6:52 PM ET Joe Mauer, the 2009 American League MVP who has spent all 15 seasons of his major league career with the Minnesota Twins, announced his retirement Friday. Mauer made his announcement in a letter to fans that was released by the Twins. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune also reported Mauer bought a full-page advertisement for
MLB
5:16 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — J.P. Ricciardi is leaving the New York Mets after eight seasons. The Mets announced his decision Friday, a day after the end of the annual general managers’ meetings and 11 days after hiring Brodie Van Wagenen to succeed Sandy Alderson as general manager. Ricciardi was hired
3:04 PM ET Kris Bryant won the Rookie of the Year award in 2015, an MVP award the next season, and he will forever be remembered in Chicago for making the last play to clinch Game 7 of the Cubs’ 2016 championship, grinning as he released the throw to first. At that time, it was
11:00 AM ET Corey Kluber will be 33 years old next April and if he was about to hit free agency, there would be important questions about the high risk of a long-term investment in a pitcher with more than 2,000 innings logged in professional baseball. But Kluber, the Cy Young award winner in the
6:20 AM ET Associated Press TOKYO — Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto isn’t letting trade rumors become a distraction either at home or in Japan, where he is currently part of an MLB All-Star tour. Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill has dismissed talk about trading Realmuto, but his agent, Jeff Berry, predicted that
7:14 PM ET ESPN News Services A new term for commissioner Rob Manfred is among the items that will be voted on by MLB owners when they meet next week in Atlanta, a source told The Associated Press on Thursday. The source told The Associated Press that the new term for Manfred, who was elected
7:02 PM ET Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Aside from that fearsome left-handed swing everybody knew, Willie McCovey provided an example of humility in how he lived for many of his San Francisco Giants teammates year after year. “McCovey was our leader,” Gaylord Perry said as his fellow Hall of Famer was remembered in a
7:09 PM ET Associated Press CARLSBAD, Calif. — Cincinnati outfielder Scott Schebler and Texas pitcher Matt Bush just missed the cutoff for salary arbitration eligibility, while Chicago Cubs pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. and Toronto pitcher Joe Biagini earned the final spots. Player Pos. Team Joe Biagini P Blue Jays Matt Boyd P Tigers Eddie Butler
5:19 PM ET Associated Press BRAINTREE, Mass. — A Massachusetts great-grandfather has won a $100,000 lottery prize by picking the jersey numbers of five members of the World Series-winning Boston Red Sox. The lottery said in a statement that 84-year-old Jim Aylward Jr., of Templeton, won the prize in Monday’s Mass Cash drawing using the
4:33 PM ET CARLSBAD, Calif. — Major League baseball is continuing to take a hard look at the use of technology in order to steal signs during games, according to MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem. This winter will help determine if they expand in-game security. “The real issue here is giving clubs comfort that other