Baseball Connection

The Braves bullpen came up big in their championship run and they'll be even better in 2022 after adding Kenley Jansen. The White Sox should expect better performances from Kimbrel plus they've added Joe Kelly. Which are the top 10 bullpens in MLB this season? All this on today's episode.

The Twins have signed Chris Archer to a one-year deal. Archer will provide rotation depth for a Minnesota team that has suddenly become intriguing. In just a couple weeks, the Twins have risen from obscurity by adding several notable names. The Dodgers and Padres swung a rare trade sending Matt Beaty to San Diego in exchange for a prospect. Beaty is a valuable on-base machine who will compete for...

Albert Pujols is back in St. Louis. The future Hall of Famer agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal back where it all began. Who could have imagined Pujols, Wainwright, and Molina would be playing for the Cardinals in 2022? Pujols is chasing 700 home runs. Can he get there this season? All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Yankees will be offering Aaron Judge a contract extension sometime before Opening Day. Judge is the face of the franchise and it would be in the team's best interest to take care of him. The D-Backs would like to extend Ketel Marte. The Angels extended Max Stassi and he'll be their starting catcher. All this on today's episode.

Andrew Miller has called it a career after 16 seasons in MLB. Miller reshaped the relief pitcher role and was one of the most versatile lefty bullpen arms around. Michael Conforto is the top free agent still on the market but the clock is ticking for him to find a deal. Foreign substance checks are back and will be enforced even further. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The "ghost runner" rule will be back in 2022. Extra innings will begin with a runner on second base in order to speed up such games and avoid marathon contests. Is this a good rule or does it water down the experience? A separate new rule means no more Shohei Ohtani in the outfield since he'll now be allowed to remain in the lineup as a DH even after he's done pitching. All Yankees and Mets player...

The recently Mariners lost their best reliever for the year but they've already picked up an arm to fill the gap. Who is the soft-tossing 39-year old veteran that will induce plenty of soft contact and create timing issues for hitters? Tommy Pham has fallen off in recent years but the Reds just picked him up. Can he still be good? Odubel Herrera will miss Opening Day, so the Phillies need a new ce...

Even the best pitchers have down years at times. Whether it's strong expected stats, recovering from injury, or a change of teams, some pitchers have good reason to expect better results this season. Who are some prime bounceback pitching candidates for 2022?

The Mariners bullpen was a key strength in 2021 and it led them to their surprising 90-win season. Casey Sadler was their best reliever but he has now suffered a season-ending injury. The Cardinals will be without Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes for now - a big blow to their pitching staff. Ryan McMahon has signed a 6-year, $70 million extension with the Rockies. All this (and more) on today's episod...

The Red Sox have agreed to a deal with Trevor Story. It will be a 6-year, $140 million guarantee. Story will slide over second base and serves as insurance in case Xander Boagaerts leaves Boston after this season. All the top free agent shortstops have now been signed. The Marlins are bringing Jorge Soler's power bat to Miami on a 3-year, $36 million deal. Soler is coming off World Series MVP hono...

Carlos Correa is off the market now after agreeing to a 3-year, $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. This comes as a surprise because Correa was expected to sign a 10+ year megadeal north of $330 million. He has opt-outs after each year which will let him try again if he plays well. The Phillies agreed to terms with Nick Castellanos on a 5-year, $100 million deal. The Braves signed Kenley...

The Yankees have traded Luke Voit to the Padres in exchange for a prospect. Voit was the odd man out in New York after they re-signed Anthony Rizzo to man first base. Voit's power bat is often overlooked but he'll be a great middle-of-the-order bat in San Diego. Nick Castellanos is still on the board and the Phillies are interested. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Many of the top free agents are off the board. Freddie Freeman has agreed to a 6-year, $162 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. LA just keeps adding to its incredibly loaded roster. Kris Bryant is headed to the Rockies on a 7-year, $182 million deal. The Rockies haven't been good lately but maybe this means they want to win again soon. Spring Training games are set to begin. All this (and m...

The Braves have already signed Matt Olson to an 8-year, $168 million extension. All things considered, he's a better fit for them than Freddie Freeman. The Yankees bought back Anthony Rizzo on a 2-year, $32 million deal. These days, you can't expect them to break the bank for big-name free agents. Kyle Schwarber is taking his talents to Philadelphia. He'll add plenty of lineup protection for the N...

Fernando Tatis Jr. is injured again. He will likely need surgery for a fractured wrist he suffered during the offseason. The Atlanta Braves send shockwaves through the baseball world by trading for star 1B Matt Olson. Many were holding out hope that Freddie Freeman would re-sign but that chapter now seems closed. Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez are headed to the Mariners. Winker was one of basebal...

The Twins have sent Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Ben Rortvedt to the Yankees in exchange for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez. This means Yankees will most likely not be pursuing a big name shortstop as they wait for their star prospects to arrive. Nelson Cruz signed with the Nationals on a 1-year, $15 million deal. The Astros are talking to Carlos Correa again. Where will Trevor Story land...

The Blue Jays have been known for their offensive prowess in recent years. All of a sudden, they've beefed up their rotation too. Yusei Kikuchi just signed with them to round out the back of their staff. The Mets traded for Chris Bassitt and the Twins traded for Sonny Gray. All this (and more) on today's episode.

We're off to the races to close out the offseason. Spring Training has begun but there are still several players without a team. Carlos Rodon signed with the Giants for 2 year, $44 million. He's an upside arm but health will be key. National League teams are interested in Albert Pujols. After all, they have a designated hitter spot now. The Dodgers re-signed Clayton Kershaw and joined the bid for...

Baseball is back. MLB and MLBPA came to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement that will cover the 2022-2026 seasons. Plenty of changes are coming, including an expanded postseason, universal DH, pitch clocks, increased pay for players, and much more. Opening Day is on April 7 and it will be a full 162 game season. All this (and more) on today's episode.

MLB has pitched the idea of an international draft and Latin players do not like the sound of it. Under the current system, there is no draft and international players can sign as free agents as early as age 16. This gives players significant leverage and flexibility to sign with multiple teams who makes offers. With a draft, this leverage disappears and players would have to take it or leave it....

Get ready for Friday Night Baseball. Apple TV+ will carry two Friday night games each week as part of the new streaming agreement between MLB and Apple. We celebrate International Women's Day by reflecting on the various women coaching, managing, or working in pro baseball today. It might not be long before we see a woman managing at the MLB level.

Latest news coming out of the negotiations between players and owners suggest we might see shift bans, pitch clocks, and bigger bases as soon as 2023. Max Muncy missed the Dodgers' 2021 postseason, but he'll be ready to go once the season begins. The Rays made an offer to Freddie Freeman before the lockout. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Roger Clemens is one of the greatest pitchers to walk the face of the earth. The Rocket was a dominant force from two-plus decades. He's heavily decorated in accolades, including 7 Cy Young awards and an MVP. What were the best, most memorable moments, of Rocket's career?

The MVP award has been around since 1931. It's the ultimate award that can be bestowed upon a position player for a given season. Because there can only be one MVP per league each season, some all-time greats never won this award. Including several Hall of Famers. Who are they and how close did they get?

Baseball's next young star might make his debut this season. There are a few top prospects who could make their team's Opening Day roster. One player, in particular, might be the next big name we'll all rave about. MLB Spring Training is delayed, but the minor league season is not. This means there will be some overlap between the two, which could impact some prospects. All this (and more) on toda...