Top News:
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Angels, Anthony Rendon In “Active Talks”; Rangers Out — 9:00pm: The Rangers are out of the race, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. They never wanted to go more than five years for Rendon, who has sought seven, TR Sullivan of MLB.com tweets.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, MLB Daily Dish, Federal Baseball, Bleacher Nation, Lone Star Ball and Halos Heaven
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ESPN:
Sources: Anthony Rendon agrees to 7-year, $245M deal with Angels — MLB, Los Angeles Angels, Washington Nationals — Third baseman Anthony Rendon has agreed to a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Wednesday.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Elizabeth Swinton / Sports Illustrated:
Report: Anthony Rendon Agrees to Seven-Year, $245 Million Deal with Angels — Anthony Rendon led MLB in doubles and RBI in 2019. — Free agent Anthony Rendon has agreed to a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, The Ringer and MLB Baseball News …
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks discussed significant offer with free-agent Madison Bumgarner — SAN DIEGO — The Diamondbacks floated the idea of a contract in the range of $70 million for starter Madison Bumgarner, sources said, though it seems likely that will fall well short of what it will take to land the free-agent left-hander.
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, MLB Trade Rumors, MLB Baseball News … and NBCSports.com
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Gerrit Cole agrees to record nine-year, $324 million deal with Yankees
Gerrit Cole agrees to record nine-year, $324 million deal with Yankees
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Cubs Insider and Chicago Sun-Times
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Yankees, Dodgers, Mets Reportedly In Market For Josh Hader — With the top end of the relief market going off the board early, teams looking for elite pen arms have been eyeing trade possibilities. The most intriguing of those: star Brewers lefty Josh Hader, who was recently reported to have been made available in talks.
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Ken Rosenthal / Bay Area:
Multiple suitors for Josh Donaldson; Kris Bryant not necessarily a fit for Braves; Josh Hader update; more notes — Josh Donaldson is next. — Donaldson, 34, is 4 1/2 years older than Anthony Rendon, so he will not command as long or as large a free-agent contract as the one Rendon agreed …
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, Brew Crew Ball, Talking Chop, Pinstripe Alley, Lone Star Ball and MLB Trade Rumors
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Why a Cubs-Braves Kris Bryant trade makes sense now that Anthony Rendon has signed — SAN DIEGO — The third-base dominoes began to fall around baseball when Anthony Rendon signed his megadeal with the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. It means a market that Washington Nationals general …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune and Bleacher Nation
Dalton Ross / EW.com:
Survivor host Jeff Probst talks about first player ever ejected from the game — For the first time in the history of Survivor, a player was pulled from the game due to unacceptable behavior. Dan Spilo was removed at the end of the Dec. 11 episode of Survivor: Island of the Idols after an off-camera incident.
Discussion:
USA Today, Slate, People.com, New York Times, Decider and New York Post, more at WeSmirch »
Tim Healey / Newsday:
MLB doesn't expect ‘governance issues’ with pending sale of Mets to Steve Cohen — SAN DIEGO — Major League Baseball doesn't expect any “governance issues” as a result of Steve Cohen's pending purchase of the Mets, which would leave the Wilpons in charge for five years, commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday.
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Mets Agree To Sign Michael Wacha — 3:23pm: There's a deal in place pending a physical, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). It guarantees $3MM, per Sherman (via Twitter), with up to $7MM in possible incentives. — 3:09pm: The Mets are “working hard to finalize” …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Amazin' Avenue, AZ Snake Pit and FanGraphs Baseball
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Tim Healey / Newsday:
Carlos Beltran mum on Astros' scandal
Carlos Beltran mum on Astros' scandal
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and MLB Daily Dish
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Blue Jays To Sign Tanner Roark — The Blue Jays have agreed to a deal with free-agent right-hander Tanner Roark, Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet report. It's a two-year, $24MM accord, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Roark is a client of Matt Colleran.
Discussion:
Sportsnet.ca, NBCSports.com, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Baseball News … and Bluebird Banter
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
A's interested in Jed Lowrie reunion — SAN DIEGO — The answer to the A's need for a left-handed or switch-hitting second baseman might be exactly the same as twice before. — The Chronicle has learned that Oakland has had internal conversations about bringing back 2018 All-Star Jed Lowrie …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Bruce Levine / 670 The Score:
Source: Cubs Meet With Shogo Akiyama — Akiyama could fill the Cubs' need for a center fielder and leadoff man. — SAN DIEGO (670 The Score) —With a real need to address their center field position and the leadoff spot in the lineup, the Cubs met with Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama here at the Winter Meetings, a source said.
Discussion:
Redleg Nation, Cubs Insider and Bleacher Nation