MLB Bullets is up to date in Kansas City

In regards to the big story about Ichiro Suzuki today, I am reminded by that famous quote at the end of Jim Bouton’s Ball Four: “A ballplayer spends a good piece of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end it was the other way around all the time.”

• Before we get to that Ichiro story, the breaking news last night was that free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas has agreed to return to the Royals on a one-year deal that guarantees him $6.5 million. That’s $10.9 million less than he would have gotten if he had just accepted the qualifying offer back in November. It’s also less money than he made last year. (By the way, ignore the $15 million “mutual option” for 2019. That’s just a face-saving measure for Moustakas. Mutual options are almost never picked up.)
• Now, for your “must-read” piece of the week. Wright Thompson spent five days with Ichiro Suzuki in Japan in February and writes about how baseball is both a way of life and a prison for Ichiro that he can’t escape from. Ichiro joked that he’d probably just kill himself when he couldn’t play anymore and while no one is expecting that from him, it is clear he has no idea how to live a life apart from baseball.
• Ichiro officially signed with the Mariners and said that he always wanted to come home to Seattle. (And he emphasized that Seattle was “home.”) Ichiro also said that he was looking forward to facing Shohei Ohtani and if Ohtani was batting, he joked that he wanted to pitch to him. At least we think he was joking.
• Tommy Stokke writes that the Mariners actually need Ichiro on the field. Sure, he’s going to sell a lot of tickets, but injuries have left the M’s short on outfielders.
• People on social media had a lot of fun contrasting how Ichiro dressed when he arrived in Seattle in 2001 and how he dressed yesterday.
• Jay Jaffe looks at other Hall-of-Famers that returned to their first club to finish out their careers. We all hope Ichiro’s return to Seattle turns out better than Ken Griffey Jr.’s.
• I guess it’s the time of Spring Training for longform pieces. I don’t remember Byron McLaughlin. That’s understandable as he was a pitcher for the Mariners in their first four seasons in the league. But Sports Illustrated’s Dan Greene tells the story of how McLaughlin went from a ballplayer to a fugitive from justice after a career of smuggling counterfeit athletic shoes. McLaughlin has been on the run since 1990. (It helps that most countries in the world don’t consider his crime much of a crime.)
• This is some bulletin board material. When Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel was asked about a “World Series hangover,” he replied “We’re not the Cubs.”
• Back to the Royals. This was written before Moustakas agreed to return to Kansas City, but it’s still an interesting question. Mark Townsend asks whether or not Moustakas would have been better off waiting until after the draft to sign.
• The Royals also signed free agent pitcher Ricky Nolasco. Hard to believe, but the Cubs drafted Nolasco the same year they took Mark Prior.
• Some teams have karaoke nights. Some invite camels to camp. The Royals held a team seminar in Spring Training to warn about the dangers of watching porn. Fielding porn? I’m doomed.
• Andy McCullough has the details behind the Dodgers’ efforts to woo Shohei Ohtani. A lot of Dodgers players seem pretty bitter about the whole thing, calling it a “waste of time” and saying that Ohtani was never going to sign with a National League club.
• Ironically, the Dodgers efforts to sell Southern California may have just ended up helping their local rivals. Bob Nightengale writes about how the Angels had the perfect offseason.
• Jon Heyman has an extensive list ot the winners and losers this winter.
• I feel like we run this story in every edition of Bullets, but David Schoenfield looks at how the remaining free agent starting pitchers fit with all 30 teams.
• The Padres are the latest team connected to Jake Arrieta. This makes sense in one way (If you’re going to sign Eric Hosmer, you shouldn’t stop there) and makes no sense in another. (Hosmer and Arrieta together still don’t make the Padres a playoff team in 2018.)
• The Rockies may bring back Carlos Gonzalez.
• Jerry Crasnick profiles four former All-Stars who are moving to new positions this year.
• Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is having some troubles learning to play first base.

• Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke has struggled to hit 90 mph on the radar gun this spring. No reason to be concerned . . .yet.
• Jeff Sullivan looks at some trends in Spring Training this year. Same trends as last season, so far.
• The Rays have had no luck this spring as a second starting pitching prospect, Jose De Leon, will need Tommy John surgery.
• While the Angels are talking about using a six-man rotation this year, the Rays are talking with going with a four-man rotation and then using the bullpen to fill in when necessary.
• Former MLB Players’ Association head Gene Orza talks with Evan Drellich about the past, present and future of the MLBPA. Orza had some strong critiques of the current MLBPA, but added that there is zero chance he will come out of retirement, although he says he has been asked to. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• Coley Harvey thinks that will all the big names in Yankees camp, catcher Gary Sanchez is getting forgotten.
• Matt Snyder wants to appreciate the talent that is Adrian Beltre while we still can.
• Dave Sheinin profiles Athletics scouting coordinator Haley Alvarez, who is on-track to be the first woman general manager in MLB history.
• Gabe Lacques writes about how older, “baseball-lifers” are getting squeezed out of managerial jobs.
• Michael Lananna writes about how baseball in Puerto Rico continued despite the devastation left by Hurricane Maria.
• Jonathan Bernhardt asks “Who has the prettiest swing in baseball?”
• Jim Margalus looks at the history of bullpen carts and the White Sox.
• If you’ve got an extra kidney and would like to donate it to a member of the Miracle Mets of 1969 who broke every Cubs fans’ heart, Ed Kranepool would like to speak to you. In all seriousness, Kranepool needs a kidney transplant and we all hope he gets one soon.
• A woman struck out Vinny Castilla. To be fair, it was at softball and she’s a hell of a softball pitcher.
• And finally, a contestant on Jeopardy unintentionally insulted every MLB team that trains in Florida with his answer on the name of their Spring Training league.

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