The San Francisco Giants signed Luis Arráez to a one-year deal, with the hope that the three-time batting champion will be able to help solidify their offense after their blockbuster deal that brought Rafael Devers to the Bay last season. However, after finishing at 81–81, are the Giants doing enough to try and compete for a title?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman examine the questionable offseason that President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey has navigated for his Giants. While being in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers does present some difficulties, should the Giants be doing a bit more to show their commitment to winning? Could they still find a way to improve their rotation before the start of the season?

Later, Jordan and Jake talk about the trade that saw the St. Louis Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan in a three-team deal to the Seattle Mariners and why he is going to be a key player for them. They then discuss the Chicago White Sox’s active weekend, the Sacramento A’s signing Jacob Wilson to an extension, all before they get into the problem that insurance is causing with World Baseball Classic rosters.

2:29 – The Opener: A look at the Giants
29:58 – Around the League: Mariners trade for Donovan
48:18 – Turbo Mode: Reds sign Eugenio Suárez
58:37 – Tarik Skubal vs. Detroit Tigers
1:01:44 – We Need to Talk About: WBC insurance

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After the free-agency frenzy that saw Kyle Tucker shockingly go to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bo Bichette signing with the New York Mets and Cody Bellinger opting to run it back with the New York Yankees, teams are starting to look more and more set for the 2026 season. However, there is still plenty of time for teams to do some last-minute shopping to bulk up before Opening Day.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman make their choices for the one thing that every team needs from now until Game One of the season. Could the Dodgers push all of their chips in to go for a three-peat and trade for Tarik Skubal? Will the Yankees have a resolution on what to do with Jasson Domínguez amid their crowded outfield? Who could the Mets trade away from their rotation after acquiring Freddy Peralta?

Later, Jordan and Jake react to the breaking Minnesota Twins news after they parted ways with President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey at this point in the offseason. They then make their picks for this week’s The Good, The Bad and the Uggla, which includes Alex Honnold maybe taking a shot at Garrett Crochet and the history that landed Aaron Judge in the Bronx.

2:36 – AL East
16:50 – AL Central
30:54 – AL West
37:13 – NL East
50:23 – NL Central
1:01:05 – NL West
1:08:28 – The Good, The Bad & The Uggla

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José Ramírez has been a member of the Cleveland Guardians organization since 2011 and is on track to one day be immortalized in Cooperstown with the greats of baseball. However, over the weekend, the seven-time All-Star signed an extension to stay in Cleveland until 2032, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play for the franchise.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the deal that will keep Ramírez with the Guardians into his age-39 season. The six-time Silver Slugger’s extension, while surprising, isn’t shocking considering his love for Cleveland. But when his contract is up, will he be considered the best player in Guardians history?

Later, Jordan and Jake break down the Texas Rangers–Washington Nationals trade that sent a package of prospects to the nation’s capital for 26-year-old MacKenzie Gore. With the Rangers hoping that Gore pans out to the uber-prospect he once was, how important will his continued development be for the Rangers to win this deal? The guys then talk about MLB Network’s 2026 Top 100 Players and what changes they would make to the list.

1:20 – The Opener: J-Ram stays in Cleveland
27:49 – Around the League: Rangers trade for Gore
42:57 – Harrison Bader to the Giants
49:50 – Nuclear Overreaction: Top 100 list
58:11 – Top 10 players debate

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When the New York Mets signed Bo Bichette and traded for Luis Robert Jr., many wondered if President of Baseball Ops David Stearns was finished making major moves this offseason. On Wednesday night though, Stearns had one more big surprise up his sleeve when he acquired someone from his past days in Milwaukee.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the big trade that saw the Mets deal for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in exchange for a package of top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. With Peralta now headlining the Mets’ starting rotation, does this addition make them a World Series contender again? Also, how will the new additions to the Brew Crew’s prospect pipeline help them in the immediate future?

Later, Jordan and Jake talk about the New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger reuniting after his impressive 2025 season in pinstripes on a five-year, $162.5 million contract. The move further solidifies the Yankees’ belief in their offense, essentially running it back from last season—but could Brian Cashman and company have one more front-page deal before Spring Training kicks off? The guys then close the show by making their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

2:03 – The Opener: Freddy Peralta to the Mets
29:43 – Jordan’s Prospect Hut: The Brewers’ return
38:28 – Yankees re-sign Cody Bellinger
52:00 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update
54:37 – The Good
1:01:13 – The Bad
1:06:44 – The Uggla

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The New York Mets struck big last year when they reeled in Juan Soto from the Bronx to headline an eventful winter. However, after a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Amazin’s have been on a mission to retool this offseason, and thanks to David Stearns, they’ll go into 2026 with plenty of new faces and hope for success.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the retooled lineup that the Mets have assembled, which includes signing Bo Bichette and trading for Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. In addition to the signings of Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco, the new-look Mets are looking forward to a redemption season in 2026.

Later, Jordan and Jake talk about Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, why the Houston Astros cheating scandal caused Beltrán to have to wait and the improbable climb for Jones to make it into the Hall. Then the guys discuss the Philadelphia Phillies bringing J.T. Realmuto back to the City of Brotherly Love, Elly De La Cruz rejecting a big contract extension from the Cincinnati Reds and take a look at the LIDOM Championship Series.

1:12 – The Opener: New-look Mets
22:09 – Luis Robert Jr. trade
33:24 – Hall of Fame results
54:26 – Around the League: Phillies re-sign Realmuto
1:03:02 – Three-team trade
1:06:47 – Elly turns down extension
1:09:33 – LIDOM Championship Series

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The Los Angeles Dodgers did it again. The defending back-to-back World Series champions have had yet another big-time offseason. After adding star closer Edwin Díaz, they went out on Thursday night and brought top free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker into their already star-studded lineup, solidifying them even more as the Evil Empire of baseball.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the shocking—at least to some—move of Los Angeles once again bolstering their roster as they look for the first three-peat in baseball since the New York Yankees’ 1990s dynasty. With the Tucker deal coming in at four years, $240 million, should Commissioner Rob Manfred start to worry about the perception the Dodgers are giving off to opposing fans with their free agent spending?

Later, Jordan and Jake discuss the Boston Red Sox adding one of the big-arm free agents, Ranger Suárez, to their already crowded starting pitching depth chart and why he will be an interesting fit in their rotation. They then get into the Yankees trading for Ryan Weathers and the Arizona Diamondbacks acquiring Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals before giving an update on Team USA’s newest roster additions. The guys close the show by making their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Uggla.

1:39 – The Opener: Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers
20:36 – Red Sox sign Ranger Suárez
43:29 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update
46:10 – Around the League: Trade news
1:01:48 – Team USA roster update
1:08:09 – The Good, The Bad & The Uggla

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When the Chicago Cubs acquired Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, many were left wondering if there would be another big move left in their arsenal. That question was answered over the weekend when they agreed to a deal to bring three-time All-Star Alex Bregman to the Windy City.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the Cubs’ five-year, $175 million deal with the former Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox star to help solidify their lineup and continue their stellar offseason. Could this be the move that helps get Chicago back to the top of the NL Central for the first time since 2020?

Later, Jordan and Jake examine how badly it appears the Red Sox messed up in their negotiations with Alex Bregman, considering they traded away Rafael Devers during the season and are now left with neither All-Star on their squad. Then the guys get into how real of a possibility it is that Bo Bichette joins the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as a new addition to Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster.

1:29 – The Opener: Bregman to Cubs
26:19 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update
34:41 – The Red Sox badly messed up
49:21 – Red Sox front office response
59:41 – Bo Bichette and the Phillies?
1:09:04 – New addition to Team USA

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As the baseball world prepares for Spring Training being a month away, some of the biggest free agents in the sport remain on the open market. Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Bo Bichette are the three names that continue to circulate among the big spenders, but the question remains: where are they going to land come Opening Day?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jordan Shusterman is joined by guest host Jack Harris from the California Post as they discuss the free-agent game of musical chairs, as well as take a look at whether the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers could make a play for any of them if the deal is right. They also talk about why the Dodgers’ finances might be a reason for their quiet offseason, despite signing All-Star closer Edwin Díaz early on.

Later, Jordan is joined by Lance Brozdowski from Marquee Sports Network to break down the Chicago Cubs trading for Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins and why they were able to get him for a smaller-than-anticipated package. After that, Jordan and Jack examine Scott Boras trying to make history with Tarik Skubals’ arbitration case before making their picks for The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

3:34 – The Opener: Big free agents still out there
13:02 – What are the Dodgers’ next move?
30:43 – Breaking down the Cubs–Cabrera trade
56:21 – A new Rockies pitching theory?
1:00:10 – Scott Boras Scoreboard: Skubal update
1:08:06 – The Good, The Bad & The Uggla

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With the recent success of Japanese players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki, teams throughout baseball have been clamoring to add stars from Japan to their rosters. The Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays did just that by bringing in Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto, with hopes of having similar impacts on their game.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jordan Shusterman is joined by guest host Eric Longenhagen from FanGraphs to talk about the two signings and how their skill sets might be adjusted to the major league level. They then check in on the Scott Boras Scoreboard to try to determine how the super agent did with his deal for Imai.

Later, Jordan is joined by Astros beat writer Chandler Rome from The Athletic as they dig a little deeper into the Imai signing and try to figure out why he chose to go to Houston. They then talk about what the future might hold for the team after this signing and how, positionally, the Astros could be set up for the 2026 season. Jordan and Eric then discuss how recent events in Venezuela could impact baseball and talk about the fall of a top prospect.

2:57 – Kazuma Okamoto to the Blue Jays
19:11 – Tatsuya Imai to the Astros
25:26 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update
34:12 – Chandler Rome joins the show
53:46 – Future of the Astros
1:06:51 – Venezuela’s impact on baseball
1:17:46 – Jarred Kelenic signs with the White Sox

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For the final podcast of the year, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman break down the latest on NPB stars Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto as their MLB posting windows close, analyzing where they could sign and how their profiles contrast with previous Japanese imports like Munetaka Murakami and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The guys take a hard look at the differences between pitching and hitting projections for international talent, highlighting Imai’s adaptability and Okamoto’s ready-made bat for contending teams. They discuss the best roster fits for Imai, focusing on the Giants, Mets, and Phillies, among others, and debate which teams actually make sense for the 3B slugger Okamoto.

Later in the show, they open up the Bar-B-Cast mailbag and answer questions about Juan Soto, the Dodgers' championship window and some baseball easter eggs in the latest Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man.

Finally, they close the episode with a round of Turbo Mode, highlighting a bevy of signings across the league in Cincinnati, Chicago, Seattle & more. Also, a special shout-out to the Buffalo Sabres.1:53 - Why is it taking so long for Japanese stars Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto to sign?

14:45 - Where will Imai sign?

24:50 - Where will Okamoto sign?

31:30 - Baseball Bar-B-Cast Mailbag: Mets, Dodgers, Knives Out & more

1:05:10 - Turbo Mode: Reds, Cubs, Mariners & more

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

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Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:

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📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

And check out Jake, Jordan & the show on X or Instagram:

🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social

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