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

PITTSBURGH — It was easy for Pirates fans to feel angry with how Derek Shelton's time here ended.

A 12-26 start to the 2025 season. A seven-game losing streak, not to mention the Pirates plateauing the previous year and frustration evident everywhere you looked.

Yet it wasn't surprising to see Shelton named Twins manager on Thursday, ...Read more

The Dynasty Dodgers.

Shout it as loud as a Will Smith home run, ball soaring, arms flailing, blue immortality awaiting.

Shout it as deep as a Miguel Rojas home run, impossible, unimaginable, unthinkable, forever.

Shout it long enough to line a parade.

The Dynasty Dodgers.

From the doom of a World Series Game 7 sucker punch, two outs from ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The wait for the first Dodgers parade of the century: 36 years.

The wait for the second: One year and two days.

On Monday, in celebration of the Dodgers becoming baseball’s first back-to-back champion in 25 years, Los Angeles will throw another party for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ 2025 championship parade starts Monday at ...Read more

TORONTO —The march toward destiny was completed a quarter past midnight on Saturday.

It was as unbelievable, indescribable, long-dreamt-of and yet entirely unexpected.

In Game 7 of the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers cemented a dynasty with one of the greatest games this sport has ever seen.

They beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 ...Read more

TORONTO — Once again, the planets have aligned for Shohei Ohtani.

The elements are in place for another climactic finish to the latest chapter of this real-life manga, and baseball might never be the same after this.

World Series.

Game 7.

Ohtani will be the Dodgers' starting pitcher and designated hitter.

This is his moment.

He dominates...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A baseball offseason often unfolds like one of those if/then “Choose Your Own Adventure” children’s books, with the path to filling one roster need hinging on a previous move to address another.

In the Phillies’ case, Chapter 1 is all about Kyle Schwarber.

Because if the Phillies re-sign Schwarber — “a real ...Read more

The Dodgers, it turns out, chose the perfect costume in which to parade on this scariest of Halloween nights.

They were dressed as the Dodgers.

The Yoshinobu Yamamoto-firing Dodgers. The Mookie Betts-blasting Dodgers. The energetic-and-inspired Dodgers.

The listless team of the previous two games was gone. The inspired team of the previous ...Read more

TORONTO — On Wednesday, the longest night of the Dodgers’ season got dragged into the early hours of the next morning.

In Game 5 of the World Series, the team had been embarrassed on its home field, getting shut down and outplayed in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays that sent them to the airport with their season on the brink.

When the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — "In Pittsburgh, we need to be making bets on guys that are not proven." — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, Sept. 30, 2025

Talk about stoking excitement. Cherington got this offseason off to a rousing start with those immortal words. And they should probably be our guide as we morbidly await a critical offseason and ...Read more

TORONTO — It was a miserably cold, rainy and gray afternoon outside Rogers Centre on Thursday.

Inside the stadium, however, the Los Angeles Dodgers found some rays of emotional sunshine.

No, this is not where the team wanted to be, facing a 3-2 deficit in the World Series entering Game 6 on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

And ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Age didn’t limit Blake Butera as he rose through the Rays minor league department, managing the first of four seasons at 25 — barely older than his players — and being named senior director of player development at 31.

Now 33, Butera is set to be hired as manager of the Washington Nationals — the youngest to lead a big ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Born a Midwesterner, adopted by Southerners, Tony Vitello was a long way from home when he was introduced Thursday as the next manager of the San Francisco Giants. It wasn’t, however, the first time the 47-year-old headed west while charting unfamiliar terrain.

“He was probably the most passionate about baseball of all the...Read more