Padres hire Craig Stammen as manager  —  The Padres have hired a new manager.  —  The choice is outside the box but from inside the organization.  He is relatively unknown by many who follow the game but highly respected by many in the game.  —  Craig Stammen, who spent six years …

Rockies to hire Browns' Paul DePodesta as head of baseball operations: Sources  —  In a stunning career shift, Paul DePodesta soon will leave the Cleveland Browns to become the Colorado Rockies' head of baseball operations, according to sources briefed on the move.

Don Mattingly leaving Blue Jays after World Series heartbreak - with two managing jobs open  —  Don Mattingly has decided to step away from his Blue Jays bench coach job, but not with the intention of retiring from baseball, The Post has learned.  —  Mattingly had been with the Blue Jays …

2025 MLB offseason buzz: Intel on free agency, trade rumors  —  The MLB hot stove season is here!  —  As players become free to sign with any team they choose (free agency officially begins Thursday at 5 p.m. ET), we asked our MLB reporters to open their notebooks with all of the intel …

Giants owner evaluates Buster Posey, hiring Tony Vitello and Bruce Bochy's return to S.F.  —  Greg Johnson's annual Q & A with the Chronicle took place in the postseason for the first time, better to discuss the big news — Tony Vitello's hiring — but it comes with some new info, too.

Source: Red Sox in agreement with Cooper Criswell on major-league contract  —  The offseason is officially here for the Red Sox.  —  Right-hander Cooper Criswell and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a fully guaranteed major-league contract for $800,000, a source familiar with the deal said.

MLB Free Agent Tracker 2025-26: Latest signings, top players, and biggest offseason deals  —  The MLB Hot Stove is here, and you can track all of the activity from the 2025-26 MLB offseason with our convenient free agent tracker.  —  The tracker, which is based on Matthew Pouliot's Top 100 MLB free agents …

Jack Flaherty, Shane Bieber exercise options for 2026 as more players become free agents, raise total to 162  —  NEW YORK — Detroit pitcher Jack Flaherty and Toronto pitcher Shane Bieber exercised their player options for 2026 rather than become eligible for free agency …

13 Players Receive Qualifying Offers  —  Thirteen players have received a qualifying offer this year, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.  The list is as follows:  — Kyle Tucker, OF, Cubs  — Kyle Schwarber, OF/DH, Phillies  — Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros  — Dylan Cease, RHP, Padres

Cubs Sign Colin Rea To One-Year Extension  —  11:05am: The Cubs have officially announced Rea's contract.  MLB.com's Jordan Bastian broke down the contract structure, noting that Rea will earn $5.5MM in 2026 with a $1MM buyout on a $7.5MM club option.  —  7:24am: The Cubs have hammered …