MLB

Pat Hoberg had been a full-time umpire in MLB since 2017. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Major League Baseball upheld its decision to fire umpire Pat Hoberg on Monday after it said that he had been sharing a betting account with a friend who bet on baseball. Hoberg, MLB said, was fired for failing to “uphold

The catcher position in fantasy baseball is like the green vegetables on a dinner plate — even on a good day, they aren’t the main attraction. Still, the 2025 pool of backstops is a respectable group. Most managers will draft in leagues that require just one starting catcher, and in those formats, there are plenty

Feb 2, 2025, 10:14 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Right-hander Jack Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a two-year, $35 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Sunday night. Flaherty returns to the Tigers after departing Detroit for the Los Angeles Dodgers at

Jack Flaherty was traded to the Dodgers ahead of the deadline last summer, and was critical in their World Series run. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Jack Flaherty is headed back to Detroit. The right-hander struck a two-year, $35 million deal with the Tigers on Sunday night, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The new

By record, this was the worst division in baseball last season. The American League West, which boasted both ALCS teams in 2023, finished with a combined record 43 games under .500 in 2024. All around, it was bad, bad, bad and worse. Houston had its worst playoff performance in nearly a decade. Seattle, unable to

Tim Kurkjian Close Tim Kurkjian ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Has covered baseball since 1981 Buster Olney Close Buster Olney ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” Jan 31, 2025, 07:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Late in

Fans take pictures of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on stage during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Dodgers fans got their first look at the club’s star-studded 2025 team on Saturday, at an annual DodgerFest fan event at Dodger Stadium. And based on the seemingly endless line of cars

Los Angeles Dodgers fans wanting to see Shohei Ohtani show off the other half of his game will likely have to wait at least a month into the season. Speaking at the team’s FanFest, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated the reigning NL MVP will make his return as a pitcher in May, responding “sounds about

Associated Press Jan 31, 2025, 06:49 PM ET Open Extended Reactions MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras agreed Friday to a one-year contract guaranteeing $6.1 million, avoiding an arbitration hearing. A two-time All-Star, Contreras had asked for $6.5 million and had been offered $5.6 million when proposed figures were exchanged. Editor’s Picks His deal

Dodgers general manager Brandan Gomes stands with new Dodgers reliever Kirby Yates during a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times) The Dodgers held their fifth introductory news conference of the offseason Friday. For the fourth time, it was to welcome a notable pitching addition to the organization. A

While several of their midwest counterparts in the American League Central enjoyed a collective breakout in 2024, the quintet of National League clubs in the heartland had a far less encouraging season. A young Brewers team led by new manager Pat Murphy surged to a comfortable division lead it never relinquished, while former Milwaukee skipper

Open Extended Reactions Right-hander Max Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a one-year, $15.5 million contract, sources told ESPN on Thursday, uniting the future Hall of Famer with a Toronto team trying to salvage the winter after missing on high-profile free-agent pursuits. The 40-year-old Scherzer, one of the best pitchers of

This embedded content is not available in your region. Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast The New York Yankees haven’t been quiet this offseason in regard to putting together a roster that they feel can hopefully get them back to the World Series in 2025. The same can be said for Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner this past

Don’t expect the New York Yankees to match the Los Angeles Dodgers in spending any time soon, judging from their controlling owner’s recent comments. Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner responded to the Dodgers’ run of recent signings, which has pushed them up to a projected 2025 payroll upward of $375 million, in an interview with YES

Open Extended Reactions Infielder Ha-Seong Kim and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a two-year, $29 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN, adding a Gold Glove winner to a Rays team that places significant emphasis on defense. Kim, 29, who is expected to return from shoulder

Infielder Ha-Seong Kim is reportedly heading to the Tampa Bay Rays. Kim and the Rays have agreed to a two-year, $29 million contract, per multiple reports. The deal reportedly includes an opt-out after the first season. Kim has spent the past four seasons with the San Diego Padres, who signed him out of the South

Open Extended Reactions Right-handed reliever Kirby Yates and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a one-year, $13 million contract, sources told ESPN, continuing the Dodgers’ construction of a superteam that will enter the 2025 season as heavy World Series favorites. Yates, 37, was one of the best relievers in baseball last year, posting

The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their offseason show of force on Tuesday by adding Kirby Yates, another of the top relievers on the market, to their bullpen, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The former Texas Rangers closer has agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with an additional $1 million in incentives for games played,