MLB Bullets is assessing the market

Good morning.

• The MLB Players Association announced that they had launched an investigation after Braves general manager Alex Anthopolous said in a conference call with members of the media that he had been in touch with 27 other teams about what they were planning to do in free agency this winter. That would be collusion under the collective bargaining agreement, although Anthopolous and the Braves deny that what they were actually engaging in collusion.
• Tim Brown writes that the union’s reaction to Anthopolous’ comment proves that they intend to be much more aggressive going forward.
• Eric Stephen thinks union head Tony Clark needed to make a stand on this.
• Jeff Passan examines what this incident means for baseball’s labor “cold war.”
• Until there is a work stoppage, teams are still going to sign players. Mark Feinsand has seven current free agents that could sign quickly.
• One of those players is outfielder Brett Gardner and indeed, reports are that the Yankees are deep in negotiations to bring the 36-year-old outfielder back to the Bronx. Gardner is the longest-tenured current Yankee and with the retirement of CC Sabathia, he’s the last member of the 2009 title team still with New York.
• Sabathia is trying to convince free agent Gerrit Cole to sign with the Yankees.
• Michael Shapiro looks at the most likely destinations for free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole. The Yankees are on the list, but they’re not at the top of the list.
• Another one of the “free agents likely to sign early” is former Cubs pitcher Cole Hamels and he’s open to returning to Philadelphia on a one-year deal.
• The Braves have reportedly made signing former Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner a top priority this winter.
• Anthony Castrovince has seven “bold” predictions for the offseason Hot Stove.
• Eno Sarris have seven “mid-level” free agents who could turn out to be great buys this winter.
• Bradford Doolittle, David Schoenfield and Buster Olney have a roundtable discussion of some of the big issues over the winter. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Olney debates when the Indians should trade shortstop Francisco Lindor. (ESPN+ sub. req.) Cleveland is resigned to the fact that Lindor will become a free agent after the 2021 season, so they’re debating when is the best time to trade him.
• Martin Prado is telling people he’s “likely to retire.”
• Former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington is a candidate for the vacant Pirates President of Baseball Operations position.
• Astros bench coach Joe Espada is the favorite to be the next manager of the Giants. The last time the Giants hired a manager, they hired the guy who finished second to Lou Piniella in the Cubs manager search. I’d say Bruce Bochy worked out pretty well.
• In a shakeup in the Astros front office, team president Reid Ryan is being moved to a lesser role as Jared Crane, the son of owner Jim Crane, takes a more prominent role. Ryan’s Hall-of-Fame father Nolan Ryan has left the organization altogether.
• Four years ago, Matt Blake was the pitching coach for a high school outside of Boston. He’s now the new pitching coach for the New York Yankees. The same Yankees that are going to sign Gerrit Cole. Unless they don’t. It’s one or the other.
• Craig Edwards notes that the Yankees don’t spend money like they used to.
• MLB announced the cutoff for “Super-Two” players and Josh Hader and Julio Urias are among those who are now eligible for arbitration. The Yankees have four “Super-Two” players including Gio Urshela.
• Sam Miller looks back at each team’s goals going into 2019 and looks at how well they lived up to them.
• The 2019 Silver Slugger Award winners were announced. Yu Darvish was robbed.
• One Rookie of the Year candidate for each MLB team in 2020. One guess who the Cubs’ candidate is.
• Mark Bowman looks at the case for and against inducting Dale Murphy into the Hall of Fame.
• Jay Jaffe looks at Murphy’s career as well as that of fellow Cooperstown candidate Don Mattingly. Jaffe wouldn’t vote for either one, but admits he wouldn’t be upset if Murphy were inducted.
• Jaffe also looks at Steve Garvey’s career and case for the Hall. It’s hard to believe this now, but back when he was playing, Garvey was definitely considered a future Hall-of-Famer. Garvey probably curses Bill James every night before bed.
• In case you’re having baseball withdrawal, Beth Warner has your guide to watching the winter league on-line. I don’t know about this year, but I’ve also seen Mexican LMP games on those Spanish-language television sub-channels in years past.
• Former major leaguer Kyle Blanks believes that allowing players to use CBD products as a substitute pain remedy could help baseball deal with their opioid problem and avoid another death like Tyler Skaggs.
• Tim Keown profiles Steve Bandura and the Anderson Monarchs, an inner-city Philadelphia Little League team that is teaching African-American kids to love baseball and succeed in life without spending the money they don’t have. Little League sensation Mo’ne Davis is his most famous alum, but he has several other players who are currently playing in the NCAA.
• And finally, Mets infielder Robinson Cano went to Paris, hung out with Paris Saint-Germain soccer star Neymar Jr. and got a haircut and dye job that made him look like Queen Elsa from Frozen.

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