Top News:
Associated Press:
Donaldson agrees to one-year, $23 million deal with Braves — NEW YORK • The Atlanta Braves added a pair of free agents following their first division title in five years, agreeing to one-year contracts with third baseman Josh Donaldson and catcher Brian McCann.
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Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Braves Sign Brian McCann — 2:07pm: The Braves announced that they've signed McCann to a one-year deal worth $2MM. As agent B.B. Abbott explained to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links), McCann's priority this winter was to return to Atlanta. — 1:08pm: It's a one-year deal for McCann, tweets MLB.com's Jon Morosi.
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation and MLB & FANTASY …
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Braves To Sign Josh Donaldson — The Braves have reportedly made the largest free-agent strike of the offseason so far, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with former American League MVP Josh Donaldson. The contract is said to guarantee Donaldson the same $23MM salary he earned in 2018 …
Discussion:
101Sports.com, NESN.com, Lone Star Ball, MLB Daily Dish, Talking Chop and Bluebird Banter
Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com:
Report: Braves sign Brian McCann
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Talking Chop, MLB Daily Dish and Sportyst
Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic:
What a Canó trade might look like; D-Backs stars on the block together?; bullpen market intrigue — Dealing a potential ace such as James Paxton was not all that difficult for Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto. Neither, in a market starved for catching, was moving Mike Zunino.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, MLB Trade Rumors, Forbes, The Inquisitr, Bleacher Nation, Pinstripe Alley and NESN.com
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Buster Olney / ESPN:
As Mariners rebuild, two stars might be untouchable — for now — Jerry Dipoto took over as the Mariners' general manager on Sept. 28, 2015, and since that day, he's been The Human Transaction Machine, leaving his fellow executives in the dust in volume of deals: — Mariners: 79 — Rays: 64
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Mariners “Actively” Trying To Move Robinson Cano
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Red Reporter and Pinstripe Alley
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
Evaluating risk factor for top 10 free-agent relievers — Relief pitchers threw 17,422 innings in 2018 — that's up from 14,977 just five years ago. That's an average of 81.5 innings per team, so on just a pure volume level relief pitchers are more important than ever.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Southpaw Shopping: How Cardinals will find the lefty reliever who's just right — bST. LOUIS • An area the Cardinals must address this winter is the left side of their bullpen, and in public comments made all offseason executives have not been hiding that.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
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Bill Plunkett / Orange County Register:
Angels' Dino Ebel expected to be among Dodgers' coaching hires — The Dodgers plan to begin filling the vacancies on their major league coaching staff in the next few days and Angels coach Dino Ebel is expected to be among the new hires. — The 52-year-old Ebel has spent the past 14 seasons …
Discussion:
DodgerBlue.com, MLB Trade Rumors and True Blue LA
Jay Jaffe / ESPN:
Baseball's front-office execs with the most to prove this winter — As the director of baseball operations and assistant general manager for the Oakland Athletics and then as the general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Farhan Zaidi has been a major figure in assembling the rosters …
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Yankees Claim Parker Bridwell, Designate Ronald Torreyes For Assignment — The Yankees announced Monday that they've claimed right-hander Parker Bridwell off waivers from the Angels and designated utility infielder Ronald Torreyes for assignment. — Bridwell, 27, could potentially give the Yanks some rotation depth.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Pinstripe Alley
ESPN:
Slugger C.J. Cron claimed off waivers by Twins — The Minnesota Twins claimed slugger C.J. Cron off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. — Cron had been designated for assignment by the Rays despite hitting 30 home runs and posting an .816 OPS last season.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and MLB Daily Dish
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox Hall of Famers Frank Thomas and Jim Thome and former Cubs GM Jim Hendry to be honored by scouts foundation — Chicago Tribune — White Sox Hall of Fame sluggers Frank Thomas and Jim Thome and former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry will be honored Jan. 12 at the Professional …
Ashley Varela / NBCSports.com:
Report: Braves, Twins, Rangers, and Padres are in on Sonny Gray — Yankees right-hander Sonny Gray is reportedly up for grabs this season after a disappointing performance in the Bronx, and there appears to be no shortage of suitors vying for the starter's services.
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
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Mike Rosenstein / New Jersey Online:
MLB trade rumors: Market for Yankees' Sonny Gray is heating up
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
