Morning Mound Visit: Francisco Lindor trade rumors are relentless

Ethan Witte | The Good Phight: We aren’t going to stop hearing about Francisco Lindor trade rumors until he’s traded or Opening Day arrives. There have been multiple pieces tying Lindor to the Phillies, but Lindor isn’t actually going to Philadelphia. Or is he?

Marc Delucchi | Baseball Prospectus $: The response to Tony La Russa’s February DUI from fans, his employers, and MLB mirrored how American society responds to substance abuse in general. Public sentiment is derisive, employers only care insofar as press is concerned, and governing bodies do little in the way of prevention. Here’s a reminder that we can all do better.

Ben Clemens | FanGraphs: Jeff Mathis has been the butt of jokes about his hitting for most of his career, but in 2020, his awful slash line wasn’t entirely his fault. It was only mostly his fault as Mathis improved but hit into some bad luck as well.