OG & Crab catch up on the downward spiral of the 2026 Pirates season.

Phillies fan Lewis Kalb calls an inning on the radio:
https://youtu.be/fx-Q-SuF8cI

Try our newest invention, the Bucco Quality Controller! Now you can take command of whether the Buccos are firing on all cylinders, right from your phone:
https://pod.ogandcrab.show/manager.html

OG & Crab muse about the Bucco’s solid May and what the outlook is for the season now that we’re past Memorial Day, then pick apart the opening CBA proposals from the union and the owners.

The Players’ proposal summary:
https://www.mlbplayers.com/press-releases/mlbpa-makes-opening-proposals-to-benefit-all-players-and-build-upon-industry-momentum

The Owners’ proposal summary:
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-makes-initial-economic-proposal-for-new-cba

OG & Crab adjudicate the first month of the Buccos’ 2026 season.

OG & Crab make their 2026 season predictions and then make fun of a bunch of bad takes from around baseball. This is a long one! You don’t have to listen to it all at once. Pace yourself.

The bad takes in question:

Trevor May wants collusion: https://youtu.be/d1aoqfTirhg

Rob Manfred on WFAN: https://youtu.be/hzeCQh1CZZM

Talkin’ Baseball is out on a salary floor: https://youtu.be/Q5QDsH2gaww

Trevor May’s ideas for a cap system: https://youtu.be/I7w2H38-u9M

OG & Crab holler about how the Pirates are just pawns for free agents’ agents, what Tarik Skubal’s big arbitration win means for Paul Skenes, and what to make of Fox hinting at scaling back their MLB media spending if the NFL insists on more money.

Awful Announcing article about Fox & MLB: https://awfulannouncing.com/fox/lachlan-murdoch-rebalance-sports-portfolio-nfl-rights-increase.html

OG & Crab review the Pirates' offseason moves and assess the Steelers' new head coach.

OG & Crab rant about a couple articles in The Athletic.

The articles:

The Pirates and Marlins have a sudden willingness to spend. Here’s what could be behind it:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6832284/2025/11/24/miami-marlins-pittsburgh-pirates-spending-offseason-revenue-sharing/

Hal Steinbrenner: It’s ‘not fair or accurate’ to say Yankees made a profit in 2025:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6834242/2025/11/24/hal-steinbrenner-yankees-profitable-payroll/

OG & Crab review the Pirates’ Rule 5 roster protection decisions, lampoon Bob Nightengale a little bit, and unpack MLB’s new national TV deals.

Bob on the “big losses”: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/11/10/mlb-free-agency-trade-rumors-gm-meetings/87190324007/

Bob on the Pirates’ “profits”: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/05/11/pete-alonso-stats-new-york-mets/83556338007/

DK Pittsburgh Sports saying the Pirates lost money in 2024: https://dkpittsburghsports.com/team/site-stuff/feed?page=0&content=pirates-losing-money-bob-nutting-investigation-mlb-dk

Jeff Passan’s article claiming the Pirates are looking to spend: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46999006/mlb-2025-26-offseason-passan-predictions-free-agency-kyle-tucker-schwarber-alex-bregman

OG & Crab go on and on and on about baseball's labor issues and what is likely to come of MLB's next collective bargaining showdown.

Read the CBA for yourself: https://www.mlbplayers.com/cba

OG & Crab recount the recent changes to the Pirates’ front office and coaching staff, and then explore the secret to the Dodgers’ success.

Atlanta Braves Holdings 2024 Annual Report: https://www.bravesholdings.com/investors/news-events/press-releases/detail/204/atlanta-braves-holdings-reports-fourth-quarter-and-year-end

Boston Globe (via Archive.org) reporting on MLB OPEX in 2020: https://web.archive.org/web/20200529064249/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/28/sports/inside-multibillion-dollar-dispute-between-mlb-its-players/

Pirates hire new pitching coach: https://www.mlb.com/news/bill-murphy-to-be-pirates-new-pitching-coach-source

Nationals hire Justin Horowitz: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2025/10/24/pirates-nationals-justin-horowitz-konnor-griffin/stories/202510240066