Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes may force Juan Soto to wait for trade  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One tipoff that Juan Soto will likely be traded is the Padres have yet to make the multiyear offer they originally suggested they would make.  —  If pressed, Padres people will only admit it's better …

Shohei Ohtani, Blue Jays believed to have met Monday at team's Florida complex  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In the clearest sign yet of the Blue Jays' interest in Shohei Ohtani, club officials are believed to have met Monday with the Japanese superstar at the team's spring-training complex in Dunedin, Fla.

Mets could target Blake Snell as a Yoshinobu Yamamoto fallback plan  —  While rival teams were suggesting they viewed the Mets as a big player for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, many believe that is far from a certainty with every big-spending team in the mix.

Mariners' momentum continues to fade after trade of Jarred Kelenic  —  Some thoughts on the Mariners' end of their trade Sunday night with the Braves, in which Seattle traded outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White for right-hander Jackson Kowar and minor-league righty Cole Phillips:

Leyland, postseason manager extraordinaire, elected to Hall  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With his gray hair and mustache, his crusty countenance and his penchant for sneaking cigarettes during games, Jim Leyland long looked the part of the venerable, veteran skipper.

Zach Wilson reluctant to step back into starting role as Jets mull QB change: Sources  —  The New York Jets are prepared to make another switch at quarterback — but their top choice is reluctant to take on the job.  The team is leaning toward turning back to Zach Wilson to start but he is hesitant …

James Harden unplugged: On Sixers/Daryl Morey divorce, early LA Clippers days and more  —  SAN FRANCISCO — James Harden is weighing his options again.  —  It's late Thursday at Chase Center, some five months after he chose to issue his third trade request in the past four seasons and 20 minutes …

Rhys Hoskins Rumors: Cubs ‘remain in contact’ with free-agent slugger  —  Rhys Hoskins is now a free agent after spending the first seven years of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies.  —  Despite missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL, Hoskins' market is expected to be robust considering the shortage of top bats in free agency.

Zaidi, SF Giants wait out Day 1 of Winter Meetings as Ohtani's decision creates ‘traffic jam dynamic’  —  SF Giants president of baseball Farhan Zaidi: “For teams that are sort of hunting at the top of the market, it's good because you want to feel like there are a lot of options on the board once things start happening.”

Cardinals exploring trade offers for Tyler O'Neill, other outfielders, says John Mozeliak  —  NASHVILLE — In what could be considered an annual rite of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings, the Cardinals are exploring trades that could reduce the number of outfielders on the roster.

Yankees have a secret weapon to put Yoshinobu Yamamoto in pinstripes  —  NASHVILLE - I ran into an American League executive on Monday.  Like all conversations at the Winter Meetings, the exchange quickly turned into a bargaining session.  Here you trade in news updates.  —  “What are you hearing?” he began.

Phillies Extend Manager Rob Thomson  —  The Phillies have extended the contract of manager Rob Thomson through the 2025 season, per a team announcement.  He'd previously been signed through the 2024 campaign, so this will tack another year onto his deal and prevent him from entering the coming season with lame-duck status.