After brief opt out, Gerrit Cole says he always intended to stay with Yankees
TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole says he always intended to remain with the New York Yankees. The 34-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander exercised his right to opt out of his contract on the third day after the World Series, giving up $144 million over four years and starting a two-day...
Former Pirates OF Michael A. Taylor agrees to 1-year deal with White SoxVideo
CHICAGO — Center fielder Michael A. Taylor and the Chicago White Sox have agreed to a $1.95 million, one-year contract. Chicago announced the agreement Wednesday. Taylor spent last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .193 with five home runs, 21 RBIs and a .543 OPS in 113 games. He struck...
Reds will wear No. 14 patch on jersey sleeve to honor Pete Rose, who died last year
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds will wear a No. 14 patch on the sleeve of their jersey this season to honor hometown star and career hits leader Pete Rose, the team announced Monday. The Reds posted a photo of the patch on X with the message “14 on our side...
Brewers unveil patch they will wear on their uniforms to honor Bob Uecker
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers have unveiled a patch they will wear on their uniform this season to honor longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died last month. The patch will appear on the sleeve of the Brewers’ uniforms. It features Uecker’s signature over a gold-and-navy plaid print to honor the...
Spring training preview: Dodgers favored to be MLB’s 1st repeat champ in 25 years
Miguel Rojas gladly gave up his No. 11 to Roki Sasaki and went back to 72, his jersey as a Los Angeles Dodgers rookie in 2014. “I’m not asking for anything. I have everything that I want in life,” the 35-year-old infielder said. “All I ask for him is trying...
Baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter sentenced to nearly 5 years in sports betting case
SANTA ANA, Calif. — The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between...
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says some fans concerned over lack of salary cap
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he is getting emails from fans concerned over the sport’s lack of a salary cap following an offseason spending spree by the Los Angeles Dodgers that sparked increased attention over the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement in December 2027. “This...
Pete Alonso stays with Mets, agreeing to $54 million, 2-year contract
NEW YORK — First baseman Pete Alonso is staying with the New York Mets, agreeing to a $54 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the agreement, first reported by The New York Post,...
Umpire Pat Hoberg fired by MLB for sharing sports gambling accounts with friend who bet on baseball
NEW YORK — Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball on Monday for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation. MLB opened the investigation last February when it was brought...
Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching could come in May for World Series champion DodgersVideo
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in May is “about right,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday at the team’s annual fan fest. He reiterated that Ohtani won’t pitch in the season-opening Japan Series against the Chicago Cubs on March 18-19 in Tokyo. The two-way superstar...
Fay Vincent, baseball commissioner during 3 years of turmoil, dies at 86Video
NEW YORK — Fay Vincent, who became an unexpected baseball commissioner in 1989 after the death of A. Bartlett Giamatti and then was forced out three years later by owners intent on a labor confrontation with players, has died. He was 86. Vincent had undergone radiation and chemotherapy for bladder...
Max Scherzer agrees to a $15.5 million, 1-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, AP source saysVideo
Max Scherzer is joining the Toronto Blue Jays, agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract Thursday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending a physical. The 40-year-old...
MLB average salary rose 2.9% to record $4.66 million last year
NEW YORK — The rate of increase for Major League Baseball’s average salary slowed to 2.9% last year to a record $4.66 million, according to the annual report of the players’ association. The average of $4,655,366 was up from $4,525,719 in 2023, which marked a 7% increase from 2022. After...
Ryan Pressly waives no-trade clause to join the Chicago Cubs
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a trade for Ryan Pressly, adding the right-hander to the back end of their bullpen in their second major offseason deal with the Houston Astros. Pressly has agreed to waive his no-trade clause, according to a person familiar with the situation, and there...
Ichiro Suzuki wants to have a drink with writer who left him off Hall of Fame ballotVideo
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Ichiro Suzuki wants to raise a glass with the voter who chose not to check off his name on the Hall of Fame ballot. “There’s one writer that I wasn’t able to get a vote from,” he said through a translator Thursday, two days after receiving 393...
Jurickson Profar agrees to $42M, 3-year contract with Braves, a year after getting $1M deal with PadresVideo
ATLANTA — Jurickson Profar agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, less than a year after the outfielder got a $1 million deal from the San Diego Padres with spring training already underway. Profar revived his career with the Padres last year when he...
Mark Madden: Ichiro’s performance speaks for itself, even if he wasn’t a unanimous Hall of Fame selection
Ichiro Suzuki just got elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ichiro was one vote shy of unanimous. The same happened with Derek Jeter in 2020: He got every vote but one. Like then, there’s a battle cry to reveal who didn’t vote for Ichiro. Baseball’s gatekeepers are marching through...
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
NEW YORK — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on...
Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says he intends to sign with Los Angeles Dodgers
OS ANGELES — Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says in an Instagram post he intends to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. A 23-year-old right-hander whose fastball tops 100 mph, Sasaki will join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a move that many baseball...
Mets and lefty reliever A.J. Minter agree to 2-year contract
NEW YORK — Turning their attention to the bullpen, the New York Mets have agreed with free agent left-hander A.J. Minter on a two-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement...
‘Mr. Baseball’ Bob Uecker, Brewers announcer, dies at 90
MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a short playing career earned the moniker “Mr. Baseball” and honors from the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90. The team announced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it “one of the most difficult days in...
Roki Sasaki won’t sign with New York Yankees, Texas Rangers or San Francisco GiantsVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have been informed Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki won’t be signing with them. Giants general manager Zack Minasian announced during a news conference Monday to introduce Justin Verlander that San Francisco no longer was in contention. Sasaki’s decision...
Former Baltimore Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz dies at 37
BALTIMORE — Brian Matusz, the left-handed pitcher who spent eight seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Baltimore Orioles as they returned to prominence a decade ago, has died. He was 37. The Orioles and the University of San Diego announced Matusz’s death Tuesday night, with USD saying it...
Justin Verlander agrees to $15 million, 1-year deal with Giants
SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a $15 million, one-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal was pending a physical. It’s the latest big...
Dodgers trade Gavin Lux to Reds after signing South Korean infielder Hyeseong KimVideo
LOS ANGELES — Second baseman Gavin Lux was traded from the Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, three days after Los Angeles agreed to a $12.5 million, three-year contract with infielder Hyeseong Kim. Los Angeles received minor-league outfielder Mike Sirota, a grand-nephew of Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford,...
