Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. New York Mets president of baseball operations Sandy Alderson said Tuesday he will look for ways to ensure the team does a better job vetting potential hires in the wake of the firing of general manager Jared Porter for explicit, unsolicited texts and images he sent to a […]

Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. After intimating as much over the last year or so, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant admitted he isn’t having as much fun playing baseball as he used to. Bryant, 29, spoke to Red Line Radio, a Barstool podcast, and was asked if there was joy for him […]

Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who battled racial prejudice and hatred on his way to breaking the major leagues' career home run record, died Friday morning at the age of 86, the Atlanta Braves announced. The Braves said he died peacefully in his sleep.  “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of our beloved Hank," said Terry McGuirk, Braves […]

Senior Writer, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine Author of “The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron” Author of “Juicing the Game” Henry Aaron, who rose up from the depths of Southern poverty to become one of the towering figures in baseball history as well a bittersweet symbol of both American racial intolerance and triumph, has died today. He was […]

Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” I write this with great respect for my many friends who are Mets fans: It might be redundant to say they are irrational. It wasn’t surprising, then, that within a few weeks of Steve Cohen being installed as the team’s new owner, some among […]

Jurickson Profar and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a three-year, $21 million contract, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Profar continues to show his versatility as a true utilityman, having played five defensive positions for the Padres last season while seeing most of his action in left field and at second base. He […]

It seemed inevitable, but now it is official.  Mets owner Steven Cohen on Tuesday morning announced on Twitter that the organization fired general manager Jared Porter after an ESPN report said he sent unsolicited and explicit text messages and images — including one of a naked, erect penis — to a foreign female reporter covering Major League Baseball. Now, the Mets […]

Right-hander Corey Kluber and the New York Yankees are finalizing a one-year, $11 million deal that would bring the two-time AL Cy Young winner to the Bronx, pending a physical, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Kluber’s first season with the Texas Rangers came to an abrupt halt when the two-time Cy Young Award winner suffered a […]

Scott Rolen, a consistent power hitter and defensive wizard, is on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the fourth year. Defensively – both by traditional statistics and advanced measurement – he was one of the best third basemen of his generation, winning eight Gold Glove Awards. Offensively, he ranks in the top 15 among third basemen in home runs (316), RBI (1,287) and slugging percentage (.490). […]

The Blue Jays’ quiet-but-efficient 2020 trade deadline helped them finish the year above .500 and in a playoff spot. None of their moves were splashy — the most successful were deals for Robbie Ray and Taijuan Walker — but they demonstrated the front office’s view that inactivity was unacceptable for a roster blessed with an array of budding stars. Before the campaign, […]