Top News:
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Where will Yankees turn after losing out on Corbin? — The James Paxton trade was one of the first of Major League Baseball's offseason, and part of the New York Yankees' thinking in grabbing the left-hander from Seattle was that it would inoculate them from any desperation.
RELATED:
Wallace Matthews / New York Daily News:
Who's up next for the Yankees after free-agent target Patrick Corbin takes the Nationals money? — The best man may have worn a Yankees cap at Patrick Corbin's wedding last month, but the next time Corbin takes a big-league mound, he'll be wearing the red hat of the Washington Nationals.
ESPN:
Patrick Corbin agrees to terms with Nationals
Patrick Corbin agrees to terms with Nationals
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, The Athletic and USA Today
Eddie Matz / ESPN:
Does Corbin joining Nats signal end of Harper's time in D.C.?
Does Corbin joining Nats signal end of Harper's time in D.C.?
Discussion:
Federal Baseball
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
What Patrick Corbin snub says about Yankees' new mindset
What Patrick Corbin snub says about Yankees' new mindset
Discussion:
NESN.com, CBS Boston, MLB Trade Rumors and NBCSports.com
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets will be aggressive, but are Bryce Harper, Manny Machado in play? — The Mets aren't planning on handing out any $200-million contracts this winter. — Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said the Mets have not offered deals to Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, and indicated the Mets cannot add their salaries.
RELATED:
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Mets GM tells Mike Francesa the team would need to be ‘very creative’ to have a shot at Manny Machado or Bryce Harper — The Mets have not made offers to Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. — Brodie Van Wagenen told Mike Francesa on his WFAN radio show Wednesday that the Mets had not yet made an offer “to the two big boys.”
Tim Healey / Newsday:
Mets' Brodie Van Wagenen pushed and got the deal done
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Cubs might have to get creative without budget for a winter meetings splash — CHICAGO — What happens when you don't have the money to fix something that's broken? Sometimes the answer is to find a creative solution instead. That's seemingly what the Chicago Cubs' front office is facing …
Rob Longley / Toronto Sun:
Tulo and other Blue Jays veterans on notice as winter meetings approach — As the Blue Jays continue to fast-track to the future — and whatever that may hold — it's clear the team is willing to further distance itself from the recent past if and when it makes sense.
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Alex Anthopoulos Discusses Braves' Remaining Offseason Plans — Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos chatted with reporters yesterday about his plans for the rest of the offseason. David O'Brien of The Athletic covered the chatter (links to Twitter). — Perhaps most notably …
ESPN:
MLB players concerned about rebuilding teams, attendance drop — NEW YORK — Baseball players are concerned the Seattle Mariners have become yet another rebuilding team and might be joined by others following a season of steep attendance drops among clubs that faded early and never contended for the playoffs.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Mark Fischer / New York Daily News:
Yankees manager's latest comments may be music to Manny Machado's ears — New York baseball took over the local airwaves Wednesday, and while many tuned into The Sports Pope's schtick with Mets brass, Yankees manager Aaron Boone dropped an intriguing tidbit elsewhere.
Jon Meoli / The Charlotte Observer:
Catching up to the modern game: Orioles put focus on analytics as they aim to rebuild organization — Fifteen years after “Moneyball” introduced the use of baseball data analytics to the masses, the likes of new Orioles assistant general manager of analytics Sig Mejdal can credit Michael Lewis' book …
Discussion:
The Athletic and Camden Chat
Jayson Stark / The Athletic:
What would happen if baseball killed the shift? Support for the idea is building inside the game — What if baseball banned The Shift? — We don't ask that question because we're looking for clicks. We don't even ask it because we're trying to get invited to the potentially epic End of the Shift party at Matt Carpenter's house.
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Cardinals Acquire Paul Goldschmidt — The offseason's latest blockbuster trade doesn't involve the exceptionally active Mariners nor any of the five teams in the hyper-aggressive National League East. Rather, both the Cardinals and Diamondbacks have announced that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt …