MLB Bullets is going away

I really wish I had something interesting to say up here.

OK, I do have something. I can’t believe SB Nation has an autotag for “coronavirus” now. My advice to you is don’t drink bleach. Winning a “Darwin Award” just isn’t worth it.

I put up a picture of the late, lamented Marlins home run sculpture just to make Derek Jeter angry.

• The White Sox and infielder Yoan Moncada have agreed to a five-year, $70 million contact extension.
• That comes on the heels of the extension the Brewers handed Christian Yelich, which was reported here last time. (Or so I read. I wasn’t there.) Jay Jaffe analyzes that nine-year, $215 million deal for Yelich.
• Craig Edwards looks at how good Yelich projects to be in his thirties.
• Mark Feinsand has a list of other players who should get an extension. Yes, El Mago is at the top of the list.
• Dan Szymborski argues that it is time for the Indians to either sign shortstop Francisco Lindor to a new deal or deal him and spend the savings on someone else.
• Thomas Harrigan has nine players to watch as they play out their final year before free agency.
• MLB and the Players Association are discussing new rules on limiting the use of video by players during games. You probably know why this is an issue. If you don’t, I am so happy that you have awoken from your coma.
• Andy McCullough spoke with the players about this. Most of them are very opposed to removing the in-game access to video, (The Athletic sub. req.) although they do want to stop sign stealing. The one he spoke to who isn’t opposed to removing all video is Albert Pujols, who is old enough to remember when no player had access to video during the games.
• If you don’t have a subscription to The Athletic, Tom Verducci speaks with Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez about why he opposes removing access to in-game video.
• The Angels have fired their longtime visiting clubhouse attendant after it was discovered that he was providing banned foreign substances to the visiting team’s pitchers. (The Athletic sub. req. but here’s the basics of the story from a non-paywall site.)
• In another development of a story we have been watching around here, YouTube TV and Sinclair have reached to an agreement to carry most of regional sports networks. Before you ask, no. Marquee Network is not one of the ones that YouTube TV has agreed to carry. Nor are they carrying the Yankees YES Network or Fox Sports West (Angels) of Prime Ticket.
• And because it wouldn’t be 2020 without a coronavirus/COVID-19 story, Stephanie Apstein talks to the Kia Tigers of KBO, who are stuck in Florida for Spring Training as the team is not returning to Korea while the COVID-19 pandemic rages there. If that wasn’t enough to interest you, former Cubs first baseman Hee-Seop Choi is the Tigers hitting coach.
• Now for the butcher’s bill. Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale will not have Tommy John surgery, for now. Jack Baer explains the big dilemma that Sale and the Red Sox have around Sale’s health.
• Giants hurler Tyler Beede has a strained flexor and a sprained UCL. He’s getting a second opinion, but don’t be surprised if he undergoes Tommy John surgery as well.
• Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge says he’s “frustrated” that doctors can’t determine what’s wrong with his sore right shoulder. Judge still says he’s “optimistic” that he’ll play on Opening Day.
• The Red Sox have signed free agent pitcher Collin McHugh. McHugh is also coming off an elbow injury and will start the season on the injured list.
• A New York gambler has been arrested and charged with sending threats to athletes, including three members of the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Tim Brown profiles new Rays slugger Yoshitimo Tsutsugo, whom the Rays are hoping will be a key member of their offense this year.
• Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller had an ERA of 7.13 last season. In the past, that might have led to his release and possibly even the end of his career, but as Ben Lindbergh points out, modern statistical analysis indicates that Keller was a much better pitcher than his ERA. The Pirates also noticed that and Keller is still a big part of their future plans because of analytics.
• Eno Sarris examines the age old debate about whether stuff or command is more important to a pitcher’s success. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• The MLBPA has lodged another complaint about the Pirates for not spending their revenue-sharing money on players like they’re supposed to.
• Sam Miller argue that the era of “tanking” may have passed, or that at least it isn’t as big a problem as it was just two seasons ago.
• R.J. Anderson looks at which teams that made the playoffs in 2019 can expect to do so again and which teams should be worried.
• Ben Clemens predicts what Brewers infielder Keston Hiura can expect to achieve in 2020.
• Matt Kelly has one player from each MLB team who has been impressive in Spring Training.
• The Ringer is doing a series of articles on what baseball will be like in 2030. Ben Lindbergh looks at how the TV show Brockmire is portraying what baseball will be like in ten years. I watched the first season of Brockmire. I guess I should try to catch up as they’re on season four now.
• Michael Baumann asks if MLB will still exist in 2030? There are other articles at The Ringer on baseball in 2030 if you’re interested.
• Justin Klugh asks if we’re bored by how excellent Angels outfielder Mike Trout is.
• The Royals will play a doubleheader in September so that they aren’t trying to play a game on the same day that the NFL Kansas City Chiefs play their season opener.
• The Marlins are removing the night club and the swimming pool from Marlins Park because Derek Jeter hates fun. Seriously, can anyone actually imagine Jeter having fun? I can imagine him going on vacation and working very hard to look like he’s having fun. Except he fails because he doesn’t actually know what fun is so it just looks like he’s just found relief from taking a laxative.
• Chris Bouton remembers a time when the press was intensely interested in what the wives of ballplayers were doing. They usually tried to blame them for breaking up a team. Yes, they tried to Yoko Ono them before Yoko Ono was even a thing.
• This is only tangentially a baseball story, but former MLB outfielder Carl Crawford is being sued by rapper Megan Thee Stallion in a dispute over her contract.
• Zach Kram remembers the old “Backyard Baseball” video game and picks the players that would be in the game if they still made it today.
• And finally, the Cardinals have an off-day in Spring Training today. So congratulations to manager Mike Shildt who decided to use the day off from work to get married. His bride must have agreed to it. At least I’m assuming she’ll be there. Maybe she’s got a game today.

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