The tenor of Hot Stove-related commentary that I've seen lately is trending toward the nihilistic. That's not good. It brings to mind images of desperate sportswriters all across the country sitting in barren parks, wearing Ushanka hats and reading Tolstoy while contemplating the nothingness of winter.
There is one winter baseball event we know is actually going to happen: The revealing of the results from this year's Hall of Fame balloting. Hard news! The big reveal isn't until Jan. 24, giving us plenty of time to dissect that process. That's a lucky thing, too, because there are only so many ways to write that the offseason transaction market is frozen solid.