The Daily Chop: Offseason notes, Ian Anderson and more

We are a little over a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training and the Major League offseason is finally starting to show some signs of life. Reliever Liam Hendriks agreed to a three-year deal with the Chicago White Sox that will pay him a total of $54 million. The deal includes a club option for a fourth season as well. Hendriks was viewed as the best relief pitcher available so his signing could possibly set things in motion at least for teams seeking bullpen health. There hasn’t been a lot of chatter around guys like Trevor Bauer, George Springer or even Marcell Ozuna. Will be interesting to see if things finally start to move or if it drags on into February. We have seen offseasons move at a slow pace before but what we are seeing this winter is really unprecedented

Braves rookie right-hander Ian Anderson was recently a guest on MLB Network and also chatted with MLB Pipeline writer Jonathan Mayo about his Major League debut, the additions of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly and much more.

Our potential free agent target series continued Tuesday with a look at utility infielder Jonathan Villar and outfielder Joc Pederson.

Braves legend Dale Murphy checks in at No. 11 in Joe Posnanski’s list of the 100 greatest eligible players that are not currently in the Hall of Fame.

With the international signing period opening Friday, MLB Pipeline takes a look at each team’s best international prospect. No surprise but Cristian Pache tops the list for the Braves.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to expand the vaccination effort.

Russian authorities have said more than 1.5 million people already have received the domestically designed Sputnik V vaccine even as the advanced studies among tens of thousands of people continue.

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting with senior government officials, Putin instructed them to expand the scale of vaccination that had been limited to certain social groups and professions.

Russia has been widely criticized for giving Sputnik V regulatory approval in August after it was tested on a few dozen people and rushed to offer it to people in risk groups — such as medical workers and teachers — within weeks of approval.

Sputnik V’s developers have said data suggests the vaccine was 91% effective, and Putin on Wednesday extolled it as “the best in the world.”

THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

California has lifted some stay-at-home orders in northern counties, while many orders remain in place where coronavirus cases are surging. Japan has widened its virus emergency for 7 more areas as cases increase. Indonesia begins a mass COVID-19 vaccination effort with the president and public figures getting shots in the hope of encouraging others.

Dutch authorities begin mass coronavirus testing in one town to get an idea of how many people have the new coronavirus variant. Aspiring US college students are grappling with how to show their potential when so many exams and activities have been canceled.

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will announce Wednesday that Michigan restaurants can reopen for indoor dining on Feb. 1, two-and-a-half months after an order to close amid a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

The governor’s office confirmed the pending announcement following a statement issued on social media by the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association. The current order prohibiting indoor dine-in service is due to expire Friday but will be extended.

The fate of other activities such as organized sports was not immediately known. Whitmer will have news conference later Wednesday.

Since the Whitmer administration closed restaurants and bars, effective Nov. 18, it has let high schools resume in-person instruction and allowed entertainment businesses to reopen with restrictions.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is lifting a stay-at-home order for 13 northern counties because of improving hospital conditions but most of the state’s population remains under tight restrictions because of the deadly coronavirus surge.

The state lifted a December ban on outdoor dining, hair and nail salons and other services for the Sacramento region. But three of five state regions — the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California — remain under the stay-at-home order because their hospitals’ intensive care capacity is severely limited.

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly shopping outfielder Andrew Benintendi and a trade could happen as soon as this weekend according to a report by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Benintendi has struggled in recent years is in the final year of a two-year, $10 million deal that he signed with the Red Sox. He will be arbitration eligible for the final time at the end of the 2021 season.

The Miami Marlins have reportedly had trade discussions with the Chicago Cubs about catcher Willson Contreras.

Corey Kluber is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in front of interested major league teams on Wednesday and is hoping to show that he is healthy after two straight injury plagued seasons.

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The Detroit Tigers avoided arbitration with right-hander Michael Fulmer by agreeing to a one-year, $3.1 million deal.