Baseball Connection

In the wake of a similar story in the NFL, the Cleveland Indians are considering a name change. David Price and Felix Hernandez are among the latest players to opt out of the 2020 season. Neither will be paid this year, but Price has 2 years, $64 million remaining on his contract after this year. Felix would need to find another deal this winter, which could be tough for him. The Nationals named Carter Kieboom their starting third baseman. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Bengie Molina hit for the cycle in the final season of his career. This was probably the most unlikely cycle in baseball history. For a catcher who was the slowest player in the league and struggling to put together any sort of offensive production that year, hitting for the cycle seemed well beyond the realm of expectations. We look back at that unlikely July 2010 evening. All this on today's episode.

Jose Quintana suffered an injury to his left thumb while washing dishes. Quintana received surgery and may begin the season on the injured list. Known for his durability, this freak accident could send Quintana to the IL for the first time in his career. AJ Ramos is trying to make a comeback, as he's signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers. Hal Steinbrenner says he expects to see fans at Yankee Stadium at some point this season. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The dust has begun to settle and the MLB landscape is set. In a year where hot/cold streaks matter and home-field advantage doesn't, let's take a look at the revised power rankings for the 2020 MLB season. All this on today's episode.

The Tigers have signed #1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson. Torkelson will receive a signing bonus of $8,416,300 - the largest ever. The A's traded Jorge Mateo to the Padres in exchange for a player to be named later. Mateo has top-shelf speed but hasn't hit quite enough to command a big-league spot thus far. The 2020 Minor League season has officially been canceled and the Yankees expect some key pieces to be healthy on Opening Day. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Some players have begun to opt out of the 2020 season. Mike Leake, Joe Ross, Ryan Zimmerman, and Ian Desmond will not be playing this year. Given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this was a near certainty and there will likely be more on the way. Players who opt out, and are not considered to be "high-risk", will not receive any salary or service time for 2020. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Miguel Cabrera is knocking on the door of both the 3,000 hit club and the 500 HR club. Miggy has been hampered by injuries in recent years, but he looked very healthy in Spring Training earlier this year. He probably won't hit either milestone this year due to the shortened season, but he should make great progress. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Although there's a chance we'll see pitchers hit again next year, it won't be long before the universal DH is a permanent change. Pitchers don't add much offensive value to a team, but of course, there are few of them who are solid hitters. We go through some trivia questions regarding the best hitting pitchers. All this (and more) on today's episode.

With MLB rosters being expanded to include a "taxi squad" of extra players, who might we see in The Show this year? The Rays are expected to add Wander Franco to their roster. Franco is the #1 prospect in the game, but his path to MLB playing time is still not clear at this time because the Rays' middle infield is already strong. All this (and more) on today's episode.

It'll be a short season this year. With only 60 games on the schedule, don't be surprised if some players hit .400 or toss an ERA below 1.00. 60 games has been enough for some players like Bonds, Stanton, or Sosa to hit 30+ home runs. Nolan Ryan racked up 142 strikeouts in such a stretch. We take a look at the best 60-game stretches baseball has ever seen.