Spring training

oh boy this should be good

so this is my first big league spring training ever I was with the I got drafted by the Cubs And Sweet Lou's the manager of the Cubs, right? And him and his first base coach, they like to go out and tie it on.

I was only around him in spring training, so I don't know for the regular season, but...

I remember multiple times, sweet Lou, strolling by, because obviously this is my first spring training.

I'm there at like 5.30, 6 o'clock in the morning, like wide-eyed, ready to go.

And here comes sweet Lou like 10 minutes before stretch is about to happen, hair disheveled everywhere.

I'm like, he had a long one last night.

I'm

You're just kind of usually feeling out the start of the market.

As we know, free agency extends for a very long time, usually into spring training or Not this year, though, guys.

This year, it's kind of a free-for-all sprint because with the pending lockout, there's probably not going to be a winter meetings, which is usually when we start to see the traction pick up.

So like we talked about on our show last week, majority of the executives, majority of the agents believe it's going to be a free agent frenzy of signings.

There was a piece last week in the California Post about Josue de Paula.

He's working.

Obviously, we know for him to be on the Major League roster come spring training, come opening day, he needs to get better defensively in the outfield, and he's working to improve his outfield defense, according to Dylan Hernandez, through the lockout, despite not having access to the Dodgers because he's going to be locked out.

What more can you tell us about this report?

The beginning of the year we made predictions on... who we thought was going to win 162, who was going to win their division, you know, hypothetical rankings based on where the, they were playing.

This is spring training.

We're talking about this.

Now we're going to bring it full circle.

At this point, I don't even want to watch football because football is not even – none of my teams are good.

Off

to spring training.

Here we go.

It was here? Yeah.

Phil and I were at Twin Spring Training, and it happened in early March, I want to say, like March 7th, and it was definitely here.

So you remember where that game was based on where we were? Where

we

I don't know what happened to it.

So we did the Mackie and Judd show the next day.

It was mostly like we were in the Hammond Stadium twin spring training press box.

It was mostly like a twin-centric thing.

He's just not on the 40-man roster.

I would imagine he'll get an invite to Major League Spring Training whenever that takes place.

Okay.

I think that's everything.

So with the exception of the dead period for minor leaguers, uh, the Rangers will be able to stay in contact with him throughout.

He will be at spring training.

Uh, even if there is no major league spring training, Sebastian Walcott's butt will be in Arizona where he will continue to get, uh, reps and prepare and develop and probably start at AAA Round Rock, right? But the Rangers aren't ruling anything out with him.

And they do expect him to contribute in 2027.