9:00 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Toronto All-Star pitcher Alek Manoah was among 15 players whose contracts were renewed by their teams rather than reach negotiated agreements. Manoah, who finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting, was given a $745,650 salary while in the major leagues and $353,100 should he be optioned
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7:45 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Joe Pepitone, an All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman on the 1960s New York Yankees who gained renown for his flamboyant personality, hairpieces and penchant for nightlife, has died at age 82. Pepitone was living with his daughter Cara Pepitone at her house in Kansas City, Missouri,
8:41 PM ET Associated Press BALTIMORE — Luis Ortiz, a minor league pitcher who was in the Baltimore Orioles organization, has died after battling cancer. He was 20. The Orioles announced his death in a statement. “Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the passing of minor league pitcher Luis Andrés Ortiz Soriano. We
5:39 PM ET MIAMI — Team Nicaragua lost to the Dominican Republic during pool-play at the World Baseball Classic on Monday, but one of its pitchers won in a big way. Editor’s Picks 1 Related Duque Hebbert, a 21-year-old right-hander who’s listed at 5-foot-9, struck out MLB superstars Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez and Rafael Devers
9:32 AM ET ESPN staff Football has touchdown dances. Basketball has mean mugging after a dunk. Soccer players slide in the grass as their teammates pile on top of them. Baseball? Baseball has the bat flip. Long considered something of a faux pas in the game, the bat flip is having a bit of a
5:14 PM ET SURPRISE, Ariz. — After throwing 24 pitches in a minor league contest Monday, Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom said he thinks he’ll be ready for Opening Day with his new club. “That’s up to them,” deGrom said afterward. “I’m here to help us win. If it falls that I’m on Opening Day,
3:43 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer is finalizing a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he’ll rejoin professional baseball for the first time in nearly two
9:23 AM ET A painful experience at the World Baseball Classic had a sweet ending for William Escala — thanks to an unexpected visit from Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. Two days after plunking Escala with a 101 mph pitch, Sasaki apologized to the Czech Republic outfielder Monday morning and brought him two bags filled with
7:00 AM ET PHOENIX — When Team USA takes the field for the World Baseball Classic with a star-studded roster Monday night at Chase Field, Freddie Freeman will be in the other dugout wearing a red uniform with Canada written across his chest. The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman turned down the option to play
6:17 AM ET PHOENIX — Team USA manager Mark DeRosa admitted he’s managing the needs of his pitchers and their parent clubs as much as he is each game — all of which may have contributed to a stunning 11-5 loss to Mexico in Round 1 of the WBC on Sunday night. It was the