Top News:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Roster moves leave Cubs and White Sox with little risk of losing top prospects in Rule 5 draft — Chicago Tribune — The maneuvering by the Cubs and White Sox prior to Tuesday's deadline to finalize 40-man rosters left them with minimal risk three weeks before the Rule 5 draft.
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals add power pitchers Helsley, Cabrera to roster, protecting them from Rule 5 draft — The decisions the Cardinals ended up making before Tuesday's deadline to set their roster had less to do with the roles a handful of prospects could play for them in the coming season than it did assuring …
Detroit Free Press:
Last Slide — The Detroit Tigers wasted no time in protecting …
Last Slide — The Detroit Tigers wasted no time in protecting …
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter and MLB Trade Rumors
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Deadline To Set 40-Man Rosters Before Rule 5 Draft Is Tonight
Deadline To Set 40-Man Rosters Before Rule 5 Draft Is Tonight
Discussion:
Royals Review, Denver Post, Purple Row and Al's Ramblings
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds add Jimmy Herget to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 Draft deadline
Cincinnati Reds add Jimmy Herget to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 Draft deadline
Discussion:
Red Reporter and River Avenue Blues
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals shuffle minor-leaguers on 40-man roster to protect four prospects
Cardinals shuffle minor-leaguers on 40-man roster to protect four prospects
Discussion:
Halos Heaven, Twinkie Town, The Crawfish Boxes and Athletics Nation
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Former Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey leaves Cubs for ‘personal reasons’ — Former Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey has left the Cubs after one season for what the team said were “personal reasons.” — The Cubs made the announcement Tuesday afternoon with a statement from baseball operations chief Theo Epstein:
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
Jeff Gordon / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Tipsheet: Cubs chaos continues as pitching coach Hickey departs — Say, what's going on with the Chicago Cubs? — Manager Joe Maddon is entering the final year of his five-year contract — and he is not getting an extension, despite his 387-261 record in the Windy City.
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey steps down, becoming the team's third coach who won't return — Chicago Tribune — An unsettling Cubs offseason became choppier Tuesday, when they confirmed that pitching coach Jim Hickey resigned after only one season for what he called personal reasons.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Bleacher Nation and The Athletic
Jesse Yomtov / USA Today:
Manny Machado clarifies controversial ‘Johnny Hustle’ comment — After a tumultuous postseason, Manny Machado is doing his best to answer lingering questions that hang over his free agency. — Machado was criticized during the National League Championship Series for not running out a ground ball …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Nation and DodgerBlue.com
RELATED:
ESPN:
Manny Machado hopes to address ‘Johnny Hustle’ comment with interested teams — Manny Machado, on the verge of what could be one of the richest free-agent contracts in baseball history, wants teams to know that he is “the guy who does whatever he can to win for his team” and hopes to clarify his …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, Sporting News, MLB Baseball News … and Bleacher Report
Associated Press:
Rays DFA C.J. Cron after career-high 30 homers — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have designated C.J. Cron for assignment after the slugger hit 30 home runs with an .816 OPS last season. — Cron batted .253, slugged .493 and drove in 74 runs in his first season with Tampa Bay …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Bill Madden / New York Daily News:
Yankees trading for James Paxton was no-brainer as price was right, but there are plenty of red flags — Before we get into why the Yankees' trade for Seattle ace James Paxton was really a no-brainer, it is at least worth acknowledging all the red flags with this deal that may ultimately render …
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Travis Sawchik / FiveThirtyEight:
The Yankees Snapped Up This Offseason's Best Pitcher
The Yankees Snapped Up This Offseason's Best Pitcher
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, CBSSports.com, Halos Heaven, Newsday and Baseball America
Jon Meoli / Baltimore Sun:
New Orioles GM Mike Elias brings former Astros analytics chief Sig Mejdal along to Baltimore — The Orioles next Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias meets with the media. (Kevin Richardson / Baltimore Sun video) — An Orioles analytics department that was previously marginalized …
Discussion:
Camden Chat
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Miami Marlins must deal J.T. Realmuto before it's too late — The Washington Nationals had some of the worst catching production in the big leagues last season, with players at that position combining for just a .209 average, 54 runs and 12 homers. Among would-be contenders …
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Athletics Acquire Tanner Anderson, Add Four To 40-Man — The Athletics announced today that they have acquired righty Tanner Anderson from the Pirates. The Oakland organization has also added four players to its 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft: outfielders Luis Barrera …
Discussion:
The Sports Daily, MLB Baseball News …, Sox On 35th, Bucs Dugout and Birds Watcher
RELATED:
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
A's Khris Davis wins award as best designated hitter
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Orioles To Re-Sign Jace Peterson — The Orioles have reached a deal to bring back infielder Jace Peterson, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). It's a minor-league deal, the other terms of which are not known. He had elected free agency after being outrighted by the O's at the end of the 2018 campaign.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Emily Jones / Dallas Morning News:
‘He gets it’: What Adrian Beltre meant to the Rangers, through the eyes of field reporter Emily Jones — Emily Jones, Texas Rangers reporter for FOX Sports Southwest, wrote this first-person essay for The Dallas Morning News: — It's hard to imagine a Rangers' clubhouse without Adrian Beltre in it.
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
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