Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB owners avoiding the Epstein files, preview the season preview series, bemoan the insurance issues preventing some stars from playing in the WBC, and break down the Luis Arraez and Eugenio Suárez signings, the Brendan Donovan trade, the latest White Sox moves, and their major takeaways from the release of the 2026 playoff odds. Then (1:22:00) Ben brings on historian Richard Hershberger to discuss the 150th anniversary of the National League’s founding, followed by (1:41:02) a postscript.

Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Epstein files sports roundup

Link to season preview series wiki

Link to insurance article

Link to Ben on WBC injuries

Link to Arraez signing FG post

Link to Dan S. on Arraez

Link to Sam on Arraez

Link to team 2B projections

Link to Arraez offers report

Link to Arraez defensive stats

Link to Moneyball quote

Link to Washington hiring

Link to Ben on Arraez

Link to “gotta hand it to them” tweet

Link to “It’s Been Awhile”

Link to Suárez signing FG post

Link to over/under draft tracker

Link to palindrome post

Link to Donovan trade post

Link to Dipoto trade story

Link to “WWJDD?”

Link to Dipoto hospital story

Link to Cijntje specialization story

Link to Cijntje splits

Link to Becker on three-team trades

Link to Rays ballpark funding info

Link to Sam’s trade post

Link to Sam’s original Rays post

Link to “White Soxer” post

Link to FG offseason tracker

Link to Baumann on the White Sox

Link to BP on the White Sox

Link to Slater “top target” quote

Link to Murakami bidets story

Link to Sasaki bidets story

Link to Mamdani bidets story

Link to Ben on bidets

Link to team payrolls

Link to Dan S. on beating the Dodgers

Link to Dan on the Pirates/A’s

Link to the playoff odds

Link to Clemens on the playoff odds

Link to projected team WAR

Link to Strike Four

Link to Richard’s SABR work

Link to projected team WAR

Link to Past Blast wiki

Link to Richard’s NL post 1

Link to Richard’s NL post 2

Link to Richard’s NL post 3

Link to 1876 NL

Link to prediction markets update

Link to team broadcasts update

Link to 2025 player earnings data

Link to original Stat Blast

Link to new Stat Blast data

Link to $/WAR by year

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