NEW YORK — There are a lot of takeaways from the Dodgers’ latest act of free-agent gluttony — turning Kyle Tucker, a very good but hardly great support player into a most unlikely record-breaking $60 million per year commodity — but perhaps the biggest one is for the first time uniting all the other owners, big market and small, in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Compared with the rest of the tribe of baseball writers, my criteria for Hall of Fame inclusion are undemanding. The most controversial element: I do not discriminate against the PED crowd.

I consistently have voted for Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, titanic talents of their era who are shunned by a voting bloc ...Read more

Cue the whining. Again.

The fan bases of 29 other teams are mad, their anger directed at Baseball’s Villains, and that should sound familiar. Once the news broke Thursday night of the Dodgers’ signing of free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker — a transaction that will become official once the club makes a corresponding move to free a spot on ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Well, that was fun. You can be mad that the Phillies didn’t sign Bo Bichette or you can be grateful for all the takes you heard along the way. However things turn out for the 2026 Phillies, you’ll always have those two weeks in winter when you could dream of a better tomorrow. No amount of money and opt-outs can take that ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A collective groan was shared on social media from baseball fans on Thursday night.

The Dodgers reportedly have a deal in place with outfielder Kyle Tucker, who was the biggest fish in free agency. The contract terms were stunning: four years and $240 million, per USA Today.

That’s $60 million a year for Tucker, who is ...Read more

NEW YORK — Every winter, it seems as though the Mets make offers to elite free agents, only for them to go to the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. It was beginning to feel a bit like a humiliation ritual until Friday, when the Mets signed infielder Bo Bichette, reportedly right before he was ready to sign with the rival Philadelphia Phillies.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Using a playbook familiar to their front office, the Dodgers waited until the market for slugging outfielder Kyle Tucker dwindled before making him a staggering offer short on duration but generous in dollars.

The result is the defending two-time World Series championship team plugging the only hole in its lineup with another ...Read more

NEW YORK — Less than 24 hours after losing the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, the Mets quickly pivoted to Bo Bichette, one of the best bats left on the free-agent market. Bichette and the Mets came to terms on a three-year, $126 million contract Friday morning, a source confirmed to the New York Daily News.

While there isn’t any deferred money, ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Less than 24 hours after losing out to the Dodgers in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, the Mets pivoted to Bo Bichette.

After New York swooped in with a three-year, $126 million deal for the infielder, the Phillies immediately made a pivot of their own. They agreed to terms with catcher J.T. Realmuto on a three-year, $45 million ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Rays continued their roster overhaul on Thursday, trading outfielder Josh Lowe to the Angels in a three-team deal that brought second baseman Gavin Lux and pitcher Chris Clark to Tampa Bay.

Lowe, the Rays’ 2016 first-round pick, was coming off a second straight disappointing season marred by injury and inconsistent play.

...Read more

DETROIT — Let’s start with the extreme viewpoints, just for fun.

The Tigers are being cheap and short-sighted, making offers way below market value for their generational star. On the other side, Tarik Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, is being greedy and pompous, practically mocking the Tigers.

Somewhere in the middle lies the truth. And ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are ruining baseball again.

The two-time defending World Series champions went into this winter with two glaring needs at closer and in the outfield. They filled the needs by simply signing the best free agent available at each position, adding outfielder Kyle Tucker to last month’s signing of closer Edwin Diaz. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — On the eve of the Dodgers' final regular-season series at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement. There would be one final regular-season start at home, then one final regular-season start at Seattle, then one final World Series appearance at Dodger Stadium, then one final World Series championship celebration ...Read more

CHICAGO — Alex Bregman’s five-year, $175 million deal will go down as one of the biggest contracts in Chicago Cubs history.

The way it went down will be remembered for how it was announced.

Talks began almost as soon as the offseason began on Nov. 6, 2025, at 4 p.m. Central time, but a deal wasn’t consummated until the afternoon of Jan. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Soccer is the world's most popular sport. So the world's most marketable athlete must be a soccer player, right?

Not this year.

Basketball? Golf? Tennis?

All widely played around the world, and all good guesses.

In 2025, however, the athlete making the most money from sponsorships and endorsements is a baseball player: the ...Read more

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox ended their run as the only team without a dollar spent in free agency Wednesday, and did so with a big, long-term, lucrative bang.

According to several reports, the Red Sox are signing left-handed starter Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the contract ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals' found their "better fit" for Nolan Arenado and traded the 10-time Gold Glove-winner to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

The Cardinals will send close to $30 million with the All-Star third baseman to Arizona for right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez, a 2025 draft pick out of Arizona State. The team announced the ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Still fuming about the rising cost of a cup of coffee? Just wait until you try to buy a baseball stadium.

The baseline for state-of-the-art sports facilities used to be outrageous but now probably qualifies for the Supreme Court definition of obscene.

You might be inclined to blame that on inflation or tariffs or regulations, ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — It has happened countless times, professional sports teams rebranding with different nicknames and logos and colors. The reasons vary, but history often takes a back seat to change.

It doesn’t appear that would ever happen with the Athletics.

It doesn’t appear even a certain pause initiated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark ...Read more