MLB Bullets Brings The Holiday Cheer

The news is really slow today and it's going to be even slower on Friday. But I did find some things for you all to talk about.

• The big mystery last team was which team won the posting bid for Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang. The answer came soon afterwards: The Pirates are the lucky winners.
• Kang, for his part, knows the Pirates have made the playoffs the past two seasons and is "very excited" to be coming to MLB. This assumes he and Pittsburgh can agree on a contract, of course.
• Jeff Sullivan writes about how Kang will fit in with the Pirates.
• Rob Neyer weighs in on the same topic. He points out something I've mentioned before: Josh Harrison is no sure bet to repeat his stellar 2014 season, so Kang is very nice insurance there.
• Mike Axisa thinks this was a smart move by the Pirates.
• Jorge L. Ortiz thinks the Giants are looking for another come from behind victory: this one to win the offseason.
• Rob Neyer tells Giants fans that trading for Casey McGehee is a good thing, but that may not be enough to solve San Francisco's other issues.
• The Giants did re-sign Jake Peavy to a two-year, $24 million deal.
• Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro needs back surgery that may end his career. Seriously. The Giants go through second basemen like Spinal Tap goes through drummers. (Remember Freddy Sanchez?) If I were Joe Panik, I'd take out a big life insurance policy now.
• One player the Giants have been connected with is James Shields. David Schoenfield thinks Shields is risky investment.
• The Minnesota Twins signed Phil Hughes to a three-year extension worth $42 million. He's now under team control through 2019.
• On the other hand, David Schoenfield thinks Hughes is a good bet for the Twins.
• The Twins also signed Tim Stauffer for one-year, $2.2 million.
• The Braves signed Jason Grilli for the next two seasons.
• Jimmy Rollins has some opinions about the ownership group in Philadelphia and who he thinks should be in charge.
• Grant Brisbee lists the three most forgotten free agents this offseason.
• Michael Powell went down to Cuba to talk with the players there and look at the state of Cuban baseball today. A good read.
• Cliff Corcoran lists an all-time Cuban all-star team.
• Craig Calcaterra is fascinated by the idea that the Triple-A Norfolk Tides (once upon a time the Havana Sugar Kings) might have a compensation claim against the Cuban government.
• David Schoenfield looks at who the worst baserunner of all time is. It's not Yasiel Puig. But one candidate is a regular fixture on the MLB Network.
• Lindsay Berra reports on how teams assess the injury risks of the players they are looking at acquiring.
• Doc Gooden writes a letter to his younger self. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• A couple of new Marlins found out they'd been traded through social media.
• Bill Bray talks about what it's like to be traded. It's tough.
• Somebody goofed. A Missouri store is selling Kansas City Royals World Champions T-Shirts. No, they don't say "1985" on them
• Cesar Ramos has had a rough year. But it ended up great as he was traded back home to Anaheim, his wife beat cancer and he has a wonderful little baby girl.
• And finally, in the spirit of the holidays, a look at Jamie Moyer's charity work and his camps for kids who are dealing with the loss of a loved one or addiction in their family.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Merry Christmas, everyone.