Chapter 1: What are the initial thoughts on Eugenio Suarez's signing with the Reds?
Yeah, there should be some passion. This doesn't have to be boring.
Hey, this is John Lester. Baseball isn't boring.
Welcome to Baseball Isn't Boring. Here's your host, Rob Radford.
First off, I know that some of you have school children that are off today, so sorry about doing this today.
Whenever you guys are ready. Well, you know, I almost said Larry because it says Larry Herms under your name. Nick, what are the advantages of having a guy like Gino that you know well? And to make a move like this and to know just, just as much as you do.
You're muted. Sorry.
Didn't have unmuted. Um, To bring a guy in that is a middle-of-the-order bat, that did 49 homers last year, that he's a great clubhouse guy, great guy with all of your fans, you know what you're getting with him. He's just a tremendous individual, and it's really been something that we weren't sure we were going to be able to do, but it was great that we were able to get Geno.
Nick, was Geno a player that you guys – kept tabs on for all or most of the offseason, or was it something that came together as the market kind of solidified in recent weeks?
Yeah, I mean, we kept tabs on everybody. Jeff did a good job staying in touch with his agents. And, you know, we talked a lot with folks, but we didn't know – we didn't really negotiate and, you know, come to a, hey, this is going to be the road we can go down until probably about 10 days ago.
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Chapter 2: How does Nick Krall describe the advantages of bringing back Eugenio Suarez?
He'll be mostly a DH, but obviously you have some players. You have Hayes at third base and you have a very similar younger profile player in Stewart who plays DH first base and third base. So how do you think Tito and the club will make all this fit?
I think first off, we're going to go into spring training and let some guys get some, some acclimation to some positions. You know, Hayes, obviously gold glove, third baseman. He's a, top-notch defender at third, and he's gotten better offensively when he came over here. So we think that he's got some room to run. He's going to be mostly at third base, though.
And then we've got Geno, who's going to get reps at first, third, and DH. Sal's going to get reps at first, third, second, and DH. Spence is going to get reps at first, second, left, and right. So I think you're going to be able to piece everything together, but it's going to be some guys are going to get some reps at different positions, and we'll see how it goes in spring training.
Nick, when the 2025 season ended, did you look at the team and say kind of simply you need some more home run power? Was that one of your takeaways from last season?
I don't think it's just home run power. I think we looked at it as we got to rebuild our bullpen. That was our first priority. We needed to make sure that we improved the defense, which was a big priority with where we were. And just adding offense to the group, whether it's home run power, doubles power, guys to drive in runs. But it was something that we wanted to improve our offense, yes.
And Nick, to Charlie's point, did you also specifically look at the middle of the order and how you needed to deepen that part of the order behind Allie?
I think you're always looking, you know, obviously a middle of the order bat's the top of the line hitter. So that's what you want first and then try to fill it out afterwards. But, you know, I think you're always looking if there's a potential to add a middle of the order bat that you can work in, that'd be great.
And, Nick, I was going to ask, you know, we know you extended to get Geno. Did he, as far as you know, did you get the sense that he came back for fewer years or a little less than he might have had offers on the table?
I can't speak to what he had on the table, but I know that he really wanted to be here. This was a top choice of his based on being in Cincinnati. Um, and you know, being with this group, he, you know, it's a good culture and a good group of guys. And I think that's, uh, you know, that's something he wanted to be a part of.
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Chapter 3: What challenges did the Reds face in extending their budget for Suarez?
I mean, first of all, the red was the thing that I almost the offseason talk to my agents about me. They always asking. They always was, you know, in turn to bring me back. And and when you see when you put everything together, it's make it easy for me to be back home. You know, I still have my my.
part of my family here you know my daughter she born here and uh and my wife and i i think we make it a good decision to be back here obviously when you put uh the chance the chance for me and and and and win win the world series or going to the world series talk to with my agents that that they make a really good job and put all the number together and i think um
the chance to win, the chance to bring the playoff to the city and the chance that we have with me and make a playoff and win it all, it was high. So that's why I think that made everything easier, you know, more than the personal-wise. I know everybody. I know the city, and I feel very, very happy to be back. And I think that the ballpark is going to make my,
My career really keep on the good check. For me, I think that the division is very, very easy for me. And like I say, I know already and that made everything easy.
Nick Kroll just told us that ownership agreed to kind of go above and beyond what their role was going to be to make this deal happen. What does that mean to you that they were willing to spend more than they were going to just because of you?
It means a lot. Like I say, there was a team who asked for me every time, almost all the offseason, and we put everything together. Like I say, both sides make a real good deal, and I'm happy that they work out. I think the ownership and Nico, Jeff, everybody did a really good job. to put everything together and make, make, make this, this, uh, deal happen.
And, and obviously both sides are very happy to, to having me back.
But, you know, did you, did you leave, uh, years or, uh, and AAV on the table to come back to Cincinnati?
No, there's, there's not, it's not years. It wasn't about years. How about, about where you want to be? You know, I, I, the, We work on two years, and we put it together. We got one year with a mutual auction that is basically make the deal for both sides. So that's what we're looking for.
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Chapter 4: How will Eugenio Suarez fit into the Reds' lineup and positions?
And obviously, I feel like I'm still the same guy on the field, doing my best every day, playing. play my 100% every day even when I don't feel good but it's more like I grew up as a person who you are who you want to be when this is done you know and now I'm in the different guy, but I just, you know, try to be the best husband, be the best son, dad, and all that stuff, you know what I mean?
It's the way that you grew up, because on the field, you put your talent in, you work every time, every year for doing really good on the field, but at the same time, it's something else without baseball, and now you got to think about that too as well, you know, and But like I say, on the field, I feel like I'm the same guy. I want the guy who enjoys the game 100%.
I'm the guy who wants to give the team the best version of me and try to win games. That's our goal. That's my goal.
Gino, how much would you embrace the role of being one of the leaders in that clubhouse?
I mean, like I say, obviously I want to be one of the others on the field, but... Like I say, I don't want to be the guy who they have to listen to me because I'm the older guy. No, no. For me, it doesn't work like that. I want to be a good example. I want to be a good model. And I want to be the guy who whatever they need from me, I want to be there.
You know, if they want to talk about baseball, I talk about baseball. If they want to talk about something else, I want to be that guy. You know, it's not that guy. I now want to be the guy who they have to listen to me or they have to do whatever I say. No, no, it's not about that, you know. I want to be the good model. And the good model is the guy who do good things.
Even when you don't feel good, you have to do something good and make everybody else happy and make everybody else, like, have a good smile. And that's something that I love. I want to be in this time on the clock.
Gino, kind of following up on that, last year at the trade deadline, there was a lot of talk about where you would go. And the names you kept hearing were the Mariners, the Tigers, and the Reds. Three teams you had been with. And you've been in this game long enough to know what that means.
What did it mean to you to hear those teams come to you and ask about you, and then both the Mariners following through with the trade, and now the Reds following through like this?
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