Fan News

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon defended himself Saturday after Aroldis Chapman criticized his usage in the World Series.

The Chicago White Sox and first baseman Jose Abreu reached an agreement Saturday on a one-year contract extension to avoid arbitration.

Holiday shopping isn't limited to citizens, as all 30 Major League Baseball teams continue to scour the market to find trades that will benefit them in 2017 and beyond. 

Just as all of us are doing deep research on whether The Last Guardian or Final Fantasy XV is the better holiday video-game release to purchase, front offices are vigorously debating the best way to approach things with a free-agent investment or deal will make the most impact. 

I hate to break it to the following MLB teams, but, um, well...it may be too late for them to save their best-laid plans for the winter.

In fairness, the hot stove season isn't a walk in the park. It's more like a stroll through a minefield. Things don't always go as planned even for teams that carefully chart their courses.

It's a story as old as Hollywood itself: A talented performer from the Midwest packs his or her bags and heads to Southern California to seek stardom.

If the Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins, that yarn could unspool on the MLB stage next season.

First, the latest rumor, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan:

The Miami Marlins and free-agent relief pitcher Brad Ziegler agreed to a two-year contract worth $16 million plus incentives, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal on Friday. 

Although closer Aroldis Chapman helped deliver the Chicago Cubs a World Series title last season, he delivered a parting shot Friday after his return to the New York Yankees became official.

The big story coming into Major League Baseball's offseason was how teams would play the trade market, because this year's crop of free agents wasn't particularly impressive. 

Not every baseball fan keeps an eye on prospect development and the minor league ranks, but most are familiar with the top prospects around the league.

It wasn't just Boston Red Sox fans and Washington Nationals fans whose ears perked up when they heard that Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito had been traded during the winter meetings.

So what exactly is it that makes a previously unheralded prospect a household name? We'll lump them into two categories:

The week after baseball’s winter meetings often represents a calm in the offseason. Having engaged in unrelenting trade and free-agent discussions, teams step back and evaluate their roster to date.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop asking questions.

Several of the moves have prompted forward-looking thoughts about the upcoming season. Sure, there’s still work to be done, players to be signed and trades to be worked out.