Slugger Kurtz looks to build on AL Rookie of the Year Award
MESA, Ariz. — Aside from towering over most of his Athletics teammates at 6-foot-5, Nick Kurtz blends in at his locker in the middle of the clubhouse. And that’s just the way he prefers it. Even now with the extra fanfare and attention on him this spring as reigning AL...
White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami shakes off traffic delay ahead of Cactus League debut
MESA, Ariz. — Munetaka Murakami was a late arrival for his first spring training game with the Chicago White Sox. Once he got to the ballpark, everything went pretty smoothly. Murakami had two hits and two RBIs in his Cactus League debut Friday. The Japanese slugger is learning his way...
Just over half ball/strike challenges successful on 1st day of spring training games
Just over half the ball/strike challenges were successful on the first day of spring training games Friday as Major League Baseball prepared for the first regular-season use of the automated ball-strike system, the so-called “robot umpires.” Thirteen of 23 calls were overturned during the five games, MLB said, which came...
RHP Walker Buehler signs with Padres after a long career with the NL West rival Dodgers
PEORIA, Ariz. — Walker Buehler has signed with the San Diego Padres after the right-hander spent the first eight seasons of his major league career with their archrivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Buehler was in the Padres’ clubhouse Tuesday morning after agreeing to a minor league deal with an invitation...
Tony Clark intends to resign as MLB players’ union head, as possible cap fight looms
TAMPA, Fla. — Tony Clark intends to resign as head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations said Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because his decision, first reported by ESPN, had not been announced. The person...
‘The Natural,’ ‘Days of Thunder’ among sports movie roles that helped make Robert Duvall a legendVideo
The entertainment world is mourning the loss of actor Robert Duvall. He died Sunday at the age of 95. He was best known for his roles in “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Network,” “Apocalypse Now,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “True Grit,” “The Apostle” and many others. But Duvall certainly...
Padres sign ex-Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos, pitchers Canning and Márquez, AP source says
The San Diego Padres agreed to terms with outfielder Nick Castellanos and right-handers Griffin Canning and Germán Márquez, a person with knowledge of the deals told the Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Padres hadn’t announced the deals, which are pending physicals. After...
Rob Thomson proud Nick Castellanos admits bringing beer to dugout
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Turns out, the Philadelphia Phillies were ale-ing last year. Deciding their relationship ruptured when Nick Castellanos angrily brought a beer into the dugout after he was pulled from a game, the Phillies released the outfielder even though they owe him $20 million for the final season of...
Phillies release Nick Castellanos, who admits to bringing beer into dugout
CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos on Thursday after the team was unable to make a deal to trade him. Castellanos then revealed he was benched last season after bringing beer into the dugout during a game. The team wanted the situation resolved before its first...
Blue Jays slugger Anthony Santander to miss much of season with shoulder injury
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander will miss much of the upcoming season with a shoulder injury, manager John Schneider announced Tuesday at spring training. Schneider said Santander will have labrum surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for five to six...
Justin Verlander returns to the Detroit Tigers on a $13 million, 1-year contract
LAKELAND, Fla. — For his 21st season in the majors, Justin Verlander is going back to the beginning of his career. All the way back to Motown. Verlander returned to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, agreeing to a $13 million, one-year contract with his first big league team. The three-time...
Former Pirate Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Red Sox finalize 1-year, $6M contract
BOSTON — Former Pittsburgh Pirates utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and the Boston Red Sox finalized a $6 million, one-year contract Tuesday. Kiner-Falefa can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $100,000 each for 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500. The 30-year-old hit .262 with two homers, 40 RBIs and 21...
MLB spring training brings attention to robot umps, WBC
Just 102 days after a thrilling World Series ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers becoming the first repeat champion in a quarter century, pitchers and catchers are back on the field Tuesday as spring training begins with an initial focus on ABS and WBC. In what could be the last...
Ex-MLB player Yasiel Puig found guilty of obstruction and lying to federal officials
LOS ANGELES — A jury has found former major league outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to federal officials investigating an illegal gambling operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday. The verdict came after a multiweek trial that featured testimony from Major League Baseball officials and...
Paul Goldschmidt and New York Yankees working toward 1-year contract
NEW YORK — Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees are working toward a one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press, another move by New York that makes its 2026 roster resemble last year’s team. The person spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the...
Tarik Skubal wins salary arbitration case, will be paid record $32 million
Tarik Skubal won his salary arbitration hearing with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid a record $32 million this year instead of the team’s $19 million offer. Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak made the decision one day after...
Mickey Lolich, hero of the 1968 World Series for the Detroit Tigers, dies at 85
DETROIT — Mickey Lolich, who earned three complete-game wins for the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series, the last Major League Baseball pitcher to accomplish that feat, died Wednesday. He was 85. The Tigers said Lolich’s wife told them he died after a short stay in hospice care. An...
Tigers and pitcher Framber Valdez agree to $115 million, 3-year deal, AP source says
Free agent pitcher Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a $115 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Valdez became one of...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: It’s time to fix the Pro Football, Baseball halls of fame
Bill Belichick got excluded from the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. It didn’t happen randomly. Belichick won six Super Bowls as New England’s coach but got caught cheating twice. The Hall’s voting process is flawed when it lumps in Belichick with old-timey candidates like L.C. Greenwood....
Joe Starkey: Which Hall of Fame is a bigger joke — baseball or football?
STARK RAVING Just when it didn’t seem possible any Hall of Fame could be a bigger farce than baseball’s, the Pro Football Hall of Fame stepped up and said, “Hold my Belichick.” Bill Belichick reportedly won’t be a first-ballot Hall of Famer? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Oh well, at least Shedeur Sanders made...
Carlos Beltrán’s wife intently followed Hall of Fame vote-tracker
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Carlos Beltrán’s wife followed Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame vote-tracker with the intensity of an investor tracking the markets. “My wife would wake up every morning, and she was like, ‘Yes,’ and I was like, ‘What happened?’ ” he said Thursday during his first visit to the...
Mets acquire ace pitcher Freddy Peralta from Brewers in trade
NEW YORK — The active New York Mets acquired ace pitcher Freddy Peralta and right-hander Tobias Myers from Milwaukee on Wednesday night in a trade that sent two top prospects to the Brewers. Milwaukee received pitcher Brandon Sproat and minor league infielder/outfielder Jett Williams. Peralta gives the Mets a frontline...
Bo Bichette excited about challenge of moving to hot corner with MetsVideo
NEW YORK — From hitting in the clutch to testing free agency, Bo Bichette has soaked up plenty of baseball advice from his big league dad over the years. Dante Bichette doesn’t have much to offer about handling the hot corner, though. After signing a $126 million, three-year contract with...
Cody Bellinger stays with the Yankees, agrees to $162.5 million, 5-year contract, AP source says
Cody Bellinger became the last of the top free-agent hitters to reach a deal, agreeing Wednesday to stay with the New York Yankees for a $162.5 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was...
Buster Posey takes center stage among the newcomers for next year’s Hall of Fame ballot
These days, Buster Posey’s focus is on trying to build a winner as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants. Eleven months from now, however, writers will be evaluating an earlier part of his career. Posey is expected to be the top newcomer on the 2027 Hall of...
