Atlanta Braves punished for circumventing international signing rules  —  The Braves lost 13 prospects and former general manager John Coppolella was banned for life by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for circumventing international signing rules from 2015-17.

AP source: MLB, Japanese, union reach posting deal  —  NEW YORK (AP) Major League Baseball, its players' union and the Japanese commissioner's office agreed Tuesday to a new posting system that could allow star pitcher-outfielder Shohei Ohtani to be put up for bid next week, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

Angels hire Josh Paul as bench coach, add Brad Ausmus to front office  —  Josh Paul, who spent part of his big league career playing for the Angels under Mike Scioscia, has been hired as the Angels new bench coach.  —  Earlier this month the Angels moved bench coach Dino Ebel to third base coach, replacing Ron Roenicke.

Orioles Acquire Jaycob Brugman  —  The Orioles have acquired outfielder Jaycob Brugman from the Athletics, per a club announcement.  A player to be named or cash will go to Oakland in return.  —  Brugman, 25, was just designated for assignment by the A's.

Giancarlo Stanton Red Sox Trade Would Set Up Dream HR Rivalry with Aaron Judge  —  It's good enough that Major League Baseball has Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge set to go toe-to-toe in pursuit of slugging accolades for many years to come.  —  Even better would be if their rivalry …

Each MLB Team's Nightmare 2017-18 Offseason Scenario  —  Every MLB franchise enters the offseason with dreams.  Unfortunately, like all dreams, they can curdle into nightmares.  —  In some cases, it's a club failing to acquire the assets necessary to remain a viable contender or vault toward a title.

5 minor leaguer pitchers suspended for drug violations  —  NEW YORK — Five minor league pitchers have been suspended for drug violations.  —  The commissioner's office announced the penalties Tuesday.  —  Three of the players are part of the Toronto system.

NFL owners could change anthem policy next season if protests continue  —  Some NFL owners believe there is a strong possibility they will enact an offseason change to the league's national anthem policy if players' protests during the anthem persist through the end of this season …