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Good morning folks! Oh, you thought the Francisco Lindor trade would catalyze the offseason? Nope! We’re still waiting for stuff to pick up. Here’s what you need to know today.
In Mariners news...
- The M’s lose some coaching blood to the winter’s most active team.
Hugh Quattlebaum, who had been the Mariners minor league hitting coordinator, has taken a director of hitting role with the Mets.
— Corey Brock (@CoreyBrockMLB) January 13, 2021
Quattlebaum helped out the big league team last summer when hitting coach Tim Laker worked remotely.
- Corey Brock at The Athletic projects the M’s 2021 Opening Day roster. ($)
- Justus is getting some work in.
Here’s a little Justus Sheffield throwing to brighten up your afternoon pic.twitter.com/PGHkSYR4BP
— Lookout Landing (@LookoutLanding) January 13, 2021
- With every honor, Kyle Lewis’ power grows.
Mariners CF Kyle Lewis named 6th best CF in baseball according to MLB Network and "The Shredder".
— Joe (@JoeDoyleMiLB) January 14, 2021
More respect on his name.
Around the league...
- A number of Korean and Japanese players have opted to go back to their home countries after seeing the weak players’ market for free agents this winter. Korean left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong is still in search of a big league opportunity.
- As Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic notes, the Padres are still searching for improvements to their rotation. ($)
- Will Leitch gazes in to the crystal ball to predict the next 10 World Series winners.
- Brittany Ghiroli and Eno Sarris at The Athletic sort through the complicated nature of MLB’s pine tar problem. ($)
- Ben Clemens at Fangraphs analyzes the pros and cons of the six-man rotation, which is becoming more prominent across baseball.
- It appears Corey Kluber’s showcase went well.
Nearly 25 teams showed up at Corey Kluber's showcase today, and scouts came away impressed. His fastball sat 88-90 -- and he's got more velocity in the tank as he builds toward spring training. Kluber threw 30 pitches, including all of his off-speed stuff. Strong market expected.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2021
- Meanwhile, a former Mariner will be getting in front of scouts soon.
Wade LeBlanc, 36, has healed from the stress fracture in his left elbow that shortened his 2020 season. LeBlanc, a free agent, is throwing bullpen sessions and is likely to throw in front of @MLB scouts in the coming weeks, according to his agent, Joe Rosen. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 13, 2021
- Following the riots at the capitol, Major League Baseball has suspended all political donations.
- The Blue Jays agreed to a long-term extension with chief executive Mark Shapiro.