MLB Bullets gets a thumbs-up

I’m not going to go over the shouting match (to use a polite term) between commissioner Rob Manfred and Players’ Association chief Tony Clark yesterday as Al has already written a very good piece summarizing yesterday’s developments. I’m just glad that I wasn’t writing for BCB from 1981 to 1995.

• Bob Nightengale restates what happened yesterday but adds that we may be seeing decades of labor peace go up in smoke in short order.
• Agent Scott Boras sounded off on MLB’s response to the MLBPA and notes that he is seeing parallels to the collusion days of the 1980s.
• Bill Baer thinks that Boras has a point when he points out that the commissioner’s office should not know what kinds of offers have been made to players.
• Some players offered their thoughts on the current situation on social media.
• J.J. Cooper proposes a “tank tax” that would cost teams draft positions for losing 93 games two seasons in a row or more.
• There was a deal as the Mets signed free agent third baseman Todd Frazier to a two-year, $17 million deal.
• David Schoenfield thinks that the Mets got a bargain. The best they ever had. The best they ever had.
• Travis Sawchik agrees that the Mets got Frazier cheap and thinks it may be the first sign of a what the remaining free agents can expect.
• Bill Baer writes that Frazier is a victim of the slow free agent market.
• With Frazier moving from the Bronx to Queens, Matt Monagan asks what is going to happen with the Mets fan “Thumbs Down Guy”? And will Frazier bring the gesture with him?
• Grant Brisbee finds the Mets to be the most interesting team of the winter. Of course, he means “interesting” in the same sense you use it to politely describe a meal you didn’t like. But they are interesting.
• Jeff Sullivan assess the current state of the free agent market and thinks that free agents will start signing soon.
• The Rangers signed former Cardinals closer Seung-hwan Oh.
• Richard Justice has ten moves that teams should still make this winter.
• Twins starter Ervin Santana will miss the next 10-12 weeks after finger surgery.
• Jay Jaffe argues that the Twins need to add another starter, and he wrote that before Santana went down.
• Dayn Perry thinks the Nationals need to go all out and acquire Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.
• Jeff Sullivan thinks the Nationals dominance over the NL East is preventing a Realmuto deal from happening.
• Tommy Stokke asks and answers whether the Braves should take advantage of the current market and sign a free agent.
• The Marlins are planning on celebrating their 25th anniversary with a retro-1993 look. Clark Spencer also remembers the excitement and promise the team had back then.
• However, the Marlins continued their fire sale by firing the guy who has played “Billy the Marlin” for the past decade. No reason was given.
• Former Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum is planning a comeback and will have a showcase for scouts.
• Lincecum’s former team, the Giants, will retire Barry Bonds’ number this August.
• Anthony Castrovince picks an “All-Underrated” team for 2018.
• Joe Posnanski looks at Nolan Ryan’s career and his two records that won’t be broken.
• The Dominican Republic beat Cuba to advance to the semifinals of the Caribbean Series.
• David Adler lists every player who homered on his first pitch in the majors. You probably remember the current Cub that did it, but do you remember the other Cub who homered on his first pitch?
• Sarah Wexler looks at a scrapbook that documents the entire career of Sandy Koufax.
• Former Cubs pitcher David Aardsma has retired and joined the Blue Jays front office. This make Fernando Abad first among all ballplayers in alphabetical order.
• And finally, singer Ed Sheeran has announced that he will play Miller Park in Milwaukee on October 23 of this season. Brewers fans aren’t happy because they’re convinced the stadium will be in use that day. Isn’t that cute? For the record, if the Brewers announced that if they do make their first World Series since 1982 this year, Sheeran has agreed to reschedule.

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