Author: rincon

Clayton Kershaw isn’t done pitching just yet, agreeing Thursday to join the U.S. team for this year’s World Baseball Classic.

A left-hander who turns 38 two days after the March 17 championship game, Kershaw announced last September that he was retiring at the end of the season, his 18th in a stellar career for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won his third World Series title and finished 223-96 with a 2.53 ERA and 3,052 strikeouts.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner wanted to pitch for the Americans in the 2023 tournament but was prevented because of insurance issues at a time he had a $20 million, one-year contract with the Dodgers.

Later Thursday, new Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman announced he will join the U.S. team.

Kershaw joins a U.S. pitching staff that includes right-handers David Bednar, Clay Holmes, Griffin Jax, Nolan McLean, Mason Miller, Joe Ryan, Paul Skenes and Logan Webb along with left-handers Tarik Skubal and Gave Speier.

The American roster also includes catchers Cal Raleigh and Will Smith; infielders Ernie Clement, Gunnar Henderson, Brice Turang and Bobby Witt Jr.; outfielders Byron Buxton, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Aaron Judge; and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

The U.S., which lost the 2023 championship game to Japan, opens March 6 against Brazil at Houston, part of a group that also includes Brazil, Britain, Italy and Mexico.

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We all remember the epic championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic when Shohei Ohtani struck out Team USA slugger Mike Trout to give Team Japan its third title in five editions of the tournament. 

Now we are gearing up for the 2026 WBC, which will see Ohtani and Japan try to defend their title in the 20-team competition that includes a stacked USA squad seeking redemption. Among the players committed to Team USA include Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

We are counting down until the opening pitch of the tournament and bringing you the latest news and updates as rosters get announced. 

When is the World Baseball Classic? 

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be held from March 5–17. Twenty teams have been placed into four pools with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the quarterfinals. 

Pool A games will be played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pool B games will be played at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros. Pool C games will be played at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Pool D games will be played at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. 

Pool Play: March 5-11
Quarterfinals: March 13–14 (Daikin Park, Houston; LoanDepot Park, Miami)
Semifinals: March 15 (LoanDepot Park, Miami)
Final: March 17 (LoanDepot Park, Miami)

Jan. 13

Clement Will Play for USA

Ernie Clement will play for Team USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The 29-year-old infielder helped the Toronto Blue Jays reach the World Series while also setting a postseason record with his 30 hits. Clement finished the postseason with a .411 average, one homer, six doubles, nine RBIs, 13 runs scored and a .977 OPS.

Jan. 12

Buxton Joins Team USA

All-Star slugger Byron Buxton will join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. The 32-year-old outfielder had a career season with the Twins, producing homers (35), RBIs (83) and runs scored (97). Buxton also earned his first Silver Slugger of his career.

Jan. 11 

Freeman Withdraws from Team Canada

Team Canada will be without its star player as Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman has reportedly withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.

With the 36-year-old sitting out the tournament after helping the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series title, the Canadians will lean on Mariners slugger Josh Naylor at first base.

In other Team Canada news, Los Angeles Angels reliever Jordan Romano has also reportedly pulled out, while Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon will take part. 

Dec. 23

Harper Will Play for USA

Phillies slugger Bryce Harper will play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic after missing out on the 2023 edition due to surgery. 

The 33-year-old Harper hit 27 home runs and recorded an .844 OPS in 2025 as the Phillies won the NL East. It will be Harper’s first time playing at the World Baseball Classic, although he has represented Team USA at junior competitions in the past. 

Nov. 24

Ohtani Back for Team Japan 

Shohei Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he announced on social media.

Japan will be looking to repeat after winning gold in the 2023 Classic. Ohtani was named the tournament’s MVP and memorably struck out former Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out of the final against Team USA. Ohtani helped the Dodgers win the second straight World Series title while earning his fourth MVP award earlier this month.

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Third baseman Alex Bregman has signed with the Chicago Cubs, according to reports on Saturday.

Bregman has signed a five-year contract worth $175 million, according to the New York Post. Bregman opted out of a three-year deal with the Red Sox after just one season. That deal was worth $120 million.

Bregman, an MLB All-Star in 2025, played 114 games for the Red Sox last season and hit .273 with an .821 OPS. He led the Red Sox to the playoffs, although they lost in a wild-card series to the Yankees.

Prior to joining the Red Sox in February, Bregman spent nine years with the Houston Astros, the team he won two World Series titles with and was named an All-Star twice, including in 2018 when he won All-Star MVP. The following year, Bregman was named a Silver Slugger Award-winner at third base, and in 2024, he was named the Golden Glove winner in the American League.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

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Free agent outfielder Max Kepler was suspended for 80 games on Friday following a positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball‘s drug program.

Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, a substance that led to a suspension in 2018 for boxer Manuel Charr and caused the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to announce the following year it had disqualified 90-year-old cyclist Carl Grove from a world record he had set at the 2018 Masters Track National Championship.

Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of Trenbolone, which is contained in some products used in body-building stores and has been used in products to promote cattle growth.

Kepler, who turns 33 next month, is an 11-year major-league veteran, who spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies after playing his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Twins.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Could MLB follow the path of the NBA with an in-season tournament? Or perhaps split the 162-game campaign into two? What about expansion and realignment?

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said those ideas have been floated among the league’s offices. 

“We’ve talked about split seasons. We’ve talked about in-season tournaments,” Manfred said Thursday in a radio interview with WFAN. “We do understand that 162 games is a long pull. I think the difficulty to accomplishing those sorts of in-season events, you almost inevitably start talking about fewer regular-season games.”

Manfred also addressed the issue of adding two more teams, which would raise the total to 32. If so, that could create the need to realign the current structure of six five-team divisions across the two leagues. 

Read more: What MLB Could Look Like After Expansion

But would that possibly place teams in the same region or even in the same city – like the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles teams — into the same division? 

“I think you would try to keep the two-team cities separate,” Manfred said. “That would be my thinking.”

Read more: MLB Expansion? The Case For 9 Cities in 3 Countries

That shift would alleviate teams’ traveling during the season and create a more favorable postseason path. 

Manfred also said he’d like the expansion and realignment issue settled before his contract ends in 2029. He reiterated that he will not seek to stay in charge after that. 

“I’m done at the end of this contract,” Manfred said. “I’ve told (the owners) that, and I’m going to stick to it. I’ll be 70. It is enough.”

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Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal asked for a record $32 million in salary arbitration on Thursday while the Detroit Tigers offered the left-hander $19 million.

Skubal was the most prominent of the 166 players eligible for arbitration at the start of the day and was among 18 who swapped figures with their teams. Those without agreements face hearings before three-person panels from Jan. 26 to Feb. 13 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has the highest salary in an arbitration case decided by a panel, winning at $19.9 million in 2024. Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado submitted a record request of $30 million in 2019, then agreed to a $260 million, eight-year contract.

Juan Soto’s $31 million contract with the New York Yankees in 2024 is the largest one-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player. David Price has the highest negotiated salary in a one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible pitcher, a $19.75 million agreement with Detroit in 2015.

A two-time All-Star, the 29-year-old Skubal will be eligible for free agency after the World Series. He is 54-37 with a 3.08 ERA in six major league seasons.

Skubal was 13-6 with an AL-best 2.21 ERA in 31 starts last year, striking out 241 and walking 33 in 195 1/3 innings while earning $10.5 million. His 0.891 WHIP topped qualified pitchers.

Catcher William Contreras exchanged with Milwaukee, asking for $9.9 million as the Brewers offered $8.55 million.

Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli has the smallest gap: $900,000 vs. $825,000.

Among the 148 striking deals were Seattle outfielder Randy Arozarena ($15.65 million), Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer ($12.75 million), Baltimore outfielder Taylor Ward ($12,175,000), Philadelphia left-hander Jesus Luzardo ($11 million), Seattle right-hander Logan Gilbert ($10,927,000), Toronto outfielder Daulton Varsho ($10.75 million), and New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Philadelphia third baseman Alec Bohm (both $10.2 million).

Teams went 5-4 in hearings last winter, leaving clubs with a 358-270 advantage since arbitration started in 1974.

All agreements for arbitration-eligible players are guaranteed but deals that go to panel decisions are not.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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The mask came off of the red monster with googly eyes, and the Hall of Fame slugger revealed himself. The crowd roared, the judges clapped, and David “Big Papi” Ortiz cracked a smile from ear to ear.

“No way!” Ortiz said. 

Ortiz performed a rendition of “Turn Down for What” by DJ Snake and Lil Jon, under the guise of a big red costume on Wednesday’s episode of The Masked Singer on FOX. 

After his performance, while still in character, Ortiz’s voice was altered to a high pitch as the fans got a hint of who he was. 

“I got eyes everywhere,” the high-pitch voice said. “I can see everything. I love it.

“It’s giving Puerto Rican Papi,” Jenny McCarthy said. She was onto something. 

Later, when it was revealed the googly-eyed performer was indeed Ortiz, he stepped out form underneath his disguise and relived his song and dance.

“That was a straight-up work out there,” Ortiz said. “I don’t need to go to the gym for about a month.”

Ortiz wasn’t exaggerating as host Nick Cannon described his costume as the “biggest we’ve ever had.” Ortiz played 20 seasons in MLB, 14 with the Boston Red Sox and six with the Minnesota Twins. He hit 541 home runs, good for 17th on the all-time list, and slashed .286/.380/.552 for his career. He made 10 All-Star appearances, and won three World Series rings with the Red Sox, in 2004, 2007 and 2013. 

Ten years after he played for the Red Sox, he still represents the team, and did so on Wednesday. 

“The Yankees lose,” he said. Judge Ken Jeong loved it. 

Ortiz knows how to make his presence felt. He did so throughout his illustrious MLB career, continues to as an MLB studio analyst on FOX, and provided that spark with his performance on The Masked Singer on Wednesday. 

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Before he moved from Japan to the big leagues, Kazuma Okamoto put the logos of all 30 MLB teams in front of his daughter and asked which one she liked most.

Her choice, just like his, was the Toronto Blue Jays.

The defending AL champion Blue Jays introduced their newest signing at a press conference Tuesday, two days after finalizing a four-year, $60 million contract with the 29-year-old corner infielder.

“The acquisition of Kazuma Okamoto is another significant step for this organization,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said. “We definitely got better today.”

After coming within two outs of their first World Series title since 1993, the Blue Jays have made significant additions this offseason. Before adding Okamoto, Toronto signed three pitchers, starting with a $210 million, seven-year contract for right-hander Dylan Cease. The Blue Jays also signed right-hander Cody Ponce to a $30 million, three-year contract and reached a $37 million, three-year deal with reliever Tyler Rogers.

Okamoto spoke mostly in Japanese Tuesday but opened with a few lines in English.

“Thank you very much for this opportunity,” he said. “I am very happy to join the Blue Jays. I will work hard every day and do my best for the team. Thank you for your support. Nice to meet you. Go Blue Jays.”

Okamoto hit .327 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games last year for the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants. He injured his left elbow while trying to catch a throw at first base on May 6 when he collided with the Hanshin Tigers’ Takumu Nakano, an injury that sidelined Okamoto until Aug. 16.

Okamoto had a .277 average with 248 homers and 717 RBIs in 11 Japanese big league seasons. The six-time All-Star led the Central League in home runs in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

“It’s been exciting to watch him over the years,” Atkins said. “He’s had an incredible career thus far. The impact on both sides of the ball, the offensive abilities (are) as dynamic as it comes. It fits us very well.”

Atkins didn’t commit to a defensive position for Okamoto, saying the Blue Jays value his versatility to play both corner spots and the outfield.

“He could impact our organization from a defensive standpoint in several ways,” Atkins said. “We’ll continue to have that dialogue with him.”

Atkins didn’t rule out further moves but said there’d be roster implications with any new additions.

“We do feel good about our team,” he said. “The one thing that I would add is additions at this point will start to cut away at playing time from players that we feel are very good major league pieces, so we have to factor that in.”

Among the remaining free agents is two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette, who hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs for the Blue Jays in 2025. Bichette also homered off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series.

Okamoto connected off Colorado’s Kyle Freeland to help Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final. Now a big leaguer, he said he hopes to represent his country again in the 2026 tournament this March.

While the Blue Jays logo was appealing to Okamoto’s daughter, the infielder acknowledged having a different reaction to seeing his new manager, John Schneider, on TV during last year’s World Series.

“His face is scary but he seems like a really nice guy,” Okamoto said through a translator, adding that he’d since met Schneider on a video call.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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 The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has for now denied the A’s request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”

The club, which intends to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from when the refusals were issued Dec. 29 to ask for an extension to file a new application within a six-month period.

The A’s were told the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities even if associated with Las Vegas.

That, however, has been the club’s nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The A’s kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968.

The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL’s Utah team to use the nickname “Yetis” on Jan. 9 because of potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth.”

The A’s relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city’s Triple-A ballpark. The team is going solely by “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.

A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.

Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the funding.

In preparing for the move to Las Vegas, the A’s have signed some notable contracts. The most recent was an $86 million, seven-year deal for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. Soderstrom signed his contract Dec. 30 at the A’s Experience Center in Las Vegas.

The A’s acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on Dec. 22.

Going back to last offseason, the A’s also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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Tatsuya Imai made his intentions clear with his first few words during an introductory news conference with the Houston Astros on Monday.

The Japanese right-hander smiled and before reading a prepared message in English from his phone.

“What’s up H-town?” he said. “I am Tatsuya Imai and I’m ready to chase a world championship. Let’s go, Houston.”

The Astros and Imai agreed to a $54 million, three-year contract last week, bolstering a rotation searching for reinforcements after ace Framber Valdez became a free agent and appears unlikely to return.

“We needed to beef up our rotation,” general manager Dana Brown said. “And so, we felt like he was a fit. He’s got the good stuff, really good delivery and we thought his stuff would play here at the major league level.”

The 27-year-old Imai joins the Astros after going 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA last season for the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions, striking out 178 in 163 2/3 innings. The three-time All-Star in Japan was 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA in eight seasons with Seibu. He has 907 career strikeouts in 963 2/3 innings.

Manager Joe Espada raved about the signing and said his brief chats with Imai so far had centered on one subject.

“You guys well know the importance of starting pitching,” Espada said. “You can never have enough pitching. One thing about my conversations with Imai has been … how much he says the word champion. And I love that about him because he’s a competitor. You could hear the grit and the toughness, and I’m just excited to have him on board and give him the ball and see him compete for us here.”

Astros owner Jim Crane hopes the addition of Imai will be the first of many signings from Asia as the team makes a concerted effort to bring in more players from continent. He said the Astros recently added people to in Tokyo, Taiwan and Seoul to facilitate that plan.

“We’ve got scouts over there and people assisting to identify talent over there now,” he said. “We just made that adjustment in the summer. Probably didn’t have much to do with this one, but it’ll have a lot to do moving forward as we work on those markets and try to bring the great players here to Houston.”

The signing of Imai is a boost to a team that missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 in a season decimated by injuries.

Imai said he first thought about a move to the U.S. after meeting agent Scott Boras about five years ago.

“That’s when I really began to seriously consider making my way over to the MLB,” he said in Japanese through a translator. “It was definitely a moment where I told myself: ‘hey, if I put in the work and if I trust myself, I really do have a chance at this.’”

Known as a fierce competitor, Imai was asked where he developed that mindset. He said that as long as he can remember, he’s always hated to lose.

“So ever since I started playing baseball back in elementary school, I always felt like I was a competitor and wanted to always come out on top, throw the ball the furthest, the fastest,” he said. “That mentality stuck with me through throughout my career with the Seibu Lions, that mentality of must win and compete and do my best.”

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lighter side.

“I like to have fun whether it’s baseball or non-baseball,” he said. “That includes interacting with fans and just having a good time with them as well and I have that feeling of wanting to give back to all those who have supported me. I’m here today because of all the support that I’ve received.”

He showed off his playful side when asked if he’d connected with any of his new teammates yet. He said he received a direct message on Instagram on Monday morning from Josh Hader, Houston’s closer,known for his 100 mph-plus fastball.

“Just basically welcoming me to the Houston Astros, and he also sent me his phone number saying: ‘Hey, let me know if you ever need anything,’” Imai said. “And his messaging was very fast — 100 miles per hour it felt like — and I definitely wanted to reply back with a 100 mile per hour reply.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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