6:01 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” IRVING, Texas — A lockout of Major League Baseball players appeared imminent after discussions between the league and union cut off negotiations early Wednesday afternoon, less than 12 hours before the expiration
MLB
7:00 AM ET Welcome to the end of baseball … for a while, at least. At 11:59 p.m. ET, the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association is set to expire. If there isn’t a new one in place by then, the owners are expected to lock out
8:00 PM ET The transaction orgy of the past few days has been stupendous for baseball fans accustomed to a more leisurely pace during the late autumn and winter months. That said, it’s been more stupendous for some fans than others, and no fan base ought to feel more adrenalized than that of the Texas
12:10 PM ET If there seemed like one sure bet this offseason in the unpredictable world of MLB free agency, it’s that the Detroit Tigers would spend whatever it took to land one of the premier shortstops on the market. Now, that seeming inevitability has come to pass, with Detroit agreeing to a reported six-year,
7:00 AM ET If you’re old enough, you remember when the belligerent relationship between major league players and owners led to a strike or lockout every four or five years, culminating in the depressing cancellation of the 1994 World Series. We’ve had labor peace since then, but that streak is about to end at 11:59
4:45 PM ET Shortstop Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a 10-year, $325 million deal, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal comes a day after the Rangers agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract with second baseman Marcus Semien, sources told Passan. Seager, 27, batted .295/.364/.501
3:19 PM ET After an offseason in which ardent New York Mets fans had been injected by rare optimism, New York’s 2021 season flamed out in epic fashion and was riddled by chaos throughout. The ensuing weeks provided a snapshot of the fallout — the game’s brightest minds rejecting overtures to lead their baseball operations
9:16 AM ET In a span of two seasons, Kevin Gausman has gone from the waiver wire to a nine-figure pitcher. The veteran right-hander, coming off a career season when he went 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA for the Giants and finished sixth in the National League Cy Young voting, is heading to the Toronto
8:39 PM ET Raise your hand if, like me, you uttered something unprintable when you heard the reported terms of Marcus Semien‘s new contract and the team that had offered them. That’s what we call a knee-jerk reaction, which isn’t always rational or correct. Your real response is what you come up with after thinking
Nov 26, 2021 The 2021-22 MLB free-agency hot stove is cooking, with teams already making some major moves in an effort to win a title next season. Below is a running list of notable transactions, along with analysis and grades for the most important ones. Remember: Trades and signings can happen at practically any hour
11:41 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” The Seattle Mariners are acquiring second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier in a trade with the San Diego Padres, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. Going to San Diego will be hard-throwing left-handed
2:49 PM ET Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Wander Franco and the Tampa Bay Rays have finalized a $182 million, 11-year contract that includes a club option for the 2033 season. The shortstop’s deal, which could be worth up to $223 million if the club option is exercised and incentives are reached, was announced
12:00 PM ET Black Friday, a great American tradition, is supposed to be about a frenzied, wild-eyed scramble for bargains. And on this particular Black Friday, the Mets were certainly frenzied — we can only imagine what the eyes of Steve Cohen looked like as his club signed three free-agent hitters over the span of
6:13 PM ET The New York Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $20 million contract with free-agent infielder Eduardo Escobar, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to ESPN on Friday. Escobar, 32, is a versatile switch-hitter who can play second and third base but also played 18 games at first after being traded
4:32 PM ET Right-hander Michael Wacha and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing a one-year contract, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Friday. Wacha, 30, was solid in a starting role for the Tampa Bay Rays last season and is expected to bring depth to the Red Sox’s rotation. Boston lost
11:48 PM ET ESPN News Services PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are bringing back first baseman/outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo on a one-year deal, $4 million deal, according to multiple reports Wednesday. The deal is pending a physical. Tsutsugo, 29, joined the Pirates in August after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played well over
10:06 AM ET New York Mets owner Steve Cohen called out Steven Matz‘s agent for “unprofessional behavior” in a tweet Wednesday morning, one day after the free-agent left-hander opted against rejoining his former team and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. “I’m not happy this morning,” Cohen said in his post. “I’ve never seen such
11:41 AM ET Reliever Wade Davis, a three-time All-Star selection who has 141 saves in 12 major league seasons, is retiring, the Kansas City Royals announced Wednesday. The 36-year-old Davis, who led the National League with 43 saves in 2018, clinched the World Series title for the Royals in 2015 with a game-ending strikeout against