MLB Morning Lineup Podcast

Today, Christmas Day, would have been Rickey Henderson's 66th birthday. But he passed just days ago. So in our last podcast of the year before a short break, we devote its entirety to the exploits of one of the greatest players in MLB history. Enjoy.

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A pre-holiday flurry of signings began with a pair of arms coming off the board in Sean Manaea and World Series hero Walker Buehler. There are still plenty of big-name free agents available and the New Year should provide even more answers.

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On the bases, at the plate and in the field, Rickey Henderson was a once-in-a-generation player. Off the field, there was nobody like him, either. Let's dive into the stats and stories of the Hall of Famer, who passed away over the weekend.

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They are both third basemen, Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado. There appear to be 6 main suitors for Bregman, including his ex-team, the Astros, who thought they had a deal for Arenado until he nixed a trade and thrust the whole market back into flux.

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As Billy Wagner enters his final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, MLB.com's Matt Monagan makes a case for the generational closer, who came oh-so-close to reaching Cooperstown last year. Plus, coverage from Max Fried's introductory presser and more.

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The Yankees' deal to acquire former MVP Cody Bellinger is no doubt a home run. Bellinger is extremely versatile and can play the outfield and first base. He also provides the Yanks with a potent bat they can plug in most anywhere in their lineup.

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Juan Soto has Queens abuzz, but few players have personified the Mets like Pete Alonso, the affable slugger whose free agency could spark another crosstown bidding battle. Plus, get the latest on Corbin Burnes and more trade chatter.

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In return for sending Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, the Astros got a third baseman in Isaac Paredes. Does that end Alex Bregman's time in Houston? Not necessarily, although the Astros reportedly are also interested in trading for the Cards' Nolan Arenado

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The Winter Meetings are in the rearview mirror, but that doesn't mean major moves will slow down. Quite the contrary, as we now wait on other big time free agents (Corbin Burnes) to make their decisions and more huge trades (Kyle Tucker?) to go down.

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The Red Sox pulled off a huge move, acquiring All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet from the White Sox for a handful of top prospects to put the finishing touches on an eventful three days of Winter Meetings in Dallas.

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The Yanks didn't waste much time moving on from Juan Soto, landing Max Fried with the largest contract ever given to a left-handed pitcher. The Blue Jays swung a deal with the Guardians for star 2B Andrés Giménez. And the Nats won the Draft Lottery.

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Juan Soto's record contract with the Mets was the talk of the Winter Meetings as teams arrived in Dallas, and now the focus turns to teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays after they came up short in the Soto sweepstakes.

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Juan Soto is bringing his generational bat crosstown, agreeing with the Mets on a 15-year, $765 million free-agent contract that surpasses Shohei Ohtani's deal with the Dodgers. What's next for the free-agent market at this week’s Winter Meetings?

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The Winter Meetings are just days away. Will Leitch previews all the possible goings-on in Dallas, where Juan Soto could finally make a decision, other top free agents could sign, big-name players could be dealt and the MLB Draft Lottery will happen.

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The MLB Morning Lineup podcast gets you up to date on all the biggest baseball news in under 10 minutes. Posting season starts Thursday, which means it shouldn't be long before KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim and NPB flamethrower Roki Sasaki join MLB clubs. MLB.com's Mandy Bell explains why they're such coveted players and what the signing process entails.

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For all the talk of the Yankees, Mets and others offering gobs of money to Juan Soto, multiple reports say it's the Blue Jays who have the largest offer on the table. Elsewhere, teams are reportedly looking to turn an All-Star closer into a starter.

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Matthew Boyd (Cubs) and Frankie Montas (Mets) joined Yusei Kikuchi (Angels), Blake Snell (Dodgers) and Michael Wacha (Royals) as the latest starters to sign new deals -- and there's one key thing they have in common. Let us explain!

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The Dodgers kept busy over the holiday weekend, finalizing their deal with Blake Snell and signing Tommy Edman to a contract extension. Now all eyes turn to top free agent Juan Soto, with teams making offers and a decision potentially on the horizon.

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The Angels have been one of the most active teams this offseason and continued that trend by reaching a three-year, $63M deal with Yusei Kikuchi. Other teams seem ready to get in on the fun with Juan Soto expected to begin receiving offers this week.

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Offseason maneuvers kicked off as the non-tender deadline saw 62 players become free agents. Also, the first big deal of the winter went down as the Reds dealt infielder Jonathan India to the Royals for righty starter Brady Singer.

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Despite stiff competition, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge cemented their status as baseball's best players on Thursday, capping their historic 2024 campaigns with unanimous MVP honors.

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It really wasn't a surprise that the Tigers' Tarik Skubal and the Braves' Chris Sale won the Cy Young Awards -- Skubal was unanimous in the AL and Sale ran away in the NL. But wait till you hear about the season one of the third-place finishers had.

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Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and Brewers skipper Pat Murphy each won Manager Year of the Awards in their first full seasons leading a club. In today's podcast we'll dive into the two winners and how they got the ultimate prize for their position.

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Pirates phenom Paul Skenes and Yankees righty Luis Gil were the first pair of starting pitchers to be voted Rookies of the Year since 1981, when Fernando Valenzuela and Dave Righetti took home the hardware.

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It’s time to hand out some coveted hardware, starting tonight with Rookie of the Year, followed by Manager of the Year, Cy Young and then the big one … MVP! Will Leitch gives you the lowdown and makes some predictions in today’s episode.

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MLB's biggest stars gathered in Las Vegas for the announcement of the All-MLB Team and several individual awards, including the Hank Aaron Award for the top hitter in each league going to Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

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The Juan Soto sweepstakes are taking shape as the superstar free agent is set to meet with four clubs in California this week. MLB.com's Mandy Bell dishes the latest on that, plus potential landing spots for Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet.

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The awards for the best hitter at each position were announced on Tuesday night. MLB.com's Matt Monagan gives you a rundown of the recipients, which include seven first-time winners and two seven-time winners.

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The BBWAA announced its nominations for MLB's most prestigious individual awards on Monday, electing three finalists per accolade per league. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince breaks down the candidates and predicts the winners.

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The ace Japanese right-hander is headed to the Majors. That much we know. But what does he bring to the table and where will he sign? Our host Mandy Bell breaks it all down in the latest Morning Lineup podcast.

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With temperatures falling, it’s a good thing we’ve got the Hot Stove to supply the heat. And with that, here’s our very own Will Leitch with his best guesses as to where Pete Alonso, Juan Soto and the rest of the big-name free agents will end up.

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Not only did Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider suffer season-ending injuries, they won't be ready for Opening Day, either. That certainly affects the Braves' offseason plans -- and it could also alter the entire free-agent market.

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Fresh off another sensational season, the 26-year-old could fetch the richest free-agent contract in baseball history. How did Soto get here? And where will he go? Let's run through it!

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Gerrit Cole has agreed to stay with the Yankees on the deal he opted out of and extension talks could potentially come at a later date. Also, 13 players were tendered qualifying offers ahead of yesterday's deadline.

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After a stellar season with the Royals, veteran righty Michael Wacha will remain in K.C., agreeing to a three-year extension with the club. Also, the first major hardware of the offseason was rolled out as Gold Glove winners were announced.

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The first day of the offseason was an eventful one, as the Angels acquired slugger Jorge Soler from the Braves for right-hander Griffin Canning. What news could be coming next? We outlined some key dates to keep an eye on in the next few weeks.

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No team had ever rallied from 5 runs down in a World Series-clinching game, but that's exactly what the Dodgers did in beating the Yankees in a wild Game 5 to capture the franchise's 8th title. Freddie Freeman was named the Series MVP.

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Facing World Series elimination, the Yankees rode Anthony Volpe's grand slam and homers from Austin Wells and Gleyber Torres to overcome yet another Freddie Freeman homer and rout the Dodgers, forcing a Game 5 showdown today in the Bronx.

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With Shohei Ohtani dealing with an injured shoulder, who else but Freddie Freeman sparked the Dodgers. Freeman's two-run homer in the first inning set the tone as the Dodgers topped the Yankees in the Bronx to seize a 3-0 World Series advantage.

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On the eve of Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed Shohei Ohtani's injured shoulder and his availability for tonight. In the other dugout, what's going on with the slumping Aaron Judge?

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto mowed down the Yankees. Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman (again) homered. But the big takeaways from the Dodgers' 4-2 win to take a 2-0 World Series lead were Shohei Ohtani's shoulder injury and status for Game 3.

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Freddie Freeman delivered the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history as the Dodgers rallied past the Yankees after a Giancarlo Stanton homer and three stolen bases by Jazz Chisholm Jr. had put them in position to steal Game 1.

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All week we’ve been going through the different storylines of this World Series. Tonight, all that fades away, and we can focus on an actual baseball game. And the biggest storyline of that game may well revolve around the starting pitchers.

Timecodes for segments are below for meta purposes:

INTRO: 0:00-0:59

FIRST STORY 1:00-4:38 (Starting Pitchers)

SECOND STORY 4:39- 7:38 (Big G1 Players)

G1 INFORMATION: 7:39-8:50

CLOSING: 8:50-9:51

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Will the Yankees or Dodgers claim the crown? How many games will it take? And who will be the unlikely heroes of the series? The baseball world made its best guesses before Game 1 tomorrow.

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Among the many things that make the 2024 World Series matchup special is that it will feature two MVPs on baseball’s grandest stage. How did Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge get here? Let us break it down!

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MLB.com's national columnist dives deep into the World Series, detailing how enormous a Dodgers-Yankees Fall Classic really is. It features the sport's two biggest franchises, with the biggest stars -- but also two teams desperate for a title.

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Not since 1981 have the Dodgers and Yankees met in the World Series. Thanks to L.A.’s NLCS-clinching win over the Mets, that drought is now over. The two storied clubs will do battle starting Friday at Chavez Ravine in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

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The Yankees are heading to their first World Series in 15 years after Juan Soto hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the 10th inning of ALCS Game 5, and the Dodgers can join them with a victory over the Mets in NLCS Game 6 tonight in Los Angeles

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The Mets' bats broke out early behind a three-run homer by Pete Alonso to send the NLCS back to L.A., while the Yankees are one win away from their first World Series since 2009 after a ninth-inning rally against the Guardians in ALCS Game 4.

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Down to their last out, the Guardians tied ALCS Game 3 on a homer in the ninth and won in the 10th on David Fry's walk-off shot, while the Dodgers got a leadoff home run from Shohei Ohtani on their way to a 3-1 series lead over the Mets.

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