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 okay, 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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Will Ferrell is going to play all nine positions on the field on Thursday in the Cactus League. No, you do not need another cup of coffee to wake up: that sentence only spoke the truth. Ferrell is raising awareness for the fight against cancer with an HBO special, and part of that filming process will include Ferrell flying around Arizona via helicopter in order to participate -- for charity -- in five of Thursday’s games. He’ll play each position along the way, as a nod to Bert Campaneris, who fielded all nine in one game back in 1965. Coincidentally, this was also done to raise awareness, only it was A’s owner Charlie Finley trying to make fans aware that his team -- which would end up losing 103 games -- still had tickets available.
Ferrell will suit up at 3:05 p.m. EST when the Mariners take on the A's, in the Cubs-Angels game, make an appearance in the Reds-Diamondbacks game, switch allegiances in Chicago's other contest when the White Sox face the Giants, and finally, finish off the day at 9:15 p.m. EST with some Dodgers vs. Padres action. You can follow along on MLB.com, which will have live look-ins, and of course, since this is 2015, you can also check out Ferrell's progress with the hashtag #FerrellTakesTheField.
We need -- NEED -- a baseball to be hit at Will Ferrell during the Reds-D-Backs game, because that park has Statcast, aka the technology that measured how fast and how efficiently Yasiel Puig chased after a fly ball.
- Speaking of defense, the Giants aren't known for their use of advanced metrics, but they've won three World Series in the last five seasons, and you can guess where this is going.
- Zack Greinke would like you to know that he's not hurt, he was "just a little off" in his spring training debut.
- Hector Olivera is deciding between four- and six-year offers. We know the Padres are considering a $50 million offer for Olivera, and the Marlins also seem willing to go that high, while the Braves are supposedly in the $30-40 million range. The thing is, no one is clear on which dollar amounts are attached to what contract lengths.
- The Phillies sent one of their top scouts to watch the Yankees and Red Sox face off on Wednesday, so they're still interested in trading Cole Hamels to one of them. Red Sox prospect Garin Cecchini was getting attention, though, he was surely not alone.
- Yu Darvish got a second opinion on his elbow, and that opinion was as depressing as the first. No word yet on if the Rangers are just going to keep talking to doctors until one of them finally says Darvish doesn't need Tommy John.
- These are the five key players of the NL West, a list that includes Matt Kemp, who is possibly as bad at defense as he is handsome.
- Gio Gonzalez played the meow game during an interview on a dare from new teammate Max Scherzer, and more importantly, he pulled it off.
- A-Rod hit his first home run since 2013, and, get this -- people cheered! It's almost like your typical fan doesn't think he's a monster, and just wants to see dingers in person.
- Aubrey Huff has some things to say about former teammate Pablo Sandoval, and none of them are good. Huff also last played with the Giants in 2012, so make of this what you will.
- The Red Sox need to make a move of some kind to end their outfield logjam. Here are the four likely scenarios, and the fallout from each.
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