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Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Why re-signing Teoscar Hernández will be among Dodgers' most important offseason decisions

Sports / Baseball /

SAN ANTONIO — The last time Teoscar Hernández gazed out at the crowd at Dodger Stadium this season, the veteran outfielder almost broke down crying.

"I just want to say thank you," Hernández said during the Dodgers' World Series celebration at Chavez Ravine last Friday, having played a crucial role in the club's first full-season ...Read more

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Scott Boras says Juan Soto was 'really comfortable' in New York, wants to win as massive payday nears

Sports / Baseball /

With the Yankees still grieving their World Series loss and a scrum of reporters peppering Juan Soto about his future, the free-agent superstar insisted that a chance to win will be one of his top priorities when determining his future.

“That’s one of the biggest things,” Soto said. “You want to be part of this, even if you don’t make...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Shohei Ohtani's labrum surgery could delay return to pitching but shouldn't impact swing

Sports / Baseball /

SAN ANTONIO — If you're buying tickets to the Dodgers' season-opening games in Tokyo next March, don't count on seeing Shohei Ohtani pitch.

Though the Dodgers slugger is expected to be in the lineup for the start of the season — which will begin with two games in Japan against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome — the two-way star is not ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Ready, set, shop! Tony Paul's top 50 MLB free agents, with predictions.

Sports / Baseball /

The Detroit News' Tony Paul breaks down his top 50 free agents in the MLB offseason, along with his predictions (all ages are as of April 1, 2025).

— 1. Juan Soto (26), RF: He's this winter's Shohei Ohtani, so let the bidding war begin for a guy who might've been a bit overlooked on his own team (Aaron Judge!?!), but certainly won't be ...Read more

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Baseball agent Scott Boras: New Twins ownership should bring in a 'very refreshed view'

Sports / Baseball /

SAN ANTONIO – There is no timeline for a new ownership group to purchase the Minnesota Twins, which the Pohlad family announced was up for sale in October, but baseball agent Scott Boras expects a new owner will bring excitement to the sport.

“The great thing about franchises, I think, is when you see them change ownership, you see someone ...Read more

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Pete Alonso's agent refutes notion of 'bear market' for first baseman: 'For Pete's sake, it's the Polar opposite'

Sports / Baseball /

With it being election week, there’s been a lot of talk about the economy and the market. In San Antonio, where it’s general manager week of sorts, the talk is about the free-agent market.

Scott Boras, the notorious MLB super agent who represents a handful of players that either just left the Mets or are being pursued by the Mets, summed it...Read more

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Dodgers to move Mookie Betts to infield in 2025, seek pitching and outfielders this offseason

Sports / Baseball /

SAN ANTONIO — One week into Major League Baseball's offseason, the Dodgers are still in the process of finalizing their plans for this upcoming winter.

They're admittedly playing "a little bit of catch-up going on right now," as general manager Brandon Gomes put it — but are happy to be after spending the last month winning the World Series...Read more

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Angels agree with RHP Kyle Hendricks on one-year, $2.5 million deal

Sports / Baseball /

The Angels have agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with right-hander Kyle Hendricks, a source confirmed on Wednesday.

The Angels have not yet announced the deal, which will also require a corresponding 40-man roster move before it’s official.

Hendricks, who turns 35 next month, is coming off a season in which he posted a 5.92 ERA with ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Family, friends and fans pay tribute to Fernando Valenzuela at public funeral mass

Sports / Baseball /

LOS ANGELES — Carlos Santana and his wife Susannah stood outside of the Cathedral of our Lady of Angels in downtown Los Angeles, gazing at the casket of Fernando Valenzuela, the beloved Mexican-born pitcher for the Dodgers.

Santana and his wife watched as Valenzuela’s family made their way inside the cathedral, followed by the pallbearers ...Read more

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Juan Soto not necessarily opposed to long free agency as Yankees eye reunion

Sports / Baseball /

NEW YORK — Juan Soto is the most coveted free agent in this year’s class, but don’t be surprised if he takes his time settling on a new home.

It’s not uncommon for Scott Boras clients to go through long free agency periods. Just last winter, four of the agent’s top clients — Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell and Jordan ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

'Run it back.' Will Dodgers keep roster core together for World Series defense?

Sports / Baseball /

SAN ANTONIO — Before most of the Dodgers front office had arrived in San Antonio on Monday for Major League Baseball's annual general managers meetings, pressure already was being applied on Andrew Friedman and Co.

Less than a week removed from winning the World Series, several Dodgers voiced their desire for the team to keep its core intact ...Read more

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Shohei Ohtani has surgery to fix torn labrum, expected to be ready for spring training

Sports / Baseball /

LOS ANGELES — Turns out, Shohei Ohtani was playing through more than just a partially dislocated shoulder in the World Series.

The Dodgers announced Tuesday that Ohtani also suffered a torn labrum when he injured his left shoulder sliding into second base in Game 2 . The slugger underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the tear, the team said...Read more

Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

If Rays stay close to home, heat and rain could be a pain

Sports / Baseball /

TAMPA, Fla. — Catcher Ben Rortvedt has a sense for what it could feel like if the Rays spend the 2025 season playing in one of the state’s spring training/minor-league stadiums:

About 15-20 pounds lighter.

Rortvedt was a 20-year-old, second-year pro in early June 2018 when he was promoted within the Minnesota organization. He went from the...Read more

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Jason Mackey: If not now for Pirates legend Dave Parker and the Baseball Hall of Fame, when?

Sports / Baseball /

PITTSBURGH — Dave Parker got his hopes up and then had them smashed like one of the homers he and his boys used to bop way out of Three Rivers Stadium. Now, he keeps stuff like this at an emotional distance, careful to not get fooled again.

The longtime Pirates outfielder has seen the numbers ... wait, no. He created the damn numbers, the ...Read more

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Clayton Kershaw declines his player option with the Dodgers for 2025

Sports / Baseball /

LOS ANGELES — At the team’s World Series celebration on Friday, future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw declared himself a “Dodger for life.”

To be a Dodger in 2025, however, he and the team will have to work out a new contract.

Though Kershaw had a player option for at least $10 million next season, he evidently declined it Monday...Read more

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Braves extend qualifying offer to Max Fried. So what's the next step?

Sports / Baseball /

SAN ANTONIO – The Braves extended the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to Max Fried, they announced on Monday — the deadline to do so.

Fried has until 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 to accept or decline it. He’ll almost certainly turn it down and become a free agent.

By extending the qualifying offer, the Braves can receive a compensatory ...Read more

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Mets begin gearing up for pursuit of Juan Soto by clearing space, money from roster

Sports / Baseball /

NEW YORK — The housecleaning has started and the Mets, as well as other teams, are clearing space off the 40-man roster and clearing money from the payroll gearing up to pursue free agent outfielder Juan Soto.

After all, he said he’s available to all 30 teams right?

Obviously, a superstar like Soto isn’t going to go to a place like ...Read more

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Teoscar Hernández gets qualifying offer from Dodgers, Walker Buehler does not

Sports / Baseball /

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers extended a qualifying offer to outfielder Teoscar Hernández on Monday, according to multiple reports.

The real news, however, was their decision not to extend the $21 million offer for next year to Walker Buehler, officially making the pitcher a free agent.

Had the Dodgers extended a QO to Buehler, he would have ...Read more

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Gerrit Cole won't test free agency after initially opting out of deal with Yankees

Sports / Baseball /

NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole is staying put.

It took some time for that to become official, but the ace will stick with the Yankees for the four years and $144 million he has remaining on the nine-year, $324 million contract he signed before the 2020 season. Cole initially opted out of that deal over the weekend.

The Yankees could have nullified ...Read more