MLB

11:07 AM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Hours into Major League Baseball’s first work stoppage in 26 years, commissioner Rob Manfred said the union’s proposal for greater free agency and wider salary arbitration would damage small-market teams. Owners locked out players at 12:01 a.m. Thursday following the expiration of the sport’s five-year collective bargaining

9:23 AM ET Jeremy WillisESPN.com Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson earned a ring last month. U.S. women’s national team forward Mallory Pugh got one this month. The World Series champion and the World Cup winner announced their engagement on Instagram Thursday night. The two have dated since 2017. The couple met through Swanson’s former teammate

7:00 AM ET As much as it might feel like it, the baseball world has not completely shut down. While the thrilling rush of free-agent signings and trades from the past few days will cease for now because of the lockout, there is a lot of baseball business still to be conducted. One of the

5:14 PM ET NEW YORK — While the owners and Major League Baseball players intend to collectively bargain for the terms of their next agreement, one group will not be at the table during those discussions: minor leaguers. While Major League Baseball recently announced improved housing conditions across all levels of the minor leagues —

1:16 PM ET NEW YORK — Within minutes of locking out players Thursday amid contentious negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball scrubbed all remnants of player likenesses off its official properties such as MLB.com, replacing player photos with generic silhouettes. In response, players decided to lean all the way in. Players

7:00 AM ET The contract numbers spent in free agency so far are record-setting, mind-bending. Max Scherzer‘s annual salary of $43.3 million is the highest ever for a pitcher. The Texas Rangers spent more money in two days on two players — Corey Seager and Marcus Semien — than they have on their entire roster

11:42 PM ET The Red Sox and Brewers swung a significant trade Wednesday night just ahead of the lockout, with Boston shipping outfielder Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee for a package centered around Jackie Bradley Jr. Bradley, 31, was a mainstay for Boston from 2013 to 2020, starring defensively in the outfield before the Gold Glover

12:05 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” IRVING, Texas — Major League Baseball locked out its players early Thursday morning, certifying the game’s first work stoppage in more than a quarter-century after months of talks yielded little progress toward

11:22 PM ET The San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Martinez have agreed on a four-year, $20 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Martinez’s deal includes opt-outs after his first and second year. Martinez, 31, spent the past four seasons in Japan and starred for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks this year, posting a 1.62

3:03 PM ET NEW YORK — Max Scherzer is no stranger to pressure. As the future Hall of Famer prepares to begin his tenure as a member of the New York Mets, the righty says he knows the spotlight — and the scrutiny — will be stronger than it has ever been during his career.

7:00 AM ET Welcome to the end of baseball … for a while, at least. At 11:59 p.m. ET, the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association is set to expire. If there isn’t a new one in place by then, the owners are expected to lock out

8:00 PM ET The transaction orgy of the past few days has been stupendous for baseball fans accustomed to a more leisurely pace during the late autumn and winter months. That said, it’s been more stupendous for some fans than others, and no fan base ought to feel more adrenalized than that of the Texas

12:10 PM ET If there seemed like one sure bet this offseason in the unpredictable world of MLB free agency, it’s that the Detroit Tigers would spend whatever it took to land one of the premier shortstops on the market. Now, that seeming inevitability has come to pass, with Detroit agreeing to a reported six-year,

7:00 AM ET If you’re old enough, you remember when the belligerent relationship between major league players and owners led to a strike or lockout every four or five years, culminating in the depressing cancellation of the 1994 World Series. We’ve had labor peace since then, but that streak is about to end at 11:59

4:45 PM ET Shortstop Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a 10-year, $325 million deal, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal comes a day after the Rangers agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract with second baseman Marcus Semien, sources told Passan. Seager, 27, batted .295/.364/.501

3:19 PM ET After an offseason in which ardent New York Mets fans had been injected by rare optimism, New York’s 2021 season flamed out in epic fashion and was riddled by chaos throughout. The ensuing weeks provided a snapshot of the fallout — the game’s brightest minds rejecting overtures to lead their baseball operations

8:39 PM ET Raise your hand if, like me, you uttered something unprintable when you heard the reported terms of Marcus Semien‘s new contract and the team that had offered them. That’s what we call a knee-jerk reaction, which isn’t always rational or correct. Your real response is what you come up with after thinking

Nov 26, 2021 The 2021-22 MLB free-agency hot stove is cooking, with teams already making some major moves in an effort to win a title next season. Below is a running list of notable transactions, along with analysis and grades for the most important ones. Remember: Trades and signings can happen at practically any hour