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11:20 PM ET, January 12, 2018

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Winter market has been frigid, but Cubs players stoking competitive fire  —  Chicago Tribune  —  President Theo Epstein stressed patience as he and his staff try to fortify the Cubs pitching staff during what has so far been a tedious winter.  —  “Realistically we'd like to add another pitcher …
RELATED:
Bill Plunkett / Orange County Register:
Dodgers reach contract agreements with all of their arbitration-eligible players  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers reached agreement on one-year contracts with all of their arbitration-eligible players Friday.  —  The Dodgers have not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since reliever Joe Beimel in 2007.
Discussion: Associated Press and True Blue LA
Fox Sports:
Bryant gets $10.85M, record for 1st arbitration eligible  —  CHICAGO (AP) Kris Bryant has agreed to a $10.85 million, one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, a record for a player eligible for arbitration for the first time.  —  The previous mark was held by Ryan Howard, who was awarded $10 million …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs agree to terms with Kyle Hendricks, Justin Wilson, Tommy La Stella  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Chicago Cubs agreed to terms Friday with pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Justin Wilson.  —  The agreements were reached hours before teams and arbitration eligible players face a noon deadline …
Jesse RogersESPN / ESPN:   Source: Cubs' Kris Bryant gets $11M, most for first-time arbitration-eligible player
Phil Thompson / Chicago Tribune:
Comics take swings at ‘skinny’ Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant at Anthony Rizzo's benefit
Discussion: Bleed Cubbie Blue
Jesse RogersESPN / ESPN:
Are the Cubs one pitcher short as they play free-agent waiting game?
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Tigers avoid arbitration with Nicholas Castellanos, Alex Wilson, Shane Greene  —  DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a one-year, $6.05 million contract with Nicholas Castellanos, avoiding arbitration.  —  The Tigers also reached one-year deals with right-handers Alex Wilson ($1,925,000) and Shane Greene ($1.95 million).
RELATED:
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers avoid arbitration with 3, but no deal yet with Iglesias  —  The Tigers' 16-year streak of avoiding salary arbitration hearings is in jeopardy.  —  The team agreed to contracts with three of their four remaining arbitration-eligible players on Friday but are $1.2 million apart with shortstop Jose Iglesias.
Discussion: Bless You Boys
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers agree to deals with relievers Shane Greene, Alex Wilson
Discussion: Motor City Bengals
ESPN:
Source: Manny Machado avoids arbitration with $16M deal  —  Manny Machado agreed to a one-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday to avoid a salary arbitration hearing in February, a source told ESPN.  —  Machado, 25, is a three-time All-Star with two Gold Gloves over parts of six seasons with the Orioles.
RELATED:
Globe and Mail:
Jays sign Josh Donaldson to one-year, $23-million contract  —  Third baseman Josh Donaldson and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a $23 million (U.S.), one-year contact, the largest one-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player.  —  The new deal gives the 2015 AL MVP a $6 million raise.
Discussion: baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
ESPN:   Blue Jays, Josh Donaldson reach $23M deal for 2018 season
CBS New York:
Yu Darvish Changes Story, Says Yankees Did Offer Him Contract  —  NEW YORK — Yu Darvish backtracked Friday after initially refuting a report that he received a long-term contract offer from the Yankees.  —  On Thursday, Michael Kay reported on his ESPN radio show that the Yankees offered …
RELATED:
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:   Yu Darvish refutes report that Yankees offered him long-term contract
Associated Press:
Astros give Dallas Keuchel $13.2M, one-year deal  —  HOUSTON — Astros starter Dallas Keuchel agreed to a $13.2 million, one-year contract after helping lead Houston to its first World Series title, and designated hitter/catcher Evan Gattis got a $6.7 million deal.
Discussion: ESPN
John Harper / New York Daily News:
Eduardo Nunez would give the Mets the speed and athleticism they need  —  During many an off-the-record chat at his locker, Alex Rodriguez loved to play fantasy GM and tell me what he'd do if he were in charge.  And the one guy he was always insisting should play more was Eduardo Nunez.
RELATED:
Bill Madden / New York Daily News:   Mets' Jay Bruce signing just latest example of MLB's frozen free-agent market
Matt Ehalt / NorthJersey.com:   Mets have added quality reliever and power bat, but still have open spot for infielder
Associated Press:
Angels reach deal with Garrett Richards, other arbitration eligibles  —  LOS ANGELES — Pitchers Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker agreed to one-year deals with the Los Angeles Angels along with the team's other seven arbitration-eligible players.  —  Richards, the team's ace, agreed at $7.3 million.
Associated Press:
Anthony Rendon, Nationals agree on $12.3M contract  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon more than doubled his salary going into 2018, reaching agreement on a $12.3 million contract Friday to avoid salary arbitration.  —  Rendon made $5.8 million last season, his first year of arbitration eligibility.
Associated Press:
Yankees settle with six players, on track to get under tax line  —  NEW YORK — The Yankees reached one-year contracts with their remaining six players eligible for arbitration on Friday, leaving their projected luxury-tax payroll at $177 million — $20 million below the threshold.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals, Ozuna avoid arbitration with $9 million deal for 2018  —  ST. LOUIS  • With the Cardinals relatively new hard-line stance when it comes to arbitration-eligible players, Friday afternoon's deadline had greater resonance because it wasn't just a pause in negotiations any more.
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
 
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 More News: 
Zach Buchanan / Cincinnati.com:
The Reds avoided arb with three players, but not Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez
Discussion: Redleg Nation
Sam Stejskal / MLSsoccer.com:
New England Revolution's Lee Nguyen requests offseason trade
Brad Biggs / Chicago Tribune:
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio agrees to return to Bears
Jesse Dougherty / Washington Post:
Capitals' Lars Eller finds his groove midway through the season
Josh Dawsey / Washington Post:
Trump derides protections for immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries
ESPN:
Buster Olney's top 10 teams: Are the Astros and Dodgers still baseball's best?
Discussion: Bleacher Nation
ESPN:
Charlie Blackmon, Rockies avoid arbitration with $14M deal
 Earlier Picks: 
Mary Kay Cabot / Plain Dealer:
Browns hiring Ken Zampese as quarterbacks coach in reunion with Hue Jackson
New York Daily News:
Mets and Matt Harvey avoid arbitration with one-year, $5.625 million deal: report
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Jeff Howe / Boston Herald:
Patriots notebook: The more practice the better for linebacker James Harrison
Discussion: FanRag Sports and ProFootballTalk
Jeff CarlisleSoccer / ESPN:
FC Dallas open to bringing back midfielder Fabian Castillo
Ben Axelrod / WKYC-TV:
REPORT | Cleveland Indians had trade in place to send Jason Kipnis to New York Mets
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Gibson says remarkable 1968 season had its painful moments
 

 
From WeSmirch:

New York Times:
How to Be Real With Your Kids  —  Actor Penn Badgley reads the essay “Watching Them Watching Me” …

Eileen Reslen / Page Six:
Christine Quinn alleges ‘abusive’ husband Christian Richard threw dog poop at her, peed on her floor in violent outburst

Daily Star:
Scene where Gogglebox's George Gilbey, 40, tragically died as police cordon area

 
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