Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

Alyssa Nakken keeps making history with the San Francisco Giants. In 2020, Nakken became the first full-time, in-uniform female coach in MLB history. Last week, according to a report by The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, Nakken is believed to have become the first woman to interview for an MLB managerial position. Nakken would bring several qualifications to the job, including her experience playing high-level collegiate softball, being in the SF Giants organization since 2014 (first as a baseball operations intern), having a master's in sports management, and being a full-time MLB coach since 2020. She's also described as exceptionally personable and someone who puts people at ease, which is an important trait the Giants are looking for in their next manager.

In another report from Baggarly, we learn that the Giants were heavily involved in Sean Murphy trade talks last offseason. According to the report, the Giants were willing to trade Marco Luciano for Murphy, who was entering his age-28 season and had three more years of team control. Murphy is one of the top catchers, both offensively and defensively, in MLB. The A's, however, wanted Kyle Harrison and so the deal never materialized.

Nine years ago today, one of the best moments in San Francisco Giants history happened. Travis Ishikawa hit a 2-0 pitch deep into right, and as it snuck over the 24-foot high wall, the Giants had won the pennant—for the third time in five years. Ishikawa's walk-off homer to win the pennant will stand forever as one of the greatest moments in franchise history, and its anniversary is always a clear reminder of what can only be described as the Golden Age of San Francisco Giants baseball.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Losing Donnie Ecker may have been one of the most significant moments in recent San Francisco Giants history. Ecker was hired as part of the Giants' large new coaching staff under then-new manager Gabe Kapler entering the 2020 season. Ecker was part of a three-person hitting group, that included Justin Viele and Dustin Lind. Those two remain in the organization, but Ecker left for the Texas Rangers after the Giants shocked with world with a 107-win season in 2021.

Now that Kapler has been fired and the SF Giants are searching for a new manager, The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports that Ecker is "expected to be among the potential front-runners" for the Giants' managerial opening. It makes all the sense in the world, as it appears now with two years of hindsight that Ecker had a tremendously positive impact on the SF Giants' offense. Bringing him back as manager would be the only way to offer him a promotion, which the Rangers are supposed to support even if he remains under contract in Texas.

In other news, SF Giants General Manager Pete Putila was spotted in South Korea scouting Jung-Hoo Lee, a center fielder who's going to be posted and available for MLB teams to sign this offseason. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi recently told NBC Sprots Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic that the SF Giants have interest in Lee and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but there figures to be heavy competition for both.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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The San Francisco Giants fell flat after their 107-win 2021 season with an 81-81 record in 2022. Hoping to prove '22 was just an anomaly, the Giants were actually even worse in 2023, finishing with a 79-83 record. The SF Giants' failures resulted in manager Gabe Kapler being fired. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is firmly on the hot seat. So what does the offseason have in store for this team that's in such an unstable position?

The Giants' biggest need is simply to have more impact position players. The problem is this is a weak free agent market in that respect. Outfield defense has also been mentioned as a need for the SF Giants by Zaidi, and top-end starting pitching could also be categorized as a need. A rotation of Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Kyle Harrison paired with youngsters like Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn plus an impact starter at the top would really start to look like one of the best in the league.

Other questions addressed on today's mailbag edition of Locked On Giants: Is Sonny Gray a fit for the SF Giants and how much would he cost? How high will the Giants' payroll be in 2024? Which rookies from 2023 will be on the Opening Day roster in 2024? What are your thoughts on Justin Viele and Andrew Bailey? Will either or both be retained next year under the new manager?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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Logan Webb is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Camilo Doval is one of the best closers in baseball. Outside of those two, for the most part, the San Francisco Giants' pitching staff was a major mixed bag in 2023. But Webb and Doval, both 26 years old and under team control for five and four years, respectively, are a great foundation for the SF Giants. Webb led the majors in innings and was as effective as ever at run prevention. He had the NL's best walk rate and led the majors in ground ball rate among qualified pitchers. Doval continued to be nasty and rock solid for the Giants, and ended up tied for the NL lead with 39 saves.

Next on the pecking order probably comes Alex Cobb, who was an All-Star for the first time in 2023 but tailed off in the second half as he dealt with a hip injury. Cobb notwithstanding, the Giants' veteran pitchers struggled for the most part. Ross Stripling was dreadful, and Sean Manaea had a really weird season with strong underlying numbers after an awful start. Both have the right to opt out and it's unclear whether Manaea will (Stripling almost certainly won't). Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani were not great at all. Wood's a free agent and there's one more year on DeSclafani's regrettable contract.

Several of the bullpen arms were solid, like Tyler Rogers and rookie Ryan Walker. And then there were a handful of exciting young arms, with more on the way. Kyle Harrison, arguably the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, made his MLB debut and showed flashes of brilliance despite mixed results. Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn also showed flashes of their potential and those two, along with Harrison and Webb, could form the core of a good young Giants rotation for years to come.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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The San Francisco Giants' position players were really good ... until they weren't. For the first half of the season, the SF Giants were a good offensive team, and their defense and baserunning combined with solid offense gave them one of the top fWAR rankings in MLB. However, a second-half collapse that affected everyone outside of Wilmer Flores, for whatever reason, cost them a winning record and a spot in the playoffs.

The Giants' position player MVP was probably Thairo Estrada once defense and baserunning is factored in. Flores was the Giants' best hitter, but didn't provide much of any baserunning or defensive value. Patrick Bailey was a breakout sensation defensively, but his offense really, really tailed off after a hot start.

Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, and Joc Pederson were varying degrees of disappointing. LaMonte Wade Jr., J.D. Davis, and Mike Yastrzemski were a solid meaty middle and provided value despite being streaky or injury prone at times. Several other rookies like Luis Matos, Marco Luciano, Wade Meckler, and Casey Schmitt showed flashes of upside but have things they need to work on to get better and help the Giants win moving forward.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

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The San Francisco Giants' payroll has been a hot topic ever since new president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi took over following the 2018 season. Since that time, the Giants' payroll steadily decreased until is eventually stabilized at around $162 million—until this year it shot up by $30 million. The theory that's been discussed on Locked On Giants numerous times is that this $30M increase is likely explained by MLB's sale of BAMTech to Disney for $900 million, which was evenly split among the 30 teams, for a total of $30M per team.

Zaidi, however, continues to claim that there's no "cap" on SF Giants spending from ownership, and that it's his job to make recommendations on players to sign and that, in theory, they'd give the green light if Zaidi makes a good enough argument. The pattern described above somewhat suggests otherwise. But there are exceptions. Bryce Harper, for example, was offered $310M by the Giants in Year 1 under Zaidi. Had they signed Harper, the payroll would've been significantly higher than it ended up being in 2019. So it does appear that, for the right player, the San Francisco Giants are likely to make an exception and spend beyond the break-even point, which has been the oft-stated financial goal by high ranking club representatives.

Other questions on today's mailbag edition of Locked On Giants include:

Do you think they offer Brandon Crawford a bench role next year? Does he play elsewhere? Do they offer him a front office position? Is HE the next manager?

Why does Zaidi keep saying the Giants are an attractive place for free agents when they continue to miss on the top guys? Do you fault ownership, the weather, or triples alley?

What do you think is the future of Blake Sabol vs Joey Bart as a backup to Patrick Bailey?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Gabe Kapler was fired a week ago today, and the San Francisco Giants have begun the process of looking for a new manager. But is Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi's expiring contract a potential problem? Will a new SF Giants manager want to walk into such an unstable situation, knowing that Zaidi could be fired at the end of 2024 if things don't work out—again—as was the case in 2022 and 2023? Speaking of which, should Zaidi be fired if the Giants fail to make the playoffs next year? There's certainly a strong argument to be made that he should.

Other questions that are asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of Locked On Giants include, among others:

What does a trade package for Juan Soto look like? Will the assumption that there’s no chance to extend him (because he’s a Scott Boras client) keep the cost down? Which prospects would you keep off the table in a trade?

With regular playing time as opposed to platooning, would the 2023 Giants have been more successful? It seems to me that routine and regularity make people better at things. I don’t think Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger having the worst years of their careers is a coincidence.

Now that the Giants are getting a new manager, do you think that firing Kapler will benefit or hurt the teams chances in 2024? Will a change in direction improve the team or will there be some growing pains?

What will happen to the 2023 coaching staff now that Kapler is gone? How many could stay on and do you think they’ll have as many coaches under a new manager?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

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The San Francisco Giants have a managerial vacancy. That is a white-hot topic after the team fired Gabe Kapler late last week. The Giants' managerial search will dominate local headlines in the month of October, as it should. And one name that comes up time and time again is Ron Wotus.

Wotus is beloved, respected, loyal, and a Giant through and through. But there is a large philosophical gap between him and Farhan Zaidi. A gap that may be too wide to bridge. In 2019, Bruce Bochy and Zaidi were each surprised by how well they were able to work with each other. But Zaidi also interviewed Wotus for the SF Giants' managerial opening in 2019 after Bochy "retired" and Wotus didn't even make it to the round of finalists.

Many fans likely believe that the next Giants manager should be far away philosophically from Zaidi, but it's just hard to imagine that it turns out that way with Zaidi leading the hiring process. During his session with reporters the other day, Zaidi made it clear that some on the SF Giants' board of directors, including Greg Johnson, Larry Baer, and Buster Posey, will only meet with candidates once the list has been narrowed down. So Zaidi will lead the way, and it's hard to imagine Wotus is his choice when there are others who aren't as extreme as Kapler available. Stephen Vogt and Pat Burrell have been discussed on the show as options.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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I believe in Stephen Vogt! I believe in Stephen Vogt! It's a chant that Bay Area fans are very familiar with, a ringing endorsement of the ultra-popular former A's and Giants catcher. The San Francisco Giants have a managerial opening after they fired Gabe Kapler, and Vogt may just be the perfect fit to replace him. Vogt grew up a huge Giants fan. His favorite players were Will Clark and Barry Bonds.

Perhaps most importantly, Vogt possesses personality traits that are somewhat the polar opposite of Kapler's. Kapler had a way of making people feel uneasy in his presence. The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly even reported yesterday that agents described face-to-face meetings with Zaidi and Kapler as sometimes awkward, tense, and uneasy. Zaidi is a pretty affable guy though. So this was likely 95% Kapler, and that was a problem. Zaidi has stressed that the next SF Giants manager should be an effective recruiter, and very few are as well-liked and respected in the game as Vogt. He also has explicitly stated that he wants to be an MLB manager.

Vogt just finished a season as Mariners bullpen and quality control coach. The downside of potentially hiring him to manage the SF Giants stems solely from his lack of managerial experience. Otherwise he's a pretty perfect fit on paper. Switching gears, Zaidi's comments about the Giants' outfield defense being an area they'd like to upgrade are discussed. Indeed, the Giants were not good defensively in the outfield, but were among the game's best in the infield, largely thanks to a sensational defensive season from Thairo Estrada.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

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First things first, the San Francisco Giants need a new manager. So it was no surprise that when Farhan Zaidi met with the media on Tuesday morning that most questions centered around the SF Giants' managerial search. Would Zaidi be open to hiring a first-time manager? Or would he be looking for someone with more experience? Zaidi's main response was that he wants the next Giants manager to be a premier recruiter of talent. Which seems to suggest Kapler was not able to do that in a meaningful way.

Zaidi also talked about the Giants' offseason plans beyond their managerial search. He highlighted outfield defense as an area where the team came up short, and that getting more athletic there would be a priority. However, Mitch Haniger is under contract for two more years. Michael Conforto could opt in for another year. Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater have value and should be tendered contracts. So where's the room for improvement? Trades would seemingly be very much on the table.

What about the future of the shortstop position? It seemed like a changing of the guard when Brandon Crawford departed in the ninth inning against the Dodgers, and as he entered the dugout, he gave a hug to the young Marco Luciano, who ran out onto the field to replace him. Zaidi said that, at least initially, the plan is for Luciano to be the SF Giants' everyday shortstop in 2024. He also mentioned Tyler Fitzgerald as perhaps the best defensive center fielder in the organization and that could play into their outfield plans next year as well.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

Sleeper

Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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