Tag Archives: MLB

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Agrees to 14-Year, $500 Million Contract Extension with Toronto Blue Jays 

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is celebrating a massive pay day…

The 26-year-old Dominican-Canadian professional baseball first baseman, a four-time MLB All-Star and son of Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension, pending a physical, per ESPN.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,The no-deferral deal keeps the homegrown star in Toronto for the rest of his career, and comes as the 6-5 Blue Jays are in the midst of a road trip that took them to Fenway Park to meet the Boston Red Sox on Monday. Guerrero went 2-4 with a run and a walk in that game, a 6-2 Toronto victory.

Guerrero had said he would not negotiate during the season after the sides failed to come to an agreement before he reported to spring training. But the sides continued talking and sealed a deal that is the third largest in Major League Baseball history, behind only Juan Soto‘s 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets and Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays, snakebit in recent years by Soto and Ohtani signing elsewhere, received a long-term commitment from their best homegrown talent since Hall of Famer Roy Halladay.

They had tried to sign Guerrero to a long-term deal for years to no avail. Toronto got a glimpse of Guerrero’s talent when he debuted shortly after his 20th birthday in 2019 and homered 15 times as a rookie. Guerrero’s breakout season came in 2021, when he finished second to Ohtani in American League MVP voting after hitting .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs.

Guerrero followed with a pair of solid-but-below-expectations seasons in 2022 and 2023, and in mid-May 2024, he sported an OPS under .750 as the Blue Jays struggled en route to an eventual last-place finish. Over his last 116 games in 2024, the Guerrero of 2021 reemerged, as he hit .343/.407/.604 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs.

With a payroll expected to exceed the luxury tax threshold of $241 million, the Blue Jays ended the season’s first week atop the American League East standings. Toronto dropped to 5-3 on Friday after a loss to the Mets, in which Guerrero collected a pair of singles, raising his season slash line to .267/.343/.367.

Between Guerrero and shortstop Bo Bichette‘s free agency after the 2025 season, the Blue Jays faced a potential reckoning. Though Bichette is expected to play out the season before hitting the open market, Guerrero’s deal lessens the sting of Toronto’s pursuits of Ohtani in 2023 and Soto in 2024.

Toronto shook off the signings of Soto and first baseman Pete Alonso with the Mets, left-hander Max Fried with the New York Yankees and infielder Alex Bregman with the Boston Red Sox to retool its roster.

Toronto gave outfielder Anthony Santander a heavily deferred five-year, $92.5 million contract, brought in future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer on a one-year, $15.5 million deal, bolstered its bullpen with right-handers Jeff Hoffman and Yimi Garcia, and traded for Platinum Glove-winning second baseman Andres Gimenez, who is hitting cleanup.

Toronto’s long-term commitments will allow for significant financial flexibility. In addition to Bichette and Scherzer, right-hander Chris Bassitt and relievers Chad Green and Erik Swanson are free agents after this season. After 2026, the nine-figure deals of outfielder George Springer and right-hander Kevin Gausman also come off the books.

Building around Guerrero is a good place to start. One of only a dozen players in MLB with at least two seasons of six or more wins above replacement since 2021, Guerrero consistently is near the top of MLB leaderboards in hardest-hit balls, a metric that typically translates to great success.

Like his father, who hit 449 home runs and batted .318 over a 16-year career, Guerrero has rare bat-to-ball skills, particularly for a player with top-of-the-scale power. In his six MLB seasons, Guerrero has hit .288/.363/.499 with 160 home runs, 510 RBIs and 559 strikeouts against 353 walks.

Originally a third baseman, Guerrero shifted to first base during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Had the Blue Jays signed Alonso, they signaled the possibility of Guerrero returning full time to third, where he played a dozen games last year.

With the extension in place, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Guerrero is expected to remain at first base and reset a market that had been topped by the eight-year, $248 million extension Miguel Cabrera signed just shy of his 31st birthday in 2014.

Yoan Moncada Among Record 26 Cuban Players on MLB’s Opening Day Rosters

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Yoan Moncada is officially part of part of Major League Baseball Opening Day history.

The 29-year-old Cuban professional baseball third baseman made his Los Angeles Angels debut at his former home, Rate Field, drawing a walk in his only plate appearance during the opening game.

Yoan MoncadaIn the process, Moncada helped his native Cuba make MLB history, with a record 26 players on MLB‘s Opening Day rosters.

Cuba’s total topped its previous high of 23 in 2016, 2017 and 2022.

In all the percentage of Opening Day players born outside the 50 states remained at 27.8%, matching its lowest level since 2016.

There were 265 players from 18 nations and territories outside of the 50 states among 954 players on Opening Day active rosters and injured, restricted and inactive lists, the commissioner’s office said Friday.

The Dominican Republic led countries outside the U.S. with 100, down from 108 last year and 110 in 2020.

Venezuela was second at 63, followed by Cuba (26), Puerto Rico (16), Canada (13), Japan (12), Mexico (11), Curacao and Panama (four), South Korea (three), Aruba, Australia and Colombia (two) and Bahamas, Brazil, Germany, Honduras, Nicaragua and South Africa (one apiece).

Philadelphia Phillies‘ Jesús Luzardo was listed as “miscellaneous.” Born in Peru, he’s of Venezuelan descent.

The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres topped teams with 16 international players each, with the Astros having a share of the lead for the fifth straight season

They were followed by the Atlanta Braves (14), the New York Mets (13) and the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins (12 each).

Jose Trevino Agrees to Three-Year Contract Extension with Cincinnati Reds 

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Jose Trevino is still seeing red(s).

The 32-year-old Latino professional baseball catcher and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed on a three-year contract extension through the 2027 season.

Jose TrevinoThe deal, which includes a club option for 2028, is worth $15 million, sources confirmed to ESPN, and includes $11.5 million in newly guaranteed money.

He’ll begin the season as the Reds top catcher. Tyler Stephenson is sidelined by an oblique injury; he last played March 11, was scratched the following day and had an MRI on March 13.

Trevino, who was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, hit eight home runs with 28 RBIs in 73 games for the New York Yankees last season. He was acquired by the Reds in December for right-hander Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.

In seven major league seasons, Trevino is a career .236 hitter with a .637 OPS, 32 home runs and 141 RBIs in 399 games with the Texas Rangers (2018-21) and New York Yankees.

An MLB All-Star and a Gold Glove Award winner in 2022, he was 1-for-5 with a walk in four postseason games last fall.

Pete Alonso Agrees to Two-Year, $54 Million Contract with New York Mets

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Pete Alonso won’t be leaving the New York Mets anytime soon.

The 30-year-old half-Spanish American professional baseball player, nicknamed “Polar Bear,” and the New York Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $54 million contract, per ESPN, ending a lengthy free agency with a return engagement to the only team for which he has played.

Pete AlonsoThe deal, which is pending a physical, includes an opt-out after the first season, sources said. Alonso will make $30 million this year.

Alonso, whose 226 home runs since his 2019 debut are second in Major League Baseball (MLB) behind Aaron Judge‘s 232, heads back to Queens to join a lineup that added outfielder Juan Soto on a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract this winter.

Though New York considered pivoting away from Alonso after discussions on a deal with him reached an impasse, talks resumed amid a market that did not value him similarly to the long-term deal he sought at the outset of free agency. First basemen in their 30s who hit and field right-handed are seen by teams as risky — even ones who have consistently produced like Alonso.

After hitting a rookie-record 53 home runs in 2019, Alonso’s consistent run production helped buoy the Mets through lean years and made him a fan favorite and franchise cornerstone. Alonso rejected a seven-year, $158 million contract extension from the Mets in the summer of 2023, hoping to strike riches on the open market, even when saddled by draft-pick compensation after turning down a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Mets.

A long-term deal never materialized, leaving Alonso with limited choices. Though the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays were among the teams that expressed interested in Alonso, coming back to the Mets was always the likeliest possibility, even as owner Steve Cohen publicly expressed frustration with the trajectory of negotiations.

Alonso’s production declined over the past three seasons, with his OPS decreasing from .869 to .821 to .788. His FanGraphs wins above replacement dropped from 3.8 to 2.8 to 2.1, and his 34 home runs in 2024 were a career low for a full season.

Still, Alonso remained capable of special moments. With the Mets facing elimination, trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning of a wild-card series game against Milwaukee in early October last year, Alonso tattooed a changeup from Brewers closer Devin Williams to the opposite field for a three-run home run that held up to send New York to a series against Philadelphia. Alonso homered twice against the Phillies and once more in a six-game NLCS loss to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Alonso’s postseason bona fides — a .278/.429/.574 line in 70 plate appearances — added to his allure for the Mets, who now can lead off star shortstop Francisco Lindor and bat Soto, Alonso and emerging star third baseman Mark Vientos in the 2-3-4 holes. The Mets’ deep roster includes outfielders Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and Tyrone Taylor, catcher Francisco Alvarez, second baseman Jeff McNeil, young infielders Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna and Brett Baty, as well as Jesse Winker (who re-signed as a free agent) and Jose Siri (acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay).

William Contreras Agrees to One-Year, $6.1 Million Deal with Milwaukee Brewers, Avoiding Arbitration

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It’s a Brew-tiful day for William Contreras.

The 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball catcher and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a one-year contract guaranteeing $6.1 million, avoiding an arbitration hearing.

William ContrerasContreras gets a $6 million salary this year, and the Brewers have a $12 million option for 2026 with a $100,000 buyout.

A two-time MLB All-Star, Contreras had asked for $6.5 million and had been offered $5.6 million when proposed figures were exchanged.

His deal with the reigning National League (NL) Central champions includes a team option for 2026.

Contreras batted .281 with a .365 on-base percentage, 23 homers and 92 RBIs in 155 games last year and was an All-Star for the second time in three seasons. He hit .289 in 2023 with a .367 on-base percentage, 17 homers and 78 RBIs in 141 games.

The Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected Contreras as the Brewers’ most valuable player in each of the past two seasons.

The Brewers acquired him from the Atlanta Braves after the 2022 season.

Carlos Estévez Reportedly Agrees to Two-Year, $22.2 Million Contract with Kansas City Royals

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Carlos Estévez has reportedly agreed to a royal(s) deal…

The 32-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a two-year, $22.2 million contract with a club option, per ESPN sources.

Carlos EstévezEstevez’s potential hiring adds a veteran reliever to a Royals team hoping to continue its run of success after a surprise postseason appearance last year.

The deal will pay Estévez $10.1 million in each of the first two years, with the club option worth $13 million and a $2 million buyout.

Estévez has spent the past two seasons as a closer — first for the Los Angeles Angels and then, following a July trade, the Philadelphia Phillies — with a high-octane fastball and a swing-and-miss slider and changeup.

While his strikeout rate dipped last year, his walks came down significantly as well and unleashed the best version of him.

With a weak bullpen in the first half of last season, Kansas City upgraded at the trade deadline by acquiring right-hander Lucas Erceg — who became a dominant closer down the stretch — and right-hander Hunter Harvey, who missed the postseason with injuries. Estévez’s presence alongside Erceg gives Kansas City a potent one-two punch in the late innings to complement one of the American League’s best rotations.

Coming off a 106-loss season, the Royals improved by 30 games and beat the Baltimore Orioles in the wild-card round before losing to the eventual American League champion New York Yankees.

Kansas City re-signed starter Michael Wacha and traded for second baseman Jonathan India early in the winter, then re-signed right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

Estévez enriches a bullpen that includes right-handers Erceg, Harvey and John Schreiber and a panoply of left-handers: Angel Zerpa, Sam Long, Daniel Lynch and potentially Kris Bubic, who is expected to compete with Lorenzen and right-hander Kyle Wright for Kansas City’s fifth starter job.

After spending six seasons in Colorado, Estévez signed a two-year, $13.5 million deal with the Angels and ascended into the closer role. Since signing with Los Angeles, he has saved 57 games and struck out 128 while walking 43 in 117⅓ innings with a 3.22 ERA.

Elly De La Cruz Among Young MLB Talent Gracing Cover of “MLB The Show 25” Video Game

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Elly De La Cruz is getting in the (video) game…

The 23-year-old Dominican professional baseball shortstop for Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds is among three athletes being featured for the first time on MLB The Show 25.

Elly De La Cruz, MLB The Show 25De La Cruz, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes grace the cover as the video game embraces a “dynamic era” of young MLB talent.

The decision to go with younger stars coincides with the video game franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary with its release on March 18.

“Historically, we’ve chosen a single cover athlete for MLB The Show, someone who is at the pinnacle of the sport,” Todd Liss, group manager of MLB The Show’s global marketing team, told ESPN. “However, with the unprecedented young talent coming into the league, we wanted to represent the changing current climate of baseball and showcase it on our cover. These three players are changing what’s possible in baseball, and we’re changing how many players can be on the cover of The Show.”

De La Cruz debuted in the majors in June 2023, appearing in 98 games. Last season, he became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases.

In his first full season in 2023, Henderson hit 28 home runs with 82 RBIs, aiding in Baltimore’s first playoff berth since 2016. Last season, Henderson earned All-Star honors for the first time with 37 home runs and 92 RBIs. 

Skenes, the National League Rookie of the Year, is the first full-time pitcher on the global cover of the game.

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star, appeared on the cover of MLB The Show 22, and others to get the honor include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2024), Fernando Tatis Jr. (2021), Bryce Harper (2019) and Aaron Judge (2018).

The Pirates brought Skenes up to the majors last May, and the 22-year-old phenom posted an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA. In July, he became the fifth rookie pitcher to start an MLB All-Star Game.

“Testament to the guys that have been drafted and gone through the minor leagues to get to this point,” Henderson told ESPN about the up-and-coming group. “They don’t brag about it, and they just go out there and continue to work hard and try to be the best player that they can [be]. I feel like that’s what you want as a fan and that’s what we try to go do each night out.”

Skenes referred to his fellow cover stars as “so dynamic.” He jokingly said Henderson seems like “just a good old country boy from Alabama,” and he highlighted De La Cruz’s work ethic and ability to make “unbelievable plays all the time.”

“Just a guy that you don’t really want on the basepaths because he’s just gonna wreak a lot of havoc,” Skenes said.

All three players agree on the impact that placement on the video game’s cover can potentially have on baseball’s youth.

“There are a lot of other guys who weren’t finalists for Rookie of the Year or MVP or anything like that who are very, very good young players that aren’t as well-known as guys like me or Elly or Gunnar,” Skenes told ESPN. “But it’s just the talent pool is so deep from young guys, and it’s cool to kind of see.”

De La Cruz said it sends a message to other young talent in the minors to keep working hard to achieve their dreams.

Skenes, who grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels, said current young stars are benefiting “a little bit” from past athletes, using Mike Trout as an example of a player that has helped pave the way for younger stars.

“Those guys making a difference in the big leagues and growing the game from a very early point in their career, I think that’s kind of [what] put us in this position,” Skenes said. “So, I think it’s kind of our job to continue that so that the next generation can reap the benefits as well.”

Henderson and De La Cruz said they played the video game growing up, and Henderson said he frequently took in the “Diamond Dynasty” mode, where users can collect cards to build their team. De La Cruz said MLB The Show 15, which featured Cuban-born outfielder Yasiel Puig on the cover, and MLB The Show 17, which had Ken Griffey Jr., are his favorites.

Skenes, on the other hand, admitted he didn’t play the game consistently.

“I’m not very good at it, to be honest,” he quipped.

Jarren Duran & Boston Red Sox Avoid Arbitration with One-Year Contract Guaranteeing $3.85 Million

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Jarren Duran is seeing red…

The 28-year-old Mexican American professional baseball, an MLB All-Star in 2024, and the Boston Red Sox have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract guaranteeing $3.85 million, a deal that includes an $8 million team option for 2026.

Jarren DuranDuran gets a $3.75 million salary for this year, and the option has a $100,000 buyout.

The option price would increase to $9 million if he finishes among the top 20 in MVP voting, to $10 million if he is among the top 10, to $11 million if among the top five and to $12 million if he wins the honor. If he is not among the top 20 and is picked for second team All-MLB, the option price would be $8.5 million.

He can earn $150,000 in performance bonuses this year for plate appearances: $50,000 each for 450, 500 and 550.

If he is traded, the option would be eliminated and the receiving team would owe him a $100,000 assignment bonus.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Duran had asked for a raise from $760,000 to $4 million and had been offered $3.5 million when figures were exchanged last week.

Duran was eighth in MVP voting last year after hitting .285 with 21 homers, 75 RBI, 34 steals, 48 doubles and 111 runs.

Fifteen players remain on track for arbitration hearings.

Dominican Teen Elian Peña Signs with New York Mets for $5 Million Bonus

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Elian Peña is celebrating a deal for the ages…

The 17-year-old Dominican shortstop has agreed to a $5 million bonus with the New York Mets; it’s the largest amount on the first day of the 2025 international signing period.

Elian PeñaPeña was rated the No. 3 prospect in the international class for this year by MLB.com behind Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who must agree to a deal by January 23, and Dominican shortstop Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, who agreed with the San Francisco Giants to $2,997,500.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, all hoping to sign Sasaki, did not finalize any contracts with bonuses of more than $10,000, which count against their signing bonus pools.

Just half of the 30 teams finalized deals of more than $10,000 in the opening hours of the signing period.

Dominican outfielder Cris Rodriguez, ranked fourth, signed with the Detroit Tigers for $3,197,500, and Andrew Salas, a shortstop and outfielder ranked fifth, signed with the Miami Marlins for $3.7 million. Salas was born in the U.S. and moved to Venezuela.

Hoping to become a two-way player just like Shohei Ohtani, 18-year-old Shotaro Morii made the rare decision to bypass Japanese professional baseball entirely and agreed with the Athletics at $1,510,500.

Other agreements included Dominican infielder Johan De Los Santos and the Pittsburgh Pirates ($2.25 million), Venezuelan catcher Gabriel Davalillo and the Los Angeles Angels ($2 million), Venezuelan infielder Brayan Cortesia and the Washington Nationals ($1.92 million), Dominican infielder Darell Morel and Pittsburgh ($1,778,600), Venezuelan infielder Leon Santiago and the Minnesota Twins ($1,697,500), Dominican outfielder Maykel Coret and the Tampa Bay Rays ($1.6 million), Venezuelan outfielder Breyson Guedez and the Athletics ($1.5 million), Dominican outfielder Elian De La Cruz and the Arizona Diamondbacks ($1.1 million), Dominican shortstop Christopher Acosta and the Milwaukee Brewers ($1.1 million), Dominican infielder Raymer Medina and Tampa Bay ($1.1 million), Venezuelan catcher Daniel Hernandez and Washington ($1.1 million) and Dominican infielder Warel Solano and Tampa Bay ($1.05 million).

Players born from September 1, 2007, through August 31, 2008, are eligible to sign during this year’s period, which ends December 15.

Teams have signing bonus pools ranging from about $5.1 million to $7.6 million; signing bonuses of $10,000 and under don’t count against a team’s cap.

Prime Video Announces Third & Final Season of Meagan Good’s “Harlem”

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Meagan Good is bidding adieu to Harlem…

Prime Video’s Harlem, starring the 43-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress, will end with its upcoming third season, it was revealed with the trailer release on Wednesday.

Meagan Good, HarlemThe news comes as a surprise following November’s announcement that Season 3 would premiere on January 23 and the drop of first-look photos, but no mention it would be ending.

However, the good news is that the whole gang is back for a lot more drama and fun before it’s time to say goodbye including Angie (Shoniqua Shandai), Quinn (Grace Byers), Camille (Good) and Tye (Jerrie Johnson).

From creator, writer and executive producer Tracy Oliver, Harlem follows the core four women on the precipice of change like never before.

Whether it’s motherhood, singlehood, sisterhood, complicated career journeys, or even more complicated families, the stylish and ambitious best girlfriends strive to choose themselves above all else. Season 3 picks up following the shocking cliffhanger from last season.

“I’m beyond grateful to the whole team at Amazon for giving me the chance of a lifetime to tell these four Black women’s stories and shoot it in the city I love: Harlem. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m honored to see the impact it’s made in the culture, as well as the impact it’s had on all of us who’ve been blessed to work on it,” Oliver shared.  “A huge thank you to everyone who’s watched the show. I’m excited to finally share our best season yet.”

The core quad will be joined by newcomers Kofi Siriboe, Logan Browning, Robin Givens and Gail Bean who will appear in recurring roles.

Siriboe will portray Seth, an MLB player whose confident, charming, and sweet mannerisms land him a spot in one of the ladies’ hearts. Browning will portray Portia, an edgy and beautiful woman from Ian’s (Tyler Lepley) childhood, whose return to Harlem causes a stir. Givens will portray Jacqueline, Eva’s no-nonsense mother. Bean will portray Given’s daughter Eva, a driven, yet playful, venture capitalist who has started working with Tye (Johnson).