Yankees Pay Trent Grisham $22M?! + Skattebo WWE Drama -The Michael Kay Show – 11/19/25
Two for two. Those are the rules of engagement. Fastest two hours of sports talk radio. We got a lot of stuff to break down. Now, I want to start off by apologizing. I had a call in sick yesterday. I woke up, had no voice, and my throat felt like it had a thousand knives in it. Not good. Not a good feeling. So, I texted my doctor and I said, “Any way that you can send a prescription to the drugstore for Zpack because I want to get antibiotics in me.” And he replied, and it just brought back such bad memories. Um, yeah, you got to take a COVID test first. I said, “What? I thought we were done with that. He said, “I can’t give you antibiotics if you have COVID.” He said, ‘ Because the antibiotics wouldn’t work. He said, ‘You’d be wasting the antibiotics. So, I didn’t have any COVID test in my house, and Jody had to go to CVS, get a co COVID test, and I I don’t know if you remember 5 years ago, I’m sure you all do, that awful, awful weight as you’re looking for lines on that little plastic thing. and it came up that I didn’t have COVID. So, he did prescribe the antibiotic. And here’s what’s really shocking. I don’t know. I’ve been in broadcasting now for 34 years. 34 24 years at the station is on the radio and then 10 years before that doing the Yankee games on the radio. Never once in my life had I called in sick. Ever. Not once. Not once. And I felt so guilty. Now, I missed six weeks when I had the surgery on my throat, but that wasn’t calling in cuz I I had a cold or a virus or a sinus infection. But yesterday just couldn’t go. So, I thank Jake Aspen for filling in and I apologize to you all cuz I know you need these two hours. They’re important. They really are. And um I know I don’t sound perfect, but I felt you know what, let’s give it a go. And if I blow out the vocal cords, I’ll get more surgery. I’ll be out for six weeks. But let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Um four o’clock yesterday, it became public that Trent Gisham had accepted the Yankees $22 million qualifying offer. Now, you listen to this show, I’ve been telling you that that was going to happen. Why wouldn’t he do that? Everybody’s saying, “Well, he’s going to want a long-term deal.” Well, I mean, everybody is predicting baseball Armageddon in 2027 that there might not be a sport that year. So, if you sign a three-year deal for $36 million, well, the middle 12 million might not ever happen. So, John Gisham is a smart dude. He’s got smart representatives. And if the Yankees thought for even a second that he was not going to accept the qualifying offer, they really deluded themselves. Of course, he accepted it. So now he’s a Yankee. And you can’t trade anybody who accepts the qualifying offer until June 15th without his permission. Now, it’s easy for me to come on the air and just start ripping. Now, if you put together all the pieces over the years or over the weeks, I thought this was a bad idea. I am puzzled by it. I don’t understand it. Maybe the Yankees are playing 3D chess and I’m only thinking of it for checkers, but none of it makes sense. So, I I know one of the big thing that’s out there. Well, there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal. That’s such crap. It’s such crap because I ask all of you this, Trent Gisham coming off the best season of his career. On a free market, would he get $22 million average annual value? The answer is no. Not even close. So MLB rumors, right, they had him projected for four years 66 million. So that’s 14 a year. I think that’s a little zing, but okay, that’s what they predicted. I want you to do this small little exercise with me. So there’s a der of center fielders out there. So you got Harrison Bader, Cedric Mullins, aren’t a lot of center fielders. If the Yankees called up all 29 teams today, all 29, and they were able to trade Gisham before June 15th and said, “We will give you Tren Gisham. You take the whole 22 million. It’s just a one-year deal. There’s no no such thing as a bad one-year deal. We’ll give you Tren Gisham. Um, you don’t have to give us anything. Nothing back. Just salary relief.” Not one, I repeat, not one of the 29 teams would dare go near that. Not one. Even if they had to give up a bag of balls, and this is not a knock on Trent Gisham because he could be a useful player, but not at 22 million. You know what made Trent Gisham so great last year? He made $5 million. He got a $17 million raise. Now, I’ve been trying to think, why would the Yankees do this? The late fourth rounder, fifth rounder that they’d get if Trent turned it down and he signed with somebody else. Is the juice worth the squeeze? You’re risking $22 million. $22 million to get a fourth or fifth round pick? Makes no sense. So, I toss that out. But again, I don’t know what the Yankees are thinking. Did they legitimately want him back? And that’s not so odd that they want him back, but why don’t you not offer him the qualifying offer? And then make a deal with him. Here’s 36 for three years. You like it here? Let’s dance. And when you say there’s no such thing as a a bad one-year deal, well, let’s look at some numbers, shall we? So, with the $22 million that they have to pay Trent Gisham and then the 2.5 that they have to pay uh to Ryan Yarborough, according to K’s contracts, they have $281 million in salary committed to. Now, they might not tender guys like Ian Hamilton and Mark Lighter. Maybe that’s not going to save that much. So, let’s let’s round it to about 280. House Dyburner has come out and said he doesn’t think the Yankees continuing to have a $300 million payroll is sustainable. So if we’re at 280 with all the contracts they have on because of this 22 million and you don’t want to go over 300 and I think they will though. H how are you signing Bellinger? How so you are going to have to attempt to sign Bellinger? But does this impact what you can offer him because your payroll is so high now? If it has an impact, then it makes it even worse. Also, how valuable is Trent Christian? Last year, he had 235 34 home runs, 811 OPS in 143 games. Pretty good. Pretty good. Let’s go back three years. In 2022, he hit 181. 2023, he hit 198. In 2024, he hit 190. Where’s the outlier? Oh, that would be 2025. Also, I know he was dealing with a hamstring injury, but if you look at all of the advanced metrics that become available defensively, he was well below par. I mean, we look at him because he’s smooth. He was not great as great in center field as you think. Another thing to be concerned about in the postseason, biggest moments, best pitching, he had 138 on base percentage 219, slugged at 207, ops 426, 22 million. I I’m I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I I don’t know how it makes sense. Well, they need a center fielder, you’ll say. Okay. Harrison Bader spent two seasons with the A’s. Injury-prone, but he’s a free agent. And combined with the the Twins and the Phillies had a really good year last year. You don’t think he’d want to return back to the Yankees at 10 12 million bucks? And we keep talking about how the Yankees are too left-handed. Well, Trent’s left-handed. Harrison Bader’s right-handed. I don’t think Harrison Bader has 34 home runs in him, but we’re talking about money. It’s not a bottomless pit. You can’t expect Hal Steinbrer to have a $400 million payroll like the Dodgers. He’s not going to do it. So, something’s got to give. What’s given? What is given? So, you you’re going to try to bring back Bellinger. You got to get another starting pitcher and you got to bolster the bullpen. This isn’t free. It’s not free. You don’t get food stamps to go get these players. They’re going to cost money. Is the juice worth the squeeze when it comes to Gisham? Now, another thing. Let’s say that they’re successful getting Bellinger. And I hope that’s the case. Then your outfield is set. Bellinger in left, Gisham in center, judge and right. You know what that means? Dominguez and Spencer Jones are non people. They don’t fit. They don’t fit. So, they’ve never went over the top with praise about Jones, but they have gone over the top with praise about Jason Dominguez, who who I actually think is a good player and could become much better. he now becomes a trade chip or he spends the year in the minor leagues because that makes sense to have a 23 year old who’ll be 23 next year to sit on the bench like he did all of September and the entire postseason until the last inning. We got a pinch hit double doesn’t make sense. So if you do succeed in getting Bellinger back, you’ve completely rendered irrelevant your two biggest prospects. Spencer Jones and Trent Gushner maybe maybe that’s them telling us you know what we don’t think they’re that great and if you don’t get Bellinger who’s probably going to cost close to 30 million a year so MLB Rumors has it at 5 years 140 million so just under 30 million a year say you don’t get him well then you have Gishamman center hoping that he could repeat his outline liar year and you have Dominguez in left and judging right. Has your team gotten better? No. Not close. Not close to being better. So now you have to start looking, well what money could the Yankees move? Yeah, I’ve read that a lot too. You know, they can move Ryan McMahon. Yeah, really. Ryan McMahon is a stupendous defender. You think there’s a lot of teams out there that want to pay $15 million for the next two years, 15 and 15 for a guy who hit 210 and doesn’t have great power. That’s a hard contract to move. There’s no other contracts to move. You’re not going to be able to move Rodon or nor should you want to. Cole, Freed, Stanton. What do you think about moving Jazz Chisum? So the bottom line is this. Either the Yankees are trying to offiscate and they’re willing to go well over 300 or if Hal Steinbrunner stands firm that they can’t continue to sustain a $300 million payroll, then this team’s going to be light. And then you hear stories the Red Sox trying to build a Super Bullpen. They might bring back Bergman. The the Blue Jays are favored um to get Kyle Tucker. They want to throw money at him. The Orioles trying to get a big bat and some pitching and they’re willing to spend money. You’re not going to go into the season feeling that great. The starting pitching you have to love, especially once they all get healthy. You got to love that. But that’s not going to happen till May because Cole and Rodan probably won’t be back till May. Cole may be even a little bit longer. And Schmidt is not going to be back till maybe end of August, beginning of September. So, in closing, as if I’m presenting a legal argument, I have nothing against Trent Gisham, and I think he made a really smart move accepting the qualifying offer, $22 million, more than he’s ever made in his career. And if he has a year like he did last year, well, then he’ll get that long-term deal. But it was a smart play by him. very smart play. But is there anybody out there that thinks this is a smart play by the Yankees, especially if they are under the payroll constraints that seem to be out there? Because if they are, makes no sense. You, well, who’s going to play left field? Well, if you sign Bellinger, although Bellinger’s not a a plus plus defender in center, he could play center. Then Dominguez is in left. and you save money. So, no one-year deal is a bad deal. I think it’s nonsense. I think it’s a stupid cliche. A one-year deal at an exorbitant price for a player is a bad deal because it stops you from having payroll flexibility and it stops you from spending that $22 million elsewhere. So if you added pay Bellinger 30 million a year and you didn’t have Gisham well then you can look at it as well that’s 8 million only 8 million more and you get a much better player and then Dominguez he plays left field every day. I keep saying well what would they do in center field if you didn’t get Gisham. just told you what you do. And if Spencer Jones is everything that he’s been hyped up to be, there’s your center fielder. Now, I don’t know if the Yankees feel that way because bottom line. He strikes out too much, but so did Aaron Judge and he closed up the hole in the swing and now he’s become one of the best players that you’ll ever see. So, there a lot of moving parts there, everybody. lot of moving parts and I gotta tell you it just doesn’t make sense. And one more thing to get totally geeky in terms of baseball by accepting the 22 million. He’s a signed player. So he’s on your 40man roster, right? So they had to protect people from the rule five draft yesterday. So they protected Elmer Rodriguez, pitcher, Chase Hampton, pitcher coming off Tommy John, and Spencer Jones. Now, if you don’t protect somebody on the 20 on the 40man roster, they could be selected in the rule five draft. So by having that extra body, Gisham on 40man, Brock Selridge or Selvage not on the roster. Uh Brendan Beck, right-handed pitcher, not on the roster. First base, TJ Winfield, not protected. right-handed pitchers, Eric Risleman, Harrison Cohen, not on the roster. Now, maybe you don’t care. Maybe you don’t think that highly of them, but sometimes you do get burned. Yankees have a really good farm system. So, there’s going to be somebody that’s not protected that’s going to be lifted off your roster, and you’re going to be saying, “Why?” And one of the reasons going to be because you offered a qualifying offer to Chen Gresham, 29 years old, so the the the age is perfect. Not a big deal. But there’s so many things that just don’t fit that I don’t understand. I I just don’t understand. All right, let’s go to the phones. Let’s go to David on the east side. David, talk to me. All right, Michael, two points. Uh hopefully you can let me make both. One’s a quick one, one’s a longer one. First, I think this all works with the Gishon deal if you consider the fact that John Carlos Sitten hasn’t played more than one full season with the Yankees. And two, even when he’s healthy, Bellinger can play first baseball. Rice catches a few games a week. That’s how you get Domingo’s regular playing time. Not Not really. Uh David, regular? Yeah, because I think one he’s not going to I’ll let you make all your points. Tell me how he’s going to get regular playing time. So you’re you’re already you’re guaranteeing that Sam’s going to get hurt. I think he’s not going to play for most of the full season. I mean, it would be the first time he played the full season since like 2019. Do you believe because you’re a smart sports fan, you believe that it’s conducive to progression for a 23-year-old to get 250 at bats? I think no. I think if Dominguez is your regular everyday left fielder, you play Bellinger more at first base and you catch Rice more because Wells has been not great to be honest, I think that’s how you make it work. But you’re going to play Rice every day against righties and also against righties, you’re going to play Austin Wells every day. And also, I don’t think they really think that Rice is a top flight catcher at this point. But that’s a big question mark. That’s a huge question. Here’s my other point. Okay. So, so and this this is a longer point, but but I think it it does explain why we are overpaying Gisham for one year. If you accept that a lockout is coming and maybe even a salary cap after that, it makes sense for the Yankees to spend like drunken sailors for one year to go all in on 2026. So, let me ask you this. What happens if MLB implements a salary cap for teams that already have a lot of long-term committed money on the books? Could that screw the Yankees over or could that or they have could they have an advantage because the contracts are grandfathered in? I’ve asked a lot of people, David, and nobody seems to know the answer. I mean, the team that it would screw the most, you would think, would be the Dodgers, right? I mean, you have long-term contracts. You know, you’ve got a 12-year deal for Yamamoto. You’ve got a 10-year deal uh for Otani. So, I don’t know what would happen. Nobody knows how it’s going to play out. And also, you believe that Stein Bunner is of the spending like a drunk seller guy? No, but I think if there were ever a year to do it, it is this year because we don’t know what’s going to happen. And so, one year where we can where we can do this makes some sense. I I you know, I agree. This is a hugely important question and no one has a good answer to it. Um, and this could really screw the Yankees over. They got judged, they have Cole on on long-term contracts, you know, sodto with the Mets, the Dodgers. I I would, you know, honestly, I don’t think it’s the worst idea to overpay and exceed that 300 million for one year with a one-term with a a one-year contract for Gisham and maybe some other guys, too. I I But wouldn’t it wouldn’t it have made better sense though, David, instead of get because I don’t think he’s going to spend the way you’re you’re saying. Okay. Because he said he doesn’t think 300 is sustainable. So, wouldn’t it have been better to offer Gisham a $36 million three-year deal? Maybe he takes that. Then it’s 12 million and you have 10 more million to play with, I think. Then, but then it could count against whatever salary cap is coming in that third year after the lockout, right? So, so you don’t want to hamstring yourself there. And I I have but you know you know David that they’re going to hamstring themselves anyway even without a Gisham. They’re they’re well over what would be the the salary tax. Yeah. No, it’s fair enough. It’s not a good situation. I mean the other the other piece of this, you know, I think they like Gisham’s underlying metrics and I think those metrics do speak to this not being um a one-year fluke and that he might not regress the way other people are saying he is. Well, I mean that they again, as I said at the start, David, they might be playing 3D chess and I’m not figuring it out, but I I don’t need the advanced metrics to tell me that he was not as great in center field as everybody was making him out to be. He just wasn’t. He’s smooth. He’s pretty to watch, but he’s not a great center fielder at this point. Now, you maybe they know, well, you know, he was dealing with a hamstring all year, so he couldn’t accelerate. Again, they know stuff I don’t know, but all I’m doing is giving my opinion on what I know. And what I know, this doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t make sense. Financially, it’s malfeasants. You’re paying $22 million for Trent Gisham. Again, I can’t stand the old cliche, there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal. Nonsense. when it stops you from spending on other things. If this inhibits you from getting Bellinger, shame on them. Shame on them. They had to think that at least there was an outside chance that he would accept because I told you on the show two weeks ago when they offered it, he’s accepting it. He’d be he has to be out of his mind not to accept it. And he’s a smart guy. He’s not out of his mind. It was the only play to make. $22 million more than he’s ever made in his life. And at the end of the deal, he’ll be he’ll be 30 years old, so he’ll still be signable to a longerterm deal. Nowhere on this earth, nowhere is Trent Gisham getting $22 million. Nowhere except by accepting a qualifying offer. So good for him. He is a good player, but you have to put values on players. And does that valuation on Gisham impact your ability to get Cody Bellinger? If it does, it’s an egregious mistake. An egregious mistake. And I kept reading leading up to yesterday, all the Yankees think he’s going to turn it down. I I guess they were wrong if that’s what they thought. And then I read today after he accepted it, well, they knew there was an outside chance again. If you didn’t want him to take it, don’t offer it to him. If you don’t want your kid to eat candy, don’t offer him a Starburst. He might just take it. He did the smart thing. And you can’t tell me that that fourth or fifth round pick was such a big deal to you that you are willing to risk $22 million and payroll flexibility. Again, they’re smarter than me. They’ve been doing this a long time and they have really smart people in their front office and they must know something I don’t know. But until I’m made aware of what they know, then I’m going to tell you what I feel. And I think it was a really bad day for the Yanks. I watched the guy, 21 of his 34 home runs are on the road. That’s impressive. And he got big hits. Not in the playoffs, though. not in the playoffs. He’s a good player. He’s not 22 million. Do you know that he’s going to get paid more by the Yankees next year than John Carlos Stanton? Stanton’s overall number is 25, but I believe the Marlins pay 10 million of it. So, Yankees paying Jean Carlos Stanton 15 million and Trent Gisham 22. I’m sorry, I could be wrong, but I don’t feel like I am. The fall savings event continues this November at Bay Ridge Mazda. Lease the 2025 Mazda CX30S for as low as 169 per month or the 2025 Mazda CX-5. Select for as low as 229 per month and get as low as 0.9% APR financing rates on select models. Plus, enjoy one-year complimentary of Bayridge Plus benefits like ding and dent coverage, key replacement, windshield protection, and roadside assistance. Visit them in Brooklyn or online at Bayridgemazda.com. Bay Ridge Mazda, where confidence comes standard. See dealer Ford details to help those who want to be helped but may not be able to afford it. That’s what PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray had envisioned for a foundation before he sadly took his own life at just 30 years old. His parents channeled their grief into creating the Grayson Murray Foundation, carrying out his vision to help those struggling with mental health and addiction. To donate and learn more, visit graysonmurray foundation.com. [Music] Race cars are here. The H stock car racers are loaded with lights, sounds, and a powerful racing motor. Only at hestoytruck.com. Free shipping and batteries included. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a hay stack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along, which is why you should try Zip Recruiter for free at ziprecruiter.com/espn. Zip Recruiter doesn’t depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. Its powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So, while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, Zip Recruiter finds you what you’re looking for, the needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zip Recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zip Recruiter for free. That’s right, free at ziprecruiter.com/espn. That’s ziprecruiter.com/espn. ziprecruiter.com/espn. at the 5 yd line. Hand off Greece Hall finds a crease, runs left, he’s into the end zone for a Jet touchdown. Jets fans clear the runway and be at Metife Stadium for week 13 as your New York Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, November 30th at 1 p.m. presented by New Jersey Lottery. Join us as we celebrate First Responders Day. Don’t miss your chance to be at the game. Lock in your seats now at nyjets.com/tick. Once again, that’s nyjets.com/tick. New York Lotteryy’s holiday scratchoff games are the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Like me, your aunt Jewels. I told you I didn’t need a gift this year, but I secretly really want one. Or me, your neighbor Frank. I hope you didn’t forget I’m coming to your holiday party tonight. Or me. Why does no one ever think of the voiceover guy? Anyway, New York Lotteryy’s holiday scratchoff games have more winners and top prizes up to $5,000. Please play responsibly. must be 18 plus. Gambling problem? Call 1877HOPNY or text HOPEN NY. From kickoff to cash out, ESPN Bet has all the tools you need to score more on game days. Bet smarter with stats right at your fingertips. Get personalized parlays built just for you. And with their fantasy teams synced right in the app, you can back your squad. Right now, new customers get a 100 bucks in bonus bets when you bet $10. Sign up with promo code USL to get started. Must be 21 plus. Gambling problem. Call 1800 gambler. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details. Offer not available in New York. Rich Eisen here. As you all know, I care deeply about pediatric cancer research and awareness. That’s why I’m proud to talk about Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For over 27 years, every Hyundai sold has helped fund life-saving pediatric cancer research. Together with over 850 dealers nationwide, they’ve raised more than $277 million, supporting over 25,000 kids in their fight against cancer. At Hyundai, hope isn’t optional. It comes standard. Visit hyundaiusa.com and search Hyundai Hope on Wheels to learn more. Well, game time brought to you by Teldor Irish Whiskey because when it’s game time, it’s Sully time. 9:30. Knicks are in Dallas to play the Mavericks. Coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. right here on 880 ESPN. Knicks looking for their first win on the road this year. Telmu, the original triple still triple blended triple cast matured Iris Whiskey. Be sure to grab a Telmordo. Try the new Telmordo honey during today’s action. Class up to enjoying Telmordo responsibly. We’re talking the Gisham acceptance of the qualifying offer. And let’s go back to the phone calls. Let’s go to uh Anthony and Tom Dre. What’s up, man? Hi, Michael. How are you? Thanks for taking my call. I’m great. How you doing? I’m glad that uh your um thing didn’t turn into COVID and it was just a sore throat, but you talk a lot. Yeah, I do. Um anyway, uh real quick, um I agree with you, uh with the Gisham deal. That’s a lot of money and like you said, um they’re more qualified to figure it out and maybe they are playing 3D chess, but I I crossed all the tees and dodge the odds and I can’t figure out, you know, he’s not a Pete Carol. He’s not a uh I’m sorry, he’s not a Corbin uh uh a Pete Armstrong or a Corbin Carol. um you know, he’s a he’s a mediocre um player. So, I I think I my my biggest thing is I get it. They need they need an outfielder. They need somebody they can hit. Um but he’s he’s not that fast. I would have put that money into into pitching and I know they’re getting all the guys back, but I would have went like to to like What do you think about that? Put it into the bullpen. Well, I I I thought that’s what they would do and and they still need to build up that bullpen. Anthony, the one thing that I would push back, he’s not a mediocre player from last year. That that was not not a mediocre year. 811 OPS, 34 home runs, big home runs, too. So, I don’t say that’s mediocre, but he’s below mediocre in the three seasons prior. So, I don’t know. Maybe found religion. Maybe the Yankees tapped into something that he never had tapped into before, but he’s on the Yankees the previous year, and there was thoughts about not even offering him a contract. Not even offering him a contract. Then they decided to offer him 5 million, so he stayed. So to get that kind of production for 5 million, brilliant, brilliant play. This was a throw in on the sodto deal. But now you’re paying for it. It better not have been an outlier because he comes back to hitting 190 again. You’re going to say, “We’re spending $22 million.” Let’s go to Robbie in Lennox. Robbie, hey, Michael. Thanks so much for taking my call. really a pleasure to speak with you and uh I really enjoyed this year with you and uh Coney and and Paul just really entertaining. Thank you Robbie. Thank you. Thanks. Yeah, my dad had his office, you know, 10 minutes from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx many a year. My first, you know, I got a new Pepatone uniform in 1968. I watched Tick in 1970 play short along the Yankees. Listen, Michael, I don’t know about you, honestly. Look, no offense to Brian Cashman, Aaron Boon, but to me, the Yankees need a completely different philosophy. I mean, Robbie, you’re cutting in and out. Um, in terms of the new philosophy, you know, they they won as many games as anybody in the American League last year and they got eliminated in the Division Series. So, that that was a failure of a season, especially coming on the heels going to game five of the World Series. But when you say they need a completely different philosophy, all they do is win a lot of games. They’re in the playoffs every year. So with this new philosophy, well, what would the new philosophy be? I mean, they can tweak this philosophy terms of, you know, eliminating strikeouts in the order, but this philosophy has worked. Hasn’t worked to the point of getting them a championship, but they have a fighting chance every single year. Let’s go to Joe in Vermont. Joe, hey, Michael, how you doing? Good. How are you, Joe? Living the dream, thanks. Um, so I I agree that the the money obviously is ridiculous. There’s no no denying that. But as far as the actual product on the field, personally, I think Trent Gisham is an insurance policy against us not getting Bellinger. I think it’s a lot of money for insurance though, Joe. I get it. I get it. But what happens if we don’t sign G, you know, we end up passing on Gisham, we don’t get Bellinger. Now you’re talking about Judge and right, you’re talking about Dominguez in center, and you’re talking about Spencer Jones in left. I mean, I it’s pretty clear the Yankees, there’s something that they don’t love about Spencer Jones. It might be the strikeout rate. It might be something else. And we’ve talked all year long about how Dominguez is a terrible fielder. So, it’s like I mean I I I completely agree with you again that the money is crazy. There’s nothing, you know, there’s nothing positive that I can say about that. But, I mean, there’s no doubt that Gisham is a better center fielder than Dominguez is going to be. And I guess I I would be afraid to see what the outfield is going to look like. God forbid Judge gets hurt. God forbid we don’t get Ballinger and now we’re stuck with a kid that can’t play the field and a kid that’s a complete unknown on the other side. Well, I mean, first of all, Spencer Jones would play center, Joe, because Spencer Jones happens to be a really good center fielder. It would be Dominguez that would be in left. Yankees don’t think that Dominguez is that good in center. That’s why they continue to run him out there and right or in left. But, you know, when when you say this, Joe, god forbid Judge gets hurt, right? No matter how they run their team out there, if Judge gets hurt, it’s over. That’s why he’s the most valuable player. It’s over. They have no chance. And you may say, “Well, Michael, isn’t that dramat?” No, it’s not dramatic. When he ran into the wall in Dodger Stadium, the season ended. Ended. He is the thing that makes everything work for the Yankees. Everything. And you know when we say well what if they don’t get Bellinger? Well let’s let’s extrapolate. What if they don’t get Bellinger because they’re somewhat limited with the funds that they’re willing to spend because you had to allocate $22 million to Trent Gisham. I think he’s a really good player. At least in 2025 he was. He’s not worth that. And the way I figure out that he’s not worth that, if he was on the open market, there’s no way that anybody would give him a threeyear $60 million deal. He would get anywhere from 12 to 14 million a year. Period. Period. And I’ll repeat what I said earlier. If the Yankees shop Trent Gisham to all 29 other teams in baseball and they said, “You don’t have to give us anything. Just take the contract.” Every single team would say, “We’re good.” There’s not one team. So that old adage of no such thing as a bad one-year, one year, $22 million. Not one team would bite. Not one. The Yankees, if they traded Trent Gisham, would probably have to eat $10 million of the 22 or take on another ownorously bad contract. It’s the only way to trade him. And maybe, again, the 3D chess thing, maybe they have no faith in Spencer Jones. And maybe they’ve already made a decision. You know what? We were wrong on Jason Dominguez. He’s not the guy. And if that’s the case, makes a little more sense. You need you need three outfielders, but he’s not the only center fielder in the world. And we keep talking about them getting more right-handed, right? Well, Harrison Bader’s right-handed, and he’s proven that he can play in New York on both sides, in Queens and the Bronx. Injury prone, I get not going to hit 34 home runs, but he’s a much better defender than Gisham. Much better. at least last year he was. Let’s go to um Peter in Lawrenville. Peter, hey Michael, how’s it going? Thanks for having me on. I just wanted to touch on a few points you made. Okay. Uh the fir the first thing what I wanted to do to talk about uh Gisham and the 40man roster. I’m not going to go through the names, but they have a bunch of guys on the 40man that they could easily have um gotten rid of and kept some of the young pitchers. So for me the better question is why they didn’t uh why they didn’t uh protect a Harrison Conn for example who had a great year and then maybe not hold on to a Michael Aras whom I personally h have never heard of. So that was that that was my first point and and I also wanted to kind of agree with the comments made by someone you just had on but build upon it. I really don’t think they had any choice but to offer the qualifying offer to Gisham because they couldn’t run the risk of losing both Bellinger and Gisham. And it’s just unfort it’s really unfortunate timing. Had the qualifying offer deadline been, you know, a month from now and they had already signed Bellinger, maybe they’re not offering it to Gisham. But I think they had to. I also given the money think that to me there’s a real question as to how high they will even go on Bellinger. I think that you know what that’s a really smart statement Peter. Maybe this tells you they’re they’re not all in that they won’t give him that much or or they’re concerned about what his number with Boris may be. So I don’t um I just don’t think it’s as cut and dried as you’re portraying. They couldn’t lose both. They needed at least one of them and they were willing to run the risk. Peter, how about offering a two How about offer him a three-year $36 million deal? You don’t think he’d say yes? I don’t think they want I think they’d rather do this for one year than commit three years to him. I just don’t I I think they have the same questions about him that you and I would have. And they also like him in the clubhouse. You know, Judge probably likes him. So, there’s a little bit of that that probably plays into it. And don’t forget, cuz I added this up yesterday, they have like $50 million coming off the payroll, too. They have, you know, uh, Goldie and Strowman and Weaver and Williams and I, I know, but their payroll still right now without signing Bellinger, Peter, is 281. So, they don’t want to go over 300. Tell me how they get Bellinger at 281. Um, that’s a really good question. I I don’t know the answer to that. But also, it tells me that, you know, while they’d like to sign Bellinger, it may not be doable at the number that Boris is going to come in on. A lot of teams are going to want him. The Dodgers may want him. Cohen may want him. Um, you know, he’s had kind of a spotty career. We both remember when we both remember when the Dodgers non-tendered him. So, it’s like, do you want to commit five years even to someone who, you know, is a very, very good player, but hasn’t always shown that. Really smart phone call, Peter. You’re welcome to call in anytime. Um, maybe they’re not as in on Bellinger as they say publicly. I’m not sure, but if you go into the season with Judge, Gisham, and Dominguez, you feel good about that? Have they taken a step forward or a step back? And maybe you would swim in waters with Bellinger a little bit higher if in fact you didn’t have to pay $22 million to Trent Gisham. And when Peter says, you know, it’s been spotty. I love when people are saying, “Well, the Dodgers be interested in him.” They non-endered him after he won the MVP. A couple of years after winning the MVP and a rookie of the year, they non-tendered him. That means they released him. Then he goes to the Cubs, has one decent year, then doesn’t have a good year, and they traded him for Cody Potit and paid $5 million of his salary. So, who’s the real Bellinger? Maybe that’s what they’re thinking, too. Maybe it’s all a smokec screen. Maybe they go all in on Kyle Tucker because they tried to get Tuck Kyle Tucker last year, last off season. They tried to make the deal that the Cubs made. Again, I never put it past them that they’re paying playing 3D chess and I’m not I’m not getting it. Although, I’m really smart and I can’t figure it out. Right now at Bay Rich Honda, experience the wonder of holiday savings on Honda cars, trucks, and SUVs during happy Honda days like the Accord SE only $2.39 per month or the all-wheel drive Honda Ridgeline for only $289 a month. These clearance deals will not last long. Plus, receive thousands in benefits and savings with their Bay Plus Advantage plan. Upfront pricing, total peace of mind. Visit bayage honda.com. 36 months lease, 7,500 miles per year, 38.99 down, plus tax, tag, and fees. See dealer for details. Is college even worth it these days? At Empire State University, it actually is. They are Sunni’s leading online university. Flexible, affordable, and built for real life. With more than 120 degree programs, you can study what matters most to you. And students agree they’re ranked number one in student satisfaction among Sunni schools. Whether you are finishing what you started or starting fresh, your goals are within reach. See for yourself. Visit sunnimpire.edu before the next term begins. Listen up New York. It’s football season and you should be out there enjoying every play, every tailgate, every moment. But if you’re dealing with neck pain, back pain, joint pain, or sciatica, even getting off the couch can feel like a challenge. That’s where Dr. J. Shaw Samuel Pain comes in. He’s one of New Jersey’s top pain specialist. Ivy League trained, double board certified, and dedicated to getting you back in the game. Here’s the difference. No surgery, no scars, no long recovery, no pain medication, just precise non-surgical imageguided procedures that get real results. Dr. Shaw treats everything from neck pain, back pain, migraines, nerve pain, and chronic joint pain. And he builds a custom game plan that’s right for you. Same day or next day appointments are available with offices in Woodbridge, Livingston, and Englewood. And yes, most major insuranceances are accepted. So don’t let pain keep you on the sidelines this season. Go to samwellpain.com to call, text, or book online. Relief is closer than you think, and it starts today. Hey fans, welcome back to Fansville’s Cheers and Tears. Oh, okay. So like everybody deals with losing, right? to a rival on a last second field goal. Whatever. It’s fine. I’m totally fine. But I cope with losing with an ice cold Dr. Pepper. Those 23 flavors are like so delicious. They totally wash away the pain of your college football team taking a big fat L. College football. It’s a pepper thing. Rich Eisen here and we’re brought to you by Sonos. The holidays sound better with Sonos speakers. Whether it’s a movie night that feels larger than life, or the roar of the crowd as your team takes the field, Sonos helps create the moments you’ll remember. Beautiful design, incredible sound, and effortless control mean you can focus on what matters most, enjoying the season. I love Sonos, and so will you. Discover how easy it is to bring every room to life with incredible sound. Explore Sonos speakers, sound bars, and more at sonos.com. From the regular season to the Super Bowl, ESPN New York is your destination for football. We’ve got crazy fans. If the Giants somehow beat the Cowboys, I’m going to take a dump on your head. You can feel good cuz you’re a damn football team. Expert analysis. Marcus Spears joins us now. ESPN NFL analyst Damen Woody. Mel Kyper Jr. The Hall of Famer Steve Young. He’s kind of our resident general and manager Lewis Riddick. We got Mike Tannon right now. And all your fantasy and waitering needs. This is ESPN New York. We are football. You know one thing, what a difference a year makes. You know the old cliche. So the Yankees went to the World Series in 2024. And they played a left fielder who couldn’t hit the water if he fell out of a boat. Alex Rodo. They played him every game. He could not hit. Trent Gisham was on that team. If my memory serves me correct, he didn’t have one at bat in the postseason. Not one. Not one. So, they completely changed their opinion of him on one year. Again, he couldn’t get because you could say, well, they were praying Verdugo for defense. Well, if we’re we’re to believe it, they think Trent Gisham pretty good defender, too. And the next year he had 34 home runs. Maybe they didn’t lose in five games to the Dodgers. They played Gisham, but they didn’t think that much of him. And I told you last year, last off season, they really had to battle themselves whether or not to tender the guy. That’s how little they thought of him. So they made the smart play and tendered him for five million bucks. Brilliant. Brilliant. So my producer Ray Deahan said to me during the break, “Well, what if they had signed him before last year to a $27 million two-year contract? Didn’t he give you $13 million in performance last year?” Absolutely. But it goes to show they didn’t think that. They would never have done that. 5 million was too much for them to do. So, you can’t play that game. You got to push 2025 away. And now you’re paying him what you think he’s going to do in 2026. Lot on the table there. Lot. Let’s go to Janine in Colonia. Janine. Hi, Michael. Uh, love the show as always. Thank you. Um, I think I’m think I’m kind of repeating what some uh previous caller said. Um, I just kind of think that the um the Yankees probably have a number and year thing in mind for Bellinger and that $22 million must not matter either way. Like if they’re close enough, like I don’t think they’re going to let the $22 million stop the signing. Like I just think Okay, so let me stop you and ask you this. Let me ask you this. Will it impact them getting another starter and another guy in the bullpen? Because Howal’s not going to go to 350. He’s not. Yeah. Yeah. I think you’re right. It will not impact if they’re close with Bellinger, but it will impact other things. And I’m also hoping that, you know, I’m just trying to see the glass half full that maybe like Bellinger is also kind of playing for he’s still playing for a contract. So like hopefully he’ll play like a guy who’s You mean looking to Yes. I’m sorry. Gish. Yes. Yeah. I mean certainly Janini has un unbelievable motivation to play well because now he’s working over $22 million salary and if he has another year where he hits 34 35 home runs then we’re talking about a significant long-term deal and only be 30 years old. But again, what you’re talking about if they sign Bellinger back, Dominguez gone. Either in the minor leagues are traded, Spencer Jones gone. Either another year or triple AAA are traded. And then it becomes, did you devalue them because everybody’s going to know there’s no place on the team for them? None. You’ve blocked your two biggest positional prospects other than George Lombard Jr. You blocked them by signing a 29year-old and signing Bellinger who I I believe is you know 29 maybe 30 to a 5-year deal and judges signed for another five years. So those guys will never ever see the light of day. Let’s go to Glenn in Connecticut. Glenn. Hey, Mike. Thanks for taking my call. You got it. You got it. Yeah. So, hypothetically, if they sign Bellinger to five-year deal, whatever he’s looking for, if they’re pretty much running back the exact same offense as they did last year, the offense that was completely feeble against the Blue Jays in the playoffs and figuring they want to I know there’s whispers about replacing Bulby at shortstop. What are they going to do there? Are they going to run him back again? I don’t understand why they’re running the same offense hypothetically right back. And I feel like we’re going to be in the same spot that we are in this year next year if that happens. Well, it’s it’s it’s it’s a different team. I I hear what you’re saying, Glenn, but it’s it’s definitely a different team than the one they started last year with. So, you’re going to have McMahon at third rather than Chisum. You’re going to have Chisum at second rather than DJ. Uh I think they once he’s healthy, I think Vulpi’s back at shortstop. You’re going to have Ben Rice from the beginning of the year, not Paul Goldmid, and you your pitching is going to be better because you’re going to have Garrick Cole. So, that that’s that’s a big deal. But you’re right, you’re running out that same strikeoutprone offense. But I’ve told you this a lot. They believe that their statistical analysis is that they could have just as well had a great series against Toronto. and they think that if they ran it back, there’s a chance they would. Now, Brian has denied ever using the word crapshoot. But he does say there’s a random a randomness to the postseason. And that’s just another highfulutin word for crapshoot. So if they believe that it’s a randomness, then maybe they take a chance rolling out a starting three of Cole, Rodon, and Freed throwing in little Cam Schlitler. So they have to like that. But their starting pitching wasn’t the reason they lost to the Blue Jays. Although Freed didn’t pitch well in the second game, so I don’t think Yankee fans would feel good about quote unquote running it back. But it is different than the beginning of the year. And if they had started the year with a team they had at the end of the year, then they would have won the division and they would have sat out the first round and maybe the Blue Jays get knocked out by the Red Sox. Tell you one thing, they got to build a a good team because the East is going to be filthy. Orioles are willing to spend. Toronto’s willing to spend. Red Sox look like they’re willing to spend. And you never count out the the Tampa Bay Rays, but they’re not willing to spend. So, it’s interesting stuff. You can’t just roll it back and say, “Well, we’ll win 94 again and I’ll try for the best record. We’ll see.” That’s not That’s not a pushover division. Andrew in Medford. Andrew. Yeah. Hey, Michael. How are you today? Good. How you doing? Good. Good. I hope you’re feeling better. Um I got uh two things I want to bring up. I I’ll see what you think of it. But first, like I haven’t answered. You said uh how do you sign Bellinger with the 281 million payroll? You you don’t I mean that’s tough. That’s tight there. But I want to ask I got to bring this one thing up front. I bring up two things. I got to bring up one thing. I got to bring up Brendan Donovan’s name. I know we talked about in the past, you and I. And I know you you told me that the Yankees like him and all. Now, he’s he’s got two years of arbitration eligibility left, too, on his contract. So, that’s big. Now, I know McMahon plays a great defense at third, but his offense is quiet. Donovan need to get both. And a leadoff hitter. And also, I want to bring up Yankees don’t sign Bellinger. Um would they that they’re not too high on you know Spencer Jones like you say would they be willing you think to add Spencer Jones and um Dominguez in a package to trade maybe for Fernando Tatis Jr. and then you’d have Tatis Jr. Gryom and Judge in the Alfield. Well that’s a deal that I would make every day and Sunday. Tatisa’s special talent. He’s a load to handle and he has a PD suspension, but he’s come back from that and played extraordinarily well. Great defender, too. Platinum glove level defender. And the Padres’s are looking to get rid of him because all that money that was spent, everybody said, “Oh, such brilliant moves by Peter Sidler.” Well, Peter Sidler tragically is no longer with us. His family is selling the team because the money they spent is not sustainable in that market. It’s just not. So, everybody that say, “Oh, this is what owner should do.” Yeah. And you know what? You [ __ ] yourself later on. And that’s exactly what’s happened with the uh the Padres’s. They made deals with AJ Peller before. Uh you’d have to give up some of your young pitching because that’s what they need. Dylan CE and Michael King both turned down the qualifying offer. So, they’re short on pitching. You Darvis is going to be out for the whole year. They need pitching. Now, would you trade Cam Schlitler as part of that deal? That’s something you’d have to consider, too. But I that’s if you don’t sign Bellinger, I’d go after Tatis. I really would. I mean, talk about a star. Talk about a guy that would grip the New York market and he signed for 10 more years at what is now somewhat a reasonable contract. That’s what I’d be looking for. Especially if Boris makes the bidding for Bellinger somewhat distasteful. That’s what I would do. Quarterbacks in New York. We’ll talk about them in just a moment. FanDuel is the number one sports book for same game parlays. From points and rebounds to threes and assist, FanDuel is the best place to combine your favorite picks into a same game parlay or track every stat Live all in one easy to use app. And right now is the perfect time to join because new customers get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. So bet on the players you love the way you want. Head to fanduel.com/k to sign up today. FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. 21 plus physically present in New York. First on online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued. That’s nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. For help with the gambling problem, call 18778y or text openy 467369. to help those who want to be helped but may not be able to afford it. That’s what PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray had envisioned for a foundation before he sadly took his own life at just 30 years old. His parents channeled their grief into creating the Grayson Murray Foundation, carrying out his vision to help those struggling with mental health and addiction. To donate and learn more, visit graysonmurray foundation.com. Hey, this is Jaylen Brunson. Jaylen Brunson for three and this is your home for New York Knicks basketball. This is 880 ESPN. WHSQ and WCBS FM HD2 New York. I know that hiring can be challenging. You sort through tons of resumes and you get too many so applicants. You’re just waiting for someone to match your role perfectly. Well, now there’s a place where you can meet them fast. Zip Recruiter right away. Start your search for strong candidates. The right fit awaits. Build your team. Build it sooner. Meet your match on Zip Recruiter. Just head to ziprecruiter.com/esbdn right now to try it for free and you’re on your way to meeting your match. Four out of five employers who post on Ziprecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. So try it now. Go to ziprecruiter.com/esbn. Once again, that’s ziprecruiter.com/esvnet [Music] on zipc. Try it free. Whether you’re shopping, gaming, or streaming this Black Friday season, don’t take slow for an answer. Get Optimum Fiber for the fastest, most reliable, and most consistent internet speeds starting at $25 a month. Call 8884 Optimum or visit optimum.com to switch. Act now and get a full year of Netflix, an unlimited mobile line, a $400 prepaid card, and more. All on us. Call 8884 Optimum or visit optimum.com today. Optimum. Don’t take slow for an answer. Terms apply. See optimum.com for details. Some people just know you can save money on car insurance by checking All State first. Like you know to check the weather first before wearing face paint to the game. Bro, your gold cats is dripping into your nachos. Oh, and now paint is in my eyes. Interception. Did you see that? No. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check All State first and see what you could save. You’re in good hands with All State. Potential savings vary, including based on how you buy subject to turns, conditions, and availability. All State North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northwick, Illinois. Coach Saven here and let me tell you, every second matters. Preparation is everything. And that’s why I trust KDA smoke alarms. And as North America’s number one home fire safety brand, they’re built to respond over 25% faster to smoke detection. KDA helps protect what matters the most. Find it at The Home Depot. How do more done. Number one claim based on total household installations as of December 2023. 29% faster average smoke detection based on internal testing of smoldering wood fires for KDA 9th edition versus leading competitor eighth edition product. Welcome back to the show everybody. Me and you for two hour two Mike Lup at 2:30 cuz it’s Wednesday and that’s what we do. We talk to the Daily News columnist at 2:30 every Wednesday. So, there was a lot of talk after Jackson Dart suffered his concussion that a lot of people would have put him on ice for the rest of the year. I said, I wouldn’t. He’s got to learn how to take hits. He’s got to learn how to be more in control. And today, the interim head coach, Mike Kovka, said that if he is cleared from concussion protocol, he is the starting quarterback. And that’s the only way to do it. That’s the absolute only way to do it. He’s got to learn how to play in the in the NFL and survive. Now, you don’t want to throw him to the wolves by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s got to play because this year was all about making him really good. And I think he’s already there. But you don’t stop the progression because you’re afraid that’ll get hurt. Protect him better, have himself protect himself better, and go from there. That’s the only move, the absolute only move to make. Now, I didn’t get a chance to give you my opinion on this yesterday because I was out, but the Cam Scataboo at the WWE event at Madison Square Garden. I I don’t get it. You know, I saw what Cam tweeted out. You know, I’m just trying to have fun. Uh, and I’m trying to replace the fun that I have from playing. And I’m paraphrasing. And if you don’t like it, unfollow me. Well, that’s not quite the point, Cam. Even if I don’t follow you on social media, but as a Giant fan, I don’t want you to imperil yourself. And you can say, well, those are all heavily choreographed. Yeah, things can go wrong. Things can go wrong. Michael Strahan on Good Morning America said yesterday, “What are you doing? You got to get yourself right.” And I think Scott said, “Well, my foot was up in the air, the one that was surgically repaired, please.” With all the pushing and shoving that goes on, you don’t think that somebody could have knocked him to the ground? Now, they didn’t. So, nothing happened. But for Cam to take exception with the people that took exception to it, I I think he’s missing the point. And it kind of shows you the Giants are kind of like the Wild Wild West. Abdul Carter did not play in the first series defensively on Sunday and he’s at the WWE event. So no contrition shown. None. None. who’s running things with the Giants. And I don’t blame Kafka. I don’t at all. Interim coach, you think he wants to swing it around and be benching people? He’s trying to win games. But it just shows you what’s going on there. That that was okay. Let’s put Cam Scataboo in harm’s way. The last time we s saw Cam Scataboo, his ankle was pointing the wrong way. So, a major surgery and you hope that he gets back to what he was and he’s pushing and shoving in a WWE scripted thing. Don’t make sense. You can have fun. You have a lot of fun, but nothing that would impact you physically. So, I don’t know what’s going on with the Giants. Then we find out Paul Schwarz wrote the New York Post that Abdul Carter was not sleeping. He was in a red light therapy recovering and nobody on the Giants thought about going and getting him. No one. No one thought about it. How is it possible for rookies to be running this wild and unattended to? Shame on the veterans on the team for letting it happen. Shame on the coaching staff. And if you listen to the show, you know that I’m a fan of Brian Dable, but it seemed like he was running, you know, a kids camp. Nobody got scolded. Nobody got disciplined. I know there are still people chasing down whether or not Abdul Carter is habitually late, but it’s out there. Why is that allowed to go on? Why wasn’t that addressed? Why didn’t somebody from the Giants tell Cam Scatteraboo not a good idea? Because I don’t think he did that last second and thought, “I’m going to do this.” And the Giants never knew. Somebody from the Giants has to step in. That’s not really a good idea, Cam. It’s not. So, when you see teams that are bad, there’s a reason they’re bad. There there’s a reason they’re bad. There’s something wrong in the building. There’s something wrong in the building. And with the Giants, there’s something wrong in the building. I’ve always said that the new coaches and managers have to make nice with the players. I don’t think it works in football. There’s got to be some level of discipline. There just has to be. How could there not be? you let Cam Scatter put himself in harm’s way and then even if you go back to Jackson Dart when you know Brian Dable was asked about Dart running as much as he had they said well I’m not going to take away his aggressiveness oh yeah you have to a little bit can’t let him run wild and they did and he got hurt let’s go to Frank in Newark Frank hey Mike how you doing uh first I’m calling you know a long Um, I was going to say, look, even with the WWE event, we all know this is scripted and at that point, Cam was kind of like a guest host appearing and there were ways if he wanted to actually vent out, let out, have a little fun, be a part of the show, there was ways to do it without him being physically involved. A lot of times in the WWE events, um, they they introduce these players as guest hosts for the night and stuff like that. That involves no physical involvement whatsoever. no jeopardizing the person’s career. A lot of times they allow him to make decisions like you know uh tonight we’ll have a world title defend so and so against so and so and it’s going to be hell in the cell or something like that. So there were ways around him feeling like he was a part of the show without putting any jeopardy on his ankle or anything like that. And you know what Frank if Cooper Deon of the Eagles was there with Big Dom the security guy he didn’t wrestle. He didn’t push anybody around. That’s That’s what you’re talking about. Yep. Exactly. I mean, at this point, he’s young, but he needs to understand that the chances of him making a WWE appearance and making a career out of it, swim to none. You got you only got about three years, if you’re lucky, with the style of playing that you like to like that you like to be physical, you only got three and a half years. You don’t have much of a lifeline as a running back, especially if you were drafted in the fourth round. In the fourth round, you don’t you know, your pay your paycheck is not that much. And as I always tell my co-workers at work, don’t let anyone mess up that paycheck of yours. I think you make good points. And you know, one thing with Scataboo, he’s a wild man. He’s been a wild man since he was a kid. I’ve read the stories about him. He had no fear. Threw his body into anything. That’s just how he’s wired. So, he doesn’t think he’s going to get hurt. And athletes never really think that much about, oh, I could get hurt crossing the street. Because athletes are the chosen ones. I mean, they won um the DNA lottery. They’ve got unbelievable skills and hand eye coordination, so I don’t think anything could go wrong. So, I’m sure he didn’t think that his ankle was going to be pointed the wrong way, but it it happened. And then to go to Madison Square Garden and take part in a WWE skit makes no sense. Our very own Bart Scott was in there and I could tell unless he’s a great actor. I I forget who he was wrestling. Guy in a a vest. Kurt Angle, thank you. Tom Bower knows that stuff and I don’t know why. Um looked like he broke his leg. I mean, it really looked like Bart broke his leg and when he was leaving the stage or the ring, he was limping. Now, obviously, Scatteraboo didn’t do that. But why put yourself in harm’s way? I guess Bart, you know, maybe it’s a paycheck, whatever the case may be. Maybe he wants to have fun, whatever the case may be. If he gets hurt, only Chris Carlin gets affected. If Scataboo gets further hurt and they have to reddo the surgery, then we got problems. Now we got problems. Peter and W. Peter, I I’m shocked. Hey, Michael. Nice to speak to you. Big fan. I am shocked that people are surprised Kevu did this. You’re not telling this kid no, he doesn’t care and he’s great. That’s what I actually like about him. I think the coach should have reigned him in on the field so he didn’t sustain an injury. Same with Dart. But now the kid’s going to live his life and he’s a young kid. He’s crazy. He’s having fun. I I commend it. I mean, obviously if he got hurt worse, it would have been a a tragedy, but why is anyone surprised this kid got involved with this? Well, we shouldn’t be surprised because, as I said, you know, I’ve I’ve read all the stories about him and this is the kind of guy he is. That’s how he’s wired. But when you can say that they can’t do anything about Yeah. Yeah, they could. Yeah, they could. They most certainly can. You are an employee of the New York Giants. They could tell you no. There are things that are put into players contracts like baseball players, they can’t ski during the winter because Jim Lombard Lawnborg of the Boston Red Sox snapped his leg, never was the same pitcher again. So yeah, you can’t play basketball, stuff like that. Remember Aaron Boon lost all that money because he hurt himself playing basketball was in his contract. He couldn’t. So yeah, you could stop players. You could. And maybe his aggressiveness and his wild nature is the reason why he lasted till the fourth round. Despite being a really good college player, he doesn’t think anything bad could happen. And really, this is much you do about nothing because you know why? Nothing bad happened. But why put yourself in harm’s way? That’s my point. Let’s go to Gu. He’s in Queens. What’s up, Gu? Yeah, Mike. My question to you, you always asking who you think Dot reminds you of. Now, I’m thinking Fran Talkington of the Giants back in the 60s. I used to watch him at Yankee Stadium. The way he runs around and scrambles around and takes chances. He had a good career. What do you think? I don’t I don’t mind that. Um, I don’t mind that if he could have Fran Tarkington’s career. He’s in the Hall of Fame. You’d take it. But Tarkington, from what I remember, didn’t put himself in harm’s way that much. You know, Dart’s leading with his head. He doesn’t want to slide. He doesn’t do anything like that. He just doesn’t. So, there there’s a little bit of a difference there. I don’t think he’s just a scrambler. Like, it’s hard to just compare him to Fran Tarkington, but you you look at Lamar Jackson. He knows how not to get hurt. Josh Allen is humongous. That’s why he doesn’t get hurt. I think you got to be careful. I think you got to be careful. Now, speaking of quarterbacks, the Jets have decided who their quarterback’s going to be. And um Aaron Glenn was asked today in Floren Park, will you announce your starting quarterback? Yeah, I said that uh on Monday. talk to both of those guys, talk to the team on Monday. So, Tyrod will be our starter. Why did you decide to make that move? Uh because I wanted to Why? Why? You know, it’s funny. Aaron Glenn is trying desperately to plug leaks, but it got out there that Taylor was the quarterback. Several people reported it yesterday and on Monday. So, his plugging of leaks is not that great. Not that great. But again, because I wanted to. Of course, you’re the coach. So, what you want is what’s going to happen. But we’re asking for a little bit of clarity. There’s got to be a reason why you made that decision. So, they double back. Why make the quarterback change? It was purely my decision. I felt like it was the the time to do it. Uh again, had good conversation with both of those guys. And listen, these situations are not always easy, you know, but as a head coach, uh you have to do what’s best for the team. And I feel like it was best for the team. And you know what? He’s right. I think he made the right move. But there’s one parenthetical statement that he made in there and I I I just wonder why. It was totally my decision. Whose whose decision would it be? You’re the head that coach of the Jets. Is Woody Johnson even in the discussion to pull Justin Fields for a head coach to have to accentuate that? It was totally my decision. Why? Who’s a whose decision would it be? It has to be your decision. Little odd. Little odd. Now, if you want to win games, Taylor should be your quarterback. If you don’t want him win games, then why is your quarterback? You know what I’m saying? All right. So, the Jets are the champions of Ohio. They beat the Bengals. They beat the Browns. But do you really want to win more games? Now, you know the players on the field are always going to try to win. But what’s your best chance to continue to lose? Oh, yeah. Have a quarterback that doesn’t throw for 100 yards. That’s your best chance. And this is the thing that worries me about the firm of Muji and Glenn. This is the guy they settled on to bring in. This is a guy couldn’t throw in Chicago, couldn’t throw in Pittsburgh. What did you see in him? Now again, if we had a coach that was willing to actually illuminate us, what did you see in Justin Fields that didn’t work? What did you see? So, these are the guys, these two guys that are going to make the choice on who the quarterback’s going to be. That’s a little scary because they gave this guy $30 million guaranteed. Two years, 40 million. 30 million guaranteed. So, if they release him after June 1st, it’s a $13 million cap hit. On top of that, because they released Aaron Rogers, that’s a $35 million cap hit for 2026. So, directly related to these two men, Muji and Glenn, you’ve got $38 million. $38 million. that can’t be spent in 2026 because the quarterbacks that you decided not to bring in. So, here’s my point about going to Taylor. So, you’re going to Taylor because you want to win games, right? Then why wouldn’t you have stayed with Aaron Rogers? H is that a decent question? Would you have won more than two games with Aaron Rogers and then not have the dead cap hit because you chose Justin Fields over Aaron Rodgers? And I think that it wasn’t really um a talent issue. I think it was an ego issue. You could see Aaron Glenn is very very um squirmy when it comes to control. He wants to control the media. He’s in control of the football operations and he didn’t want a guy like Aaron Rogers who never had an opinion that he didn’t want to articulate. He didn’t want him around. But again, you’re benching Fields, the guy you chose instead of bringing back Aaron Rogers who was already signed. You’re benching him to go to Taylor because you want to win games. Now all of a sudden it’s important to win games. There’s not one person out there that would think that they would not have won more games this year if they stayed with Rogers and didn’t go to Justin Fields. Is there anybody out there that believes that? And if Glenn and Muji really thought they were going to win more games with Justin Fields, then it shows you how tonedeaf they are to how good a quarterback could be. 41-year-old Aaron Rogers every day and Sunday I would choose over Justin Fields. every single day. Every day. John and Chadam. John, talk to us. Hey, Michael. Hey, John. Yeah, I want to make I want to make a point about Abdul Carter. But first, the WWF, Bart Scott showing up over there. I think the wrong host showed up. I think Chris Carlin should have went to the WWF. I would have bought a ticket. That would have been entertainment if Yeah. one of the wrestlers uh Carly got in the ring and one of the wrestlers picked him up and and bench pressed him. That would have been impressive. Yeah, but that the wrestler would have had to be really strong to pick up Chris. Don’t you think? Oh, he would had to be Hercules. But Abdul Carter, I’m a Penn State fan. And if you look at his senior year with Penn State and this year with the Giants, it looked like he he’s gained a uh 50 pounds or so. I don’t know if the Giant coaches told him that you need to put on weight, but that’s he slowed down a tick or whatever. He has not I don’t John I I it’s hard for me to argue with. He has not looked great. I mean, he has a half a sack. So, I don’t know what the deal is now. He he has not gotten as many uh reps as you would think because you know they they’ve got repetitive talent like Kavon Tibido and last last week he played more because Tibido was out. So yeah, I don’t know what’s up because I thought I I thought the guy was a great great talent coming out of Penn State and he hasn’t shown it yet but I’m not giving up on him. I mean what we’re 11 games in. Let’s go to Ryan in Manhattan. Hi. Hey, Michael. First of all, hope you hope you feel better. Glad it wasn’t co. Um, thanks. I wanted to ask regarding a couple players that I haven’t really heard uh talked about that much. Excuse me. One being Catel Marte. Um, I heard he might be available. I thought that could be could be interesting. And the other one being Kyle Schwarber. Um, he I really haven’t heard anyone talk about him. Probably for good reason. Probably a very silly idea. But I think that hit the two of them being added to the Yankees. Um, you know, you can just imagine them in a lineup with Stanton and Judge and Rice. I think that could look quite interesting. I’m just curious. All right, so let’s talk this through. Ryan, interesting. Schwarber, great player, supposedly great in the clubhouse. He’s going to get close to $40 million a year. Let’s say the Yankees dive into that deep end of the pool. Where are they playing him? So, my fault was potentially in left field um or uh probably uh first base um and Rice moves to to catcher. Now, I know that yes, Rice isn’t the greatest catcher in the world or whatever. They’re bit worried about that, but to my understanding the with the ABS system framing is going to be a little bit less important. Um so, I thought that perhaps that could be something that uh that they could do. Yeah, I I I don’t I don’t think it fits. Uh, you know, you’re not bringing in Kyle Schwarber for $160 million for four years. He’d be great. Um, and he actually hits lefties better than he used to. But, you know, one thing you said that that doesn’t ring true. The ABS system, it’s only two challenges. Only two for each team. So, framing is still an important part of what they do. And Rice is not bad at framing. it’s throwing a second. That’s the issue. So, I think they look at Rice more or less as a first baseman. So, that if they’re going to spend $40 million on a player, then go out and get Kyle Tucker. He’s younger than Schwarber and can play a position. You know, if you put Schwarber in left field, you if you think that Jason Dominguez was sketchy, get a load of Kyle Schwarber in left field. Now, he’s a DH. That’s that’s that’s his position. and he could play every now and then in the in the field, but he’s a DH. I just don’t think he fits with the Yanks. Hey, the ESPN New York holiday party is back. That’s right. This show, the Michael K show, and Don Han and Rosenberg are bringing the holiday cheer at your mother’s house in Garden City Park, Long Island on Friday, December 12th. We’re once again collecting unwrapped toy donations this year to benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation. It all kicks off at 1 p.m. on Friday, December 12th at your mother’s house, brought to you by Amazon Pickup. All right, you know what happens on Wednesday, right? I think everybody knows. Do I have to remind you? It’s Mike Lupa. He joins us at 2:30. So that’s about 5 and a half minutes from now. Stay tuned. Hear what he has to say. That’s coming up next on the K show on ESPN New York. Oxspine at New York Presbyterian is always in pursuit of a better way to heal the spine. We’re getting more people moving again with minimally invasive non-surgical and surgical treatments with innovative solutions for every back and spine condition and your unique needs. Expert spine care is available now across New York City and Westchester. Find a doctor at ny.org/oxspine. Stay amazing. New York Presbyterian right now. of Bay Rich Honda. Experience the wonder of holiday savings on Honda cars, trucks, and SUVs during Happy Honda Days. Like the Accord SE, only 2.39 per month or the all-wheel drive Honda Ridgeline for only $289 a month. These clearance deals won’t last long. Plus, receive thousands in benefits and savings with their Bay Plus advantage plan. Upfront pricing, total peace of mind. Visit bayagehonda.com. 36 months lease, 7,500 m per year, 38.99 down, plus tax, tag, and fees. See dealer for full details. Why do you go to Princeton Longevity Center? We go to Princeton Longevity Center because my husband’s cardiologist told him having this exam saved his life. Because somehow 20 turned into 40 and now I need to take my health more seriously. The Princeton Longevity Center designed a program to keep me healthy and active. So 50 and 60 will be no sweat. Because even though my cholesterol is high, it turned out my arteries are clear. That’s a big relief. Whether you want to make the most of your future years or just want peace of mind, you need the Princeton Longevity Center. Their comprehensive preventive exam combines the latest technology with caring experts to create your personal plan for staying well. Because I shouldn’t have to wait an hour for a 10-minute physical. I go to Princeton Longevity Center because I get everything done in one day and take my results home with me. Find out why you need Princeton Longevity. Call 8888000PLC or go to princetonl longevitycenter.com. Call 8888000 PLC. That’s 8888000 PLC. [Music] Harry Douglas here. Look, being a man doesn’t mean skipping self-care. Manscape makes it easy to feel confident, clean, and ready for anything. Whether you’re at work, hitting the gym, traveling for business, or heading for a night out, the lawnmower trimmer gives you precision. The beard hedger keeps your look tight, and their grooming essentials smell incredible. Manscape’s tools are built to perform, helping you stay sharp, smooth, and feeling your best every single day. Because real confidence starts with a clean cut and the right gear. Get all the Manscape products you need right now at your local Target. Paying extra for tire care is BS. You know, bad service. So, at Midas, we’re rolling out our BS-free tire guarantee included with paid installation and tax on every purchase. You’ll pay nothing for flat replacements, natada for flat repairs, and zilch for tire rotations every 5,000 mi. That’s $0 for all that. So, with this limited lifetime tire guarantee, you’ll pay a whole lot of nothing compared to what the other guys charge for tire care. That’s the BS-free tire guarantee only at Midas. [Music] You know, I was just um illuminated the Bart Scott thing that wasn’t from this weekend. That was when he was an active player. That would scare me, too. I wouldn’t want anybody in the ring like that. If you saw the way his leg was twisted, but you know, I’m sure Rex Ryan loved it, but Bart Scott wasn’t hurt at the time. Cam Scatteraboo just had an unbelievable injury where his ankle was pointing the wrong way. So, I I I thought Bart did that as, you know, part of our team, but it it was done in the past while he was a member of the Jets. Here’s a guy that would never ever imperil himself in a WWE match, and that is the brilliant Hall of Fame columnist of the Daily News, Mike Lupa, also best-selling author, and you can read him on MLB.com. Hi, Mike. You’re right. I would never impale myself on a WWE match. Oh, imperel. Sorry. Imperial. Yeah. Or impale. Oh, look at you with all your big words. Wow. Well, you taught me well. Um, did you have a problem with what Scataboo did? No. Yes, I did. I Listen, I I I don’t want to walk a mile in his walking boot or whatever he’s still wearing. Okay. He’s going through a difficult time. I I just think it was I I think it was bad judgment. It It just It’s a bad Mike. I don’t know what you It’s a bad optic. Okay. And I know he’s a kid and and I I I imagine he goes through life the way he, you know, like a wrecking ball the way he does football, but I I when a guy has lost for the season and and by the way, that that was that was a leg twister. Like I was there the night Joe Thyman got hurt. I was at that game, Michael, and it’s one of the worst things I ever saw. And we saw that day that everybody on the field knew how bad it was. I I I just think I think you got to sit it out. I I don’t mind you going. I don’t mind you going, but to be part of the show when you can’t be part of the real show, I I just think it’s a bad idea. You do wonder, Mike, where are the adults in the room in the Giant facility? I mean, Abdul Carter didn’t play the first series of downs because he was late to a walk and he shows up and is part of that as well. Where are the adults in the room for the Giants, Michael? This this whole thing speaks to Yes. There there’s a larger issue and and and it’s why they got to win some games the rest of the way. I’m sorry. I know it’s a loss season. I know they lost Neighbors. I know they lost Scataboo. They lost, you know, they they lost Jackson Dark for a minute, but if this thing craters even more than it already has, how can they find how can they possibly justify bringing back the general manager? Like this this whole thing has gone wrong for so long. And what I think their bigger issue is, and I don’t know whether you’ve talked about this or not, I think, and maybe with Abdul Carter too, I think they’re over evaluating the talent that they still have on the field. I think that’s what Shane is selling. And and I’m not buying it. I I Yeah, if we’d had neighbors, maybe things go differently. If we win the Denver game, maybe things go, you know, on and on and on. But boy oh boy, Michael, where’s the talent? Where’s the performance on the defensive side of the ball? Ju just there. And and if this thing, you know, say they do end up three and 14 again, how can how can they possibly sell their fan base that the whole thing is moving in the right direction? And I really believe they’re putting themselves in a situation that is going to be hard to wiggle out of because you’re letting this guy run point on finding your your head coach. So, he’s going to talk to people that he likes and he knows and even if he’s not retained, why would his fingerprints be on that coach? I don’t get it. Because if you’re going to get rid of him, and I’ve heard rumors that, you know, it doesn’t mean he’s going to stay around, but if you’re going to get rid of him, don’t you think that the new GM should pick the coach? Yes. Because it ne the other thing never works. Michael, it it it just all they have to do is look at their own recent history. It just it doesn’t work. And and again, I they have got to show us something. I I I I just I’ve got a column, I don’t know if it’s been posted yet, about Aaron Glenn, as a matter of fact, and how the Jets have to show us something and he has to show us something the rest of the way that they these teams still have games to play and and I I what I want to see is is players playing for their jobs because Mike Tfka, the interim coach, he’s playing for his job. I don’t think Glenn is in trouble. I don’t I mean maybe if they end up two and 15 we we we might have to revisit this but but we have got to see more performance on the field and on the sideline from both of these dreadful teams but from now until the end of the season and and or they’re just going to continue to see the other team have more fans at Medlife Stadium than they do. I I saw Andrew Thomas yesterday. This was amazing to me Mike. the Giants work off a a silent count because the the stadium is filled with the other team’s fans. Imagine you have a silent count on your home court. It’s amazing. It’s I I have to say even when things aren’t going well for the Yankees, we don’t have that issue, Michael, at Yankee Stadium. And and it’s but no, it’s a huge problem. I mean, that was a Packers crowd. That was a Packers crowd last Sunday for the Giants. and and the place is going to continue to empty out if if things if if things don’t change. I I it’s it’s it’s it’s quite amazing how quickly how quickly a we’re looking towards pitchers and catchers. That’s what that’s one thing. Okay. And b how the Knicks now feel like the only game in town. Absolutely. The Knicks actually they they lost a game to the the Heat the other night and I thought they looked really really good. good. They had a four-minute stretch in the fourth quarter where nothing happened, right? But they they fought hard against a pretty tough Heat team. I I think they they could be quite good, Mike. No, I listen I I think I I think they are a good team, Michael. I do. And but you know, you look at those standings and I and we’ve talked about this before. Obviously, the Pistons are another team that didn’t get the memo that that the Knicks going to the NBA Finals is supposed to be like a wee a water slide, you know. Yeah. It it’s it’s it’s so odd that, you know, we gave them a ticket to the finals and it’s not a sure thing yet. I mean, the Cavaliers, you know, they’re getting fined for not playing players, but there’s some teams there that going to have a say about it and the Knicks are going to have to play well. But I like the way they look. Brunson’s going to come back tonight against the Mavericks and the OG should be a couple of weeks with the hamstring injury. But it is odd though, nobody has blamed Mike Brown uh for those injuries. But if it was Tibido, it would have been his fault. Oh my god, Mike. Would it have been the minutes police or are there not enough minutes for the minutes police? You know, is is there Mike, have you ever wondered is there a minutes police academy? Is there is there somewhere that that you have to actually m metriculate before you can get to be a full-fledged Ub so yes and Bubba Smith is there it’s it’s a it’s a police academy administ it’s over it’s somewhere on the west side right I forget so yeah by the uh the sanitation department all right Michael we have to talk about something because I I I know it’s on your mind and it happened to be on my mind I forgot when we texted before about what we were going to talk about Michael I don’t like the Gresham deal I don’t I I I I have great reservations even if it’s a shortterm deal. I This guy could turn out to be DJ Lameu all over again. Well, I open the show with it, Mike. And it it is just again I’m going to assume that they’re playing 3D chess and my head plays checkers. But here’s the way I look at it. You gave this guy $22 million off one year, right? If you offered him I keep hearing there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal. It’s nonsense because it’s going to inhibit you from spending on other things. If you offered him to all 29 other teams, Mike, and said, “You don’t have to give us anything. Just take the contract.” Everyone would say, “No, I’m good.” They’d pass. And that’s not saying Trent Gisham’s a bad player. He’s not a $22 million a year player. Not I don’t understand their thinking. And it could handicap them with other moves that they need to make. I I I when I saw when first of all when when there was a chance that it was going to happen, I’m thinking they have to be rooting for him not to accept this offer. You would think because you I just you know I you’ve heard me use this quote before um uh from Dizzy Gillespie, the old jazz guy. The professional is the one who can do it again. Okay, maybe he can do it again. But you you always talk about the back of the baseball card, right? Mhm. That there’s one set of numbers that jump off the back of his, but there really is nothing comparable to that, is there? On the rest of the car, I I’ve got numbers for you, Mike, because I come prepared. In 2022, he hit 181. 2023, he hit 198. 2024, he hit 190. They could not put him in the lineup for for Verdugo who couldn’t hit. He didn’t get an at bat in the postseason that year when they went to the World Series. And now you get him $22 million and I keep hearing, “Well, there’s not a lot of center fielders out.” Well, find one. Harrison Bader you get for 10 million bucks and he’s right-handed. You give me my choice right now between Bader and Gresham, and I don’t even hesitate whatever the price is to to sign Bader. I know he gets hurt. Okay. But I also saw something else from him. He sure did show up when he got a crack at October with the New York Yankees. And last year with a bad hamstring, he hit 350 for the Phillies. No, no. I’m telling you, I I love him as a player. And he’s local. No. I mean, it it just it would have made so much sense, but I think this is fool. It’s fool’s gold that is being tossed around here because I don’t think Gresham’s that good. And and I don’t think he listen, we could have this conversation. He could be hitting 3:30 in in August and I I’ll I will come on on on Wednesday and say I was wrong, but I don’t think I am. Now, I know that you’re a big Alonzo fan. Is there a price that you tap out? I I don’t know if it’s a price or how many years, Michael. I I I can understand how they would have some reservations. I mean, I don’t Five years would be a lot at this stage in his career. And I, you know, I love the kid. I I’ I’ve spoken a lot to him over the years. He’s he’s the real deal. He’s Buck Sho Walter calls him country strong. And those numbers would have to be replaced by someone. But Mike, don’t you feel that Sterns is greasing the skids for him to not come back. And I’m not saying they won’t make a representative offer. I think they have to. Okay. But boy oh boy, the more he talks about run prevention, we talked about this last Wednesday. I think, you know, all I know is runs and run prevention. Give me give me runs every day of the week, Michael. And and only one guy in the sport had more RBI than Pete Alonzo. And and do I think he’s Keith Hernandez at first base? No. But sometimes you get the idea that he’s a complete butcher over there, and he’s not. And he continues to work hard to get better. I I’ve said this to you before, Mike. You give Mets fans the choice right now, okay, between Pete Alonzo and the guy running baseball operations, they would take Pete Alonzo every day of the week because you know what? They have equity with him, okay? He’s produced capital for Mets fans. And the head of baseball operations has done nothing like that in the time he’s been on the job. See, but here’s the issue, Mike, and I wonder if this is going to come to the forefront at some point. This is the guy that Steve Cohen waited for. waited until he became free to sign. And if you’re not going to allow him to build the team the way he wants, is there going to be a divorce there? Because this is a guy who’s used to shopping at Kohl’s and now he has an owner where you could shop at Neiman Marcus and he he doesn’t seem like he wants to do it. No. And and I this to me is is going to be when the rubber meets the road with these two guys because he can sell him a long range program because you know what he’s selling him, Michael? He’s going to sell him on the idea that if we spend right, but if we build the farm system, we can be the thing that he knows Cohen desperately wants to be, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Okay. But Steve Cohen has been at his position for a while now and he hasn’t gotten to the World Series. He came close a year ago, but you hardly give Sterns a lot of credit for that. And I just wonder even though he acted like this guy invented baseball because of his work in Milwaukee exactly how patient he’s going to be with him. And I do wonder, nobody brings this up. I I believe that Steve Cohen is 69 years old. So if you’re going to build this self- sustaining farm, he wants to win. He said he was going to win two World Series in five years. It’s 0 for five. You think he wants to sit there for a slow build of the farm system? Mike, there used to be a line. There used to be a line in Hollywood that everybody’s got a three-picture deal until the first picture tanks. The first picture tanks. Okay. And and and they tanked last year. And that was really the first time that that Sterns’s fingerprints were on a Mets season. This was the first this was his vision. Frankie Monttos and all of those guys thinking you could buy cheap with starting pitchers, not adding starting pitchers at the trade deadline. Well, I you know, I wrote a column for MLB last week and I and I believe this firmly. There is no executive in the sport under more pressure than Sterns is under in this off season. And it’s interesting, the team that went to the World Series, I’m sorry, it was a Billy Apple Buck Shoalter team. Yeah, of course. Yeah, it’s it’s like a lot of guys dined out in the old days on teams that Buck and Gene Michael building Yankee Stadium. Yep. Absolutely. Great stuff, Mike. We’ll talk to you uh next Wednesday, right before Thanksgiving. Thanks, pal. It’s always fun. You got it. That’s Mike Lupa. You can read him in the Daily News. Got that Aaron Glenn column coming up. All right. Now, I want to bring in you as the co-host. All right. I’ve cleared the lines. I want you 1 800 919 3776. We take you right up to Don Han and Rosenberg. Hey, FanDuel is the number one sports book for same game parlays. From points and rebounds to threes and assists, FanDuel is the best place to combine your favorite picks into a same game parlay or track every stat live all in one easy to use app. And right now, it’s the perfect time to join because new customers get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. So bet on the players you love the way you want. Head to fanduel.com/k to sign up today. FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. 21 plus physically present in New York. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non-drawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Front with a gambling problem. Call 18778NY or text open467369. Not sure who to bet on this weekend, USC or Oregon? The Ducks are favored by 10 points. Will they cover the spread? What about Nebraska or Penn State? The Lions are favored by 9 and a half points. Join one of the nation’s top sports betting analyst, Joe Whiz, on the fine line Saturday at 8:00 a.m. The season is on the line for the Chiefs as they host the Colts. Plus, the Whiz Talks basketball, hockey, soccer, and more. Follow the Whiz on Instagram at Joe Whiz Sports. It’s the best bet in town. The fine line with Joe Whiz. Saturday at 8 a.m. Be ready to win. at the five yd line. Hand off. Bree Hall finds a crease, runs left, he’s into the end zone for a Jet touchdown. Jets fans, clear the runway and be at Metife Stadium for week 13 as your New York Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, November 30th at 1 p.m. presented by New Jersey Lottery. Join us as we celebrate First Responders Day. Don’t miss your chance to be at the game. Lock in your seats now at nyjets.com/tick. Once again, that’s nyjets.com/tick. There are small risks in life, like giving a kid a football to play with in the house. Wo wo. Watch out for the Okay. And then there are big gamles like giving a kid a lottery ticket. Never gift a lottery ticket to a person under 18. Learn more about how to gift responsibly during the holidays at playresponsibly.com. Please gift responsibly. Must be 18 plus. gambling problem, call 18778NY or text HOPEN NY. Are you ready to unleash the beast? Monster Energy is here to give you the edge this college tailgate season. Loaded with bold flavors, our powerful blend gives you the energy you need to push you beyond your limits. Tune in all season long with Monster, the energy drink of ESPN radio college football tour. Power your performance with a drink that’s as hungry for victory as you are. Crack open an ice cold monster and dominate your competition. Monster energy. Unleash the beast. Grab yours today. Every great team has its core players, but when the season gets tough, adding the right free agent can make all the difference. The same goes for business. At Robert Half, we found that 67% of companies surveyed plan to increase their use of contract talent to handle workload peaks and backlogged projects. With Robert Half’s specialized recruiters experience combined with our award-winning AI, you can quickly find the skilled candidates you want. At Robert Half, we know talent. Discover how we can help at robert.com/talent. ESPN New York is throwing a holiday party you don’t want to miss. Join us Friday, December 12th at your mother’s house in Garden City Park. We’ll be broadcasting the Michael K show live from 1 to 3, followed by Don, Han, and Rosenberg from 3 to 7:00. All while supporting a great cause. Bring a toy to benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation and help make the season brighter for local kids in need. It’s the ESPN New York holiday party. Friday, December 12th, brought to you by Swipe Dade, Amazon Pickup and ESPN New York. Now, there was a very interesting trade. I think it was late yesterday. The Orioles traded Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels. Outfielder Taylor Ward. Grayson Rodriguez had such promise. Then he was hurt last year, but he was one of their top pitchers. Taylor Ward’s a good player, but the Orioles do need starters. They need some offense, too, but not not as much as they need starters. So, that’s a little bit of an odd deal. Take a closer look at that. Uh, let’s go to George in Atoria. George, what’s going on, Michael? Thanks for taking my call. You got it, man. What’s up? Um, really quick, big Yankee fan. I just want to talk about the Trent Gisham thing, bring up a couple points, then get your take on it. Shoot. Um, I know last year was a career year for him. Um, after the way the season ended, I didn’t think there was a way that Gisham would be in center field every day this season, but if we know one thing about the Yankees, if they’re paying you, they’re playing you. So, he’ll be out there. Um, what does that do for the rest of the free agent class this year with the Yankees? Uh, you know, Bellinger, Tucker, Bobette maybe. And what does that do um for Jason Spencer Jones? Because we’ve been waiting for Dominguez for so long now. Um and I know, don’t give me the he’s a bad outfielder thing because Trent Spencer Jones a good outfielder. Spencer Jones is a good outfielder. Yeah. Yeah. I mean Dominguez, you know, we we hear oh he can’t play he can’t play the outfielders and that. Trent Gisham’s minus 11 defensive run save last year was the worst among qualified outfielders. So just because he catches the fly ball nonchalant, you know, I don’t need him out there every day. Um, well, you you came along with stats, George, and I appreciate that. The bottom line is they’re going to say he had a hamstring injury. That’s why his defensive metrics went down. He was not a great defensive center fielder. And you’re saying that you don’t want him to play every day. $22 million, he’s your everyday center fielder. He is. I mean, it’d be professional malfeasants to have a $22 million a year player on the bench. Now, do I think it impacts them going after Bellinger? I don’t think so. But it’s $22 million you can’t spend on somebody in the bullpen or another starter. So, if they don’t get Bellinger, then Dominguez gets another shot in left field. But, I think by giving the qualifying offer to Gisham, they’re going to end up trading Spencer Jones. That That’s all there is to it. That’s the way I look at it. Uh Jack in Atoria. Jack. Hey, Michael. How’s it going? How are you? Good. What’s going on, man? So, I mean, I I feel like I haven’t heard a lot of people say this, and this is kind of my opinion. I feel like now that Gisham is signed for us, I don’t know if it’s the best idea to go after Bellinger. Like, he is a good fit for us, obviously, in the sense he could play left, he could play first, he could play, he could play anywhere in the outfield. Um, but, you know, it’s another left-handed bat. It’s another left-handed outfielder in my opinion, and this is something that me and my buddies have talked about a lot. Um, I mean, Bregman is such a better fit for this team. Um, you know, going into this year. Of course, that’s a whole another conversation in terms of contract and payroll and and fit as well, whether maybe he could play third. Maybe my friend thinks he could uh move him over to short. Obviously, that’s a Vulpy conversation, but like outside of that, you look at our, you know, let’s say our starting nine. There’s not a lot of moves that like you’re not sitting McMahon, you know, you’re not sitting any of the outfielders, you’re not sitting Rice for that matter. So, bar without a big trade, I just don’t see how this team changes from last year um and, you know, really improves um to say the least. the the the one lay jack that you’d say they improved that they are going to get Garrick Cole to make about 28 starts. So that helps. But but I hear you. Uh I I do hear you. Uh I I would still go after Bellinger. He’s such a valuable player, does things so well, and he’s one of the few guys on the team that could provide power and not a high strikeout guy. That’s something they have to correct. But when you look at the team right now, and it’s early. I’m not going to rip the front office for the way the team is constructed cuz let’s wait till, you know, January or February. Let’s wait till the winter meetings at least in December. I think it’s going to be completely different than what we’re looking at now. If it’s not, then the only thing that you’re hanging ahead on, you have a better a more I believe you trust more in David Bedar because you lost trust right away in Deon Williams. Although I keep reading there’s going to be a robust market for Devin Williams. Uh McMahon’s going to be there at third from the beginning. Jazz Chisum’s going to be at second where he should have been. Um in terms of Bregman, they’ve never been high on Bregman playing 81 games at Yankee Stadium. They thought Bregman and at least his power was a product of, you know, the field in Houston. And that’s what the the Red Sox saw too at Fenway Park. Great player, winner, all of that. I just don’t think the Yankees would play that. And then you’re going to move a 32-y old player to shortstop. That’s not going to happen. And also, the previous caller asked me about Bashette. I don’t think they go the Bette route because first of all, he’s going to cost a lot of money. Second of all, he’s a bad defender. So, could he play second? Yeah, he played second in the World Series and and held his own with a bad knee. But you’ve got Jazz Chisum. So, I don’t think they look at him as a short stop because Anthony Vulpi is a much better defensive shortstop than Bashette. But Bashette can hit. Bashette can hit. Justin in Texas. Justin. Hey, Michael. Big fan. Um, I’m just I’m terrified to know that we have had the greatest right fielder in almost in baseball history as a Yankee and now we might not win a championship with him. I We need to go all in. We have to get rid of everyone, any prospect. I don’t want to wait 10 years to see another prospect. I want to win with Aaron Judge. He needs a championship next to his name so that he could be go he could go down as the greatest Tanke of all time. But okay, all in. I mean, they had a $320 million payroll last year. What do you mean all in? Like I would trade Dominguez. I’d trade Spencer Jones. I’d trade anybody. Um um there’s talks about um Marte on the market. I think Marte would be a good fit. Or try maybe trade uh um second base Jazz. So you would trade Jazz? Well, I mean, Marte’s a great player. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have Catel Marte. I don’t know if that’s a deal the Yankees would make. Um, I I think they have gone all in. They don’t want to waste Aaron Judge’s prime years. And, you know, he’s turning 34, so the Prime is starting to, you know, lose some sand in the hourglass, but he has not shown any regression at all. He’s been great. But I I hear you. you want to have him win a championship, but when you say he’s the greatest right fielder in Yankee history, you got to remember Babe played right. So, I’m not sure he’s the greatest right fielder. I think he would be on there’s a chance he’d be on the second Mount Rushmore. I saw Harold Reynolds said the other day that he could be one of the top four Yankees of all time when it’s done. Well, we’ll see when he’s done. We’ll see how many home runs he has. And you know, he might collect a couple more MVPs. But in the words of the great Don McGre, who you taking off? Ruth, Garrick, Deaggio, Mantle. I mean, you’re taking off Barra at at one point. You’re taking off Rivera. So if if if you if you’re Mount Rushmore with the Yankees is Ruth, Garrick, Deaggio, and Mantle. Or if you want to replace Mantle with Ber, is Aaron going to shove one of those off of of the Yankee Mount Rushmore? I don’t know. Be an awful tough thing to supplant Ruth or Gared or Deaggio or Barra or Mantle because Jeter couldn’t. Rivera couldn’t. Let’s go to uh Griffin. Good buddy Griffin in Connecticut. What’s up, Griff? Hey, Michael. Um, so if you you have Gersham along with Judge and along with Dominguez right now up here and then you bring back Bellinger, you have the same outfield. I know they don’t want they lost Fencer Jones. They love him. They said they don’t want to trade him at this point. If you have everybody back, I think you should try to trade Spencer Jones. Maybe look at Milwaukee for example, Freddy Peralta, who could help us pitching wise because you know you’re not going to have Cole to start the year. you know, you’re not gonna have Rodan to start the year. You’re not going to have um Mark Smith to start the year. So, you need help pitching wise. And Milwaukee might be looking to trade Peralta because I don’t think they’re going to want to sign him long term. Well, I think every every team in baseball, Griff, would want Peralti. He makes $8 million. And that’s probably why Milwaukee will keep him. I mean, he’s a perfect guy for them. And, you know, they want to win another Central Division title and hold off the uh the Cubs and the Reds. But, you know, you talk about they should think about trading him. If they sign Bellinger and they have Griff uh Gisham and Judge, they’re gonna trade him because they become non- people. I mean, Jason Dominguez can’t sit on the bench. There’ll be no role for Spencer Jones. Now, you can say, “Okay, put them both in TripleA for a year and then Gisham, you know, the one-year contract is up.” But that’s I I think they both become trade bait. And don’t listen to everything they say publicly because Spencer Jones had an unbelievable year in double A and Triple A last year and they never came close to calling him up. Now he wasn’t on the 40man. He was just put on that. They never came close to calling him up. And even Brian said on any other team he probably would have been called up because of the production he had. I think that’s, you know, simonizing the car so that somebody else will buy it. We’ll see. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t like to think I am, but maybe I’m wrong. Coming up, Don and Rosenberg. In the words of Billy Joel, life is a series of hos and goodbyes. I’m afraid it’s time for goodbye again. See you everybody. Talk to you tomorrow again at 1. If you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, then you need a lawyer who knows New York’s unique personal injury and workers compensation laws. At the Parisman Firm, they have decades of experience handling all types of accident cases and a proven track record of delivering huge results. Their team has already recovered nearly a billion dollars for injured New Yorkers. From construction to car accidents and slips and falls, they’ve got you covered.
On today’s episode of The Michael Kay Show, Michael dives into a packed day of New York sports talk, highlighted by the Yankees’ surprising decision to pay Trent Grisham $22 million for the season. Fans weigh in on whether the deal makes sense, how it impacts potential moves like Cody Bellinger, and whether the Yankees can truly run back last year’s offense.
We also shift to the New York Giants, reacting to Skattebo showing up at WWE, questions about discipline inside the facility, and Aaron Glenn naming Tyrod Taylor the starter.
Later, Mike Lupica joins the show to break down the Giants’ downward spiral and what it means for Joe Schoen’s future. More callers jump in on the Yankees’ offseason, Grisham’s contract, and whether Kyle Schwarber should be a target.
Weekday Lineup:
DiPietro & Rothenberg — 6a-10a
Bart & Carlin — 10a-1p
The Michael Kay Show — 1p-3p
Don, Hahn, & Rosenberg — 3p-7p
#ESPNNewYork #NYsports #DiPietro&Rothenberg #BartAndCarlin #TheMichaelKayShow #Don,Hahn,&Rosenberg
Chapters:
00:00:00 – Will the Yankees regret paying Trent Grisham $22M?
00:30:00 – Callers react to Yankees’ plans with Grisham
00:45:00 – Yankees: From missing 2024 playoffs to $22M for Grisham?
01:00:00 – Skattebo’s WWE appearance & Giants discipline concerns
01:30:00 – Mike Lupica on Giants’ future & GM job security
01:45:00 – More callers on Yankees and Trent Grisham
35 comments
2:37 Trent Grisham
THE KAYSTER
Aaron Hicks 2.0
There is no way the Yankees get rid of J Dominguez.
More concrete proof that Brian Cashman needs to be fired!!!
This is for anyone who did not think that he was not going to resign he was favored on many sides to re-sign at even money, all I can do is thank the Yankees for saving me the 2026 season of heartache, time, energy and the frustration of October because once again we are not going to win anything what a disappointment this franchise has turned out to be and for those who still think all it’s only one year it’s actually a two year because it will be a shorten season if there is a season at all in 2027 so two years older for our captain what a joke Michael get better happy holidays to all go anybody but the Dodgers in 2026 I’m sick and tired of them comparing Shoheito the great Bambino what a joke. The guy is not a picture fault 46 in pitch in two years is not a picture. In my opinion happy holidays to all Godspeed.
Ellsbury 2.0
Jason Dominguez, I will miss you. I think you could’ve been grate for our team as a Yankee fan. I’m sorry the organization let you down because that kid is gone! Sad to say happy holidays, Godspeed
Saying they have gone all in 😂😂😂 1:52:35
Get Cash god and his buddy out of here now
Yankees need to get rid of Cashman.
Does anyone else pick up on how hypocritical Kay is?
Let it rest, jeez. They’re not guaranteed to get Bellinger. They’re not even guaranteed to get Hader. So they move forward without a proven CF? That’s bad personnel management. CF is a PREMIUM POSITION. Josh Naylor just got $18mil AAV for a throwaway position. Naylor has more steals and more BA, but again, CF is a premium position that he has proven he can play.
Then, the comparison with previous low-performing years: he’s still 29! You can still look FORWARD to improvement by all metrics standards. Even with regression to mean, he is still projected for 2+WAR, which is worth $16 to $20mil.
Bad performance in postseason: Hal and Cash have repeatedly said, the Yankees had a successful 2025. Put your GeorgeS “gotta win it all” crap in the rear view mirror. Hal and Cash said it was a successful year. Grisham can provide that at home and on the road during the regular season.
Regarding Jasson Dominguez: Relax. Grisham has a platoon split. Worse comes to worse, play Grisham in some kind of platoon with an improved Jasson Dominguez. If you have faith in Jasson, have faith in his ability to learn CF and batting right-handed well enough to platoon with Grisham. But having Grisham gives Jasson MORE TIME TO DEVELOP.
“Jays aren’t a first place team”-Kay……….🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Grisham is certainly not a $22 million player! That’s why he opted in!!
one answer to all your yankees questions… BAD GENERAL MANAGER!!!!!!! BRIAN CASHMAN IS A CLOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obviously his agent did not think he was worth 22 Mill and he advised his client to grab the offer.
A Mike trout trade sounds bad ?? Trout beli and judge in the outfield
Yanks have to realize ny has 2 baseball teams. Let's go mets!!!
Hal should just sell the team if he's just about money
In a long line of bad moves, Stanton will be the worst.
Don’t think yanks doing much to the offense this year. Offense unlikely to change. However, I do think they will strengthen pitching which may take them further. With that being said, they are NOT getting past the dodgers unless half their crew gets injured. Might not even get past Blue Jays either
I still think Tucker to the Yankees is a done deal, and Grisham is just the center fielder they were going to need to sign anyway. We don’t need Harrison Bader anymore.
Cashman leading off-season in bonehead moves. Not surprised.
I wouldn’t pay bellinger at all. No way I’m giving him 30 million a year for 5 years
Yanks will need a stopgap starter probably through a trade to get them through April to the middle of May. As far as the bullpen is concerned they will probably go after Pete Fairbanks as opposed to the higher end and higher cost relievers. As far as the Grisham situation is concerned that is a head scratcher. One can make a valid and probably a sound argument either way.
This dude is cancer to the broadcast
No, they should have offered him a 1 year 8 million dollar pay day. He wouldn’t have taken it. That would have left millions for another 3 players,pitcher included. Cashman is very stupid. Because of him the Yankees will sit back and watch another World Series between the Dodgers and who ever else. If George were here this would have never happened. Cash would be gone!!! Hal is opposite of his father!
The reason to extend a QO to Trent is to protect centerfield. The Yankees are definitely going spend big upwards of 350 million
Because he hit home runs. The thing that turns Cashman into a zombie. But did nothing in the post season because he wasn't facing the White Sox 4th starter.
This team has no shot . None whatsoever
Grish is definitely worth 22 million for one year! Had he batted 3rd he would have had better numbers then Belli. If he duplicates the 2025 season he will be a bargain compared to Bellinger 30 mill per, for 5-6 years
I think adding Bregman would be smarter then signing Belli
That Tatis deal is the best. Kudos to the fella!!!
This should get the man who Thinks he’s smarter than everyone… Fired ! If Hal is determined to bring payroll down then this will be a disaster.