Outside The Confines: The Eras Committee makes a single selection

The Contemporary Baseball Eras Committee has made their selection, choosing from a list of players who missed their opportunity to be voted into the Hall of Fame on the standard ballot. The list of players eligible this year was steeped with famous and controversial names, but at the end of the day there was only one person who received the necessary votes to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Voters, former players and MLB professionals themselves, were allowed to vote for four players and those who got at least 12 votes would be inducted. McGriff was selected unanimously by all 16 voters, as noted on the front page Sunday night. No one else came close. Don Mattingly got 8 votes to be the next closest, but McGriff was the only one to get the necessary votes.

• Nick Selbe looks at the election of McGriff, and the lack of votes for other players.
• Bradford Doolittle shares the big moment McGriff learned he had been elected.
• Anthony Castrovince writes about the election over at MLB dot com.

Now on to the rest of the links!

• David Laurila spotlights the new direction of the Kansas City Royals.
• Ken Rosenthal suggests that Aaron Judge is most likely going to sign a deal for at least nine years. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Ben Clemens looks at the biggest free agency shocker so far this season with the Rangers signing Jacob deGrom.
• This seems so wrong, but at least he’s in the AL now.

• Dan Szymborski takes a look at the nuts and bolts of the deal.
• Tom Verducci thinks this will be the big moment that busts open the free agency dam.
• Emma Baccellieri thinks the singing is worth the risk.
• Buster Olney thinks the move is a sign of deGrom “ditching” the Mets.
• Daniel Chavkin looks at the unusual request of Bryan Reynolds, who asked the Pirates to trade him.
• Ken Rosenthal thinks the Pirates should do it. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Daniel Russell of our sister site DRaysBay has shared the renderings of the redevelopment plans for the Rays’ current home site. The DRaysBay team has extensive coverage of the new plans for anyone curious of what might be coming.
• Mark Feinsand offers up seven storylines to watch for over Winter Meetings.
• Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough have a list of ten names that will be under the most scrutiny at Winter Meetings. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Is this Scott Rolen’s ballot?

And tomorrow will be a better day, Buster. Make it so.