1+ hour, 40+ min ago (442+ words) Shohei Ohtani finished his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers the same way he did in his debut year with the organization: on top of the baseball world. Ohtani helped Los Angeles capture a second straight World Series title, this time contributing both at the plate and on the mound after serving exclusively as a designated hitter in his first year with the club. Across 158 regular season games at the plate, the 30-year-old Japanese star posted a .282 batting average, a .392 on-base percentage, a 1.014 OPS, 55 home runs and 102 RBIs while serving as the Dodgers" leadoff hitter. On the mound, he delivered a 2.87 ERA over 47 innings, striking out 62 batters as he ramped back into starting pitching form. His two-way excellence earned him a third consecutive MVP Award, further cementing his place among the game"s all-time greats as he continues to…...

3+ hour, 37+ min ago (228+ words) The post Rangers rumors: "Overwhelming likelihood" is Corey Seager won"t be traded before Opening Day appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Texas Rangers 2025 offseason moves have created steady speculation, especially around Corey Seager"s future in Arlington. After the Marcus Semien trade Monday, Seager rumors spread fast, and many wondered if the Rangers were beginning a quiet reset after a disappointing 2025 season. To calm the noise, MLB Network posted a segment on its X, (formerly known as Twitter) account, featuring insider Jon Morosi addressing the issue directly. Morosi"s statement gave fans some much-needed clarity on where the situation stands. "I still think the overwhelming likelihood is that Corey Seager remains a member of the Rangers on Opening Day." The comments from the insider suggest the Rangers plan to retool rather than rebuild. Despite the roster turnover, the front office…...

4+ hour, 4+ min ago (625+ words) J.D. Urso was selected by the Loco Beach Coconuts in the Banana ball draft. He is on the same team as former Spartan CJ Williams. Urso and his dad have been working on trick plays ahead of the season in February. TAMPA, Fla. - Former UTampa baseball star J.D. Urso is feeling thankful. ""Just so blessed to be able to have this opportunity," J.D. Urso said. That's because his baseball career will be extended beyond his playing days as a Spartan. "I'll be able to say I was on the first ever roster of the Loco Beach Coconuts," Urso said. Urso signed a one-year contract with the newly established Loco Beach Coconuts of the world-famous Banana Ball Championship League after he was drafted by the team following five weeks of playing tryout baseball for the Savannah Visitors. JD and his former Spartan teammate CJ…...

4+ hour, 23+ min ago (436+ words) Tatsuya Imai isn't looking to join a superteam as he eyes a move to the MLB. He wants to challenge one. Fresh off a Sawamura Award season, the star right-hander says defeating a stacked club like the Dodgers would mean more than joining them. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has spent the last few seasons establishing himself as one of Nippon Professional Baseball's most reliable front-line pitchers. Now, as he explores a potential jump to Major League Baseball, he's making one thing clear: he isn't interested in simply joining a ready-made powerhouse; he wants to beat one. During a recent appearance on "Hodo Station," hosted by former MLB pitcher and two-time World Baseball Classic champion Daisuke Matsuzaka, Imai was asked about the possibility of playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki in Los Angeles. Many players from NPB have…...

4+ hour, 24+ min ago (346+ words) Brett Berard was honest. It stunk for the young winger to learn he was among the Rangers' late cuts after coming into training camp as one of the top contenders for a bottom-six role. Berard's confidence dipped, leading to him going pointless over Hartford's first five games of the season. He also failed to find the back of the net in each of their 14 games. Berard's been able to overcome those struggles, though, leading to him being called up to the shorthanded Rangers. "Getting sent down that late stinks," he said. "I kind of lost a little confidence -- the first few games it was hard to get my game back, but I think it was also a good challenge for my mental toughness to go through a little funk like that. "I think it was a good thing, especially the…...

6+ hour, 31+ min ago (310+ words) To some, Major League Baseball has a spending balance problem, and recently, one of baseball's top spenders shared his thoughts on the matter. Notably, the Los Angeles Dodgers have created a recent rift in baseball due to their aggressive offseason spending. To make matters worse, they've won back-to-back World Series titles in the midst of this, only furthering the divide between aggressive owners, and owners unwilling to shell out the big bucks. Owner of the New York Yankees Hal Steinbrenner recently spoke with Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News about his concerns that the Dodgers may be distancing themselves further, and further away from everyone else. The two teams met in the 2024 World Series, where the Dodgers won in five games. "Of course it's a concern," Steinbrenner said. "They do have tremendous resources, and they've gotten the job…...

7+ hour, 18+ min ago (497+ words) Brett Berard is back in the fold for the New York Rangers after getting called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack on Sunday. With the Rangers" offense hindered by J.T. Miller"s injury and possibly now even Vincent Trocheck"s iffy status, Berard could play a pivotal role in the team"s Monday night game against the St. Louis Blues. It"s funny how things work sometimes, as it was just one week ago that Berard emphasized he"s not focused on getting called up to the NHL. "Not focus on getting called up or not focused on what might happen," Berard said last week in Hartford. "I'm here in Hartford, and I'm here to help the team win, and I love the guys in the room. I love the coaches, so it's been a blast coming to the rink every…...

8+ hour, 12+ min ago (351+ words) The Hot Stove is heating up, but the New York Yankees have yet to make any major moves this offseason. As Brian Cashman and the rest of the front office mull over what moves they should make this winter, here are three priorities the Yankees might consider. Gerritt Cole might not be ready on Opening Day. Carlos Rodon has struggled with consistency. Luis Gil missed over half the year with an injury. What will Cam Schlittler look like over a full season of work? The only sure-fire thing in New York's rotation right now is Max Fried. One of New York's big downfalls in the playoffs was their rotation, with their starting pitchers posting an ERA of 5.19 in seven playoff games. With an offensive talent as good as Aaron Judge on the roster, the rotation can't be what holds the…...

8+ hour, 14+ min ago (496+ words) The New York Yankees have added another pitcher to their ranks, signing former Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers reliever Yerry Rodr'guez to a minor-league deal on Monday. Rodr'guez, who turned 28 in October, owns an 8.17 ERA and a 28-17 K-BB ratio over 36 2/3 big-league innings. Most of that work came with the Rangers, where he recorded a 7.11 ERA in 26 games from 2022-24. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Rodr'guez posted a 15.43 ERA across 4 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2024. His agent, Kelvin Nova, told MLB Trade Rumors that Rodr'guez signed a two-year contract while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Rodr'guez's arrival comes two weeks before the Winter Meetings begin in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Winter Meetings are typically when offseason moves ramp up because representatives from all 30 teams are in the same place. Rodr'guez is reportedly targeting a midseason return to the mound after having…...

8+ hour, 49+ min ago (288+ words) Hal Steinbrenner is not naming the price of his 2026 payroll. But the Yankees" owner insists he is not set on lowering the number from the $319 million at which his club finished this year, another season gone by without winning a World Series. "Would it be ideal if I went down [with the payroll]? Of course," Steinbrenner said on a Zoom call Monday. "But does that mean that"s going to happen? Of course not. We want to field a team we know we believe could win a championship." Steinbrenner has said in the past that a payroll of $300-plus million was "unsustainable" and that it shouldn"t take a $300 million payroll to win a championship. Of course, he used to say the same thing about a $220 million payroll. But in the early stages of the offseason, as general manager Brian…...