There’s just over a week left until opening day.
Blake Snell has joined the Giants and has finally signed a contract with the team.
Somehow there are still a lot of names in free agency.
Will the Yankees acquire a player with Gerrit Cole sidelined for at least a month? Will the Mets sign anyone? And can the Astros win the American League?
Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman try to answer these questions in a new episode of their podcast, “The Show.” They will be joined by first-year Astros manager Joe Espada.
Podcast “The Show” with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman:
- Blake Snell: Signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the Giants. The Giants currently have a strong rotation, especially at the top. They could be a playoff team.
- Mets National League Race: It will be much harder for the Mets to find a path to the playoffs. Many other teams are currently ahead of them in the National League wild-card race. The Mets could reach the low-to-mid 80s, but that may not be enough. With the luxury tax, the players the Mets sign could cost twice as much. Is it worth signing JD Martinez or Jordan Montgomery?
- Gerrit Cole/Yankees: The good news for Cole is that this is not a long-term injury. There are a lot of question marks in their rotation right now. I don’t have much confidence in their pitching.
Interview with Joe Espada:
Astros manager
- Blake Snell: Were they close to signing Snell?
- injury: Response to injury to rotation. Justin Verlander is doing well. He expects to be back by mid-April.
- Expectations: Let’s win the World Series. The situation will not change no matter who becomes the director.
- culture: Houston’s winning culture. MVP, future Hall of Famer, but so much more than that.
- Alex Bregman: Let’s walk through the year for him. His focus is on the season. He’s going to have a great year. I hope they keep him around for many years.
- Josh Hader: It will be much better. His toughness and poise in the big spots.
- Justin Verlander: Coaching young pitchers and veteran coaches.
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New episodes of “The Show” with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman will be released every Tuesday afternoon throughout the MLB season. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts listed above.
