MLB Bullets Is Headed To Parts Unknown

Happy first Monday of the year, everyone.

• Paul White looks ahead at the baseball stories we're likely to be following over the next several weeks.
• One of those stories concerns where James Shields might end up. Jon Paul Morosi says "your guess is as good as mine."
• The Giants, one loser of the Jon Lester Sweepstakes, are reportedly not interested in Shields, nor in Max Scherzer as well.
• Reportedly the other Lester loser, the Red Sox, haven't had any serious discussions with Shields either.
• One report has the Marlins at least talking to Shields. Although since all of this is coming from Jim Bowden, Morosi's characterization seem to be the best bet. No one knows.
• The Marlins may be looking at Shields because Dan Haren has told them he won't pitch for them. Haren reiterated his stance that unless he is traded to a West Coast team, he'll retire. (Note: the Marlins get $10 million from the Dodgers for Haren's salary whether he pitches for them or not. So that might be money that could be spent on Shields)
• In an ESPN Insider story, Buster Olney examines the chances of all 30 teams to sign Max Scherzer. His guess? Scherzer ends up back in Detroit.
• While the Yankees haven't picked up a pitcher this winter, Ken Rosenthal says that they finally have the prospects to swing a deal for someone like Cole Hamels. (He's not predicting that they will, just that they could.)
• The Orioles and Dodgers have discussed a trade that would send Andre Ethier to Baltimore.
• CJ Nitkowski discusses how Orioles closer Zach Britton learned his dominating two-seam fastball by mistake.
• The Royals signed Ryan Madson to a minor-league deal.
• Lewie Pollis explains why it should have been predictable that new Padres GM AJ Preller would be aggressive this offseason. Maybe. Maybe not this aggressive though.
• Jeff Sullivan writes about what kind of pitcher the Padres can expect out of Brandon Maurer.
• David Golebiewski believes that the Mariners have put together an nice outfield platoon between Seth Smith (whom they acquired for Maurer) and Justin Ruggiano.
• Former Orioles and Indians GM Hank Peters has died. (H/T Hardball Talk)
• Tracy Ringolsby looks back at the life of the recently-departed Mariners scout Bill Kearns and his 66 years in baseball.
• Also leaving us in the last week is former New York governor Mario Cuomo. Milb.com reposted their 2007 article about Cuomo's short career in the minor leagues and the beaning that ended it.
• One of the biggest offseason stories this year has been Cuba. Paul Casella talks about the high-risk, high-reward opportunity that second baseman Hector Olivera offers major league teams.
• The Times of Israel has a profile of Jewish-Canadian Kit Krieger, who runs baseball-oriented tours of the island and has worked to preserve baseball history in Cuba.
• Rangers broadcaster Eric Nadel has also been to Cuba and he gives his impression of what baseball is like in Cuba today.
• In the shadow of Chin-hui Tsao's possible return to MLB, Jorge Arangure Jr. explains why match-fixing is such a huge problem in Taiwanese baseball.
• Expos fans are continuing to push for baseball's return to Montreal.
• We're getting some more details on Dan Uggla's concussion problems, which likely contributed to his miserable play over the past two seasons.
• Rob Neyer wonders if we'll ever see a hitter like Tony Gwynn ever again.
• MLB is "highly unlikely" to adopt a pitch clock for 2015, says Jon Paul Morosi.
• And finally, a Reds fan vacationing in Florida was missing baseball so much this winter, he built Great American Ball Park out of sand. (H/T Big League Stew)