RaysUp, World Series Recap, Rays 2026 roster & CBA prep

World Series Recap: The Jays outscored the Dodgers overall, but clutch plays sealed the outcome. Shoutouts to standout performances by Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Trey Yesavage.

Will Smith & Addison Barger – need we say more MVP

Dodgers Depth & Dollars: From Miguel Rojas’ heroics to the $500M payroll, the hosts debate whether baseball needs a salary cap and floor to level the field.

CBA & Player Pay: Comparing MLB’s system with the NHL, NBA, and WNBA—Mark and Mat discuss open books, player-owner revenue splits, and how Scott Boras clients may influence negotiations.

Leadership & Labor: MLB and the Players Association need to “grow up” before the next CBA fight.

Blue Jays’ Core: The future of Bo Bichette, Vladdy Jr., and the culture shift led by George Springer.

Aging Dodgers & Ohtani’s Durability: Can Shohei keep excelling both on the mound and at the plate as he ages?

Call to the Post - Tampa Bay Rays Roster Overhaul: Rays DFA and move on from nearly half their 40-man roster — Mat calls it both “encouraging and frustrating.” #RaysUp 2026

Familiar Faces Return: Jake Fraley and Tristan Gray are back despite prior injuries and struggles.

Farewell to Fairbanks: Rays part ways with Pete Fairbanks — was it a respectful release or a missed trade opportunity?

Pitching Shifts: Ian Seymour’s drop shocks fans; Forrest Whitley and Yoniel Curet could step up.

Outfield Overload: Ten outfielders on the 40-man roster — what’s the plan?

Shane McClanahan Future: Could injuries push him into a closer role?

Welcome Back, Ozzie Timmons: The beloved coach returns; Mat breaks down his quiet success improving OBP in Milwaukee with the Brewers.

Taylor Walls Extended: What it means for Carson Williams’ timeline and the shortstop spot. Hopefully we will see improvement with his bat at the plate for Taylor

2026 Roster: Adding of 2 ex-Reds

“J-Fetish” Alert: Mat jokes that Eric Neander’s obsession with players whose names start with “J” is getting out of hand. Intervention may be needed

Looking Ahead: Updates on Winter Ball, the Australian Baseball League, WBC, World Baseball Classic, 2026, and the upcoming WPBL, Women’s Professional Baseball League draft.

 Find Mat at @matgermain.bsky.social or reach Mark @  baseballbizondeck@gmail.com BaseballBiz on Deck, @ iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, & at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com 
Special Thanks to XTaKe-R-U-X for the music Rocking Forward

Transcript

322 BaseBallBiz RAW

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Welcome to BaseballBiz On deck. Mr. Matt Germaine is here. And I'm Mr. Mark Carbo. 'cause we like the Mr. Uh, surnames. Oh, geez. Try again, mark. I don't know. Oh, okay. Mr.

[00:00:22] Oh, welcome to Baseball Biz on Deck. Mat Germain and I, Mr. Mark Corbett here, he's met. I'm Mark. And we're here to have another fun week with you about baseball. And boy has there been a lot happening in the last few hours. It's Thursday evening and as we speak. We are seeing players being DFA'ed seeing options picked up, options denied, and players becoming free agents.

[00:00:46] We'll talk about some of that in a minute, but before we get started, Mr. Mat, I gotta tell you, this has been one of the most exciting World series that I've seen, , that I can remember having seven games with these two teams, but it's absolutely insane. [00:01:00] 

[00:01:01] Mat Germain: Yeah, they, they really left it all in the field.

[00:01:03] Like they, they were going toe to toe. It was like watching, you know, a Rocky movie being, being filmed in baseball terms. But, uh, I, I'm really happy that everybody got a good show. Um, I think, you know, it was evident that, uh, if you want to beat the the Dodgers at all in the future, you're gonna have to bring all your A game.

[00:01:24] Right. We saw that with the Blue Jays, even though they had a few blowout games, uh, that they really took the, took it to the Dodgers. If you're gonna win a seven game series against a team like that, you need a lot of things to go Right. And, and you can't really give them a margin to, to earn it back. 

[00:01:44] Mark Corbett: Well, some of the things that amaz me, if you just look superficially, total points scored over those seven games.

[00:01:52] The Jays had 34 runs and the Dodgers had 26. Mm-hmm. So that tells you that there were missed opportunities during some of those games. [00:02:00] And one of the things I was really glad to see, you know, we, we shine on who the MVP is, but uh, also wanna shine on something like Ernie Clement. I think he had like 30 postseason hits this year.

[00:02:13] So, uh, outstanding performance by Ernie. 

[00:02:18] Mat Germain: Yeah, well they had Alejandro, Kirk had a really good series. Vladimer Guerrero Jr. Had a really good series. Addison Barger was excellent, both in the field and on the bases and at the plate, so, so they had a lot of horses churning and that's why \ Their bats were so lethal against the Dodgers pitching.

[00:02:36] Like they, they really got the Blake Snell, they were able to tag up, , Tyler Glasnow Now they were able to get to a lot of the ACEs that the Dodgers put together. But, uh, I think, you know, their pitching in, in terms of the Blue Jays really did a stellar job as well. Like all the things that happened to the Jays, you can't really fault them for, right?

[00:02:58] Yes. J Jeff Hoffman gave up that [00:03:00] home run that everybody's gonna remember. But there were a lot of instances in, in the series where the Jays pitching kept them in it got, bailed them out, got out of the base, loaded jam, et cetera. So I think the Dodgers lineup, even though they didn't do well with runners in scoring position, they really set themselves up to score a lot more runs than they actually did.

[00:03:21] Mark Corbett: It was interesting though, going through the series, watching some of these. The highest priced players barely, you know, crossing the Mendoza line. I mean, yeah. I mean, some of these guys are under 200 are right at it. And it's like, you got to be kidding me, boys and girls. And that's when you see people, like in the, in the, the last game you're seeing Max money, uh, Muncy, you're seeing Miguel Rojas, seeing Will Smith and Will has always been good.

[00:03:48] But seeing these guys, you know, step up, uh, it's not to say that Freeman wasn't doing work and Mookie, et cetera, but man, it was, it was what was in the rest of the lineup that made a difference. 

[00:03:59] Mat Germain: Yeah. [00:04:00] Miguel Rojas, how about that? If he doesn't tie that game with the home, run it, basically the Jays win it. So, uh, you know, there, there is a lot of players and, and that's what happens, right?

[00:04:11] If you're paying, if the lowest paid player on your team is the nine hole hitter Yeah. And he is making 6 million, which on the Rays would be the fourth highest, highest paid player, you know, then you're able to come up with those, stellar hits because there's literally no pressure on him to carry the load.

[00:04:30] And he's able to come up clutch. So the, the only other thing I would mention though is you're, you're seeing a transition, I think where you're mentioning the age of a lot of those, uh, Dodger grates. Mm-hmm. Uh, you know, bets, uh, had to come to the infield 'cause he can't run the yellow field the way he used to.

[00:04:47] Uh, he still has good range in the infield, so he will be there and he'll, he as a second baseman, I think he'd win in a gold glove there to as well. But, um. They also are rumored to be in on [00:05:00] Kyle Tucker, so that they can replenish a lot of that, you know, eliteness and continue to not waste the 46 million a year that they have dedicated to Shohei Ohtani on the, uh, luxury tax sheet.

[00:05:14] Now he's actually being paid a lot less than that. We all know the story, but the, um, the Dodgers are always going to be able to dig into the, uh, the pot of gold and get another leprechaun., This is part of why I, we need a cap. I, I hear the stories of, of people saying it's great for baseball.

[00:05:36] It really, really, really is not to continuously have the same team in there over and over and over. It is boring. It is. If you're an NL West team, you just get deflated as soon as you hit, , a certain part of the season every time you see a signing. So, you know, Padres fans, San Francisco Giants fans, Arizona, Diamondbacks [00:06:00] fans, like you're deflating those markets just to inflate that one market.

[00:06:06] I see that the, with the trend that you're talking about in terms of them getting older and not really scoring as many runs, but, um, I, I think that the Dodgers are never gonna be shy and they don't really care about any of those penalties that Major League Baseball has in place. 

[00:06:21] Mark Corbett: No, no. I mean, I was reading earlier today, see, was it the, uh, Dodgers, total projected outlay of 508.3 million is just a few million dollars shy of the combined payrolls of the game.

[00:06:32] Six. Lowest spending teams. I think this came from, uh, Jeff Passan, uh, anyway. And so, uh, the six lowest spending teams being Miami, the Athletics, Tampa Bay, the White Sox, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, all of which carry sub 100 million rosters. So, you know, I, I, I think a floor is reasonable and I think the ceiling, because let's, let's be honest about this.

[00:06:58] A CBA is gonna be [00:07:00] coming up soon and there's negotiation going on this. Now, I don't know about you, but I seem to remember during the last CBA. The people who were in the room negotiating on behalf of the players. I think if three or four of 'em were from Scott Bora's group and they were, we were talking about some of the people who were being paid the most.

[00:07:20] So I think they have a different perspective than rank and file through, through Major League baseball. And when you're looking at pieces that benefit those top players, how does that impact all the way down to bringing up other talent? How does that impact money That should maybe be hit, trickling down to the, the minor leagues and, and fostering new talent there.

[00:07:44] So, uh, we need to get an economist on here and talk about it because there's, there's more to it than what I'm seeing. That's for sure. 

[00:07:52] Mat Germain: When is enough enough Mark like the, at some point both the league and the players have to stop being so selfish and they have to [00:08:00] grow up. Right? Every other league has had this grow up moment, right?

[00:08:04] Yeah. And that's the point when the leagues looked at each other in the face with the players association. 'cause I remember when the NHL used to have wars constantly with the ma, with the players association because they didn't have this agreement of 50 50. Yeah. The owners get 50%, the players get 50%.

[00:08:22] There's nothing to argue about after that. Everything plays itself out. Well, once you establish the books are open, everybody knows what's what. We separate the pie half and half and you go off and do whatever you need to do. And the players are still paid well. Quarterbacks in the NFL are still paid extremely well.

[00:08:44] Uh, players in the NBA still get played extremely well. Yeah. Players in the NHL still get paid extremely well. The stars get more, everybody else gets less. There's no problem. People are not starving. There's no, I haven't seen yet any professional player [00:09:00] on the street begging for, for food stamps or, um. Uh, getting an extra job because they can't afford to pay rent.

[00:09:08] The day that I see that I will feel sympathy for 'em. But for right now, they, they, they and the league, 'cause the teams do have to open the books. That's a big deal. Like on the, on the baseball side of things, I don't think that's ever actually been done. And like people talk about the Braves being an example because they are a public owned team, but they're not the Yankees.

[00:09:31] No. And they're not the Dodgers and they're not, you know, like those teams have a completely different financial outlook than people are aware of. So, you know, once you open up those books and, and you know what happens, like how much more are the players gonna ask for? So in essence, mark, let's say right now with all the teams and everything else going on, that the owners are getting 65% of the pie.

[00:09:58] Right. Let's just [00:10:00] say why would they jeopardize 15% by making it 50 50? You know? So for them it's scary. It's scarier than the players. I don't think the players understand that, so, so to me, the demand from the players shouldn't be to not put in a cap. It should be that, okay, if you want a cap, open up the books, there you go.

[00:10:19] And give us 50%. That will scare the living daylights out of the owners, and it will put all the pressure from the public standpoint of view on the owners. 

[00:10:30] Mark Corbett: You know what would be interesting is getting somebody who's both the White Sox and Chicago Bulls fan, because they have this, I believe they still have the same owner.

[00:10:41] Correct on that and why I bring that up is because I know in the NBA I believe it is a split, there's basketball related income and it's a 50 to 51 split, something like that, between the NBA and, and the owners. So that's part of their CBA. Now, right now, [00:11:00] the WNBA women's basketball, they are negotiating CBA.

[00:11:05] Currently, they're only getting 9.3% of league revenue, but Yeah, , . One of the fastest growing sports out there and, you know, media on, that's gotta be insane. The TV on that, uh, contracts have to be insane. So, I don't know, I, I don't know if we'll have A-W-N-B-A playing if they've got that.

[00:11:26] Uh, I, there's, there's all kinds of agreements out there, but at least if they're getting 9.3%, surely, then they have their books open. So it's not like it is. Uh, completely some insane ask to have the ownership open those books. I do wanna come back to one thing you said though, 'cause you brought up about the, the Braves and I think it's part of Liberty.

[00:11:46] Um, so you can open up and see what's happening with the Braves, but they are, but one component of, that, uh, organizations that the stocks covered. So the Braves are just one component of it. So they would be a [00:12:00] completely different model. Much like you were saying a moment ago than, than the New York Yankees.

[00:12:04] So you, they're one Yeah, you're exactly right. When you're saying you can't see them one equaling the other with that. 

[00:12:11] Mat Germain: No, not at all. And, and, and like to see the books, you would have to see how much, uh, Pittsburgh, you know, that was somewhat public right when the four teams got brought out, and I think they were taken to court, if I'm not mistaken, or something happened where, where people were saying they were taking in more money and not putting it back into the roster or into operations to the point where they were pocketing, you know, 40, 50, $60 million a year, uh, just to be beat up on by the big larger market teams, basically.

[00:12:45] Yeah. And , not really caring about the fact that they're not winning. , That was the argument. Now I think that's gone away and it's gotten settled in some way, shape or form, , for a few of the teams, but I'm not sure if it's all of the teams. But regardless, like the, the [00:13:00] CBA start, to me, any union interaction with an organization has to start in good faith.

[00:13:07] And if somebody like Steven Har or not Steven Bryce Harper is going to sit there and, and get face to face with the MLB commissioner and start negotiations that way, it's not productive. It, it's, it's antagonistic, it's egotistical, it's selfish. , And it doesn't get them anywhere near, , the point where, the owners will be open to, to discussing things.

[00:13:34] So if they're going to have a, a, a non-work stoppage, , process, they need to grow up and they need to use their brains and to get the right people in charge. And that's where I was disappointed, mark. I wanted them to establish new leadership within the major league, players association.

[00:13:57] And they didn't do that. They kept the, pretty [00:14:00] much all the same. Pieces in play. So now all that baggage, all that, , animosity remains from the last one and it's just gonna keep growing. And then the NHL that happened, I've seen it happen where it just, you know, the, the commissioner and the, the head of the player association doesn't get along and they can't really communicate well.

[00:14:20] So it just keeps getting, there's too much noise in the conversations and nobody's able to get, uh, the right way ahead. 

[00:14:30] Mark Corbett: I could certainly see that. I mean, I said we're talking about some strong personalities in the first place, and if they've been, you know, going loggerheads against one another, it's gonna be difficult to see, uh, setting personalities aside to come to some reasonable understanding of even what are the basics of what this agreement should be about, because sometimes the whole idea of the personalities becomes the issue instead of actually taking care of business.

[00:14:55] But by the same token, Mat, I really have a hard time trying to see these [00:15:00] owners open their books and, and doing that. I, they've, I, I just can't see it, brother. 

[00:15:09] Mat Germain: Yeah. Um, I, the other thing I don't like is on the Major League baseball side, them starting a conversation with, we're okay with not having a season.

[00:15:20] Ooh. Like, is that really, you know, and it's just, it goes back to the same thing about him calling it a piece of metal when he is talking about , the World Series Trophy. If you don't respect the game and you don't respect the fans, what are you doing? Like, you're not a leader at that point.

[00:15:36] You're not a good representative of the game. Like, get out, like move on, go do something else. You're obviously not passionate about it. Like, like really like, Rob, go 

[00:15:47] Mark Corbett: away, go do something else. He wants to stick around till he gets those expansion teams in place. But I don't know if that's gonna happen. If you're talking about going ahead and ready to lock the doors right now with the 30 [00:16:00] teams that you do have and you have new ownership, it's certainly with the Rays, I, I could be a little.

[00:16:05] Ticked off and said, yeah, you gotta pay X number of dollars to get a team. And oh, by the way, we're not gonna play the first year. Hope you don't mind putting that money up for us. So we'll see how that goes. Oh my gosh, man. Oh man. No. Uh, well, let's, let's just go back to the World Series for a moment. Just, I wanna have a little more fun.

[00:16:27] I, I've gotta say, there's a few things in this World Series I didn't anticipate, and one of them was me warming up to George Springer, you know, after Yeah, yeah. You know, Astro's history just really kinda stuck with me. You know, I, I was, I'd be right there in the stands, booing him, seasons later, , for that whole fiasco.

[00:16:48] But when I saw his commitment to being a player who was gonna make a difference for the Jays. The pain that he was in, and he would stick into it. He was gonna make sure he could do [00:17:00] everything he could to have it be a success. He, he, uh, regained whatever, uh, high pRays I may have had to him, you know, pre Astros trashcan era.

[00:17:12] Mat Germain: Yeah. He, he definitely, you know, he was already, he's loved by Jay's fans. Like they really, really, you know, have taken to him. They know how much he's meant to Vladdy, Guerrero junior's, , development. And, and you know, I think he's allowed Vladi to grow into his own personality over time, because he's taken a lot of pressure off of him.

[00:17:34] Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

[00:17:34] Mat Germain: But to lead it off like that and be hurting, it was like watching Kirk Gibson out there between him and Bo Bichette and, , both of them were so hampered by the injuries. It was just insane that both of them could be, , in the lineup at all. Um. Yeah, it is, it's inspir inspirational, and it sets the tone for a few years.

[00:17:56] Like all those players that were on that squad, you know, [00:18:00] now they're not going to be as quick to put their hand up and say, oh, I'm hurt, I can't play. Right. They're, they realize now they've seen it. They're like, oh, well that's what it takes. That's what I have to do. This is all right. Like, um, I can't imagine what he was taking, how taped up he was, the treatments he was getting.

[00:18:18] Geez. There's a long process that goes into that before and after the game. So, , the, the other thing I wanna mention is I remember Mark, , the last time I went to see a baseball game at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal was with my dad. Uh, it was a preseason game between the Cardinals and the Blue Jays and Bo Bichette and Vladdy Guerrero Jr.

[00:18:38] Were playing because they were just prospects at the time. They weren't guaranteed spots and they were there to earn their, their keep, basically. Right. 

[00:18:45] Mark Corbett: Um. 

[00:18:47] Mat Germain: And so I, I was talking to my dad and I was like, I'm a big prospects guy. So I was telling him, I said, these two guys are going to lead the Blue Jays to the World Series, and I'd forgotten all about it, right?

[00:18:57] But Vladdy Guerrero Jr. Hit a home run to [00:19:00] walk it off for, for the Blue Jays in that two game series. We went to see both games, , that they played against the St. Louis Cardinals there. But, uh, yeah, it was amazing. Like the, the ball landed 20 feet away from us. And I was like, see, this is the guy. This is the guy. But he remembered that, and he called me and he goes, Hey, those are the guys you were talking about at the game.

[00:19:20] And I said, yep, that's them. And, uh, you know, it, it all comes full circle. Like they're, you just know when you watch these talents. And then it's the same thing with George Springer. They just have a knack for. Coming up Clutch, being elite, being big in the moment. And, and these are two guys, uh, Bichette and Guerrero Jr.

[00:19:41] That grew up around the game and have been around the game their entire lives. Nothing phases them. You could see it in Beau's face before he hit that big home run , where he just, you know, it was like doing his homework basically is what he was doing. And, and, uh, I don't know where he is gonna end up Mark, but I hope the Blue [00:20:00] Jays find a way to keep him around and that he's healthy enough to continue his career there and do well.

[00:20:06] Mark Corbett: Yeah, I did see on one of the feeds out there that, uh, he's been given a qualified offer, but I have no idea what that is and, you know, where he's, if it's something he's going to consider, I, I think he'd probably love to continue to be a blue Jay, but he's gonna be reasonable about, uh, what his career should be paid for as well.

[00:20:23] So, I don't know. We'll see. Did you have. A player that you thought should be the MVP out there, the pitch. 

[00:20:32] Mat Germain: So before they started game seven? Yeah. My MVP for the Blue Jays was Addison Barger. Mm-hmm. Uh, and, and the simple, simple reason was, uh, the Grand Slam, he hit, you know, that was historic.

[00:20:43] It was the first one ever. Uh, the, the way he played defensively, the way he ran the bases, how clutch he was. I think he was almost tied or maybe just above Vladdy Guerrero Jr at the time for OPS. Um, so I just thought he, he had gone [00:21:00] above and beyond, and to me, he's become one of those names a little bit like Randy Arozarena did with the Rays.

[00:21:05] Right. You don't know if it's gonna continue. , But he certainly opened up a lot of eyes and, and made a name for himself , , and put himself out there. I, I don't think Clement did enough overall, even though you got the most hits, um, you know, in terms of impact, like getting singles is one thing. , But, but the big knocks are obviously more.

[00:21:24] Quality. And then Vladi Guerrero Jr. Was definitely one that you could argue for. But then there's Trey Yesavage.

[00:21:30] You know, Trey Yesavage came in and he, he basically played the role of Madison Bumgarner. , For the Jays. I really thought that. And I told that to Craig Calcaterra online. And I said to him like, days before it happened, I said, uh, you know, I could see them bringing back Trey Yesavage in Game 7, , for a few innings.

[00:21:50] And he said, there's no way they would do that. It's only three days, blah, blah, blah. And I said, yep, it's gonna happen. And sure enough, it did. 'cause you know, [00:22:00] there's a. There's a, a certain knack for, for guys like that when their stuff is that elite and that good and they believe in it so much. Yeah. That's the hardest part to do, right?

[00:22:12] , That you're able to get away with things and to really, , push the envelope. So, , yeah, I'm happy for all of them. I think you know, it, it sucks that they lost. None of them will forget a single moment of that World Series. Um, and my favorite moment of it all was Addison Barger after he hit the Grand Slam saying, I don't remember a thing.

[00:22:36] I don't remember any of it. He was getting interviewed. 

[00:22:40] Mark Corbett: Yeah. I mean, that was amazing. I saw that too. It, I mean, there was, there was always little weird parts of the game too with the, the whole ball being stuck underneath the, between the warning track and the wall. Uh, I mean, 'cause otherwise that, that made a whole difference, right?

[00:22:58] There was that Barger hit that one and [00:23:00] that could have been a home run for him. And I think there was somebody else that had been two rbis with that one, and it was like, no, you know, it's weirdness and I understand the roses of the game. It's just much like as if a ball was hit and it bounced out, uh, off the field and into the stands.

[00:23:14] It's, you know, it's a doubles. And, but man, 

[00:23:18] Mat Germain: and then there that plant the plate as well. Where Will Smith just kept his foot just on the edge of the plate there and got it down, you know, like slimmest margin right there. 

[00:23:30] Mark Corbett: . And I, you bring up Will Smith and my gosh, he's from my own Hometown in Louisville, Kentucky, so I'm biased anytime I see him.

[00:23:37] I'm, you know, was glad to see him perform. Well, let's, let's face it, I was pulling for the Jays but I was real excited to watch him play and then I thought, you know, MVP I'm gonna give it to Will. Okay, I'm gonna give it to Will because the man, he played every inning of every game, you know, and then at 18, inning game he never stopped.

[00:23:58] , And then being able to come in and [00:24:00] hit that home run at towards, you know, in the last game and smack. Gosh, I thought all these little pieces, just the, the stamina, just like you'd, I see the stamina. George Springer, the stamina with Will Smith to do what he did just was like, wow, this is above beyond what I would expect from any player.

[00:24:20] Mat Germain: Yeah, quite the performance at, at a time when the Dodgers really needed it because they weren't getting much else from their other stars. So, um, no, I think, I think that, you know, you do have to be a little bit what, what, here's the thing. Mark, what would you say about Shohei Ohtani's performance?

[00:24:42] You know, once they got to face the Jays. 

[00:24:47] Mark Corbett: They wouldn't be there without him, that's for sure. To begin with. So, right. We can start there. But if you look beyond that, the whole idea of being able to deliver at the plate and from the mound, uh, [00:25:00] I don't know. I mean, he did, he did fantastic. I, I can't imagine really saying anything negative about it, except maybe in some cases he didn't get the opportunity to hit 'cause he was walked.

[00:25:09] Mat Germain: All I'm, all I'm trying to get to is saying, okay, does it look like he's gonna be able to continue pitching and hitting. Because you're paying him for that, right? 

[00:25:20] Mark Corbett: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:25:20] Mat Germain: So, so let's say next year he's like, well, you know, going this season, yada, yada, yada. I can pitch, but now I'll, i'll relief. Right? I, I'll be a reliever.

[00:25:31] I'm not going to be a starter because it, it SAPs this, it does that, whatever, bat wise, I don't think we ever will fear. But how much did the pitching take away from his hitting? 

[00:25:42] Mark Corbett: Mm-hmm. You know, 

[00:25:43] Mat Germain: how much did it wear him down? And because he wasn't really himself at the plate, I don't think he wasn't as ferocious and as, um, um, I don't know, as elite, I guess is the best way to put it.

[00:25:55] So, so all I'm saying is the Dodgers have to be worried a little bit about the [00:26:00] aging of Ohtani. Yeah. Like he said, he's gonna be, what is it, 32 next year or 31? I can't remember. Somewhere around there. They have a law, uh, they've won or two championships with him. I don't think they'll regret signing him ever, because they probably make a lot in Japan and YY yada.

[00:26:17] , But all I'm saying is there are a number of years and if you're watching Mike Trout's career, you know, finishing up with the Angels and you've seen that Albert Pujols do the same and you saw Maggie Cabrera do the same. Yeah, it gets long, right? Like, you know, those last 5, 6, 7 years can get very frustrating for fans when they're, you're carrying $70 million of a player.

[00:26:43] I don't know. I'm just saying 

[00:26:45] Mark Corbett: No, no, I, no, I, I see that. I am curious too, to see how that may impact his, his career continues on, and if you're playing postseason, man, that's a lot more games that you gotta add to what your year's gonna be like and that much more, more and tear on the [00:27:00] body. But, uh, let's see.

[00:27:03] Huh? Oh, oh, here it comes. Now what I'll do here is I'll insert, uh, the call to the post from like the derby

[00:27:16] and, yeah. Oh, and here we are, man. Just call to the post and the post is Post World series, man. It's, this is when all the actions taking place. We've talked a little bit about it, but man, all the, the folks that we're either gonna keep, they're gonna be let go. I know you've been tracking this very, very closely and, uh, today being, you know, Thursday, November 6th and even just a few hours ago, we're still seeing some people who are even being dfa.

[00:27:48] Their options are not being picked up. Just a whole lot going on today, Matt. 

[00:27:54] Mat Germain: It is been a little bit, uh, busier than I expected, mark. Like, uh, normally yeah, there's, there's a lot of [00:28:00] action. There's a lot of moving around, , here's the thing. I'll, I'll say, okay, and I'll frame it this way because I think it is applicable, okay?

[00:28:07] If a team is able to move on from, , 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 players the day that they have to, sort out some things with the roster, and then before that, they had already moved another five players. Now you're up to 18, right? So almost half of your 40 man roster. What does that say about your 40 man roster and all you got back for those was cash.

[00:28:41] That says to me that says everything about the Rays roster for 2025. It was not well built. And that's as simple as that because if you're able to walk away from it the way that they have it, it's just points to a lot of, uh, a lot of bad decisions. So [00:29:00] I'm, in a way, I'm encouraged because they're making the changes.

[00:29:04] They're doing the, the things that, you know, the cleaning house that they need to do. But in another way, I'm frustrated because they're making the same mistakes over and over and over again. So, so they've brought in Jake, free Fraley, right. Jake Fraley was sent out by the Rays because he kept getting injured and last year he kept getting injured, which is why he was let go by the reds and picked up by the Braves.

[00:29:25] And then now the rays have claimed them. So they've brought back a guy they know. They know gets hurt a lot. Uh, they kept Taylor Walls around. They brought back Tristan Gray last year, which they already knew had a lot of issues at the plate, even though he gives you that ver versatility, uh, they let go Pete Fairbanks for nothing.

[00:29:45] They didn't get anything back in trade when normally the rays are able to force the envelope a little bit and at least get, you know, somewhat of a prospect, even if it's a low A or high A. Now, I don't know, in that case, if they just wanted [00:30:00] Pete to respect Pete himself and allow him the opportunity to go where it is that he wants without the baggage of having to, you know, have the Rays, give or get something in return.

[00:30:12] And, um, and I mean, he's, he's put his body through hell for the Rays. Oh yeah. Uh, and he is gotten a lot of surgeries and he's had a hand condition that affects him in the cold. , So. All in all, it's been busy, it's been active, especially on the pitching side, but there's a couple of shockers mark, and, and this is the thing that got me, there's two of them.

[00:30:34] So when the rays traded Zach Littell to the Reds, they got Brian Van Bell as, as one of the pieces in return. And I thought he did really well with the rays. And to me, he's almost a clone of Zach Littell. He is, he is very similar in the potential right of, of what he could be. And they let go Ian Seymour, which to me was one of the better arms that they had in the rotation to close the year.[00:31:00] 

[00:31:00] So I was extremely confused with the Ian Seymour. Know, drop. I, I don't know, maybe there's an injury we don't know about yet and it'll come out. But that would, to me, would be the only reason. Now, they did add Forrest, , Whitley onto the roster who did extremely well done in AAA once they sent him down, and he seemed to have sorted out his issues.

[00:31:23] So the EN Seymour drop is more than likely in order to add him. And some of the 60 man, um, sorry, 60 man, 60 day IL guys back onto the 40 man roster. And the other avenue I would say, mark, is that there may be somebody that they're targeting in that Rule five draft, uh, or a group of players that they know they want to aim for.

[00:31:47] But the, the, the next thing that I'll ask you and, and just give me your, your honest thoughts. Okay. If you're going into the off season and, and you know the Rays, we know the way they operate [00:32:00] and I give you. You know the names of Johnny DeLuca, Jake Freely, Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum, Christopher Morrell, Richie Palacios, Everson Pereira, Tristan Peters, Chandler Simpson, and Ryan Vilade.

[00:32:14] That's 10 outfielders that they're carrying on the 40 man roster. Like what is going on there? And, and none of them are ideal and none of them, well, except for maybe Chandler Simpson, you could say is a locked in. Um. And, and a lot of them don't have any options. So there's going to be a lot of sorting and, it's an indication that the rays are really lifting, every rock looking underneath it, trying to figure out their outfield mix.

[00:32:43] , And they weren't satisfied with it before. So when they add Jake Fraley, he's a lot better defensively than Josh Lowe has been. Uh, Josh Lowe has been one of the worst defenders in the outfield over the last two years. 

[00:32:55] Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

[00:32:56] Mat Germain: So, um, you know, they, they're trying to upgrade a little bit [00:33:00] there, but how many days is he gonna play?

[00:33:01] How injured is he going to be? He's about the same performance when it comes to how they, face, , right-handed pitching. So, , he'll give them the same kind of deal. So I don't mind the move. I'm just confused as to what they're gonna do with all the guys that they're not gonna have room for. Once they start adding all the pitching that , they're probably gonna bring aboard.

[00:33:22] Mark Corbett: I mean, what are you gonna do? How many of these folks are you gonna wind up sending back down to triple days if you've gotta make room for somebody on that roster Mat? And I as you pointed out, how many of these guys are outfielders, but how many of 'em are, uh, utility guys like Joey Wendle? I is there anybody like that when you look across all those outfielders, say, well, , get somebody I could really be flexible with.

[00:33:42] Mat Germain: I think Richie Palacios is the one guy that has some infield value where he could play second base if you really needed him to. Um, the rest of them, uh, Christopher Morrell, you know, first base, third base outfield, potentially, , there's, there's a few [00:34:00] guys and I think Ryan Vilade, if I'm not mistaken, may have a little bit of, of first base time as well.

[00:34:06] , But all that to say that, you know, when, when they sent out Pete Fairbanks mm-hmm. Um, I also looked over and, and said, okay, well refresh my memory as to who they have as closing options. Well, Griffin Jax is everybody's more than likely favorite pick. Um, the other one is, Edwin Uceta and, uh, hunter Biggie is the other one.

[00:34:26] And he's the one playing in the, , in the Winter Leagues right now. And, and sharpening his tool set. The two other outliers I'll throw out there that could potentially be in the mix, or actually there's three, there's Forest Whitley that I mentioned before. There's Yoniel Curet who if he's not starting and they want him to relief, he could be, a viable closer.

[00:34:46] And the other one, mark, is what if Shane McClanahan can't get himself healthy enough to start. You know, what if then, then you know, you can use Joe Boyle in a rotation [00:35:00] or Forrest Whitley and then you go with Shane as a closer To me, that's intriguing in a way, even though it's sad for Shane and I don't wish it on him and I hope he can continue to start.

[00:35:11] , I think he would be lethal in that closing role if, if ever, he gets healthy enough to even take that on. 

[00:35:18] Mark Corbett: So he could be our next fe Pete Fairbanks if he's healthy. 

[00:35:23] Mat Germain: Right. Him. And there's also another one I'll mention is Manuel Rodriguez is, you know, he is, went under surgery and uh, I think the 8th of August.

[00:35:31] , So next year, maybe around July timeframe, he may be ready to contribute and he's another closer potential guy. 

[00:35:39] Mark Corbett: It has been interesting. Kinda looking back quickly at the World Series again, how many veteran pitchers. Who were relievers or closers. I mean, seeing Chris Bassitt doing more than just be a starter, you know, he's coming through with some of this.

[00:35:55] Looking at younger players who have been injured like Shane, I could see [00:36:00] where that might be, where their career goes because of, you know, we're concerned about arm injury and I'm actually getting any in ends, innings in, and to be able to survive through a game, I mean, it's, that's gonna be maybe the future on a future show, I want to sit down and go over that 62, 63 page document that MLB did on arm injuries.

[00:36:22] But I, I don't want to digress into that too much. We're, that's something for the future. 

[00:36:26] Mat Germain: Yeah, definitely. I, I also wanna mention that, , Shane McClanahan's first four outings in Major League baseball were all in, in relief and they were all in the postseason. So, you know, he started his career as a reliever when you wanna look at it that way.

[00:36:43] Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

[00:36:43] Mat Germain: But we didn't go smoothly, but, but he did start that way and then, so it'll be interesting to see how it shakes out. 

[00:36:53] Mark Corbett: Well, the one addition to the Rays I was really excited to seeing, and it's one who's been beloved for [00:37:00] years, and that's Mr. Ozzie Timmons. And he's already coming back, I guess, as the, um, co batting coach or assistant batting coach.

[00:37:09] And I'm really glad to see he's back here in Tampa. And with the, , with the Rays again. I mean, he was beloved. I can't tell you Matt, how many times when I was working at a game and you'd see Ozzie over there standing by first base, you know, cheering the team on, or as you may remember, when, uh, he was in the dugout, he would be out there, they'd be him doing his pushups for every home run that the team made.

[00:37:33] And, , while they dripped, , sunflower seeds all over him, you know, he was just a, a positive force there in the game. And I, I was, it was nice to see when he did leave. With the brewers that gotta see him be with Jake Bauers and, and Willy Adames again for a while. So I'm happy he's coming back here. You know, he was, uh, he played ball here, Brandon High School, right down the road from , , George Steinbrenner Field right down the road, about 10 [00:38:00] miles down the road.

[00:38:01] But, you know, he, he had quite a history as a hitter and as a player long before he ever joined the Rays. , To me that's a special moment in the midst of all these changes going on. I think, uh, having Ozzie back is gonna be a, a good thing. 

[00:38:16] Mat Germain: Absolutely. I, I think, sometimes you don't really pay attention to things the way that, you know, we probably should.

[00:38:24] So when I, when I look at Ozzie Timmons with the brewers, what I think of is, is looking at the whole team, right? 'cause that's what, , hitting coaches do. They impact the entire team and they, they kind of have, uh, input. They're not going to be. , The be all and end all of what, how that team performs in terms of their, their production at the plate.

[00:38:45] But they are kind of, an indicator that you could look at and say, okay, well they're, they're hitting coaches, getting through them, they're getting, you know, decent value out of their lineup based on their performances, is to take a look at the on base percentage. And I know people will talk [00:39:00] about Moneyball in that aspect, but, but because the approach at the plate, it's not just the hitting, it's not just the power, it's not just, it's the entire approach of being , a productive at bat that matters. Right. And that's where the hitting coaches will be kind of focused on a lot of times. So when he got there in 2022 with the brewers, their on base percentage was, uh, three 15. Right. And they were right around middle of the road when it came to that. So they were tied for 15th or some, somewhere thereabouts.

[00:39:31] , And then in, in 2023, uh, they were able to kind of, um. Stay middle of the pack, but they increased it to 3 21, so a little bit of a bump, and they got some benefit out of it and they still continued to be productive at the plate. Right. , , and be, , one of the leaders in our division. And then last year it was 3 26, so another bump.

[00:39:53] So all the way through his time with the brewers, they kept continuously getting better, even though you could argue [00:40:00] they lost a lot of players along the way that were really important to their lineup. So they had a lot of changing of the guard. They had Willy Adames leave, they had a whole bunch of uh, turnover because the brewers are the brewers and they're never gonna be able to keep all their high priced players though as much as they would like. , So last year their on-base percentage was the fourth best in the league. Uh, or sorry, not last year in 2024. So. That's, it's an important piece because when I look at the rays and, and how they can actually compete with a lot of these other teams, we just saw the Blue Jays do it.

[00:40:34] If you can be a pesky lineup, where did the Blue Jays rank in the league 2025 in OnBase percentage. They were first, who was second? The brewers. So, you know, like the, these are, this is the way and they're the two teams that ended up facing the Dodgers last. And, and, and the, this is the way that you can compete even when you don't have the high priced players [00:41:00] aboard.

[00:41:00] So when you go back in time and you look at, , when the. , Ozzie was with the Rays. They were 10th in, in 2020 in terms of , , their on base percentage. Uh, when, when you're looking at, , 2021, they were 10th again, you look at 2022, they were, uh, let me see here. They were a little bit lower in 2022.

[00:41:22] They ended up 3 0 9. So, uh, it ended around 20th, uh, 2023. I think. That was the last year they were in the playoffs, wasn't it? Uh, that sounds 

[00:41:34] Mark Corbett: right, yeah, they were 

[00:41:35] Mat Germain: fourth with, uh, 3 31. That's when they won close to a hundred games. Anyways, so they, they were doing really well.

[00:41:43] , In those years that they ended up, , doing well to get to the playoffs. And, and the last two years we've seen a drop off again. , And last year, or sorry, in 2024, they were at, uh, 24th in the league, , with a 3 0 2, which was really bad. And in this [00:42:00] year, uh, the Rayss were 20th with three 13.

[00:42:06] So again, you're, you're looking at, , a way that the Rayss, if, if, if Ozzie can come in and have, , the Rayss bump up by five points, you know, just their on base percentage as a whole as a team, then that's a huge boon to that team. And, and I, I like the personality. I like how loose he is. I like how his rapport, , with the players is, is always positive.

[00:42:31] And it's nice to have him back. 

[00:42:33] Mark Corbett: Indeed, I'm, I'm really happy to see him here and I think the positivity is, is perfect, and as you pointed out, the history of what he's been able to achieve since he left. So I, I'm glad he's back. I know Motos, uh, motos still with us too, so together I can only see him, you know, more coming from the team this year.

[00:42:52] And as you pointed out earlier, all these changes are that they're making se kinda answer the question or a [00:43:00] Rays. The question is, was that really the team that we needed the last couple years was, was all the people that were letting go? Were there decisions there, were there other options there that they could have been better than what we've had?

[00:43:14] So I am really curious to see, with all of this movement going on, what are going to be the 2026 Rays? What is that going to look like? 

[00:43:25] Mat Germain: Right. And, and they have some money freed up now with Pete, you know, not being hooked up. Um, they did also an interesting addition, mark, and I know you probably saw this on Blue Sky, but , Taylor Walls was extended.

[00:43:37] , So not only did they pick up the option, , that he had, I think it's 2.4 or 5 million, , but they added another option, which is estimated to be somewhere around, uh, 3.1 million. Now 

[00:43:50] Mark Corbett: Uhhuh, 

[00:43:51] Mat Germain: my verdict on all of that is okay. There's a really strong likeliness that, that if Carson Williams doesn't have [00:44:00] the spring, that lights up the stage, that they will say, okay, well, we'll have 'em start in aaa.

[00:44:07] Wait until we feel he's ready and then bring him up. Um, and so we give him, buy him a little bit more time in AAA to improve some of the things that he needs to do hitting wise. , And then at the same time, if they end up wanting to deal Taylor Walls to a team, them having that guaranteed second year control with 3.1 million may be attractive to them if Taylor Walls somehow develops this bat in any way or shape, , or if they're looking to have the shortstop short up defensively for two years and, and don't really worry about the bat.

[00:44:43] But the one thing that I'll say is that, you know, I, I, I really hope he is not gonna get, you know, 140 games and, uh. Uh, and end up being a pitcher in the lineup every time that he's, he's, , there. And, , I [00:45:00] want to see positive things from him. I hope he makes changes. I hope that he's aggressive in changing his approach at the plate so that he becomes a productive player in the lineup.

[00:45:11] , Because if he can do that, he can be, , a really good shortstop for a team. 

[00:45:18] Mark Corbett: Well, you considering, considering he was, uh, nominated for the Golden Glove. Yeah, I mean, we've only had five or six we've ever won. I Kiermaier. My Longoria and some mothers. But you're right. If he can, that hitting game can come on, man.

[00:45:34] That value has to be worth more than $3.1 million or whatever that was on , the next, , next time around. But here is, it's, you have to ask that question is. Is there something that they can turn that switch on at him that will help him at the plate? Maybe Ozzie's the person to help turn that switch.

[00:45:51] We'll find out. But I, I was a little surprised too to see that, uh, that Fairbanks was gone and we were keeping, you know, Taylor. [00:46:00] So anyway. 

[00:46:02] Mat Germain: Yep. And, and so when I look at the Rays rostering right now, right? And, and you look at the Rays roster, you know, what is the core, where are they headed, what are they gonna add to?

[00:46:14] Um, so right now they've added two X reds or Tito whispering names in Ray's ears saying, , Ryan Vilade and, uh, Jake Fraley, they're, they're the two guys you guys should grab. So, , they brought in two x reds. , And, and so how they fit in with Chandler Simpson and who else, like, who, who rounds out the five, you know, that make the cut or, or six, whatever it ends up being on a 40 man.

[00:46:41] But, uh, I'm curious to see which four they move on from. 

[00:46:46] Mark Corbett: Well, I think one last thing we should definitely mention was your insight on, uh, Eric Neander's J Fetish.

[00:46:57] Mat Germain: Oh, man. I had to go there, mark, [00:47:00] because it's getting ridiculous. Yeah. Likes to the point of, of, you know, we're gonna have, you know, an intervention, we're gonna have to corner Eric in the, in the press conference. I'll send you. Okay. And I'll have all the names on the billboard. You'll be the rep and, and it'll say, junior Caminero, Josh Lowe, Jonathan Aranda, Jake Fraley, Johnny DeLuca, Jake Mangum, Jax Griffin, Joe Rock, Joe Boyle, Jesse Sheltons.

[00:47:28] Like at some point, I mean, if you're sitting there at home and you are a, a major League baseball draftee this year. Yeah. You and your name starts with the letter J. Don't worry about it. You're getting drafted. The, the rays will find you. 

[00:47:44] Mark Corbett: Well, we'll turn your G to a J and Mat Germaine could be be on there as well.

[00:47:50] Mat Germain: Oh man, it makes me laugh. Those are the little things you notice sometimes where you're just like, this is, this is odd. Like this is weird. 

[00:47:58] Mark Corbett: Well, I think that's as good as [00:48:00] anyway to, to end the day and looking toward a future of next year looking at all these changes coming into World Series. You know, it was, it's been a fun year to, to watch all of this.

[00:48:10] We'll be covering a lot more of whether we're looking at winter ball, looking at the WPBL coming up, women's Professional Baseball League, and I'll have more on deck 'cause in the couple weeks they do have their draft. And I've got a, I'm waiting for an answer from a couple of folks, so we'll have more on that as well.

[00:48:29] And outside of that man, it should be nothing but fun. Looking at, uh, watching these youngsters come up. 

[00:48:36] Mat Germain: Yes. And, and I do like that I the, I'll throw out a little tidbit where, , the Australian Baseball League is starting play next week. So the Rays, , players taking part in that should be announced soon.

[00:48:48] So look for that on Blue Sky and elsewhere. , I think you can find the games online. So anybody that's interested in watching some baseball over the winter, you look up the, , Australian Baseball League and, uh, they should have a feed [00:49:00] that's available to you and free. So, uh, that's an interesting tidbit.

[00:49:04] And, uh, also the WBC mark, you're gonna start hearing whispers about who's gonna play for who and who's gonna be available for that. Um, so that's gonna be an interesting one coming up for, for 2026. 

[00:49:17] Mark Corbett: All righty. All righty, my friend. Okay, well, to thank you all again for joining us here, and we got all that to look forward to in next week.

[00:49:24] We're gonna have some more fun. So thank you again for joining us here today on Baseball Biz On Deck, and we look forward to seeing you again real soon.