The Boston Red Sox on Friday signed left-handed pitcher David Price to a seven-year contract through the 2022 season with an opt-out clause after the 2018 season.

There are at least two things the Cubs know about John Lackey.
One is that his fire still burns white hot when he’s on the mound, with history on the line. The other is that Lackey has recovered from Tommy John surgery to look like every bit the gunslinger he was when he won Game 7 of the 2002 World Series as a rookie.

When Dave Dombrowski was on the verge of being hired as Red Sox president of baseball operations in August, ownership wanted his thoughts on how to bring the club back to contention for the long haul. The first player Dombrowski mentioned was David Price, the man he had traded just days earlier in his final days running baseball operations for the Tigers.

The Cubs filled a hole in the rotation Friday, agreeing to a two-year, $32 million deal with free-agent right-hander John Lackey. The contract will be finalized pending a physical.

The Indians’ annual offseason search for more power is ongoing. Earlier this week, a pair of intriguing options hit the open market when sluggers Pedro Alvarez and Chris Carter were not tendered contracts and thus allowed to become free agents.

One of my favorite memories of Mets general manager Sandy Alderson occurred as one of his previous teams, the Oakland Athletics, were losing a sloppy game. In those heady days of 1989, the A’s didn’t do this kind of thing very often, and Alderson wasn’t the most gracious of losers.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly has assembled a high-profile staff headlined by Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds, who was named hitting coach on Friday, with Frank Menechino returning as assistant hitting coach.

Ben Zobrist’s visit to New York City was not the tour-book version. There was a visit to Citi Field, of course, and a chauffeured car back to the airport at the end of the night. But in between, Mets staffers took Zobrist out to the suburbs, trying to show him and his family the everyday life of New Yorkers.

While the Yankees continue to attempt to shake up their roster and the upcoming Winter Meetings with a significant swap, general manager Brian Cashman said Friday that the club will probably hold on to Brett Gardner and Andrew Miller, two of their most appealing trade chips.

Heralded Cuban baseball star Jose Miguel Fernandez has started his journey to the Major Leagues.

The Indians are interested in two recently available power bats to help spark an offense that ranked near the bottom of the American League last season.

Before speculation progresses any further, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill on Thursday stated the club is not actively shopping either Jose Fernandez or Marcell Ozuna.

With Stephen Piscotty being able to play the corner-outfield spots and first base, do the Cardinals really need to pay for a free agent like Ben Zobrist? Jenifer Langosch tackles this question and more in the latest Inbox.

The Blue Jays officially opened a new chapter in franchise history on Thursday evening by hiring longtime front-office executive Ross Atkins as their new executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager.

The Phillies will come home from next week’s Winter Meetings with at least one new player on their 40-man roster. They have the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft, and they plan to use it.

The Mets announced they have signed right-hander Jim Henderson to a Minor League contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training.

We’ve already seen quite a few instances of Major League needs being satisfied with some Hot Stove spending or swapping — the most prominent move being the Red Sox’s $217 million outlay for David Price to be their ace. But with the Winter Meetings set to begin Monday in Nashville, Tenn., and several big free-agent fish and notable trade targets still being discussed, these are the 10 biggest needs still yet to be met.