Happy New Year! Stay safe tonight and use a designated driver. Or even better, do what I do and stay home and celebrate. Of course, I'm boring but maybe you are too.
- As we ring out 2015, Jayson Stark has his annual roundup of the strangest events in baseball in the 2014 regular season.
- And then he does the same with the strangest happenings in the 2014 postseason.
- Next is what I find the most interesting article of the week, even if it's purely speculative. Neil DeMause wonders, instead of building expensive stadiums for professional sports teams, why don't cities just buy the team themselves? A few minor league teams are municipally owned. Of course, the answer is that the leagues won't permit a sale to a local governments, but DeMause suggests using the powers of eminent domain to take control of the teams.
- Craig Calcaterra loves the idea of sports teams owned as a public good like museums and zoos, but finds the legal justifications for using eminent domain to be weak. DeMause actually responds to Calcaterra in an update to this article.
- And in a tangentially-related point about taking legal action against MLB, it now looks like the Padres and not the Orioles will host the 2016 All-Star Game. If you remember, the Orioles sued MLB over the value of Nationals broadcast rights and it seems likely that that is the reason that Baltimore won't host.
- The Padres go for the "Twelve Trades of Christmas" and send outfielder Seth Smith to the Mariners for reliever Brandon Maurer.
- Rob Neyer thinks that Smith fills a big need for the Mariners.
- Christina Kahrl thinks that the Padres are likely to end up the big winners of this deal.
- To give a third point of view on the deal, Mike Axisa calls the deal "boringly fair" to both sides.
- But Padres GM A.J. Preller wasn't finished, of course, as the Friars got reliever Shawn Kelley from the Yankees for a minor league pitcher.
- Christina Kahrl says she really [italics hers] likes the Kelley trade for the Padres and that she expects San Diego to be a playoff contender in 2015.
- Mike Axisa says this continues the Yankees trend of dumping salary this offseason. Now the interesting question is why are the Yankees, of all teams, dumping salary?
- Ken Rosenthal says that rumors to the contrary, the Padres are highly unlikely to trade Wil Myers this winter.
- The Rays signed infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to a one-year, $8 million deal.
- Christina Kahrl (who seems to be on the transaction beat once again) thinks the Cabrera signing may be a prelude to a Ben Zobrist deal.
- Rob Arthur does some analysis of what the Padres and the White Sox did this offseason in trying to build an instant competitor and what the teams may try to do after the 2015 season to avoid a long-term crash.
- The Phillies were close to a deal that would have sent Marlon Byrd to the Reds, but the deal fell apart.
- Stephen Drew is looking for a one-year deal for $9 to $10 million. So am I, Stephen. So am I.
- The Dodgers are expected to sign reliever Sergio Santos to a minor league deal.
- The Orioles are talking to Colby Rasmus.
- Grant Brisbee is convinced the Giants will trade for Shane Victorino. Man, for a fanbase that has won three World Series in the past five years, Giants fans are a cynical bunch. At least Brisbee admits his cynicism is unwarranted.
- Speaking of the Giants, Madison Bumgarner is the AP Male Athlete of the Year.
- Ozzie Guillen wants to manage again. Oh please, please, please. He's a solid manager but even better, he's one of the most entertaining figures in the game. Just keep him far away from the Cubs, thank you very much.
- A look at Trevor Bauer's extensive off-season training methods. Unlike the Diamondbacks, the Indians don't have a problem with Bauer trying to improve himself.
- CC Sabathia reportedly "freaked out" when he missed his plane to Jamaica. Apparently he later calmed down and was put on a later flight. Honestly, I have trouble blaming anyone who "freaks out" in an airport these days.
- This is why I don't care about the Hall of Fame anymore.
- And finally, on the 79th birthday, a look back at the career of Sandy Koufax. . .on television. He gave up an inside-the-park home run to a horse?