Josh Donaldson finally opens up about being traded.... GIDL Ep. 7

GET IT DONE LEAGUE is a weekly baseball show hosted by former MLB All-Stars Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin, alongside veteran broadcaster Arash Madani. Inspired by Donaldson’s iconic “get it done” moment, the show reflects the mindset of elite players; direct, unfiltered and a commitment to give it their all, every single time.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Like the sweats like coming down like that. I can see it beating up a little bit on the side. I said, okay, guys, I see where this is going. I said, Dan, I said, I'll save you $50 million right now. Right now. This is your only chance, though. What is it, Jiggy? What is it? I said, I'll sign right now, seven years, $100 million. I said, because if this year goes how I think it's gonna go, I'm gonna be asking for $150 million at the end of the year. So look, I just saved you $50 million, bro.

unknown 0:32

Get it done league.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

This isn't the Tri League.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Very appreciative of what from Martin Challenging the Army.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

You know, this is the Get It Done League.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

Get it done league! It is late June. It is another episode of the Get It Done League. We thank all of you for making us one of North America's fastest growing podcasts because we have the MVP, Josh Donaldson, and we have the guy who brings the cash, Russell Martin, is with us as always. And this is a uh true north, strong, and free edition of Get It Done League. All three of us are in Canada. The boys were up, playing the Joe Carter Classic. Um, we're gonna get into some of the other shenanigans later, but before we get into it, guys, Josh has a has an accusation about Russ on the golf course that I'm just gonna let JD take it to open things up.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

No, I mean, I just thought it was weird how they won uh the Joe Carter Classic. We won? I left early. Yeah, you won. No way. You won, you won. That's what I heard. That's that was a rumor on the street, and Tony Womack told me that you guys eagled every par five. It's not true. That's just what he told me. I know that uh so there it is. You're saying that's not true. He said you guys eagled all the par five.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Well, I I didn't have the card. I wasn't the one doing the scoring. I I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Yeah, exactly. I I don't think I know whose buttons hurting it's the guy talking right now. No, I could carry less. I want all the skin money cash. So I'm fine. I got all I got all the Canadian cash, all the monopoly money you want. I'm sitting here being all gross kits. Oh man. Yeah, I mean I'm I'm I'm feeling ultra Canadian right now. I've been in this country for 11 days now. And um, you know, don't you know A.

SPEAKER_03 2:45

It's the get it's the get it done, League. You've both been here for a couple of weeks, as JD mentioned. Let's talk about how it all started. Because this was one like the three of us have done some cool things over the years. This was a neat one. I'll give Donaldson all the credit in the world because this was his idea. So you roll in, you're you're both at the game on a Sunday, you come out of the ballpark wearing blue jay jerseys, Josh has got a bag of baseball pants, cleats, batting gloves, ball glove, you name it. And we start, you guys suit up and we start driving around downtown Toronto, surprising slow pitch leagues, Sunday beer leagues all over the city. Russ, JD just just you know, just pulls up and says, Hey, can someone get an bee around here?

SPEAKER_01 3:42

JD was so happy, had his arm sleeve on. He had like he had his cleats on, walking on the sidewalk, click clacking all over the place.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

I mean, I wanted to I wanted to give them the real deal. I felt like that was like the you know, that just took it to the next step of having the full uni on. I gave them the arm sleeve that back in the day.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Somebody yelled at you, somebody yelled at you from center field, telling you to get off the field, didn't know who you were yet. That was a pretty good one. That was good. Get off the field. Yeah, that was funny.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Uh yeah, that was that was that was pretty great. And then you'll have to tune in to see what happened when I got off the road.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

We're gonna be dropping videos of what happened. Then the next day on the Monday, JD, you were north of the city. Did you play all nine innings with another beer league team?

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Yeah, I did. I played nine innings, and fortunately, it didn't go into extras because the calf started tightening up.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

You played so hard he tweaked the calf, didn't you?

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Uh I was playing, I dove. I dove in a slow cliff softball game. I was kind of embarrassed, but I did do it.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

So, like I was watching people's faces as we pulled up, and this look of just like incredulity, like, what is even happening right now? And it made me wonder for you guys, like, what was your as you guys were coming up, what was your welcome to the show moment? Not necessarily your debut or anything like that, but when you kind of looked around, you're like, oh man, like it's not the tryhard league, it's the get it done league. What was Josh? For you, what was your welcome to the show moment?

SPEAKER_02 5:26

Oh man, I mean, I think probably after I signed it, I was um with the Cubs. I wasn't it wasn't like welcome to the big leagues, but it was like, oh, okay, like I'm in big league camp. I got Derek Lee that's like two lockers down from me. I got Ryan Dempster. I got Carrie Wood in the bullpen, Ted Lilly, like there's just a you know, um Mark DeRoso that's there. And I remember looking at Derek Lee, and I mean this guy was like an Adonis. I mean, he was like six foot five, his shoulders were this wide, his waist was like this small, and he was just like five percent body fat. I'm just like that dude's built different. I'm like, I'm not built like that guy. I'm like, that's that's impressive.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Oh man. For me, for me, Russ? I I don't know. That's a good question. But the one thing I do remember is after my first game, it was uh Cinco de Mayo in LA. I remember walking through the parking lot with my agent to go back to his car, and nobody, nobody recognized me. And then I that I think that was the last time that ever happened because I had a pretty good game that night. We ended up winning, I think it was four to two or or four to one or something. Derek Lowe was on the mound. I think I ended up going like two for three or two for four with a couple RBIs. And then my agent, like, as we're walking towards the car in the parking lot, massive parking lot in LA, too. So we're in LA. And he's like, Russ, you understand that you might not be able to make this walk ever again, you know, without getting hassled a little bit. And I looked at it and I was like, I hope you're right, you know, I hope you're right. And sure enough, like we I probably couldn't couldn't have done that ever again because I started started my career pretty hot over there in LA.

SPEAKER_03 7:24

Where's the craziest place to play? Where's the craziest place where people are just all over you?

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Ooh. I mean, there's there's there's a few. There's gotta be a few, but the ones I played at are um LA for sure, Toronto. Toronto, they but the people, the, the people are I feel like the Canadian fans are respectful. They don't hound you. You know, if if if you're at if you're at dinner, they'll probably wait for you to get your check before coming over, and then they'll politely ask, you know, can I get a picture or something? Um other places, they don't care. They just they just go and and and with it like without even asking, like selfie time, you know. It can be like that. Especially if it's you know later at night and and the crowd's been, you know, wherever you're at. When I was younger, I used to kind of roam the towns a little bit. And then they wouldn't, they wouldn't be shy to snap pictures and stuff. How about you, Donaldson?

SPEAKER_02 8:27

I mean, not for me personally, but I mean, I remember Oakland was really tough for uh visiting guys. You know, I remember Jeff Francora and a couple other people, they were paying off the right field um bleacher creatures that were up there that would just kill them the whole game in left field too. They were they were they were tough, especially uh postseason. I mean, it got rowdy in Oakland. But I mean, I mean Toronto also we didn't experience this, but from like talking to other guys, bullpins, um while they're throwing their bullpen, Fenway's another place that was probably really rough on people. But I don't know, I I didn't I never really experienced like as a fan, like, or not a fan, but as a player, like it being rough because anytime fans started talking shit to me, I started talking shit back to them. And and by the by by by by the end of it, they were cheating. I remember one game in Boston. There was this one guy, he was like trying to like give me the business or whatever, and finally like he he stepped out and I called him on it. And yeah, I think he was probably like taught a lot of people like to talk shit about my hair, and I was like, Yeah, well, you know, your babe right there probably doesn't like doesn't uh think the same thing as you do. I think she probably likes it, and everybody just kind of really just went crazy. And then I remember we were I was in Toronto, we were beating the brakes off of them, and I'm on deck, and it's like the top of the ninth, and there's two alps, and they were cheering so hard for the guy in front of me to get on base because they wanted me to get up. I had like four hits or something that game, they wanted me to get up and get another hit. He gets a hit, I get up, and they're they're going, Donaldson, Donaldson. On the road, on the road. I was like, this is crazy, dude. I'm like, I'm on the road, and these people are chanting my name. It's pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_03 10:25

You know, I talked to football guys and they say when their career's over, they say it's like, yeah, you missed the locker room, you obviously missed the paycheck, you know, you miss things, but they said the one thing that you'll never be able to replicate in real life is coming out of that tunnel, they announced your name, the fireworks go off, 60,000 people are chanting your, you know, chanting for you or cheering for you, whatever. What's the baseball equivalent to that? Like, what's the thing now that you're done that you're like, man, that that was the rush, that was the thing, whether it was on the field, off the field, at the plate, whatever. I got an easy answer for me.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Getting a walk-off hit, or even better, like a walk-off home run. There is just that feeling is unbelievable. Like you ended the game, and then you're running the bases, and everybody's at home plate, just waiting for you. You know, they got water flying, seeds flying everywhere, and then you know, you get the post-game interview and you're getting crushed with some Gatorade. That that's tough to beat, right there. The shaving, yeah, the shaving cream pies.

SPEAKER_03 11:40

What like so so Russ, take us into that, man. Like, when you the moment when that happens, like what what just goes jolting through your body at that point?

SPEAKER_01 11:49

How many? That's a good question.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

First off, how many did you hit?

SPEAKER_01 11:53

One I can think of two in New York.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

How many walk-off homers did you hit?

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Is it two, two in LA? I don't think I had any in Toronto, but I I I had a few, I had a few, like you know, base hit. I think I I have at least four walko-off homers. Yeah. Thanks. You're impressed, aren't you? That's good. That's pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 12:20

Baseball almanac tells me Russell Martin had one as a Dodger in 06, one as a Dodger in 07, and one as a Yankee in 2012.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

I had two. I had one off Doolittle, and I had another one off the Mets pitcher. So he so he should big route off uh the biggest one.

SPEAKER_03 12:42

I forget his name.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

What year?

SPEAKER_03 12:46

What's your what's what's your equivalent, JD?

SPEAKER_02 12:50

I don't know. I mean, just to like sidebar, I think I have eight walk-off numbers. I mean, I don't I don't know if it's counting or anything like that. I think that's pretty good. Eight. I feel like that was pretty fun. Yeah, I mean I was I don't know, man. Well, what's the equivalent of being called out?

SPEAKER_01 13:08

I mean Oh, the walk-off, or when you do so or when you play so good. That's pretty good. You have to like go and tick your cap from the dugout to the fans. That what do you call that? Curtain calls. Yeah, I would say yeah, that would be a couple of things. You get you get you get less curtain calls than walk-off hours, probably in a career, I feel like.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

I only had one of those. I mean, but that's not something like you miss. Like, I feel like something like you for you to miss it, like you had to have done it somewhat more often. Sure. I don't know. I mean, I feel like I feel like when your team is running out to the field together, they're like, you know, here's your Toronto Blue Jays, your New York Yankees, your whoever, like, here they come on the field, like that feeling with all the the fans and everything get going, and the the music's bumping, it's going crazy. Like, to me, like that's probably the equivalent to that. Um, yeah, I mean, that's something that we all kind of miss, getting those juices going.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

Well, there's something that happened a couple of weeks ago in Toronto that basically never happens. Okamoto hits a homer against the Yankees into the 500 level. Became the 10th Blue Jay to ever do it. 10th. The last one to hit it into the upper deck. May 30th, 2017. Josh Donaldson. What? What is that like to launch one to the moon into the 500 level?

SPEAKER_02 14:47

Uh, it was it was great because I mean, uh, if you guys have been paying attention to the podcast before that, you would have known that me and Troy Tulowitzki was taking net naked batting practice before that in the clubhouse the night before. So to go up there and then hit a Homer in the fifth deck, like to really get the hips through. You know, that was a good feeling. I remember if you go back and look at the video, I think my fly was down too. That's how hard I swung.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

They should they should give like an extra run. You hit the ball far enough. I agree. If the ball, if you can give the ball like over 460, they should like give you an extra run.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

Yeah, that's I agree with that. I love that rule.

SPEAKER_03 15:31

I don't know. That's my theory for basketball.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

If you should if you I'm in favor of any offensive rules, right?

SPEAKER_03 15:38

My basketball theory is if you launch from half quarter behind half court, it's a four-point shot. It's the get it done league. You know the MVP Josh Donaldson. There's Russell Martin. I'm a rash Madani. Again, we are one of North America's fastest growing podcasts. Thanks to you. Please like and subscribe. We're available wherever you get your podcasts. YouTube, Spotify, Apple, you name it. Uh so fellas, we are we're into the teeth of the World Cup. I know that has Russ fired up. And it's always interesting to me, like just being around other athletes. Like you go into a major league club after in the World Cup, everybody's like it's on all the time. And dudes have different jerseys on, whatever. Spring training, March Madness pools are going like crazy around the locker room. Late August, Labor Day. Like the to me, the most fascinating thing about being around a big league baseball team that time of year is how seriously everybody takes a fantasy football draft. Like it is like like how do how do you two even articulate how competitive that becomes every fall?

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Well, I think the the initial part is extremely competitive, and especially like when you're in season, and like I mean, because you're with guys all the time. You're always now it's like you're trying to kink top trades, you're trying to see who's trying to do what on the free agent market. Uh, but I have my own league. So I've started my own league now, so it's fun. I love fantasy football and I love I love football in general, so it's um yeah, it's definitely a passion for me.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

Is Russ in your fantasy football league? I was, I got kicked out somehow.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Like I No, I I I it's you know, if you guys know Russ, it's not abnormal to send him something and him not get back to you. So a rash is starting to get to know this a little bit more. So I sent a message. I don't think he got back to me. So what do I do? I turn the page, he'll get back into it this year, though. So um we'll have to keep you guys in in the loop and how that's going in our records.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

Were you were you there the year that Gronkowski crashed? Yeah. You were there. That was so sick.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

So hold up, Rob Gronkowski crashed your fantasy football draft?

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Yeah. And and and uh Chris Jones or yeah, Chris Jones, that he played defensive end, John Bones Jones brother was there. That's right. That's right. Yeah, we were in Boston.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

Arthur Jones. We were in Boston at the hotel, and we had everybody has their laptop set up, everybody has their notes. Chandler Jones. Yes, yeah, Chandler Jones. Okay, sorry, Russ. Yeah, no, it's just everybody has their laptops, everybody has their notes, everybody's you know, thinking they're like the best GM in in the game in fantasy. And uh all of a sudden, you know, big uh big Gronk comes in, and we're like, what? He and he's like the coolest dude. Like he just he's the best, he's a vibe. So what happened? He just showed up and hung out for a little bit and and then he he took off, you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

But he just I think he he he was boys of tellabello and just kind of came in, crashed it, was like, what's up, said said what's up to uh CC. And um yeah, it was just kind of like everybody said what's up to him, blah blah blah, and then he was up. Yeah, you know, we had we still had work to do.

SPEAKER_03 19:20

So who is the best fantasy football player out there that you guys have and who took it the most serious?

SPEAKER_01 19:27

I was as far as what I think. I was pretty I was pretty new to it. I uh so it definitely wasn't me. Um I can't I don't know. I don't remember who the I mean I don't know who won that league that year. Do you remember?

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Actually, I did because your boy I did because your boy Holyway never paid me.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

Ooh.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

Hele, yeah, he never paid me. I want you to get it. He still owes you money.

SPEAKER_03 19:53

He still owes you.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

Yeah, I'm coming. I'm coming without money, I'm gonna hire the boys to come get you. Hire the goons.

SPEAKER_03 20:05

So I want to bring up one Blue Jay thing, guys, because I thought it was really interesting. Um, you know, a couple of weeks ago, Alejandro Kirk finally healthy, comes off the injured list, and the decision had to be made. Now, you guys know what this front office is about. They're all about years of control, they're all about who has options, etc. A lot of the decisions that they make has that to do with it. Tyler Heinemann out of options. Brandon Valenzuela had a bunch, but Valenzuela was performing and performing well. And this is one of the few times I can remember that the Blue Jays made a decision of what's going to help us win today. The rest of that stuff, whatever. Like Valenzuela's the guy, he's the dude, he's raking, he's doing well behind the plate. Uh, you know, uh Russ, you played the position. What do you make of the move knowing the way this front office operates and knowing that they're in win now mode?

SPEAKER_01 21:07

I liked it. It was the right move to do. You know, you it's the kind of situation where you would like to have both bats in the lineup. And if that's the case, then it's I think it was an easier to easier decision than you know losing somebody even though another person has options. I think it's who's gonna help you win day to day, and it's having Kirk and it's having Valenzuela. Like it's, you know, they're they're they're both, it took it took Valenzuela, you know, a couple weeks to kind of get going, but he's shown that that he's more than capable. You know, he's he's hitting for power, his his receiving is getting better. Um, and then obviously when you get Kirk back in, I I think he's like the biggest difference maker on that team. He impacts the pitching, and then he's like that, you know, bat to ball skills, unbelievable, kind of like. That solidifies the middle of their order and um probably is gonna help Vladdy kind of get back into it too because they can't just pitch around them as much as they they were or they were doing earlier in the year.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Josh?

SPEAKER_02 22:16

I think it just brings it back to what's the name of this show and why did the name of this show happen? Because when guys aren't getting it done, they don't stick around. The guys that start getting it done, guess what? The plan changes. And Valence Wheeler is getting it done right now, and he's sticking in the big leagues because the name of the game is to win ball games, and you have to put your best lineup out there that's gonna give you the best opportunity to do that. And obviously, that's you know, Heinemann had his run of when he had a chance to get it done. And I think that kind of like went through, you know, his finger. He let it he let it get away from him. And then now another guy gets an opportunity. Um yeah, and I think Kirk, I think the presence of Kirk, like it's just more of like the guy doesn't even, I don't think I've ever seen the guy smile. I don't think that he's never, he's ever, he's he's never, you know, got pissed off, anything. He's just like this. He's a cool customer. I think he's very cool. And um I think that team needs that right now because you have some some guys that are struggling a little bit, and I'm sure there's some emotions that are kind of flying around. And just to see him kind of go out there and do his thing, I'm I'm sure he'll be a breath of fresh air in that lineup.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

Yeah, like you can be a stabilizing force to a lineup, you can also be a stabilizing force for us to a clubhouse, just to the dynamic of a locker room, can't you?

SPEAKER_01 23:59

I mean, absolutely, and I think that's exactly what he does. He just everybody's happy when he's back for sure. Uh the pitchers are happy, the guys in the lineup are happy, uh, front office is happy, the fans are happy. So it's probably the only person that's not happy is the runner that's on behind him, too.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Yeah, Heineman. Yeah, but the runner that's behind him when they're on the base pass. That's probably the only guy that's not happy.

SPEAKER_03 24:34

So I gotta ask, like, you know, often moves get made that some players are just like looking around, being like, what the hell is going on here? And you guys have been in situations with so many different teams that, you know, management makes something you're like, you kind of have to bite your tongue publicly, but you know, start to kind of look over at the guy next to you in the locker is being like, Can you believe what's going on around here? Like, one of my favorite things to do was get to the ballpark early, sit in the dugout, or sit in foul territory, and like wait for somebody to come up to me and say, You want to know how screwed up this place is? I'm like, Yes, I do. Please come here and tell me. Like, how do you manage that as a player where you you the combination of wine to win, not like be a company man, but also let management know. Like, where and how do you guys, especially as established players, established stars, how do you balance that line, if you will?

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Personally, for me, I didn't really say much to the front office. I kind of it's I I just that one's out, it's out of my control. I tried to focus on the things that I could do to, you know, that were in my control, my preparation stuff. But on the other hand, Josh wasn't afraid to kind of speak his mind and let and let them know. And uh, and it's it's nice, it's nice when you have a player that's that's kind of like saying what everybody thinks and they don't want to say, and then you have a guy who was like, you know what, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. And and Josh was that guy. And there's not many, there's not many players that that are willing to do that. So what would you say, JD? Like, how would you like what was your approach?

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Oh my, oh my God. I mean, it just I have so many stories that I can say. I mean, I'll give one of my favorite stories. And this this should be good. This is to do with the blue. Yeah, this is this is up. This is I don't want to say it's my favorite. It's up there, though. I was with DA's at the time. Yeah, a lot of people talk about the Billy Bean, or I called him something else, whatever. We're we'll talk about that another time, but this is because that's up there as well. Um I'm in Tampa and it's 2014. And it's like a month and a half into the season, and I'm banging at the point. Like I'm I'm hitting probably like 320 with a decent amount of homers at the time. I think I was like close to like the lead league, month and a half in, which at that time it's not really that many, but it's still like I was off to a good start. And we're in Tampa, and I'm going, I'm going past uh Bob Melvin, our manager's office, to go into the batting cage. And I walk in there, or I'm walking past it, and Bob calling, hey JD, come here. So I go in there. And I used to hang out with the coaches because I like to always pick their mind. I was always like trying to like find a way, like, how can I get better, or am I seeing the game the right way? I was just always kind of picking their brains. And they picked mine at the same time.

SPEAKER_03 27:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

And and uh I remember that was the year Jason Kitness, he had signed like a six-year $52 million deal at that time. And Chif Hill, who was our bench coach, was asking me throughout the year, he's like, Would you ever take Jason Kitness' deal? And I was like, no, I I play third base, and I feel like I do some things better. I think I I don't I don't think I would take that deal. And so I'm sitting down and Bob Melvin goes, he's you know, we're talking back and forth for a minute, and he looks at Dan Feinstein, who is like the third in charge at Oakland at the time. He said, Hey Dan, let's get JD locked up to a deal. JD, what do you think? I'm like, yeah, I'm ready, let's go. And he's like, J, what do you think, like five years 35? And I'm like one plus years into the big leagues at this time. Right? Like, I don't have a lot of time. Not even anywhere near free agency. And he goes, What do you think about five years 35? I said, Bob, come on. I said, five years 35, nah. You're not even plus, not even plus. And Chip Hills over there, and he goes, JD, what about Kittens' deal? Six years, 52 million. Said, Chip, we talked about this. You know, I don't, you know I'm not taking that. I'm banging right there. There's no way. There's no way I'm taking this deal. So I look at Dan Flynside. He instead of word yet, and I think he's he he's like the sweat's like coming down like that. I can see it beating up a little bit on the side. I said, okay, guys, I see where this is going. I said, Dan, I said, I'll save you $50 million right now. Right now. This is your only chance, though. What is it, baby? What is it? I said, I'll sign right now, seven years, $100 million. I said, because if this year goes how I think it's gonna go, I'm gonna be asking for $150 million at the end of the year. So look, I just saved you $50 million, bro. Who got up and left? He looked, he he looked at me. And now he's like now he's really sweating. He's sweating, like like he was in the sauna sweating. And uh he looks at his get the f out of here, JD. Get the f out of here. I said, All right, you know where I stay, you know where I stand, don't come to me unless we're gonna be through, unless we're gonna be for real, don't come to me. Because you know where I'm at right now. And then literally, literally, like a week later, Kyle Seeger signed a seven-year, $100 million deal with Seattle.

SPEAKER_03 30:50

Wow. And I was like, man, I'm like, that should have just been an H. Should have been an H. Or a GM. Or a GM. You knew market value. Something. I knew something. I didn't really know, but I knew something. Were you surprised Oakland traded you?

SPEAKER_02 31:12

Yeah. Hell yeah, I was surprised they traded me. I mean, it was uh, I mean, shit, I finished fourth in the AL MVP my first year with them. I finished eighth in my second year, and I still had four years of control.

SPEAKER_03 31:28

I was like, Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 31:29

Yeah, of course, I yeah, of course I was surprised. Um, and our team was good. Like, we lost in that crazy wildcard game to the Royals, and we were losing Jed Lowry to free agents. Like, if we just get a shortstop back in here, like our team can still roll. We just had seven all-stars in 2014 on our team. Like, we were we were good, and um yeah, I mean, when you know Billy and you know kind of I've been around him a lot, and I'm extremely grateful for Billy because he kind of kept giving me chances to come back when I wasn't successful early on. But at the end of the day, like Billy can just wake up one day and not feel good about his team, and I think that's what happened. He didn't he didn't like the team anymore, and he's like, I gotta get rid of it. I gotta get rid of it. And the first thing he told me after he traded me was like, You're my biggest piece. I had like you're the biggest piece, I had to let you go. And then after that, everybody else got traded one by one after that, except for the only all-star that didn't get traded was Sean Dubable at that time.

SPEAKER_01 32:45

Right. I mean, it sounds like they just knew that they they weren't gonna sign you for for the amount that you wanted. So before they lost the leverage.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

I mean, if it was like two years later, the old the thing that was confusing about is they went and signed Billy Butler to like a three-year $35 million deal or something like that before they traded us all away. So it's kind of like, what are we doing? Like we just signed the DH and then we trade. Like I was gonna make my first year of arbitration like three million dollars. Like the Ace could have paid that easy.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

All I know is when you you get a player in a trade and the next year he wins an MVP, it looks it looks good on the team that got you, you know? Like, good trade. Yeah, what about the team that gave you up? I loved it. Well, you don't want to talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 33:36

You don't want to talk about it. Was there Russ, you've been around a lot of good players and a lot of good teams. Was there a trade either incoming or outgoing that you're like, what are they thinking? Like what what you know?

SPEAKER_01 33:51

Uh the only other trade I can think of is when we we've somehow got many Ramirez in LA out of Boston. It was like a three-team trade. I don't know exactly all the pieces, but that was big boost. You know, that was that was a big boost. And then obviously in Toronto, when we got Price and Tula Whitsky and Revere, like that was some pretty big moves too. Um but uh yeah, and Pittsburgh, I remember we we got Morneau, we got uh Bird, and then we yeah, yeah. I mean, but nothing nothing like the Manny trade. That was insane.

SPEAKER_03 34:35

Yeah, funny how that goes with Boston and LA, isn't it? Manny one generation and then Mookie the next generation. Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

That's true. Well, I mean, I that I was kind of a part of that deal too. With the the Dodgers was calling in on me for my free agent year after 2019. They were offering, you know, they were offering me a three-year deal. I wanted four at the time because I had two other teams that were in that four years. And the Dodgers offered me a nice chunk of change at that time. And because they couldn't get to the fourth year, I ended up was like, if you guys can come to the fourth year, then we're like we're in flight time. Yeah, we're in business, and they weren't, they decided to pivot from that going to the fourth year because they offered me three, and they're like, okay, they wouldn't make the better move anyhow. They went, they went and got Lukey and uh stole him from the Red Sox, and then they got Freeman.

SPEAKER_01 35:42

They plucked Freeman from the Braves, too.

SPEAKER_02 35:44

Like that was a free agent, though.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

Yeah, that was free agents, yeah. Yeah, still, but still, still, still yeah, like crazy.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

You get I get Otani. I get it. They're doing a lot of things right. They're doing a lot of things right, but but adding Freddie to that mix has just been uh has been everything for them. Uh fellas, another one in the books here. Uh, like we mentioned off the top, both here in Canada. What's coming up with you guys over the next little bit?

SPEAKER_02 36:13

What do you got? I got the pro tour, I got the pro tour coming up this week um in Minnesota. And uh then I'll be back chilling back in uh at the house.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Very nice. I'm I'm in Montreal for a couple months, so gonna play at golf with with some buddies. Uh try and make uh try and make uh I got qualifiers for like our uh um our course or our our membership. You know, there's like there's a lot of good golfers, though. I I got an outside chance of that. We'll see. We'll see how it goes. But a lot a lot of golf, a lot of hanging out, hanging out with the kids, and and just you know, living. Living.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

Love it. There's the MVP Josh Johnson, there's Russell Martin up here north of the border. Get it done, league. Please like, subscribe, and thanks to all of you for making us one of North America's fastest growing baseball podcasts. I'm your host, Rash Madani. We'll see you next week. Go, Canada. Welcome, okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

Get it done, league.