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Fernando Tatis Jr., a Dominican player, came back to play for the San Diego Padres and impressed many. He quickly became a top player for the team. Even after changing his position to an outfielder, he won a top award for his defensive skills. This shows he's versatile and can play different roles well. He had some really good games too. But his dad, also named Fernando Tatis, told him he needs to do even better. Fernando Tatis Jr. putting on a platinum glove show for Mike Shildt! #padres @padres pic.twitter.com/7Fhw83TUGB — Mark Bartlett (@mark_a_bartlett) December 20, 2023 His dad said, "You're talented. You can do more on the field. You need better stats." Last season, Tatis Jr. got 148 hits, which included 33 doubles, a triple, and 25 home runs. He also helped score 78 runs. His batting average was .257. Tatis Jr. said, "I'll get even better. I'm working hard for the next season." He believes that in 2024, he'll prove once more that he...

Yasiel Puig, the Cuban player, has been playing really well recently. Because of his great performance, the La Guaira Sharks have a good chance to reach the finals again. Puig has played 23 games with the team. Every time he plays, he shows how powerful he is. He even came second in the Home Run Festival, only after Ronald Acuña Jr. won against him in the final round. Before playing for La Guaira Sharks, Puig played for Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Republic. In 18 games there, he had an average of .250, with 15 hits and one home run. But when he started playing in Venezuela for LVBP, he did even better. After the Christmas break, his average improved a lot. He has a .415 batting average, with 34 hits and nine home runs. Looking at all the numbers, Puig is one of the best players in the winter leagues. He hits a home run almost every 14 times he bats. Yasiel Puig llegó a 10 HR y es el bateador de mejor frecuencia de HR por veces al bate en los principales circuitos de Winter Le...

 The Los Angeles Dodgers offered more money than the New York Yankees for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees didn't want to spend more than $300 million on him. But, it wasn't just about money. The Yankees thought $300 million was a good price. They also didn't want to offer Yamamoto more than they gave to Gerrit Cole in 2020, which was $324 million over nine years. Yankees decided not to match Dodgers winning $325M bid to Yamamoto because: 1) they thought $300M was right offer, 2) they didn’t believe anyone should have a bigger deal than Gerrit Cole. NYY offered optout after 5 yrs but not a $50M signing bonus. Highly unlikely it mattered. — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 23, 2023 Maybe the Yankees didn't want to make Cole feel less important. Or, they didn't want to make a new record for pitcher contracts. Cole can decide to leave his contract after the 2024 season. So, the Yankees could have offered Yamamoto more next year if they wanted. The Dodgers were ready to...

The 2023 New York Mets had a tough season. Many people expected them to do well, especially after they won 101 games in 2022. But things didn't go as planned. Even though they spent a lot of money, about $374.7 million, their performance was disappointing. They ended up with a 75-87 record. To make matters worse, they had to pay a record luxury tax of over $100 million. This is much more than what the Dodgers paid in 2015 when they had to pay $43.6 million but still did better on the field. The Mets didn't even make it to the playoffs. Their owner, Steve Cohen, spent over $474 million, and they only finished fourth in their division. This makes them the most expensive disappointment in baseball history. They almost signed a big contract with a player named Carlos Correa, but it didn't work out. Some other teams also had to pay luxury tax, like the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, and the Texas Rangers who...

In 2023, Braxton Garrett didn't start in the Marlins' main pitching lineup. He first played a short game on April 1. However, due to an injury to Johnny Cueto, he was back with the team quickly. With Cueto out, Garrett got a chance to be the fifth main pitcher for the Marlins. Even though he was a top pick in the past and had done well in 2022, the Marlins were still unsure about his future performance. But once Garrett started playing regularly, he proved himself. He played 30 games, pitching 159 2/3 innings and had a good average score. He struck out many players and had good control. Even though his main pitch wasn't very fast, he used his other pitches well to confuse batters. Both left-handed and right-handed batters found it hard to score against him. The Marlins faced other problems with their pitchers. One got injured, another had surgery, and one was having trouble with giving away too many free passes. But Garrett's performance was a bright spot for the team. ...

The New York Yankees really wanted to sign the star pitcher from Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They thought they had a great chance. They even offered him $300 million! They met with him two times and thought he would say yes. But, the Los Angeles Dodgers surprised everyone. They offered Yamamoto $325 million for 12 years. This is the biggest contract ever for a pitcher. Yamamoto said yes to the Dodgers. Now, the Dodgers have two amazing Japanese players. The Yankees are still looking for a top pitcher. They might want Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees Might Trade for Corbin Burnes Bryan Hoch from MLB.com says the Yankees might trade for Corbin Burnes. They really wanted Yamamoto. They watched him play for a year. They even clapped for him at a game in September. But, the Yankees have other plans. Hoch thinks they might bring back Jordan Montgomery or sign Frankie Montas. They could also try to get Shota Imanaga from Japan. But, a trade for Burnes from the Brewers seem...

  The Los Angeles Dodgers offered more money than the New York Yankees for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees didn't want to offer more than $300 million for him. But there's more to this decision than just the money. The Yankees thought $300 million was a good price. They also didn't want to offer a bigger contract than the one they gave to Gerrit Cole in 2020. That contract was for nine years and $324 million. Yankees decided not to match Dodgers winning $325M bid to Yamamoto because: 1) they thought $300M was right offer, 2) they didn’t believe anyone should have a bigger deal than Gerrit Cole. NYY offered optout after 5 yrs but not a $50M signing bonus. Highly unlikely it mattered. — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 23, 2023 Maybe the Yankees wanted to show respect to Cole. Or maybe they didn't want to change the standard for how much pitchers get paid. Cole can choose to leave his contract after 2024. If the Yankees were worried about that, they could have fixed it l...

The Phillies really want to keep their top pitcher, Zack Wheeler. They want to give him a new contract before he becomes a free agent next year.  So far, the Phillies have been very happy with Zack Wheeler's performance. Since 2020, he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball. In his time with the Phillies, he's shown great skill both in regular games and playoff matches. Even though Wheeler is getting older (he'll be 34 soon), he's been mostly healthy and played well. He had a small arm issue in 2022 but came back strong. Because of his great performance, other teams will want him when he becomes a free agent. His agents might ask the Phillies for a higher price to keep him. The Phillies have spent a lot of money on good players recently. But they haven't given many big contracts like the one Wheeler might ask for. They have kept some key players like Nola and Realmuto, but they waited until these players became free agents before resigning them. Just a shor...

In 2023, the New York Yankees didn't make it to the playoffs mainly because they didn't hit well and had some bad injuries. So, during the off-season, they really wanted to improve their hitting. The boss, Brian Cashman, said they would sign two left-handed hitters. They ended up getting Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto. The Yankees traded for both Verdugo and Soto in big deals that cost them a lot. But the team's leaders think it was worth it. As the new baseball season approaches, the manager, Aaron Boone, is excited about having Soto on the team. Aaron Boone is excited to see what Juan Soto can do with the Yankees! Juan Soto became famous in baseball very quickly because he played so well right from the start. Even though he's young, he's shown he's one of the best players around. In 2024, he will play for the Yankees after they traded some players to get him from the San Diego Padres. But even though many people say Soto is a once-in-a-generation talent, Boone bel...

The Mets tried hard to get Yoshinobu Yamamoto on their team but didn't succeed. Yamamoto decided to join the Los Angeles Dodgers for a huge 12-year, $325M contract. The Mets were willing to offer the same amount, as reported by Mike Puma from the New York Post. New York really wanted Yamamoto because he's a great pitcher from Japan. He could have been a key player for the Mets for many years. Now that he's chosen another team, the Mets need to think of another plan. The Mets' owner, Steve Cohen, wants to make choices that help the team for a long time, not just for a short while. He said to the New York Post that they won't rush into decisions just to make headlines. There are different ways to make a team successful. The Mets might not choose older pitchers like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, who are 31 and 30 years old, even though they are good. But that doesn't mean the Mets won't sign any new players. Here are three pitchers the Mets might think abo...

In October, the Arizona Diamondbacks surprised everyone by reaching the World Series. But when the 2024 baseball season begins, they might not be the top pick to win their division. This is because the Los Angeles Dodgers spent a lot of money to make their team stronger. Zac Gallen, one of the best players from the Diamondbacks, talked about this on a radio show called "Wolf and Luke" on Arizona Sports radio. He said, "People will expect more from us this year because of how well we played last year." Gallen also shared his thoughts about the Dodgers. He wasn't shocked when they signed Shohei Ohtani, a great player from Japan. But he thought the Dodgers' other signings were surprising. The Dodgers spent a huge amount of money to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Adding Ohtani's big contract, the Dodgers spent nearly a billion dollars to make their team better. However, Gallen believes in his team. He thinks they can play well again this year, ev...

The New York Yankees wanted to improve their team this year. Last year, their offense was not good, so they needed better players. They wanted two left-handed players for the outfield and a pitcher. Their main target was Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. The Yankees had good pitchers, so they could trade with the Padres. But first, they got Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox. If they couldn't get Soto, Verdugo would have been their main new player. How Did Alex Verdugo Feel About Joining the Yankees? It's rare for the Boston Red Sox to trade with the Yankees. This was only the seventh time in 50 years. Just before the Yankees got Juan Soto, the Red Sox traded Verdugo to them. The Yankees needed a backup plan if they couldn't sign Soto. Verdugo was that plan. The Red Sox were happy to let him go because he didn't meet their expectations and had problems with the team. Verdugo was upset when he heard about the trade. He said, “They sent me to the Yankees?” But the Ya...

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a big move this week by signing the talented Japanese pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for $325 million over 12 years. Plus, they also paid a $50.6 million fee to his former team in Japan. This means they've committed to paying over $375 million for Yamamoto. This big signing, along with Shohei Ohtani's huge $700 million deal, has everyone talking about the Dodgers in baseball. Not everyone thinks it's good news. Some people think the Dodgers are being too aggressive and might become the most disliked team. Others worry they'll be laughed at if they don't win. Some people wonder if it's good for baseball if only a few teams can afford top players like Yamamoto and Ohtani. Most fans and team owners probably don't like it. The Dodgers, along with teams like the New York Yankees, say they're just playing by the rules. They believe they're doing what's needed to make a strong team. They think it's the other teams that are...

As December comes to a close, the New York Yankees are still working on their team for the 2024 MLB season. They've added a few outfielders, but their pitching team needs more players. Still, the team is determined to make good choices this off-season. The New York Yankees have a strong outfield lineup for next season. But injuries can happen in baseball. Aaron Judge will play center field more often because of another player, Juan Soto. This means Judge might need to rest more. The team needs more outfielders to help out, so they should think about bringing back a player they had before. The Yankees should consider bringing back Isiah Kiner-Falefa to help in the outfield. In a recent game, he did well, getting two hits and scoring two runs. He used to play mainly as an infielder but became a utility player last year. He played almost every position except catcher and first base. He didn't have the best batting average, but he's good at helping his team score. Now, he's...

On Thursday night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto became a major topic of discussion. The Los Angeles Dodgers won big by signing this top Japanese pitcher to a whopping 12-year, $325 million deal. But it wasn't just the Dodgers celebrating. Writers for New York City newspapers had a fun time crafting headlines about the New York Mets and New York Yankees missing out on Yamamoto. The Daily News went with a playful headline, "It's A Miserable Life," pointing out how unfortunate it was for the local teams to miss the chance to sign Yamamoto. The Post chose a clever twist, using "Yamoohno!" playing on Yamamoto's name. Newsday took a softer tone, calling Yamamoto a "Hollywood Co-star" because he decided to join Shohei Ohtani, another top player. Both the Yankees and Mets really wanted Yamamoto. They hoped he would be their star pitcher for the upcoming season. The Yankees even offered $300 million! Yamamoto even had dinner with the Mets' owner, Steve Cohen....

  The Mets traded with the Brewers to get pitcher Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor. In exchange, they gave the Brewers a minor league player named Coleman Crow. This trade was reported by various sports journalists. David Stearns, who now works for the Mets, used to be in charge at the Brewers. He knows Houser and Taylor well. Both players have played in the major leagues and have done well. But in Milwaukee, they had to compete for playing time. Now, with the Mets, they'll add depth to the team. Adrian Houser, who is 31, played five good seasons for the Brewers. He usually started games and has a decent record. His contract ends in 2024, and he's expected to earn about $5.6M next year. Compared to other players, he's a good deal for the Mets. Tyrone Taylor, who is turning 30 soon, played well in 2021 and 2022 for the Brewers. He hit 29 home runs and was a solid outfielder. However, he missed some games due to an injury this year. The Mets hope he'll strengthe...

The competition to sign baseball player Yoshinobu Yamamoto is now between three teams. Alex Pavlovic from NBC Sports Bay Area mentioned that the San Francisco Giants won't be getting Yamamoto. It's expected that he might join either the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, or New York Mets. Yamamoto is looking at a contract worth over $300 million. So, it's no wonder only these teams are still trying to sign him. Many think the Dodgers have a good chance because they were interested from the start. And now, after signing Shohei Ohtani to a big deal, their chances seem even better. Some thought Yamamoto might be at a recent game of the Los Angeles Rams, but that turned out to be wrong. Still, this doesn't mean the Dodgers are out of the race. Welp, being told now that Yoshinobu Yamamoto IS NOT going to be at the Rams game tonight The Rams were expecting him to be there, but plans apparently changed — Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) December 21, 2023 The Yankees have met w...

The New York Yankees have some exciting plans for the upcoming season, especially after their tough year in 2023. Brian Cashman, their leader, mentioned that they're keen on adding two powerful left-handed hitters and a new pitcher to their team. They've already brought in Soto, Trent Grisham, and Verdugo. Now, fans are eager to see if they can get Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a top-notch Japanese pitcher who's currently a free agent. It would be a big win for the team if they could sign him. But there's a surprising rumor: the Yankees might be looking for a new designated hitter (DH), which could mean a change for Giancarlo Stanton's role. Why would the Yankees want a new DH when they already have Stanton? Recently, Francys Romero, a baseball insider, shared that the Yankees are interested in Jorge Soler. However, the Seattle Mariners seem to be the front-runners to sign Soler. The Miami Marlins are also in the mix. Soler is known for his strong hitting, but he's mostly...

The Texas Rangers just won their first-ever World Series. Now, they want to keep their team strong for next year. They're ranked fifth in spending money on players, but they still need to make some changes. The Rangers want to make two big moves this winter: Trade: Get Shane Bieber from the Guardians The Rangers need good starting pitchers. They should talk to the Cleveland Guardians about Shane Bieber. The Guardians might trade Bieber because they have many young pitchers and want to win more games in 2024. The Rangers can offer Nathaniel Lowe and Jon Gray to get Bieber. Bieber is a great pitcher, and he's won a top award. But he'll want more money soon. Still, giving up Lowe and Gray might be worth it to get Bieber. Sign: Get C.J. Cron for first base The Rangers traded Nathaniel Lowe. Now, they need a new first baseman. C.J. Cron could be a good choice. He didn't play many games last year because of injuries. But before that, he played well for many years. From 2018 t...

  The New York Yankees got player Jeter Downs from the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. This move lets Downs, who is 25 years old, join the Yankees. He's now the second player named "Jeter" to play for the Yankees. This also reminds the Boston Red Sox about a big mistake they made when they traded away a player named Mookie Betts a few years ago. By trading for Alex Verdugo and claiming Jeter Downs off waivers, the Yankees now have 2/3 of the Red Sox' haul from the Mookie Betts trade. They just have to figure out how to acquire Connor Wong and they'll have the whole set. — Benjamin Hoffman (@BenHoffmanNYT) December 19, 2023 Benjamin Hoffman, a sports editor at the New York Times, pointed out that the Yankees now have two out of the three players the Red Sox got from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. In that big trade, the Dodgers sent Betts, a great player named David Price, and some money to the Red Sox. Before this, the Red Sox had already sent another player, A...

  The Royals said on Tuesday they made a deal with pitcher Kris Bubic to avoid arbitration. Anne Rogers from MLB.com reported that Bubic will earn $2.35 million next year. This is a little less than the $2.4 million estimated by MLBTR's Matt Swartz. Bubic, who is 26 years old, was picked as the 40th player in the 2018 draft. This draft was important for the team. The Royals had five picks in the top 58 and chose five pitchers: Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch IV, Bubic, and Jonathan Bowlan. However, not all of these picks have turned out as expected, which has made it hard for the team to get better after rebuilding. In 2022, Bubic ended the season with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.89. By then, he had played 309 innings in major league games. He started 2023 showing some improvements but had to have surgery in April. He will likely start the 2024 season on the injured list but might be back by the middle of the season. People are still debating about how good Bubic...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to keep Andrew McCutchen, a very popular player from their past, for another season. They made the agreement on Tuesday. Jason Mackey from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that McCutchen will be paid $5 million. This gives him a chance to play again for the team where he was most successful. McCutchen began his career with the Pirates and became one of the top players in baseball. He was named NL MVP in 2013. He was also among the top players in the league in 2012, 2014, and 2015. When McCutchen joined the Pirates, the team started doing better. Before that, they had not been doing well for 20 years. In 2013, they even made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1992. In 2018, McCutchen was traded to the San Francisco Giants. In return, the Pirates got Bryan Reynolds, another talented player. After that, McCutchen played for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers. In 2023, McCutchen came back to Pittsburgh. He was pla...

While the spotlight has been on high-profile teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees this offseason, a surprising contender has quietly emerged as one of the most active players in the free-agent and trade markets. Despite a challenging previous season where they lost 106 games and secured the second-worst record in Major League Baseball, trailing only the Oakland A's, the Kansas City Royals were not initially viewed with much optimism for the offseason. However, under the leadership of general manager J.J. Picollo, the Royals have made significant investments in their team, successfully acquiring notable talent. The Royals kicked off the offseason by making strategic trades, bringing in starter Kyle Wright and reliever Nick Anderson from the Braves. Subsequently, they bolstered their roster by signing relievers Will Smith and Chris Stratton, along with starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, and outfielder Hunter Renfroe. While these moves might not immediately stand...

 The Diamondbacks have reportedly reached a deal with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for a new contract, as per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The agreement, pending a physical examination, spans three years and amounts to $42 million, according to information from ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel. The contract includes an opt-out clause after the second season and a club option for a fourth season, valued at $14 million, as reported by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Gurriel, who joined the team in 2023 through a trade involving catcher Gabriel Moreno for Daulton Varsho with the Blue Jays, played a key role during the season. In 2023, Gurriel, aged 30, earned his first All-Star appearance, primarily due to an outstanding performance in May, where he recorded a .352/.416/.714 slash line. However, his productivity experienced a decline in the subsequent months, posting a sub-.700 OPS in April, June, and July, resulting in an overall slash line of .246/.294/.445 in 388 plate appearance...

 The Pirates have secured outfielder Billy McKinney in a trade with the Yankees, exchanging international bonus pool money, according to Jack Curry of Yes Network. McKinney recently inked a minor league deal with the Yankees and wasn't part of their 40-man roster, so he won't immediately claim a roster spot with the Pirates. This trade stands out because McKinney, aged 29, only signed the deal with the Yankees last week. Despite being a former first-round pick and top-100 prospect, McKinney has struggled to find consistent success in the majors. In his 311 big league games since his debut in 2018, he has posted a batting line of .209/.284/.390, resulting in a wRC+ of 81. During his 48 appearances for the Yankees this year, McKinney showcased a keen eye at the plate, walking in 11.6% of his plate appearances. However, he also had a high strikeout rate at 26.5%. His overall performance, with a .227/.320/.406 batting line and a 101 wRC+, suggested he was close to league-average. D...

  The Dodgers and Rays have officially completed a significant four-player trade. In this deal, right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Manuel Margot, and $4 million in cash considerations are headed to Los Angeles. In return, the Rays acquire right-hander Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny Deluca. This trade had been in the news for the past few days, with the final hurdle being the Dodgers' negotiation of a contract extension with Glasnow. The negotiations have concluded successfully, and the Dodgers announced that Glasnow has agreed to a new long-term contract valued at $136.5 million. Wasserman represents Glasnow. According to information from ESPN's Jeff Passan, Glasnow's new contract will see him earn $110 million in new money over the 2025-2028 seasons. In 2024, Glasnow was already set to earn $25 million based on the terms of his previous contract with the Rays. The breakdown of the new deal includes $90 million in salary over the 2025-2027 seasons, and the Dod...

The Seattle Mariners are set to acquire full ownership of the ROOT Sports Northwest regional sports network starting on January 1, as reported by Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. Having previously held a 71% stake since 2013, the Mariners will now take over the remaining 29% share from Warner Bros. Discovery, which is exiting the regional sports network (RSN) business. Potential changes at ROOT are on the horizon, with Mariners chairman John Stanton meeting with staff members and being unable to guarantee job retention for everyone. Stanton conveyed that more information on the organizational side would be provided by mid-January. In a statement to Divish and Jude, Stanton emphasized the top priority of ensuring all Mariners fans have continued access to watch games from home. ROOT Sports Northwest serves as the broadcasting home for the Seattle Kraken of the NHL, the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, and, in select markets, the Utah Jazz, along with certain college bask...

 The New York Mets are on the lookout for an experienced hitter and additional infield support this offseason, and an interesting option has emerged – Justin Turner. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, discussions are underway between the Mets and Turner’s representatives for a potential reunion. This development follows the Mets' earlier outreach to Turner's camp during the offseason. Turner, aged 39, is also attracting interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks, providing him with multiple options as he contemplates his free-agent decision. Having declined his $13.4 million player option with the Boston Red Sox for 2024, Turner opted for a buyout of $6.7 million, officially entering free agency. Ahead of the MLB winter meetings, the Mets secured Joey Wendle on a one-year deal worth up to $2 million, but it's anticipated that he will serve as a backup. Turner, if signed, would likely take on a role alternating between third base and designated hitter. Originally selec...

The Braves are set to engage in a trade involving designated hitter Matt Carpenter, according to reports from David O’Brien and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Atlanta acquired the left-handed hitter earlier in the evening through a deal motivated by salary considerations with the Padres. San Diego's primary objective was to shed a portion of Carpenter's $5.5 million salary. Dennis Lin of The Athletic noted that the Padres contributed $1.5 million to facilitate the trade. In return, the Braves took on $4 million in salary and luxury-tax obligations. This move allowed the Padres to save $4 million in cash and $4.5 million against the competitive balance tax. Carpenter's Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) figure was slightly higher for the Padres compared to Atlanta. His two-year, $12 million deal with San Diego had a front-loaded structure, with $6.5 million collected in the first year. This incurred a $6 million tax hit based on the contract's average annual value. However, t...