Jason Kipnis headed home to Chicago on minor-league deal

I wish I had the words for just how sad Jason Kipnis’ departure was yesterday. If you missed it, a few hours after some competition from the Oakland A’s, Kip signed with the freaking Cubs. On a freaking MiLB deal. A dude who has been as good as Kipnis has been for as long as he’s been should not have had to settle for a minor league offer, but that’s another way MLB front offices have been keeping guaranteed money out of the hands of players in recent years. One would assume that $2 million would have gotten an MLB deal done. And the team he has spent his entire career with certainly has some serious depth issues at the moment. Just a pathetic way to show an important piece of the franchise’s history the door.

Around baseball

• The Red Sox officially named Ron Roenicke their (interim) manager
• LGFT(?) Carlos Gonzalez inked a minors deal with Mariners
• Alex Wood nailed his Tuesday #baseballtake
• The Washington Post has a very interesting story about the Astros scandal
• Trevor Cahill will be pitching for the Giants this spring