MLB Bullets and by the time I get to Phoenix

I don’t know if the title is the first Glen Campbell reference on this site, but it’s the first I can remember. But I’m betting someone made a “Rhinestone Cowboy” comment somewhere. But with Wichita returning to the PCL, I think that I can work a “Wichita Lineman” reference into the Minor League Wrap this year.

• Free agent pitcher Madison Bumgarner signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Keith Law likes the deal for Arizona. (ESPN+ sub. req.) However, Law is basing this on the assumption that the D-Backs pair him with Robbie Ray, and a lot of these other links seem to think that Bumgarner is meant to replace Ray, not join him.
• Like this one by Emma Baccellieri, who believes that this signing means Ray is going to be traded. But in general, she’s puzzled by what Arizona is trying to do.
• Katherine Acquavella has four things to know about the Bumgarner signing, including that Arizona was Bumgarner’s top choice of destinations.
• Bumgarner leaves San Francisco with a “Giant” legacy, writes Chris Haft.
• The Indians traded former two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to the Rangers for Delino DeShields and Emmanuel Clase.
• David Schoenfield thinks that the Rangers are taking a risk acquiring the injury-plagued Kluber but that it’s a risk well-worth taking.
• Zach Kram thinks that Indians fans should be worried about this deal and the direction the Tribe are heading in with this deal.
• Travis Sawchik notes that big free agent pitchers like Gerrit Cole are usually well-worth the money.
• Richard Justice has the top free agents left on the market and where they are expected to sign.
• The Brewers signed pitcher Brett Anderson to a one-year deal.
• The Rays signed posted outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo from the Yokohama DeNa BayStars of NPB.
• Going the other way, outfielder Adam Jones signed with the Orix Blue Wave, which I’ve reported on before. But Brendan Gawlowski is fascinated by the reasons given for Jones signing with Orix, and in particular his statement that veterans are more valued in Japan.
• Former Cubs pitcher Dan Straily has signed with the Lotte Giants of KBO.
• The Mets have restructured the contract of outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and Cespedes will now make around $10 million less this year. Mike Oz explains how this came to about and the Mets’ grievance with Cespedes.
• Stephanie Apstein thinks the recently-completed Winter Meetings were a refreshing return-to-form from previous boring ones in recent years. She’s not sure why it changed, but she’s happy it did.
• Eno Sarris talks to MLB front office executives and they say what they wish the public understood about how a baseball team operates. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• At least one Astros’ employee has admitted the team was stealing signs but denied that they had set up any special camera to do so.
• Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw said he was “shocked” by the allegations against the Astros. He also spoke about another disappointing end to a Dodgers season and his struggles in the postseason.
• Tim Brown spoke to several MLB general managers and they defended MLB’s plan to contract the minor leagues.
• Bill Baer ain’t buying their reasons, some of which are demonstrably false.
• J.J. Cooper looks at the issues with the Florida Fire Frogs of the Florida State League and notes that they aren’t making things any easier for Minor League Baseball in their argument against contraction. The Fire Frogs probably are one team that could safely be axed. Their stadium isn’t sub-standard, it’s non-existent. The problem is that another FSL team has to go with it and they’re going after the Daytona Tortugas, who are second in the league in attendance, simply because they don’t play in an MLB Spring Training stadium. (Although not one that has been alleged in any way to be sub-standard.)
• Speaking of fire, a fire broke out in the new Rangers stadium, which is supposed to be finished by Opening Day. No one was hurt.
• The bat that Babe Ruth used to hit his 500th home run sold for more than $1 million. To misquote Robin Williams, spending over $1 million on a baseball bat is God’s way of telling you that you are making too much money.
• The Nationals held tryouts for the candidates to be our next (Racing) President.
• Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig took a try at sumo wrestling as part of his off-season workout regimen. #PuigYourSumo
• And finally, free agent Josh Donaldson wanted his mother to quit smoking, so he said he’d buy her a Maserati if she did. Now smoke-free for two years, Donaldson’s mom was very excited about her Christmas present.

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