Lookout Linkage, 11/3/16

Honestly, I shouldn't even be writing right now. Baseball should have ended with the World Series last night. What a game. Baseball is a strange and emotional sport. Sometimes the baseball gods present you with a Cubs-Indians World Series. Sometimes that series goes seven games. And sometimes that series goes extra innings. It's the kind of series that everyone can appreciate. These were two teams you could simultaneously root for and nobody would question you for it.

Now that 2016 is over, we look ahead to 2017. Hopefully, or maybe hopefully not, the Mariners will give fans the same kind of emotional roller-coaster that Cubs and Indians fans endured these last 30 days. Maybe 2017 is that year. But it all starts here, with the offseason. Welcome to offseason linkage.

In Mariners news...

• The Mariners have added a really cool patch that they'll wear for 2017 in honor of the team's 40th anniversary.
• The M's made a flurry of small roster moves yesterday.
• Reports indicate that the M's are interested in bringing Dae-Ho Lee back, at least in a platoon role. But Greg Johns says that Lee isn't interested in being a part-timer.
• Marc W at U.S.S. Mariner provides his thoughts on some of the latest Mariners happenings.

Your World Series headlines...

• Get a load of this guy, who predicted the 2016 World Series down to the most minute detail back in 2014. Someone ask him about the Mariners while you're at it.
• Bill Murray gave a free ticket to a random fan for a World Series game in Chicago.
• Tony Blengino tries to find meaning in the 2016 postseason and all of the stories it has given us.
• A reporter asked a really bad question to Terry Francona before Game 7.
• David Ross had something of a storybook ending to his playing career, homering in a World Series win for the Cubs.

Around the league...

• The closer problems persist in New York, as Jeurys Familia was arrested for suspected domestic abuse.
• The Mets are also facing troubles on a different scale in the outfield, with Yoenis Cespedes likely to opt out of his contract. The two sides have reportedly not yet opened up a discussion on a new deal.
• Baseball players can enjoy Halloween too! Catherine Slonksnis analyzed all of the costumes that MLB players offered us this year. Not to be forgotten is this young lady, who dressed up as the cotton candy girl fan.
• The United States took a major hit to its World Baseball Classic championship hopes as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper have indicated they are unlikely to join the squad.
• Greg Holland will throw in a showcase in the coming weeks. Holland would certainly be an intriguing option for the M's and would fit with Jerry Dipoto's pattern of grabbing potential rebound candidates.
• Dave Cameron wonders how many appearances were too many for Aroldis Chapman and weighs the risk/reward of using him so frequently.
• Remember Matt Stairs? The Phillies would like to remind you of his existence. He's going to serve as the team's new hitting coach.
• David Schoenfeld ranks each team heading into 2017.