MLB Bullets has a chance to make the team

I haven’t seen Anthony Rizzo’s speech in Florida because it will remind me of the atrocity and that will drive me into a deep depression, a blind rage or both. But if your mental health is better than mine, you should take a look. But please don’t comment on it here because someone will eventually say something that will cause me to blow my top and I’ll have to ban myself. But I won’t go down alone.

• Here’s another depressing story. Scott Miller profiles Jake Peavy as he attempts to come back from a terrible year off-the-field as well as on. Peavy, you may remember, was cheated out of $20 million by a financial advisor and his marriage also ended in 2017. He says he just doesn’t want his career to end that way.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred says that there will be pace-of-play rule changes in 2018 and they will be announced before the first Spring Training game.
• Manfred also commented that he likes the proposed location for the new Rays stadium in Tampa but that the local business community has to help make it happen.
• Whitney McIntosh talks to leaders of the Native American community who were opposed to Chief Wahoo about the end of the mascot and what still needs to be done.
• Sheryl Ring has an idea about how the local governments could go about getting their fair portion of the sale of the Marlins.
• A scout for the Royals was kicked out of the MLBPA Spring Training camp for unsigned free agents.
• Marc Normandin agrees: this wasn’t a tryout camp.
• Mike Axisa looks the most interesting non-roster invitees to each Spring Training camp.
• Ben Theon of Lookout Landing is interested in Mariners NRI and former Iowa Cubs outfielder John Andreoli. I wish Andreoli the best in Seattle.
• The Mariners suffered a blow already as new first baseman Ryon Healy will miss 4-6 weeks after hand surgery.
• Tommy Stokke looks at what the Mariners other options at first base are, including Andreoli’s former teammate in Iowa, Dan Vogelbach.
• The Red Sox re-signed free agent third baseman Eduardo Nunez.
• Red Sox teammates Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts admitted that there were a lot of problems between players in the Red Sox clubhouse last year.
• The Orioles signed free agent pitcher Andrew Cashner to a two-year, $16 million deal.
• Jeff Sullivan does not really understand why the Orioles gave Cashner $16 million. So you’re saying the Cubs shouldn’t trade Anthony Rizzo to get him?
• The Blue Jays signed Jaime Garcia to a one-year, $8 million deal.
• Former Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum threw for scouts and they were reasonably impressed. He hit 93 mph on a radar gun. Expect Lincecum to sign with some team in the near future.
• Jon Heyman predicts where the remaining big free agents will sign. Greg Holland is not signing with the Cubs, Jon.
• Will Leitch has ten free agents who are too much fun to not be playing with some team in 2018. Someone please sign Ichiro!
• The Pirates insist that they aren’t tanking. That’s true. They traded two players who were approaching free agency and were not going to sign extensions. But it’s not like they’ve added much talent either.
• Marlins veteran Martin Prado thinks that his Marlins teammates, both former and current, shouldn’t have asked out of Miami.
• Sad news as Tito Francona, father of Indians manager Terry Francona and the object of a fan club that Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly started as a kid, has died at 84.
• Sports Illustrated published their top 100 players for 2018. (The link goes to the top ten, but you can find the rest of the list from there.)
• The Diamondbacks will use a humidor for Chase Field in 2018.
• The idea is to make the park more pitcher-friendly, but D-Backs pitcher Zack Greinke is skeptical.
• Jeff Sullivan notes that if the humidor in Arizona has a similar effect on offense that the one in Colorado has, then Chase Field could become one of the best pitchers’ parks in baseball.
• Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman said he didn’t enjoy the team tearing him down during his arbitration hearing. He also lost his arb hearing.
• Tigers pitcher Travis Wood injured his finger in a crossbow accident this winter. At least Detroit is safe from the Huguenots now, thanks to Travis.
• New Mets manager Mickey Callaway has taken a stand against “dry humping.” I’ll let you make up your own joke.
• Jeff Sullivan compares Athletics first baseman Matt Olson to free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez.
• Sullivan looks at what happens when some “super teams” who were supposed to dominate, don’t.
• Buster Olney gives out gambling advice, which is new for him, as far as I know.
• Sam Miller, in a fun piece, asks how much embarrassment would you be willing to endure to play major league baseball?
• A look at Twins minor leaguer Nick Gordon as a rapper.
• Why Giants great Orlando Cepeda will be cheering for the Dodgers this season.
• And finally, take this quiz to see if you can identify these ‘90s pitchers from just their pitching motion. It says if you get half of them, you’re an expert, but I got 7 out of 10.

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