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Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done. Just a few weeks from opening day in Major League Baseball. It's not exciting. And we have international games, we have secret weddings, we have the Phillies deciding that Zach Wheeler is a $42 million pitcher, or something to that effect. Elliot Johnson, the one and only Durham Bulls legend, former Brave, Royal. Ray, was it Rays or Devil Rays when you were there? Big League's just the Rays, but I was a part of the old regime. I signed with the Devil Rays back in the day.

Alright, let's start with the money. The Philadelphia Phillies are not averse to signing enormous contracts, whether it's Trey Turner or Bryce Harper or Zach Wheeler, over $120 million for three years. Zach Wheeler is an outstanding pitcher. That seems, that puts him in the you're one of one type category, no?

Well, he's exceptional. Market values are what they are. They didn't want him getting to free agency next year. They knew that if he was going to go to market next year, the Dodgers are going to step in and give him who knows how much and defer it all.

They were smart to lock him up. He's deserving of every penny and then some. He's been more healthy than Scherzer and Berlander. I think that he's proven to be durable. I think that he is worth the price, given that the Phillies were up against the wall. I'll give credit to ownership for going out there and spending that money because Baltimore needs a starter and they're not paying. Boston needs a starter, especially given the elbow injury that they've got. So Montgomery is probably going to cash in and head over there. It's going to upset some Rangers, but you know, Rangers fans.

But you know, we'll see how that market materializes here in the next couple days. It's funny that Zach Wheeler is the healthy one because earlier in his career, it was touch and go right with him being healthy. But I mean, it seems like forever ago, he was the return for Carlos Beltran from the Mets to the Giants. That's how far back we go with Zach Wheeler, right?

That's that's where it all began. He was a Giants farmhand and obviously huge prospect. And that's what the Mets got. Part of the return for Beltran was Zach Wheeler.

He'll be 35, though, in the first year, early in the first year of the first year of that extension. It's a little risky. But what it says to me anyway is that even if you're not one of the high profile teams, and I'm using air quotes here that people can't see on the radio, there's money. So the Orioles, who are like like absolutely allergic to prying open their wallets and have been banking cash for the last several years, the Orioles are afraid or unwilling to like to extend themselves when winning is what makes money.

No, it's an absolute it's a mistake. You know, they've got such a good team, Adam, and they could, you know, one win difference could be the difference between getting to the World Series or not. I mean, you know, you think about the opportunity that you have to bring in a guy that can pitch deep into October and they're not taking advantage of it.

I think it's a mistake. I think they've got an exceptional team. I think they need to sure up their their staff. You know, Grayson's been hurt. He's exceptional.

No question about it. But you know that you can't count on arms being healthy to your point on Wheeler early in his career. You know, with the Mets, I'm sure we're picking a scab here. There's injury injured there. He comes over to the Phillies and he's been he's been really, really good, even though he gave up, you know, almost a home run to the new holiday. The shiny new toy the Orioles have yesterday hit a ball off the wall and hanging breaking ball. But, you know, I think if they went out and grabbed somebody, it would certainly signal to everyone that they're all in and they want to win. And you're in the the A.L.

East. You better do everything you can and not take anything for granted because, you know, who knows what's going to happen with their young. If Rushman gets hurt, that window will close up pretty quick.

It's not that important to the team. So go get somebody and make the most of 2024 and don't wait until 2025. It seems like they've been saying next year for the next for the last how many years now calling all North Carolina sports fans soon enough. DraftKings Sportsbook will be live in your state starting March 11th. You'll be able to bet on all your favorite sports from the comfort of your own home with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now and sign up with code 999 to get up to $300 in bonus bets when you place a $5 bet once mobile sports betting goes live. Only on DraftKings Sportsbook coming soon to North Carolina on March 11th with code 999. The crown is yours.

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Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done. Elliott Johnson is here on the Adam Gold show. Big picture thinking because I think the Rays have been very good about figuring out who they want to keep going forward. They did this with Evan Longoria such a long, long time ago. When what 10 years into a big league career, they gave him an eight year contract.

It was crazy, but it was obviously smart and you you pay a little bit more at the beginning, but you save yourself big money at the at the back end and it works out. Maybe not exactly for the player, but if the players willing to do that and then it works out. I mean, like in some respects, the Braves have done that with a lot of their players, right? Extending them early and like I've I've said for years that whether it's Ozzy Albies or Ronald Acuna, those are the stupidest contract ever from a player perspective, but they were willing to do it. And you know, if you're the Braves, you're getting off. I can't believe it's like 40 cents on the dollar for what Ronald Acuna is probably worth to an extent similar with with Ozzy Albies. But why don't the Orioles try that? I mean, I guess our, you know, when you look at what Wanda Franco, maybe that's maybe that scares people, you know, away from doing that.

But why don't the Orioles try to do something like that to keep some of these young players for an extended period of time? Now, I don't know exactly what's going to happen with Wanda bringing that up. I think he gets I think his contract gets voided, Adam, for something like that. I'm not 100 percent sure on that, but I think that there it's it's really ownership.

Adam is who it is. It's ownership choosing not to extend long term deals because they don't like the risk that is inherent from coming with those and the way, you know, so they're still licking their wounds from Chris Davis. You remember that?

Oh, my gosh. He was a negative war player and they gave him one hundred and fifty million. I think they're still paying him to help the team lose. So that that's that's a classic example of buyer's remorse. There's no question about it. But if we're talking about a young up and coming player, here's what it does. This is what they don't understand. You give them security. You let them know that they're the guy and that you believe in them right away that you're willing to extend the team is willing to show them that we're willing to take the risk for you. Just relax and go play and we believe in your ability. I mean, and they're going to get it.

So like Ronald Acuna is the perfect example. Adam, you couldn't come up with a better one where you're showing him. We believe in you so much. We're willing to give you a nine finger deal. Go play.

Do the best that you can. You're going to you know, your family generations will never spend it all, assuming you're smart. And not only that, we're going to pay, you know, potentially five hundred million off of you while we're paying you one hundred million. And that's the part that I think that the Orioles unfortunately just don't get, which is why at the trade deadline last year was talking to a bunch of Oriole fans like, well, you know, we can't afford Shohei Ohtani.

I'm like bull. Every team can afford Shohei Ohtani. There is there may be have there may have never been a player in the history of baseball whose contract would pay for itself more than Shohei Ohtani. Of course, he goes to the Dodgers for a lot of reasons. One, he wanted to stay on the West Coast. Two, Dodgers seem to win all the time because the Dodgers are smart. By the way, they're going to start I think they start the season right in Seoul with the Padres. What are your thoughts?

We'll get to the secret wedding in a minute. What are your thoughts on international series? You know, the Mets and the Phillies will be in London. I think they're playing in a spring training series in the Dominican Republic. They're going back to I think they're going to Mexico this year as well. What do you think? Do you like the international series?

Absolutely. I mean, the players are going to complain no matter what, because baseball players are really good at complaining about travel. You know, they're flying first class.

You got a row all to yourself and you know, you're eating sushi and quesadillas. I mean, it's it's pretty nice, but they'll complain no matter what. So I think it's outstanding.

I think it's great for growing the game. Hopefully what they do is they create a new generation of Shohei Ohtani come over and make the game better. Um, or, you know, Joey Minesti when they go to Mexico.

Um, you know, I think there's a Max Kepler I think is from Germany. So it doesn't really matter where they come from. If they're really, really good at baseball, we want them in our game. We really I think that, you know, Shohei has proven to be one of the best players in the world and you nailed it a lot earlier before me, Adam.

Um, it doesn't matter where he's coming from. If he has that type of ability, we want him playing baseball. We want to improve our game. We don't want them playing football or basketball or, you know, cricket pick any sport or soccer or whatever it is. We want them to be here. We want these international stars because it improves the game. It improves the health of our game and it makes it more of a global game and it brings in those, uh, the viewership and everything that comes from it from these other markets that right now aren't really tapped into.

Here's the thing that I don't, I mean, to me, it's an easy one. Uh, the NBA has become a global sport and we had, if you look at the latest mock draft says there's not that many, uh, kids playing college basketball or, you know, G league ignite or overtime elite. There's so many international players.

Sport is enormous in France as well, right? Uh, you look at the NHL, I mean, the, the draft is, you know, Swedes and Finns and Russians and all of that. Like if major league baseball were smart, I think they would have a lot more of these series during the year. Take real games, uh, and go, I mean, granted it's a little bit more tricky when you try to go to South America. We obviously understand the perils of that, uh, but they should be in Mexico and Puerto Rico and they should take games. They should take series there because when you show them the real thing up close.

To me, that's the game changer. I don't, I don't dig a spring training game in the Dominican Republic, but you know, ramp up security, protect the players, protect their families and you could do something like that. I think it makes all the sense in the world. Can you imagine like, you know, a game in Tokyo, you know, a game in Sao Paulo, uh, you know, a game. Um, you know, obviously they did the London thing, but can you imagine going to Paris and playing, you know, going to Rome and playing?

I think it makes all the sense in the world. Uh, and hopefully we can generate and create the next generation of ball players and make it a lot more like the NHL and the NBA, you know, but until then they're going to play other sports. Right.

And a lot of them are playing basketball. Elliot Johnson is joining us here. Uh, so Shohei Ohtani got married.

Didn't tell anybody. Uh, the Dodgers are like, wait, wait, wait, what is that? Uh, did he not want to invite any Dodgers to the wedding or is this just, uh, you know, kind of par for the Shohei Ohtani course? Calling all North Carolina sports fans. Soon enough, DraftKings Sportsbook will be live in your state. Starting March 11th, you'll be able to bet on all your favorite sports from the comfort of your own home with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now and sign up with code 999 to get up to $300 in bonus bets when you place a $5 bet once mobile sports betting goes live. Only on DraftKings Sportsbook coming soon to North Carolina on March 11th with code 999. The crown is yours.

Gambling problem? Call 877-185-543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov. 21 plus North Carolina only. New customers only.

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Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Yeah, apart from him, I think he is who he is. I mean, he is the man that he is. And so, I think I'm okay with it. I think that he's doing it the right way.

I mean, it's anti-LA, right, where everybody, like, clicks and screens and all this. And he's like, look, you know, this is a private thing that I'm going to take care of with my family and my loved ones. So, I mean, nothing but R-E-S-B-E-C-T to Shohei. Look, he is amazing. He's just going to hit in year one with the Dodgers. They'll have to muddle through with Shohei Itani just hitting.

And I think this could be the worst nightmare for National League pitchers because Shohei just hitting could ultimately be an absolute, I mean, terror for the rest of the league. Elliot Johnson. Well, how far do you think he hit his best ball in Colorado this year, Adam? Five twenty-five. I'm going to take the under, but I hope he does.

Five twenty-five. He's got to play how many games he plays. They'll play, what, eight or nine games at Coors Field?

Something like that. It's a great looking ballpark, by the way. It's going to be fun. I hope he gets a high heater and hits it 500 feet. It'll be exciting.

My recommendation, if you go to Coors Field, the Coors red light for people who want to go out to Denver, it's the only drinkable product that that beer company makes. I'll just leave it at that. Elliot Johnson, former big leaguer, my friend, I appreciate your time.

Pleasure as always, Adam. We'll see you soon to North Carolina on March 11th with code 999. The crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 877-185-543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov. 21 plus North Carolina only, new customers only, subject to regulatory licensing requirements, maximum $300 in bonus bets not available for use until March 11th, 2024. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. Deposit, wagering and eligibility restrictions apply. Terms at draftkings.com slash sportsbook slash NC.