I’m back! At least for today. Thanks to Al for filling in for me on Wednesday, although it’s not like I wanted to be absent. Hopefully we’ll soon get some solution to this entire mess going forward.
I must say, despite the antagonism between the Mets and the Cubs throughout history, I respect Mets fans. After all, they could easily decide to be Yankees fans. Instead, they stick with a team that is going to Met things up time and time again. It’s not unlike how we Cubs fans have stuck with the North Siders for decades of futility when we could have made things easier by being Cardinals fans. (Come on, you didn’t think I was going to say the White Sox? I said “easier.”)
- Ken Rosenthal reports that the deal that would send Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts to the Dodgers has hit a snag over the medical reports on Twins pitcher Brusdar Graterol, (pictured above) who is part of the three-deal deal. (The Athletic sub. req., although you can go here for the gist.) Rosenthal reports that it’s not that Graterol is injured, but that his medicals indicate (to the Red Sox, at least) that he’s not going to be a starting pitcher going forward.
- The three teams are renegotiating the deal, but reports are that the trade is “still more likely to happen than not” but it is by no means a certainty.
- For the rest of today’s Bullets, we’re assuming that the Betts trade goes through. Otherwise these links don’t make sense. Travis Sawchik explains how Betts makes the Dodgers even more dominating and moves the Red Sox into a “transition.”
- Jay Jaffe analyzes what each side got in the deal and thinks the Dodgers made out like bandits.
- Mike Axisa has the winners and losers from the trade.
- David Adler compares Betts to current Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger and how great it is for the Dodgers to have both.
- Tim Brown thinks this deal has the chance to define the legacies of the two executives who made it. New Red Sox general manager Chaim Bloom used to work for Dodgers president Andrew Friedman in Tampa Bay.
- Tom Verducci says the Betts trade was the result of the luxury tax threshold, which has come to dominate the way teams operate in MLB. Basically, it’s become a salary cap. What we have to look forward to is the Cubs trading Kyle Schwarber for an “expiring contract” and thinking the Cubs made a good deal because those “expiring contracts” are more valuable than actual players.
- Craig Calcaterra writes that fans shouldn’t blame Betts for the deal: the fault is all with the Red Sox and MLB.
- Hannah Keyser writes that if you’re going to trade Mookie Betts, you probably shouldn’t own a baseball team.
- Paul Flannery writes that trading Betts is “unforgivable” and that once again, the Red Sox have screwed up a “golden era” in Boston baseball.
- At Over the Monster, “This sucks” is all that needs to be said. (They say a little more anyway.)
- Joon Lee lists the reasons for Red Sox fans to be angry and some reasons not to be.
- Andrew Simon explains why the Red Sox can still make the playoffs even without Betts. Boston’s projected wins for the 2020 season is now a paltry 92. Yes, it’s not like the Red Sox have suddenly turned into the Tigers overnight.
- Red Sox legend Jim Rice said that Betts wanted to stay in Boston.
- Betts is only guaranteed to be a Dodger for one season. Mike Axisa ranks all 30 MLB teams by how likely they are to sign Betts as a free agent for 2021.
- Moving on to the Mets, the deal to sell the team to Steve Cohen is off, from all appearances. Deesha Thorsar reports on how the deal fell apart.
- Chris Cwik has more on Cohen backing out of the deal.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to hand down the punishment for the Red Sox sign-stealing “before the [Spring Training] camps open.” So early next week.
- Manfred is also continuing to insist that the scheme to have Tampa Bay and Montréal share the Rays could still happen. What free agent would ever sign with a team knowing they’d be splitting their time between two cities that were 1500 miles apart and in different countries?
- Yankees pitcher James Paxton will miss 3-4 months after undergoing back surgery.
- The Dodgers have signed infielder Max Muncy to a three-year, $26 million extension.
- Will Leitch makes the cases that new Astros manager Dusty Baker has either the best or the worst job in baseball.
- Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron thinks everyone involved in the sign-stealing scandal should have been banned for life.
- Eric Stephen asks if either the Reds or the Diamondbacks have improved enough this winter to make the postseason in 2020.
- Sam Miller uses data to debunk some baseball lies (that he made up for the purposes of this article.)
- To honor the late John Altobelli, who died in the helicopter crash that also killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, the Angels will wear Orange Coast College caps in their first Spring Training games.
- Chris Landers examines whether or not Babe Ruth really “called his shot” in the 1933 World Series.
- And finally, Justin Klugh has the story of Mike Hughes, who in 1967 at the age of nine, was hit in the eye by a ball hit by Tigers infielder Dick McAuliffe in batting practice. That pretty much ended his baseball playing career. At least until 52 years later when he started a team in the Men’s Senior Baseball League.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.