Baseball Connection

The Mets have their shortstop of both the present and the future. Negotiations came down to the wire, but Francisco Lindor agreed to a 10 year, $341 million extension. Lindor will become the highest paid shortstop in baseball history. The Nationals will be down by 5 players on Opening Day due to health and safety protocols.

We're approaching the deadline for the Mets and Francisco Lindor to reach an extension. Some believe the Mets' offer is their best and final. Will Linor accept it? Andrew Vaughn will be in the MLB to start the year for the White Sox. Rougned Odor has been designated for assignment. Once seen as the Rangers' future at 2B, Odor's high strikeout rate and low on-base skills have made him worth very li...

Randy Dobnak was Uber driving to supplement his income from independent league ball just a few years ago. He's now agreed to a five-year extension with the Twins that will secure him for life. Sixto Sanchez will begin the season at the Marlins' alternate site. Will Lindor accept the Mets' latest offer?

Mark Appel, the #1 overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, is preparing to make a comeback attempt with the Phillies. Appel is considered one of the biggest busts in baseball history and actually stepped away from the game 3 years ago. What motivated him to return? All this on today's episode.

MLB has said it will crack down on the use of foreign substances on baseballs. Doctoring the baseball is a technique as old as the game itself. We've seen many pitchers get caught using substances like pine tar before. MLB will monitor spin rate data and install compliance officers at each stadium to ensure that these rules are strictly enforced. The idea is to maintain greater offensive output an...

Gio Gonzalez has hung up his spikes after a stellar 13-year MLB career. He was often underrated, but the lefty was an innings-eater who brought tremendous value to several organizations. Eloy Jimenez is out for 5-6 months with a torn pectoral tendon. How will the White Sox replace his bat? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Lance McCullers Jr. has agreed to a 5-year, $85 million extension with the Astros. It'll kick in next season and tie McCullers to Houston through 2026. The Yankees have carried an abundance of outfielders over the past few years. They're receiving offers for Mike Tauchman, but will they bite? Ke'Bryan Hayes turned down the Pirates' extension offer. He's set to play his first full year in the MLB.

As we enter the final stretch of Spring Training, teams are putting the finishing touches on their rosters. Julio Teheran made the Tigers rotation after a strong Spring. Harrison Bader will be out at least 4 weeks, so which Cardinals outfielder will replace him? The Astros are in deep talks with Lance McCullers Jr. regarding an extension.

After 4 surgeries and 3.5 years since his last professional appearance, Brent Honeywell returned to the mound. It was just a Spring Training outing, but he'll take it. A former top-15 prospect, Honeywell is making his way back from a serious string of injuries that stalled his career. He and the Rays hope for him to make his MLB debut later this season.

The Royals have signed Salvador Perez to a four-year $82 million extension. Great hitters like Salvy don't come around too often at the catcher position. He's also a fan favorite and clubhouse leader, so this move was a no-brainer for Kansas City. Jo Adell and Bobby Witt Jr. will open the season in the minors to get some more seasoning.

No player likes being labeled as "injury prone", but it's the reality for some. There are players who just can't seem to stay off the injured list. Although they are highly effective when available, their teams could use their help more often. We discuss key players who need to have a healthy season.

The top of the MLB Draft's first round will feature two Vanderbilt teammates. Starting pitchers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter have formed a lethal 1-2 punch for the Commodores. Rocker, the favorite to go #1 overall has been high on MLB radars for a few years. Leiter, the son of former Yankee lefty Al, tossed a no-hitter today and continues to see his draft stock rise.

Carlos Carrasco will be out for 6-8 weeks after tearing his right hamstring. The back of the Mets rotation will need some help at the beginning of the year. Indians owner Paul Dolan answered questions about the team, including plans for a new name, trading Lindor, and Terry Francona's job. All this on today's episode.

Noah Syndergaard is throwing 96 mph off the mound in his bullpen sessions. He likely won't be ready for Opening Day though. The Mets aim to get him back in the early summer. Some "forgotten" pitchers like Julio Teheran, Felix Hernandez, and Nick Pivetta might make their team's major league rosters.

The White Sox are looking into contract extensions for Lucas Giolito and Andrew Vaughn. Giolito is their ace and i's in their best interest to extend him sooner rather than later because another strong season will make his price tag jump. Vaughn hasn't yet played in the Majors, but the White Sox are no strangers to locking in deals for top prospects - as they did for Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert o...

Ryan Braun visited Brewers camp yesterday. He didn't suit up, as he remains unsigned and uninterested in playing at this time. Braun said he is strongly leaning towards retirement. The Reds need help at shortstop, so they might use Eugenio Suarez there. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Maikel Franco will suit up for the Baltimore Orioles. Franco agreed to a deal with the O's after choosing them over the Mets and Braves. Jordan Hicks made his first appearance in 2 years and it was quite a battle. Luis Guillorme worked a 22-pitch walk against him. Clayton Kershaw is set to make his 9th Opening Day start for the Dodgers - a franchise record.

The Braves anticipate that Mike Soroka will rejoin the rotation sometime next month. That will be a major boost to an already stacked squad seeking another deep playoff run. Billy Hamilton was released by the Indians, but expect to see him on an MLB roster soon. Hamilton's speed will offer enough value for somebody.

The Indians have a big void to fill at SS now that Francisco Lindor is a Met. It seems they will call on Andres Gimenez - a standout defender in his own right. There are plenty of innings up for grabs in Pittsburgh, so they signed Trevor Cahill to a one year deal.

Nick Markakis has announced his retirement. The often underrated right fielder played 15 seasons between Baltimore and Atlanta. Markakis was a model of consistency and durability. An on-base machine, elite defender, and professional hitter, we tip our hat to Nick and congratulate him on an excellent career.

Major League Baseball will be experimenting with a lot of new rules down in the Minor Leagues this year. Larger bases, no shifts, pickoff limits, and more. The goal is to inject more action on the basepaths, improve pace of play, and increase balls in play. Which of these rules do we want to see up in the Majors soon?

Mickey Moniak got a brief taste of MLB action last year, but the baseball world still hasn't really seen who he is. Drafted #1 overall in 2016, Moniak is the Phillies hopeful centerfielder of the future. His game has developed and his body has transformed in the 5 years since, so what does his MLB future look like?

Byron Buxton has major tools and everybody knows it. The main knock on him is the fact that he's injury-prone. When on the field, Buxton has shown continued improvement with his power metrics in recent years while continuing to play elite defense and rank at the top of speed charts. Will the Twins extend him before he becomes a free agent in two years?

The Nationals are planning to offer contract extensions to Juan Soto and Trea Turner. Neither player will come cheap, but it's a wise idea for the franchise to secure their young position player talent. What kind of money might be necessary?

When you're coming off a Cy Young season and fresh contract, you can make yourself feel quite comfortable at Spring Training. That's what Trevor Bauer has been doing as he experiments with different techniques. Bauer pitched with one eye closed during part of his three-inning outing. Forrest Whitley might need Tommy John. All this (and more) on today's episode.