Top News:
Maria Torres / Los Angeles Times:
Former Angels infielder Luis Valbuena is killed in a car crash — Former Angels infielder Luis Valbuena, who played in Anaheim as recently as August, was killed in a car crash late Thursday after playing in a winter league game in his native Venezuela. — Cardenales de Lara teammate Jose Castillo …
Discussion:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Crawfish Boxes, NBCSports.com and BeisbolPLay
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Ex-MLB players Luis Valbuena, Jose Castillo die in car crash in Venezuela — CARACAS, Venezuela — Former Major League Baseball players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo have been killed in a car crash in Venezuela. — MLB tweeted late Thursday the 33-year-old Valbuena and 37-year-old Castillo died.
ESPN:
Ex-MLB players Luis Valbuena, Jose Castillo killed in car crash — Former Major League Baseball players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo were killed in a car accident Thursday night, a spokesperson for their Venezuelan team, Cardenales de Lara, confirmed. — Valbuena was 33. Castillo was 37.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Let's Go Tribe and NESN.com
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Luis Valbuena, Former Pirates Infielder Jose Castillo Killed In Car Accident In Venezuela — In a gutwrenching and heartbreaking piece of news, Major League Baseball announced overnight that Luis Valbuena and former Pirates/Giants/Astros infielder Jose Castillo were killed in a car crash in Venezuela.
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Dave Sheinin / Chicago Tribune:
In a winter of bold moves, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still waiting — The Washington Post — It takes a certain resolve to trade away the best position player in your franchise's history, coming off a season in which you contended until mid-September, but that's what the Arizona Diamondbacks …
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Sam McDowell / Kansas City Star:
As the MLB winter meetings near, let's take a look at the Royals' objectives there — During a span of 72 hours in a haven for those with a risk-seeking propensity, the top brass of 30 MLB teams will gather in a hotel and install, tweak and refine offseason blueprints.
Discussion:
Fish Stripes
Gabriel Burns / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
2018 winter meetings: Braves still seek outfield, pitching help
2018 winter meetings: Braves still seek outfield, pitching help
Discussion:
Talking Chop
Arizona Republic:
Paul Goldschmidt is just the latest Arizona Diamondbacks great to be traded — The Arizona Diamondbacks appear to have a hard time hanging on to their greatest players. — On Wednesday, Paul Goldschmidt became the eighth member of the franchise's 20th Anniversary Team to be traded …
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Goldschmidt's peers already see a match between All-Star slugger and the Cardinals — The phone call came while Turner Ward was at breakfast in Los Angeles, about to head to the ballpark as the Dodgers' first-year hitting coach. The previous summer, in 2015, he had the same position with Arizona …
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Carson Kelly eager to catch on with Diamondbacks — Waiting his turn behind one of the best catchers in baseball wasn't easy on Carson Kelly. Following his trade on Wednesday to the Diamondbacks for Paul Goldschmidt, Kelly said on a conference call that he's eager to show his new team what he can do.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks didn't let emotions stand in way of Paul Goldschmidt trade
Arizona Diamondbacks didn't let emotions stand in way of Paul Goldschmidt trade
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Buster's Buzz: Biggest contender holes after run of major trades — Agents and executives have noted a trend — a concerning trend, for the veteran players — that will soon manifest for the middle class of the free-agent market: Teams are filling some of their big needs through trades.
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Brian T. Smith / Houston Chronicle:
Smith: It's a little early to be worrying about Astros' offseason
Smith: It's a little early to be worrying about Astros' offseason
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Plain Dealer and Arizona Sports
Scott Boeck / Knoxville News-Sentinel:
Six MLB players who could be traded over the winter
Six MLB players who could be traded over the winter
Discussion:
USA Today
ESPN:
Kluber for Schwarber and more trades we want to see in Vegas — Trades have dominated the hot stove season so far, and why should that stop in Las Vegas? — Before the winter meetings begin in Sin City, we identified another wave of big-name players who could be on the move …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and True Blue LA
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
Keeping playoff hero Eovaldi a risk Red Sox could afford to take — One of my favorite moments of the postseason came when the Red Sox lost Game 3 of the World Series to the Dodgers, the 18-inning game that never ended. Nathan Eovaldi was the losing pitcher after serving up a walk-off home run to Max Muncy.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
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Darren Hartwell / NBCSports.com:
MLB Rumors: Is Craig Kimbrel holding up free-agent reliever market?
MLB Rumors: Is Craig Kimbrel holding up free-agent reliever market?
Discussion:
The Athletic and Over the Monster
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Red Sox Re-Sign Nathan Eovaldi
Red Sox Re-Sign Nathan Eovaldi
Discussion:
Over the Monster, WEEI, NBC Bay Area, New York Post, MLB Baseball News …, Beyond the Box Score and MLB Daily Dish
Toronto Sun:
Carlos Carrasco gets US$47M, 4-year deal from Indians — CLEVELAND — Carlos Carrasco's career has taken some dramatic turns, re-routed by elbow surgery, a therapeutic trip to the bullpen and several freakish injuries. — He persevered, blossoming into a special pitcher — and person — for the Cleveland Indians.
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Indians Extend Carlos Carrasco
Indians Extend Carlos Carrasco
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe and MLB Daily Dish
Bradford Doolittle / ESPN:
MLB's next big thing: Ranking the Today's Game Era Hall of Fame ballot — When the baseball industry makes its way to Las Vegas this weekend for the winter meetings, among the early arrivals will be the members of the 16-person “Hall of Fame-appointed electorate,” which is charged with evaluating …
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays considering ex-Astro Charlie Morton among starting pitching options — Morton is a free agent after pitching the last two years in Houston. — Among several options the Rays have explored to sign or trade for a starting pitcher, they've expressed interest and had initial conversations with free-agent RHP Charlie Morton.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and DRaysBay