Top News:
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Phils maintain offseason plan after missing on Yamamoto — PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies said they took their best shot at signing a Japanese superstar. — News broke late Thursday night that right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto reportedly agreed to a record-setting 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, ClutchPoints, Phillies Nation, NBC Sports Philadelphia and The Good Phight
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Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Sources: Japanese star Yamamoto goes to Dodgers for 12 years, $325M — Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a 12-year, $325 million contract, sources told ESPN on Thursday, ending a frenzied free agency with the largest deal for a pitcher in years and value in Major League Baseball history.
Discussion:
ClutchPoints, The Philadelphia Inquirer, MLB.com, NBC Chicago, MLB Trade Rumors, Purple Row, Los Angeles Times, FanGraphs Baseball, Hartford Courant, Orange County Register, New York Post, Mercury News, NBC Los Angeles, UPI, Arizona Sports, New York Daily News, True Blue LA, Yahoo Sports, DraftKings Network, NBC Sports Bay Area …, Amazin' Avenue, Lookout Landing and SNY
Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic:
Thoughts on Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Dodgers deal and where the market goes now — Thoughts on Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 12-year, $325 million free-agent contract with the Dodgers, which according to a league source includes a $50 million signing bonus and no deferred money:
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, ClutchPoints, New York Post, Los Angeles Times, Yahoo Sports and Phillies Nation
The Athletic:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency: The latest on each team still in the mix — As the MLB offseason rolls on, 25-year-old Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains a free agent. While his timeline for making a decision remains unclear — he has until Jan. 4 to do so based on his posting window …
Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic:
What I'm hearing about the Angels' trade chips, Clayton Kershaw's market — For a team that won only 73 games last season, the Angels have a surprising number of players rival clubs want in trades. Whether the club actually deals some of those players hinges on the offers it receives …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, ClutchPoints and Boston.com
Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Gerrit Cole and Yankees rotation: Here's how it looks now without Yoshinobu Yamamoto — NEW YORK - The No. 18 remains an available uniform number on the Yankees, a win-now club with a glaring vacancy in the rotation. — Ace Japanese free agent right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto chose the Los Angeles Dodgers …
Discussion:
New York Post, Pinstripe Alley, ClutchPoints and Yahoo Sports
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
New York Mets hit with record luxury tax of nearly $101 million for season of fourth-place finish — The New York Mets must pay a record luxury tax of nearly $101 million after a fourth-place finish in their division, among an unprecedented eight teams that owe the penalty for the 2023 season.
Discussion:
New York Post, MLB Trade Rumors, ClutchPoints, True Blue LA and WTOP News
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
MLB competition committee tinkers with pitch time, basepaths — Major League Baseball's competition committee approved several rule changes for the 2024 season, including subtracting two seconds from the pitch timer with men on base — from 20 to 18 seconds — while also widening the runner's lane to first.
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Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
MLB Announces Modifications To Pitch Clock, Other Rule Changes — 1:27pm: In a statement, Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark announced that the players on the Competition Committee voted against today's slate of changes.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Athletics Nation, Bleacher Nation, Cubs Insider and Pinstripe Alley
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen wants another bat even after Lourdes Gurriel Jr. deal — Even after bringing back outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a three-year deal that became official on Friday morning, Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen said he still has his sights set on adding yet another established hitter to his lineup.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and Arizona Sports
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Padres, reliever Yuki Matsui agree to 5-year deal — Left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a five-year, $28 million contract, sources told ESPN, the first money spent by the Padres this winter after a free agent splurge last year.
Discussion:
San Diego Union-Tribune, Yahoo Sports, MLB Trade Rumors, KNSD-TV, ClutchPoints and New York Post
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Tigers Sign Shelby Miller — 1:48pm: The Tigers have announced the signing. It's a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $3MM, the team announced. They also hold a club option worth $4.25MM and a $250K buyout. — The Tigers, who have recently begun announcing the full terms of their contracts …
Discussion:
The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Bleacher Nation, ClutchPoints and Bless You Boys
Matt Monagan / MLB.com:
Billie Eilish's bizarre jersey choice gives Peavy ‘huge street cred’ — The latest episode of Saturday Night Live had just ended. — The crew got together on stage to say their thank yous and goodbyes to the audience watching both inside the NBC studio and on TVs around the world.
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports and Boston.com
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency pits Yankees against Mets — In the more than six decades they have shared New York, the relationship between the Yankees and Mets has been mostly polite — strangely polite — with the notable exception of that jagged bat barrel Roger Clemens bounced across …
Discussion:
SNY and New York Post