Top News:
MLB.com:
A letter to baseball fans — To our Fans: — I first want to thank you for your continued support of the great game of baseball. This past season, we were reminded of how the national pastime can bring us together and restore our hope despite the difficult challenges of a global pandemic.
Discussion:
NPR, theScore.com, New York Times, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, On Tap Sports Net, Talking Chop, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Baseball Prospectus, MLB Trade Rumors, Royals Review, Bloomberg, The Ringer, Bleacher Nation, NBCSports.com, Courier-Journal, Phillies Nation, Kansas City Star, Major League Baseball …, CBSSports.com, AZ Snake Pit, Associated Press, Rox Pile, Call to the Pen, MLB Baseball News …, Mercury News, FanGraphs Baseball, Cubs Insider, CBS Miami, Fish Stripes, MLB Daily Dish, Redleg Nation, Amazin' Avenue, Sportico, NBC Boston, WKRG-TV, Viva El Birdos, True Blue LA, Over the Monster, CBS Los Angeles, Inside the Crown, CBS San Francisco and ESPN
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Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic:
Labor dispute is about one thing; Freeman's destination could impact Olson; Verlander mystery; more notes — I'll have much more to say on the labor dispute in the days, weeks and (gulp) months ahead, but for now know this: — The dispute is not about competitive balance …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, Marlin Maniac, Sports Illustrated and Lone Star Ball
Joon Lee / ESPN:
Advocates for Minor Leaguers forms steering committee to give players a voice, push for better conditions — NEW YORK — While the owners and Major League Baseball players intend to collectively bargain for the terms of their next agreement, one group will not be at the table during those discussions: minor leaguers.
Discussion:
Purple Row
Joon Lee / ESPN:
What we do in the shadows: Locked-out players play into MLB's scrubbed pages — NEW YORK — Within minutes of locking out players Thursday amid contentious negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball scrubbed all remnants of player likenesses off …
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Cubs Insider and New York Post
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
MLB, MLBPA fail to reach new labor agreement; league in 1st lockout since 1990 — IRVING, Texas — Major League Baseball locked out its players early Thursday morning, certifying the game's first work stoppage in more than a quarter-century after months of talks yielded little progress toward a new labor contract.
Discussion:
CBSSports.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Associated Press, The Good Phight, The Athletic, Dodgers Nation and NBCSports.com
USA Today:
MLB lockout is on after collective bargaining agreement expires, owners agree to freeze out players
MLB.com:
A note about our website content
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, CBS San Francisco, Sports Illustrated, The Spun, USA Today, Bleacher Nation, Lone Star Ball and Twinkie Town
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Major League Baseball lockout appears imminent after negotiations end abruptly
Discussion:
MLB.com, Brew Crew Ball, NBCSports.com, Bleacher Nation and Pinstripe Alley
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
MLB lockout: No more negotiations scheduled ahead of Wednesday night CBA expiration
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation and MLB Baseball News …
Sports Illustrated:
Dodgers: Corey Seager Reportedly Turned Down Contract Extension from LA — Corey Seager officially signed with the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Soon after, AM570's David Vassegh informed listeners that for a while now, he had been holding onto some insider information.
Discussion:
Call to the Pen and Dodgers Nation
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Miami Herald:
Miami Marlins intent on adding another starting outfielder — Miami Marlins notes as we begin a lockout during which major-league player transactions are prohibited: — ▪ The Marlins began the offseason hoping to sign both Starling Marte and Avisail Garcia and pair them with Jesus Sanchez in the outfield.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, Boston.com, Rum Bunter, MLB Trade Rumors, Fish Stripes, MLB Baseball News … and FanGraphs Baseball
Lindsey Adler / The Athletic:
Yankees to promote two player development staffers to major-league coaching staff: Sources — The Yankees will promote two player development staffers to fill out their major-league coaching staff, sources told The Athletic. The club will promote Dillon Lawson to major-league hitting coach …
Discussion:
Yanks Go Yard, New York Post, Pinstripe Alley, MLB Baseball News … and MLB Trade Rumors
Childs Walker / Baltimore Sun:
DE Calais Campbell prepared to ‘empty the tank’ as veteran pillar of Ravens defense — The week before Thanksgiving, John Harbaugh saw Calais Campbell sitting down for an end-of-day meal in the Ravens' cafeteria. — Harbaugh does not spend a lot of time thinking about Campbell. Why would he?
Discussion:
Orange County Register
Aaron Wilson / SportsTalk 790:
Sources: Texans sign Tremon Smith to one-year, $1.6 million extension — The Texans put a premium value on special teams. — They reinforced that commitment with their first in-season contract extension this year when they signed speedy cornerback and kickoff returner Tremon Smith …
Discussion:
Pro Football Rumors and ProFootballTalk
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Masahiro Tanaka is staying in Japan for another season — There will be no reunion in the Bronx for Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees in 2022. The former Yankee right-hander had hinted he was looking to come back to MLB — preferably the Bronx — after playing a season back at home.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and MLB Baseball News …
Matthew Roberson / New York Daily News:
It's impossible to take Rob Manfred and the owners seriously — Welcome to the Rob Manfred show. — For the foreseeable future, the only official public comments from Major League Baseball seem like they'll be filtered through Manfred, the commissioner who held a press conference on Thursday morning to officially welcome a lockout.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
