MLB Bullets Joins The Tribe

Have a very happy Christmas or Hanukkah or whatever you want to celebrate over the weekend. I know you won’t get anything as great as you got in the first week in November, but I hope you get whatever else you are looking for.

• Free agent Edwin Encarnacion got what he was looking for, or at least close enough, when he signed a three-year, $65 million deal with the Cleveland Indians.
• Paul Swydan breaks down the deal, that includes an option for a fourth year.
• Mike Axisa says that the Indians now have the best lineup in the American League, especially with Michael Brantley expected to return in 2017.
• Mark Townsend agrees and says the Indians are the team to beat in the AL.
• What’s going to happen to Encarnacion’s parrot?
• The Pirates agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal with Ivan Nova to keep the right-hander in the Steel City.
• There are also reports that the Pirates are trying to swing a deal for White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana. The two sides are not close at the moment, however.
• Rhett Bollinger looks at the question facing the Twins right now: Should Brian Dozier stay or should he go? This indecision’s bugging me.
• Jeremy Dorn writes that despite the high price, the Dodgers should make a deal for Dozier.
• Jonathan Bernhardt writes that MLB has a problem if the Orioles feel that they have to deal Manny Machado.
• Grant Brisbee is bored, so he has some suggestions for trades to keep us entertained. I do agree with his “Danny Duffy to the Cubs” suggestion.
• Mike Axisa has 15 players, including Jake Arrieta, who are strong candidates for a contract extension in 2017.
• Dayn Perry thinks that teams should be wary of signing free agent slugger Mark Trumbo.
• Ken Rosenthal interviews Jimmy Rollins about why he came back to play one more season.
• Paul Lebowitz thinks Tanner Roark is underrated and he wonders why.
• The wife of Manny Ramirez says he’s looking to play baseball in 2017. He’s in talks to play somewhere overseas.
• Hal Bodley points out that what John Hart is doing with the Braves right now is very similar to what he did when he was in charge of the Indians in the ‘90s.
• Neil Paine argues the 2016 Cubs have a lot in common with the 1997 Marlins.
• Kate Morrison believes that Garrett Richards is the key to the success of the 2017 Angels.
• Cliff Corcoran has the six craziest moments of the 2016 season. One of them is less “crazy” than “gut-wrenching” to Cubs fans, but it all turned out alright in the end.
• Grant Brisbee looks at the strange position the Rangers and Jurickson Profar find themselves in at the moment.
• Jesse Spector talks to ballplayers about modern defensive metrics and finds out they are not fans of the new numbers.
• The Red Sox and Yankees are pushing to play in a series in London.
• Do you remember the Cubs’ career of David Rollins? Turns out, Rollins has been claimed four times on waivers this winter.
• The Staten Island Yankees will remain the Staten Island Yankees for at least another season. So we are denied the opportunity to cheer for the “Staten Island Pizza Rats” in 2017.
• Tigers catcher James McCann took batting practice from his wife this week. She looks petrified, but she keep tossing it in there. And at least he’s spending the holidays with his family.
• And finally, Adrian Gonzalez wore one terribly ugly Christmas sweater, and yet he somehow didn’t win the contest. I’d like to see the one that did. I take that back. No I wouldn’t.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Happy Holidays from MLB Bullets and Bleed Cubbie Blue.