MLB Bullets finally has something brewing

Good morning.

• We have some free agent signings! Not those free agents, but at least someone who got a qualifying offer. The Brewers have agreed to a one-year, $18.25 deal with catcher Yasmani Grandal.
• Travis Sawchik likes the Grandal signing and notes that the Brewers just keep finding bargains.
• Buster Olney writes that the Brewers got a great deal by waiting out the market. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Mark Townsend evaluates the deal from both sides and points out that Grandal reportedly turned down a four-year, $60 million deal from the Mets earlier this winter.
• Jeff Sullivan cannot understand why more teams weren’t interested in Grandal and why he didn’t get a better offer than this one.
• Grant Brisbee writes that Grandal’s signing is terrific for the Brewers and terrible for baseball.
• Emma Baccellieri writes that Grandal’s signing is just exhibit Q in the evidence that MLB free agency is broken. She also talks about how good Grandal is and how he fits with the Brewers.
• Chris Cwik agrees as he writes that free agency is broken and a lengthy work stoppage in 2022 seems inevitable at this point.
• Another mid-level free agent signed as the Mets agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with infielder Jed Lowrie.
• Mark Townsend looks at where all the money the Mets have spent over the winter went and wonders if it will all be worth it in the end.
• Another free agent infielder has a new club as second baseman Brian Dozier has agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with the Nationals.
• Craig Edwards thinks that signing Dozier was a low-risk gamble on a player who might have a big comeback in 2019. And if he doesn’t, they’re only out $6 million. You’d think for that much money, however, that Dozier would come with a bionic arm or something.
• Richard Justice has several reasons that free agent outfielder Bryce Harper should sign with the Phillies. He also says that the Phillies should make one of those reasons a whole ton of money.
• Zach Kram thinks every MLB team that isn’t offering Harper or Manny Machado a record-setting contract is being foolish. He thinks there is very little chance that either free agent won’t end up being worth what he’s paid.
• Jonah Keri notes that the Yankees have decided to spend most of their money on building an incredible bullpen instead of elsewhere and examines where this strategy leads.
• Anthony Castrovince has ten teams that still have things to do this winter.
• Normally this would rank higher on the list of links, but the ongoing free agency crisis seems a bigger story than an college football quarterback declaring for the NFL draft. But Athletics first-round draft pick Kyler Murray is now expected to declare for the NFL draft. He’s still expected to report to Spring Training next month, however.
• J.J. Cooper explains Murray’s decision and what would happen if Murray decided to quit baseball for football. And no, he’s not going to be able to play both sports. NFL teams might allow a defensive back like Deion Sanders time away to play baseball, but there’s no way they’d let a quarterback like Murray concentrate on anything but football.
• R.J. Anderson makes the argument that Murray should stick with baseball.
• The arbitration process starts next week and just in time, Jeff Passan has everything you wanted to know about how arbitration works but were afraid to ask.
• Jeff Sullivan thinks that any team that needs a left-handed reliever (and what team doesn’t need a left-handed reliever?) should try to make a deal for the Giants’ Will Smith.
• Bob Nightengale reports on the challenges the Red Sox face in their quest to repeat.
• Former Cubs pitcher Jaime Garcia has announced his retirement.
• Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has also decided to hang up his spikes.
• The Angels and the City of Anaheim are close to a deal that would have them remain in Angels Stadium for the 2020 season. The Angels’ lease runs out after this upcoming season.
• The Giants will no longer play in AT&T Park, but they’re not moving as the stadium has been renamed Oracle Park. I remember when it was Pac Bell Park. I also remember when it was SBC Park.
• The Padres said they are likely to adopt brown uniforms for the 2020 season. The brown is back, baby! I’m fully of the belief that we need more color diversity in baseball and the newer franchises should leave Red and Blue to the older franchises. Obviously the Cubs and Dodgers and Cardinals and Reds shouldn’t change. The Yankees should be black and white and the White Sox too, since anything other than black would dilute the impact of the white. I understand why the Nats are red, white and blue. But Seattle is the Emerald City—why are the Mariners blue? Maybe the Twins could go full Prince and join the Rockies as a purple team.
• Braves 2018 first-round draft pick Carter Stewart has lost his grievance against the team. Stewart did not sign with the Braves after they lowered his bonus offer after a physical.
• Matt Kelly has the best hitter in baseball versus each type of pitch.
• Jeff Sullivan loves Twins catcher Willians Astudillo and examines his chances of breaking Joe DiMaggio’s hitting-streak record. Obviously not good, but better than almost every other hitter.
• The hardest-throwing pitcher in each of the 30 minor league systems.
• This is a terrific story by Sung Min Kim and I’m sorry you have to subscribe to The Athletic to read it. (But writers do deserve to get paid, so there’s that.) All over the world, people are learning to speak English by listening to baseball broadcasts. (The Athletic sub. req.) Kim has many of their stories and some explanations as to why baseball broadcasts are a good learning experience.
• Britni de la Cruz examines the issues surrounding the “Kiss Cam” and how maybe it’s time to put an end to the practice.
• And finally, you’ve probably seen this by now. I know it was on my local news. But in case you haven’t, someone was playing Mario Kart on the video board at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

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