Baseball

Before the San Francisco Giants' run of even-year championships was killed by their bullpen at the end of 2016, it was wounded by their lack of power.

Their leading home run hitter was Brandon Belt, who cranked just 17 homers. 17. The bullpen shouldn't be forgotten, but this is also a problem that needs fixing this winter.

It seems the Giants have just the guy in mind.

Terry Francona would surely trade his American League Manager of the Year award—and presumably every other piece of hardware in his trophy case—for another crack at the 2016 World Series.

His Cleveland Indians got to Game 7. They could taste it. Their first championship since 1948. 

Instead, it was "wait until next year."

You know those people who seem to excel at everything? Mookie Betts is one of them.

Second baseman Neil Walker will return to Citi Field to continue his stint with the New York Mets after accepting the team's $17.2 million qualifying offer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Monday.

After having his best season while with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, Jeremy Hellickson has decided to extend that partnership by accepting the team's $17.2 million qualifying offer.  

To say New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez had a good rookie year is an understatement of Ruthian proportions.

And yes, we just invoked the Bambino.

Sanchez is 694 home runs shy of Babe Ruth on the all-time list. But after cracking 20 homers and posting a .299/.376/.657 slash line in 53 games, he's at the forefront of an enviable youth movement in the Bronx.

Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are free agents with qualifying offers from the Toronto Blue Jays sitting in front of them.

That means the door isn't merely open for one or both players to return to the Jays—it's swinging on its hinges.

Bartolo Colon was a 20-year-old kid in 1994, already a promising prospect but too young and raw to help a Cleveland Indians team that was ready to win.

Mabel Ball—the 108-year-old Chicago Cubs fan who lived for the full length of the team's World Series drought before it was snapped last month—died Tuesday. 

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly signed Cuban prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to a multiyear contract.