Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville are back in Starkville to dig into the stunning April firings of Alex Cora and Rob Thomson, breaking down how it unraveled and what it reveals about the ever-shrinking margin for managers. Then, MLB broadcaster Ron Darling joins the show to share his thoughts on the moves, the mounting pressure on today’s skippers, the Mets’ ongoing struggles, and his memories of the iconic 1986 Mets.

Rundown:

0:00 Starkville Is Back!

3:25 April Firings: Alex Cora and Rob Thomson

8:24 Ron Darling Joins the Show

9:18 Darling on Thomson

11:53 Managers in Peril

15:49 Where will Cora Go Next?

17:40 In-season Managerial Changes

18:57 How the Manager Role Has Changed

25:37 What’s Wrong with the Mets?

33:09 40th Anniversary of the ‘86 Mets

39:02 Looking Back at Darling’s Book, ‘The Complete Game’

43:04 Favorite Pitchers

Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social

Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social

E-mail: starkville@theathletic.com

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville

With: Ron Darling

Producer: Jason Potere

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno and DVR return for another Fantasy Friday—starting with some food takes, including Eno’s “try everything once” mindset and DVR revealing he’s never had oysters. From there, they shift to baseball, breaking down potential fantasy trade targets among starting pitchers and identifying arms to buy low or sell high. The guys close out the show by discussing a new Athletics closer: Jack Perkins.

Rundown:

1:29 Eno's Dining Philosophy

3:28 The Truth Is: Midwest Food Creations Are Usually Good

7:45 Injury Updates: Luis Robert Jr., Trevor Rogers, Brandon Woodruff & Garrett Crochet

22:10 A Pitching Debut Friday: The Red Sox Turn to Jake Bennett

28:00 Trade Targets: Starting Pitchers We're Interested In

40:56 The 'Obvious' Sell Highs: More Easily Attainable Arms

50:52 Travis Bazzana Projections

1:04:11 Closer Carousel: Buying Jack Perkins, Considering Jacob Latz?

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social

Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social

e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

Editor: Jason Potere

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eno and DVR welcome former major leaguer Adam Ottavino to the show to discuss closers and why more relievers are racking up saves this season than in years past. The guys also dive into bullpen management and the ever-perplexing question of why closers tend to struggle in non-save situations. Later, Eno and DVR share their desert island favorite starting pitchers and reveal the biggest OOPSY droppers – with the correct chart this time.

Rundown:

1:04 Where Have All the Closers Gone?

5:12 How Should Baseball Value & Reward Relievers?

8:48 New Bullpen Management

11:00 Is Better Balance Possible?

14:32 Why Do Closers Struggle in Non-Save Situations?

19:40 The Desert Island: Favorite Pitcher

26:33 Will Tigers Stick with Kenley Jansen?

29:40 Is the New Zone Causing K% and BB% Fluctuations?

32:48 Seattle’s Starters’ Early Strikeout Rate Slide?

39:08 The Biggest OOPSY Fallers

44:52 A Case for Lawrence Butler Despite Projections Drop

Eno’s Article: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7241759

Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social

Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social

Follow Adam on Instagram: @adamottavino

e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

With: Adam Ottavino

Editor: Jason Potere

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.