Manny Machado, Bryce Harper are staring at same money decision  —  This is the quiet time in baseball.  In a sport that has become a 52-week-a-year endeavor, this is the one time when many offices go dark and executives try to play catchup with rest and family.

Slugger Nelson Cruz, Twins agree to one-year deal  —  Free-agent slugger Nelson Cruz has agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins for $14.3 million, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.  —  The deal also features a $12 million team option for 2020, according to the source.

Cards newcomer Robinson is a man of many gloves  —  As a kid in Las Vegas chasing playing time wherever he could find it, Drew Robinson had to learn to play almost every position because of the one position he was least likely to play.  —  Athletic but “undersized” compared to his peers in youth baseball …

The Year That ... : What we'd bet baseball in 2018 will be remembered for forever  —  What you know about 1918: the flu pandemic, the end of World War I, and the Boston Red Sox winning their final World Series of the century.  —  The last one wouldn't have seemed historic to the average human in 1918.

Yasiel Puig: ‘Merry Christmas!’ response to Cincinnati Reds fan opening photo as present  —  Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig appreciated a short video posted on Twitter of a Reds fan opening a present with Puig's photo - in which he's wearing a Reds cap - enough to Retweet it along with “Merry Christmas!” wishes.

Five key stats for hitters on the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot  —  As you dig out from the post-Christmas pile of pine needles and wrapping paper, baseball writers are scrambling to mail their votes by the Dec. 31 deadline to help elect the 2019 class to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Captaincy was everything to David Wright, but now baseball seems to be abandoning it  —  Over the course of 14 big-league seasons, David Wright was an All-Star seven times, a two-time Gold Glove winner and played in two National League Championship Series and one World Series.

What if Mets traded Noah Syndergaard to Yankees and he didn't cut his hair?  —  There's no doubt seeing Noah Syndergaard wearing Yankees pinstripes, stripped of his golden locks while standing in front of the famous Stadium facade ticked off Mets fans as they picked up an early December copy of The Daily News.

Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez must play even better in 2019 if the Cleveland Indians are going back to the postseason  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio — Before 2017, it was unheard of for a Cleveland Indians shortstop to hit 30 home runs in a season.  Now, it's expected thanks to Francisco Lindor …

A's hope there's more growth left for Jurickson Profar  —  Jurickson Profar was the No. 1 prospect in baseball at one point, before a shoulder injury robbed him of two years of playing time in the majors, a setback from which he seems to have just recovered completely in 2018.