On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick joins Locked On Diamondbacks host Millard Thomas to discuss all things San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame. With Barry Bonds falling off the ballot recently, Ben and Millard discuss the writers keeping him out of Cooperstown, and if it makes sense. They talk about David Ortiz getting in on the first ballot despite him reportedly testing positive for a PED in 2003. The process doesn't appear to be fair at all, and Ben's opinion is that we don't know who was using and who wasn't, so the writers really shouldn't pick and choose based on suspected PED use. Ben and Millard also talk about the careers of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Lincecum, of course, burst onto the scene in the late 2000s and quickly became the best pitcher in the game. He won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, and he looked to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory. But then his career went sideways in a hurry. Ben explains to Millard that Lincecum quickly and consistently lost velocity on his fastball due to hip issues, and once the velocity was diminished everything fell apart. Similarly, Matt Cain was a solidly above-average pitcher for many years for the Giants, yet he abruptly fell off a cliff around the same time as Lincecum. Ben adds that Cain also dealt with numerous injuries and diminished velocity during his decline. Finally, the two talk about the Hall of Fame candidacies of Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey, both of whom probably have a better shot than Lincecum or Cain. Ben believes Bumgarner is probably not a Hall of Famer, but that Posey will be the one player to get in for the Giants this century, despite having so much individual and team success since 2000. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame Talk: Barry Bonds, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about MLB and the MLBPA's 90-minute meeting in New York on Tuesday, and how the two sides remain far apart on several major issues with Spring Training report dates looming. In Tuesday's meeting, the MLBPA made slight alterations to its proposals about the pre-arbitration bonus pool and service time manipulation. They lowered the amount they're asking for in the bonus pool from $105 million to $100 million, but importantly, they continue to ask for players to reach arbitration after two years, compared to the three it is now. The league has said that is a non-starter. Ben goes through issue by issue discussing where the league and the players stand, and the separation that exists between them. He discusses arbitration and pre-arbitration pools. He discusses the luxury tax, which is a major point of contention. It has functioned like a soft cap, while its intended purpose was to prevent high-payroll teams from buying success and bulldozing over smaller market teams. It hasn't played out that way, with tons of parity still existing in the sport even among smaller market teams. The league is a very small increase while the players want a big one. Ben also discusses the issues of a draft lottery and service time manipulation. Regarding the draft lottery, the league's warts are clearly showing, as the players' asks are clearly aimed at competitive integrity, and league seems to be fighting against that, which is hard to justify. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MLB, MLBPA have "heated" 90-minute meeting, remain far apart as Spring Training looms

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses FanGraphs' newly released San Francisco Giants Top 39 Prospects list. The list is full of surprises, not at all conforming to the status quo or other rankings. For example, Patrick Bailey, to Ben's knowledge never before seen in the Giants' Top 5, ranks as the organization's third-best prospect. Joey Bart, meanwhile, continues his fall with evaluators, coming in as the team's sixth-best prospect. Bart's miserable 2020 debut really sent his stock reeling, and Ben discusses what this means for the Giants' future at the catcher position, with Buster Posey retired and Curt Casali the only other catcher on the roster (along with Bart) who projects to get major league playing time in 2022. Ben also talks about another top ranking for Marco Luciano, although he wonders a little bit about Luciano's fall from a 60 future value ranking down to 55. His struggles in High-A don't seem too important, given he was the youngest player at the entire level. Luis Matos also gets another high ranking, coming in as the organization's second-best prospect. Matos offers a tantilizing blend of hit and power, to go along with speed and a center field profile. He has an elite strikeout rate, but his feel for contact does lead to a little more chase than the Giants likely want. Regardless, Matos and Luciano have sky-high ceilings and it will be exciting to follow their progress in 2022. They're likely to begin the season in High-A Eugene, and could be promoted to Double-A by the end of the year, with a major league debut possible in 2023. Kyle Harrison, Heliot Ramos, Gregory Santos, Hunter Bishop, Will Bednar, and Jairo Pomares round out the Top 10. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joey Bart ranked 6th on FanGraphs' San Francisco Giants top prospects list

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from listeners about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: Do you think Giants could land Seiya Suzuki? Is Suzuki actually possible and does it make sense for the Giants? I see a lot of, "the Giants are unwilling to spend", but they can take on a bad contract for a player they want, not losing prospects. What would a logical deal like this look like? What teams? For example: Mike Moustakas ($$ LH platoon for Longo) and Tyler Mahle or Luis Castillo? Why is everyone saying they are cutting payroll? And by everyone I mean all the beat writers ok the bay area and nationally What are your expectations for LaMonte Wade Jr. this year? I am a little down on him based on his last two months of 2021. Not sure if that is just a prolonged slump or if pitchers figured him out and that is just who he is now. What players on the 40-man roster are on the chopping block and/or trade bait to make room for free agent signings after the lockout ends? Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inbox: Will Seiya Suzuki sign with the San Francisco Giants?

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds falling off the Hall of Fame ballot after being rejected for a 10th and final time by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Bonds received 66% of the vote, far short of the 75% threshold needed to get in. David Ortiz, in his first year on the ballot, was elected to the Hall of Fame. Ortiz reportedly tested positive for PED's in 2003, but that apparently didn't matter to some of the writers who felt the need to keep Bonds, a far superior player to Ortiz, out of the Hall. Ben discusses how the Hall of Fame has left him feeling jaded after all these years, and his overwhelming feeling is one of not caring anymore, as opposed to being enraged. He talks about how Bonds has the second-most fWAR of all time, behind Babe Ruth, and Ortiz is over 100 fWAR behind him. Ben would've voted for Ortiz, but Bonds is arguably the best baseball player ever. As former FanGraphs writer Jeff Sullivan noted on Twitter, the difference between Bonds' fWAR and Ortiz's fWAR is Alex Rodriguez. That just about says it all. Finally, Ben discusses more details about the MLB lockout. The MLBPA and the league met on Monday and Tuesday in New York, and Ben has more details about those meetings. The league reportedly agreed to the players' proposal of a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, although they remain far apart on the amount of the pool. The league proposed $10 million after the players asked for more than $100 million. But Ben sees a big flaw with the idea: both sides have proposed basing it on Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, which is not a clear-cut metric like average, OBP, or slugging percentage. Different sites use different calculations, and their formulas are regularly tweaked. There are many issues with using WAR, but on the whole, it's a good thing that both sides agree that pre-arb players should be eligible to earn more money based on performance. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Barry Bonds' Hall of Fame rejection is a sad mistake

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick details the latest from around Major League Baseball. The MLB Players Association and MLB met in person in Manhattan on Monday and Tuesday, marking significant progress from the weeks of no substantive meetings between the two sides since the lockout began on Dec. 2. In its counterproposal to the league, the MLBPA held firm on its push for two-year arbitration eligibility, a substantially increased Competitive Balance Tax threshold, and cuts to revenue sharing. Notably, the league lowered its proposed cut from $100 million to $30 million in its latest offer. The players' side also proposed a substantial increase to the league minimum salary, to $775,000. Ben also discusses Kevin Gausman's tweet over the weekend, in which he declared that the San Francisco Giants never made him a contract offer this offseason. Gausman ultimately signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ben dives into why the Giants may not have made him an offer. It's plausible that Gausman's representation made it clear that their client was seeking to maximize total dollars, and that the Giants were more interested in a shorter-term deal with a higher average annual value. Finally, Ben discusses the Hall of Fame vote, which is set to be announced today. Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, and Tim Lincecum are the names to watch for Giants fans. The threshold to get in is 75% of the vote; last year, Bonds received 61.8%. This is Bonds' final year of eligibility. Kent has two more years counting this one, and his highest total was in the low-30s. This is Lincecum's first year on the ballot, and he is very unlikely to ever get in. But the number to watch is 5%: that's what Lincecum needs today in order to remain on the ballot next year. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MLBPA makes counter-proposal to MLB in latest effort to end lockout

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses the San Francisco Giants' sixth- through 10th-best prospects, according to Baseball America. Yesterday he talked about the Giants' Top Five, all of whom had a spot on BA's Top 100 Prospects list. Marco Luciano, Joey Bart, Luis Matos, Heliot Ramos, and Kyle Harrison are exciting prospects indeed. But what about the next five names? Ben discusses the scouting reports on Will Bednar, the Giants' first-round pick in 2021, Matt Mikulski, their second-round pick last year, and the three others rounding out the top 10. Jairo Pomares, Aeverson Arteaga, and Ryan Murphy complete the list. Overall, Ben points out that it's best not to only look at one source when evaluating prospects. Predicting the future success (or failure) of prospects is an extremely tricky business, so looking at as many sources as possible is always a good idea. Ben plans on discussing the upcoming top prospects lists that will be announced by other major sources. He also discusses the fact that the MLBPA is going to make an in-person proposal to MLB on Monday in Manhattan. This will be the second significant meeting of the MLB lockout, with the league having made its first core economics proposal to the MLBPA last Thursday. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

San Francisco Giants' 6th-10th-best prospects, according to Baseball America

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses Baseball America's newly released Top 100 Prospects list, which includes five members of the San Francisco Giants organization. Atop the Giants' rankings is 20-year-old shortstop Marco Luciano, who comes in with a ranking of No. 17. It's a slight fall for Luciano, who was ranked No. 9 in BA's most recent update to last year's ranking, but it's a strong showing nonetheless. Luciano is still very young and struggled in High-A Eugene in 2021, but he's likely to start there in 2022 and could move quickly if he's able to produce. He has the makings of a superstar if everything is able to come together for him. Next on the list is Joey Bart, who fell all the way into the 70s after at one point being near-universally considered a Top 20 prospect a couple of years ago. Nonetheless, Bart is still considered on of the game's better prospects, and he still has a chance to be a big-time producer in the majors. He has a lot to work on, but he has pedigree, tools, and a clear path to a major league job now that Buster Posey is retired. Next is Luis Matos, whom Ben might have higher than Bart. Matos offers a tantalizing blend of contact, power, and speed. He has a very high ceiling and could jump up rankings with another strong showing in the minors in 2022. Finally, Ben reads off the scouting reports for the final two prospects ranked in the Top 100 by BA: Heliot Ramos and Kyle Harrison. The Giants are one of only six organizations to have at least five BA Top 100 Prospects, with Pittsburgh and Arizona being tied for the most with six. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marco Luciano leads five San Francisco Giants on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from listeners about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: What player are you most excited to see going into next season? Who produces more value in 2022: Thairo Estrada, or Tommy La Stella? Could you see a La Stella/Evan Longoria platoon at 3B next year? Both hit well against their respective sides. Both are injury prone so they get plenty of rest. Plus it opens up for Estrada to get more time at 2B When is this damn lockout ending lol? Let's say Giants don't win the Seiya Suzuki sweepstakes (or even if they did), What do you think of Jorge Soler as a DH/LF RH power bat to add to the Giants? 107 wins was incredible and very unlikely to be matched. But I am having a hard time figuring out what my expectations should be this year. 90 wins? Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inbox: San Francisco Giants' most exciting player for 2022?

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick, who covers the San Francisco Giants, discusses the latest with the state of the Major League Baseball lockout. On Thursday, for the first time since the lockout began on Dec. 2, MLB made a core economics proposal to the MLB Players Association. To absolutely no one's surprise, the players were not impressed with the league's proposal. The league's proposals ranged from modest to absurd, including a bizarre attempt to address service time manipulation that would see teams rewarded with a draft pick if prospects ranked in the top 100 (inherently subjective) win Rookie of the Year or finish in the top three in MVP or Cy Young voting in their first three years after being placed on an Opening Day roster in their first year. In other areas, MLB's proposal included only modest change, and more importantly, the league did not address the players' biggest concerns. There was no change to the competitive balance tax, currently $210 million. The players have proposed an increase to $245 million. There were no changes to arbitration and free agency. The MLBPA has sought to have players reach arbitration a year sooner (two years instead of three). There were, however, some areas where it's not impossible to see an agreement come together. Both sides have proposed a lottery system for the bottom teams in the draft. The league proposed the bottom three teams enter a lottery; the players have proposed eight. The league has proposed expanding playoffs to 14 teams; the players have proposed expanding it to 12. The league also continued to propose a universal designated hitter, something that the players have wanted for a long time, as it adds another player on every roster. Ultimately, it's hard to call this a productive meeting. Spring Training is likely to be delayed as the teams continue to negotiate, and Ben believes the regular season is likely to be delayed as well. Eventually, economic pressure on both sides caused by missing games seems most likely to incentivize the coming together on a new agreement. It's just a matter of when that happens. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MLB makes first core economics proposal since lockout began—but players leave feeling frustrated again

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from listeners about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: Farhan kept mentioning making changes to the roster via trade. If that's the case, what team(s) do the Giants best match up with for a deal, and what Giants prospects or active roster players could be trade bait? I’ve been seeing a lot of Instagram pages saying we should trade for Tyler Mahle. Is this realistic, or are people just hyping him up because of the success Reds pitchers have had with the Giants? MLB Trade Rumors mentioned the Giants should pick up Matt Olson from the A's and use Brandon Belt as DH (if implemented). Olson is 27 and can hit for power and average, and is under team control until 2024. SF would have to give up a lot but worth it in my opinion. Number of regular season wins doesn't necessarily equate with going deep in the playoffs. Which do you think the front office thinks more about when building the team? And don't say both - please pick one. How much do you think the Giants are willing to spend for Seiya Suzuki? Barry Bonds getting in the Hall of Fame?? Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inbox: Realistic trade options for the Giants?

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses the latest news with Major League Baseball and the San Francisco Giants. The first order of business is the major news that Yankees hitting instructor Rachel Balcovec will become the first female manager in affiliated professional baseball. She will manage the Yankees' Low-A team beginning in 2022, and it puts her on a path to greater things in years to come. Notably, Giants manager Gabe Kapler interviewed Balkovec in 2019 for the position of quality control coach, where she would have worked as a hitting instructor and in strength and development. Balkovec opted to stay with the Yankees, and the move seems to have paid off. Kapler later hired Alyssa Nakken as a major league coach, and she became the first female to hold such a role in major league history. In the past year or so, many women have broken significant barriers, including Kim Ng becoming general manager of the Miami Marlins, the first female to hold that role. Ben also discusses the latest with the major league lockout. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported today that MLB is going to make a core-economics proposal to the MLB Players Association on Thursday. While this is extremely welcome news, as this will be the first of its kind proposal by either side since the lockout began on Dec. 2, Ben urges listeners not to be overly optimistic about the proposal leading to any significant momentum. It's entirely possible, if not likely, that the MLBPA will not respond positively to the proposal and we'll be back to square one. Finally, Ben discusses the Giants denying the Mets permission to interview pitching coach Andrew Bailey for the Mets' open bench coach position. It's debatable whether the position would be a promotion, and it's pretty late in the offseason for teams to be willing to give up a key member of their staff. Ben relates the situation to the Giants losing Donnie Ecker to the Rangers much earlier in the offseason, when they were willing to allow him to explore the role, one which he eventually was offered and accepted. Ben also discusses Austrailian LHP Genevieve Beacom becoming the first Australian professional baseball player over the weekend. The lefty tossed a scoreless inning and featured a fastball/breaking ball mix. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Balkovec to manage Yankees' Low-A team, becoming first female manager in minors

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from listeners about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: What do the Giants have to do to maintain their status as an elite team next season? Based on the current roster and philosophy towards player acquisitions, do you see the Giants maintaining their current success next season around 100 wins? Or do you think it’s more likely they regress to finish at what most fans expected them to heading into 2021? 83ish wins. Will spring training happen? Do we bring back Kris Bryant? What does the potential market for Bryant look like? Any chance he’s back on a less than monstrous deal? Would Patrick Wisdom be a trade candidate? Right-handed power guy who can play multiple positions and at 30 years old, hopefully wouldn’t cost a premium. He’s also from California. For the Hjelle of it: what do you see as Sean Hjelle’s future with the Giants? SP, RP, tweener, or maybe a 3 innings reliever? Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inbox: What do the Giants need to do to maintain elite status next season?

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick details the state of the MLB lockout by reviewing an ESPN piece by Jeff Passan that explores the subject in great detail. Ben goes through the Passan article, using direct quotations to provide listeners with up-to-the-minute updates about what's happening (or not happening) between MLB and the MLB Players Association. The league locked out the players at midnight on Dec. 1, and a whole lot of nothing has happened since. But that doesn't mean Passan's update isn't jam-packed with important information. Passan speaks with numerous sources to gather information about where we are and where we're headed. He compares the state of affairs to the "disastrous" negotiations about how to start the 2020 season after Covid-19 cancelled spring training. Although Commissioner Rob Manfred says those talks are irrelevant to the current negotiations, Passan (and Ben) disagree. They clearly demonstrate how toxic the relationship currently is between the parties. Passan details what the players are looking for in a deal. Whether it's raising the CBT threshold, earlier free agency, earlier arbitration, raising the minimum salary, and a whole host of other desires, the players want fundamental change across the board, which doesn't bode well for the season starting on time. Passan says that the next step in the process appears to be that the players need to define their top priorities, because it's impractical to expect the league to meet all of their numerous demands. In terms of key dates, Passan and his sources don't expect anything substantive to happen until at least late January/early February. After that, March 1 is a key date. If serious progress hasn't been made toward a deal by then, the start of the season will be in jeopardy. Given how the negotiations, or lack thereof, have gone so far, that seems like a more distinct possibility by the day. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN's Jeff Passan details grim state of MLB lockout, baseball's path forward

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses the MLB Network decision not to bring back universally respected journalist Ken Rosenthal. The tension between the network, which is owned by the league, and Rosenthal reportedly originated after Rosenthal was critical of commissioner Rob Manfred when the league and players were attempting to negotiate new terms to start the 2020 season, which was on pause due to the then-emerging Covid-19 pandemic. Rosenthal was harsh but fair in his article in The Athletic, which was published in June 2020 under the title "Rosenthal: Manfred must strike a deal with the players or ruin his legacy." The network's decision not to retain Rosenthal, one of the top baseball journalists there is, speaks volumes into its intentions. They are clearly more interested in perpetuating propaganda than the truth. It's a sad move for the sport, and one that Ben believes will backfire. Whatever negative publicity may have come from Rosenthal will come back around many times over from other journalists witnessing the ill-fated move. The league has lost a lot of credibility in recent years, and they just lost a big chunk of whatever they had left among members of the media, Ben included. Finally, Ben ties this in with the San Francisco Giants. Ultimately, Rob Manfred is employed by the owners, which of course includes the Giants' ownership. But Ben believes the Giants are a far better organization than most when it comes to valuing their fans and their place in the community. Also, Ben makes the point that front offices aren't the ones who should take criticism when fans are upset with a team at large's behavior. For example, many fans have been accusing Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi of being "cheap" lately. This is factually incorrect, but also, it's not Zaidi's money. If fans believe a team is choosing not to spend money that would help them be a significantly better team, that anger should be directed towards ownership as opposed to the front office. The front office is clearly incentivised to make the team as good as possible, or else they risk losing their jobs. However, they always have to obey their bosses and keep them happy. Just food for thought... Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Giants Podcast on these platforms ? Apple http://apple.co/3ycRK3U ? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN ? Google https://bit.ly/3D356mr ? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg ? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD ? Follow Locked On Giants on Twitter Locked On Giants https://twitter.com/LO_SFGiants Ben Kaspick https://twitter.com/BenKaspick More by Ben Kaspick Personal channel https://bit.ly/BenKaspickYouTube Website https://www.benkaspick.com/ Linktree http://www.linktr.ee/benkaspick Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Commissioner Rob Manfred can't handle the truth: Ken Rosenthal out at MLB Network

Locked On Giants (Baseball) is a daily podcast focused on the San Francisco Giants. Providing rational, data-driven SF Giants analysis in a clear and accessible way. Hosted by Ben Kaspick, who has contributed for the popular baseball statistics and analysis websites FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

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Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

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