We're off to a fast start to the Hot Stove League with one free agent signing and one blockbuster deal shot down as a totally bogus rumor started by a bored sportswriter.
- The Mets made the first move of the winter by signing Michael Cuddyer to a two-year, $21 million deal.
- Phil Rogers thinks this bold move means the Mets are "all-in" for 2015.
- David Schoenfield tries to make sense of the move and says that there is some logic in the Mets signing Cuddyer.
- CJ Nitkowski thinks that the Mets overpaid, but he likes the risky, bold move.
- Had the Mets not made Cuddyer the offer, he would have accepted the Rockies qualifying offer.
- One reason Cuddyer accepted the Mets offer was that he wanted to play on the East Coast.
- Ken Davidoff expects Cuddyer to be a team leader in the clubhouse and points out that David Wright (as well as the Upton Brothers) idolized the older Cuddyer as they grew up in Chesapeake, VA.
- Mike Bates looks at which free agents are most likely to regret turning down a qualifying offer. Certainly not Cuddyer.
- Dave Cameron has a list of free agents that teams are most likely going to regret signing.
- At least one anonymous baseball executive thinks the Red Sox are going to sign Jon Lester. Although it does seem weird that now they would give him six years and $120 million when four months ago they wouldn't go past four and $70 million.
- Another report out of Boston says the Red Sox are "all-in" on free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
- That is, if the White Sox don't sign him first. Somehow, Panda is not going to have to worry about hosiery for the next several years.
- Dave Cameron thinks it makes perfect sense for a team to "overpay" for Sandoval by giving him a six-year deal.
- Rob Neyer responds to Cameron by saying, "Yeah, but . . ." and saying that while Cameron's math makes sense, his reading of team psychology is off.
- The Mariners might make a splash in free agency again this year. They're looking at Victor Martinez and Hanley Ramirez.
- Tom Verducci thinks the free agent market will reflect the diminished importance of starting pitching in today's game. I think he's crazy.
- One rival team executive says that the Phillies are trying to blow their team up and trade everybody.
- Teams are calling the Braves and asking about Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis. The Braves are listening.
- The Braves are especially interested in moving Gattis.
- If the Rangers decide to move Elvis Andrus, David Schoenfield has five teams that might be interested in making a deal.
- A look at the next big Cuban star, Yasmani Tomas. Learn to know him now and avoid the rush later.
- Although they declined his option, the Padres still want to re-sign Josh Johnson.
- The Padres won the posting bid for Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-Hyun. However, the $2 million bid is likely not enough to convince his Korean team to part with him.
- Joe Girardi is ready to welcome Alex Rodriguez back to the Yankees. Like he has a choice.
- Richard Justice writes that the Astros are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow thinks Mark Appel could pitch for the team this upcoming season.
- Jose Abreu and Jacob DeGrom won their respective league's Rookie of the Year Awards. Jim Callis looks at the careers of recent past ROY winners. Hey! A Chris Coghlan sighting!
- Buck Showalter and Matt Williams won the Manager of the Year Awards. It's the third win for Showalter, who has won it in every year that ends in a "4."
- Bob Nightengale writes about how crowded major league front offices are getting. There are lots of people with lots of titles.
- David Schoenfield thinks there might be too many people in the Dodgers front office. It's not really clear right now who is in charge and who has the authority to make decisions.
- Maury Brown thinks the combination of money and smarts make the Dodgers the most dangerous team in baseball. I don't know. It's not like Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office have been troglodytes for the past 15 years. And they've won one title.
- Steve Dilbeck uses the occasion of Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi to take more shots at the "nerds" and "geeks" in baseball. And like all bullies, he couches it in "can't you take a joke?"
- Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart wants Archie Bradley to get more seasoning in Triple-A. I'd say he needs right until the Super-Two deadline passes, right Dave?
- There's a chance that the Rays, maybe, possibly, might be allowed to talk to Hillsborough County about a new stadium. Better than nothing, I guess. But not much.
- There is at least some movement in putting together a group to bring baseball back to Montreal.
- Former Cubs manager Jim Riggleman is the new Reds third base coach. The longest-serving Cubs manager since Leo Durocher.
- Brian McCann is going to change his approach at the plate this season after a disappointing 2014.
- Jeff Sullivan looks at why Billy Hamilton wasn't more successful at stealing bases.
- Eno Sarris looks at whether some hitters really can intentionally foul off pitches at the plate with two strikes on them.
- CJ Nitkowski looks at some positives for the Rays in losing Joe Maddon.
- Grant Brisbee reviews the new Minnesota Twins uniform.
- Jake Peavy's son revealed that Jake was going to buy a cable car if the Giants won the World Series. He plans to turn it into a mobile bar.
- And finally, in a recent interview with Bob Costas, Ichiro Suzuki once again answers what his favorite American saying is. I'll have to look that one up in my Dictionary of American Colloquialisms.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.