Reacting to the Whit Merrifield signing + John Clark live from Clearwater | The Best Show Ever?

Ricky Bottalico and Tyrone Johnson share their instant reactions after news broke that the Phillies signed super utility player Whit Merrifield. John Clark joins the show from Clearwater to help break down the addition.

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[Music] but the Phillies made a move huh Ricky Bo yeah yeah they did they made me a little bit happier in one minute all right well they go out and sign super utility man with Maryfield to a one-year $8 million deal just now that is pretty darn good and um I I gotta say this dude was he’s a great fit for the team and he will help them and does that help your concern about the the bench yeah 100% that helps my concern this guy could play Outfield but he also could play all the infield positions too so I mean depending on where a guy may need a little bit of rest hey go get him Whit go go play a little bit so and he could he could swing the bat a little bit three-time Allstar including last year uh what hit 272 with a 318 OBP last year so much better it’s an upgrade all right they have upgraded Jen we have an upgrade so that’s good now looking at the um positions that he played last year plays all over his best infield position is second base that does anything for you that’s his best infield position right but he also has played all over the Outfield as you mentioned he bats right so if there’s some times where you don’t want to necessarily play St against lefties Maryfield can step in and play there so um uh I think that there’s just uh not no downside to this it’s just a pretty good fit I mean in all honesty there this is one of the guys I thought they were they may have been interested early on well they probably got a better deal waiting again that’s what the Phillies do they wait for guys to fall through the cracks Maryfield fell through and boom there he is all right well on the line right now the Comcast business hotline you see him doing all sports really on NBC 10 and NBC Sports Philadelphia Mr John Clark on the Comcast has business hotline how you doing today John doing great and uh you know Wht Wht has the perfect Philly name Wht to without there you go and you know people are gonna somehow find a way to mess it up because it’s Philadelphia now he could he could get a good Cheese Steak deal though yeah he could it probably will I wouldn’t be shocked if he has one before he comes up north now before we get into any of the baseball stuff we’re getting ready to get some snow tomorrow what’s the weather like down there well hate to tell you it is uh around 70 Dees it is beautiful it’s 74 I apologize I apologize thanks John but I will say this it it’s not looking good tomorrow for a workout it’s going to rain a lot tomorrow rain is coming in and it’s actually going to be 50 degrees on Sunday with a little more rain so this weekend is no good really yes does that make you feel better I I definitely feel better that you’re going to be caught in the rain uh we’re we’re both going to be miserable all right John what what is what does this move do for the Phillies this Whit Maryfield move well it gives them that right-handed back um it gives him that pop off the bench um it gives him a good right-handed bat Off the Bench now let’s just say Johan roas doesn’t hit well would we see a little more wit in center field or in left field with Mar yeah or or move Marsh over and then Whit Whit plays in the Outfield a little bit I mean I think I think that uh this gives you some some flexibility and leeway if uh if yoan roas doesn’t hit you can move some pieces around um so so I think I think this is exactly what they needed I mean do you guys agree that this is something that uh I was just I was literally just John I was just saying about five to seven minutes ago that the bench is something that really kind of still concerns me and you go out and make this move I think I think it’s just a good move for the Phillies I I’m not a firm believer that Jake cave could carry everything and Muno soos is a great glove he had some big hits here and there but I think they needed somebody stable I I think Whit marfield is a stable type guy yeah I agree I mean I think this is uh this is exactly what they needed I agree with that now let’s talk about what you’ve seen as far as the vibes go with the team obviously the season ended last year in a very disappointing manner losing game six and seven at home in the NLCS when they were the better team on paper how was the how are guys feeling I know when you’re chatting with guys when you’re seeing them is that all behind him is are The Vibes High early in uh spring training yeah look I mean I think Rob Thompson said it that it would take him pretty much all the off season to get over what happened and and and that collaps and he said but once you get here to clear water and you put on that uniform it’s all about 2024 and talking to a couple guys they they said that that hurt more last year because of how close they were uh it hurt more than the year before losing in the World Series because you could say the Astros were the better team but last year two home games to go to the World Series so uh I I think there’s a a big motivating factor from that the sting of that the hurt from that and uh you know I I do think this team because of how close they are I think that running it back and I think that having the uh the same team basically because you were without Reese anyway is good for this team because of how close they are and now they’re getting a a second or third crack edit together and they’re very close they have each other’s backs they fight for each other so I think with this group having having the same chemistry and camaraderie and consistency and all of that for another year I think will help yeah I could I I’m starting to gain some ground on this but I haven’t quite gotten there yet uh by the way who has everybody shown up right now or is it I know obviously all the pitchers and catchers have how about position players we know Trey Turner um uh showed up today did you have any talks with Trey yeah we spoke to Trey today and uh you know he was one of the guys that said it’s stung because of how close they were and Trey Trey was blunt Trey was blunt about needing to improve some things especially his defense he said he was brutal last year defensively and uh and he thinks he’s a better defensive player than he has shown he was trying to do too much he was trying to prove too much and today with all the work Bobby Dickerson is doing with him on the infield and a shortstop he Rob Thompson said with some of the adjustments they’re making with him that he looked great today on his first day taking grounders and working working in the infield so they’re working on these things just like last year when Bryson Scot went down to Bobby Dickerson’s house and hung with them and got extra tutelage well it looks like Trey Turner is completely open to to doing what they want him to do and make adjustments so he knows he has to be better defensively and he also said you know what whether it’s hitting one two or three in the lineup it doesn’t matter he just wants to hit in the same spot every day that’s the key for him he wants to just know where he’s hitting you know you can look back he was the leadoff hitter last year to start the season and it just didn’t work out and he he didn’t perform well um so you know I think he just wants that consistency but hey look Ricky I mean you look at him going into his second year he’s probably a lot more comfortable now knowing his surroundings completely knowing where everything is and he went to the WBC classic last year so I think having everybody together and everybody healthy Bryce Bryce is starting the season with the team unlike last year everybody healthy everybody together I think that’s going to be a big key we’re speaking with John Clark from NBC 10 in NBC Sports Philadelphia and it’s a takeoff with John Clark the Pod the great podcast as well let me ask you this then since you brought up Bryce Harper um obviously you mentioned he’s there in the beginning he’s now playing first base fulltime did he speak at all yet and what are you hearing from him about just you know this transition because um he’s the reason ree Hoskins isn’t here that’s not a knock on on Harper but things will look different with him at first base every day yeah now Bryce isn’t here yet uh Kyle schwarber and Nick casianos they aren’t here yet either and Alec bow I believe had to go to his arbitration hearing out in Arizona which is completely ridiculous that he has to go all the way out there but uh um you know we’ll we’ll probably see those guys trickle in over the weekend for the First full Squad workout on Monday but obviously look Bryce is all in on first base he wants to play first base uh there’s people who think he can win a gold glove at first base which is amazing um so he’s all in and um you know I I think it helps I think it helps having Bryce from the get-go this year I mean you look at these last two years they they haven’t come out of the gate fast in April and May um and then they make a change in June you know firing gerardi the first year and then last year putting Kyle schworer back in the leadoff spot and it kind of ignited the team well I think you’re going to start out of the gate stronger this year and you got the Braves to start so I think I think they’ll be fired up about that so I think getting off to a faster start will help this team talk a little bit about this starting rotation in particular Zach wheeler I mean John I got to tell you something we we looked at him you know you guys were sending out videos from yesterday yesterday he’s got the greatest mechanics of a picture I’ve ever seen in my life and they never ever change but to go even further I got to ask you what are you hearing and what did he talk about about a possible extension yeah and Ricky the thing that I love hearing from Zach wheeler you hear some ball players say well if we don’t get something done by this date then we’re gonna shelf it we’re not going to talk about it anymore um Zach was like it doesn’t matter to me okay if we don’t get something done by opening day uh you know what there’s no deadline we we can talk about it during the season like it didn’t seem to affect him one way or the other and and that’s how chill and cool he is and you see it um you see it with his delivery you see it with his attitude um nothing bothers him and and and and Aaron Nola is kind of the same way so um I think Zack Wheeler is going to be completely fine even if he has to pitch this year on the last year of his deal because look he knows he’s going to get paid big time money by somebody he really wants it to be here he says he loves it here and I think it will be here Dave dumbrowski said yesterday that that they’re you know cautiously hopeful that they can get something done before opening day but um I I don’t think it’s going to affect him one way or the other on the mound because he’s able to put all that stuff out of his mind and I agree with you I mean if you think about it he is not only one of the greatest free agent signings in Philadelphia Philly’s history but you could argue in the city’s Pro Sports history I mean he is one of the great free agent signings the money he’s making he’s so underpaid so so what what a great free agent signing that was I want to ask you about um I saw something that was pretty special with uh with a JT real Muto running around with a kid like shadowing him and doing workouts with them you did you see uh see that John can you talk about that a little bit yeah we did the story yesterday with JT and and it was pretty cool and I’m sure Ricky has seen this before um Larry boa since he is I think year 54 of Baseball spring trainings he he saw a kid in the stands eight-year-old kid wearing a JT real Muto shirt and he had noticed that the kid has been here a couple years so this family comes down from actually Upstate New York for the last four years since the kid was four years old wants to be a catcher he’s a big JT fing in fact JT is his favorite player so Larry boa goes over to the kid and says hey you want to come on the field and meet JT and the kid is like wow are you kidding me so Larry goes into the stands and takes the kid onto the field and he just basically asked JT to sign an autograph for him not only that JT basically says you want to come hang with me and JT takes him to the batting cage JT lets him try on his glove uh Garrett stubs his helmet and then he goes over and meet there in Nola so it was awesome to see and you know you think about it in yearold getting on the job training a master class with one of the best catchers in baseball this kid his life has changed from this moment on and when I tweeted that out there were a couple other people that says oh yeah Larry boa did that with my kid in 1993 brought him in to meet Lenny dyster on the bench so I just think that’s pretty cool um that that they actually do that have you experienced something like that Rick yeah I mean boa I probably boa too in 2001 I could remember having a couple kids hanging around Bullpen during the games yeah I mean the kid was in awe he couldn’t believe yeah it is pretty cool it is I mean I couldn’t even imagine when I was that age if I got to do something like that that would have been out of my mind yeah yeah no it’s pretty cool to see and that’s kind of what you get down here at spring training sometimes because it’s so chill um you know it’s not like an eagles training camp or something like that it’s chill and just real quick John Charlie Manuel uh is down there right now what have you spoken to Charlie how’s he doing yeah I did talk with Charlie and it is just so great to see Charlie smiling and Charlie happy um and he told me that uh you know he probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his wife Missy and it was a tough tough tough recovery but uh like Rob Thompson said he fought so hard just to be here and just to see Charlie out here he he he has boa beat I think this is his 56th spring training in baseball he said so he lives for this this is his life and and he just wants to help out in any way so yeah it was uh it was probably the the warmest thing about the week being down here is seeing Charlie back here and and Rob says the Phillies gave him a standing ovation when they saw him so he is in good spirits he’s looking good and um and it’s great to have him back here well look John we really appreciate the time keep up the great work um yeah well you’re getting rain we’re we’re probably getting what two to five inches of snow two to five inches of snow tomorrow so enjoy your time enjoy your time down there play a little Golf and we’ll talk to you soon man you got it thanks for having me on all right thanks so much that was John Clark from nbc1 NBC Sports Philadelphia and takeoff with John Clark podcast on the Comcast business hotline he’s definitely golfing yeah yeah oh this guy transition from tennis to golf I I’ve played golf with him my gosh this guy he he is trying to make himself better every day good for him will try to golf every single day if he could and I saw the story this morning on NBC Sports Philadelphia with the with the young fella in JT it was a really good story that’s fantastic stuff I feel better now I don’t know maybe smiling we heard we heard from spring training I like that JT did that a little heartwarming Charlie’s down there you know what I’m feeling a little better Whit Maryfield this side I don’t know youra things just changed in four minutes your is different Ricky it was the change in I told you I didn’t like the bench now now I kind of enjoy it now it’s a little bit better get us a lefty now I hope it does not are good all right they’re fine because now this means that in a big spot the Phillies are going to sign Cody Bell my mind no um you know what this means though it better not cost my good friend and Club time role member Johan rooh house any at bats Joey maybe patchy okay could cost him that’s all right all right I don’t want this Maryfield day cut my guy roas in at bats it’s important that that guy they said they were going to give him a shot they’re giving him a spring training and then they’re going to make a decision whether he needs a little bit more time in triple A they did say that no he’s not a locked in spot where where’s it at where’s it at hold on he should be locked in where is it at not it he was practicing bunting earlier today thank goodness somebody is he may be the only one fundamentals where is he talking about Mar talking about talking about these guys talking about Ro house he says that dude knows how to impis theate talking about his defense better than most this is his teammate Marsh talking all right and it’s really incredible the way he shags BP he’s already moving before the balls put the left C of Gap he works hard at his craft out there it shows don’t you dare take any wait a for real wait a minute what have I said about his his defense is second and none possibly in the Major League sitting here if that guy’s taken off the field then this move is a mistake if this just takes from Marsh and other guys well then I love maybe maybe play a little Third Base cuz bom’s slapping at the ball when he should be trying to drive it I wouldn’t doubt if they slow down Marsh’s return if this all goes well