4:24 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — A judge has ordered lawyers for the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles to submit a proposed judgment of what the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network should pay the Nationals for television rights from 2012-16 based on the decision issued in April by an arbitration panel of three baseball executives.
MLB
8:18 PM ET Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — Jake Odorizzi watched Dallas Keuchel remain on the free-agent market until June and didn’t want to take a chance of lingering without a contract. So he accepted the Minnesota Twins‘ $17.8 million qualifying offer for a one-year contact and put himself in position to become a free agent
1:12 PM ET The Pittsburgh Pirates have hired Ben Cherington as the team’s new general manager, according to multiple reports and confirmed by ESPN. Cherington served as GM of the Boston Red Sox for four years, winning the World Series in 2013. He stepped down as the Red Sox’s general manager during the 2015 season
8:00 AM ET With free agency underway, the offseason is going to pick up steam. What are the big questions facing all 30 teams? Here’s a look at the AL Central, where the teams at the top could be in a state of flux and the ones at the bottom aren’t going anywhere. Team-by-team offseason
6:51 PM ET Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout captured his third American League MVP Award on Thursday, edging Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. Trout received 17 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, with Bregman receiving the other 13. Trout and Bregman were either first or second on all 30
6:18 PM ET Cody Bellinger captured his first National League Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday, beating defending champion Christian Yelich and eventual World Series champion Anthony Rendon. Bellinger was selected first on 19 of 30 ballots and second on 10 more, beating out Yelich, the runner-up who was named first on 10 ballots and
5:07 PM ET ESPN News Services The Atlanta Braves have signed veteran closer Will Smith to a three-year, $39 million contract, the team announced Thursday. The deal also includes a club option for 2023 for an additional $13 million. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal includes a buyout that will pay Smith $1 million
5:04 PM ET Minnesota Twins pitcher Jake Odorizzi and Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu have accepted one-year, $17.8 million qualifying offers for 2020 and will forgo free agency, it was announced Thursday. Barring contract extensions, both will be free agents without restriction after the 2020 season. Seven players have rejected the qualifying offer and
10:41 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Major League Baseball’s investigation into illegal sign stealing is expected to expand beyond the 2017 Houston Astros and look into whether other teams, including the 2019 Astros, used technology to aid hitters,
8:00 AM ET Cody Bellinger, who damn near broke the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ home run record this season, managed only one home run as a high school senior. Alex Bregman, who belted 41 homers despite also leading his sport in walks, never once reached double-digit home runs in college. Mike Trout, on a faster home