MLB Bullets Is Doing Some Last-Minute Shopping

What do you get a Cubs fan who already has a World Series title?

• No major moves over the past two days, but a lot of lesser ones. The biggest lesser one is that Red Sox dealing starter Clay Buchholz to the Phillies for minor league second baseman Josh Tobias.
• According to Scott Lauber, the Red Sox got nothing for Buchholz but salary relief.
• Grant Brisbee writes that the Phillies picked up Buchholz because what else were they going to do with $13 million?
• Reliever Daniel Hudson signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Pirates. The Cubs were rumored to be interested in Hudson earlier in the winter.
• Eno Sarris explains what Hudson has done to be worth such a contract and why we should all be happy for Hudson. If you’ve read The Arm, you know that Hudson went through a lot to get back on the mound.
• The Pirates think that fan criticism that they are not willing to spend money is unfair. John Perrotto thinks that the Pirates deserve the criticism.
• The Giants signed Jimmy Rollins to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
• David Schoenfield looks at Rollins’ case for the Hall of Fame.
• The Yankees traded reliever Nick Goody to the Indians. Did the Indians get a quality pitcher? Well, he’s a Goody!
• The Padres re-signed Clayton Richard to a one-year deal.
• Anthony Castrovince looks at the complicated market for free agent Edwin Encarnacion.
• Chris Cwik gives his take on the market for Encarnacion.
• Dayn Perry believes the Rangers will be a bidder for Encarnacion.
• Michael Klopman looks at the trade market for White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana.
• The Yankees are reportedly considering making an offer for Quintana.
• The Astros have been mentioned as one possible destination for Quintana but Dave Cameron thinks the Astros would do better to address other needs first.
• Sam Miller has an interesting take on whether or not the price teams play for a closer is worth it.
• The Nationals have struck out so far in their quest for a new claser, but they still have some options to fill the void, writes Jamal Collier.
• The Dodgers are still looking for a second baseman and their current willingness to part with some top prospects may make a deal possible, says Ken Rosenthal.
• Rosenthal also explains why the Mets quest to pick up a center fielder has become such a mess.
• Even without such a move, the Mets are going to be very good in 2017—at least according to the Mets players, writes Eddie Matz.
• Jayson Stark asks if there is any hope for success in 2017 for MLB’s current bottom-dwellers.
• Evan Davis doesn’t think there’s much hope for the Marlins, barring a major spending spree.
• Jonah Keri believes that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is smarter than all of us.
• Mark Saxon reports that the Cardinals are planning to go back to their roots in 2017.
• Dieter Kurtenbach lists the five riskiest signings of this winter.
• Cliff Corcoran has five ways that baseball has changed in 2016. One is that we never have to hear “1908” again.
• Matt Snyder says major league ballplayers are not overpaid.
• A group of 11 Jewish-American ballplayers are going to Israel in connection with the World Baseball Classic.
• There’s a dispute over a baseball card of Guy Zinn, a Jewish-American ballplayer who was the first player to bat at Fenway Park.
• The new Astros/Nationals Spring Training facility under construction has been invaded by birds. Make up your own Tippi Hedren reference here.
• In case you really wanted to know, Athletics reliever Sean Doolittle offers his review of Rogue One.
• And finally, Nationals catcher Spencer Kieboom has found that old broken bats can keep a ballplayer warm all winter.

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