Breeders' Cup: Fierceness bounces back to win Juvenile for trainer Todd Pletcher  —  ARCADIA — Conventional wisdom might have told us to steer clear of Fierceness in Friday's $2 million Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.  In the race that oftentimes determines the early favorite …

Sad to see Joey Votto leave Cincinnati Reds, but don't lose sight of the plan  —  The Cincinnati Reds told us nearly two years ago they finally had a plan to try to win championships, trading away veterans and stockpiling some of baseball's top prospects.  —  They continued to show they're bent …

2023 MLB Farm System Statcast Hitting Rankings  —  Image credit: Michael Busch (Photo by Eddie Kelly)  —  For the first time, Baseball America is measuring performance based on underlying metrics via the Hawkeye data gathered across the minor leagues.  —  The benefit of using this data versus …

Sources: Colorado's Pat Shurmur to call plays in new role  —  Colorado has stripped offensive coordinator Sean Lewis of his offensive playcalling duties and is elevating analyst Pat Shurmur to an on-field role where he will take over as the team's playcaller, sources told ESPN.

Shohei Ohtani headlines 130-player MLB free agent class  —  Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell and Aaron Nola were among the 130 players who became free agents Thursday as baseball's business season began the day following the Texas Rangers' first World Series title.

Marcus Stroman Opts Out Of Deal With Cubs  —  Marcus Stroman has enacted the opt-out clause in his contract and will now become a free agent, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reports (X link).  Stroman's three-year, $71MM deal with the Cubs from the 2021-22 offseason allowed Stroman to opt …

Going Out a Champion: Rangers Reliever Ian Kennedy Retiring  —  Report: Rangers Reliever Ian Kennedy Retiring  —  Texas Rangers reliever Ian Kennedy is going out a champion.  —  The 17-year veteran, who missed the World Series due to injury, revealed to Sport Relay during …

Padres to interview Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza for manager; Matt Carpenter exercises player option  —  Fourth candidate to replace Bob Melvin set to meet with A.J. Preller, others at Petco Park  —  The Padres' manager search continues this weekend, with the team interviewing Yankees bench coach Carlos Medoza.

Padres took out additional loan to cover end-of-year expenses  —  Team needed $50 million infusion in September despite realizing record revenue  —  The Padres have doubled their revenue since 2019, but were unable to cover their expenses at the end of the 2023 season without an infusion of outside money.

Clayton Kershaw has shoulder surgery  —  It was plainly obvious down the stretch that Clayton Kershaw's left shoulder was bothering him much more than he or the Dodgers were letting on.  On Friday, Kershaw announced on Instagram he had surgery that will keep him out of action until at some point in the middle of 2024.

5 takeaways from Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen's season wrap  —  The offseason began for the Diamondbacks on Thursday, which meant General Manager Mike Hazen met with the media at Chase Field.  Most years, this happens in late September or early October, and Hazen has usually had time to sort …

Kings hold off Senators to remain perfect on road  —  Carl Grundstrom, Philip Danault and Anze Kopitar score and Cam Talbot has 24 saves against his former team as the Kings build a three-goal lead on their way to a 3-2 win  —  OTTAWA, Ontario — The Kings have had their troubles on home ice so far …

Craig Counsell heading to New York for Mets managerial interview  —  Craig Counsell, the Mets' top managerial candidate, was bound for New York on Thursday for his interview with the team, The Post learned.  —  New Mets baseball president David Stearns has targeted the accomplished Counsell …