‘Things are still alive’ on Jonathan Papelbon trade front  —  Talks between the Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers involving closer Jonathan Papelbon have been portrayed as everything from “serious” to “dead” over the last week or so.  —  The fact of the matter, according to sources …

Dan Duquette puts Toronto in past, focuses on Orioles  —  BALTIMORE (AP) — Dan Duquette's job description includes making trades that will help improve the Baltimore Orioles.  —  This offseason, Duquette was in the middle of a potential blockbuster deal.  —  Duquette, the Orioles president …

If Shields' price has dropped, Yankees should open wallet  —  James Shields has thrown over 200 innings in eight straight seasons and made up for a dip in strikeouts by improving his control last year  —  The cumbersome contracts that helped pave the way to the Yankees' most recent (though …

Marlins slugger suffered facial fractures after being hit by a pitch in September  —  MLB Network Insider Peter Gammons checks in on Giancarlo Stanton, who is preparing for his toughest battle as a big leaguer  —  MIAMI — Physically and mentally, Giancarlo Stanton is ready …

‘Sad day’: 1984 Tiger Dave Bergman dies at 61  —  Bergman played first base, outfield for Tigers from 1984-92, won World Series in '84  —  Dave Bergman was asked Friday whether he still had some fight left.  —  “I do,” he said, according to a family friend.

Rockies To Sign John Axford To Minor League Deal  —  2:53pm: MLB.com's Thomas Harding reports that if Axford makes the Major League roster, he will earn a $2.6MM base salary (Twitter link).  That's a fairly significant base salary for a minor league deal and likely explains why Axford was willing to take a non-guaranteed contract.

Mets Press Releases  —  Due to overwhelming demand, the New York Mets and Live Nation have announced that the Foo Fighters will perform a second show at Citi Field, Wednesday, July 15.  Tickets will go on sale at Mets.com/FooFighters and by phone at (718) 507-TIXX this Friday, January 30 at 10:00 a.m.

Hall of Famer Will Assist Commissioner Manfred, Join N.L. Counterpart Giles  —  Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that he has named Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, currently Major League Baseball's Executive Vice President for Baseball Development …

Time to make DH universal  —  New commissioner Rob Manfred will hear, and already has heard, plenty of suggestions on how to increase offense, and he has thrown out a few ideas himself.  —  And while Manfred probably doesn't have the backing of the National League, the old standby is always there: make the designated hitter universal.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Monday  —  As of Monday morning, 35 players had yet to come to an agreement with their team after exchanging arbitration figures (as can be seen in our Arb Tracker).  We'll keep track of the day's minor settlements here, with all projections coming via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz...

Nationals Designate Eric Fornataro For Assignment  —  The Nationals announced that they have designated right-hander Eric Fornataro for assignment in order to clear room on the 40-man roster for Casey Janssen, whose one-year deal is now official.  —  The Nats claimed the 27-year-old Fornataro off waivers …

5 most improved teams this winter  —  MLB.com's Jim Duquette looks at some of the most improved teams heading into Spring Training for the 2015 season  —  James Shields is the only big-name free agent still out there, and even he is probably not enough to turn the tide of an entire offseason.