Yovani Gallardo declines Texas Rangers' offer in favor of free agency  —  Pitcher is looking for a multiyear deal Gallardo is a graduate of Trimble Tech Rangers could get compensatory draft pick … Yovani Gallardo's homecoming is over.  —  The right-hander who grew up in Fort Worth …

Autopsy: Teen committed suicide by multiple cobra bites  —  AUSTIN - A Central Texas teenager who died in a SUV earlier this year committed suicide by letting a deadly monocle cobra repeatedly bite him, according to the autopsy report obtained by KVUE's Tony Plohetski.

Red Sox Acquire Craig Kimbrel  —  The Red Sox have acquired star closer Craig Kimbrel from the Padres.  It's a stunning move for new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, whose club will now have both Kimbrel and ace reliever Koji Uehara to lock down the late innings.

Cleveland Indians have outfield holes to fill, but not at expense of pitching or Carlos Santana  —  First baseman Carlos Santana, who led the Indians with 19 homers and 85 RBI in 2015, has been the subject of trade rumors since July, but right now it doesn't appear he'll be traded.  (Jim Mone, Associated Press)

M.L.B. Picks Tampa Bay Rays to Play Possible Exhibition in Cuba  —  WASHINGTON — If a major-league baseball team plays a spring training game in Cuba next year, it will be the Tampa Bay Rays.  —  Commissioner Rob Manfred chose the Rays by picking a ball out of a bin at baseball's offices …

Gary Pinkel to Resign Following 2015 Season Due to Health Issues  —  COLUMBIA, Mo. - University of Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel will resign his position following the conclusion of the 2015 season, and he will remain as Mizzou's coach through December 31, 2015 …

MLB cries foul over ‘Fallout 4’ Ortiz jersey  —  An independent developer this week created a modification for the video game “Fallout 4” that lets players fight mutants in a post-apocalyptic Boston using a character in a Red Sox jersey bearing David Ortiz's name.  —  But Major League Baseball officials are ruling it foul.

Pittsburgh Pirates Top 10 Prospects  —  Want More?  Complete 2015 Top 10 Prospects Rankings  —  Get it all: Subscribe to Baseball America  —  Go 30 deep: Order the 2015 Prospect Handbook!  —  The Pirates went 98-64 in 2015, finished with the second-best record in the major leagues …

Reds among teams redefining front office roles  —  BOCA RATON, Fla. — It used to be easy, 30 teams, 30 general managers, 30 chairs as they entered the room for Major League Baseball's General Managers Meetings.  —  As meetings began on Tuesday, the seating caused a little bit of a problem …

Red Sox have ‘great interest’ in Reds closer Aroldis Chapman  —  BOCA RATON, Fla. — Dave Dombrowski walked out of the general manager meetings on Thursday morning not having made any trades or signed any free agents.  But that may not be the case for much longer.

Don Mattingly tips his hat to Mets  —  NEW YORK — The last game of Don Mattingly's tenure as Dodgers manager came in a loss against the Mets in the NLDS, and as he takes over as the Marlins manager he's not looking forward to 19 games each season against the Mets and their vaunted pitching rotation.