Transparency will make HOF voting a whole new game  —  It's one of the most historic Hall of Fame elections of all time.  And there's an excellent chance that no one has told you why.  —  The funny thing is this history has nothing to do with who gets elected Wednesday …

Matheny: Spring training ‘priorities’ may look different this year  —  St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez (right) talks with manager Mike Matheny during St. Louis Cardinals spring training on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com

Brother of former Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez stabbed to death  —  A brother of former Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez was killed Monday in the Dominican Republic.  —  According to Quisqueyanos En Los Deportes, Brandy Volquez was stabbed in the city of Santo Domingo Oeste.

Rays adding to bullpen, close to signing Shawn Tolleson  —  The Rays are making a move to bolster their bullpen as they are close to finalizing a deal with RHP Shawn Tolleson, the Tampa Bay Times has learned.  —  Tolleson, 29 on Thursday, saved 35 games for the Rangers in 2015 but struggled through …

Diamondbacks, Gregor Blanco Agree To Minors Deal  —  Longtime Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco has agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, Blanco's agent, Wil Polidor, tells Manolo Hernandez of BeisbolPorGotas.com (Twitter link).

Blue Jays Re-Sign Jose Bautista  —  9:58am: The Blue Jays have now formally announced that they've re-signed Bautista (via press release).  One of the few teams to publicly disclose the financial details of their contracts, the Jays announced that Bautista will earn $18MM next season.

Hall of Fame Plaques Reflect the Style at the Time  —  Wade Boggs' is the first to mention on-base percentage.  Lou Boudreau's describes him as a “player-pilot,” a term that's been out of use for more than half a century.  Jackie Robinson's initially made no mention of him breaking the color barrier.

Padres sign Wil Myers to six-year, $83 million extension  —  The Padres' Wil Myers signs autographs for fans before the start of the All-Star Game at Petco Park.  (Hayne Palmour IV/San Diego Union-Tribune)  —  Wil Myers and the Padres have reached the finish line on the largest contract in franchise history.

Jake Diekman To Undergo Surgery, Miss Significant Portion Of 2017 Season  —  Rangers reliever Jake Diekman is expected to miss “at least half” of the 2017 season after undergoing surgery to “help alleviate ulcerative colitis,” according to Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

The Physics of Barreled Balls  —  I guess I wasn't paying attention because back in September 2016 Mike Petriello wrote that Statcast debuted a new metric called “Barreled Balls.”  According to MLB's Statcast Glossary, the barreled ball designation is assigned to balls with specific exit velocities …

Braves zero in on Sarasota County for spring training  —  The Braves may have finally found their new spring-training site.  —  Officials in Sarasota County, Fla., announced today that the Braves have entered into exclusive negotiations with the county and its partners at the West Villages development …