MLB Bullets Is Looking For A Good Home

My daughter took her first tap dancing class yesterday. Her teacher said she was a "natural" and that she should continue with private lessons. Sometimes I think the universe exists only to torture me.

• The Hot Stove is filled with talk about where the remaining free agents are going to end up. Grant Brisbee tries to find a good home for all of them.
• Andrew Simon tries to do the same thing, only with less snark, of course.
• Ken Rosenthal explains why teams shouldn't let losing a draft pick prevent them from signing one of the four remaining free agents who turned down a qualifying offer.
• The Rays are reportedly interested in signing Ian Desmond, although they don't want to lose a draft pick. Maybe they should talk to Ken Rosenthal.
• Here's a fact that will blow your mind. Who is the only team this offseason to not sign a major league free agent? The New York Yankees, believe it or not. The Yankees have never gone an off-season in the free agent era without signing at least one before.
• With the Mets staying active this offseason and the Yankees relatively quiet, Wallace Matthews argues that the two New York teams have switched roles. I guess orange really is the new black.
• Andrew Marchand thinks the Yankees will have a tough time replacing Adam Warren. That's good to know.
• With the Mets re-signing Yoenis Cespedes, Avi Gelboim wonders what role Juan Lagares will have on the 2016 Mets. I will also add that Gelboim kicks my rear in fantasy baseball every season.
• We now know the offer that Cespedes turned down from the Nationals to sign with the Mets. It was worth $35 million more, although it did defer money that would have lowered its overall value.
• Eddie Matz wonders why no one wants to play in DC? He notes that several players and one manager turned down a chance to join the Nats this winter, often for less money elsewhere.
• Nationals owner Ed Cohen says that the Nationals TV dispute puts them at a competitive disadvantage. Mike Axisa thinks the Nationals are overstating their problems, since they seem to have plenty of money to throw at free agents. They just aren't accepting their offers.
• Anthony Fenech has a profile of new Tigers outfielder Justin Upton and how Upton needed to learn to accept something less than perfection. Then he'll enjoy the Little Caesar's Pizza in the clubhouse.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred says all that talk about the National League adopting the DH soon? Never mind. Manfred is hard of hearing and thought the NL owners were talking about "Vetted Baby Sitters."
• Zachary Levine examines which players and teams would be in the best position to benefit if the NL did adopt the DH.
• Tom Verducci says the NL isn't going to adopt the DH anytime soon and has an overview of Manfred's first year as commissioner. Other than a few small missteps, Verducci gives Manfred a high grade.
• Jeff Passan has a Q & A with commissioner Manfred.
• In deciding on a punishment for the Cardinals over the hacking scandal, Ken Rosenthal says that Manfred should look to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and do exactly the opposite.
• MLB is planning on playing regular season games in London in 2017. Why London and not Amsterdam, where the game actually has a little popularity? Stadium issues, I guess. It still should be Amsterdam.
• MLB is discussing making changes to the "pace-of-play" rules for 2016.
• You know that MLB Network documentary on the Expos that aired last night? About that. No one in Quebec could watch it.
• Anthony Castrovince has 15 surprising developments over the offseason.
• Billy Butler said that the Athletics had "bad chemistry" in the clubhouse last year. Duh. It was dripping from the ceiling and oozing out of the shower drains.
• Ted Berg ranks all 30 major league starting rotations. I was pretty surprised by his choice for number one: The Cubs.
• Dave Cameron examines the problem of "tanking" in MLB and thinks it's not really a problem. He blames the NBA.
• Kyla Wall-Polin has a piece where she tries to figure out why people spread fake trade rumors on Twitter.
• Sad news. Astros minor leaguer Jose Rosario died in a motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic.
• The Mets are retiring Mike Piazza's number.
• And finally, the Rangers announced that they will be giving away an Adrian Beltre bobblehead doll this season with a removable helmet so that you can touch his head. No word if the bobblehead will then hit you when you do it.

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