On MLB's unwritten rules, the trade deadline and the glorious hot mess that is the postseason picture. Read more »
John Watson - Baseball Analysis
Some Lessons Learned From MLB's 2020 Season
How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love Baseball In 2020
Whether it's good, bad, or ugly, or a combination of all of those things, it's baseball. It might not be the baseball we wanted, but it is the baseball that 2020 demands. Happy baseballing, y'all. Read more »
What To Expect When You're Expecting Baseball's Return
Whatever it looks like when the season actually starts, there aren't really any winners in this deal. The animus of these negotiations will not be forgotten by either side and the likelihood of a breakdown in future negotiations can’t be understated at this point. Read more »
Risky Business: On The Possible Return Of Baseball
There's been a lot of talk about baseball "healing the country," from political figures and the commissioner himself. While that's a romantic notion, it's pretty much garbage. Read more »
Not Feeling Satisfied: On Boston's Sign Stealing Punishment
Just because there's other, more important things going down, that doesn't mean we should ignore the fact that MLB has basically failed to establish clear standards of accountability when it comes to enforcing its rules. Read more »
Grading The 19-20 MLB Offseason: American League Edition
On what else happened in the AL offseason beyond Boston's trade of Mookie Betts, the Astros' sign stealing scandal, and the Yankees signing Gerrit Cole. Read more »
Baseball In A Time of Uncertainty
A virus is an unthinking nemesis that doesn't care who it infects, be it a multimillionaire superstar in the MLB or someone selling you a hotdog. Read more »
Grading The 19-20 MLB Offseason: National League Edition
Breaking down all of the moves that mattered for the NL teams, most notably the Dodgers and Reds. Read more »
Mo Mookie, Less Problems: Grading The Mookie Betts Deal And Fallout
The Dodgers not only acquired one of the best players in baseball, but managed to hold onto their top prospects and may have remained under the luxury tax/faux salary cap at the same time. Read more »
A Serious Conversation About Sign Stealing in Baseball
MLB basically turned a blind eye to sign stealing, hoping that it wouldn't become a major issue. Kind of like how they handled things during the Steroid Era. Read more »
Grading The Deal Roundup: On Kluber, Bumgarner & More
On the trade of Corey Kluber from Cleveland to Texas, Madison Bumgarner signing with the D-Backs, Blake Treinen joining the Dodgers and Wade Miley going to the Reds. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Anthony Rendon Joins Angels & The Offseason Is Drunk
Three days. Three Boras clients. The top-three free agents off the board. 23 years. $814 million. That’s enough to make us all forget about a whole mess of terrible baseball things in the news. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Yankees Embrace Their Inner Yankee, Sign Gerrit Cole
Even if Gerrit Cole's deserving of the accolades sent his way over the last couple years, this sort of mammoth contract to a pitcher still might seem crazy at first glance. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Stephen Strasburg Re-Signs With Nats On $245M Deal
It should come as no surprise that Stephen Strasburg will be back with the Nationals in 2020. The only surprise here is the magnitude of the contract. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Mike Moustakas Finally Settles Down In Cincinnati
It's refreshing to see teams that are on the cusp of contending like the Reds sign a player who makes their team better to a pretty much totally reasonable contract. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Yasmani Grandal, White Sox Sign Four-Year, $73M Deal
The price is a completely sensible one for one of the best catchers in the game, even if Yasmani Grandal is on the wrong end of the aging curve. Read more »
Choose Wisely: The Top-10 MLB Free Agents Of 2019
Behind Gerrit Cole coming off a historical walk year, we have Antony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Yasmani Grandal and Josh Donaldson headlining the 2019-20 MLB free agency class. Read more »
A National Treasure: On The 2019 World Champion Washington Nationals
After a truly fascinating and, at times, pretty bizarre series, the Nationals are your 2019 champs. They upset the preseason and pre-series favorite Astros and, in doing so, have lain claim to the first title for the franchise. Read more »
2019 World Series Preview: Houston Astros Vs. Washington Nationals
The Astros have the edge in both their lineup and their bullpen. But it wouldn't be surprising if the Nationals and their ridiculous rotation were able to pull off the upset. The only thing that we're certain about? This is a pitching matchup for the ages. Read more »
2019 ALCS Preview: Houston Astros Vs. New York Yankees
Regardless of who wins it, this should be a great series between the two best teams left in the mix and should go the distance as it did in 2017. Read more »