Top News:
MLB.com:
A letter to baseball fans — To our Fans: — I first want to thank you for your continued support of the great game of baseball. This past season, we were reminded of how the national pastime can bring us together and restore our hope despite the difficult challenges of a global pandemic.
Discussion:
New York Times, theScore.com, The Athletic, MLB Trade Rumors, CBSSports.com, Sports Illustrated, Bloomberg, Major League Baseball …, Royals Review, NBCSports.com, Kansas City Star, The Ringer, Associated Press, Baseball Prospectus, Courier-Journal, AZ Snake Pit, Bleacher Nation, Phillies Nation, Rox Pile, Call to the Pen, MLB Baseball News …, Mercury News, Bleed Cubbie Blue, FanGraphs Baseball, Cubs Insider, Fish Stripes, CBS Miami, MLB Daily Dish, Redleg Nation, Sportico, NBC Boston, WKRG-TV, Over the Monster, True Blue LA, Viva El Birdos, CBS Los Angeles, Amazin' Avenue, CBS San Francisco, Inside the Crown and Yahoo Sports
RELATED:
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:
Cubs Insider and New York Post
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, Brew Crew Ball, Bleacher Nation, Pinstripe Alley and The Athletic
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:
The Athletic, Talking Chop, Sports Illustrated, MLB Baseball News …, MLB Trade Rumors and Wide Right & Natty Lite
Joon Lee / ESPN:
Advocates for Minor Leaguers forms steering committee to give players a voice, push for better conditions — NEW YORK — While the owners and Major League Baseball players intend to collectively bargain for the terms of their next agreement, one group will not be at the table during those discussions: minor leaguers.
Discussion:
Purple Row
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:
CBS San Francisco, USA Today, The Spun, Bleacher Nation, Lone Star Ball, Twinkie Town and 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:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, CBSSports.com, Associated Press, The Good Phight, The Athletic and NBCSports.com
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 …
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
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Everything you need to know about MLB's lockout
Everything you need to know about MLB's lockout
Discussion:
Twinkie Town, Kansas City Star, Dodgers Nation, Bless You Boys, Bleacher Nation, Cubs Insider and Talking Chop
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:
Dodgers Digest, Purple Row, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Nation, Marc Normandin …, Yahoo News, 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 Trade Rumors, Fish Stripes, MLB Baseball News … and FanGraphs Baseball
Jonas Shaffer / Baltimore Sun:
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on ‘horrible’ performance vs. Browns: ‘I played like a rookie’ — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn't have a lot of nice things to say about how he played Sunday night in a win over the Cleveland Browns. — “It was a horrible game,” Jackson said Wednesday.
Discussion:
Orange County Register
RELATED:
Toby Cudworth / 90min EN:
West Ham identify Nathan Ake as January transfer target — West Ham are interested in signing Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake, with the club seeking cover for the injured Angelo Ogbonna, who is expected to miss the rest of the season. — The Hammers were dealt a major blow …
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated and Man City Square
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
Associated Press:
Reliever Daniel Hudson returns to Dodgers on 1-year deal — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson has returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a $7 million, one-year contract. — The Dodgers announced the deal Tuesday night for Hudson, who pitched in 40 games for Los Angeles in 2018.
Discussion:
True Blue LA