The Disappointing Orioles, Dalton Rushing, And The Phillies' Bullpen

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Orioles firing manager Brandon Hyde after a brutal start to their season, what qualities you want in a rebuild manager on a rebuilding team compared to a competing manager on a competing team, the Dodgers designating Austin Barnes for assignment in order to make room for top catching prospect Dalton Rushing, Chris Taylor getting released, Phillies' reliever Jose Alvarado getting hit with a PED suspension and the possibility of the team signing David Robertson.

Listener email questions include if Rhys Hoskins and other big bats will be available at the trade deadline, pitchers the Dodgers could target, if the Brewers could trade Freddy Peralta, and if the Pirates will fire GM Ben Cherington.

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Rafael Devers refusing to play first base and where that leaves the Red Sox roster moving forward, the Pirates firing Derek Shelton, the Rockies firing Bud Black, and how the Diamondbacks will find playing time for Jordan Lawlar in their already crowded lineup.

Listener question topics include whether the Orioles should extend Cedric Mullins or Tomoyuki Sugano, how real the Twins are following their big winning streak, if the Tigers can keep it up, the struggles of Jordan Walker in St. Louis and if Andrew McCutchen could be a target to replace him, and whether the Mets are better at getting results from pitchers outside their organization than their internal guys.

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss options for the Red Sox at first base including moving Rafael Devers there and calling up number 1 MLB prospect Roman Anthony. They also recap the changes made by the Rangers including sending down Jake Burger, waiving Leody Taveras, calling up Evan Carter and replacing their top offensive coach with former player Bret Boone. Other topics include Kenta Maeda getting DFA'd, the Blue Jays building up rotation depth by adding Spencer Turnbull and Jose Urena, and speculating on how Max Scherzer would fare as a reliever.

Listener question topics include the Orioles bad start to the season and who could be traded if things don't turn around, if the Tigers would consider extending or trading Tarik Skubal at some point in the next two years, and some under-the-radar guys who are quietly having great seasons.

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald for an all-mailbag episode. Question topics include whether the Red Sox should trade Triston Casas to make room for their top prospects, if Rafael Devers needs a change of scenery, whether the Mets should extend Pete Alonso, how much hope to have in the Tigers this year, what qualifies as "success" in a baseball season, what can be done to increase offense in the game, how to further stop teams from tanking, and if Jurickson Profar can be traded while serving his PED suspension.

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss what's next for the Cubs following Justin Steele's UCL surgery, the timeline that led to Triston McKenzie getting designated for assignment by the Guardians after being so dominant in the past, and a plethora of high-profile prospect promotions including the Nick Kurtz for the A's, the Edgar Quero for the White Sox, Chandler Simpson for the Rays, Augustin Ramirez for the Marlins and Luke Keaschall for the Twins.

Listener question topics include what power a player has to change teams during his arbitration or pre-arb years, and whether changes should be made to the CBA to stop teams from taking advantage of players at the margins of the roster.

Steve Adams and Anthony Franco join Darragh McDonald for a deep dive into the first edition of the 2025 free agent power rankings. They go through their justifications for the top ten and who is poised to rise or fall throughout the year.

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Blue Jays locking up Vlad Guerrero Jr. to a huge deal and what it means for the big free agents next offseason, Jackson Merrill's nine-year extension and the Padres trying to balance a tight budget with so many long-term contracts on the books, how Ketel Marte's extension also backloads the money to free up current payroll space for the Diamondbacks, and the Red Sox trading Quinn Priester to the Brewers.

Listener question topics include whether the promotions of Chase Dollander and Zac Veen will bring hope to Rockies fans, and if Spencer Torkelson has really figured things out.

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Garrett Crochet's contract extension, why the Red Sox chose this route instead of signing a big free agent this past offseason, the myriad of problems the Braves are facing including Jurickson Profar's PED suspension, the injury to Reynaldo Lopez and the team's 0-5 start. Also, they go over last week's trade that sent Nolan Jones to Cleveland for Tyler Freeman, the Astros going with an outfield alignment including two infielders Jose Altuve and Cam Smith, whether Smith's quick ascension to the majors changes their opinions on the teams return for Kyle Tucker, if an extension for Vlad Guerrero Jr. could still happen during the season, and Cal Raleigh, Tanner Bibee and Brandon Pfaadt all signing extensions.