Fan News

What a difference a year makes. In 2015, Rick Porcello had one of the worst seasons of his MLB career. In 2016, the Boston Red Sox ace is the American League Cy Young Award winner.

MLB shared the news on Twitter:

Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer has won the 2016 National League Cy Young Award, announced Major League Baseball.

The pitcher earned 25 first-place votes, per the Baseball Writers' Association of America, beating out Chicago Cubs starters Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks. Here is a full look at the voting results in a tightly contested race:

Few championships have meant more to a franchise than the Chicago Cubs' 2016 World Series title.

After 108 years without a title and 61 years since its last pennant, the team finally broke through with a Game 7 victory over the Cleveland Indians to win the title Nov. 2.

Former Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro has become a sought-after commodity on the free-agent market.

Continue for updates.

Braves Lead Among Suitors

Wednesday, Nov. 16

Per Buster Olney of ESPN, the Atlanta Braves are a top bidder for Castro's services.

After missing most of the 2016 season due to injury, veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton signed a two-year, $14 million free-agent deal with the Houston Astros on Wednesday. 

The Astros announced the signing, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports revealed the terms.

Mistakes are inevitable. Everyone makes them, including general managers of MLB teams.

They come in all shapes and sizes. From overpaying for a free agent to trades general managers wish they hadn't made to ignoring a glaring need on the roster, errors occur far more often than even the most honest baseball insider cares to admit.

Major League Baseball free agency doesn't always set up great for everyone.

Of course, there are players whose outstanding 2016 seasons positioned them well for a big payday this winter. But there are also those whose campaigns took a divergent path.

A handful of players had forgettable 2016 seasons, making them reclamation projects for whichever teams elect to sign them. But some might be worth the risk. Many are poised to have bounce-back seasons.

Who might be worth taking a chance on in this winter's free agency?

The winter meetings are just a few short weeks away as the MLB offseason figures to kick into full swing during the annual league-wide congregation that will take place this year from Dec. 4-8 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Every offseason brings a unique crop of free agents and trade targets, but this winter in particular will be a unique one thanks to a barren starting pitching market.

On Wednesday, it will be once more unto the breach in the war between old-school and new-school MLB awards voters.

It's a good time to be a bullpen ace.