MLB Bullets Is Moving On

It hasn't been a good weekend for college basketball, if you ask me. It's all right though. Sports are just a game and they're supposed to be fun, win or lose. Except when it comes to baseball. That's life or death, man.

• In a trade that sent shock waves around the internet yesterday, the Yankees agreed to take Vernon Wells off of the Angels hands. The Angels are reportedly sending $29 million to the Yankees in the deal, but that still puts the Yankees on the hook for paying $13 million to someone who has essentially been a replacement-level outfielder the past two seasons. This move has the ghost of George Steinbrenner written all over it.
• SI.com writer Jay Jaffe thinks the Yankees acquisition of Vernon Wells has the strong odor of desperation to it. As the Twitter parody account "Not Buster Olney" wrote: "The Yankees have several outfielders who could do a decent job, but they don't fit the club's profile of 'old and overpaid' like Wells does." I wish I have saved the link of whomever originally wrote this, but the Yankees' answer to the problem of being old and injury-prone is to get Vernon Wells.
• The WBC is responsible for paying the salaries of all players hurt during the tournament. There's no truth to the rumor that before the trade, the Angels had sent in application for Brazilian citizenship for Vernon Wells.
• Following up on last Wednesday's bullets, the NFL and MLB were unable to come to an agreement in Baltimore, so the Ravens will start the season on the road. The Orioles intransigence ruins a hallowed NFL tradition that dates back all the way to 2004.
• In a less-desperate Yankees move, they signed Chien-Ming Wang to a minor league contract.
• Daniel Hudson's new baseball card from the Topps Heritage Collection is a picture from the day he blew out his UCL. His happiness over this seems a touch sarcastic.
• Virgil Trucks, the winning pitcher for the Tigers in game two of the 1945 World Series against the Cubs, has died at the age of 95. Trucks only pitched one game in the regular season in 1945 because of his military service, but he returned make two starts in the Series, winning one. He later threw two no-hitters in the 1952 season. Trucks was the oldest-living Tiger and the eighth oldest-living major leaguer.
• Ken Rosenthal thinks the Twins would be foolish to fire Ron Gardenhire, no matter how the team finishes this season. He thinks it would be especially silly considering how loyal the Twins have traditionally been to their employees. The Twins have only had two managers since 1986.
• Rays owner Stuart Sternberg hates the DH, both as a fan and as an owner. Hey Stuart! You're not helping Al's argument in favor of the DH!
• Reds third base coach Mark Berry announced that he was diagnosed with cancer. He vows to beat it and plans to keep working as long as he is able.
• Danny Knobler feels that the 2013 Astros season is another new school/old school battle. Many "old school" people don't like the changes the Astros have made, while many "new school" writers feel they are building a foundation that will make them very good in 2016 or so. He feels both sides have a rooting interest in how bad they will be this year.
• Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post thinks that the Dodgers are building something similar to the 2012 Marlins disaster. He admits there are some differences that will keep the Dodgers from being that bad. For example, Don Mattingly is unlikely to profess his love and admiration for Ho Chi Minh. But he feels the situation feels quite familiar.
• Is it time to get worried about Roy Halladay yet?
• Daniel Bard is struggling this spring and is not assured of a roster spot with the Red Sox.
• Dunedin, Florida is worried that the Blue Jays are looking for a new spring training home.
• The Mets aren't sure when Johan Santana is going to be ready to pitch, if ever.
• Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Eaton is going to be out for first two months. He went to get a second opinion, hoping it was the other Adam Eaton who actually had the sore elbow, but no luck.
• Jack Weiland of the Hardball Times explains why he was wrong about Jeff Samardzija.

The Iowa Men's basketball team beat Stony Brook in the second round of the NIT.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.