Top News:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz indicted for pitch rigging — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged with fraud, conspiracy and bribery stemming from an alleged scheme to rig individual pitches that led to bettors winning hundreds of thousands of dollars …
RELATED:
US Department of Justice:
Two Current Major League Baseball Players Charged in Sports Betting and Money Laundering Conspiracy — For Immediate Release — U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York — The Defendants Allegedly Rigged Pitches with Corrupt Sports Bettors, Who Placed Fraudulent Wagers Worth Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Discussion:
Boston Herald, Sportico, UPI, Los Angeles Times, KUSA-TV and Yahoo Sports
Zack Meisel / The Athletic:
The alleged pitch-rigging scheme of 2 MLB players: Texts, calls and the money trail — At 3:16 p.m. ET on April 26, just before he entered the game in the eighth inning, Cleveland Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase texted an associate who was sitting in the stands at Progressive Field.
Discussion:
Defector, CNN, Sox Machine, New York Post, Over the Monster, Covering the Corner, Plain Dealer, Yahoo Sports, Amazin' Avenue and MLB Trade Rumors
Adam J. Morris / Lone Star Ball:
Clase, Ortiz indicted, per report — Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges related to gambling shenanigans, according to Jeff Passan, with Ortiz having been arrested this morning. Clase has not been apprehended. — The two Cleveland Guardians pitchers …
Associated Press:
Athletics Nick Kurtz wins AL Rookie of the Year award, Braves' Drake Baldwin wins NL honor — Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz is the unanimous winner of the American League Rookie of the Year, and Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin is the winner of the National League honor.
Discussion:
BBWAA, NBC Sports Bay Area …, The Athletic, MLB.com, FanGraphs Baseball, Yahoo Sports, Brew Crew Ball, MLB Trade Rumors, Sportsnet.ca and Battery Power
BBWAA:
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz wins Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year unanimously — Nick Kurtz of the Athletics was unanimously selected as the 2025 American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year. — Kurtz is the 14th player to win the AL award by a unanimous vote and the second for the A's, joining Mark McGwire (1987).
Discussion:
The Athletic, Boston Herald, Lone Star Ball, Yahoo Sports, MLB Trade Rumors and baseballmusings.com
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
10 biggest MLB hot stove questions, from top free agents to latest trade rumors — They will gather this week at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Hotel playing cards, throwing dice, talking shop and trying to con their buddies. — It's the annual Major League Baseball General Manager Meetings …
Discussion:
NESN.com and Arizona Sports
ESPN:
Tatsuya Imai to become next Japanese pitcher to move to MLB — TOKYO — Tatsuya Imai is likely to be the next Japanese pitcher to move to a Major League team after his club, Seibu Lions, said Monday it would begin the process of making him available — a process called “posting.”
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet.ca, Yahoo Sports and The Athletic
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Bruce Bochy returns to San Francisco Giants in advisory role — Bruce Bochy and the San Francisco Giants are reuniting after all, with the club's beloved former manager taking on a special advisor role on both the baseball and business sides following 28 seasons on the dugout's top step.
Discussion:
NBC Sports Bay Area …, Deadspin and McCovey Chronicles
D.J. Short / NBCSports.com:
Edwin Díaz Free Agent Profile: Contract prediction, best fits, stats — We covered Pete Alonso's free agent situation last week, but now it's time look at the Mets' other big-name free agent in Edwin Díaz. — The three-time All-Star closer is coming off another excellent season …
Discussion:
The Athletic
Mike Petriello / MLB.com:
Ranking all 30 MLB rosters as the offseason gets going — Where does each team start the 2025-26 offseason? It's not necessarily the exact same place where they ended the 2025 regular season (or postseason). — Even though it's only been a few days since the conclusion of a thrilling World Series …
Discussion:
NESN.com
Aaliyan Mohammed / Newsweek:
Phillies' Bryce Harper Allegedly Threatened to ‘End Up In a Ditch’ by MLB Deputy: Agent — The Philadelphia Phillies had a strong regular season, but ultimately fell short of the World Series again. The Los Angeles Dodgers' superteam ended up defeating the Phillies in the postseason on their way to another World Series win.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Forbes, Lookout Landing, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Crossing Broad, New Jersey Online and The Good Phight
USA Today:
MLB free agent predictions: Where will these top players sign for 2026? — Jesse Yomtov Gabe Lacques Bob NightengaleUSA TODAY — As Major League Baseball's hot stove gets fired up for the winter of 2025-26, rumors are swirling about where the game's best free agents will be signing in the months to come
Discussion:
The Athletic and NESN.com
