MLB trade rumors and news: Red Sox’s Steven Wright hit with 80-game suspension for PED use

The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we’re running here at MLBDD that rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be the shared? Hit us up at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.

• Steven Wright will not be a factor for the Red Sox for at least half the season, as the knuckleballer has been suspended 80 games without pay after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

• The Royals already had the odds stacked against them in their bid to contend for the AL Central title this year, but those slim hopes were dealt a massive blow on Tuesday, when it was announced that six-time All-Star Salvador Perez will undergo Tommy John surgery. They’ll turn to the inexperienced catching tandem of Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria for now, though it’s possible — if not probable — that they’ll acquire a veteran backstop before Opening Day.

• The Mets have hired ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst Jessica Mendoza as a special advisor to the baseball operations department. While this position may help prepare her for a full-time front office role down the road if she so desires, she’ll also remain in her existing role at ESPN for the foreseeable future.
• After a truly ugly incident over the weekend where Giants president and CEO Larry Baer was videoed wrestling a cell phone out of his wife’s hand, resulting in her falling to the ground and calling out for help, the Giants released a statement that Baer will be taking a leave of absence as the team charts their path forward.
• Don’t think the free-agent market is totally dried up just because the Harper/Machado Tour-De-Force. Here are some of the best MLB free agents still available, so you can mentally persuade your team’s GM into some exciting contracts to close out the offseason.
• Here are three things to know about the newest Ranger, Zack Granite, and no, the first one is not “his name makes him sound like a superhero”, even though it totally should be.
• Our Stephen Tolbert reviews the chaotic off-season in the National League East and how that will pan out for each team...sorry in advance, Marlins.
• It finally happened. We now know where Bryce Harper is going to play baseball in 2019 and beyond as he signed a record 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper’s deal includes the most guaranteed money in American sports history and, more surprisingly, includes no deferred money or opt-outs.
• Remember all those teams that were reported to be saving up to sign Nolan Arenado next season? Looks like they’ll have to resort to Plan B. Arenado, who was widely believed to be the best player in the 2019-20 free-agent class, signed a new eight-year deal with the Rockies that could keep him in Colorado through 2026. It’s certainly great news for the Rockies and their fans, as Arenado will be able to continue building his legacy as one of the best players in franchise history.
• Another 2018 NL All-Star signed a long-term extension last week: Starting pitcher Miles Mikolas agreed to a $68 million pact that will keep him in St. Louis through 2023. Pretty good for a guy who was pitching in Japan two years ago.
• The Rockies have one of the best players in baseball on their roster in Arenado and a really interesting young core of players that helped them make it to the playoffs last year. It appears as though they know who they want at the helm in the coming years, as they gave manager Bud Black a three-year extension.
• While not the high-profile move that many Yankees fans hoped for, the Bronx Bombers did sign a player to a long-term deal last week, signing Aaron Hicks to a seven-year extension worth a reported $70 million.
• Even with Bryce Harper, the Phillies can keep spending money. Stupid money, that is. All other money is off limits.
• Do free agents lose value when they remain on the market deep into the offseason? We took a look at the data, and let’s just say it usually helps them to sign sooner than later.