3:57 PM ET Associated Press CINCINNATI — Shogo Akiyama knew the Cincinnati Reds were the only Major League Baseball team that never had a player born in Japan. The chance to break a barrier was part of his impetus to sign. Akiyama got a $21 million, three-year deal this week with the Reds. They introduced
MLB
12:43 PM ET The Milwaukee Brewers have given a three-year contract extension to manager Craig Counsell, the team announced Wednesday. Counsell had one season remaining on his contract and is now signed through 2023. “We are pleased to extend the contract of one of the best managers in the game today,” general manager David Stearns
7:00 AM ET Welcome to the first Stock Watch of the new decade! We’ve got a little less than five weeks before spring training gets going with the first full-squad workouts. The hot stove season seems to be about 80 percent complete, judging by the rate of transactions in the books so far. We’ve been
8:00 AM ET A small army of third basemen has been on the move this winter. Anthony Rendon got the biggest deal ever doled out by Arte Moreno and signed with the Angels. Josh Donaldson is weighing nine-figure offers from the Braves and Nationals. The Cubs have made it known they’re ready to deal Kris
1:21 AM ET Miguel Castro, a 25-year-old reliever for the Baltimore Orioles, says he was robbed at gunpoint in his native Dominican Republic and is lucky to be alive. In a post in Spanish to Instagram on Tuesday, Castro wrote that he was attacked by two people who robbed him of his chain. “Thank God
10:27 PM ET Free agent catcher Robinson Chirinos and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a one-year, $6.75 million deal, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a $5.75 million salary for 2020, with a club option for 2021 that is worth $6.5 million with a $1 million buyout. Chirinos spent six seasons with the Rangers
8:00 AM ET Before we get to the ranking of baseball’s best shortstops, a story about an All-Star second baseman. A few years ago, the Houston Astros‘ staff encouraged batting champion Jose Altuve to be more patient at the plate. The staffers assured Altuve they weren’t asking him to hunt walks, but they believed if
7:09 PM ET Associated Press HOUSTON — A 2-year-old girl struck by a foul ball during a Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park continues to receive anti-seizure medication seven months after suffering a brain injury that could leave her at risk of seizures for life, an attorney for her family said. In a report
2:31 PM ET LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers, still hoping to acquire a star player on the trade market, made another low-risk, high-upside addition on Tuesday, announcing they’ve agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Jimmy Nelson. The Dodgers didn’t announce the terms. But Nelson, a 30-year-old right-hander who had spent his entire career
2:31 PM ET LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers, still hoping to acquire a star player on the trade market, made another low-risk, high-upside addition on Tuesday, agreeing to terms on an incentive-laden deal with Jimmy Nelson, sources confirmed to ESPN. Nelson, a 28-year-old right-hander who had spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers, signed