It really depends on who's reporting it. Ken Rosenthal is extremely well-connected, probably the best-connected reporter since Gammons in his heyday. Jerry Crasnick is also extremely reliable, particularly when it comes to contract details. Heyman used to just make shit up when he was writing for The Sporting News like 15 years ago but has gotten a lot better over the past decade or so (basically after he stopped being a Mets mouthpiece and went to national coverage). Wittenmyer is a tool. Olney generally has good scoops regarding the Yankees, but that's because they're the only front office that will talk to him. Joel Sherman is generally reliable but has gotten burned a few times in the last few years. Most beat writers are garbage (Shaughnessy getting the Spink award this year is just hilariously disgusting), since they lose their access the minute they don't parrot the team's messaging. (The Chicago Tribune, notably, got a lot more toothless after the Tribune Company sold the Cubs.)
Rosenthal reported that the Nationals went to $200 million on Heyward, and given that front office's bizarre behavior and Rosenthal's history, I'm inclined to give it credence.
