MLB Bullets might be Giants

I wish you all a happy holiday weekend.

• Sad news late last night and I’m updating this just before bed. But Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Enberg died at age 82. Enberg called many sports—pretty much all of them—although he is closely connected to tennis and UCLA basketball. In baseball, he most recently served as the play-by-play voice of the Padres and he also called Angels games for a decade. In tribute, I’ll just say “Oh, my.”
• The face of the Tampa Bay Rays, Evan Longoria, has been traded to the Giants for outfielder Denard Span, infielder Christian Arroyo and a pair of minor league pitchers.
• Jeff Sullivan breaks down the trade for both sides and is not optimistic that the Giants will get value out of Longoria going forward. They just have to hope he makes them a contender in 2018, and even that’s unlikely.
• Will Leitch writes that this deal is a gut-punch for Rays fans but ultimately the right move for Tampa Bay.
• Jonah Keri, who wrote a book on the rise of the Rays, calls this deal an end of an era and leaves the Rays facing a teardown and hoping that lightning can strike twice and bring the team back to contention.
• Tyler Kepner takes stock of the drain of baseball talent leaving the state of Florida.
• Former Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon called the current state of the Marlins “embarrassing.”
• Here’s a picture of Evan Longoria wearing a Giants uniform during his Little League days. Longoria is quick to point out that he was more of an Angels fan growing up though.
• After picking up Longoria, the Giants are now the favorites to sign outfielder Jay Bruce.
• The Giants could also be interested in free agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain, although as Mike Petriello notes, Statcast data shows five teams (including San Francisco) who could benefit defensively by adding Cain.
• The Indians signed free agent first baseman Yonder Alonso.
• Travis Sawchik notes that Alonso is the poster boy for the “fly-ball revolution” taking place in baseball at the moment. He’s also mostly positive on this move by the Indians with some caveats.
• Bradford Doolittle wonders if the market for free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer hasn’t dried up and that he may be heading back to Kansas City.
• Jon Heyman has some thoughts about a slow off-season.
• Buster Olney notes that it is the “mid-priced” free agents that are taking a beating in with the cost-cutting teams are making to get under the luxury tax threshold.
• Grant Brisbee blames the “don’t-call-it-a-salary-cap” for a bad offseason and predicts an ugly labor fight over the next collective bargaining agreement.
• The Brewers have signed pitchers Jhoulys Chacin and Yovani Gallardo.
• The Yankees are pushing hard for a deal with the Pirates to acquire pitcher Gerrit Cole and the Pirates are expected to deal him somewhere this winter. Cole was drafted by the Yankees in the first round in 2008 out of high school and spurned them to go to UCLA, despite having grown up a Yankees fan.
• David Schoenfield has suggestions for the top seven teams in baseball for the rest of the offseason, although since he continues to beat the “Addison Russell for one year of Manny Machado” drum, maybe it’s best to ignore him. (And no, having Machado in Chicago for a year does not give you a “leg up” in signing him long-term.)
• Former MLB Advanced Media head Bob Bowman, who resigned last month, was forced out by commissioner Rob Manfred after a series of disturbing incidents with co-workers and underlings including, but not limited to, sexual harassment claims. (This was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal, but I’m linking to Yahoo! because it’s behind a paywall and most of you wouldn’t be able to read it there.)
• Jeff Sullivan looks at the Dodgers offseason strategy behind signing pitcher Tom Koehler.
• Will Leitch looks at what recent World Series champions did in the off-season after they won.
• The Mets extended the contract of general manager Sandy Alderson. Because things are going so great in Queens right now. (OK, it’s mostly not Alderson’s fault.)
• Craig Edwards thinks that the National League Wild Card chase is wide open and the Mets should be a strong contender, but they probably won’t be and it is their own fault.
• Wallace Matthews writes about former Mets great Ed Kranepool, who is selling off most of his career memorabilia as he battles health issues. Kranepool also talks about his current estrangement from the Mets organization, proving that it’s just another thing the Mets can’t get right. (I’m hard on the Mets because I know that if I grew up in the New York area, I’d probably be a Mets fan today. Also because they deserve it. I lucked out being born where I was.)
• Matt Snyder made an all-overrated team and and all-underrated team. Longoria made the overrated team.
• Mariners infielder Jean Segura claims that police in the Dominican Republic assaulted and robbed him.
• Lindsay Berra looks at the surgery options for Zach Britton and his Achilles tendon. Fascinating if you’re into sports medicine.
• No Phillies player will wear number 34 this year in honor of Roy Halladay.
• And finally, if you’re dreaming of a White Christmas, here’s a look at Coors Field covered in snow.

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