WEBVTT 00:00:04.690 --> 00:00:08.650 Look, we get it, Tiger fans. We know the baseball 00:00:08.650 --> 00:00:11.650 season can be a grind. Luckily, when you're ready 00:00:11.650 --> 00:00:14.929 to trade hot dogs for tailgates, we've got you 00:00:14.929 --> 00:00:18.210 covered with Litterbox, a Detroit Lions podcast. 00:00:18.789 --> 00:00:20.989 It's the same unfiltered Detroit sports talk 00:00:20.989 --> 00:00:23.829 you get here, just with more biting kneecaps 00:00:23.829 --> 00:00:27.039 and fewer bullpen meltdowns. So when Sunday rolls 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:29.820 around, don't just pace around like AJ Hinch 00:00:29.820 --> 00:00:33.259 waiting for a reliever. Fire up Litterbox, a 00:00:33.259 --> 00:00:35.719 Detroit Lions podcast, wherever you're listening 00:00:35.719 --> 00:00:39.140 now, and roar with us through the NFL season. 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:49.399 You're listening to the Litterbox, a Detroit 00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:53.439 Tigers podcast with your hosts, Chet West and 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:59.869 Bill Patterson. Detroit Tigers litter box listeners. 00:00:59.929 --> 00:01:02.189 Welcome back to the Detroit Tigers litter box 00:01:02.189 --> 00:01:07.030 for the first of our hot stove pods. It's your 00:01:07.030 --> 00:01:10.150 cohost Billy P from the D with my cohost Chet 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.370 West, and I'm going to open this with, we have 00:01:13.370 --> 00:01:17.069 some signings Chet, and I want to ask you, how 00:01:17.069 --> 00:01:21.129 do you feel about one Drew Anderson being a Detroit 00:01:21.129 --> 00:01:25.609 Tiger? I am bored with that. These So this is 00:01:25.609 --> 00:01:28.810 Scott Harris. Again, like you've alluded to in 00:01:28.810 --> 00:01:30.489 the past, trying to show everybody that he's 00:01:30.489 --> 00:01:33.290 the smartest guy in the room. And they've gone 00:01:33.290 --> 00:01:35.370 out and they've found some metric or they've 00:01:35.370 --> 00:01:38.890 done some scouting in the Orient. In the KBO, 00:01:38.890 --> 00:01:42.189 to be exact. And they've dug up this diamond 00:01:42.189 --> 00:01:44.709 in the rough. Can you explain what the KBO is 00:01:44.709 --> 00:01:46.549 to those that might not know, please? It's the 00:01:46.549 --> 00:01:48.569 Korean baseball organization. It's the Korean 00:01:48.569 --> 00:01:51.370 baseball league, professional league. You typically 00:01:51.370 --> 00:01:55.439 don't see players going overseas and playing 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.560 in the KBO. They're usually playing in the, in 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:00.700 the Japanese league. They'll, you know, it's 00:02:00.700 --> 00:02:05.819 not, it's not the first tier stop overseas, but 00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:08.759 I'm just, I get tired of seeing these moves where 00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:11.139 we're trying to convert relievers to starters. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:13.740 We're trying to get these guys from the, you 00:02:13.740 --> 00:02:16.800 know, I get it. His job is to look, look between 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.919 the lines, kind of, you know, dig something up 00:02:18.919 --> 00:02:23.879 out of the weeds. This is just a flyer on a kind 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:26.740 of like a reclamation project deal. Okay, so 00:02:26.740 --> 00:02:30.680 I gave it, in terms of our grades, listeners, 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:35.340 we do A, A +, B. I gave it a B because the ceiling 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:37.939 could be high on it and the cost was relatively 00:02:37.939 --> 00:02:40.719 low. But again, this is Scott Harris looking 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:42.900 for a diamond in the rough as my co -host just 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:45.629 shared. And again, it goes back to my point that 00:02:45.629 --> 00:02:47.210 why do you always have to be the smartest guy 00:02:47.210 --> 00:02:49.810 in the room? We'll get more into that in a minute. 00:02:50.090 --> 00:02:54.110 Chet Gleybar -Torres is back for his second season 00:02:54.110 --> 00:02:59.030 as a Tiger. They offered him. Yeah, I think fully 00:02:59.030 --> 00:03:01.030 expecting to get the one of the comp pick in 00:03:01.030 --> 00:03:02.689 the first round, and they didn't think he was 00:03:02.689 --> 00:03:05.870 going to accept. And guess what? His market value 00:03:05.870 --> 00:03:09.830 was not there. So he's a Detroit Tiger. And here's. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:12.139 I'll let you go. I know you've got a lot to say 00:03:12.139 --> 00:03:14.379 on this, but this is where I'm going to pan Scott 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:16.500 Harris a little bit. He got up in front of all 00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:18.699 the media this week and said, Hey, we're not 00:03:18.699 --> 00:03:20.879 going to block any of our prospects. And then 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.800 he goes and signs a guy that will not play another 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:27.500 position outside of second base, which last time 00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:30.219 I checked chat, we've got some prospects that 00:03:30.219 --> 00:03:33.580 are pretty good middle infielders. I like the 00:03:33.580 --> 00:03:36.199 signing on the surface level. I don't like the 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:38.680 messaging that, Hey, he's a guy we always wanted 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:43.530 and This is good for the team. The Tigers are 00:03:43.530 --> 00:03:47.229 betting heavy on that sports hernia being the 00:03:47.229 --> 00:03:50.129 reason that he declined so much in the last 60 00:03:50.129 --> 00:03:53.370 games of last year. What say you? I think they 00:03:53.370 --> 00:03:56.229 gambled on this and lost. I think they thought 00:03:56.229 --> 00:03:58.990 for sure he'd turn it down. He was projected 00:03:58.990 --> 00:04:01.409 to get offered three and four year offers because 00:04:01.409 --> 00:04:04.210 he had a successful season last year. closed 00:04:04.210 --> 00:04:06.409 out the season with the sports hernia. So his 00:04:06.409 --> 00:04:08.569 numbers took a dip, but he had a, he had a very 00:04:08.569 --> 00:04:10.710 good reason for it. Obviously he had cover for 00:04:10.710 --> 00:04:12.969 that. So I think they were projecting, he'd get 00:04:12.969 --> 00:04:14.930 like a three or four year deal and about 15 to 00:04:14.930 --> 00:04:18.870 17 million a year. And he basically forego that 00:04:18.870 --> 00:04:22.649 long -term deal, less AAV, average annual value, 00:04:23.569 --> 00:04:27.029 and took the Tigers one year deal at 22 million. 00:04:27.750 --> 00:04:29.970 I don't know that that was a, I don't know that 00:04:29.970 --> 00:04:32.660 that was the best choice for him. He knows why 00:04:32.660 --> 00:04:34.220 he did his agent knows why I did it. I don't 00:04:34.220 --> 00:04:36.300 know why I did it I had taken the three or four 00:04:36.300 --> 00:04:40.500 and 15 to 17 because if he comes out and goes 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:44.279 flat next year Nobody's paying him 15 to 17 million 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:46.540 over the next three years following. So he got 00:04:46.540 --> 00:04:49.279 his 22 mil We didn't get our comp pick which 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:50.800 is what I think they were hoping for to begin 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:53.220 with I think Scott Harris values draft picks 00:04:53.220 --> 00:04:56.199 like nobody's business he and Brad Holmes dine 00:04:56.199 --> 00:04:58.279 together and talk about draft picks I think and 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:02.860 If I had my, if I had a guess, Brad Holmes trades 00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:05.079 away his draft picks so that he can be the smartest 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:07.259 guy. He loves his draft picks too. He likes to 00:05:07.259 --> 00:05:09.220 trade his picks when he has multiples and rounds 00:05:09.220 --> 00:05:12.420 down, down draft, but he loves his first, second, 00:05:12.420 --> 00:05:14.620 third. And they were looking for that first round 00:05:14.620 --> 00:05:17.600 comp pick here. The Tigers were hoping they were 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:19.920 going to get it and they didn't. And now they're 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.160 stuck with Gleyber for another year. And I guarantee 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:26.480 you, I guarantee. to you, he does not perform 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:30.420 like he did this past year. He had a career season 00:05:30.420 --> 00:05:33.839 going in the first half. First 100 games. First 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:37.100 100 games. And then then the hernia, he found 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:39.379 a cover for why he dropped off. We're going to 00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:41.259 see a lot more of that second half from him. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:45.699 And it gives you an idea of how important AAV 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:49.480 is to these players now. The average annual value. 00:05:50.590 --> 00:05:53.529 is huge. Get used to that terminology, because 00:05:53.529 --> 00:05:55.750 you're going to hear it in contract talks. And 00:05:55.750 --> 00:05:57.350 it's one of the things that we're going to have 00:05:57.350 --> 00:05:59.250 to worry about with somebody we're going to talk 00:05:59.250 --> 00:06:02.629 about later in the pod. Let's talk about the 00:06:02.629 --> 00:06:05.410 final signing. So overall, I'm going to give 00:06:05.410 --> 00:06:07.629 Torres. I'm going to disagree with you. And I 00:06:07.629 --> 00:06:09.750 think, OK, I'm going to be optimistic. Well, 00:06:09.790 --> 00:06:11.670 no, I'm not disagreeing with why they signed 00:06:11.670 --> 00:06:14.149 them, Chad. I think you just like the signing. 00:06:14.230 --> 00:06:18.720 You're good on it. Well, I think it. For much 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:20.980 of last season, he was our best hitter. He was 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:23.680 our most patient hitter. If we get that ceiling 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:27.439 back, he's a valuable asset in a lineup that 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.759 strikes out way too much. And if he's taking 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:32.779 pitches and batting at the top of the order, 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:35.139 like he did the first hundred games, I would 00:06:35.139 --> 00:06:38.019 give it a B plus. I think it could easily become 00:06:38.019 --> 00:06:42.120 a D or D minus signing if the 60 games that we 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.240 saw the latter half of the year. is what rears 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:47.339 its head. And I'm 100 % with you, Chad. I think 00:06:47.339 --> 00:06:51.019 Scott Harrison Company said, he'll call our bluff. 00:06:51.220 --> 00:06:52.740 There's no way he's going to sign. And we get 00:06:52.740 --> 00:06:55.060 a really good draft pick out of it. And that 00:06:55.060 --> 00:06:57.720 didn't work. Let's get on to the final signing 00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:00.360 and the one that I'm most excited about and actually 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:02.519 really happy that the Tigers did and that is 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:05.600 one Kyle Finnegan. I give this an A because we 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:09.079 have an arm that fit within our bullpen. He's 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:11.560 not the greatest swing and miss guy but given 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:14.579 how lacking the Tigers bullpen is in swing and 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:18.860 miss, he might be the best of the bunch and overall 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:21.899 I like it and I know I'm being a little bit generous 00:07:21.899 --> 00:07:24.899 with my grades. I feel like the Tigers are just 00:07:24.899 --> 00:07:28.180 rolling it all back out. And they're saying that 00:07:28.180 --> 00:07:32.079 2025 was a success. And we'll get into Harris's 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:35.120 press conference and that those first hundred 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:38.519 games were the real team, not the last 60 games 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:41.399 where they fell flat on their face and limped 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:44.399 their way in without winning the division. I 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:47.540 think this Finnegan signing was great. I'm a 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:51.850 fan of I'm a fan of the signing. I have absolutely 00:07:51.850 --> 00:07:54.709 no doubts that he's a quality reliever and the 00:07:54.709 --> 00:07:56.629 type of reliever we need to be filling our bullpen 00:07:56.629 --> 00:07:58.389 with. I would like a little more swing and miss. 00:07:58.569 --> 00:08:01.290 You know this on my wish list. I would as well. 00:08:01.670 --> 00:08:04.310 Yeah, one or two swing and miss guys, but Finnegan's 00:08:04.310 --> 00:08:06.290 a good reliever. Santa Claus, are you listening 00:08:06.290 --> 00:08:09.430 to Uncle Chat and Uncle Billy P here? We'd like 00:08:09.430 --> 00:08:11.730 some swing and miss please. Let's lap up Santa. 00:08:11.889 --> 00:08:13.930 I want swing and miss. So get me at least one 00:08:13.930 --> 00:08:16.410 or two. One or two swing and miss guys for that 00:08:16.410 --> 00:08:19.120 pen this year. There is some other now. Bill 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.839 those are the signings so far. Okay, that's all 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.740 we've done. That's it. That's this is this is 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:28.360 it so far we know that the offseason is long 00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:31.220 and Sometimes you wake up in the morning and 00:08:31.220 --> 00:08:33.940 a text hits your phone that something crazy has 00:08:33.940 --> 00:08:36.860 happened and that Probably will happen a few 00:08:36.860 --> 00:08:39.960 times in this offseason make us think about things 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:42.360 What are your thoughts on all the school bull 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:44.340 updates coming out of the general manager meetings? 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:47.139 Great question. I think the two sides are as 00:08:47.139 --> 00:08:49.980 far apart as they've ever been or further apart 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:52.759 than they've ever been. Scott Boris, I'll say 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:55.240 this, Chet, when the pod blows up and we need 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:59.259 an agent representing us, Scott Boris, we have 00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:02.720 to hire Scott Boris. I mean, using Scooby Doo 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:08.019 references, it's so annoying. He was so punny 00:09:08.019 --> 00:09:11.820 and he read the room well and he really made 00:09:11.820 --> 00:09:15.730 Scott Harris look like the 37 year old he is, 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:20.389 and a fool, quite frankly. And so I don't see 00:09:20.389 --> 00:09:23.070 any way the Tigers come out of this winning, 00:09:23.409 --> 00:09:26.950 A, the PR battle, B, actually signing the player. 00:09:27.210 --> 00:09:29.509 And I unfortunately think at this point, Chet, 00:09:29.730 --> 00:09:34.669 he will be traded at some point for far less 00:09:34.669 --> 00:09:37.710 pennies on the dollar. Let's just say, or he 00:09:37.710 --> 00:09:40.350 will pitch all of next year because the Tigers 00:09:40.350 --> 00:09:42.700 will You know, they play in the AL Central, which 00:09:42.700 --> 00:09:45.379 is the worst division in baseball, and they'll 00:09:45.379 --> 00:09:47.500 limp their way into the postseason again. And 00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:50.860 I think that Chris Illich and Scott Harris right 00:09:50.860 --> 00:09:53.899 now think that is good enough. I think they think 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:57.480 is paying customers. that we aren't smart enough 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:00.220 to recognize what's going on. And I find that 00:10:00.220 --> 00:10:02.500 absolutely insulting. But I don't know what kind 00:10:02.500 --> 00:10:04.919 of choices they've got, Bill. And the Tigers. 00:10:05.220 --> 00:10:07.559 And by the way, it's not just the Tigers. When 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.399 it comes down to Scubal and what he's going to 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.659 command contract wise, he's going to ask for 00:10:13.659 --> 00:10:18.740 42 million plus a year. The highest contract 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:23.840 AAV. Per year is 42 million right now, and that, 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:26.539 I believe, is Zach Wheeler. He's going to ask 00:10:26.539 --> 00:10:29.019 for more than that. He's going for more. He's 00:10:29.019 --> 00:10:31.120 going for broke. And he should. He should try 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:33.840 to get the highest contract ever paid to a pitcher. 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:36.539 And he should get it. He's two years in a row, 00:10:36.539 --> 00:10:38.820 Cy Young. The Tigers are in a really bad spot. 00:10:39.259 --> 00:10:41.919 There's no way that they can resign him. They 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:43.860 can't afford it. You can tell me they can. They 00:10:43.860 --> 00:10:48.120 can't. And 29 other teams, 28 to 29 other teams 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:51.080 in baseball can't either and won't. They just 00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:53.399 won't leverage themselves to that degree on a 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:55.299 pitcher, on a guy who plays every five days. 00:10:55.460 --> 00:10:57.700 I don't want him to sign him. I love Tarek Scoble. 00:10:57.740 --> 00:10:59.639 Don't get me wrong. Love watching him pitch. 00:11:00.179 --> 00:11:03.500 I do not think that he can repeat what he's done 00:11:03.500 --> 00:11:05.960 the past two seasons. I don't think he can turn 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:09.039 that type of performance in again. If he gets 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:12.120 a third Cy Young award in a row, more power to 00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:15.340 him, but I wouldn't gamble on it. And he is going 00:11:15.340 --> 00:11:18.460 to end up hurt at some point in time. He'll end 00:11:18.460 --> 00:11:20.940 up hurt. He'll end up doing something. He also, 00:11:21.379 --> 00:11:23.820 by the way, for a guy who is a Cy Young, he's 00:11:23.820 --> 00:11:27.259 been managed very well. His innings have been 00:11:27.259 --> 00:11:31.539 so low. Somebody cranked out Verlander's Cy Young. 00:11:31.789 --> 00:11:34.190 numbers the other day and how many innings he 00:11:34.190 --> 00:11:36.669 pitched in his Cy Young season versus how many 00:11:36.669 --> 00:11:39.649 innings were pitched by Scubal. It was like, 00:11:39.730 --> 00:11:41.870 it was a crazy number. I get to go dig those 00:11:41.870 --> 00:11:44.529 up, maybe post them on social media or something, 00:11:44.549 --> 00:11:47.769 but it was nowhere near, Scubal was nowhere near 00:11:47.769 --> 00:11:50.950 Verlander's numbers from his Cy Young. He's already 00:11:50.950 --> 00:11:54.610 had two major surgeries, you know, so we have 00:11:54.610 --> 00:11:58.210 that to consider and he has managed himself or 00:11:58.210 --> 00:12:02.259 I don't know, Boris has managed him well. In 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:04.860 terms of pitch counts, I'm with you winning a 00:12:04.860 --> 00:12:08.200 third Cy Young. I'm taking the field over that. 00:12:08.299 --> 00:12:12.059 I mean, to win three Cy Youngs in a row is rarefied 00:12:12.059 --> 00:12:14.580 error. And I just think there's too many other 00:12:14.580 --> 00:12:17.000 guys out there. So I agree with you on that. 00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:20.259 Somebody's going to pay him to do for what he's 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:21.840 already done. This is a problem with baseball 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:24.159 in a lot of ways. The guys get paid for what 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.379 they've done, not what they're going to do. And 00:12:26.379 --> 00:12:29.879 I see a bidding war happening between the Yankees, 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:33.340 the Mets, the Dodgers, the Giants, the Phillies, 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:36.120 I don't know. I don't even think the Phillies 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:40.500 and Giants are going to be in there. I can see 00:12:40.500 --> 00:12:42.659 you want to throw an exotic team in there, maybe 00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:44.679 like a, I don't even know if the Mariners would 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:47.419 be involved. I have a trouble finding anybody 00:12:47.419 --> 00:12:49.539 other than the Dodgers and the Yankees who are 00:12:49.539 --> 00:12:51.990 willing to even go after them. Maybe the Mets 00:12:51.990 --> 00:12:54.070 Dodgers Yankees Mets those three teams. Okay 00:12:54.070 --> 00:12:56.970 Well, then that will be Scott Boris's, you know 00:12:56.970 --> 00:13:00.389 sword to fall on if the markets not there What 00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:03.070 I was gonna say finishing this thought is that 00:13:03.070 --> 00:13:06.509 I think that the teams will bid against each 00:13:06.509 --> 00:13:11.110 other a la Juan Soto and it will go from 400 00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:14.669 million total package to 450 to hey, I'm gonna 00:13:14.669 --> 00:13:17.610 offer you 475. I'm gonna offer you 480 I think 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:20.080 he's gonna get 10 and 450 and he's going to get 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:23.259 a $45 million a year deal. Most of it will be 00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:26.860 deferred to pay him sometime in 2040. And that'll 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:28.679 be how the whole entire thing is structured. 00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:33.559 So at any rate, I don't think I'm all for the 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:36.779 Tigers trading scubal. before the season starts 00:13:36.779 --> 00:13:38.899 would be best. I don't really want it to linger 00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:41.480 around through spring training. I don't particularly 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:43.379 want it to linger into the season. These things 00:13:43.379 --> 00:13:46.440 get messy. They distract the team. They distract 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:48.960 Scoobble. They distract everybody else. And I 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:51.460 want them to be able to strategize with what 00:13:51.460 --> 00:13:53.440 they're able to get back for Scoobble and then 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.740 go out and sign a few other guys to fill some 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:59.460 space. What are your thoughts there? I'd think 00:13:59.460 --> 00:14:02.480 a smart organization would do exactly what you 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:05.580 just suggested and I hope that's the case. Yep 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:07.500 Well, and guys are getting signed that we could 00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:10.659 have to with that money. We would exactly exactly. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:14.419 Yeah, something needs to happen Before spring 00:14:14.419 --> 00:14:17.059 training starts obviously, but well before string 00:14:17.059 --> 00:14:19.379 in my opinion well before spring training I think 00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:22.919 the trick here is any team trading the hall for 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:25.799 him that the Tigers are expecting. They also 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:27.620 have to negotiate with Scubal and see if they 00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:30.039 can get him to sign the extension. So like the 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.460 Dodgers were rumored to have a deal in place 00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:36.220 for him this past week. I'm betting that if there 00:14:36.220 --> 00:14:38.299 was a deal in place, the holdup is they're trying 00:14:38.299 --> 00:14:41.200 to get him to agree to a long term gig. And so. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.519 There's a lot of money being shelled out there. 00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:45.360 And if he ends up playing for the Dodgers, I 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.320 think the baseball might explode. I have no idea 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.879 how that'll shake out. But it just seems the 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:55.279 word unfair isn't correct. But it seems slightly 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.360 unjust in many ways that he would end up playing 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:01.820 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I'm hoping it's 00:15:01.820 --> 00:15:04.220 like the Mets or somebody else that will ruin 00:15:04.220 --> 00:15:07.039 him. No offense. to school, but if he goes to 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:08.940 the Mets, he'll probably be ruined somehow because 00:15:08.940 --> 00:15:11.080 they ruin everybody they touch. It's, you know, 00:15:11.179 --> 00:15:13.179 it's maybe it'll be the Yankees, maybe the Yankees, 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:14.679 but I think some team is going to have to figure 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:17.139 out the extension before they give up all the 00:15:17.139 --> 00:15:18.779 pieces the Tigers are going to be looking for. 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:21.279 And that could take some time, unfortunately. 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:24.639 Yeah. Let me, I guess, as we kind of wrap this 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:27.240 up, Scott Harris looked like he was sweating 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:31.279 through his suit and pants at the winter meetings 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.809 in Orlando. Maybe it was humid, but it didn't 00:15:33.809 --> 00:15:35.669 seem like anybody else was sweating that bad. 00:15:35.750 --> 00:15:39.529 And I think he doesn't know what to do with this 00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:42.090 scubal situation. Who would? I mean, this is 00:15:42.090 --> 00:15:44.450 a tough deal for these general managers. Like, 00:15:44.769 --> 00:15:48.529 you're going to give away the pride of your organization. 00:15:49.629 --> 00:15:52.009 And you got half your fan base screaming, you 00:15:52.009 --> 00:15:54.029 better not do it or I'm never watching a game 00:15:54.029 --> 00:15:56.769 again. This is just how it's going to be for 00:15:56.769 --> 00:15:59.710 most fan bases. So then let him pitch it out. 00:15:59.870 --> 00:16:03.110 You're still going to get a comp pick. And if 00:16:03.110 --> 00:16:05.830 he does become a Dodger, there will not be baseball 00:16:05.830 --> 00:16:10.429 in 2027 because to your apocalypse now scenario, 00:16:10.730 --> 00:16:12.929 the sky's going to fall in and there's going 00:16:12.929 --> 00:16:15.990 to need to be a salary cap or stronger luxury 00:16:15.990 --> 00:16:19.059 tax. Because right now the Dodgers are rigging 00:16:19.059 --> 00:16:21.480 the whole system on that. They'll lose, they 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:24.259 don't care. The way they're structured. They're 00:16:24.259 --> 00:16:27.559 not losing. They're signing the best Japanese 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:29.139 players, they're signing the best Korean players, 00:16:29.340 --> 00:16:31.480 they're signing the best Latin American players, 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:33.480 they're signing the best United States players. 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:37.120 Our revenue streams are massive. Until baseball 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:39.980 needs to borrow play from the NFL, get their... 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:43.559 The media writes under one umbrella and we've 00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:45.639 talked about this on numerous pods how ridiculous 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:48.440 that we subscribe and yet don't have access. 00:16:48.899 --> 00:16:51.879 I agree. To our local teams, you know, and that 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:53.860 happens to me twice a year when the Tigers play 00:16:53.860 --> 00:16:56.159 the Cubs and the White Sox. A lot of things baseball 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:59.379 needs to fix. Unfortunately, we're not quite 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:01.860 there yet. No, no, we're not. And we're on the 00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:04.500 precipice of losing at two times Cy Young because 00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:07.220 we can't compete monetarily with these other 00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:10.470 teams. We just can't. So, we will update you, 00:17:10.710 --> 00:17:14.049 Tigers listeners, as more unfolds on this. If 00:17:14.049 --> 00:17:18.410 anything pops, tune into us. Outside of that, 00:17:18.569 --> 00:17:20.950 can't wait for pitchers and catchers to report. 00:17:21.210 --> 00:17:24.289 Happy Holidays, and we're signing off. Go Tigers. 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:31.460 Go Tigers! That's going to do it for this episode 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:34.500 of the Litterbox, a Detroit Tigers podcast. Thanks 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:36.720 for hanging out with us. We're Bill and Chet. 00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:39.640 We'll be back soon with more Tigers Talk. If 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:41.900 you're enjoying the show, be sure to follow or 00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:45.599 subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.460 you get your podcasts. And hey, if you got a 00:17:48.460 --> 00:17:52.099 minute, leave us a quick review. Until next time, 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:53.000 go Tigers.