Big Time Baseball

MLB Insider Jon Heyman joins Ben Davis for a special offseason episode of Big Time Baseball. The guys start with a recap of the biggest moves so far, including a discussion on which of the Cole, Strasburg, and Rendon signings has the brightest outlook (1:37, 16:37) and a look at how Madison Bumgarner's deal with the Diamondbacks affects Robbie Ray's trade prospects (11:10). Later, Jon and Ben look at the top remaining free agents and talk about where they may end up, including Josh Donaldson and Hyun-jin Ryu (18:41) and visit the rumor mill for several teams, including the Dodgers and their wealth of prospects as well as Kris Bryant's trade outlook (23:04). To finish, they go over new managers (30:06) and the Houston Astros scandal and its potential consequences (34:42).

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Tony Gwynn Jr. and Ben Davis go over their predictions for major awards after the candidates were revealed (1:31), weigh the top landing spots of major free agents (13:59), and discuss the possibility of collusion during free agency (21:34). After arguing their picks for the most compelling member of the 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame Veteran's Committee Ballot from names like Dale Murphy, Steve Garvey, and Lou Whitaker (23:43), they are joined by former big leaguer and radio host for WEEI in Boston Lou Merloni to talk about Chaim Bloom's busy start with the Red Sox and whether or not the team can compete with the powerhouses of the American League (27:39).

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Jon Heyman and Josh Lewin quickly pay tribute to baseball's newest world champions (1:05) before digging into the Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon sweepstakes (5:42/8:57), discussing how we should feel about Bryce Harper's departure from Washington in hindsight (11:31), and giving a complete breakdown of every major MLB award race (13:49). MLB.com writer and reporter Mark Feinsand joins the show to go over his latest article which broke down every team's biggest offseason need and shares his thoughts on the one-game Wild Card (31:15), followed by Jon's insider segment where he reveals info on the SF/PIT managerial openings and the futures of Mookie Betts and Francisco Lindor (40:55).

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Brad "Lights Out" Lidge helps to close out the season with Tony Gwynn Jr. and Ben Davis, but first the guys talk about the dramatic Trea Turner interference call (3:32), Juan Soto's swagger in the batter's box and his home run trot (9:05), Stephen Strasburg and how they've been taught to deal with tipping pitches (14:03), and who should win the World Series MVP depending on who wins (19:06). After analyzing the managerial hires of Joe Girardi, David Ross, and Jayce Tingler (21:29) and making Game 7 predictions (27:33), the hosts are joined by former Astros closer and member of the 2008 World Champion Phillies Brad Lidge, who shares how he got his nickname, how he dealt with pressure on the mound in the postseason, and his thoughts on the 2019 World Series (30:51).

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Jon Heyman and Josh Lewin begin the penultimate episode of Big Time Baseball's first season with discussions about the Nationals' collapse at home (1:00), the unpredictable heroes of this and other World Series (2:33), and updated speculation on Gerrit Cole's upcoming free agency (7:34). USA Today national writer and RADIO.COM Sports Insider Bob Nightengale joins the show to reflect on the recent manager and coach hirings (13:31), the off-field issues and culture of the Astros (17:52), and his take on the Red Sox' search for a general manager (24:10). Later, Nationals beat writer Byron Kerr discusses topics ranging from Max Scherzer's health to Gerardo Parra's influence in the locker room (28:51). To wrap, Heyman has updates on trade candidates Wil Myers and Mitch Haniger as well as some thoughts on the Mets' "mystery manager candidate" (41:51).

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Tony Gwynn Jr. and Ben Davis dive right into Game 1 of the World Series (0:58) and discuss the performance of Juan Soto at just 20 years old (5:33) as compared to Ben's stats at the same age! After looking into upcoming pitching matchups in the next couple of games (10:28), the guys move away from the World Series to talk about the rumored replacements for Joe Maddon in Chicago and for Gabe Kapler in Philadelphia (14:41), as well as the conflict involving Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman (17:24). Former big league outfielder and current MLB radio host Matt Diaz joins the show to talk about the World Series as well as the future of his former team, the Atlanta Braves (28:10).

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Jon Heyman and Josh Lewin begin the first World Series episode of Big Time Baseball by talking about the the teams that missed out on the Fall Classic and what they can do to reach it next season (2:23) and the magic that propelled the Nats and Astros into the big series (6:24). Longtime baseball executive Sandy Alderson then joins the podcast for a one-on-one interview with Jon Heyman to discuss the Athletics' sabermetrics revolution and his time as the GM of the Mets (13:40). Then, each side of the World Series is represented by a member of the media in interviews with MLB.com's Astros beat writer Brian McTaggart (33:28) and Washington Nationals broadcaster and radio personality Pete Medhurst (43:03). To wrap, Jon Heyman brings us updated information about managerial openings as well as the opt-out clauses of Stephen Strasburg and Jake Arrieta (50:37) .

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Before Tony Gwynn Jr. and Ben Davis dive into the postseason with featured guests Bret Boone and Ryan Spilborghs, they discuss Howie Kendrick's continual underrated performance (1:52), the Angels' hire of Joe Maddon (2:43), and Mike Trout's involvement in such a decision (4:22). The first of two guests, Bret Boone, joins to talk about the postseason as his brother Aaron (Yankees manager) and father Bob (Nationals assistant GM and VP of player development) find themselves in the thick of things, additionally commenting on the league's new rule changes and his near-MVP season in 2001 (6:01). Later, former outfielder and MLB radio host Ryan Spilborghs digs into the analytical side of things, discussing who has the upper hand in the ALCS and what it's like to be an outfielder at Coors Field (27:49).

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Jon Heyman and Josh Lewin dive into the exciting Yankees-Astros series (1:15), discuss what the Yankees will need to do to advance (3:04), and identify an underrated weapon in the Nationals' offense (8:40). Tony La Russa joins the show to share insight from his many postseason experiences, analyze how big a role the front office should play in coaching decisions, and point out some managerial candidates he thinks highly of (12:38), and Matt Spiegel of 670 The Score shares reactions of the Joe Maddon firing and dissects the transactions that put the Cubs in their current situation (29:38). Jon Heyman finishes the episode with some insider information about managerial replacements and big free agent topics (40:40).

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Tony Gwynn Jr. and Ben Davis are back as the LDS round transitions into the LCS, and the guys go over everything from the exciting Dodgers-Nationals finale (1:05) and the Cardinals first-inning explosion to beat the Braves (10:40), to the league's best middle-of-the-order tandems (17:45) and the growing amount of open managerial positions (23:08). Kevin Millar joins the show to compare the 2019 Astros to his 2004 Red Sox, talk about the evolution of Gerrit Cole, discuss which of his coworkers at MLB Network would make the best manager, and see if he can guess the pitchers he hit the most home runs off of in his career (33:07).

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