Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s OK, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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The shortstop market is lacking, as far as free agency is concerned. Alexei Ramirez and Ian Desmond are the only two players who stick out, and both are coming off of rough 2015 seasons. So, the Braves are open to discussing a trade of defensive whiz Andrelton Simmons, knowing teams in or closer to contention might pay up in order to secure a productive shortstop instead of playing around with the rebound crew. So far, the Dodgers, Padres and Angels are all reportedly talking to the Braves about Simmons, but it’s worth mentioning that those talks are in the early stages.
The Angels only have Erick Aybar under contract for one more season. The Padres’ shortstop search is no secret, as they spent most of last year trying to acquire one. The Dodgers are a little more confusing: sure, they could bump prospect Corey Seager to third base, but Justin Turner has been one of their best bats the last two years and he’d lose out on playing time. Still, he could always be moved -- it’s not like the third base market is loaded with options.
Andrelton Simmons might never be much of a hitter, but he doesn’t have to be as a shortstop with his glove. His .265/.321/.338 line from 2015 was actually just a little bit below-average at shortstop -- which says a lot more about short than it does about Simmons -- but his glove carried him to a three- or four-win season, depending on which advanced defensive metric you distrust less. He’s a better defender than Elvis Andrus, who you’ll see offensive comparisons to, and his extension is a whole lot cheaper, too: Simmons is paid through age-30, with an $8.3 million average annual value, compared to Andrus’ eight-year, $120 million extension that just finished its first year. He can really help an infield -- we just don’t know whose infield it’ll be.
- The Yankees traded backup catcher John Ryan Murphy to the Twins for outfielder Aaron Hicks. Either Hicks is set to replace Chris Young as the lefty mashing bench outfielder, or those Brett Gardner trade talks are about to get much more real.
- The Twins' roster is going to look a bit different without Hicks, and that could benefit Byron Buxton.
- Jeff Sullivan shares three keys to understanding Aaron Hicks and his up-and-down time in the majors.
- There is still more for the Twins to do with their lineup, though: if they sign Byung-ho Park, they need to figure out where Joe Mauer, Trevor Plouffe and Miguel Sano are playing.
- The Lance Lynn injury dropped the Cardinals' offseason from simple to complicated.
- It's a little weird to see MLB reporting on which Cuban players are headed to America next, but now that the embargo has been eased, we're living in a different world.
- The Mariners want your outfielders, especially if one of them is the aforementioned Brett Gardner.
- Free agent reliever Darren O'Day has "offers in hand" and a whole bunch of teams chasing him. He's fantastic, and the single biggest bullpen upgrade available outside a trade this offseason.
- The Diamondbacks and Reds are discussing a swap of Aaron Hill for Brandon Phillips that could grow into a much larger trade -- maybe even one involving Aroldis Chapman.
- The Orioles want to avoid midseason shopping for an outfield savior once again, so maybe they should open their wallet for Jason Heyward.
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