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Before a bat ever slices through the airspace in front of a catcher’s glove, before any collision of wood and leather, the best thing a hitter can do is spring into action against a pitch headed for the strike zone. Flip it around, and a pitcher’s task is decidedly more complicated.

With Gerrit Cole now an Astro, what’s next for the Pirates?

The Astros probably could not be better positioned to win a second straight World Series than right now. In its simplest terms, that’s what the trade for Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole on Saturday means.

Less than a week after owner Jim Crane said the Astros were pursuing a high-end starter, the defending World Series champions traded for hard-throwing right-hander Gerrit Cole from the Pirates. The Astros will send pitchers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, infielder Colin Moran and Minor League outfielder Jason Martin to the Pirates.

Jay Bruce was a Met. Then he wasn’t. Then he was again. The baseball transaction wire can be weird like that, with team needs and tastes and competitive states shifting all the time. Just 154 days after the Mets traded Bruce to the Indians in the midst of a lost summer, they signed him to a three-year, $39 million deal this week.

Though more experienced closers remain available on both the free-agent and trade markets, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, speaking on the first day of the Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up, expressed confidence in one the club already has: Luke Gregerson.

The Twins agreed to terms with reliever Addison Reed on a two-year deal worth slightly less than $17 million, a source confirmed to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi on Saturday.

Hours after stating that the Yankees had not made him a contract offer, free-agent right-hander Yu Darvish issued a clarification on Twitter, stating that he indeed has discussed financial terms with the ballclub.

All winter long, we’ve yearned for a match to ignite baseball’s Hot Stove. Could the solution be something as customary as Friday’s exchange of salary arbitration figures? One Major League general manager predicted Friday evening that the industry would see “a few” notable signings over the next week. That would qualify as significant news in a tepid marketplace.

Manny Machado and the Orioles have agreed to terms on a $16 million contract for 2018 to avoid arbitration, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Friday. The club has not confirmed the report.