RED SOX SPLURGE LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE LAST ONE THAT DIDN'T WORK  —  Wait, haven't we seen this movie in Boston before?  —  Why yes, during the 2010-11 offseason, when the Red Sox signed free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford for $142 million and traded for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez knowing they would award him a $154 million deal.

Stong indications that Troy Tulowitzki-to-Yankees is not happening, period; Hall of Fame class announced; on Ferguson and the NLCS  —  Say this for the Yankees: Every time you talk to an official for a rival team, or an agent who has dealt with them this offseason, you hear the same theme …

Five things to watch leading up to Winter Meetings  —  Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill joins MLB Tonight to discuss the importance of the Giancarlo Stanton deal  —  MIAMI — Their cornerstone is in place, and their ace pitcher is on the mend.

Yankees great Joe DiMaggio was overrated, says MLB historian  —  'There is a trend toward baseball analytics now and the more you apply them, the more you chip away at the DiMaggio myth.  On his 100th birthday you can still call him an all-time great but he was not the peerless center fielder …

The Legacy Of The 2014 Royals, Part 1.  —  It still hurts.  I suspect it will always hurt, at least a little.  There will always be a scar on my baseball psyche, with Madison Bumgarner's name tattooed over it.  —  But every day it hurts a little less.  I'm actually kind of surprised …

Kantrovitz leaves Cards for return to Oakland  —  • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285  —  ST. LOUIS  • Dan Kantrovitz, the St. Louis native who oversaw the Cardinals' drafts that landed pitchers Michael Wacha and Marco Gonzales as the team's director of amateur scouting …

M's give Kyle Seager $100M deal  —  The Seattle Mariners and third baseman Kyle Seager have agreed to a seven-year, $100 million deal that includes an option for an eighth year, a league source confirmed to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  —  The deal was earlier reported by Yahoo! Sports.

Big Unit, Pedro, Smoltz headline Hall of Fame ballot  —  Take a look back at Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield and John Smoltz's incredible careers en route to the 2015 HOF election  —  For a second consecutive year, the National Baseball Hall of Fame player ballot …

Released: Jose Molina, Cole Figueroa, Ramon Cabrera  —  Here are the day's minor moves ...  - The Rays have placed catcher Jose Molina and infielder Cole Figueroa on release waivers, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).  Both were designated for assignment recently.

Dodgers Acquire Juan Nicasio, Designate Ryan Jackson  —  The Dodgers announced that they have acquired right-hander Juan Nicasio from the Rockies in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  To make room for Nicasio, who was designated for assignment last week …

Molina considers Sandoval ‘like a son’  —  SAN FRANCISCO — When catcher Bengie Molina broke into the Major Leagues with the Anaheim Angels in 1999, he wasn't fortunate to find a mentor in the clubhouse.  —  Molina learned what he could from former Angels catchers Phil Nevin …