But the big-money deals that go south aren’t the only types of contract situations that create big problems. Sometimes, lack of years is as big of an issue as number of years on a deal, and we’re going to look at all of those things with this series. These are the contract situations that keep general managers and team presidents — or whatever the official title happens to be for the decision makers — up at night....

Yadier Molina, arguably the best catcher in baseball, continues to rehab a thumb injury. Will the Cardinals acquire help until his late-season return? Relying for now on Tony Cruz, the Cardinals are among teams said to be interested in the Twins’ Kurt Suzuki. They aren’t alone. The Orioles are fiddling with notions of a Suzuki deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Remember, the O’s lost their No. 1 catcher when Matt Wieters injured an elbow....

According to CBS Sports, the Angels sent Double-A shortstop Eric Stamets to Cleveland for Murphy, while the Rays announced they received minor league pitcher Eduar Lopez from the Angels for DeJesus. MORE: Seven best trade destinations for Carlos Gonzalez | Which player should your team acquire by the deadline? Strong against right-handed pitching, the left-handed hitting Murphy is batting .296/.344/.437 this season. DeJesus, also a lefty hitter, is batting ....

The Mets right-hander doesn’t see a move happening, though. “I think I’m staying put,” Syndergaard told reporters, including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, after dominating the White Sox over 7 1/3 innings on Tuesday in Chicago. He said he spoke with people in the team’s front office about his status. MORE: Here’s how to watch “ChangeUp,” an MLB whiparound show, free on DAZN Syndergaard has been one of the most talked-about trade candidates leading up to the deadline....

According to FOX Sports reporter Jon Morosi, the Orioles, Rangers and Padres are all possible landing spots for Braves outfielder Justin Upton. The Braves are almost certain to deal Upton, 27, by the end of the MLB Winter Meetings later this month, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post Atlanta recently signed 31 year-old free agent outfielder Nick Markakis (10th in AL with 177 hits). The Orioles, who saw outfielders Markakis and Nelson Cruz sign with other teams this week, would welcome Upton’s right-handed power (29 home runs and 102 RBI this season) to the smaller confides of Camden Yards....

REPORTED BY: Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi MORE: 11 Padres who could be traded before deadline | Spector says Jays need to get Hamels THE DETAILS: Morosi reported the Cubs have inquired about the Padres’ available starters; Morosi’s colleague Ken Rosenthal reported Chicago is focused on right-hander Tyson Ross, a very popular target. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported James Shields is not an option. THIS SEASON: Entering Monday’s game, Castro was hitting just ....

The second New York acquired James Paxton in the offseason for Justus Sheffield and a couple other players, things got real. The Yankees had a rotation that included a Cy Young candidate (Luis Severino), a shutdown postseason starter (Masahiro Tanaka), one of the best lefty strikeout artists in the game (Paxton) and a potential future Hall of Famer who could guide the team throughout the year (CC Sabathia). And that’s not even mentioning J....

“As of right now, I love being a Met,” Syndergaard said Sunday, via MLB.com. “If something were to ever change, it would definitely be bittersweet just because New York City itself, the fanbase and just the guys in this clubhouse have a special place in my heart.” However, the Mets have shown no shyness in making deals under Brodie Van Wagenen, and they are likely to make one before the trade deadline....

Boston is quietly “surveying the market” for a reliever, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. He also reports general manager Dave Dombrowski prefers hard throwers. So who could those men be? There haven’t been any names attached to Boston as of yet, and as Heyman also reported, Dombrowski will not panic in his pursuit of help. There are, however, several names that have been discussed as possible trade targets for multiple teams already, so we’re doing our best to put two and two together and project just who the Red Sox could be looking for....

The league on Monday confirmed it is in “advanced discussions” with the ownership of NASL club Minnesota United FC about becoming an MLS franchise. MORE: Klinsmann believes Zelalem is good enough for U.S. team | National team boss preaches patience with Yedlin Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement that the league is “particularly excited about their plans for a new soccer-specific stadium that will serve as the club’s home....

LA Galaxy depth tested in Week 2 MLS and Univision Deportes announced Friday a collaboration to live stream at least 22 matches in English on the social network site. As part of the deal, MLS will also drive further social engagement with fans and produce more unique digital content, according to a release. “We are committed to serving our passionate fans,” Gary Stevenson,the MLS Business Ventures president, said in a statement....

MLS Week 18 doesn’t carry the “rivalry week” label that last week held, but it is filled with several intriguing matchups. The one bona fide rivalry on the docket takes place in California, where the Earthquakes see their new coach — Chris Leitch — make his official MLS head coaching debut against the LA Galaxy in the latest installment of the California Clasico. ‘Superman’ can’t stop scoring in MLS...

Day-to-day home cooking-declared dead even more frequently than the worn-efts movement-is not only alive but on the upswing. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board recently surveyed Midwestern families and found that 78.3 percent eat a homemade dinner together more than twice a week, while 48.4 percent sit down at the table together every day. Better Homes and Gardens polled a sample of its 7 million subscribers and reported similar findings. Even baking is still with us....

Moderna executives have started scaling up production to increase global supply, despite the United Nations health agency asking Moderna to share the formula. Noubar Afeyan, Moderna’s co-founder, told AP that the company analyzed whether to share the formula and determined instead they would independently deliver billions of additional doses in 2022. “Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them,” Afeyan said....

Specifically, 36-year-old Kerry Lyn Caviasca of Watertown, Connecticut has been accused of leaving her kids, aged nine and 11, for two days in mid-November. She was arrested Saturday on two counts each of risk of injury to a minor and second-degree reckless endangerment, reported the Hartford Courant. Unlike some states, Connecticut does not have a law determining the age at which a child can be left home alone. Rather, the issue is a “judgment call” that can vary from family to family....

Religion can be a divisive subject, not least when it comes to relationships. Evidence suggests that it’s increasingly important for couples to be on the same page when it comes to matters of faith. A 2021 YouGov poll showed 62 percent of Americans feel it’s important that their romantic partner share similar religious beliefs. By contrast, just 30 percent said it was not especially important to them. One of the potential pitfalls of failing to align religious beliefs in a relationship was recently highlighted in a Mumsnet post by user probabyam....

One woman was slammed online for saying she expected her visiting in-laws to remove their bed sheets before they left, with Mumsnet users finding the situation “weird.” A survey of 2,000 U.K. adults revealed the social faux pas that annoy hosts the most. Wiping greasy hands on someone’s sofa was the number one no-no, followed by putting your feet up on the furniture and going upstairs without asking, according to the survey in June 2021 by the car manufacturer Kia....

The parent, from Australia, recounted the horrifying story of how their vacation turned into a nightmare when her daughter decided to walk back up the play equipment. The mom explained her son, who was coming down the slide, “took her out,” causing the little girl to fall forwards and smash her face on the slide. The cautionary tale, and expert tips, were shared online by Tiny Hearts Education on its Instagram page, @tinyheartseducation, last Wednesday....

In an emotional June 21, post shared on Reddit’s popular AmITheA**hole sub, user Comerainorthunder said she had a stillbirth five weeks ago, while her sister gave birth to a child a week later. Stillbirth is a tragedy that affects thousands of families across the U.S. every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were an estimated 24,000 stillbirths reported in 2014. Due in part to the formula shortage, Comerainorthunder said she was still producing milk following the stillbirth of her child and as her sister could not breastfeed, she offered it to her sister....