Josh Donaldson hopes to spend rest of career with Braves  —  ATLANTA — Josh Donaldson needed the Braves.  —  The Braves needed Josh Donaldson.  —  Call this one a perfect match.  —  The slugging third baseman was officially introduced to Atlanta on Tuesday, joining the team he cheered for as a youngster.

Robinson Cano to the Mets?  As unlikely as it may sound, the two teams are still talking  —  Jeff McNeil is not looking over his shoulder - or at Twitter and MLB Network these days.  —  The infielder heard second hand that new GM Brodie Van Wagenen said he was “penciled in,” to be the Mets starting second baseman in 2019.

MLB has deal with MGM Resorts  —  MGM Resorts International became Major League Baseball's official gambling partner in the U.S. and Japan, a deal made as the sport tries to ensure more prevalent legal sports betting does not lead to any scandals of the type sparked by illegal wagers in its past.

Projecting Payrolls: Milwaukee Brewers  —  As we kick off the ninth installment of this series, here are links to the previous team payroll projections:  —  Los Angeles Dodgers  —  Los Angeles Angels  —  Atlanta Braves  —  New York Yankees  —  Chicago White Sox  —  Boston Red Sox

Joe Buck blames baseball's plodding pace for diminished World Series ratings: ‘The games were really not that compelling’  —  Count Joe Buck among those who thinks the action in this year's MLB postseason was lacking.  —  In a phone interview with WEEI.com, the longtime Fox broadcaster …

Jim Riggleman, Adam Guttridge hired as Mets blend the old with the new  —  The Mets bolstered their bench and analytics department with the additions of Riggleman and Guttridge, respectively.  —  The Mets came in with the old and the new on Tuesday.  —  On the same day they introduced …

Cubs Acquire Ronald Torreyes  —  The Cubs have acquired recently designated infielder Ronald Torreyes in a swap with the Yankees, per an announcement.  Cash or a player to be named later will head to New York in return.  —  Torreyes, 26, makes his way back to an organization that once had him as a minor-leaguer.

Cleveland Indians OF Michael Brantley named AL Comeback Player of the Year by peers  —  Brantley hit .309 over 143 games this past season with 89 runs scored, 17 home runs, and 76 RBIs.  —  He may very well have played his last game in an Indians uniform, but Michael Brantley continues to make an impact.

Tony Clark to Continue as Executive Director of MLB Players Association  —  The union voted to keep Clark in his position through at least 2022  —  One year after the worst employment market for baseball players in memory, the MLB Players Association has decided to stand behind its leader …

Dodgers Acquire Adam McCreery, Designate Pat Venditte  —  The Dodgers announced Wednesday that they've acquired left-hander Adam McCreery from the Braves in exchange for cash.  To open a spot on the 40-man roster, switch-pitcher Pat Venditte was designated for assignment.

Suburban Chicago native Curtis Granderson voted baseball's Man of the Year for 3rd time by players  —  Free agent outfielder Curtis Granderson, a suburban Chicago native, became the first three-time winner of the Marvin Miller Man of the Year, part of the players' association's Players Choice Awards.

Yankees suddenly facing battle for their top free-agent target … The last time the Yankees and Phillies competed in a high-stakes setting, the Yankees copped the 2009 World Series title and christened the latest rendition of Yankee Stadium in a grand way.  —  Nine years later …

Less talking by Cubs manager Joe Maddon?  Say it ain't so  —  Photos of Joe Maddon, the 2015 NL Manager of the Year.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  A local radio station once used the slogan “Less talk, more rock” in advertisements, an idea Cubs manager Joe Maddon seems willing to embrace in his walk year.

A dad again, Andrus will have extra mentoring to do with Rangers' kids in 2019  —  The player who is expected to step into the primary leadership role for the Texas Rangers now has another member of his own team.  —  Elvis Andrus posted to the world Tuesday on social media that his wife …