7:00 AM ET The universal designated hitter is here. A style of baseball that has been a near constant in this nation since 1876 is about to ease into quasi-extinction, save for a few Shohei Ohtani starts on the mound and, perhaps, a smattering of pinch-hit appearances (Madison Bumgarner, Zack Greinke) or pinch-running maneuvers. It’s
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2:22 PM ET 1 Related The concern in the fantasy baseball world with All-Star shortstop Trevor Story leaving the Colorado Rockies and surprisingly signing with the Boston Red Sox is obvious. He no longer gets to play half his games in altitude at Denver’s Coors Field. Boston’s Fenway Park is still a friendly place to
1:37 PM ET Seems as if everybody in baseball was working through the weekend. Starting late Friday night, the last few big dominoes in this year’s free-agent market fell in a final sprint, with Nick Castellanos landing with the Phillies, Carlos Correa stunningly signing with the Twins and, finally, the last shortstop standing, Trevor Story
12:07 AM ET It will certainly look strange the first time Kenley Jansen faces Freddie Freeman in a crucial moment late in a close game, Jansen in an Atlanta Braves uniform, Freeman in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, symbols of this entire twisted offseason. Jansen debuted for the Dodgers on July 24, 2010 — 38
7:00 AM ET The Philadelphia Phillies, masterminded by longtime MLB roster-building guru Dave Dombrowski, nabbed one of the few impact bats left on the free-agent market late Friday night. Philadelphia agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract with righty-masher Nick Castellanos, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. There is no doubt that
11:10 AM ET Talk about March madness. Front offices dream of executing the perfect offseason plan, but those aspirations rarely come to fruition because of the complexities of free agency and trades and the need to adjust on the fly. With the signing of shortstop Carlos Correa, this year’s top free agent, to a three-year,
2:07 AM ET Shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a three-year, $105.3 million contract that includes opt-outs after the first two seasons, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Correa’s deal will pay him $35.1 million in each of the three years, sources said. Correa, 27, is coming off perhaps his
1:43 PM ET THE SPLIT OF Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves sent shock waves through the industry: It felt like the divorce of a seemingly happy couple, bringing to an end more than a decade of apparent joy and contentment. Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP, was a beloved favorite of Atlanta fans. For years,
12:45 PM ET Freddie Freeman begins his Los Angeles Dodgers career when he reports to spring training Friday, officially making the improbable possible. A Dodgers team that won 106 games in 2021 and led the National League in runs adds a player who hit .300 with 31 home runs. “On paper, it’s a great ballclub,
6:21 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will miss the start of the season after his administrative leave was extended through April 16 on Thursday by Major League Baseball and the players’ association. He was placed on seven days’ paid leave last July 2 under the union
8:04 PM ET Hold on, let me readjust my projections … nope, the Colorado Rockies still aren’t the favorites to win the National League West. It’s been a wild, sometimes bumpy ride for Kris Bryant to free agency — one that includes an MVP award and a World Series title in his sophomore season in
1:44 AM ET It’s official. Freddie Freeman is not returning to the Atlanta Braves. We knew this, even before ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan reported that Freeman had agreed to a six-year, $162 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers late Wednesday night. We knew this, in part, because the Braves had already acquired
7:45 AM ET This week, two things became true: Future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke will begin this season where he began his career, with the Kansas City Royals. And, for the first time in his 12-year career, future Hall of Famer — and soon to be Los Angeles Dodger — Freddie Freeman will not
12:12 AM ET Freddie Freeman has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel. Freeman, 32, reached free agency for the first time in his career after helping the Atlanta Braves win their first World Series since 1995 with a six-game
1:20 PM ET Sometimes the measure of a move is almost as much about the size of the hole you’ve filled as it is the person you’ve chosen to fill it. So it is for the Philadelphia Phillies, who on Wednesday morning agreed to a reported four-year, $79 million deal with free-agent slugger Kyle Schwarber.
7:00 AM ET Kiley McDaniel Close ESPN MLB Insider ESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency. Has worked for four MLB teams. David Schoenfield Close ESPN Senior Writer Covers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995 Forget
9:30 PM ET Alden Gonzalez Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016. Jesse Rogers Close ESPN Staff Writer Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. Fernando Tatis Jr.’s arrival at
2:15 PM ET NORTH PORT, Fla. — The player who will fill the position left behind by Freddie Freeman walked into the Atlanta Braves‘ clubhouse for the first time today. Matt Olson entered the building carrying an Oakland Athletics equipment bag that clashed with the colors of the room, then shook hands with Ronald Acuna