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- [00:00]
Don LaGreca
Done.
- [00:01]
Peter Rosenberg
I gotta divorce my wife and have my kids bleed out.
- [00:03]
Michael Kay
No.
- [00:04]
Peter Rosenberg
Because the Giant game's on.
- [00:05]
Don LaGreca
No.
- [00:05]
Peter Rosenberg
Otherwise, I'm not a real fan.
- [00:07]
Don LaGreca
What kind of fan are you?
- [00:08]
Peter Rosenberg
Not a good one.
- [00:08]
Don LaGreca
And Rosenberg, the Peter haters who call stupid.
- [00:12]
Peter Rosenberg
The Peter fans who call very bright. This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.
- [00:17]
Don LaGreca
This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.
- [00:21]
Michael Kay
The best threesome I've ever heard on.
- [00:23]
Don LaGreca
880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app.
- [00:28]
Peter Rosenberg
What's up, everybody?
- [00:31]
Don LaGreca
Whoa, whoa. What happened? I thought you would give me a little mad dog. Good afternoon, everybody.
- [00:37]
Peter Rosenberg
How are you today?
- [00:38]
Don LaGreca
I thought you were doing that.
- [00:39]
Peter Rosenberg
I'm getting just feedback. Yeah. Not good. Oh, no.
- [00:43]
Don LaGreca
Oh, boy.
- [00:47]
Peter Rosenberg
I think that's better now. Nope, you got me.
- [00:51]
Don LaGreca
I got you perfectly fine. What happened?
- [00:54]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, something was going on.
- [00:56]
Don LaGreca
What's going on?
- [00:57]
Peter Rosenberg
But it's back. Everything's good.
- [00:59]
Don LaGreca
You're good.
- [00:59]
Peter Rosenberg
We figured it out, that we fixed the glitch.
- [01:03]
Don LaGreca
I know what the glitch was.
- [01:05]
Peter Rosenberg
I don't know what was going on, but it's back to normal. What a. What a mess.
- [01:09]
Don LaGreca
How you doing, man?
- [01:11]
Peter Rosenberg
I'm better now that I figured out what was wrong.
- [01:13]
Don LaGreca
You're one day away. One day away from vacation.
- [01:17]
Peter Rosenberg
That's right. How awesome is that? You too, man. It's a.
- [01:22]
Don LaGreca
It's a. It's a. It's a great thing. We put in a summer. We put in our time. It's time to pass the baton.
- [01:28]
Peter Rosenberg
We certainly did. So you'll get Peter Rosenberg back on Monday with Ty Butler.
- [01:33]
Don LaGreca
You're welcome.
- [01:34]
Peter Rosenberg
Yes.
- [01:36]
Michael Kay
You're welcome.
- [01:38]
Peter Rosenberg
What do you think? I. Listen, I gotta tell you something right now. I'm sure it's gonna be fine, but I wouldn't take any early credit for it yet.
- [01:46]
Don LaGreca
No.
- [01:46]
Peter Rosenberg
See how it works itself out.
- [01:48]
Michael Kay
All right.
- [01:49]
Don LaGreca
I can't. I can't be worried. I'll be on a beach collecting 10%.
- [01:53]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, cool.
- [01:54]
Don LaGreca
Beach, too. Yeah. But this. Today is. It's. Today is the rest of the season, right? Today is sort of who. Who won the. You know, the trade deadline. But I gotta be honest, Don. I find it. Look, I'm the most optimistic person I think, that we have in sports media because I tend to want to trend positive. I always want to find, like, the. The silver lining. I want the outlook, you know, like something that I. There's a reason why they do what they do, and let's see how it all works out. But I'm kind of surprised by the amount of over the top optimism there is about the Yankees coming out of the trade deadline, as I said yesterday, I must, I didn't say Brian Cashman had a bad day. He had a good day, filled some holes, made some moves, didn't give up the future, all those things. Nice. But what, what I don't understand is how does upgrading a bullpen change everything? Now about the Yankees that we only saw just a day ago, where, you know, errors are still there, booting the ball around is still there, there's just things about the Yankees that you aren't fixing by just simply upgrading the bullpen and the fact that Judge is still injured and we want to see what he looks like. Luis Heel will finally make his season debut coming off of an injury that has lasted longer than anybody expected. But we don't know what he's going to look like. You have Will Warren and, and, and, and Schlitler. Are your now four and five pitchers in your rotation and you're going to depend on them the rest of the way. I don't know what's going to happen, but the idea that this suddenly has turned into something that, wow, the Yankees are formidable, the Yankees should win the World Series now. I don't understand that kind of thinking at all, Don. I don't want to be negative, but I'm trying to figure out how suddenly things are completely different a day later when it really hasn't changed. Some of the fundamental issues that we've seen all year with this team and the injury issues as well.
- [04:03]
Peter Rosenberg
Listen, I think they're better because I do think the bullpen was a bit of a problem, especially last week when they, you know, are working to a 7 earn run average and games were getting away from them because they just didn't have anybody to come out of the pen and they weren't getting any length from their starting pitchers. So I do think that they address the need, don't get me wrong, but I look at the, I look at the trade deadline like I look at the draft. People will grade how good or bad a draft is or the deadline is based on the players they wanted their team to get like the draft. You don't know any of these players coming out of college, but going into the draft you'll hear, hey, this linebacker, this, this running back, this wide receiver, and then all of a sudden you get all hyped up to want to get them.
- [04:47]
Don LaGreca
Yep.
- [04:47]
Peter Rosenberg
And then you get them and now you think your team won the draft because the player you wanted them to draft they drafted. Kind of the same thing with the trade deadline, I don't know I'm sure there's die hard Yankee fans that were following Bednar's career in Pittsburgh and saying I want that guy from since two years ago. But most of it comes up from the fact of his name's being thrown out there a couple of weeks before the trade deadline. You know, he's not on a good team. You start looking at his stats, maybe he watched a couple of games say, boy, I really want them to get Bednar. And they get Bednar. So you think that they won. Well, let's see how it works out because there's already conversations about he was struggling with his confidence and there's some real concern among some people that maybe, like I said yesterday, how is he going to have, is he going to have the stomach for New York? I don't, you know, the stats are all great and maybe he will come here and we'll have zero problem. But at the same time, you know, we saw what happened. It ate Aroldis Chapman alive. The criticism of blowing saves and now going on a team where you didn't matter and your closing situation and your stats didn't matter to now where it went from not mattering to it's all that matters. So we'll see how he handles it. Same thing with the guys that came over to the Mets, right? We'll see how you do. But I think both the Mets and the Yankees did great. But I don't sit here, I don't look at anybody and say, all right, that that team's now winning the championship. You know, Connor disagrees. Had an article in the Times about how now this is it, this is the Yankees championship to win. I don't see that. Doesn't sound like you see that. I'm interested to see if Yankee fans see that or a team that improved but still has to go out there and prove they can do it.
- [06:24]
Don LaGreca
I get, look, I've been a big fan of, you know, Connor. This one really caught me by surprise. This feels and look, he does acknowledge some of the obvious things as well, which is, you know, they need to tighten up their fundamentals. I'm reading this from the article. Catch the ball, throw it to the right base, count how many outs there are in a given inning, just like they were taught in little league. So he's pointing out the fact that the Yankees have a lot of fundamental issues. You can't ignore the fact that two of their starters, starting pitchers, are gone for the season. You can't ignore that. And they're going to piecemeal it. The Best they can. They are going to hope that Luis Heel finds whatever he had going last year and can be a solid third starter. That's what they're hoping for. These moves in the bullpen are supposed to help. We'll see if they do. But you, the judge thing to me, hovers over this more than anything else. We don't know what he's going to be. You are, you are hoping that. You're hoping for the best, which you should. But he might not be able to play the field. He has to turn into a dh, make Stanton almost useless. And if he takes one swing and suddenly he's feeling tightness in the, in the elbow, in the for wherever it is, then now all of a sudden that becomes compromised. There's a lot there to deal with. There's a parody that is going on in the sport that we're noticing at least in the top third of the league. And it does feel like the Yankees looked at this year in my opinion, and I said this yesterday and I'm sticking to it, the Yankees looked at this season and this is not an all in chips to the table, middle of the table kind of move. They had 26 in mind with the thinking, like you've always said, don't anything can happen. It's a crapshoot once you get to October. So make sure that you have the best, most versatile depth, roster depth you could possibly have for a run. That because everyone's flawed, you might have a shot to get back to the World Series. You very much could. But I don't look at it like this is theirs to win. I don't look at it also like they should win and if they don't, don't start now giving me the whispers of, well, you know, Cashman did everything for Aaron Boone and Aaron Boone couldn't get this team there. Maybe it's time. That's the part that bothers me. I know fans can't wait to get Aaron Boone out of there, right? But if Aaron Boone leaves and Brian Cashman doesn't, nothing changes everybody. So I don't want to see the passing of the buck now, hey, I made these moves, you know, I did all this. It's up to the manager now. And some of what Cashman said yesterday, he made some light reference to the manager now has options and the manager can do this. Now, I'm not saying that Cashman is the one passing the buck. I think he and Boone have a good relationship. I'm just saying on the surface, it starts to look like now it's all on Aaron Boone. I don't think that's fair, but that's.
- [09:19]
Peter Rosenberg
Kind of been the modus operandi of Cashman for years. Has been, hey, I put together the team I wanted to put together that's good enough to win a championship. Just didn't. Didn't work out. Whether it was injuries, luck of the draw, bounce of the ball, but we put together the team that we thought was good enough to win. And now Ian o', Connor, who is as plugged in as anybody is, is suggesting that if this team doesn't win, it could fall on Aaron. Boone tells me that they are now creating a fall guy if it doesn't work out. So maybe Yankee fans can all get excited. You want Boone gone? It sounds like if this team craps the bed in the postseason, there might be a job that could be lost. Because it sounds to me like Brian Cashman believes I just gave my manager a team that should win the championship. Let's go. Go out. Let's go out and get. I don't necessarily see that. Listen, can the Yankees come out of the American League? I thought that at the beginning they were one of the favorites to do it, but to win the whole damn thing. I think they made some nice moves, but I'm not convinced as they are. So what is the motive behind it, Alan? Is this setting up that if it doesn't work, that we're going to part ways with.
- [10:34]
Don LaGreca
Yeah, I don't want to see that. That's exactly what I'm talking about. I don't think. Again, I know how fans are going to think. Fans are looking at this, and they're going to see what we're talking about, and they're going to say, good, because if they fail, then they'll. They'll change the manager. And I think Michael has said this so many times, I think it's almost fallen on deaf ears now. But you understand that what if they do move on from Boone? All they're going to do is replace him with the same type of manager who follows the numbers, right, who's not going to be critical to the media about his players. He's not going to be demonstrative. You're not going back to the days of Billy Martin and Earl Weaver, you know, sparky energy. You're not getting that anymore. So don't think it's going to make a dramatic change to the team. The only thing that's going to change the team is if you start in the front office and change the approach and the style of play and everything and development. But those things have not been as good over the last years. And all we do is talk about manager. We don't talk enough about who's running the whole thing. Right.
- [11:37]
Peter Rosenberg
But the guy who's running the whole thing, it seems to have a job for life. And we have seen at least some movement of the managerial position. He did let go of Joe Torre or didn't re up his contract. Same with Gerard.
- [11:49]
Don LaGreca
That wasn't his choice though. I think. I think Cashman and Tory were. I think Cashman was close to Tory.
- [11:55]
Peter Rosenberg
Still happened on his watch. Certainly Gerard thing was real.
- [11:58]
Don LaGreca
Yes, but.
- [11:59]
Peter Rosenberg
But you know, the one thing I'll push back on you may 100% be right. And that's what Michael has been echoing for years is that they ever did get rid of Boone, they'll just bring in another ver version of Boone. But if you. But if you're setting the precedent, I have a good enough team to win a championship and don't I'm going to fire Boone. Does that make sense to bring back the identical thing? Like maybe because you. You don't you want to bring in something a little different because whatever Boone's doing wasn't working. So why do I bring back his clone? Maybe it does open up of. Maybe there is a little bit of a thawing of the belief of everything we do is right, that maybe now we're starting to see that change should take place if we don't take the next step. We finally got to the World Series. We want to take the next step. We believe we had a great pivot after losing Soto to bring in Goldschmidt to bring in Bellinger to bring in Freed. We had a great deadline. We improved our bullpen. We improved our rotation. Stroman's now gone. We brought up kids that are contributing to this team. And if we don't win because we're kicking the ball around, it's because of our manager. And maybe, maybe the way that we've groomed these players and how we go about our business might need to change. Now we're talking about Ian o' Connor's article. Not everybody had a chance to read it, but Ian was on with Jake Aspen, who was filling in for Michael K today on his show from from 1 to 3. And Ian talked about why he thinks the Yankees have no excuse not to win.
- [13:26]
Michael Kay
It actually goes back to. And some of your listeners are not going to be old enough to recall this, but the 1976 Yankees go to the World they see greatness in the form of the Big Red machine. I remember being a kid, a Yankee fan, and they get swept in that series, but they. They learn something from that and bounce back the next two years. Now they added Reggie Jackson, and they win the World Series in 77 and 78. I think Yankee fans old enough will want to apply that same formula to. To this season is after last year, seeing what it took with a great team in the Dodgers to win a World Series, and the Yankees were deficient in that series in a number of areas, fundamentally, I think I thought that they would be buttoned up this year fundamen. And they haven't been defensively, certainly, without question. But I thought that that experience last year would really help them this year, even without Soto, and that they'd make a real run. It's been a little disappointing because of the defensive and baser breakdowns, but if they can sort of tighten that up and you look at the additions made yesterday in the bullpen, and you look at what they have. Assuming, of course, that Aaron Judge is going to be healthy for the majority of the rest of the season. They just have a lot of things you need to win a championship.
- [14:36]
Don LaGreca
I agree with him on the last part. They have a lot of the things. But the part that he also points out that to me totally eliminates the 76 to the 77 and 78 years is what he said is you come off losing in the World Series and you remember Don, like I felt so strongly about showing up in spring training with a little chip on your shoulder and an edge and this sense of, you know, we got mocked, we got embarrassed. Like, we're gonna. We're gonna take it out on the whole damn league, right? We're gonna let everybody know there wasn't that collective sense. Now, I understand that you bring in some new faces. They're like, well, that wasn't me. You know, guys like Goldschmidt and Bellinger, they. They don't have a connection to the World Series loss. It means nothing to them. They weren't involved in that. They weren't being mocked. But guys like Judge, Austin Welles, who couldn't hit, like, think about the different players who had those embarrassing moments. Like, you would think that there should be some type of a. Guys. We are not going to be a team that boots the ball around the field, and we're going to take it out on people. And the two things they don't do is, number one, play fundamentally sound baseball. They don't still. And the other thing is and it started June, June 13th at Fenway, is that you played the Red Sox and you looked like it was you were playing the Royals or you were playing, you know, the Marlins. It had zero energy in that. And that just. And you played like crap. And that started what has now been a run of a eight games under.500 effort or seven. Now, that. That, to me, doesn't look like a team that is out for vengeance off of a loss in the World Series of, hey, we got here. We know what it takes now. Let's show it. That's. That that's been missing for the majority of this season. That's what I question. And there's no way you can compare the two. This is not the Bronx Zoo.
- [16:30]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, the thing I take exception to, and I love Ian, is that. No, don't just say, oh, they got Reggie Jackson. It's like a footnote. They got Reggie Jackson.
- [16:40]
Don LaGreca
Well, that's like getting Soto. That was two years ago. You could. You know what I mean? It's like the Soto thing is like getting Reggie Jackson. Right.
- [16:45]
Peter Rosenberg
But the reason I just blow up the whole. I know the 76 to 77 things sound sexy, especially for an audience that didn't live during that time. The 75, 74, 73, 72 Yankees were going nowhere.
- [16:58]
Don LaGreca
Nowhere.
- [16:59]
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, the Yankees. All right, I understand that the 23 Yankees were 82 and 80 because they had a ton of injuries or whatever. They went to the Final Four the year before that. Okay, so they're a good team. A perennial playoff team that happened to get to the World Series. All right. The other thing I take exception to with Ian is that he said if they can clean the defense up, none of these moves clean that up. McMahon is a great defender, but he replaced a good defender in Peraza. Where the improvement lies is he can hit better at third base than Peraza can. But they didn't really. Getting bullpen help does not correct the errors of Austin Wells. Forgetting how many outs there are. Volpe leading the league in errors. The boneheaded things that we've seen this team do that have cost them games was not cleaned up at the deadline. So to just throw out Reggie Jackson. And if they can clean up, if they can clean up, they haven't cleaned up 75% of the season. What makes me think they're going to do over the last 25% and in the postseason?
- [17:57]
Don LaGreca
And that's why Don. It feels like a setup. I'm not saying that. I don't. I'm not saying Ian setting it up. What I'm saying is, but it feels like, like the Yankees came out of yesterday feeling really good about themselves and what, what Cashman did. And now that makes everybody just turn and look at Boone like, we'll get your team to stop booting the ball around the field, man, tighten it up like that, using his own words against him. And that is what I don't like. This feels like now it's all Boone's fault if he can't get them to tighten it up.
- [18:29]
Peter Rosenberg
And a lot of Yankee fans are going to be excited about that. But I want to get to the money quote here from Ian where he says any confidence in Boone to manage the bullpen properly.
- [18:38]
Michael Kay
He's a good manager. He hasn't proven that he can be a great manager. So that's to be determined if I'm a Yankee fan. Yeah, it's a concern, just like the starting rotation is a bit of a concern. I think if Heel comes back and he's Heel. I think that when you look at Max Freed, Rodin and Heel, that that's not a bad three man starting rotation going into the postseason, particularly when the bullpen is just so deep right now. And I think Boone is good at his job. He's not great at his job, but he has a chance to prove that he can be and that's what is in front of him right now. Now, if they lose early in the playoffs, I think that might be it for him. I think that Caspian in the worst way doesn't want to do that. But this is a great opportunity. The American League is wide open and again, if Judge is healthy, there's just no reason why they at least can't return to the World Series. And then we'll see who they play when they get there, whether it's the Dodgers who embarrassed them last year. On and off the field. It could be the Mets, it might be the Padres. But I think right now. And listen, as you know, every roster in baseball has its flaws. The Yankees are not a perfect team. But this is now a team good enough to win the World Series. And it's time they do that.
- [19:45]
Don LaGreca
I mean, all of it's right. If everything goes, goes correctly, which is again, Judge comes back and he's fine, that's important.
- [19:52]
Peter Rosenberg
He'll disclaimer that in the article that a lot of this has to do with the health of Aaron Judge.
- [19:57]
Don LaGreca
Well, yeah, all of. I love Ian. That's a lot of obvious things though, right? Like we went into this season saying that they should be a championship contender. None of that has changed. The only thing that has changed is now that We've seen over 100 games of this team the last six weeks. This has not looked like a championship caliber team. But because this, because the parody has become such a thing and that every team is flawed, I guess maybe we need to drop our standard a little bit and just say, well, can they just be better than everybody else? That's the only question that's left to be to be answered.
- [20:30]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, this is what. I don't know if Jake asked him this, but this is what I would ask Ian if he were on Is, is this strictly all just an opinion piece? Is this just you looking at the team from afar and saying they should win the World Series? I think Boone's a flawed manager. I think they may go in a different direction if they don't win. That's the case. Hey, he's entitled to his opinion, man. And he's an educated journalist who certainly has paid his dues enough to have that opinion. But is this also him being inside knowing people? Is he hearing things? Is, is he formulating this opinion because he's being told by people in the know, speculation, right, that this is the direction they're going, that they believe they're going to win. And if they don't, it could be the manager. Does he believe that Boone's a flawed manager or is he being told from within they believe that he's a flawed manager? These are the things I'd like to know. Yeah, yeah, but, but I will go, listen, I'll just go. He's a columnist and he probably is just, hey, it's his opinion. But I also know Ian's history and I know that he, he doesn't throw things out without a real educated opinion on things. And he knows people. So I'm wondering if this opinion is being formulated by information that he has been able to garner over this year from people that are really deep within that organization. That's what I'm curious about.
- [21:56]
Don LaGreca
Yeah, yeah. The last lines of his. It does certainly read like a column. But in the end, every major league roster has its flaws, including the one in the Bronx. However, if Judge is healthy in the season of parity, the Yankees have the weapons to end their championship drought. They have no legitimate excuse to end the season in failure, which is no guarantee that they won't. No legitimate excuse to end this season in failure is a very strong phrase for a team that doesn't have its ace pitcher available and also its superstar player who's the best player in the sport is compromised physically. There are your two legitimate excuses of why this season can end in failure, in my opinion.
- [22:34]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, absolutely. 1-800-919-3776 Michael took the day. He was a nice to go on with Jake and we were going to repurpose some of that sound, but Michael reached out and he's available to us if you guys want to get Michael on and pick his brain on the things that we're saying because he's as inside as anybody too. And he's the one that so we just quoted him talking about how if they ever let Boone go, they'd bring back a clone of Boone. But you know, a lot has changed. Circumstances certainly are very fluid in sports. So we will talk to Anthony. We'll get Michael on at some point during the course of the show. It's fraud alert Friday. That's coming up at 4:30 and Anthony Pusick Enn at 6. And between the All Star break and the Mets being on the west coast, we've been full frontal for a while now, but only until 6:30 because the Mets are back in action at home against the San Francisco Giants. We got to get into what they did, although we did yesterday because they were done pretty early. But I do think that's a team that certainly improved.
- [23:32]
Don LaGreca
You know what we should ask Dom while we get the calls rolled up here and we're already getting packed, who now has the better bullpen? It's a great question asked by our social media team on Instagram and I love it when you stack them up side by side. Yeah, Mets are Yankees. Who now has the better bullpen?
- [23:48]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, that'd be something to bring bring up for sure because I think both have improved the bullpen and both needed their bullpens to be improved. I like Diaz over Bednar, at least right now because Diaz has proven he can do it in New York. But some of the stats tell you that Bednar is a really good closer and Duval came over as well and you know he can close. So that's a really interesting question. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the thumbtack App download today.
- [24:36]
Don LaGreca
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [24:40]
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [24:41]
Don LaGreca
Catch the show on demand whenever you want to. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast.
- [24:47]
Peter Rosenberg
It is now time for weekend weather, which is brought to you by Wild Fork Foods. Oh, yeah, pretty nice weather. Weekend tomorrow, Sunday with a high of 82. And Sunday will also be sunny with a high of 84. What a great time to take a vacation, guys.
- [25:03]
Don LaGreca
You know, I was just going to say our timing is impeccable, but we deserve this little break here. I mean, getting like coming, going outside in the morning and it's like 63 and a little breezy. I know it was overcast, but still after that was nice. The heat, humidity we've had, it was, it was definitely, definitely nice. And, and did you see some of the video of the flooding in Queens?
- [25:27]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [25:28]
Don LaGreca
Yeah. Unreal how fast that happened.
- [25:32]
Peter Rosenberg
I know. That's why you got to be careful with those storms. We were lucky where we were and I got home fine. But the, the storm a couple of weeks ago, it took me three hours to get home. So it really depends on what areas get hit. That was the weekend weather report brought to you by Wild Fork Foods. Wild Fork Foods is your grill season. Go to. With over 450 meats and seafoods blast frozen for peak flavor. Visit in store or order same day delivery@wildforkfoods.com all right, Michael's going to be on with us at four, so we'll get his thoughts on what's happening with the Yankees in the Ian o' Connor interview or the article and all that. But want to hear from you at 1-800-919-3776. Let's start it off with Bobby and Belmore. You're the first caller here on Don on a Rosenberg. What's up, man?
- [26:17]
Michael Kay
Hi, guys. Before I get to the Yankees of this year, okay, the 2022 and 2024.
- [26:24]
Peter Rosenberg
The three.
- [26:25]
Michael Kay
I'm sorry, 2022, we'll start with that. The three playoff games when he did not put homes in one game against Cleveland to extend the series and the Rolander and Cole game. We took out Cole with like 88 pitches. Again, he didn't put. Instead of trivia, I was putting tribute on Schmidt. But that was Cashman too. Cashman has a big decision in every game, so boy's not going anywhere. Alan, okay? That's his boy. He just got an extension, so it's not happening. And of course, last year with that with the Hill Move not putting in Hill and putting in Cortez. Okay, that's also with Cashman has a big say in all these positions. So Boone's not going anywhere. That's number one. So let me get to the anchors of this year. Yes. There's no George Brett of 76 to 78 Royals team like that this year in the American League. Okay, that's number. Number two. They got to the World Series last year without Judge doing anything. And I know there's no Soto Stanton probably won't be playing. And there's no Torres had three best plays playoff performance. Torres got on base every game in the playoffs last year. But besides all that, the American League is so weak. Okay, they could definitely. Toronto's a choke team. I said that all along. They could even blow the division. They choke every year. I don't care how much talent they have on that team, they never put it together.
- [27:35]
Don LaGreca
Houston's scared.
- [27:36]
Peter Rosenberg
What about Houston? I agree with you, but what about Houston?
- [27:39]
Michael Kay
Not the same theme. They went out Alvarez, Paris. They're out two of their best players and they're not the same team as they were.
- [27:45]
Peter Rosenberg
I know, but they're running away with their division. They just got Correa who might long term not be an answer for them. But listen, Bobby, I agree with you. The American League is wide open. But I. But the one thing I will say in defense of Allen saying he could be gone, Boone is. Then, then what is the motivation of saying, all right, we got a team now, let's go out and win and you don't win, then what do we even. What are we even bothering talking for? Like, if you think you've got the team good enough to win, Alan, and you don't win, well, then there has to be somebody held accountable for the failure, right?
- [28:16]
Don LaGreca
Well, you think so now again, let's. Let's make one thing clear. I'm not saying that Boone should be gone. You know, Connor suggested that Boone could be gone if the Yankees don't win the World Series this year. And I'm just reacting to it, saying it feels like that feels very fall guy, ish, that kind of a statement. But I listen, I listen to Michael K. He's going to be on with us at 4:00'. Clock. And I'm sure he'll give us, you know, he's definitely gonna give us his takes. But I know what he says. And he always says the guy's not going anywhere because he does everything that follows the scripts of what they want to do. And so whatever they would do is just hire the same type of guy. So I'm not saying it. What I'm saying is I don't like the way this looks. And by the way, what Bobby just said. It was Bobby, right? Yes. What he just said about the American League is weak this year. Doesn't that Don create more of a setup? You're supposed to win like it's. And here's why I, I will always fall back onto my Knicks experience. The Knicks last year wasn't the east wide open Once you took out, once the Cavs got knocked out, once you took out the Celtics, wasn't it? You should go right through. And then they didn't. And what happened? The coach got fired. Am I right?
- [29:34]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [29:35]
Don LaGreca
And now you go into a season where there's so many injuries that the east looks even more wide open and the expectations are through the roof for the new head coach who all he has to do is get the team to the NBA Finals. It's a real thing that happens.
- [29:45]
Peter Rosenberg
And the coach that you said I'm not getting on you because you shared the opinion with a lot of other people is like that he was untouchable. He wasn't going anywhere.
- [29:52]
Michael Kay
Yeah.
- [29:52]
Peter Rosenberg
And then all of a sudden expectations change. Now we talked about Ian oconnors opinion. Let's hear from Brian Cashbin. How much did you.
- [29:59]
Michael Kay
We've improved the team we believe, you know, we tried to address the areas of need we've added to the bullpen. We've improved the position player group as well given our manager more choices, you know, to play matchup and you know, so whether it's we're facing left handed pitching, he's got some choices to play with with some right handed bats we've imported with Rosario and Slater, you know we have obviously a, with Jose Caballero we got a nice athletic infielder that he can, you know, that can defend and pinch run, you know, at a high level. So that's a nice weapon of choice. He's certainly got more arms to mix and match with out of the pen, you know, with, with the new additions as well. And Obviously we solidified third base with Ryan McMahon. So I think we've addressed a lot of areas of need to try to give us the best shot we can take.
- [30:43]
Don LaGreca
Did you hear it? Yeah, three times. Three times. Don, he's, let's see, gave our manager more choices. Right. He's got more choices to play with. He's got more arms to mix and match with. Like kept referencing Boone. Now again of course that's what a general manager is supposed to do. He's supposed to give his manager the best roster possible. So, like, that could be very innocent things that Cashman is saying. But still, when you hear it in the context after what, you know, o' Connor was saying, it does feel like, hey, all the excuses are off the table. We. We plugged all the holes on the roster. He should be able to win with this.
- [31:32]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, that's it. That. That's what it sounds like to me. And I. And I think that's where that's the jumping off point if they don't come through. Let's go to Griffin in Connecticut. You're on espn. New York. What's up, Griffin?
- [31:43]
Don LaGreca
Hey, Griff.
- [31:45]
Michael Kay
Hey, guys. By the way, they had no bench in the first place. That was a bad. I don't understand why we had three catchers on our roster in the first place. Now we actually have two catchers. We didn't need a scar of Ben Rice and Wells, all three. To be on a roster, you only need one catcher and a backup catcher. You didn't need three catchers. He never really had anybody that could pitch it for really ever. It was either Perazzi could never pitch it into right. And then say I didn't. So right now, now you could actually somebody pitch and maybe pitch, run with Caballero. That's the other thing. I expect Volpe to be our shorting shortstop. I really do. But if Volpe does struggle, Caballero is there. So there's no excuses now where you don't have a backup shortstop.
- [32:36]
Don LaGreca
Right. You can give Volpe days off now, which he didn't have. Yeah, one day off.
- [32:39]
Michael Kay
Absolutely.
- [32:40]
Don LaGreca
So you're right.
- [32:40]
Michael Kay
Absolutely. He's hardly had any days off. And I think that's also what's hurting him, is he's always been the lineup because you've never had a backup short a backup shortstop. And also their bullpen is a lot more better than what it was before. They used to have a 32 lead and the 32 lead with mighty gotten blown. How about that Phillies game on Friday? They did 32 lead and they couldn't keep the lead. They blew the game right out of the water because they didn't have a bullpen that could keep that lead. So I'm not saying they're going to go ahead and go to the World Series. And I don't see Boone getting fired at all. I don't. I have a hard time believing he's going to get fired because there's still some Question marks with the rotation. You don't know with that at times. And I think next year, I think is the team that you have to look at and if they don't do it next year, then Boom might get fired. I think they're going to let Boom live with this year and next year. Next year there is no excuses if they are fully healthy.
- [33:42]
Peter Rosenberg
You might be right. But I would circle back to Griff and thank you for the phone call and I'm not calling for his job and neither is Alan. We're just trying to read the tea leaves and we'll talk to Michael at 4:00 to get his opinion on it. But if you tell me my manager, my manager, my manager has, my manager has in a 40 second quote three times and then that manager doesn't win, then, then, then what's the excuse like? So you're just going to keep saying, oh, it's the luck of the draw. It just didn't happen for us. When you feel confident that you improved yourself and you don't do well, somebody's got to be held accountable for it.
- [34:20]
Michael Kay
Now.
- [34:20]
Peter Rosenberg
I think they will do well whether they win the championship or not. I don't know. I've said I still think this team can make it to the World Series. But can they beat anybody coming out of the National League? Is that guaranteed now because of these moves? Well, I'll wait and see.
- [34:35]
Don LaGreca
Yeah, it's still going to be more about the bats than it is about the pitching, in my opinion.
- [34:39]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, it's always, it's oh listen, I know there's been blown saves in the postseason and all that stuff with all this Chapman and stuff. But really what has been their downfall.
- [34:47]
Don LaGreca
Every year in the, in the playoffs? They can't hit, they don't get hit. They get shut down. Their offense, which is usually the top three top five in the league every year and then they get to the playoffs and it gets shut down. And a lot of it has to do with Aaron Judge. We know this and and again the earlier caller who said, well, you know, they win in spite of Judge anyway, that's got to stop.
- [35:06]
Peter Rosenberg
And by the way, his presence in.
- [35:07]
Don LaGreca
The lineup still, even if he's.04 with three strikeouts, his presence still does have an impact on batters around him.
- [35:14]
Peter Rosenberg
But let me ask you this, who has been the best offensive player in the postseason the last few years?
- [35:19]
Don LaGreca
John Carlos Din.
- [35:20]
Peter Rosenberg
Is he going to play if, if Judge has to be the DH in the postseason?
- [35:26]
Don LaGreca
Don't you have to find a way.
- [35:27]
Peter Rosenberg
Don't Well, I guess you're going to. But you're telling me that's going to help your defense to put him a statue out in the outfield because he's the only guy that can hit in the postseason. So you better hope the judge comes back and can play the field. Right, because he's relegated to being a DH in the postseason. You lost your bet. Best playoff bat. That's a problem.
- [35:47]
Don LaGreca
I agree. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [35:52]
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [35:53]
Don LaGreca
Catch the show on demand whenever you want to. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast. Big Happy birthday to Just D friend. Yeah, listener. We love him.
- [36:08]
Peter Rosenberg
We'll get to some nicks a little bit later on the show, but I want to tell you ESPN's Fantasy Focus Football crew is coming to the Big Apple on Thursday, August 7th. Check out the contest tile on the ESPN New York app for your chance to score a pair of tickets to see Field Yates, Daniel Dopp, Liz Loza, Mike Clay and Stefania Bell live at the gramercy theater on 23rd Street. ESPN fantasy football experts will take the deep dive into the draft strategies and share their bold NFL predictions. Tickets get you free food, exclusive merch and a post show meet and greet. That's Fantasy focus live on August 7th from 6:30 to 9 at the Gramercy Theater in New York City, just one stop from Penn Station. Enter on the ESPN app to win or lock your spot in now for just $35 at fantasy focus live.com 1-800-919-3776. Moose is in Jamaica. You're on ESPN New York. What's up Moose?
- [37:09]
Michael Kay
What's going on fellas? How are we?
- [37:12]
Don LaGreca
Good. What's up Moose?
- [37:13]
Peter Rosenberg
Very good.
- [37:14]
Michael Kay
Chilling, Chilling. Yeah, I'm hanging in there. Glad to see you guys doing well. I like to get my letter grades for the Mets and the Yankees.
- [37:23]
Don LaGreca
All right.
- [37:24]
Michael Kay
When it comes to the trade deadline, I like to give the Mets an A minus and I'd like to give the Yankees a B plus because I would give them better grades if they got a bona fide starter. But considering the price for Cease or Ryan, who I'm not necessarily sold on as a big postseason performer, seats sort of, even though his stats say otherwise. But yeah, that's it.
- [37:51]
Don LaGreca
Catcher would have cost you Spencer Jones. They weren't going to do that and I don't mind that.
- [37:59]
Peter Rosenberg
No, we got a bad connection moves. I appreciate phone call. Yeah, they're not giving up Spencer Jones and then we'll find out how much that hurts them when we see Spencer Jones. If Spencer Jones becomes the next Mickey Mantle, no one's going to care if he ends up struggling. Then we have another Anthony Volpe accepted outfielder.
- [38:18]
Don LaGreca
Well, remember now, they wouldn't give up. It was like two to three years ago. It was Castillo was available from the Mariners and they needed a starting pitcher. This is when they got Montas instead. And they wouldn't give up Volpe. So they didn't get him.
- [38:34]
Michael Kay
Some players are more touchable than others. Wow.
- [38:37]
Don LaGreca
And it's a real thing. And that was something at the time. It showed you how much they believed in Volpe. And then Volpe the next year would end up having his, his rookie season and he was good. So, you know, there's certain moves that you wait and see. Was that the right thing to do? But are you telling me is right? Is that making you a champion this year? If you make that move and you give up Spencer Jones and then in three years from now, all of a sudden he's Pete Crowe Armstrong, like you don't know. Like you don't know. So I, I'm all right on a year like this. If they were at a point this season where they were still playing high level baseball and you didn't have the six weeks you just saw, right. I might have a different opinion, Don. Is that fair? Am I, am I all right to have that? Is it okay that the last six weeks affected me enough to say I am not going to give up on a prospect to make a trade that could give me a starter that could help me just get over the top, win that championship and the drought, and I'll live with, hey, if this guy turns into a star down the road, I don't care. I got my ring. But if, because this team over the last six weeks showed me something else. Nope, not doing it. Is, am I okay? Is it okay for me to have that difference in opinion?
- [39:50]
Peter Rosenberg
It is. And when you look at the moves that were made, it seemed like everybody that they went out and got, with the exception I think of Duval, are under control for years beyond this. So it tells you that it isn't all about this this year. Yeah, it's about this year, but it's also about the future. That's why I'm a little sometimes dubious about, like we were saying about Boone, because they think they're all in for next year, too. But you saw Thibodeau get fired with the Knicks and you saw a great run from Girardi in 17 and a manager still got moved. So I guess both could be true that they're still thinking about the future, but still could be disappointed enough in what happened in 2025 to make a move ultimately. We'll see about that. Nick in Woodbridge, you're on ESPN New York. What's up Nick?
- [40:38]
Michael Kay
Hey guys, how's it going? Thanks for taking the call. So I think on that notion of both things can be true, I think I feel a lot of the same towards Brian Cashman. I could be happy and I think Yankee fans are allowed to be happy that he had a fantastic trade deadline while also being critical of the fact that he, this was self inflicted. He was the one that constructed this roster and decided to go into the season with those options at third base.
- [41:04]
Don LaGreca
Such a great point.
- [41:05]
Michael Kay
I'm happy with what they, with what they made. But you know, I, I think the larger point you guys touched on a few minutes ago, do I believe in this lineup come postseason time, I think the pitching will be there. Now I don't know that I believe in that lineup. If Judge doesn't hit close to what he's capable of doing in the regular season, how could you feel overly confident? They didn't really make a giant move.
- [41:27]
Don LaGreca
Offensively and go ahead Don. No, they were both going to say the same thing. All I'm going to say is quickly and you already talk about judges issues in the postseason now could be physically compromised in the postseason with even, even just at bat could be. So you add that to it, that's obviously alarming.
- [41:46]
Peter Rosenberg
And what I was going to say is Nick, if you look at the history of Brian Cashman, when his team is not hit in the postseason, his counter has always been we'll just add to the pitching. We'll outpit you. All right, so we'll just, instead of trying to win the game, you know, three, two, we'll try to win the game. Two, one, one nothing. That's why they went out and got Cole, you know, so. Because it's not easy to always find those bats because you don't know how those bats are going to perform in the postseason.
- [42:13]
Michael Kay
Right.
- [42:13]
Peter Rosenberg
I mean that's what's crazy. Aaron Judge is a, a generational talent and he's a.208 hitter in the postseason like so they have tried to address the bat but where they feel more comfortable. And Nick, thank you for the phone call. Seems to be all right. We'll double down on pitching and we'll just try to get the other team to score less runs. Than we do. And that's why it's so hard to know what they're going to do in the postseason with the bats. And their best player is Stanton in the postseason. That may not have a position if judge has to dh.
- [42:45]
Don LaGreca
Isn't that crazy? Now later in games you could because the depth that you have, See I'll. The devil's advocate I'll give you is the depth that you have now allows you in a big spot in the seventh inning. Have Stanton pinch hit knowing okay, I can now switch out. Like if he's hitting 4, if OP he's struggling or if you know, if, if Dominguez is struggling, I can now switch him out and then I can just have somebody replace him in the, in the field and finish the game like you know, at least there's enough depth now to do that. Where you have Rosario and, and, and everybody else.
- [43:19]
Peter Rosenberg
Let's go to Dave and Elizabeth. You're on espn New York.
- [43:24]
Michael Kay
Dave. My bad fellas. My bad. I was in the middle of grabbing a box and I hear Don going.
- [43:29]
Peter Rosenberg
To me it was a Richard Manhattan moment.
- [43:31]
Don LaGreca
Yeah. I felt like, oh yeah.
- [43:33]
Michael Kay
Oh yeah, right. Yep. No, no Novocaine though. No novocaine.
- [43:37]
Don LaGreca
What do you got baby?
- [43:38]
Michael Kay
Oh, Hollywood Hun. I'm coming for you brother.
- [43:41]
Don LaGreca
Let's go.
- [43:42]
Michael Kay
Yeah. All right. I don't agree with the extension. I'm sorry. Like look, I was talking to Jacob Perry before I got on with you and Jacob kind of convinced me he's an iron man. He's a hard worker. Yeah. He's consistent on defense and he's a consistent mid range guy. And he can't hit the three.
- [43:58]
Don LaGreca
David 35. David's $35 million. And you look at that and don't say $35 million. A lot of money. Not in today's NBA. 50, 50 plus is what the stars get. And Bridges is in that second tier. Right. He is not obviously he's not a star all star level guy but he is a one of the high end supporting cast players in the NBA. And so what he's getting is right in his market value and he's. And he actually left a little on the table to help you and the contract in two years if you needed to trade it, we'll have great value. So it was the right thing to do.
- [44:33]
Michael Kay
He left some cheese off the taco. I don't know why he did that but. But you know he was trying to be team friendly. But here's the thing. He's earned it on the iron man. Level. He's earned it, like with his work ethic and what he's done. Maybe Tib didn't utilize in the right way. I will say that I'm not, I'm not a tips hater. I'm not a Tibs basher like some of the.
- [44:52]
Don LaGreca
It's fair though, Dave, you're making a great point. I think we're going to get into Knicks a little bit later on, so we'll go deeper into it. But what Dave's saying right there is something certainly to watch with Bridges with now a new coach and Mike Brown, who by the way, quote, end quote, I love wings, so.
- [45:10]
Michael Kay
Me too. Wings with real wings, though. Chicken wings, of course. Hey, Don, Real, real quick before you guys let me go. Don, I know you're excited with what Stern did. He kept everything beefed up the bullpen, beefed up the team. We still got our top prospects in the kids. You know, as far as one of my fan favorites, Luis Angel, I'm excited.
- [45:29]
Peter Rosenberg
Don't they address the needs?
- [45:30]
Michael Kay
It all comes together, Dave.
- [45:32]
Peter Rosenberg
That's, that's what you hope for. It all comes together, but they address the needs. They had to reimagine this bullpen. They did it. They needed to stick the complacenter field. They did that. So we'll see if it all comes together the way that it should. But I think both these teams did well. And a question that Allen asked and maybe we can ask Michael coming up next is who's got the better bullpen. I think that's a legit question, but Michael's going to join us next. Just get his thoughts on the Ian o' Connor article. Boone moving forward, the pressure on him. He didn't get a chance to do his show today, so we'll get a chance to talk to him. Coming up at 4. Fraud alert Friday at 4:30. Enn at 6. Don on a Rosenberg till 6:30 right here on ESPN New York.
- [46:12]
Don LaGreca
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