Let's Do This, St. Louis!  —  First things first: No one could ever replace Yadier Molina.  We all know that.  —  It's impossible.  Actually, if there's some word that means even more impossible than the word impossible ... that's what it is.  —  Yadier Molina is a legend.

Xander Bogaerts to sign 11-year, $280 million deal with Padres, bringing end to 10-year tenure with Red Sox  —  SAN DIEGO — For the better part of the last year, Xander Bogaerts hoped to agree to a long-term contract that would allow him to finish his career with the Red Sox.

Big catch: Cardinals' record offer lures former Cub Willson Contreras to new home  —  SAN DIEGO — What better way to get to know the Cardinals' first new everyday catcher in nearly 20 years than to ask the person he once shared a position with, long shared a dugout beside, and now has to face Willson Contreras as a division rival.

Aaron Judge's role in Yankees' free-agency push for Carlos Rodon  —  SAN DIEGO — The Yankees are targeting Carlos Rodon following the record Aaron Judge deal for a variety of reasons, such as:  —  1. They understand they still need to close the gap with the Astros;

‘I have no words’: What MLB evaluators are saying about Masataka Yoshida's $90 million deal with Red Sox  —  It's important to start with this context before diving into the industrywide reviews of the Boston Red Sox signing Masataka Yoshida, a free agent outfielder from Japan who received a five-year …

Where Braves stand in Swanson market  —  This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter.  To read the full newsletter, click here.  And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.  —  Remember when I wrote “maybe I'm a glutton for punishment” while predicting Dansby …

Dolphins hope to get Eric Fisher up to speed quickly as veteran brings much-needed playoff experience  —  Newly acquired offensive tackle Eric Fisher talks about the opportunity to join and play for a winning Miami Dolphins team. (, /South Florida Sun Sentinel)  —  LOS ANGELES — Eric Fisher has won a Super Bowl in Miami.

How Mets' Justin Verlander transformed body to extend dominance  —  One of the worst years of Justin Verlander's career came in his ninth full season in the big leagues in 2014.  —  It started with core muscle surgery, the effects of which lingered throughout the year and forced him to compensate …

Crane Kenney on Cubs: ‘We may be in the 3rd inning of our offseason in terms of how the roster will look come February’  —  (670 The Score) The Cubs made a pair of key additions in right-hander Jameson Taillon and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger at the Winter Meetings earlier this week …

D-Backs' outfielders drawing heavy interest as meetings conclude  —  SAN DIEGO — As Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings wound down on Wednesday evening, the Diamondbacks were still holding their full stable of talented, young outfielders.  A trade, club officials said, was not close.

USC's Caleb Williams adds Maxwell, Walter Camp, AP awards to growing collection  —  The Trojans quarterback, who is the first USC player since running back Marcus Allen in 1981 to win the Maxwell, received 32 of the 46 first-place votes and 117 total points from AP Top 25 poll voters to win the AP award

Former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett a finalist for Stanford head coach opening: Sources  —  Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has emerged as a finalist for the Stanford head-coaching job, multiple sources with knowledge of the search process told The Athletic on Thursday.

How the Nets are attempting to minimize Kevin Durant's workload  —  Fewer shootarounds.  More pregame walkthroughs.  New rotations.  Hopefully some blowout games.  The Nets are doing whatever it takes to save their star for the end of the season.  —  Reducing Kevin Durant's workload …