Baseball Connection

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. Is this fair? All this (and more) on today's episode.

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 today's episode.

The Rockies are looking to add pop to their lineup and Michael Conforto has joined the list of free agent outfielders they're looking at. Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber are other players they like. Plenty of teams are looking at Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds as a trade target. Reynolds hasn't had any extension talks with the Pirates yet but the team should hold onto the star outfielder. All this (and more) on today's episode.

MLB and MLBPA failed to reach an agreement by the league's deadline and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the first two series of the season will be cancelled. How did we get here and what is the solution? Are both sides negotiating in good faith? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Derek Jeter and the Marlins have mutually agreed to part ways. Jeter reportedly did not agree with the team's spending plan coming out of the lockout. As a proven winner, perhaps Jeter was ready for Miami to end their rebuild and go all in. The lockout continues and players have begun flirting with the idea of playing overseas. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Dodgers plan to extend manager Dave Roberts ahead of the season's start. Roberts has been wildly successful during his 6 years in the position. How much of this success if he responsible for? Is Roberts a great manager? All this (and more) on today's episode.