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• Outside The Confines: Extensions, extensions

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Lots of players got contract extensions. More on the torpedo bat. The Dodgers are hot and the Braves are not. And other news from around MLB. Good morning. We’re leading off with a whole mess of contact extensions today and none of them are Kyle Tucker. First off, Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet agreed to a six-year, $170 million contract. extension. Dan Szymborski...2025
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• Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat – 3/31/25
We need to talk....2025
• Outside The Confines: Vandalizing history

Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images The Department of Defense dishonors a hero before reversing course. The pitching injuries are stacking up. The Orioles set a record and no one noticed. A high school baseball powerhouse. Good morning. No comments today. I know most of you would be respectful, but better safe than sorry. The Department of Defense temporarily removed a article praising...2025
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• Effectively Wild Episode 2298: The 2025 Preseason Predictions Game

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs authors Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens play “College Baseball Player or Musician Who’s Performing at Sea.Hear.Now 2025” (4:53), and then explain the third annual preseason predictions game (11:53) and make 10 bold predictions apiece (18:57) about baseball in 2025, to be voted on by listeners. Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effective...2025
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• Royals Rumblings - News for March 19, 2025

Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images MLB.com examines one player in each camp that is making the biggest impression, with pitcher Daniel Lynch IV representing the Kansas City Royals. There aren’t too many roster battles for the Royals this camp, but Lynch has made the biggest one — the fifth starter battle — at least an interesting conversation. His spring ERA jumped to 3.21 ...2025
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• Outside The Confines: The Rays’ stadium plans are DOA

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images So much for the new stadium... It has been a rough few months for the Tampa Bay Rays. There has been a lot of back and forth drama between the team and local officials; the existing stadium was decimated by a hurricane, and the Rays will now be playing the 2025 season at a Minor League ballpark. But now, a new di...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Vandalizing history
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for March 19, 2025
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Is the ABS sticking around?

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images Will we see an electronic strike zone this regular season? As we continue to see the ABS system get tested in Spring Training, and with it we have seen some pitchers share how unimpressed they are, while some batters have felt vindicated, and as a surprising side reveal, we’ve learned that a lot of players have been lying about their height. But one thi...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Remembering Satchel Paige’s last start

A look around Spring Training. Remembering Satchel Paige’s last major league start. And other news from around baseball. Good morning. We’re officially into silly season of Spring Training as the Phillies’ Trea Turner trolled his former teammate Max Scherzer by challenging an obvious first-pitch strike with the ABS system. Scherzer had previously complained that he wasn’t a fan of the ABS system...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Spring Training stories

Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Injuries, excitement, sneaky showcases... Spring Training has it all. We’re finally into spring training in a real way, with actual gameplay and so much is going on. Pitchers are getting fired up about ABS... and ABS might also be proving some players have been lying about their height. Three Twins players had a scary near-miss, meanwh...2025
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• Outside The Confines: What’s gone wrong in Toronto?

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images The Mets have pitching issues. The Blue Jays have trouble with their first baseman. A look ahead to the next labor battle. And other news from around MLB. Good morning. The Mets have shut down left-hander Sean Manaea indefinitely with an oblique strain. Ben Clemens notes that it’s mid-February and the Mets already need more pitching with injuries to Manae...2025
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• Which prospect’s failure was most disappointing?

Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images They’ll break your heart. Not mine, just yours. The minor league crew covered the biggest prospect risers in the system yesterday, so you can bet your prized family heirloom golden dollars that they’ll be covering the biggest prospect fallers later today. On that note, which prospect’s bust was the most disappointing for you? There are ...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Let’s stay together

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images Pete Alonso returns to Flushing. The Dodgers are the new bad guys. And other news from around MLB. Good morning. Here’s what sealed the deal between the Mets and Pete Alonso. The Mets re-signed free agent first baseman Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt out after one season. Jake Mintz writes that in the staring contest between Al...2025
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• Outside The Confines: There’s no town like Motown for Jack Flaherty

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK Jack Flaherty returns to Detroit. Shohei Ohtani was more injured than we knew. A re-discovered magazine featuring an all-time great and other news from around baseball. Good morning. You have doubtlessly already heard about the passing of former commissioner Fay Vincent. Free agent right-hander Jack Flaherty has agreed to a two-year, $35 million deal to ret...2025
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• Friday Rockpile: An early look at spring training for the Rockies

Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images Colorado Rockies news and links for Friday, January 17, 2025 With an arctic blast descending on Colorado this weekend and temperatures reaching well below zero, it’s a good time to think about spring training in the Cactus League, specifically near Scottsdale, Arizona where temperatures average in the mid-70s in February and will be in the mid-60s this weekend. ...2025
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• BCB After Dark: Should the Cubs trade for a closer?

Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/MLB Photos via Getty Images The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks if the Cubs should trade for Astros reliever Ryan Pressly. We’re open for another week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come in out of the cold. There’s no cover charge this evening. We can check your coat fo...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Shohei Ohtani’s surprise wedding

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports The superstar posted the news to social media. Surprise! Shohei Ohtani has tied the knot, and for someone worth nearly a billion dollars, and a superstar athlete in both his native Japan and his present home of the US, one might expect some high-profile nuptials, but instead Ohtani has kept his wedding relatively quiet. Ohtani has married a woman from Japan ...2024
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• Chin Music, Episode 26: That’s a Cat Going Crazy
I’m back from vacation and so is co-host Ben Clemens, so let’s podcast again, shall we? We begin by talking about the good and the bad from the Field Of Dreams game, some silly comments from Mets management about player injuries, and why MLB (and everyone else for that matter) should avoid partnering with Barstool […]...2021
• Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat – 8/9/21
Back from vacation, it's time for another chat. Want to banter about the Mets' meltdown or whatever else catches your eye? Let's talk about it!...2021

2025
"Ben Clemens breaks down a pair of Yankees acquisitions, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and reliever Fernando Cruz."

2024
"Ben Clemens is already wondering why this season’s bad teams are SO bad, and the season hasn’t even started yet."

2023
"FanGraphs has looked at this periodically and for the 2022 season, Ben Clemens used their methodology to estimate that teams were paying $8."

2022
"At least one analyst I trust believes in the breakout, Ben Clemens at FanGraphs looked at Swanson’s ZiPs projections and percentile outcomes going forward."

2021
"The most significant players to hit the open market this offseason, as compiled by Ben Clemens and the FanGraphs staff."

• Outside The Confines: Extensions, extensions
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Vandalizing history
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for March 19, 2025
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Is the ABS sticking around?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Remembering Satchel Paige’s last start
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Spring Training stories
2025

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• Outside The Confines: What’s gone wrong in Toronto?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: No deal for Vlad Jr. and the Jays

Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images The face of the franchise will become the face of free agency this fall. Happy Wednesday BCB friends! We have some interesting stories ahead for you today, chief among them being that one of baseball’s biggest extensions isn’t happening. The Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr failed to come to an agreement on extension terms. As a result, Vlad Jr,...2025
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• Outside The Confines: The Alex Bregman sweepstakes are over

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images And the Red Sox are the winners. The biggest lingering question of the offseason free agent market has finally been answered, and that’s: Who will sign Alex Bregman? The three biggest contenders were our own Cubs, the Detroit Tigers, and the Boston Red Sox. Despite a reportedly large offer from the Tigers, it was the Red Sox who won out and signed the forme...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Spring awakening

Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images Pitchers and catchers are showing up to Spring Training, but there is still some unfinished business in the Hot Stove. Remembering a forgotten hero of integration. Good morning. Jeff Passan has an update on where we stand with the remaining business this winter—including Alex Bregman. (ESPN+ sub. req.) A roundtable discussion of the start of Spring ...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Vandalizing history
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for March 19, 2025
2025

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• Outside The Confines: No deal for Vlad Jr. and the Jays
2025

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• Tuesday Rockpile: Are the Los Angeles Dodgers ruining baseball?

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Colorado Rockies news and links for Tuesday, February 11, 2025 No MLB team has had a better offseason than the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have signed a litany of stars: Roki Sasaki; Blake Snell; Teoscar Hernández; Tanner Scott; Michael Conforto . . . There are more, but I have limited space. View this post on Instagram ...2025
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• Royals Rumblings - News for January 31, 2025

Superb Owls indeed! | Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images Superb Owls, one week early Like baseball and have musical talent? We are now accepting auditions for National Anthem and God Bless America performances for the 2025 season!— Kansas City Royals (@royals.com) 2025-01-30T18:00:51.567Z Raising Royals, the Royals player development account, put out two videos with highli...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Your new Hall of Fame inductees

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images I just want to talk to that one voter who left Ichiro off their ballot... Well, the long-anticipated time arrived last night as the newest class of MLB Hall of Famers was announced. Ichiro Suzuki was one vote shy of being a unanimous inductee, and I think perhaps anonymous ballots shouldn’t be allowed because I just want to have a quick chat with the pe...2025
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• Outside The Confines: Juan Soto tops the free agent market

Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images But what will it take to sign him? There are plenty of big names out there who have now hit the free agent market, but likely none is bigger than Yankees’ slugger Juan Soto. Soto, agented by Scott Boras, is sure to fetch a tidy sum, and plenty of teams are already making overtures to try and get him on their roster. Al will have m...2024
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• The Royals should seriously pursue Jurickson Profar this offseason

Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images Profar’s 2024 season was not a fluke, and the Royals need someone like him in the outfield. I wanted to look at the best fit for the Royals in free agency, but this article is running on a few assumptions. The first assumption is that the Royals will not be playing in the deepest end of the free agency pool. I would love to see Juan Soto,...2024
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• Outside The Confines: Stayin’ alive!

Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images The Yankees' slump was one for the ages, but they still have a chance. The World Series seems as if it only just started, and now it might just get interesting. Don’t call it a comeback! But do call it a comeback. Lots of experts had all but counted the Yankees out after a 3-0 Series start from the Dodgers. Despite a slumping performance ...2024
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• Outside The Confines: Bad blood

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Bad blood reigns in the Dodgers/Padres series. The Tigers shocked the Guardians. And other news from around the playoffs. Good morning. I suppose it’s a good morning if you’re a Mets or Padres fan. I assume you know the scores of those games yesterday, so I’m not linking to any game recaps. I will link to the brouhaha that took place at Dodger Stadium durin...2024
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• Outside The Confines: Extensions, extensions
2025

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• Outside The Confines: No deal for Vlad Jr. and the Jays
2025

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• Outside The Confines: The Alex Bregman sweepstakes are over
2025

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• Which prospect’s failure was most disappointing?
2025

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• Tuesday Rockpile: Are the Los Angeles Dodgers ruining baseball?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Let’s stay together
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for January 31, 2025
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Your new Hall of Fame inductees
2025

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• BCB After Dark: Should the Cubs trade for a closer?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: The voice of the Brewers is silent

Photo by Jeffrey Phelps/MLB Photos via Getty Images A true baseball legend, Bob Uecker has passed away. It seems to be a great truth of baseball that some of the least inspiring players become powerhouses in some other capacity, either in the dugout, or, in the case of Bob Uecker, behind a microphone, as the voice of the Brewers. Uecker, later lovingly called “Mr. Baseball” had the kind ...2025
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• Money talks: Craig Counsell will be the next manager of the Chicago Cubs

Craig Counsell and David Ross shake hands on Opening Day at Wrigley Field in 2022 | Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports There are some really interesting financial elements informing this decision In early December 2021 I was grumbling to myself about free agent signings and deals right before the lockout as I was walking to get coffee. It was right after now World Series champions Marcus Semien ...2023
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• The Dansby Swanson signing by the numbers
Dansby Swanson takes an at bat last June at Wrigley Field | Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images The Cubs landed the last of the big four shortstops. When I posted about the Dansby Swanson signing on social media I said the seven-year $177 million deal was very reasonable, dare I say, “intelligent spending,” given the shortstop market we’ve seen this year. One of my friends, Cubs fan James Lo...2022
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• Outside The Confines: Twist of fate! Carlos Correa to the Mets
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports Carlos Correa spurns the Giants for the Mets. The second-tier free agents start to sign. And other news from around MLB. This shocking news that Carlos Correa has just signed with the Mets broke after midnight on the West Coast last night. I assume this is for real, although Heyman was the man who reported that Aaron Judge signed with the Giants. This does seem...2022
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• How to watch the Royals in 2023
A detailed view of a Bally Sports microphone laying on the field after being used for an interview prior to the Spring Training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Nationals at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 8, 2023 in Lakeland, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Nationals 2-1. | Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images Royals games on your screen!...2023
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• Outside The Confines: A good old-fashioned trade
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images The Twins and Marlins make a deal based on needs and not contracts. An Oakland legend passes. A look back at free agency and more news from around MLB. I remember when a team trading a batting champion would have been a huge deal. The last player traded the offseason after winning a batting title was Rod Carew back in 1979. The Minnesota Twins traded s...2023
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• Outside The Confines: The Tigers claim the voice of the White Sox

Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images This might be the best offseason move yet. Well, one of the biggest moves of the offseason has nothing to do with players, or even with the shuffle of managers. The Detroit Tigers announced today that after Bally Sports Detroit parted ways with Matt Shepard the new play-by-play announcer for the season will be none other than White Sox great ...2023
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• Outside The Confines: Behind the dish no more
Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images A former friend is going through some changes. Happy Monday everyone! The big stories over the weekend were the news that the floundering Cardinals are making a bit of a change about where former Cub Willson Contreras will be playing going forward; Royals pitcher Ryan Yarbrough experienced a scary moment on the mound; a former A’s MVP has passed away; ...2023
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• Outside The Confines: The A’s Opera House

Oakland Athletics The A’s unveil their plans for a Las Vegas stadium and it looks... similar to something else The A’s moving to Las Vegas has been a limbo-state story for months now. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of certainty about when or if the A’s are moving, because right now they’re still in Oakland and exploring ways to extend their stay, but they have also unveiled stadium renderi...2024
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1. White Sox

2. World Series

3. Red Sox

. . .

3053. Ben Clemens

• Outside The Confines: No Rays of sunshine

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Things are going wrong fast for the Rays. Also the Angels, who bet big on one last year with Shohei Ohtani. And other news from around MLB Just a few months ago, the Tampa Bay Rays were the biggest story in the game for the best start to a season since the 1984 Tigers. Now, they’re the biggest story in the game for not-as-pleasant reasons. The Tampa Bay Ray...2023
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• Outside The Confines: Correa returned to sender?
Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images The Carlos Correa sweepstakes seem poised to end where they began. Sometimes during the offseason (and I’ve done it here myself), we like to post tweet updates showing the wild and wacky path taken by minor league players bouncing from team to team via DNF and signing. Well, I don’t think anyone expected the wildest ride of free agency...2023
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• Outside The Confines: Extensions, extensions
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Vandalizing history
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for March 19, 2025
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Is the ABS sticking around?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Remembering Satchel Paige’s last start
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Spring Training stories
2025

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• Outside The Confines: What’s gone wrong in Toronto?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: The Alex Bregman sweepstakes are over
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Spring awakening
2025

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• Tuesday Rockpile: Are the Los Angeles Dodgers ruining baseball?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Vandalizing history
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Spring Training stories
2025

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• BCB After Dark: Should the Cubs trade for a closer?
2025

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• Outside The Confines: Juan Soto tops the free agent market
2024

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• Outside The Confines: Bad blood
2024

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• Outside The Confines: A long-awaited debut for Kumar Rocker

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images The player is poised to make history as he prepares to make his debut. Happy Friday, everyone! We’re halfway through September, which means we only have two full weeks of regular season baseball left. There are still some questions about who will slot in for the wild card spots, and some teams who are poised to win their divisions might want to worry a bi...2024
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• Outside The Confines: One month down

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images At the end of baseball’s first month, things are starting to take shape. It seems impossible that a full month of baseball has passed us by. It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating Opening Day, and now we’re getting to a point where it might be time to stop saying “small sample size” as an excuse. The Dodgers aren’t a shocker as the NL West le...2024
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• Outside The Confines: The Yankees bid farewell to John Sterling

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images The iconic radio voice of the team announced his sudden departure this week. On Monday, with no preamble, the Yankees announced that their long-time radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling was calling it a career, and his last game in the booth was behind him. The 85-year-old called 5,420 regular season games over his long career. Sterling cited the s...2024
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• Outside The Confines: A new chapter in the Ippei Mizuhara betting scandal

Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images A freshly released criminal complaint offers shocking details in the betting scandal. Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani has been charged with bank fraud after stealing $16 million from Ohtani. In a newly publicized criminal complaint, texts were released between Mizuhara and his bookie, as well as details regarding how much he won (a...2024
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• Outside The Confines: Rob Manfred has an expiration date

Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images Rejoice, baseball fans, we now have an idea of when the Manfred era will end. If we’re being honest, the role of MLB Commissioner is not an enviable one. The job, by its very nature, is inclined to create ire among fans, as the person in charge is trying to appease fans, players, but mostly owners, and the goals of those three groups rarely...2024
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