Padres sign James Shields

I've got a day off here in lovely BC so in honor of that, I'm bringing you this special Family Day edition of news & notes. There's one piece of big news, and then a bunch of not much else, but here's what's up:

The big news

Shields signs four year deal with Padres | SB Nation MLB - Two remarkable things about this. First, "Big Game" James Shields has finally signed, and we can all stop speculating about where this year's most B+ free agent was going to land. Second, holy cow the Padres. What got into them this offseason?

Indians news & notes

Hey Hoynsie! What does the opening day lineup look like? | Cleveland.com - A pretty uneventful edition of HH compared to recent ones, but Hoynsie still manages to get in a good zing re: the Indians' chances of signing James Shields. Paul also addresses questions about the Tribe's roster flexibility and the future of Zach Walters.

Non-roster pitching invitees | It's Pronounced 'Lajaway' - There's always an intriguing mix of guys invited to camp, so Susanne Petrone over at IPL breaks down this year's list, from Scott Downs to Anthony Swarzak.

An insider's guide to Spring Training | Burning River Baseball - Speaking of Spring Training, Joe Coblitz over at BRB has a nifty little guide to getting the most out of the experience in Goodyear, AZ. Whether you're looking for autographs or just trying to get the best vantage point, it's all here. For anyone on the fence about going to Spring Training, I absolutely recommend it. It's one of the best baseball experiences I've ever had.

Are the Indians relying too much on injury bouncebacks? | Wahoo's On First - I feel like we've already had the bouncebacks edition of N&N a few days ago, but now it's time for the guys over at WoF to weigh in.

Tidbits from around MLB

• I feel like Anthony Castrovince has been going pretty crazy with the top 10 lists this offseason so hey, why not carry on with the top 10 lineups for 2015
• Also at Sports On Earth, Paul Casella looks at what some teams will do with their major stars on the shelf with injuries
• Fangraphs Sunday notes column includes a bit where Chris Perez talks more smack about playing in Cleveland
• Julio Franco, at 56 years old, has signed on to play in Japan