MLB Bullets Is Having Trouble Making Up Its Mind

Welcome back to your regular music debate column with an occasional mention of baseball. At least we can all agree that The Shaggs were better than The Beatles, right? (Seriously, if that comments gets just one person to look up The Shaggs, today will be worth it.)

• The Washington Nationals have reportedly made a five-year offer to Yoenis Cespedes.
• However, Cespedes reportedly wants to return to the Mets, who are only offering a three-year deal. As Ken Rosenthal notes, the Nationals have already been snubbed by Jason Heyward and Justin Upton this offseason.
• Speaking of Upton, general manager Al Avila made it clear that he signed Upton at the urging of owner Mike Ilitch, who can't take it with him, one supposes.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred says that he thinks the NL is more receptive to adopting the DH, although the issue wasn't discussed at the latest owners meetings.
• Anthony Castrovince makes the case for the DH.
• Commissioner Manfred also moved the trade deadline this year only to August 1, so that it wouldn't fall on a Sunday. That's going to hurt hug-watching though.
• Manfred also wants to discuss the "evils of opt-outs" with the owners. Craig Calcaterra thinks Manfred is walking down the same path to collusion that commissioner Ueberroth did in the eighties.
• ESPN.com continues their list of changes to the game they'd like to see. Jayson Stark wants to get rid of the saves statistic. Good idea, but then he comes up with a cockamanie alternative system.
• David Schoenfield wants to expand rosters to 28 players with three "inactive" players every game.
• Andrew Marchand wants to limit visits to the mound to two a game. Managers would not need to visit the mound to change pitchers.
• Tony Blengino wants to pay the minor leaguers a fair wage. AMEN!
• Bob Nightengale talks about the rumblings of "small-market" teams and their demands for more revenue sharing in the upcoming CBA.
• Nathaniel Grow points out that while the new settlement about MLB.tv has a lot of positive things for fans, it keeps intact the accursed system of blackouts.
• Aroldis Chapman will not face criminal charges in his domestic violence incident.
• Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner defended the Yankees pickup of Chapman by saying that he was "innocent until proven guilty." Craig Calcaterra explains why Steinbrenner's comments are nonsense. For one, Steinbrenner is not a judge and a trade is not a criminal trial.
• This is news that I'm probably more interested in than the rest of you, but MLB announced that the Venezuelan Summer League has cancelled their 2016 season. The situation in Venezuela is too chaotic and dangerous to play baseball at the moment.
• Back to free agent signings. Fernando Rodney signed a one-year deal with the Padres.
• The Rays are "close" to a deal with Steve Pearce.
• The Mets signed Antonio Bastardo for two years, $12 million.
• Paul Casella looks at what states are best at producing major league talent. Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin are not on the list.
• Matt Snyder points out that almost half the NL is in "rebuilding" mode in 2016.
• Grant Brisbee points out that the Phillies probably could not have bought their way into contention in 2016. So yeah, rebuilding is the way to go for them.
• Dave Heller looks at the trade market for Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, whom the Brewers should be trying to deal as their most valuable veteran asset.
• Dave Cameron doesn't understand the offseason of Padres GM A.J. Preller, and in particular that Preller is not actively trying to deal Andrew Cashner.
• Jeff Sullivan thinks the Diamondbacks should be more interested in free agent Ian Desmond than free agent Howie Kendrick.
• The Marlins are moving in the fences.
• Indians prospect Clint Frazier took some college classes this week. He didn't enjoy it.
• Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon hit a backwards half-court shot at a Denver Nuggets game. The crowd went nuts. But at sea level, that's only a third-court shot.
• And finally, former Cubs pitcher Dan Haren in enjoying retirement. He's doing all the things he always wanted to do but couldn't because he was playing baseball. Such as sitting in front of the TV and playing "Legend of Zelda" for two hours.

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