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
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Boras talks, we listen, Cardinals don't entertain individual meeting with Harper
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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.
Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
Yankees exit Winter Meetings still seeking bullpen help, as are the Red Sox — LAS VEGAS - Whenever it occurs, the Manny Machado meeting should be the highlight event on the Yankees' winter calendar. — Until then, and possibly for weeks after, the Yankees will be seeking to upgrade their relief corps.
Discussion:
NorthJersey.com
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:
George A. King III / New York Post:
What's holding up a Sonny Gray trade from the Yankees
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, Sporting News, 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:
The Good Phight, Pinstripe Alley and MLB Baseball News …
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Bryce Harper sweepstakes reach fever pitch as Scott Boras teases possible landing spots
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, NESN.com, Washington Post and South Side Sox
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 …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and Lookout Landing
RELATED:
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
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.
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
After a quiet week at the winter meetings, the Cubs still have some work to do this offseason — Chicago Tribune — The Cubs won't conduct their first spring-training workout for two months, and the season opener is 3½ months away. — Those dates provide temporary relief …
RELATED:
Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
Mets depart Winter Meetings with one reliever and a larger sense of the market
USA Today:
MLB rumors: Joe Kelly, Jeurys Familia spark relief market as winter meetings wind down
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, MLB Trade Rumors, NESN.com and Amazin' Avenue
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs receive left-hander Conor Lillis-White from the Angels to complete the Tommy La Stella trade — Chicago Tribune — The Cubs added left-handed relief depth Thursday by acquiring Conor Lillis-White from the Angels as the player to be named in the Nov. 29 trade of infielder Tommy La Stella.
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 …
