Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
As free agency dominoes fall, Madison Bumgarner is expected to fetch at least $100 million — The free-agent pitching market broke wide open Wednesday, but the biggest winner of the day might be Madison Bumgarner. — With the Philadelphia Phillies signing Zack Wheeler for $118 million …
Discussion:
Mercury News, Red Reporter, MLB Baseball News …, NBCSports.com, Bleacher Nation and MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
ESPN:
Sources: Zack Wheeler joins Phillies on five-year deal worth $118 million — Right-hander Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a five-year, $118 million contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. — Wheeler turned down a larger offer from the Chicago White Sox …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and baseballmusings.com
Scott Soshnick / Bloomberg:
Mets in Talks to Sell 80% of Team to Investor Steve Cohen — Deal would value Major League Baseball club at $2.6 billion — The billionaire would take control of team after five years — The owners of the New York Mets are in talks to sell up to 80% of the Major League Baseball team …
RELATED:
New York Times:
Steve Cohen in Talks to Buy Majority of Mets From Wilpons — The deal with Mr. Cohen, a billionaire hedge fund manager, would represent a significant change in the New York sports landscape. — Steven A. Cohen, a minority investor in the Mets, is negotiating with the Wilpon family to purchase …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and New York Post
Tim Tucker / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
How the signing of Cole Hamels affects Braves' 2020 payroll — Apparently, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei was serious a couple of weeks ago when he said the Braves would “spend some money” this offseason. And apparently, Braves executive Mike Plant was serious, too, when he said on that same day, “We're going to go after it.”
Discussion:
Talking Chop
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Brewers Nearing Acquisition Of Omar Narvaez — The Brewers are closing in on a deal with the Mariners to acquire catcher Omar Narvaez, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The trade return remains unknown. — Narvaez is one of the few backstops in baseball that can match …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Lookout Landing, Bleacher Nation, Brew Crew Ball and Al's Ramblings
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Mets Acquire Jake Marisnick — 10:40am: The Astros and Mets have both announced the trade. — 10:27am: Houston will receive left-hander Blake Taylor and outfielder Kenedy Corona in return for Marisnick, ESPN's Jeff Passan tweets. Taylor was on the Mets' 40-man roster after having …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Amazin' Avenue, The Crawfish Boxes and Last Word on Baseball
Mark Polishuk / MLB Trade Rumors:
Rangers Sign Nick Ciuffo, Wei-Chieh Huang To Minors Deals — The Rangers announced that catcher Nick Ciuffo and right-hander Wei-Chieh Huang have been signed to minor league contracts. The two players and utilityman Rob Refsnyder (whose signing was reported last week) will all receive invites to the big league Spring Training camp.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Angels and Anaheim reach a deal for the team to stay in city through 2050 — The Angels have bound themselves to the city of Anaheim longer than they have bound themselves to Mike Trout. — For more than half a century, the Angels have played in a stadium surrounded by acres of parking lots.
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation and NBCSports.com
RELATED:
Alicia Robinson / Orange County Register:
Angels agree to stay in Anaheim through 2050, stadium to be sold for $325 million
Angels agree to stay in Anaheim through 2050, stadium to be sold for $325 million
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Ballpark Digest, Halos Heaven and MLB Trade Rumors
Jeff Wilson / Baseball America:
2019 Minor League Manager Of The Year: Corey Ragsdale — Awards and recognition really aren't Corey Ragsdale's thing. — They're nice and all, he said, but they're more a reflection of a team effort rather than one person pulling on the rope. — So Ragsdale is deflecting credit to players …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Sam Fortier / Washington Post:
New Redskins wide receiver credits Colin Kaepernick workout for giving him another shot at NFL — The defining moment of Colin Kaepernick's long-awaited, hotly debated workout last month was a deep ball down the left sideline that sailed through the Georgia sky and landed 50 yards away …
Discussion:
ProFootballTalk, DraftKings Nation, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Sun-Times and CBS Sacramento
Associated Press:
Player treatment, not discipline, likely for opioids — MIAMI — Players who test positive for opioids would enter treatment and not be suspended under the change to Major League Baseball's drug agreement being negotiated by management and the players' association, according to union head Tony Clark.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and NESN.com
Beyond The Bases:
Marlins Park To Sport New Look In 2020 — Marlins Park continues to evolve with two significant changes to the field for the upcoming season. The Miami Marlins will install a synthetic grass surface at Marlins Park as part of a multi-year corporate partnership with Shaw Sports Turf.
Discussion:
Miami Herald, Sports Illustrated, MLB Trade Rumors, Fish Stripes, MLB Baseball News …, Ballpark Digest and Marlins News