Nationals owner Mark Lerner says team can't afford Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon  —  The prime question as soon as Stephen Strasburg opted out of his contract was this: Could the Nationals afford to bring back Strasburg and Anthony Rendon?  According to managing principal owner Mark Lerner, the answer is no.

Sources: Yankees make signing righty Gerrit Cole top offseason priority  —  The New York Yankees have made signing right-hander Gerrit Cole their clear offseason priority and have ownership-level approval to offer him a record-setting deal, sources familiar with their plans told ESPN.

Nationals To Re-Sign Howie Kendrick  —  9:00am: The two sides have finalized a one-year deal that promises Kendrick a $6.25MM guarantee, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link).  It's the same guarantee that Steve Pearce received from the Red Sox on the heels of his own postseason heroics following the 2018 World Series.

Five burning questions for MLB's Winter Meetings  —  It's not yet time to suggest baseball's offseason will move at a pace much quicker than a tugboat.  Yet for the first time in several years, the game's Winter Meetings may actually provide significant movement.