Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting minor league baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.
The Oscars were Sunday night! If you had to write a screenplay ahead of time about the 2025 season, what would you call it and why?
Eric Cole: “Conquering the Dodgers”. LA has become the boogeyman of the entire league and the 2025 season is going to be about whether or not the Dodgers’ spending spree is going to lead to another title or if other, less-spendy contenders can take them down. The only question is what role Meryl Streep would play, although we can work that out during script rewrites.
Adam Weinrib: “A-snore-a”, a tale of the dull season that’s about to unfold because of powerful people who can spend away all their problems without any repercussions (sorry, didn’t see the back half of the movie).
Chris Landers: “New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down,” in which both the Mets and Yankees enter the year with sky-high expectations yet neither of them make it to the World Series.
Robert Murray: “Down Go The Dodgers.” The Dodgers are easily the most talented team in baseball - perhaps in baseball history - but there’s many teams who have the ability to upset them in the postseason. In their division, they have the Diamondbacks and Padres. In the National League, there’s the Phillies, Braves and Mets. That’s not even mentioning the American League and how hard it is to repeat as back-to-back champions.
Zachary Rotman: “Dethroning the Dodgers.” The storyline of this season will be whether there’s a team that can realistically dethrone the defending World Series champions. As tough as it is to repeat in MLB and as random as games can be, does anyone really think that as constructed, there’s another team out there that can accomplish this task right now? Injuries can change things, but the Dodgers were badly beaten up last season and that didn’t end up mattering. Everyone hopes they will be dethroned - it remains to be seen if that will end up occurring.
Who do you side with in the ESPN-MLB breakup and why?
Eric Cole: As much as it pains me to stand with Rob Manfred who I think is firmly in the owners' pockets, I’m with MLB here. ESPN has only given lip service to the sport of baseball (and really reputable sports coverage in general) for years now. A break-up has felt inevitable as ESPN pivots to employing controversial figures to yell at each other with sports sometimes coming up. Moving on from ESPN also gives MLB a chance to fully execute their distribution strategy once they have most of the baseball TV and streaming rights by 2028. They better get it right, though.
Adam Weinrib: While I partially side with Rob Manfred for all the reasons Eric put forth, I still would’ve preferred the two sides work things out rather than leave MLB rights up to a potential streaming free-for-all moving forward. Streaming baseball is a delightful amuse bouche, but when I have to watch fishing shows at the dive bar because the proprietor doesn’t subscribe to Hanes+, I get very frustrated.
Chris Landers: As Adam alluded to, this is one of those instances in which multiple things can be true at once. Yes, ESPN has treated baseball like an afterthought for years now, and you can understand why the league would at least consider taking its business elsewhere. But Rob Manfred’s tenure as commissioner has been largely defined by penny-wise, pound-foolish thinking, taking the most convenient (or the most lucrative) option today despite what it might mean for tomorrow. Sure, it’s great that the check clears from the Roku Channel, but fracturing your product like this can’t be good for the long-term growth of the game.
Robert Murray: I agree with Adam here. I would’ve preferred both sides to work something out. MLB will be fine, so maybe that makes them the winners? But still, there could have been common ground.
Zachary Rotman: ESPN was annoying for a variety of reasons, but the games were easily accessible. Transitioning to one (or maybe more) streaming services will only make the games tougher for fans to watch, making it less likely for casual fans to tune in.
Jose Altuve’s move to left field is just one of many notable position changes this season. Of the 8 listed here by MLB.com, which will have the greatest impact?
Eric Cole: So, the easy answer here is Altuve going to the outfield. Without Altuve, the Astros’ outfield is extremely questionable and having him out there allows Houston to field a much better lineup. However, I am going to go out on a limb here and say Oneil Cruz moving to center field is going to have the greatest impact. Cruz is a physical mutant and if he can get comfortable in the field and provide real value out there, it could free him up to work on making more contact to get to his ridiculous tools at the plate. If Cruz can just hit in the .270 range, he could be an All-Star in a hurry and make the Pirates actually dangerous to play against.
Adam Weinrib: I want to say Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop, because another season of defensive struggles at his preferred position could lead to bizarre mid-year friction. That said, it didn’t do a damn thing to derail the Dodgers last year, so I just can’t get behind it. Altuve is the one, considering the infield could really pop without him. The Astros are closer to contention than most are acknowledging right now. Maybe one Luis Robert Jr. away, perhaps.
Chris Landers: There are plenty of potential answers here, but I’ll zag a bit and go with Clay Holmes. This Mets team has everything it needs to give the Dodgers a run for their money in the NL this season … you know, as long as the starting rotation holds up. Things are already off to a bumpy start in that department, with both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas starting the year on the IL. New York isn’t hurting for viable options, but Holmes and Kodai Senga are the two who could have plausibly elite upside if everything clicks.
Robert Murray: I’ll go with Mike Trout, mainly because moving away from center field puts a lot less pressure on his body. In right field, he’ll have a better chance of staying healthy with less wear and tear on his body. Which means we could see much more of one of the most talented players in baseball history. If that doesn’t have the greatest impact, I’m not sure what does.
Zachary Rotman: I’m going to be a homer and go with Clay Holmes for the simple fact that the New York Mets need him to thrive in the rotation. Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are both hurt, and the rotation didn’t quite measure up to the National League’s elite even with them. Holmes has immense upside as we saw from his work in relief, and his early spring training returns have been tremendous as a starter. Holmes being a No. 2 type of starter would go a long way towards the Mets maybe giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a better run for their money in October.
If Pete Rose is reinstated, what will be your immediate reaction?
Eric Cole: It would be that baseball has been trying to play both sides and has been kidding themselves as a sport for a long time when it comes to gambling. That said, Rose didn’t do himself any favors with how he handled his exile. I think gambling is here to stay and it creates some real problems when it comes to competitive integrity, but I don’t have a great solution as to how to police it effectively other than bringing the hammer down on guys that get caught. For what it is worth, I don’t think Rose would get in even if Manfred removes Rose from the ineligible list.
Adam Weinrib: Pete Rose’s case for the Hall of Fame (and for reintegration into the sport) is about a lot more than just gambling. I’d recommend that people look past the initial irony and dive deeper into Rose’s alleged actions, as well as the illicit doors he opened up by aligning with unsavory figures during his time at the helm of the Reds. Whether you’re pro or against, gambling today looks very little like the gambling of the ‘80s.
Chris Landers: My reaction would be to offer everyone a gentle reminder that, for all the bellyaching that he does about it now, Rose himself willingly agreed to MLB’s ban in exchange for the league sitting on its investigation of his behavior (and for not having to ever technically admit guilt). This goes far, far beyond “well, he just put a few bets on his own team to win”; while it’s certainly a bit hypocritical for baseball to do a complete 180 on its stance on legalized gambling, Rose is not the hill to die on there, and it would be a shame if he were rewarded out of sheer political convenience.
Robert Murray: My immediate reaction is going to be that I’m tired of the backlash that it would receive. I don’t think Rose is going to get reinstated or put into the Hall of Fame, but it’s going to be very interesting to see what Manfred does if he’s pressured by President Trump to do so.
Zachary Rotman: In addition to all of his alleged allegations, Rose did something that he knew would result in a permanent ban if he was caught, both as a player and as a manager. I don’t think he’d get into the Hall of Fame even if he was reinstated, but it’d be a shame if MLB made an exception for Rose of all people just because of pressure from the president.
Anthony Rizzo spoke out against MLB teams signing veterans for cheap as Opening Day approaches. Adam Duvall has joined his cause. What does this say about looming CBA negotiations?
Eric Cole: I think the market for aging free agents of questionable present day quality is as low as it has ever been. It is just cheaper and probably a better use of resources to give a prospect a chance than to go out and get a guy that hasn’t been healthy in three years and hasn’t been good in longer than that. Right now, Duvall is asking for at least $3 million to be a platoon outfielder who has averaged a .214 batting average and .696 OPS the last three years while dealing with a number of injuries. Why exactly is he worth that other than he used to be good?
Adam Weinrib: Tony Clark said it all, right? He expects a lockout, and he has the pulse of the players. Duvall and Rizzo aren’t exactly the greatest poster boys for the “veteran player” cause coming off their 2024 campaigns, but there’s something to be said for perhaps keeping contracts under a certain threshold out of the luxury tax calculation to prevent $3-5 million veterans from being iced out by owner unwillingness.
Chris Landers: It sure does seem like we’re headed for a lockout at this point. The problem isn’t with Duvall and Rizzo specifically; to Eric’s point, neither of them figure to be of much help to a team looking to contend in 2025. The problem is with the system more broadly, the way it artificially depresses the value of players until they hit free agency past their prime – and past the point at which teams are excited to meaningfully invest in them. Add in the unwillingness of seemingly half the league to really compete as it should, and you’ve got a storm brewing.
Robert Murray: A lockout has always been expected. That’s been the reality, and the players have every right to sign - or not to sign - until they feel they’re properly compensated. Duvall is a previously very effective player, but he’s coming off a very down season with a -1.4 bWAR. So he may not be the best example. But I wouldn’t be surprised if other players in a similar situation as Duvall consider retirement, too.
Zachary Rotman: Rizzo and Duvall shouldn’t really be complaining following the seasons they just had, but a guy like Jose Iglesias could be the poster boy that the MLBPA needs in this argument. No, he probably won’t hit .337 with an .830 OPS again, but he’s always been a solid enough hitter and a terrific defender. He just had an absurd year with the Mets both on the field and as a leader, and yet, he wound up settling for a minor league deal. The Mets cited “roster flexibility” over bringing Iglesias, a far superior player to the likes of Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty, back, which is a slap in the face. If Iglesias cannot get an MLB deal after the year he just had, that’s a problem, and suggests that a lockout could easily be coming.
Robert Murray notebook: Jose Iglesias contract details and more
Free-agent infielder Jose Iglesias reached agreement with the San Diego Padres on a minor-league contract, sources say. It pays $3 million if he's in the majors, which indicates how strongly the Padres feel about him, and would seem to indicate he has a great chance of making the Opening Day roster.
Free-agent outfielder David Peralta continues to draw interest, though nothing is close.