Previously a Staff Writer at Bleacher Report Cornell University graduate NEW YORK — Within minutes of locking out players Thursday amid contentious negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball scrubbed all remnants of player likenesses off its official properties such as MLB.com, replacing player photos with generic silhouettes. In response, players decided to lean all the way […]

Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” The contract numbers spent in free agency so far are record-setting, mind-bending. Max Scherzer’s annual salary of $43.3 million is the highest ever for a pitcher. The Texas Rangers spent more money in two days on two players — Corey Seager and Marcus Semien […]

Free-agent left-hander Rich Hill has agreed to a one-year deal to join the Boston Red Sox, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Wednesday. The agreement was first reported by The Boston Globe. Hill, an 18-year veteran who will be 42 next season, was a combined 7-8 with a 3.86 ERA for the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays […]

Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. 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 […]

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag. Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag. Which executives in the organization help Bill Schmidt with determining player value? It seems they royally missed with Jon Gray if they offered him several million less per year than the Rangers did. […]

The Detroit Tigers are closing in on a 7-year, $140 million deal with an opt-out clause with free-agent shortstop Javier Baez, a source told ESPN’s Buster Olney. The deal also includes an opt-out, the source told Olney. While he struck out a league-high 184 times last season, Baez finished hitting .265 with 31 homers, 87 RBIs and 18 steals. He […]

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 of the day, so make sure to check […]

Center fielder Byron Buxton and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a seven-year, $100 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Buxton received a full no-trade clause in the deal and will be paid $500,000 every time he reaches 502, 533, 567, 600 and 625 plate appearances, the sources said. He also has MVP […]

The Tampa Bay Rays and free-agent right-hander Corey Kluber have agreed to a one-year contract, according to multiple reports. The deal is worth $8 million guaranteed and could be worth as much as $13 million if he pitches a full season, according to the reports. Kluber, who turns 36 in April, was limited to 80 innings last season with the […]

Want to see two of the best high school basketball players in the nation post up against each other? Mark down Jan. 8 on your calendar. That’s when Valor Christian High School’s Raegan Beers, a 6-foot-3 senior who’s committed to Oregon State, will host Grandview’s Lauren Betts, a 6-7 senior who’s headed to Stanford. “It’s crazy that we have two […]