Happy Friday, everyone. It’s been an exciting week for the Cubs, but what else is going on around baseball that’s worth mentioning? Well, the arbitration deadline was last night, and it seems likely we’ll
be seeing some hearings come out of it. We’ve got discussions about the Hall of Fame, and if those who participate in cheating shout get a shot at entering. Plus, is Clayton Kershaw heading for a broadcasting career after retirement? Well, if he is, it likely won’t be with FanDuel, as they have been dropped as a broadcasting partner by nine MLB clubs.
Let’s get into today’s links!
- Michael Bauman wants to know if the Padres are going to drop their low-spending mentality and actually shell out the big bucks this offseason.
- Jay Jaffe makes a Hall of Fame case for Shin-Soo Choo.
- Davy Andrews tries to determine if standing closer to the plate actually improves a batter’s odds of making contact.
- David Ortiz has plenty to do in retirement, but it’s unlikely he’ll be adding “professional singer” to that list after his appearance on The Masked Singer. Story by Scott Chiusano.
- Tom Verducci wonders if Carlos Beltran’s part in the Astros scandal should count against him in terms of Hall of Fame voting.
- Madison Williams reports that the freshly retired Clayton Kershaw is likely a lock for a broadcasting gig this upcoming season.
- Rob Manfred says that MLB will step in to broadcast in regions where no broadcasting deals have been made. (AP)
- Five teams that have taken a step backwards this offseason. Story by Jim Bowden. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Lots of ifs and uncertainty here, but good to know anyway.
- Davy Andrews introduces us to PhamGraphs, the new metrics that Tommy Pham is suggesting will more fairly assess players.
- Ben Clemens looks at the widening age gap between pitchers and catchers.
- Anthony Castrovince looks at 10 teams that have been busy this offseason, but in puzzling ways.
- Bryan Hoch shared that Aaron Boone couldn’t be happier about Aaron Judge captaining Team America in the WBC.
- Nick Selbe looks at how some last-place teams can go from worst to first in 2026.
- The A’s have been denied the “Athletics” nickname as they prepare to rebrand for their move to Las Vegas. (AP)
- This is just too funny not to share. (Here’s a direct link to the BlueSky post if you’re reading on Apple News)
- Davy Andrews looks at the move of Michael Lorenzen to the Rockies and why it works well for both sides.
- David Laurila spotlights some Minnesota Twins prospects.
- While the Yankees struggle to finalize a contract with Cody Bellinger, they may be taking a more serious look at Bo Bichette. (MLB)
- Will Laws and Nick Selbe try to predict where 15 remaining free agents will land.
- Jeff Passan looks at Tarik Skubal as an example of the arbitration system. (Skubal and the Tigers did not come to an agreement by Thursday’s deadline and will be heading to a hearing.)
- Cody Stavenhagen looks at the new talent pipeline coming out of Japan and Korea. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- 10 years later, a look at some of the best moments of 2016 (a mighty fine year if we do say so ourselves)
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.
