Top News:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Major League Baseball lockout appears imminent after negotiations end abruptly — IRVING, Texas — A lockout of Major League Baseball players appeared imminent after talks between the league and union ended after just seven minutes of negotiations Wednesday afternoon, less than 12 hours …
Discussion:
MLB.com, NBCSports.com, MLB Baseball News …, Brew Crew Ball, Bleacher Nation and Pinstripe Alley
RELATED:
USA Today:
MLB lockout is on after collective bargaining agreement expires, owners agree to freeze out players — With Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players' Association expiring at midnight Wednesday evening, the league's 30 owners voted to lock out players beginning Thursday …
Discussion:
Courier-Journal, MLB Trade Rumors, Bloomberg, Talking Chop, The Ringer and Wide Right & Natty Lite
Matthew Roberson / New York Daily News:
It's impossible to take Rob Manfred and the owners seriously — Welcome to the Rob Manfred show. — For the foreseeable future, the only official public comments from Major League Baseball seem like they'll be filtered through Manfred, the commissioner who held a press conference on Thursday morning to officially welcome a lockout.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
MLB, MLBPA fail to reach new labor agreement; league in 1st lockout since 1990 — IRVING, Texas — Major League Baseball locked out its players early Thursday morning, certifying the game's first work stoppage in more than a quarter-century after months of talks yielded little progress toward a new labor contract.
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated and The Athletic
Joon Lee / ESPN:
What we do in the shadows: Locked-out players play into MLB's scrubbed pages — NEW YORK — Within minutes of locking out players Thursday amid contentious negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball scrubbed all remnants of player likenesses off …
Discussion:
New York Post and Cubs Insider
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Major League Baseball, players union no closer to deal with collective bargaining agreement set to expire, sources say
Major League Baseball, players union no closer to deal with collective bargaining agreement set to expire, sources say
Discussion:
The Athletic, USA Today, MLB Trade Rumors, Jays Journal, Royals Review, Sports Illustrated, MLB.com, MLB - The Athletic and Bleacher Nation
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Everything you need to know about MLB's lockout
Everything you need to know about MLB's lockout
Discussion:
Twinkie Town, Dodgers Nation, Kansas City Star, Bless You Boys, Bleacher Nation, Cubs Insider, CBS Los Angeles, Viva El Birdos and Talking Chop
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
MLB lockout: No more negotiations scheduled ahead of Wednesday night CBA expiration
MLB lockout: No more negotiations scheduled ahead of Wednesday night CBA expiration
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Bradford William Davis / Insider:
Major League Baseball secretly used 2 different types of baseballs last season
Major League Baseball secretly used 2 different types of baseballs last season
Discussion:
Purple Row, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Nation, Yahoo News, Marc Normandin …, Fish Stripes and FanSided
Alex Speier / The Boston Globe:
Milton's Rich Hill, Red Sox pair up again on free-agent deal — With Major League Baseball's clock ticking towards a midnight lockout by owners and a resulting transaction freeze, the Red Sox continued to bolster their rotation. According to a major league source, the team reached agreement …
Miami Herald:
Miami Marlins intent on adding another starting outfielder — Miami Marlins notes as we begin a lockout during which major-league player transactions are prohibited: — ▪ The Marlins began the offseason hoping to sign both Starling Marte and Avisail Garcia and pair them with Jesus Sanchez in the outfield.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
RELATED:
David Furones / Sun-Sentinel:
One of Dolphins' oft-injured receivers returns to practice, but the other is not yet ready — MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins are making progress on getting one of their injured wide receivers back, but the other is still not ready to return to the practice field after two months on injured reserve.
ESPN:
Source: Arizona Diamondbacks, MLB saves leader Mark Melancon agree to two-year, $14 million deal — Right-handed reliever Mark Melancon and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a two-year contact on Wednesday, the team announced. — Terms were not disclosed, but a source familiar …
ESPN:
Boston Red Sox send Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee Brewers for Jackie Bradley Jr., two prospects — The Red Sox and Brewers swung a significant trade Wednesday night just ahead of the lockout, with Boston shipping outfielder Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee for a package centered around Jackie Bradley Jr.
Discussion:
Chowder and Champions
MLB.com:
A note about our website content — You may notice that the content on this site looks a little different than usual. The reason for this is because the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and the league expired just before midnight on Dec. 1 and a new CBA is currently …
Discussion:
USA Today, Bleacher Nation, Twinkie Town, The Spun, CBS San Francisco and Lone Star Ball
Jonas Shaffer / Baltimore Sun:
Ravens film study: The most surprising part of QB Lamar Jackson's struggles? Where they're happening. — After the lowest-rated passing game of his career, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was asked for a common denominator. He had just thrown four interceptions. What, if anything, did the plays have in common?
Discussion:
Denver Post, Mercury News and Baltimore Beatdown