MLB & Competitive beyond the Dodgers + Bring Pete Alonso back to Tampa Bay

Mat Germain-Pete Alonso - Junior Caminero - Executive Order

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Welcome to baseball biz on deck. I am Mark Corbett. And with me, of course, is Mr. Mat Germain. How you doing today, buddy? 

[00:00:11] Mat Germain: I'm chilling. I'm chilling with the 

[00:00:13] Mat Germain: rest of North America. 

[00:00:15] Mark Corbett: Oh, well, you should come down here and we can throw snowballs at one another over Pensacola beach, man. 

[00:00:21] Mat Germain: I'm in just, uh, just send me the tickets, uh, and I'll, I'll be on a plane before you could say tickety boo.

[00:00:28] Mark Corbett: Oh gosh. It has been crazy down here. Uh, I was telling you before the show, talk about a couple of my kids that are living up in Tallahassee and they got six to seven inches. And I, some of these places, they're just not set up to manage snow. Well, you remember a couple of years ago, what was it, Atlanta.

[00:00:47] Mark Corbett: Atlanta had a hard freeze and ice and it was devastating for that community. Well, I should say community for that city to be able to try to adapt to that. It took them took about a week and a half or so, I think to get, uh, to get through it. So that was kind of unique. 

Yeah, definitely. I, I will say that, you know, the The history, uh, has, you know, a couple of frosts over in Florida before in the past, I remember as a kid, we used to go into Florida every Christmas and, uh, we would go three or four weeks and, , and one year it just ended up being extremely cold and, and, and we were on the Vero beach side and, , It ended up being, you know, all the pictures were us wearing big sweaters or jackets and on the beach, nobody wanting to go swimming and, and sort of just hanging out instead.

But, you know, you'll get through it. It usually passes pretty quick. And, uh, hopefully you guys get warmed up pretty, uh, pretty quickly. 

[00:01:45] Mark Corbett: Yeah. Boo freaking hoo for Florida. Boo, boo, but no, things are good here. That's, that's just kind of unique now that, and some, some Florida natives have not seen snow in their state.

[00:01:58] Mark Corbett: So it's pretty cool. 

[00:02:00] Mat Germain: That's 

[00:02:01] Mark Corbett: yeah, brother. So, uh, looking at everything that's been happening with our good friends, with the Tampa Bay Rays, you know, I'm not going to say much about stadium till. Tell what, uh, March 31st and see if something's been built and we will see how that plays out. But the thing you talked about, to me, first off, let me congratulate you again for that top 50 episode.

[00:02:26] Mark Corbett: You put everything together on those prospects. That was outstanding, Mat. And to be able to give, you know, a snapshot on each one of those players. I want to, I want to congratulate you on that. You did a great job. Great job with that folks. If you haven't heard that episode, please go back and check it.

[00:02:43] Mark Corbett: It's a very insightful on players that are going to be coming up and, uh, some that we may not see for a year or two, but Mat's been watching them all through the Minors. So thank you for that, Mat. 

[00:02:56] Mat Germain: You're welcome. And I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully, uh, there's a few tidbits in there that people grab onto and, uh, and get them excited about the system and because it is special.

[00:03:06] Mat Germain: Like, I just, just on the side, I was chatting with, , a Rockies, , blogger that I've, I've interacted with for years, for, for years. I would say two decades now. Well, that's kind of crazy mark. And so, and so, you know, there's always that, that, that whole, you know, concerted going, yeah, we never have the top system in Colorado.

[00:03:31] Mat Germain: Like they're nowhere near the, the kind of system that the rays are able to accumulate. So really we're spoiled as Rays fans to be able to have that kind of wealth to talk about and have fun with. 

[00:03:43] Mark Corbett: You know, it's funny you say that because I know a couple of years ago, I was talking with, uh, uh, fellow up here, full count chaos, Nate, and.

[00:03:52] Mark Corbett: He was talking about rebuild, you know, this is like four or five years ago. And I thought, well, nobody likes to hear that word. I mean, they've got a very young crew now, but a lot of places that say that term for rebuild and to my here, I don't know, I could take it back. It was Nick Murawski with the Chicago White Sox.

[00:04:09] Mark Corbett: And it was like, yeah, rebuild. Cause Jerry Reinsdorf was saying that a few years back and the thing that was Is I can only think, how can you not have a great farm system bringing these players up? I mean, if you got one baseball, you can, you can bring everybody up anyway from the little league. So as we talked about early at the show, but, um, I I'm, I'm stunned that there's not a better farm system for every team.

[00:04:35] Mat Germain: Right. Well, and part of that has to do with the. The whole, you know, the whole system takes a long time to develop. So when you get a player and you get them into big leagues, it usually takes a certain amount of time for them to get their feet under them to become a star. And by that point, a lot of these franchises aren't willing to give the contracts that the larger franchises are willing to give.

[00:05:01] Mat Germain: So they're out the door right up right away. And a good, good example is actually kind of funny because Nolan Arenado is one guy that a lot of people were screaming for Colorado to keep around. And eventually he went to the cards and now they're trying to get rid of his salary. So it's a bad example, but the, the, you know, from Troy to Lewicki, uh, you can go back in time through all their better players.

[00:05:24] Mat Germain: They've all moved on from Colorado at a, at the point when they're in the. Peak of their careers, you know, and they could be passing on a lot of their knowledge to the players that came, after them. So I think the, the key word that you want to hear from the franchise is we're building, right?

[00:05:43] Mat Germain: Nobody wants to hear rebuild, just build, just build. And then like right now, Colorado should be signing their young stars to extension. Before they even step on the the field because why not then what do they have to lose really? Normally, you get a good deal in that way Um, and what they have to come to to terms with the fact that they're going to have to overpay Pitchers to be there.

[00:06:08] Mat Germain: If you're a pitcher right now, that's still on the on the market Right? Colorado should be the team that's offering you too much money to go there so that then they can flip you at the deadline if they're not in the mix, right? And they get their prospects and then you keep building the system through that process as they're trying to compete in the toughest division in baseball right now.

[00:06:30] Mat Germain: I got to admit with with the D-backs, the Giants, the Padres and the Dodgers. I mean, I think they've they now are yeah. The toughest division in baseball, they've, they've surpassed the elites. Uh, and this is just for 2025. I think that, you know, the Rockies are in a tough spot. So when you can grab onto those players that, you know, are going to be keystones and they're going to be there for the next five to 10 years, that's Make it so.

[00:07:00] Mat Germain: Give them the contract, you know, dedicate yourself to developing them to their fullest potential and then make a family out of it. Like, make them proud to be Rockies players and give them the support that they need. Because right now, what it seems like to me is, is there's no, there's no ownership commitment to a process that will get them there at any point.

[00:07:23] Mat Germain: It's just a lost cause on top of the lost cause on top of the lost cause. It just it has to be maddening for their fans. 

[00:07:32] Mark Corbett: Yeah, it's you got to wonder how can you can run a business that way? And it shouldn't seem like the somebody should be able to say, well, that strategy just hasn't worked ever. So why do we continue to do it?

[00:07:46] Mark Corbett: Why am I continuing to? Bang my head into the wall to expect something that's a shake loose and get a vision of what this team can do or what I need to build a team. And it's just not happening there.

[00:07:58] Mark Corbett: Well, let's talk about somebody else here. Let's talk about a Tampa boy by the name of Pete Alonso. 

[00:08:03] Mark Corbett: Yes. 

[00:08:06] Mat Germain: Rumors, Mark, there are rumors. So the, the rumor is that the blue Jays are eyeing him up and, and, and there's some insiders that are saying that he's getting somewhere around a hundred million, um, from them.

[00:08:21] Mat Germain: If, if he does end up, you know, having mutual, um, mutual interest. Uh, but I'm saying that the rays are. In probably the best position that they could ever be to make a jump on somebody like Pete Alonso if they feel that he is worth the commitment for the next three to four years because their commitments just are ridiculously low for the next four years.

[00:08:49] Mat Germain: Uh, you're talking about, uh, you know, Under 10 million next year and they're at 0. 5 million in the year after that and then 0 million for every year after that in terms of obligations. Um, so, you know, being a hometown guy, a guy that can actually take a lot of the focus away from the young players coming up, that can lead them in a lot of different ways and including character.

[00:09:14] Mat Germain: Um, I think that he's just a great gravitational pull. It'd be a marketing dream for the Tampa area. I think that, you know, with everything going on right now in the world, um, and, um, and especially the world of a Rays fan, you kind of want to build some positivity and to me, that's kind of the biggest lure there's three moves.

[00:09:41] Mat Germain: I would love to see the Rays make between now and opening day. One would be to make Evan Longoria a coach in some way, shape or form or a special advisor. Right? And I think that's, you know, that's something that I think would really First of all, he would probably appreciate it if he's open to it. And I think that it's something that Kevin Cash would kind of lean on a little bit in terms of bouncing ideas off of somebody that he knows and trusts and, and kind of has a, you know, a respect for.

[00:10:12] Mat Germain: I also think that the Pete Alonso thing has legs. I think that that's, that's one thing that I don't know, the rays have made some, you know, the Nelson Cruz would be the kind of craziest move I could think of where they just said, we're going for it in that way, because to me, if you get Pete Alonso in there for four years, it's not just.

[00:10:34] Mat Germain: The one year it's a commitment to, okay, the next four years. So yes, you have Junior Caminero right now, you know, coming into his own, but it's what he's going to do next year. And a year after that, and a year after that. So if you pair those two bats in the middle of the Rays lineup, you're going to have the power that you need to compete in the AL East and, and may do some damage against some of the best staffs.

[00:10:59] Mat Germain: So. I just think if there's a fit, it seems to click if the Blue Jays offer more money, I, I imagine they'll get them, but I think the Rays when they went after Freddie Freeman for 150 million and I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that was seven years they were offering, or maybe six. 

[00:11:21] Mark Corbett: I'd be honest with you.

[00:11:22] Mark Corbett: I do not know. 

[00:11:23] Mat Germain: I do not. So, so Freddie Freeman, you know, would be the comp and, and obviously Pete Alonso doesn't have the hit tool that Freddie does. I don't think he's as good defensively. He would be more of a DH. So you'd be offering less than that, but like, let's say the Jays are offering him a hundred million.

[00:11:40] Mat Germain: If the Rays go and offer them 120, I guarantee you he's coming to Tampa because the taxes alone will give him an extra how many, you know, like, so I just think the Rays would be, they are in a strong position to make that move. I think it would be a great marketing thing. It would get them, you know, the presses off of the whole Wander Franco thing and focused on the future.

[00:12:05] Mat Germain: And it, he might want to sign on to stick around for. The opening of the new stadium in 2055, right? 

[00:12:12] Mark Corbett: Yeah. Looking here at, uh, it's looking at the SportTrac. I believe Wander Franco was supposed to make eight, almost, almost 8. 5 million this year. Uh, 26 be making 15 and 2070 be 22 million, uh, 25 million.

[00:12:31] Mark Corbett: So that money, you know, that's, that can be Pete. And, you know, Yandy Diaz, he's at 10 million right now. So that's, uh, we can, we can pick him up, you know, just a few changes there. 

[00:12:45] Mat Germain: Right. And then, like I said, the big, the big change or difference would be, you know, if he's getting first base offers and the Rays telling him, well, we want you as a DH, and that would be where Pete, I think has a bit of an issue.

[00:13:01] Mat Germain: Um, I don't know. But yeah, I, I, I think we would all get excited about the situation if they brought him on board. 

[00:13:09] Mark Corbett: Oh, I would absolutely love to see him there. You know, I've seen other people who've come into the office. I can't remember. I know Denard Span did. And you look as far as the broadcasting too.

[00:13:22] Mark Corbett: I had seen Matt Joyce up there. I don't know if he's still with them or not. And then of course, Brian Anderson and Doug Waechter on the Bally sports, you know, staying involved with the Rays, you know, pitchers who've been with us. Team, but to actually have a player who is going to be in the dugout, somebody who's going to be touching and affecting what's going on with the team.

[00:13:42] Mark Corbett: As far as the performance of the men on the field. Yeah, I would, I would love to see, you know, Longo with us again, man. It's a, he's a favorite, you know, as far as being able to do the coaching, but Alonso and Longo, that'd be a nice combination, brother. 

[00:13:59] Mat Germain: Absolutely, it would. And they brought back Ozzie Timmons.

[00:14:03] Mark Corbett: They did? 

[00:14:04] Mat Germain: Oh, I missed that. No. He's back, but he's in the front office now. He's not on the bench. But they brought him back to the team. He's going to be an advisor, baseball ops stuff. And, uh, yeah. That's pretty cool. Oh, man. It's 

[00:14:19] Mark Corbett: so cool. Ozzy Timmons in the front office. Wow. Gosh. I think of all the times when he was there in first base, you know, coach and all the fans loved him.

[00:14:30] Mark Corbett: They, they would bring a cake on his birthday there. The fans would be 

[00:14:33] Mat Germain: there. It's like he, his role is going to be coaching the coaches, I think. And so I just picture him in the office making him do pushups. That's all I keep seeing. 

[00:14:48] Mark Corbett: Yeah. Get, get those, uh, sunflower seeds out in the pushups right in the line, brother.

[00:14:54] Mark Corbett: Yeah, man. No, I'm glad to hear he's back. You know, again, there's a, he's a Tampa native. They've got, you know, I, I work in references a thousand times per the Tampa baseball museum sometimes. And we, we have balls, uh, sand balls for most of the players in this area. And Ozzie's up there in the wall with, uh, So there's been over 95 players from Hillsborough County alone who made it to the majors.

[00:15:18] Mark Corbett: and Ozzie is one of them from Hillsborough County. So I'm glad to hear he's coming back, brother. That's good. 

[00:15:27] Mat Germain: I, and hopefully he's one of many that come back, like we said, but, uh, yeah, the, the rays are, you know, they're always building the front office with, with great characters. That's, I still am dumbfounded as to how they do it, how they turn, how they get, you know, people plucked away all the time.

[00:15:44] Mat Germain: And, and, I'd be curious to see if Chaim Bloom would ever go return to the Rays as an example. I think he'll probably wait for another GM shot, but I think you're seeing the work he did in Boston pay off now because, there's a lot of Raysdom all around and most of it is positive to be honest when you're looking around and and so yeah, I just love to see people who return and and it kind of gets people familiar again like so if a certain reporter were to leave and then come back down the road when they opened a new stadium, you know, that would be another great one.

[00:16:21] Mark Corbett: I love it. Absolutely love it. Oh, goodness gracious. Let's see what else we have here on the agenda brother. Oh, let's see. Well, I said I'm not going to talk about the Hall of Fame, so I won't. Everybody else is. And what do we have here? One thing, just kind of a nugget I'm going to throw out here and that is, uh, just south of here in Sarasota.

[00:16:46] Mark Corbett: New College, New College, man. It's nice. They've got a sponsor who wants to put up a million bucks for new baseball build for the college there. And lo and behold, as they start putting all the plans together for this, they realize that, oops, we, we don't actually own all the land that we wanted to be doing this with.

[00:17:08] Mark Corbett: We've actually leased some of that land from the Sarasota airport. And it's like, Oh, brother, tell me about a plan coming together. So at least they did. I don't think they broke earth before they were doing it all. But, uh, you get a donor coming up with a million bucks. Yep. Go ahead. You put my name on there and we'll call it my name.

[00:17:27] Mark Corbett: Dream of fields. Well, yeah, but it's going to remain a dream for a while till they figure that part out. 

Yeah, but maybe they can, they can set the standard that Fenway Park can get fixed by, right? Oh. If they can build over the highway and figure it out, then maybe Fenway Park can do the same. 

[00:17:49] Mark Corbett: Well, you know, we, we had, uh, we had the architect for a lot of the changes that are going on at Dodger Stadium, Orioles Park, and also at Fenway.

[00:17:58] Mark Corbett: Here just a few weeks back, Janet Marie Smith and it dumbfounds me when I look at some of these traditional stadiums and what they are able to do with it. You know, when you buy tickets to a game, uh, one of the things, My dear sweet wife Karen helps with, and it's done. And that said, oh, mark, do you know have, are there gonna be rails?

[00:18:21] Mark Corbett: What's actually, what's your view gonna be when you go to that stadium that you haven't been to before? Hmm. ? Yep. Yeah, we send it back up there in, in, uh, Fenway. 

[00:18:31] Mat Germain: It's, it's kind of crazy when, when you think about, you know, the, the little things, right? Like I said, you gotta believe that organization. They had a lot of people, you know, deciding, yeah, well, we should do this. And then they were pushing the program and then come to find out that, you know, they don't own what they think they own.

[00:18:49] Mat Germain: That's kind of crazy. 

[00:18:50] Mark Corbett: No, it's it is, it is indeed my friend. What else we got cooking? 

The Rays made a signing just on the side. I know that I'm talking a lot of Rays here, but, uh, they signed a catcher and he's going to be assigned a double A. His name is Daniel, um, I think his, the way you say his name is Veohin, Veohin, it's spelled V E L L O J I N, and he's ranked about as high as 23rd on the top 30 reds prospects list.

Has a really, really, really strong defensive profile. Um, so it's an intriguing kind of signing that they, They kind of brought in and, and the fact that they're bringing people into AA, um, especially with the amount of guys that they already have aboard, I think it's, it's great to add competition and to make people really, you know, go after it.

, but he's an interesting guy. I noticed that they just signed recently. 

[00:19:52] Mark Corbett: , I think the signing that's, uh, not surprising and that's what Roki Sasaki with the Dodgers. I mean, you were talking earlier about what's Blue Jays going to do because the Blue Jays actually thought they had a chance with him.

[00:20:08] Mark Corbett: Right. And I'm, I'm not sure how all this is going to play out because, you know, some information you and I were going back and forth earlier today and talk about what, what's going to happen. Because obviously some of these teams like the Mets and like the Dodgers, luxury tax means nothing. It means absolutely nothing to just go spend, spend, spend to have the team and then makes it very difficult for anybody else.

[00:20:38] Mark Corbett: And as you were talking earlier, you're looking in the. National league West. It's like, my gosh, uh, there's some great teams there, but the Dodgers have just gone so far above and beyond everybody else with that talent. It's just mind numbing. 

[00:20:56] Mat Germain: Yeah. I don't know if you saw my post, , earlier today, but, , I just morning I just kind of went into COTS and I compared with the Rays owe, , or having obligations for the next four years and what the Dodgers have.

[00:21:10] Mat Germain: So the, like we just spoke about before the Rays owe, 7 million next year, 0. 5 the year after that, then zero basically for the next two years, the Dodgers are, have already committed before the Kirby Yates signing, which apparently they're, they're tidying it up right now. It's about 18 million a year that they're offering them for you for the next four years.

[00:21:31] Mat Germain: So you have to add 18 million onto these numbers. So, so the Dodgers have committed, uh, for next year, 241 million. 240 million a year after, after that, then 193 million, then 150 million, so before all the arbitration raises and, and all that stuff is counted in. So, you know that this year alone, I think they're up at a hundred, at 375 million that they've spent two, 

[00:22:00] Mat Germain: You know, more than the Blue Jays and Rays combined, , easily. And I think you could probably add the Orioles in there. Three teams and AL East competing with very good teams. Don't even add up to what the, the Dodgers have committed to this year. Uh, it's just getting ridiculous. And what it is doing though, Mark, is it's getting the rest of major league baseball cohesively.

[00:22:25] Mat Germain: Uh, on the same page in terms of we need a cap and we need a floor and it can't be a bargaining chip. It has to be for the survival of the league. Not because you want to enrich yourself. Really, you need to enrich the league and make every fan base passionate about the game. That's the thing that you can give the NFL.

[00:22:47] Mat Germain: They have an even playing field. And what does it do? Even the Packers can compete even any franchise. Well, except for the Browns, nobody, the Browns can never compete or the Bears are just kidding, but, but the depends sometimes you'll go through a law based on the leadership they have in place and the practices and yada, yada.

[00:23:07] Mat Germain: But generally speaking, you know, you have a very competitive league. That is able to have people, uh, teams shift up and down the NHL. Same thing. You have teams that, you know, go from worse than the league one year into the playoffs the next year. And, and it's exciting because you never know that, you know, you add this, they have to move players because they need to stay under the cap.

[00:23:29] Mat Germain: And it evens out the talent to the point where each team is competitive. You're not what playing for games and going to watch. Really garbage, right? Which is really what it ends up being like you're there just wasting your money watching your team get pummeled every day. Baseball has to get more into that frame of mind that a competitive league.

[00:23:52] Mat Germain: Overall is way more exciting. I, I think all of us, I'm talking about every major league baseball fan today would be super excited for the Pirates if they were in the world series in 2025. They really would. It would be a huge story, a huge draw. Everyone would watch it. I cannot watch one minute of the Dodgers in the World Series if they make it again.

[00:24:20] Mat Germain: Not one minute. I can't. I just can't because they're buying the championship and I'm not going to support that. I just, it's not my nature. If you earn it, I will watch it. No problem. I will really, really, really pay it by into it. Um, but I think it's, it's a perversion of the system, uh, that is elitist and it's, , it's just not great.

[00:24:46] Mat Germain: Mark. 

[00:24:46] Mark Corbett: No, no, you're right. I mean, you look at the Dodgers and I think, Oh, is this the all star game? At least one of the teams, because you look at that talent and I'm thinking, wow, my gosh, it's If you could put almost everybody on that team on an all star team for the National League and I mean, everything from seeing what happened with Mookie, you'd mentioned Chaim Bloom a moment before and how he was the one who basically let Mookie, um, well, his last year before free agencies moved him onto the Dodgers, which was a great thing for Mookie.

[00:25:23] Mark Corbett: And I'm going to go, I'm circling back to another world, but coming back to, to what you're saying, as far as the Dodgers overall, no, it's, it's just stupefying to think that why do you even watch that game? Does it lose its impact when you see Freddie go up there and Mookie and everybody else coming up with the kind of talent does the effect of that great talent get lost because there's so much of it altogether.

[00:25:48] Mark Corbett: It's, it's like a bank of bright lights that they're all put together. I mean, Maybe one alone would practically blind you, but if you put 20 of them together and they shine all at you at the same time, what's the difference in the effectiveness of enjoying whatever that might be? 

[00:26:02] Mat Germain: Right, and that was my argument for Freddie Freeman coming to the Rays instead of the Dodgers.

[00:26:07] Mat Germain: If, if, if Freddie Freeman wins a World Series with the Rays, he's a hero. He's basically Juan Soto in, in with the Nationals. The fact that he won a World Series with the Dodgers was incredible because he did it on one ankle 

[00:26:24] Mat Germain: and 

he was still the MVP and it was still great. He still came out looking like the hero that he is.

, but the, The World Series win still won't be memorable because it's the Dodgers and they bought the championship. So it's not the same. His championship with the Braves is way more of a feat than what he did. In LA because he had so much support, so much talent, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Now, having said that , the fact that Roki Sasaki is going to the Dodgers at a time when they are breaking arms, as if they were snapping twigs before putting wood in the campfire is, is, is.

A little bit mind blowing, in my opinion. I get it, because Ohtani's there. But Ohtani's about to break his arm as well. There isn't one picture that the Dodgers haven't broken. Honestly, there isn't. So, so, Walker Buehler is just a walking shadow of himself. , uh, Clayton Kershaw still doesn't, hasn't signed because his arm is falling off.

The whole system, I think they had six guys with Tommy John, , that had come up and try to boost the season last year that they won the championships. Like six Tommy Johns. I mean, come on. And they make the Rays look. You know pedestrian when it comes to guys going through surgeries So I I don't know I think if I was Roki Sasaki I I understand the lure of Of LA in my opinion.

I would have gone somewhere else Also, because of what we're talking about, because of the fact that I want to be the guy on the team, I want to take a team to that next level, I want to be the marketing machine of that team and make a difference in an impact. And I just think it would have been more special now.

He's just 1 of the guys. What is he like the 5th starter on that team? Honestly, he's not. I know he doesn't see himself as a number one yet, but he's not. I don't think he has the potential to surpass any of those guys while they're healthy. , and I think, , he's setting himself up for a lot of, behind the shadows kind of playing time when in fact, eventually he will want to become that star, that number one.

Um, yeah, it'll be interesting to follow. 

[00:28:49] Mark Corbett: I'm looking to add some of the things you mentioned earlier. I think some about the, the CBA, you know, as far as the players association agreement they have with the owners. And I'm wondering how much it was going to come into play. I don't know if you remember or not, when it came down to voting on the last CBA.

[00:29:09] Mark Corbett: The men that were on the, uh, The players, they were negotiating, there's many of them that were with Scott Boras. And they were not ready to accept the deal. Go ahead. 

[00:29:25] Mat Germain: They, they can actually force them to, right? 

[00:29:29] Mark Corbett: Well, and that's what, I mean, what happened was the membership was the overall membership said, yeah, we, we get your, uh, suggestion there, but, uh, we think it's actually going to work out for us because one, let's face it.

[00:29:42] Mark Corbett: They had such a high paid players that were negotiating the CBA, what they wouldn't, wouldn't do to the point of where you felt like, uh, I don't know if it's really representative of the body. Of all the players at the major league level So I don't i'm wondering with some of the changes you're talking about that's one we're talking about the players association But of those 30 teams of those 30 owners Are there going to be a few that say i'm tired of watching cohen i'm watching the dodgers as well buy, championships, what not champ buying an excellent team.

[00:30:19] Mark Corbett: That's better than most anybody else. 

[00:30:22] Mat Germain: I think you forget that these people are greedy beyond, beyond belief. Mark, like, honestly, like they're, they're not even, you know, they're not in their same realm of thinking as what we are. So I firmly believe this. The only reason the system that we have in place right now currently exists is because.

[00:30:40] Mat Germain: Half the league's owners are willing to just pocket millions while, while keeping their mouths shut so that the other teams can get into the playoffs constantly while they lag behind, but, but they're getting the transfers, they're getting the benefits of a system that allows them to write off a million different things and not pay taxes on anything to the point where they're pocketing way more than what we know.

[00:31:05] Mat Germain: And they're getting all that gambling money, all the sources of revenue that they have on the, on the side from the enterprise around the stadiums, uh, they, they have a ridiculous amount of money that are, that is flowing in regardless of whether they win or lose. And I think there are a few, I would say maybe.

[00:31:27] Mat Germain: You know, eight to 10 owners that you could probably say, yeah, they are angry and yeah, they are vocal and they would like to change the system. Like one would be like the Phillies owner, as an example, very passionate, very involved, et cetera. And there's like some others that would be in the same way, but you're never going to hear, you know, uh, Sue Sternberg say that you're never going to hear, you know, they, they just don't care because they're, you know, they're The money flowing in is just so much that if they open their mouths and then MLB changes the rules to the point where all of a sudden they don't have a franchise, you know, uh, and they are paying extra and they are not getting the transfers and they are, you know, put in awkward positions in a lot of different deals, um, And that's not to their benefit.

[00:32:15] Mat Germain: But this is the thing with major league baseball is it's, it's stuck in the old adage of having the large market teams in the playoffs is necessary in order to have any ratings at all, because the ratings are falling off the table so fast that they're, they're desperate. They're desperate to get eyes on the game, and while saying that, they're actually shutting everybody out by making it so hard to watch the games.

[00:32:41] Mat Germain: They've never made any sense on either front. 

[00:32:45] Mark Corbett: Some of that. , that's not gonna change. Let's just face that. I'm not gonna pretend like it is. But, uh, let's, let's look at a little light. You were talking in, uh, our text, you and I earlier today and get back to kind of a RaysUp perspective and that's what Junior's doing.

[00:33:00] Mark Corbett: Junior Caminero, you wanna talk a little bit about, he's been, uh, kind of ball, he's been playing this winter. 

[00:33:05] Mat Germain: Yeah, so the, the, LIDOM, uh, winter League, , it's, it's one of those leagues where guys will go to just in order to keep swinging and to keep throwing and to keep, uh, keep sharp. Uh, but a lot of times you can have guys go down there and have great winters and just feed off that into the season, or especially into spring training and beyond.

[00:33:29] Mat Germain: But, um, junior CA's been lighting it up to the point where the, the crowds are. his name for MVP purposes in the playoffs. And, uh, you know, this isn't This isn't a seasoned vet. I mean, he's a 20 year old, um, he might be 21 now. I don't know when his birthday is, but, uh, he's a 20 year old that got, you know, some seasoning and major league baseball.

[00:33:55] Mat Germain: Uh, he's not old by any means, but he's hanging out with Big Papi down there. And, uh, and he's getting a lot of, confidence, I guess, back that he had lost a little bit when he, with Rays, he wasn't really as sharp or, or huge an impact as we expected him to be right away. But that happens all the time, but the home runs that he's hitting and the way that he's hitting the ball and squaring it up.

[00:34:20] Mat Germain: And, and I mean, he's 15 games. He has a four 48 average, a .492 on base percentage and a .793 slug. You know, like that's just crazy. 12 extra base hits. So he's hitting almost one extra base hit a game. Uh, the pitching he's seeing there is obviously not MLB caliber, uh, in terms of the, what would you say, like He's not seeing aces from every team.

[00:34:51] Mark Corbett: No. Yeah. 

[00:34:52] Mat Germain: Right. But he's doing damage and, and he's doing it in a big way, hitting in the second or third spot in the lineup. So, uh, he's leading his team, which, you know, for 20, 21 year old is a big thing as well. And, uh, just the enthusiasm, the whole thing, the way he's playing down there just tells me We are going to see a very strong season from Junior Caminero how strong I don't know But it wouldn't shock me for him to see him flirting with 25 to 30 home runs this year.

[00:35:26] Mark Corbett: Wow. 

Gosh, 

[00:35:28] Mark Corbett: I can't wait to see that brother. I mean, she's being able to maintain that kind of average and you're on base percentage. That's it's exciting. Um, and I know you were talking to this, we've said before with prospects that you've covered in the past, I know you're mentioning him, I think at least Two or three years ago, long before he was actually at the Raysd level, you know, to keep an eye on this young man.

[00:35:50] Mark Corbett: So 

[00:35:51] Mat Germain: absolutely. He's always been a man among boys when he was in the ABL, when he was really young, uh, he got down there and you would have thought he was one of the veterans of the league. Like he really has that sound approach at the plate and confidence, uh, that, that he's going to do some damage.

[00:36:11] Mark Corbett: Exciting stuff, my friend, exciting stuff. Can't wait to be over there at the George Steinbrenner field and watch the Rays this year and man, it's, it's going to be here before we know it on spring trainings, just a few weeks away. Wow. 

[00:36:28] Mat Germain: And another guy that I want to mention, because I know I mentioned, you know, what if Pete Alonso ended up with the Rays and, and, you know, was that power source behind Junior.

[00:36:38] Mat Germain: There's another guy that I think has a big season in him and that's Christopher Morel. And I posted this on Blue Sky recently. You know, recently the, the bad speed, uh, leaders for last year. Okay. And then the bad speed can tell you a lot about a player. And then sometimes I like to look at stats and look at the groupings at the top of that stat to see, well, what kind of players are leading this category?

[00:37:02] Mat Germain: Right. Cause it tells you a little bit about what you need in terms of tools to be of that caliber. So here are the 12 other players that are with Christopher Morel. Okay. And I'll just rank them one to 13. And then I'll just say their last names. So, from one, we got Stanton. He's, he's in a league of his own.

[00:37:21] Mat Germain: 98 percent fast swing. Which is just ridiculous. But, Schwarber's behind him. Crew's behind him. Judge, Adele, then Morel. Okay, so Morel is 6th overall. Behind him you have Chapman, Ohtani, Gunnar Henderson, Julio Rodriguez, Jordan Alvarez, Juan Soto, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Those are your top 13 in that category.

[00:37:46] Mat Germain: Like, if you're going to want to be part of a team, of a, of a group of players in any stat, you know, that's pretty impressive. So Christopher Morel has Significant amount of potential and I get why the Rays were intrigued enough to make that acquisition I just hope that some way somehow they can tap into that and make it as You know playable in game as possible.

[00:38:14] Mat Germain: So I'm very intrigued about the Combo of him and junior Caminero because if both of them are able to go to 30 plus home runs You know and in a Raysd lineup with the pitching that they have maybe one of the best pens in the league All of a sudden you can do a lot of damage and score enough runs to support that 

[00:38:32] Mark Corbett: i'm loving it I'm, absolutely loving it, man.

[00:38:34] Mark Corbett: Yeah. I mean i'm looking at your post right now on blue sky That is some rare air of company to keep and wow I can't wait to see him out there 

[00:38:47] Mat Germain: should be a lot of fun. Hopefully, hopefully they find him a home defensively as well. So he's not moving around as much and then he can concentrate on the bat.

[00:38:56] Mark Corbett: Good times, my friend. Uh, anything else that you wanted to cover today? 

Everything I want to cover today with a big blanket of happiness, Mark, we need more of it. 

[00:39:08] Mark Corbett: Yes, brother. We do. It's, uh, it's yeah. Yeah. One, one baseball is not going to be the answer as you heard at the beginning. And it's going to take a lot from all of us, you know, work with one another, just make life good because sometimes a specter of what everybody else is trying to tear down, we've got to make sure we shore up.

[00:39:30] Mark Corbett: You know, so 

[00:39:31] Mat Germain: I don't want to step on a landmine here, Mark, but we're about to head into spring training, right? 

[00:39:36] Mark Corbett: Yeah.

[00:39:36] Mat Germain: Well, I didn't want to say this, but I've been thinking it,

[00:39:39] Mark Corbett: please go ahead and say it. 

[00:39:40] Mat Germain: What's one of the hangups that happens sometimes with some players in a normal setting is, is the visas not getting approved in time.

[00:39:49] Mat Germain: I I'm really fearful that this is going to become an issue. Uh, when, when the, you know, certain sites. Get taken offline and and have a button that says go home You know for the Spanish White House site. That's what it says They took it down and instead of the Spanish site It said go home on the button when that is put out there.

[00:40:16] Mat Germain: It has a significant impact So whether or not, you know that kind of thing can happen quickly enough to impact this spring training You I have no idea, but everything seems to be happening pretty quickly. Um, I'm hoping that, you know, cooler heads prevail and things get, uh, boggled up enough and protect protected enough that it won't be an issue and that cooler heads will prevail.

[00:40:44] Mat Germain: And, um, yeah, it's just, it's not something we should be worried about, but I can't help it. I have to be worried about it because the, the impact it would have. I mean, at that point, what do you, what are you watching? You know, uh, I don't know. Hopefully we don't have to cross that bridge, Mark. 

[00:41:04] Mark Corbett: Well, it's been on my mind for a while, even before most of the most recent ugliness, but yeah, it's been on.

[00:41:11] Mark Corbett: I've often thought if somebody wanted to really be a stinker and say, well, you know, we're not getting the opportunity for enough, uh, folks from the United States to be able to play baseball in the major league baseball. We need to make sure it's Americans only, you know, I mean, I was kind of kidding about that at the beginning, but that this, uh, It's ugly that I am concerned about that.

[00:41:29] Mark Corbett: I've been thinking for years. It's like, we have these people who've, who've worked so hard over like even Dominican Republic. And I know Puerto Rico is part of us, but I mean, and other countries as well, who've come in and played and entertained. And if suddenly, if they're in another country now playing, uh, off season ball, and they decided to come back for a team that they've already have an agreement with and lo and behold, you can't because the visa has been rejected.

[00:41:57] Mark Corbett: Uh, I am. I'm stunned. I'm beyond stunned about what is transpiring. I'm not really Mat because we've all known it. We've seen it coming and everything else to boot. But I, I want to go back to hope, prayer, treat people like people and get, get rid of worrying about all this other stuff. People come on. Please.

[00:42:21] Mat Germain: I agree, Mark. And I'll just say that the, um, the thing that may save a lot of this process taking place is the fact that, you know, the billionaires that own the teams, uh, will probably get involved to make sure that some of them are cleared up and sent on their way. I'm just saying that right now things are happening quickly and then kind of in block.

[00:42:45] Mat Germain: So somebody may take something too far. And so there may be hangups along the way. And I know where you're headed and I know where your head is at. I think my head is in the same place or in a similar place. So, uh, you know, let's hope for a long season that is positive and can take our minds off of things that we, you know, have to deal with on the side.

[00:43:11] Mark Corbett: I'm with you, brother. So let's do that. Let's end on that happy note. Let's looking forward to a great season ahead. And hopefully a little bit smoother sailing with some of these other things. And we'll, uh, we'll enjoy the games as they come. 

Amen. 

[00:43:24] Mark Corbett: Alrighty. Well, well, thank you all again for joining us here today.

[00:43:28] Mark Corbett: And Mr. Mat and Mr. Mark here. Glad to have you every week. So until then, we want to thank you and wish you a very happy week of baseball and counting down the days until spring training is here. Bye bye. All right. 

Mr. Mark and Mr. Mat. Hey, 

[00:43:49] Mark Corbett: why not have a little fun with it? I have a 

little funny story