News update

Between school and trade rumors, I'm waaay behind on important news. Let's catch up:
  • Yuslan Herrera is coming.
  • Jason Bay had surgery. All reports say it was minor and won't even affect spring training. It probably was minor, but do initial reports ever say anything else?
  • In a bizarre meneage-a-tois, shortly after the Braves finished up their deal with Mariners for Soriano, effectively screwing the Pirates on the LaRoche deal (unless you believe the Pirates screwed themselves on it, which is more than plausible), the Pirates selected Sean White in the Rule 5 from the Braves, then immediately traded him to the Mariners for cash. It's weird and probably slightly suspicious that three teams were so prominently involved on two strange moves like that in the same day. Meanwhile, the Nuttings are happy because they love cash.
    • Ed. note- We also dropped Yury DeCaster, presumably to make room for this move and then for Herrerra when he officially signs. Whoop-de-freaking-doo.
  • In other Rule 5 news, the Reds picked up the infamous Josh Hamilton, formerly of the Devil Rays. You may remember Hamilton from the SI story a couple years back that mapped his path and the path of the other Josh drafted at the top of the 1999 draft, Josh Beckett. The story went something like this, "Josh Beckett, World Series MVP. Josh Hamilton, tattoo covered crack head." Hamilton has worked to get clean since then, but he's struggled in the minors. He was in the NY-Penn League last year and has to be a long shot to make the Reds this spring.
  • JD Drew: Red Sock
  • Greg Maddux: Padre
  • Jason Schmidt and Luis Gonzalez: Dodgers
  • Gil Meche: Overpaid Royal
  • Barry Bonds: Cardinal?

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