MLB Bullets Is Forever Blue

Thank goodness now the sports media can start paying attention to sports other than football. Oh, who am I kidding?

• Late news last night involving a former Cubs pitcher as Jason Hammel agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Kansas City Royals. So he’ll join Jorge Soler as the second member of the 2016 World Series Champion to join the 2015 World Series Champion. I do wonder how much this signing is connected to the passing of Yordano Ventura.
• The Astros avoided arbitration with reliever Will Harris by signing him to a two-year, $5 million extension.
• The Twins big move last winter was signing first baseman/DH Byung Ho Park out of KBO. They designated Park for assignment on Friday.
• Dave Cameron thinks the Twins gave up too early on Park and that he could be a bargain pickup for someone.
• Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang will enter an alcohol treatment program after being arrested for his third DUI.
• Manny Randhawa will miss Shohei Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic, but he notes that teams and fans are just getting more excited to see him play in MLB.
• Ben Lindbergh tips his hat to Ohtani, but explains why NPB’s Takuya Nakashima is the most interesting man in baseball. He’s not much of a major league prospect, but Lindbergh explains why his skill set is so unusual.
• Retired pitcher Bruce Chen, who now works in the Indians organization, is coming out of retirement to pitch for China in the WBC. Chen pitched for his native Panama in the 2006 and 2009 WBC. Now he will represent his grandparents’ home country.
• The owners and commissioner Rob Manfred are still looking at ways to increase the pace of play.
• However, it doesn’t look like MLB is going to be getting a pitch clock anytime soon. They may limit the number of times that catchers and infielders can go to the mound though.
• Commissioner Manfred also announced that it looks like 27 of 30 MLB teams will allow in-market streaming this season. The unlucky fans left out are the Dodgers, Orioles and Nationals.
• No more chewing at Busch Stadium as St. Louis has banned smokeless tobacco at all sports venues.
• Andrew Simon looks at past rookies who had starts to their careers like Gary Sanchez and Trea Turner did last year.
• Cliff Corcoran names eight non-roster invitees to Spring Training who could have an impact in 2017.
• And Grant Brisbee grades Spring Training caps. It’s better to look good than be good.
• The Pirates are moving Andrew McCutchen to right field to make room for Starling Marte.
• R.J. Anderson looks at this move and some other expected position changes coming in 2017.
• Mike Axisa has five trades he thinks should happen.
• Nick Stephens thinks the Rockies are a contender in 2017. In the NL West? That’s optimistic. At least they get to beat up on the Padres though.
• Dave Hogg makes up an over-35 all-star team. And I’m not on it? Unbelievable.
• Richard Justice ranks the likelihood of all six division winners in 2016 to repeat in 2017.
• Travis Sawchik looks at how shortstops have become power hitters recently.
• Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he meant to say “forgive” and not “forget” when speaking about Aroldis Chapman last week.
• Another look at Hunter Greene, who could be the first ever high school right-handed pitcher taken with the first pick in the draft this June. That is, if the Twins don’t draft him as a shortstop.
• Another player who could get drafted (although not that highly) is Nationals’ manager Dusty Baker’s son Darren Baker. Yep, the same kid who J.T. Snow snatched away from home plate in the 2002 World Series is now an amateur outfield prospect. Darren says he doesn’t remember anything about the 2002 World Series, but it gets mentioned to him all the time.
• And finally, your moment of zen: some closeup pictures of the small details of baseball.

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