ESPYs Were Kinda Cringe + Details and Thoughts on the McCullers Trade

Summary

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Payne & Pendergast – July 16, 2026

Episode Title: ESPYs Were Kinda Cringe + Details and Thoughts on the McCullers Trade
Podcast Summary by Audacy

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Episode Theme

This episode centers on two main themes: a comically critical review of the 2026 ESPYs (“kinda cringe” as the hosts label it) and the Houston Astros’ trade of pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. The hosts—ex-NFL lineman Seth Payne, seasoned sports radio mainstay Sean Pendergast, and guest contributor Cole Thompson—deliver their hallmark blend of insider takes, humor, and local perspective as they break down the ESPYs broadcast, dissect the dynamics and fallout of the McCullers trade, and riff on broader sports culture stories bubbling around Houston and beyond.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The ESPYs 2026: Awkward, Forced, “Netflix-ification,” and Wardrobe Critiques

• Will Ferrell’s Comedy: Hit or Miss

  • Seth opens with regret about being led to bash Will Ferrell (06:23):
    "Luke got me to crap on Will Ferrell."
  • Will Ferrell's extended bit at the MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby universally panned as painfully unfunny (07:00):
    "20 minutes of pure agonizing pain of unfunny Will Ferrell, which is probably the worst version of any comedian." –Cole
    Hosts credit Ferrell with a slightly improved but still tepid turn at the ESPYs (07:38):
  • On the streaming/tie-in culture:
    ”I saw you had this topic yesterday, Seth: the Netflix-ification of sports...” –Sean (07:01)

• ESPYs as TV Filler

  • Sean admits, “I wouldn’t normally watch the ESPYs, but it’s like the deadest sports day on the calendar,” highlighting the lack of competition in July (08:07).

• Host & Attire Observations

  • SNL’s Marcelo Hernandez was the main event’s host. Sean’s review:
    "His monologue was pretty. I thought it was pretty good. I’m sure the internet crapped all over it because they crap all over every monologue..." (08:18)
  • The group pokes fun at athlete fashion—specifically, Fernando Mendoza’s white tuxedo:
    "He was dressed like a waiter from a Carnival Cruise steakhouse." –Sean (08:51)
  • The hosts riff on Mendoza’s “politician” air, and compare his look to George McFly from Back to the Future (10:15).
  • Pat McAfee’s severe recent weight loss draws commentary:
    • “He looks a little unhealthy right now.” –Seth (11:22)
    • “He might be on the Ozempic.” –Seth (12:11)

• Noteworthy ESPY Segments

  • Simone Biles’ appearance stirs online chatter and reveals a bit of plastic surgery commentary: “I did not realize that Simone Biles has two new friends… she had some work done. I just didn’t realize this would be the signal that she—she ain’t coming back to gymnastics, I don’t think, anytime soon.” –Sean (14:36, 15:13)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Cassowaries (Unexpected Avian Side Track):

  • “It’s like a turkey had sex with, like, a Tyrannosaurus Rex. That’s—it’s a cassowary.” –Sean (04:19)
  • “If you’re able to have the banana slugs, Cassowary’s got to be at least in the top five of options.” –Cole (05:06)

• On Aging in Sports:

  • “Which makes you feel older? That Cecil Fielder has a grandson that plays professional baseball or that Prince Fielder… has a son that plays baseball?” –Sean (17:14)

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2. Astros Trade Lance McCullers Jr.: Mixed Emotions & Analysis

• Trade Details and Initial Reactions

  • Sean announces the trade aftermath and expresses surprise anyone traded for the oft-injured McCullers.
  • Trade specifics (16:24):
    • Lance McCullers Jr., Colton Gordon, and cash to the Milwaukee Brewers for prospect Jaden Fielder. Brewers cover $2 million of McCullers’ salary, Astros pay the rest (19:52).

• Sentimental vs. Practical Analysis

  • Seth: “I was actually happy for Lance… But then, if he goes to the Brewers and just has an unblemished second half of the season … I’m going to be a little pissed.” (18:36–19:17)
  • Acknowledges the rational move for both teams but underlines the pain if McCullers thrives in Milwaukee while Houston foots the bill.

• The Money & Mentorship Angle

  • The Brewers acquiring McCullers as a mentorship/clubhouse presence as much as for his pitching:
    – “Worst case, we're paying 2 million bucks for an assistant pitching coach.” –Sean (20:42)

• The Astros' Perspective:

  • Sean: “I’m just surprised they got anything for Lance McCullers. I thought there’s a better chance he’d be DFA’d…” (19:20)
  • The 5/10 rule is explained, clarifying McCullers’ no-trade power as a function of MLB service time (18:14–18:25).

• Fans’ Feelings & Legacy

  • Seth and Sean both express the emotional conflict of rooting for former stars who leave the city, especially when their time was interrupted by injury and big contracts, promising to revisit the “will you root for them elsewhere” question later in the show (22:02).

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Notable Quotes – Lance McCullers Trade Segment

• “There was nothing that was probably most likely be good about anything this year with Lance … if he played, even if he pitched well, probably going to get injured again.” –Seth (18:39)

• “If he goes to the Brewers and just has an unblemished second half of the season … I’m going to be a little pissed.” –Seth (18:39)

• “If he’s still around, doing things in October for the Brewers … that’ll be frustrating.” –Sean (19:26)

• “They could be looking at this as worst case, we’re paying 2 million bucks for an assistant pitching coach.” –Sean (20:42)

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3. Banter, Humor, and Typical "Guy Talk"

• The hosts riff throughout on the oddities of aging (especially as athletes’ sons and even grandsons reach pro rosters), pop culture analogies, and Houston sports personalities.
• The trio debates whether the Astros’ or Brewers’ side of the trade is more favorable, especially considering ongoing salary obligations and the hope that McCullers stays healthy (20:06–20:21).

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Timestamps – Important Segments

• 01:41 – Show proper begins; Sean returns after illness/lost voice
• 04:03–05:44 – Cassowary bird/turkey-dinosaur sidebar (“underrated bird” riff)
• 06:27 – Will Ferrell’s All-Star Game/ESPYs bits reviewed
• 07:01 – Netflix-ification of live sports; awkward brand tie-ins
• 08:18 – ESPYs host and monologue critique; sports as “deadest day”
• 08:51 – “Carnival Cruise waiter” tuxedo/Mendoza wardrobe
• 10:15–11:55 – Pat McAfee’s transformation; Hollywood ‘look’
• 14:36–16:09 – Simone Biles’ new look & what it “signals” about her athletic future
• 16:16 – McCullers trade talk begins; specifics and emotional reaction
• 18:14 – Clarifying McCullers’ no-trade clause (5/10 rule)
• 18:36–21:48 – Full analysis/reactions to trade, salary, and McCullers’ future
• 22:02 – Broader question: “Will you root for ex-Houston stars elsewhere?”

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Language and Tone

True to form, Payne & Pendergast is irreverent, witty, and conversational. The tone oscillates between sharp, playful banter (bird and wardrobe tangents, mockery of sports awards shows) and honest, often emotionally charged fan analysis (regarding team legacy, aging, injuries, and sentimental attachments to Houston athletes). The episode sticks to their “unfiltered takes” tagline, never shying from candid assessments and lighthearted shade.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

If you weren’t tuning in (or don’t plan to watch the 2026 ESPYs), this episode offers:

• A primer on why the ESPYs are “kinda cringe” but review-worthy as a comedy of errors.
• A detailed, sensible breakdown of the complicated feelings around Lance McCullers’ exit from the Astros—balancing hope for him personally with frustration over “what might have been.”
• Plenty of pop-culture analogies, Houston flavor, and nuanced perspectives—plus some silly tangents (cassowary awareness!) for longtime fans of the show.

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Next Segment Preview:
Cole leads the team into Texans training camp questions: “Is the offensive line improved, or just older and more expensive?” (22:59)

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Transcript

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Would you look at that. It's time for some of our favorite Snapple reel facts. Real fact 1433 Toe wrestling is a competitive sport. Real fact 732 the chicken is the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex. And reel fact 1599aman once ate an entire airplane. Yowch. Did he have any hot sauce?

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Yeah.

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So anyways, this has been a refreshing break. Brought to you Snapple Real tea, Real

[Sean Pendergast]

juice with snaps and Disney refreshing sports radio 610 presents Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast.

[Seth Payne]

We coming to eighth time. Let's get the work in man. Let's go.

[Sean Pendergast]

Great day. Great day. Oh, give me some juice, baby. Oh yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Let's do it.

[Sean Pendergast]

Hey, what's happening everybody? Happy Thursday to all of you. Nice to be with you and I mean that in the most sincere way possible. Nice to be with you. Appreciate you getting up with us. We're with you until 10am this morning.

[Seth Payne]

I'm so glad you're not dead, dude. I was a little bit worried about it. I know I didn't call and ask you or anything, but you know, just know that I was concerned quietly. I was really, really worried about you.

[Sean Pendergast]

I. It was really unsettling for me to be out the last couple days, especially having been out on vacation last week.

[Seth Payne]

You know what you were like? You were like a baseball player that doesn't want to take a day off. And like that you get forced into it.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, it was. I got load managed, basically.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Because I could have been back yesterday. For those who don't know, and you know it's that time of year if you. If you didn't dip in on Monday. I was back from vacation on Monday, but my throat was shredded from dry air throughout the entire vacation. I don't know. It was bad. And by like 7:00 clock on Monday, I was having some serious voice issues. They kind of worked out the kinks throughout the show, but not great. So I texted our boss, literally at like seven. I'm like, I may have a voice emergency here. And so he was kind enough to schedule subs the next couple days. I told him, seth, I told Parker, I, like, on Tuesday, I'm like, I can be back in tomorrow if you need me. He's like, no, no, take another day. I'm like, okay, well, I can't make fun of Kawhi Leonard anymore. Thanks a lot. I got load managed for the first time in my career. I'd never called in sick before since ever.

[Seth Payne]

And you were. It was forced upon you.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Well, that's. You know what? And I blame myself because I'm the one that usually if I have any kind of voice, like when I get a voice issue, it ends up lasting a week.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And I try to fight through it and it's not good for anybody. The listeners hate it because I sound like death. I sound like they're visiting their great grandmother at the nursing home.

[Sean Pendergast]

You and I. Right. But you and I are kind of cut from the same cloth that way. Like, I don't. I don't like taking days off, man. It was very unsettling. Very unsettling.

[Seth Payne]

Well, we're glad to have you back.

[Sean Pendergast]

It's good to be back, man. It's really good to be back. And I would like to. If you're watching on the YouTube, I would imagine you're seeing this already. Watching on the Twitch. You're seeing it already. People are looking. They're going, hey, there's Cole Thompson. There's Cole Thompson right there. Hey, good. How are you, man?

[Cole Thompson]

I am great. I do not sound like a cassowary, probably the way that you did a couple days ago.

[Sean Pendergast]

I did cassowary, by the way.

[Cole Thompson]

I'm shocked that neither of you knew what that bird was.

[Sean Pendergast]

No, no, can I did.

[Seth Payne]

Well, I know, I know. I knew. I was vaguely aware of it. I hadn't done the research.

[Cole Thompson]

Fighting turkeys, basically what it is.

[Lowe's Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

It's. What's Like a turkey had sex with, like, a Tyrannosaurus Rex. That's. It's a cassowary. And people wondering, like, why are you bringing this up? Why are we bringing it up? Because of the. Oh, the Bison.

[Cole Thompson]

The bison, dude.

[Sean Pendergast]

Into the air.

[Cole Thompson]

The one that turned to Tess Johnson afterwards on the Tampa Buccaneers social page.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah. Tampa Bay got in on that. I. Seth, I bounced the whole cassowary thing off of, like, four or five people later that day. None of them had heard of a cassowary before.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, it's a. It's a dramatically underrated bird.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. They were like, it should be on lists of most underrated. Like, if it's not even. You don't find it on power rankings or anything.

[Sean Pendergast]

It should, at the very least, be the logo of some minor league baseball team. You know, in. In Idaho. Australia would get in on that one, wouldn't you?

[Cole Thompson]

Yeah, at least, like, if you're able to have the. The fighting sandals or if you're able to have the banana slugs. Cassowary's got to be at least in the top five of options that are available.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, we're. We're bringing awareness to the cassowary.

[Seth Payne]

There's. There is a. Okay. There are some soccer. Soccer clubs in Australian. Australian League football teams, like, some minor league teams that are named the. The Coranda Cassowary.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Okay.

[Cole Thompson]

That sounds like a cricket club more than anything else.

[Sean Pendergast]

Well, I know I'm going to Amazon during the next break to try to find some of their gear. Where are they from, Seth?

[Seth Payne]

I don't know. The other hemisphere fun part that nobody

[Cole Thompson]

goes to because they don't want to die going out there.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, it is. Oh, it's Queensland, Australia.

[Sean Pendergast]

Queensland. Okay. Queensland cassowaries. I'm going to go buy some during the break. So everything went smoothly the last couple days, then? Old Sethurs.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, for the most part. You know, one thing. You know, Luke has mentioned this a couple times. So Luke Morrow was in yesterday. And, you know, people, I. I've never picked up on this from Luke, that he's got a reputation for just crapping on things. And I never really. I had never really picked up on it. And then I realized after the show yesterday when Brandy texted me and said, hey, how come you're talking so much smack about Will Ferrell? You love Will Ferrell. And I was like, you know what? You're right.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Luke. Luke got me to crap on Will Ferrell.

[Sean Pendergast]

He influenced you.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because of his introduction at the All Star Game or his little bit that he did at the All Star Game.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

But then Will Ferrell pops up again at the ESPYs last night.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's at the SB. He was much funnier at the ESPYS last night.

[Cole Thompson]

Well, the bar was not that high, let's be real, compared to what it was in the home run.

[Sean Pendergast]

Dude, did you. Did you happen to catch.

[Seth Payne]

I only saw. I saw little snippets once. I saw Bryce Harper jumping up on the ropes or whatever. At the All Star Game, you.

[Cole Thompson]

At least 20 minutes of pure agonizing pain of unfunny Will Ferrell, which is probably the worst version of any comedian.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, he was out there for a long time.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, He. Well, they were this. And I saw you had this topic yesterday, Seth, the Netflix Ification of sports. But he and. And one of the Wilsons, the dark haired Wilson, I think that's Luke.

[Lowe's Announcer]

Luke.

[Cole Thompson]

Old school.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. And then. And then a third guy, Jimmy Tatro or whatever his name is, they were out there promoting their new Netflix show. So they had them doing the introductions for. Or like chiming in on Michael Buffer's introductions for all the Home Run Derby participants. And it was so bad, and it was really awkward. And then Will Ferrell pops up at the. At the ESPYS last night. Oh, by the way, he's gonna be on Good Morning America this morning.

[Cole Thompson]

Is he playing the same character? I don't.

[Sean Pendergast]

I have no idea what the show's about. I didn't know there was a Netflix show.

[Seth Payne]

He's a golfer of some.

[Cole Thompson]

Yeah, it's like. It's like an even dumber down version of the Owen Wilson Apple TV show. Okay.

[Sean Pendergast]

Okay. Yeah. So he was there last night, and I'm like, oh, God, here we go. And he was. Actually, the bit they did was kind of funny last night. I watched most of the. I watched most of the ESPYS last night. I wouldn't Normally watch the ESPYs, but it's like the deadest sports day on the calendar, so.

[Cole Thompson]

Right.

[Sean Pendergast]

I'll pop it on tv.

[Seth Payne]

That's why it is. When it is.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Do it specifically because of that.

[Sean Pendergast]

Makes sense.

[Seth Payne]

Usually do it right after, like, during the All Star break, Right?

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, they do. Yeah, the day after the All Star game, they do it.

[Cole Thompson]

The.

[Sean Pendergast]

Among. Among my observations, non Will Ferrell. Marcelo Hernandez of SNL was the host. His monologue was pretty. I thought it was pretty good. I'm sure the Internet crapped all over it because they crap all over every monologue, it seems like, except when Ricky Gervais comes on the.

[Autotrader Announcer]

The.

[Sean Pendergast]

The Emmys or the Oscars or whatever it is and just takes a flamethrower to every Hollywood celebrity. People seem to like that. Yeah, they do like that.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Negativity tends to play on social media.

[Sean Pendergast]

Fernando Mendoza won one of the awards. I think it was like, college athlete. It was college athlete.

[Cole Thompson]

College athlete.

[Sean Pendergast]

Thank you, Cole. He was dressed like a waiter from a Carnival Cruise steakhouse. He had the dark pants and the white tuxedo going.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

So it looked I was ready for him to seat me at my usual table when I saw him on there. I am. I am really looking forward to seeing how his shtick plays on a 3 and 14 football.

[Seth Payne]

Right. That's where. Well, if anything, I think that's why. That's why Kirk Cousins is there. It's not as much even to mentor him. I think it's to be the Easies. To be the bullet catcher for that first season. And Fernando Mendoza can kind of come in if. It's almost like a weird situation where I think he's got a better chance of playing if they're winning football games than the classic. If Kirk Cousins is playing and they. They still suck. I think Kirk Cousins is the quarterback the entire time.

[Sean Pendergast]

They just don't. Don't even throw him out there, huh?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. But if they feel like, okay, you know what, the rookie can do some things and it looks like this is an okay environment, then maybe they put him in, like, within reason. Obviously, if they're undefeated or something. They're not.

[Sean Pendergast]

Does the whole hand thing when he's talking like he's giving me a TED Talk or something.

[Seth Payne]

Checks off all the boxes, Sean.

[Cole Thompson]

Dude, politician, of course he's got to check off all the boxes.

[Sean Pendergast]

Early in his career.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he does. Like, he's. Boy, if he ever went into politics, though, I mean, it's just. That's immediately. Just abandoning. 50% of the people who love you are going to despise you.

[Cole Thompson]

What I thought was so interesting is I saw this on Twitter last night. Somebody said he looks like George McFly at the under the Sea dance party. To fight.

[Sean Pendergast]

That is what he looks like.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. That's a good call.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The white.

[Cole Thompson]

The white tuxedo getting dark stance. Get ready to sucker punch Max Crosby, who's pretending to masquerade as Biff Tannen.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, that's a good. That's a good visual right there. McAfee was dressed like Woody from Toy Story. If Woody had undergone, like, a heel turn and an image change. Like, he had on, like, the. Like the whole cowboy outfit without the hat, but all black. Like the little, you know, like the little designs that it has at the top of your chest.

[Seth Payne]

He's wearing a western shirt.

[Sean Pendergast]

Western shirt. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

He just, like. I'll tell you what, this is, the thing about McAfee that's kind of freaking me out lately is that, you know, he's gone out and said that he wants to be a Hollywood star, at least he's going to take a stab at it. And, like, Hollywood people tend to be pretty gaunt and emaciated. When you meet him in person, the men are always, like, freakishly skinnier than you thought they were.

[Sean Pendergast]

Shorter. Shorter, too.

[Seth Payne]

And he's doing that because he goes all in on everything. But he looks a little unhealthy right now.

[Sean Pendergast]

You think?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah.

[Cole Thompson]

Ariana. Grande level unhealthy or like, I think he's headed there. Is he that bad?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I'm. I don't. Maybe it's just the. Maybe it's just the clips I saw or I'm looking at a still photo right now, and it's just not. It's a gaunt look, which is great for Holly. Remember. You know what this is, though? This is when the Rock. When he went super Hollywood and it felt like, oh, he was gonna try to go, like, be a dramatic actor and everything he looked.

[Sean Pendergast]

He lost.

[Seth Payne]

He lost some of his, like, on screen Persona and charisma because he was just way too skinny.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And he ended up bulking back up and just being what he was. I feel like McAfee. Part of his appeal is he's just kind of like a lovable everyman. And now he looks a little bit like a gaunt Hollywood D back.

[Sean Pendergast]

He does. I see. I thought he looked. I looked at him like, oh, he looks like he's in pretty good shape. But he. But you think he's hitting dangerous.

[Seth Payne]

He might be on the Ozempic.

[Sean Pendergast]

That could be because it's happened. The transformations happened fairly quickly.

[Seth Payne]

He's on the Peptides. Like, it seems like every guy is these days. Anybody in Hollywood. Because I think he's open about that.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I wouldn't be surprised if he was on the Ozempic.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep.

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[Sean Pendergast]

My only other thing on the ESPYs. I was glad I stayed up to see this. I did not realize maybe I haven't been on the Internet enough. I didn't realize that Simone Biles has two new friends.

[Cole Thompson]

Really?

[Sean Pendergast]

I didn't know that. I didn't realize.

[Seth Payne]

I don't even know what you're talking about.

[Sean Pendergast]

So I gotta look this up. Her friends are actually inanimate objects. Well, inanimate, maybe. Anyways, she had some work done. Yeah, she had some work done. I. And, and I'm like, okay, am I late to the party on this good morning? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I. And I. Turns out I was late to the party. She's made other public appearances with her two new friends.

[Seth Payne]

See, now she. I'll say. With Simone Biles. It's funny. In that documentary they did on her a couple years ago.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Which is an awesome documentary. She. She talked about how, you know, people always criticize the gymnast for their hair and makeup. And she's like. She's like. People don't realize, like, we have to do that ourselves. We're sweating. We're doing, like. It's just. Yeah. She has her overall appearance. Is she opposite of Pat McAfee? Her face and everything looks like she. It's incredible. She's really, like. She's. She's positioned herself well for making that transition into either influencer, Hollywood, whatever it ends up being.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. I want to be very clear. She looks fantastic. Yeah, she looks great. She looks great. I just didn't realize this would. This would be the signal that she. She ain't coming back to gymnastics, I don't think, anytime soon.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, yeah. That messes up your whole center of gravity, and everything

[Cole Thompson]

is going to be a little bit more challenging. Yeah.

[Alltrails Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

It's a little top heavy.

[Autotrader Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. So that's how that goes. Hey, did the. Seth, did the Lance McCullers trade come down while you and Luke were on the air yesterday?

[Seth Payne]

No, I think only it came down right at the very end. We talked about it at the toss, so we had zero details other than their admitted trade. We didn't know about what.

[Cole Thompson]

This.

[Seth Payne]

How the salary was going to be handled.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep.

[Seth Payne]

What. What the Astros were getting back in return. We got none of that.

[Sean Pendergast]

Okay, so I've got the details on, and I'm sure people were listening yesterday. They've got it by now. But just in case, if you're just tuning in. Lance McCullers When I am told. Amy is the one who told me, like, I wasn't. You know, she. She goes, hey, did you just see Lance McCullers got traded? And I. And I feel bad saying this because I like Lance. I'm like, who's trading for Lance McCullers right now? Yeah, but the Milwaukee brewers are trading for Lance McCullers now. Colton Gordon, and Cash are also going to Milwaukee in exchange for Jaden Fielder. And I'm like, oh, is this. This is how. This is where you can tell somebody's in denial about how old they are. Me, for example, I'm like, oh, Jaden Fielder. I didn't know Prince Fielder had a much younger brother. Oh, that's. That's cool. That Cecil Fielder had another son that plays baseball.

[Cole Thompson]

That's a second cousin.

[Sean Pendergast]

No, no, no. Yeah, it's Cecil Fielder's grandson and Prince Fielder's son, Seth. Which makes you feel older? That Cecil Fielder has a grandson that plays professional baseball or that Prince Fielder who Feels like retired like two years ago.

[Alltrails Announcer]

Right.

[Sean Pendergast]

And I know it's been longer. Has a son that plays baseball.

[Seth Payne]

It's a Cecil Fielder part of it. Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Anything with grand in front of it.

[Seth Payne]

Grandson. We hear there's a lot, there are a lot more children of major league players and NFL players and everything in their respective leagues. And there used to be.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So it's not as much of a shock to my system because I now I've got. There's so many guys in the NFL, guys I played with whose sons are now five year veterans in the NFL.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

The grandson part, though, like the first time I find out that one of my teammates has a grandson in the NFL, I'm just, I might just go ahead and end it off.

[Sean Pendergast]

I'm with you on that. I'm with you on the grandson thing. Now to the trade itself. The other thing that shocked me is Lance McCullers had a no trade clause in his contract. I'm like, it's. I figured that usually gets given to guys. And now granted, when he, you know

[Seth Payne]

what, it's not a no trade clause. I didn't realize this. It's because he has 10 years of service time and he's been with the same 5, 10 years, 5, 10 rule.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. 5, 10 rule. Okay. So that, so that's. That was collectively bargained. All right, so that makes sense. That makes perfect sense. What was your gut reaction when you got the Lance McCullers news yesterday?

[Seth Payne]

Two things. One, I was, I was actually happy for Lance.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Because look, there was nothing, like, there was nothing that was going to probably most likely be good about anything this year with Lance. Because even after he came back, if he played, even if he pitched well, probably going to get injured again. But then immediately followed by my own self interest, which is, my God, if he goes to the brewers and he just has an unblemished second half of the season of immaculate starts and plays well in the playoffs and never gets injured, I'm going to be a little pissed. And I can't be pissed at the Astros if it works out that way. This is the, this is the smart and rational thing to do. And yet it feels like that would be the ultimate, the ultimate blow to the head from the. Oh, dude.

[Sean Pendergast]

If he's good. Oh my God. If he's good. Well, this.

[Seth Payne]

If he's good and stays healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes in and gives three good starts, but then, yeah, drops a dumbbell on his right.

[Sean Pendergast]

If he's still around doing. If he's still around, doing things in October for the Brewers. That'll be. That'll be. That'll be frustrating. Um, I was. I'm just surprised they got anything for Lance McCullers. I thought there's a better chance he'd be DFA then. Then they would get something for him in a trade just because. For all the reasons you said, Seth, like, he's. He's injured all. He's never available.

[Cole Thompson]

See, my first thought was, how much are the Astros paying back on the contract to go ahead and get him off?

[Sean Pendergast]

The brewers are picking up 2 million. The brewers. The brewers are paying him 2 million bucks. His salary is, like, 15 or 16, so he's got, like, 40% of the season left. So it sounds like the Astros are probably picking up the lion's share of what's left on that.

[Cole Thompson]

I still think it's more so in favor of the Astros, but the fact that somebody's willing to take on any bit of that contract is impressive.

[Seth Payne]

Well, I think of the brewers for where they are as a team are just like, hey, it's a little bit of a nice little $2 million gamble on a guy that's got upside, and they're a very competitive team.

[Sean Pendergast]

Obviously, playoff experience, too.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Play. Oh, that whole part of it. Yeah. Maybe as a. Like, the whole. I know people. I know it's overrated sometimes, talking about the mentor facet of it, but going back to Justin Verlander and what guys like Lance McCullers said, how valuable it was to have. Have Justin Verlander as a veteran presence with the pitchers, I think, yeah, the brewers might be looking at that a

[Sean Pendergast]

little bit with Lance, and Lance is one of those baseball junkies that probably does serve a purpose, just sitting in the dugout talking to guys. They could be looking at this as worst case. We're paying 2 million bucks for an assistant pitching coach.

[Seth Payne]

You know what?

[Alltrails Announcer]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

There is that part of Lance that, you know, people have been loath to acknowled because it's just been all negative in terms of on the field. But, like, he's the rare guy that even when he's injured, even when he's not coming back, all that. He's in the dugout, he's working, he's talking to guys. Like, he's always around. So I think this is one of those instances, kind of like with Alex Bregman, where. No, it's a. It's a real thing. The veteran mentorship part of it is probably a big part of it.

[Cole Thompson]

There was a Positive. Yesterday, Dana Brown was talking about it, saying that he believes eventually Lance will be working in a front office somewhere.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Cole Thompson]

Maybe even with this organization in the future. So it's like if you give him to Jacob Mizarowski, dude that's on fire right now, helping him work out the mechanics going into October.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Cole Thompson]

My biggest fear, though, is that he turns into Garrett Cole 2.0 with brewers, like a 225 era. 7.

[Sean Pendergast]

7 segment. And you're doing stuff.

[Cole Thompson]

I know. I'm already pissing people off.

[Sean Pendergast]

Shut your mouth, man.

[Seth Payne]

I already brought it. Yeah. But no, that's equally my fear. And it should. I should. I will still be happy for Lance. Yeah. And yet at the same time, there's a whole lot of. Oh, this. This is when you decide to come in and be. Be completely healthy.

[Sean Pendergast]

No, that. That's a good question for later. Seth, maybe we can revisit this later in the show because you and I was talking about this. Where does this depart now? Departed Houston athlete fall on the will you root for them elsewhere scale. And Lance is a very complicated one. Not for anything he's done, but just because of the injuries and the money he's made for to pitch very few innings. There's a lot to unpack with Lance McCullers. We'll do it later in the show. Baseball talk on Sports Radio 610, presented by Xfinity. Score. The most reliable Wi Fi. One price, five years guaranteed. Xfinity. Imagine that. All right. Ten days, ten radio days until Texans training camp. So we're going to do one big question about the Texans per day. Cole's going to lead Seth and I on this one. One big question per day leading up to training camp. Cole, what is the question for today that we're going to attack? Next segment, is the offensive line improved

[Cole Thompson]

or just older and more expensive?

[Sean Pendergast]

That's a good one. I like that. Okay, little O. Line talk. We'll do that coming up next.

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[Seth Payne]

Diamond Dynasty has all new Red Diamond Cards and World Baseball Classic content in MLB the Show 26.

[Sean Pendergast]

Collect your favorites and compete against the best MLB the Show 26 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XS and Nintendo Switch. Rated E for everyone.

[Seth Payne]

Officially licensed by MLB Players, Inc.