11:47 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Atlanta outfielder Joc Pederson and Boston infielder-outfielder Kyle Schwarber were among 10 players who became free agents Thursday when they both declined 2022 mutual options in their contracts. Pederson agreed with the Cubs in February to a $7 million, one-year contract that included a $4.5 million
MLB
5:06 PM ET The Houston Astros are bringing back manager Dusty Baker on a one-year deal, the team announced Friday. Baker, 72, led the Astros to the World Series in 2021 after taking over the team before the 2020 season. “He’s done a great job this last year,” owner Jim Crane said. “Great in the
4:28 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Left-hander Francisco Pérez was claimed by the Washington Nationals, who also sent right-hander Kyle McGowin outright to Triple-A Rochester on Friday. Pérez had been waived by the Cleveland Indians. The 24-year-old reliever went 4-0 with a 1.87 ERA and three saves across 30 appearances for Double-A Akron and
10:59 AM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians picked up José Ramírez‘s $12 million contract option for 2022 on Friday after the All-Star third baseman had another MVP-caliber season. Ramírez was one of the only bright spots for the team’s inconsistent offense. The 29-year-old batted .266 with 36 homers, 103 RBIs and 27
11:45 AM ET The 2021 World Series is in the books, with the Atlanta Braves triumphing over the Houston Astros in six games. Now, it’s 2021-22 MLB offseason time for all 30 teams, with trades to be made, extensions to consider, and free-agency decisions charting the courses of players and teams alike looming. Some of
8:42 PM ET Longtime San Francisco Giants star Buster Posey said the desire to spend more time with his family combined with the physical toll of playing catcher led him to retire Thursday following a 12-year career. Posey, 34, was a seven-time All-Star, including in his final season when he hit .304. He is the
10:25 AM ET Cincinnati Reds star outfielder Nick Castellanos has exercised the opt-out clause in his contract and will become a free agent this offseason, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Buster Olney. Castellanos informed the Reds of his decision Thursday, according to reports, opting out of the final two years and $34 million on his
7:51 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves will give a nod to past and present with a two-part parade Friday celebrating their first World Series title in 26 years. The Braves defeated the Houston Astros 7-0 on Tuesday night to wrap up the championship. The procession will start at Woodruff Park in
6:34 PM ET ESPN News Services San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will announce his retirement from baseball on Thursday, according to a report from The Athletic on Wednesday. Posey, 34, has played his entire 12-year career in San Francisco, helping the team win three World Series titles, in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He is
2:06 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” HOUSTON — In the early hours of July 11, a small group gathered in a ballroom at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne hotel in Miami for what felt like a wake. Over
7:00 AM ET The Atlanta Braves just won the 2021 World Series by eliminating the Houston Astros in six games — but we’re already looking ahead to next year. Will Atlanta repeat as champions after an unexpected title run? Will the team to beat in all of baseball come from a stacked AL East? And
11:37 PM ET HOUSTON — Jorge Soler coiled, and then he unleashed the mightiest swing he could muster. His batted ball would clear the left-field train tracks in Houston’s Minute Maid Park, soaring 446 feet to give his team the early three-run lead that Max Fried would not relinquish. He dropped his bat upon contact,
11:34 PM ET ATLANTA — The narrative shape of the 2021 Atlanta Braves, the newly crowned champions of baseball, was not an arc, as fantastical tales tend to be. It was more like a wave chart, with ebbs and flows leading to one final tidal wave that began gathering momentum in early August and crashed
12:06 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — The Indians began removing the team’s scripted logo atop the giant scoreboard at Progressive Field on Tuesday as they transition their name to the Guardians. Crews started dismantling the letters, beginning with the “I” on the 80-foot-long sign. It’s another step in the offseason change for the Major
6:54 PM ET HOUSTON — The Astros are turning to rookie Luis Garcia, pitching on short rest, to stave off elimination from the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday. Manager Dusty Baker said it’s Garcia’s turn to throw, and that he can always rely on a rested bullpen if things
9:23 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Acting general manager Zack Scott will not return to the New York Mets after being placed on administrative leave following an arrest on drunken driving charges in August, according to multiple reports. Scott’s dismissal is hardly a surprise after New York fell apart in the second
2:43 AM ET ATLANTA — It’s almost a cliché to say that a team which falls behind 3-1 in a best-of-seven playoff series has been pushed to the brink. If that’s the case, the Houston Astros went to the brink and a little beyond and survived to tell about it. The Astros bounced back from
2:45 AM ET ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves had a plan. With a 5-4 lead and an open base to work with in the top of the fifth inning of World Series Game 5, they figured they could get out of a jam by intentionally walking No. 7 hitter Alex Bregman to get to the