2 Tools Baseball Podcast

EP 122: Alex and Travis share their thoughts on the contract extensions of Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Altuve, before diving into their analysis on recent free agency signings like Kershaw staying put, Liam Hendriks to Boston, Jorge Soler to the Giants, and more. Then, they break down the 5 biggest remaining free agents, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and JD Martinez, and try to figure out where they might land as Spring Training ramps up.

EP 121: Alex and Travis open with their day 1 reaction to the Orioles trading for Corbin Burnes under new ownership. They discuss how this impacts the Orioles and how the Brewers will stack up in the NL Central after trading their ace. Alex and Travis break down what the Josh Hader signing means for the Astros, before recapping other big moves throughout the league: Polanco to Seattle, Justin Turner to Toronto, Pederson to Arizona, and the Angels adding depth. The close with their thoughts on the 3 new Hall of Famers along with the other ballot results and a bonus sneak preview at newcomers to the 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot.

EP 120: Alex and Travis review the Dodgers' busy offseason after they load up with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Margot, and Teoscar Hernandez. Then they breakdown the other big moves across MLB: Robbie Ray to the Giants, Chris Sale to Atlanta, Stroman to the Yankees, and much more. Alex and Travis recap and critique the official 2023 All-MLB Team, before closing with their thoughts on the 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot. They discuss the newcomers, the players they would vote for, and the players they think will be inducted to Cooperstown this year.

EP 119: Shohei Ohtani etches his name in sports history again with his $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Alex and Travis discuss every angle of this monumental deal, before diving into other hot stove news and predicting landing spots for the biggest names left on the market.

EP 118: Alex and Travis open with a conversation about the Seattle Mariners taking a step back offensively as they trade away key position players. Then, they discuss the Yankees' 2024 hopes as they add Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, before breaking down other free agency signings across MLB. Orioles bolster their pen with Craig Kimbrel; the Angels sign multiple relievers; and the Braves, Rays, and Rangers all add relief arms over the past week. Alex and Travis end with a brief recap on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes as we near his big decision.

EP 117: This week Alex and Travis open with their reactions to Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr both winning unanimous MVP awards. Then, they discuss the hirings of Mike Shildt as Padres manager and Brad Ausmus as Yankees bench coach, before jumping into the big free agency news topics of the week. Aaron Nola is staying in Philadelphia, the Braves make shrewd moves for under the radar names, and the Cardinals add old veteran starting pitchers. No surprises!

EP 116: Alex and Travis breakdown the Cubs hiring Craig Counsell, the Angels hiring Ron Washington, and all the other managerial moves across MLB to start the offseason. Then, they share their thoughts on the recently announced Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Cy Young Awards, before analyzing this season's AL and NL Platinum Glove award winners. Alex and Travis close with a discussion about recent revelations about the Angels' internal turnover and anti-analytic developments within their organization.

EP 115: Alex and Travis react to the Texas Rangers winning the 2023 World Series. They give their thoughts on how the Rangers were able to come out on top and what went wrong for the Diamondbacks. Additionally, Alex and Travis discuss new developments on managerial hiring rumors throughout MLB, the official announcement of Shohei Ohtani's free agency, and other first headlines of the offseason.

EP 114: Alex and Travis breakdown the biggest moments, headlines, and trends of ALCS and NLCS. They discuss how the Astros and Phillies got cold at the wrong time, and they preview what a Rangers Diamondbacks World Series will look like. Additionally, Alex and Travis talk about Dusty Baker's pending retirement, Bob Melvin joining the Giants, and managerial vacancies across MLB.

EP 113: Alex and Travis recap their thoughts on the surprises of the Division Series round, before breaking down both 2-0 series in the ALCS and NLCS. How much trouble are the Astros and D-Backs in? Who has a bigger edge between the Phillies and the Rangers? Alex and Travis close with a discussion about general manager Kim Ng's sudden departure from the Marlins and how the Brewers will approach the offseason after Brandon Woodruff's unfortunate injury update.

EP 112: Alex and Travis open with their reactions to each of the Wild Card Series sweeps. Then, they preview the 2 ALDS and 2 NLDS series coming up and give their predictions for who will advance to the Championship Series. They close with their thoughts on the upcoming Angels manager decision and the Mets-Eppler investigation by MLB.

Alex and Travis host an emergency podcast to break down each of the Wild Card series to kick off the 2023 MLB Playoffs!

EP 110: This week, Alex and Travis open with their reaction to Ronald Acuna Jr reaching the 40 home run 70 stolen base milestone. They break down several seasons from players across MLB who are having seasons that are a lot better or worse than you would expect. Then, they discuss how the Brewers have been able to remain a legitimate playoff team despite a remarkably subpar offense. Alex and Travis try figure out where the Padres go from here after some concerning Josh Hader comments, before closing a with a tribute to the late great Brooks Robinson.

EP 109: Alex and Travis open with a discussion on Adam Wainwright's bittersweet season as he reaches 200 career wins. Then, they dive into the controversial firing of Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom, before switching gears to some interesting off the field developments for George Kirby and Alek Manoah. Alex and Travis break down an incredibly underrated Juan Soto season and a confusing year for the Padres, and then give a quick update on their NL MVP tracker. They close with the news of Shohei Ohtani's UCL surgery, his cleaned out locker, and other drama surrounding the Angels' uncertain offseason.

EP 108: Alex and Travis open with the spiraling Angels, what went wrong, and what they try to do in the offseason. Then they shift to the Padres and discuss how that talented roster has failed to live up to the hype. They breakdown the future of the Mets and how this could impact Pete Alonso this coming offseason, before debating how the Dodgers have been able to dominate yet again with fewer big names on the roster than ever before. They close by picking sides on the tight race for NL MVP.

EP 107: Alex and Travis open with an ice breaker question that has them draft their greatest infield of all time. Then they give their thoughts on the major fluctuations happening in the NL Wild Card race over the past couple weeks. Alex and Travis go on to discuss some of the big risers and fallers this season in the Shortstop and Starting Pitcher Power Rankings. They debate some of the best AL MVP candidates that could win if not for Shohei Ohtani, and they close with some Dodgers optimism, White Sox dysfunction, and Rays woes.

EP 106: This week Alex and Travis cover all the big moves that occurred over the last week before the MLB trade deadline. They give their takes on if teams actually moved the needle on their postseason chances, and they debate which teams made good or bad decisions as both wild card races and several divisions still hang in the balance.

EP 105: This week, Alex and Travis open with a breakdown on the greatest single day of baseball ever played by one player. They die into the news that Ohtani will remain an Angel in 2023 as the Angels add Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. The Dodgers kick off their deadline by adding depth in Kiké Hernandez and Amed Rosario. Alex and Travis proceed by discussing which teams will become buyers and sellers before the trade deadline, and they debate who will end up on top of a dead even NL Wild Card race. They close with their thoughts on the fluctuating awards odds, as some accolades are completely up for grabs and other award races are already over.

EP 104: The Shohei Ohtani trade deadline buzz is becoming one of the hottest topics in sports. Alex and Travis give their takes on the situation from every angle: the Angels' perspective, potential buyers, who could extend him, his future contract, and more. Then, Alex and Travis discuss the first notable trade of the trade season as Shintaro Fujinami is sent to the Orioles to bolster their bullpen. Finally, they close with a breakdown on where the Yankees go from here after falling to 5th place in the AL East and several holes in their roster.

EP 103: This week, Alex and Travis open with a conversation about the Shohei Ohtani decision that looms over the Angels as the trade deadline approaches. They discuss some Dodgers pitching woes and a questionable pre-season prediction, before revealing and debating their 1st Half All-MLB teams. Alex and Travis close with their thoughts on the 2023 All-Star Game rosters, the key snubs, and a quick prediction on the Home Run Derby.