As we move to Game 3 of the World Series, the Yankees and Dodgers feature the two biggest markets in baseball. There are smaller markets that have been identified as spots for Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion. The league expanded to 30 teams in 1998 with the addition of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and that came four years after MLB established an expansion committee. As the sport continues to grow in popularity, there is ongoing speculation about potential future expansion cities. While no definitive decisions have been made, several cities have been mentioned as strong candidates for new MLB franchises. Some think a 32-team league will happen, and others hope they go to 34 teams.
Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNatsPhoto by Ryan Clary. Posted with his permission.
First off, happy 26th birthday and feliz cumpleaños to Juan Soto — and good luck in the World Series. While the Washington Nationals did not trade Soto directly to the Bronx Bombers, they traded him to San Diego, and the Padres flipped him to New York. By extension, the Nats made it possible for Soto to land in Yankee Stadium.
By trading Soto, the Nats didn’t repeat the mistake they made in 2018 by wishing on a star that Bryce Harper would stay with the team that originally signed and developed him. All of Harper’s perfusive love for D.C. guaranteed nothing. Wishful thinking with the heart rarely works when you’re talking $100’s of millions.
When general manager Mike Rizzo made a reversal of courses and traded Juan Soto, a little over two years ago, Riz saw the future and made the absolute right move. Second guessing him is commonplace for all of the armchair quarterbacks in the cheap seats, although not one has given a detailed plan that made sense except the retort, “Pay the man.” Well, they tried, as the team offered a sum with Soto’s previous earnings that would have topped more money than Ted Lerner paid to buy the Washington Nationals in 2006.
Sure, Rizzo and the Lerner ownership group were viciously criticized for trading Soto — and some are still crowing about this. In my opinion, Rizzo was right then and now — Soto was traversing his road to free agency no matter what record-setting offer was made to him. Okay, he would probably take no deferrals on $750 million today — but the Yankees aren’t doing that. They might follow the same script that snaggedArsonAaron Judge away from San Francisco.
The advent of advanced technology has revolutionized many aspects of sports, and baseball is no exception. This was discussed at length on TalkNats this week, and here we will focus on one area that has seen significant discussion and experimentation in the use of robots as umpires. While the idea may seem futuristic, robot umpiring is a topic that has gained traction in recent years.
Technology has come a long way since the Fred Flintstone days. Yabba, dabba, dooo, baseball now has the technological advances to challenge just about anything — but MLB is still only using limited video challenges for now, and not using all of the technology that could be implemented.
Why not get the game right? With legalized sports gambling, there is a lot riding on the honor code with umpires. And don’t fans deserve as close as we can get to zero-defect umpiring to get the correct calls?
Owning a major sports franchise guarantees that you are rich beyond belief. The leagues will only approve you as a team owner after their due diligence audit and their cashflow test. Almost all owners buy their teams on credit. As billionaire Warren Buffett once said about borrowing against your asset, “I’ve seen more people fail because of liquor and leverage – leverage being borrowed money. You really don’t need leverage in this world much. If you’re smart, you’re going to make a lot of money without borrowing.” Tell team owners about that because they borrow as far as they can in leveraging their assets, and some like their liquor too. There are few stories in recent years of sports franchises failing.
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNatsPhoto by Sol Tucker for TalkNatsPhoto by Sol Tucker for TalkNatsPhoto by Garrett Lang for TalkNatsPhoto by Sol Tucker for TalkNatsPhoto by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
While Juan Soto is far from signing a deal with the Washington Nationals as a free agent, we can confidently pencil in from left to right: James Wood, Jacob Young, and Dylan Crews as your starting 2025 outfield with Alex Call as your bench outfielder. A new name has emerged from the Salt River Rafters roster in the Arizona Fall League (AFL): Robert Hassell III. Kind of left for roadkill next to the armadillo I passed on Interstate 8 back in 1988, Hassell is rocking in October as Bobby Barrells again.
The baseball, the heart of America’s national pastime, has undergone significant transformations over the years. From its early days as a crudely crafted ball to its modern-day precision, the baseball has evolved to meet the demands of the game.
Jacob Young makes a sliding catch in a July 3 game. (Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats.com)
Last week, we took an unsparing look at how the Washington Nationals pitching staff fared in 2024. Today, we’re grading the rest of the roster: position players, including designated hitters, who don’t actually play a real position but whatever.
As usual, player grades are arbitrary, although I’ve tried my best to be fair. I’ve also graded players against expectations. To earn an A, a player would have to exceed reasonable expectations for themselves and their role on the team. For a B, a player would have to generally meet expectations. A C grade is on the borderline, as it’s a passing grade but generally indicates a player could have done quite a bit more (in my view) with the opportunities they were given. A D grade represents a qualified failure, as the player had their moments, but ultimately, they did not make a good case in the time they had; many of my D recipients were ultimately demoted or designated for assignment during the season. An F grade is reserved for truly disastrous seasons, usually over a sustained period of time and despite many opportunities.
There is no doubt that Juan Soto will test the waters of free agency — even if he eventually signs back with the New York Yankees. The Yankees and Mets are listed as the top two favorites to land him. On one sports betting site, they are taking early prop bets on Soto’s contract over/under which is set at $500 million, and then you can bet on the team that signs him. The Washington Nationals are in their top-half of teams, and tied at 13th with Houston in top odds to sign Soto.
The Shohei Ohtani contract was for the highest pitcher/batter contract in baseball history as he is a starting pitcher and DH. One thing we all expect is that Soto will sign for stupid crazy money and be poised to set a record for a pure position player on a free agent deal. He actually could have set the record in 2022 when the Nats offered him $440 million with room to negotiate that further. Truth be told, Soto wants to test free agency — and the mighty Yankees cannot dissuade him from filing as a free agent. He has earned that right. The Yankees will have to compete for Soto’s services with probably a handful of teams that will be offering over half-a-billion-dollars.
Baseball mud, a seemingly mundane substance, plays a crucial role in the game. It is used to condition baseballs, enhancing their grip and durability. While it may seem like a simple product, the history of baseball mud is surprisingly rich and complex.
