Let's go right to the links.
- Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw were named the AL and NL MVPs. Cliff Corcoran explains that the voters got it right.
- David Schoenfield agrees that they were the right choices, and adds the irony that Trout wins his first MVP in his worst season in the majors.
- Kershaw says he was "blown away" by winning the MVP in addition to the Cy Young Award.
- Mark Townsend has "10 incredible facts" about Kershaw's incredible 2014 season.
- Grant Brisbee thinks that Trout is "merely incredible" these days. He was better than that before.
- The American League Cy Young Award went to Corey Kluber. AJ Casavell writes that Kluber's win was a win for advanced pitching metrics.
- Rob Neyer wrote this before the winner was announced and he wrongly assumed that Felix Hernandez would win. But he also makes the case that Kluber should be the AL Cy Young winner.
- Ken Rosenthal explains why he voted for Kluber over Hernandez. It was very close, in his mind.
- Kluber took the announcement in stride and said that he'd probably celebrate by "giving his daughters a bath."
- King Felix was disappointed to not win the award and says it will serve as motivation to work even harder.
- Jerry Crasnick has eight questions to be answered this offseason.
- Anthony Castrovince has five blockbuster trades that make sense. One involves the Cubs. Some of them actually do make sense. I think the Cubs could get more for Starlin Castro, though.
- The Tigers were active in the Hot Stove League. First, they re-signed Victor Martinez to a four-year, $68 million deal.
- Steven Goldman notes that Martinez has a very unusual set of baseball skills and thinks the move makes sense for the Tigers because "you can't take it with you."
- Then the Tigers traded their number one prospect, second baseman Devon Travis, to the Blue Jays for Anthony Gose.
- Anthony Fenech thinks it was a solid deal for the Tigers that solidifies their outfield.
- David Schoenfield thinks both moves were smart ones for Detroit.
- Bob Nightengale writes that Cole Hamels wants out of Philadelphia, but knows he can't ask for a trade and that it will be tough for the Phillies to put together a deal.
- The Yankees traded catcher Francisco Cervelli to the Pirates for reliever Justin Wilson.
- That the Pirates wanted Cervelli shows how much they value pitch-framing, writes Jeff Sullivan.
- The Pirates insist that the deal does not mean that they are out on Russell Martin, but the odds of the team re-signing their catcher got longer with reports that the Dodgers are now very interested in bringing Martin back to LA.
- The Marlins are giving it their best shot to re-sign Giancarlo Stanton. The two sides are reportedly discussing a ten-year, $300 million deal for the outfielder, which would be the richest contract in all of sports.
- The Yankees and Blue Jays have called the Angels about Howie Kendrick, but the Angels may decide to keep Kendrick after all.
- The Yankees need a shortstop but are unlikely to make a deal with the Rangers for Elvis Andrus. (Wait. Derek Jeter retired? Why didn't anyone tell me?)
- The Astros are interested in signing a free agent closer.
- One of the pitchers that the Astros are interested in is David Robertson, who is reportedly looking for "Papelbon money." Is that anything like bitcoins, only with Jonathan Papelbon's digital image attached?
- Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas will sign with a team soon. Maybe even by the time you read this. The Phillies and the Padres are the favorites.
- The Padres $2 million bid for Korean pitcher Kwang-Hyun Kim was accepted after all.
- You should read about Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada, whom the Cubs are reportedly interested in but they have no chance of signing if he signs before July 2. But apparently, Moncada was given permission to leave Cuba by the Cuban government and retains his Cuban passport. The details on this are still pretty sketchy.
- Everyone thinks it's between the Cubs and the Red Sox to sign Jon Lester, but Ken Rosenthal says you shouldn't dismiss the possibility of the Braves as a dark horse to sign Lester.
- Working against this suggestion is the report that the Braves are planning to start a rebuilding effort with an eye towards 2017 and the new stadium.
- Rosenthal also writes that the Jordan Zimmermann-to-the-Cubs rumor made no sense. Take that, Gordo.
- Dave Cameron thinks that with the Braves, Marlins and Phillies in rebuilding mode, maybe the Mets signing Michael Cuddyer makes sense after all.
- Mets pitcher Jon Niese reportedly clashed with manager Terry Collins.
- Craig Calcaterra writes that the Mets just can't help trashing players before they trade them. Silly Mets. You wait until after you deal them to anonymously slam them in the press like the Red Sox do.
- Barry Zito wants to make a comeback.
- Nick Markakis and the Orioles are closing in on a four-year deal to keep the outfielder in Baltimore.
- The Nationals offered Ian Desmond a seven-year, $107 million extension last winter, which he turned down.
- The Nats may also ask Danny Espinosa to stop switch-hitting.
- The Japan All-Star Series continues and three Royals are still playing out of their love of the game, writes JP Morosi. I guess Erik Kratz is just hoping to get into a game for once.
- Steven Goldman asks are they trying to kill Salvador Perez? Not since Randy Hundley has anyone caught so many games in a season and with the Japan series, Perez could pass Hundley. But he thinks it may not make a difference in the short-term, at least.
- Russell Carleton looks at reasons why scoring in baseball is down since 2000.
- Scott Boras wants to play the World Series at a neutral site. Craig Calcaterra thinks that's a stupid idea.
- So does Dayn Perry.
- Reports out of the Dominican Republic indicate that Oscar Taveras had a blood-alcohol level five times the legal limit when he died in a car accident last month.
- Baseball has set up a website called "Pitch Smart," designed to set guidelines for youth pitchers.
- Curt Schilling decided to spend one evening on Twitter denying evolution.
- And finally, a couple of minor league mascots decided to show off their assets. Kind of NSFW.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.