Stokke On Stokke On

The Stokke On podcast is back to close out the week with it's Friday edition, that was recorded on August 10. Tommy Stokke is joined by co-host Chris Schubert.

This edition opens with a discussion of Jon Heyman's latest edition of Inside Baseball, which has an increased focus on the Houston Astros and their activity (or inactivity) at the trade deadline. They failed to land any of the big name starting pitchers (Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray) or the big reliever (Zach Britton), and the players weren't happy with not making a big splash. What deals could they have made? What should they have done? Will not making any trades ruin their chances come October? Is it a big deal that the players aren't happy?

After that, the guys share their thoughts on all 30 teams, drawing direct inspiration from Heyman's Inside Baseball notes for all 30 teams.

The Stokke On Podcast returns for it's Tuesday episode, which was recorded on August 8. FanRag Sports writer Ryan Davis joins as a special guest along with regular co-host Chris Schubert.

Before bringing Ryan on, the show opens with a discussion about the Seattle Mariners and their tough luck. It was announced on Tuesday that starting pitcher Felix Hernandez is expected to miss three-to-four weeks with a shoulder injury. In addition, newly-acquired reliever David Phelps is out for two-to-three weeks with an elbow injury. It's the latest in bad luck for general manager Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners. Will they be able to survive and sneak into the American League Wild Card game? It'll be tough, but possible. If they make it, how dangerous are they?

Ryan joins the podcast to first discuss what's going on with the Chicago Cubs bullpen and his confidence level in each of the relievers. What should Joe Maddon do with Carl Edwards Jr. considering his recent struggles?

If the Cubs do make the playoffs, how dangerous are they compared to last season? Are they good enough to top either the Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers? Ryan gives his lineup (written in pencil for now) for Game 1 of the NLDS against Max Scherzer and the Nationals.

Which team is closest to challenging the Cubs in the NL Central? Ryan gives his opinion on the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates and whether or not the Cincinnati Reds can surprise in the next few years.

On the latest episode of the Stokke On Podcast, FanRag Sports MLB insider Jon Heyman joins to discuss his latest Inside Baseball column. This week's column was a reaction to the MLB trade deadline, including winners, non-winners and one loser.

Before Jon joins, the episode opens with thoughts on my latest column regarding the Milwaukee Brewers and why they should look to acquire Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander. It would take the Tigers being realistic about what they can get for Verlander, and it would take Verlander approving the deal because of his 10-and-5 rights, but it's a deal that makes a lot of sense for both sides.

Jon joins the episode, along with co-host Chris Schubert, to discuss who he thinks will be the biggest difference maker from those acquired at or near the deadline. Is it Sonny Gray with the New York Yankees? Perhaps Yu Darvish with the Los Angeles Dodgers? What about the Chicago Cubs and Jose Quintana and Justin Wilson?

The conversation shifts to the only loser on Jon's list, the Houston Astros. What was the biggest mistake they made in not acquiring Zach Britton or anyone else? Are they being smart in waiting for the right opportunity or just hoarding prospects?

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox, along with the Washington Nationals, also had a very good deadline, according to Heyman. Is he ready to say the White Sox have a better farm system than the Atlanta Braves?

The Boston Red Sox acquired Addison Reed, but did they make a mistake in not getting a starting pitcher? What's next for the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants? Giants fans probably won't like the answer.

Finally, the show ends discussing the teams in the middle, including the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, along with Heyman's take on what happens with Verlander and the Tigers.

The Stokke On Podcast returns after a too-long hiatus and introduces new co-host Chris Schubert, who is the host of FanRag Sports Radio in Phoenix.

The opening take is on the Houston Astros and their relative inactivity around the trade deadline. They acquired starter-now-reliever Francisco Liriano from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Nori Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez. They didn't get a starter pitcher. They didn't get a bigger name in the bullpen. Should they have?

The conversation breaks into a bit of a comparison of the Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers in terms of championship windows and where each team stands.

Speaking of the Dodgers, they made a big move in acquiring starting pitcher Yu Darvish from the Texas Rangers. What does this mean for Los Angeles moving forward? No, they aren't guaranteed a title. But how do they stack up against the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals in the National League?

Those are the three top dogs in the NL, but are the Arizona Diamondbacks or Colorado Rockies built to challenge them in the postseason? Get ready for the D-backs to be everyone's "surprise" team.

In the American League, the New York Yankees traded for Sonny Gray, while everyone else stood pat for the most part. Did the Red Sox make a mistake by not acquiring a starting pitcher or was trading for Addison Reed enough? What about the Cleveland Indians? They acquired Joe Smith, but did they need to make a move to bring in a starting pitcher, such as Darvish?

The show wraps up with rapid fire on teams that stood mostly pat, not buying or selling: Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Stokke On Podcast with Tommy Stokke and guest Jon Heyman is back to give predictions on the 2017 season with the help of a few extra days into the season.

The latest episode of the Stokke On Podcast with Tommy Stokke talks Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and predicting American League totals with FanRag MLB insider Jon Heyman.

Stokke opens up the show by discussing his latest column on Zack Greinke and the D-backs, and the importance of getting off to a fast start. How important is a fast start.