MLB winter meetings preview: Trade rumors, Ohtani news, more  —  Finally, after a month of relative inaction, Major League Baseball's offseason is primed to pop off.  Over the next few weeks, executives and agents expect a deluge of free agent signings and big-name trades.

Where Yankees stand in push to land both Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto  —  The Yankees' currently are focused on two top targets - Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.  —  They have relatively high hopes for both - although there's much more competition for Yamamoto.

Sources: Momentum stalls — for now at least — on Yankees/Padres Juan Soto talks  —  Yanks believe Padres are asking too much for one-year rental player  —  POPULAR IN THE COMMUNITY  —  MORE FROM SNY  —  Meier back in Devils lineup; Hamilton, Nosek out indefinitely

Blue Jays emerging as surprise entrant in Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes  —  The Jays are an interesting surprise entrant for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.  They couldn't confirm he's planning a visit but one Jays person said he heard Ohtani liked previous stops there.

Maverick Carter told feds he used illegal bookie to bet thousands on NBA  —  LOS ANGELES — Maverick Carter, the longtime manager and business partner of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, admitted to betting on NBA games through an illegal bookie, according to federal law enforcement records reviewed by The Washington Post.

Update on Yankees' Juan Soto trade talks: Teams talking players, but not close on agreement  —  New York continues to explore a trade, and see if the sides can find a fit  —  POPULAR IN THE COMMUNITY  —  MORE FROM SNY  —  Knicks advance to Knockout Round of In-Season Tourney as a wild card

Rangers face uncertainty in free agency, plus Yankees' payroll, White Sox's options for Cease  —  World Series champions almost always count on a boost in revenue, and often increase their payrolls accordingly.  The Texas Rangers, coming off their first Series title, still figure to follow such a path.

Chris Young: Rangers won't spend like they have in recent past, but can still add utility  —  The Rangers have somewhere in the $13-15 million range to spend to stay under the tax.  —  Chris Young said the quiet parts out loud Thursday.  —  Not that he needed to.

Yankees claim Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez  —  The 2022 Cleveland cult hero is heading to New York.  —  The Yankees have acquired an outfielder from another organization.  No, it isn't the possible Juan Soto trade that everyone is dreaming about.  Instead, it's righty hitter Oscar Gonzalez of the Cleveland Guardians.

Reds, RHP Nick Martinez agree to $26M deal, sources say  —  Right-hander Nick Martinez and the Cincinnati Reds agreed on a two-year, $26 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN, capping a busy Wednesday in which the Reds bulked up their pitching staff …

Sonny Gray welcomes leading role in Cardinals' rotation.  ‘You want someone with edge.’  —  Before he took his seat on the dais at Busch Stadium or slipped on his new Cardinals No. 54 jersey, Sonny Gray set down the baseball he brought along on the trip and had been carrying around in his right hand.

Retired Nelson Cruz joins Dodgers as adviser  —  Longtime major league outfielder Nelson Cruz has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as an adviser who is expected to work mostly out of the team's academy in his native Dominican Republic, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.