2016 – After playing with three different teams in 2015, free agent IF Juan Uribe signs a one-year deal with the Indians for $4 million.

2016 – One of the last unsigned free agents on the market, Ian Desmond, finds at least a temporary home by signing a one-year deal with the Rangers for $8 million. It’s a major pay cut for Desmond, who turned down a $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Nationals before realizing the demand for his services was much less than he anticipated. However, he will make the best of a bad situation by earning an All-Star berth as a centerfielder for the Rangers.

2016 – Major League Baseball announces changes to the rules that touch on two aspects of play: first limiting the length of mound visits by coaches and managers, and the amount of time between innings, in order to speed up play; and second defining what constitutes a legal slide into a base. The latter is the result of a number of injuries last season to fielders attempting to complete a double play, notably Jung-ho Kang and Ruben Tejada.

The players’ union and MLB agree to a slide rule in the aftermath of Ruben Tejada’s broken leg during the NLDS. The new policy, the direct result of Chase Utley attempt to break up a double play that injured the Mets infielder, will be reviewable and will continue to allow contact to be permissible with the fielder, but the runner cannot change his path to disrupt the play deliberately.

2016 – For the second time in a week, the Orioles are said to have signed a top-rank free agent who has fallen through the cracks because of draft choice compensation tied to his signature. After inking Yovani Gallardo to a three-year deal, the O’s are said to be bringing CF Dexter Fowler on board with an offer of $35 million over three years. However, two days later, Fowler will announce that he has in fact rejected the offer and instead accepted a one-year deal worth $13 million to return to the Cubs.

Jose Reyes becomes the first player disciplined under baseball’s new domestic violence policy when he is placed on paid leave until the completion of criminal proceedings, stemming from his arrest following an argument with his wife at a Hawaiian resort in late October. The 32-year-old All-Star shortstop, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of abuse of a family member, will not report to spring training with the Rockies.

2016 – The Dodgers continue to be aggressive in signing defectors from Cuba, inking P Yaisel Sierra to a six-year contract worth $30 million. The signing follows that of major leaguers Yasiel Puig, Alex Guerrero, Erisbel Arruebarrena and Hector Olivera, all to multi-million dollar contracts, and three other pitchers inked in recent months: Yadier Alvarez, Yusniel Diaz and Omar Estevez.

2016 – The Orioles announce that they have signed free agent P Yovani Gallardo to a three-year contract worth $35 million. However, the physical exam needed to make the deal official will uncover an unspecified health issue, and five days later the Orioles will restructure the deal to two years and $22 million.

2016 – The Federal Bureau of Investigations arrests player agent Bart Hernandez on charges of human trafficking and conspiracy stemming from his association with two convicted fraudsters and their role in extorting large amounts of money from Cuban players seeking to defect to the United States. A lawsuit filed by OF Leonys Martin prompted the FBI investigation.