Baseball Connection

Yadier Molina is back with the Cardinals on a 1-year, $9 million deal. It was hard to imagine Yadi playing anywhere else. He's the face of the franchise and still their best option at catcher. There will be no universal DH in 2021, but we'll still have 7-inning doubleheaders and a runner on 2nd base to begin extra innings.

It wasn't a flashy move by any means, but the Mets may have found their center fielder by signing Albert Almora Jr. Almora is a strong defender but weak hitter, so New York might still seek additional help. Pedro Gomez, the ESPN reporter who was so beloved in the baseball community, passed away unexpectedly. Jackie Bradley Jr. is the top remaining center fielder on the market. What will be his fin...

The A's and Rangers have a deal that will send Elvis Andrus to Oakland in exchange for Khris Davis as part of a 5-player deal. This trade puts an end to Elvis Andrus' 12 year tenure in Texas which saw him climb near the top of several franchise leaderboards. With Dahl and Gallo already at the corner OF slots, Khris Davis should compete for at-bats as the Rangers' DH.

Marcell Ozuna is returning to Atlanta on a 4-year, $64 million deal. Ozuna is a premier bat but it will be interesting to see how he takes to playing the outfield if the DH is not present in the National League this year. Atlanta is paying him to anchor the middle of their lineup, and he forms an elite tandem with the reigning MVP, Freddie Freeman.

Trevor Bauer has agreed to sign with the LA Dodgers. Bauer lands a 3-year, $102 million contract. The deal is front-loaded as it will pay him $40 million in 2021 and $45 million in 2022. Bauer also has the ability to opt out after each of the first two years, so we could see him back on the open market very soon if he pitches well. This move makes the Dodgers the clear-cut favorites once again.

Trevor Bauer's free agency decision is reportedly down to 2 teams - the Mets and Dodgers. Will it be the east or west coast for the reigning Cy Young? We consider the pros and cons of each option.

Nelson Cruz is going back to the Twins on a 1-year deal worth $13 million. Even at the age of 40, Cruz is one of the best bats in the game. When will he slow down? Kolten Wong is heading to the Brewers on a 2-year, $18 million deal. Wong, a Gold Glove winner, will push Keston Hiura off 2B in Milwaukee.

Sean Doolittle is heading to the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year deal. The former Nationals closer will look to bounce back after a rough 2020. The Rockies received 5 prospects in the Arenado trade. MLB has said the 2020 season will begin on time.

Dustin Pedroia has hung up his cleats. Pedroia closes the book on a legendary Red Sox career that saw him collect 3 World Series rings, an MVP, 4 Gold Gloves, and a Silver Slugger. Pedroia missed most of the last 2 years due to a knee injury. It's easy to imagine what his final numbers could've looked like if he stayed healthy. Pedroia defied many odds due to his size and was one of the best 2B of...

After dealing Yu Darvish earlier in the winter, the Cubs don't have a very strong pitching staff. They just added Trevor Williams who will look to bounce back this year. It seems like they'll hang onto Bryant/Rizzo/Baez for now, but it will likely be a middling year for the North Siders. The White Sox, on the other hand, have a great rotation. They also just brought back Carlos Rodon on a one-year...

The Cardinals and Rockies have agreed to a swap with Nolan Arenado. Arenado will head to St. Louis in a complex deal, but at the end of the day he's leaving a Rockies franchise that he had grown frustrated with. Colorado won't be contending this year, so will they be trading Trevor Story as well? Didi Gregorius re-signed with the Phillies.

After letting Kyle Schwarber walk earlier in the winter the Cubs have replaced him with a similar player - Joc Pederson (one-year, $7 million). Pederson crushes righties but has been a liability against lefties. He has 30+ home run power and is a defensive upgrade from Schwarber. Adam Wainwright is heading back to St. Louis on a one-year, $8 million deal. Wainwright is the face of the Cardinals fr...

The Blue Jays continued their aggressive offseason by trading for Steven Matz. They'll send a trio of prospect pitchers to the Mets, headlined by Sean Reid-Foley. Masahiro Tanaka has agreed to a two-year deal with the Rakuten Eagles - his former team in Japan. We haven't heard much about Trevor Bauer lately, but the Mets have made him an offer.

The Phillies have agreed to a deal to bring back JT Realmuto. Realmuto's 5-year, $115.5 million deal will keep him in Philadelphia for the rest of his prime. Marcus Semien is heading up to Toronto on a 1-year, $18 million deal. He'll play second base and Cavan Biggio will move to third base.

In a rare trade between rivals, the Yankees sent Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. This is a salary dump for the Yankees as they seek to stay under the luxury tax threshold. Will there be a universal DH in 2021?

The Nationals continue to use the free agent market to fill gaps in their roster. They just signed Brad Hand to a one-year deal worth $10.5 million. After having the eight worst bullpen ERA in the Majors last year, Washington is getting a huge boost here. J.A. Happ will pitch for the Twins this year as their likely 4th starter. Where will Nelson Cruz end up? All this on today's episode.

The Hot Stove is on a rolling boil. Jameson Taillon is heading to the Yankees in trade - Pittsburgh will receive four prospects. The Red Sox added depth to their squad by signing Garrett Richards and Enrique Hernandez. Mr. National is returning to the only place he's ever known. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Hank Aaron passed away at the age of 86. Aaron was an American hero and currently sits in second place on the all-time home run leader-board. To many, Hank Aaron is the GOAT. We take a look at what made Hammerin' Hank so special.

One thing that sets baseball apart from other sports is the sheer number of games played in a season. Teams often play a game every night for a week or more. Throw in the wrinkle of travel for away games, and you get a grueling schedule. Due to their stadium being occupied for a convention, a young Astros club became road warriors for 4 weeks. We discuss the Astros' 26-game road trip in 1992.

In a whirlwind of a day, Michael Brantley's name was being tossed around free agent headlines. It was initially reported that he agreed to a deal with Toronto, but then the Blue Jays refuted it. The dust settled and Brantley will head back to the Astros on a 2-year, $32 million contract. Brantley is the definition of a professional hitter and will occupy left field in Houston once again.

The Blue Jays have gotten their guy. George Springer will head north on a 6-year, $150 million deal with the blossoming squad of young players. The top position player on the market, Springer brings an elite blend of power and speed to Toronto. Don Sutton passed away at the age of 75. The Hall of Fame pitcher spent 16 years with the Dodgers.

Jon Lester has agreed to a 1-year, $5 million deal with the Nationals. Don't expect vintage numbers from Lester, so he'll slot in as the 4th starter behind Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin. George Springer has $100+ million offers from both the Blue Jays and Mets. His decision could be coming this week.

The Padres continue to build a juggernaut squad. They have landed Joe Musgrove in a 3-team deal with the Mets and Pirates. Musgrove's underlying metrics (strikeout rate and exit velocity) are elite, which makes him a strong breakout candidate for 2021.

The Red Sox have brought back Martin Perez on a 1-year deal worth $5 million. It's not a major signing in the grand scheme of things, but Perez was their most reliable starter in 2020. Boston still has a lot of work to do in bolstering their rotation. Didi Gregorious and JT Realmuto might just head back to Philadelphia. Are the Reds shopping Luis Castillo?

DJ LeMahieu is returning to the Yankees on a 6-year, $90 million deal. The best hitter in the American League could very well remain in pinstripes for the remainder of his career. The Yankees also signed Corey Kluber to a 1-year, $11 million deal. Kluber is a lottery ticket who everyone just hopes can stay healthy. The Phillies have made a decent first offer to JT Realmuto at this stage, but his m...