Author: rincon

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Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw has declined his $10 million player option with the Los Angeles Dodgers, electing to become a free agent.

The MLB Players Association listed Kershaw as a free agent in a statement released on Monday. The left-hander is still expected to re-sign with the Dodgers, his only big league team during his 17-year career.

 [Related: Check out our rankings of the top 2025 MLB free agents]

The 36-year-old was hurt for much of last season, finishing with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA over seven starts.

The Dodgers did exercise a $5 million option for infielder Miguel Rojas and a $3.5 million option for catcher Austin Barnes. Barnes is the second-longest tenured Dodgers player behind Kershaw, playing 10 seasons.

The 35-year-old Rojas just finished one of the best seasons of his 11-year career, batting .283 with six homers and 36 RBIs. Barnes hit .264 with one homer and 11 RBIs.

Los Angeles also extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to slugger Teoscar Hernández, who hit a career-high 33 homers. Players have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 19 to accept.

If Hernández does, he will be under contract with the Dodgers for another season. If he declines and signs elsewhere, his new team must forfeit at least one draft pick and Los Angeles will receive at least one draft pick as compensation.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Gerrit Cole will remain with the New York Yankees rather than become a free agent.

New York had until 5 p.m. ET to add a $36 million salary for 2029 to his contract, which had four years and $144 million remaining.

The sides were still working on a revised contract, two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.

Cole’s $324 million, nine-year deal, agreed to before the 2020 season, gave him the right to opt out following the 2024 World Series but said the Yankees could void the opt out by adding the additional year.

A 34-year-old right-hander, Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. His 2024 season didn’t start until June 19 because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The six-time All-Star went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, then was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.

New York’s decision gives the Yankees six potential rotation returnees, a group that includes Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernández, fresh off their appearances in the World Series, were among the 13 free agents who received $21.05 million qualifying offers Monday. The players have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 19 to accept.

Since 2012, when the qualifying offer system began, only 13 of 131 players who were extended the offer have accepted it. All seven who got a qualifying offer last year rejected it. Most notably, superstar Shohei Ohtani turned down the offer from the Los Angeles Angels and went on to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency. Ohtani, along with Hernández, won the World Series over Soto and the New York Yankees. 

 [Related: Check out our rankings of the top 2025 MLB free agents and best team fits]

Other notable players this year include Braves pitcher Max Fried and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.  

Here’s a complete list of this year’s qualifying offers.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Baltimore Orioles: RHP Corbin Burnes; OF Anthony Santander

Boston Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta

Houston Astros: 3B Alex Bregman

New York Yankees: OF Juan Soto

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Arizona Diamondbacks: 1B Christian Walker

Atlanta Braves: LHP Max Fried

Cincinnati Reds: RHP Nick Martinez

Los Angeles Dodgers: OF Teoscar Hernández

Milwaukee Brewers: SS Willy Adames

New York Mets: 1B Pete Alonso; LHP Sean Manaea; RHP Luis Severino

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Joe Kelly did not throw a single pitch in the 2024 postseason, but that’s not stopping the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever from sounding off about the New York Yankees team that lost to his Dodgers in the World Series.

“We were saying every single game, ‘Just let them throw the ball to the infield. They can’t make a play,'” Kelly said on a recent episode of his “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “You saw Shohei [Ohtani] get an extra base, going to third on a sloppy Gleyber [Torres] play. It’s well-known. We all knew. I mean, we’re the Dodgers, we know every little detail.”

Kelly was referencing a crucial misplay in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the World Series. With the Yankees leading 2-1, Ohtani doubled off the wall in right-center field, and Juan Soto‘s throw to the infield bounced in front of Torres. But the Yankees second baseman tried to snag Soto’s throw backhanded instead of putting his body in front of the ball, which bounced off Torres’ glove and dribbled into the infield, allowing Ohtani to take third. Ohtani scored the tying run on Mookie Betts‘ sacrifice fly, forcing the game into extra innings and setting up Freddie Freeman‘s walk-off grand slam in the 10th.

Torres’ play was overshadowed, though, by what happened in Game 5. With the Yankees up 5-0 and needing a win to force a Game 6 in Los Angeles, the Dodgers scored five unearned runs in the fifth inning off New York ace Gerrit Cole thanks to three Yankees errors — a dropped routine fly ball from Aaron Judge in center field, a botched throw from shortstop Anthony Volpe on a fielder’s choice, and a miscommunication between Cole and first baseman Anthony Rizzo on a Betts ground ball that should have ended the inning. The Dodgers eventually won 7-6 to clinch the series.

Afterward, a report in the New York Post indicated that a major component of the Dodgers’ advance scouting and game plan for the World Series was the belief that the Yankees were “talent over fundamentals” and putting pressure on New York’s defense in particular would pay off. Kelly went even further, though, in his comments.

“It was a fun series, they almost snagged a couple of wins,” Kelly said. “But … it was just a mismatch from the get-go. [If] we had a playoff re-ranking, they might be ranked [the] eighth- or ninth-best playoff team. You’re putting the Padres ahead of them. You’re putting the Phillies ahead of them. You’re putting the Mets ahead of them. You’re putting the Braves ahead of them, and the Braves just got unlucky because they had to play that doubleheader [at the end of the regular season]. I mean, the Guardians played like crap, but the Guardians play better [defense], better baseball all-around.”

Kelly went on to say it was a similar feeling to how the juggernaut 2018 Red Sox that he was on felt when they faced the Dodgers in that year’s World Series, where there was a belief in the clubhouse that they were “the way better team.” But Boston entered that series also regarded as the heavy favorite by most observers, unlike the 2024 Dodgers-Yankees matchup that was seen as evenly matched if not tilted towards New York due to Los Angeles’ shorthanded pitching staff.

“All we knew is we just had to play regular Dodger baseball,” Kelly said. “We didn’t have to do anything crazy, and we were gonna win the World Series. It’s facts. Just look at the team, look at the talent. Re-rank the teams and they’re ranked eighth, and they were up against the No. 1 seed. Like I said, everyone knew. We go through numerous scouting reports, videos, like ‘Hey, look at this sloppy play.’ We pay attention to every single detail.”

Another major subplot heading into the World Series was the matchup of the Dodgers’ and Yankees’ veteran superstars, lead by presumptive National and American League MVPs Ohtani and Judge, respectively, while also featuring Betts, Freeman, Soto and Cole among others. But Kelly seemed to throw shade at the Yankees’ stars while praising his own teammates.

“We have a lot of big superstars in our clubhouse, but the superstars also care and aren’t lazy and play hard,” Kelly said. “So that’s the difference and that’s the biggest separator.”

Kelly is a free agent after signing a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers last winter. He and his wife famously helped recruit Ohtani to the Dodgers by giving up the No. 17 that Kelly had previously worn — and getting a Porsche in return.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman won his fifth Gold Glove and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was among 14 first-time winners of baseball’s most famous fielding honor.

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez and left fielder Steven Kwan won for the third consecutive year along with Arizona first baseman Christian Walker and Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, Rawlings announced Sunday.

Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle won for the second straight season.

Six teams had two Gold Gloves winners each, with the Guardians joined by the Colorado, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Seattle.

AL first-time winners in addition to Witt include Royals pitcher Seth Lugo, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Minnesota first baseman Carlos Santana, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Toronto center fielder Daulton Varsho, Boston right fielder Wilyer Abreu and Mariners utilityman Dylan Moore.

NL first-time winners included Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale, Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, Milwaukee second baseman Brice Turang and right fielder Sal Frelick, Colorado shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and Pittsburgh utilityman Jared Triolo.

Bregman earned a $50,000 bonus, Giménez, Lugo, Moore and Witt $50,000 and Santana $25,000.

There also were 14 first-time winners in 2022.

Voting was conducted among managers and up to six coaches from each team, who can’t select players on their own club. Since 2013, voting has been factored with a Society for American Baseball Research defensive index, which comprises about 25% of the total.

The utility category is based on a SABR formula and additional defensive statistics.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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