Category: MLB

On the eve of the Dodgers’ final regular season series at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement. There would be one final regular season start at home, then one final regular season start at Seattle, then one final World Series appearance at Dodger Stadium, then one final World Series championship celebration at Dodger Stadium.

“I know they’re going to get one more next year,” Kershaw told the crowd, “and I’m going to watch just like all of you.”

This is Hollywood, so get me rewrite. Kershaw did not change his retirement script Thursday, but he did alter it, joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

Team USA opens the World Baseball Classic in Kershaw’s home state of Texas, facing Brazil on March 6. For all that Kershaw has accomplished in his Hall of Fame career — a most valuable player award, three Cy Young awards, three World Series championships, 3,000 strikeouts and a no-hitter among them — he never has participated in the World Baseball Classic.

Read more:Why $100 million in endorsements says Shohei Ohtani is the global face of sport

Kershaw committed to play for Team USA in 2023, saying it would be "probably my last chance to do it." He was unable to secure the insurance required for MLB participants after spending time on the injured list in 2022 because of a back injury.

When Team USA manager Mark DeRosa called, Kershaw thought he would be offered a chance to coach. He said he was excited to play, however he might be used.

"I just want to be the insurance policy," Kershaw told MLB Network. "If anybody needs a breather, or if they need me to pitch back-to-back-to-back, or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there. I just want to be a part of this group.

"I learned a long time ago, you just want to be a part of great things."
 

At the height of his career, Kershaw would have been an easy choice to start the most important games for Team USA. But the Team USA roster features Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal as well as top starters Logan Webb and Joe Ryan, so Kershaw appears more likely to make any appearances out of the bullpen.

That is how the Dodgers used him in the postseason. Kershaw made two relief appearances during their championship run, most memorably in the 12th inning of Game 3 of the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays had the bases loaded with two out, and Kershaw came in to retire Nathan Lukes on a ground ball, in a dramatic eight-pitch at-bat.

Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein combined to follow Kershaw with six scoreless innings, and the Dodgers won in the 18th inning — their only World Series victory at Dodger Stadium — on a home run by Freddie Freeman.

This will be the sixth World Baseball Classic. Team USA has won once, in 2017 at Dodger Stadium. Japan has won three times, including the most recent tournament in 2023, with Shohei Ohtani striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out.

Kershaw laughed at the thought that he might face Ohtani in this year's WBC, with the tournament on the line.

"I think something will have gone terribly wrong if I have to pitch against Team Japan in the finals or something," he said. "I think we’ve got plenty of guys to get that guy out — and not me. But, if that happens, I’ll be nervous."

Kershaw will join longtime Dodgers catcher Will Smith on Team USA. The WBC finals this year are scheduled for Miami from March 15-17.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets are making a splash in the international market.

Dominican shortstop Wandy Asigen signed with the Mets on Thursday for $3.9 million.

Asigen, 16, had originally agreed to a deal with the Yankees but reversed course to make a deal with the Mets.

It seems like a boon for the Mets as Asigen was ranked as the No. 2 international prospect by MLB Pipeline. 

"The excitement around Asigen’s prospect profile stems primarily from his special left-handed swing," MLB Pipeline writes. "He has ripped off 110+ mph exit velocities and is repeatedly able to find the barrel during in-game action. Asigen has a knack for creating loft from his frame, something that should allow him to continue to tap into his above-average power as he continues to fill out. The quickness of his hands has evaluators excited about the future potential impact he can have with the bat."

MLB Pipeline has rated the left-handed hitting shortstop with 60 power and a 55 fielding rating. And while his arm strength is "average" at this stage of his development, Asigen's reaction time and speed are touted by evaluators. 

Almost a year ago, the Mets signed shortstop and No. 3 international prospect Elian Peña for a franchise-record $5 million bonuswhen the signing period opened in January 2025. Peña is currently the Mets' No. 9 prospect according to SNY's Joe DeMayo's latest rankings after a solid first year in the Dominican Summer League. 

Phils sign Francisco Renteria as international period opens originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

International signing day is here, and the Phillies wasted little time making a splash.

Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reported Thursday that the club has signed 17-year-old outfielder Francisco Renteria out of Venezuela to a $4 million contract.

Renteria, who hails from Maracaibo — the birthplace of Hall of Fame infielder Luis Aparicio — stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and ranks as the No. 3 prospect in the international class, according to MLB Pipeline. He is widely viewed as one of the most complete players available this year.

On MLB’s 80-grade scouting scale, Renteria received the following grades:• Hit: 60

• Power: 65

• Run: 60

• Arm: 55

• Field: 60

• Overall: 60

The combination of size and athleticism at such a young age has evaluators optimistic about the right-handed hitter’s long-term offensive ceiling. Renteria already shows advanced bat-to-ball skills, and there is confidence that added strength could translate into above-average power as he matures. That power was on display recently in a Home Run Derby in his home country.

MLB.com’s Jesse Borek recently compared elements of Renteria’s offensive profile to current MLB Pipeline No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin.

Defensively, Renteria’s athleticism gives the Phillies flexibility. He projects as a potential center fielder but could also settle into a corner spot while providing above-average defense.

Thursday does not mark the end of the Phillies’ international activity. The signing period runs through the calendar year (Dec. 15), and eligible players must be at least 16 years old at the time of signing and turn 17 before the following year. Renteria, who was born in January 2009, met that criterion.

Philadelphia entered the signing period with $6,679,200 in international bonus pool money. Renteria ties the club’s largest amateur international signing, as outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz received $4 million back in 2015.

The Phillies have found success in Venezuela before, signing pitchers like Ranger Suárez (2012) and infielder César Hernández, along with current No. 5 organizational prospect Aroon Escobar in 2022. Renteria now becomes the latest high-upside addition to that pipeline.

The club has also been rumored to sign shortstop Juan Parra (No. 39), yet another highly-touted position player from Venezuela.

Giants sign top international prospect, Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernández originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — For a second straight year, the Giants started the international signing period by picking up the best position player available. 

Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernández signed on Thursday morning during a ceremony at the organization’s Felipe Alou Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic. Hernández signed exactly one year after Josuar Gonzalez, who already is a top 100 prospect overall and is considered the organization’s second-best prospect. 

Hernández will get a signing bonus of about $5 million, per sources, the second-biggest international bonus in franchise history. The Giants gave Lucius Fox $6 million in 2015 before restrictions were put in place, and Gonzalez signed for just under $3 million a year ago. 

A right-handed hitter, Hernández is the No. 1 player on both the Baseball America and MLB Pipeline boards. He has long been connected to the Giants, who were on him early and had no doubts in recent months that Hernández would sign. 

“He is so mature for his age as a player,” senior director of international scouting Joe Salermo said recently. “He can play short with plus skills, he’s a plus hitter, he’s going to have plus power. The only thing you can knock him for is he’s an average runner, but the way he controls the game is incredible for a younger kid.”

Hernández vaulted to the top of the class in part because of an eye-opening performance in a professional league in Venezuela last summer. Playing against some former big leaguers and pitchers who were a decade older than him, the teenager hit .346 and struck out just 11 times in 114 plate appearances. 

Salermo visits Venezuela four or five times a year and the Giants have also had a good relationship with the Carlos Guillen Academy in Maracay, where Hernández trains. The longtime big league shortstop played on the Seattle Mariners with Randy Winn, who now runs the Giants’ player development department. 

“Our evaluators [in Venezuela] did a really good job of identifying the player and feeling comfortable with the player,” Salermo said. 

The Giants came away impressed not just with Hernández’s physical skills, but also his makeup. Because he’s so advanced at the plate, it’s possible that he will skip the Dominican Summer League and go straight to Arizona this summer to begin his professional career. 

The Hernández signing will continue to add to a farm system that is on the rise. In addition to Gonzalez and Hernández, the Giants will add the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft this July after getting lucky in December’s lottery. Now that he’s officially a Giant, Hernández joins one of the best groups of young middle infielders in the minors. 

Scouts also are high on Jhonny Level, signed out of Venezuela in 2024. In the first round of last year’s draft, the Giants took Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen. When Bryce Eldridge graduates from prospect lists this summer, it’s possible that the organization’s top four prospects will be middle infielders, including three teenagers. 

The two likely leading the way — Gonzalez and Hernández — come with similar rankings but bring different traits. Gonzalez draws Francisco Lindor comps and is a more athletic and flashier player with what is considered a higher ceiling. Hernández, the Giants believe, has a significantly higher floor. There’s no certainty when dealing with 17-year-olds, but Hernández is considered about as safe a bet as it gets for a player his age.

“It’s amazing how these two guys are totally different, but we feel that they can both play a premium position,” Salermo said. “We’re excited to see it.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Red Sox make free-agent splash with Ranger Suarez signing: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

At long last, the Boston Red Sox have signed a free agent.

The Red Sox are acquiring left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez on a five-year, $130 million contract, according to multiple reports. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman was the first to report Suarez’s signing.

Suarez is the first MLB-level free agent to sign with Boston this offseason. While the Red Sox have made several trades this winter, they’ve whiffed on a number of free agents, most notably Alex Bregman, who signed a reported five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Boston reportedly offered Bregman a deal worth $165 million over five years, so chief baseball officer Craig Breslow essentially has pivoted to invest that money in Suarez.

The 30-year-old left-hander spent his first eight MLB seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and made an All-Star team in 2024. He posted a 3.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP last season with a 12-8 record and 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings and also boasts an impressive postseason track record, with a 1.48 ERA over 42.2 playoff innings.

The addition of Suarez gives the Red Sox a very competitive projected starting rotation for 2026 that should feature three new additions:

• Garrett Crochet
• Brayan Bello
• Ranger Suarez (signed in free agency)
• Sonny Gray (acquired from Cardinals)
• Johan Oviedo (acquired from Pirates)

Young hurlers Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Kyle Harrison could be in the mix for that fifth rotation spot, as well.

The Red Sox still could use another starting-caliber infielder after missing out on Bregman, but Suarez is a significant addition to the rotation that should make fans feel slightly better about the offseason.

Ranger Suárez reportedly inks five-year deal with Red Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ranger Suárez is reportedly signing with the Red Sox in free agency, leaving the organization he first joined as a teenager. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to break the news. 

The five-year deal is worth $130 million, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal has no opt-outs or deferrals.

In 2025, Suárez posted an 11-6 record with a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts, marking his fourth season in the last five with an ERA under 4.00.

His consistency made him an anchor in multiple roles — long reliever, swingman, rotation mainstay, and, most notably, a postseason go-to.

Through 11 postseason appearances (eight starts), Suárez owns a 1.48 ERA, one of the lowest in MLB history for pitchers with more than 40 playoff innings.

Since joining the Phillies rotation full-time back in 2022, though, he failed to make 30 starts in a season once. Durability is not his strong suit.

Dave Dombrowski acknowledged the financial reality at the season’s end when discussing the club’s free agents, noting the Phillies “don’t have unlimited [funds]” with large contracts already committed to Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker. The club has also expressed interest in an extension with Jesús Luzardo.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, were rumored to pursue Bo Bichette in free agency after they failed to re-sign Alex Bregman. With Suárez’s deal, Boston may not push their payroll as aggressively for Bichette, improving the Phils’ chances of signing the infielder.

All in all, Suárez leaves having become one of the most trusted pitchers on the staff, never phased by the moment or stage.

Philadelphia now turns to internal options — including top prospect Andrew Painter and the veteran Walker — as it rounds out the backend of the rotation heading into 2026.

The Phillies will receive a fourth-round pick in the 2026 Draft as compensation after tendering the qualifying offer to the lefty.

A former executive chairman and co-owner of Major League Baseball team the San Diego Padres is set to take a controlling stake in League One club Lincoln City.

American Ron Fowler initially bought a minority interest in third-tier Lincoln in April 2024, and he is now poised to replace Arizona-based Harvey Jabara as the majority shareholder if his bid is cleared by the English Football League.

Lincoln's board approved a proposal from Fowler to increase his stake - through his company Liquid Investments - to more than 25% on 11 December.

Fowler, whose son Andrew is also involved in the club, will take on the position of chairman at LNER Stadium and will "assume responsibility for the funding of the club for the immediate future".

The ownership shake-up at Lincoln, who are second in the table, was confirmed as a "future development" in the club's annual accounts covering the 12 months up to June 2025.

"Acquiring 25% or more of the share capital is regarded by the EFL as acquiring control and consequently Liquid Investments Inc will need to demonstrate they are eligible to acquire control and are able to and will provide the necessary funding to ensure the club can continue to operate post-acquisition," the club noted in its report.

• Ex-San Diego co-owner Fowler invests in Lincoln
• Lincoln trigger contract extensions for 'core' trio
• Listen to BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Red Imps Club podcast

Fowler will take on responsibility for a promotion-chasing club that reported a loss of just under £2.9m relating to the 2024-25 season.

While the club's turnover was a record £8.5m, up from just under £7m the previous season, their losses were down from just under £3m a year earlier.

It was also a season in which the club's shareholders put £3.6m into the club.

Funding that Fowler now intends to put into the club is said to have already been "earmarked" for "various projects at the LNER Stadium".

Fowler is a business owner in the beverage industry in the United States.

He turned his attention to English football after his involvement in the Padres came to an end in March 2022, having served as vice-chairman after passing on control of the MLB team 16 months earlier.

The Yankees have acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins.

As first reported by YES Network's Jack Curry, New York will send four minor leaguers to Miami for the southpaw in a move that will fortify the rotation in 2026 and beyond.

The minor leaguers the Yankees will send include outfielders Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, and infielders Dillon Jasso and Juan Matheus, according to multiple reports.

Jones is the No. 15 Yankees prospect according to MLB Pipeline, while Lewis (16) and Jasso (23) round out the prospects in the organization's top 30 prospects. 

Weathers, 26, is coming off an injury-laden season where he made just eight starts due to flexor and lat strains. In limited time on the field in 2025, Weathers pitched to a 3.99 ERA with a K9 of 8.7 and a WHIP of 1.27. 

In two-plus seasons with the Marlins, Weathers was 7-10 in 27 appearances (26 starts) while pitching to a 4.57 ERA. He was traded to Miami from the Padres in a deal that was headlined by first baseman Garrett Cooper in 2023. Before landing in South Beach, Weathers made 43 appearances (29 starts) and pitched to a 5.73 ERA with San Diego from 2021-23. 

Weathers will make $1.35 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more seasons, giving the Yankees control of the southpaw until 2029.

While not as splashy a move, the Yankees can use Weathers -- whose father David pitched for the Bombers in 1996 and 1997 -- to give the rotation some healthy bodies until Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt return from injury. Currently, the Yankees' rotation will include Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. Ryan Yarbrough is also slated to take a few starts as a swing man.

It’s been an offseason of seismic changes for the Mets, and while there are still plenty of moves to be made between now and the Opening Day, president of baseball operations David Stearns sat down with reporters on Tuesday to discuss where things currently stand with the club.

The Mets have already said goodbye to Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil this offseason, but Stearns believes the organization is in a very good spot, and with good reasoning.

"We’ve said goodbye to players who have performed really well here, people we care a lot about, players that out fans care a lot about who have meshed well with our community, who have done what we as organization have asked them to do for a long time, and that’s really tough and we all recognize that," Stearns said. "And we’re doing all of that because we are committed universally, from ownership down, to ensure that the next five years of the Mets are better, and that we win more games and meet the lofty expectations that we have for ourselves, than what we’ve done previously. What we’ve done previously has not been good enough. We all know that, I certainly know that, and we’ve got to do better. And we’re committed to doing that.

"We have tremendous ownership support to do that. We have elite talent at the top of our major league roster. We’ve got a very good farm system, and we’ve got a very good present-day major league team as we sit here today that’s going to get better before we get to Opening Day."

Stearns added that the Mets currently have a mix of “truly elite talent on our major league team, combined with some young players who have already established themselves at the major league level and are ready to take that next step."

"We have this pretty unique combination right now of MVP-caliber talent up top, players who have already established themselves at the major league level who are at that point of their career where there is the potential – not the certainty, but the potential – for a jump, and really exciting premium young prospects who are about to hit the major league level," Stearns said. "That is an enviable place for any organization to be." 

The timing of these statements is certainly of note, considering there's now reporting that the Mets have offered All-Star Kyle Tucker a short-team deal worth $50 million per season.

Losing fan-favorite pieces like Diaz and Alonso hasn't been an easy pill to swallow, but potentially adding Tucker, the best position player available via free agency this year, would completely change the narrative for the Mets.

And Stearns is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve the ultimate goal.

“I certainly understand that there have been points this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base. We’re not blind to that at all," Stearns said. "I’m certainly not blind to that. I hear it, I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family at times. I’m also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team, a team that year after year is a true World Series contender, and ultimately a team that does what we are all here to do, which is to win a World Series. And that’s why we are doing all of this."