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The 2017 Baseball Hall of Fame class has been announced, and Jose Canseco is not happy about it.

According to Andrew Simon of MLB.com, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez all earned the minimum 75 percent of votes needed to get into Cooperstown, New York.  

Canseco took to Twitter to complain about the results:

There’s going to be more drug users in Cooperstown then The YArd at San Queintin…How the f*** is Jeff Bagwell being inducted into the Hall of Fame and Mark mcgwire’s not that is disgusting. It’s a great day for the hypocrisy of the Hall of Fame voting induct all that used Peds or induct none. How it’s not Mark McGwire Sammy Sosa Roger Clemens Rafael palmeiro not in the Hall of Fame that is a travesty. And definitely bonds should be in the Hall of Fame are you kidding me that is disgusting. [sic]

The Hall of Fame induction debate centers around the use of performance-enhancing drugs, which Canseco knows all about. He is an admitted user and the author of Juiced, a tell-all book about illegal drugs in baseball.

His biggest argument seems to surround his former Oakland Athletics teammate Mark McGwire. In 2010, he confirmed he used steroids during his career. While the slugger did have 583 home runs, 12 All-Star appearances and an American League Rookie of the Year award, he never came close to receiving the required votes for the Hall of Fame.

McGwire was on the ballot for 10 years and never topped 25 percent of the vote, ending with 12.3 percent in his final chance last year.

Suspected PED users Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are still ballot-eligible, with each earning over 50 percent of the vote this time around.

Canseco alleges that Bagwell was also involved in illegal activity, although the Houston Astros star has denied it.

Although we might never know everyone who used PEDs during their careers, it seems the Hall of Fame voters have drawn a line in the sand when it comes to certain players.

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The New York Mets have a logjam in the outfield and could try to solve it by dealing away Jay Bruce.

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Phillies Interested in Bruce

Sunday, Jan. 15

According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Philadelphia Phillies have had a “longstanding interest” in Bruce, although the team might not want to match the reported price of two prospects.

The 29-year-old is under contract for $13 million through the 2017 season.

Bruce was acquired by the Mets shortly before the 2016 trade deadline after spending nine years with the Cincinnati Reds. Although he had a strong start to the year in Cincinnati with 25 home runs and 80 RBI in 97 games, he struggled immensely in New York.

Over the final two months of the season, he hit just eight home runs with 19 RBI and a .219 batting average in 50 games. His OPS was just .685 with the Mets, down from .875 in Cincinnati.

He looked nothing like the player who had made three All-Star appearances with 233 home runs with the Reds.

Despite the poor performance, New York picked up his reasonable team option at the end of the season to keep him on the roster. However, the re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes led to an overload of corner outfielders when paired with Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto.

Although the Mets have been unable to find a trade partner throughout the offseason, general manager Sandy Alderson blamed outside circumstances.

“The situation right now has been created by the number of free agents that exist,” he said, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Until fellow sluggers like Mark Trumbo and Jose Bautista are off the board, it will be hard to create a legitimate market for Bruce.

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Brandon Phillips is apparently still not ready to leave the Cincinnati Reds. 

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the second baseman used his no-trade clause to block a potential deal to the Atlanta Braves in November.

The Braves instead acquired Sean Rodriguez to fill their infield needs, making any potential deal for Phillips unlikely.

However, on Friday, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden reported a deal to the Braves may not be dead just yet, but noted the situation is “difficult.”

Phillips has been the subject of numerous trade talks in recent years but has not been shy about using his no-trade clause. He was unwilling to go to the Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason, and while a move to the Washington Nationals seemed likely, he refused to agree without an extension.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported in November that Phillips would be more likely to waive his no-trade clause this offseason, but that is seemingly not the case.

“This is where I want to be,” Phillips said at the end of the 2016 season, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “That’s why I’m still here, I’m happy. I played great for this city. I proved a lot of people wrong. I love the haters. They motivate me.”

The 35-year-old is a three-time All-Star with four Gold Glove awards, although he has lost a step in recent seasons. He did have a solid year with a .291 batting average and 34 doubles, but his 11 home runs were his second-fewest since becoming a regular in 2006.

After the Reds struggled to a 68-94 record last season, it makes sense for the team to want to move on from Phillips, who is in the final year of his contract, and play younger players while rebuilding. Cincinnati acquired second base prospect Dilson Herrera (22) from the New York Mets in a July trade for outfielder Jay Bruce.

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In an effort to cut salary, the New York Yankees are gauging interest around the league in third baseman Chase Headley.

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Yankees Seeking Headley Trade

Tuesday, Dec. 13

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Yankees are looking to potentially deal either Headley or outfielder Brett Gardner.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner reportedly wants to lower the payroll before the 2017 season.

Headley is owed $26 million over the next two years after signing a four-year deal with the team before the start of the 2015 season.

The 32-year-old has put up modest numbers since joining the Yankees, hitting just .257 with 31 home runs in two-and-a-half seasons. His on-base plus slugging percentage of .716 in 2016 was only slightly better than it was the year before at .693, which was his career low for a full season.

Headley began his career with the San Diego Padres, where he spent parts of eight seasons. His best year by far came in 2012 when he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and finished fifth in MVP voting. He led the National League with 115 RBI and tallied 31 home runs.

He has never had more than 14 home runs in any other season of his career.

If the Yankees find a buyer for Headley, 24-year-old Ronald Torreyes could potentially take over at third base after playing 34 games at the position last year.

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Major League Baseball will ban “offensive” hazing in clubhouses, including having teammates dress as women, according to the Associated Press.

It has long been a tradition for teams to force rookies to dress in such outfits—often toward the end of the regular season after September call-ups. In October, the New York Mets rookies dressed as characters from A League of Their Own:

“Although it hasn’t happened, you could sort of see how like someone might even dress up in black face and say, ‘Oh, no, we were just dressing up,'” MLB vice president Paul Misfud said Monday, per Blum. “We’ve also understood that a number of players have complained about it.”

The new policy will prohibit “requiring, coercing or encouraging [players from] dressing up as women or wearing costumes that may be offensive to individuals based on their race, sex, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identify or other characteristic,” per Ronald Blum of the AP.

The rule change is part of the Anti-Hazing and Anti-Bullying Policy set forth by the league. Per Blum, the MLB Players Association agreed not to contest the ban. It will take effect Tuesday, when baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement is expected to be ratified.

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The 2016 Winter Meetings are over, but the offseason action is still getting started.

While it is easier to complete deals when everyone is in the same location, not a single team is settled heading into the 2017 season. Everyone is going to be looking for upgrades, either through trades or free agency, to help improve the roster before pitchers and catchers report.

Here are some of the latest rumors surrounding trades that could still go down in the coming days or weeks.

Nationals Still Looking for a Closer

The Washington Nationals made a splash at the winter meetings with the addition of Adam Eaton in exchange for some of their best prospects, via ESPN.

However, the team still needs a closer after losing Mark Melancon to free agency and missing out on bidding wars for Wade Davis and Aroldis Chapman. Undoubtedly, the front office will keep looking for more options to solidify the back of the bullpen.

Mark Zuckerman of MASN reported in addition to targeting free agent Kenley Jansen, there is trade interest in both David Robertson and Alex Colome.

Colome is coming off by far his best season, finishing with a 1.91 ERA and 37 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports provided his thoughts on the potential deal:

Acquiring Robertson would likely be cheaper in terms of prospects. While he has been an effective closer in each of the past three years, he only has a 3.44 ERA in two seasons with the Chicago White Sox.

It would also be an interesting situation between two teams that already completed a trade for Eaton this week. As Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted, the Nationals tried to pair Robertson in the same deal, but the White Sox chose to make it a separate transaction.

Considering how much Washington had to give up for Eaton, including top prospect Lucas Giolito, the team might want to hold off on sending more young players to the same organization.

Still, the Nationals will need a closer in order to compete with the best teams in the National League and won’t be shy about getting one. 

Padres Need a Shortstop

Luis Sardinas finished the year as the starting shortstop for the San Diego Padres and played well, but the organization isn’t ready to commit to him being the full-time option going forward.

General manager A.J. Preller provided his thoughts on the 23-year-old, per A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com:

Sardinas showed, in a brief stint, that he has the capability to be a solid Major League player. There are some things he needs to work on, some areas he needs to improve with. I don’t think he showed us he’s going to be a lockdown guy there for the next three years. But he showed he has a chance to compete for that job.

This basically means the team will add someone else before the start of the year. Considering the lack of quality options in free agency, it appears the squad will have to look for a trade to find any upgrade.

Cassavell noted the recent activity to accomplish this goal:

Both Jose Iglesias and Hanser Alberto are defensive-minded shortstops who would greatly improve the infield in San Diego.

The Tigers have confirmed interest in Iglesias, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. While consistency has been an issue, he still hits well enough to help any lineup, including a .300 season in 2015 when he was named an All-Star.

On the other hand, Alberto would be mostly projection after hitting just .194 with two walks in 162 career plate appearances. He still has a lot of upside, though, giving San Diego a potential cornerstone on a rebuilding team.

Per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Rangers could be interested in Travis Jankowski in a potential deal. While the center fielder has shown potential, he is also expendable due to a logjam in the outfield.

If the Padres are willing to part with him or another quality player, they could find a deal they are looking for.

Mets Trying to Dump Jay Bruce

As most teams are looking for upgrades at certain positions, the New York Mets are doing whatever they can to get rid of their slugger.

After re-signing Yoenis Cespedes on a four-year deal, the team now has too many corner outfielders with Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce and Michael Conforto all likely to compete for playing time in right field.

This leaves Bruce as the likely odd man out after a miserable second half of the season with the team. The left-handed hitter began 2016 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI in 97 games for the Cincinnati Reds, but he struggled mightily after being dealt to the Mets before the deadline.

He hit just .219 in New York over the final two months while his OPS dropped from .875 to .685.

Sullivan reported interest from the Rangers in a potential deal for Bruce:

Mike Puma of the New York Post also added the Toronto Blue Jays as a potential suitor along with Texas, although they are “showing minimal interest, according to source.”

The fact is Bruce is still likely to be traded, even if the Mets need to reduce their offer. They picked up his $13 million option as a hedge in case Cespedes left town, but now they are on the hook for that money for a player who doesn’t fit into the lineup.

Considering Bruce hit 33 home runs last season—the fourth time in six seasons he hit 30 home runs—there should still be plenty of demand before the start of 2017. If the Mets are patient, they will eventually find a trade partner.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

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The Chicago Cubs are hoping to sign starting pitcher Jake Arrieta to a long-term deal before he hits free agency. 

Continue for updates.

Latest on Extension Negotiations

Thursday, Dec. 8

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago, the 30-year-old’s agent, Scott Boras, believes this is the time to come to an agreement with the team, and a contract will be discussed in January.

Arrieta is in his third year of arbitration and is set to be a free agent after the 2017 season.

The Cubs acquired Arrieta in a trade from the Baltimore Orioles during the 2013 season. Since then, the right-hander has blossomed into one of the top pitchers in the game.

After a breakout 2014 season during which he had a 2.53 ERA in 25 starts, Arrieta took home his first Cy Young Award in 2015, when he posted a 22-6 record, 1.77 ERA and 236 strikeouts in 229 innings.

He followed that up with a strong 2016, as he won 18 games with a 3.10 ERA, finishing in the top 10 of the Cy Young Award voting for the third year in a row. He was also instrumental toward helping the Cubs bring home their first World Series title since 1908.

Just for good measure, Arrieta also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2016 after posting a .262 batting average with two home runs.

This is especially impressive considering how well he shut down all opposing hitters, per Jayson Stark of ESPN.com:

While Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester also put together outstanding seasons for Chicago, Arrieta is still a valued member of the pitching staff, and the Cubs will likely want him around for as long as possible.

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The New York Yankees took a big step toward returning to contention once again by adding Aroldis Chapman.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the Bronx Bombers inked him to a five-year deal worth $86 million Wednesday. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports confirmed the news.

Heyman reported Thursday that Chapman will receive an $11 million signing bonus and $15 million in salary for each of the five years.

Rosenthal also said there is a no-trade clause for three years, and Marly Rivera of ESPN reported he can’t be traded to a team located on the West Coast. Rivera added that Chapman chose the Yankees over the Miami Marlins. The deal also includes an opt-out clause after three years and a limited no-trade option for the final two years, per Rosenthal. 

“I love the (Yankees) organization,” said Chapman, per Rivera. “They welcomed me with open arms, and that’s why I decided to go back; I was hoping I had a chance to go back, and it happened. Every player dreams of being a Yankee, and if they don’t it’s because they never got the chance.”

Chapman also explained why he chose to have a no-trade clause to California teams: “I just didn’t want to go that far from my family. I did have the opportunity to stay here near my house (in Florida, playing with the Marlins) but no, I leaned more towards (going to) New York.”

Buster Olney of ESPN reported Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers talked about Chapman “but never really got that involved.” Heyman added that the Dodgers were “nowhere close” in terms of landing the closer, as Chapman wanted to stay on the East Coast.

Spotrac broke down just how big a deal this is for a reliever: 

Chapman began last season with the Yankees, pitching 31.1 innings while posting a 2.01 ERA. He was also suspended 30 games at the start of the 2016 season due to a domestic violence incident during the offseason but became the team’s closer upon returning and totaled 20 saves.

He was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the deadline for four players headlined by top prospect Gleyber Torres.

At the time, he left a message to Yankees fans on his Instagram account that suggested he was open to a return.

“Last but not least, thanks to the NY Yankees fans, that from the first day, they made me feel at home. Thanks to the Yankees organization for the support they gave me. #newyorkyankees bye for now.”

His willingness to rejoin the team indicates that he enjoyed his time in New York, where he will likely resume his closer duties heading into 2017.

Chapman had a strong run with the Chicago Cubs, playing a huge role down the stretch with a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 regular-season innings. Although he had three blown saves and a 3.45 ERA in the postseason, his ability to pitch multiple innings and stifle opposing batters was invaluable.

He appeared in 5.1 innings and threw 97 total pitches in the final three games of the World Series as the Cubs came back to win their first title since 1908.

When the Cubs acquired Wade Davis to replace him as the closer, the opportunity arose for Chapman to end up back in New York.

The Cuban pitcher spent the first six years of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, where he posted a 2.17 ERA and was named to four All-Star teams. 

Chapman’s return will likely push Dellin Betances back to the setup role, where he had more success. Although Andrew Miller is gone, this is a bullpen that should once again be among the best in baseball while helping the Yankees’ bid to get back to the postseason.

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The Chicago White Sox are continuing a fire sale on their key players, including outfielder Adam Eaton, who is on the move to the nation’s capital.

The White Sox announced they traded Eaton for pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning from the Washington Nationals.

Eaton finished last season with a .284 batting average and .362 on-base percentage. He also had 14 home runs, 14 stolen bases and a league-leading nine triples.

His performance at the plate, in the field and on the basepaths even earned him a vote for American League MVP, per Baseball-Reference.com, despite playing for the fourth-place White Sox.

The trade marks the second major deal for the organization after it dealt ace pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

The Nationals have been on the lookout for a center fielder to replace Ben Revere, who was non-tendered this offseason after producing just a .560 OPS in 103 games. The team is also interested in Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

Eaton played mostly right field in 2016 but has played more games in center field throughout his career. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer noted the difference between the two positions:

The 28-year-old is under contract at a reasonable cost through the 2021 season, including team options in each of the final two years of the current deal, per Doug Padilla of ESPN.com.

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The Philadelphia Phillies took a big step toward shoring up their bullpen with the addition of Joaquin Benoit on Monday. 

According to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, the 39-year-old reliever signed with the club after Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reported the two sides were close Sunday night.

Benoit had two very different seasons in 2016, struggling to the tune of a 5.18 ERA with the Seattle Mariners before eventually being traded at the deadline. He was lights out with the Toronto Blue Jays, however, allowing just one run in 23.2 innings. 

Unfortunately, the right-handed pitcher tore his calf attempting to run in from the bullpen in a late-season, bench-clearing brawl. He missed the last week of the regular season and the entire postseason, unable to help the Blue Jays in their eventual loss in the American League Championship Series.

“It’s a big loss, no doubt about it,” manager John Gibbons said at the time of the injury, per ESPN.com. “He’s been so good.”

According to sports broadcaster Hazel Mae (via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet), he was off crutches and throwing off flat ground by mid-October, so the issue shouldn’t be a concern going forward.

Assuming he is healthy, Philadelphia should get a big contribution from one of the more consistent relievers in the league. Even with his struggles in Seattle, Benoit has finished the season with a sub-3.00 ERA in six of the last seven seasons and had over 50 strikeouts each year.

The pitcher has spent over 15 years in the major leagues with six different organizations, accumulating 57 wins, 51 saves and a 3.79 ERA.

Benoit could be a major boost for a team that finished with the third-highest bullpen ERA in 2016 at 5.05.

While he is getting up there in age, Benoit has shown he can still be an effective reliever and should make an impact right away with his new team.

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