There will be a separate article coming shortly about Ken Rosenthal’s report about the National League and the DH.
- It seems all I’ve been doing this entire offseason is coming up with new and creative ways of saying “nothing’s happened yet.” Michael Baumann writes that both fans and journalists are not buying team excuses for not spending money anymore.
- As proof of that, Bob Nightengale writes that the lack of signings for the major free agents this winter is a flat-out embarrassment for the game. Commissioner Manfred, when you’ve lost Bob Nightengale, you’ve lost pretty much everyone.
- Ted Berg tries to explain why Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still free agents.
- Mike Axisa evaluates which teams would benefit the most from signing Harper or Machado.
- The Padres have reportedly been talking with Harper and Machado and Jonah Keri estimates what the chances are that San Diego will sign either one. Also, whether or not it makes sense for the Padres to do so.
- AJ Cassavell explains what the impact on the Padres would be if they signed Harper.
- Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge has offered to move to center field if the Yanks sign Harper. Of course, there’s no indication the Yankees are going to sign Harper.
- The White Sox have reportedly been in negotiations with Harper and Machado and Jay Jaffe notes how completely out of character it would be for the Pale Hose to sign a major free agent to a huge multi-year deal.
- Outfielder Curtis Granderson signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins.
- Left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics. Who says there are no big signings this winter? (By the way, Blevins was a minor league teammate of Luke Hagerty in the Cubs system many years ago.)
- Former Dodgers and Rays first baseman James Loney has signed with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, where he plans to both pitch and hit. I guess that one doesn’t count since it’s independent ball.
- The Indians acquired reliever Nick Wittgren from the Marlins for minor league pitcher Jordan Milbrath.
- A 79-year-old grandmother died last August after having been struck by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium. This was after the Dodgers extended their netting behind home plate, but the ball went over the netting and struck her nonetheless. We are just learning about this now.
- Craig Calcaterra examines why so many fans are being seriously injured by foul balls in recent years as well as what the legal issues are on such cases. Calcaterra argues that even if the Dodgers aren’t legally liable in this case, they should have made the incident public as a warning to fans in the future.
- Jon Wertheim has more on the incident with Gabe Kapler and the assault at the Dodgers hotel in 2015 and the connection to the firing of Nick Francona, son of the Indians manager. This article is an in-depth profile on Francona and the problems he has had with Kapler specifically and the way MLB treats military veterans in general.
- Former White Sox and Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen wants to manage again.
- Indians team president Chris Antonetti gave an interview that made many conclude that the Indians will not lock up shortstop Francisco Lindor to a long-term deal before he reaches free agency.
- Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich had a wild offseason and Emma Baccellieri documents how Yelich had to deal with the California wildfires near his Malibu home at the same time he won the NL MVP award. (Neither Yelich’s nor his mother’s home was destroyed, but there was a lot of destruction in the area around both houses.) There’s also a lot in here about what Yelich did to have an MVP-worthy season. Yelich has also been doing all he can to raise money for the recovery efforts.
- Jeff Sullivan wants to know why there is no 60-day disabled list in the offseason? To prevent abuse, naturally, but Sullivan thinks there are ways around that.
- Andrew Simon has the top ten projected pairs of teammates for the 2019 season.
- This is only tangentially MLB news, but the Oakland Raiders will not be allowed to play at Oracle Field (formerly AT&T Park) for the 2019 NFL season, despite a report that they would play there. The San Francisco 49ers have refused to waive their territorial rights to allow the Raiders to play in San Francisco. The City of Oakland won’t let them play in Oakland either.
- Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley got his stolen golf clubs back.
- Former minor league pitcher Loek Van Mil, most famous for being the tallest player to ever play professional baseball at 7’1”, nearly died on after a fall on a hiking trip in Australia and came back to help lead the Brisbane Bandits to an Australian Baseball League title.
- Dan Hayes has the story of the post-baseball career of former major league catcher Rob Bowen (ten games with the Cubs!). He’s now part of a K-9 unit for a Georgia sheriff’s department. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- A look at some of the best of the new Spring Training caps. By the way, I also hate it when someone calls their baseball cap their “lid.”
- Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli has a new workout where he pushes a wheelbarrow full of rocks across a field.
- And finally, the Minnesota Wild of the NHL will honor recently-retired Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer by wearing these Twins-style hockey jerseys during the warmup for their game on February 12.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.