Major League Baseball's lockout has created a different kind of March Madness. The Atlanta Braves have been front and center and GM Alex Anthopoulos returns to Starkville to sum it all up. From Freddie Freeman's departure to Matt Olson's arrival, his emotional news conference and so much more. It's an interview you don't want to miss. Plus, in Strange But True, Jayson and Doug discuss last week's Baker family reunion and Wander Franco's parking mishap.  

All that and of course... trivia!

Follow Jayson on Twitter: @jaysonst

Follow Doug on Twitter: @dougglanville

Follow Mayor Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMaster

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DVR and Keith discuss the return the Athletics have received as they've traded away Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Chris Bassitt since the end of the lockout, the Reds' decision to trade away Jesse Winker & Eugenio Suárez, and whether the Cubs have done enough to make a playoff run out of the NL Central. 

Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper

Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw

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Eno, Britt and DVR discuss the flurry of activity since the start of the new CBA, the most improved teams as the offseason player movement draws close to the end, a curious decision by the Rockies to add Kris Bryant in free agency, and the strange timing of the teardown in Oakland, and changes in Cincinnati.

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris

Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghiroli

Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper

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As expected the frenzy of transactions is here as MLB teams look to fill their rosters before Opening Day in less than a month. Ken Rosenthal and Tim McMaster discuss the blockbuster trade that sent Josh Donaldson to the Yankees as well as what may happen with Carlos Correa. Then they open up the mailbag...

-Is there a way to enjoy baseball without being the sucker that MLB is relying on to be there after a lockout?

-Would getting rid of MLB's antitrust exemption be good for the game?

-Ideas on the international draft

-Would a dead ball help baseball?

-What players should the Pirates build around?

-Would it be good PR for MLB to get rid of Rob Manfred?

-Does baseball hurt itself by talking so much about its problems?

Those questions and more! To be a part of next week's episode call the voicemail at 646-543-7072 or email [email protected].

Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_Rosenthal

Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMaster

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The podcast we've all been waiting for! The lockout is over and players are on their way to Spring Training to get ready for an April 7th Opening Day across Major League Baseball.

Jayson and Doug dive into the new CBA on an emergency episode of Starkville. Now that the lockout is over, will frustrated fans return to the sport? How does Rob Manfred avoid a repeat next time around? What is new with this CBA? Will it help eliminate tanking? What will the expanded playoffs look like? and where will Freddie Freeman land?

Let us know how you feel about baseball right now at [email protected] and we'll read them on the next episode.

Follow Jayson on Twitter: @jaysonst

Follow Doug on Twitter: @dougglanville

Follow Mayor Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMaster

Get six months of The Athletic for just $1 per month at theathletic.com/baseballshow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno, Britt and DVR discuss recent progress in the CBA negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, Britt's trip to the MLBPA training facility in Arizona, how we might see 'spring training games' if the lockout lingers further into March, and Apple's first step into streaming live games. 

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris

Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghiroli

Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper

Related Links

Maria Torres & Ken Rosenthal: ‘A failed system’: A corrupt process exploits Dominican baseball prospects. Is an international draft really the answer?': https://theathletic.com/3080470

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Spring Training has opened in Arizona and Florida but only for minor leaguers who aren't on 40-man rosters. Jayson is in Florida and he and Doug tell tales of happier Spring Trainings of yesteryear and explain why you never want to be on the back fields.

Then, Ken Rosenthal adds to his record setting number of visits to Starkville. This time around he brings news from the negotiating table where MLB and the players continue to make little progress getting baseball back on the field.

There's also trivia and a trip to the Doug-out for Astronomy and Spring dinners between teammates!

Follow Jayson on Twitter: @jaysonst

Follow Doug on Twitter: @dougglanville

Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_Rosenthal

Follow Mayor Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMaster

Get six months of The Athletic for just $1 per month at theathletic.com/baseballshow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DVR and Keith discuss college baseball as an alternative for fans missing spring training, a trio of Top 100 prospects likely to contribute in 2022, and ways to make inevitably expanding playoff fields less terrible. Plus, would the league be any less competitive than it is today if the competitive balance tax were removed completely?

Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper

Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw

Get a subscription to The Athletic at $1/mo for the first six months by visiting theathletic.com/baseballshow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno, Britt and DVR discuss the current state of the MLB owner-imposed lockout, the origins of their love of baseball, and other sources of baseball to consider -- including a relatively new twist on the game with invention of 'Banana Ball'. 

Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris

Follow Britt on Twitter: @Britt_Ghiroli

Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper

Related Links

SportsCenter Feature 'How the Savannah Bananas have become the greatest show in baseball': https://youtu.be/T5RkB7_qNh8

The Savannah Bananas 'Banana Ball: The Future of the Bananas': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A03_WbiSVU

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Monday is the final day for MLB and the players to reach a new CBA to avoid missed regular season games according to Rob Manfred. But how strict is that deadline really. Ken Rosenthal and Tim McMaster discuss that before answering your questions in the mailbag...

-Why is Tony Clark still in charge of Union after failures with last CBA?

-How would an owner convince a fan that their side is fair?

-How much power does Scott Boras have in these negotiations?

-Could players start their own league as leverage?

-Could National League DH lead to return of Rizzo or Scwarber to Cubs?

-Is the automated strike zone a made up problem?

-Manager contracts

-How much animosity is there between big market and small market owners?

-Why didn't they get a new CBA done during 2020 shutdown?

Those questions and more! To be a part of next week's episode call the voicemail at 646-543-7072 or email [email protected].

Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_Rosenthal

Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMaster

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.