Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: MLB ready to start testing robo umpires; Salary cap could trigger baseball strike after 2026; plus more news

A radar device, replay screen, is set up behind home plate at the Atlantic League’s PeoplesBank Park minor ballpark on Jul 10, 2019 in York PA. 13 Spring Training parks will use the robo umpire that will host 19 teams in Major League Baseball Cactus and Grapefruit League games (AP file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong:

#1 Major League Baseball announced that they will give a demonstration on how the auto balls and strikes challenge system will work. As baseball is moving towards using the Robo-umpires. In the minor leagues the robo umpire was used. The players have voiced their objections to the idea of using robo umpires, “It’s just not a video game” said San Francisco Giants pitcher Kyle Harrison.

#2 One of the sticking points of a negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLBPA is the salary cap and Commissioner Rob Manfred realizes that’s a touchy point with the players and if a cap were to be instituted it could trigger a players strike after the 2026 season. As the owner complain that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a monopoly of high priced talent Manfred is backpedaling on any idea of a salary cap saying he would not commit to a salary cap.

#3 It’s a real competition and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is not hesitating on coming up to par with the Dodgers. Cohen so far has a payroll of $325 million for the 2025 season that includes a 15 year $765 million contract with Juan Soto. Jessica there is no doubt that Cohen wants to build a winner.

#4 The Tampa Bay Rays have outspent the Chicago Cubs for the 2025 season in free agency money and that’s considering that the Rays will be playing in the New York Yankees spring training facility for the regular season in a park that seats 11,000 fans. That had third baseman Alex Bregman looking for greener pastures leaving the Cubs for the Boston Red Sox and leaving Cubs owner Tom Ricketts with very little answers on how the Cubs will be competitive this sesason?

#5 The Rays are not the only big league club that will be playing in a minor league park for the 2025 season. The Sacramento A’s will be using the San Francisco Giants minor league park Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento for their regular season games. The Sacramento park seats 14,014 and is nearly sold out for it’s games. The A’s will play any post season games at a neutral site location to be named later.

Join Jessica Kwong for Headline Sports podcasts every other Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s trade Allen to Braves; Marlins hire Dodgers first base coach McCullough; plus more news

Former Athletics shortstop Nick Allen was traded to the Atlanta Braves for minor league pitcher Jared Johnson on Mon Nov 11, 2024 (AP file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Athletics infielder Nick Allen was traded from the A’s to the Atlanta Braves minor league pitcher Jared Johnson. Allen in the 2024 season hit .175, with one home run, four RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 81 games with the A’s triple A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators.

#2 The Miami Marlins have hired Los Angles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager on Monday. McCullough was first base coach for the Marlins for the last four years and McCullough’s last year was this past World Series where the Dodgers won it in five games.

#3 Former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose who passed away at 83 years old on Sep 30th was honored last Sunday at Great American Ballpark by the Reds with a 14 hour visitation at the ballpark. It was a rainy day honoring Rose the all time hits leader. With the cooperation of Rose’s daughter’s Fawn and Kara who exchanged stories, hugs, and tears. “We wanted to do something like this” said Reds executive director Rick Wells, “You could see from the turnout, it means a lot to the people here. It’s a moving experience.”

#4 New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be meeting with Juan Soto with owner Hal Steinbrenner as they will fly to California to try and convince Soto to join the Yankees for the 2025 season. Soto is scheduled to meet with New York Mets group that includes owner Steve Cohen.

#5 Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco allegedly was in a fight over a woman that involved guns drawn in San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic that police said was an altercation in a parking lot. The woman was being held for questioning by police it was not reported if there were any injuries. Franco has had previous legal problems which include him being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl.

Amuary Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Prunty takes over as Hawks head coach; Will Miller be indicted for gun giveaway in Alabama murder?; plus much more

Joe Prunty takes over as the interim head coach for the Atlanta Hawks after firing former head coach Nate McMillan (SI file photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 The Atlanta Hawks fired head coach Nate McMillan who was 99-80 in three seasons as head coach. The Hawks are 29-30 this season and eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Hawks general manager Landry Fields said the decision to fire McMillan was difficult but said it was in the best interest of the team to move forward. Joe Prunty was named as the Hawks interim head coach.

#2 The Alabama Crimson Tide’s number two basketball star player in the country Brandon Miller provided a gun that was used to kill Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Harris was allegedly killed by former Miller teammate Darius Miles with another accomplice Michael Lynn Davis. Miller has not been charged but says

#3 Jessica, Rob Manfred MLB Commissioner says that MLB will rescue some 14 teams who invested in Bally Sports Network are on the verge of missing their payments as Bally was about to air those 14 teams play by play broadcasts. Manfred said that games will be shown on local cable and will find a streaming source for the games audio coverage as a back up plan.

#4 New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that pitcher Frankie Montas was not all that he was cracked up to be. Montas whose having shoulder surgery and could miss the rest of the season had Cashman saying the Montas acquisition didn’t work out and that “we didn’t get anything out of it.”

#5 The subject of opting out is catching on first the San Diego Padres Manny Machado said he would opt out at the end of this season now the New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer 38, says he considering opting out after this season. That’s when Mets owner Steve Cohen stepped in and assured Scherzer that the Mets are going to win the World Series no matter what it takes. Scherzer is getting $130 million on a three year contract that includes a no trade clause which he agreed to in the fall of 2021.

Join Jessica Kwong for Headline Sports podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com