Top News:
Scott Lauber / Philly.com:
Phillies could replace Nationals as the new ‘Team Boras’ | Extra Innings — What happens in Vegas ... well, so much for that. For the past three days, the winter meetings raged in Las Vegas, and as always, rumors were rampant. The Phillies, as expected, were in the middle of everything.
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Philly.com
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Tim Keown / ESPN:
What went wrong at the 2018 winter meetings? — LAS VEGAS — Late Wednesday morning, as baseball's winter meetings slogged to their grim and quiet conclusion, Scott Boras stood on a raised platform in front of a 25-foot fake Christmas tree steps away from a casino in the middle of the desert.
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
How to spice up the winter meetings after a dull week in Vegas — LAS VEGAS — Here's one problem with baseball's winter meetings: It's not even winter. — Besides that, every year there is much anticipation heading into the annual gathering, as the media assembles in numbers that dwarf the World Series.
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
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Column: The White Sox are making progress just by being in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes — Agent Scott Boras discusses the sweepstakes for his client Bryce Harper this offseason on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) — Chicago Tribune
Kristie Ackert / Baltimore Sun:
Yankees not ruling Bryce Harper out as Evil Empire mentality may win out
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Bob Nightengale / The Tennessean:
Bryce Harper sweepstakes reach fever pitch as Scott Boras teases possible landing spots
Discussion:
Washington Post, NESN.com and South Side Sox
Jorge Castillo / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers ready to add Joe Kelly to their bullpen … The Dodgers are set to bolster their bullpen by reaching an agreement early Thursday to sign hard-throwing right-hander Joe Kelly to a three-year contract worth $25 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Over the Monster
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs and White Sox brace for losses in today's Rule 5 draft — Chicago Tribune — The White Sox seemed more concerned than the Cubs about the possibility of losing a player in Thursday's Rule 5 draft. — “I think we'll probably lose at least one guy,” Sox General Manager Rick Hahn said.
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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.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Relief-pitching market starts to thaw for White Sox — Chicago Tribune — The free-agent relief pitcher market has finally started moving, and the White Sox could add more bullpen depth in the upcoming days. — Multiple reports indicated that Jeurys Familia has agreed to a three-year …
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 …
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Rangers Nearing Deal With Lance Lynn
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball, MLB Baseball News …, NBCSports.com and FanGraphs 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 …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds add pitcher Tanner Roark in trade with Washington Nationals
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, MLB Baseball News … and Redleg Nation
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Reds Acquire Tanner Roark
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and MLB Daily Dish
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
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Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Angels' Brad Ausmus focusing on balancing ABs for Albert Pujols, Shohei Ohtani
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
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.
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George A. King III / New York Post:
What's holding up a Sonny Gray trade from the Yankees … LAS VEGAS — The Yankees' efforts to trade Sonny Gray are ongoing, but unless their asking price in return goes down it's going to be a while before the veteran right-hander is dealt. — Shortly after the Yankees were eliminated …
Discussion:
Sporting News, Pinstripe Alley, MLB Trade Rumors, Beyond the Box Score, NESN.com and River Avenue Blues
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.
Toronto Sun:
Rockies hire hitting coach Magadan after bad year at plate — LAS VEGAS (AP) The Colorado Rockies have hired Dave Magadan as their hitting coach after finishing with the lowest batting average in team history. — The Rockies made the move Wednesday at the winter meetings.
