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.

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.

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.

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 …

Cubs name Tommy Hottovy pitching coach; former major-league pitcher was advance scouting coordinator  —  Cubs President Theo Epstein discusses the team's finances this offseason and new pitching coach Tommy Hottovy on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune

MLB Rumors: Is Craig Kimbrel holding up free-agent reliever market?  —  The Boston Red Sox reportedly checked one item off their to-do list Thursday by agreeing to a contract with free-agent pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.  —  Their next priority could be free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, and apparently …

Phillies Acquire Jose Alvarez From Angels  —  The Phillies announced Thursday that they've acquired left-handed reliever Jose Alvarez from the Angels in a straight-up swap for right-handed reliever Luis Garcia.  —  At first glance, the move looks like a head-scratcher for the Halos …

White Sox newcomer Alex Colome eager to compete for closer role: ‘I know I can do the job’  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Newcomer Alex Colome's 96 career saves make him a natural candidate to handle the closer role for the White Sox.  —  “I wasn't expecting a trade to Chicago,” Colome said Thursday during a conference call with reporters.

Royals Interested In Billy Hamilton  —  The Royals are “looking hard” at recently non-tendered center fielder Billy Hamilton, tweets Rustin Dodd of The Athletic.  MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan suggests interest on the Royals' behalf in a column as well, noting that while GM Dayton Moore …

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 …

Source: Cubs interested in free-agent pitcher Joakim Soria  —  Chicago Tribune  —  One of the more frustrating moments of the Cubs' late-season slide occurred when Joakim Soria struck out Javier Baez with the tying and go-ahead runs on base to end a sixth-inning rally and help the Brewers secure …

2018 winter meetings: Braves still seek outfield, pitching help  —  The Braves contingent travels to Las Vegas with a shortened shopping list after reeling in catcher Brian McCann and third baseman Josh Donaldson.  Their go-get-it mentality still leaves three primary concerns: Corner outfield, rotation and bullpen.