Teams pay escalating penalties for exceeding the threshold in consecutive seasons. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Rangers have all paid the tax in at least three straight years - subjecting them to the highest escalator fees. The Astros went over the line for the second straight season. The Blue Jays, Padres and Red Sox had gotten below in 2024 and are categorized as first-time payors.
As the hot stove season plays out and we wait to see where the top remaining free agents sign, MLB teams are already looking ahead to how they'll use a major rule change coming to the sport in the new season. After more than a decade of the video review challenge system being used for plays on the bases, MLB is set to do the same for balls and strikes. Beginning in 2026, the batter, catcher or pitcher will be allowed to challenge a ball/strike call made by the home plate umpire, utilizing a system that's been in use in the minor leagues for several seasons.
Flexen, 31, parlayed his first KBO stint into a two-year, $4.75MM contract with the Mariners. That contract included a club/vesting option that Flexen vested at $8MM with a strong performance in 2021-22, when he tossed a combined 317 1/3 innings of 3.66 ERA ball. His 16.5% strikeout rate was well below average, but Flexen showed good command (6.8% walk rate) and did a decent job avoiding hard contact.
The Los Angeles Dodgers addressed their bullpen by adding All-Star closer Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract that includes more than $13 million in deferrals and a $9 million signing bonus. The $23 million average annual value (AAV) of the contract set a new record for relievers, surpassing the $20.4 million mark Díaz received in his last deal with the New York Mets.
MLB The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Jordan Romano, the Markham, Ont.,-born relief pitcher, has inked a one-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Angels in 2026. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press) Canadian relief pitcher Jordan Romano has signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
Which slugger would your favorite team's manager least like to face with the game on the line? Which ace would they most want to have on their side? And which manager do other managers respect the most? With all 30 MLB skippers on hand at last week's winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, we took the opportunity to find out the answers to those questions, plus get their thoughts on the state of the game, next year's biggest rule change and more. Here are our favorite responses.
In late July, before a game against the Boston Red Sox, Bryce Harper sat slumped in a chair in the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse, a baseball bat in hand. Philadelphia was the latest stop on Rob Manfred's leaguewide speaking tour; ahead of a CBA negotiation that virtually everyone in baseball expects to involve a 2027 work stoppage, the MLB commissioner spent the summer visiting all 30 teams, trying to get players on board with his plans to restructure the league's economics. When the subject of a salary cap came up late in the meeting, Harper rose from his seat. He walked closer to Manfred until their noses almost touched, and told the commissioner that if Manfred wanted to talk salary cap, he could "get the fuck out of our clubhouse."
High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens and former major league baseball player Cole Tucker welcomed their second child over the weekend. Hudgens, 36, announced the news Saturday with an Instagram post showing her lying in a hospital bed holding Tucker's hand. Well. I did it. Had another baby!!! Hudgens wrote. What a wild ride labor is. Big shout out to all the moms. It's truly incredible what our bodies can do.
This holiday season, Legends Memorabilia Collection (LMC) offers a gift lineup for the ultimate sports fan. From MLB autographs from Hall of Famers and All-Stars to iconic NFL and college football memorabilia from the biggest names in the game, this curated guide spotlights top items perfect for the holiday gift-giving season! Right now, there is a special opportunity for MLB Trade Rumors readers. Using the discount code "TR10," receive 10% off any purchase. To celebrate the Dodgers' World Series title, there's an exclusive opportunity for collectors and fans alike to add to their memorabilia portfolio.
Shohei Ohtani has reached Barry Bonds territory when it comes to going to any of his stat pages and just laughing while you scroll and look at the absurd numbers he's been able to put up. So here are some special stats: Sarah Langs of MLB shared out that Ohtani has won MVP in each of his first two seasons with a team and he's now only the second player in baseball history to accomplish such a feat. The first one was Roger Maris when he pulled it off in 1960 and 1961 with the Yankees. Ohtani has also won the MVP Award in unanimous fashion for the fourth time. He's in a category of his own there, as he's the only MVP in history to win the award unanimously multiple times.
"The first time in 32 years, I was hoping it would end like that this past World Series. I was ready to give up my crown, I really was. I was ready to relinquish it. I had held it for 32 years ... man, it was this close, this close," Carter said.
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don't use Spotify or Apple for podcasts. This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss...
On Sunday November 2nd, Rawlings announced the winners of their Gold Glove Award. Recognized as the best defensive players at their respective positions, this year's class of honorees includes 12 previous winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and 8 first-time winners. Max Fried, Steven Kwan and Ian Happ have each earned their fourth Gold Glove, the most amongst this year's winners.
There is a somewhat prevalent belief among fans that baseball should be boring. That is, baseball is a sport best suited for the interminable regular season grind of 162 games, and is best viewed at noon with a beer in hand, not in discrete odd-numbered series. Even though dismissing the euphoric potential of postseason baseball is straightforwardly outrageous, there are certain truths to this school of thinking.
The Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners will battle for a World Series berth in Toronto's Rogers Centre, in a high-stakes Game 7 of the American League Series Championship (ALCS) on Monday night. Toronto clawed its way back from an 0-2 deficit in the first two games of the best-of-seven ALCS, eventually tying the series and forcing Game 7 tonight. The do-or-die game gets underway just after 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre.
