There’s still plenty of interest in America’s pastime. In fact, there’s so much interest that MLB announced some record-breaking numbers after the first two weekends. This isn’t the first sign that there’s plenty of interest left in baseball. MLB set attendance records for spring training this season as well. Last season was MLB’s seventh-highest year in attendance — ever. MORE: Fan chugs foul ball beer | Ventura beans Lawrie | Hamels trade rumors
The Washington Post reported Sunday that MLB and Minor League Baseball are lobbying Congress to help MLB organizations avoid paying higher salaries to minor-leaguers through a proposed provision in the federal spending bill that is going before lawmakers this week. According to the Post, the lobbying is part of an effort to make moot a lawsuit against MLB that, among other things, seeks higher wages for players. Baseball is lobbying Congress to exempt it from federal labor laws and include the exemption in the spending plan....
Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook manager Ed Salmons walked us through each division and discussed where his shop’s biggest risks lie, and we offer our takes on the season win totals and division odds. ODDS TO WIN DIVISION, SEASON WIN TOTALS NL EAST NATIONALS 1-5 (94 Wins) MARLINS 11-2 (83) METS 7-1 (82.5) BRAVES 40-1 (73.5) PHILLIES 200-1 (67.5) The Linemakers’ take: We like the Nationals to run away with the division, just like they did last season when they won 96 games and took the NL East by 17 games....
Over the past few years, I’ve combed through the draft archives on Baseball-Reference.com (seriously, what an awesome, indispensable site) and found the “ we shoulda picked that guy” draft misses for every single MLB team. This year, I’m taking a bit of a different approach. This year, the goal was to find the best players drafted but not signed for each franchise. Things like the Cardinals drafting hometown prep right-hander Max Scherzer in the 43rd round but not signing him, or the Twins drafting college star Jason Varitek in the first round but not ponying up enough money to get a deal done....
Adell isn’t just an outstanding ballplayer. He’s an outstanding person, too, something I tried to convey in this story about Adell’s passion for encouraging African-American youth at the middle school where his mom is the principal. As always happens when interviewing a subject for a feature story, I had lots of quotes left over that I couldn’t fit into the story. So I compiled them here in a Q&A format....
Starting Sunday, July 11, the lives of some of the most talented amateur baseball players in the country will be forever changed when they are selected by an MLB team. This year, the draft will be 20 rounds, an increase from the pandemic-shortened version last year, but still half the more traditional 40-round MLB Draft that had become the most recent format in the league. MLB MOCK DRAFT:Jack Leiter lands with Rangers; 7 high schoolers projected for first 10 picks...
Truth is, there really isn’t a baseball offseason, as awards gets handed out, trade rumors and free-agent signings fuel the hot stove, and the announcment of a new Hall of Fame class keeps fans debating and waxing nostalgic. Then, before you know it, it’s time for spring training. Here are a few key dates/things to remember for the MLB offseason. When does MLB free agency begin? Free agency for the 2018 MLB season began at 9 a....
St. Louis television station KSDK (and later MLB.com) reported Thursday night that Fowler will undergo a physical exam Friday in St. Louis, a precursor to an agreement. MORE: MLB free-agent tracker There is no word yet on the framework of Fowler’s contract, but ESPN.com reported it’s expected to be in the range of four years and $60 million. Fowler, 30, is fresh off helping the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908....
Rosenthal later reported that McCarthy will receive $48 million, or $12 million per season average annual value. MORE: Ten takeaways from Day 3 | Marlins’ trade for Gordon grades a Dee-minus McCarthy will fill Dan Haren’s spot in the Dodgers’ rotation. LA traded Haren to the Marlins earlier in the day in a deal that also sent second baseman Dee Gordon to Miami. The 31-year-old McCarthy blossomed with the A’s in 2011 and 2012, but his career took a detour when he was hit in the head by a line drive and suffered a fractured skull....
In what both sides said was a one-year experiment, the rule allows collisions if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runner's direct path to home plate, and if the catcher goes into the basepath to field a throw to the plate. SPECTOR: Rules MLB needs, but will never adopt "It's not a radical departure from what it had been," Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon said. The new rule, 7....
The Giants added another veteran presence to their stash of position players on Friday by reportedly agreeing to a deal with Solarte, just a couple of days after inking Gerardo Parra on a minor-league deal. Solarte, who spent last season with the Blue Jays, hit 17 home runs with a .655 OPS while playing every infield position, though most of his time was spent at third and second base....
Offense was plentiful Monday across baseball. Thirteen teams scored at least five runs, and there were a number of strong individual performances. Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts continued to dazzle on offense, and he was fantastic on defense. Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz bashed his third and fourth home runs of the season and now has a three-game home run streak. MORE: Spector reviews ESPN’s Sunday crew | Bumgarner’s horseplay | Tuesday fantasy advice...
Tonight, Pittsburgh sends its ace, Gerrit Cole (13-3, 2.30 ERA), to the mound as a -117 favorite against Jason Vargas (5-2, 4.10) with a total set at 7 (OVER -115). Cole has won eight of his last 10 starts and the Pirates have gone 14-4 behind him this season. With a win tonight, he could become the first pitcher since 1971 (Dock Ellis) to win 14 for Pittsburgh before August....
Washington manager Matt Williams was apparently the missing ingredient to get the most out of an under-performing Nationals squad. The first-year manager currently has the team riding an eight-game winning streak that has catapulted them to the best record (71-53) in the NL. They’re a -200 favorite behind Tanner Roark tonight against Arizona, a team they have now beaten in 12 of the last 16 meetings. A win tonight would mark the Nats’ longest winning streak since a franchise record-tying 10 straight in 2005....
After Ryon Healy homered for the Mariners off Red Sox reliever Hector Velazquez, 47 homers had been hit in the day’s 15 games, the most ever on Opening Day. Seattle’s Domingo Santana hit the 48th, and last, homer of the day a few innings later, against Boston reliever Tyler Thornburg. MORE: Sign up to watch ‘ChangeUp,’ a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN Tim Beckham tied the record with his second homer of the game off Boston ace Chris Sale....
The ALDS features two intriguing matchups that will rekindle longstanding feuds in the East and West. The Yankees and Rays got nasty with one another this season, with suspensions levied and benches clearing in August, leading to Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash threatening to unleash a “stable of guys who throw 98” on the Bombers. Tampa Bay plowed through the AL East, winning its first division crown since 2010, and then dispatched the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series....
This is an attempt to figure out which teams have the best chance of getting to and, more importantly, winning the World Series, so path to the title matters too. It’s not just about total team talent. MORE: Top 50 players in the playoffs Make sense? Cool. Let’s jump in. 1. Cubs Why they’re here: Aside from a July swoon (they went just 12-14), the Cubs have been the best team in baseball pretty much all season, and they’re definitely the best team in baseball right now (they were a major league-best 50-23 in the second half)....
Whether it’s the addition of new pack series, legendary players to obtain, or new jerseys hitting the market, the game’s catalog of items is impressive. Last week, MLB The Show 22 released a giant update of new content, and it’s following it up this week with a new series of challenges. RELATED: Streamer CBrev Discovers New MLB The Show 22 Glitch For the second consecutive week, players get a new Conquest Map to take on and complete....
At this point in the 2016 season, a return to the postseason doesn’t look likely. Manager Joe Girardi’s team is three games under .500, in fourth place in the AL East standings and has the 11th-best record in the AL. Longtime baseball insider Jon Heyman reported Monday morning that the Yankees aren’t ready to give up on the season yet, that they’re not sellers yet. MORE: Braves, Reds look to unload veterans...
December's market activity is expected to get a boost during baseball's winter meetings, which begin Dec. 9. At that time, the Rays will field questions about a potential trade of starter David Price. Regardless of a Price deal happening, the Rays have a corner hole to fill on their infield. The Rays are in position to snag a solid left-handed hitter to play first base. Loney is an option, but he also is a target for the Colorado Rockies....
