Baseball

The New York Mets are clearly within arm’s reach of a World Series title, and many fans are patiently awaiting news of a major offensive transaction that they believe is necessary to bring a championship back to Queens for the first time in 30 years.

The news was stunning, unexpected but completely understandable.

The Houston Astros completed their trade with the Philadelphia Phillies to acquire closer Ken Giles, a flamethrower with huge upside and under club control for the next five seasons. The trade happened Wednesday but was not made official until Saturday afternoon.

In a surprise twist to a deal that was reported earlier this week, the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies pulled a sleight of hand with 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel going to the Phillies as part of the Ken Giles trade. 

Ain't no box jump high enough to keep Brett Lawrie from hurling his body on top of it—well, 67 inches might be too high.

The freshly acquired Chicago White Sox third baseman attempted a 66-inch box jump and landed it, sharing it to Instagram on Friday.

Don't believe it? Check the measuring tape:

The Chicago Cubs haven't won the World Series in 107 years. If they have it their way, the counter won't reach 108 years.

And man, oh man, do they appear to be serious about that.

Fresh off a thrilling 97-win season and a trip to the National League Championship Series in 2015, Cubs bosses Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have been busy making moves meant to take them even further in 2016. By far the biggest of these went down Friday. 

After shocking the baseball world by agreeing to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks last week, superstar pitcher Zack Greinke was introduced as part of a highly anticipated press conference Friday.

For the second time in as many years, Jason Heyward is on the move, agreeing to a deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Close your eyes, Washington Nationals fans, and picture it: Bryce Harper and Jason Heyward, two of the game's most dynamic young players, roaming the outfield together.

It's far from a sure thing, but it's also not an impossible dream.

The rumor, which dropped as the winter meetings were wrapping up in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, came courtesy of CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman:

Not content to stand pat with their current bullpen alignment, the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed free-agent right-hander Juan Nicasio. 

After a successful run with the St. Louis Cardinals down the stretch last season, right-hander Jonathan Broxton has agreed to a two-year extension with the team.