Top News:
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Boras talks, we listen, Cardinals don't entertain individual meeting with Harper — LAS VEGAS • Perched like a partridge in a pear tree and surrounded by far more than four calling birds, agent Scott Boras held his annual winter meetings press conference in front of a Christmas pine Wednesday …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Shildt set to open the doors to Cardinals players — LAS VEGAS • With months yet to go before spring training, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt has maintained and encouraged open lines of communication with all of his players via calls, texts, and in a few cases in-person chats.
Kristie Ackert / Baltimore Sun:
Yankees not ruling Bryce Harper out as Evil Empire mentality may win out — LAS VEGAS — Cue the Darth Vader music and dust off the old Evil Empire Strikes Back headlines. — Brian Cashman not only refused to push back against agent Scott Boras' prediction that the Yankees would eventually cave …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
As White Sox pursue Bryce Harper, agent Scott Boras says prized free agent is ‘looking ... in the long term’
Bob Nightengale / The Tennessean:
Bryce Harper sweepstakes reach fever pitch as Scott Boras teases possible landing spots
Discussion:
USA Today
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
D-Backs believe path to contention doesn't have to include a teardown — LAS VEGAS - With Paul Goldschmidt and Patrick Corbin gone and A.J. Pollock soon to follow, the Diamondbacks have lost multiple pieces of the core they had built around over the past half-decade.
RELATED:
Arizona Republic:
Torey Lovullo on Paul Goldschmidt trade: ‘One of the hardest days I ever had’
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Sources: Charlie Morton agrees to 2-year deal with Tampa Bay
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, FanGraphs Baseball, DRaysBay, South Side Sox and Lone Star Ball
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Mets pursuing J.T. Realmuto without Yankees' help as chase for catcher continues — LAS VEGAS — Brodie Van Wagenen's first winter meetings as a general manager were, well, busy. — The former player agent whom the Mets hired in a move to shake up the organization and turn it around quickly has been “active” and aggressive.
RELATED:
Mark Fischer / New York Daily News:
Noah Syndergaard responds to Mets-Yankees-Marlins trade rumors
Discussion:
New York Post and CBS Boston
ESPN:
Winter meetings predictions: Will Vegas deliver any last-day drama?
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and MLB Baseball News …
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Yankees and Mets running out of time to make big Winter Meetings splash
Discussion:
Federal Baseball
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
Top free-agent starting pitchers like Happ, Morton disappearing from market — If the Cincinnati Reds are interested in adding more starting pitching this offseason, it's appearing increasingly likely that they may look to do so via trade - as they did Wednesday when they acquired starting …
RELATED:
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Reds Acquire Tanner Roark
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and MLB Daily Dish
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds add pitcher Tanner Roark in trade with Washington Nationals
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Redleg Nation
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
MLB trade rumors: Reds, Marlins discuss J.T. Realmuto, Tucker Barnhart, Taylor Trammell
Discussion:
NESN.com, MLB Trade Rumors and Red Reporter
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
ESPN: Justin Bour agrees to 1-year deal with Angels, could split time with Albert Pujols — LAS VEGAS — The Los Angeles Angels, in need of protection for the recovering Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani, agreed to terms on a one-year contract with left-handed-hitting first baseman Justin Bour on Wednesday, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Discussion:
Associated Press
RELATED:
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Angels' Brad Ausmus focusing on balancing ABs for Albert Pujols, Shohei Ohtani — LAS VEGAS — Albert Pujols will be coming off another knee surgery and heading into his age-39 season, with no guarantee that he'll even perform at replacement level. Shohei Ohtani will be recovering …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Angels have no choice but to rebuild on the fly — and it might work
Discussion:
Halos Heaven and Orange County Register
Keith Law / ESPN:
Lance Lynn, Tanner Roark solid additions for Rangers, Reds — The Rangers fell to 67-95 last year, last place in the AL West, for many reasons, but their run prevention was a huge one — they allowed 848 runs last year, tied for second-most in the AL, because they allowed the second-most homers …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
MLB notebook: Lance Lynn agrees to 3-year, $30 million deal with Rangers — Just when the Texas Rangers' pursuit of starting pitching ran into a road block Tuesday at the MLB winter meetings, they finally had a breakthrough. — The Rangers are in agreement with former Cardinals righthander Lance Lynn …
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Rangers Nearing Deal With Lance Lynn — The Rangers are nearing a deal with veteran free agent hurler Lance Lynn, according to MLB.com's TR Sullivan (via Twitter). It's said to be a rather surprising three-year arrangement with a strong $30MM guarantee, with MLB.com's Mark Feinsand adding the financial details on Twitter.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball, MLB Baseball News … and FanGraphs Baseball
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
McCutchen, Phillies finalize $50M, 3-year deal — FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2018, file photo, New York Yankees' Andrew McCutchen is greeted in the dugout after he hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, in Seattle.
RELATED:
Ryan Ford / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers and the Rule 5 draft: What you need to know — Who will start for the Detroit Tigers in 2019 after their offseason acquisitions — Free Press sports writer Ryan Ford breaks down the big questions going in: — Do the Tigers have a pick? — They do, if they want to use it.
Associated Press:
Al Helfer, radio pioneer, wins Hall of Fame's Frick Award — LAS VEGAS — Al Helfer, who broadcast games on radio for the “Mutual Game of the Day” in the 1950s, has won the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting by baseball's Hall of Fame and Museum.
Associated Press:
Tigers to be cautious in spring training with Miguel Cabrera — LAS VEGAS — Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera might play only a game or two each week at the start of spring training as he returns from season-ending biceps surgery. — Manager Ron Gardenhire says he'll go day by day with Cabrera when the exhibition season begins.
