Paul Skenes gets record $3.4M from pre-arbitration bonus pool  —  Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes received a record $3,436,343 from this year's pre-arbitration bonus pool, raising his two-year total to $5,588,400 under the initiative to direct more money to top younger players.

Cardinals Trade Sonny Gray To Red Sox  —  The rebuild is underway in St. Louis.  The Cardinals and Red Sox announced a trade sending right-hander Sonny Gray and cash considerations to Boston in exchange for righty Richard Fitts, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke and a player to be named later or cash.

Rockies retain manager Warren Schaeffer after 119-loss season  —  Warren Schaeffer, who took over as interim manager of the Colorado Rockies after Bud Black was fired amid a historically bad season for the franchise, will return as manager in 2026, it was announced Monday.

Red Sox show interest in free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto: Sources  —  The Boston Red Sox have not been shy in outlining their offseason wish list.  They want to add a starting pitcher to slot behind ace left-hander Garrett Crochet in a postseason series.  And they want to upgrade their offense …

Nearly one year later, Cubs' deal for Kyle Tucker viewed as a ‘success’ by club  —  With each passing day, last year's trade for Kyle Tucker increasingly looks like a one-off deal for the Chicago Cubs.  It's not just that the Cubs appear ready to collect an MLB Draft pick if (or when) …

Imai doesn't want to join Dodgers, he wants to ‘take them down’  —  When the news broke that Seibu Lions ace Tatsuya Imai was posted, many Major League fans had one question: Would he also want to join the Dodgers?  After all, not only is Los Angeles arguably the closest flight back to Japan …

‘I like my players fighting’: David Moyes defends Idrissa Gueye after Everton bust-up  — Midfielder sent off after slapping teammate Keane  — United ‘were not perfect’ in the loss, says Amorim  —  David Moyes said he likes his players “fighting each other” after Idrissa Gueye …

Breaking down the top Japanese free agents coming to MLB  —  The 2025-26 offseason has yet another strong crop of Japanese players that are available in free agency — after having been posted by their respective Nippon Professional Baseball clubs — and are set to play in Major League Baseball next season.

Shohei Ohtani to play for Japan in World Baseball Classic  —  Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he announced on social media Monday night.  —  Japan will be looking to repeat after winning gold in the 2023 Classic.

3 Closers Diamondbacks Could Target  —  Who could man the ninth inning for the Arizona Diamondbacks? … The Arizona Diamondbacks need may things this offseason.  One need in particular that stands out — and has, for some time now — is the ever-elusive closer.

Mets, Rangers agree to trade involving Brandon Nimmo and Marcus Semien: Sources  —  The New York Mets agreed Sunday to trade outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien, a move that would exchange inflated contracts and shake up both rosters.

Ranking the top 10 moments in Padres history  —  At the moment, the Padres find themselves in the midst of the franchise's best run of success in its 56-year history.  Nonetheless, their first five decades featured plenty of spectacular moments, too — from brilliant defensive plays …