This is the worst. Let's see what is happening:
*Gold Glove winners are announced today. Here's the rest of the major dates this winter:
Nov 7: Silver Sluggers announced
Nov 11: Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year announced
Nov 12: Managers of the Year announced
Nov 13: Cy Young Awards announced
Nov 14: MVPs announced
Dec 9-12: Winter Meetings
Jan 21: BBWAA Hall of Fame results announced
*There are only a couple of days left before teams can make qualifying offers (1yr/$17.8m) to free agents. Gerrit Cole will get one for sure. But what about Wade Miley? Dan Szymborski:
It may seem odd to offer this much money, even on a one-year contract, for a player the Astros didn't even trust on the playoff roster, but I think I would make Wade Miley an offer if I were in Houston's shoes because of their very specific circumstance.
*Stephen Strasburg has opted out of the 4yrs/$100m remaining on his deal with the Nationals, though Washington hopes to rework his deal.
*Anthony Rendon turned down an apparently heavily-deferred extension for 7yrs/$210m with Washington.
*Washington declined an $18m option on Ryan Zimmerman and a $9m option on Yan Gomes.
*Aroldis Chapman has reworked his deal with the Yankees and will be with New York through 2022. I am so f------ glad they got Chapman.
*The Hardball Times' Daniel Epstein: Pain, Baseball, and Near-Death.
*REM looks back at Monster, 25 years later.
*The To-Do List for people with crazy lives and short attention spans.
*Aeon: The Happiness Ruse: How did feeling good become a matter of relentless, competitive work; a never-to-be-attained goal which makes us miserable?
*Leeds United 2 Queens Park Rangers 0. Leeds are back to the top of the Championship. Can't wait to see how they break my heart around the time the Astros open up a 5-game lead in 2020.
*A Musical Selection:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
