Eric Longenhagen just put out his essential Giants’ system rankings on Fangraphs last Friday. Which makes this a great time to catch up with Eric and talk a little Giants’ prospects. We get into the chaos that was created around the international signing deadline this year, as well as Eric’s appreciation for the talent the Giants are bringing in through that market in recent years. And of course, we talk plenty of Bryce Eldridge and pitching! Eric’s list are always interesting, insightful, idiosyncratic, and brilliantly written, so I look forward to them every year — and he’s just as much fun to chat with. Enjoy!

You can read There R Giants’ full Top 50 for the Giants’ system, which will start rolling out in depth tomorrow, by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

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Intro/Outro: “Think for Yourself” by The Beatles

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Once again this year, I’m privileged to have Giants’ Senior Director of International Scouting, Joe Salermo, on the podcast to talk about the latest class of international signees into the Giants’ organization. That class is headed by a player that many evaluators consider the top 16-year-old talent this year, shortstop Josuar de Jesus Gonzalez, and we talk a lot about that young man (including what we should call him). Joe also discusses the other recently signed players, the impact that Rōki Sasaki had on this year’s process, and we look back to the performance of previous year’s players as they make their way up the Giants’ system.

A lot of those players are going to be showing up in this year’s There R Giants’ Top 50 which will be rolling out starting next week — which makes this a great time to become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

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Intro/Outro: “This is the Day” by The The

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My guest this week is Joe Doyle, host of the fantastic “Over-Slot” podcast and prospect analyst for Future Stars Series_Plus. Joe and I talk about the the Giants’ draft and development identity, what types of players they have historically looked for in the draft, and how that might change under Buster Posey’s leadership.

You can become a Patreon subscriber to hear all of Joe’s conversations with Scouting Directors around MLB and other front office personnel, or follow him on Twitter at JoeDoyleMiLB or at BlueSky at joedoylemilb.bsky.social to follow all his work. You can find me at BlueSky at rog61.bsky.social to see all my work or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get it all delivered right to your Inbox.

For those of you who would rather read than listen, you can check the “Transcripts” tab to see AI’s version of our conversation.

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Intro/Outro: “See Me, Feel Me” by The Who

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This week, The Athletic’s Katie Woo joins me to talk about St. Louis Cardinals’ player development issues. Katie and I identify a few places where the Cardinals and Giants find themselves in similar circumstances, and she discusses the Cardinals’ plans to fix their development processes.

Follow Katie on Twitter at katiejwoo or on Bluesky at katiejwoo.bsky.social. You can follow me on Bluesky at rog61.bsky.social or simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work delivered straight to your inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Christmas Blues” by Ralph Willis

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Kerry Crowley and I talk about the Giants’ vibe-based approach to roster building, the importance of having “top steppers,” and the pursuit of Corbin Burnes. We also make a Christmas wish for the return of good old fashioned baseball trades to the Giants’ off-season.

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Intro/Outro: Selections from “Nutcracker Suite for Guitar” by Stevan Pasero

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My guest this week is Eli Walsh, who once again this year penned the Giants’ prospect rankings for Baseball Prospectus. We spend a good lot of time talking about Prospectus’ always interesting 25 and Under talent list for the Giants, which has seen some surprising developments, before turning to talk of Bryce Eldridge, James Tibbs III, Carson Whisenhunt and others.

Be sure to follow Eli’s work on Baseball Prospectus, or at Twitter (at walsh_eli), Blue Sky (at eliwalsh.bsky.social) or the social media of your choice.

You can follow me as well, at rog61 on Twitter or rog61.bsky.social at Blue Sky to see all my work, or, more conveniently, just get a There R Giants’ subscription for you or the Giants lover in your family this holiday season.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Waiting for Superman” by The Flaming Lips

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On this week’s podcast, I’m joined once again by our great Giants’ broadcaster, David B. Flemming. We talk tough times for radio and the Giants’ relationship with KNBR, Buster Posey’s vision for the Giants, and whether the young talent that we saw in 2024 has the makings of a competitive core.

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Intro/Outro: “Moving On Up” by Primal Scream

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Kerry Crowley and I dig into the mood surrounding this new world of Giants’ baseball. Is there a newfound sense of optimism with Buster Posey taking charge? Or are reports of lowering payrolls causing the Faithful to plunge into despair? One thing’s for sure, it’s a whole new ballgame! We discuss on this episode of the KROG podcast!

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Intro/Outro: “My Ever Changing Moods” by The Style Council

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On this week’s episode, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris joins me to talk about Buster Posey’s ascension to President of Baseball Operations, the concept of over-steering, the worrisome brain drain that seems to be happening over time, the importance of critical listening skills, and the most effective ways to provide players with the resources to help them succeed.

Eno’s work at The Athletic is some of the best national baseball coverage on the data and technology revolution in player development, and his Rates and Barrels podcast is one of my very favorite listens every week. You can even watch it on You Tube.

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Intro/Outro: “Watch the Tapes” by LCD Soundsystem

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With the news that Buster Posey had taking the reins of the Giants’ organization as the new President of Baseball Operations, I wanted to get somebody on the podcast who understands the ins and outs of a baseball front office, and also knows a bit about Posey. So my dream guest was Eric Flemming, who spent nearly two decades in the Giants’ front office. Eric talks about Posey’s unique talents, the nitty gritty of working in baseball operations, and the value of optimism in player development.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe