Cardinals sound hopeful about prospects for deal  —  • After spending most of the past few weeks waiting and wondering about the decision of a single slugger, the Cardinals made enough “forward progress” toward a trade Tuesday that members of the front office publicly shared a word they reserve for only rare occasions.

What did the Reds show Shohei Ohtani?  They showed us.  —  ORLANDO, Fla. - In late September, Cincinnati Reds general manager Dick Williams was given a bit of information that would wind up consuming the next few months of his life.  In a meeting in the GM suite at Great American Ball Park …

So long, Machado and Donaldson?  With Yanks and Sox stacked, least of AL East should sell now  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The smell of stale salsa becomes familiar by the end of the winter meetings, one executive here said Monday.  Over the four days of baseball's annual summit …

Yankees could make offer Tigers can't refuse for Michael Fulmer  —  Tigers have a young, cheap ace, presumably a high-priced asset; do Yankees want to pay up?  —  CONNECT  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — Al Avila put on his realtor hat on Tuesday afternoon.  —  The Detroit Tigers general manager was talking about houses.