On the first Monday of the new year, the Hot Stove was reignited with a bevy of rumors regarding free agents. Second baseman Howie Kendrick was engaged in talks with Arizona, the Nationals eyed Gerardo Parra, and Doug Fister was said to have multiple offers.

The Giants remained in suspended animation during baseball’s unofficial winter break. So did most of the other 29 teams, as Monday’s lack of major transactions demonstrated.

With around six weeks to go before pitchers and catchers report to Salt River Fields, D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said things are pretty quiet when it comes to possible trades or free-agent signings.

Here are some takeaways from a unique look at the 2016 Hall of Fame ballot: How the 25 hitters fared in head-to-head competition against the seven pitchers on the ballot — and vice versa.

With a glut of free-agent outfielders, plus a lingering market of free-agent pitchers and an ample all-around trade market, baseball’s Hot Stove season could have one of its busiest closing stretches ever. But while many anticipate the Tigers jumping in, there’s no sign of a shift in stance from management or ownership since the holidays.

“At least 3-4 times I thought the team plane was gonna crash.”

We won’t know for sure until the National Baseball Hall of Fame results are announced live on MLB Network and MLB.com on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, but a recent voting policy change could have a drastic effect on this year’s results.

Morgan Ensberg has become the Astros’ first Minor League mindset coach. It was a position created this offseason, and it puts Ensberg in the role of traveling around the system to make sure everyone is on the same page from a philosophical standpoint.

The Marlins are said to be closing in on a free-agent contract with Edwin Jackson, the 32-year-old right-hander who could fill a role either as a back-of-the-rotation starter or as a long reliever.

It appears Justin Verlander has turned his offseason workout program on end, at least for a day.

The Nationals are still looking for a center fielder, and according to a baseball source, the club has made contact with free-agent outfielder Gerardo Parra.

The latest Hall of Fame ballot arrived last month, wearing a smile, one as endearing as any put forth by Cameron Diaz, Shirley Temple, George Clooney or baseball exec Earvin Johnson, one as widely recognized in the game as the Mona Lisa smile is recognized in the world of art, a smile as much fun as Red Skelton’s and as sincere as the Pope’s. The ballot carried the name “Ken Griffey Jr.”

Fifteen writers on the staff of MLB.com have met the requirements to cast ballots in the annual Hall of Fame vote conducted by the BBWAA. Here’s how they voted.

Dexter Fowler doesn’t have a job yet for the 2016 season, but the free agent outfielder hasn’t stopped prepping for the new year — and making sure everyone know he’s ready.

The Cardinals signed right-hander Jeremy Hefner to a Minor League deal, opting to take a chance on a pitcher trying to return after undergoing a pair of Tommy John surgeries.

The Pirates have patched up their rotation. They’ve added to their bullpen. They’ve found another first baseman. But who’s batting cleanup?

Charles M. Conlon had one chance to capture some of baseball’s most indelible moments. Conlon’s talent for doing that with equipment from the early 20th century, a far cry from today’s high-speed digital cameras that take up to 10 frames per second, is what makes his work so remarkable and worth preserving.