Ben and Carlos break down the second annual draft lottery and the implications that come from the Guardians and Reds leaping up to secure the top two picks in the 2024 draft. The two discuss how this could impact Cleveland’s draft strategy and whether or not the top players in the class fit their typical MO on prospects, as well as look at some of the draft lottery “losers” including the A’s, White Sox and Nationals.

Is the draft lottery system working as intended? Are Ben and Carlos fans of the system? What tweaks would they recommend for the future and how could the viewing experience be improved for die-hard draftniks and casual baseball fans alike. 

After that, the two turn their eyes towards the Winter Meetings and break down the one big trade that actually happened at the event: the Padres trading hitting savant Juan Soto to the Yankees for a package of big-league ready (or near ready) pitchers, headlined by righthanders Drew Thorpe and Michael King. 

Finally, the two discuss the developing narrative surrounding Shohei Ohtani as he pursues a more clandestine free agent process than many national baseball writers would like. Does anyone truly care how he goes about the free agent process? Are the Winter Meetings still necessary? And what is Ohtani’s dog’s name???

The podcast closes with a few listener questions, including SoCal prep prospects in the 2024 draft class and where Rays infielder Junior Caminero might land on Ben and Carlos’s personal top 100 lists. 

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