2017 Hall of Fame ballot  —  Former MVPs Rodriguez, Guerrero among 19 newcomers  —  Bagwell, Raines, Hoffman, Schilling Lead Returnees; Results Announced Jan. 18, 2017  —  Two former American League Most Valuable Player Award winners as well as two World Series MVPs are among 19 new candidates …

Blue Jays Offered Roughly $80MM To Edwin Encarnacion  —  The Blue Jays made a four-year contract offer to Edwin Encarnacion that was worth “about” $80MM before agreeing to a three-year, $33MM deal with Kendrys Morales, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.  Sportsnet's Shi Davidi first noted …

2016 Rule 5 Draft Preview  —  Projecting who will get picked in the Rule 5 draft is never easy.  No two teams' Rule 5 preference lists are alike because of teams' differing needs, willingness to accept risk and the status of their big league roster.  But talent is talent …

White Sox Willing To Trade Any Player With Less Than Four Years Of Control  —  The White Sox are telling teams that they're willing to trade any player on their roster who is under team control for less than four years, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (subscription required).

A sensation in Korea, can Eric Thames make it back to MLB?  —  Korea's contributions to Major League Baseball have run the gamut in recent years.  Jung Ho Kang, the crown jewel of transplants, is an .800 OPS anchor in the Pittsburgh Pirates' order.  Seattle's Dae-Ho Lee flashed some power this season, with 14 home runs in 104 games.

Rays in market for the bat they hoped Richie Shaffer would be  —  Some fallout after a frenzied Friday in which the Rays changed 30 percent of their roster:  —  • Giving up on 2012 first-round pick Richie Shaffer was surprising, and though Rays senior VP Chaim Bloom said the trade to Seattle was …

CBA Notes: Season Length, Roster Size, Luxury Tax, Int'l Draft  —  Both Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and players' union executive director Tony Clark expressed optimism last month about reaching a new collective bargaining agreement prior to the Dec. 1 expiration of the current CBA.

Yankees Notes: Headley, Gardner, Cespedes, Beltran, Hammel  —  The Yankees have received trade inquiries about both third baseman Chase Headley and left fielder Brett Gardner, GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch). … The switch-hitting Headley hit .253/.331/.385 …

Cody Kessler might be shut down awhile with 2nd concussion: 'This is about a young man's future' Hue Jackson says  —  Cleveland Browns quarterback Cody Kessler lays on the field after getting hit in the head by Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons in the second half.

The Yankees are positioned to make major moves  —  Brian Cashman and the Bronx Bombers have a lot of chips  —  Every time I hear Brian Cashman utter his cryptic mantra, “We're open to anything,” the same thought enters my head:  —  “Uh-oh, here come the Yankees.”  —  The team's payroll flexibility is increasing.

Cardinals Sign Brett Cecil  —  NOV. 21: The Cardinals have formally announced Cecil's four-year deal and introduced him at a press conference.  —  NOV. 19: The Cardinals have agreed to a four-year deal with southpaw reliever Brett Cecil, Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).