This won’t do wonders for Boras’s ability to retain his clients’ trust.
Times change. Snell was a high risk signing all the way - he has been hurt most of his career.
The design for the A’s stadium in Vegas looks like a low-rent rip-off of the Sydney Opera House.
It does have a nice view of the New York City skyline.
I do think it’s a genius move. I would like to go visit other stadiums. In reality I probably won’t. A stadium within walking distance of my hotel on the strip? I’m definitely there.
The team is describing the proposed design as “a spherical armadillo.” 
A couple of pictures:
That was my first reaction to seeing the pictures too.
This is the money quote.
If this goes through, I’ll be attending more A’s games than I ever do Dodgers/Padres. Catch them at home for a couple of days, with the hotel deals that will be bountiful. Only have to drive an extra hour or so, and get 2 or 3 games in rather than 1. No LA traffic to deal with. Winner all around. Especially when the A’s play the Mariners or any real (NL) team.
I saw the benefits when I was in Vegas in October. The casinos were full of people going to a hockey game and that was only pre-season.
The Fenway Sports Group seems content to have the Red Sox be bottom-feeders until young potential stars make the lineup (though there’s not all that much in the pitching pipeline), or maybe indefinitely. Their big offseason spending has been on pro golf; the new Red Sox GM is on a short leash.
At this point I’d be amazed to see the club make a serious offer to either Snell or Montgomery. At best they might go for one of the lower level free agents like Mike Clevinger or Michael Lorenzen (still unsigned last I heard). The Red Sox shopping preference (as fans are saying) is strictly the scratch and dent aisle.
Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte has been suspended 80 games for violating the league’s PED policy.
Joey Votto agrees to a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Dodgers have announced that Mookie Betts will be playing shortstop for the foreseeable future.
Betts has played 98 innings at shortstop in his entire career.
Good news! Sad Joey was bumming everyone out.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is going for an MRI on his right elbow.
Very scary MRI.
But…but…he’s MOOKIE BETTS! Surely he can do it!
To be fair, he was a second baseman in the lower minors for Boston, which moved him to the outfield when he got to about AA. (They were apparently under the impression that Dustin Pedroia would never retire.) So he has a pedigree in the middle infield.
On the other hand, I have watched a lot of minor league games and teams, and my observation is that if a team thinks a kid CAN play shortstop, they will put him there and give him every opportunity to prove them wrong. Guys who play second in the low minors are typically not thought to be SS prospects, and in fact often wash out; seems like major league second basemen often start off as shortstops, not second basemen, when they are on the bottom rungs of the professional ladder.
Nothing like your ace missing the start of the season to dampen expectations…
Argh!
I’m pretty sure nobody had ‘Aroldis Chapman groping his mother’s boobs’ on their spring training bingo card. Blurred link to the New York Post article with the video (because NSFW? I don’t even know.)
WTF?
Dylan Cease to the Padres. The Sox get a bunch of prospects, including pitcher Drew Thorpe, who San Diego just got from NYY in the Juan Soto trade.
I saw Thorpe pitch several times last season in the minors and was very impressed with him. Guess we’ll see who benefits most.
Here’s a link for confirmation.