Top News:
Bradford Doolittle / ESPN:
MLB stock watch: Midwinter winners and losers — The Christmas holiday marks the midpoint of the baseball offseason. In fact, given an initial spring training reporting date of Feb. 13 for pitchers and catchers, the recent Dec. 25 respite neatly splits the hot stove season perfectly in two.
Discussion:
True Blue LA
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Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Manny Machado gets formal offer from White Sox; talks heat up with Bryce Harper — Maybe, just maybe, Bryce Harper won't get a dime more than the contract he turned down three-and-a-half months ago from the Washington Nationals. — Perhaps that $300 million won't be deposited into Manny Machado's bank account, either.
Discussion:
New York Post and The Loop Sports
Jeff PassanESPN / ESPN:
Steady reliever David Robertson signs two-year deal with Phillies — Free-agent reliever David Robertson has signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies that includes a third-year club option, the team announced Thursday. — Robertson will make $10 million in 2019 and $11 million in 2020, a source told ESPN.
Discussion:
KFH Radio
Associated Press:
Pitcher David Robertson and Phillies agree to $23 million, two-year contract … David Robertson got himself a new deal in a new pair of pinstripes. — The 33-year-old right-handed reliever and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a $23 million, two-year contact on Thursday.
Justin Terranova / New York Post:
Bryce Harper pursuit murky as ever with Nationals back in picture
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, Sporting News and New York Daily News
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Old bosses rave about Yankees picking up ‘elite’ Tulowitzki
Discussion:
Jays Journal, Sportsnet.ca, River Avenue Blues and Pinstripe Alley
Associated Press:
Mets sign Arquimedes Caminero, Rymer Liriano to minor league deals — NEW YORK — The Mets have signed reliever Arquimedes Caminero and outfielder Rymer Liriano to minor league contracts, adding depth in two areas where New York appeared thin. — The team announced the moves Thursday …
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Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Terry Francona has high praise for Mets manager Mickey Callaway — When the Mets hired Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway to be their manager, his former boss, Terry Francona, said Callaway was a “star” in the making. — Although Callaway's team went 77-85 and finished fourth …
Jeff Sullivan / FanGraphs Baseball:
David Robertson Is the Phillies' New Right-Handed Lefty Reliever — Baseball finds itself in a difficult position. On the one hand, there's a clear, increasing emphasis on bullpen usage, as starters are throwing fewer and fewer innings every year. Teams are leaning on their relievers now more than ever …
Discussion:
Philly.com, The Good Phight, Pinstripe Alley, baseballmusings.com and Crossing Broad
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Wallace Matthews / New York Daily News:
Zach Britton is now the Yankees' focus with David Robertson gone and Adam Ottavino all but out of contention
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies Sign David Robertson
Discussion:
WEEI, Halos Heaven, NBCSports.com, Lone Star Ball, CBS Boston and Bleacher Nation
Carl Lisciandrello / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays reducing seating capacity at Tropicana Field to create more ‘intimate’ experience — Among the changes are reducing capacity to 25,000-26,000 and eliminating the upper 300 level, according to a news release. — Seating capacity at Tropicana Field will be reduced to about 25,000 …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, MLB Baseball News …, Deadspin, Bleed Cubbie Blue and DRaysBay
Evan Drellich / NBCSports.com:
Where is Craig Kimbrel's market? — More teams should be tripping over themselves to sign Craig Kimbrel. Not at the six-year, $100 million price point that was floated in reports in December. But Kimbrel is worth a pretty penny, despite criticism around him and his love of the save.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, Over the Monster and FenwayNation
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Rob Bradford / WEEI:
Dissecting the Craig Kimbrel market
Discussion:
Baseball My Life and MLB Trade Rumors
Evan Woodbery / MLive.com:
Trade Nicholas Castellanos? Tigers shopping for an offer that might not come — DETROIT — It's the one thing that might add some excitement to a fairly sleepy hot-stove season, but it would also make the 2019 Detroit Tigers considerably worse. — And unless the Tigers lower their asking price, it might not happen at all.
Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Daily News:
UCLA beats Stanford, ends slide in Murry Bartow's debut as coach — LOS ANGELES — It was the most exciting basketball UCLA has played in weeks. A no-look alley-oop pass, a steal that led to a fast-break three-point play and a stolen in-bound pass capped with a two-handed dunk.
Discussion:
Whittier Daily News, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Daily Breeze and Press Enterprise
Steve Fryer / Orange County Register:
Orange County boys athlete of the week: Cameron Dashiell, La Habra — He was MVP of the Orange Holiday Classic — The Register's boys athlete of the week: — Name: Cameron Dashiell School: La Habra Sport: Basketball — Noteworthy: He was MVP of the Orange Holiday Classic for which La Habra was tournament champion.
Gerry Fraley / Dallas Morning News:
Rockwall-Heath's Jake Thompson, part of deal that brought Cole Hamels to Rangers, heads to Korea — Right-hander Jake Thompson, a vital piece to the deal that brought left-hander Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers in 2015, has signed a one-year contract with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization.
