Episode 898

FanGraphs Audio arrives early this week to bring you a conversation with a major league manager, a discussion of some very exciting mail, and an interview about the Toronto Blue Jays.

• To begin the program, David Laurila welcomes Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. The pair discuss managerial challenges like addressing third time through the order penalties and countering an opposing skipper, as well as the state of the D-backs, including who was especially impressive in Arizona’s rotation in 2020. David also asks about their interview from seven years ago, which may have anticipated Torey’s career moves. [2:31]
• After that, David is joined by Jay Jaffe to discuss the arrival of their first Hall of Fame ballots. David and Jay were both at Baseball Prospectus when they joined the BBWAA, and after a literal decade of waiting, they are now ready to vote on players’ induction into the Hall of Fame. The duo celebrates over a beverage and discusses their initial thoughts on some of this year’s complicated candidates. [23:47]
• Finally, Dan Szymborski welcomes Andrew Stoeten to check in on the Blue Jays. The club’s rebuild continued to show progress, making it into the expanded playoffs on the back of the team’s exciting core. Dan and Andrew discuss what could come next, including targeting a few more players in free agency after last year’s signing of Hyun Jin Ryu produced such dividends. [49:42]

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Episode 897

While baseball playoffs are still underway in Asia, the major leagues continue to have their own exciting happenings early in the offseason. In this week’s episode, the FanGraphs crew is ready to talk Japanese championship matchups, curious PED suspensions, and one influential executive’s career arc thus far.

• At the top of the show, David Laurila is joined by Jim Allen of the Japan Baseball Weekly podcast. Jim has covered Japanese baseball for many years, and the pair look ahead to the 2020 Japan Series, which starts this weekend. Do the Yomiuri Giants stand a chance against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who are seeking their fourth consecutive title? David and Jim also check in on the former major leaguers who played in Japan this year and talk about how difficult that transition can be. [2:45]
• Next up, Jay Jaffe and Craig Edwards discuss Robinson Canó’s second PED suspension and what that means for him and the Mets. The club was already eager to spend money under new owner Steve Cohen, but how does not having to pay Canó’s 2021 salary affect their plans? Craig has a strategy, and it indeed involves some big free agents. [23:15]
• Finally, Eric Longenhagen and Jon Tayler discuss Theo Epstein’s departure from the Chicago Cubs. The team is at an undeniable crossroads as they face some difficult roster decisions, and the person arguably most important to their rebuild and 2016 championship is now out the door. Meanwhile, Epstein’s own statements suggest self-reflection on his personal impact on the sport of baseball — for better or worse — inspiring Eric and Jon to assess him and his journey through the same lens. [45:22]

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Episode 896

The big awards have been given out, but the FanGraphs crew is keeping an eye on offseason roster moves. This week, we welcome a major league manager to the program before digging into a pile of of recently named-later players.

• To start the show, David Laurila is joined by Gabe Kapler, former player and current manager of the San Francisco Giants. They discuss Kapler’s history with the game, working with his childhood favorite player, and sympathizing with Kevin Cash when it comes to having to make difficult in-game decisions. They also go over the highs and lows of the Giants’ 2020 campaign after they narrowly missed a playoff spot. [2:00]
• After that, Ben Clemens and Eric Longenhagen spend some time on the Cy Young award winners before digging into the PTBNL stack. A number of transactions were recently completed, and there were some intriguing names on the move. What is Jorge Mateo’s role? How can orgs evaluate the progress of their prospects in 2020? And what is the strategy with players like Jason Vosler? [17:48]

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Episode 895

The Qualifying Offers have been extended — or not — and so begins the hot stove. On this week’s show, the FanGraphs crew looks closely at another rebuild on the rise and lays out the nature of the offseason’s transactions so far.

• At the top of the episode, David Laurila is joined by Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle. David and Shannon discuss the Seattle Mariners, who went 27-33 in 2020 but are very encouraged by the direction they are going. And while Kyle Lewis stole the show this season, a restocked farm system means more help may be on the way. [1:45]
• Following that, Eric Longenhagen and Jason Martinez go over some of the more interesting roster moves so far. Jason and Eric look at how this weird winter could unfold. What are the Mets going to do? Is Kevin Gausman legit? And are any of these early waiver moves going to pan out? Be sure to follow all the winter’s free agent action using the RosterResource Free Agent Tracker! [25:26]

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Episode 894

The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions for the first time since 1988, which also means that the offseason has officially arrived. The hard-working FanGraphs crew is ready with plenty of analysis on this free agent class and this unique playoff run.

• Meg Rowley and Craig Edwards lead off the show by talking about the hot-and-fresh 2021 Top 50 Free Agents rankings. Just as this season was a strange one, this winter may be far from normal as well, especially in the free agent market. What kind of challenges were there in putting this list together? What kind of role will the Qualifying Offer play? Is Kolten Wong a harbinger of more quality players being let go? [1:43]
• After that, Jay Jaffe and Dan Szymborski discuss the Dodgers finally reaching the top. Jay grew up a Dodgers fan and recently wrote about what this championship meant to him. The pair also find themselves obligated to discuss the Blake Snell hook, the Justin Turner debacle, and how wonderful it is to cheer for Mookie Betts. [24:39]

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Episode 893

With the 2020 Fall Classic between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays knotted up at 1-1, the FanGraphs crew spends some time analyzing the state of each pennant-winning club.

• In the first half of the show, Ben Clemens and Tony Wolfe try to figure out the Dodgers. Corey Seager is absolutely en fuego, but what exactly is going on with the pitching plan? And is Dustin May as good as his stuff? The National League champions are as full of talent as they are questions. [1:39]
• In the back half of the episode, Jay Jaffe and Eric Longenhagen discuss the Rays and the legend of Randy Arozarena. While some folks were a bit ahead of the curve on his potential, nobody expected him to do what he has done this postseason. Is this legit? What exactly happened to turn him into Randy Arozarena? And how does Tampa Bay look two games into the World Series? [28:10]

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Tonight as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays face off in Game 2 of the World Series, the FanGraphs crew will be watching along on our Twitch channel, and you’re invited.

Ben Clemens and Eric Longenhagen will be joined by Meg Rowley and Paul Sporer as they chat with readers and each other throughout the game. As usual, there are no tickets, fees, or asterisks, just us watching the baseball game together via the World Wide Web and welcoming you, our readers, to join us. So tune in to the game tonight and then find us here, on the FanGraphs main page, or over on our Twitch page, and bring snacks. We hope to see you then! Read the rest of this entry »

Episode 892

While the playoffs rage on, the FanGraphs crew sadly must again turn their attention to former greats. This episode includes reflections on the past, reflections on ourselves, the 1968 Detroit Tigers theme song, and more.

• To lead off the show, Jay Jaffe honors the late Whitey Ford and Joe Morgan. Jay recently wrote about both Ford and Morgan, whose impressive careers and achievements are well worth revisiting. [1:50]
• After that, Jay is joined by Eric Longenhagen to talk more about Morgan’s legacy. The second baseman was undoubtedly a focal point in the sabermetric culture war, inspiring Eric and Jay to reflect on how we discuss ideologies — both within baseball and more broadly — then and now. [14:35]
• Finally, David Laurila is joined by Dan Dickerson, the radio play-by-play voice of the Detroit Tigers. David and Dan discuss topics such as Tigers squads past and present, Miguel Cabrera, and that Magglio Ordonez home run. [46:00]

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Have you ever wanted to watch a baseball game with the FanGraphs crew? Well, while we won’t be holding any in-person meetups this year, we would like to welcome you to the next-best thing.

Tonight as you settle in to watch the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, so, too, will Ben Clemens and Eric Longenhagen. The duo will be watching along from their respective abodes, chatting with each other and you about the game while sharing analysis and discussing article ideas, all live on our Twitch channel.

There are no tickets, fees, or asterisks, just us watching the baseball game together via the World Wide Web and inviting you, our readers, to join us. Tune in to the game tonight and then find us on the FanGraphs homepage or over on our Twitch page directly. We hope to see you then.

Episode 891

While the playoff field continues to narrow, the FanGraphs crew invites a number of guests to join the show. This week they honor a Hall of Famer, talk to a major league pitcher, discuss what is going on with fall instructional league this year, and evaluate an encouraging rebuild.

• At the top of the show, Jay Jaffe remembers the late Bob Gibson. The Cardinals legend passed away earlier this month, prompting Jay to take a close look at his illustrious legacy. [1:45]
• Next, David Laurila is joined by Cardinals left-hander Andrew Miller. The pair discuss what this unique season was like for players, the three true outcomes, and Miller’s own eventful career. [8:00]
• After that, Eric Longenhagen chats with Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell about fall instructs in Arizona. Bill is an experienced baseball photographer, and while the pair knows their way around backfields in the Phoenix area, the pandemic is likely to make seeing prospects a difficult proposition this fall. [30:19]
• Finally, Dan Szymborski is joined by Josh Nelson and Jim Margalus of SoxMachine.com to look back on an exciting Chicago White Sox season. While Chicago’s playoff run did not go how they had hoped, the team looks ready going forward. [54:25]

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