6:45 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have declined a $12 million option for designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and a $7 million option for left-hander Gio Gonzalez. The team announced the moves Friday, making both players free agents. Encarnacion’s deal did not include a buyout, while Gonzalez will receive $500,000. The
MLB
8:04 PM ET CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs declined the $25 million team option on pitcher Jon Lester Friday but are likely to announce picking up the $16.5 million option on first baseman Anthony Rizzo before a Sunday deadline, sources told ESPN. Lester, 36, was at the end of a 6-year, $155 million contract with
1:14 PM ET ESPN News Services DETROIT — As he waited out his suspension this year, AJ Hinch knew he wanted to return to baseball. The question was whether anyone in the sport would be ready to welcome him. His answer came pretty quickly. “About 30 minutes after the World Series’ last out, my phone
4:46 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers on Friday declined the $18 million contract option on right-hander Corey Kluber, who lasted just one inning in his only start before a shoulder injury ended his season. Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing
2:04 PM ET ESPN News Services MLB owners have voted to approve billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen as the new owner of the New York Mets, it was announced Friday. The proposed purchase of 95% of the Mets by an entity of Cohen had already been approved by MLB’s ownership committee. Cohen needed 23
3:49 PM ET After shortening the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season, the COVID-19 pandemic is already impacting the offseason, as the league announced Friday the cancellation of both the owners meetings in November and the winter meetings in December. Instead, agendas will be conducted virtually as needed. The cancellation of the winter meetings is
12:38 PM ET Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are declining 2021 options on pitcher Charlie Morton and catcher Mike Zunino, but the American League champions say they remain hopeful of re-signing them. Morton, who turns 37 next month, was due to earn $15 million. Zunino’s option was for $4.5 million.
3:25 PM ET Associated Press MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have declined 2021 options on infielders Jedd Gyorko and Eric Sogard as well as outfielder Ben Gamel. Gyorko and Sogard each had $4.5 million options and now instead become eligible for free agency. Gamel remains under team control after the Brewers declined a $2.55 million option
12:25 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” In November 2014, six months after the Arizona Diamondbacks named Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa their chief baseball officer, the organization announced that it had hired Dr. Ed Lewis as
7:42 PM ET ESPN News Services The Detroit Tigers have made progress in finalizing a deal with former Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch to be their next manager, although the agreement is not finalized, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney. Last Friday, Tigers general manager Al Avila said the team wasn’t ruling out hiring either Hinch