December 6

2018 – José Castillo, 38, and Luis Valbuena, 33, are both killed in a car crash in their native Venezuela as they are driving home from a winter league game with the Cardenales de Lara. Their car, driven by teammate Carlos Rivero, who survives the accident, apparently hit a rock on the road, placed by bandits who then robbed the passengers.

The Yankees officially introduce former player Aaron Boone as their new manager, succeeding Joe Girardi. Boone, whose coming appointment was leaked to the media four days earlier, has worked exclusively as a broadcaster since his retirement after the 2009 season.

The Athletics are dealt a blow in their search for a new ballpark to replace the decaying Oakland Coliseum as the Peralta Community College District’s board of directors orders the chancellor to put an end to discussions with the team about possibly ceding a 13-acre downtown property owned by the District next to Laney College that was the preferred site for construction of a new home. The team will now look at alternative sites that all come with major drawbacks.

Claire Smith, one of the first women to be a beat writer covering major league baseball, is the first female winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, honoring meritorious contributions to baseball writing. Smith first covered the New York Yankees for the Hartford Courant in 1983 and later was the main baseball reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1998 to 2007.

The Red Sox acquire RP Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers for 1B/3B Travis Shaw and two prospects – Mauricio Dubon and Josh Pennington. Later in the day, the Red Sox pull off an even bigger trade, sending top prospect Yoan Moncada and three others – Luis Alexander Basabe, Victor Diaz and Michael Kopech – to the White Sox for ace starter Chris Sale. Finally, Boston completes a busy day by signing free agent 1B Mitch Moreland.

It’s a big day of transactions for the Yankees. They lose two free agents, 2B Robinson Cano, who agrees to a ten-year deal with Seattle for $240 million, and OF Curtis Granderson, who moves across town to the Mets for four years at $60 million. To compensate, the Bronx Bombers ink OF Carlos Beltran for three years at $45 million, and 2B Kelly Johnson for one year.

In other moves, Washington signs OF Nate McLouth, and Houston adds P Scott Feldman with a three-year deal, both players leaving the Orioles.

The Phillies obtain OF Ben Revere from the Twins in return for Ps Vance Worley and Trevor May.

The Rule V Draft is held on the last day of the Winter meetings in Nashville, TN. Former first-round draft choice Josh Fields is picked first overall, by the Astros. An interesting selection is made by the Indians, who pick 1B Chris McGuiness, MVP of the Arizona Fall League, from the Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays fill some of the hole in their bullpen by trading for hard-throwing reliever Sergio Santos from the White Sox, giving up top pitching prospect Nestor Molina in return.