A lifetime deal would need a term - ten years? Fifteen? I'd be looking for something in the $40 million a year range for him, Harper, etc. Salaries are clearly headed that way anyway, and if owners have the cash, then the players should get it since they're the product.

"Competitive" is a bit of an arbitrary standard, no? I think Cashman has done some things very well, some less so, and he operates under some constraints that aren't immediately visible to those of us on the outside.

If they use Murphy to spell Rendon for any reason other than injury, they should send the entire coaching staff down the Potomac in a leaky rowboat. Also, the contract was way beyond what Murphy is likely to be worth even factoring in further salary inflation.

Has to be Paranoid, no? Title track, Iron Man, War Pigs.

Swanson is likely to be ready by Opening Day 2017, if not sooner. It's not a question of misaligned incentives; it's a question of mishiring your general manager.

Benintendi. CF with speed as well as power. Reed is 1b only, has power and great approach, no speed and bat might be a tick slow for better velocity.

He has a specific approach issue - he hasn't learned to cover the outside corner while he's also covering the inner third - that explained the AAA struggles and even the AA strikeouts. I think he's still got some work to do in the minors.

Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge is probably the best restaurant I've been to anywhere on the property. Via Napoli at Italy in Epcot is very good, but like most restaurants in the parks, very expensive for what you get.

Gyorko is a good UT who can handle 2b or 3b and fake SS. They needed a RHB off the bench anyway and Wong has been a cipher vs lefties so far, so platooning them right now is a good idea.

I think the latter. Teams value those kids properly - they're very high risk and a long way away, so the present value of their likely production is really low. Stearns can afford to wait. He might be able to rent a car by himself when they reach the majors. (Sorry, Dave...)

I wouldn't. Keep them separate. Combining them only obscures valuable information.

Never been a Blash fan. Perdomo should stick as a reliever. Two pitch guy, doubt he can start right now.

That's a stretch right now, but possible. You're just 17 and very toolsy.

I think it shouldn't but I bet it does.

Less. Can't play 2b at all and really doesn't even have Murphy's hit tool.

I don't see why we're doubting the story. People questioning Al-Jazeera's credibility as a news organization have been living under a rock for the last five years. No one covered the Arab Spring as well as they did - and they are hated by many dictators in the Arab world, which is as good a sign of integrity as you can have as a news organization.

SSS until proven otherwise. Minor leaguers should improve in the second half if they don't move up, since their competition is getting younger due to promotions. As for Almora, I don't see any reason to think it's not just BABIP-related; he didn't hit for any power in the second half.

Betts is the most likely to still be on the roster. Benintendi may actually be the CF, but Betts isn't going anywhere.

Quantity isn't a bad thing when the system is light on both. Randolph has star upside if he can find a position and they had a few arms in short-season ball with that kind of potential.

Book is a must-read, despite some factual issues. (The story with me never happened, and Lewis never corrected it even though I told him so after the hardcover edition. The quote about Voros from Depodesta actually came from me, and the story about a player seeing Mattingly at Legends Field is also untrue.) But for a general view of the industry at the time that avoids too much math and emphasizes the impact on specific players, it's outstanding. Lewis is a fantastic storyteller and I could read his prose all day long.

Rodgers, for me at least.

I think both sides end up very happy with it but we will say the Phillies did better in the end.

Who funds that league? Not that I dislike the idea, but the barrier to entry for a rival league today is probably a dealbreaker for any of the four major sports.

And Olivera may not even be that good. I don't think they can compete next year but they'll be sneaky good, and I bet they go spend some money next winter, or even on a late signing this winter if they see some value.

I laughed. You're not wrong about the PR benefit. No one realizes the opt-outs are there on signing day.

I think extra guy. Questions on the hit tool and athleticism, and of course him bailing on Caguas (at least, not putting in the required level of effort) doesn't look good.

I'm a fan. Can absolutely hit. Just not sure what the final power output is, and whether he's just a good regular at first or something more.

Best coaches end up promoted out of the area where they can do the most good.

Accusing? Is this even a question? They're doing what the Astros did and I don't see the problem with it. The system more or less forces bad teams to go that route. I only disagreed with Buster on the need for them to spend some money in the short term. F that. If the CBA incentivizes (I hate that word) tanking, then tank the shit out of it, my man.

I think, like many science and even social issues, it's about undermining the confidence some people might have in their religious beliefs. If evolution is true, does that mean Christianity is false? I don't happen to think that's the case, but if your religion tells you evolution is false, and the evidence says that it's true (it is, absolutely, 100%, no doubt about it true), then you may reject the evidence because it could force you to question your faith, or your belief in God or an afterlife. I think the fight against marriage equality came down to the same reason. Even climate change has a whiff of that - how could a just deity allow our planet to go to hell like that? (I'm reminded of the old Robin Williams quote from God: "I gave you a nice planet, and you fucked it up.")

I bet he's above-average to plus there.

Not as long as he's at a four-year school in the spring. Next eligibility would be in 2018.

Zero idea. Teams don't do that this far in advance. You can't "target" anyone before the season has even started.

You're quite welcome. Thank you for bearing with me as I tweet a lot and some of it probably isn't very good.

I'd give him every chance to do so.

Dunno. Hansen, Groome, maybe Benson? I have no conviction on this topic at the moment.

Ruhlman's sear-roasting with lots of butter. Pork tenderloin has very little taste and is awful if cooked past medium-rare. It needs a rich sauce and a good crust on the outside.

Maybe a lawyer or two got to him. Testimony was awfully specific the first time around.

I'd say probably not, but I'm much more confident that he's not a regular than I am that he's not a 400 AB UT.

Use really good eggs and some fresh lemon juice. Try olive oil for the fat, or add another flavor like white miso or chipotle peppers.

Sit home, stare out the window, and wait for spring?

No joke, I threw the book against the wall in high school when I got to the end. Silver Linings Playbook hadn't even been written yet.

Fair. Although people had no problems believing hearsay allegations against Clemens.

Nope, probably won't see it for a while.

Nothing. Tools are the same.

That would be my pick. Watched the whole season. Last 5-6 episodes they really hit their stride, and some of the stuff on long-term relationships was expertly written. I was incredibly impressed.

Quite a few. He's a good prospect but getting a bit overhyped because of his parent org.

I see no reason he won't.

Is food a sport?

Good grief, that's not good news and I hope everything goes well for her. In situations like that, I stick to lighter fare that I can truly get lost in - authors I love, or the type of immersive book where I'll zone out a bit and feel completely "in" the pages. I don't read bleak stuff when I'm down or when I'm away from home for a long time.