MLB Bullets avoids arbitration

Good morning. I always wanted to use a picture of Mookie Betts bowling. I don’t have a good reason to do so now, but I don’t have a good reason not to do so now.

• I’m not going to do a separate story for every ballplayer who avoided arbitration with their current club. Instead, you can go here if you want to know which players agreed to a new deal.
• I will mention that outfielder Mookie Betts and the Red Sox agreed to a record one-year, $27 million deal to avoid arbitration.
• And the Dodgers and outfielder/reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger agreed to a one-year, $11.5 million deal, which is a record for a first-year arbitration-eligible player. So I’m just going to mention the records.
• I’ll also mention that the Twins signed third baseman Miguel Sanó to a three-year, $30 million deal, which buys out the rest of his arb seasons.
• Former Giants ace Tim Lincecum once brought both of his Cy Young Award trophies to his arbitration hearing. The Giants quickly came to an agreement with the star pitcher, avoiding the hearing.
• Now on to less pleasant information. Daniel Engber investigates (as best he can) the now-mostly-forgotten incident in which three members of the New York Mets were accused of rape in the early-1990s. He also looks at the general culture of misogyny in baseball and other incidents of alleged sexual assault, both in and out of baseball, around that time.
• Some minor free agent signings. The Dodgers signed free agent left-hander Alex Wood to a one-year, $4 million contract. Wood played with the Reds last season after spending the four years before that with the Dodgers.
• The Rangers picked up free agent third baseman Todd Frazier for a one-year, $5 million deal.
• The Brewers inked free agent infielder Jedd Gyorko.
• Here’s news you don’t want to hear. Jon Paul Morosi reports that the Cardinals and Rockies are in discussion about a deal that would have third baseman Nolan Arenado ankle Colorado for St. Louis.
• This deal was speculated on in the aftermath of the trade that sent pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore from the Rays to the Cards. Ben Clemens looks at that and all the other ramifications of the deal that sent José Martinez to Tampa Bay.
• Dayn Perry writes that even with the trade with the Rays, the Cardinals still have too many outfielders.
• Maury Brown presents eight stories that will dominate MLB over the next decade.
• Red Sox owner John Henry clarified that he does not want the team to get under the luxury tax threshold if that comes at the cost of winner.
• Al kind of stole the thunder of this piece over the weekend, but Jayson Stark has several new rules proposals, (The Athletic sub. req.) including an end to the American and National Leagues and the modified DH rule.
• Ken Rosenthal explains why the White Sox deal to lock up rookie outfielder Luis Robert with a long-term contract makes sense and why the way players are compensated needs to change, (The Athletic sub. req.) with younger players making more money earlier in their careers and less later on.
• Buster Olney explains how technology and other changes in the game are going to drastically change the role of a major league catcher over the next few years. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Chris Landers makes an “absurd” case for Alfonso Soriano to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I’d be there for Soriano, even if there is no way in the world he’s getting inducted.
• Because it’s a slow news weekend, here’s a current review of the 1994 baseball movie Little Big League.
• Tim Brown looks at the second “California Strong” charity softball game, when two teams of ballplayers and celebrities, captained by Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger, raised money to help with several tragedies in the Golden State.
• And finally, Eric Chesterton has seven “strange” milestones that could be achieved in 2020. I think we’re all pulling for Anthony Rizzo become one of the top 20 players in all-time career hit-by-pitches. Unless one of them injures him. Then not.

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