So believe it or not, but we have already passed the first quarter mark of the 2019 baseball season...and really what have we learned so far? We've learned that a few of our early season predictions are playing out exactly as Chris and Tom had anticipated, while others have been going way off-script. On this show, we circle the divisions and take note of a few interesting highlights from each. We take a look at the early season fortunes of the Cubs and the Braves, examine the ultra-resurgence of Hyun-Jin Ryu, and admire the breakout campaigns for Pirates 1st Baseman Josh Bell and Angels utility-man Tommy La Stella.

And we answer the age-old question: could either of us sucessfully make contact against Jordan Hicks?

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The theme for this weeks podcast is Sustainability. For those of you out there who gazed into your crystal balls prior to the season and prognosticated the Mariners hot start and Red Sox hangover, kudos to you! You are wise beyond compare! Well done! I would probably also call you a liar, and a few other choice words as well. This is part of the beauty of baseball: that the best-laid plans can often lead to the most inauspicious circumstances. But how many of these opening movements, either good or bad, are tenable? And how many of them can just be chalked up to dumb luck?
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Chris and Tom take a closer at some of the teams who have burst from the gates like they were shot of a cannon, such as the Mariners and Rays, as well as others who are having trouble getting their sea legs underneath them, like the Red Sox and Rockies. Who has the firepower to maintain or right their momentum? And, for better or worse, who are the frauds? 

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It’s the beginning of a new season of Major League Baseball, and for a brief period hope springs eternal for all 30 teams. For a fleeting moment no one is in last, everyone is in first, and every clubhouse has legitimate aspirations of playing meaningful baseball once the calendar rolls into October. Of course, this is very much an idyllic vision of the present day: For some, the optimism is well-founded, with rosters that have been painstakingly constructed over the course of years. For others it is nothing more than a Utopian pipe dream. 

Today we start with the Senior Circuit and break down the National League since they’re celebrating their 150th anniversary (or at least the Reds are, that’s really close enough). It seems fitting…some line about respecting your elders or something…but heading into the 2019 the National League does have many of this season’s most intriguing story lines and compelling divisional races. From the highs to the lows it’s going to be a battle from start to finish, and Tom and I certainly have a lot to say about it all.
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After a long layover, Chris and Tom are back and talking about a familiar topic on a brand new episode of The Roundtripper! On Show #23, they take a look at a few of the early notable moves that have occurred during what is primed to be an extremely active and somewhat chaotic offseason for Major League Baseball. They discuss the Nationals signing of LHP Patrick Corbin, take a deeper dive into a pair of trades executed by the Seattle Mariners, and offer early offseason thoughts about landing spots for some of the most noteworthy free agents. 

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Be sure to like us on Facebook (search for Roundtripper Podcast) and give us a follow on Twitter (@RoundtripperMLB). Also, if you like the show be sure to rate us 5-stars on iTunes! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please send us an email at Roundtripperpodcast@gmail.com
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by Chris Kubak

The Orioles are not in a good place at the moment. They are less than two years removed from a playoff berth and their fortunes appear to have slipped in monumental fashion. They have watched as several other teams in their division have made big moves, while their fan base has had to endure conversations about the all-but-inevitable departure of Manny Machado either by trade or free agency. They are due to be without All-Star closer Zach Britton until at least mid-season, and the only other news coming from the Charm City lately has been the coming to terms and avoiding arbitration with Jonathan Schoop. They have some major holes in their roster that you could drive a dump truck through, with the most notable of these being with their starting rotation after Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. Both really nice pitchers but neither of whom projects as a true number one right now in any sense.

Baltimore is in a bad way and they need to do something, ANYTHING, to try and keep from getting run out of the AL East. The easiest and most obvious thing they can do is go out and sign outfielder Jarrod Dyson. But while doing so solves an obvious on-the-field deficiency, it also creates layers of complications further down the road.

by Chris Kubak

​Back in the middle of December, the Phillies made what has arguably been the surprise splash of the baseball offseason to date. By agreeing to terms with first baseman Carlos Santana on a 3-year/$60MM contract, Philadelphia was able to snatch up one of biggest corner infielders on the market. In a city that has endured several long years of “The Process” and a lifetime of “maybe next years” in many of their other major sports, the move seemed to indicate that Phillies ownership and management are ready to leave the rebuilding process behind. After making the playoffs for five consecutive seasons as a perennial NL powerhouse their postseason drought has now reached a half-dozen, which is something that everyone within the cozy confines of Citizens Bank Park would like to see change as soon as possible.
 
All the same, bringing in Santana raised eyebrows across the baseball world for a multitude of reasons. Some viewed the move as a premature endeavor, since the Phillies may not be legitimate contenders until at least 2019. Still many more feel that the fit is less than ideal, since the arrival of Rhys Hoskins in August meant that first base was not a position of need. Other folks question the dollars and cents of the signing, suggesting that 3/$60MM is a lot of money to promise a player entering his age-32 season. I admit that I was initially confused by the move, both from a player personnel and a monetary viewpoint. But the more I consider all of the fine details and future implications of the deal, the more reasons I see as to why Santana will actually be a good fit in Philadelphia.