Effectively Wild Episode 2419: "TJ and TK in Triple-A"
Podcast: Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast
Host: Ben Lindbergh
Date: December 26, 2025
Guests: Declan Cronin (Texas Rangers AAA pitcher), Duncan Davitt (Chicago White Sox AAA pitcher & sportswriter)
Overview
This episode’s central theme is a dual check-in with two right-handed pitchers who reached Triple-A in the 2025 season: Declan Cronin, a veteran of previous EW appearances who underwent a harrowing Tommy John year and subsequent release/transition, and Duncan Davitt, a minor league starter and local sportswriter on the cusp of a potential MLB debut. Ben explores both the professional and personal sides of their years, digging into injury setbacks, the grind of AAA, relationships, and their unusual second jobs (for Davitt, literally playing and covering sports at the same time). The hour moves thoughtfully between the realities of injuries, team transactions, off-field adjustments, and the enduring optimism and curiosity that drive baseball lifers.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Personal Milestones & "The Baseball Wedding Offseason"
- Both guests recently married; Ben opens by reflecting on scheduling difficulties for ballplayers getting married in the winter.
- Declan discusses the challenge of planning around both his and his now-wife Paige Monahan’s pro sports careers, as she plays in the NWSL.
- Quote (Cronin, 12:03):
"Just someone who understands…there's a limited window for a career and there's certain sacrifices you need to make during those years...it’s been a huge benefit to have someone who gets that."
- Quote (Cronin, 12:03):
- Amusing anecdotes about wedding registries and accidental fan merch: Ben finds an oddly specific shirt ("Just a Girl Who Loves Declan Cronin"), which Cronin discovers live on air.
- [06:50]:
B: "Wow. Well, you just did my Christmas shopping for me..."
- [06:50]:
2. Declan Cronin: The Ordeal of Injury and the Business of Baseball
Chronological Breakdown:
- 2023: MLB debut with White Sox; 2024: Solid year with Marlins (Team's Rookie of the Year, 0 HR allowed for months)
- 2025:
- [16:09] Suffers rare deep hip injury in spring, after trying a new water bag drill:
B: "Just straining, and these are really delicate little muscles...even the first doctor had to look up what they were."
- Rushes back, rehab goes poorly, develops bad mechanical habits, and eventually tears his UCL (Tommy John needed).
- [26:41]:
"It was one pitch...I immediately knew, matching it to all the descriptors I’d heard...I felt the space in my elbow expand at ball release."
- [26:41]:
- Talks candidly about the pressure to return, cascading injuries, and the difficulty athletes have pulling the plug early on "minor" injuries.
- [29:11]:
"You almost want to just get it over with and get back out there. There are a lot of incentives, and most are aligned. They want you back, you want to be back—timelines just don't always match."
- [29:11]:
- [16:09] Suffers rare deep hip injury in spring, after trying a new water bag drill:
Marlins Release
- Team unexpectedly releases him just before surgery, rather than keeping him on the 40-man/injured list.
- [36:48]:
"Yes, it was very surprising...nothing I'd ever seen before, but you check the rulebook—they're allowed to do it. Power to them."
- [36:48]:
- Ben probes—does this open up service time/financial issues?
- [40:00]:
B: "Yeah, so I would have gotten, yeah, a full year of service time next year."
- Cronin maintains perspective:
"They thought it was right for the baseball club...I can be pretty dispassionate about this stuff."
- [40:00]:
Rangers Signing
- Texas Rangers quickly sign him to a rare two-year minor league deal post-surgery, influenced by new manager Skip Schumaker (his 2024 Marlins manager).
- [44:28]:
"I’d play for Skip any day...they were the quickest to get us something in writing."
- The contract structure means Texas is invested in his rehab and potential 2027 return.
- [44:28]:
TJ Surgery & Recovery
- Details on surgery (UCL replacement plus internal brace; graft from knee more painful than elbow!), prehab, and the experience of community among TJs.
- [47:02]:
"To me, it was unlike anything I'd ever done before...my arm felt great afterward, it was my leg that was killing me."
- [47:02]:
The Ongoing UCL Epidemic
- Reflects with Ben on the incentives that create "max effort" flaws in pitcher development—velocity is king, even at significant risk.
- [52:58]:
"If you gave me a choice between throwing 89, never getting hurt, or the career arc I've had now...you have to think about it from that standpoint, right? The alternative is being out of baseball."
- Ben notes structural changes (e.g., reducing number of pitchers on rosters) have complex, perhaps counterproductive incentives.
- [52:58]:
Personal Adaptation & Future
- Cronin plans to approach rehab as a blank slate, open to overhauling his delivery and pitch mix in consultation with Texas staff.
- [63:04]:
"I want to treat myself as close to a blank slate as possible...I’d be surprised if my repertoire and delivery look exactly the same."
- [63:04]:
Notable Moments/Quotes:
- [24:32]: Ben on "cascade injuries":
> "It's often called a cascade injury...you compensate, maybe even without being aware of it, and then that places more strain." - [55:27]: Cronin’s realism
> "It's much rarer to see the guy that has a long career who hasn't gone under the knife at some point."
3. Duncan Davitt: Playing at AAA, Writing for the Local Paper
Sportswriting Side Hustle
- In the offseasons, Davitt reports and writes for the Indianola Independent Advocate (his parents own/run the paper). Initially took it on at their request, now relishes helping cover high school sports.
- [68:25]:
"I started just covering high school football games...at first just needed the extra cash, but I actually enjoy it now."
- [68:25]:
- Writes a weekly column ("Call to the Bullpen"): both a diary and a way to give young athletes local exposure he remembers cherishing as a player.
- [70:20]:
"People around town really enjoy it, and it acts as a sort of diary for me..."
- [70:20]:
Local News, Family, and Community
- Describes the challenges and rewards of independent local journalism in an era of media contraction.
- Offers the local perspective as both a subject and provider of coverage ("you get to give that to high schoolers now").
- Discusses the economic realities—minor league pay is up since the union, but off-season jobs like his remain common—
- [79:58]:
"Most guys probably have something—school, coaching, lessons. It's less pressing than it used to be, but if you were an 18th-round pick like me, it matters..."
- [79:58]:
Baseball Career and Mindset
- 2025: Emerged as a durable AAA starter after beginning as a reliever/swingman. Added to the White Sox 40-man roster right after his wedding.
- [88:14]:
"It was really just luck...a guy got hurt and I was next up...the routine made a huge difference for me."
- [88:14]:
- Self-description as a pitcher (low-slot, lots of deception, multiple breaking balls), with references to emulating Brian Wu, Max Scherzer, and modeling himself after low-slot big-leaguers.
- Discusses readiness for modern pitching workloads:
- [95:24]:
"You maybe lose some fun stories, like 'he went nine,' but the goal is to win games. So you use your first three starters, get it to your bullpen...the workload isn't necessarily changing, it's just more focus on intensity over volume."
- [95:24]:
Blend of Analytics Savvy and Old-School Realism
- Comfortable talking pitch metrics and the science of why deception works; also values direct feedback from hitters.
- Ben notes how writing/reporting on the side gives him unusually mature perspective for a player.
Media & Life as a Modern Player
- Hasn’t been subject to the online abuse now aimed at MLB players (often from sports bettors), but is mindful of the risks if he makes the majors.
- On the "nepo baby" question: acknowledges parental leg up but notes the realities of small, locally-owned newspapers.
Fun & Unique Bits
- On cups for pitchers ([104:12]):
"Exceedingly rare. I don't think I've been on a team with a pitcher who wears one."
- On Iowa’s infamous blackout situation—lack of access to MLB games, and the state’s complicated feelings about Field of Dreams ([81:54], [83:28]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
- [07:00] Declan on fan merch:
"Everybody's getting one of those this year..."
- [25:06] Cronin on rare injuries:
"Even the specialist said he’d only seen it in a couple hockey players...there’s no return to play plan for that."
- [38:41] Cronin on rare releases:
"Most organizations don’t operate that way, but you know, check the rulebook—they’re allowed to do it."
- [52:58] Cronin on why pitchers chase velocity regardless of injury risk:
"You don't need Tommy John if you're not playing baseball."
- [70:55] Davitt on his writing:
"It's something fun to do, not just a job...you get to give that to high school students."
- [91:20] Davitt on his pitching deception:
"When I throw, people have told me it looks like you're gonna throw from a pretty normal slot, and then all of a sudden it's coming out of your armpit."
- [104:12] Davitt on cups for pitchers:
"Exceedingly rare. I don't know if I know any, any pitchers that wear one."
- [97:49] Davitt on the "call to the big leagues":
"There's only so much you can control with that stuff...you play better, and you make the team make the decision."
- [95:24] Davitt on pitcher workloads:
"You lose some of the fun, like 'he went nine'...but your goal is to win as many games as possible."
Important Segments (Timestamps for Major Themes)
| Time | Segment | |----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:08-13:07 | Introductions, wedding stories, balancing pro athletes’ schedules | | 16:09-57:24 | Declan Cronin: injury ordeal, Marlins release, Rangers signing, surgery & rehab, thoughts on UCL crisis, future plans | | 57:40-63:04 | Cronin on adjusting approach, new pitch development during recovery| | 66:23-110:31 | Duncan Davitt: dual careers, reasons for sportswriting, local journalism, pitching journey, analytics, and prospect life | | 104:09-105:45 | Cup-wearing in pro baseball (fun, unique listener question) | | After 110:31 | Host closes with thoughts on AAA-to-MLB performance gap and baseball on TV, citing listener questions and broadening the context |
Tone & Style
- Conversational, often light-hearted, yet deeply candid and unflinching regarding the business and medical realities of professional baseball.
- Ben’s style: curious, empathetic, detail-driven, wryly self-deprecating.
- Cronin: analytical, stoic, pragmatic, yet warm.
- Davitt: humble, thoughtful, slightly bemused by his odd dual career.
Takeaways for New Listeners
- The episode provides a ground-level, unvarnished look at the volatility and grind of a AAA pitcher’s life—from major league dreams to rehabs, off-field jobs, and the economics of baseball.
- It’s also a snapshot of how community and curiosity outside the game can shape and sustain players, as in Davitt’s second act as a hyper-local sportswriter.
- Both guests display optimism and realism, offering rare insight into the actual player experience behind the numbers: the injuries, the business moves, how to stay visible on and off the field, and what it means to chase the big leagues in today’s game.
This summary aims to provide a detailed roadmap and flavor of the conversation, so even listeners who missed the episode can engage with the main topics, stories, and personalities discussed.