KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez is staying for the long haul.

On Tuesday, the Royals and Perez agreed to a new two-year contract extension.

Perez will remain with the Royals through 2027. He was eligible for a $13.5 million club option this offseason. The new deal will keep him in Kansas City through his age-37 ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — When Derek Shelton was hired as the Minnesota Twins bench coach ahead of the 2018 season, he didn’t have a beard — more like that stylish stubble.

On Tuesday, Shelton officially returned to the organization with more of a goatee. And even more gray hair than he had during two years as bench coach.

“And it is getting ...Read more

CHICAGO — Watching Tuesday’s early morning sports debate shows for news on the NFL trade deadline proved to be an exercise in boredom.

Unlike the annual MLB trade deadline, the lack of trade rumors or frenzied reports from analysts back in the New York-area studios made it seem like just another ordinary day in the NFL.

Then came the ...Read more

DETROIT — Jack Flaherty on Tuesday exercised his option to remain with the Tigers for the 2026 season.

He will earn $20 million in his age-30 season.

“I love these guys,” Flaherty said in Seattle last month after the Tigers lost Game 5 of the American League Division Series. “I came back here for a reason, to be with these guys, play ...Read more

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox took care of some important offseason business on Tuesday, agreeing to a new one-year deal with outfielder Jarren Duran.

Duran remained under team control and would not have been a free agent this offseason no matter what, but the new contract resolves what otherwise could have been a messy situation.

Last ...Read more

BOSTON — One of the least surprising developments of the offseason is now official.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman has formally opted out of his contract and is now a free agent, according to multiple reports.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported Bregman’s intention to opt out, and Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe was...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers walked into a packed home stadium when their World Series parade was over, waving to an adoring crowd that viewed them as more than back-to-back champions.

They were beloved Angelenos.

Many of the players are on a first-name basis with the city, and if they aren't, they're identified by a nickname.

...Read more

CHICAGO — Less than an hour after the Chicago Cubs season ended in Milwaukee with a Game 5 loss in the National League Division Series, a somber Shota Imanaga reflected on what-ifs.

After an All-Star rookie season in 2024, Imanaga’s 2025 season featured a hamstring injury that cost him seven weeks, uneven results in the second half that ...Read more

CHICAGO — The dramatic ending of the World Series on Saturday night, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 to repeat as champions, was closely followed by pronouncements calling it the greatest ever.

It’s an argument that never ends because whenever there is a great World Series, we ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — One advantage the Phillies have with Dave Dombrowski calling the shots is that they won’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. It would be an easy offseason to do it, not least because a lot of fans are calling for it.

The Phillies have reached a point in their competitive cycle where people start talking themselves into ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Braves have a shortstop vacancy.

Ha-Seong Kim has opted out of his contract, as expected. Kim passed on a $16 million player option and will test free agency instead.

This was the anticipated result after Kim enjoyed a fruitful month with the Braves. He had endured a wasted season with the Rays because of injury before the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — For the second consecutive year, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is a Cy Young award finalist.

On Monday night, the BBWAA (Baseball Writers’ Association of America) announced its top three finalists for the Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year awards. Skenes, the favorite for the National ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have their new manager, announcing they’ve promoted bench coach Walt Weiss to the position Monday evening.

President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos oversaw a month-long process to find the franchise’s replacement for Brian Snitker, who transitioned into an advisory role after one of the most ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The celebration had hardly begun, when Shohei Ohtani first voiced the theme of the day.

“I’m already thinking about the third time,” he said in Japanese, standing atop a double-decker bus in downtown Los Angeles with hundreds of thousands of blue-clad, flag-waving, championship-celebrating Dodgers fans lining the streets ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Fernando Valenzuela, the Los Angeles Dodgers' left-hander who sparked Fernandomania in 1981, is among the eight names that will be considered by the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for induction into next year's class.

The 16-person committee meets every three years and considers players ...Read more

NEW YORK — Cody Bellinger officially opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees on Monday, making him a free agent, a source confirmed to the New York Daily News.

It’s been expected that Bellinger would decline his $25 million player option in pursuit of a long-term deal this winter, as he enjoyed a stellar season with the Yankees...Read more

TORONTO — Was this the best World Series ever?

That would be my inclination while the memories are still fresh, to go even beyond the definition of “classic” to describe the Los Angeles Dodgers’ seven-game triumph over Toronto. This was a series that included drama, thrills and spills – for the latter, see center fielder Andy Pages ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The hiring of Derek Shelton as the next Minnesota Twins manager means one thing is certain.

The club is headed for another smooth transition because of familiarity.

Will that mean a strong start?

In my Kansas City days, I covered managers Hal McRae, Bob Boone and Tony Muser; then Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire, Paul Molitor and ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — In reviewing his Tampa Bay Rays at the end of the season, baseball operations president Erik Neander suggested that two essentially disparate things can both be true: They were not far from returning to contention and have much to do to get there.

After a month of assessment — coupled with watching the Toronto Blue Jays make a...Read more

ATLANTA — Matt Olson’s defensive excellence was celebrated again Sunday. He earned the third Gold Glove award in his career and first with the Atlanta Braves.

The Gold Glove is given to the player who is deemed the sport’s best defender at each position in each league. The process is decided by managers and coaches voting, as well as SABR...Read more