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So yeaaaaah, hey everyone. Happy Saturday to you. At least as happy as it can be given the Mariners offseason may or may not be ruined. Shohei Ohtani, a probable generational talent, has signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim instead of the previously front-running Mariners, which is pretty much the worst case scenario of the teams thought to still be in the running.
It’s weird to vehemently hate a team like the Angels yet still be a big enough fan of baseball in general that I still want Ohtani to do well. That’s where I’m at. I want all the bad things in the world to happen to the Angels and only the Angels, but I also want Shohei Ohtani to own the heck out of the AL. But maybe not when he faces the Mariners? I dunno, the world is garbage. Here are some links. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
In Mariners news...
- I don’t know who Bill Madden is, but he is a dumb dumb #EdgarHoF
- Shout out to former LL editor Jon Shields and his family for a good cause:
My uncle and aunt lost everything in the Thomas Fire in Ventura County. They are disabled and need help rebuilding. If there's anything you can spare it would mean a lot to me and more importantly them. https://t.co/F2Opr9KLJh
— Jon Shields (@TheJonShields) December 8, 2017
- Also, shoutout to Darin Gillies and another very good cause:
Please join me in donating to a great cause to support a man and family in my community who means a lot to us all. Anything helps! #FABINGSTRONG Click to Donate: https://t.co/bJDDUn70OG via @gofundme
— Darin Gillies (@Gillies15) December 8, 2017
- There are some farm hands left, we swear!
Despite remarkable turnover, #Mariners system still features Org All-Stars like outfielders Bishop, Filia on course to reach Seattle: https://t.co/dtJfqhwPhd pic.twitter.com/g34MHZ3CCz
— MiLB.com (@MiLB) December 8, 2017
Around the league...
- Pretty good:
I will say this, with Mike Trout AND Ohtani, the Angels are in incredible shape as soon as someone develops 2-on-2 baseball.
— Alexander Goot (@AGoot18) December 8, 2017
- I don’t know, this is the Angel’s problem now.
- Also not the Mariner’s problem:
After MLB's repeated no-tolerance warnings about cheating in Shohei Ohtani bidding, some club officials expect an official review/scrutiny no matter where he signs. https://t.co/EXll44ACeM
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 8, 2017
- Dave Cameron on the state of free agent starting pitchers.
- A move!
Source: Arizona Diamondbacks have claimed Henry Owens off outright waivers.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 8, 2017
- Thanks, Grant.
I’m excited for the Dee Gordon experiment, mostly because the Mariners aren’t my team. https://t.co/hqP1kfct5i
— Grant Brisbee (@mccoveychron) December 8, 2017
- The Twins score themselves a Bravelet:
Twins have reportedly made a deal with the second best of the prospects the Braves were forced to give up this year. https://t.co/9F1ZJI5rHY
— Twinkie Town (@TwinkieTown) December 8, 2017
- The Rangers have accepted failure:
Jon Daniels’ statement: https://t.co/yb1oKlfAmH pic.twitter.com/a8XYjPvQd8
— Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) December 8, 2017
- Chris Iannetta is a Rockie #COORS
.@Rockies sign catcher Chris Iannetta to a two-year deal. #HotStove
— MLBRosterMoves (@MLBRosterMoves) December 8, 2017
Eric’s pick!
- Join me as we traipse down this incredible rabbit hole of a Southwest Seattle neighborhood that utterly tears itself apart via the NextDoor App over cannon blasts for every Seahawks touchdown. Buckle up for a WILD ride, my friends:
#bestofnextdoor proudly presents:
— Best of Not-Nextdoor (@bestofnextdoor) December 8, 2017
"Seahawks Cannon"
aka the legendary Nextdoor thread that caused one Seattle neighborhood to brawl at their local library pic.twitter.com/TJ4MwzL6KP
Special update from Kate!
Hello, it’s me. Why am I awake on a Saturday morning at 5 AM, you might want to know? It’s because no one told my stupid body that the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes is over, and I still wake up every hour or two thinking something has happened. So, in case a division rival getting a generational talent wasn’t enough to screw up your weekend, guess what, trips to Yankee Stadium are about to get one bajillion times worse:
sources: yankees and marlins have a deal for giancarlo stanton
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 9, 2017
Pro: it’s going to be fun to watch Giancarlo in the AL East. How many home runs will he hit? One billion? One billion seventeen? Con: our pitching staff will now have to pitch to Giancarlo Stanton about a half dozen times a year. That’s annoying, but it’s not the gut punch that Ohtani is. But still annoying. In return, it seems the Yankees are sending some of their lesser prospects (who will immediately slot near the top of the Marlins’ system) and Starlin Castro, who didn’t have a job anyway because GLEYBER So, as it stands right now (the prospects haven’t been announced at the time of this writing), basically free. The Yankees got Giancarlo Stanton for basically free and the Mariners missed out on a generational talent. Seems about right for 2017.