Baseball – Winnipeg Free Press

FILE - Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom sprints towards first after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sept. 23, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall, File)

Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom reaches $86M, 7-year agreement with Athletics, AP source says

Janie Mccauley, The Associated Press 2 minute read Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025

Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and the Athletics have agreed to an $86 million, seven-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

The deal includes a club option for an eighth season, the person told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been finalized.

Soderstrom’s agreement, which is subject to a successful physical, contains bonus provisions that could raise its value to $131 million, the person said.

Soderstrom started 145 of the 158 games he played this year — 100 of those starts in left field — his first full major league season after making his debut in 2023 and playing 45 games before 61 last year. He batted .276 with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs with 141 strikeouts and 55 walks this past season.

Advertise With Us

Weather

Dec. 27, 12 PM: -6°c Cloudy Dec. 27, 6 PM: -9°c Cloudy with wind

Winnipeg MB

-7°C, Blowing snow

Full Forecast

Chicago Cubs sign reliever Jacob Webb to 1-year contract

Jay Cohen, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Chicago Cubs sign reliever Jacob Webb to 1-year contract

Jay Cohen, The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs and right-handed reliever Jacob Webb agreed to a one-year contract Tuesday with a club option for 2027.

The 32-year-old Webb became a free agent last month when Texas did not offer him a 2026 contract. He went 5-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 55 appearances during his lone season with the Rangers.

Webb is 17-14 with a 2.99 ERA in six major league seasons with Atlanta, the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore and Texas. He won a World Series with the Braves in 2021.

The Cubs reached the playoffs last season for the first time since 2020 and have spent part of the offseason rebuilding their bullpen.

Read

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

FILE - Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jacob Webb (71) in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

Left-hander Sean Newcomb and the Chicago White Sox agree to a $4.5 million, 1-year contract

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Left-hander Sean Newcomb and the Chicago White Sox agree to a $4.5 million, 1-year contract

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

CHICAGO (AP) — Left-hander Sean Newcomb and the Chicago White Sox agreed Tuesday to a $4.5 million, one-year contract.

The 32-year-old was 2-5 with a 2.73 and two saves in five starts and 43 relief appearances last season for the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics, who acquired him on May 27 for $100,000. He was 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA and a .214 opponents' batting average after the trade.

Newcomb is 30-30 with a 4.20 ERA and four saves in 65 starts and 158 relief outings for Atlanta (2017-22), the Chicago Cubs (2022), the A’s (2023-25) and Boston (2025).

Left-hander Ryan Rolison was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

Read

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

FILE - Athletics pitcher Sean Newcomb throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis, File)

All-Star first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and Pirates agree to a $29 million, 2-year deal, AP source says

Will Graves, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

All-Star first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and Pirates agree to a $29 million, 2-year deal, AP source says

Will Graves, The Associated Press 3 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates took another step toward being a contender in 2026, agreeing to a $29 million, two-year contract with All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn that's designed to give one of the worst offenses in the majors a boost.

A person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the deal includes $500,000 annually in performance bonuses. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because it was not yet official.

O'Hearn receives the first multiple-year free agent deal the Pirates have agreed to since 2016. The left-handed slugger is coming off the best season of his big league career. He hit .281 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 2025 and made the All-Star team for the first time while playing for Baltimore and San Diego.

The rare splurge by the Pirates is their second significant acquisition in less than a week. Pittsburgh acquired two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from Tampa Bay on Dec. 19 as part of a three-team deal that included sending starting pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston.

Read

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

FILE - San Diego Padres' Ryan O'Hearn celebrates after hitting a grand slam during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sept. 23, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Royals face tough stadium decision of their own as Chiefs move to Kansas

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Royals face tough stadium decision of their own as Chiefs move to Kansas

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press 5 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Now that the Chiefs are moving across the state line from their longtime home in Missouri to a $3 billion domed stadium to be built in Kansas, attention in the area has swung to the Royals, who have a similar decision to make regarding their own future.

One thing is certain: They will not be playing at Kauffman Stadium once their lease there expires in January 2031.

Royals owner John Sherman has long said his preference is to build a downtown ballpark, but those plans have been bogged down at nearly every turn by politics and community backlash. Last year, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, soundly defeated the extension of an existing sales tax that pays for the upkeep of Kauffman Stadium and would have helped to fund the new ballpark.

The question now is whether the Royals continue their pursuit of downtown baseball, build a new stadium elsewhere on the Missouri side of the state divide, or follow the Chiefs in moving their new home to the Kansas side of the border.

Read

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, right, addresses attendees while Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, left, looks on during an event Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Topeka, Kan., announcing the team will leave Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. for a new stadium that will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and be ready for the start of the 2031 season. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Phillies sign reliever Zach Pop to 1-year deal

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Phillies sign reliever Zach Pop to 1-year deal

The Associated Press 1 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies signed reliever Zach Pop to a one-year contract Monday.

Pop made four appearances last season for the Seattle Mariners and one with the New York Mets, going a combined 0-1 with a 14.85 ERA. He gave up four home runs and 15 hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The 29-year-old right-hander pitched in 58 games for Toronto in 2024. He is 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA and one save in 163 games over five major league seasons with the Marlins, Blue Jays, Mariners and Mets.

___

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Zach Pop throws to a New York Mets batter in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday Sept. 10, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP,File)

Seattle Mariners sign outfielder Rob Refsnyder to 1-year contract

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Seattle Mariners sign outfielder Rob Refsnyder to 1-year contract

The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners signed outfielder Rob Refsynder to a one-year contract Monday, adding an experienced right-handed hitter to their roster.

Refsynder, who turns 35 in March, spent the past four seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He batted .269 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs and an .838 OPS in 70 games and 209 plate appearances this year.

With the Mariners, he figures to get playing time at designated hitter against left-handed pitching. He could also provide an option in the corner outfield spots and perhaps spell Josh Naylor at first base.

“Rob has been one of the most productive hitters against left-handed pitching over the last four seasons and provides balance and impact offensively to our lineup,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a news release announcing the deal.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE Boston Red Sox Rob Refsnyder is congratulated after hitting a home run against the Athletics in the second inning of a baseball game, Sept. 17, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Learn more about Advertising solutions

Left-hander Foster Griffin and Nationals finalize $5.5 million, 1-year contract

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Left-hander Foster Griffin and Nationals finalize $5.5 million, 1-year contract

The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Left-hander Foster Griffin and the Washington Nationals finalized a $5.5 million contract on Monday.

Griffin, who pitched in Japan for the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants the past three years, is the first free agent signing for new Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, hired by the team in late September.

The 30-year-old Griffin was a first-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in Major League Baseball’s 2014 amateur draft and made his big league debut with that franchise in 2020.

Griffin also appeared with the Royals and Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, and his full experience in the majors consists of seven games, all in relief, with a 1-0 record and a 6.75 ERA.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - Yomiuri Giants pitcher Foster Griffin throws to the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Mets jettison Jeff McNeil in trade to A’s following departures of Alonso, Nimmo and Díaz

Janie Mccauley, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Mets jettison Jeff McNeil in trade to A’s following departures of Alonso, Nimmo and Díaz

Janie Mccauley, The Associated Press 3 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

The retooling Mets jettisoned another core player Monday, trading second baseman Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for minor league right-hander Yordan Rodriguez in a deal that left pitcher David Peterson as New York's longest-tenured player.

New York will send up to $7.75 million to the A's to offset some of the $17.75 million remaining on McNeil's $50 million, four-year contract.

McNeil follows Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz in leaving the underperforming Mets, who failed to reach the playoffs this year despite the second-highest payroll in the majors behind the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

McNeil, who turns 34 in April, was selected by New York in the 12th round of the 2013 amateur draft from Long Beach State and had spent his entire professional career with the organization. He made his Mets debut in 2018 and won the big league batting title with a .326 average in 2022, when he was picked for his second NL All-Star team.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - New York Mets' Jeff McNeil plays during a baseball game Sept. 8, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Red Sox acquire All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras from Cardinals for three young righties

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Red Sox acquire All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras from Cardinals for three young righties

The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox acquired three-time All-Star Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday in a trade for right-hander Hunter Dobbins and two pitching prospects.

The 33-year-old Contreras is a .258 hitter with 172 homers and 548 RBIs in 10 seasons with the Cubs and Cardinals. He spent most of his career as a catcher before moving to first base last year, when he batted .257 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs.

Dobbins, 26, went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA as a rookie in Boston last year before tearing the ACL in his right knee and missing the second half of the season. The Cardinals will also receive Single-A righties Blake Aita and Yhoiker Fajardo.

St. Louis also sent cash to Boston as part of the deal.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras (40) watches his solo home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Sept. 6, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

White Sox expect Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to make quick impact and put up big numbers

Matt Carlson, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

White Sox expect Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to make quick impact and put up big numbers

Matt Carlson, The Associated Press 5 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz calls Munetaka Murakami “one of the most prolific power hitters on the planet” and expects the 25-year-old Japanese slugger to make an immediate impact on his rebuilding team next season.

The White Sox and Murakami agreed to a $34 million, two-year contract on Sunday. On Monday, Murakami signed the deal as he was introduced to the media at Rate Field.

Murakami has a .270 career average with 246 homers and 647 RBIs in 892 games over eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League.

The left-handed batting corner infielder launched 56 home runs in 2022 to break Sadaharu Oh’s record for a Japanese-born player in Nippon Professional Baseball while becoming the youngest player to earn Japan’s Triple Crown. He topped 30 homers in four straight years before an injury-interrupted season in 2023.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - Japan's Munetaka Murakami rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic game against the U.S., March 21, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, file)

It’s been 50 years since a lawyer’s decision unlocked free agency in MLB and changed sports forever

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

It’s been 50 years since a lawyer’s decision unlocked free agency in MLB and changed sports forever

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 6 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Sports were turned upside down 50 years ago Tuesday by a man who never threw or kicked a ball.

A lawyer with expertise in labor relations struck down Major League Baseball's reserve clause, which had bound players to their teams since the 1870s.

No one could have predicted then that the 65-page decision issued Dec. 23, 1975, by arbitrator Peter Seitz — who later compared baseball owners to “the French barons of the 12th century” — would lead to an upheaval that made thousands of players multimillionaires.

“The real floodgates opened after that,” former pitcher David Cone said. “Players were finally in all walks of life, in all sports, were finally able to see what, hey, what free agency really looks like. There was all the doom and gloom back then from one side that said: 'This is going to ruin the game. It’s not sustainable.' And actually, it was just the opposite. It made the game better."

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - Atlanta Braves pitcher Andy Messersmith poses, April 1976. (AP Photo/File)

Newly acquired Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe thinks his new team can make a ‘deep push’ in 2026

Will Graves, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Newly acquired Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe thinks his new team can make a ‘deep push’ in 2026

Will Graves, The Associated Press 5 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A small-market team in a division dotted with big-market clubs. A pitching staff bursting with potential. A manager with a modest resume as a player but an innate feel for the vibes within a clubhouse.

Yeah, Brandon Lowe has been here before.

The two-time All-Star second baseman was a fixture on Tampa Bay clubs that consistently punched above their weight in the AL East. He doesn't see why the same can't happen in Pittsburgh, which acquired Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery last week as part of a three-team trade that sent Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston and a pair of prospects to Tampa Bay.

While there's a chance Montgomery and Mangum can be contributors in 2026, the focal piece of the unusually aggressive move by the Pirates is the left-handed Lowe, who hit 31 home runs last season and now finds himself playing half his games at PNC Park, where the nearest edge of the 21-foot-high Roberto Clemente Wall sits just 320 feet from home plate with the banks of the Allegheny River about another 100 feet away.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe follows through on a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton, File)

Jorge Polanco, with 1 pitch of first base experience, willing to make move for New York Mets

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Jorge Polanco, with 1 pitch of first base experience, willing to make move for New York Mets

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Jorge Polanco's experience at first base consists of one pitch, when San Francisco's Wilmer Flores lined a sinker off the end of his bat toward right field in the ninth inning of a tied game last April 6.

“It's just like they always say, whenever you come into the game, the ball always finds you," Polanco recalled through a translator on Monday. "When the ball was hit, I thought it was coming straight to me."

Flores' hit was way too far toward second for Polanco to have a chance at it, giving San Francisco a walk-off win over Seattle.

First base figures to be Polanco's primary position next year as Pete Alonso's replacement following Polanco's decision to sign a $40 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets.

Read

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

FILE - Seattle Mariners' Jorge Polanco hits a solo home run off Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal during the sixth inning in Game 2 of baseball's American League Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)

South Korean infielder Sung-mun Song and Padres finalize a $15 million, 4-year contract

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 2 minute read Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025

South Korean infielder Sung-mun Song and the San Diego Padres finalized a $15 million, four-year contract on Sunday.

Song will receive a $1 million signing bonus in two equal installments, in 30 days and on Jan. 15, 2027, and salaries of $2.5 million next year, $3 million in 2027 and $3.5 million in 2028.

Song's deal includes a $4 million player option for 2029 and a $7 million mutual option for 2030 with a $1 million buyout.

If Song wins a Rookie of the Year award, his salary in the following season would escalate by $1 million. If he finishes among the top five in MVP voting, his salary in all remaining years of the contract would increase by $1 million each.

White Sox add Munetaka Murakami with $34 million, 2-year contract

Jay Cohen, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

White Sox add Munetaka Murakami with $34 million, 2-year contract

Jay Cohen, The Associated Press 3 minute read Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025

CHICAGO (AP) — The rebuilding Chicago White Sox added Munetaka Murakami to their lineup on Sunday, agreeing to a $34 million, two-year contract with the Japanese slugger.

Murakami, who turns 26 on Feb. 2, joins a promising group of young hitters that also includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth. The White Sox finished last in the AL Central this year with a 60-102 record, a 19-game improvement from the previous season.

Murakami gets a $1 million signing bonus payable within 30 days and salaries of $16 million next year and $17 million in 2027.

His 2027 salary can escalate based on awards earned in 2026: $1 million for winning an MVP award, $500,000 for finishing second or third in the voting, $250,000 for fourth through 10th and $250,000 for Rookie of the Year.

Read

Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025

December 27, 2025

Notification Settings

Breaking News

Recommended Reads