The NL Central will be competitive in 2025 and the Chicago Cubs, ten years after breaking their World Series curse, are primed to strike. It was a quietly interesting offseason for the Northsiders. The Cubbies won 83 games and tied for second with the rival St. Louis Cardinals. Their pitching staff ranked 10th in baseball … Continued
My preseason take on the Chicago White Sox last year was worse than my picking Michigan State in my 2016 March Madness Bracket. Every possible positive outcome just didn’t happen. A team that I thought could rally to a low-seeded Wild Card berth…did not. The White Sox didn’t even stumble or trip out of the … Continued
The Minnesota Twins are Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get from them any given season. One year, they’ll be sub-.500 and out of the playoffs by mid-June. Another, they might hold onto first place for dear life before their eventual Division Series exit, usually at the hands of the … Continued
One year after finishing last in the NL Central, the next Pittsburgh Pirates breakthrough may be coming. The Buccos, despite finishing last and 17 games out of first in 2024, still won 76 games. They weren’t a good team, but certainly weren’t awful. They matched their win total from 2023, their highest since 2018. But … Continued
Maybe it’s bad luck, maybe it’s an old seaman’s curse, but one thing’s for sure. The Seattle Mariners just can’t get it done. Such is the franchise’s life story (Jon Bois’ Mariners docuseries on Secret Base covers it perfectly). Not even the most talented and electrifying of prospects can get Seattle over the hump and … Continued
Two years ago, the Texas Rangers rode a red-hot powerful lineup and a talented (but middling) pitching staff all the way to winning the World Series. One year later, the lineup regressed towards the pitching’s level, on the lower tier of the middle. Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien both hit under .240, and Corey Seager … Continued
Another season upon us, another where we expect the San Diego Padres to make some noise. “Some” being the key word, of course. The Padres, for all their star power, still have to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ literal baseball machine in the NL West. The Arizona Diamondbacks are also starting to come together … Continued
The Arizona Diamondbacks are no longer just another small market team. Two years after overachieving all the way to a World Series, the Snakes are reloaded and ready to go. Corbin Carroll’s shoulder is healthy. The pitching rotation is deep and finally has a true leader. And for all of general manager Mike Hazen’s efforts, … Continued
Well, it took 14 years, but the Los Angeles Angels finally did it: They finished last in the AL West in the Mike Trout Era in 2024, losing 99 games. Not exactly a strong first season without Shohei Ohtani for veteran skipper Ron Washington. The silver lining is that there is only one way out … Continued
Last season, ESNY pegged the San Francisco Giants as a high-upside hitting team that could support suspect pitching. Instead, the hitting experiment largely failed due to injury and ineffectiveness. The pitching behind ace Logan Webb suffered severe growing pains. What should have been a clear vision became a muddled mess. Middling numbers were posted across … Continued
After years and years of trying to figure out the why, we at ESNY may have an answer about the Colorado Rockies. We’ve pored over the data, run every scientific study we could, and came to a shockingly simple conclusion: The Colorado Rockies are a Quadruple-A team. It’s not ideal, but at least they can … Continued
The New York Yankees finally got the memo and changed a longstanding policy: Players may now have “well-groomed beards” following a team-wide facial hair ban since 1976. Team owner Hal Steinbrenner announced the decision via a statement: Statement from Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner on the alteration of Yankees facial hair policy: pic.twitter.com/UdEuAg3gZy — … Continued
It’s finally here: the A’s season nobody thought would come. You see, the 2025 season marks the first of an expected three years the A’s will play in Sacramento ahead of a move to Las Vegas. A cruel reality indeed when a last-place team built on upside leaves its longtime home before the next crop … Continued
The New York Yankees have extended manager Aaron Boone through the 2027 season, the team announced Thursday. The New York Yankees today announced that they have signed Manager Aaron Boone to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 season. pic.twitter.com/t9u7fWfzVz — New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 20, 2025 Boone’s contract was set to expire after … Continued
For the first time since the start of this Houston Astros “dynasty,” if you will, the AL West is wide open. Not that it was a particularly competitive division to begin with, after all. Houston only won the AL West last year because the Seattle Mariners coughed up first place in August, and that’s all … Continued
Can anyone stop the Los Angeles Dodgers? No, that’s a serious question. Ever since capping Shohei Ohtani’s first LA season (and third MVP year) with winning the World Series, the Dodgers have been all gas and no brakes. Their team is already stacked, with three MVPs in the top third of the lineup alone. Nope, … Continued
Justin Turner is returning for his age-40 season and will sign a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, per several sources. The deal is for $6 million and Turner can also earn up to an extra $2.5 million in incentives. Turner spent 2024 with the Blue Jays and Mariners, batting .259 with a 117 wRC+ … Continued
We saw Juan Soto execute the biggest and greatest heel turn in New York sports history when he spurned Aaron Judge and the Yankees for the crosstown rival Mets and owner Steve Cohen’s deep wallets. Now, it’s time for the road to the main event. A quick recap: In free agency, the Yankees offered Soto … Continued
“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,” muses Little Zuzu at the end of the timeless Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life. Baseball has a similar addage: Whenever Giancarlo Stanton is injured, the season has officially begun. The 2025 MLB campaign came extra early with Stanton’s latest bump in the road. Per MLB.com’s … Continued
The 2025 Major League Baseball season is knocking on the door, a new season with new beginnings. Players will debut, retire, get moved, and go through the usual roller coaster of the 162-game season. And, like every season, this isn’t just another year at the office for some players. For far too many, every season … Continued
The Kansas City Royals have extended left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans, proving that last year’s Wild Card run was no fluke. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Ragans has signed a three-year deal worth $13.25 million. Better yet for KC, the deal only covers his first two arbitration years. They’ll have another opportunity to extend him down the … Continued
Another key MLB free agent is finally off the board now that former Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has signed with the Boston Red Sox. The deal, initially reported by Jon Heyman at the NY Post, is pretty straightforward: three years, $120 million. There are two opt-outs and some deferred money. Pretty par for the … Continued
Closer and likely future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen is returning for a 16th season, this time with the Los Angeles Angels. Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported Jansen will sign a one-year, $10 million deal with the Halos. Kenley Jansen has agreed to a 1 yr, $10M deal with the … Continued
One long, almost interminable offseason later, Pete Alonso’s free agency has come to an end. The All-Star first baseman is returning to the New York Mets on a two-year, $54 million deal as reported by several sources. Pete Alonso’s deal with the New York Mets, which is pending physical, is for two years and includes … Continued
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15 million contract, per Jon Heyman at the New York Post. Scherzer deal: $15.5M https://t.co/N3yHIdAcbB — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 30, 2025 Scherzer turned 40 last July and spent 2024 with the Texas Rangers. He posted a respectable 3.95 ERA, … Continued
Let’s have a chat about the Houston Astros, former National League Central punchline/also-rans turned American League West dynasty. Cheating scandal aside, the team has proven itself over the past decade. Two World Series titles (albeit one tainted) and excellent player development have, slowly but surely, made the infamous trash can a distant memory. There is … Continued
The results are in and your 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class is here! It’s a modest class of three this year: former lefty ace CC Sabathia, Japanese hitting machine Ichiro Suzuki, and former All-Star closer Billy Wagner. Sabathia and Suzuki were both inducted in their first year’s on the ballot. Wagner, contrastingly, was in … Continued
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed switch-hitting outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year, $90 million deal. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi was first with the news. Anthony Santander and Blue Jays are in agreement pending physical, sources say. @MLBNetwork — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 20, 2025 Santander debuted with the Orioles in 2017 and has spent … Continued
The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki, continuing an excellent offseason. Sasaki announced his decision on his Instagram, which was picked up by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic: View this post on Instagram A post shared by 佐々木朗希 (@rouki.sasaki) Sasaki is 23 and has spent his … Continued
The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that longtime radio play-by-play man Bob Uecker has passed away. Uecker was 90 and had just completed his 54th season behind the mic. Our statement on the passing of Bob Uecker: pic.twitter.com/OGbzM8QL11 — Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) January 16, 2025 Bob Uecker was born in Milwaukee in 1934 and hit .200 … Continued
Baseball’s offseason moves along and we are now officially less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting on February 11! And yet, it seems there’s still so much to do in the offseason. The biggest name on the international market since Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year remains unsigned, but has narrowed down his choices. … Continued
Here we are on January 13, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in less than a month, and Pete Alonso still doesn’t have a contract. It’s not what the slugging first baseman expected from his market. Alonso, 30, hit .240 with 34 home runs and a 122 wRC+ in 2024, though his .788 … Continued
Let’s make one thing clear: once Justin Verlander retires, he’s an automatic first ballot Hall-of-Famer five years later. The numbers and accolades make his case beyond reproach. Nine All-Star selections. Three AL Cy Young Awards won with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. Now, add an MVP trophy in Detroit and two World Series rings … Continued
Good morning and welcome to Elite Sports NY’s first day of national Major League Baseball coverage! We’re pivoting after years of New York focus and everything Empire State and though we certainly aren’t shying away from the hometown teams, we’re absolutely expanding our net. And what better way to do that than to kick things … Continued
The New York Yankees still need an infielder, but former top prospect Gleyber Torres won’t be one of them. Per Jon Heyman of the Post, the former All-Star is headed to the Detroit Tigers. MLB Insider Jim Bowden added that it is a one-year deal, with ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reporting it is worth $15 million. … Continued
The New York Mets are bringing back a familiar face. Early Monday morning, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported lefty Sean Manaea would return to Flushing on a three-year, $75 million deal. At long last, the Mets’ depleted pitching staff has been boosted following Juan Soto’s record deal. BREAKING: Left-hander Sean Manaea and the New York Mets … Continued
Rickey Henderson, the Hall of Fame outfielder and MLB’s all-time leader in stolen bases, has passed away at 65. Reports say Henderson died in hospital after a brief bout of pneumonia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DAVE WINFIELD | Hall Of Fame (@davewinfieldhof) Saddened by the passing of our … Continued
The New York Yankees have signed former MVP and seven-time All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Jack Curry of the YES Network reported the deal is for one year, while ESPN’s Jeff Passan added it was worth $12.5 million. Paul Goldschmidt will sign a 1-year deal with the Yankees. The 37-year old has won 4 Gold … Continued
The New York Yankees continued their active offseason on Friday night, trading catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds. Righty reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson came back to New York in the deal, with the Post’s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman collectively reporting both deal and terms. Jose Trevino traded to Reds — … Continued
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has kept building his Hall of Fame resume this offseason despite losing free agent star Juan Soto to the rival New York Mets. From adding another ace in lefty Max Fried, shoring up the bullpen with Devin Williams to boosting the lineup more with Cody Bellinger, the Yankees … Continued
The New York Yankees have made their first lineup-boosting move since losing Juan Soto to the rival Mets in free agency. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Bronx Bombers are acquiring former MVP Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. New York will send right-handed reliever Cody Poteet to Chicago to complete the deal. The Cubs … Continued
The New York Yankees boosted their bullpen on Friday afternoon with a signature Brian Cashman blockbuster trade. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, New York will acquire righty closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers. Bob Nightengale of USA Today added that the Brew Crew would receive left-hander Nestor Cortes in return as well is infield prospect Caleb … Continued
The New York Yankees did not let losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets dampen their Winter Meetings. Late Tuesday afternoon, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Bronx Bombers signed left-handed pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. Brian Cashman clearly putting that $760 million saved to good use! BREAKING: Left-hander Max Fried … Continued
Two offseasons ago, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner was on vacation in Italy and made a now-infamous phone call in the middle of the night. Team star and reigning MVP Aaron Judge was on the cusp of signing with the San Francisco Giants; in fact, it had already been falsely reported earlier that day. … Continued
Juan Soto has pulled off the biggest heel turn in New York sports history, spurning the New York Yankees for the crosstown rival New York Mets. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan and the Post’s Jon Heyman reported, Soto has agreed to a record 15-year, $765 million offer in Flushing. The deal includes an opt-out after five … Continued
Clay Holmes is a free agent after a solid three-year run in the New York Yankees bullpen, mostly as the closer. Thus, imagine the shock when the Post reported a handful of teams, including the crosstown rival New York Mets, are interested in signing Holmes…as a starter. Yes, you read that correctly. Some teams believe … Continued
The New York Mets opted to begin their offseason with a ripple instead of a splash. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Sunday evening that New York had signed right-hander Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal. Montas spent last year with the Reds and Brewers and managed a 4.84 ERA over 30 starts (150.1 innings). … Continued
The way the media reports Juan Soto’s free agency, one would think he was a big-time international free agent and not an MLB veteran. Multiple sources have reported Soto meeting with as many as eight teams, with five finalists making offers: the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. Each has the means to … Continued