What's behind the trade talks with Juan Soto, Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman  —  Anything can happen at this time of year, but the reported trade discussions involving star position players such as Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman seemingly are more a reflection …

MLB free agency 2023: Ten teams to watch as free agency picks up  —  For nearly a month now, baseball's offseason has operated at a relative standstill.  That soon will change.  Because the hard reality of every winter in baseball will win out, regardless of the pace at which transactions occur …

Oakland-area fans start Ballers, an independent baseball team  —  If the Oakland A's leave for Las Vegas, the East Bay will still have a baseball team to root for.  —  The Oakland B's.  —  A consortium of dozens of Oakland-area fans, led by a pair of high school friends …

Goold's chat: Does signing All-Star Sonny Gray cap Cardinals' rotation revival?  —  Bring your Cardinals questions and comments to the weekly baseball chat only at StlToday.com.  —  Follow along below in the window or the real-time transcript that appears below the chat interface.

Brewers discussing deal with top prospect Jackson Chourio that could influence team's direction  —  The Milwaukee Brewers are talking with top outfield prospect Jackson Chourio about a landmark contract that could influence the direction of their offseason and the makeup of their 2024 roster.

Andre Dawson fighting the odds to get his Hall of Fame plaque's cap changed.  ‘My preference all along was as a Cub.’  —  Andre Dawson never has let the odds bother him.  —  The former Chicago Cubs slugger overcame 12 knee surgeries during his 21-year, Hall of Fame career …

Hendriks, Bellinger win Comeback Player of the Year Awards  —  Liam Hendriks and Cody Bellinger were named the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year in the American League and National League, respectively, on Tuesday.  They were honored for seasons that were triumphant for very different reasons.

Sources: Bobby Petrino to be Arkansas offensive coordinator  —  Bobby Petrino has agreed to become the next offensive coordinator at Arkansas, and the two sides are finalizing the deal, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.  —  The former Razorbacks head coach is slated to be on campus in Fayetteville on Wednesday.

Detroit Tigers sign 24-year-old former prospect Ryan Vilade to minor-league contract  —  The Detroit Tigers signed utility player Ryan Vilade, a 24-year-old former prospect who had a .370 on-base percentage at the Triple-A level last season, to a minor-league contract.

Phillies, Jose Ruiz Agree To Minor League Deal  —  The Phillies and right-handed reliever Jose Ruiz have agreed to a minor league contract, reports Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors.  He'll be invited to major league spring training this year and compete for a spot on the roster.

Sources: Free agent Kenta Maeda, Tigers reach 2-year, $24M deal  —  Right-hander Kenta Maeda and the Tigers agreed Sunday on a two-year, $24 million contract, lengthening Detroit's rotation as it hopes to improve on a 78-84 finish in the winnable American League Central, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.

What Steve Clifford said after LaMelo Ball's injury in Charlotte Hornets' loss to Orlando  —  Some 24 hours prior to the Charlotte Hornets embarking on their current road trip, Steve Clifford was eager to see how things would shake out during these final days of November.  —  “This is a tough week,” the coach said.

Cubs plan to be all in on Shohei Ohtani pursuit until the end  —  (670 The Score) This time around, the Cubs are on a more level playing field in their pursuit of two-way star Shohei Ohtani in free agency.  —  Back in late 2017, there was no designated hitter in the National League …