Astros second baseman Jose Altuve wins the MVP award, a rare honor at his position  —  Jose Altuve of the Astros is the fifth American League second baseman to win the MVP, which has been awarded only 11 times to a second baseman.  —  Other AL winners were the Tigers' Charlie Gehringer in 1937 …

Yankees in surprising push for once-celebrated prospect … ORLANDO, Fla. — The Yankees are still trying to make a trade or two before the Monday deadline to freeze 40-man rosters for December's Rule 5 draft, and one player who has surprisingly caught their attention is Texas' Jurickson Profar.

Want to live in Playoffville?  Eric Hosmer will get you there, agent Scott Boras says  —  Agent Scott Boras laid out a case for Eric Hosmer on Wednesday, describing the free-agent first baseman as an elite talent that can help a team reach “Playoffville,” the place where all franchises aspire to live.

Mariners Trade Thyago Vieira To White Sox For International Bonus Money  —  1:03pm: MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports that the Mariners are picking up $500K in the trade (Twitter link).  However, Mayo also notes that the previously reported sum of $1.57MM that the Mariners had to work with was incorrect.

Rangers planning to offer contract extension to Daniels  —  Jon Daniels said last month that he wasn't worried about entering the final year of his contract as Texas Rangers general manager.  He must have known something and chosen to keep it to himself.  —  Sources said that Daniels …

Why Zach Britton no longer makes sense for Cubs team going in different direction with bullpen  —  ORLANDO, Fla. - The Cubs executives who checked out of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando on Wednesday had to ask the Baltimore Orioles again about Zach Britton.  But any standard due diligence during …

Rumor Central: Angels pursuing Tigers' Ian Kinsler?  —  The Detroit Tigers have a valuable trade piece in second baseman Ian Kinsler, and at least one team has emerged as a potential suitor for his services.  —  The Los Angeles Angels have “been having extensive internal discussions” …

Wally Backman hired as new manager of the independent league New Britain Bees  —  Wally Backman is running as an independent in his bid to get back to the major leagues.  —  The former Mets infielder and minor-league manager was hired Thursday as the new skipper of the New Britain Bees in the independent Atlantic League.

Rumor Central: Padres eyeing reunions with Jhoulys Chacin, Craig Stammen?  —  The San Diego Padres are reportedly interested in bringing back a pair of veteran right-handers next season.  —  According to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, the Friars are eyeing reunions with starter Jhoulys Chacin and reliever Craig Stammen.

Orioles net 33rd overall pick as competitive-balance assignment in next year's draft  —  The Orioles used last year's competitive-balance pick on left-hander Zac Lowther, who showed promise at Short-A Aberdeen last season.  (Matt Button / The Aegis)  —  The Orioles were awarded …

NL Cy Young: Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer repeats as winner  —  Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer earned his third Cy Young Award by beating out teammate Stephen Strasburg and Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the voting announced on Wednesday.

Rumor Central: Astros considering long-term extension for A.J. Hinch?  —  A.J. Hinch led the Houston Astros to their first-ever World Series title in 2017, and the franchise is hoping to keep its manager around for the foreseeable future.  —  According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports …