Over The Monster Podcast

It's time for yet another informative episode of the Over The Monster Podcast! In this episode, Matt and Marc attempt to answer the eternal question as it pertains to Vernon Wells: Why? Then they move on to less pressing matters and discuss the stand-outs down in Fort Myers. The Red Sox have had a number of pleasant surprises this spring and a few disappointments. They are all discussed! The Jackie Bradley! Discussed! John Lackey's return! Discussed! After listening to the 85th OTM Podcast you'll feel like you've heard many Red Sox topics discussed!

Last season the Red Sox stunk. A good part of the reason they stunk was that their starting rotation was injured and/or stunk. Then injured. And stunk. The pitchers they brought in to replace the pitchers who stunk stunk. This season there is a somewhat new group of starting pitchers with a new opportunity to not stink. But what if they do stink? Who will step into the stinky void and stink or not stink on their own? That, in summation, is the subject of this podcast. Matt Kory and Marc Normandin discuss Boston's rotation and the guys who will be expected to not stink, the sixth, seventh, and eighth starting pitchers. They analyze the chances of who will be called up first, and whether this depth will be enough to allow Boston to reach the trade deadline. It's an informative, interesting, and relatively speedy 84th Over The Monster Podcast!

Spring Training is off and running and so are we, the OTM Podcast guys. The Yankees have had a bad run of things injury-wise and we get into that. What kind of effect will the injuries have on the Yankees chances to compete this season and what will that in turn mean for the Red Sox? Most of each of those questions are addressed. Then we turn our attention to some of the brighter lights this spring. Outfield prospect Jackie Bradley has been turning heads with his fielding as well as his hitting. We discuss whether that has changed his timetable for reaching the majors. Then we look at Xander Bogaerts and discuss when we might see him in Boston and where on the diamond that will be. Finally, we look at Jose Iglesias and his off-season. With Bogaerts shooting up people's charts, where does Iglesias fit in? It's all here, it's mostly interesting, it's the OTM Podcast!

This is the final podcast in the 2013 American League East Preview series. During the last four podcasts, we've previewed the Yankees, Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays. This podcast is devoted to assessing those teams from a Red Sox perspective, and looking at the Red Sox themselves and where they fit into the complex rubric that is the 2013 AL East division. Marc Normandin re-joins Matt Kory to do this.

If there's a sleeper team in the AL East it's probably the Rays. This despite winning 90 games last season and just missing the playoffs behind the surprising Orioles. This despite making a big trade for highly regarded prospect Wil Myers, even though it cost them starting pitcher James Shields. Actually, maybe that's part of the reason people aren't looking at the Rays as a potential leader in the East. Matt Kory talks to Tommy Rancel of ESPN's Sweetspot and The Process Report about the Rays, his impressions of last season, Tampa's exciting off-season, and their prospects for this coming 2013 season.

If there's a team coming off a stranger season in all of pro sports, well, we'd be surprised. That's because there isn't. The Baltimore Orioles were expected to end up basement-bound yet again in 2012, but instead, they made the playoffs, beat Texas in the play-in game, and took the Yankees to the last game of the Division Series. It was a shocking season and nobody was more shocked than our guest, Jonathan Bernhardt, avowed Orioles fan and writer for Sports on Earth. Jonathan joins us to look back at the 2012 season, take in the Orioles off-season (they didn't do much) and see what it all means for the 2013 season. It's all part of Over The Monster's AL East Preview series, it's all fun, educational, and probably will give you cancer. All the more reason to listen to the 80th Over The Monster Podcast!

Perhaps the most interesting team this entire off-season in any league is the Toronto Blue Jays. After another disappointing season, the Jays spent the off-season remaking their entire roster, from the lineup, to the defense, to the starting rotation. With expectations as high as they've ever been, Matt Kory talks to Dustin Parkes of The Score and Editor in Chief of the new Fanatico blog about the Jays, and what we can expect from their new roster this season. As always, Mr. Parkes is knowledgeable and brings a slightly different viewpoint than you might find from the more typical Toronto baseball fan. It's an educational, fun, and worthy 79th episode of the Over The Monster Podcast!

Each year before Spring Training here at the Over The Monster Podcast we spend a couple weeks looking at the Red Sox most direct of competition. That means looking at each team in the American League East. This year we're starting off with last year's division winner, the New York Yankees. After seeming decades of staving it off, age may finally be catching up with the Bronx Bombers. Matt Kory talks to Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated and Baseball Prospectus about his impressions of the team, their catching situation, the return of Derek Jeter from injury, and the strength of the team which looks to be their starting pitching.

Somehow, maybe because of the Christmas season, maybe because of Hanukkah, maybe because of Kwanzaa, or maybe even because we just plain forgot, we at the OTM Podcast never got around to discussing the Red Sox acquisition of reliever Joel Hanrahan from the Pirates. In this, the 77th Over The Monster Podcast Marc Normandin and Matt Kory finally get around to rectifying that oversight. They also discuss Boston's glut of minor leaguers and the ramifications for holding on to such, and the Red Sox catching situation both in the immediate and far flung future. It's a hollering good time on this, the 77th Over The Monster Podcast!

Matt and Marc return for their first show of 2013. The topics are predictions, though not predictions by the hosts, instead they look at some predictions made by members of the Boston media and decide whether or not they agree. Then they look at a piece by Matt published on Wednesday on Over The Monster which tried to determine how much it would cost should the Red Sox trade for Miami Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton. It's a fun and episode of the Over The Monster Podcast!

It's the holidays and Matt and Marc are celebrating the gift of Stephen Drew, shortstop non-sucking division. Drew's signing with Boston alleviates the last big hole on the team and we explain why/how/what/if/yes. We further discuss what Drew's signing means for Jose Iglesias and his future with the Boston organization. Then we get into some bigger issues: namely, are the Red Sox finished? Marc says maybe. Matt says probably! It's a fun, fabulous and fantastic 75th Over The Monster Podcast!

The 74th Over The Monster Podcast features Matthew Kory and Marc Normandin discussing the Red Sox off-season. Specifically the search for a starting pitcher, the potential (both on-field and in a trade) of Jacoby Ellsbury, and the amount of meat in our heads (hint: a lot!). It's a riveting, shocking, and altogether baseballing 74th OTM Podcast!

The Red Sox have been active over the Winter Meetings signing catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli and outfielder Shane Victorino. Marc Normandin and Matt Kory look at how the new players fit into the Red Sox roster, what their contracts mean for the future of the team, and what will be expected of them during their time in Boston. Also we look at what the signings mean for the Red Sox off-season and what it indicates about the direction of the franchise. It's all here, it's all wonderful, it's all podcasty. It's the 73rd Over The Monster Podcast!

In this episode, Matt Kory and Marc Normandin look at the recent top 10 Red Sox prospects list published by Baseball Prospectus. We examine the prospects on the list, compare it to other lists, and discuss the state of the Sox system in general. It's a prospect-heavy 72nd Episode of The Over The Monster Podcast

Free agency is just beginning and the Red Sox are, in their words, performing some mad due diligence. OK, that wasn't in their words. It was my words. Fine. Hope you're happy. The due diligence part is true though and as such there hasn't been much in the way of action from the home town team. That's fine though because there has been action elsewhere. Miami and Boston's AL East foe Toronto in specific. In this, the 71st Over The Monster Podcast, Matt Kory and Marc Normandin discuss the big trade that sent lots of talent north of the border. They also look at the one small move the Red Sox have made so far - signing back-up catcher David Ross - and provide some analysis. They further look forward into the smokey future of free agency to see what the Red Sox might be working on. It's all here, it's all pertinent, it's all podcasty awesomeness on this 71st OTM Podcast!

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