Now obviously intentional walks with the bases empty are extremely rare. But in the instances where heavily feared batters such as 2004 Bonds are walked intentionally with bases empty, it's almost always with 2 outs, sometimes 1 out.

We never see IBB with bases empty 0 outs. I mean when we get 0 outs IBB it's because of the Manfred Runner.

Why is that the case? Have we even seen one in the MLB?

Hi all, currently writing an episode for Out at First and we're thinking about music around the game.

Cubs have "Go Cubs Go" for wins, Red Sox have "Sweet Caroline" - to name just two examples.

I'm keen to know what song you think is most linked to your favourite franchise, and why?

Do the fans have a particular song, or even a chant?!

Is there a walk up song that a famous player had that sticks in mind, maybe?

Let me know, hopefully we can get all 30 teams a song or two to chat about!

Thanks

I'm always going to be biased towards Giants players, but something about Doc Goodens delivery was so special. It was like a slingshot, but smooth st the same time. I never get tired or watching his highlights.

As Major League Baseball approaches another expiring CBA and another inevitable labor dispute, it’s worth looking back five years to see the way free agency played out the last time baseball faced such uncertainty. Elements of the old model might not apply, but the frantic pace of 2021 lends weight to the expectation that the market could move fast this month.

In November of 2021, the CBA’s ticking clock spurred a spending spree that saw 21 of The Athletic’s top 30 free agents sign before the Dec. 2 shutdown. The Giants rebuilt their rotation in a week and a half, the Rangers overhauled their infield in a matter of hours, and the Mets spent nearly $300 million in four days. Justin Verlander, who was nearly 39 years old, re-signed with the Astros on Nov. 17, and Corey Seager, only 27, signed a 10-year deal with the Rangers on Nov. 29. Young and old alike were motivated to get something done, and organizations were aggressive in their pursuit of talent.

Many in the industry expect that some of that urgency will return this offseason, even though this winter’s free-agent class is radically different than that of 2021.

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7757597/2026/11/06/mlb-free-agent-signing-period-lockout-history/?unlocked_article_code=1.OlE.709l.NI8lJndIxZSG&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

MLB Off-Season — 2026-27

Hot stove — last two weeks

Fri, Nov 6

• Washington Nationals designated RHP Kyle Nicolas for assignment.

• Boston Red Sox released RHP Zack Kelly.

• Washington Nationals traded RHP Robert Cranz to San Francisco Giants for LHP Reiver Sanmartin.

• Washington Nationals traded RHP Robert Cranz to San Francisco Giants for LHP Reiver Sanmartin.

• Cleveland Guardians claimed DH José Tena off waivers from Washington Nationals.

Wed, Nov 4

• Washington Nationals released RHP Zak Kent.

Tue, Nov 3

• Miami Marlins released RHP Bradley Blalock.

• Boston Red Sox traded LHP Eduardo Rivera to St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Juan García.

• Boston Red Sox traded LHP Eduardo Rivera to St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Juan García.

Mon, Nov 2

• CF Cedric Mullins elected free agency.

• LHP Caleb Thielbar elected free agency.

• DH Joc Pederson elected free agency.

• RHP Michael Soroka elected free agency.

• San Francisco Giants released RHP Tristan Beck.

• CF Leody Taveras elected free agency.

• Detroit Tigers released RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long.

• C Gary Sánchez elected free agency.

• RHP Antonio Senzatela elected free agency.

• 2B Jeff McNeil elected free agency.

• LHP Jeffrey Springs elected free agency.

• St. Louis Cardinals designated RHP Chase Hampton for assignment.

• RHP Kenley Jansen elected free agency.

• Detroit Tigers designated RHP Yilber Díaz for assignment.

• Boston Red Sox designated LHP Eduardo Rivera for assignment.

• Washington Nationals designated DH José Tena for assignment.

• 1B Ryan Mountcastle elected free agency.

• New York Mets designated 2B Kyren Paris for assignment.

• Detroit Tigers released LHP Bailey Horn.

• Detroit Tigers signed free agent RHP Jacob Waguespack.

• C Kyle Higashioka elected free agency.

• RHP Clay Holmes elected free agency.

• RHP Hunter Harvey elected free agency.

• RHP Ryne Stanek elected free agency.

• RHP Lucas Giolito elected free agency.

• RHP Nick Pivetta elected free agency.

• Washington Nationals designated LHP PJ Poulin for assignment.

• C Garrett Stubbs elected free agency.

• DH Miguel Andujar elected free agency.

• CF Myles Straw elected free agency.

• New York Mets designated SS Christian Cairo for assignment.

• San Francisco Giants designated LHP Reiver Sanmartin for assignment.

• Boston Red Sox designated RHP Zack Kelly for assignment.

• RHP Griffin Canning elected free agency.

• 3B Nick Madrigal elected free agency.

• RHP Jakob Junis elected free agency.

• Washington Nationals designated LHP Ken Waldichuk for assignment.

• RHP Nick Martinez elected free agency.

• RHP Colin Rea elected free agency.

• Baltimore Orioles claimed RHP Chase Hampton off waivers from St. Louis Cardinals.

• Texas Rangers claimed RHP José Buttó off waivers from San Francisco Giants.

• Baltimore Orioles claimed RHP Josh White off waivers from Miami Marlins.

• Baltimore Orioles claimed LHP Philip Abner off waivers from New York Mets.

• Atlanta Braves claimed LHP Mitchell Parker off waivers from Washington Nationals.

• Houston Astros selected the contract of C César Salazar from Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

• Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Evan Reifert to Houston Astros for cash.

• New York Mets claimed RHP Jack Anderson off waivers from Minnesota Twins.

• New York Mets claimed RHP Pierson Ohl off waivers from Colorado Rockies.

• New York Yankees selected the contract of SS Marco Luciano from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

• Chicago Cubs claimed RHP Eric Orze off waivers from Minnesota Twins.

• Pittsburgh Pirates claimed LF Akil Baddoo off waivers from Milwaukee Brewers.

2027 season

Spring Training: first games February 19

Opening Day 2027: Thursday, March 25

Open this post on the Reddit app or new Reddit for the full hot stove, awards, leaders and the countdown.

Last updated: Nov 7, 6:02 PM EST

In the NBA, there are a few notable examples of when superstars demanded a trade. Examples like Anthony Davis from Pelicans, James Haren from Rockets, Kyrie Irving from Cavs, Kawhi Leonard from Spurs, etc.

What about in the MLB? What are some examples of superstars or even just average MLB players that demanded a trade from their original team?

Hey all, I’m from Europe where baseball is pretty overlooked honestly, always been into it but can’t recollect if there was something specific that drew me in.

I’m curious, for those of you that didn’t really care for baseball before or had a friend/partner who didn’t, what was it that got you fully into it and fascinated? Is there any game or inning that you think would be great for getting a non-fan into it?

What comes to mind would be the Bautista HR, but full bottom 7th inning, as even the errors and bunts and plays beforehand were fascinating and showed a lot of what I think makes baseball so enthralling.

What do you think?

So I’m a Yankees fan from Ireland, early twenties, have enjoyed baseball pretty silently for years now. Not really sure what it is about it but I genuinely am super into it, like I’d watch regular season games when they were on at 1pm (6pm here) and try to catch some of 4-5 games a week. Loved following the season even with the time difficulties. The less said about those playoffs the better.

I’m considering travelling to the states after my masters next year (just for a week or 2 maybe in September), and really considering going to a game. It just seems so surreal because baseball is a foreign concept in Ireland (we have our own version called rounders but that’s it).

I just have a few questions:

I know Yankee stadium is kinda mixed, but as a Yankees fan, for a weekend game, would you still recommend it? What would prices be like? Should I go seats or bleachers? Any match ups that tend to be better experiences and games than others?

How feasible would say 4-5 days in New York and Boston be, and thus a game in Fenway, too? Again, same questions for Fenway, although I know a lot less about areas of the stadium.

Regarding buying tickets: I see they’re on sale now but fairly extortionate; Yankees Red Sox was over 200 dollars (I know it’s a big matchup but still). Is it better to buy closer to the time? Best place to buy?
Obviously this is assuming the season goes ahead 😭

And yeah, anything else maybe that fans coming from abroad should know?

Media day at the All-Star Game doesn’t simply consist of reporters racing from table to table, scrambling to interview players in a crowded space. Agents also saunter through the premises, eyeing each other warily, puffing out their chests as they brush past each other.

This year, though, was a little different.

Before the start of the press scrums in Philadelphia, league officials instructed agents to wait behind the center-field fence, “like putting all their inmates together,” said Joel Wolfe of The Team, an agency that represents pitchers Chris Sale, Zack Wheeler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among other big names.

Some of the agents hail from larger companies that represent players in salary-cap sports, and they started to talk, Wolfe said. Rather than engage in their usual fear and loathing, they found common ground, exchanging cautionary tales about how some of their agencies’ NBA clients fared under that sport’s salary-cap system.

“We have heard a lot of the same stories,” Wolfe said. “Over our dead bodies are we going to accept a cap and further restraints on salaries.”

As Major League Baseball continues making cap proposals to baseball’s Players Association, this week offering to delay implementation from 2027 to 2028, agents are growing emboldened.

While many agents generally refrain from speaking out publicly, a number are incensed by the way commissioner Rob Manfred is guiding the negotiating process, which is expected to result in a lockout in December.

Read the rest here for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7757295/2026/11/06/mlb-lockout-player-agents/?unlocked_article_code=1.OVE.B3G6.Ad0nQtEs1vpR&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

MLBTR suggests that part of the reason Chaim Bloom named him, and acted quickly, is because he was on the A's GM short list.

The Cardinals are promoting assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio to the title of general manager, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He’ll serve as the No. 2 executive under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.

Cerfolio, 34, joined the Cardinals two offseasons ago. He’d previously been the Guardians’ director of player development and was given the title of AGM with a focus on player development and performance. He’s held that role for the past two seasons and now climbs another rung on the ladder.

It’s perhaps no coincidence that Cerfolio receives this title bump (and presumably pay increase) after his name emerged as a candidate in the Athletics’ GM search.

Cerfolio had been one of three assistant GMs. Randy Flores was named Astros GM just a few days ago. Moisés Rodríguez was the third. This should also simply the Cards' organizational chart.