written, you know. Ask for, but, but it's just, it's the, it's the feeling behind the franchise, right? Like where, where are you in your aggressiveness to build, like, they know the outfield is their problem.

[00:12:18] So they went out and got Ryan Viladi, who's not really proven by any means, and Jake Fraley, who's who's, you know, league average. Sure when, when he is healthy and he's playing well, that's, that's about it. And then you got Chandler Simpson in center field who has no power and, and elite speed. Is that really an outfield that is going to compete with the Red Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays not even close.

[00:12:45] Like you're, you're to me, you're, you're taking steps backwards. Like, so where are we? Like, as a raised fan, you should be like, just. Frustrated, right? Mm-hmm. I don't wanna say it, [00:13:00] you know, too far because yeah, there's potential, like, you know, players exceed expectations and they, they take that next step sometimes and they surprise, but the rays are nowhere near where they need to be with their outfield depth.

[00:13:13] And I don't know if they're banking a lot on some of those young guys like Homer Busch Jr. And whatever else to arrive quickly. I don't know if they plan on shifting positions in some cases and we just don't see it. Um. They may have more faith than, you know, and sometimes that faith works out. So, you know, you gotta know that that's also a possibility.

[00:13:34] But, you know, just sitting back and, and hoping for something of significance, it, it gets to be a little bit tedious if you're a Rays fan and you're just sitting there going, when is that move coming? And, and so to me, mark the, the one if you want Thanksgiving, if you know, if he wants to give us some sort of gravy.

[00:13:54] To put on the Turkey and, and, and it'll, it'll make all that cheap Turkey taste [00:14:00] better, right? Because you're sitting there with a little tiny frozen bo butterball that's not even butterball, but it's go and extend Junior Caminero. Like, do that, like put your staple on the guy before he cost you a half a half billion dollars, you know, lock him up.

[00:14:19] Show the fans and everybody else that you mean business for the future, regardless of how tedious your outfield makeup is. And then we'll, we'll, we'll enjoy that gravy. We might even add some stuffing and, uh, and, you know, we'll, we'll, we'll have a little bit of fun with it to start the season, and we'll give them a little bit of, uh, of leeway before we tear them apart.

[00:14:42] Yeah, I've got my Walmart shopping list together so I can have the perfect, you know, Thanksgiving dinner. So we'll, we'll see how that, that works out. But it is about finding the right ingredients and the word generic doesn't come to mind when I think of the type of players I want in the outfield for the Rays, [00:15:00] but I, I, we need more.

[00:15:03] Okay, I'm drawing a blank here. Who was the gentleman we had playing third a couple years ago? Oh, I just loved him. I can't remember his name. Joey Wendell. No, I let you, Joey's one who was, who came after him, 

[00:15:15] who came after Joey. Uh, there was, uh, oh. Um, I, Isaac Parades. 

[00:15:22] Thank you. Isaac Parades I absolutely adored Isaac Parades.

[00:15:27] I loved what the man did, the plate, I loved his demeanor out there on third base, and it was like, man. They, we had more of that kind of gumption and talent, both at bat and out there in the field. That is something to me. So I'm thinking Richie Palacios, we've had him all over the place. I When you say Joey Wendle, I kind of think of, of Richie sometimes too, as far as, uh, a utility player that you could possibly pick him up and put him different places.

[00:15:53] Yep. But do you see Richie out in the, who was your perfect outfield? I

[00:15:58] . Before we 

[00:15:59] get to [00:16:00] the the perfect outfield, you have to realize that two of them don't have options and they're the two of the three highest paid outfielders.

[00:16:06] Jake Fraley, who they just signed, and Ryan Vilade, if they signed him at to that arbitration amount, would end up being two guys that they can't option down. So those are two locks. Okay. And then you have Chandra Simpson, who I don't believe they're gonna send the aaa. I still think he's two significant for the offense and the tools and everything else.

[00:16:27] So then you're looking at potentially. Two spots, some may. Sometimes you can go with four outfielders. So, you know, you're looking at, you've got Josh Lowe, Jonny DeLuca, uh, Richie CIOs, uh, I don't think Tristan Gray, uh, is in there, but Jake Mangum is the other one. Yeah, the other big got four big guys, or I say big raise, big guys that are, that are competing for that, you know.

[00:16:56] For that spot. And I would say if you're looking at it from a raise [00:17:00] point of view and who's most marketable, right? I don't think Josh Lowe is very marketable right now. Yeah. Um, I don't think that Richie Palacios says either, 'cause he dealt with so many injuries now. Jonny DeLuca dealt with injuries as well.

[00:17:13] But his defensive profile means that he gets more leeway, right? Yeah. So if you wanted to market him to another team, you may be able to get something of significance. But Jake Mangum is the guy that I think that they can market most, uh, because of the attitude, the team at, you know, willingness to, to work hard, to hit, you know, with every play.

[00:17:36] He has a similar profile to Chandler Simpson in, in, in, in that, you know, he's gonna hit major league pitching and he is gonna work, you know, run hard enough to make a lot of those infield hits happen. . But it's only certain amount of teams can handle that as a fourth outfielder. So it would have to be a team that's, that's looking for that, or also for a lead defense in center field.

[00:17:57] So when I look at the Mets, for instance, right, they've [00:18:00] got a lot of high-end, um, outfield prospects. They would be a team that I could see being really interested in Jake Mangum to lengthen their lineup, give their bottom of their lineup more, you know, and they just dealt away. Brandon Nimmo. . So quite open up a role for him.

[00:18:15] To me that's a possibility in terms of the rays getting involved with them in a deal. Um, but there's other ones. There's the, I think the, uh, uh, the Padres just lost Luis Arraez and he's a lot of the similar players as Jake Manum. They also need depth in the EL field. Um, there's a lot of of teams out there that could use somebody like Jake Mangum.

[00:18:37] So to me. He's one of those guys that if the Rays wanted to pair him with Brandon Lowe in a deal, that would be intriguing. The royals come to mind at that point and a whole bunch of other teams. So anyways, all that to say that I think the Rays outfield is like a, a stew. They're putting together a stew, they're throwing some carrots, they're throwing some onions.

[00:18:59] It's not really [00:19:00] Thanksgiving meal, but, but it is yummy when it's done right. 

[00:19:07] Mark Corbett: Geez. I don't know. You know, just seeing the Rays and all of these changes and seeing so many players last year coming up from the minor leagues, it was, it was exciting.

[00:19:18] It was very exciting to see. And the whole idea of a lot of these guys, it'll be the first time they've been seen it in the Trop. You know, that's gonna be something new too. Wow. But, uh. And everything looks like it's ha, you know, moving along. I know. I think our opening day is like after there six games and then we have our opening day.

[00:19:40] I don't think, yeah, we're not first outta the gate. I think that's some leeway. They're trying to make sure that the Trop's probably ready by then. 

[00:19:47] Mat Germain: You just had me thinking though, mark, we're only two months and like a week away from spring training. Like that's that's right around the corner. Oh 

[00:19:56] Mark Corbett: yeah.

[00:19:56] Mat Germain: Pitchers 

[00:19:57] Mark Corbett: and catchers report. Yeah, pitchers and catcher [00:20:00] report. Yeah. Wow. Well, and and you think about all these players now, they're still free agents. Before that, I mean, we've seen other guys take it right to the deadline and even beyond. So we're looking at, uh, Kyle Tucker. We're looking at Alonso. Uh, who am I not?

[00:20:16] There's, there's a few others. Well, Pete, Pete Fairbanks, free agent too. And I'm really curious to see where a lot of these guys land. And certainly, uh, being a Tampa boy, I am certainly curious to see who Kyle Tucker and Pete Alonso, but, uh, I hear the Cubs got quite a bit of interest in maybe even the Dodgers as far as Kyle Tucker.

[00:20:36] So we'll see how that plays out. 

[00:20:38] Mat Germain: So. Just knowing the, the experience and what they've done to this point, who do you think has a bigger impact as a free agent signing? Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman. Damn.

[00:20:54] Let's say the, the Blue Jays do miss out on, um, on Bette, right? What if [00:21:00] they signed, uh, Alex Bregman instead who's friends with George Springer? Right. And then you use Andreas Jimenez at, at shortstop.

[00:21:08] He's a fine shortstop, right? And you can. Either pick Bregman at third or Bregman at second. Like you've got the choice because they have versatility with Barger and Clement and all these guys. Um, so. Uh, if the, the, the Js do miss out on Bobett, or if they're not comfortable with the money because he's looking for 300 million, let's say, um, then I could easily see them targeting Alex Bregman as a, as a fallback option.

[00:21:38] He knows the ales very well. Like I said, he's a playoff performer. He's somebody that, you know, will never find a moment too big. Um, so that would be my, but, but again, I go back to that. Okay. So do you wanna risk the smaller timeframe? 'cause Alex Bregman's only gonna look for 2, 3, 4 years. You know, it's a, it's a minimal risk, whereas I think Kyle Tucker's [00:22:00] looking at 7, 8, 9 years.

[00:22:01] . And, and as an outfielder of his style, 20 home runs 20 stone bases now, but it's gonna, you know, go down over time. Is that really worth it? Like, because of, you know, I don't know. 

[00:22:13] Mark Corbett: Well, marketability as far as just the excitement that comes with Brigman right now is, is so huge. And that's certainly not taking any away from Kyle.

[00:22:21] 'cause Kyle is amazing. Mm-hmm. And I'm reacting emotionally and not scientifically to what the, the history is going to be. Of those players I fully understand after seeing him going, playing through those injuries, that there's gonna be more of that and Right. Uh, it, it would take a whole different kind of contract.

[00:22:43] It would have to have to be something maybe very substantial for a year or two, but then realizing he ain't gonna be there. Kyle Tucker. Yeah, you could, I could see five to seven more years outta Kyle. 

[00:22:54] Mat Germain: Right. Well, well, Bregman is, is 31, Tucker is 28. So there's the difference, right? You're [00:23:00] talking about a three year.

[00:23:01] So, you know, you can kind of fill in the blanks. I think Bregman's played more games contract wise, though. He always has the ops, ops out. He's not really comfortable with the deals he's signing, so that's, that's kind of a. Uh, unnerving part of signing him. If you're a team, it may be extremely short term, it might be one year, it might be two.

[00:23:22] 'cause there's always gonna be those things, so you have to plan accordingly. But that's why I think the Js are perfect 'cause they have fallback options and they have ways to move people around to mitigate, you know, that kind of risk. So the, the interesting thing, and the reason I bring it up is because, um, you know, Bregman's had a, um.

[00:23:40] A season of a 7.9 F four, 8.3 F four. Just recently in 2022, he had 5.4 F four, and otherwise he's been at four to four and a half. Right? Right. And so when you look at Tucker, he's basically been at four and a half the entire time. That's, that's the, uh, [00:24:00] 4.9 I think is this high. So just under five. So, so like there's a ceiling to what you're gonna get with Tucker and those are his prime years.

[00:24:08] So my, my, that's, this is why I'm saying you never want to pay for what they did. You want to pay for what they're going to do. Right. Yeah. And, and so with Tucker, my feeling is somebody's gonna overpay and they're gonna regret it. That's, that's, that's what I'm, I'm coming down to Is that is I think they're gonna pay him like he's an elite outfielder and it's gonna come out, and I'm not saying he's gonna be Anthony Rendon bad.

[00:24:33] No, that's not good at that level, but, but it's not, it's gonna be like, uh. You know, you order the filet mignon and you get the, the shank steak, you know, like that kind of thing. So, um, I, I don't know, I, I don't know where Kyle Tucker lands. I'm hoping the raise can some somewhat be a sneaky landing spot, but I really doubt it.

[00:24:54] Uh, my, my feeling is more like he wants to be in a contender now, and the Red Sox or somebody like that will [00:25:00] jump in and, uh, and fill out their roster. 'cause at Roman Anthony and Kyle Tucker, in your corners, I mean. That's pretty, pretty outstanding. 

[00:25:09] Mark Corbett: I would say so. I would say so. And I'm looking here at a number I wrote down, I can't remember the source of the moment, but they had Kyle Tucker, maybe it was with the Dodgers and saying 400 million, and it was like, wow.

[00:25:21] Nevermind. It's. Yeah. Well, they're the freaking Dodgers. They're good. They, they, they're, 

[00:25:28] Mat Germain: I, I wanna put it in context, mark, right? Yeah. So this year he hit 25 home runs. It had 22 stolen bases, right? Randy or Rosana blew that out of the water. Like, come on. So he's got 27 home runs and 31 stone bases. Randy does.

[00:25:46] So why are they willing to pay so much more for Kyle? I, I don't, I don't understand it. I, I look at the numbers and, and as a, you know, a stats guy, I'm like, ah. I think I treated them in two of my three leagues for, [00:26:00] for guys that I got more out of. Yeah. In dynasty leagues. And I'm like, I don't understand the attraction.

[00:26:05] I, I understand the players great. I'm not downplaying the the player, but I. Yeah, I just don't think the money is worth it. Like the, there's better ways to, to fill your, I feel I don't want to go to the raise way of doing it, but, but there's better ways of doing it with, uh, with the lead guys without having to spend that kind of crazy money.

[00:26:27] 'cause the problem is you might get really good production for two or three years. Oh. The deal that we compare it to Mark, I just had this thought, is Vernon well. Vernon Wells, when Blue Jays signed him, he was the last big contract they did before, you know, they had a long lull after that. Um, they basically, you know, gave it to Alex Anthopoulos and said, can you please get rid of this hot potato?

[00:26:50] And, and, and nobody wanted him, but he got 'em off the, you know, the budget sheet by sending him over to the Angels. Uh, I think he ended up getting, um, Mike, [00:27:00] Napoleon. Another guy for him and, and, and everybody was like, I can't believe you offloaded that contract. It was like a miracle. Geez. But, but you know, you get stuck with these contracts that you can't move.

[00:27:11] And Arenado would be another example more recently with the, the Cardinals and you're sort of going, okay, well now. Like, everything we do financially is hampered because we're stuck with this. Joey Votto with the Reds is another good example. Like they couldn't offload him and he was a franchise player on top of it.

[00:27:29] So they, they're stuck with it. Um, so I don't know. Like, and then another telling point mark is, is the Cubs gave up a lot to go and land to Kyle Tucker, have they extended him? Before he hit free agency? No. No. What does that tell you? Just that in itself, like before you go on whatever, they haven't signed them now to this point, and I don't even hear they're really heavily involved in, in trying to s resign them.

[00:27:57] Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

[00:27:57] Mat Germain: That's a huge telling point. I don't know. [00:28:00] 

[00:28:01] Mark Corbett: No, I, I, I, I see it. I mean, especially like you're saying, if your own team is not saying you're, you're worth 400 million, you know, why should anybody else, well. When we're serving the Thanksgiving dinner, we know that the Dodgers are gonna have plenty of gravy to spill.

[00:28:20] I got that. I got that. And if they want him, they got him. And it's probably best for him and that team for him not to go anywhere else, but not for that kinda money. But you were mentioning Anthony Rendon. Now that is not a Thanksgiving present. That's a gift being taken away early, underneath the Christmas tree, and it hurts.

[00:28:44] Um, you do you wanna address some of that? 

[00:28:49] Mat Germain: I do, because to me, you know what, it brought back memories of Mark, because I know they're negotiating a, a buyout of some sort, right? 

[00:28:58] Mark Corbett: Yeah. And I, 

[00:28:59] Mat Germain: to [00:29:00] me, I don't even know why there's a negotiation. Um, if we go back to when Gil Meche left the Royals, okay. Yeah. Gil Meche was signed.

[00:29:08] He had $12 million coming to him. He gave it back. To the royals. He said, I'm done. I'm walking away. Here's your money. He didn't negotiate. He. He said, I am not working, so here's your money. Whereas Anthony Rendon is saying, you know what? You signed me to this. You're beholden to it. Now I want something for it.

[00:29:34] Even though he's Mark, it's ridiculous. The guy has averaged to this deal with the Angels. 43 games a year on average. Uh, and his performance is not only like, I understand, there's mental health issues, right? And this is, I, I go back to the Josh Hamilton deal that the Angels did and the Anthony Rendon as examples of having to evaluate somebody's character [00:30:00] and mental health wellbeing before you sign them to long-term deals.

[00:30:05] Mm. In each case. If they had gone to a two year deal or, or minimized the financial impacts and it gave that player more, um, support with mental health issues, yada, yeah, earlier on and, and gotten more involved on that front. Or just not brought 'em into the organization? Well, to begin with, right? Yeah. Yeah.

[00:30:28] They would be much better off. But that, you know what, that's, that's one of those things you don't see on the scouting profile. I haven't seen a mental health rating from, from baseball America saying, oh, mental health on this guy is 80 out of 80. Like, no, it, it doesn't exist, but it should be. It should be on there.

[00:30:44] There should be a, uh. You know, like the clutch factor. We talk about the clutch factor, but shows up in big moments, right? There should be a big moments rating. There should be a, uh, you know, great teammate rating, yada, yada, yada. All these kinds of things that are very important. Oh yeah, [00:31:00] we watched the Blue Jays last season support each other, cheer each other on be really.

[00:31:05] Um, you know, showing off what the team aspect can do for you. And the Ray did the same thing against the Dodgers back in 2020, like the team spirit. , You don't even have to go any further than, than Randy Arozena and Brett Phillips doing dance, uh, competitions on the sidelines. Like to, to know that that matters.

[00:31:24] Yeah. That, that's a huge component of a team. So when you bring somebody like Anthony Rendon, who I would compare to Eeyore. You know the, the donkey on the a Winnie the Pooh. Yeah. That's, that's what he comes across as. He's just always down, always. Oh, everything is too heavy. Everything's too much stress. There's too much baseball being played.

[00:31:46] Yes. Oh, like it, it just gets to be very. Huh. You show up to work and you're, you know, you're exhausted before you even start. So I, I'm glad that they're moving on, mark, [00:32:00] and it may be the best addition they do in the entire off season is by moving on from Anthony Rendon and just saying, we wanna breathe new life into this.

[00:32:10] And, and, you know, hand the reins to somebody else. And the one person I can see benefiting most from that is Mike Trout. Um, I think it'll really, you know, energize the entire group to the point where they're able to have fun again and loosen up and get to be happy about going to the ballpark.

[00:32:29] Mark Corbett: I would love to see that for the angels to tell you. I would absolutely love to see that for the Angels. Yeah. You know. Talking about trout, my mind goes through this photo of him leaving the dugout, or maybe it's leaving the uh, at bat area, and he's walking toward home plate and it's a shot from seeing him at the backside.

[00:32:53] And as he's walking up the home plate, you can see the guy on the mound and it's Shohei Ohtani, world [00:33:00] Baseball Classic. The power of that image to me. I mean, it stays with me constantly. Obviously, I'm excited because. We were talking the last show, I believe in three years. That doesn't seem like three years.

[00:33:16] I mean, of course it always seems like the birthday that you want to come soon again, and, and it's gonna be here again. It's gonna be here sooner than we think. What is it? Uh, March, I guess by then. We'll be looking at everybody getting warmed up for that, and we'll be thinking about that before they'll be thinking of.

[00:33:30] Of actually, uh, taking, uh, spring training some players. So it's going to be an exciting time. Our good buddy Lou Schiff got his, he has his season tickets with the Marlins, which gives him first crack at a lot of things with the World Baseball Classic. That that's, that's, that's gonna be, uh, it, it's gonna be an exciting time. I'm looking forward to this World Baseball Classic, Matt. I really am. To me it's. Great to see all this wonderful talent and in play players that we have here. We've seen him play for [00:34:00] other countries and certainly with like the Dominican Republic or Mexico, you know, Randy Arozarena, uh, Cuban, but he's now Mexican.

[00:34:07] He's, he went ahead and I think he's citizenship is, is with there, you know, he considers that his home country now. Mm-hmm. So, you know, he plays for them and seeing all these players, you know, with other countries come together. Um. One last thing I wanna jump back to Randy Arozarena. I still feel like people don't talk about him enough.

[00:34:27] 'cause a lot of people just don't realize who he is and what he's done. You know, being with the Rays, you almost saw him obscurity from the rest of the baseball world. 'cause we, we've been such a small market and Mariners, you know, it should have elevated him and Cal Raleigh, uh, Cal Raleigh and some of the others.

[00:34:44] But, but coming back again to the World Baseball Classic, this thing can't come fast enough for me. 

[00:34:50] Mat Germain: I agree. I think , it's given us a surprising amount of, . Of moments. It seems like every year there's something different that happens that [00:35:00] just is un unexpected. Right. And I, I still remember like not only the Shohei Ohtani and and Mike Trout angle, but also the fact that Yamamoto and Ohtani.

[00:35:10] Ran the show for Japan. This is before Yamamoto had committed to go to the Dodgers, but then everybody started whispering, oh, what if, what if Yamamoto joins Ohtani? And it was like becoming a thing, right? So you get those moments, but every team has those, , moments where I think that the United States have a lot to prove now that Japan has won it twice, 

[00:35:33] Mark Corbett: right?

[00:35:34] Mat Germain: There's a lot to, you know, play for on that front. The Cubans won. Starts showing, well, the Dominican Republic, I mean, you're talking about a, a powerful lineup and a powerful roster. I, I still wish, mark, that there was a way for this to happen in season though, because the pitching is just always going to be lacking, and you're never going to have the guys in sync to the point where you can [00:36:00] say, this is the elites of all these countries fully synchronized, ?

[00:36:06] All systems go. 'cause the, the pitching is always gonna be holding back, it's always gonna be tedious. It's always gonna be, uh, a little bit more lackluster, uh, than you would have otherwise. Right. And, and it's, it's just the way that it is. And I don't think there's a way to make it more like, I know we spoke last time about, uh, the soccer aspect where, you know, they have it in certain months so they spread it out.

[00:36:31] So let's say the WBC was, was played out over the span of six months. Where you have a game here, you have a game there, yada. I mean, that is tedious. Yeah. And I don't think the teams would go for it, right? In Major League baseball, but it happens in other sports. I just think the injury risk in soccer is nowhere near what it is for a pitcher in Major League baseball.

[00:36:53] Right. Or in WBC. So the angle is just completely different. 

[00:36:58] Mark Corbett: So do we put a [00:37:00] pause in the middle of the season and do we. Set aside the whole idea of All-Star games and, and replace it with the WBC. 

[00:37:09] Mat Germain: How valuable is the baseball, uh, the Allstar game? Uh, I, I personally think that the Allstar game can easily be put at the end of the season Yeah.

[00:37:18] And encompass the entire season's worth of games instead of the halfway point. You would have to stop calling it the Midsummer Classic, but it could be the end, the end fall classic. Yeah. You know, whatever you want to do. Um, but I, I definitely think that that has. Credence like it, it should be evaluated as a potential shift, uh, because if you have it, midsummer, I don't know how quickly you could play, but you know, you, if you're stretching that, that uh, all-star break by another three days, is that really, you know, the end of the world.

[00:37:53] You could just extend the end of the season, like playoff wise, you know, into. Uh, deeper into October, [00:38:00] basically, before it starts. Um, so yeah, I, I, I think that has value, mark. I, I think that would be a much better thing for the game of baseball, whether or not it's the best thing for mlb.com, like businesses.

[00:38:14] Right? Uh, that's the other question. 

[00:38:17] Mark Corbett: You know, it's interesting to look to, as far as. I dunno if inter interdependency is the correct word or not. Between leagues. And by that I mean if you look at, uh, you look if professional sports, national Hockey league, you know, football league baseball, there's like one week or one day where all of the major, uh, sports organizations have a game going on the same day.

[00:38:44] And that's, uh, if you have too much of that overlap, how much does that. Impede any one of those sports. Then you go one step further and you say, who else shares these fields? Well, obviously you've got, uh, the minor league teams, you know, that you [00:39:00] have then most currently the, uh, Women's Pro Baseball League - WPBL.

[00:39:04] They're not really competing on the same fields as the uh, MLB, but there's still audience and you're to be able to capture that audience. It's, it's every baseball player, excuse me, every baseball fan probably splinters their interests to different things, whether it be fantasy baseball, whether it be, whether it be just a specific league or whatever.

[00:39:29] So it's, it's difficult for all those other leagues. Now I wanna mention Women's Pro Baseball League - WPBL because. I happened to go down to Fort Myers, and there I was at JetBlue Park, Fenway South as they called each name from the draft. And it was broadcast on TikTok. It was broadcast on YouTube. , I'm standing there amongst several of these young women who were going to be part of that draft. , Many of them who were actually playing in a tournament [00:40:00] nearby at the Roy Hobbs Women's, , BA Baseball Tournament World Series.

[00:40:04] So that was something in itself. And what came to mind is during this whole process was the total amount of talent that has been striving to be there. There was months ago in uh, DC over 600 players there were being evaluated as potentially being part of the draft that got shaken down after looking over it to approximately 130, 120.

[00:40:35] The draft the other day, they picked 120 players. Now, of that, there's four teams and what you're gonna wind up with then is 30 players per team. But when the Women's Pro Baseball League begins, each one of those teams will be paired down to a 15 player team. So it's an exciting time [00:41:00] right now for all those players and the variety of the type of people that you have in there.

[00:41:04] I mean, you were talking about Japanese earlier, Ayami Sato, she's. Definitely one of 'em. She was like, I think the second in the draft, uh, the first one is Kelsie Whitmore, who's just been an astonishing young woman. You know, even with the USA Women's National team, there were so many, I think there's probably about 14 of the women who were in that 120 who had been.

[00:41:24] With the USA Women's National Team and there were at least two of the advisors or coaches, uh, that were from the USA Women's National team. So it's good to see the pool of talent that they were able to bring in, you know, far that whole draft. Um. Matt, I gotta tell you, I did have to bite my tongue 'cause I'm, I'm, I'm standing out there on the field, uh, leaning up against the netting and families are behind us.

[00:41:52] And the screen out there of JetBlue on the big jumbo tron type device is out there playing. And after the [00:42:00] first introduction of what's getting to start, whose face arrives on the screen, Rob Manfred. And I'm like, oh. MG, and you know, God love him. I just wish that the resources that MLB is putting behind the Women's Softball League is comparable to what they would do.

[00:42:23] The same with the Women's Pro Baseball League, considering that it is baseball now. I don't have any reason to believe that they have, that they've done nothing. But I'm pretty sure that they haven't done anything as much as, 'cause they were highly endorsing the whole women's probe softball league, you know, before.

[00:42:44] Uh, so we'll see what comes of it. 

[00:42:47] Mat Germain: It, it is an oddity because, you know, the, the women's professional, uh, soccer league came in, there was no question of, of soccer with a, a, a different size ball. [00:43:00] You know, it, it was just. Day was soccer. Same thing with hockey. They didn't change the net signs. They didn't change the puck, they just said it's hockey.

[00:43:07] So they did a professional women's hockey league, , the WNBA. Yes. It uses the, uh, a ball that's a slightly smaller one than what the mens, but , you're talking about guys that have giant hands, like, doesn't really matter. , It doesn't really matter. So my, my point is, the baseball softball question is a unique one because it's.

[00:43:29] It's so ingrained in so many different communities that girls, for whatever reason, sign up for softball. They don't sign up very much for baseball. And I see, I see it in Canada, like I see it in a lot of places. Even high school girls who have tiny hands still end up playing softball, you know? And then I'm like, why?

[00:43:52] Where did this start? Why does it, it's one of those. You know, self feeding prophecies that I have no idea why it [00:44:00] exists and why anybody thinks it's an improvement on anything. They can hardly squeeze their gloves to catch the ball. Yeah. You know, because it's so big. So I, you know, I, I think. Once it gets on the screen and the, the stars that you're talking about and there's lots more coming and they're, and and behind them, they're gonna have highlights and things happening.

[00:44:22] Now, this is why I've said to you before that the first one of those two that gets itself set up in major league parks, or at least AAA parks with a TV deal, is going to be, yeah. That's the winner. Right? So that's the chase, that's the, that's the baton, right? That's the place where you want to be first when you get there.

[00:44:47] 'cause then you'll be on the screens. Are people really gonna watch both highlights? Yes. But they're not gonna cheer on two teams from New York saying, okay, the, the, we have the New York softball team and we have the New York, uh, you know, baseball team. 

[00:44:59] Mark Corbett: Right? 

[00:44:59] Mat Germain: [00:45:00] It's going to be harder to get as much good support as it is to get the support for just one.

[00:45:05] So. I mean, new York's a bad example. 'cause you could probably support both, but you know what I'm saying? Like, if you're, let's bring back 

[00:45:13] Mark Corbett: the giants 

[00:45:14] Mat Germain: where we're at it, you know? Uh, yeah, exactly. So I, I wish them all the best. I hope that, you know, if, if both can be successful, by all means. Yeah. But I would take it one step further, mark and at a time when, uh, I would say, you know, in terms of society.

[00:45:33] There's a lot of challenges being brought back to the forefront for women. It is great to see that nothing. Is getting in the way of progress on that front. 

[00:45:45] Mark Corbett: Yep. 

[00:45:46] Mat Germain: Right. And, and that is outstanding. I left my hat to every single woman that's been a part of any of these leagues and getting them going and getting them set up.

[00:45:56] It's not easy in a very male dominated world. [00:46:00] I'm hoping that there's a lot of women who are executives within the, the investing companies and, and powers that be, that are a part of that and that, you know, will. Help protect it and move it forward the way it should. Uh, there's still more hurdles to cross, as we saw with the NBA and salaries and, and you know, things like that, that they need to do.

[00:46:21] But you know what, the NHL had to do the same thing. Mark Ted Lindsay had to. Fight like hell to get everybody on board with a union in, in hockey. And that was the only time they were able to actually get things going, uh, against the owners who were oppressing their salaries big time. Like they were just not paying them whatsoever.

[00:46:41] So every league, every single aspect, whether male, female, you know, you're a worker, you're a worker, you're an executive, you're an executive, you're gonna treat things completely different. So that's a battle that's gonna be going on for the rest of time. Oh yeah. To be recognized as such, right? So I love that for society.

[00:46:59] I think a [00:47:00] lot of girls will benefit from it. You know, the ones that are watching, the ones that are taking part in school. My daughters play sports, yada. It's great for everybody to see women finally rise, have professional sports and all avenues, and, and promote them. Watch them, enjoy them. It's great. I love it.

[00:47:21] Mark Corbett: And that's the thing. I mean it one little weird piece I'll throw here at the end, just for fun. You know, you, you parents post their kids, uh, sports and all this. Did you see the other day where there are, it was a hockey league? I believe people who own some of these hockey rinks have a rule that you cannot stream.

[00:47:41] Your child's playing there live if you're like 12 years old. Because they own the rights and of what's going on out there. I'll post something about this. It is very disturbing, Matt. So if you've got a, you know, a young daughter out there, uh, on the rink [00:48:00] inside and you're recording her, you'd probably get back with a little bit of it.

[00:48:04] But if you were streaming something, buddy, they'll come down hard on you. 

[00:48:08] Mat Germain: You know what, I know what this is probably going towards Mark. Uh, a lot of these leagues will charge the parents money for games. Yeah. So they'll send them the rights to, to kind of, and so for dancing, right? That was the, the one for Arc or our girls, they were part of a dance group, and if you wanted to see the routines, you had to buy the video.

[00:48:29] And so to get access to the video, you had to pay an extra 30 bucks. And so they're getting the same as what your streaming service. You know, charges you for a full month, you know, it's ridiculous. Okay. 

[00:48:41] Mark Corbett: Mom and dad still shoot footage 

[00:48:43] Mat Germain: of the event? No, they don't allow it. And, and they'll actually penalize your, your dance group if you do, and they'll kick you.

[00:48:50] Oh, 

[00:48:50] Mark Corbett: wow. 

[00:48:51] Mat Germain: Yeah. So that's the, I don't think they do that in hockey as far as I know. Um, but I could, [00:49:00] yeah. I don't wanna give 'em any ideas. 

[00:49:03] Mark Corbett: No, no, no, no, no, no. Okay. Well, I'm about ready to go, uh, to get everything, the fixings for the Turkey here, my friend. And, uh, I'll have to see what I can wrap up. I'd, which do you have any recipes, which you did for you guys, uh, for your own Thanksgiving, and love to hear some of that for something special.

[00:49:22] Mat Germain: Um, the, honestly, we're, we're pretty bland in terms of overall, but one thing that we do like that is kind of one of those taboo ones that everybody doesn't seem to like is the, the Brussels sprouts. But if you do them right with garlic olive oil, you, you make sure that they're a little bit blackened so that they actually have a little bit more of a carcinogenic kind of taste.

[00:49:49] Mark Corbett: You put some bacon with that too, my friend. 

[00:49:52] Mat Germain: That's right. But the, the Canadian bacon in, uh, in the stuffing is definitely one of our, our go-tos and, and, [00:50:00] um, you want to make sure that you have, uh, everybody's favorite on the table. As long as you have that, everybody's happy. Right. 

[00:50:08] Mark Corbett: And alls I wanna do is I wanna thank all of y'all who listened to us each week, and I'm very thankful for that and y'all's support.

[00:50:16] And, uh, I mentioned earlier this year, I had some things going on and y'all's support meant a lot to me then too, but. It's enjoying the game. It's about gratitude and it's so easy to get upset and to curse others and call someone names. Try to find in your heart and your mind those moments of peace and thanksgiving.

[00:50:39] Hopefully you're sharing some of it with your friends and family. If not, find your own piece there, and there's always great games on YouTube.

[00:50:49] All right. Happy Thanksgiving everybody.