Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

The Red Sox have been one of baseball's hottest teams since late June, and this week Jayson and Doug are joined by former major leaguer and NESN studio analyst Will Middlebrooks to break down what's behind Boston's surprising turnaround and why the club has become one of the biggest stories in baseball. Then, Jayson shares stories from Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, including a chance encounter with one of the greatest hitters in baseball history and why even Hall of Famers are still in awe of the game's most exclusive club.
Rundown:
2:13 Jayson’s Weekend in Cooperstown
10:23 Will Middlebrooks Visits Starkville
11:23 The Red-Hot Red Sox
18:02 Being a Top Prospect
23:48 Curtis Mead-Connelly Early Trade
26:46 Evaluating the American League
33:28 Reliving the 2013 World Series
37:25 The Infamous Obstruction Play
41:11 Hall of Fame Perspectives
45:19 Strange But True
Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social
Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social
E-mail: starkville@theathletic.com
Starkville Hotline: (347) 313-8371
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville
With: Will Middlebrooks
Producer: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Monday’s trade deadline fast approaching, Eno and DVR break down the A.J. Minter trade from the Mets to the Twins and explain why the smaller deals can be just as important as the blockbuster moves. Then, the guys dig into the waiver wire before welcoming Niv Shah to discuss perhaps his biggest hot dog review yet, ranking four Harry Potter-inspired dogs—one for each Hogwarts house.
Rundown:
1:33 Max Clark Gets the Call: Can He Hit Right Away?
7:49 Bryan Baker Gets Save No. 30
10:10 Is Baker a Top-10 Closer for Next Year?
12:25 A.J. Minter to Twins: Two Prospects to Mets
16:10 Luke Murphy Gets the Call
17:57 Will Quinn Mathews Stick after Debut?
19:52 Late-Season Looks for Whisenhunt & Tidwell?
23:40 Will Phillies Upgrade No. 5 Starter Spot?
27:58 Stash Héctor Rodríguez?
30:49 Matt McLain Returns
33:05 Odds & Ends: Miller Replacements, Walcott DH Duty & Jays Depth
38:52 An Aggressive Assignment: A Four Hot-Dog Saturday?
44:21 Finding Your House
50:10 Should You Pay Up for Roch Cholowsky?
56:13 Blocking Others From a Deal?
Don't miss our LIVE Trade Deadline show; Monday August 3rd at 4p ET on the Rates & Barrels YouTube Channel
Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!
First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026
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
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a Wednesday it was around baseball. Today, Eno, Trevor, and DVR break down Don Mattingly’s pointed comments about Bryce Harper and why he’s calling for help at the trade deadline. Then, the guys play general manager, debating which pitchers they'd target if they were making deals. Plus, could Casey Mize and Hunter Greene be on the move before Monday’s trade deadline?
1:20 A Wild Wednesday: Big Comebacks, Injuries & A Trade!
3:51 ‘Harper-Dombrowski Cold War’ Continues?
6:44 Injury-Plagued Season Puts KC in Tough Spot
15:07 Rangers Add Chase Silseth & Logan O’Hoppe
21:15 Pitchers We’d Trade For: Eno’s Case for Freddy Peralta
28:10 Casey Mize: The Tigers Pitcher More Likely to Move?
33:00 Nick Lodolo: Could a Fresh Start Bring a Rebound Down the Stretch?
41:24 Hunter Greene Rumblings: Should the Reds Actually Trade Him?
50:24 Intriguing Relievers: Edgardo Henriquez, Tejay Antone & Daniel Lynch IV
Don't miss our LIVE Trade Deadline show; Monday August 3rd at 4p ET on the Rates & Barrels YouTube Channel
Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!
First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026
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
Contributor: Trevor May
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: Jason Potere
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MLB Trade Deadline is just days away, DVR, Eno and Jed Lowrie explain why the Detroit Tigers are good enough to make a legitimate run and why trading Tarik Skubal could be the wrong move. They discuss Detroit's dominant pitching staff, the emergence of Troy Melton, potential deadline upgrades, and why the Tigers should not be sellers.

The crew also breaks down the Mariners' comeback win over the Dodgers, what Seattle needs to take control of the AL West, and the latest update on Shohei Ohtani's pitching timeline as Los Angeles continues its push toward another postseason.

Plus, Eno, DVR and Jed dive into one of baseball's most fascinating scouting discussions: What is "hit tool?"

Don't miss our LIVE Trade Deadline show; Monday August 3rd at 4p ET on the Rates & Barrels YouTube Channel

Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!

First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

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
Contributor: Jed Lowrie
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MLB Trade Deadline week continues with DVR, Eno and Britt Ghiroli discussing strategies for both ends of the spectrum. The Yankees and Dodgers are looking towards the postseason while the Mets are looking towards next year. They break down the Yankees' search for offensive help following Cody Bellinger's injury and the ongoing absence of Aaron Judge. Plus, they examine whether the Dodgers should make another blockbuster move despite already having baseball's deepest roster, and what the Mets' long-term plan should be.

The crew also debates potential landing spots for trade targets including Zach Neto, CJ Abrams, Matt Chapman and Tarik Skubal, examines which roster upgrades make the most sense for each contender, and wraps up the show by discussing Salvador Perez's Hall of Fame case after he became the Royals' all-time home run leader.

Don't miss our LIVE Trade Deadline show; Monday August 3rd at 5p ET on the Rates & Barrels YouTube Channel

Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!

First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026

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
Guest: Britt Ghiroli
Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis
Editor: McEnroe Francis
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.