Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Libraries Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Blog Pricing
Podcast Image

Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show

Bret Boone talks Cubs' hot streak, interest in Freddy Peralta

08 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What insights does Bret Boone share about the Cubs' recent performance?

1.735 - 10.516 Mark Grote

I got a text from Brett Boone saying, I think the Cubs might be for real. Hope you're doing great, Booney.

0

10.537 - 23.154 Bret Boone

High drive left field by the rookie. High into the pale sky and into the screen for a homer. Brett Boone. With his first Major League homer.

0

23.294 - 32.957 Mark Grote

Fastball felt it deep to left field. Burns to the track, the wall. Get out the line for that mustard grab ball. It is bread salami time.

0

33.173 - 50.963 Bret Boone

You know, we're getting to that point with the ABS where I think the fans really like it. I think what it's shining a light on is how good these umpires are. It just shows how good they are and how much integrity they really have calling the game. With Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score.

0

52.293 - 59.906 Leila Rahimi

Well, you're happy to have on a sports friend of Mark Grody's, Brett Boone, the 14-year Major League veteran.

Chapter 2: What are the implications of the Cubs' winning streak for their season?

60.006 - 85.856 Leila Rahimi

He is at The Boone 29 on X. He is an Odyssey MLB insider, host of the Brett Boone podcast featuring weekly interviews with the most notable names in baseball. Our insider calls are presented by Grainger, with professional-grade products for every industry Grainger has you covered. Call, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. Brett also joins us on Twitch, twitch.tv slash thescorechicago.

0

86.157 - 87.379 Leila Rahimi

Thanks for coming on.

0

88.625 - 94.719 Bret Boone

You got it. Good to be here. Dig it into the archives for those old slips. I like it.

0

94.739 - 103.079 Mark Grote

Oh, yeah, man. That was your first home run. That must have felt great. There were many more to come, Boone, but that had to feel good right there.

0

103.64 - 105.024 Bret Boone

I remember. I remember.

Chapter 3: How does Brett Boone evaluate the Cubs' depth and sustainability this season?

105.164 - 106.026 Bret Boone

How are you guys doing?

0

106.09 - 118.443 Leila Rahimi

I mean, we're good. I love a good, just free-flowing baseball thought. So Mark told me that you sent him a text about the Cubs, and I do love it when big leaguers are impressed with what they've seen out of other teams.

0

118.463 - 138.414 Mark Grote

Well, yeah, and Brett, specifically, I need to augment the text here because in the text you said, Cubs good, White Sox got better. And we'll get to the White Sox for sure, but this was Saturday when you texted that. And now the Cubs have all of a sudden won nine in a row. Do you care to up that to the Cubs are great?

0

138.955 - 165.062 Bret Boone

Talk to us about the Cubs, Mr. Boyd. Well, it's still too early, but they are really good. And just in today's game especially, I really watch because... so many people get injured so often. So I don't like to get ahead of myself, yes. And the teams that are deepest usually come out the most unscathed. That's why I think the Dodgers.

0

Chapter 4: What challenges are the Cubs facing with their current pitching staff?

165.122 - 189.625 Bret Boone

The Dodgers, yes, they have star power all over the place in the last two years. They've gone back-to-back, which is a rare commodity. But they're deeper than anybody else. And when they have a Snell go down, they've got another star-type level player step in for the guy that goes down. So I think that's, that's the way the terrain is in major league baseball today.

0

189.645 - 208.041 Bret Boone

The deepest teams seem to go the farthest. And I look, but I look at this Cubs team. I mean, they won nine straight. They've won, you know, I was watching the game the other day and they told me it's 15 in a row at home. That place is rocking. You got your, you know, that Cubs win after the, it seems like the whole city's involved.

0

208.261 - 220 Bret Boone

Really cool atmosphere and, you know, a lot of excitement in Chicago right now. And the White Sox 22, well, you said we'll get to that later. But in 2022, I was excited about this White Sox team.

0

Chapter 5: Is Freddie Peralta a potential target for the Cubs in the trade market?

219.98 - 239.457 Bret Boone

And they went about polar opposite, as I imagine them going, and what we've seen there for the last three years. But this year, they got a little to cheer about in a weak division, too. And they're only sitting there, I think, a game or a game and a half out at 17 and 20. But that's going to be an interesting run over in that division in the American League.

0

239.588 - 259.982 Leila Rahimi

Well, and I imagine, Brett, being a former Cincinnati Red yourself, we were talking before the series began about how good the Reds team was. Even their trade acquisition deadlines seemed like carried over to the next season. They were really good on the road. What do you think the mode is for them after falling four in a row to the Cubs?

0

260.203 - 265.832 Leila Rahimi

Add to that more losses and how it's early, but that might be a little bit of a speed bump for them.

0

267.095 - 286.15 Bret Boone

Yeah, I think your division is going to come down to you guys in Milwaukee, like it has in recent times. I think everybody's better in that division. You look at the National League Central, and you've got every single team in your division above .500. You look at the American League as a whole, you've got four teams over .500 in the entire league.

0

286.231 - 296.765 Bret Boone

So I think right now, and this has been very rare in the last four or five years to say, the class of baseball is in the National League Central. And I think it's going to be St.

Chapter 6: What are the current standings and performance of the White Sox?

296.785 - 316.17 Bret Boone

Louis is better than I think anybody thought they were going to be. Pittsburgh's finally turned the corner. They're better than anybody thought they were going to be. Cincinnati's improved from a year ago. Milwaukee's just one of those resilient clubs. They're kind of like a Tampa Bay to me. They just seem to kind of just every year just put out a quality product.

0

316.15 - 330.683 Bret Boone

And the Cubs right now, I think it's class of the division. Long season to go, but that's going to be a fun race. And people are telling me, well, this division stinks and that division's good. I think...

0

331.49 - 353.025 Bret Boone

whether you've got a division that's everybody's hovering around 500 or below 500 i think that can be just as fun of a race as a team that's really you know kind of the elite division which you're sitting there right now in the national league central so i think it can be equally fun watching the race and it doesn't matter what the records are as long as they're well paired

0

353.005 - 355.509 Bret Boone

I think that can add for drama down the stretch.

0

355.629 - 366.107 Mark Grote

The scary part about the Cubs, Brett, is that they've been doing this from a deficit this year, especially with the pitching. Kate Horton out for the year.

Chapter 7: How does Boone compare the Cubs and White Sox in terms of future potential?

366.187 - 389.6 Mark Grote

Just devastating. Justin Steele, who is still, objectively, if he was pitching right now, would be one of their best starting pitchers. He has a setback. Absolutely. Matthew Boyd, he's going to be out at least six weeks, and the Cubs are just nonstop through this. And I guess the question is, to the long setup, is, is it sustainable like this?

0

389.64 - 396.509 Mark Grote

Do the Cubs have the depth to continue to exist at the pace they are, considering all the deficits that they have?

0

397.57 - 405.76 Bret Boone

I think so, because you've still got Cabrera. Tyon, he's kind of a horse in the middle of that rotation that eats up innings. Imanaga...

0

406.398 - 432.647 Bret Boone

on an all-star pace right now and if you get steel back the second half which is the word right now let boyd heal and come back yes i think they can they can keep the the chip afloat the day and age in 2026 i think what's different than my generation 15 years ago is it's really not about winning the division. It's about getting a seat at the table at the end of the year.

0

432.767 - 439.376 Bret Boone

When I played, it was like, man, we got to win that division. And then at the last minute, you were desperate to at least get a wild card.

Chapter 8: What is Brett Boone's perspective on the overall competitiveness of the National League Central?

439.396 - 459.264 Bret Boone

I don't think it's like that anymore. I think you play the long game. I hate to keep referencing the Dodgers, but they're kind of the North Star right now in Major League Baseball. But that's what they've done. And everybody a year ago was, are the Dodgers going to win 115 games, break the record, this and that? The Dodgers don't take that... Yeah, what record?

0

459.325 - 462.698 Bret Boone

See, that's kind of a little... It's very personal.

0

462.738 - 464.123 Mark Grote

I'm sorry to get personal with you, Brett.

0

464.144 - 466.071 Leila Rahimi

2001 Mariner, Brett Boone.

0

466.591 - 491.755 Bret Boone

Well, if I would have said the record, they'd have to win 117. Let's be honest. You're right. You're right. I think it's different. It's a different mindset. It's no, let's get through the season. Let's make sure we have a seat at the table. But in the meantime, get the rest to the guys we need. And it's a successful formula. I think recent history has proven that.

491.735 - 511.431 Bret Boone

You don't necessarily have to win the division or have the best record to go on and win the World Series. And I think everybody plays it that way. You look at the Yankees over there in the American League. They've got a nice cushion right now in not not the division because Tampa Bay is one of the few teams that have a really good record in the American League.

511.411 - 529.312 Bret Boone

But as far as a playoff berth, they're looking pretty darn good right now. They got house money. And I think that's how everybody's playing. Because there are so many seats at the table, it's the easiest it's ever been in Major League Baseball to get to the postseason because of the amount of berths you have. So I think they play it that way.

529.412 - 542.852 Bret Boone

And if somebody gets injured, they don't worry about, oh, we have to have it back on the field. We have to get them to know we have somebody to replace you. And as long as we keep kicking the can down the street, playing at a plus 500 clip, we're going to get to the postseason.

543.213 - 562.488 Bret Boone

And then we'll be able to assess, you know, at the trade deadline, we'll be able to assess where we're at, what we need to add to that rotation, to that position player roster. So I think it's a different strategy than it was in past generations. But but I think still it's baseball evolving and it's just a different set. Everybody's got to play by the same set of rules.

Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.