Baseball Bar-B-Cast

After three weeks off in the middle of February, Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman have a lot to catch up on. The guys spend the bulk of today's episode recapping an avalanche of baseball transactions that happened in the leadup to spring training.

First, the Los Angeles Dodgers re-signed Clayton Kershaw on a 2-year deal, keeping the future Hall of Famer in town on a Dodger rotation that, for the first time in years, won't be dependent on him for success. The Dodgers also traded Manuel Margot to the Minnesota Twins and brought back Kiké Hernandez. Oh, and Shohei Ohtani was very good in his spring training debut.

Up the California coastline, the San Francisco Giants signed Jorge Soler to add some power to the middle of their lineup. Intriguingly, they've also brought back Pablo Sandoval, who had been out of the majors for a few years now, in order to recreate some early 2010s magic?

The guys roll through a number of other signings including Brandon Woodruff and Gary Sanchez to the Milwaukee Brewers, Tim Anderson to the Miami Marlins, Gio Urshela to the Detroit Tigers, Liam Hendriks to the Boston Red Sox, the combination of Spencer Turnbull and Whit Merrifield to the Philadelphia Phillies & the St. Louis Cardinals bringin in Brandon Crawford.

Next, they discuss a trio of extensions in Jose Altuve, Bobby Witt Jr. and Mitch Keller all inking deals with the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals & Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.

Closing out the show, the guys discuss the Royals bucking the new uniform rules, two teams who will not be getting City Connect jerseys, the Washington Nationals displaying a troubling sign in their bullpen & three non-irrelevant spring training stories.

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3:10 - Dodgers: Ohtani's debut, Kershaw's new deal & Margot trade

15:30 - Giants: Jorge Soler joins the squad, plus Pablo Sandoval?

23:00 - Cardinals bring in Brandon Crawford

25:00 - Lightning-round signings

33:10 - Jose Altuve, Bobby Witt Jr. & Mitch Keller extensions

41:15 - More uniform shenanigans

46:20 - Washington Nationals' disconcering sign

53:05 - 3 Spring Training stories that matter

57:50 - Funny business: Torey Lovullo & little league stories

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Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

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After three weeks off since their last podcast, Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman are back with the latest episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, now on the Yahoo Sports network. So many exciting baseball things have happened in the last few weeks as spring training gets off the ground, and of course we have nowhere else to start but the pants.

Yes, we need to lead off the show with the ongoing controversy around the new uniforms supplied to the MLB players by Nike and Fanatics. Players hate how they feel around their rear-ends, the lettering looks cheap and weird, and they may be see-through in the groin area. It's a real perfect storm of where baseball silly meets baseball business in the weirdest way possible.

In transaction news, the Chicago Cubs signed OF Cody Bellinger this Saturday to a reported 3-year, $80 million dollar contract with opt-out clauses after each year. The guys explain what this means for Bellinger, the Cubs and for super-agent Scott Boras.

In the second half of the show, Jake & Jordan discuss their myriad spring training visits from the past week, including stops at the Phillies, Orioles, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Braves & more. What's the deal with Bryce Harper wanting a contract extension? Is the circus around Shohei Ohtani's move to the Dodgers upstaging their other stars? How about Rafael Devers calling out the front office for Boston's lack of pitching depth?

Wrapping up the show, the guys discuss two upcoming musical tour dates for former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright & Jake has an update on the scoop that former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez is training for the 2024 Olympics in cycling.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

2:45 - See-through pants controversy keeps on giving

11:00 - Cody Bellinger's 3-year deal to stay in Chicago

23:40 - Spring training visits to Phillies, Orioles, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins & more

53:50 - Adam Wainwright's musical career takes off with two tour dates

57:35 - Carlos Gomez, Olympic cyclist?

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

Follow Jake @Jake_Mintz

Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been quite a week for Jake, as his beloved Baltimore Orioles traded for 3x All-Star Corbin Burnes, while also getting new ownership in the form of billionaire Baltimore native David Rubenstein. The guys break down what these moves mean for Baltimore for the 2024 season and beyond. Then, the guys welcome Theo Epstein back to Boston after it was announced that he would be returning to Fenway Sports Group as a senior advisor, talk about the possibility of Backyard Sports returning thanks to Jason Kelce, and say goodbye to Producer Chris and the SiriusXM Team as the show departs SiriusXM for a new venture.

The Mariners have acquired switch-hitting All-Star Jorge Polanco from the Twins in exchange for four players and cash. Jordan and Mike Ferrin break down both sides of the trade and explain why this could be a game changer for the Mariners. Then, the guys react to the latest Top 100 Prospects rankings and highlight some players to keep an eye on during the upcoming college baseball season.

Minnesota Twins All-Star Byron Buxton will return to center field in 2024 after injuries forced him into the DH spot last season. Although excited about this news, Jake and Jordan explain why they’re still a little skeptical. Then, the guys dive into the latest transactions across the league, including Adam Ottavino re-signing with the Mets on a one-year deal, and open up the mailbag to answer some listener questions, including “how would baseball be different if pitchers had to use the same ball all game?”

Former San Francisco Giants Manager Gabe Kapler posted an incredible video to social media telling people to ditch the car and just walk faster. Jake and Jordan examine Kapler’s words of wisdom and break down the execution of the video. Then, the guys talk about the Yankees changing their road uniforms, explain what “Farewell to Fitzy Day” is, and provide an important update on Jake’s claim that he has a higher fastball velocity than Jerry Dipoto.

The Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 has been announced, with Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer being named as inductees. Jake and Jordan break down the careers of each of these men and talk about their legacy and relationship with their respective cities and the game of baseball. Then, the guys run through some of the recent transactions across the baseball world, including friend of the show Rhys Hoskins’ two-year, $34 Million contract with the Brewers. Congrats on the contract dude.

The Houston Astros have signed star closer Josh Hader to a 5-year $95 Million deal. Jake and Jordan break down the signing, ponder why the Astros have finally decided to spend big money on a free agent, and debate how much this will actually help the Astros. Then, the guys touch on the Angels signing of Robert Stephenson, talk about Anthony Rendon’s comments on the baseball season being too long (and his well-known love-hate relationship with the game of baseball), and explain why Boston Red Sox fans are (rightly) furious.

Jake and Jordan are joined by Matt Ritchie of MLB.com to review and rank songs by current and former Major League Players. Then, the guys answer your questions about thematic rivalries, picking off on third, and how Jake’s fastball compares to Jerry Dipoto’s.

Songs Featured in this Episode:

G-Cinco (Nick Gordon) --I’m the Man/My Life

El Felino (Ronny Rodriguez) --Mi Sueño

Mike Stud feat Marcus Stroman-- These Days

Adam Wainwright --Time to Fly

Tyler Beede --508 to the Ville

One of baseball’s top prospects Michael Busch was traded from the Dodgers to the Cubs for pitching prospect Jackson Ferris. Jake, Jordan and Mike Ferrin dissect the move and provide a scouting report for both players. Then, the guys touch on the Baltimore Orioles and what their next move should be in regards to their abundance of prospects, before breaking down the concept of International Signing Day and highlighting some of the names from this year’s pool.

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