As the MLB winter meetings continue in Nashville (if you can call this weather “winter”), the trade and free agent rumors are hot and heavy:

• Some team has offered Ben Zobrist $80 million for 4 years.  This cannot be true.  Even at $60 million that is a crazy figure for a player like Zobrist.  No doubt, he can play just about every position but he is getting up there in years.  SU predicts the Mets will reel him in.
• The Yankees may or may not be in the hunt for Jose Fernandez on the Marlins.  Luis Severino’s name is being floated as part of the Yankees’ offer.  The Yankees are denying it all – they had better be.  They finally have a home grown stud pitcher and you will trade him?  Plus the Marlins will want Byrd or Aaron Judge as part of that.  SU says no prospects are going anywhere.
• The Yankees are apparently hot on the trail of Tyler Flowers as a back-up catcher.  This is what it’s come down to now in the Bronx.  Zzzzzzzzz.
• And of course, there are the non-stop rumors about 2nd basemen for the Yankees.  SU says give Refsnyder the chance to play every day in Florida.  You already have rich data from the Stephen Drew experiment to see just how unproductive a position can be and still have a team make the playoffs.  As a fan, SU appreciated the Yankees spending 2 years to conduct this research.  Hitting .150 wasn’t good enough in 2014; it was necessary to give it one more year to see if a sub-.150 average would do it.  Drew messed that up by pounding out a .190 season.  No doubt teams all over baseball are lining up to sign him to a long-term deal now.  OK, I will stop – he’s not here anymore – at least for the moment.

SU is lining up the outdoor hobbies for 2016 and will stockpile some good books to read.  The YES Network may not be getting much action next year in the SU household.