MLB Bullets is going to be all right

The rest of the internet is just awful, so spend the rest of your time on Bleed Cubbie Blue.

I had to resist the title “MLB Bullets dodges a bullet.” But maybe I’m just saving that for another day.

• Stand down. Bryce Harper slipped on a base in Saturday’s game and it looked like he had suffered a serious injury, but the Nationals report that he just has a “significant” bone bruise. Harper was placed on the disabled list, but the team says they expect him to play again this season.
• Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, says that MLB needs to do more to ensure that bases aren’t slippery when wet.
• Buster Olney agrees with Boras and believes that MLB should at least look into changing the bases, suggesting that they could be made out of a different material or perhaps not be so thick, at least for first base.
• There is an agreement to sell the Miami Marlins to a group led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman for $1.2 billion.
• Mike Axisa has some things you should know about the proposed sale, including that the sale won’t be final for a while.
• A collection of reactions on the internet to the proposed sale.
• Buster Olney has some suggestions for what Jeter should do with the Marlins front office, where he will be in charge. (Sherman, however, provided most of the money and will be the ultimate guy in charge.)
• For one, there are reports that Jeter will get rid of the home run sculpture at Marlins Park. NOOOOOOOOOO!! Yes, the thing is hideous, but I’ve gotten used to it. Also, it’s about the only thing that gives the Marlins any character. KEEP THE SCULPTURE, DEREK! They mocked “Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2” when it came out too, and now it’s considered a masterpiece.
• Sam Miller eviscerates Jeffrey Loria’s tenure as Marlins owner and points out that his reward for years of mismanagement is $1.2 billion.
• Rob Arthur and Greg Matthews have a big study on pitcher velocities and conclude that the “hot hand” in baseball is real. In short, what they mean by that is that player performance really does have peaks and valleys, in sharp contrast to generally accepted sabermetric beliefs.
• The Brewers bolstered their lineup by acquiring Neil Walker from the Mets for a player to be named later, which won’t be the A’s Josh Phegley, despite him putting “PTBNL” on his Players’ Weekend jersey.
• The Astros acquired Tyler Clippard from the White Sox for another PTBNL not named Josh Phegley.
• The Mariners keep making moves to no appreciable effect as they picked up lefty Andrew Albers from the Braves for cash.
• Jeff Passan ranks the top five farm systems in baseball and outlines the cases for both the White Sox and the Braves to be number one.
• Jeremy Fuchs writes that if the Yankees season ends in disappointment, it will be because of the injuries and inconsistencies in their starting rotation.
• R.J. Anderson has some potential starting pitchers that the Yankees could pick up in trade after they cleared waivers.
• Bradford Doolittle breaks down the Astros “slump” when they got swept by the White Sox with an eye to what it means for their starting pitching in the playoffs. Essentially, he thinks a healthy Astros team will be fine. Of course, ask the Indians about starting pitching and health in the postseason.
• Mark Townsend tells the Astros players to “shake off” their disappointment that their team didn’t do more at the trade deadline.
• Grant Brisbee projects what the trade deadline would look like if he were the general manager of several teams.
• Ashley MacLennan examines the different paths that the Tigers might take in their upcoming rebuild.
• Scott Lauber looks at Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale and his chances to win the MVP as well as the Cy Young Award.
• Mark Simon notices that Aaron Judge is getting the strike zone called differently in the second half than he did in the first half, which could be a big reason for his second-half struggles.
• Eno Sarris asks what’s wrong with Miguel Sano?
• Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer over the offseason, will make his season debut today. Good news.
• The Rockies also signed Ryan Howard to a minor league deal.
• Michael Baumann believes that Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield looks like a better version of David Eckstein.
• Marly Rivera interviews Rays shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria about the Marlins, Cuba, Venezuela and adapting to America.
• Bill Plaschke has the troubled story of Brian Holton, the forgotten star of the 1988 World Series Champion Dodgers.
• Jonathan Blitzer composes an ode to the “Immaculate Inning.” (Nine pitches, three strikeouts.)
• Jerry Crasnick talks with Mark McGwire about staying off the radar and yet still being part of the game he loves as a coach. Crasnick also asks McGwire if he’d like to manage one day. Sounds like he’d like to, but he prefers the anonymity that comes with being a bench coach.
• Rhiannon Walker tells the story about the time the Atlanta Braves signed Satchel Paige so he could qualify for a pension.
• Pop star Ed Sheeran wore a Justin Turner jersey during the encore of his concert in Los Angeles this weekend.
• The Cardinals “Rally Cat” has been found. But since the Cardinals lost yesterday, they’re going to dump him by the side of the road. (No, they aren’t. But I imagine at least one of the “Best Fans in Baseball” suggested it after the loss.)
• And finally, why don’t we finish the morning with this spectacular catch by Twins center fielder Byron Buxton.

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