It's been a rough week for Rob Manfred. MLB's Commissioner has taken some serious heat for his decisions regarding the Astros sign-stealing scandal and his comments after the fact. Baseball's biggest stars, and even LeBron, have spoken out directly about the Commissioner's decision to not punish any Astros players. Why did Manfred grant the players immunity? How much, if any, damage is this doing to baseball? All this (and more) on today's episode.

LA Angels owner Arte Moreno confirmed that he was the one who cancelled the trade that would have brought Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to Anaheim. That's not the only "so-close" moment of the Angels' offseason, because they reportedly made a large offer to Gerrit Cole as well (8 years, $300 million) before being outbid by the Yankees. Brock Holt is taking his many gloves up to Milwaukee. The super utility man will provide defensive versatility and very good patience at the plate. The Braves promoted Alex Anthopoulos to president of baseball operations, and gave both him and manager Brian Snitker an extension. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Who is the most underrated player at each position? Each player must have never been an All-Star or a finalist for any major award. Is Yoan Moncada the next superstar 3B? When discussing the game's best closers, don't sleep on Taylor Rogers. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Christian Yelich participated in the NBA Dunk Contest. He wasn't dunking, but he served as a prop for Pat Connaughton. A former baseball player himself, Connaughton was a 4th round pick for the Orioles in 2014 and pitched in their minor league system that summer. Although Yelich's appearance was brief, moments on big stages like this help market baseball - something MLB desperately needs to improve on. How else can baseball be marketed better to attract more fans? All this on today's episode?

Jeremy Hellickson has decided to retire. Rather than undergo shoulder surgery and a lengthy rehab process, Hellickson has hung up his cleats after a 10-year MLB career with a Rookie of the Year award, a Gold Glove, and a World Series ring. Josh Hader lost is arbitration case to the Brewers. Hader argues that his heavy usage in various situations throughout ballgames reflects new-school strategy, while arbitration is focused on old school stats (holds and saves). Does MLB need to change its standard for evaluating relief pitcher pay? Does Zack Wheeler have beef with the Mets? All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Astros players have finally spoken up about the sign-stealing scandal. Players like Bregman and Altuve offered apologies for the cheating scandal. When asked about using electronic buzzers, the players all strongly denied it. Will we ever know why Altuve was grabbing his jersey after that walkoff HR? What is the league-wide reaction? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Ben Zobrist has no plans to play in 2020. The 38 year old utilityman is coming off the final year of his contract with the Cubs. If this is indeed the end of a career for Zobrist, he put together a fine one. Zobrist always seemed to fly under the radar because his skills weren't flashy (despite a career 116 wRC+). He had elite plate discipline and was a great baserunner. A three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Zobrist is certainly one of the greatest utilitymen of all time. Taijuan Walker is going back to Seattle. The big right-hander agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the club he debuted for. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projections have been released. PECOTA is a system that projects team performance based on roster, injuries, playing time, etc. How does each team rank? All this (and more) on today's episode.

MLB has proposed a new playoff format. The new format would expand the total number of playoff teams from 10 to 14. The 7 teams from each league would be the three division winners, and the 4 teams with the next-best records. The no. 1 seed in each league gets a bye and advances straight to the Division Series, while the 2-4 seeds choose their opponents among the 5-7 seeds. Is this new format good for baseball? We discuss all the details on today's episode.

The deal sending Mookie Betts to LA is finally complete. In return for Mookie and David Price, the Red Sox will receive Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong. Could we see a kid named Jeter playing for the Red Sox in the near future? We dive into Downs' skillset and what immediately makes him the top prospect in the Red Sox organization. All this (and more) on today's episode.