We’re still in lockout mode. It’s always quite in MLB this time of year, but normally we at least get rumors and minor deals. Today, I’m highlighting the Nationals signing former Iowa Cubs infielder Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor league deal. OK, I probably could have led with Strange-Gordon being a two-time All-Star with the Dodgers and the Marlins, but this is a Cubs site. He last played in the majors in 2020 with Seattle.
- Dee Strange-Gordon doesn’t get your heat pumping? How about first baseman Jonathan Singleton signing a minor league deal with the Brewers? Singleton hasn’t played in the majors since 2015 and hasn’t played in the organized minors since 2017. He played in the Mexican League this past year.
- The LG Twins of KBO re-signed right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly for his fourth season with the team. Kelly last pitched in the majors in 2018. He’s been pretty successful in Korea in the three years since then. Kelly also pitched for the Iowa Cubs.
- Sticking with former Iowa (and Chicago) Cubs news, infielder Andrew Romine retired. (mlb.com link)
- Things have gotten so slow that mlb.com did a story on Julio Franco signing with the Mets in 2005. The point was the Mets gave the then 47-year-old Franco a two-year deal.
- OK, on to the negotiations, or lack thereof. Jayson Stark wrote a piece that’s been getting some attention. Stark proposes to reverse the draft order among teams that don’t make the playoffs. (The Athletic sub. req.) That is, the team with the best record among teams that didn’t make the playoffs would get the first pick in the draft and the team with the worst record would only pick before playoff teams. I dunno. It seems to me that other in the rare year when someone like Bryce Harper is available, teams aren’t losing to improve their draft position that much. They’re tanking because they don’t think they can compete for a playoff spot and therefore they 1) don’t want to spend any money on the team and 2) want to trade assets under short-term control for other players under long-term control. I think this is a gimmick that sounds good to sportswriters, but wouldn’t have much real-world impact. If you really want to stop tanking, base the shares of national TV revenue on the best teams getting more money and the worst teams getting very little.
- Dayn Perry argues that the negotiations between MLB and the Players Association over the shortened 2020 season provided a preview of and a guide to the current labor battle.
- I wrote about the news that Endeavor Group Holdings buying nine minor league franchises, including the Iowa Cubs, last week. But if you want a different and somewhat-more positive take, then Ben Clemens offers his thoughts on the private equity group buying into the minor leagues.
- Mets owner Steve Cohen is expected to meet with two or three finalists for their vacant managerial job this week.
- The Yankees failed to make any significant acquisitions before the lockdown came and the fans in the Bronx aren’t happy about it. Mike Axisa argues that it’s not too late for the Yankees to have a great offseason and he has three suggestions for how to bring that about after the lockout ends.
- Ken Rosenthal and Lindsey Adler write a similar piece, saying that the players are still available and the Yankees still have enough money to make a huge splash this winter. (The Athletic sub. req.) The question the writers raise, however, is that there is some question whether owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to spend all that money.
- Corey Seidman examines just how much money the Phillies have left to spend this off-season.
- Matt Snyder ranks the top 10 starting pitching 1-2 combinations after the Mets, who start their rotation with Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer.
- Luke Hopper is impressed by what White Sox rookie Luis Robert did after he returned from a mid-season injury.
- Things are so bleak in baseball-land that I’m reduced to talking about the Hall of Fame and steroids. Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn, who have long been on the PED-beat, try to estimate what Roger Clemens’ and Barry Bonds’ career would have been like had they not taken performance-enhancing drugs.
- Bob Nightengale explains why he voted for some known or strongly-suspected PED users for Cooperstown, but not Alex Rodriguez.
- Former Cleveland outfielder Jack Graney was named the Ford C. Frick Award winner for 2021. That’s the broadcaster Hall of Fame award. Graney, who played for Cleveland from 1908 to 1922, later became the first former player to become a radio broadcaster in 1932.
- Since they’re banned from talking about any current players, mlb.com has a story by Adam McCalvy looking back at the 1980 Winter Meetings when the Brewers traded for two future Hall-of-Famers (Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons) from the Cardinals.
- And Anthony Castrovince looks back at the 12-player, three-team trade that happened in 2008. Hey, one player from that deal, reliever Joe Smith, is still active. I wonder if Castrovince is going to get into trouble.
- Matt Kelly looks at some really long home runs that he wishes there was StatCast data for. (mlb.com link.) The Glenallen Hill home run is number one.
- Some sad news as longtime Royals scout and executive Jim Fregosi Jr. has died at the age of 57. Our sympathies go out to his family and friends.
- Fernando Tatis said that his son, Fernando Tatis Jr., suffered only minor cuts and scraps after falling in the Dominican Republic. He also denied rumors that Tatis Jr. was riding a motorcycle.
- And finally, with not much else to do, the Dodgers hosted a very special fan for a VIP tour of Dodger Stadium. Toby, a dog who went viral for the way he watches the Dodgers with his owners, was the very good dog who got this honor.
End the lockout, commissioner Manfred.