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9:05 PM ET, January 15, 2018

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 Top News: 
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Matheny leaning toward lineup with Carpenter batting third, Fowler leading off  —  St. Louis Cardinals' Dexter Fowler celebrates with teammate Matt Carpenter as he returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals …
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cecil started early to be ready for late-game assignments  —  ST. LOUIS  • On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is what the Cardinals signed him to do in relief and 1 is, well, something shy of being released, Brett Cecil proved to be a harsh grader of his first season in the club's bullpen.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards notebook: Waino's future not an issue for either side right now  —  Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright said he spent parts of last season oscillating between thinking he was pitching well enough for a contract extension to pitching poorly enough that he wouldn't get one.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   True to his word, Molina makes trip to Venezuela
Ben Frederickson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Cardinals' Weaver packs on pounds
Fox Sports:
Ozuna excited to join playoff contender in St. Louis
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Giants Acquire Andrew McCutchen  —  5:34pm: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that the Pirates are covering $2.5MM of McCutchen's $14.75MM salary.  —  5:25pm: It became all the more clear on Monday that Pirates fans are looking at the end of an era, as the team announced that face …
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ESPN:
Fantasy reaction to Andrew McCutchen's trade to the Giants  —  Give new San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen some credit.  After all, a year ago at this time, most fantasy managers viewed the longtime statistical great as having lost much of his relevance, as his production cratered …
NBC Sports BayArea / MLB on Yahoo! Sports:
SAN FRANCISCO - Whenever a marquee free agent signs in the offseason, people around the league talk about the floodgates opening for other deals.  For the Giants, the hope is that a weekend trade, not a signing, might be the trigger for increased movement.  —  The  —  Pittsburgh Pirates dealt right-hander
Fox Sports:
Howie Kendrick and Nationals agree to $7M, 2-year contract  —  WASHINGTON (AP) The Nationals have agreed to a $7 million, two-year contract with outfielder Howie Kendrick, a deal subject to a successful physical.  —  Agent Pat Murphy confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on Monday.
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Nationals, Howie Kendrick Agree To Two-Year Deal  —  2:14pm: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the two sides have reached an agreement, pending a physical (Twitter links).  The contract contains an additional $2.25MM worth of incentives that can be unlocked based on plate appearances.
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Mets' infield options shrink as Howie Kendrick signs with Nationals
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Kaz Nagatsuka / Japan Times:
Hideki Matsui elected to Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame  —  Hideki Matsui already has three Central League MVPs, a World Series MVP and a People's Honor Award, and he has played for the most storied teams in both Japan and the United States.  —  “Godzilla” has collected numerous accolades …
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Denver Post:   Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey, called “God” by players, dies at 87
Steve Gardner / USA Today:   Hall of Fame countdown: A great all-around talent, Larry Walker deserves a closer look
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Darvish staying calm in stalled market, but would Rangers have a chance if he blinks?  —  Yu Darvish can probably scratch the Houston Astros off his list of suitors.  —  The Astros, the reigning world champs, added to their deep starting rotation Sunday by acquiring right-hander Gerrit Cole from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
RELATED:
Bob Nightengale / WKYC-TV:
Pittsburgh Pirates trade Gerrit Cole to World Series champion Houston Astros
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
ESPN:
Fantasy reaction to Gerrit Cole's trade to the Astros
Discussion: The Good Phight
ESPN:
Baseball's best bets to break out in 2018  —  Predicting breakout seasons is the holy grail for front office executives and fantasy baseball players, one of baseball's most profitable prognostication challenges.  The 2018 season will have its own Justin Smoak and Yonder Alonso …
Associated Press:
Blue Jays announce plans for extended protective netting at Rogers Centre  —  TORONTO — The Blue Jays will extend the protective netting at Rogers Centre to the outfield end of each dugout this season and increase the height of netting behind home plate by approximately 10 feet, to 28 feet.
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs say Sammy Sosa not welcome back until he puts ‘everything on the table’  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The red carpet won't be rolled out at Wrigley Field for Sammy Sosa until he comes clean.  —  Chairman Tom Ricketts issued a lengthy but vague reply Saturday at the Cubs Convention …
Steve Greenberg / Chicago Sun Times:
Willson Contreras: ‘I want to be the best catcher in the game for a long time’  —  This is sure to rub somebody out there the wrong way.  Willson Contreras will come off as cocky, or too big for his polyester britches.  He may even be accused of being disrespectful to a pair of opposing players who are catching royalty.
 
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Ryan Gajewski / The Hollywood Reporter:
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