MLB Teams

Atlanta Journal-Constitution — The Atlanta Braves lost no players in baseball’s Rule 5 Draft on the final day of Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.

Tomahawk Take — As we were basically told straight up head of time, Alex Anthopoulos did a lot of chatting but not any dealing this week.  As it happens, many other teams did likewise. Some dominoes have fallen, many are still standing.  The Atlanta Braves are still in a good position, having made one big signing, though the […] Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: now we wait for rumors to become real - Tomahawk Take - Tomahawk Take - An Atlanta Braves Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Tomahawk Take — What? You thought the Atlanta Braves did not select anyone in the Rule 5 draft? You were misinformed!! Every year, the Rule 5 draft leaves plenty of fans confused about how it exactly works. Even those who have covered the draft for years end up with a wrinkle or two each year that requires some […] Atlanta Braves select three in Rule 5 draft - Tomahawk Take - Tomahawk Take - An Atlanta Braves Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Baltimore Sun — Brandon Hyde will be the 20th manager in Orioles history, the club announced Friday, solidifying the selection that was first reported Tuesday at baseball's winter meetings but was deemed premature by executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias as it beamed from the television screen...

Press of Atlantic City — BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles hired Brandon Hyde to be their new manager Friday, hoping his experience as Cubs bench coach will help the team move forward while in rebuilding mode.

Baltimore Sun — With the first winter meetings of the new era of Orioles baseball under executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias wrapped Thursday, the first glimpse at how the team might be operated and what its short- and long-term goals are provided plenty to ponder. Some things remained the same,...

Bleed Cubbie Blue — Could the former Rockie, Cardinal and D-back find himself in blue pinstripes? The Cubs have been looking into acquiring an infielder who would provide some veteran presence. Here’s an idea that’s out there: #Cubs in strong pursuit of free-agent infielder Daniel Descalso, sources tell The Athletic.— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 14, 2018 Ken Rosenthal’s tweets usually have reliable information in them, so let’s look at Daniel Descalso. He’s played for the Cardinals, Rockies and Diamondbacks in a nine-year career, mostly at second and third base. The Cubs could use...

Cubbies Crib — It’s been an eventful offseason for Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon. Might the holiday season allow him to relax a little and enjoy this time of year? The holiday season is unbeatable if you ask me. That is unless the Chicago Cubs are in the World Series – that’s a whole different ballgame. It’s funny when […] Chicago Cubs: What Joe Maddon wants this holiday season - Cubbies Crib - Cubbies Crib - A Chicago Cubs Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Bleed Cubbie Blue — It’s the second day of Cubsmas and while there were a lot of good things that came in pairs in 2018, nothing was quite as good as the pair of walkoff grand slams both with two outs and two strikes, that the Cubs received from two unlikely sources. Jason Heyward In 2018 Jason Heyward showed a lot of improvement. Specifically his hard hit rate was up substantially from his first two seasons with the Cubs. He had a hard hit rate of 29.7 percent in 2018, which was a substantial improvement over the 25.5 percent he posted in 2017 and even an improvement over his outstanding 2015 campaign with...

Blog Red Machine — The Cincinnati Reds were involved in countless rumors this past week, but ultimately made only one move of real significance. The Cincinnati Reds were mentioned in so many rumors this past week that I’ve lost count. The Reds were said to be “in on” this player and “interested” in that player, but in the end, […] Cincinnati Reds: Recapping the 2018 Winter Meetings - Blog Red Machine - Blog Red Machine - A Cincinnati Reds Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Cincinnati.com — Cincinnati.coms Bobby Nightengale discusses what the Tanner Roark trade means for the Reds and whats next to come in the offseason.         

Call to the Pen — The Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals have agreed to swap Tanners. For six years, Tanner Roark has trotted out to he mound in a Washington Nationals uniform. Following a Winter Meetings deal, that is no longer the case. The Cincinnati Reds will be sending their 23rd ranked prospect, Tanner Rainey away in order to secure […] Cincinnati Reds: Tanner Rainey traded for Tanner Roark - Call to the Pen - Call to the Pen - A Major League Baseball Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Believeland Ball — We continue our list of counting the Top 25 Cleveland Indians players of the 2018 season. Today we talk about yet another remarkable pitcher for the Tribe. If you’ve read any of my previous posts that involve Mike Clevinger, you know just how much of a fan of his I am. Mike Clevinger had himself […] Believeland Ball’s Top 25 Players of 2018: Number 7 - Believeland Ball - Believeland Ball - A Cleveland Indians Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Believeland Ball — The Cleveland Indians made a big move Thursday afternoon via a three-team trade that sees a former fan favorite returning to town. The Cleveland Indians were only a part of rumors this week at the MLB Winter Meetings. Then it all went wild just a little big ago. The Indians were rumored to be offering […] Cleveland Indians: Carlos Santana returns in surprising three-team trade - Believeland Ball - Believeland Ball - A Cleveland Indians Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Plain Dealer — The Indians have reacquired Carlos Santana in a deal with Seattle.

Detroit Sports Nation — Just the other day, former Detroit Tigers play-by-play announcer Mario Impemba broke his silence for the first time since being involved in an alleged altercation with his Fox Sports Detroit partner, Rod Allen. Embed from Impemba tweeted out a message to Tigers fans, thanking them for their support. MARIO IMPEMBA BREAKS SILENCE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ALTERCATION WITH ROD ALLEN Now, Allen has followed suit as he too decided to post a message for Tigers fans on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/GAqs3qXEKo — Rod Allen (@RodAllen12) December 14, 2018 BONUS CONTENT: 3 Free agents the Detroit Lions should...

Detroit Sports Nation — According to reports, former Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler has signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the San Diego Padres. Ian Kinsler has agreed with #Padres on 2-year, $8 million contract, source confirms @Ken_Rosenthal report. @MLB @MLBNetwork — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 14, 2018 There were rumors floating around that the Tigers were interested in potentially bringing Kinsler back to the Motor City but that obviously will not happen. BONUS CONTENT: 3 Free agents the Detroit Lions should consider to replace Golden Tate in 2019 On October 30th, news broke that...

Detroit Free Press — On Wednesday, we heard for former Tigers play-by-play TV announcer Mario Impemba. On Friday, we finally heard from his longtime partner, Rod Allen.        

Climbing Tal's Hill — In the Astros’ search for some offensive punch, they could find a trade partner in a division rival. The Seattle Mariners are wheeling and dealing, with GM Jerry Dipoto seemingly trading everything that’s not nailed down. Meanwhile, the Astros are looking to add a bat to their lineup. The division rival Mariners could be a […] Astros, Mariners could match up on trade for hitter - Climbing Tals Hill - Climbing Tals Hill - A Houston Astros Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

The Crawfish Boxes — Start your morning with some of the best links around Astros News The Astros were pretty quiet at this year’s Winter Meetings (Forbes)But still remain poised to make a deal (Astros.com)And here’s what we learned about the offseason based off that week (The Athletic, $$$)Houston lost a couple of 2015 draftees in the Rule 5 draft yesterday (Houston Chronicle)Let’s take a deep dive into Berkman’s Hall of Fame chances (FanGraphs)So long, CFM (Climbing Tal’s Hill) Around the League With the Winter Meetings over, here’s a quick recap of the week (Sports Illustrated)They did finish...

House of Houston — The holiday season has arrived and everyone has a list of things they want. Here are the five things that sit atop the Houston Astros Christmas wish list. The Houston Astros are on the verge of truly becoming an MLB dynasty. The 2017 season saw them win over 100 games for the second time in […] Houston Astros: Five things atop the team’s Christmas wish list - House of Houston - House of Houston - A Houston Sports Site - Texans, Rockets, Astros, Dynamo, Cougars and More!

Call to the Pen — Joe Kelly, who’d been one of Boston’s most consistent relievers for years, will now reportedly be joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, reports say. As Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported, Joe Kelly, who has spent the last four seasons with the Boston Red Sox, will be signing a new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. […] Los Angeles Dodgers to sign Joe Kelly - Call to the Pen - Call to the Pen - A Major League Baseball Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

DodgerBlue.com — When the story of the 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers is told, it's hard to imagine you'd get past the first couple of sentences without mention of Max Muncy. What has been amazing...

DodgerBlue.com — The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly made their first big signing of the offseason, agreeing to a three-year, $25 million contract with reliever Joe Kelly on the final morning of...

Halos Heaven — What is Billy Eppler doing anyway? Back on November 29th, the web-a-sphere was set on fire with the blockbuster trade that sent Tommy La Stella from the Cubs to save the Angels 2019 campaign. Part of that deal was “future considerations” to be sent back to the Cubs. Part of me was hoping that meant Billy Eppler just had to be nice to Theo Epstein at the Winter Meetings and maybe save him a spot in the Starbucks line at Mandalay Bay. But no, apparently that meant the Angels are sending Conor Lillis-White to the Cubs. Who is Conor Lillis-White you might ask (and probably did)? He has...

OC Register — General manager Billy Eppler said in the four days of the winter meetings he gained more information about what deals may be possible, including some "that may be within striking distance."

Halos Heaven — Now is when all those roster protection decisions come home to roost. We wrap up the Winter Meeting News, where Billy Eppler will soon come home the conquering hero with Forrest Snow, Matt Ramsey, Dustin Garneau, Wilfredo Tovar, Peter Bourjos, Jarrett Parker and Cesar Puello added to Tempe, and Kaleb Cowart dumped moved to Seattle. I15 is being covered with roses and palm fronds as I write this. But the biggie deal from the Winter Meets would be the signing late yesterday of Justin Bour. One-year deal. Think of him as the left-handed version of Albert Pujols at 10 cents on the dollar....

Fish Stripes — The Marlins have (reportedly) made progress in their quest to flip the All-Star catcher for long-term building blocks. It’s fairly surprising that the J.T. Realmuto trade was not completed at the 2018 Winter Meetings. He wants to win now, the Marlins don’t want to pay what it takes to lock him up through their competitive window, and plenty of other MLB teams want him. We can all see what direction this is headed. Fish Stripes will introduce our first-ever staff prospect rankings next week, and I’m hoping that the top of the list features at least one new arrival. However, the...

Florida Marlins Blog | South Florida Sun-Sentinel — On the final day of MLB Winter Meetings, the Marlins finally made a pair of moves — none, however, pertained to J.T. Realmuto. While trade discussions surrounding the All-Star catcher continued Thursday, Realmuto remained a Miami Marlin as team executives bid farewell to Las Vegas and returned...

Fish Stripes — How did the Marlins do? If you research Baseball America’s Rule 5 Draft Preview, you’ll find a Houston Astros pitcher on the lead art of the page. That player, widely considered one of the top two pitchers available in this year’s MLB Rule 5 Draft, will now be wearing #OurColores on Opening Day. With the 4th overall pick on Thursday, the Miami Marlins selected RHP Riley Ferrell. They passed on their pick in the second round of the draft’s major league phase and sat out the entire minor league phase. To keep it brief: this is a good-to-great pick for the Marlins brass. Maybe they...

Reviewing the Brew — The Milwaukee Brewers have been added to the list of teams that are potentially serious about trading for Miami Marlins catcher, J.T. Realmuto. As the Winter Meetings came and went there weren’t any blockbuster free agent signings or trades made by the Milwaukee Brewers. However, an anonymous executive thinks they could be in play for […] Milwaukee Brewers Rumors: Reported interest in J.T. Realmuto - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Brew Crew Ball — The Brewers made a few moves at the Winter Meetings, acquiring a reliever and making a few Rule 5 picks. We look at that and more in today’s What We Learned. Roster Moves Milwaukee Brewers avoid arbitration with Jimmy Nelson, agree to one-year dealKyle Lesniewski, BCB Brewers acquire reliever Alex Claudio in trade with Texas RangersJaymes L, BCB Milwaukee Brewers make two selections in minor league phase of Rule 5 DraftKyle Lesniewski, BCB Winter Meetings Reports Milwaukee Brewers interested in second baseman Daniel Murphy, per reportBrad Ford, BCB Milwaukee Brewers have scouted Yusei...

Reviewing the Brew — In Episode 10 of the Reviewing The Brew Podcast, David Gasper and Matthew Dewoskin discuss the latest swirl of rumors regarding the Milwaukee Brewers and the happenings of the Winter Meetings. Listen to “Reviewing The Brew Ep. 10 – Winter Meetings Recap” on Spreaker. The first topic of the podcast had to be the latest […] Milwaukee Brewers: RtB Podcast Episode 10 – Winter Meetings Recap - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

River Ave. Blues — Welcome to December. The offseason’s busiest month has arrived and that means gobs of rumors and transactions. That is every bit as true for the 2018 going on 2019 Yankees as it was the 2013 going on 2014 Yankees. In fact, this month’s edition of our MLBTR Archives series includes over 1,600 words of copied […] The post Revisiting the MLBTR Archives: December 2013 appeared first on River Avenue Blues.

Pinstripe Alley — The Yankees had a history of protecting their top prospects from trades, but that practice should end so they can win in 2019. During the retooling seasons prior to 2018, it wasn’t absurd to hear about a prospect being labeled as “untouchable.” From James Pazos (seriously) to Aaron Judge, several Yankee players have held that title over the past five seasons. Just earlier this summer, Brian Cashman placed this tag on Gleyber Torres. However, the time for labeling prospects untouchable should be over. It’s time to sell the farm if the right buyer comes along. Last season, the...

NorthJersey.com — Joan Steinbrenner, the wife of late New York Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, has died at the age of 83.        

New York Post — The Toddfather is living up to his nickname, and come spring training, the mentoring of Mets slugging prospect Peter Alonso will go into overdrive in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Todd Frazier called equipment manager Kevin Kierst this week and requested Alonso’s locker be put right next to his so the veteran can help guide the...

Call to the Pen — Jeurys Familia, who was briefly a member of the Oakland Athletics this season, is reportedly returning to the New York Mets… According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, right-handed reliever/closer Jeurys Familia will be returning to New York after agreeing to a contract with the New York Mets. Additionally, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported […] New York Mets bring back reliever Jeurys Familia - Call to the Pen - Call to the Pen - A Major League Baseball Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

SNY TV — The Mets are getting closer to finding their catcher for 2019, but who will it be?

Lone Star Ball — Jeff Passan says the Philadelphia Phillies have talked to the Rangers about pitcher Mike Minor MLB Trade Rumors: The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers have “engaged” on the subject of Mike Minor, the lefthanded pitcher who the Rangers signed to a 3 year, $28 million deal last offseason, according to Jeff Passan on Twitter. Passan notes that the Phillies have also been pursuing Andrew Miller, and suggests that Minor could be an option as either a starter or a reliever. The Phillies are looking to be aggressive this offseason, and have made a couple of big splashes in acquiring...

www.philadelphiabaseballreview.com — It's difficult to grade the Phillies efforts over the past week at the annual Winter Meetings, staged at the Mandalay Bay Resorts & Casino in Las Vegas, as anything but an incomplete. General manager Matt Klentak and others met with Scott Boras and discussed Bryce Harper, but the content of those discussions remains speculative. Boras was mum on the conversation when he spoke with media on Wednesday. As for Manny Machado, sources say he'll be visiting Philadelphia in the coming weeks as part of a tour that will also include a stop up in New York to meet with the Yankees. The Phillies did make...

That Balls Outta Here — The Phillies big move at the winter meetings this year was the signing of Andrew McCutchen. How much better does this addition make the outfield. The Phillies‘ signing of Andrew McCutchen was largely overshadowed by all the rumors swirling at the MLB Winter Meetings. Given the team’s pursuit of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper while […] Phillies: How much better does Andrew McCutchen make the outfield? - That Balls Outta Here - That Balls Outta Here - A Philadelphia Phillies Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Rum Bunter — The Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball wrapped up their 2018 Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.  Here is a recap of the what the Bucs did. Some would say the Pittsburgh Pirates had a relatively quiet and slow Winter Meetings this year in Las Vegas, only making minor moves.  Across the league, […] Pittsburgh Pirates: Recap of the 2018 MLB Winter Meetings - Rum Bunter - Rum Bunter - A Pittsburgh Pirates Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Rum Bunter — A Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect is turning into one of the best comeback stories in all of baseball In the 11th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Gage Hinsz. After signing with the team, Hinsz was able to make three starts in rookie ball in 2014. […] Gage Hinsz Is Turning Into A Great Comeback Story - Rum Bunter - Rum Bunter - A Pittsburgh Pirates Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Rum Bunter — The Winter Meetings wrapped up this morning.  The Pittsburgh Pirates along with the other 29 MLB teams participated in the Rule five draft. The Winter Meetings begin with the excitement of teams making potential signings and trades.  It ends every year with the Rule five Draft.  The Pittsburgh Pirates along with the other 29 teams had […] Pittsburgh Pirates Minors: Rule 5 Draft Results - Rum Bunter - Rum Bunter - A Pittsburgh Pirates Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Golden Gate Sports — It’s time for the San Francisco Giants to move in a different direction, and they don’t have to trade starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner to do it.  The San Francisco Giants are in a precarious position. Coming off of two straight losing seasons, changes need to be made for the sake of both the long-term and […] San Fransisco Giants: Trading Madison Bumgarner isn’t necessary - Golden Gate Sports - Golden Gate Sports - A Bay Area Sports Site

SFGate — LAS VEGAS - Fourteen players changed teams in the major-league portion of Thursday's Rule 5 draft, the final event of the 2018 winter meetings. The Giants selected two of the 14, which is unprecedented. The Giants rarely select more than one minor-leaguer in the Rule 5 when they participate at all. In past years they would come to the meetings with their 40-man roster already full, or close to it. They purged their 40-man this fall and had six openings as the meetings began, a sign that new president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi believed he could get several prospects from other teams...

The Mercury News — The San Francisco Giants drafted two players onto their roster at the end of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings.

Climbing Tal's Hill — In the Astros’ search for some offensive punch, they could find a trade partner in a division rival. The Seattle Mariners are wheeling and dealing, with GM Jerry Dipoto seemingly trading everything that’s not nailed down. Meanwhile, the Astros are looking to add a bat to their lineup. The division rival Mariners could be a […] Astros, Mariners could match up on trade for hitter - Climbing Tals Hill - Climbing Tals Hill - A Houston Astros Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Lookout Landing — It’s #EdgarHoF season...but for real this time Greetings, friends. It is a December Friday during the last voting period of Edgar Martinez’s Hall of Fame eligibility. Things are trending well for Edgar currently and given that he was dang close last year (20 votes short) and the Mariners retired his noble number 11 in 2017, well, his chances are as good as they’ll ever be. And he 100% deserves the honor. \ So, in the spirit of #EdgarHoF season, here is your prompt: Tell us your best Edgar Martinez story That’s it. Just fill this site with stories of how Edgar’s career has touched...

The Seattle Times — The Seattle Mariners have pledged $3 million for a new effort to prevent low-income renters facing eviction from falling into homelessness. The team’s contribution to the Home Base partnership will beef up staffing at the Housing Justice Project, a legal clinic sponsored by the King County Bar Association (KCBA) that provides legal advice and counsel […]

DRaysBay — The Winter Meetings have come and gone and the Rays roster has undergone massive, significant changes. On Wednesday, the agreed to terms with Charlie Morton (the deal hasn’t been finalized yet), and then on Thursday afternoon they were part of a three team trade with the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians that sent 1B/OF Jake Bauers to the Indians, and brought INF Yandy Diaz to Tampa Bay. The trade gave the Rays more questions than answers as it now opens up a hole at first base and gives them yet another infielder to add to their logjam of players that could start at third base and...

DRaysBay — Written by your new captain of Yandy Diaz Yacht The Yandy Era is upon us. There are few names in baseball that I would have been more excited about the Rays acquiring this offseason than Yandy Diaz. I’ve had my eyes on Yandy for a while, and I know I’m not alone in that regard. While there’s more to being a baseball player than muscle mass, boy does he have muscle mass. If baseball doesn't work out for Indians' Yandy Diaz, he has a future in bodybuilding pic.twitter.com/LD712RpRN9— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 13, 2017 And while there’s more to hitting than exit...

Tampa Bay Times — LAS VEGAS - Rays officials headed home Thursday from a surprisingly busy winter meetings, having added starting RHP Charlie Morton and INF Yandy Diaz, and still working toward some other potential moves."Looking at history to expect to come out of the winter meetings with as

Lone Star Ball — The Padres and Ian Kinsler have reportedly agreed on a two year, $8 million deal The San Diego Padres and free agent Ian Kinsler have agreed on a two year, $8 million deal with a third year club option, per reports. Kinsler is reportedly going to play a variety of positions while mentoring young Padres infielders Luis Urias and Fernando Tatis Jr. Kinsler, of course, came up with the Rangers and was a key part of the A.L. Championship teams before being dealt to Detroit for Prince Fielder in what was arguably the worst trade of Jon Daniels’ stint as g.m. Kinsler signed with the Angels...

SportsDay — A quick winter meetings summation on the Rangers activity:They signed a starting pitcher. They made a straight swap of major league players and traded another player for draft flexibility. They claimed a player off waivers. They made a Rule 5 draft selection and not one, but, two Rule 5 trades.Truth: They might have been the most active of teams in Las Vegas.And that's after an offseason that's already seen them hire a new manager and coaching staff and reshape the front office."It's been the busiest we've had that I can remember," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "And there will be...

Lone Star Ball — Congratulations to A.J. Alexy, who won the runoff to be named the #13 prospect in the Rangers LSB Community Prospect Rankings Congratulations to A.J. Alexy, who won the runoff over Owen White to be named the #13 prospect in the LSB Community Prospect Rankings. Our list so far: 1 — Hans Crouse 2 — Leody Taveras 3 — Bubba Thompson 4 — Joe Palumbo 5 — J.P. Martinez 6 — Cole Winn 7 — Taylor Hearn 8 — Cole Ragans 9 — Jonathan Hernandez 10 — Anderson Tejeda 11 — Tyler Phillips 12 — Tyreque Reed 13 — A.J. Alexy 14 — Owen White Moving on...who is the #15 prospect in the...

Federal Baseball — Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo discussed the options at second base again when reporters wondered what the current plan is for the position in 2019. Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo told reporters earlier this week, as he has consistently all winter, that though he is comfortable with the options at second base currently in the Nationals’ organization, including Howie Kendrick, Wilmer Difo, top infield prospect Carter Kieboom, and 18-year-old infielder Luis Garcia, he is open to the idea of an addition if there is the right one out there on the free agent or trade markets....

Federal Baseball — Catch up on the last 24 hours in Nationals news before you go away for the weekend to recover from the Winter Meetings... So, the Winter Meetings have come and gone and Bryce Harper is still a free agent. Funny how that happened. Here’s the news from Nats Park: Nationals still have questions as Meetings end (MLB.com)"Even though the Nats appeared to have finished most of their shopping before the Winter Meetings began -- adding Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes at catcher, Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough in the bullpen and signing left-hander Patrick Corbin -- it is clear they are not...

Federal Baseball — Nationals’ hitting coach Kevin Long has been hard at work since last season trying to get Michael A. Taylor to make more contact. Will the changes they’ve made turn Taylor into the hitter they think he can be? The work of trying to get Michael A. Taylor to make more contact, cut down on the Ks, and make him into the best version of himself that he can be, or at least the latest attempts at a transformation, began last season when hitting coach Kevin Long began to tinker with the mechanics of Taylor’s swing. “Nobody plays center field like him, so if we can get him to put the ball...