Top News:
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.
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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.
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.
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox's bid for Bryce Harper could come down to details — Chicago Tribune — As the Bryce Harper sweepstakes move into the homestretch, the White Sox's chances to sign the prized free agent may come down to details and determination. — “There's only so much we can control in the end …
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
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Boras talks, we listen, Cardinals don't entertain individual meeting with Harper
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds pick utility player Connor Joe in Rule 5 Draft from Los Angeles Dodgers — LAS VEGAS - On the final day of the Winter Meetings at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, the Reds made one more addition to their roster Thursday through the Rule 5 Draft.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
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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.
Keith Law / ESPN:
Bullpen overpays and the Rule 5 draft — The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers both just spent dearly to upgrade their bullpens, overpaying two competent but hardly elite relievers with three-year deals that don't seem to reflect those relievers' performances or the current imbalance …
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.
Discussion:
Philly.com
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George A. King III / New York Post:
What's holding up a Sonny Gray trade from the Yankees
Discussion:
Sporting News, Pinstripe Alley, NESN.com, Beyond the Box Score, River Avenue Blues and MLB Trade Rumors
Kristie Ackert / Baltimore Sun:
Yankees not ruling Bryce Harper out as Evil Empire mentality may win out
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and MLB Baseball News …
Bob Nightengale / The Tennessean:
Bryce Harper sweepstakes reach fever pitch as Scott Boras teases possible landing spots
Discussion:
NESN.com, Washington Post and South Side Sox
Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
Mets depart Winter Meetings with one reliever and a larger sense of the market — Agent Scott Boras talks about his top client, Bryce Harper, at the Las Vegas Winter Meetings — LAS VEGAS - New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen is leaving Las Vegas having gained a prime reliever …
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Tim Dillard / MLB Trade Rumors:
The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard: The Winter Meetings — It's 10:02am in Nashville, Tennessee. Thursday December 13th, 2018. My name is Tim Dillard, and if you're reading this looking for the latest up-to-the-minute coverage of the 2018 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings... then I apologize, this isn't one of those articles.
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Gabe Lacques / USA Today:
Carlos Santana returns to Cleveland as Indians, Mariners, Rays pull off huge three-team deal — LAS VEGAS - Baseball's winter meetings closed with a moderate bang on Thursday, as the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays pulled off a three-team deal that had all the trappings of the modern game.
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
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.
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Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Angels' Brad Ausmus focusing on balancing ABs for Albert Pujols, Shohei Ohtani
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
Dan Caesar / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
La Russa fumes in TV interview about his role in Baines' Hall of Fame selection — Former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has taken considerable heat this week for his role in getting Harold Baines into baseball's Hall of Fame. But no criticism was hotter than what he faced Wednesday …
Gabriel Burns / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves eager to see glut of young arms in camp — The Braves have a good idea about which pitchers will comprise their initial five-man rotation. And they'll consider those who miss the cut as bullpen pieces. — Manager Brian Snitker suggested the team will be “90 percent” certain what their rotation will look like entering camp.
