David Stearns

We saw Nolan flash potential as a number one starter last year.

We have seen Shawn Minaya pitch as an ace.

Before I got here, Kodai Senga pitched as an ace.

So I think we have multiple pitchers in our rotation right now that have pitched as an ace, and I would certainly put Freddie in that category.

Next question is from Jake Mintz.

Yeah, so I think first we look at what our defense looks like up the middle, and we really like what our defense looks like up the middle right now.

I think we're clearly better.

of positions up the middle.

There's no question we're asking two guys to learn some new positions.

We're also asking two guys with very high baseball aptitude who are good athletes who have spent the majority of their careers at the shortstop position to learn new positions on the dirt.

There's going to be learning curves.

We're going to make mistakes.

I also have a high degree of confidence that both those players are going to figure it out and be able to play their positions at a pretty high level.

I think as you're evaluating a transaction where the player is under contract for a relatively short amount of time, you have to assume the player is under contract for a relatively short amount of time and make the transaction with those assumptions.

Clearly, that can change.

But when you're going through the evaluation period, I think you have to make the determination that the contract is the contract and the player is under a contract for a finite period.

Thank you.

Next question comes from Asha Johnson.

I think as we got into the offseason and we reflected on our 25 season, we made the determination that we had to do better and we were not going to run back the same group.

And that has driven a large portion of our strategy to this point.