8:10 PM ET If Team USA and Japan ultimately meet in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, it won’t be until the end, in either the semifinals or the championship game during the second half of March. In that scenario, Mike Trout would face off against his Los Angeles Angels teammate, two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, pinning

12:57 PM ET Right-hander Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a six-year, $108 million contract extension, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday. The deal, which contains a full no-trade provision, starts this season and runs through 2028, when Darvish, 36, will be 42 years old. The average annual value

8:44 PM ET ESPN News Services Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno, speaking to the New York Post from the MLB owners meetings Wednesday in Palm Beach, Florida, said he hopes to keep Shohei Ohtani as the two-way superstar heads into his final season under contract. Ohtani will make $30 million this season under his

7:51 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians traded outfielder Will Benson to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday for outfielder Justin Boyd. The defending AL Central champions also will get a player to be named from the Reds in the swap. Cincinnati drafted Boyd in the second round last year out of Oregon

Feb 3, 2023 Now that we have ranked the top 100 prospects in MLB heading into the 2023 season, let’s turn our attention to how all 30 farm systems stack up. Spoiler alert: You’ll notice the same teams that have the best prospects on the top 100 tend to land near the top of this

12:20 AM ET Shortstop Bo Bichette avoided arbitration on Tuesday night, agreeing to a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to multiple reports. Bichette, who had an arbitration hearing scheduled for later this week, is on track to be a free agent after the 2025 season. Bichette, 24, hit .290 for Toronto last

6:35 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock, limits on shifts and larger bases will not be used during the World Baseball Classic. The three innovations will be debuted during the spring training exhibition season that starts Feb. 24. The 20-team national team tournament runs from March 8-21, and

12:25 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Amanda Kamekona, a former star softball player at UCLA, has been hired as a minor league hitting instructor for the Cleveland Guardians. She’s the first female on-field coach in team history. Kamekona, 36, will be based at the team’s year-round complex in Goodyear, Arizona, where she’ll work with

10:28 PM ET ESPN News Services ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jon Berti reached a deal on Monday with the Miami Marlins for $2,125,000 that avoided an arbitration hearing. Berti, an infielder and outfielder, gets a $2.1 million salary this year under an agreement reached before the scheduled start of Monday’s hearing. The deal includes a

6:48 PM ET Associated Press Baltimore Orioles CEO John Angelos and his brother Lou Angelos have agreed to end their fight over a lawsuit in which Lou accused John of seizing control of the team in defiance of their father Peter Angelos’ wishes. Lou sued John last year, claiming John took control of the Orioles