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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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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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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Episode 890

The FanGraphs crew has made it through the Wild Card Series, and they have plenty to discuss. The American League has settled into a pair of intense rivalries, while the National League includes a juggernaut and a true underdog.

• Ben Clemens and Dan Szymborski take a closer look at the AL side of the bracket as well as some playoff ZiPS projections. Is Alejandro Kirk for real? Are the Yankees possibly underrated? And what did Ben think of attending the Oakland series in person? [1:40]
• Eric Longenhagen chats with Rachael McDaniel about the NL side of things, including some well-deserved Clayton Kershaw love. Also, how does social media affect today’s young players? And what do these Marlins have in common with the 2003 bunch? [27:32]

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Episode 889

The latest episode of FanGraphs Audio is here in time to preview the 16-team playoff bracket. The Astros continue to receive a closer look as they enter the playoffs (they’re far from the favorites this time around), while the staff prepares for predictions — as well as some impressive callbacks.

• Dan Szymborski and Jay Jaffe continue their Houston talk from last week, but this time, they set their sights on Jose Altuve. The 2017 AL MVP has not been at his best this season, and it could mean troubling things for his baseball future. [1:53]
• Eric Longenhagen chats with Jason Martinez, creator of the invaluable RosterResource, about a number of players who were off the radar before this season who are now mainstays for their clubs. Finally, the pair take a shot at predicting the results of the eight Wild Card Series. While picking playoff winners is a often a fruitless endeavor, Jason will remind you that he aced it last year. [27:32]

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Episode 888

FanGraphs Audio returns just in time for the last weekend of the 2020 season. With a wild playoff schedule looming, the FanGraphs crew discusses topics including young arms that could help in a deep postseason run, the fate of Justin Verlander, and of course, the future of the podcast.

• Meg Rowley leads off with a message to our listeners. [1:22]
• Ben Clemens and Eric Longenhagen talk about reliever usage and take a long look at prospects around the league who could make an impact in the playoffs, with a focus on some exciting arms that could come out of the bullpen. [4:25]
• Finally, Dan Szymborski and Jay Jaffe discuss Verlander and his impressive career, his Hall of Fame outlook and place in history, and what projections can tell us about injuries and legacies. As Jaffe has written, while the ace has reached some remarkable milestones, his surgery means question marks for his future — and the Astros. [35:52]

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Episode 887

I welcome FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards to the program. Craig and I discuss the growing tension between team owners and players, MLB’s claim that a season of fanless games will result in $4 billion in losses, the move to shorten the amateur draft, and the discourse surrounding it all. Plus, Craig briefly puts his lawyer hat back on to assess the so-called smoking gun email, and we recall the 2011 World Series.

Relevant Craig pieces:

• Parsing MLB’s Claim of a $4 Billion Loss
• After Years of Profits, MLB Owners Ask Players to Subsidize Potential Losses
• Five-Round MLB Draft a Shortsighted, Pound-Foolish Move

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Audio after the jump. (Approximate 43 min play time.)

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