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Though MLB free agency has moved at a snail’s pace for many this winter, there was one group of players who cashed in early: free agents coming to the majors from Asia’s two largest professional leagues, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball Organization and the Korea Baseball Organization.

Led by Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package worth $325 million, teams have spent over $530 million on players who, in most cases, have never played an inning in the big leagues.

That kind of guaranteed payday was unheard of even just a few offseasons ago. In 2001, Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born position player to join MLB, signing a three-year, $14 million contract with the Seattle Mariners as the first Japanese-born position player to join MLB. Adjusted for inflation, that deal would be worth just $24 million today — for a player who’s a lock to make the Hall of Fame next year.

“If he was coming over today, he’d sign for at least $150 million,” one agent said. “Probably more.”

So what has changed? Why are teams willing to give out that kind of sum to players who have never hit or thrown a major league pitch — or to those returning from Japan or Korea after struggling in MLB?

According to front office executives and agents involved in many of these deals, the market for these players this winter was years in the making.

Improved technology

The biggest change in talent evaluation since Ichiro signed his deal is simple: the ease of finding information on players in leagues across the world has improved.

Previously viewed as around the equivalent of the high minor leagues, the competition in the Japanese and Korean leagues — and more importantly how teams track performance — has grown exponentially. It has provided more certainty than ever about players.

“The world has shrunk,” said Rod Blunck, senior adviser of contracts for the Octagon Agency. “Even 10 years ago, streaming wasn’t available. Now you can watch everything.”

Though pitchers and hitters in Japan and Korea aren’t facing major-league-caliber counterparts in their respective leagues, a spin rate or release point there is the same spin rate or release point here. Teams don’t just have to rely on potentially flawed surface-level stats anymore.

“The advancements in scouting, especially the technology, have increased the ability for teams to dig into the talent and skill of those players like never before,” said Joel Wolfe, who represents Yamamoto. “Of the twelve teams in the NPB, eight have Trackman or Hawk-Eye.

“Every front office can see the analysis of every pitch thrown, every start, immediately after the data comes in as if, for example, Yamamoto or whoever pitched against the Reds yesterday.”

More data means more certainty in decision-making.

Octagon represents left-hander Shota Imanaga, who signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs last month. Blunck might have overprepared in advance of talks with the team.

“All the information on Imanaga I had that I thought was so important, they had also,” he said. ” All the same metrics that we have here [at the agency], they have there. They can compare apples to apples now.”

Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins summed it up this way: “More things can be measured now. The more we can, we can use that data to test hypotheses. The more we can test hypotheses, the more we can remove some doubt. Then we’re more willing to take on some more risk.”

Wolfe, who also represents outfielder Seiya Suzuki and pitchers Kodai Senga and Yu Darvish, was asked what’s changed just in the time since Darvish came to MLB from the NPB, signing a six-year, $60 million deal with the Texas Rangers in 2012.

“A lot has changed over the last decade and some has stayed the same,” Wolfe said. “The thing that has stayed the same is the way teams value the history, training methods, diligence and discipline of Japanese players, culturally. These players are known to be religious about baseball. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the technology. We can measure everything now.”

The WBC effect

This offseason, the World Baseball Classic — which began in 2006, and is played once every three or four years — played a part, too. The 2023 tournament provided major league front offices with a look at international players that they normally don’t get leading up to their respective seasons overseas, in a high-pressure environment that gave a small taste of what players can expect in MLB. And executives were watching closely as some of the world’s best players shined.

“It just gave us a more fully formed objective opinion to layer on with the data,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “Having both of those things helps increase conviction level in how someone is going to perform back here in the big leagues. The WBC helped with that.”

It was only 7.1 innings across two games, but Yamamoto’s participation at the WBC last spring gave teams a baseline to work with as he approached his platform season in the NPB. He wasn’t the only one getting exposure: Imanaga and lefty Yuki Matsui both appeared in games for Team Japan while outfielder Jung Hoo Lee wowed scouts and executives in the tournament, going 6-for-14 with a .500 on-base percentage for Korea. All signed major league deals this offseason.

“Once the WBC happened, the whole world realized the value of Japanese pitchers,” Wolfe said. “Then executives see it more and more when they go over there and experience it firsthand.”

The returning player

One of the deals out of the KBO this year came from a player who has played in MLB — just not successfully.

“It was a great place for me to go and get a ton of innings and work on my stuff,” said new White Sox pitcher Erick Fedde, who signed a 2-year, $15 million deal in December. “The goal going over there was of course to come back to the big leagues.”

Fedde was a first-round pick of the Washington Nationals in 2014 but in 102 career games, including 88 starts, he compiled a 5.41 ERA before being non-tendered after the 2022 season. He made $2.15 million that final year in Washington before signing with the NC Dinos in the KBO last year.

He added a sweeper to his repertoire just in time for his 2023 season, when he went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA over 30 starts in Korea. In the span of 12 months, Fedde won the MVP and the Korean league equivalent of the Cy Young before signing with the White Sox.

Whether it be current pitchers such as Fedde, Merrill Kelly and Miles Mikolas, or past hitters including Cecil Fielder and Gabe Kapler, excelling in Japan or Korea has long been a path to reviving a struggling career. Kelly helped the Arizona Diamondbacks to the World Series in his fifth season after returning from four seasons in the KBO.

“I think teams started to see tangible impact before Merrill, but it certainly is another point along the spectrum of, there is real value in players gaining experiences over there and it translates,” Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said.

White Sox GM Chris Getz said Kelly was indeed a data point for him in his pursuit of Fedde, but he didn’t commit based solely on players who came before him. Getz was asked if it was Fedde’s pitch arsenal or simply his numbers that convinced the team he could have success this time around in MLB.

“The combination of both,” Getz answered. “When you look at the projection system and have the ability to get a better understanding, is it going to translate? Should it translate? There was enough support there to feel like we should go and get Erick Fedde.

“He was the most feared pitcher in that league, and the numbers show it.”

What’s next?

Through technology, improved scouting and simply a better-played game in the NPB and KBO, MLB teams are bringing those players to their own organizations at a successful rate.

Many believe questions about how to best adjust to MLB and life in the United States have now surpassed those about whether a player coming over from those leagues can play in the majors.

Analytics don’t show if an American diet or playing across multiple time zones for the first time or simply living in a foreign country will have an adverse impact on a player. Now, MLB organizations are looking inward to make that transition comfortable.

Suzuki’s first season with the Cubs in 2022 is a good example. His performance was sporadic, and his adjustment to the big leagues came slowly. The team, player and his agent identified his new diet as a concern. He wasn’t the best version of himself in that first year so they attacked a solvable problem.

In 2023, it wasn’t an issue.

“Team infrastructures have gotten better at helping players from different cultures assimilate to cities and teams and the MLB style of play,” Hawkins said. “We’ve been doing it here [in Chicago].”

But, undoubtedly, the Cubs and other teams would like to eliminate that transition period as much as possible. Why take a year to figure things out?

Wolfe thinks Senga’s first season with the Mets will be a template for those that come after him. He didn’t need much time to get acclimated, compiling a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts in 2023. How the Mets handled his transition is another data point.

“Players there [in Japan or Korea] are used to a seven-man rotation and one time zone,” Wolfe said. “That adjustment might be the bigger question. But it can be solved with money, effort and communication.”

The Dodgers, while signing Yamamoto to that massive deal, addressed those questions as well, and came away satisfied.

“We don’t have concerns that he’s not going to make the transition effectively,” Gomes said. “And getting to know the person and who he surrounds himself with, on top of what he brings on the mound, is a lot where that comfortable level comes from. Of course, you can’t know everything.”

And that’s true on the field, too. If it was truly apples to apples, Fedde’s season (20-6, 2.00, 209 K’s) in the KBO would have translated to a bigger contract. While spin rates and velo translate, that’s not necessarily the case for the caliber of player faced.

“The competition isn’t quite the major leagues, but each team had a couple of major league hitters,” Fedde said. “Not quite as much power, but they work in different ways.”

While the margin for error in assessing players has been greatly reduced, it will never be an exact science.

But following the money has been a good indication where the sport is going, and teams from the A’s to the Dodgers are investing in players who have played in the NPB and KBO. The world took notice when Los Angeles committed more than $1 billion on players this winter who grew up in the game overseas — the best indication yet of how the market is growing.

“We have more coverage from scouting to information and technology than ever before,” Gomes said. “Being able to break down players that are performing well wherever in the world they are. There’s just a greater level of comfort in making investments in players coming over here or coming back here. We’re glad we did.”

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Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

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Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

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Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees were seemingly in deep trouble Sunday when Juan Soto cracked a pitch to left field in the seventh inning.

The New York Mets, down two runs, were cooking up a rally with no outs. Francisco Lindor stood at first base, Pete Alonso loomed on deck, and Brandon Nimmo was in the hole. This was the heart of the Mets’ potent lineup. Given the Yankees’ recent woes, fumbling their two-run lead and suffering a Subway Series sweep at the hands of their neighbors — and a seventh straight loss — seemed almost fated.

Then Cody Bellinger charged Soto’s sinking 105 mph line drive, made a shoestring catch and fired a strike to first base for an improbable double play to secure a skid-snapping 6-4 win — and perhaps rescue the Yankees from another dreadful outcome.

“Considering the context of this week and everything,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “that’s probably our play of the year so far.”

Soto’s line drive off Mark Leiter Jr. had a 10% catch probability, according to Statcast, but Bellinger, a plus defender at multiple positions who started at first base Saturday, was just able to snatch it before it touched the grass. Certain that he caught it clean, he made an 89.9 mph toss that reached first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a line, over Lindor, who didn’t slide into the bag.

“I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it,” said Bellinger, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate.

The Mets challenged the catch, but the call stood.

“That was incredible,” said Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who swatted his 33rd home run of the season in the fifth inning. “I’ve never seen something like that on the field.”

For the past week, a stretch Boone described as “terrible” for his ballclub, poor defense has been an issue for the Yankees. Physical errors. Mental lapses. Near disasters. The sloppiness helped sink a depleted pitching staff, more than offsetting the offense’s strong production.

That combination produced the team’s second six-game losing streak in three weeks and a three-game deficit in the American League East standings behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The surging Blue Jays won again Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games and keep their division lead at three games, but Bellinger’s glove and arm ensured it didn’t grow to four.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Goldschmidt said. “Amazing catch and absolute cannon to me at first. To make that play was a game-changing play and potentially game-winning play for us today. And we needed it.”

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