Category: Baseball

CHICAGO — The rebuilding Chicago White Sox have added Munetaka Murakami to their lineup, agreeing to a $34 million, two-year contract with the Japanese slugger.

Murakami, who turns 26 on Feb. 2, joins a promising group of young hitters that also includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth. The White Sox finished last in the AL Central this year with a 60-102 record, a 19-game improvement from the previous season.

Murakami gets a $1 million signing bonus payable within 30 days and salaries of $16 million next year and $17 million in 2027.

His 2027 salary can escalate based on awards earned in 2026: $1 million winning an MVP award, $500,000 for finishing second or third in the voting, $250,000 for fourth through 10th and $250,000 for Rookie of the Year.

He can’t be assigned to the minor leagues without his consent and will be a free agent at the end of the contract. He also gets a team-provided interpreter and flight reimbursement between Japan and the U.S.

The White Sox owe a posting fee of $6,575,000 to Yakult, Murakami’s Central League team. The Swallows also would receive a supplemental fee of 15% of any triggered escalators.

Murakami was Central League MVP in 2021 and ’22. The corner infielder was limited to 56 games this season because of an oblique injury. He struck out 64 times, but he batted .273 with 22 homers and 47 RBIs.

Murakami hit 56 homers in 2022 to break Sadaharu Oh’s record for a Japanese-born player in Nippon Professional Baseball while becoming the youngest player to earn Japan’s Triple Crown. He topped 30 homers in four straight years before an injury-interrupted season in 2023.

He has a .270 career average with 246 homers, 647 RBIs and 977 strikeouts in 892 games over eight Central League seasons, all with the Swallows.

After playing primarily at first base in 2019 and 2020, he has spent most of his time since at third.

At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami hit a game-ending double off Giovanny Gallegos that drove in Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida for a 6-5 semifinal win over Mexico. The following day in the championship game, Murakami hit a tying home run off Merrill Kelly in the second inning and Japan went on to beat the United States 3-2.

Under the agreement between MLB and NPB, the posting fee is 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There is a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.

PHOENIX — Merrill Kelly’s return to the desert is official after the Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Friday that a two-year, $40 million deal has been finalized.

The sides reached a tentative agreement on Sunday, but the deal was pending a physical. The right-hander will receive a $2 million signing bonus, a $17 million salary in 2026 and $21 million in 2027.

There is also a vesting option for 2028 that would become guaranteed as $12 million if he pitches 170 innings in 2027 and $14 million if he pitches 185 innings in 2027.

If traded, he would receive a $500,000 assignment bonus payable by the acquiring team.

Kelly also get a hotel suite on road trips.

The 37-year-old spent the first 6 1/2 years of his career with the Diamondbacks before the pending free agent was dealt to the Texas Rangers at this year’s trade deadline in July.

He was good for both teams, finishing with a combined 12-9 record and 3.52 ERA.

Kelly could open next spring as the D-backs No. 1 starter in a rotation that is expected to include Ryne Nelson, Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez. Ace Corbin Burnes is still recovering from Tommy John surgery while 2023 All-Star Zac Gallen is a free agent and appears unlikely to re-sign.

Kelly’s return to the desert isn’t a huge surprise considering he’s a Scottsdale native and played at Arizona State.

The fan favorite was a key piece of the team that went to the World Series in 2023. He had a 12-8 record and a 3.29 ERA that season, adding a masterful performance in Game 2 of the World Series against the Rangers, which is the only game the D-backs win in the Fall Classic.

Kelly doesn’t have overpowering stuff but thrives with a six-pitch mix that keeps hitters off balance. He has carved out a solid MLB career despite not making his debut until he was 30 in 2019.

He played four seasons in South Korea from 2015 to 2018, going 48-32 with a 3.86 ERA.

SAN DIEGO — Michael King is staying with the San Diego Padres.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $75 million contract that allows him to opt out after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

As part of the agreement announced Friday, King gets a $12 million signing bonus in three $4 million installments, within 30 days of the deal’s approval by Major League Baseball, and on Jan. 15 in both 2027 and 2028.

He receives a $5 million salary next season and has a $28 million player option for 2027 with a $5 million buyout. If that is exercised, he could exercise a $30 million player option for 2028 with no buyout.

King also gets a hotel suite on road trips.

King, who turns 31 in May, went 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts for the Padres last season. He missed time on the injured list with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder and then later with left knee inflammation.

San Diego lost frontline starter Dylan Cease to Toronto in free agency this month, and Yu Darvish is likely to miss the entire 2026 season following elbow surgery. King, however, rejoins a rotation that also features Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, who is expected back from Tommy John surgery.

King rejected a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from the Padres last month. They acquired him from the Yankees in the December 2023 trade that sent Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to New York.

In two seasons as a member of San Diego’s rotation, King is 18-12 with a 3.10 ERA. He made 30 starts and one relief appearance in 2024, going 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA.

King was primarily a reliever with the Yankees. He is 31-29 with a 3.24 ERA and seven saves in 161 games (64 starts) over seven major league seasons with New York and San Diego.

The Baltimore Orioles acquired right-hander Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday for four minor leaguers and a draft pick.

The 26-year-old Baz went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA last season in 31 starts. It was his first full season after Tommy John surgery. He also went 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 14 starts in 2024.

Baltimore, which landed free agent slugger Pete Alonso with a $155 million contract, is also trying to remake its pitching staff after a poor 2025 and a trade that sent right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels.

Baz was a first-round draft pick by Pittsburgh back in 2017, and he was traded to Tampa Bay in 2018 in a deal that sent Chris Archer to the Pirates. He was part of the U.S. Olympic team in 2021 before making his big league debut later that year.

He dealt with elbow problems in 2022 and eventually needed Tommy John surgery.

Baz had a $1.45 million salary last season and is likely to double that for 2026.

In the trade, the Rays acquired catcher Caden Bodine, outfielder Slater de Brun, right-hander Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn and a competitive balance pick (No. 33) in next year’s draft.

The Orioles designated left-hander Josh Walker for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Baltimore can keep Baz for at least three seasons before he would become a free agent. To get him, the Orioles gave up Bodine and de Brun, the 30th and 37th picks in this year’s draft. Bodine hit .326 in 11 games for Class A Delmarva.

The 21-year-old Forret went 2-2 with a 1.58 ERA in 74 innings across Class A and Double-A in 2025.

Also Friday, the Orioles announced their 2026 big league coaching staff under new manager Craig Albernaz: Pitching coach Drew French, assistant pitching coach Mitch Plassmeyer, pitching strategy coach Ryan Klimek and third base coach Buck Britton remain on the staff. The team has added bench coach Donnie Ecker, hitting coach Dustin Lind, assistant hitting coach Brady North, first base coach Jason Bourgeois, bullpen coach Hank Conger, infield coach Miguel Cairo and field coordinator and catching coach Joe Singley.

NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay a record $169.4 million luxury tax after winning their second straight World Series title, raising their two-year total to $272.4 million.

The New York Mets have the second-highest tax bill among the nine teams that pay at $91.6 million despite missing the 12-team playoffs, raising their tax owed to $320.3 million in the last four years under high-spending owner Steve Cohen.

The Dodgers will pay tax for the fifth straight season. The Dodgers’ total broke the previous high of $103 million they had set last year.

Los Angeles’ $417.3 million tax payroll included $949,244 in noncash compensation for Shohei Ohtani, whose contract calls for use of a suite for games at Dodger Stadium and an interpreter.

The Mets’ total payroll of $346.7 million included $369,886 in noncash compensation for Juan Soto, whose contract specified the team will pay for his use of a luxury suite, up to four premium tickets and personal team security for the All-Star outfielder and his family.

The Yankees owe $61.8 million, according to figures finalized Friday by Major League Baseball and the players’ association and obtained by The Associated Press. They were followed by Philadelphia ($56.1 million), AL champion Toronto ($13.6 million), San Diego (just under $7 million), Boston and Houston (both $1.5 million), and Texas (about $190,000).

The nine teams paying match the record nine set year. The $402.6 million tax total topped the previous high of $311.3 million last year. Tax money is due to MLB by Jan. 21.

SANTA ANA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels reached a confidential settlement Friday in a lawsuit over the drug overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

The decision to settle was reached after a two-month civil trial in Southern California over whether the Angels should be held responsible for Skaggs’ 2019 death after he snorted a fentanyl-laced pill provided by the team’s communications director, Eric Kay.

Skaggs’ widow, Carli, and his parents filed the lawsuit alleging the MLB team knew or should have known Kay was a drug addict and dealing painkillers to players. The settlement closes a painful six-year process, the Skaggs family said in a statement.

“We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team,” the family said in the statement. “Their engagement and focus gave us faith, and now we have finality. This trial exposed the truth and we hope Major League Baseball will now do its part in holding the Angels accountable. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we will continue to honor his memory.”

The team has contended officials didn’t know Skaggs was taking drugs and would have sought him help if they did.

“The death of Tyler Skaggs remains a tragedy, and this trial sheds light on the dangers of opioid use and the devastating effects it can have,” the team said in a statement Friday.

Jurors began deliberating earlier this week.

Orange County Superior Court Judge H. Shaina Colover thanked jurors for their diligence. “That is why this matter was able to be resolved today,” she said, before releasing them.

Six years ago, the 27-year-old left-handed pitcher was found dead in the suburban Dallas hotel room where he was staying as the Angels were supposed to open a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report said the player choked to death on his vomit, and a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was found in his system.

Kay, a longtime Angels employee, was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in prison. His criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay at various times from 2017 to 2019.

In California, MLB players including outfielder Mike Trout, Angels president John Carpino, and Skaggs’ and Kay’s relatives testified during the trial in a Santa Ana courtroom. Witnesses for the plaintiffs described how Kay was acting erratic at the stadium and found with multiple plastic bags filled with pills at his home and later hospitalized for a drug overdose. They also recounted how Kay got players massage appointments, tee times and even prescription medication, and was paid by players for stunts like taking a fastball to the leg.

Angels attorneys pointed out that Skaggs was hooked on painkillers before he signed with the Angels in 2013. They said Skaggs got his teammates into taking pills and got Kay to provide them, but kept it secret out of concern it could jeopardize their MLB careers. Had team officials known Kay was dealing drugs, or Skaggs was taking them, they would have done something, the lawyers said.

Witnesses also sparred during the case over how much money Skaggs would have made as a pitcher had he lived. Experts for the plaintiffs said he could have reeled in between $91 million and $101 million, while the Angels put the figure at no more than $32 million.

Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board.

Rusty Hardin, an attorney for the plaintiffs, welcomed the settlement and said the amount remains confidential. Hardin said there were rules in place and the Angels ignored them.

“The changes need to be by teams like the Angels who let this happen,” Hardin said.

Before the judge announced the settlement Friday, jurors had remained behind closed doors after lawyers for both sides had gone to speak with Colover.

Late Wednesday, jurors had sent out a note asking whether they “get to decide the punitive damage amount,” saying there is no field for it on the verdict form. The judge said she would send a note replying that if they decide there should be punitive damages, they would decide how much at a later time.

The jury did not work on Thursday and resumed deliberations Friday morning.

PITTSBURGH — The offense-starved Pittsburgh Pirates finally made an aggressive offseason move, agreeing to acquire two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from Tampa Bay as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Houston Astros.

The Rays will send Lowe, left-hander Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum to Pittsburgh. The Pirates will deal right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston.

Tampa Bay is acquiring a pair of prospects from Houston as part of the deal. a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deals were pending approval of medical records.

The 31-year-old Lowe, an All-Star in 2019 and 2025, gives the Pirates a veteran bat for a lineup in desperate need of some pop to support a promising young pitching staff led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

The left-handed Lowe hit .256 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for Tampa Bay and now heads to PNC Park, where the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field could be a tantalizing target.

The move is an unusually aggressive one for the Pirates, who have been reticent to acquire much in the way of salary in recent years. Lowe is scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2026 and can become a free agent after the World Series.

Pittsburgh was said to be pursuing slugger Kyle Schwarber, who opted to stay in Philadelphia. The Pirates did trade for outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who hit 18 homers in Triple-A in the Red Sox organization last year.

Lowe, however, is the kind of splashy move that proves actual proof the team is committed — in 2026 at least — to upgrading an offense that at or near the bottom of the majors in nearly every major category, including runs and home runs.

The 26-year-old Burrows went 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA for the Pirates last season but may have found himself the odd man out in a starting rotation projected to include Skenes, Bubba Chandler, and Mitch Keller, among others, next season.

The left-handed Montgomery will have a chance to carve out a spot in a Pittsburgh bullpen that includes closer Dennis Santana and veteran left-hander Gregory Soto. Montgomery went 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in 57 games last season for the Rays.

The 29-year-old Mangum hit .296 and stole 27 bases in 118 games for Tampa Bay during his rookie season last year.

Outfielder Jacob Melton and right-hander Anderson Brito are going from Houston to the Rays.

Melton, 24, hit just .157 during his debut with Houston last season but batted a solid .286 while playing for Triple-A Sugar Land before his call-up. The 21-year-old Brito had a sub-4.00 ERA while playing in the low minors last year.