Snake Bytes, 1/25: Big Papi’s heading to Cooperstown

Team news

[FanGraphs] Luke Weaver, Again - Here I am again, writing about how Weaver can excel in 2022. Why do I keep doing it? Because I keep believing it! I can tell you truthfully that I think he has the tools to be a second or third starter, even though he’s been more like a fourth or fifth option so far in his career. You might wonder how that’s the case – after all, he’s basically a two-pitch pitcher, he doesn’t throw particularly hard, and his changeup, easily his best pitch, got tattooed in ‘21. I’m here to tell you: you just have to believe.

[The Athletic] Jason McLeod and the extra-special assistants: What the Diamondbacks hope to accomplish with an expanded brain trust - Hazen envisions a broad mandate for his three new special assistants. They will touch all areas of the organization, spending time with scouts, player development staffers and the major-league team. The goal is to accomplish something similar to what the Diamondbacks hope results from its new coaching model — fostering a closer connection between the Phoenix-based portions of its operations and the many parts of the organization that operate elsewhere.

[MLB Trade Rumors] Diamondbacks Sign Juan Centeno To Minor League Deal
- Centeno, 32, has played in parts of seven Major League seasons, most recently logging time with the 2019 Red Sox. He’s a career .223/.278/.323 hitter in 373 trips to the plate at the big league level, although the only time he’s seen much in the way of significant MLB exposure was with the Twins back in 2016. That season saw Centeno log 192 plate appearances while slashing a respectable .261/.312/.392 as the most oft-used backup to Kurt Suzuki. In addition to his time with the Twins and Red Sox, Centeno has seen brief stints with the Mets, Brewers, Astros and Rangers.

And, elsewhere...

[MLB] Complete 2022 Hall of Fame voting results - Red Sox legend David Ortiz was the sole player voted into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, making it in his first year on the ballot, with the announcement coming Tuesday on MLB Network. Ortiz was named on 307 of the 394 ballots (77.9%). Ortiz joins the six men voted in by the Golden Days and Early Baseball Era committees back in December: Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva, and the late Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Minnie Miñoso and Buck O’Neil. They will all be honored at the July 24, 2022, induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.

[MLB] Significant progress made in CBA meeting - Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association met for a second straight day on Tuesday, with the league making a significant move to create a path to a deal. One day after the MLBPA rejected the league’s proposals that included significant increases in pay for players with two-plus years of service time -- a plan that included the best players earning even more in bonuses based on performance -- MLB returned with a proposal based on a framework initially presented by the MLBPA, according to a source.

[The Athletic] MLB fan survey: Robo umps, pitch clock, sticky stuff and other rule changes you think MLB should adopt (or abolish) - When I wrote last fall about @UmpireScorecards, a fan’s bot that grades MLB umpires, the reaction from many readers was, “We want the most accurate calls possible, as soon as possible.” Although robo umps represent a massive departure from the way baseball always has been played, it does seem like a fair request from fans: Get the call right. So, most respondents are ready for an automatic ball/strike system. But is it ready for the show?"