A few things worth having on your radar this Wednesday afternoon.
• According to Jon Morosi, James Shields is expected to pick a team by the end of this week. While Morosi mentions the Yankees as a team recently connected to Shields, there’s no real indication that the Yankees are a favorite or even heavily in the mix. Signing Shields would certainly represent a change of course for the Yankees this offseason, though it’s easy enough to make a case for such a signing, especially if Shields’ market has dipped his contract demands into the three-year range. He’s been really good the past four years.
• Not sure it means much, but it’s interesting: There’s a report out of Buffalo that during the 2014 season, Derek Jeter looked into purchasing the Buffalo Bills. It’s well known that Jeter would like to become a team owner some day, though it’s been assumed that he would like to own a baseball team and not a football team. Might have been little more than an opportunity he wanted to explore. Jeter’s also reportedly going to appear on the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary show later this month. So in Jeter’s first few months of retirement he’s going to be an online publisher, a comedy performer, and he was never a football owner. It’s a weird world, folks.
• Until Yoan Moncada signs somewhere, be prepared for plenty of stories about teams that are interested and teams that might be favorites. Basically any team with money to spend will be involved because it seems there’s not a team out there that doesn’t think of Moncada as an overwhelming talent. Last night, Buster Olney singled out the Dodgers. This morning, Peter Gammons mentioned the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox along with the Tigers. Also, it’s worth mentioning that two other Cuban players seem to have defected this week during the Caribbean Series.
• Looking elsewhere in baseball, Josh Hamilton needs shoulder surgery and could miss Opening Day. That contract with the Angels has been quite the mess.
• A quick heads up on two baseball-related charity events: First, tonight in Manhattan, MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian will be a guest bartender at Foley’s (18 W. 33rd St.). He’s helping raise money for Welcome Back Veterans, a non-profit organization that provides PTSD treatment to military veterans and their families. Second, the Baseball United Foundation is hosting a lunch fundraiser with former Yankees and Mets starter Doc Gooden. It’s happening February 21 in White Plains, and they’re calling it — simply enough — Lunch With Doc, and you can get tickets at lunchwithdoc.com. Baseball United is working to promote the game of baseball in Ireland.
Associated Press photo
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