Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Husband, father, Elmo impersonator? Yeah! He wrote the arm and is currently writing its follow-up, the leg. He has everyone's phone number, even yours. He's MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN. Only on the program.
Welcome back. You're in the program here on Sports Radio 810 WHB. Petro Seabolt. We're live and on the road at the Linda Hall Library. LindaHall.org if you want to check out their great exhibits, everything that comes with being a member. Also, it's where you can get tickets if there are any left to tonight's talk. Behind the Goals, Soccer in the Age of Analytics.
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Let's talk some baseball. Jeff Passan, our Major League Baseball insider from ESPN, joins us now here in the program. Jeff, how are you, sir?
I am good, Saran. How are you?
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Chapter 2: What insights does Jeff Passan provide about the Kansas City Royals' recent performance?
No, I think that's reasonable. I mean, you're, like, whenever you're drilling into a bone, the bone becomes less stable, and it's likelier... whether it's a fracture or something like that. We don't see that very often, but there are only so many areas. But, you know, the newer surgeries, the anchors that are used aren't nearly as cumbersome as they were once upon a time.
So I think, let's put it this way, a third surgery, if it were to come to that, would be the sort of thing that because there has been such trauma in that area, there's absolutely more risk. But at the end of the day, is that going to preclude any success? No, not necessarily. It just makes the likelihood of problems going forward a little bit greater.
You know, when you're dealing with the elbow, all you're hoping for is that the ligament itself is still in a decent position and you don't have deterioration there. You know, VEO, which Cole Reagans was diagnosed with, it can lead to bone spurs and it can lead to loose bodies and it can lead to more minor things that wind up imperiling a guy, but when you go all the way to UCL damage, that
That's not what you want when you've had it twice.
Yeah, and I bring this up because, one, it speaks to why they will be extraordinarily cautious because there is more risk to him. And I also think this is something we've talked about. I think you and I talked about it. I know we talked about it on the show.
Like when the Cardinals are saying, or no, when the Cardinals, when the Red Sox are saying, okay, you want one of our talented outfielders, well, let's talk Cole Reagans. And that was a non-starter for the Royals. And I said at that time ā I can't remember if it was with you or just ā we were talking on the show. I'm like, I don't think that should be a non-starter.
Now, maybe you need to talk about we think he's worth more than, you know, William Abreu or ā who was it, Abreu, or who was the other one that they were supposedly ā Duran.
Jared Duran, yeah.
Yeah, Duran. Like, okay, maybe you think he's worth more, but then let's start talking about what needs to come back your way because ā Let's be clear, two Tommy Johns on a guy that throws the way he throws. This guy's not going to be pitching at 41 years old. Like this is not going to be like there's a limited shelf life. And I think he and his agents know it.
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Chapter 3: How do injuries impact the Royals' pitching strategy?
I think that's a really good one. You know, the injury history coupled with the way he throws is part of the equation. But there is also the element of, you know, this is a guy that's had an ERA below three once. He's had an ERA below four. Actually ā I'm looking here for 23. He's never had an ERA below three. And he's had an ERA below four two of five years.
So there's an element of like there's stuff. There's really been one really productive year. One.
Yeah, but man, it looks good. I mean, that's the thing. When you're the Royals, you're trying to dream on outliers. That's how you make up the gap with the team that can go out and spend $15 million a year on multiple teams. two-win players and can just stack their lineup with depth.
You don't have the luxury of depth generally when you're a smaller market team, and because of that, then you have to take some risks sometimes, and this is one of those risks.
That's a fair point. The last thing I would close with is... Man, she's crazy. She drives me nuts. Yeah, but she's hot in a bikini. Okay. You know, figure out how long you can go with being nagged at the rest of your life. 9133. I don't know why I'm giving a phone number. I just wanted to get away from that one quickly. Just in case you forgot, write it down.
Call tomorrow.
Write it down. Call us later when we're not talking to Jeff Passan. All right. While we're on the injury front, how much does the scooble injury torpedo what the Tigers are trying to do?
I don't think. Week central. White Sox were like they had the potential to be in first place earlier this week. That's how that's how bad this division is right now. So. As many injuries as they've had, Casey Mize on the aisle right now, Jackson Jobe out from Tommy John. Like, they are banged up at this point.
And yet, because it's the Central, I think they can wait out Scooble, hope he's back in two months, and go and win the division. I'll be curious to see what he pitches like when he comes back. Because...
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Chapter 4: What are the concerns surrounding Cole Reagans' elbow injury?
To me, that's the thing that's going to be the greatest determination of whether he's actually able to get the kind of contract in free agency that he wants this offseason. If he comes back and looks like Tarek Skubal, $400 million, here we come. If he comes back and it's a little dodgy, I don't think anyone's going to be paying $400 million at that point.
Did he turn down an offer from the Tigers already in an effort to try to get to free agency?
Yeah, but not a good one.
Okay.
Never came with that, like, big, big money offer. So there's not a whole lot lost here. And remember, he's making $32 million through arbitration this year as well. So he's doing just fine.
You mentioned the White Sox, by the way. Munataka Murakami. Is he as good as he looks right now, or is he just on a heater?
You know, I think probably a little bit of both. But he has adjusted pretty darn well to Major League pitching at this point. And there were concerns about that, right? There were concerns that he was not going to be able to catch up to velocity. There were concerns that There was too much swing and miss. And yeah, there is too much swing and miss. That's probably fair and that's understandable.
But the power is very real, man. And that has been his calling card throughout his time in Japan. And I think this was one of those cases where... Every team, including the White Sox, before they got a deal done, every team, I think, overreacted and looked past what he had done on the field.
And I'm sorry, but a guy who can hit 56 home runs in a season at any level is probably going to find some success against Major League Baseball pitchers.
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Chapter 5: What role does analytics play in the Royals' decision-making?
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