Ben Verlander likes this Cubs' roster, hopes they aren't done adding to it (Hour 4)
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What are Ben Verlander's thoughts on the Cubs' roster this offseason?
Essentially what we have right now for the Chicago Cubs is the exact same offense as last year, just swapping Alex Bregman for Kyle Tucker. I love both of these guys. I think they're both gamers. It just feels like Alex Bregman might be a little bit of a better fit for the team. So we have the same offense, swap Alex Bregman for Kyle Tucker, and the rotation has added Edward Cabrera, and we'll also get Justin Steele back. So I've really thought about what the Cubs have done this offseason and my thoughts on it, and I landed on that I really like what the Cubs have done. That's nice to hear.
That sounded like the Flippin' Bats podcast to me with Ben Verlander. That's what it sounded like as we welcome you back into the Rahimi Harris and Grody show here on Chicago Sports Radio 670. The score, let's bring Ben Verlander in.
How does the Cubs' offense compare to last year's performance?
He is a Major League Baseball analyst. He is the host as i just alluded to of the flipping bats podcast he joins us right now on the circa resort and casino hotline circa las vegas.com hi ben thanks for coming on with us what's up guys thanks for having me absolutely man and again i'd like getting a little taste of of your cubs thoughts right there but the first thing i want to ask you man is what is the team that you have spent the most time talking about this offseason on said Flippin' Bats podcast.
That's a good question. My immediate gut reaction says it's the New York Mets just because it's been such a polarizing offseason for them. And it's New York. And whether you're a Mets fan, you were freaking out. Yankees fans jump on board with the conversation. So I feel like I've kind of been like. a level head throughout this process of saying, okay, let's wait a second. This team is like completely getting cut down and chopped up. And it's not just going to end this way. I felt when Pete Alonzo, when they, when they let him go and Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo was traded, everyone thought the world was ending for the New York Mets. And my thought was, okay, let's pump the brakes here.
What impact will Alex Bregman have on the Cubs' lineup?
It's November, December. It's, you know, Steve Cohen, you know, David Stern, they're going to do something. And I actually think they'll be just fine. And then they make all of these moves and it's a totally new look team. So my gut, my gut says I've talked more about the New York Mets than anybody else this off season.
Well, the Mets certainly disappeared for a moment and then reappeared looking as strong as ever as far as a team that can make a push to challenge for the NL crown. Although when you talk about the NL crown, I mean, it starts and ends with the Dodgers, in my opinion. And I'm curious as to what you think of the Dodgers continuing to just add on to a team that obviously is already the best in the major leagues.
Yeah, I mean if you're a Dodgers fan, this is a perfect world scenario, right? I mean you look at the Dodgers last year in the World Series. I look at that World Series and say the Blue Jays were every bit as good of a team as the Dodgers. If not, there's also a world in which you could say they outplayed them for the majority of it and they still lost the series. And then you can come out of that and say, man, the Dodgers have now won back-to-back World Series. What in the world is their weakness?
How do the Cubs' pitching additions affect their playoff chances?
And you can immediately say the closer role, they had to figure it out on the fly and then use Yamamoto and back-to-back days. and then they could use another outfielder because Michael Conforto wasn't very good, and they went out and added the best closer available on Edwin Diaz and went out and added the best player available probably in Kyle Tucker, and it's just if you're a Dodgers fan, it's a dream, and if you're not a Dodgers fan, it's this isn't fair, and I get it, but they're within the rules, and I commend them As just a fan of the game of baseball, I would put much more of my frustration on teams doing the opposite than them taking advantage of what they can. And they're making their very good team even better.
And, yeah, I commend them for putting the team in the position they are and for going out and making the team better.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are Ben Verlander's thoughts on the Cubs' roster this offseason?
0:01–0:48
2
How does the Cubs' offense compare to last year's performance?
0:48–2:11
3
What impact will Alex Bregman have on the Cubs' lineup?
2:11–3:25
4
How do the Cubs' pitching additions affect their playoff chances?
3:25–5:03
5
What are the latest developments with the New York Mets this offseason?
5:03–6:23
6
How do the Dodgers continue to strengthen their team?
6:23–7:50
7
What is Charles Barkley's opinion on Michael Jordan's NBA coverage?
7:50–8:53
8
What are the implications of Michael Jordan's limited presence on NBC?
8:53–40:35
Speakers
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