MLB Bullets has the first signing of winter

Good morning.

• Newly-crowned AL MVP Mookie Betts had quite a season. So much so that David Schoenfield writes that Betts has a claim on being the best player in the game.
• Mike Axisa agrees: Betts is the first player to challenge Mike Trout’s title as the best player in the game.
• Grant Brisbee looks at Mookie Betts and thinks that baseball can’t be in trouble if it still has players like Betts. Of course, we do have to worry about MLB losing Betts to the Professional Bowlers Association.
• Andrew Simon has five interesting facts about the 2018 season of Betts and NL MVP Christian Yelich.
• Someone who isn’t the best player in baseball is Bryce Harper, even though everyone thought he would be. Jack Dickey writes that it’s OK that Harper hasn’t lived up to expectations because he’s still really, really good.
• Gabe Lacques makes the case that the Giants should sign Harper as a free agent.
• Gabe Lacques makes the case that the Cardinals should sign Harper as a free agent.
• Emma Baccellieri looks at three different types of contracts that Harper could sign.
• Whitney McIntosh has four teams that could handle free agent infielder Manny Machado and his “personality.” Also, they could handle the money he wants.
• We have our first free agent signing of the winter! The Rangers have agreed to a two-year deal with catcher Jeff Mathis.
• Mike Axisa explains why the Rangers would want to give a catcher like Mathis who can’t hit a two-year deal. No one in the game is considered to be better handling a pitching staff than Mathis.
• Free agent reliever David Robertson fired his agent and is representing himself this winter. So far, he’s enjoying doing it.
• Will Leitch has seven free agents who are 37 years old or older and still have something to offer an MLB team in 2019. I’m sure Leitch leaving me off the list was just an oversight on his part.
• David Schoenfield looks at Cy Young Award winners Blake Snell and Jacob deGrom and sees the impact that analytics have had on the way we understand the game.
• And yes, I’m sure you are wondering “What did Kate Upton think about her husband finishing second in the Cy Young Award balloting?” After all, she had some thoughts the last time he finished second. Well, Ms. Upton made her thoughts known about the situation and Verlander is a bit embarrassed. Upton did later post that a new baby daughter is a lot better than a Cy Young Award.
• I wrote a piece yesterday on the new TV deal that MLB announced yesterday, but the money figures weren’t available yet when I wrote that. Now those numbers are out and MLB stands to get about a 36% increase in rights fees over the course of the new deal. Mike Oz writes that this proves two things: baseball has a lot of money and reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated.
• Whitney McIntosh says what I’ve been saying for a while: Yes, baseball ratings are down, but they’re still big numbers and broadcasters and advertisers still love them because they’re live events.
• The Rays have until December 31 to find financing for their new stadium in Tampa or their lease with Tropicana Field is extended through 2027. Or you know, just pay for it themselves with the huge TV deal they just signed. Nah.
• The Marlins have a new logo and new colors for the 2019 season and . . .they aren’t bad? I actually kind of like them.
• The Orioles have hired former Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias as their new GM. That’s going to be a real sharp break for the O’s, going from a GM with a heavy background in scouting like Dan Duquette to someone from the Astros organization. But Elias does have a background in scouting that many others in the Astros organization don’t. However, it should be noted that former Astros numbers man Sig Mejdal is expected to follow Elias to Baltimore. (The Athletic sub req.)
• The Red Sox extended the contract of manager Alex Cora one year through the 2021 season.
• One minor trade as the Pirates got infielder Erik Gonzalez from the Indians for outfielder Jordan Luplow. Minor leaguers went both ways as well.
• The Japan Series ended with another win for Samurai Japan, who beat the MLB All-Stars 4-1 in the sixth and final game of the series.
• The MLB All-Stars did adopt a new arm-waving celebration during the series and they seemed to do it all the time.
• And finally, Athletics prospect and Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray is taking two sports by storm, so he re-created the iconic “Bo Knows” poster with the baseball bat and shoulder pads.

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