MLB Bullets and Cole in the Astros’ stocking

Good morning, Monday. Although I’m guessing for many of you, this is just the third day of the long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. I remember ten years ago my daughter was born and it wasn’t until we got home with her on Monday and turned on the TV that we even realized it was a holiday weekend. It was probably the last time we realized what day it was for over a month.

• The long-rumored trade sending pitcher Gerrit Cole to the Astros was finalized over the weekend.
• Grant Brisbee breaks down what each team was thinking in making this deal. For one, it means the Cubs need to deal with one fewer playoff contender in the National League Central.
• Eno Sarris writes that the Astros might be the perfect team for Cole.
• Jon Tayler looks at what the Pirates got back and what Cole does for the Astros. He says the Astros starting rotation is now “scary-good.”
• Mark Townsend writes that despite the underwhelming return that the Pirates got for Cole, the real loser in this deal is the New York Yankees.
• In fact, the Astros are at the top of Anthony Castrovince’s top five starting rotations in baseball for 2018.
• And Mike Petriello points out that the Astros are projected to have the best record in baseball in 2018, although there is a lot of “margin of error” in there.
• The free agent market continues to not be slow for relievers as the Twins have signed Addison Reed to a two-year deal.
• The Padres have agreed to a three-year extension with closer Brad Hand, avoiding arbitration.
• Speaking of arbitration, here’s a list of players who have signed deals to avoid arbitration. More will sign before the Friday deadline.
• Tom Verducci has some ideas why the free agent market is so slow.
• If you can stand yet another article on “why the free agent market is slow,” Jonah Keri actually talks to six “high-ranking” executives on why it’s been so slow.
• Richard Justice has some free agent signings that “make sense.” None of them involve the Cubs, so they don’t make too much sense.
• Anthony Castrovince wonders about some players who could return to their old teams, much as Jay Bruce did with the Mets. This list does have an ex-Cub, and it’s not Jake Arrieta.
• Cliff Corcoran examines the market for Yu Darvish.
• Jon Heyman believes that catcher Jonathan Lucroy could end up as the best free agent signing of this winter for the money.
• There’s a rumor that the Diamondbacks are interested in a deal for Orioles infielder Manny Machado.
• Buster Olney notes that teams are not willing to pay extra for “leadership” from free agents. Beyond the lack of evidence that leadership shows up in the win-loss columns, Olney quotes some executives as saying that leadership emerges from context, and a player who may be a leader on one team may not on another. And no one is a leader if they’re not playing well.
• Sad news as Hall-of-Fame umpire Doug Harvey has died. He was nicknamed “God” during his umpiring days.
• And legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson has also passed away. Jackson is best known for college football, but he called baseball for years, including 11 World Series, and his portfolio included many of the most iconic baseball moments of the 1970s. Whoa, Nellie.
• Here’s Jackson calling the Bucky Dent home run in the 1978 one-game playoff between the Red Sox and Yankees.
• The Mets have signed free agent first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Mets gonna Met.
• Jon Heyman reports that reliever Francisco Rodriguez (“K-Rod”) still wants to pitch in 2018.
• Jonathan Bernhardt writes why a rumored deal of Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig to Boston for Jackie Bradley Jr. makes no sense for the Red Sox.
• Dave Jordan looks at what teams have been the best at drafting talent over the history of the MLB draft.
• Zach Crizer explains how Rangers pitcher Doug Fister and Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks are the best pitchers at “stealing strikes.”
• Cardinals president John Mozeliak said that there is “momentum” for brining the DH to the National League, although he personally opposes it.
• There’s already a group in Miami protesting the Bruce Sherman/Derek Jeter ownership of the Marlins.
• Michael McCann examines the legal issues surrounding Athletics outfielder Dustin Fowler’s lawsuit against the White Sox.
• The Rangers are planning to build the first-ever MLB-branded golf course.
• An update on Melissa Mayeux, who was the first woman ever added to the MLB register of eligible players to be signed.
• And finally, in a baseball score you may have missed, the Sydney Blue Sox beat the Perth Heat 22-19 in a game that featured 12 home runs. I feel like Mike Schmidt and Dave Kingman hit 12 of them.

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