Top News:
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, Gaslamp Ball and MLB Baseball News …
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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
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
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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, Twinkie Town, Federal Baseball, The Good Phight, Brew Crew Ball, True Blue LA and Over the Monster
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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 …
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, Beyond the Box Score and Talking Chop
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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:
NBCSports.com, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Cubs Insider, Phillies Nation and The Good Phight
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Braves Re-Sign Darren O'Day — The Braves have re-signed veteran reliever Darren O'Day, per a club announcement. He'll receive a guarantee of $2.25MM in the contract, which covers the 2020 campaign and includes a $3.5MM club option for another season. — As other clubs plot roster turnover …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Talking Chop
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
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 …
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:
Viva El Birdos, South Side Sox, Cubs Insider, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Red Reporter, Royals Review and Bluebird Banter
Tim Healey / Newsday:
Why Steven Matz is excited to play for new Mets manager Carlos Beltran — A teenaged Steven Matz, recently transitioned from Mets fan to Mets prospect, was sitting at a table inside the team's Port St. Lucie facility about a decade ago when a star from the major-league team joined him …