My sincere year-end thought isn’t an original one, but its importance has been underscored to me repeatedly over the last 12 months: be free with telling the people you love that you love them, casually, and at every chance. Great love, small love, every type of love.

There it is, another imperfect Hall of Fame ballot in the books and in the mail.

enough with the trailers for the scary chimp movie! feels obvious they shouldn't make the chimp into a pet/brother! babes, he's going to eat your face, and i don't need to see it!

It's a special Monday edition of Matrix Reloaded, and I'll be back at it for Friday!

I like how Mike MacDonald honors Pete's legacy of bizarre clock management, I think that's sweet.

Sending a shitty podcast email two days after Christmas claiming that saying “player dev” is me putting on airs is real “visited by three ghosts” type of stuff, buddy.

We need your help with our annual end-of-year "1 story we missed about each team" episodes! Have an interesting tidbit in mind that we may have overlooked in 2025? A statistical quirk, an obscure record, a feel-good debut—you name it. Let us know in the replies, or email us at [email protected].

I had a lovely chat with @benlindbergh.bsky.social and @sheehannewsletter.bsky.social on Effectively Wild today covering some recent transactions and then debating the challenge ABS system:

only sufjan understands that I want sacred harp *and* joy division *and* medieval pipe songs *and* iron and wine

personally I think Al Pacino as Lowell Bergman should get to yell at Bari Weiss until this whole thing gets sorted

I'm not gonna rip the White Sox for signing a big free agent who has absolute monster power and is only 25. But there's a real--perhaps better-than-even-- chance his hit tool keeps him from even being a major league-quality hitter

I know I'm going to regret asking this, but are the political data boys actually trying to define a replacement level, or is this just "invoking vague Moneyball concepts makes us sound smarter than we are" nonsense?

i have some research in here about how the windup is probably useless and maybe even detrimental

The Pirates got a slugger, the Astros got a starting pitcher, and the Rays got prospects. Yesterday's three-team trade had something for everyone, writes Brendan Gawlowski

The reference in this headline is for five people and I have already texted all of them

sorry, every couple hours I remember the end of the Seahawks/Rams game and am staggered anew that my dumb-ass football team won it

I'm also personally indebted to Strahm for giving me one of the better quotes I've had from an athlete in the past several years

So many wild, improbable things about this evening’s events, not the least of which being that we were able to get on the first link train home from the game.

might I suggest a number of architecture girlies for Puka and Mookie to watch instead? architecture girlies who I have never seen be antisemitic on stream even once?

I am a Seahawks fan and @mattmartell.fangraphs.com is a Rams fan, so if you want to know when Kyle Tucker is going to sign, I have some guesses depending on how rude the universe wants to be.

practically my entire life has been this country engaging in unjustified, often criminal war at the expense of people's well-being here and abroad and it is the fucking worst!

Our society only seems to promote people who think the point of art is to hold a finished product, rather than the process of creation. I'm ashamed to admit how much it bothers me that you can be so obviously ignorant and still be taken seriously.

the Mariners have made me feel the saddest as a sports fan, but the Seahawk have easily made me feel the most insane

pro: what I think is a smart discussion of various recent signings, including Alonso con: look, you knew we were going to talk about a Philly being weird about milk... again

Valley PSA: Dig It is doing their annual pottery sale, and they have really beautiful big pots in, many WITH SAUCERS, for all my fellow "holy shit, I really need to repot this monstera" heads out there

Here's my recap of the last week of transactions AND my last four days of coffee consumption. (Mea culpa: I lost count at some point so it might be 148oz from Sunday–Thursday)

# Christmas carol lyrics that go hard when you paste them over a picture of Stacker Pentecost

HELP

I can't believe our reward for getting through a lockout is going to be Pete Rose Hall of Fame discourse the following winter. I can't believe our reward for getting through this year is somehow Pete Rose Hall of Fame discourse *now*.

I’m not saying it was a perfect or even great campaign, and I too have feedback for the Dems, but as someone who both watches a ton of sports and lives in Arizona, the way people who don’t live in swing states talk about 2024 campaign communications makes me feel insane

It’s often said that too many political writers cover politics as if it’s sports. Actually they cover politics as if they are bad at covering sports

Travel day for me and @jon-becker.com after Winter Meetings so the RosterResource Live Chat will happen tomorrow (Friday at 11 AM PT/ 2 PM ET) instead of today.

I do wonder if some of the online nastiness about various signings and trades would be dialed down if fans realized that writers are engaged in a different project that they are - and vice versa.

there are just so many people in the room for the Rule 5 draft, an honestly shocking number given that it is the Rule 5 draft

come for the Boras puns, stay for us talking Schwarber, Díaz, Bryce the Bloodman (sorry!), etc

new @fangraphs.com: the reigning NL home run champ and Vibes All-Star is gonna continue hitting his Schwarbombs. h/t to @baumann.bsky.social for headline assistance

I wrote up the Dodgers' signing of Edwin Díaz. He's an excellent, if limited relief pitcher. But his limits exist within the bounds of what the Dodgers need. And a lot of the reasons I'd worry about signing him for $100 million matter less when the dollar figure is $69 million.

BP is a machine that makes you think better about baseball, and if you read enough of @euqubud.baseballprospectus.com's work it'll give you persistent depressive disorder too. A bargain even at the new price, if you're a sports fan

Team X has interest in this hitter, Team Y wants to sign that pitcher. Me, I’m thinking bigger: I want it to be less humid in Orlando.

Today is the Hall of Fame Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote in Orlando, with results announced 6 pm ET. Here’s my introduction to this ballot, with links to the 8 candidate profiles to follow blogs.fangraphs.com/election-sea...

DAVE DOMBROWSKI, ON THE PHONE OUTSIDE A RESTAURANT: Yeah. Okay. Fine. So is the blood back inside him

There are a couple flavors mind you, but I love when you can instantly tell a headline is a @baumann.bsky.social joint

Give the gift of FanGraphs! We’ve got gift Memberships, we’ve got mugs, what fun!

Matrix Reloaded is back, and your comments are encouraged! If you think this is long, just wait until next week, where I'll be rounding up everything from Winter Meetings week. Please remind me (and more importantly @megrowler.fangraphs.com) to stay hydrated during such extensive brain exercise.

The Dodgers, courtesy of Eric, @bgawlowski.bsky.social and @jrfegan.soxmachine.com.

Even with the price change, Baseball Prospectus is underpriced considering all you get. Coverage that's free from the influence of the league, a sportsbook, or some private equity ghoul is so important, and it's exactly what you get when you support sites like BP.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Give the gift of a FanGraphs Membership this holiday season! Members get a bunch of exclusive features, among them: • No Ads • Unlimited Articles • Custom Player Page Dashboards • Platoon, Context Neutral, and Historical Projections • Our Weekly Mailbag Column More info at the link below: