10:16 AM ET Agents and executives have noted a trend — a concerning trend, for the veteran players — that will soon manifest for the middle class of the free-agent market: Teams are filling some of their big needs through trades. The St. Louis Cardinals just landed Paul Goldschmidt to play first base in a
MLB
8:38 PM ET ESPN News Services MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is no fan of defensive shifts, and now he might be able to do something about it. Baseball’s competition committee last month gave Manfred strong backing to try to put something in place to limit shifts, the Athletic reported on Wednesday. Manfred made it clear
7:06 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Baseball players are concerned the Seattle Mariners have become yet another rebuilding team and might be joined by others following a season of steep attendance drops among clubs that faded early and never contended for the playoffs. Union head Tony Clark and new collective bargaining director
6:47 PM ET Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Owings has agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, five days after the utilityman was cut loose by Arizona. Owings can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses as part of the deal announced Wednesday. The 27-year-old Owings hit .206
9:25 PM ET It only made sense for the Arizona Diamondbacks to trade Paul Goldschmidt, who is one year from free agency and whose contract pays him just $14 million this year, making that year quite valuable in the trade market to any team looking to contend in 2019 and with an open spot at
6:31 PM ET ESPN Fantasy One of the top players in fantasy baseball is on the move, as the St. Louis Cardinals have acquired first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a trade. Catcher Carson Kelly, pitcher Luke Weaver and prospect Andrew Young will join the Diamondbacks organization in return. How does the
8:45 PM ET The trade: St. Louis Cardinals acquire 1B Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-handed starting pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly, infielder Andy Young and a Round B compensation pick in the 2019 draft. Why the Cardinals did it: The Cardinals have been looking to add a superstar-caliber player for a
6:37 PM ET ESPN News Services The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly and infielder Andy Young, the teams announced Wednesday. The Diamondbacks also receive a 2019 Competitive Balance Round B draft pick from the Cardinals. One
7:06 AM ET CHICAGO — What happens when you don’t have the money to fix something that’s broken? Sometimes the answer is to find a creative solution instead. That’s seemingly what the Chicago Cubs‘ front office is facing this winter as it attempts to improve its club without spending gobs of money on free agents.
1:26 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Former Seattle Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. has been hired as pitching coach for the Miami Marlins. Also joining manager Don Mattingly’s staff is former Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman, who will be first base and infield coach. Like Mattingly and Marlins CEO Derek Jeter, Stottlemyre