12+ hour, 8+ min ago (366+ words) Tatsuya Imai throws in the inning during the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship Final between South Korea and Japan in Tokyo. Gene Wang / Getty Images Not so fast, according to what Imai said in an interview with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station." "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki," Imai told the former Boston Red Sox and New York Mets starter, "But winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down." "If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?" Imai said. "But that's actually not what I'm looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I…...

13+ hour, 15+ min ago (790+ words) Hal Steinbrenner, pictured in 2022, also said he would prefer to spend less money on payroll than the $319 million the Yankees paid this year. Seth Wenig / Associated Press New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he would prefer to spend less money on payroll next year and that it was "not fair or accurate" to assume the club was profitable last season, remarks that sparked immediate frustration and confusion within the championship-starved fan base on social media. Steinbrenner said the Yankees" payroll finished at $319 million in 2025 as the club fell in the American League Division Series to the Toronto Blue Jays. "Would it be ideal if I went down (in payroll)?" Steinbrenner said during a video conference call with reporters Monday afternoon. "Of course. But does that mean that"s going to happen? Of course not." But they were outspent last…...

13+ hour, 45+ min ago (675+ words) The Mets' surprising trade of Brandon Nimmo on Sunday seems to have established a theme for New York this offseason: "Anything would be realistic right now." Rich Storry / Getty Images In the wake of the weekend's surprising trade of Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien, president of baseball operations David Stearns established a theme for his Mets: "Anything would be realistic right now." Adding Kyle Tucker to Juan Soto in the outfield? Bringing back Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz? Doing all three? It's on the table. Of course, it is Nov. 24; even the Marlins and Pirates are talking a big game about free agency. While the Mets have walked the walk before, Stearns did mention that the club's finances are not infinite. Here's what we could glean about the landscape of New York's offseason from Stearns' post-trade comments Monday. The Mets…...

13+ hour, 53+ min ago (476+ words) The only problem? The Blue Jays went rogue. Major League Baseball teams are not supposed to place ads abroad without the league office's blessing, which the Jays did not have. Japan is a scorching hot market for MLB, but commissioner Rob Manfred's office controls international branding there and elsewhere. That's in no small part because MLB wants to avoid a free-for-all between teams trying to grab a slice of a given market. The Blue Jays said they were aware of the sponsorship in advance of the logo being used and that it was not a paid sponsorship. The league office was not involved, people briefed on the advertisement's placement who were not authorized to speak publicly said. The commissioner's office declined comment. It's unclear how MLB will follow up on the matter or whether it would consider any punishment. "We…...

17+ hour, 23+ min ago (396+ words) Marcus Semien remains a strong defender even if his production at the plate isn't what it used to be. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) Mets get: 2B Marcus Semien" Rangers get: OF Brandon Nimmo Nimmo's been good for 20+ home runs and 25+ doubles each of the last three years. He's 28-for-29 in stolen-base attempts the last two years. There's a lot to like with the profile, even at 32 years old and even, gulp, with five years and $102.5 million remaining on his contract. He's a really solid player, and the Rangers ranked 26th in OPS (.684). They need really solid players. Semien is also a really solid player, but at this stage of his career, it's for different reasons. The bat is concerning. He's still a patient hitter with good contact ability, but his slugging percentage has tumbled from .478 in 2023 to .391 in 2024 to .364 in 2025. He's excellent…...

21+ hour, 41+ min ago (292+ words) "It's always a concern any time I feel that one team is pulling away from the other 29, (or) selfishly, pulling away from me," Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said. " Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner acknowledged the impressive staying power of the Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of three World Series titles in the past six years, during a video news conference Monday to discuss the state of his team, but reiterated his belief that the Yankees are spending enough to become champions. At the beginning of the year, Steinbrenner said it's difficult for most owners to spend at the level of the Dodgers. He also openly wondered if spending that much would amount to the Dodgers winning a title. Only three times in the past 10 seasons did the team with the highest payroll win a championship (2025 Dodgers,…...

23+ hour, 11+ min ago (963+ words) Brandon Nimmo was the Mets' longest-tenured player, with 1,066 games with the club dating back to 2016. Wendell Cruz / Imagn Images On the one hand, this is a trade of subpar contracts. Trading for the back half of a significant free-agent deal is never advisable unless you're sending the same thing back the other way. On the other hand, Nimmo and Semien are extremely useful players in the here and now. There's a lot to work through in the immediate aftermath. Here are some occasionally muddled thoughts " Semien, though older than Nimmo, has remained a sparkling defender at an up-the-middle spot at second base. President of baseball operations David Stearns repeatedly emphasized improving the Mets' "run prevention," and fixing the right side of the infield was a significant priority for New York. Semien goes a long way toward doing that. The stats…...

23+ hour, 12+ min ago (940+ words) Craig Breslow has money to work with and needs to fill this winter. Danielle Parhizkaran / The Boston Globe via Getty Images We'll break down those moves here, in addition to where payroll stands ahead of the Winter Meetings. In three separate deals last week, the Red Sox signaled that they will be adding to the bullpen at some point this winter to fill out their middle relief depth, particularly left-handed relievers. In Brennan Bernardino, Chris Murphy and Luis Guerrero, Boston traded away three relievers who had roles in Boston over the last two years. In return, they received Low-A catcher Ronny Hernandez and two utility players in Tristan Gray and Braiden Ward. The flurry of trades means Aroldis Chapman is the only true lefty reliever currently on the 40-man roster. The team has a few other lefties like Payton Tolle…...

1+ day, 12+ min ago (1822+ words) The Pittsburgh Pirates, after expressing interest in first baseman Josh Naylor, are doing the same with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, while considering infielders Jorge Polanco, Ryan O'Hearn and Kazuma Okamoto as perhaps more realistic free-agent options. The Miami Marlins are active in the closer market, talking with free-agent right-hander Michael King and other starting pitchers, and are also weighing upgrades at first and third base. Both teams are perennially bottom-five in payroll. Both have been the subject of past grievances from the Major League Baseball Players Association over their lack of spending, with the Marlins potentially at risk of prompting another for 2025. In the view of some player agents, the surprising entrances of the Pirates and Marlins into the marketplace are curious and " with the sport's collective bargaining agreement set to expire after next season " no coincidence. "There is a…...

1+ day, 42+ min ago (589+ words) On the flip side, the Brewers kept shortstop Willy Adames for his walk season. He eventually signed with the San Francisco Giants in free agency, and they received only a draft pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A as compensation (they selected high school shortstop Brady Ebel with the pick). That seems to be the position that two-time Executive of the Year Matt Arnold is taking, and it makes sense. Peralta will earn just a quarter of what he'd be worth on the open market this season, and with the Brewers coming off 97 wins, why not try to give this team one more shot at a title? There is a caveat to the existing plan, however. If some contending team steps up with a trade offer that allows the Brewers to not only maintain their competitiveness for…...