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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. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn't easy. It's okay, 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, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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The Dodgers missed out on Zack Greinke, then quickly signed Hisashi Iwakuma to a three-year, $45 million deal. Iwakuma wasn't meant to replace Greinke's production to the thousandth of a WAR or anything like that, but he was taking up the roster spot that Greinke vacated by signing with the Diamondbacks. He was step one in a multi-step plan to make up for the loss of the Dodgers' second ace. He's no longer part of that plan, as something came up in his physical that caused Los Angeles to call off the deal. Now, Iwakuma is back with the Mariners, on a one-year deal with a pair of vesting options attached.
It's unfortunate for the Dodgers, who not only lost Greinke but seem unlikely to pry Jose Fernandez from the Marlins. Their 2016 rotation, as of now, is Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood, with Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy eventually in the mix if they successfully return from injury. They're talking about Frankie Montas, acquired in the three-team Todd Frazier deal, as a potential starter even though he should probably be in the pen. In short, the Dodgers have some work to do, as Iwakuma was a necessary piece of the puzzle.
For the Mariners, though, they've added Iwakuma after trading for Wade Miley, and suddenly, they look like they have a rotation, both in the present and for the next few years. Felix Hernandez is at the top, Iwakuma and Miley will follow, then Taijuan Walker and James Paxton will try to develop into the quality arms their prospectdom hinted at once more. It's to be seen, as usual, if the lineup can do enough, but getting Iwakuma back will have significant influence on the Mariners' fortunes in 2016.
- A's closer Sean Doolittle loves Star Wars. He and his girlfriend, Eireann Dolan, dressed up in character onesies, and he spent the day tweeting about it and eventually posted a video with Star Wars music that you're going to want to watch.
- The Nationals and Reds have agreed on a trade for Brandon Phillips. Now all that's left is for Phillips, who has a no-trade clause, to agree to it as well.
- Which team is going to sign Yoenis Cespedes? We tried to predict his market, but most of the rumors to this point have been about where he will not end up.
- It won't be the Mets, but not everyone thinks they should go after him, anyway.
- Please remember next time you hear someone say to "stop feeding the trolls" that it isn't as simple as that.
- The Mike Napoli signing and Todd Frazier trade are reminders that the Red Sox are stuck with Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. That might not be so bad, really. Of course, it could also be super, super bad.
- Hyun-soo Kim is going to look mighty familiar to Orioles fans.
- The Cardinals have missed out on every major free agent they've chased this winter, so now they're turning their sights to Mike Leake.
- The Ken Giles deal is a bigger one than you'd think, as the lofty price of high-end relief becomes more and more accepted.