Top News:
Peter King / SI.com:
Robert Kraft Responds: Patriots' Owner Denies Report of Extended Meeting About QBs With Bill Belichick — In a conversation with The MMQB's Peter King, Patriots' owner Robert Kraft disputed the ESPN report that he met for half a day with Bill Belichick during the season discussing the team's quarterbacks …
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Boston Sports Journal, Pro Football Rumors, FanRag Sports, ProFootballTalk, NESN.com, KNBR-AM, USA Today, 98.5 The Sports Hub and The Big Lead
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ESPN:
For Kraft, Brady and Belichick, is this the beginning of the end? — THE PROBLEM WITH living your life under the spotlight is that the camera captures only the public eruption, not the months of silent anger. On Dec. 3, when the New England Patriots played the Buffalo Bills …
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Blue Jays Acquire Yangervis Solarte — The Blue Jays have acquired infielder Yangervis Solarte from the Padres in exchange for two prospects - outfielder Edward Olivares and reliever Jared Carkuff - per announcements from both teams. — The 30-year-old Solarte is the second infielder …
Discussion:
MLB on Yahoo! Sports, Bleacher Report, Lone Star Ball, Toronto, MLB Daily Dish and Batter's Box Interactive …
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Cafardo's Latest: Yelich, Rangers, Jays, Cain, BoSox, JDM, Castellanos — The Blue Jays and Rangers “appear” to be among teams with interest in Marlins center fielder Christian Yelich, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Yelich has landed on several clubs' radars this offseason …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Ben Frederickson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals sign pitcher Guilmet to minor-league deal — New starter Miles Mikolas is not the only pitcher the Cardinals hope to see flourish after a return from playing oversees. — The Cardinals have agreed to a minor-league deal with pitcher Preston Guilmet, who last pitched in Tokyo.
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Carson Cistulli / FanGraphs Baseball:
2018 ZiPS Projections - New York Yankees — After having typically appeared in the hallowed pages of Baseball Think Factory, Dan Szymborski's ZiPS projections have now been released at FanGraphs for half a decade. The exercise continues this offseason. Below are the projections for the New York Yankees.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and River Avenue Blues
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Dan Martin / New York Post:
Brian Cashman ready to go all-in with two-rookie infield
Brian Cashman ready to go all-in with two-rookie infield
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and River Avenue Blues
Jon Heyman / FanRag Sports:
Heyman | Yankees checking on Manny Machado again
Heyman | Yankees checking on Manny Machado again
Discussion:
Steve Melewski, Camden Chat, Pinstripe Alley, Talking Chop, SBNation.com, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Trade Rumors, NESN.com and FenwayNation
Barry Jackson / miamiherald:
Derek Jeter has extra financial incentive to make the Marlins profitable — Third in a five-part series on the new Marlins owners and their plans. — Marlins co-owner Derek Jeter eventually will make back his modest financial investment in the team merely through the salary he is being paid as the team's chief executive officer.
Discussion:
New York Daily News, FanRag Sports, Fish Stripes and MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Rangers begin multiyear baseball, business deal with Japan's Nippon Ham Fighters — ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers and Japan's Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are starting a multiyear agreement this year that will involve baseball and business operations.
Discussion:
MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Matt Ehalt / NorthJersey.com:
Q&A: Mets' new manager Mickey Callaway is a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld — It's been a busy two months for Mickey Callaway, as the Mets' new manager has assembled his coaching staff and is now preparing for his first spring training as a major league manager.
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Brewers To Sign Boone Logan — Lefty reliever Boone Logan has agreed to a one-year deal with the Brewers, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (Twitter links). Logan will be guaranteed $2.5MM on the deal, which comes in the form of a $1.875MM base salary plus a $625K buyout on a $4.125MM option for the 2019 season.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Brew Crew Ball and MLB on Yahoo! Sports
John Dreker / Pirates Prospects:
Pittsburgh Pirates Sign a Pair of Right-Handed Pitchers to Minor League Deals — Pirates Prospects has learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed right-handed pitchers Tyler Jones and Bo Schultz to minor league deals on Friday. — Schultz is a 32-year-old with parts of three seasons in the majors.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers and Rockies take different approaches to building a better bullpen — The Colorado Rockies have not been subtle about their winter game plan: dramatically improving their bullpen in order to challenge the Dodgers in the National League West. — If your intuition says that makes sense …
Rustin Dodd / Kansas City Star:
Meet Trevor Oaks, the Royals' newest starting pitcher — Biola University, a small, private school in La Mirada, Calif., is no baseball factory. Tucked 16 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, it has produced just two major-league players, brothers Todd and Tim Worrell.
Discussion:
Over the Monster