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Just to let you know, there won’t be an MLB Bullets on Wednesday—both because there probably won’t be many stories and because we’re limiting the number of articles I write as the new California law kicks in. Hopefully there will be one on Friday.
- So the one bit of news is that the Marlins have signed outfielder Corey Dickerson to a two-year, $17.5 million deal.
- Eno Sarris has what we learned about baseball in 2019. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Jay Jaffe looks at the Mets signing of Dellin Betances and what it means for the Amazin’s bullpen.
- One thing it means, according to Matt Kelly, is that the Mets are now projected to have the best bullpen in the National League.
- David Schoenfield predicts where the remaining free agents will sign.
- Buster Olney reports that there is a belief among agents that MLB is only spending money this winter in order to calm the anger in advance of the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. (ESPN+ sub. req.) The theory is that once a new CBA is agreed to, the teams will stop spending again.
- This Associated Press article started a few Twitter thread reactions. In this piece, Commissioner Rob Manfred says that MLB is committed to keeping minor league baseball everywhere it currently exists.
- Craig Calcaterra writes that MLB’s statement on the minor leagues is straight out of 1984, (Twitter thread) where up is down and freedom is slavery.
- And Daniel R. Epstein builds on that by pointing out that Manfred and the owners are so focused on maximizing short-term profits that they’re in danger of destroying the game (Twitter thread) we all love.
- Dayn Perry notes that the excuses that small-market teams have for not spending money are nonsense.
- On the other hand, Peter Gammons likes the off-season moves of the Rays, Marlins and Diamondbacks. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Mike Lupica argues for the Dodgers to make a big move (like trading for Francisco Lindor or Mookie Betts) if they want to end their World Series drought in 2020.
- Former manager Dusty Baker decries the lack of African-American managers in the game today.
- Mike Rosenbaum has the five most improved farm systems in 2019.
- Ben Clemens examines the Tigers signings of Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron.
- MLB’s “Cut4” site is rerunning stories you may have missed this summer. Matt Monagan profiles José “Jordan” López, the New York barber to the baseball stars.
- And finally, in another rerun, Eric Chesterton looks at a New York league of “Beep Baseball” for the blind.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.