MLB Bullets Is Leaving Arizona

This is the final MLB Bullets of the offseason. By the time I see you again, the Cubs will be 1-0 and Jon Lester will have thrown the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas. OK, that's going too far in the optimism. Let's just settle for being 1-0.

I also predict that the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball team will mention Kris Bryant's absence no fewer than 27 times.

• With the rosters finalizing, teams are looking to fill last minute holes or looking for homes for players they can't keep. So that means trades and the biggest one was the Diamondbacks trading Trevor Cahill to the Braves for Josh Elander and cash. The deal allows Diamondbacks top pitching prospect Archie Bradley to start the season in the majors.
• The Yankees picked up infielder Gregorio Petit from the Astros. This will allow manager Joe Girardi the chance to play the double-play combination of Gregorius and Gregorio.
• The Blue Jays signed ex-Cub Felix Doubront to a minor-league deal.
• This is potentially big news, depending upon the particulars of the deal. And whether or not it actually comes to pass. Commissioner Rob Manfred told The Wall Street Journal that "I do believe we will get a solution on in-market streaming in the relatively near future" and "I'd like to believe that there will be games streamed at some point this year." Big, if true. Although I'm betting you're going to have to prove that you have a cable or satellite subscription before you're allowed to stream in-market. (h/t Big League Stew)
• Reds pitcher Homer Bailey will start the season on the disabled list.
• Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon will start the season on the disabled list.
• For the first time in his career, Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is going to the disabled list. However, this is mostly a procedural move as Verlander will likely be activated in time to make his first start.
• Athletics outfielder Coco Crisp will spend the first six to eight weeks on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur and chips from his right elbow.
• The Mets are optimistic that infielder Daniel Murphy will not have to start the season on the disabled list.
• Masahiro Tanaka will not start the season on the disabled list, but Pedro Martinez predicted Tanaka's heading there sometime this season.
• Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez will undergo Tommy John surgery.
• The Astros demoted Jon Singleton to Triple-A. Singleton struck out at almost as high a percentage of ABs as Javier Baez did last season.
• A year ago, Singleton was criticized for signing what was perceived at the time to be an extremely under-market long-term deal. Craig Edwards writes that while the Astros still look like they might be getting a bargain, the deal now looks pretty good from Singleton's point of view too.
• The White Sox sent pitcher Carlos Rodon down to the minors. C.J. Nitkowski said that if the White Sox are smart (Yes, I know. Keep the jokes to yourself or risk summoning you-know-who) they won't keep Rodon down long.
• The Tigers are trying to lock up David Price with a long-term extension, but Jon Heyman reports that the two sides are far apart at the moment.
• The Mets are trying to lock up Lucas Duda with a long-term extension, but Jon Heyman reports that the two sides are far apart at the moment. Man, it's awesome when I can just cut and paste a bullet.
• The Mets did, however, sign Juan Lagares to a four-year, $23 million deal.
• Grant Brisbee likes the Lagares deal and wants to apologize to all the weak-hitting, great glove players that he and others mocked 15 years ago. Except one. It's one you likely know very well.
• The Giants signed two big factors in their even-season dynasty. Manager Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean were signed through the 2018 season. If the Giants were smart, they'd only have them under contract for every other year.
• Joseph P, Kahn examines why teams still give huge contracts to free agents over the age of 30, when research says they rarely work out.
• Our friends over at The Good Phight wonder if Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is "being hung out to dry" this season. They also write that Amaro actually had a pretty good offseason this year. It's all those years before this offseason that are the problem.
• I missed this article last week, and there's no doubt why considering how technical it is. There was a sabermetric contest to find out the best trade for Cole Hamels, and the team of analysts at Arizona State University won with a trade sending Hamels to the Red Sox. Their second-best trade idea had Hamels going to the Cubs.
• Ken Rosenthal gives Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos an "A" for the 2010 draft.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred now says that the Josh Hamilton decision will come "shortly after" Opening Day. Generalissimo Francisco Franco died faster than it takes Rob Manfred to make a decision. I'd hate to be in line behind him at Starbucks.
• Tyler Kepner writes about the things baseball is looking at to increase offense in the game.
• Jim Caple and David Schoenfield have ten suggestions for increasing offense in the game.
• Jeff Passan thinks baseball's biggest challenge is convincing young people it's still cool. How about convincing them it's not cool so it will be cool to be a baseball fan ironically?
• Bill Plaschke finds a 94-year-old World War II veteran to try to shame the Dodgers and Time-Warner into ending the impasse on Dodgers broadcasts. It won't work. They have no shame.
• Tom Verducci has a profile of Bryce Harper and wonders why do so many people hate this guy?
• Robert Sanchez looks at pitch framing and explains why Jonathan Lucroy is one of the most valuable players in the game.
• Tony Blengino looks at the future career of Christian Yelich and how good he will be. When your floor is Howie Kendrick . . .
• Anthony Castrovince lists the ten best under-the-radars players this upcoming season. Kyle Hendricks makes the list.
• This one is going to be controversial, but Grant Brisbee doesn't care.  He gives his review of Barry Bonds and how much Bonds means to him and the city of San Francisco. He admits the steroid use but doesn't care.
• Craig Calcaterra applauds Brisbee and says it's time that fans who grew up in the nineties stop feeling embarrassed about their heroes. Calcaterra says that if you want to cherish your memories of Sammy Sosa, go right ahead.
• Here's a pretty nice video where Bo Jackson explains to Adam LaRoche's son who the heck he is. Drake LaRoche had no clue. Heck, I wonder if Drake has any idea who even Dave LaRoche is other than "Grandpa."
• Sung J. Woo writes an essay about the strange way that his immigrant father used baseball to tell him how much he loved him.
• Finally, I loved this article. Burke Badenhop gives an overview of all the visitors bullpens in baseball. Badenhop has been in all of them and he has the scoop.

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