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5:50 PM ET, December 13, 2018

Ballbug

 Top News: 
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
RELATED:
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 …
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.
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 …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:   Column: The White Sox are making progress just by being in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:   Detroit Tigers select reliever Reed Garrett in MLB Rule 5 draft
Keith Law / ESPN:   Bullpen overpays and the Rule 5 draft
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:   Relief-pitching market starts to thaw for White Sox
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.
RELATED:
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
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
AP source: Righty Lance Lynn, Rangers reach three-year deal  —  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Free agent right-hander Lance Lynn and the Texas Rangers reached agreement on a $30 million, three-year contract during the winter meetings, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement said.
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 …
Keith Law / ESPN:   Lance Lynn, Tanner Roark solid additions for Rangers, Reds
Ben Axelrod / WKYC-TV:
Cleveland Indians trade Edwin Encarnacion and Yandy Diaz, reacquiring Carlos Santana  —  According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, the Indians are nearing a 3-team deal involving Edwin Encarnacion, which will bring back Carlos Santana back to Cleveland.  —  CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians …
RELATED:
Keith Law / ESPN:
Indians trade risk for expense in Santana-Encarnacion swap  —  Following the Seattle Mariners' Jean Segura-led trade with the Phillies, it always seemed like Carlos Santana would be subsequently flipped, which the Mariners finally did on Thursday as part of a three-team deal.
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
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
RELATED:
Toronto Sun:   ‘Death Star’ Yankees working on two-year deal to keep ex-Jay Happ
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   McCutchen, Phillies finalize $50M, 3-year deal
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 …
RELATED:
USA Today:
MLB rumors: Joe Kelly, Jeurys Familia spark relief market as winter meetings wind down
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:   Mets pursuing J.T. Realmuto without Yankees' help as chase for catcher continues
Mike Puma / New York Post:   How Mets are in limbo as they wait out J.T. Realmuto drama
New York Daily News:   Mets GM weighs outfield options and Yoenis Cespedes' future
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.
RELATED:
Kerry Crowley / Mercury News:   Giants active in Rule 5 draft, add two players to major league roster
New York Daily News:   Mets pick up righty Kyle Dowdy in Rule 5 Draft
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.
 
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 More News: 
Toronto Sun:
Rockies hire hitting coach Magadan after bad year at plate
ESPN:
NL East Stock Watch: Which team is having the best winter?
Jorge Castillo / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers ready to add Joe Kelly to their bullpen
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Scott Boras says Addison Russell is benefiting from ‘educational’ therapy program
Discussion: Cubs Insider and Chicago Sun-Times
 Earlier Picks: 
Chris McCosky / Detroit News:
Tigers' Ron Gardenhire open to using ‘opener’ strategy, taps Greiner No. 1 catcher
Discussion: Bless You Boys
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
Top free-agent starting pitchers like Happ, Morton disappearing from market
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors and Redleg Nation
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Shildt set to open the doors to Cardinals players
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
D-Backs believe path to contention doesn't have to include a teardown
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
ESPN: Justin Bour agrees to 1-year deal with Angels, could split time with Albert Pujols
Discussion: ESPN
 

 
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