Top News:
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Sources: MLB to hammer Atlanta Braves, declare 12 minor league players free agents — Major League Baseball is expected to hammer the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday for circumventing rules governing the signing of international amateurs, declaring 12 minor league players, including vaunted prospect Kevin Maitan …
RELATED:
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Braves' punishment frees up ‘phenom’ prospect Cardinals could chase — ST. LOUIS • As the Cardinals prepared for their premeditated spending spree on international talent in 2016, they drew on months of time spent scouting and developing relationships with a peer group of standout talents in Venezuela.
Discussion:
MLB on Yahoo! Sports and Talking Chop
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
MLB Announces Permanent Ban For John Coppolella
MLB Announces Permanent Ban For John Coppolella
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, redsminorleagues.com and Ken Rosenthal
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
MLB Removing Prospects From Braves
MLB Removing Prospects From Braves
Discussion:
MLB on Yahoo! Sports, Talking Chop, Walk-Off Walk and Lone Star Ball
Jeff Fletcher / Orange County Register:
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.
Discussion:
MLive.com, Halos Heaven and MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
ESPN:
Report: Angels hire ex-Tigers manager Brad Ausmus — The Angels are hiring former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus as a special assistant to general manager Billy Eppler, the Orange County Register reported. — Ausmus will assist with scouting and evaluations, according to the Register.
ESPN:
MLB, Players Association agree to new posting system to bring Shohei Ohtani from Japan — Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed Tuesday on a new posting system that will allow two-way star Shohei Ohtani to leave Japan and sign with an MLB team for the 2018 season.
Discussion:
Associated Press
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Joel Sherman / New York Post:
The chase for Shohei Ohtani is real now … Shohei Ohtani is going to be quite a Christmas gift for some team. — Officials from the major leagues, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the Players Association reached a tentative agreement Tuesday to grandfather in the old posting agreement …
Discussion:
NESN.com, Cubs Insider and MLB Trade Rumors
Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox's Eloy Jimenez says he'll ‘force the issue’ of when he reaches majors — The White Sox rebuilding project should be complete in 2020. Here's what the starting lineup and rotation could look like. Not pictured: Alec Hansen, RHP, minor-leaguer — Chicago Tribune
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Jacob Shafer / Bleacher Report:
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.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
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Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
FanRag Sports
Brent Zwerneman / Houston Chronicle:
Texas A&M plans to fire Kevin Sumlin after LSU game — COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin will be fired following the Aggies' regular-season finale at LSU on Saturday night, multiple people with knowledge of the situation said. — Sumlin is expected to be dismissed …
Discussion:
SI.com, FanRag Sports, CollegeFootballTalk, Dallas Morning News and The Comeback
Stefan Stevenson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Rangers-Astros season-opener part of ESPN's quadruple-header — The Silver Boot Series kicks into gear on national television in 2018. — The Texas Rangers' 2018 season opener against the World Series champion Houston Astros will be broadcast on ESPN March 29 from Globe Life Park.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
RELATED:
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers taking high-upside, low-risk approach this offseason — The Detroit Tigers are following a very straightforward strategy this offseason: High upside, low risk. — It was evident in their early off-season minor league free agent signings, and the pattern extended …
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
ESPN:
Yankees' Aaron Judge has left shoulder surgery, expected to be ready for spring training — NEW YORK — Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Monday, but he is expected to be ready for the beginning of spring training, the New York Yankees announced.
Discussion:
MLB on Yahoo! Sports and baseballmusings.com
Associated Press:
Cubs' Will Venable leaves front office to be first-base coach — CHICAGO — Will Venable is leaving the Chicago Cubs' front office to be their first-base coach. — The former major league outfielder was hired last summer as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Marcus Kwesi O'Mard / NESN.com:
Joe Morgan Asks Baseball HOF Voters To Keep Steroid Users Out Of Hall — Joe Morgan is serious about baseball's standards of excellence. — The Cincinnati Reds legend and baseball Hall of Famer wrote a letter to the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Monday in which he implored Hall …
Discussion:
New York Times, MLB on Yahoo! Sports and Joe Blogs