Mazz on Bello Contract: I want good players, I don’t want good contracts
The Boston Red Sox have reportedly signed pitcher Brayan Bello to a five year contract extension worth $55 million. On Thursday’s Felger and Mazz, Mazz reacts to the contract and talks about how he cares more about having good players than he does about having good contracts.
Mazz wants good players, not good contracts…
Mazz: I like the deal. Do you like the deal, Mike?
Felger: I think it is excellent.
Mazz: It is. I like the deal, too. But what makes it an excellent deal?
Felger: Because there’s little downside. And it locks in good numbers for a future star.
Mazz: Correct. Locks in good numbers. The future store thing is that guaranteed?
Felger: Of course not.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 30: Starting pitcher Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after the third out in the the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park on May 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Mazz: Okay, so are we celebrating the contract or are we celebrating the player? Like, this is what I would like to know. Now I like Bello. Okay, I like him. But in the second half of the year his ERA was almost 6.00. In day games hie ERA was almost 7.00. He sucked against left handed hitters this year. The batting average is over .300. So, could he be a good player? Yes. Is he? No. Now here’s my point….
Felger: What did Milliken say?
Mazz: Milliken was all geeked up about the contract and I come back to the same thing. Why? I don’t care about the contract. I care about the player. What I care about is the player. I don’t care about the freaking deal. So I want good players, I don’t want good contracts. I want good players. What I am interested in is the good player. I’m not interested in necessarily the guy who’s a good contract. Is he Nick Pivetta or is he something better than that?
Listen to Felger and Mazz from 2-6 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Mike Felger, Tony “Mazz” Massarotti, and Jim Murray “Big Jim”. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @FelgerAndMazz on Twitter to keep up with the show!
Stewart: Things I Think I Think
WreslteMania Fake Card
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 02: (L-R) Roman Reigns wrestles Cody Rhodes for Undisputed WWE Universal Title Match during WrestleMania Goes Hollywood at SoFi Stadium on April 02, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Here’s the fake WrestleMania card. And I assume this is in order of match. Conor McGregor welcomes fans to WrestleMania. And there was a teaser about this on raw, where another UFC fighter called out Conor McGregor. So if they got Conor McGregor for WrestleMania, that’s pretty good. Rhea Ripley versus Becky Lynch. That’s going to happen. Today, I’d pick Rhea Ripley to retain. Judgment day versus Awesome Truth for the tag team titles. I like this idea. Plays into the R-Truth. Miz gets another championship run. I like all that. I’d have Awesome Truth win. Remember Damian Priest still has the briefcase and Seth Rollins mentioning that he’s going to be medically cleared soon is something to keep your eye on. Jade Cargill versus Nia Jax. I don’t want to see it. I don’t want anything to do with that. Just no no no no no no no no. Ladder match for the U.S. Championship. Logan Paul versus Kevin Owens versus AJ Styles versus LA Knight versus Bobby Lashley versus Karrion Kross versus Randy Orton. Love the match idea. Who wins? I mean, it’s got to be LA Knight, right? Isn’t LA Knight do for a title? And then it gets Logan Paul to focus on the world title. Cody. Something like that. And then here’s the main event of night one, according to the, “fake” WrestleMania card. It’s Roman Reigns and the Rock versus Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Fine. No problem. I think we all think that this story is going there somehow. I still have concerns about three of those four guys haven’t worked back to back nights in a long time. So now you’ve got an night two that opens with Rollins versus Drew McIntyre versus Sami Zayn, which I like. I don’t know how Sammy gets into that match, but I like the idea that Sammy does get into the match because it gives Sammy something important to do. Jey Uso versus Jimmy Uso. We all think that that’s going to happen. I would have loved to have had it for the Intercontinental Championship, but maybe the match doesn’t need the belt. I think it would just add another layer if it’s like, oh, look, Jey got a singles title too. Gunther versus Chad Gable for the IC title. That’s fine. Bianca Belair versus Tiffany Stratton I like the idea. Iyo Sky versus Bayley with Dakota Kai as the special referee. We’ll learn more about Dakota Kai and her allegiances on SmackDown, because I think she’s teaming with Bayley. And then Roman Reigns versus Cody Rhodes for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship. I like that card. It’s a solid card. It’s six matches, both night shifts. Perfect. No issues at all.
Red Sox Might Be Terrible
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 26: Chairman of the Boston Red Sox Tom Werner and principle owner John Henry walk on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on June 26, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
I actually bet the Red Sox to have the worst record in baseball this season. I did it knowing that the 10 teams had better odds to finish in the basement of Major League Baseball. I’m just really down on Boston’s baseball team. They won 78 games last year and Red Sox owner Tom Werner feels like if the defense was better they would have won 8-10 more games. If that was the biggest problem with the team, the Red Sox should have added more than 23 year old Vaughn Grissom to the infield who I just see minuses across his baseball reference page on defense. This line up looks very meh and who’s to say some of this starting nine make it to opening day with the Red Sox having parameters in roster building:
CF Jarren Duran
3B Rafael Devers
SS Trevor Story
1B Triston Casas
LF Tyler O’Neill
DH Masataka Yoshida
2B Vaughn Grissom
RF Wilyer Abreu
C Connor Wong
and this pitching staff looks like a less than, again even if these player make it to the opener. Why… the budget.
Lucas Giolito
Brayan Bello
Nick Pivetta
Kutter Crawford
Tanner Houck
Kenley Jansen
Chris Martin
Garrett Whitlock
Adding Jordan Montgomery could help but if the infield defense is below average, does his addition really help?
The bullpen could be elite but Jansen and Martin are reportedly being shopped.
I know I’m overacting and being dramatic but I want the baseball team to be at a championship level and I just don’t see it this season. I want all the Boston teams to have a chance at a championship.
Oh and Alex Cora is being wasted and might not make it out of May.
Bruins Need to Make a Trade
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 29: Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins attends the 2023 NHL Draft at the Bridgestone Arena on June 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Bruins need something and per Ty Anderson, The Bruins are now 25-1-8 when leading after two periods this season. That .735 winning percentage ranks 28th in the NHL. Only the Coyotes, Islanders, Blackhawks, Sharks, and Blue Jackets have been worse. So what’s the issue with the Boston hockey team?
The goaltending, the defense, the lack of a forward being able to win an important face off at the end of a close game. Maybe all of the above. Is the room an issue? The Bruins have 82 points, tied for most in the NHL but I just don’t feel great about them. It just feels like another one and done for Boston’s Hockey team.
I was at the Bruins game against the LA Kings and just gossiping around with NHL people, someone in the building thought that the reason why last year’s team was gone in the first round was the additions of Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi disrupted the room due to their strong personalities. The Bruins from March 2nd until the end of the regular season went 18-4. Based on record and on ice play, it didn’t feel like the room was an issue last season. But I wasn’t there. I mention that because while the Bruins do need something, the wrong move could disrupt the room and send the Bruins to a similar fate of a first round knock out in the post season.
Here’s a quick list of who I’d be interested in on the trade market.
Noah Hanifin, Calgary Flames
Adam Henrique, Anaheim Ducks
Sean Walker, Philadelphia Flyers
Joel Edmundson, Washington Capitals
Erik Johnson, Sabres
David Savard, Canadiens
Erik Brannstrom, Senators
Celtics Questions
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 10: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot between Trendon Watford #9 and Lonnie Walker IV #8 of the Brooklyn Nets during the second half of their In-Season Tournament game at TD Garden on November 10, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Nets 121-107. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
I heard Matt McCarthy on the air my way home from Monday’s Felger and Massarotti show and he, in short, said he wanted to see a Celtics versus Heat first round match up. I agree. I want to see it also. The Heat have been standing in the Celtics way since Erik Spoelstra took over as Miami’s head coach in 2009. The Heat since 2009 have beaten the Celtics in four of the six head to head playoff series. Just because I’m fair and balanced, I should mention at one point the Heat had LeBron James for two of those series and the Celtics were coached by Doc Rivers. Advantage Heat. In the Tatum / Brown Celtics era, the Heat have beaten the Celtics in two of the three head to head series in the East Finals. Again, because I’m fair, I should mention how Erik Spoelstra is 19-37 in regular season games coaching against the Celtics. (Mind Blown Emoji). I do need to see the Celtics beat the Heat in this year’s playoffs on their way to Banner 18.
