Bob Nightengale | USA Today MLB Writer

It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infiniti Sports Network. What a busy week. Big week in baseball. Baseball is about to take center stage with the finals wrapping up for the NHL, the NBA. And Major League Baseballer's like, yeah, Otani on the mound.

Endeavor is moving across the country. We're pulling up on the all-star break. It's a lot. Going on in Major League Baseball to talk about what we've seen, what we can expect the rest of the way. Joining us right now is someone who covers all things ball for USA Today.

He is Bob Nightingale. Bob, how are you, man? Yeah, doing great. Thank you. Absolutely.

Thank you for taking the time to join us. We've heard that Rafael Devers at his press conference just a few hours ago, and he's now looking forward, doesn't want to look back. We've heard from both sides, San Francisco and the Sox, that this has been something that's in the works. Were you surprised that it took place when it did, though? Oh yeah, there's well, particularly the timing.

I mean they uh It's like you just won eight or ten games, five in a row, just swept the Yankees. It's like at some point they might might add some second thoughts, like wait a minute now. This team is playing so good. It'd be different if they just got swept by the Yankees. But yeah, I just stated, you know, why not do it?

Why not do it in the offseason? Unless they really got that. No, it was giving me such a uh a harder deal to pull off, you know, come wintertime. Absolutely. Now, when you think about Devers and his fit in San Francisco, of course, now he's a good soldier.

He will. Play wherever Buster Posy and Crew want him to. What do you think he's going to do for San Francisco in a wider scope being out in the NLS? Yeah, I mean, I think he'll, like you said, I think he'll be a good soldier. I think he'll be playing first base.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him play first base against the Red Sox just to say, okay, see? You're asking me right, I would have done this, so I could see that happening too. No, he's a big bat. Their first base was a complete mess. They were only hitting about 204 all season long.

So this is what he needed. And I think it'll DH a lot too. I I think the uh you know just just what the Giants need. I I thought there were Playing over their head. Up until now, and I didn't want I wonder whether it'll last.

But yes, it's exactly what they need. Bob Nightingale here with us from USA today. We saw Shaw Hey Otani return to the mound for the first time, at least for the Dodgers in his career. Kind of crazy, he won an MVP. We haven't even seen him.

On the mound. What do you think about the process? What is the best process to kind of get him stretched out over the next several months?

Well, I think he's kind of going to his. This is kind of his rehab assignment. You know, one inning yesterday. Uh you probably have uh Maybe two innings next start. You know, maybe two or three, the next one to the all-star break.

And I think just slowly building them up. until you can go at least uh six innings, you know, someti sometime in August. When you think about the expectations for him throughout the course of the season and the issues that the Dodgers have had with depth, despite all of their signings. Is there any type of pressure on him later on in the season? is see if he can really contribute on the mound as well.

Well, it's early O October. I mean, I think that Dodgers kinda you know treat uh regular seasons a dress rehearsal for uh For the playoffs. And so, you know, Sasaku now looks like he may be done for the season. I don't know if he'll pitch.

So you got Yamamoto. Uh you know, Kershaw is pitching well now. But you know, who knows how long that will last.

So they kind of need him. They need him to be healthy, to No. Give them a chance to compete. I mean, last year they won the World Series with only three starters. I don't think they want to take that gamble again.

Well when you think about this team and who has the best chance of going out there and And knocking them off. Is there a team that you look at and go, oh man, they could compete with the Dodgers if healthy?

Well, yeah, I mean, I think even the National League, you know, you look at the Phillies with that rotation. They can certainly do it. Uh mets are well balanced. uh you know Cubs have that offense uh you know they don't have that No big ace pitcher. You know, I mean, surely manga i is uh, you know, it is a Top-tiered guy, but sorry.

Hurt losing Jeff and Steele.

So well uh you know we'll see. the Pondres they're looking at the Pondres number. I mean Pondres are a good team. But it almost seems like I'm trying to play the Dodgers and y they just come up short. And the American League, of course, is you know wide open.

There's not Is that really a super team in the American League? Bob Nightingale here with us on the Ch R Sport Brief Show. Coast to coast. The New York Yankees, you want to talk about returns. Giancarlo Stanton made his return yesterday.

And for the Yankees, he was able to get through the game scot-free. I don't know how much longer that's going to last. Are you surprised that the Yankees are doing this again? Kind of just is sitting at the top of the L East.

Well, yeah, they were playing so well for a while, and now they've hit a wall. They just lost Forest Grace, swept by the. Friends up, I mean, could have scored one running 11 inning against the Angels.

So they're kind of a streaky team. You know, the vegetarian is, you know, Max Fried's been unbelievable. But yeah, I mean, they're a very good team. I still think the best team in the East. But you know, you know, look around and look at her carecoms arrays and look like they were They were dead in April.

And uh you know here they are just swept to and a half out.

Now, out in the American League Central, the Tigers have 46 wins already so far this season. They took a massive leap last year. Of course, the offense needed to catch up with everything they have going on with Schoolbull. Do you think that they'll be able to maintain pole position? We know the Central typically is a.

A real race when we get to the stretch run. Yeah, they're a good team. I mean, they can still make the argument. They're the best team in the American League. Very solid.

Of course, you've got the best. You know, got the best pitcher in baseball at Tarek Skubel. Very solid team, and it's not like anybody just playing over their head among position players.

So no, they can they can be scary. Bob Nightingale here with us on the JR Sport Reshow. I I got you talk about scary. There's nothing worse right now than looking at The Colorado Rockies. 15 victories.

57 losses. We saw the White Sox set a modern era record last year for futility. Are we in store for one of these conda sorta every single year given baseball's current economics? We shouldn't be. I mean, obviously.

The White Sox were rebuilding. The Rockies weren't. I mean, it's not like they were dumping guys, it's just. They didn't foresee this happening. Uh, again, they didn't think it'd be this bad.

They are playing better of late. I thought they were going to break the record. Mr. Genser playing the National League West.

Now, I'm not sure. They're actually picking up some wins. But no, this should not happen. I mean, we haven't seen it happen since the you know, the 61, 62 mats. You know, it should not be happening in back-to-back years.

Not with the parry that we've seen a bunch of teams.

Well, we see we certainly see parody in the teams. Every season now, I feel like we go longer off seasons before deals get done. I lie, Alex Bregman in his situation, And we see some guys get huge deals with Soto deal and then other guys have to wait. Do you think we're coming to a head when it's time to sit down and come together on a new CBA? Yeah, not so much that.

I think just with the uh disparity in payrolls, particularly with the T V. I mean, a team like the Dodgers are making three hundred eighty million dollars a year just on a local T V. where a lot of teams are making 30, 35 million dollars. Um you know, that sort of thing. You know, I think we may still.

I'm not sure that will change as far as with the free agency, but there is have and have not. In the middle class, it seems like, you know. they get squeezed. And, you know, like you said, you uh You know, guys have to wait, you know, all winter long. You know, it's a lot more fun in the NBA and NFL when you see such a mad rush.

Uh since yeah, you know, guys. I'll go for free agency. in baseball, just a slow march. It's like you know you're a free agent. 24 hours after the uh World Series.

you know, they don't get serious until late late late December.

Well, is there any correction? Of course, the Players Association want to make sure that it's a free will and dealing system. They do not want. A cat. But i is there any middle ground to help solve that at all?

Yeah, I mean they uh I mean they would like to have a uh and the owners would love to have a salary cap. I don't I don't think that will apply. Uh you know, you have to have a salary you know, a salary deployer. But no, I just think it's uh Yeah, uh everybody having a judgment like, okay, we're not gonna get our real money. Uh you know, uh and until you wait.

Uh you know, I mean guys like Soto, yeah. you do that, but but a lot of these guys have said You know, you're asking for too much. We're going to wait you out. We're going to wait you out. And then uh you know, th then they then they sign and You know, we've seen that for years now.

I mean, even remembering the free agency with Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. Those guys didn't sign until spring training started. Yeah.

Well, we we're in a different era, a different time and I'm expecting to see the Dodgers sitting at the top of the mountain again later on this year. We got a long way to go before we get there. Hey, Bob, thank you so much for your time and your expertise. We will catch you down the line. Where can people follow you and your work?

Yeah, just on USA Today.

So USA Today.com or and I usually tweet out my stories at uh B Nightingale on uh on X. Yeah, USA today.

Alrighty.

Well, thank you, Bob. Appreciate the time. We'll catch you down the line, okay? All right, look forward to it. Take care.

No doubt about it.