Inside the Parker: MLB Trade Deadline Reaction + A's outfielder Lawrence Butler & Former MLB outfielder Jacque Jones

Published Jul 31, 2024, 3:05 PM

On this week’s edition of  Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob brings us wall-to-wall MLB trade deadline reaction. First, he shares his thoughts on the Los Angeles Dodgers' flurry of moves this week, the Seattle Mariners' refusal to stand pat and the Los Angeles Angels missing the boat yet again. Plus, we've got interviews with Oakland Athletics' outfielder Lawrence Butler and former MLB outfielder and current MLBBro.com contributor Jacque Jones.  Finally, we’ve got appearances by MLBBro.com managing editor JR Gamble and analytics guru Anthony Masterson. 

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From the Berkshars to the sound from wherever you live in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You give us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame voter number seventy, Rob Parker.

Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. What a show we have for you today. It's the special Major League Baseball Trade deadline edition of Inside the Parker.

Coming up on the program today, Are you ready?

We got Oakland age rightfielder Lawrence Butler, he drops by. Also, we'll have former major league outfielder Jack Jones.

He'll drop by that and much more. Let's go better.

To lead off, it's getting robbed and keep them out.

Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball.

Number one, the Los Angeles Dog have done it again. They continue to make moves. They're trying to win another World Series they won in twenty twenty. And on the trade deadline, probably the last deal that got in under the wire to get Jack Flaherty from the Tigers. He comes to the Dodgers and he was having a tremendous seasons twenty nine years old, sporting a two point nine to five ERA and eighteen starts. This guy got some run support by the Tigers. His record would have been even better and he would probably have been an All Star. Another thing is his thirty two strikeout rate ranks fifth in all of baseball. And the other part is he also trimmed his walk racetioeld to a career best four point six percent. It says a lot where the Dodgers are pitching, some injuries and whatnot, but you got to give the Dodgers credit for trying to make their team better and picking up Jack Flowery is a big pickup for them. He's been good this year and if he pitches well, it could mean the good things for the Dodgers. In October, he was rumored to maybe go to the Yankees, but the Dodgers went out, so they have Jack Flowerty. So we will see how this plays out. But if I'm a Dodger fan, I'm happy.

Number two.

The Seattle Mariners just got rid of Jorge Solaire, who they just signed this past offseason to a three year contract. He went back to Atlanta, where he helped the Braves win a World series back in twenty twenty one. This is gonna be interesting, and the Mariner has made a couple of other moves. But I look at this and I say, the Mariners and Astros are in a virtual tie for the AL West in that division. Rangers three and a half games out. That is coming into Wednesday, And you know what, I've been down on the Astros all year. I give them credit because they have climbed out of a big hole to start the season. I still think I'm gonna go with the Mariners. I think I like the Mariners moving forward, and I think that they win that division. It's going to be interesting how it plays out. I'm not counting really much on the Rangers. They're in their spot. Can they win a wild card? There's always a possibility. There are a couple other teams in the AL Central that are better, like the Twins and the Royals, So I think that those two teams have a shot to win a wild card, more so than the Rangers, who are under five hundred this late in the season, we're almost at August first. Think about that, a team that won a World Series a year ago. Maybe it's to Bruce Bochi curse He's been the four World Series, five World Series, and every year after he goes to the World Series, his team doesn't make the playoffs. So is this gonna be another one of those situations or not. But look for the Mariners, I still like them. I think they eke out over the Astros. Number three, Well, at least the Angels are consistent. You know, here they are forty six and sixty nine games out of first place in the Al West.

And what did they do? They didn't really do much last year.

I remember at the trade deadline, they held on to Otani, you know, kidding themselves that he was going to somehow re sign with them instead of getting something for him. And they probably could have made some more moves for this team, got some more younger players, you know, to build where they're not winning anything anytime soon. They just got a ton of injuries, Mike Trout, you know, Noel Tani. It's just it seemed like it should be a young team and they should just continue to stockpile as many young players as they can. But for whatever reason, they always seem like they just stand pat and they don't make those kind of moves, which I don't understand because if you're not going to make the playoffs, you should build for the future.

And in that.

Division, there are already a couple teams that just are way better than where they are. And don't look now, but even the Athletics aren't that far behind, only three games behind the Angels. So I think it was another missed opportunity for the Angels to make some moves, stockpile some young players, and continue to rebuild this organization.

Here comes the big interview. Listen, hed Lern.

It's so good.

Now let's welcome into the podcast a's right field of Lawrence Butler. Lawrence, thank you for joining us on the podcast.

No problem, thank you for having me.

Yes, let's talk about your month of July.

Wow wow, double wow?

Oh did you just put in work? What what happened here? Did the switch hit? Everything seemed to come together.

For uh, you know really just you know, continue to work, you know on my craft in the cage with Darren Bush, my head and coaching. Know ever since Arizona, you know, something just kind of click for me. So I've just been kind of you know, continuing to do it. We've the work we've put in, you know, keeping the same routine every day trying to go out there and you know, put up some numbers.

Player of the week though, how how satisfying was that? I mean, everybody doesn't win Player of the week. You're a young player. That had to be a great honor for you.

Yeah, that was a cool accomplishment, you know, like kind of dream of winning you know, things like that when you're a kid and stuff like that, you know, in the minor league, so you know, to actually have it come true, that was pretty cool.

The other thing too, is you just haven't done it with your bat, your arm throwing people out at the play plays you've made so all around. How much do you take pride in that that that you're you're a complete ball player?

No, I really do take pride in, you know, being a complete ballplayer, not just the one dimensional pod player, because you know, it just makes you a little bit more valuable, you know on the field. You know to your team, you know you can kind of do it on defense and have to play. You know, this is trying to give gives your team, you know a lot of confidence, you know in you, and you know that they feel like, you know, if the ball hit to you out there, you know they got a good chance of getting out.

What's the hardest part as a young player being consistent, you know, having consistent at bats, not giving away at bats, recognizing how they're pitching. You what, what, what's the toughest thing for you?

You know, I just kind of feel like it's it's you know, just slowing the game down. You know, especially in the big leagues. You know, with all the fans, the big lights, big stage, you know, the game kind of you know, speeds you up a little bit. But you know, you just got to go up there every at bat, you know, with the same mindset of just putting up a good at bat for your team and then letting the results just come. You know, you can't get too much caught up in the results because I mean, it is the hardest league in the world, so I mean you're not gonna always go out there and you know, get a hit every time. So you know, I feel like for young players just you know, learning how to deal with failure and you know, just not letting the game speed up on you.

I think I saw an interview where you were talking about that, and you can't get too high when things are great, But you also can't take yourself to the depths too low when you don't have because in this game you could fail seven out of ten times all of Famer. Not too many sports you can do that. So did you have to learn that somebody tell you that? Or you just that came that came to you.

I mean I got a lot of good mentors, you know, like Marquis Gris and Luke Callier, you know, some older bros in the league. So you know, I kind of just they always tell me, like, you know, when you're going good, just don't don't think of it as going good. You know, just keep the same mindset you were like as a hungry young baseball player, you know, just trying to establish yourself in the league. So you know, I'm really just going up there each your bet, you know, just keeping it as the same, you know, not trying to do too much, not trying to do too much, you know, just stay within myself.

Our guess is Oakland age rightfield. Lawrence Butler joined us here on Inside the Parker talk about you mentioned it a bit about being on the stage, big stage, going to certain ballparks. Any ballparks stick out to you where you played front of a big crowd. What it was like. I don't know going to Yankee Stadium, Famway Park, any of that, you know where you had a great moment and you thought, man, this is something.

Yeah, both of those, both of those historic ball parks were amazing. I mean it's like it's just like so many great players have came through and got to play there. You know. For me getting to play there, you know, it was a cool experience. I mean we had some pretty good games there, you know, as a team, so I mean I I just had a lot of fun. You know, a lot of fans, they were yelling. You know, it was just like a cool experience. You know, you hear about those experience all the time through other players, but you know, to actually go experience it was really dope.

I think the worst part of what's happened in Oakland. And obviously guys are moving and on your way to Las Vegas in a couple of years or whatever. But Oakland has a great history of baseball. I mean, for people who don't know a lot of great players, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Vital Blue, I mean, it's incredible how many great players played in that city. Do you know the.

History of the A's.

Oh yeah, I've learned the history of A's a lot more, you know, as I got drafted by the A's. But I mean before I really didn't know too much about the A's. But you know, as I just came up through the system, you know, I learned, you know, new things every day. You know, Ricky still comes in the clubhouse and you know, talks to us. You know, he'll come chill with us sometimes.

You know.

I got to spend a lot the time with Stull in spring training. So you know, it's a lot of great baseball that's been played with the A's. You know, they're a great winning organization. I think they got a nine World Series, So I mean it's just winning's just always been a thing with A's, and you know, it's just always been a great baseball organization.

Yeah, the Age won three World Series in a row. I mean, at one point, last thing baseball for you? You got side. I'm sure you played other sports as well. Was baseball your best or or was it another sport you played? How did you get into baseball?

I always played all three sports growing up. But I mean I was.

Glad to hear that because they forced a lot of kids into picking one sport early, which is crazy to me. All great athletes have played multiple sports.

I played all three sports growing up, but I mean I had I had fun in all three of them. I was pretty good in all three of them. But I just I feel like, just me and my friends, we just kind of had more fun playing baseball. Like we would just have a lot of fun playing baseball. Like some of my greatest memories are travel ball, you know, just going out out there, you know, playing these games with my friends, long life friends that I've grown up with. Some of them are in the big leagues now, some of them are in the minor leaguees grinded. So I mean, it's just it's just a fun experience, you no yelling playing baseball, you know, especially in Atlanta. I feel like baseball is like a big sport that people play in my community. So I mean, you are so.

Many players from Atlanta and that in Georgia who are baseball player.

Yes, I mean, we we love playing baseball growing up, even though we all played everything else, you know, baseball was just the sport that just stuck out to us. So, I mean, we just had a lot of fun playing. Our coaches made it fun for us, So I mean that that's kind of was an easy choice for him.

Lawrence Butler continued, success, appreciate your time and thank you, no problem, thank you for having meatball.

It was a big week in the big leagues.

Who's Who's a.

Is it foul or is it fair?

And now from mlbdbro dot com here's JR Gamba.

Jr.

Is it foul or fair to say that Jazz Chishlm isn't made for pinstripes?

Foul? That is a foul ball.

Jazz Chislm is perfect for pinstripes. He's just what the doctor ordered, or the ghost of George Steinbrenner ordered for the New York Yankees, whose offense, although powerful, was often stagnant because they didn't have playmakers like a Jazz Chisholm. You saw his first hit as a Yankee when he went one for five in his debut. With his last at bat, Jazz comes up, slaps one up the middle.

It stopped as.

It slightly goes into the outfield, but not enough to get Jazz.

He beats it out. First hit is a Yankee.

Then he comes back the next day bombs away bro bombing Jazz. Chism's that type of player. Stolen bases, he's getting them. That's the kind of guy you need in the Bronx. We haven't had a center field up with this type of athleticism, this type of interest and excitement since Bernie Williams before him, Ricky Henderson. Jashism will be a steal for the Yankees organization and he will immediately transform that lineup and the energy on the team. And he has great guidance because Stanton has just come back. He's a veteran. Aaron Judges is a veteran. He knows how to win. He'll keep things in line. It's a great addition to the New York Yankees who was struggling and now they have added a piece that can help them play October baseball.

Don't sleep on Jazz. He's one of three.

Guys in the league including Li d La Cruz, with at least thirteen home runs, twenty stolen bases, this one other.

So he's a special player.

And the Yankees went out there, had some guts and got them. So yes, don't ask me again. Jashism is built for pinstripes.

It's time for the pocket protector. Centro the analytic numbers you need to know. Oh well, maybe.

Anthony Masterson is his name. BS analytics is his game. What do you got for me, Anthony?

The trade deadline is coming gone, and while there weren't necessarily any superstar names Delta Way, there's a great chance someone who switched teams Tuesday will make their mark come October. Jazz Chisholm has already staked his claim as the second player ever with four homers in his first three games with the team, joining Trevor Story's debut with the Rockies in twenty sixteen, and the first with multiple multi homer games in the first three games with a new squad. But Jazz has a long way to go to become the best big basher traded at the deadline. Remember JD Martinez back with the d Backs in twenty seventeen. Delton mid July from Detroit. JD hit twenty nine homers with sixty five RBI in just sixty two games, including a four homer game at Dodger Stadium in September, the last player to do so in MLB as of this week, Or who could forget many or mirrors with the Dodgers in two thousand and eight, who hit three ninety six with seventeen homers and fifty three RBI in fifty three games as the Dodgers advanced at the NLCS for the first time in twenty years thanks to many wood. He also went five to twenty with four homers and eight games in the postseason two on the mound. I don't think Trevor Rodgers is going to hit the heights of c C Sabbathia with the Brewers in two thousand and eight, who went eleven and two with a one six five ERA and seven complete games to help Milwaukee into the first playoff berth in twenty six years. Or maybe he will, who knows. In terms of MVP voting, the highest a deadline acquisition has ever finished in voting is fifth by Trey Turner for the Dodgers in twenty twenty one, and for Cy Young it was David Price, who went nine to one with a two thirty ERA for Toronto down the stretch to finish second back in twenty fifteen. Will any of these deadline deals reach those heights well? Time will tell.

It's the gambler here, vice president of operations for mlbbro dot Com and executive producer of the MLB Bro Show podcast The Mixtape. Every Friday, you heard that right. Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world of Black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts, but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishment, clutch moments, and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe into baseball.

From Mookie Wilson to Mookie Betts.

Doctor k to Doctor Styx, from Bro Bombs to stolen bases to Black Aces. We're live at the ballparks and also bringing you segments like Classic Hits with David Grubb, the Black Ace Report, the Rundown, the Walk Off, and Going Deep, just to name a few of the segments that truly capture the voice of black baseball. If things get out of hand, as the Boss Rob Parker, he's kicking up dust, we will gladly pay you on Tuesday from an MLB Bro doubleheader to remember the heart of the game lies in the diversity of the game and the spirit of black baseball that dates back.

To the Negro leagues.

I the Gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure that you stay on top of the game and in touch with the soul of MLB, fucking up for a wild baseball journey, showing respect to the Ogs, and highlighting the new breed of melanated Malma. Robins first thing through MLB's pipeline, all pitching with the sound of black Baseball. We got the best starting five in the business. Listen to the MLB bro Show podcast the Mixtape on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

You get your podcast. When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto. If I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer or broadcaster.

Old or new.

Now let's welcome into the podcast former major league outfielder Jock, who of course came up in the major leagues, play with the Minnesota Twins, the Cubs, Tigers, and finished up with the Florida Marlins. Jock, what's up, my man? Thanks thanks for joining us.

Yeah, thanks for having me, no doubt.

And Jock, let's talk about the MLB trade deadline. There weren't like really a big time names throwing around it was a lot of movement, a lot of you know, bullpen hell bench players, backup catchers, a lot of movement, but not a lot of big names. But then at the very end, Jack Flaherty gets traded from the Detroit Tigers. He's having a really good year for them and traded to the Dodgers. What do you make of this trade for the Dodgers? Are they not happy with their pitching and just felt they needed another front line starter.

Yeah, I don't think that they're fully happy where they're pitching. And plus they had some injuries, I know, the Japanese pitchers at the big free agent sign and they had he's been on the shelf off and kurs Shall just came back, and they had a couple other injuries to their to their starting rotation. And so you know, every year they spent all his money in the off season and then their pictures break down and then they got to go get guys at the break, which is what they're doing again this year.

Yeah, and what do you make I mean, the Dodgers were favorites when they put that team together and they signed show Hail Tani, you know, and Mookie Betts obviously got heard and just the team. The way it was set up, it looked like they were going to roll, like getting to the World Series was just gonna happen, and they've had They got off to a great start, but it's been pretty mediocre after that.

Well, I mean, of course, I'm a Populis fan, so I'm a little bit biased. I'm growing up being a Dodger hater, you know, But they made some nice moves in the off season, there's no question about it. But that's the beauty of the game. And I was just having a conversation with some friends yesterday about that. You know, team like the Dodgers and the Yankees, they do it the right way, right, they make a lot of money, They put in a lot of money back into the team, which is what you should do. But that doesn't no ways, necessarily mean that they're going to win a championship. And that's also the beauty of baseball is you can spend as much money as you want on your team, but like who's playing better at the end of the year, and usually the wildcard teams have to play to get in and they sustain it through the whole playoffs, no doubt.

Our guest is Jock Jones, former major league outfielder, also on analyst at mlbbro dot com, joining us here on this very special edition, the MLB Trade Deadline edition of Inside the Parker. Before the season started, I said that the Diamondbacks and the Rangers would not n oteam make the playoffs. Still feel good about that? Are you surprised that both of those teams are on the outside looking in?

I'm more surprised about the Rangers and not so much about the Diamondbacks because again, like I said, wild card teams have to play to get in, and then once they get in, they're used to playing in high pressure situations, and they kind of sustained it through they caught I think they at the time they caught lightning and a bobblely had a bunch of guys, have good years at the right time, and so I wasn't too surprised that they weren't in the race this year. But I wasn't surprised about the Rangers. But usually when you win, you have sort of a hangover the next year, and I think that's what they're kind of going through.

Let's talk about the Yankees. They get Jazz Chisholm from the Marlins and on Tuesday night they going to Philadelphia to start a big series. Jazz has two home runs. Judge has two home runs. Has he energized the Yankees? They think they've scored like twenty two runs since he joined the team.

What do you like that pick up by the Bronx Bombers?

I actually love that pickup, man, because it's not what they're used to. He's a very flashy guy, he's very high profile. He brings a lot of attention to himself. He brings a lot of attention to the game. He has energy. He's just not the norm of what they're used to in New York. They used to guys just coming in and playing and going about the business. But he's bringing sort of a youthfulness to that team and he's he's bringing h something different than they're used to it. And I love it, man, And I know, you know, Steinbrenner might be turning over in his grave, but hey man, the game's changing and I'm so glad that they got him over there, and for him, it puts him in a situation of where he's playing in meaningful games.

No doubt. And uh, you know, the two home runs in Philadelphia.

That'll get you.

Yeah, h fans will love you really instantly when you start doing that kind of stuff. Uh, talking about the team you grew up cheering for, the Padres.

They made him. They made a move.

They got left hand or Tannel Scott from Miami and a sixth player deal. Do you like that deal? The Padres? You know, I love their team in roster for the last few years been disporting. They had a lot of injuries. Last year they just could never get going. They trade soda away. Uh.

Is this a good move by the Padres? Why not throwing in a towel?

I think it's a really good move. And I think again, we talk about, you know, teams standing money and and trying to win championships and then having a target on their back. No one expected much from them this year. I did like the hire of Mike Shilts. He's he's a baseball guy. He's he's intense. He demands for you to play the game the right way and and and he's a good leader. That's why he didn't laugh long in Saint louis Is because like he didn't do things a company way and so to speak. You know what I'm saying, so I do like that pick up with the Closer. He kind of solidifies the back end of the boop in And so, uh, they're playing with no pressure and and and it's showing. I mean, they're hanging around. I'm buying for a wild card spot. And and unlike they did about two or three years ago, once they got in, they made a bunch of noise and they came up short because they faced a hot Phillies team.

What do you make of the New York Metropolitans. I mean, what a turnaround? They look dead to me. And now as we sit here going into Wednesday night's action, they're fifty six and fifty and you know in the wild card hunt obviously, Uh is this a good team?

Uh? You know, on paper they were good. They got the Closer back this year, and they had a long period of where they weren't playing well at the beginning of the year. Lind Dorris is seeming to sell settle in. He's getting that big smile that he's noticed known for on his face again and he's leading those guys over there. And and he had a great into the first half and it seems like he picked back up where he left off and I mean he's a he's a great team leader. And you got the polar Bear over there doing his thing, and then they just got Winker over there. You know, you need you need small pieces, man. Everyone they big pieces, and sometimes you need small pieces to be a stopgap, man. And that's what they're getting over there.

Last thing, I just want a one word to answer. Best team in baseball right here, right now, Phillies. All right, there you go. His name is Jack Jones. And yes, Phillies sixty five and forty one going into Wednesday night action. Even though they are three and seven in their last ten, but they've had a great start to the season. Jock Man, thanks for the insight, thanks for the energy, thanks for the knowledge.

We appreciate you.

Ron, thanks for having me. Man.

Now bring in the closer.

Here's why MLB is better than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close.

Reason number nine hundred and ninety nine why Major League Baseball is better than the NBA and better than the NFL is because you can watch and home run chase, the home run chase that Aaron Judge is putting on. Will he get to sixty? Will he break his American League record of sixty two. Will he pass Barry Bonds? I know that's far fetched, but he's on a home run pace that's worth watching. There is something about a home run chase in baseball that's different from almost any other statistic that you're watching as a fan. Every time he hits one, you go wow. On Monday he hit two in Philadelphia. People are texting me from all over did you see Judge hit two more? That's what a home run chase will do. It engages people. What's the old saying, chicks love the long ball? All I got news for you. So do dudes. They love the long ball as well. The home run moves the needle. And that's what is so awesome about baseball. Compared to football and to basketball, they have nothing that compares to the home run. In the words of New York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until next time.

Rob Parker out.

He can't get it.

This could be an inside of Parker.

See you next week, same bat time, same batt station,