Outside The Confines: A closer fights for a save

Good morning. Be kind to everyone.

• White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announced on Sunday that he’s beginning treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We wish him a speedy recovery and a return to the mound.
• You’ve probably heard this already, but the Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer for assignment. He will be released if no one claims him.
• Bob Nightengale has a behind-the-scenes look at the Dodgers’ decision to release Bauer. The Dodgers had always intended to release Bauer, Nightengale reports, but they felt they owed to him to meet with him and see if he could change their minds. When he showed no remorse, the decision was easy.
• Hannah Keyser writes that the Dodgers did the right thing by cutting ties with Bauer, but that it’s only a symbolic victory and that much work still needs to be done.
• Laura Albanese believes that MLB needs to send a message by not allowing him to continue his baseball career.
• Bill Plaschke argues that no matter how much the Dodgers might have needed Bauer to pitch (and how much money they’re paying him), it was worth it to be on the right side of things.
• Gabe Lacques notes that baseball won’t miss Bauer.
• Alden Gonzalez asked around to see if any team might have an interest in signing Bauer, but everyone he spoke to said that his MLB career is over. But Gonzalez did note that it only takes one team to think differently and sign him.
• Andy Martino reports that the Mets are growing “very frustrated” over the negotiations with Correa and may walk away.
• Jon Heyman reports that Correa’s situation will be decided soon and he is still most likely to end up with the Mets. Just remember: Martino’s main sources are owner Steve Cohen/the Mets front office. Heyman’s main source is Correa’s agent Scott Boras. So read these last two sources appropriately and note that they’re likely negotiating through the media.
• Bob Nightengale says the way these Correa negotiations have become public shows the virtue of the Atlanta Braves organization’s approach, who never allow anything to leak out before it’s final. That’s an odd stance for a reporter to take, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong.
• R.J. Anderson sums up what we currently know about the Correa negotiations.
• There was a trade! The Phillies acquired left-hander Gregory Soto and infielder Kody Clemens from the Tigers for infielder Nick Maton, outfielder Matt Vierling and catcher Donny Sands.
• Keith Law evaluates the Phillies/Tigers deal. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Zach Crizer evaluates the Red Sox decision to sign Rafael Devers to a contract extension after failing to sign extensions with either Xander Bogaerts or Mookie Betts.
• Emma Baccellieri writes that the Devers extension gives a way forward to the previously aimless Red Sox.
• Joon Lee explains why the Red Sox ponied up the big money for Devers after passing on doing the same for Bogaerts or Betts.
• Mike Axisa has ten more players who are in line for a contract extension.
• Will Leitch has one candidate for a contract extension for each team. Ian Happ is on both of these lists.
• The Mariners have signed free agent outfielder A.J. Pollock to a one-year, $7 million deal.
• The Reds have released infielder Mike Moustakas. They still owe him $22 million.
• Paul Casella has seven contenders who still have more to do before Opening Day.
• Bradford Doolittle looks at the position that each team has had the most trouble filling. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Justin Choi examines the risk the Phillies took in signing reliever Craig Kimbrel.
• Kyle Kishimoto looks at what the Brewers can expect out of their new pitcher, Wade Miley.
• Henry Palatella has twelve players who need to stay healthy in 2023. Wade Miley could be on the list, but he isn’t. Kyle Hendricks is.
• Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru has seven stats from 2022 that should improve in 2023.
• Ken Rosenthal notes that the Yankees hiring of Brian Sabean and Omar Minaya for the front office doesn’t mean that the team is turning away from analytics. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• R.J. Anderson has a “way-too-early” look at potential free agents for next winter.
• Major leaguers Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish and Seiya Suzuki have all been named to Japan’s World Baseball Classic roster.
• A Brewers fan has been charged with felony burglary after he robbed the Brewers’ clubhouse while drunk.
• And finally, Thomas Harrigan notes that 70 years ago today, Hall-of-Famer Ted Williams was recalled for active military duty. Harrigan looks at the circumstances surrounding Williams’ service in the Korean War and what his career stats might look like had he not missed five seasons to military service.

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