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Happy Tuesday everybody! It’s day two of the Shohei Ohtani interview process, and things are moving along very quickly according to a reliable source.
Sources: Ohtani, CAA will meet with multiple clubs on certain days, continuing fast-moving pace of process. MLB sent out CAA memo requesting presentations from clubs one week before owners approved new posting deal last Friday. Ohtani viewed each, cut down to seven teams Sunday.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 5, 2017
So while you perhaps prepare for another day of madly scanning the internet for news, here are some links to start off your day.
In Mariners news...
- Casey’s back!
Seattle Mariners
— Roster Roundup (@RosterRoundup) December 4, 2017
Signed RHP Casey Lawrence (@caseylawrence) to a minor league contract.
- Marc W at U.S.S. Mariner breaks down the M’s philosophy on spin rates for pitchers.
- Let’s get back to our featured fanposts of the day. Today’s is an open letter to Shohei Ohtani written by cestx.
Around the league...
- Cespedes BBQ has updated its free agent matrix on Shohei Ohtani.
UPDATE pic.twitter.com/CjMDL8RKk0
— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) December 4, 2017
- Grant Brisbee ranks Ohtani’s preferences in a very unbiased way.
- The Giants are the first known team to officially meet with Ohtani. San Francisco met the outfielder yesterday. Buster Posey was the only known player to be a part of the meeting.
- The Giants weren’t the only squad that met with Ohtani and his representatives yesterday.
Ohtani met with #Dodgers in addition to #SFGiants yesterday, sources tell The Athletic. https://t.co/8XmMf8Rusu
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 5, 2017
- The Rangers, however, have a sense of confidence that they’ll be the team to land the Japanese star.
- It sounds like we can all chill out about Giancarlo Stanton for a little bit.
A Giancarlo Stanton trade isn't close to completion, despite the frenzy resulting from weekend meetings with the #SFGiants and #STLCardinals. It's a complicated transaction with a lot of moving pieces, and it appears it's going to drag on a while. Nothing imminent.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 4, 2017
- Viva El Birdos wonders why Giancarlo hasn’t turned down the Cardinals yet.
- Omar Vizquel has just been named the manager of the White Sox’s Class A+ organization, the Winston-Salem Dash.
- The Rangers made some minor moves.
Rangers have signed RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez, LHP David Hurlbut, INF Christian Lopes, and OF Anthony Gose to minor league contracts.
— John Blake (@RangerBlake) December 4, 2017
- The Rangers have signed Mike Minor to a multi-year contract. The team plans to use him in the starting rotation.
- The Phillies are currently fielding trade offers on their middle infielders.
- Jeff Sullivan profiles Miles Mikolas, another starting pitcher who is making his way over from Japan.
- David Schoenfeld takes a look at some teams that could sign right-hander Yu Darvish.
Anders’ picks...
- Basketball-dad-turned-celebrity LaVar Ball has withdrawn his middle child LiAngelo Ball from UCLA after the player was suspended for shoplifting in China. Rumor has it he and his younger brother LaMelo may play overseas until they’re eligible for the NBA draft.