The MLB Winter Meetings are over, but the rumor mill is still on fire. This offseason has been a lot like a game of dominoes, once the two biggest ones fell (Japanese star pitcher/outfielder Shohei Otani and NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton) the smaller ones started to fall. Here are all the latest MLB news & rumors you need to know:
Orioles to keep Manny Machado
The Baltimore Orioles were taking offers for star Manny Machado for the past week, but after not receiving any that enticed them, they are choosing to keep Machado for the 2018 season, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Several teams who were in negotiations with the #Orioles now also believe that Manny Machado is staying put for now, perhaps all of the way to trade deadline
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 21, 2017
Machado, who will be a free agent after the season, batted .259 with 33 homers and 95 RBIs in 156 games this past season.
Giants targeting Jacoby Ellsbury
The New York Yankees have been looking into trading Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason, and the San Francisco Giants are working to acquire him, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Jacoby Ellsbury was said early this winter not to want to waive his full no-trade clause, but word now is that he might consider waiving it for a select few teams, and the San Francisco Giants could be one of them.
Ellsbury could fit in as the Giants' center fielder, whereas with the Yankees he seems destined to be the fourth outfielder, as Yankees people say they are going with Aaron Hicks in center field. Ellsbury lives in the Phoenix area, so the Giants' spring home in Scottsdale would be a plus for him, too.
Ellsbury hit .264 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs in 112 games this season.
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Eric Hosmer picking between Padres, Royals
Kansas City Royals star first baseman Eric Hosmer is one of the top free agents available this offseason, but it's not a guarantee that he'll be playing elsewhere next season. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Kansas City "looking like the Padres' main competition" for Hosmer.
The #Royals have focused more on Eric Hosmer than their other big free agents, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, sources say. They're looking like the #Padres main competition for Hosmer. But can they wait so long that Duda, LoMo and the other Plan B's drop off the board?
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 21, 2017
The 28-year-old posted a career-best .318/.385/.498 batting line with 25 home runs and 94 RBI over 162 games in 2017. With the Royals in likely rebuilding mode, getting Hosmer back would be critical considering the Royals other big-name free agents (Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas) might not be re-signing.
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