Phillies are perfectly positioned to take advantage of crowded market for hitters  —  As the markets for hitters continue to stagnate, the Phillies are lying in wait.  —  The Phillies are open-minded to adding another bat through free agency or trade, according to major-league sources.

Breaking News: Arizona Diamondbacks sue Maricopa County over stadium issues  —  The suit itself seeks no damages from the county, but could open the door to the Diamondbacks leaving Chase Field.  —  The Diamondbacks and their issues with the Maricopa County Stadium District have been well-documented the last two years.

The Nationals are open to extending Dusty Baker's contract beyond 2017  —  It is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately calculate a manager's effect on a baseball team, but Dusty Baker made a clear positive impact on the Nationals in his first year.  The 67-year-old's affable personality …

Royals Acquire Peter O'Brien From Diamondbacks  —  The Diamondbacks announced on Tuesday that they've traded outfielder Peter O'Brien, who had recently been designated for assignment, to the Royals in exchange for minor league right-hander Sam Lewis.  —  The 26-yer-old O'Brien has drawn …

Arizona Diamondbacks agree to deal with Rubby De La Rosa … The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with pitcher Rubby De La Rosa on a minor league contract, a deal that will bring the talented but inconsistent and injury-prone right-hander back to the team only a month after he was cut loose via a nontender.

Nat'l baseball manager leaning toward cutting major leaguer after DUI arrest  —  Given his recent off-field trouble, Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Kang Jung-ho will likely be cut from the South Korean national team ahead of an international tournament this spring, its manager has said.

Top starting pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, then who?  —  One day this past June, Madison Bumgarner lounged in the runway leading to the home dugout in AT&T Park and talked about the San Francisco Giants, but he spun into a thought doughnut in mid-sentence and posed the sort of big-picture question …

Three potential trading partners for the Phillies  —  Happy New Year.  —  When we last left the Phillies, they were locking up their one, proven everyday player to a long-term deal and then jumping at the chance to add a proven veteran starter to their rotation at minimal cost.

Rumors have started but Millsap not on trading block  —  The rumors have started.  —  Let's take a moment to bring some clarity to what will be frenzied talk from now until the February trade deadline.  —  A report surfaced Sunday night that the Hawks have begun listening to trade pitches …

Fantasy Content Preview  —  The Road to Draft Day  —  It is almost impossible to believe, but it is that time, when fantasy baseball enthusiasts start preparing in earnest for the upcoming season.  Once again, Baseball Prospectus is here to provide the best wall-to-wall coverage in the industry.

Edwin Encarnacion arrives this week to take physical, make deal with Cleveland Indians official  —  Former Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion is scheduled to arrive in Cleveland on Tuesday and take a physical on Wednesday.  The Indians and Encarnacion, contingent on the physical, have agreed to a three-year $65 million deal.

Hall of Fame Voters Soften Stance on Stars of Steroids Era  —  Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, two of the most successful players in baseball history, are among the former stars who were essentially blacklisted from the Hall of Fame because of their reputations as doping cheats.

Open letter to Cubs fans: You're hateable winners now  —  Welcome to the winner's circle.  Speaking for the Yankees and Red Sox fans among us, we're uniquely suited to help you get settled in for a possibly long and definitely tedious run of being loathed by the general sporting public.

Path to the playoffs for every AL West team  —  The Rangers won their second straight AL West title with 95 wins, the second-most in franchise history, leading the division from May 29 on.  They went 15-4 against the Astros and 12-7 against the Mariners and an all-time best 36-11 in one-run games.