MLB Bullets stays classy in San Diego

It’s Washington’s Birthday, not “Presidents’ Day.”

• Another major free agent has signed as first baseman Eric Hosmer has agreed to an 8-year. $144 million deal with the Padres.
• Bradford Doolittle thinks that this deal is a big gamble for the Padres, but that it does have a chance of working out.
• That’s the same thing that Mike Petriello writes: Signing Hosmer is very risky for the Padres, but that it could play off.
• Bill Baer doesn’t think the gamble is all that bad, because if Hosmer does turn out to be a bust, the Padres’ current payroll is low enough that Hosmer’s deal won’t hinder their future.
• Tim Brown doesn’t think Hosmer makes the Padres a contender, but at least they signed a quality person and quality ballplayer.
• Jorge L. Ortiz believes that the Padres signing Hosmer is a sign that the team is very serious about building a World Series team.
• Jeff Sullivan believes that the signing indicates that the Padres think they are closer to being a contender than the rest of us do.
• Jon Tayler doesn’t think that the Hosmer signing will make a difference in 2018, but that like the Nationals signing Jayson Werth years ago, the Padres are hoping that Hosmer will still be a productive player for the Friars when their strong farm system starts producing a contender.
• Michael Baumann also doesn’t think Hosmer makes the Padres a contender, but applauds the Padres for at least trying to put a respectable team on the field, rather than “tanking.”
• Mike Axisa analyzes not only the deal, but what Hosmer signing with the Padres means for the Royals and Red Sox as well.
• Buster Olney writes that traditionally, free agents who have sat out Spring Training have not fared well after signing. (Also, Olney got in a bit of a spat with Jon Heyman.)
• Richard Justice has five teams that could still salvage their offseason.
• Dayn Perry wonders if the weak free agent market will allow the Yankees to sign Mike Moustakas and still stay under the luxury cap threshold.
• The Twins have bolstered their rotation by signing free agent Anibal Sanchez.
• And the Twins traded for Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi.
• The Rays also acquired first baseman C.J. Cron from the Angels. The Rays also designated DH Corey Dickerson for assignment. He was the starting DH in the All-Star Game last July.
• New Giants third baseman Evan Longoria feels bad for the fans in Tampa Bay.
• The Giants inked reliever Tony Watson to a two-year deal.
• The kids of Giants closer Mark Melancon were really excited that Watson is now a Giant as well. I especially liked the toddler in the booster seat shouting “Tony!” (Melancon and Watson were teammates in Pittsburgh.)
• The Rangers deal with reliever Seung-hwan Oh has been nixed after an MRI on Oh’s pitching arm.
• Craig Edwards believes that the Blue Jays made a great, under-the-radar signing with starter Jaime Garcia.
• New Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain is glad to be going back to Milwaukee, where he started his career.
• Marlins pitcher Dan Straily is happy that Miami has traded away several star players this winter. Straily took the stance of if they don’t want to be a Marlin, then the team shouldn’t want them around. He also pointed out that he was a Cubs pitcher in 2014 and an Astros pitcher in 2015 and both team went from lousy to World Series champions in two years. Straily even mentioned that both teams won after getting rid of him. (h/t Big League Stew)
• Mets third baseman David Wright admitted that he may not play in 2018, after not having played in 2017. At this point, it looks like Wright’s career is over. It’s sad when a great player’s career ends early because of injuries. I’m not embarrassed to say that Wright is my favorite Met of all time. That is a pretty low bar to hurdle, however.
• Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he believes that Tim Tebow will play in the majors. Is that a prediction or a threat?
• The Indians signed Rajai Davis to a minor-league deal. We can laugh because the Cubs won the game anyway.
• Craig Edwards examines the issues with the Angels going to a six-man rotation. He thinks it won’t last past April.
• Anthony Castrovince makes an “All-Star Team” out of players who are non-roster invitees to Spring Training.
• Castrovince also reports that for many teams, Spring Training is starting later in the day this year as teams believe that more sleep for players will lead to better performance.
• Miami-Dade County is suing Jeffrey Loria and the Marlins for their share of the sale price of the team.
• Wayne Cavadi has the five most-improved farm systems for 2018.
• Convicted child molester Luke Heimlich is still pitching for Oregon State baseball and a lot of people are not happy about that.
• Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez literally ripped the cover off the ball during batting practice.
• The Braves players and their fans are having a problem telling Dansby Swanson and Charlie Culberson apart.
• It’s Spring Training for sportswriters too so Jonathan Bernhardt decided to practice some Spring Training clichés.
• Finally, one of the biggest Spring Training clichés is that players are “in the best shape of their life.” Not Reds first baseman Joey Votto. He said he spent the winter “trying to get fatter.” Said he succeeded too. Votto never could repeat a cliché.

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