Angels' Dino Ebel expected to be among Dodgers' coaching hires  —  The Dodgers plan to begin filling the vacancies on their major league coaching staff in the next few days and Angels coach Dino Ebel is expected to be among the new hires.  —  The 52-year-old Ebel has spent the past 14 seasons …

Major League Baseball donates $5000 to Cindy Hyde-Smith  —  Over the past week, seven major corporations have asked for Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) to refund their contributions.  Earlier this month, Hyde-Smith told a crowd at a campaign event that she would be willing to attend a “public hanging.”

Evaluating risk factor for top 10 free-agent relievers  —  Relief pitchers threw 17,422 innings in 2018 — that's up from 14,977 just five years ago.  That's an average of 81.5 innings per team, so on just a pure volume level relief pitchers are more important than ever.

Diamondbacks seriously considering dealing Paul Goldschmidt  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt finished sixth in the National League MVP voting this year, the fourth top-10 MVP placement of his career — he was second in 2013 and 2015 and third in 2016.

USC AD Lynn Swann has a big call to make on coach Clay Helton  —  They fought boldly for their embattled coach, playing as they should have played all season, with fire and purpose and desperation.  —  But is this fight good enough if they didn't win?  —  USC showed up big against unbeaten …

Angels add Shawn Wooten to big league coaching staff  —  The Angels have promoted Shawn Wooten to assistant hitting coach, moving the former member of their 2002 World Series championship team from his role in their farm system.  —  Wooten is the third confirmed member of the coaching staff under ew manager Brad Ausmus.

MLB trade rumors: Market for Yankees' Sonny Gray is heating up  —  Yankees general manager Brian Cashman kick-started the hot stove on Monday by trading for Seattle Mariners left-hander James Paxton.  —  We know that won't be Cashman's last deal of the offseason, because he has gone …

If Padres can get Jean Segura, time is right to trade Wil Myers  —  SAN DIEGO  —  The reasons to deal Wil Myers, the one-time face of the Padres, continue to pile up as the team eyes a possible rebuild finish line in, say, 2020.  —  There's a pay package that spikes from $11.5 million this season …

Detroit Tigers in free agency: Four under-the-radar options at pitcher  —  Taking a look at what the Tigers' starting lineup and pitching rotation could look like to open the 2019 season.  Video by Anthony Fenech and Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press.  —  CONNECT

Here you go baseball fans, your 2018 turkeys  —  It's that time of year again, the reckoning for those baseball people whose transgressions against the game and others in the game have warranted them a place on the Daily News Top Ten Turkeys List.  Like always, there will be no pardoning these turkeys …

Royals hire former Cardinals manager Matheny as adviser  —  The route back to the dugout for former Cardinals manager Mike Matheny could stay in Missouri and remain close to home, but it first will include a swing through player development.  —  The Kansas City Royals and general manager …

Melvin Gordon's status uncertain after knee injury against Cardinals  —  CARSON - In the middle of a near-perfect afternoon, with the offense cruising in the third quarter, Melvin Gordon came sprinting around the back of a toss play, looking for the end-around lateral.

Hall of Fame 2019: The case for Billy Wagner  —  Analysis: Former Mets reliever Wagner is deserving of greater Hall of Fame consideration than the 11.1 percent of votes he got last year.  —  It's Hall of Fame season — the ballot released this past Monday, results released in late January …