World Series champs!  How Dodgers validated their dominance  —  NEW YORK — Two days before the Los Angeles Dodgers' postseason began, Freddie Freeman felt a twinge in his rib cage when he took a swing during a simulated game.  He vowed to ignore it.  It's not as if he wasn't already in pain.

Russini's what I'm hearing about NFL trade deadline: 13 players, 18 teams to watch closely  —  The NFL's toughest people aren't always found on the field.  In a week dominated by discussions surrounding a young quarterback who tapped out before a third-down play and a grandstanding defensive …

Giants' Zack Minasian joins Angels' Perry as brothers GMs  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Zack Minasian and was promoted to general manager of the San Francisco Giants on Friday, joining the Los Angeles Angels' Perry Minasian to make the brothers both big league GMs.  —  The 41-year-old Zack Minasian …

Juan Soto eyeing a historic $700 million MLB free agency contract  —  Top free agent hitter Juan Soto's new magic number is thought to be $700M (or more) — and that's a solid $700M, not the record $700M contract that's 97 percent deferred that Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani received from the Dodgers.

Bob Costas retires from MLB play-by-play duties after 4-plus decades  —  Bob Costas is retiring as a Major League Baseball play-by-play caller, marking the end of a legendary run in which he became synonymous with the game over four decades and earned a place in the broadcasting wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

MLB News  —  Take a look at the numbers behind Gerrit Cole's superb tenure with the Yankees.  — 10m  —  Cubs infielder/outfielder Cody Bellinger has decided to stay in Chicago after opting into his contract for the 2025 seasoln, sources tell ESPN.  — 18m

Angels land slugger Jorge Soler from Braves for RHP Griffin Canning  —  The Atlanta Braves traded outfielder Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels for right-hander Griffin Canning on Thursday, kicking off the hot stove season with a deal that sends a power bat to Los Angeles and adds pitching depth …

Diamondbacks' contract updates: Geno is back, along with ‘biggest mistake’ of last offseason  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks' contract option decisions for 2025 have been decided over the past two days, with no surprises in terms of who is staying and who is going.

Scott Kingery traded after nearly a decade in Phillies organization  —  Scott Kingery traded after nearly a decade in Phillies organization originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia  —  Nearly a decade after being drafted in the second round and 6½ years after signing …

John Middleton expects the Phillies to spend more in 2025.  And they have options beyond Juan Soto.  —  It wasn't about only LA vs. NYC, or Hollywood vs. Broadway, or even Ohtani vs. Judge.  And certainly not Ice Cube vs. Fat Joe, a mismatch of pregame rap performances if ever there was one.At its core …

Cubs planning to add Quintin Berry to Craig Counsell's coaching staff: Sources  —  The Chicago Cubs are planning to hire Quintin Berry as their new third-base coach, team and league sources told The Athletic, adding a base-running expert who previously worked with Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Yankees fans who interfered with Mookie Betts banned from World Series Game 5  —  Two New York Yankees fans have been banned from attending Game 5 of the World Series after interfering with Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts in Game 4.  —  The Yankees announced in a statement Wednesday that the fans …