The world according to Jim:

• Here is your annual reminder: World Series championships are not won in the first week of December.

You’d be mistaken for thinking otherwise given the Winter Meetings buzz. Padres fans are giddy that they landed yet another shortstop, Xander Bogaerts. Phillies fans are even giddier, after an improbable run to the last World Series, that they signed the best of the available shortstops, Trea Turner, as well as adding pitching help with Taijuan Walker (Yucaipa’s own) and reliever Matt Strahm.

Yankee fans? They customarily don’t do giddy, but they’re happy/relieved that Aaron Judge is staying in pinstripes.

• Agents? Giddiest of all, after more than $2 billion worth of contract agreements at these Winter Meetings. Again, what exactly did last winter’s lockout accomplish? …

• As for Dodger fans? No giddy there. Trea Turner’s gone. Cody Bellinger is now a Chicago Cub, with a full offseason to rehab and a hitter-friendly ballpark beckoning. Chris Martin, maybe their best reliever down the stretch in 2022 not named Evan Phillips, signed with Boston. Tommy Kahnle went to the Yankees and Andrew Heaney to Texas, as well as Tyler Anderson to the Angels earlier in the offseason.

They did sign fading outfielder Jason Heyward to a minor-league contract, and Justin Turner remains available, but at this rate, Miguel Vargas and James Outman could be prominent in next year’s everyday lineup. …

• And, of course, the Dodgers brought back Clayton Kershaw on another one-year deal at $20 million, agreed upon before the meetings. But Kershaw probably did a spit take when he saw the numbers on Justin Verlander’s contract with the New York Mets. …

• But remember: Spring training doesn’t start for another 9½ weeks. The regular season doesn’t begin until March 30. And in recent seasons Andrew Friedman has done some of his best work in February (Mookie Betts) and March (Freddie Freeman). …

• The Dodgers are trying to get under the luxury tax threshold and reset, maybe marshaling their resources for a run at a particular Japanese two-way player if he’s a free agent next winter.  But a good portion of their caution involves the albatross of a contract they gave Trevor Bauer in 2021, and how much of it they’ll have to assume if Bauer’s appeal of his suspension is upheld.

Truly, the gift that keeps on giving. …

• I asked Manager Dave Roberts this week if he’s comfortable with Gavin Lux as the Opening Day shortstop if it shakes out that way. He is.

“We’re not at a point where I need to say he’s our shortstop,” the manager said. “But as far as if it plays out as such, absolutely. Gavin’s gotten better every year (and) that’s his natural position.” …

• Considering that Arte Moreno is in the process of selling the Angels, there hasn’t been any apparent limit on GM Perry Minasian’s ability to add assets. And who knows? Maybe Joe Lacob will buy the team and his first executive decision will be to make Shohei Ohtani the game’s first $50 million-a-year player. …

• After Bogaerts’ deal with the Padres was announced, MLB Network showed a graphic pointing out that San Diego could have six players on the field on Opening Day who are or once have been shortstops: Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Cronenworth, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Austin Nola. It must be their response to the new anti-shift rules. …

• So, could the Rams have a quarterback controversy at some point? It is an L.A. tradition, you know. …

• Thankfully, Al Michaels did not see the need to pull out, “Do you believe in miracles,” after Baker Mayfield’s unlikely game-winning drive against the Raiders on Thursday night. This was better, after the winning touchdown pass settled into Van Jefferson’s hands: “Is that possible?” …

.@bakermayfield‘s first TD as a Rams gives us the LEAD!!

@NFLonPrime | https://t.co/4beUdmlymg pic.twitter.com/lrGpPjUMD4

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 9, 2022

• Or, as longtime Philadelphia football writer Les Bowen noted on Twitter: “Pretty sure nothing this ridiculous has happened for the Rams since Warren Beatty was their QB.”

You do remember the film “Heaven Can Wait,” don’t you? …

• Considering the way the offensive lines of this community’s NFL teams have been so, well, offensive this season, here’s a suggestion: When the Rams and Chargers meet on New Year’s Day at SoFi Stadium, coaches Sean McVay and Brandon Staley agree to make it 7-on-7. …

• If you are among those who decided not to pay any attention to this World Cup because of Qatar’s human rights issues, this should justify your decision. A Filipino migrant worker was the latest to die, after a forklift accident at Saudi Arabia’s training resort during group play. When asked about it in a BBC interview, organizing committee CEO Nasser Al-Khater responded this way, according to Grant Wahl in his Substack soccer newsletter:

“We’re in the middle of a World Cup, and we have a successful World Cup. And this is something that you want to talk about right now? I mean, death is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work, whether it’s in your sleep. Of course, a worker died. Our condolences go to his family. However, it’s strange that this is something that you wanted to focus on as your first question.

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“Everything that has been said and everything that has been reflected about worker deaths here has been absolutely false,” he added. “This theme, this negativity around the World Cup, has been something that we’ve been faced with, unfortunately. We are a bit disappointed that the journalists have been exacerbating this false narrative, and honestly I think a lot of the journalists have to question themselves and reflect on why they’ve been trying to bang on about the subject for so long.”

In other words, the Qataris see themselves as the aggrieved party. Is that part of the sportswashing playbook, too?

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