Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

Eno and DVR discuss an eight-year deal for Max Fried and the Yankees, and an Andrés Giménez trade involving the Guardians and Blue Jays. Plus, Keith Law joins the show to discuss Kyle Tucker as a fallback option for teams that missed on Juan Soto, Carlos Correa and Bo Bichette as targets for teams seeking a shortstop, and Keith's path into baseball. Reds International Crosschecker Philip Stringer joins the show to discuss his role and career path, and MLB Network Radio's Mike Ferrin joins the show to offer up advice for those looking to break into baseball broadcasting.18:30 Keith Law Joins the Show!Rundown43:19 Philip Stringer Joins the Show!1:01:07 Mike Ferrin Joins the ShowFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisWith: Keith Law, Philip Stringer & Mike FerrinProducer: Brian SmithExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jayson Stark, a renowned baseball writer for The Athletic, shares insights about the Hall of Fame induction of Dick Allen and Dave Parker, highlighting their extraordinary careers. Pat Murphy, manager for the Brewers, emphasizes the importance of soft skills in player development. Andy McKay, Mariners VP and Assistant GM, reflects on mentorship and mental skills needed for success in baseball. The trio discusses evolving strategies, the delicate balance of analytics, and traditional methods, making for a fascinating exploration of the game's future.

Eno and DVR are live in Dallas for an emergency pod as Juan Soto signs a record-shattering $765 million deal to spend the next 15 years with the Mets. Plus, they examine Willy Adames' move to the Giants, Michael Conforto to the Dodgers, Tyler O'Neill to the Orioles, and Luis Severino to the A's.Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisProducer: Brian SmithExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eno, Trevor and DVR are joined by Brent Rooker to discuss his offseason so far on the heels of a career year in 2024. Plus, they examine a few tough cases from this year's Hall of Fame ballot and 'The Golden At-Bat' -- one of the least popular ideas in baseball history (?) -- before playing another round of 'Name That Dude!'.Rundown0:47 Brent's Early Offseason Work So Far3:31 Adjustments & Areas of Improvement6:10 Daily Prep Throughout the Season9:45 Expectations for Sacramento's Park Factors12:28 Staying In the Game While DH'ing18:41 Toughest Hall of Fame Cases On This Year's Ballot25:07 Félix Hernández & Making Better Era-Adjusted Comparisons39:19 Chase Utley's Case & Surprising Low Vote Share in Year 142:31 Nobody Likes the 'Golden At-Bat' Idea (except Trevor, sort of)53:18 Name That Dude!Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.socialFollow Trevor on Bluesky: @iamtrevormay.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris & Trevor MayProducer: Brian SmithExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eno and DVR discuss a few of their big-picture takeaways from the hitter pool in 2024 including a heavy dose of injuries in the early rounds, Atlanta's intense high-volume approach with playing time atop their roster, oatmeal that came through, and the benefits of waiting to fill in your outfield last season. Rundown1:51 An Unusual Year For Round 1 Bats?7:58 Should the Braves Consider Load Management for Their Stars?13:58 The Quality & Depth at Third Base is Running Away From First Base18:27 Learning From Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson's 2024 Projections?27:25 Zigging When Everyone Else Zagged Early: A Tough Early-Round Pocket w/Injuries33:41 Did 'Oatmeal' Largely Pay Off For Us?40:18 Juan Soto Underperformed His xSLG!?43:30 Is DVR Tailing the Rays with Christopher Morel in 2025?48:00 Waiting In the Outfield WorkedFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eno and DVR are back from the holiday to discuss Blake Snell's five-year pact with the Dodgers (and an extension for Tommy Edman), plus Frankie Montas' move to the Mets and Matthew Boyd's signing with the Cubs. Related Reading 'The book on Blake Snell doesn’t have it completely right' ($): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5951700Rundown2:10 Blake Snell to the DodgersRelated Search on Baseball Savant looking at Starting Pitchers with the lowest percentage of pitches in the heart of the strike zone since 2022: https://bit.ly/4ivcfRR14:39 An Extension for Tommy Edman27:05 Frankie Montas to the Mets33:03 Matthew Boyd to the Cubs40:14 Potential Position Changes & Rangers Rehab UpdatesMailbag!55:46 Reds Rotation After Brady Singer Addition1:00:51 Early 2025 Catcher Thoughts1:14:22 The Blue Jays' Offseason PlansFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eno and DVR discuss the top free-agents available this winter and attempt to predict where that group will land when the dust settles in the weeks ahead. Is Juan Soto staying in New York? Will Corbin Burnes re-up with the Orioles? Can the Padres keep their core intact and continue as perennial threats by adding Roki Sasaki? They consider fits and the potential contingency plans for teams trying to shop at the top of this year's class.Related Reading ($) '2024-25 MLB Top 40 Free Agent Big Board: Welcome to the Juan Soto sweepstakes' -- https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5891633Rundown3:58 Juan Soto Staying in New York -- Yankees or Mets?9:45 Corbin Burnes: Long-Term Ace w/Durability Around Slowly Declining K%17:15 Roki Sasaki: Maybe It Won't be the Dodgers?!22:13 Max Fried: Moving on From Atlanta?26:40 Blake Snell: Another Turn on the Free Agent Market30:03 Willy Adames: Most Likely Destination?35:22 Alex Bregman: Is He Really Done in Houston?40:42 Pete Alonso: Part of the Mets' "A" Plan, or a Fallback to Return?44:43 Anthony Santander v. Teoscar Hernández: A FA Would You Rather54:15 Jack Flaherty: The Start of Tier 2 SPs?1:01:21 Sean Manaea: Best of Tier 2 Options?1:08:21 Yusei Kikuchi: Signs with Angels; We Would Have Got That Wrong!1:09:59 Christian Walker: Underrated Power Bat on the Market?1:12:53 Ha-seong Kim: Many Suitors with Injury Discount?1:15:24 Reds-Royals TradeFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eno and DVR are joined by John Henry Schroeder to discuss draft-and-hold formats -- fantasy baseball leagues with no in-season pickups -- and how to approach those leagues in a way that is different than a typical February or March draft. They cover roster construction goals (and a few pitfalls to avoid), the unique risk of low WAR players in this format, playing time trends relative to draft position in 2024, and a few projections that they will likely disagree within heading into 2025.Rundown1:38 JH’s Path Into High Stakes Fantasy Baseball3:34 Draft-and-Hold (Draft Champions) & Gladiator Leagues5:19 Why Draft This Early?7:22 A Critical Roster Construction Mistake To Avoid15:17 How Important is Categorical Balance without In-Season Pickups?23:01 The Risk with Low WAR Players29:16 Low WAR Players We’re Still Interested In34:15 Playing Time v. Draft Position41:57 What Outside the Box Idea Flopped the Most?49:54 Ideal Roster Balance w/50-Round Draft-and-Hold Builds52:51 Other 2025 Projections You Will Disagree WithFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.socialFollow DVR on Bluesky: @dvr.bsky.sociale-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisProducer: Brian SmithExecutive Producer: Derek VanRiper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roki Sasaki's imminent move to MLB in 2025 is a hot topic, sparking discussions about potential teams and his draft value. Andrew Painter shines in the Arizona Fall League, while Josue Briceño takes the spotlight with an MVP performance. Injury updates include Zach Neto's shoulder surgery, which raises concerns for his future. The conversation also touches on strategic pitcher management and evolving player roles, including a possible starting role for Griffin Jax. Upcoming changes at George Steinbrenner Field add more intrigue to the 2025 season.

Get the scoop on Shohei Ohtani's shoulder surgery and its impacts on his future. Delve into Roki Sasaki's intriguing pitch mix and his potential MLB transition. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider's availability for Opening Day raises concerns. Discover the trade of Jorge Soler to the Angels and its fantasy implications. Unpack the dynamics of player contracts and the strategic shifts in MLB positions, including Wilson Contreras moving to first base. Vocal discussions highlight how these changes shape team strategies for the upcoming season.