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Listen, we know it's tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day, and trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk isn't easy. It's OK, though, we're going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end.
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The Padres managed to begin and complete negotiations for another huge trade, one that brought Wil Myers to San Diego from the Rays, before they ever finished with the Matt Kemp deal. Kemp's physical was performed on Tuesday, and the expectation was that the Padres would discuss it on Wednesday then decide whether to make the trade official or nix it, at least in the form it was in. Instead, we got neither of those things, and now it's Thursday, aka the deadline for the trade to be completed.
Is the Matt Kemp deal falling apart? Not at all! Well, maybe a little. The Padres haven't notified the Dodgers of any concerns, and yet, this thing is still in limbo. A Padres' official told Ken Rosenthal the trade is not in jeopardy "yet", and Jon Heyman heard that the people who are commenting on it are hopeful that the deal is completed. It's pretty clear something is going on here, but just what that something is... well, let's guess.
Kemp might not have failed his physical, but it might have come back a little uglier than anticipated. The Padres still want Kemp in the middle of their lineup, however, and the Dodgers want to move him and his contract for sure. The Dodgers need to move Kemp so they can complete the Jimmy Rollins trade with Padres' prospect Zach Eflin, and while they don't need to trade Kemp in order to afford all the contracts they signed in the week since they believed they dealt him, it would probably be nice for them if things worked out as planned. It's possible the Padres are trying to squeeze a few extra million out of the Dodgers because of Kemp's physical, which might sound like a bad plan, but if the Dodgers say no and the Padres back out, the Dodgers are back to paying for all of Kemp. That just doesn't seem likely.
Either way, the Padres aren't done. Myers is precisely the kind of move they needed to make with their deep farm system, and there is more to come once the outfield is officially crowded with Kemp. Seth Smith is the latest name to appear in trade talks, and one assumes that Carlos Quentin can't be far behind. The next thing we'll likely hear about is Kemp, though, because there isn't any time left for anything else until that's done.
- Why did the Rays deal Wil Myers, anyway? He wasn't arbitration eligible yet, but that just goes to show you what Tampa Bay needs to do to survive and thrive in this league.
- The Yankees are stuck with A-Rod, Mark Teixeira, and CC Sabathia. Let's imagine a world where they weren't burdened by those contracts!
- Where will Brian Wilson go now? Besides Taco Bell.
- The Royals signed Edinson Volquez to a two-year, $20 million deal even though he's not allowed to take PNC Park, the Pirates' defense, the Pirates' pitching coach, or any of his good luck from 2014 with him. Oh, and he has to face the DH again.
- Remember when these dudes were on the Phillies? Neither do Phillies' fans!
- Have the Yankees improved at all from their mediocre and honestly lucky they were even that good 2014?
- The Braves made a minor trade that might have some major implications. Namely, it gave us some insight into what the Braves think about their chances in 2015.
- The Red Sox are receiving phone calls for first baseman/outfielder/current Red Sox bench piece Allen Craig, because the free agent market for hitters who might do something positive has shrunk to near nothingness.
- The Tigers added a few new faces, some of them significant and belonging to Yoenis Cespedes. What is that hypothetical lineup going to look like now?
- The Mariners made their trade for an outfielder by taking Justin Ruggiano out of Joe Maddon's hair. This is your obligatory reminder that Ruggiano and Michael Saunders would have made for a lovely little platoon in Seattle.