Astros had trade in place for Bryce Harper in July, but Nats' ownership said no  —  Baseball is a game of what-ifs and near-misses, both on and off the field.  —  Here is a what-if that might have changed the course of the 2018 season:  —  What if the Houston Astros had acquired Bryce Harper at the non-waiver deadline?

Detroit Tigers' goal this offseason?  Trade for a promising young player  —  There is only so much the Detroit Tigers can do in their current situation.  —  Only so many moves they can make in the trade and free-agent markets with the hopes of speeding up their rebuilding process, which will reach its second full year in 2019.

NL Central offseason preview: Can the Brewers do it again?  —  With free agency underway, the offseason is going to pick up steam.  What are the big questions facing all 30 teams?  Our division-by-division outlook wraps up with the always competitive NL Central.  —  2018 record: 96-67

Mariners agree to deal with infielder Dylan Moore  —  SEATTLE — Infielder Dylan Moore has agreed to a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners after splitting last season at Double-A and Triple-A in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization.  —  The 26-year-old gets a $10,000 signing bonus …

RedsXtra: The Reds have money to spend on free agents — and that can be dangerous  —  The Reds are in a dangerous spot.  They've got money to spend and needs to fill.  So naturally, they may dive into the free-agent market.  —  Therein the danger lies.  —  Free agents generally want to the security of long-term deals.

The case for the Wilpons finally opening their Mets' wallet  —  Let's delve into why the Wilpons should aggressively spend this offseason.  —  But how about we avoid the anger over what they haven't done in the past or the fury that they still own the team.

MLB: Twins catcher Joe Mauer announces retirement … Joe Mauer is retiring after 15 major league seasons, six All-Star games, three Gold Glove awards, three batting titles and 2,123 career hits, all with his hometown Minnesota Twins.  —  “Thank you, Minnesota Twins, and thank you, fans …

Braves' Wilson, Davidson have nice days in AFL  —  Izzy Wilson and Braxton Davidson, a pair of Braves prospects, helped Peoria defeat Surprise 7-4 in Saturday's Arizona Fall League meeting.  —  Center fielder Cristian Pache, the Braves' highest-ranked prospect in Arizona, wasn't in the lineup …

AL Central offseason preview: Will Indians actually trade Corey Kluber?  —  With free agency underway, the offseason is going to pick up steam.  What are the big questions facing all 30 teams?  Today we look at how baseball's weakest division, the AL Central, might try to get a little tougher.

As baseball powers focus on competitive balance tax, Orioles payroll puts them on opposite end of spectrum  —  Since the end of the World Series late last month, baseball's biggest teams have been outlining their plans for the offseason in relation to the league's competitive balance tax.