MLB Pipeline

Trade Talk & 2025 Recap

On the final Pipeline Podcast of the year, Jim Callis & Jason Ratliff break down the sudden flurry of pre-Christmas trades, highlighted by the Rays acquiring six prospects and a supplemental first-round Draft pick in exchange for four big leaguers in a deal with the Orioles and a three-way swap with the Astros and Pirates. Then they look back on 2025 by discussing which farm system improved the most (including the Brewers and Giants) and which prospects did the same (none more than Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle), before wrapping things up with a listener mailbag question about White Sox southpaw Hagen Smith. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy [https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Checking Our Draft List Twice

Following the launch of the 2026 Draft Top 100, Jim Callis and Jason Ratliff take a close look at the players top of the list, highlighting the best hitters and pitchers in the class, starting with UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowski. They then break down the intriguing challenge trade between the Red Sox and Nationals, in which Boston sent 22-year-old right-hander Luis Perales to Washington (and former Red Sox assistant GM turned Nats GM Paul Toboni) for 25-year-old lefty Jake Bennett. The episode concludes with a question from @bammbamcam about Yankees 2025 top Draft pick Dax Kilby. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy [https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Winter Meetings Wonderland (Guest: Mike Shirley)

The Winter Meetings in Orlando are a hub of baseball activity, and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff break it all down on the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast. They begin by discussing the ramifications of the Draft Lottery and Jonathan talks to White Sox scouting director Mike Shirley about his team claiming the No. 1 overall pick. Then they shift their focus to another draft -- the Rule 5 Draft -- and analyze the 13 prospects taken, starting with No. 1 choice R.J. Petit (Tigers to Rockies). After celebrating the annual Scout of the Year winners, they circle back to the Rule 5 Draft with a listener mailbag question. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy [https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Trade & Draft(s) Fever

With the impending release of MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 100 just before the Winter Meetings set to start this weekend, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff have plenty to unpack on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They begin by previewing the Meetings, taking a look at the Draft Lottery and the Rule 5 Draft before discussing which teams have the prospects and motivation to make significant trades. Next, the guys give a sneak peek at the Draft Top 100 by talking about two of the crop's deepest demographics, shortstops (led by clear No.  1 overall prospect Roch Cholowsky of UCLA) and high school left-handers. They wrap things up with one of the more thought-provoking listener-mailbag questions ever, debating the merits of Paul Skenes vs Roki Sasaki . . . in March 2023. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy [https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Gratitude abounds

There's so much to be grateful for in the prospect world and in this Thanksgiving week episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo dig into those things like it's a pumpkin pie. The duo list things they're grateful for in Pipeline-land, from the Arizona Fall League to the College World Series to the tireless efforts of (in no particular order): scouts, player development staff, the MLB Pipeline department and their spouses. In addition to discussing gratitude, Jim and Jonathan break down the prospect impact of the Brandon Nimmo-for-Marcus Semien swap and unpack the breaking news of Sonny Gray being dealt to the Red Sox. They also took one last look at the AFL via Jim's Top 30 Prospects list, discussed 40-man roster decisions and the new All-Star Week schedule that flips the Draft and the Futures Game before taking two Mailbag questions about intriguing pitching prospects. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy [https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]