Pitcher Jack Flaherty, Tigers finalize $14M, 1-year contract
DETROIT — Right-hander Jack Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers have finalized a $14 million, one-year contract in a deal that allows the 28-year-old right-hander to earn an additional $1 million in performances bonuses with a franchise that has invested a lot in improving next season. “There’s a lot of belief...
Dodgers, Shoei Ohtani got creative with $700M deal; both still have risk
PHOENIX — Once the initial shock wore off on the price tag of Shohei Ohtani’s record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, details about the contract emerged that were nearly as stunning. A total of $680 million — 97% of the money — was deferred until 2034-43...
Matt Carpenter acquired by Braves in multiplayer trade with Padres
SAN DIEGO — First baseman Matt Carpenter was acquired by the Atlanta Braves along with left-hander Ray Kerr and cash from the San Diego Padres on Friday for outfielder Drew Campbell. A three-time All-Star with St. Louis, the 38-year-old Carpenter revived his career with the New York Yankees in 2022...
Catcher Austin Hedges, Cleveland Guardians finalize $4 million, 1-year contract
CLEVELAND — Catcher Austin Hedges and the Cleveland Guardians finalized their $4 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hedges, who played in Cleveland from 2020-22, is solid defensively and, perhaps most importantly, he’s a clubhouse leader. The Guardians missed his presence last season and especially having him as an influence for...
Rangers’ Max Scherzer has back surgery, will miss start of 2024 season
ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer had surgery for a herniated disk in his lower back and will miss a significant portion of next season. The 39-year-old right-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had surgery Thursday after injections and other less evasive treatments didn’t relieve the pain. He is due...
Shohei Ohtani dodges Tommy John questions in 1st Dodgers news conference
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery. “It was a procedure. I’m not sure what it was called,” Ohtani said Thursday. Speaking to media for the first time since Aug....
Mark Madden: Shohei Ohtani is a phenomenon, but $700 million baseball return is unlikely
Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the biggest expenditure on an athlete in sports history. But there will, ultimately, be a bigger one. There always is. It’s hardly shocking. You could have predicted his destination and (roughly) the amount even before Ohtani hit free...
Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani $700 million to hit and pitch — but also because he can sell
PHOENIX — Shohei Ohtani’s jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In terms of his marketability, experts point to another name....
Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani agreed Saturday to a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal was announced after days of speculation over where the unique, two-way star would continue his career after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. “This is a unique, historic...
Braves get David Fletcher, Max Stassi from Angels for Evan White and Tyler Thomas
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves obtained infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi from the Los Angeles Angels on Friday for infielder Evan White and left-hander Tyler Thomas. Fletcher, 29, hit .247 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 33 games with the Angels this season and batted .331 with...
Yankees make vintage Steinbrenner move by landing All-Star OF Juan Soto
NEW YORK — Juan Soto’s arrival is a sign the New York Yankees want stars to help them rebound from their worst season in three decades — a move right out of late owner George Steinbrenner’s playbook. “We certainly want to try under the Steinbrenner leadership to make this the...
Juan Soto traded to New York Yankees from San Diego Padres in 7-player blockbuster
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees acquired All-Star slugger Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the cost-cutting San Diego Padres on Wednesday night. San Diego received right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka. In addition to Soto, the Yankees...
Pitchers dominate winter meeting draft with 8 of 10 players taken
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Major-league teams stocked up on pitching Wednesday in the big-league phase of the winter meeting draft of unprotected players, taking pitchers with eight of the 10 selections — including three from the New York Yankees’ system. The Yankees lost a pair of right-handers in first two picks,...
Shohei Ohtani met with the Dodgers in LA for 2-3 hours, manager Dave Roberts saysVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Shohei Ohtani met with the Los Angeles Dodgers a few days ago at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts revealed Tuesday at the winter meetings. The two-way star is expected to command a record contract of $500 million-plus on the free agent market coming off his second AL...
Wisconsin governor signs off on $500 million plan to fund repairs and upgrades at Brewers stadium
MILWAUKEE — After months of backroom wrangling, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill Tuesday that spends half-a-billion dollars in taxpayer money over the next three decades to help the Milwaukee Brewers repair their baseball stadium. The governor signed the bipartisan package at American Family Field, calling the legislation a...
Waiting for Shohei: MLB free-agent market slow as Ohtani mulls big money
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Baseball is waiting for Shohei. Big-name free agents appear in no hurry to strike deals at the winter meetings, biding time until Shohei Ohtani potentially breaks the record for richest contract set 4 1/2 years ago by Mike Trout. And Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be...
NBA, NHL and MLB unveil a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports bettingVideo
NEW YORK — The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have joined forces to produce a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports betting. The “Never Know What’s Next” commercial unveiled Tuesday is a coordination of the three leagues, sportsbook operators DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, PENN Entertainment and the National Council on Problem...
Padres give Mike Shildt another chance to manage 2 years after his Cardinals exit
SAN DIEGO — Mike Shildt has been hired as manager of the San Diego Padres, returning to the dugout two years after he was suddenly fired by the St. Louis Cardinals following a third straight playoff appearance. The Padres announced Tuesday that Shildt had been given a two-year contract. Shildt...
Aaron Nola staying with Phillies after signing 7-year deal
Aaron Nola is staying in Philadelphia, after all. The right-hander signed a seven-year contract to remain with the Phillies after testing the free-agent market, the team said Sunday. ESPN and others reported the 30-year-old’s contract is worth $172 million. “At the outset of this offseason, we made signing Aaron our...
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. unanimous NL Most Valuable Player
NEW YORK — Ronald Acuña Jr. had been waiting for this moment. “From the day I got to the league, right away I always knew I wanted to be the MVP,” the Atlanta Braves right fielder said through a translator. “It’s always been a dream of mine, and I’m living...
Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s 2-way star, becomes first 2-time unanimous MVPVideo
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani, who has captivated baseball with his unprecedented combination of high-level hitting and premium pitching, became the first two-time unanimous MVP when he won the American League honor Thursday. Ohtani, a free agent after finishing his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, received all 30 first-place...
Gerrit Cole unanimous winner of his 1st AL Cy Young Award; Blake Snell takes NL prizeVideo
NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole was a unanimous winner of his first American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, and Blake Snell took the National League honor to become the seventh hurler to earn baseball’s top pitching prize in both leagues. After coming close several times before, Cole finally finished...
Brewers promote bench coach Pat Murphy to take over as manager after Craig Counsell’s departure
MILWAUKEE — After spending the last eight seasons as Craig Counsell’s bench coach, Pat Murphy is taking over for his former boss as the Milwaukee Brewers manager. The Brewers announced they were promoting Murphy on Wednesday, a little over a week after the Chicago Cubs announced they had hired Counsell...
Baltimore’s Brandon Hyde, Miami’s Skip Schumaker win Manager of the Year honorsVideo
Brandon Hyde was voted American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday night after guiding the Baltimore Orioles to an AL-best 101 victories just two years after a 110-loss season. Miami’s Skip Schumaker won the National League award in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Hyde led Baltimore...
San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, who spent big in pursuit of a World Series title, dies at 63Video
SAN DIEGO — Padres owner Peter Seidler, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to bring a long-elusive World Series championship to San Diego, died Tuesday, the team announced. He was 63. A cause of death wasn’t disclosed. Seidler, a third-generation member of the O’Malley family that used to...
