Top News:
Baseball America:
2024 MLB Farm System Talent Rankings — Image credit: Jackson Holliday (Photo by Isaiah Jones) — For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball. — Baltimore is built for the long run. The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season …
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Kiley McDaniel / ESPN:
2024 MLB farm system rankings: Prospect insights, predictions — Now that we have ranked the top 100 MLB prospects heading into the 2024 season, let's see how all 30 major league farm systems compare. — While it's nice to have baseball's best farm system, it is still one degree removed …
Discussion:
True Blue LA and Lone Star Ball
Brendan Coffey / Sportico:
Theo Epstein Returns to Fenway Sports as Part Owner, Advisor — One-time Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is returning to the organization, taking part ownership of Fenway Sports Group and joining in the role of senior advisor, FSG will announce Friday morning.
Morning Call:
Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow, forecasting early spring — Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow Friday, predicting an early spring from Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania, the scene of the country's largest and best known Groundhog Day celebration.
Discussion:
CNN, Associated Press, masslive.com, New York Post, Washington Post, KGW-TV, LevittownNow.com, New York Daily News, Mercury News, KTVX-TV, Decider, New Jersey Online and Plain Dealer
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John Misinco / Morning Call:
Replay: Groundhog Day 2024: Did Phil see his shadow? — UPDATE: Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow, forecasting early spring — Groundhog Day has arrived, and all eyes are on Punxsutawney Phil as he makes his annual weather prediction Friday morning.
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times, KTVX-TV, KUSA-TV, masslive.com, KGW-TV, Plain Dealer and New Jersey Online
Jake Fischer / Yahoo Sports:
This year's NBA trade market hindered by a lack of significant activity — Less than a week remains before the NBA's trade deadline, and yet news and noise around the league has been few and far between. The Houston Rockets trading the injured Victor Oladipo and his expiring contract …
Discussion:
masslive.com, Bleacher Nation, Silver Screen and Roll, Hoops Rumors, ClutchPoints, Canis Hoopus, Bullets Forever and Sactown Sports
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The Athletic:
How the Rockets rebuild is accelerating ahead of schedule — with Houston star hunting at the trade deadline
Discussion:
The Dream Shake, NESN.com, ClutchPoints, masslive.com, Hoops Rumors, Arizona Sports, CelticsBlog and Bleacher Nation
Michael Scotto / HoopsHype:
NBA Trade Deadline Rumors: Knicks, Clippers, Jazz, Rockets, Hawks, Nets, Wizards
Discussion:
NetsDaily, Hoops Rumors, ClutchPoints, Liberty Ballers, Brew Hoop, The Athletic, Bullets Forever and New York Daily News
New York Times:
Tartine's Country Bread — 2 weeks (or 2 days with active starter) — The country bread from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco has reached cult status among passionate bakers, and deservedly so. Based on traditional principles, Mr. Robertson has developed a way to get a tangy …
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Tiney Ricciardi / Denver Post:
Denver baker demystifies baking sourdough bread at altitude — Ismael De Sousa, owner of Reunion bakery, offers tips for successfully baking in Colorado's unique climate — For the record, baker Ismael De Sousa isn't a fan of the word “sourdough.” — “I think this is the only place …
Discussion:
Mercury News and Baltimore Sun
Pamela Wood / The Baltimore Banner:
Orioles sale left state leaders in the dark, capping year of difficult negotiations — Baltimore Orioles Chairman John Angelos did not give Maryland Gov. Wes Moore a heads-up that he was selling the team on Tuesday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, ESPN, Baltimore Sun, The Athletic, The Good Phight and Camden Chat
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The Athletic:
Industry analysts and MLB insiders on the Orioles' $1.725 billion valuation: ‘Low’
Discussion:
Sportico, FanGraphs Baseball, The Athletic, Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Banner, Camden Chat and BaltimoreBaseball.com
John Ourand / Puck:
The Orioles Prepare for Private Equity Control
Discussion:
ClutchPoints, Baltimore Sun, Camden Chat, MLB Trade Rumors, Yahoo Sports, Marc Normandin …, BaltimoreBaseball.com, masslive.com, The Baltimore Banner, USA Today, Field of Schemes, The Athletic, Lookout Landing, Sportico, Washingtonian, Pinstripe Alley, Last Word On Baseball, Associated Press, DraftKings Network, The Messenger and New York Post
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Orioles acquire former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from Brewers — MLB, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers — The Baltimore Orioles have acquired former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, the teams announced Thursday, giving up infielder Joey Ortiz …
Discussion:
Baltimore Sun, The Athletic, MLB Trade Rumors, FanGraphs Baseball, MLB.com, ClutchPoints, The Baltimore Banner, MASNsports.com, BaltimoreBaseball.com, DraftKings Network, NESN.com, New Jersey Online, Yahoo Sports, Pinstripe Alley, Camden Chat, New York Post, Brew Crew Ball, Dodgers Nation, Last Word On Baseball, Lone Star Ball, Bluebird Banter, Just Baseball, Boston Herald, New York Daily News, Baseball America, masslive.com, Bleacher Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue and baseballmusings.com
Will Sammon / The Athletic:
Mets close to agreement with reliever Jake Diekman: Sources — The New York Mets are close to an agreement with left-handed reliever Jake Diekman, league sources told The Athletic on Thursday. — Diekman would fit the profile the Mets were said to be looking for in their bullpen …
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Andy Martino / SNY:
Mets likely putting finishing touches on offseason work
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and MLB Trade Rumors
Jeff Agrest / Chicago Sun Times:
Marquee Sports Network will broadcast majority of Cubs spring-training games remotely — The lead tandem of Jon Sciambi and Jim Deshaies will be in Arizona for the first weekend of games at the end of this month. Most of the remaining games will be called remotely.
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, Cubs Insider and Bleed Cubbie Blue
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Diamond Sports agrees with Rangers, Guardians, Twins on cable contracts — MLB, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians — Diamond Sports Group, the regional sports operator hoping to emerge from bankruptcy, reached agreements with the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians …
Discussion:
Sportico, Plain Dealer and MLB Trade Rumors
USA Today:
Predictions for MLB's top remaining 2024 free agents: Who will sign Cy Young winner? — As the calendar flips to February with spring training just weeks away, some of Major League Baseball's best free agents remained unsigned. — It's been a relatively quiet winter (new Dodgers Shohei Ohtani …
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes, NESN.com, Bleacher Nation and NBC Sports Chicago
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Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Let's build a team from best remaining free agents
Discussion:
Last Word On Baseball and New Jersey Online
