On this episode of the ITM Podcast, Red Sox legend David Ortiz joins the program to discuss his role in the Red Sox' pursuit of Juan Soto. Papi talks about his conversations with Soto, and with Red Sox ownership. Plus, he clears the air about some of the rumors around his predictions for Soto, and conversations with Sam Kennedy. All that, and much more!
00:00 - Intro
02:21 - Red Sox Chances at Soto
04:29 - Interview with David Ortiz
07:48 - Meeting with Juan Soto
09:19 - Weekend with Papi
19:18 - Red Sox commitment
21:52 - GM meetings overview
26:33 - Ortiz's phone call
30:34 - Ortiz clarifies quote
32:10 - Language barrier issues
36:30 - Building around stars
39:01 - AI in content
41:05 - David Ortiz news
************************************************
The ITM Podcast is presented by:
Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 when you play $5! PrizePicks, run your game! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS
Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime! Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !
00:00 - Intro
02:21 - Red Sox Chances at Soto
04:29 - Interview with David Ortiz
07:48 - Meeting with Juan Soto
09:19 - Weekend with Papi
19:18 - Red Sox commitment
21:52 - GM meetings overview
26:33 - Ortiz's phone call
30:34 - Ortiz clarifies quote
32:10 - Language barrier issues
36:30 - Building around stars
39:01 - AI in content
41:05 - David Ortiz news
************************************************
The ITM Podcast is presented by:
Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 when you play $5! PrizePicks, run your game! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS
Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime! Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !
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SportsTranscript
00:00Welcome to the ITM podcast.
00:19This is episode 253 of the ITM podcast, the official Boston Red Sox podcast of the CLNS
00:25Media Network brought to you by PrizeFix, the exclusive daily fantasy partner of the
00:29CLNS Media Network, and by Game Time Tickets, the best place to buy tickets online to the
00:34sports, to the concerts, to the other events, and the Boston Red Sox are in the news.
00:41Lots of headlines, Scott.
00:43Lots of rumors.
00:44The rumor mill is a-churning.
00:45My name is Joey Capona.
00:46I'm Scott Neville.
00:47Scott, how are you doing?
00:48I'm good, dude.
00:49I mean, we're getting Juan Soto, so that's huge, right?
00:53That's big time.
00:54Yeah, it's pretty big.
00:56It's pretty big.
00:57It's a good one.
00:59Man, they are going to get him, aren't they?
01:00That's the thing, dude, is any amount of self-protection that I had, any kind of wall that I built
01:10around my heart to prevent myself from getting hurt, Sam, Tom, John, you guys have broken
01:17that wall down.
01:18I am ready to get hurt again.
01:20It's got hurt so bad, Joey.
01:22It's going to hurt really bad.
01:23I'm very vulnerable right now.
01:27This episode, as I'm sure you can see from the promotion and from clicking on this, we
01:32talked to a guy who talked to Juan Soto and also has some pretty high hopes for where
01:39Juan Soto lands.
01:42Man, the last time we talked, Scott, I think I said like 30 to 40% and you were like, that's
01:52crazy.
01:53Yeah.
01:54I think I'm over 50% now.
01:57You think it's more likely than, so you would, if there was an odds maker, generic, of course,
02:06you would take Red Sox over the field.
02:10You would have Red Sox at like plus 150 in the field at like plus 200.
02:16That's how you're feeling.
02:17When you put it that way.
02:20I would say 51% Red Sox, 49% field.
02:24Wow.
02:25Okay.
02:26It's stupid.
02:27It's stupid.
02:29I think I'm finally in the 30%, like the 30 to like between 30 and 39.
02:34My only thing is, and it happened once and it was fake, but the one tweet where it was
02:41like Steve Cohen's offered 660 million, it just reminded me that it was like, turned
02:46out to not be true, but it reminded me that at some point that's a very real tweet that
02:51could happen where it's like, Oh yeah, that's right.
02:54This guy's crazy.
02:55I forgot.
02:56Like what are we talking about?
02:58I just still, I don't know.
03:00Even when I saw that number, something so poisonous in my brain said, I don't know if
03:06that number gets it done to be a Met.
03:10But your thought was, I think the Red Sox are going to do better than 660.
03:15No, it was like, I bet 620 with the Red Sox is a better offer than 660 with the Mets.
03:24All things considered.
03:25It doesn't seem to be the way Soto thinks about things though.
03:30I feel like he's the highest bidder guy, but I do think having Ortiz calling his and hanging
03:37out with his family and being, I think that could maybe be a $10 million swing.
03:43You know what we should do?
03:45What?
03:46We should ask David Ortiz.
03:50I don't know.
03:51Dude, we just talked to him.
03:53It's already prerecorded.
03:54We should just go do it now.
03:56Ah, you got me.
03:57I was just going to, I already knew I did that too.
04:02Do you, do you want to play it now?
04:05Do you want to like let the people hear our conversation with David Ortiz about Juan Soto
04:12and his foundation?
04:13Um, probably should, right?
04:17Fine.
04:18But this is one time, one time.
04:26You know what I want to do before that actually?
04:29I have a feeling, I know.
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06:28Let's talk to David Ortiz.
06:31We are joined once again by Red Sox legend David Ortiz.
06:34Poppy, how's it going?
06:35All good.
06:36All good.
06:37How are you guys doing?
06:38I'm doing all right.
06:39I'm doing all right.
06:41I got to start here.
06:42I got to know just how great it was to watch the Yankees lose the World Series while sitting
06:48with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
06:50Yeah, that was crazy.
06:53That was crazy.
06:54I never expect the Yankees to go down the way they did.
06:59In the last game, scoring five runs, and all of a sudden the scoreboard changed based
07:04on a lot of errors and bad play, you know what I'm saying?
07:09I mean, talking about a good team, a lot of good players, big payroll, you know, it was
07:16very surprising.
07:17But yeah, man, I mean, as a Red Sox, you never want the Yankees to win.
07:22You know what I'm saying?
07:23It's something that we carry over all the time, but yeah, it was crazy.
07:29Yeah, I'm sure I'm probably going to be the only person to ask you about this person today
07:36in your back-to-back interviews, but there were reports that indicated you were not present
07:42at the Juan Soto meeting.
07:44So I wanted to ask, did the team ask you to be a part of this?
07:49And also, have you spoken to Juan Soto at all?
07:52Can you give us anything there?
07:53Yeah, the thing asked me to, they asked me if I was available at the time to go and meet
08:03up with Juan Soto.
08:04At the beginning, when they asked me, I was in the middle of something with my dad, who
08:09was at the hospital.
08:11They asked me a few days before the meeting, and I couldn't go because of it.
08:17But the Red Sox aware me about what they are trying to do, and of course, as a Dominican
08:24fellow and a friend of his and his family, it's not on the negotiation side of the Red
08:34Sox and the front office I'm in charge with.
08:38Whenever I get the opportunity to talk to him, if he happens, it's just basically to
08:44let him know how great our organization is and all that, and give him some guidance about
08:51the good things that can happen, him playing for us.
08:56Yeah, I saw you on El Vocero, was that what it was, talking about, you made like a hard
09:03prediction that he's coming to the Red Sox, which I mean, set the internet on fire, people
09:08were jumping out of their seats about that.
09:10There's a lot of speculation about you and Soto.
09:13Well, they asked me what I would like to see him, and I was, of course, I would like to
09:18see him in El Voce, you know what I'm saying?
09:20I mean, who doesn't?
09:21Who would not like to have a player like Juan Soto on his corner, of course, and what gave
09:29me a lot of hope is that the Red Sox are trying to get him, you know what I'm saying?
09:33So that basically builds up your confidence level, and if that would be on me, of course,
09:41I would do whatever it takes to do it, but you know it'd take a little bit more than that.
09:44Yeah, yeah.
09:45I do know that, I mean, you called Sam Kennedy while he was being interviewed the other day
09:50at the owners' meetings, and immediately, there's headlines being like, oh, is he calling
09:54him about Soto?
09:55Are they talking about Soto?
09:56Can you address that at all?
09:58Is there any truth to that?
09:59Is that what you guys are talking about?
10:00Are you guys checking in on that kind of stuff, or?
10:02No, no, no, no.
10:03I mean, me and Sam, we go back and forth on a lot of things, you know, and I don't even
10:09know that he was in the winner's meeting when I called him.
10:11I had to call him to talk to him about something, but one thing that I can tell you, the Red
10:19Sox are very interested in getting Soto.
10:23They, like, the way I have, you know, seen the Red Sox approaching him is the type of
10:30way that they only, the only time I have seen them approaching people like that is when
10:36they are, you know, when they won, when they won.
10:41So I'm glad they are moving on with signing players and trying to change the direction
10:46of our organization.
10:48Yeah, I mean, that's what we want to hear.
10:53I think, you know, there's been a lot of, you know, how hard are they trying?
10:58You know, there's obviously been a couple of years here with Freed, he was a little
11:01stale, but it definitely feels different this year.
11:04And, you know, obviously you can just talk about, you know, talk to Soto about how great
11:08it is to be in Boston and then let them handle the money part of it and hope that's, you
11:13know, enough.
11:15But yeah, so one thing, obviously, we're here to talk about, I did it last year, we're here
11:21again.
11:22You're raising money for the 16th annual Weekend with Poppy Celebrity Golf Classic, benefiting
11:27Your Own Foundation.
11:29So you will, you know, you're trying to find funds for pediatric cardiac surgeries for
11:35in the Dominican and New England.
11:38You have an absolutely loaded cast this year.
11:41I feel like I look, you know, every year I get this list.
11:44And I'm always like, that's insane.
11:46But I mean, this year, pretty much every teammate you've you've ever had, it seems, you know,
11:51obviously got Pedro, Pedroia, even like Brock Holt, Jackie Bradley Jr., Ukulele.
11:58And then you got, you know, Derek Jeter, Jim Rice, you got Hall of Famers in there.
12:02I mean, I think that Ric Flair is here.
12:05Yeah.
12:06Dr. J.
12:07I mean, we got Dr. J coming in today with Sheryl Lewis, a superhero on this list, Anthony
12:14Maddy.
12:15I'm telling you, man, we have so many, so many people, probably Ric Flair gonna be here
12:20today.
12:21I can't wait to see Pedroia and Ric Flair, Ric Flair getting together.
12:31I mean, Ric Flair, just so you know, is Pedroia, Dustin Pedroia, hero, like he always talk
12:40about him.
12:41He, I mean, he, he just, he's all about Ric Flair.
12:46I don't know if you guys remember when PeeWee was retiring, Ric Flair came out of the center
12:50field in the middle of everything and he just went nuts.
12:55He lost.
12:56Yeah.
12:57He, I remember that because that was the first time I'd heard that, but that, I didn't even
13:01make that connection until you just said that, but yeah, that's, that's a very funny pairing.
13:05Good.
13:06I can't wait for them to get together.
13:07My boy, Broke Hall, Gay Cap, where, I mean, Dustin is here, as you know.
13:14We also have some Bruins right here from the Stanley Cup.
13:17My boy, Sean Thornton, who just also won a Stanley Cup recently.
13:23I mean, we got a whole squad right here this weekend to continue providing life-saving
13:28surgery for all those kids.
13:30As you know, we had done more than 1,600 surgery, more than 17,000 kids have been benefited
13:37from our foundation and our goal is continue improving, continue raising money, continue
13:43getting things done for all these children in the Dominican and New England.
13:48That's our goal.
13:49Okay.
13:50Yeah.
13:51So what's your, what's your favorite part of the event from like an itinerary perspective?
13:55Cause I know you guys, like I saw the schedule.
13:56It's first of all, there are so many private pool parties.
14:00You have one every like three hours at this event.
14:02So many private pool parties, obviously this is the golf classic.
14:06Is there one part of it every year or at least this year that you're most excited about?
14:09You know what?
14:10Like one part of the event that impact me the most is when we had those kids that we
14:15do surgery on them coming out and people, it's a lot of emotions when they comes out,
14:22you know?
14:23I mean, you're talking about kids that some of them end up losing their life because they
14:28don't have someone that can provide the surgery for them and their family struggle.
14:34We, we, you know, not having, not being able to have the fund, the fund to be able to provide
14:42the surgery for their children's and, and you know, it's, it's in a before and after
14:50before when they, before they get the surgery and after they get the surgery, I mean I never
14:55forget about this mom that one time she was walking into the hospital with her sick child
15:02and you can see that she wasn't even paying attention to herself because all the time
15:07and all the dedication is into the child because when you have a kid going through this problem,
15:15you have to keep your eyes on them 24 seven because they can die at any time.
15:20And I saw her coming into the hospital like six months later after the, the, the little
15:27one have a, his surgery done that he was more independent and you can see that mom
15:34looking better.
15:35She got a job, you know, it's, it's, it's a, it's a game changer for the whole family.
15:41And I, I love saying those thing and it made me feel really good.
15:45Me and my team, we always looking forward to that and that's why we continue doing this.
15:51I mean, it's an awesome event.
15:53It's for a great cause.
15:54So you guys can look up the weekend with poppy, find their website.
15:59You can also go to David Ortiz, children's fund.org to help out poppy.
16:03We appreciate the time.
16:04You know, you're a busy guy and you're doing a lot of these, but appreciate the time and
16:08we'll talk to you soon.
16:09All right.
16:10That was David Ortiz, a former designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox number 34, last
16:17guy to wear 34.
16:18Actually, they don't let anybody else wear it now.
16:21So thank you to David.
16:23And that honestly, that weekend with poppy thing actually does sound pretty sweet.
16:27A lot of times, you know, people want to come on and talk about their thing and you know,
16:31you'd nod your head and you go, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.
16:33You're selling lemonade in the corner.
16:36That sounds cool.
16:37This is actually a sweet event.
16:38It's always happening on this show.
16:39Yeah.
16:40Which is always happening.
16:41So many eight year olds at their lemonade stands want to come on here.
16:44Another lemonade guy, come on.
16:46It is funny how much people, people will ask, people just in my life that like know that
16:51I do it, but will ask to come on.
16:53So what, in what, why, how, what, about why?
16:56Like, yo, if you ever want to have me on your pod, let me know.
17:00Are you a baseball fan to begin with?
17:02What are you going to?
17:04I had Shaq's PR team be like, hey, we got these like gummies that we're trying to sell.
17:11I don't know if they were like weed related or what.
17:13And they were like, we have these Shaq's like gummy things.
17:16And I was like, oh, cool.
17:17Like, how do you want to do this?
17:18And they're like, well, like you could just promote it.
17:21And I was like, so I'm not like, I don't expect payment.
17:26That's not usually how we do it.
17:28But usually like I would get an interview, like we get quotes, I'd talk to the guy.
17:34You just want me to do it.
17:35I was about to say, if you shut down an interview with Shaq, I'd be mad.
17:39No, no, no, no.
17:40I shut down just promoting him for no reason.
17:44Just freely promoting?
17:47That was the ask.
17:48The ask was, do you want to help promote this product?
17:50You have no equity yet for free.
17:53Not really.
17:54And then I said, would you, could I get Shaq in a way like next time he's doing something
18:00where he's doing media?
18:01Can we do that?
18:02And they're like, yeah, probably.
18:03I was like, all right, let's do that then.
18:05Yeah, maybe we wait till then.
18:08But this is sweet.
18:09If you guys are golfers, look into it.
18:12It's also like reasonably priced to get into this thing.
18:16Very cool event.
18:18So look that up.
18:19Obviously, of a more widespread interest to Red Sox fans and listeners, had some interesting
18:31things to say about Juan Soto.
18:33I think the thing that stood out to me the most in that was him talking about the level
18:39of commitment.
18:40And we've heard it from other places, but there's something extra about hearing it from
18:44a guy who's not a chairman and not a part of ownership to say like, oh no, the level
18:55of commitment.
18:56He basically said times are a changing and kind of confirmed everything that we've heard.
19:03But hearing it from Papi just means more.
19:07I mean, we can talk about the most stand up quote, which was by far him being like, we're
19:14trying as hard as the Red Sox are trying as hard as they've ever tried.
19:19He was like, this is them trying for like, as if they actually want to acquire the player.
19:25So that's the difference.
19:28That was telling, I think, when they were like, this is not a, you know, let me check
19:32in.
19:33Like, did you see Heyman reported that the Royals checked in?
19:36That's so funny.
19:38They checked in on Juan Soto and deemed it was not a financial fit.
19:46Oh man, what did they expect?
19:50Were they expecting like $230,000?
19:55I don't think they could even do that.
19:56But I think about Scott Boris just not having the number saved and being like, who the hell
20:04is this?
20:05And then it's like, oh, it's a Royals GM.
20:07And then it's like, who do I have?
20:09No, he was probably like, oh, it's Mike.
20:11He's like, Mike, who?
20:12It's like Mike Silverman.
20:13He's like, who?
20:14I'm the GM of the Royals.
20:15Oh!
20:16I don't have anyone from the Royals.
20:17Actually, what is the Royals GM name?
20:23It's funny because that's not the guy that makes the decisions.
20:27It's not?
20:28Hold on.
20:29No, wait, wait, no, it's the GM that makes it.
20:33It's Bacolo.
20:34JJ Bacolo.
20:35They have a president of baseball operations that doesn't seem to be in that role.
20:43It's very confusing.
20:45Very weird.
20:46So anyway, I picture him being like either that or just having the contact that's like,
20:54don't answer.
20:55And then he just picks up and he's like, I don't have, they're like Soto, they're like
21:01Gregory Soto?
21:03What do you mean?
21:06Yeah, what are you talking about, man?
21:09Stop wasting my time.
21:10I got people to talk to.
21:13We should talk about some of the headlines that we did talk about with Poppy.
21:19One of them being the Sam Kennedy press conference at the owner's meeting.
21:29Gun to your head.
21:30Water gun to your head.
21:33Water balloon hanging right over your fucking dome.
21:37Did you know the owner's meetings were this weekend or this week?
21:40Not until I started, no.
21:43Me neither.
21:44No.
21:45I feel like every year that happens where I'm like, they're now?
21:47They're now?
21:48Yeah, because that's the one that like media doesn't really go to.
21:51Like some obviously do, but like the GM meetings are big.
21:56The winter meetings are huge.
21:58The owner's meetings are kind of like, how big are the bases this year?
22:02You know?
22:03Like let's figure that out.
22:04It's like, all right, nerds.
22:05Like let me know.
22:06This one actually seems like kind of like we got the announcement that they're going
22:09to try out the automatic strike ball system in spring training, and if it goes well, they
22:16plan to implement it in 2026.
22:18That's something.
22:19It's crazy.
22:21We've got some pressers from some guys saying some words.
22:25For sure.
22:26Steve Steinbrenner had words to say.
22:31If I may?
22:32Yeah, go ahead.
22:36Not to be a negative Nancy, but like just Sam Kennedy, huh?
22:43You know?
22:44Owner's meetings.
22:45Yeah, I mean always.
22:46Yeah, but.
22:47Owner's meetings.
22:48Yeah, but they're not.
22:49I mean.
22:50The Steinbrenners are there, bro.
22:51Make time.
22:52I don't know.
22:53That's true.
22:54That's a good point, to be honest.
22:56I didn't think about it from that perspective.
22:57I just thought about it from like, yeah, obviously.
23:00But yeah, he's a big guy.
23:01He's a busy guy.
23:02Everyone else made time.
23:03I don't know if everybody did, but I know Steinbrenner did.
23:08But at those meetings, Sam Kennedy's presser turned a lot of ears up, basically did confirm
23:15that the Red Sox plan to go over the luxury tax this year, said that their goal is what?
23:21Willing.
23:22Willing to.
23:23Yeah.
23:24Yeah, actually, that's a better way to put it, because he said, even if it takes us over
23:28the CBT, is what he said.
23:30Right.
23:31That's the exact quote.
23:32To me, that's.
23:33Which doesn't say.
23:34So don't.
23:35We would.
23:36I don't know that if it happens otherwise.
23:37I mean, they have like 160 on the books right now.
23:42That's what I'm saying.
23:44They could add an ace plus, and a right-handed hitter, and probably still be under.
23:50That's why I say.
23:51Yeah.
23:52It's what?
23:53240, 241 this year?
23:55It's something like that?
23:56It's like they have a lot of, yeah, they could add two $40 million players and not exceed
24:05the luxury tax.
24:06Yeah.
24:07It would have to be Soto, and then like a crochet trade and extension, yeah, it's 241.
24:13I think Soto would get them over, based on what else they have to do.
24:16But I think if they don't side Soto, they probably can do it under.
24:19But it'll be right around that figure.
24:22He also said that the goal is 90 to 95 wins.
24:24I don't know why you put a cap on it.
24:26I don't know why you do that.
24:27A great one.
24:28He was like, 90 to 95, that's the sweet spot.
24:34We don't want to get overzealous.
24:35You know, you start talking about 98, 99 wins, and, you know, it kind of goes out.
24:39If we go on pace for triple digits, we might sell a little bit.
24:42We don't want to overachieve a little bit, you know.
24:46I don't know.
24:47What would you guys do if you're on pace for like 103 at the deadline?
24:51Probably get rid of a reliever or two, just to kind of get back to where we're comfortable.
24:55Yeah, take our foot off the gas.
24:56Get where we're comfortable.
24:57You know, we don't want to win this thing yet.
25:00We would love to be the top wildcard team.
25:02Yeah, well, no, they want to win the American League East, but they don't want the bye.
25:08They want to be like the third division leader.
25:10They want to give the Central their moment in the sun.
25:14Take on a wildcard team as the winners in the East.
25:23Set ourselves up for a deep postseason run in 2025 without questioning.
25:27Sam went on to say he refused to use Juan Soto's name.
25:33He was asked about Juan Soto, and he's like, I can't get into specifics, but that's that
25:39person's decision.
25:41Whereas like Steinbrenner was up there like, we want to get Soto.
25:44We want to give him so much fucking money.
25:46We love Juan Soto.
25:49I think that's probably just trying not to get like in a lot of like it's free agency,
25:55but there's a lot of like tampering type of things.
25:57I don't know.
25:58I always know.
25:59It's a free agent.
26:00Yeah.
26:01No, I understand.
26:02I yeah.
26:03No, I guess you're right.
26:04Yeah.
26:05He could now at this point in time, I guess they get to say whatever they want.
26:09They do.
26:10Sam Kennedy has this thing where a little Bill Belichick and where if he he feels like
26:15if he says anything that's going to hurt him at the negotiation table, like they're going
26:20to come back and be like, well, you said at the owner's meetings that you really want
26:24Juan Soto.
26:25So we're going to need another 10 million because we know you want him now.
26:28Before the first $650 million offer, we weren't really too sure, but you told us you gave
26:33it away and like, you know, the competitive disadvantage of being like, yeah, we want
26:38to spend early.
26:39Like, you know, that was that whole thing.
26:41I mean, I know Cotillo hammers at home, but it's so it is like the craziest thing to be
26:47like, well, we'd be giving up a competitive advantage to say that we're going to spend
26:51like I want to know, like the like the logic there.
26:54I want to sit them down and be like, tell me what you mean, who, who don't you want
26:59knowing that other teams agents like how does our agents going to be like, well, no, my
27:08client was searching for an AV of 21 mil, but now knowing that you want to spend money,
27:15how about 23?
27:16It's going to cost, it's going to cost the Orioles 21 because they didn't say anything,
27:22but where you said you wanted to spend, it's going to cost you 28.
27:26I know you got the money.
27:28You want to spend it like, I don't know.
27:32It's so crazy.
27:33The other thing that happened during that presser is that Sam Kennedy got a phone call
27:37from David Ortiz.
27:39Did he, I don't, his reaction was, yeah, he was like, I didn't know.
27:44I didn't know if he was saying, you're telling me this for the first time, or if he's saying,
27:50I didn't realize when I called him and then I found out after, but it did.
27:54I don't know.
27:55Last year, I informed him that Blake Snell was a free agent.
27:57And then like two minutes later, you could tell it was like asking about free agency.
28:03He's like, well, you know, you got Blake Snell, you got, and I was like, oh, you son of a
28:08bitch.
28:09And he, I could tell, cause he doesn't like, he just posts them like at zoom as is.
28:16So he got his elbow for me and I was like, come on.
28:22It is funny that Poppy was like, oh no, that had nothing to do with anything.
28:25I just call Sam sometimes.
28:27Like that's a crazy friendship to picture that.
28:30Poppy's just like calling Sam Kennedy being like, what's good.
28:35And Poppy was good.
28:37You guys just chilling?
28:40I don't know.
28:41Pool party.
28:42Yeah.
28:43I'm having another pool party today.
28:44Come on over.
28:45Uh, yeah, I mean that, that's kind of it for, for the same Kennedy, uh, headline, but man,
28:58I don't know.
28:59I really, I ran with it.
29:01I wanted him so badly to be like, Hey, I don't want to say too much, but this is what
29:07I was saying.
29:08Uh, but that's not what happened.
29:09He was just kind of like, well, you'll see.
29:10I think it was kind of odd that, that, uh, you were talking about that Spanish report
29:19network or whatever that was like, this said all this stuff about how Ortiz thinks he's
29:24going to, I want soda is going to sign up the Red Sox.
29:26And then he was like, they asked me if I wanted them on the Red Sox, which is, you
29:30know, quite a bit different.
29:31Uh, yeah.
29:32But yeah, I don't know.
29:33I mean, that was, I thought that was kind of, you know, I mean, here's the thing, one,
29:40it's hard, um, the, uh, language barrier in, in baseball in particular, because it's like,
29:49you know, 40% English, 40% Spanish, 20% Japanese.
29:56That's actually a bad, bad, bad, uh, percentage there.
30:02That's not true at all, but it's a lot of English, a lot of Spanish and a little bit
30:07of Japanese.
30:08So there's like nobody on the planet who can like talk to everybody.
30:12It might be 45, 45, 10, probably closer to that.
30:16Yeah.
30:17Or maybe actually five.
30:18I always forget.
30:19Like you, if you look at the all time amount of Japanese baseball players, it's like 35.
30:24There's like 20 of them.
30:25Yeah.
30:26Yeah.
30:27I mean, and they're all on the Dodgers right now.
30:30The thing that's crazy is that like, you think there's more because you know, so many, but
30:35like, there's no bad ones.
30:37There's no bad, like every, every Japanese player that you know is a superstar and that's
30:44everyone who's come here from Japan.
30:46So, and it was like so late into history that like Japanese players started coming to major
30:51league baseball.
30:52So it is probably more like 50, 45, five or whatever.
30:58It doesn't, it literally doesn't matter why I'm actually hung up on the percentages.
31:01What I'm saying is, hold on, let me do the math actually.
31:06What I'm saying is there's nobody on the planet where probably they can, they can talk to
31:10everybody and like even the English Spanish gap like does leave so much room for like,
31:16well you have to use a translation app or you have to talk to somebody.
31:20And then even then I've told this story before that Raphael Devers was on La Nacion, which
31:26is a Spanish Red Sox podcast.
31:29And I was listening to it, trying desperately to translate it.
31:32And I asked my friend who was from Mexico, I was like, can you translate this one part
31:36for me?
31:37And I sent it to her and she was like, I'll be honest, I can't understand his accent.
31:42Like the Dominican accent to people who are not Dominican is like listening to like the
31:46Scottish accent as an American where you're like, I think that's English, but like I got
31:52half of that, man.
31:54So trying to just bridge that with like people on Twitter who are like, he said this, it's
32:00like, did he, did he though, like I can't, there's no way to check other than asking
32:07him directly to his face.
32:08And he was like, no, it's not what I said.
32:10I could have sworn that's what he said.
32:11I went and listened to it, but it sounds, I don't know.
32:15He was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
32:16I didn't make a prediction.
32:17I, I, I said, I want him.
32:20So there you go.
32:21For everybody who's like tweeting out that Carlos Baerga thing, that's like, oh, he said
32:27that he's coming to the Red Sox.
32:28He said he wants them.
32:30So David Ortiz clarifies viral quote about Juan Soto.
32:36Yeah, actually.
32:39You say that as a joke.
32:40That's a banger.
32:41Yeah.
32:42Something to think about.
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34:35What time is it, Scott?
34:361121.
34:37Which is?
34:38Like almost lunchtime.
34:39Game time.
34:40The other big headline, dude, I feel like this headline happened three days in a row,
34:57which was that Juan Soto impressed by the Red Sox.
35:03Everyone.
35:04But like, I feel like everyone just like reframed it a little bit day after day, like new sources
35:10rolled in for everybody.
35:11Like immediately they were like, oh, they had a very impressive three hour pitch.
35:16And then it was like Juan Soto was like really impressed with their pitch.
35:22And then it was like the Red Sox gave him their pitch and he was really impressed by
35:26like the minor league system and how much they're going to spend.
35:29So it was like piece by piece like this, like, yeah, we don't, we know this, but it did keep
35:33breaking little new pieces again.
35:38I'm a dumb person, dude.
35:42I think it matters a lot.
35:43I think that matters a lot.
35:44I think being the guy, big market team, lots of marketing opportunities and knowing that
35:53like, hey, we're going to have the ability to be good for a while.
35:56This is not the Mets where it's like, we got to gobble up players, spend a bunch of
35:59money really quick.
36:00Oh, it didn't work.
36:01Reset the luxury tax.
36:02Oh, gobble up a bunch of players by, uh, didn't work, uh, reset the luxury tax.
36:07This is like, we have years ahead of us of affordable superstars.
36:15We have the money to spend now.
36:18Like you, you are looking at the very, very beginning of a long window of the Red Sox
36:24contending.
36:26I think that matters a lot.
36:28Yeah.
36:29And plus, if you obviously sign Soto, then it becomes, you're spending almost a billion
36:38dollars on Devers and Soto.
36:39Like you're obviously going to want to build around that.
36:42You're not going to want to just like throw away this like little super team you tried
36:47to put together.
36:48Like that just, I mean, that would be good.
36:52The Yankees kind of had the same thing where it was like, you got Eric Cole, you got Judge,
36:57like he, you got to, let's get Soto.
36:59You got to add that extra piece to really try and do this thing.
37:03They didn't know that Soto or the Judge was, you know, the worst playoff performer in the
37:08history of sports.
37:09But you know, uh, yeah.
37:12The rest of their team wasn't good.
37:13They didn't know that either.
37:14Awful.
37:15So bad.
37:16Yeah.
37:17It's actually...
37:18Offense, defense, pitching.
37:19When you think about how much Soto did for that team, like it was Judge and Soto and
37:26then a couple pitchers were solid.
37:29Yeah.
37:30It's incredible how much of an impact he could make on a team.
37:34I wonder if that'll, that would be cool to see if, what it would be like, you know, how
37:41the Red Sox would use that.
37:43You think they'd be better?
37:46I think they'd, I think they'd be okay.
37:48I think they'd be okay.
37:50But then like, you know...
37:51Oh, we're already there.
37:52He's a lefty.
37:53We nailed okay.
37:54We went 81-81.
37:55It's true.
37:56He's a lefty, so.
37:57Yeah.
37:58Not really a fit.
37:59Unfortunately.
38:00Tyler Milliken tweeted a, um, an edit that I think he made of Juan Soto, and I'm going
38:09to call him out here just for no reason.
38:11I don't know him well enough to do this.
38:13I've met him once.
38:15I think he used AI to do it.
38:16I mean, I can't believe somebody would use AI in Red Sox Twitter content.
38:20Yeah, I'm serious.
38:22I think it's, I think it's below us.
38:27Using AI?
38:28Automated, what does it stand for?
38:32Artificial intelligence?
38:33Artificial intelligence.
38:34Yeah.
38:35That's just low.
38:36Yeah, I can't even think of what kind of bottom feeding trash would think about using that
38:42in this space.
38:43Probably someone desperate for likes.
38:47I bet that's it, too.
38:48I bet it's a guy.
38:49And followers, probably followers, too.
38:50Yeah.
38:51He's probably desperate for followers, whoever is doing that.
38:52Like, even if, like, it doesn't have to be like a, I mean, it could be a video edit,
38:56for sure, but there could be other parts of the package that, like, I don't know.
39:01I just don't think it should be used in any capacity.
39:03Yeah.
39:04Anyway, I bring this up because in his AI thing, Juan Soto was a righty.
39:08Oh, really?
39:10Yeah.
39:11Well, he had the ear flap on the wrong ear, so, like, that was it.
39:15It was in tight, but, like, the flap was there, and also had the number on the front
39:18on the chest, like, you know, like the Mets do.
39:21That's right.
39:22How dare he?
39:23Yeah.
39:24The Mets do that?
39:25Or is it the Dodgers?
39:26Dodgers.
39:27Dodgers.
39:28Dodgers definitely do that.
39:29Yeah, the Mets.
39:30Yeah.
39:31They don't do it.
39:32No.
39:33They definitely don't.
39:34Do they?
39:35I don't think so.
39:36Yes.
39:37Do they?
39:38I have no idea.
39:39I love a good Dodgers jersey.
39:40Anyway, socks are everywhere.
39:41They do.
39:42We're both.
39:43Socks are everywhere.
39:44I don't know if it's because we're being stupid.
39:45They both do it.
39:46They both do it.
39:47We're trying to figure out which team it is.
39:48It's both.
39:49There we go.
39:52Anything else?
39:53Anything else jump out?
39:54I mean, the thing is, they're everywhere, and it's just the same rumors, and I give
39:58validity to literally all of them, because I need it.
40:01It's been long enough.
40:02I'm done playing the waiting game, done playing the skeptic game.
40:07Even that.
40:08I'm just done.
40:09I'm ready to just be happy and be excited, so I've chosen to do that.
40:13Is there any other ones that jump out to you that you think are worth jabbing about
40:17here?
40:24I felt really bad when I asked him about if he was at the Huan Soto meeting that wasn't
40:30supposed to be an attack, and he was like, yeah, well, I was helping my dad in the hospital.
40:34I was like, ah, wow.
40:35I don't think that's how he was saying it.
40:36I don't think that's how he was saying it.
40:38I think he was just explaining why he wasn't there.
40:41I know, but I just felt bad that he felt the need to explain himself.
40:45I was like, that's not really what I just meant.
40:48I really, I knew he wasn't at the meeting.
40:50I really just needed to get in a transition to have you spoken to him at all.
40:55Whoever wrote that question probably could have rephrased it a little bit.
41:00For sure.
41:01We'll blame that guy.
41:04Wow.
41:06What a week.
41:08One appearance away from the ITM Hall of Fame.
41:19Thanks to Poppy for coming on.
41:20Thanks to you guys for listening.
41:22If you want to follow the show, you can follow us at ITM underscore pod.
41:25You can follow me at Joey Capone.
41:26You can follow him at Scott Neville, 46, just like Huan Soto's AAV in Boston for the next
41:3513 years.
41:37What would that be?
41:3813 times 46.
41:39I'm doing this all in my head.
41:43598.
41:44That's not going to get it done.
41:45That's not even enough.
41:46That's insane.
41:47That's insane.
41:48That's not going to get it done.
41:50All right.
41:51We will be back next week to talk about our favorite Thanksgiving sides.
41:57We're not going to do that.
41:58We might do that.
41:59We're not going to do that.
42:00I'm not going to do that.
42:01We'll talk about how the front office went to Soto's at Thanksgiving, which I'm sure
42:07is a big holiday for him, and they lock him up.
42:10And Tom Warner gets food poisoning and throws up, and they still get the deal done.
42:17Yep.
42:18Huan Soto goes and reads his book that's like contract negotiation for dummies.
42:24It's a Curt Schilling reference, everybody.
42:27In the meantime, go Sox kid.