Most Recent
Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal take Cy Young Awards after both were pitching triple crown winners
Stephen Hawkins, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 20 - 11:40 p.m. | Save Story
Atlanta's Chris Sale and Detroit's Tarik Skubal have each won their first Cy Young Award. The left-handers were honored Wednesday night after sharing the MLB lead with 18 wins while leading their respective leagues in strikeouts and ERA. Sale went 18-3 and topped the National League with 225 strikeouts, while his 2.38 ERA in 29 starts was the best among all major league qualifiers in his first season with the Braves. The 35-year-old was an All-Star for the eighth time and won his first Gold Glove this year. Skubal, who turned 28 on Wednesday, went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and a big league-best 228 strikeouts in 31 starts to take the American League prize in a unanimous vote.
Fans can step up to the plate for Red Sox CEO's memorabilia at auction
The Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 10:13 p.m. | Save Story
including four World Series trophies. Items belonging to former Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino will be auctioned starting Saturday with proceeds going to his family foundation, which funds charities throughout New England. Items include Lucchino's Commissioner's Trophy and ring from the curse-ending 2004 World Series. Other items include 2004 and 2007 championship banners and an electric guitar signed by Boston rockers Aerosmith when they performed at Fenway in 2010. Lucchino died in April at the age of 78. The auction starts Saturday.
MLB scraps plans to play in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City next season
Ronald Blum, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 20 - 7:15 p.m. | Save Story
Major League Baseball scrapped plans to play regular-season games next year in Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The season opens on March 18 and 19 with a two-game series in Tokyo between Shohei Otahni's Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. The collective bargaining agreement agreed to in 2022 also called for Mexico City games next May, the first-ever Paris games in June and San Juan games in September. MLB called off the France games in 2023 after failing to find a promoter. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the economics didn't work to play in Puerto Rico next year.
Manfred says Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out Rays' ballpark situation
Ronald Blum, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 20 - 7:15 p.m. | Save Story
Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out the Rays' ballpark situation following Hurricane Milton, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there has been no thought to allowing the team to explore a relocation. Tampa Bay announced a stadium plan in September 2023 but following Hurricane Milton, which damaged Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, the Pinellas County Commission has not approved financing bonds for the new ballpark. The Rays said this week the new ballpark wouldn't be able to open until 2029, if at all.
Roki Sasaki's posting likely will extend into 2025 signing period, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says
Ronald Blum, Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 6:15 p.m. | Save Story
Roki Sasaki's posting will likely extend into the 2025 international signing period, according to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, allowing teams as much as $7,555,500 to sign the prized Japanese pitcher. Manfred says "it kind of looks like the way it's going to shake out that the signing there, just because the timing, will happen in the new pool period." The Chiba Lotte Marines said on Nov. 9 they will post the hard-throwing 23-year-old right-hander. Under the agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, the posting period runs from Nov. 1 until Dec. 15 and players have 45 days following the posting to reach an agreement. Sasaki has not yet been posted. The 2025 international signing period opens Jan. 15.
White Sox, veteran outfielder Austin Slater agree to $1.75 million, 1-year contract
The Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 5:30 p.m. | Save Story
The Chicago White Sox and veteran outfielder Austin Slater have agreed to a $1.75 million, one-year contract. Slater could earn $500,000 in performance bonuses under the terms of the deal. Slater, who turns 32 next month, batted .209 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 84 games for San Francisco, Cincinnati and Baltimore last season. He is a career .252 hitter with 40 homers and 171 RBIs in eight seasons with the Giants, Reds and Orioles. The White Sox went 41-121 and broke the modern major league record for losses in a season.
MLB will test robot umpires at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams
Ronald Blum, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 20 - 5:15 p.m. | Save Story
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 still working on the shape of the strike zone. An agreement for big league use would have to be reached with the Major League Baseball Umpires Association, whose collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says: "I would be interested in having it in '26."
Seth Brown reaches $2.7 million contract agreement with A's, avoiding arbitration
The Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 4:47 p.m. | Save Story
Seth Brown and the Athletics reached agreement on a $2.7 million contract for the 2025 season, with the outfielder and first baseman avoiding salary arbitration. The deadline is Friday for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players. Brown, 32, split time between the A's and Triple-A Las Vegas this year. He batted .231 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs over 124 games with Oakland
Catcher Jacob Stallings agrees to a $2.5M, 1-year deal with the Colorado Rockies
The Associated Press | Updated Nov. 20 - 3:05 p.m. | Save Story
Catcher Jacob Stallings and the Colorado Rockies have agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract. The deal carries a $2 million salary for next season, along with a $2 million mutual option for 2026 that includes a $500,000 base buyout. The 34-year-old Stallings set full-season career highs with Colorado last season when he hit .263 with nine homers and a slugging percentage of .453. He caught 12 runners stealing, which was 12th most among catchers.
MLB Free Agent Signings List
The Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 2:10 p.m. | Save Story
MLB Free Agent Signings
Guardians trade right-handed reliever Eli Morgan to Cubs for minor league OF Alfonsin Rosario
Tom Withers, Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 12:52 p.m. | Save Story
The Cleveland Guardians traded a piece of their powerful bullpen, sending right-hander Eli Morgan to the Chicago Cubs for minor league outfielder Alfonsin Rosario. Morgan went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 32 appearances last season for the AL Central champions, who had the best bullpen in the majors in 2024. He became more trusted in big spots by manager Stephen Vogt as the season progressed. The right-hander had a string of 16 straight scoreless innings from Aug. 28 to Sept. 25. The 28-year-old Morgan went 18-12 with a 3.97 ERA in 131 games over four seasons for Cleveland, which drafted him in the eighth round in 2017.
Steinbrenner wants his relationship with Soto to be similar to how he gets along with Judge and Cole
Ronald Blum, Associated Press | Posted Nov. 20 - 12:43 p.m. | Save Story
Hal Steinbrenner wants his relationship with Juan Soto to be similar to his friendship with Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, and the New York Yankees owner emphasized the team's commitment to continually improve its roster if the star free-agent outfielder stays in the Bronx. Steinbrenner said the Yankees delegation at Monday's meeting included team president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and senior adviser for baseball operations Omar Minaya. Asked how confident he was about keeping Soto, Steinbrenner said: "No idea. We'll be in the mix. I'll leave it at that."
Freddie Freeman's historic walk-off grand slam ball from the World Series to hit the auction block
The Associated Press | Updated Nov. 20 - 10:39 a.m. | Save Story
Freddie Freeman's historic walk-off grand slam ball from Game 1 of the World Series is hitting the auction block. The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman homered in the 10th inning against the New York Yankees last month, giving the Dodgers a 6-3 victory. They went on to win the Series in five games and Freeman was named MVP. A 10-year-old boy named Zachary Ruderman corralled the ball in the stands. It will be part of a sale run by SCP Auctions from Dec. 4-14. Company president David Kohler says he believes the Freeman ball is "easily worth seven figures."
Mariners get infielder Austin Shenton from Rays for cash
The Associated Press | Posted Nov. 19 - 8:38 p.m. | Save Story
The Seattle Mariners have acquired infielder Austin Shenton from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash. In a corresponding move, right-hander JT Chargois was designated for assignment by the Mariners. The 26-year-old Shenton made his major league debut March 31 with the Rays and batted .214 with one home run and three RBIs in 19 big league games. He hit .258 with 20 homers, 65 RBIs and an .858 OPS in 83 games with Triple-A Durham. Chargois, 33, was 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 36 games with Seattle and Miami last season. Shenton and Chargois were traded by Seattle to Tampa Bay for right-hander Diego Castillo on July 29, 2021.
Cubs cut former closer Adbert Alzolay, who had Tommy John surgery in August
The Associated Press | Updated Nov. 19 - 7:57 p.m. | Save Story
The Chicago Cubs have cut former closer Adbert Alzolay after he had Tommy John surgery late last season. Alzolay and minor league outfielder Brennen Davis were designated for assignment. Chicago selected the contracts of outfielder Owen Caissie from Triple-A Iowa and infielder Ben Cowles from Double-A Tennessee. The 29-year-old Alzolay had surgery on his right elbow in late August and is expected to miss all or most of the 2025 season. He struggled early this year and experienced a setback trying to rehabilitate the injury. The right-hander had four saves in nine chances and finished 1-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 18 games. Alzolay had 22 saves in 2023.
Cleveland's Stephen Vogt wins AL Manager of the Year, Milwaukee's Pat Murphy takes home NL honor
David Brandt, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 19 - 6:25 p.m. | Save Story
Milwaukee's Pat Murphy won National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday night after a stellar debut season with the Brewers, while Cleveland's Stephen Vogt took home the AL award after leading the Guardians to 92 wins and a division title in his first year as a skipper at any level. Murphy, 65, led the Brewers to a 93-69 record and an NL Central title. He became the first manager in franchise history to win the award since it was introduced in 1983. In the playoffs, Milwaukee lost to the New York Mets in a Wild Card Series. The 40-year-old Vogt beat out Kansas City's Matt Quatraro and Detroit's A.J. Hinch, both AL Central rivals.
Tampa Bay Rays say new St. Pete stadium is unlikely to be ready for 2028 season, if at all
Curt Anderson, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 19 - 4:38 p.m. | Save Story
A combination of hurricane damage to Tropicana Field and political delays on financing means it is highly unlikely the Tampa Bay Rays' planned new stadium will be ready for the 2028 season, if at all. Rays top executives said in a letter Tuesday to the Pinellas County Commission that the team has already spent $50 million for early work on the new $1.3 billion ballpark and cannot proceed because of delays in approval of bonds for the public share of the project. The ballpark is part of a broader $6.5 billion project that supporters say would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city's downtown. The Rays will play the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, spring training home of the New York Yankees.
Mets acquire center fielder Jose Siri from Rays for reliever Eric Orze
Mike Fitzpatrick, Associated Press | Updated Nov. 19 - 4:25 p.m. | Save Story
Speedy center fielder Jose Siri has been acquired by the New York Mets from the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Eric Orze. The 29-year-old Siri batted .187 with 18 homers, 47 RBIs and a .620 OPS in a career-high 130 games for the Rays this year. He covers a lot of ground in the outfield and gives the Mets a replacement for Harrison Bader, who became a free agent after sharing time in center field last season. Orze, a two-time cancer survivor, was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. He made his first two big league appearances this year.
Nick Martinez only free agent to accept among 13 given $21.05 million qualifying offers
Ronald Blum, Associated Press | Posted Nov. 19 - 2:22 p.m. | Save Story
Pitcher Nick Martinez was the only free agent to accept among 13 players given $21.05 million qualifying offers from their former clubs. Those who declined were New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, Baltimore right-hander Corbin Burnes and outfielder Anthony Santander, Boston right-hander Nick Pivetta, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Arizona first baseman Christian Walker, Atlanta left-hander Max Fried, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández, Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames, and New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, left-hander Sean Manaea and right-hander Luis Severino. Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 14 of 144 offers have been accepted.
