Things around here are so slow that had Frank Thomas posted an article about testosterone boosters, I might have actually considered linking to it.
- As the MLB lockout heads into its second month, Dayn Perry has four things you need to know about the labor dispute.
- The Cardinals have cancelled their off-season fan fest, which I know is a disappointment to all of you who were planning on going.
- Big news in the world of trading cards as Fanatics has agreed to purchase Topps. This development is likely the result of Fanatics having won the exclusive right to produce baseball trading cards from Topps. But this also means that Fanatics will still be able to produce the Topps baseball cards that so many of us grew up with.
- Bill Shea has more detail on what Fanatics buying Topps means in the trading card market. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Stephen Nesbitt and C. Trent Rosecrans explains how the ash bat, traditional in baseball for over a hundred years, is now almost extinct in the game, thanks to an invasive beetle and Barry Bonds. (The Athletic sub. req.) Right now, Joey Votto is the only player still using a traditional ash bat, and he’s hoarding them in hopes that he has enough to last him until he retires.
- Hannah Keyser writes about how MLB is going to be forced to make changes because of climate change.
- Alden Gonzalez looks at the current state of the five AL West teams and what they are likely to do when the lockout ends. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
- Mike Axisa looks at how well each National League team is set to deal with a universal DH rule next year.
- The Yankees are considering trading for Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman and moving him the shortstop, according to reports.
- One signing happened as the Dodgers have agreed to a minor-league deal with two-time Olympic silver medalist Eddy Alvarez. And oh yeah, Alvarez is also an infielder, on top of being only the sixth person in history to medal at both the Winter and the Summer Games.
- Former Cubs pitcher Robert Stock has signed with the Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization.
- Former Cubs (as well as the Tigers, Marlins, Padres, Braves, Angels, Astros, Mariners, Yankees and Mets) outfielder Cameron Maybin announced his retirement. He never became the superstar that many thought he’d be coming up in the Tigers organization, but he did have a 15-year career and he played in 1162 games.
- Sad news as former pitcher Jim Corsi died at the age of 60. He won a World Series with the A’s in 1989. Corsi had liver and colon cancer.
- And former Tigers infielder Tommy Matchick has died at 78. Matchick was on the 1968 World Series champion Tigers team. Our sympathies go out to the family and friends of both Corsi and Matchick.
- The staff at The Athletic reveal their Hall of Fame ballots. (The Athletic . . .oh, you know.)
- Peter Gammons looks at the “complicated” Hall of Fame case for former Rockies first baseman Todd Helton. (The Athletic sub. req.) Gammons did end up voting for Helton in the end.
- In his notes column, David Laurila asks if Bobby Abreu had a better MLB career than Ichiro Suzuki? I’m not sure about that, but I will say that Abreu was by far one of the most underrated players throughout his entire career.
- And I guess it’s knuckleball day at mlb.com because David Adler ranks the best knuckleball pitchers of all-time. I guess it’s safe to write about knuckleballers because there isn’t one currently on any 40-man roster.
- Michael Clair looks back at the career of knuckleballer Charlie Hough.
And that’s it for today. End the lockout.