MLB Bullets Will Meet You In St. Louis

I still haven't taken my Christmas decorations down. I guess it really can be the Christmas season all year long.

• The big rumor that affects everyone in the NL Central comes from Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports (it took two top reporters to write this story) that the Cardinals are looking to add an impact starting pitcher.The options are Cole Hamels, who will cost a lot in terms of players but is under team control for four seasons; David Price, who won't command as much in trade value but is a free agent at the end of the season; or Max Scherzer, who would only cost a draft pick but is asking for a huge salary. Morosi and Rosenthal add that no deal is close at the moment.
• Bernie Miklasz writes that the Cardinals are worried about two things: the depth of their starting rotation and the Chicago Cubs. The Cubbies are coming, tra-la-la-la. (h/t MLB Trade Rumors)
• This is scary. Yankees pitching prospect Ty Hensley was assaulted and had his jaw broken over the holidays. Former Carolina Panthers training camp player Anthony Morales has been charged with assault. All because Hensley wouldn't tell him what his signing bonus was. Morales has apparently never heard of the internet. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth will have right shoulder surgery. He's expected to be back by opening day.
• Matt Snyder thinks that the uncertainty about Werth means that the Nats should trade for Ben Zobrist.
• Ken Rosenthal agrees that Washington should pursue Zobrist but he wrote this column even before the news about Werth broke.
• The Reds have made "no recent progress" in trying to sign Johnny Cueto to a long-term extension. He's another elite pitcher who looks to hit a crowded free agent market after the 2015 season.
• There was actually a trade between the Angels and the Braves, with the Angels sending their number two prospect to Atlanta for the Braves' number ten prospect and a reliever. Sounds bad for the Angels, but Los Angeles has a weak farm system at the moment.
• The Padres introduced their new players at a press conference at Petco Park. Justin Upton said to Petco Park "You don't scare me."
• AJ Cassavell lists ten "sneaky-good" pickups that teams made this winter. There's one Cubs acquisition on the list and one guy the Cubs let go.
• Rany Jazayerli writes a long "missive" (his word) in which he says "I was as wrong about The Trade as I have been about any piece of baseball analysis I have ever written." The Trade he is referring to is the James Shields for Wil Myers deal. In fairness to him, pretty much everyone both inside and outside the game blasted the Royals for that deal at the time. That includes me. Worth reading.
• I guess I need to clean up some Cooperstown loose ends. Joe Posnanski writes his normal great piece in which he says that it was the pitchers and not the hitters who were the true "golden generation" of the "steroid era."
• Curt Schilling says that being a Republican has hurt his chances at the Hall of Fame. He pointed out that "Democrat" John Smoltz (who is actually a Republican) got in while he didn't. He later said he was just kidding.
• Craig Calcaterra isn't buying that Schilling was just kidding.
• Rob Neyer also thinks it's ridiculous to think voters are holding Schilling's politics against him. He does think the voters may be biased against Schilling, but not because of his politics. It's pretty ironic that a jackass like Schilling would be a Republican and not a Democrat. (That's a reference to the Democratic Donkey, not a slam on the Democrats.)
• Most HOF stories bore me these days, but I have to admit that I do find this one interesting. Which team will be the last team to have an "official" Hall of Famer? I do think Will Leitch misses the possibility that 1) Vladimir Guerrero gets inducted and 2) he goes in as an Angel.
• CJ Nitkowski remembers a game when Pedro Martinez hit Gerald Williams and explains why it showed what a great pitcher Martinez was.
• Craig Goldstein has a profile of Cuban free agent Hector Olivera.
• Gaby Sanchez has joined the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
• Eno Sarris looks at the data and notices that it's a lot harder to get a strikeout with a changeup than it is with other pitches.
• Leigh Cowart explains how she is committing "baseball adultery" by cheering for the Oakland Athletics instead of being an exclusive Tampa Bay Rays fan. Isn't that a little like cheating on Ashley Olsen with Mary-Kate?
• Keith Olbermann was upset by a segment on baseball memorabilia on "Antiques Roadshow" and Mike Foss thinks he's having a fit over nothing.
• For those of you who like playing baseball video games, Polygon has high praise for Super Mega Baseball.
• And finally, new Cubs affiliate the Eugene Emeralds have a bet going with the Columbus Clippers over the outcome of the NCAA football National Championship Game. I really think the loser should have had to have worn the other team's uniforms on Opening Day.

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