Baseball Isn’t Boring

There has been another notable contract extension in Major League Baseball, this one belonging to Arizona's Corbin Carroll. So, how did it come about? Diamondbacks GM joins Bradfo to give an inside look into the thought process to giving Carroll his eight-year, $111 million deal. Hazen also offers perspective when it came to how he built the 2023 Diamondbacks, while revealing the fittest GMs in ba...

There have been a ton of winners during the World Baseball Classic, including the great game of baseball, itself. But one player who isn't even playing in the tournament that is reaping the rewards of these few week is top Mets prospect Brett Baty. The former first-round pick is tearing up the Grapefruit League while getting plenty of playing time thanks to the absence of regular third baseman Edu...

What is it like to be a top prospect in major league spring training? We have answers. Bradfo catches up with perhaps the top two shortstop prospects in all of baseball - Anthony Volpe of the Yankees, and the Red Sox' Marcelo Mayer - to get their feelings on being dropped in among big leaguers. Bradfo also gets the perspective of someone who went through that life before, Chris Sale. The Commissio...

Shawn Spradling is boots on the ground in Arizona for Baseball Isn't Boring, soaking in the WBC chaos. Shawn reports on all the goings-on from Phoenix, while checking in on the rest of the tournament. We also get a reminder of how popular this round of the tournament is compared all the previous ones thanks to some analysis by Red Sox manager - and former Team Puerto Rico GM - Alex Cora.

On the exact one-year anniversary of the Major League Baseball lockout ending, Commissioner Rob Manfred joined Bradfo for an exclusive interview to reflect on how it ended and what has happened since. He also gives his reason for baseball not being boring.

The WBC has officially kicked off and we already have a super team on the bubble of getting past pool play. Shawn dives into all the games and what to make of some of the surprise performances from sleeper teams. Is Cuba on their way out, or has scheduling just made things look bleak? Tune in with Shawn and find out what's the latest with the World Baseball Classic.

Baseball Isn't Boring Pitch Clock Correspondent Rich Hill joins Bradfo to offer unprecedented insight into what is going on with Major League Baseball's new initiatives, most notably all the drama behind the pitch clock. The games are quicker. Great. But Hill warns of issues that are popping up throughout these spring training games. You are going to be a smarter baseball fan after listening.

The horns. The flags. The dugout celebrations. The bat flips. The fist pumps. It's World Baseball Classic time which means only one thing: March baseball looks a little different. But can all of this enthusiasm carry over to a big league season? Bradfo sit down with Marcus Stroman (Team Puerto Rico) and Mike Lowell to discuss where baseball is at when it comes to showing the kind of personality th...

Chris Sale is heading into spring training as one of the most interesting storylines in all of Major League Baseball. So when Bradfo sat down with the pitcher there was plenty to talk about. New rules. Changes in the game. How close he came to quitting. How he views his current existence. The perspective gained from the last 900 days. It's all there, and it's brutally honest. You're going to want...

There is no better person to catch up this time of year than Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline. That's why Bradfo sits down with him to pick through the what's what when it comes to what prospects should be on our radar heading into the 2023 season. The guy identify their picks for Rookie of the Year, while also talking about the changing dynamic when it comes to teams' acceptance of young stars. You ar...

With the pomp and circumstance of the World Baseball Classic kicking off, all eyes will be on the entertainment and flair the players are bringing to the field. A big part of that equation will be their footwear, which is an element the players are starving to show off. Two guys who are deep into the creativity when it comes to what they put on their feet are Miami's Jazz Chisholm and Trevor Story...

Bradfo and ESPN's Buster Olney team up again for a deep dive into what's going on in the magical world of Major League Baseball. The pair dissect the landscape of spring training with the new rules supplying plenty of shock and awe, while also taking a look at how some teams are setting themselves up for a surprise or two. And then there is Buster's shocking Shohei Ohtani take! It's a great way to...

Shawn sits down with one of the biggest names in National Baseball coverage to talk a little bit about the growing international coverage of baseball. From the culture expanding and evolving on a global stage to just growing baseball within a new demographic, the two talk about all the positive repercussions this year's tournament can have on the sport.

Don Orsillo has broadcasted some of the biggest spots in baseball in the last two decades. But in those moments it's always the instances that humanized the game that has left the biggest impact on his viewership. Dive into this conversation between Bradfo and Don on the mentorship and history of Orsillo's career in the booth.

WBC Central Podcast. Episode 7! I'm Shawn Spradling. I do a full breakdown of Pool B in the World Baseball Classic. I also cover: - New MLB rules are NOT in the WBC - Dominic Hamel, Puerto Rico's Game 3 starter - Tommy Edman is in Korea - Alejandro Kirk is out - Robinson Cano is Dominican Republic's captain MY SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shawn_Spradling - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com...

So many are hearing from the pitchers and batters when it comes to living this new life with Major League Baseball's pitch clock. But what about the catchers? They are the ones who have to manage the game on the fly, captaining a ship that is flying faster than ever. Bradfo sits down with Mike Zunino of the Guardians, Reese McGuire of the Red Sox, and the Dodgers' Will Smith to discuss this new wo...

Shawn sits down with Marek of North Greenville University and now WBC Team Czech Republic. The collegiate athlete is one of a handful of pioneer ballplayers from the European country participating in the tournament next month. We dive into his history with baseball and how that led him to the ultimate stage representing his Nation against some of the most talented individuals to play the game.

The Padres keep making splashes, the most recent one coming Sunday when it was reported Manny Machado had agreed to a 11-year contract extension. One man who will continue to have a front row seat to all the San Diego craziness is the team's television announcer Don Orsillo. Bradfo sits down with Orsillo to not only talk Padres, but also the state of broadcasting, as well as remembering the excell...

Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate phenom, Derek West, will be setting out for the WBC to represent the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Shawn sits down with the pitcher to talk about growing up in the United States while keeping up with his family's Dutch heritage and traditions and how that connection led him to play for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in this year's World Baseball Classic.

Bradfo sits down with Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts just prior to playing his first game with his new team. Bogaerts opens up about the path that led him to San Diego, including the twists and turns in his negotiations with the Red Sox and how touch 2022 was to navigate. It's an honest and open Xander Bogaerts.

We've given you the rosters but now it's time to evaluate each Pool. Shawn jumps into the first Pool, Pool A, in Taiwan when the tournament kicks off to see who has the strongest lineups and pitching staffs. Italy, Panama, Taipei, China, and the Netherlands will have an uphill battle against pool juggernauts, Cuba.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is ready to build off a memorable 2022 season, and he is willing to use the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast with Bradfo has his catapult. Dipoto dives into the Julio Rodriguez extension, the difference in constructing this Mariners club and how he views former top prospect Jarred Kelenic. There is also the great ketchup-flavored potato chip debate while reminisc...

It was the Twins' turn to talk baseball on the latest Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, with Bradfo catching up with three interesting members of the Minnesota club - Joey Gallo, Alex Kirilloff and Joe Ryan. The group talks about different facets of the current game, with Gallo diving into how 2023 might look different for him and the rest of MLB, Kirilloff offering perspective on players being willi...

The rosters for the World Baseball Classic are starting to take their final form as last-minute injury concerns knock off high-profile players as they enter Spring Training. To get you more intimate with each team before the tournament kicks off. Shawn rattles through each team and some of their key players along with each player he believes deserves your undivided attention when the first pitch i...

The MVP of the Dominican Winter League World Series - and man who is nicknamed 'Aquaman' - Jorge Alfaro joins Bradfo to talk about becoming a celebrity this offseason, his decision to join the Red Sox and play in the World Baseball Classic, along with his quest to meet the actor who portrayed Aquaman, Jason Momoa. He was, after all, Baseball Isn't Boring's adopted free agent pick-to-click (thanks...