NEW YORK — The passage of time is an unavoidable conversation these days for Rob Manfred, the 66-year-old commissioner of Major League Baseball. Sitting in a conference room at his Manhattan office this month, he scurried out mid-sentence to retrieve a piece of paper, a small square with ruled interlocking lines and a dot in…
There are still a number of difference-making free agents on the board and likely some significant trades still to come, but let’s take stock of each team’s offseason moves — or lack thereof. The teams that have had the best offseasons so far include the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Red Sox. The worst?…
The Mets signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking $765 million deal, the Yankees landed Max Fried with a $218 million deal, and the Diamondbacks once again shocked the baseball world, adding ace Corbin Burnes on a $210 million pact. However, there are still several teams — including the Royals, Twins, Padres, Mariners and Cardinals —…
There was a game in El Paso where even a two-touchdown lead wasn’t safe. … There was a game in Houston where a pitcher allowed four base runners on three pitches. … And then there was that game in Los Angeles where Mookie Betts hit for the Strangest But Truest cycle of his career. (Spoiler alert:…
First prize — We tip our cap Here at Strange But True Injury Central, there’s only one thing we love more than a good Injury of the Year caper. And that’s having the same player churn out an injury caper sequel that elevates him onto this list for the second year in a row. So…
I swear this all happened in the Strange But True baseball year of 2024: A man played for both teams in the same game. … Another guy made an out on his own intentional walk. … And history was made at Coors Field, all because a pitcher did not throw a pitch. I mention all that because it’s…
When last we saw a Major League Baseball game, the Los Angeles Dodgers were celebrating a World Series title at Yankee Stadium. If you’re a trivia lover like me, you might have noticed a historical oddity: The Dodgers have now clinched a championship at three different versions of Yankee Stadium — the original (in 1955),…
By Ken Rosenthal, Evan Drellich and Brendan Kuty LOS ANGELES — The floor for Juan Soto is $600 million. The bidding for the free-agent MLB outfielder has surpassed that amount, according to two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly. Agent Scott Boras said Tuesday at Dodger Stadium that Soto…
Stephen Strasburg retired, Patrick Corbin’s deal with the Washington Nationals finally expired and Chris Sale roared back to form in a major way. That means there are changes to the annual rankings of MLB’s worst contracts. With Black Friday deals in the past and baseball’s hot stove on the verge of heating up, risk-averse executives…
December is almost upon us. The final month on the calendar is the most transactional time of the baseball year. In nine days, the industry will gather in Dallas for the Winter Meetings. The biggest questions of the offseason — Where will Juan Soto go? Which pitcher will get paid the most? Seriously, who is…