Top News:
Rotoworld.com:
Lowdown: Christmas Shopping — Christmas Shopping — The Hot Stove season kicked it up a notch on Friday, with several teams looking to do a little Christmas shopping before the holiday hits. The day included a flurry of activity seeing several major trades swung and a few of the top free agent dominoes …
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Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Yasiel Puig reunites with Cincinnati Reds hitting coach, good friend Turner Ward — It was a familiar scene after Yasiel Puig's home runs last season: He completed his trot around the bases, walked back into the dugout, high-fived his teammates and then planted a kiss on hitting coach Turner Ward's cheek.
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Matt Kemp: Get to know the Cincinnati Reds' outfielder acquired from the LA Dodgers — After Kemp finished second in the National League MVP voting during the 2011 season, he signed an 8-year, $160 million contract with the Dodgers. He's dealt with multiple injuries afterward that have diminished his speed and defense.
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Yasiel Puig: Get to know the new outfielder the Cincinnati Reds got from the LA Dodgers — Puig signed a 7-year, $42 million contract with the Dodgers in 2012 after defecting from Cuba. He finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting to late Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez in 2013.
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Alex Wood: Get to know the pitcher the Cincinnati Reds acquired from the LA Dodgers — Wood was an All-Star during the 2017 season and finished ninth in the National League Cy Young vote after posting a 16-3 record and 2.72 ERA with the Dodgers. — He ended the 2018 regular season pitching …
Steve Buffery / Toronto Sun:
Trading Stroman would be the right move for all sides — For sheer entertainment, particularly when the Blue Jays weren't very good, you couldn't beat the Stro Show. — That's why we're going to miss him. — Whether he's feuding with his former BFF Aaron Sanchez, or blowing up at the media …
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Rob Longley / Toronto Sun:
LONGLEY LOOKS BACK: Blue Jays hit full-blown rebuild mode in 2018 — Usually, when a well-planned demolition is scheduled and designed, the explosives are planted at strategic places to make the implosion as seamless as possible. — Not with the Toronto Blue Jays of 2018, however …
Orange County Register:
SoCal Varsity Awards: Harvard-Westlake's Ryan Neapole tops the All-Varsity Boys Water Polo Team — The Southern California News Group honors the region's top fall sports athletes: — SoCal Varsity Awards special section is in Sunday's edition of your local SCNG newspaper. — PLAYER OF THE YEAR
RELATED:
Orange County Register:
SoCal Varsity Awards: Mater Dei's Natalie Berty tops the All-Varsity Girls Volleyball Team
Orange County Register:
SoCal Varsity Awards: Cajon's Jayden Daniels tops the All-Varsity Football Team
Discussion:
Whittier Daily News
Dan Caesar / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals Christmas marathon set for FSM — It was a bumpy ride for the Cardinals this year, with early season struggles followed by a managerial change and a surge that eventually subsided. The result was that the team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Who will counsel MLB, union to avoid labor strife? — Underneath the anticipation of Manny Machado's tour of teams and a continued flurry of trades, the Associated Press published news jarring and yet completely unsurprising to some agents and executives — for the first time since 2004 …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs remaining relatively quiet while NL Central rivals make their moves — Photos of Theo Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations. — Chicago Tribune — The Cubs' official 2018 postseason T-shirts were marked down from $40 to $10 at a local sporting-goods store Saturday morning.
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Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
$idelined by budget, Cubs watch Reds, Cards add as Dodgers position for big move
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, MLB Baseball News …, Cubs Insider and Bleacher Nation
Mark Fischer / Chicago Tribune:
Red Sox writer refuses to vote Mariano Rivera into Hall of Fame — Leave it to a Red Sox scribe to rain on Mariano Rivera's historic quest. — Bill Ballou, of the Worcester, Mass., Telegram, spent about 1,500 words Saturday arguing that the Yankees legend shouldn't receive a bid into the Hall.
Discussion:
New York Post, Worcester Telegram & Gazette and NESN.com
Rich Hammond / Orange County Register:
Rams running back Todd Gurley inactive for Sunday's game at Arizona — The Rams included running back Todd Gurley on their list of inactive players for Sunday's game at Arizona, so Gurley will not be in the lineup for the game against the Cardinals. — Gurley's status had been in doubt …
Discussion:
Whittier Daily News and Daily Breeze
Dallas Morning News:
Texan of the Year finalist Adrian Beltre brought a love of baseball to Texas Rangers fans — Athletes provide the rest of us with lesser motor skills the joy of living vicariously. And when they are good guys, too, so much the better. — Such is Adrian Beltre, one of the greatest players …
Discussion:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
