<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png" alt="EWFI" width="590" height="206" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-242076" srcset="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png 590w, https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi-300x105.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px" />
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB player chatbots, an <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/addison-barger/24598/stats/batting" target="_blank">Addison Barger</a> giveaway, <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/tarik-skubal/22267/stats/pitching" target="_blank">Tarik Skubal&#8217;</a>s big arbitration win, the Tigers signing <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/framber-valdez/17295/stats/pitching" target="_blank">Framber Valdez</a>, and a rough week for sports media, then (36:29) begin the 14th annual EW season preview series by discussing the 2026 Houston Astros with <em>The Athletic&#8217;</em>s <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chandlerrome.bsky.social" target="_blank">Chandler Rome</a>, and the 2026 Arizona Diamondbacks (1:25:35) with <em>The Arizona Republic</em>&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/nickpiecoro" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nick Piecoro</a>, followed (1:54:53) by a postscript.
<div class="intro-misc intro-team">
        <div class="intro-header"><span class="intro-header-text">2026 EW Season Preview Series</span></div>
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</p>
<p><strong>Audio&nbsp;intro</strong>: Alex Ferrin, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PG05TBt19rOUlQMuYgF5mNllQ3yEc5Tx/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme</a>&#8221;
<strong>Audio&nbsp;interstitial 1</strong>: Austin Klewan, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19KwOxp2kpN60CdFDMpP6Za73FHrfwofC/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme</a>&#8221;
<strong>Audio&nbsp;interstitial 2</strong>: Sean .P, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17BLnrn53h0YsHUvT6MqOaWGeKp0bJeQW/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme</a>&#8221;
<strong>Audio&nbsp;outro</strong>: Tom Rhoads, &#8220;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K07EyCA31NglTFT3h8Rdiiu0lpDyz9u_/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Effectively Wild Theme</a>&#8221;

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-ai-characters-6d924a5aac3666032d367990e5414a07" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to chatbots story</a>
<a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/blue-jays/blue-jays-giveaways-this-season-include-addison-barger-couch-t-shirt-while-loonie-dog-nights/article_426e3418-7d36-40c8-81d1-3dbf7ef2f9ef.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Barger story</a>
<a href="https://effectivelywild.fandom.com/wiki/Season_Preview_Series" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to season preview series wiki</a>
<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47840462/sources-tarik-skubal-wins-arbitration-tigers-make-32m" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Passan on Skubal</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/skubal-becomes-ta-richest-player-in-arbitration-history/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Baumann on Skubal</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/framber-valdez-signing-establishes-the-tigers-as-al-central-favorites/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Dan S. on Framber</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7021444/2026/02/04/framber-valdez-free-agency-pirates/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Rosenthal on the Pirates</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7023238/2026/02/05/framber-valdez-tarik-skubal-detroit-tigers/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Rosenthal on the Tigers</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6593992/2025/09/03/astros-framber-valdez-cesar-salazar-issue/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Chandler on the cross-up</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=SP" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team SP projections</a>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5699328/washington-post-layoffs-jobs-bezos" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to NPR on <em>WaPo</em></a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/business/media/washington-post-layoffs-sports-section.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to <em>NYT</em> on <em>WaPo</em> sports</a>
<a href="https://www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/media/washington-post-sports-department-death" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to <em>The Ringer</em> on <em>WaPo</em> sports</a>
<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/how-jeff-bezos-brought-down-the-washington-post" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to <em>The New Yorker</em> on <em>WaPo</em></a>
<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/02/washington-post-layoffs-bezos/685872/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to <em>The Atlantic</em> on <em>WaPo</em></a>
<a href="https://www.natesilver.net/p/the-sad-and-self-inflicted-decline" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Silver on <em>WaPo</em></a>
<a href="https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/layoffs-john-denton-alex-stumpf-spring-training.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to MLB.com layoffs</a>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/grantbrisbee.bsky.social/post/3me2stzy45s2f" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Grant post</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/breakdowns/payroll" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team payrolls</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/offseason-tracker/astros?teamchange=" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Astros offseason tracker</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/astros" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Astros depth chart</a>
<a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/baseball-prospectus-injured-list-ledger/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to <em>BP</em> IL Ledger</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/which-teams-have-suffered-the-most-from-injuries/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Dan S. on team injuries</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7001980/2026/01/27/astros-carlos-correa-missing-world-baseball-classic-insurance/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Chandler on Correa</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6943840/2026/01/05/tatsuya-imai-astros-jim-crane-asia/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Chandler on Imai</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7019650/2026/02/04/houston-astros-isaac-paredes-spring-training-insight/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Chandler on the infield</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6943210/2026/01/05/astros-owner-jim-crane-dana-brown-joe-espada/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Chandler on Espada/Brown</a>
<a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/104500/rubbing-mud-youve-got-to-swing-for-something/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Trueblood on Peña</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/chandler-rome/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Chandler&#8217;s author archive</a>
<a href="https://linktr.ee/CrushCity" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Crush City Territory</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/offseason-tracker/diamondbacks?teamchange=" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Diamondbacks offseason tracker</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/diamondbacks" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Diamondbacks depth chart</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2025&month=0&season1=2025&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&stats=rel&sortcol=20&sortdir=default&pagenum=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team RP WAR</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&lg=all&qual=0&type=3&season=2025&month=0&season1=2025&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&stats=rel&sortcol=1&sortdir=default&pagenum=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to team RP WPA</a>
<a href="https://www.sportico.com/leagues/baseball/2025/chase-field-renovation-funding-bill-1234858333/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to ballpark funding deal info</a>
<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46149907/diamondbacks-remain-chase-field-30-years-approval-renovation-bill" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to more funding deal info</a>
<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2025/06/24/arizona-diamondbacks-chase-field-renovation-legislature-hobbs/84333750007/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to funding deal opinion piece</a>
<a href="https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/chase-field-board/3607859/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to renovations preview</a>
<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2026/02/05/diamondbacks-trade-blaze-alexander-orioles/88533730007/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Nick on the Alexander trade</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/carlos-santana-signs-one-year-deal-with-diamondbacks" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to FG post on Santana</a>
<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/staff/2646648001/nick-piecoro/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Nick&#8217;s author archive</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7011575/2026/01/31/todd-boehly-epstein-chelsea-lakers-dodgers/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Boehly/Epstein article</a>
<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47842376/guardians-clase-allegedly-rigged-pitches-48-games-document-says" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to ESPN&#8217;s Clase report</a>
<a href="https://www.theringer.com/2025/11/10/mlb/emmanuel-clase-luis-ortiz-guardians-mlb-betting-scandal-pitch-fixing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Ben on Clase</a>
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2399-fixed-that-pitch-for-you/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to EW episode on Clase</a>
<a href="https://sabr.org/latest/vote-now-for-the-winners-of-the-2026-sabr-analytics-conference-research-awards/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to SABR awards voting</a>
<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&month=0&ind=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&team=0&startdate=&enddate=&season1=1971&season=1975&sortcol=7&sortdir=default&pagenum=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Wood/Lolich IP leaderboard</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/sports/baseball/mickey-lolich-dead.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Link to Lolich obit</a></p>
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Effectively Wild Episode 2436: Season Preview Series: Astros and Diamondbacks

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