The Keith Law Show

Keith opens up the mailbag to discuss several prospects -- including expectations for JJ Bleday's arrival in Miami, Spencer Howard's ceiling, Nolan Gorman's long-term position -- and a mix of board game questions. 

Rundown

2:00 Expectations for Atlanta Prospect Bryce Ball

3:34 D.J. Peterson & Mitch Garver, Hitters in New Mexico

6:50 Prospects w/Biggest Growth Potential 

8:18 JJ Bleday’s Timetable

9:51 Evaluation Takeaways From Winter Leagues

10:40 Cubs Starting Pitching Prospects

11:27 Spencer Howard’s Ceiling

12:54 Mason Thompson’s Chances of Being a Starter

13:55 What is Keith's Favorite Bird in Wingspan?

15:28 Who Are the Blue Jays’ Untouchables?

16:48 Time to Alter Expectations for Jo Adell?

17:45 Changes to Oakland’s Draft Strategy & Player Development

20:21 Masyn Winn’s Future

21:35 Ranking the Tigers’ Top Pitching Prospects

22:38 Nolan Gorman’s Long-Term Position

23:27 Simeon Woods Richardson’s Future Role

25:52 Top Priority for MLBPA in CBA Negotiations 

29:12 Best Expansion for Seven Wonders?

30:31 Preferred Place for Reviews in New Fiction

34:59 Positional Value in Top 100 Prospect Rankings

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Keith is joined by Bobby Heck, special assistant to the general manager for the Tampa Bay Rays to discuss Wander Franco, a shift in the Rays' recent draft philosophy, what they saw in Randy Arozarena before acquiring him from St. Louis, and the scouting process behind George Springer and Dallas Keuchel from Bobby's tenure as the Astros' scouting director. 

Rundown

2:49 Getting Wander Franco Into the Rays’ System

5:16 Recent Changes to the Draft Philosophy in Tampa Bay

8:42 Seeking Carrying Tools vs. Broader Skill Sets in Scouting

10:58 Are Teams Still Overemphasizing a Player’s Height in Scouting?

15:47 How the Rays Effectively Blend Scouting with R&D 

20:05 What Did the Rays See in Randy Arozarena?

21:27 The Process of Scouting George Springer as a First-Round Pick

25:43 Why the Astros Targeted Dallas Keuchel as a Seventh-Rounder in 2009

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Keith discusses a few omissions from his recently released Top 100 prospects list before Mariners pitching prospect Adam Macko joins the show to share the early chapters of his journey into baseball from an unexpected starting point. 

Rundown

1:01 Notable Omissions From Keith's Top 100 Prospects

8:38 Adam Macko's Unique Path Into Baseball

14:05 The Process of Learning Different Pitches

21:22 Early Professional Development with Mariners

24:02 Making Baseball More Popular in Europe

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Follow Adam on Twitter: @adaaam_15

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Keith is joined by Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic to discuss her experiences as a woman covering baseball for more than a decade — including an unfortunate familiarity with the Jared Porter story — before discussing the latest chapter in the MASN saga, and spring training plans as potential delays loom. 

Rundown

1:39 The Unfortunate Familiarity with the Jared Porter Story

5:14 The Tip of the Iceberg & Gender Power Dynamics

14:46 How Men Can Be Better Allies

20:15 The MASN Mess with the Orioles & Nationals

26:41 Spring Training Plans In Light of Possible Delays

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Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghiroli

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Keith opens up the mailbag for several baseball questions before discussing some of the top books of 2020 with Ron Charles of The Washington Post. 

Rundown

1:05 Baseball Mailbag!

10:17 Interview w/Ron Charles

11:34 "Parnesi" by Susanna Clarke

14:56 "Utopia Avenue" by David Mitchell

18:03 "Jack" by Marilynne Robinson

20:26 "Here We Are" by Graham Swift

23:05 "The Glass Hotel" by Emily St. John Mandel

27:02 Ron’s Favorite Books of 2020

29:25 The Impact of Penguin Random House Buying Simon & Schuster

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Keith is joined by Tony Paul of The Detroit News to discuss the Tigers -- including what it's like to cover a bad team, how the franchise missed its window to trade Matthew Boyd, and the struggle to develop position players in recent years -- diversity in baseball, and sushi. 

Rundown

2:40 The Unique Challenge of Covering a Bad Team

8:45 Showing More Patience with Young Players

12:10 Missing the Window to Trade Matthew Boyd

15:27 What Has Prevented the Tigers From Developing Position Players?

21:32 Baseball’s Recent Diversity Efforts & Improved Locker Room Environments

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Keith is joined by Red Sox VP of Scouting Mike Rikard to discuss the development of Jarren Duran, Jay Groome's return to health, the unique challenges in Boston's recent draft classes, big changes in scouting and player development around baseball, and more. 

Rundown

4:01 Jarren Duran’s Development & Recent Swing Changes

6:46 Jay Groome is Healthy & Has Added a Slider

9:02 Unique Challenges in Recent Red Sox Draft Situations

11:07 How Data & Tech Has Changed the Way Players Are Evaluated

14:26 The Use of Models in the Draft Room

19:25 Big Changes to Scouting & Player Development Around Baseball 

24:12 Can We Make This Environment Work for Traditional Scouts?

26:44 Dining Recommendations for Raleigh

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Keith is joined by Bill Baer, author of the Baer in Mind newsletter, to discuss Drew Smyly's quick move to Atlanta, the unusual position of fans taking the side of MLB owners over the players, and the Phillies' current GM vacancy and near-future direction. 

Rundown

3:10 Drew Smyly to Atlanta & Pillow Deals

4:40 Marcus Stroman Accepts the Qualifying Offer

8:14 The Puzzling Nature of Fans Backing Owners Over Players

10:56 Changing the Way We Talk About Players and Their Contracts

15:11 The Struggle to Grasp the Magnitude of the Owners' Wealth

18:50 What Should the Phillies Do with Their Front Office Vacancies?

21:33 Fixing the Phillies’ Roster & Choosing a Direction

29:00 The Damage Being Done with Minor League Contraction

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Follow Bill on Twitter: @baer_bill

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Keith is joined by Meg Rowley, Managing Editor of FanGraphs and a co-co-host of the Effectively Wild podcast, to discuss expectations for free agency, big cuts in baseball operations, and MLB’s need for revamped hiring processes in the wake of Tony La Russa’s move to the White Sox. 

Topics

2:53 Free Agency Expectations 

8:24 The Impact of Future Non-Tenders on Current Free Agents

12:41 In Consideration of Short-Term Deals

17:04 Big Cuts in Baseball Operations

24:37 Tony La Russa, A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora & Baseball’s Need for Revamped Hiring Processes

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Follow Meg on Twitter: @megrowler

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Keith is joined by Sarah Langs of MLB to discuss this winter's free agent class. 

Rundown

2:09 Overall Assessment of This Year’s Free Agent Class

4:09 J.T. Realmuto & Catcher Aging Profiles

7:58 The Market for Marcell Ozuna 

12:33 Jackie Bradley’s Foray Into the Open Market

15:51 Andrelton Simmons & The Value of Defense

20:50 Trevor Bauer vs. Marcus Stroman

26:14 Chris Archer & Potentially Overlooked Free Agents

31:37 DJ LeMahieu's Step Forward with the Yankees

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Follow Sarah on Twitter: @SlangsOnSports

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