10:15 AM ET The day Gerrit Cole picks his next team will be a holiday for some team’s fan base, for some team’s front office. That team — maybe the Yankees, maybe the Angels or the Dodgers or the Giants — will have locked down a staff ace for most of the next decade, the
MLB
8:31 AM ET Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon were key components in the Washington Nationals winning the franchise’s first World Series title this year, but Mark Lerner, the team’s principal owner, is already preparing to say goodbye to at least one of them in free agency. “We really can only afford to have one of
Dec 6, 2019 Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” The San Diego Padres, intent on winning in 2020, have finalized a trade for outfielder Tommy Pham and two-way prospect Jake Cronenworth from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Hunter
12:41 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” The San Diego Padres, intent on winning in 2020, agreed to a trade for outfielder Tommy Pham and a prospect from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe and
11:54 PM ET Associated Press SAN DIEGO — Former New York Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild has been hired in the same position by the San Diego Padres. Rothschild is one of several newcomers on rookie manager Jayce Tingler’s staff announced Thursday. Rothschild spent the last nine seasons with the Yankees before being fired after
8:47 PM ET Right-hander Michael Pineda is returning to the Minnesota Twins, as the sides have reached an agreement on a two-year, $20 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. FOX 9 of Minneapolis was first to report on the agreement. Pineda will begin the 2020 season serving the remainder of a 60-game suspension that
8:01 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” The New York Yankees have made signing right-hander Gerrit Cole their clear offseason priority and have ownership-level approval to offer him a record-setting deal, sources familiar with their plans told ESPN. The
Dec 4, 2019 Editor’s note: This story originally ran on Nov. 22. Zack Wheeler agreed to a five-year deal worth $118 million with the Philadelphia Phillies on Dec. 4. The final image we have of Gerrit Cole’s tenure with the Houston Astros was after Game 7 of the World Series, when he was wearing a
1:19 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Two 31-year-old players from the South Korean League have been posted by their clubs and made available to major league teams. Negotiations may start Friday with left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim of the SK Wyverns and outfielder Jae-Hwan Kim of the Doosan Bears, the commissioner said Thursday. A deal
11:29 AM ET The Houston Astros have traded outfielder Jake Marisnick to the New York Mets in exchange for two prospects, it was announced Thursday. Marisnick, 28, a smooth-fielding center fielder, wasn’t an everyday player for the Astros because of his inconsistency at the plate. He batted .233 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs for