 now here at the Mohegan Sun, Nathan of Aldi and Christian Vasquez. And they join us here at the Wollstone. Hey guys, how you doing? I'm doing great. Pretty good. We'll start with Christian, who got such a good year last year for the Red Sox behind the play. Is it kind of awkward? I mean, spring training is starting soon. You don't even have a manager yet. Yeah, it feels weird. But we need to continue to do our stuff. That doesn't stop us to keep working and get ready to spring train. Nathan, is it a distraction? Not knowing? I mean, you don't even know if you have Mookie Bets, because that trade's kind of held up in the air. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of things going on right now. But I mean, like Christian said, you focus on spring training. Get ready for the season. I mean, manager right now, we're not. I mean, we've got work to do. Do you play the underdog role, or do you feel that you're still a good enough team to compete and go to the playoffs? I mean, I definitely still feel like we're a good enough team to go out there and compete. I'm feeling great this year. Sales is looking good. A lot of the rotation is coming back strong. Christian, it's interesting though, when a team gets players, like the Yankees got Garrett Cole, they get excited. You guys look like you're going to lose price and bets. Is that something that depresses a team? Do you guys call each other up or text each other and go, can you believe we lost Mookie and price? Yeah, it's a tough decision. But we don't control that decision. We're going to miss them. Those guys bring good memories to us all that years. And it's part of business. How culturally important to the team was Mookie? Obviously, he's a player that little kids all root for. He's one of the most popular players and best players in the game. But for you guys, locker room wise, what's it like losing a Mookie bet? Yeah, I mean, he starts every game off leading off. And most of the time, he's getting on basins scoring. He's making those great plays out there in the outfield for you. He's a great teammate to have, and it's great to have him out there behind you. And we're all going to have to deal with it. And somebody's going to be able to step up and fill in those roles. Nathan, you're one of a few select people in the history of baseball. I mean, they've been not a significant amount, but enough that have played on both sides of the rivalry. How different is it on the Boston side than it was on the Yankees side? I mean, each organization is a little different. I mean, you still go out there and you play the game. The fans on both sides are amazing. I love when we play the Yankees and that rivalry and stuff. The fans are always out there. It's just the support you get from both sides. It's really awesome to be part of. Is it also hanging over the Red Sox head is punishment that might come down from Major League Baseball from the 2018 team? You guys were both on that team. Are you worried about what might happen, and did you guys do anything wrong in 2018? I don't feel like we did anything wrong. I don't think anything's going to come of it. I think it's kind of the follow-up with AC being over there with the Astros. Do you think he did anything wrong, Kristen? No, we don't do nothing. I think I was there every day. And we need to see what happened in a couple of days. When they fired Alex Cora, what were your thoughts, though? You think they fired him because of what happened in Houston and not with the Red Sox? I think he decided to step up on the team because that's going to help us to play better. I think that's going to help us to manage better the media in Boston. And he takes care of us a lot. He loves us like a father for us, so we're going to miss him. It's funny. Nathan, I've heard from so many people, and everybody has great things to say about us, Cora. And I've heard that the Red Sox organization, it killed them to part ways with him. Was he that great of a manager that we hear from the outside looking in? Yeah, I mean, absolutely. Everything, like Gasky said, I mean, you don't want to see somebody lose their job. But I think it's kind of the same situation like with Beltran, how he stepped down from the Mets. He doesn't want to be a distraction for us. And he knows that we're preparing to have another winning season and stuff. He doesn't want to be a distraction for us. And from my understanding, he reached out to the Red Sox and told them that he wanted to step down. There are a lot of rumors that somebody could manage this year. And the Red Sox, we had on Dan Shaughnessy yesterday, said I could see the Red Sox bringing them back in 2021. Can you believe that would happen? I mean, I believe that could happen. Again, it's going to be up to him if he wants to get back in there and do it. But I don't see why he wouldn't. I mean, he was that good for us. Christian, you've credited the Molina brothers for helping you become a catcher. What specific did you use from them to become a professional catcher? His attitude in home plate, I like that to be a leader in home plate, managed the pitching staff like Daddy, Jose, when he played Benji. And I think I love that. I love that passion of the game, that I see them like me. And it's fun to watch them. Tom, when Nathan Evaldi and Christian Vazquez here on the Michael Keisha, both of these gentlemen on the Red Sox, 2017 Astros, it was proven that they did do something wrong and there were punishments. Did you feel that they were cheating? I mean, at that point, Nathan, did you sense? Did you hear the banging of the trash can that we all hear about? I mean, I want to say I heard the banging, but I didn't think anything of it. Right. As a pitcher, you're aware that guys are trying to steal your signs. That's why you use multiple signs with runners on base. And I mean, I was surprised to learn the extent of it and everything that they were doing. But I mean, I don't know. It's like that different side of it. You know, as a hitter, you're on base. If you're a good hitter, it's you're trying to help hear the guys out at the plate. How about you, Christian? Did you think they would do something wrong in 2017? I never heard something. I heard some whistles. Yeah, whistles, banging on the trash can. But nothing like, you know, I was in that kind of my career. I was so young. Right. You know, and I never pay attention to that, you know? And now I'm growing like a player and, you know, and now it makes sense, you know, everything. Now, another big thing, and you know, we had the Yankees on before you, Gary Sanchez and Adam Maravino and Gio Arcello that, you know, there's some doubt on whether or not the Astros had buzzers on last year. Did you think that there was something weird was going on last year? I don't think, you know, we won four games, like three games in Houston that year in 2018. And, you know, I never heard something. Yeah, I mean, I've never heard of the buzzers until they started coming out or started talking about it after the investigation. Would that take it to another level, though, if it was buzzers? Yeah, I mean, that would be pretty impressive. Nathan, I'll tell you what, I've been a baseball fan my entire life and what you did in the World Series in 2018, I'm sitting there in front of my TV and I was getting chills. I said, this is heroic. And not because of what you were doing, but you were doing that and you were going to be a free agent. You could have blown your arm out. Did any of that even enter your mind as you were doing that stuff? No, I mean, none of that entered my mind at all. You know, I'm sitting down there in the bullpen and I know I had a chance to come into that game. And, you know, if I did, then, you know, I'm trying to stay in there the entire time. But I mean, yeah. Tonight's ring you have. What did you guys think when he was doing that? I mean, do you look at him and go, that guy's a hero to us? Yeah, I remember when Alex made that meeting after the game. We lost that game that month he hit a homer. He tells, you know, that guy, you know, have everybody respect now because why he did that in the game. I remember when CeCe was with the Milwaukee Brewers and he pitched on three days rest, three days in a row and he was going to be a free agent at the end of the year and his agent said, don't do it because you're going to be a free agent. He said, no, I have to do it for my team. So you never think of what you could be losing? Yeah, I mean, all I was thinking about was that we're so close. We're so close to winning and if I'm the last guy in the bullpen and I can go out there and stay out there as long as I can and go through their guys, I mean, hopefully we're going to come out on top and we only need one more. How exhausted were you? I mean, I was tired afterwards, but I mean, when they're journaling and everything, I felt good going in there. And, you know, like Vasquez said, I gave up that homerun and it was over. But I mean, it was a turning point for us. Like, we gathered all the guys up in the clubhouse afterwards and, you know, kind of just congratulated me. What did that mean to you? That was awesome. Yeah, I mean, having everybody, I mean, I don't know, that's the first time I had lost a game in extra innings. So, you know, you have that one run, even though like you're going out there and you're pitching well, the game's over and it's on you. If you don't give up that homerun, would you still have been able to pitch more? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really? Yeah. I mean, I don't know, that adrenaline and the World Series and everything out there in the game. I mean, nobody left the stadium, it felt like. That was awesome. And there was no fatigue. So it was just a mistake to Monse, it wasn't that you were tired. I mean, I'm sure I was going a little tired there towards the end, but I mean, if you go back and look at our bats before, you know, I ended up walking them the first at bat and the second at bat, I was able to get them on the back door cutter and I went back to it that night. Yeah. You're going to say, well, to get it. So I had the adjustment to him. Yeah. So when a player thinks about the contractor, thinks about its long term health, is that something you look down on or do you just say, hey, listen, teach their own. Everybody's got their own idea of what's best for them. I mean, I don't know too many guys who are in the moment thinking like, I'm worried about my contract. I'm worried about next year. I mean, we fought so hard to get to that point this season and we're that close to winning. There was no doubt in my mind. See, but with you, Nathan, I mean, I'm not telling you the thing because, I mean, you had such a history. You went through that two times and you were this close to cashing in and you're going in after it and it never entered your mind. No, not one time. Wow. That's awesome. So I had legitimate goosebumps. I had a right to have it. I didn't even have a rooting interest. But I knew Nathan from the Yankees and he was a good guy. But I mean, I was amazed as I was watching it. Speaking of goosebumps, Nathan, you played on both sides of it. The Yankees are at Sock's rivalry. It's something that fans are obsessed with. You guys are professional ballplayers. You make a ton of money to play this game. It's your living. It's what you do. The first time you play an rivalry game like that, how much do you actually feel it? And how much is it more a different thing for the fans, but not quite the same for the players? It's crazy. It's the first time I'm playing Yankee Stadium when I heard the right field. You know, everybody, yeah, the last name, everybody was very cool. And you know, it's a big, big rivalry, you know, both on Yankees. And I think I love it. So when we feed off the energy to players, I mean, we feed off the fans back and forth. And, you know, I feel like they hype it up and it's a lot more fun. What makes the fan base is different? I don't know. I mean, they both have the high expectations and everything. You know, I feel like the Yankees fans are a little bit more ruthless out there. You know, Red Sox, of course, they want you to win, too. But I mean, the Yankees fans aren't afraid to boo you. I remember when we made the wild card against the Astros in 2015, and they were booing the hitters. Because they couldn't hit Kajkel. Because they couldn't hit Kajkel. But I mean, they would hype them up at the same time. Right. And it's like nothing came up and then they would boo them. So I mean, it's like, you got to go out there and you got to perform as well. Going back to the World Series and stuff and saying how, like, asking if I had any doubt or anything, AC, again, saying, like, how great he is as a manager, like, every inning he's coming down there and asking me, are you OK? Are you OK? Can you keep going? I'm like, yes. While I cry behind him, go back down there. And again, every inning as soon as I came back in, he was making sure I was OK. What was the last line after you? I mean, what if you couldn't go? Who's next? I don't know. Come on, Christian. Who's next? I'll play first in the game. Yeah, maybe me. But that'll be you, all right? Now, I'm wondering, one final thing. Your team, your organization trades Mookie Betts, who's one of the top three players in baseball, maybe one of the top two. And David Price, who was one of the heroes of the 2018 series. Do you worry that your organization is sending you guys a signal? Not this year. We're not going for it this year. We just took two of the best players away. I don't think so. I mean, we go out there and we signed Heimbloom. And you see the normal success that he brought over there to the Rays. And everything that they were able to do, you know, kind of on a lower payroll. And I think he's helping out the Red Sox. I mean, we tried signing Mookie, you know? But they weren't able to come to the agreement. And he's a free agent. He's learned that right to enjoy this moment. And you know, we're able to, if the trade does go through, then he goes over there. But I think Heim will be able to, and the rest of the Red Sox, you know, be able to get the guys that we need to get him. And if the trade doesn't go through, you just welcome them. Hey, welcome back. Welcome back, man. It's the weekend of our life. Guys, thanks so much for coming by. I'll see you tonight at the dinner. But I appreciate your time. Thank you. Christian Vazquez and Nathan Evaldi. All right, when we come back, we'll take phone calls, 1-800-919-3776. It's K. LaGracca, Rosenberg, Vazquez, Evaldi, and you, right here on Yes, Emma.