U mad, bro?: Readers fuming about Steelers fans’ behavior, George Pickens media coverage, MLB contracts
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won two in a row. The Penguins are generally playing better. And it even appears the Pirates are trying to address their first base hole with someone who isn’t old, washed up and overweight. So, generally, readers are in a good mood right now. Keep in...
Reports: Left-hander Max Fried agrees to $218M, 8-year contract with YankeesVideo
DALLAS — Max Fried and the New York Yankees agreed to a $218 million, eight-year contract, the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history, according to multiple reports. New York made the move two days after outfielder Juan Soto left for a pending $765 million, 15-year contract with...
Analysis: After Juan Soto’s megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon
For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that’s the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers...
Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg says cancer has returned, spread
CHICAGO (AP) — Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says the prostate cancer he thought had been eliminated by radiation has returned and spread. The Chicago Cubs great made the announcement on Instagram on Tuesday. Sandberg announced in January that he had metastatic prostate cancer and in August said...
Having regained his health, Terry Francona excited to return to dugout with Cincinnati RedsVideo
DALLAS — Terry Francona remembered the specific moment that sparked his return to the dugout. “My girls went to Europe for 10 days, and I watched the grandkids,” he said. “That was the one day I thought maybe I’ll go back to baseball.” A three-time manager of the year who...
Juan Soto’s record $765M, 15-year contract with Mets reverberates through MLB
DALLAS — Shortly after striking a record $765 million, 15-year contract for Juan Soto with the New York Mets, agent Scott Boras walked into Nick & Sam’s, a restaurant near the winter meetings hotel, with about a dozen of his staff. They were given a bottle of celebratory champagne and...
Reports: Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with MetsVideo
DALLAS — Star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract, according to multiple reports. Soto’s deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a deal...
Reports: Willy Adames agrees to $182 million, 7-year deal with GiantsVideo
Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to multiple reports. It’s a big splash by the Giants’ new-look front office, which is now led by former All-Star catcher Buster Posey,...
Mark Madden: MLB’s proposed Golden At-Bat rule goes too far … or does it?
The pitch clock is OK. It speeded up the game. Ghost runners in extra innings were tough to get used to. But regular-season games shouldn’t last forever. Restricting the infield shift increased offense. The three-batter minimum for pitchers (or to the end of a half-inning) minimized the endless merry-go-round between...
Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and Los Angeles Angels agree to a $63 million, 3-year contract, AP source says
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $63 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical....
Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, has died
Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball, the players’ association and the Braves paid tribute to Carty on social media on Sunday. No further details on Carty’s death were...
Ohtani wins 3rd MVP award, 1st in NL; Judge wins second AL MVP in 3 seasonsVideo
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani won his third MVP Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. The L.A. Dodgers’ Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by...
MLB will test robot umpires at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teamsVideo
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026. MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 but is...
Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt wins AL Manager of the Year, Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy takes home NL honorVideo
Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy won National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after a stellar debut season with the Brewers, and Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt took the AL honors honor after leading the Guardians to 92 wins and a division title in his first year as a skipper at any level....
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia among 14 newcomers on baseball Hall of Fame ballot
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher CC Sabathia are among 14 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot released Monday, joining 14 holdovers led by reliever Billy Wagner. Pitcher Félix Hernández, outfielder Carlos González and infielders Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramírez also are among the newcomers joined...
Rays to play 2025 season at Yankees’ spring training field in TampaVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ nearby spring training ballpark amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, Rays executives told the Associated Press. Stuart Sternberg, the Rays’ principal owner, said in an interview that Steinbrenner...
Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A detailed assessment of the hurricane damage to Tropicana Field concludes that the home of the Tampa Bay Rays is structurally sound and can be repaired for about $55.7 million in time for the 2026 season. The 412-page report released Tuesday by the City of St....
For MLB teams chasing October glory, building a bullpen is a vital — and confounding — exerciseVideo
SAN ANTONIO — For a World Series that was supposed to feature an epic battle between sluggers Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, guys like Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver, Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda sure got a lot of face time. This year’s Fall Classic provided further proof that a...
Braves stars Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider not expected to be ready by 2025 openerVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and pitcher Spencer Strider are not expected to recover from injuries in time for Atlanta’s season opener at San Diego on March 27. Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP, tore his left ACL on May 26 and the 26-year-old slugger had surgery...
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has surgery to repair labrum tear in shoulder after World Series injuryVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Shohei Ohtani had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, following an injury the Los Angeles Dodgers star suffered during Game 2 of the World Series on Oct. 26. The Dodgers say the Japanese two-way player is expected to be ready for...
Clayton Kershaw declines $10 million option, becomes free agent
SAN ANTONIO — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw declined his $10 million player option with the Los Angeles Dodgers, electing to become a free agent. The MLB Players Association listed Kershaw as a free agent in a statement released Monday. The left-hander still is expected to re-sign with...
Gerrit Cole stays with Yankees rather than become free agent
SAN ANTONIO — Gerrit Cole gave up his opt-out right Monday and will remain with the New York Yankees under a contract that runs through 2028 rather than become a free agent. New York’s ace initially exercised his right to terminate the $324 million, nine-year deal, which has $144 million...
Soto, Burnes, Buehler, Fried among 136 who become free agents with 64 more awaiting pending optionsVideo
NEW YORK — Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried and first baseman Pete Alonso were among 136 players who became free agents Thursday morning. Third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames also went free. There were 64 more players with pending...
Bob Costas retiring from baseball play-by-play after 42 yearsVideo
NEW YORK — After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play. Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. Costas’ contract with TBS expired...
After sloppy, bitter disappointment in World Series, Yankees turn attention to keeping Juan SotoVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees season ended in a comedy of errors that left them to pursue Juan Soto without a title glow. Soto was the last player lingering in the dugout after Wednesday night’s 7-6 loss in World Series Game 5, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate...
