MLB Bullets Gets Paid

There’s no baseball in North America. I guess it’s time to start looking at the Spanish subchannels for a Mexican Winter League game.

• Wrapping up last week’s awards news, Grant Brisbee writes that Mike Trout was the American League MVP because he’s the most valuable player in baseball and people should stop overthinking it.
• Ben Lindbergh notes that Trout has been the most valuable player in baseball every year since he entered the league.
• Christina Kahrl notes that the writers got some things right and some things wrong in awards voting this season.
• Will Leitch looks at every team’s last MVP (so sorry, Mets) and who could be expected to be their next MVP.
• One final MVP Award went to former Cubs prospect Gleyber Torres, who was the MVP of the Arizona Fall League. He was the youngest MVP of the AFL ever.
• In contrast, scouts named the Mets Tim Tebow as the “Least Valuable Player” of the AFL, using words like “awful” and “stinks.”
• Jeff Passan notes that a human trafficking trial that started last week is exposing the awful underbelly of smuggling and extortion that exists in Cuban players coming to MLB.
• MLB has fired the executive search team Korn Ferry. MLB hired Korn Ferry to help find more diverse candidates for front office positions, but instead they seemed to keep recommending Ivy League-educated white men with ties to the Cleveland Indians. (Maybe they thought they were all Native Americans?)
• There will be big increases in the prices of tickets and parking for the Dodgers in 2017.
• Better than what the Braves are doing, as Cobb County has voted to demolish an entire neighborhood to make way for a road to the new stadium.
• There is a report that Mitt Romney was looking into buying the Marlins recently, although it appears that talks have broken down.
• On to the hot stove. Jay Jaffe has a preview of each American League team’s winter needs.
• Chris Bahr argues that the Astros should be considered the AL favorites in 2017. Big deal. Sports Illustrated said that back in 2014.
• The Mariners made two trades getting three players: Taylor Motter and Richie Shaffer from the Rays and James Pazos from the Yankees.
• David Schoenfield writes that the Mariners are hoping that several small moves can have a big impact.
• The Rays have made an offer to free agent catcher Jason Castro.
• The Rays also want Steve Pearce back, whom they traded to the Orioles at the deadline.
• The Cardinals signed reliever Brett Cecil to a four-year, $30.5 million contract.
• Mark Saxon notes the Cecil signing is a sign the Cardinals will aggressively addressing their weaknesses and plan to contend in 2017.
• Mark Townsend thinks Cecil’s signing is a sign that the free agent relievers are going to get paid.
• Andrew Cashner signed with the Rangers for one year and $10.5 million.
• Free agent catcher Drew Butera re-signed with the Royals.
• The White Sox look to be willing to go into full rebuilding mode this winter.
• If the Tigers decide to rebuild, Mike Axisa looks at where all Detroit’s veteran players might end up.
• Andrew Marchand thinks the Yankees should bring free agent Carlos Beltran back to the Bronx.
• Michael Klopman looks at which team might sign free agent Jose Bautista. He thinks the Yankees are a real possibility too.
• Paul Lebowitz thinks the Yankees need to stay away from signing big-name free agents and stick to the rebuilding plan.
• The Yankees are reportedly interested in former Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel.
• Matt Snyder looks at which teams might sign free agent outfielder Dexter Fowler.
• Craig Edwards argues that Fowler should age well over the life of a free agent contract, even if he might have to move to left field.
• Dave Cameron warns the Braves against repeating the mistakes of the Diamondbacks of last winter.
• Jerry Crasnick reports that Eric Thames is looking to return to MLB after three sensational seasons in Korea. Thames is a superstar over there, to the point that he gets mobbed in public.
• Johan Santana is looking to make a comeback at age 37.
• The Twins cut Trevor Plouffe, making room for Miguel Sano to move back to third base.
• And finally, a mint-condition 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card sold for over a million dollars.

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