MLB Bullets Is In A Rockies Relationship

Happy Friday.

• There was a trade yesterday as the Rockies solved their outfield logjam as they dealt Corey Dickerson to the Rays for Jake McGee. Each side also included a minor leaguer in the deal.
• Ken Rosenthal wonders what the heck the Rockies are doing this winter. Not just with this trade, but the whole offseason.
• Mike Axisa gives three reasons why this deal is a "head scratcher" for the Rockies. I'm sensing a trend here.
• Dave Cameron calls it a "weird" deal that will keep the Rockies in a state of mediocrity. Yeah, it's definitely a trend.
• Tim Healy looks at the deal from the other side and writes that it's another shrewd move by the Rays.
• Another move by the Rays was that they signed Steve Pearce to a one-year deal.
• Doug Fister agreed to a one-year deal with the Astros.
• David Schoenfield thinks the Astros made a smart pickup in Fister.
• And Mike Oz thinks Fister made a smart move to try to revive his career in Houston. It's a match made in heaven!
• Anthony Castrovince has 10 great "under-the-radar" transactions this offseason.
• Mark Saxon claims that the Cardinals "quiet" offseason is a sign of strength and confidence. Saxon would have said the same thing had the Cardinals spent $250 million on free agents. I feel dumber for having read the article, and now I want to share my suffering with you.
• Chris Cwik thinks the White Sox need to sign Dexter Fowler. If you read Cub Tracks yesterday, you know that there are some rumors that Fowler will end up back with the Cubs.
• Andrew Marchand and Wallace Matthews wonder how much of a "changed man" Alex Rodriguez is, which is basically their way of saying they think he's still juicing.
• Craig Calcaterra blasts Marchand and Matthews' piece as a pretty shoddy example of journalism.
• Eddie Matz and Jim Bowden debate about if Bryce Harper will end up with the Yankees in 2019 or stay with the Nationals.
• Tyler Kepner writes about how the opt-out in MLB contracts became all the rage in recent years.
• Craig Calcaterra wants to remind us that the commissioner works for the owners, not the sport as a whole.
• Calcaterra also argues that the current qualifying offer system is operating as a de facto tax on baseball's middle class.
• Rob Neyer refutes a recent piece in USA Today that claimed that traditional scouting is dying. Neyer says scouting is changing, but that there are more scouts than ever before.
• Paul Lukas reviews the best and worst of the new spring training caps and jerseys.
• Grant Brisbee gives his view of the best five and worst five of the new spring training caps. The worst are funnier, of course.
• Did the Pirates accidentally reveal that they are bringing back the yellow "bumblebee" uniforms for 2016?
• I don't care what you think. I don't care what Paul Lukas thinks. I don't care what Grant Brisbee thinks, although he'd probably be on my side here. The new "glow-in-the-dark" uniforms for the Columbia Fireflies are freaking cool.
• One of the greatest nicknames of all-time, Walt "No-Neck" Williams has died at 72.
• Drew Butera has the ball from the final out of the Royals World Series championship. He says he'll give it to the team eventually.
• David Schoenfield argues that the Orioles from 1969 to 1973 were the greatest defensive team of all time. He'll get no argument from me.
• The road to Dodger Stadium is expected to be renamed Vin Scully Avenue today.
• Bill Plaschke wonders if the Dodgers are really going to let their fans miss out on hearing Scully's final season over the ongoing carriage dispute. Of course they are.
• Jack Moore says the recent settlement of a lawsuit over the distribution of mlb.tv is only delaying the inevitable.
• And finally, 50 years ago, Frank Robinson was traded to the Orioles. He almost refused to report because he could not find a place to live because no one would rent a house to a black family, not even Frank Robinson. How Frank Robinson and the Orioles helped break down racial segregation in Baltimore.

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