Top News:
New York Post:
Rickey Henderson, Hall of Famer and MLB's all-time stolen bases leader, dead at 65 — Rickey Henderson, a Baseball Hall of Famer and MLB's all-time stolen bases leader, has died, The Post has confirmed. — He was 65. — Henderson, a 10-time All-Star and 1990 American League MVP …
Discussion:
NBC Sports Bay Area …, Mercury News, Battery Power, San Francisco Chronicle, Front Office Sports, Newsday, Boston Herald, The San Francisco Standard, South Side Sox, New Jersey Online, baseballmusings.com, New York Daily News, Athletics Nation, MLB Trade Rumors, Pinstripe Alley, MLB.com, Yahoo Sports, Last Word On Baseball, WFAA-TV, Bleacher Nation and Marquee Sports Network, more at WeSmirch »
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TMZ.com:
Oakland A's Legend Rickey Henderson Dead at 65 — RICKEY HENDERSON MLB HALL OF FAMER DEAD AT 65 … Baseball's “Man of Steal,” Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is dead after a bout with pneumonia ... TMZ has learned. — Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Henderson passed away Friday …
Michael S. Rosenwald / New York Times:
Rickey Henderson, Baseball's Flamboyant ‘Man of Steal,’ Dies at 65 — Widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, he was not just one of the game's most exciting players, but also one of its most eccentric. — Rickey Henderson, the thrilling and charismatic Hall …
MLB.com:
Could Goldschmidt AND Arenado end up on Yankees? — With first baseman Christian Walker off the free-agent market after agreeing to sign with the Astros, the Yankees' interest in adding veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is rapidly increasing, sources told MLB.com on Friday.
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Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Sources: Astros, Christian Walker reach 3-year, $60M deal — The Houston Astros and free agent first baseman Christian Walker have agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN amid multiple reports Friday. — The deal is pending a physical exam, a source told ESPN.
Ken Rosenthal / New York Times:
MLB notes: The latest on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and the Blue Jays' offseason — Picture the Toronto Blue Jays keeping first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. long-term. Trading shortstop Bo Bichette. Signing free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. — None of those outcomes is particularly likely.
Discussion:
CBSSports.com, Last Word On Baseball, MLB Trade Rumors, UPI, Bleacher Nation, Plain Dealer, MLB.com, NESN.com, NBC Sports Bay Area … and Sportsnet.ca
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals All-Star Nolan Arenado declines deal to Astros, but trade talks ongoing: Sources
Cardinals All-Star Nolan Arenado declines deal to Astros, but trade talks ongoing: Sources
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, New York Times, Last Word On Baseball and NESN.com
MLB.com:
Arenado blocks potential trade to Astros (sources)
Arenado blocks potential trade to Astros (sources)
Discussion:
Cup of Coffee, Last Word On Baseball, FanGraphs Baseball, Viva El Birdos, CBSSports.com, Pinstripe Alley, ESPN, MLB Trade Rumors, Foul Territory on YouTube, New Jersey Online, Dallas Morning News, cubsinsider.com, NESN.com, Sports Illustrated, New York Times, The Good Phight, Battery Power, Lone Star Ball, Sportsnet.ca, Yahoo Sports and Red Reporter
CNN:
Party City is going out of business — New York CNN — Party City is closing down all of its stores, ending nearly 40 years in business, CNN has learned. — CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees Friday in a meeting viewed by CNN that Party City is “winding down” …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times
Jorge Castillo / ESPN:
Yankees trade Trevino to Reds for Cruz, Jackson — The New York Yankees traded catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for right-hander Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson, the teams announced Friday. — The move represents a passing of the torch behind the plate for the Yankees.
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Anthony Franco / MLB Trade Rumors:
Yankees, Reds Swap Jose Trevino For Fernando Cruz
Yankees, Reds Swap Jose Trevino For Fernando Cruz
Discussion:
Associated Press, New Jersey Online, Yahoo Sports, MLB.com and Pinstripe Alley
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Rickey Henderson's lifelong friend Dave Stewart ‘cant wrap my head around’ death — PHOENIX — Former Oakland Athletics great Dave Stewart was exhausted, his voice raspy and eyes watery, as his mind drifted over all of the memories. — This didn't seem real.
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, New York Times, Orlando Sentinel and Mercury News
Ken Rosenthal / New York Times:
Dodgers explore right-handed hitting alternatives beyond free-agent Teoscar Hernández — As negotiations with free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández remain at an impasse, the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are exploring a number of intriguing right-handed hitting alternatives.
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, NESN.com and MLB Trade Rumors
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Dodgers, Mets, Yankees top MLB-record 9 luxury tax offenders — A record nine MLB teams were over the luxury tax threshold for 2024, according to a memo sent to teams Friday and obtained by ESPN. — The result was a record $311 million paid in penalties, led by the Los Angeles Dodgers who are paying $103,016,896.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Orange County Register, True Blue LA and The Good Phight
Christopher Crawford / NBCSports.com:
Astros sign Christian Walker to three-year deal: 2025 fantasy outlook, contract details — One of the more intriguing storylines of this offseason was seeing where some of the free-agent bats were going to land, and in particular, the first base market seemed to be a waiting game to see what team …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Passan's MLB free agency, trade intel: Arenado, Bregman, more — Major League Baseball's free agent market has cooled since a red-hot stretch at MLB's winter meetings that included middle- and lower-tier free agents landing strong deals in addition to Juan Soto's record $765 million contract with the New York Mets.