Top News:
Emily Kaplan / SI.com:
Erin Andrews' secret battle with cervical cancer — The MMQB staff writer Emily Kaplan discusses how Erin Andrews was able to keep working while fighting cervical cancer. — Her safety belt clicked shut. As her highly public and emotionally draining civil trial entered a weekend break …
Discussion:
Dallas Morning News, CBS Baltimore, WFLA-TV, NESN.com, USA Today, TMZ.com and Sportsnet.ca, more at WeSmirch »
CNNMoney:
Publisher printing more copies of George Orwell's ‘1984’ after spike in demand — “Alternative facts” are lies — The book publisher Penguin is printing more copies of George Orwell's dystopian classic “1984” in response to a sudden surge of demand. — On Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning …
Discussion:
Salon
Rustin Dodd / Kansas City Star:
More details from Yordano Ventura's final night; police investigating speed as factor in wreck — In the hours before his custom white Jeep careened off a road and ripped through a guard rail near the Dominican town of Juan Adrian, Yordano Ventura was enjoying the company of friends …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, Yahoo Sports, Royals Review and Kansas City
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Max Rieper / Royals Review:
Looters left Ventura to die, according to unconfirmed reports
Looters left Ventura to die, according to unconfirmed reports
Discussion:
Kansas City Star, Fox News and NESN.com
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Yordano Ventura Dies In Car Crash
Yordano Ventura Dies In Car Crash
Discussion:
Royals Review, Yahoo Sports, Minor League Ball, Call to the Pen, Bucs Dugout and MLB Daily Dish
Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com:
Baseball world mourns Ventura, Marte
Baseball world mourns Ventura, Marte
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos, Halos Heaven and baseballmusings.com
Quinn Roberts / MLB.com:
Key member of KC's rotation, World Series triumph in 2015 was 25 years old
Key member of KC's rotation, World Series triumph in 2015 was 25 years old
Discussion:
New York Times, Purple Row, Kansas City Star and Bluebird Banter
Shi Davidi / Sportsnet.ca:
Blue Jays reach agreement on deal with free agent catcher Saltalamacchia — TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays and free agent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia are in agreement on a minor-league deal pending a physical, an industry source told Sportsnet on Tuesday.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, MLB Trade Rumors, Bluebird Banter, MLB Daily Dish and Yahoo Sports
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Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Blue Jays Claim Juan Graterol, Designate Leonel Campos
Blue Jays Claim Juan Graterol, Designate Leonel Campos
Discussion:
Baseball Hot Corner, Jays From The Couch and Bluebird Banter
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
MLB Allows Hector Mendoza Unrestricted Free Agency In Unusual Case — Major League Baseball on Tuesday declared Cuban righthander Hector Mendoza a free agent. When Mendoza turns 23 on March 5, he will be exempt from the international bonus pools, despite having only pitched four seasons in Cuba.
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, redsminorleagues.com, MLB Trade Rumors and Pinstripe Alley
Ken Davidoff / New York Post:
Mets now plan to keep Jay Bruce as everyday right fielder — More On: — He arrived as a resuscitation paddle for a dying offense and then became insurance for Yoenis Cespedes' free agency. Now Jay Bruce's Mets voyage is prepared to dock at a destination both more traditional and less expected.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, MLB Daily Dish, Halos Heaven, MLB Trade Rumors, Forbes and Amazin' Avenue
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Giants Sign Nick Hundley — The Giants have officially struck a one-year deal with catcher Nick Hundley, as Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group first reported (via Twitter). The contract is believed to include a $2MM guarantee. per Baggarly. — Hundley, 33, certainly seems destined …
Discussion:
San Francisco Chronicle, McCovey Chronicles, MLB Daily Dish and Yahoo Sports
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Beat reporter Jordan Bastian answers Tribe fans' questions — The Fangraphs projection for Edwin Encarnacion is pretty similar to Mike Napoli's 2016 campaign. The basis for their projection and a bit of regression from EE seems to be age and park factor. Do you think that …
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus
ESPN:
Show me the mind games! Mutual options not about the money — The world runs on mutual options. If you go on a first date, it comes with a mutual option to go on a second if you both so desire. In fact, right now, you and I have a mutual option to go on a date tomorrow. What will you wear to our date?
Discussion:
Toronto, Bluebird Banter and Over the Monster
Erik Boland / Newsday:
Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka sitting out of World Baseball Classic … The Yankees can breathe a sigh of relief. Righthander Masahiro Tanaka said Monday that he will not take part in the World Baseball Classic in March. — Tanaka, a member of the Japanese team that won the 2009 WBC …
Discussion:
Fish Stripes and Pinstripe Alley
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Dodgers Acquire Logan Forsythe From Rays — The Dodgers have finally found their next second baseman after a rumor-filled offseason, officially striking a deal with the Rays to acquire Logan Forsythe. Prized young righty Jose De Leon is heading to Tampa Bay in return in the 1-for-1 swap.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, Twinkie Town, DRaysBay, Talking Chop, Minor League Ball, Pirates Breakdown, True Blue LA, Phillies Nation, Halos Heaven and Lone Star Ball
Jon Heyman / FanRag Sports:
Best of the rest free agents — Even after a big week when home-run champion Mark Trumbo and mercurial star Jose Bautista found jobs with their old teams, yet another home-run champion (Chris Carter) plus a 30-100 man (Mike Napoli), several more big hitters, two closers …
Discussion:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, NBCSports.com, Federal Baseball, Lone Star Ball and MLB Daily Dish
ESPN:
MLB Roundup: Power stats aren't helping free agents find jobs — With the last days of January now falling off the calendar, there is still an enormous number of unsigned free agents, including catcher Matt Wieters, who was drafted by Baltimore and played his entire career with the Orioles.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, MLB Trade Rumors and School of Roch