The Winter Meetings have begun, much to my surprise, as I was convinced we were still a week away. Terrible blogging timing, as it were, as I'm trying to be a diligent young scholar this week, but tomorrow will be a better day. I'd hate to have one of my enjoyment of one of my favorite parts of the baseball season diluted by my ineffectual efforts at boosting my minuscule employment profile.

Post your rumors and reactions here. In the storied history of Royals Review, these W.M. Open Threads have always been fun.

• Dutton: Royals have no reason to gamble.
• Dutton: Royals aren't interested in trading Teahen.
• ESPN's Winter Meetings blog.
• MLB.com's Hot Stove blog.
• Rosenthal blog.
• The Mariners have signed Chris Shelton. I wonder who will be more productive, Shelton/Branyan or Jacobs/Shealy/Gload/Olivo (and five games of Kila in September!) at 1B/DH next season. Actually, I don't wonder at all.
• Mark DeRosa, apparently, has the hottest wife in MLB. Mark Kotsay, or his wife rather, finished second. Heidi Hamels was robbed.
• The SB Nation Hotstove Hub.

I'll keep hunting for interesting links as the day goes on. Please do the same. And don't forget to check out Devil Fingers' fanshot and spreadsheet on the free agents.