The latest news from in and around Fenway

The latest look at the behind the scenes workings of the Red Sox (courtesy of a lot of “Major League sources,” etc.) is in, and if you’re still hoping for something big to happen before Spring Training starts, we’ve got bad news. The consensus remains that the Red Sox will not be aggressive pursuers of the two top free agent pitchers remaining: Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Craig Breslow and company reportedly continue to look for trade options, but Breslow is not currently open to dealing any of the big three prospects (Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel) thus limiting any potential return. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

But hey, we got deals for arbitration eligible players! Get excited! Nick Pivetta, Tyler O’Neil, Reese McGuire, and John Schreiber all came to terms, thankfully avoiding a process that can get ugly at times. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)

It might be nice to hear what the team’s plan is going forward, but Craig Breslow’s been quiet since his hiring, and John Henry is basically a ghost at this point. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

There continues to be a lot of smoke about a potential Dylan Cease trade, but that would likely require one of the big prospects to head in the other direction. (Tom Hanslin, WEEI)

Whatever else the Red Sox do this offseason, there will be actual baseball games to play eventually, and we now know when some of those games will start. T first pitch Opening Night in Seattle, unfortunately, will be thrown after 10 PM ET. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)