This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss... Tim's recent post looking at MLB's economics and issues of parity (1:20) The possibility of a salary cap coming into existence at some point in the future (5:25) Comparing the salary cap path to alterations to the current revenue sharing system (8:40) The public relations battle with fans knowing all about players and their salaries but not necessarily knowing so much about the owners and their finances (17:35)
The D-backs have bolstered their rotation mix this winter by agreeing to a two-year reunion with Merrill Kelly and bringing Michael Soroka in on a one-year deal, but the bullpen remains largely untouched. Taylor Clarke's low-cost, one-year deal is the only addition of any real note. General manager Mike Hazen emphasized to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he still plans to add to his relief corps, but the focus for much of the winter was on the rotation.
Or maybe it's a magic arm, whether that's newly-acquired pitching prospect Brandon Sproat or Tread lefty Drew Rom. I fully expect both to shove, especially against the Cubs. MLB Pipeline has the 25-year-old Sproat at No. 6 in Milwaukee's system, and he should break camp with the big club after logging just under 21 innings over four starts for the Mets last year.
The Yankees were known to be one of the teams talking with the Marlins about a possible Edward Cabrera trade, but with Cabrera now in a Cubs uniform, the New York Post's Joel Sherman reports that the Bronx Bombers are looking elsewhere for rotation help. The NY Post's Jon Heyman reiterates that the Yankees continue to have trade interest in the Brewers' Freddy Peralta and the Nationals' MacKenzie Gore,
Many current gig economy jobs are at risk of automation as AI usage expands, Tim Fung, founder and CEO of Airtasker, said in an interview with Business Insider. Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are already making some deliveries using self-driving vehicles. Fung estimated that human ride-hailing drivers could be eliminated within three to five years. AI is also likely to replace many data science, coding, and engineering workers in the near term, Fung said.
As per usual, Chris is right. After a brief moment atop the conference, the Caps now sit seventh in the east and dropping. A team that has ranked in the league's top three in five-on-five play has now fallen to 15th in the month of December. They need a change. They need several changes. Recoveries from injury, recoveries from illness, a trade or two, power-play personel patch-up, no more mock turtlenecks from Joe and Craig, etc., etc.
The MLB Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday evening, and the Atlanta Braves unfortunately slipped a few spots. Heading into the lottery, Atlanta had the sixth-best odds. Instead, the Braves will have the ninth overall pick in the 2026 draft. The Chicago White Sox will pick first, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins. With the Winter Meetings underway, it has been rumored that the Braves have interest in utility player Willi Castro, who has also drawn interest from the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The lefty made 32 starts in 2024. He had a 14-start stretch in the middle where he posted a 6.18 ERA, 19.8 K%, and 11.4 BB%. That 8.3 K-BB% was the fourth-worst in baseball among qualified starters during that June 3rd-August 17th period. Before and after that, Gore pitched like an ace. His velocity was up early in the season, spiking to 96.6 miles per hour from the beginning of the year through July 1st. It was a full mile per hour slower from that point on.
It's a logical position for a PBO to take, since you never know when a team might emerge with an outlandish trade offer that is too good to pass up. Reports indicate that Skubal is unlikely to be dealt, both because the Tigers' "asking prices are enormous" (as per ESPN's Buster Olney) and because keeping Skubal atop the rotation obviously gives Detroit a much better chance of winning the World Series in 2026.
MLB's winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Florida, signaling the time when baseball's offseason activity is likely to take off. What's the latest on free agent hitters, including coveted sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Tucker? Will Framber Valdez find a new home now that fellow top free agent pitcher Dylan Cease is off the board? What's the latest on a trade market featuring stars such as Ketel Marte and Steven Kwan? And which teams could surprise the sport by making a big splash in Florida?
1966 - The Braves acquire Clete Boyer from the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Bill Robinson and pitcher Chi-Chi Olivo. 1936 - Judge Landis declares Reds players Lee Handley and Johnny Peacock are free agents after they were covered up on minor league teams by Cincinnati. 1957 - Mayor Robert Wagner forms a four-member committee to find a replacement for the Dodgers and Giants in New York.
1. Pat Riley instilling #HEATCulture™ Say what you want about Riley's shortcomings the last few years, but without him laying the bedrock as the culture bearer, this franchise would be a nothingburger. 2. Erik Spoelstra He's the best coach in the NBA, and any team would kill to have him in their building. Instead, he's ours. 3. Dwyane Wade You thought I wasn't going to put Wade at No. 3? You're crazy.
This evening, teams around baseball will need to decide whether to offer contracts to their arbitration- and pre-arbitration level players. Those who are non-tendered will head directly into free agency without being placed on waivers. Earlier this week, MLBTR's Anthony Franco made a comprehensive list of players who could at least theoretically be at risk of a non-tender today, although the majority of them likely will not actually head into free agency.
The Dallas Cowboys defense could look like an entirely different unit when they re-take the field in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Due to the additions they made at the trade deadline and players returning from injuries, there's a spark of hope we could see a much improved defense for the rest of the season. Through the midway point of the 2025 NFL season, the Cowboys defense is ranked in the bottom of the league in nearly every category.
