MLB

Facing an offseason of change and uncertainty, the Toronto Blue Jays are bringing back first baseman Justin Smoak on a one-year deal for 2016. 

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Blue Jays tendered Smoak a contract worth $3.9 million ahead of Wednesday's midnight deadline for teams to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players. 

Needing depth for their rebuilding roster in 2016, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed outfielder Peter Bourjos off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. 

Last year, the San Diego Padres systematically decimated their farm system in order to build a winning team. Now, general manager A.J. Preller is rebuilding that same farm system.

After spending three years as the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach, Mark McGwire is heading down Interstate 5 to become the bench coach for the San Diego Padres. 

The Oakland Athletics acquired first baseman Yonder Alonso from the San Diego Padres on Wednesday in exchange for pitcher Drew Pomeranz, pitching prospect Jose Torres and a player to be named later, according to the team.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported the trade.

Free agency in Major League Baseball has to be an agonizing event, though it's also the most excited fans will get before games actually begin.   

It's painful because rumors constantly swirl, often contradicting each other, so no one knows what is true and what is just white noise. Finding the right balance between agents or teams trying to drive the market in their favor is critical. 

The reigning world champion Kansas City Royals added some depth Wednesday by acquiring catcher Tony Cruz from the rival St. Louis Cardinals.

The Royals announced that they sent minor league infielder Jose Martinez to the Cards in exchange for the 29-year-old backstop.

After a magnificent start to 2015 for the San Francisco Giants, outfielder Nori Aoki suffered a concussion and was unable to return to action for a prolonged period of time.  

Most of the world looks forward to the holidays when December arrives, but Major League Baseball takes the stage first with the winter meetings beginning in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 7. 

Even though there have been a few notable trades and free-agent signings thus far, the real action will start with all 30 teams under the same roof. Free agents will get all of the attention, but trade winds are going to be more fascinating simply because more teams can play in those waters. 

1. The Budding Red Sox-Tigers Rivalry

The beautiful thing about sports is that the landscape is ever-changing and the competition is ever fiercer, and a couple of years after Torii Hunter lands upside-down in a bullpen in Boston in October, things between the Tigers and Red Sox can get even stranger.