Top News:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Union chief's rebuke of GM heats up baseball's cold war over free agency — In his public statements about the evolution of the free-agent market, Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, has taken pains not to use the word collusion.
Discussion:
DRaysBay, Bleacher Nation and Talking Chop
RELATED:
Gabriel Burns / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Alex Anthopoulos issues statement in response to MLBPA concerns — Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos issued a statement Wednesday evening in response to Players' Union chief Tony Clark's concern regarding comments the GM made during a conference call with media earlier in the week.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
Kevin Acee / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Padres to hire Larry Rothschild as pitching coach; Darren Balsley to work with minor leaguers — Longtime Yankees, Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild to replace Darren Balsley after 16-plus seasons on Padres staff — For the first time in more than 17 seasons, the Padres will have a pitching coach other than Darren Balsley.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, MLB Baseball News … and Gaslamp Ball
RELATED:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Sources: Yankees hire Matt Blake as pitching coach — The New York Yankees hired Matt Blake as their new pitching coach, poaching one of the key cogs in the Cleveland Indians' pitching-development machine as the replacement for longtime coach Larry Rothschild, sources told ESPN.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and Bleacher Nation
Alex Pavlovic / NBCSports.com:
How Madison Bumgarner's free agency fits into Giants' current rebuild — SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner thought about the question for about 15 seconds, his face scrunching up as he prepared to give an answer. On the final weekend of the Giants season, he had been asked to pinpoint …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, New York Post, MLB Trade Rumors and Talking Chop
RELATED:
John Shea / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants pare list of managerial candidates to Gabe Kapler, two bench coaches — The Giants' managerial search is down to three candidates, and while the club hopes to make the hire soon, team officials do not feel bound by a deadline, The Chronicle has learned.
Discussion:
Royals Review, MLB Trade Rumors, NBCSports.com, MLB Baseball News … and Mercury News
Justin Leger / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Red Sox' Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts earn Silver Slugger awards — Xander Bogaerts both took home some hardware on Thursday. — Betts earned his second straight Silver Slugger award (third total) while Bogaerts also tallied the third of his seven-year career. — Tomase: Why J.D. won't be traded this winter
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, The Good Phight, Federal Baseball, Brew Crew Ball, True Blue LA and Over the Monster
RELATED:
ESPN:
Mike Trout, Braves trio among 2019 Silver Slugger Award winners — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has received his seventh Silver Slugger Award after batting .291 with 45 home runs and 104 RBIs this season. — The Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies …
Todd Zolecki / Phillies News:
Hamels on Philly return: Ball's in team's court — First-time free agent open to 1-year deal with a postseason-level club — PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies need starting pitchers and Cole Hamels needs a job. — It sure seems like an obvious fit. — “I know Philly is finally trying to make that push …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, NBCSports.com, The Good Phight, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Phillies Nation and Cubs Insider
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Free Agents 2019 — The minor league free agent class of 2019 totals 510 players, listed here with their final organization and minor league assignment. This list captures every player whose minor league contract terms expired on Nov. 4, or five days after the conclusion of the World Series.
Discussion:
Cubs Insider, South Side Sox, Viva El Birdos, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Red Reporter, Royals Review and Bluebird Banter
RELATED:
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Devon Travis Elects Free Agency — The Blue Jays announced that second baseman Devon Travis has rejected an outright assignment in favor of free agency. He's now eligible to sign with any club. — This was the obvious outcome when Toronto announced that Travis had cleared outright waivers earlier in the week.
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter and MLB Baseball News …
Brynne Connolly / WHDH-TV:
Worker dead, 10 hospitalized after chemical incident at Burlington Buffalo Wild Wings — BURLINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - One employee has died and at least and ten other people were hospitalized following a chemical incident at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington on Thursday, a fire official said.
Discussion:
Boston.com, Associated Press, FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV and fox13now.com
