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Los Angeles Dodgers star and two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani has signed an exclusive long-term global trading card deal with Topps, a division of Fanatics Collectibles, it was announced Thursday.

Ohtani has signed other deals with Fanatics — including an exclusive autograph, collectibles and memorabilia deal in 2021, but it didn’t include sports cards.

“Ohtani’s been a part of the Topps family since he signed with the Angels in late 2017, early 2018, so this deal is super important to us,” said David Leiner, president of trading cards at Fanatics Collectibles. “Best player in the game, unique, global player, who pitches and hits. You’ve got to have this guy in product, you’ve got to have his autographs and memorabilia for fans to chase.”

The agreement includes autographs and game-used memorabilia cards and will feature cards centered around moments and achievements, involving U.S.- and Japan-based products, a bourgeoning region for Topps and collecting.

“I’m happy to be exclusively partnering with Topps to give fans unique cards and collectibles for seasons to come,” Ohtani said in a statement.

Ohtani joins fellow Japanese players Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui with Topps deals.

“Japanese allocation is a big piece and you better believe, for the accounts in Japan, there’s never enough [product],” Leiner says. “They’re always asking for more. Our largest Japanese partner, Mint Collectibles, they own and operate a chain of 28 stores across Japan and the hobby is vibrant over there.”

In early January 2018, Fanatics opened an office in Tokyo and launched Fanatics Japan, nearly four years to the day before acquiring Topps. Topps followed suit, opening an office in Tokyo in 2021.

“We’re pushing, we’re well-distributed,” Leiner says. “7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson’s, the hobby is in its early stages there, but we’re going to continue to push and grow there. Japan is a great baseball country, a passionate group of folks over there, and [Shohei] is so important back home.”

Leiner notes that 2025 Opening Day is the Dodgers vs. the Chicago Cubs in mid-March at the Tokyo Dome: “Look for some fun stuff there featuring our newly exclusive man.”

While financial details weren’t disclosed, Leiner said the deal is similar to the one Fanatics inked with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in January and “longer than many of the other deals you see us doing.”

“We want to change the way our athlete partnership group works,” Leiner says. “Historically, trading card companies would stick a thousand cards in front of an athlete in a hotel room on the road or something, scribbling away. It’s no secret, these guys make a lot of money, [but] we want true partnerships, 360 deals; they’re gonna sign their cards, that’s part of the gig, but there’s bells and whistles — marketing and partnering on the category, social media — and we’re trying to, like with LeBron, bring Shohei into the family and have a true partnership.”

While the deal doesn’t include contractual appearances, given the level and stature of the deal Leiner says, Topps and Fanatics expect Ohtani to participate in programs and elevate the collectible category on social media authentically.

Leiner also notes that Ohtani is a collector himself.

“When he signs cards” — which Leiner notes Topps continues to have flexibility on, Ohtani signing inscriptions in English or Kanji — “he asks a lot of questions, looks at them, understands them and likes them. He has some of his own cards as well, we’ve made cards for him, too; last year, we called it A Transcendent Season, put it in a really nice box, he [put] it on social media.

“He enjoys seeing kids at stadiums, fans with his cards, attempting to get them signed at the stadium. He has a lot of respect for the category, going back to when he was a growing superstar in the Nippon Professional Baseball league.”

Ohtani currently leads the NL in home runs, slugging, OPS and he’s second in RBIs and stolen bases. According to ESPN BET, he’s a -1600 favorite to win NL MVP, which would be his third MVP award in seven MLB seasons. Only 11 players in MLB history have won three.

“[Shohei] is a guy that has a chance to expand the sport of baseball on a global basis and something I’ve been passionate about — and we’re passionate about at Fanatics — is global expansion,” Leiner says. “This guy’s doing things we haven’t seen since Babe Ruth and hopefully [Shohei continues to convert] more fans into collectors.”

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Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

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Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

Chase DeLauter, an outfielder with no major league experience, was included on the Cleveland Guardians‘ roster for their wild-card series against the Detroit Tigers.

Selected 16th in the 2022 amateur draft, DeLauter hit .278 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Columbus. He turns 24 on Oct. 8.

DeLauter was sidelined by injuries for much of this year. He was hurt during a pregame workout at spring training on Feb. 28 and had bilateral core muscle surgery on March 4 for a sports hernia.

After eight games at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians, DeLauter played his first game this year for Triple-A Columbus on May 23, but he stayed in the lineup only until July 12. He had surgery 11 days later to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist.

DeLauter could be the first player to debut in the postseason since 2020, when Tampa Bay pitcher Shane McClanahan, San Diego pitcher Ryan Weathers and Minnesota outfielder Alex Kirilloff all accomplished the feat.

Manager Stephen Vogt said DeLauter has been taking batting practice at the organization’s Arizona complex. DeLauter had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League.

“As we were talking through it and looking through the series with three games, we felt 11 pitchers was the right move,” Vogt said. “When we looked at at-bats, Chase was healthy, and he’s the best bat we have available to us. We thought it would be a good idea to get him on the roster.”

DeLauter is among seven left-handed bats on the Guardians’ bench and could come in to play center or right field.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said DeLauter’s promotion was not a surprise.

“You can’t get into the building and not be seen by somebody. So we had some time to talk. And we have some pitchers and position players who spent some time in Toledo this year as well,” Hinch said. “Our teams, not only are we sort of intimately close at the big league level, but in Triple-A, in Double-A, in Single-A. We play these guys coming up throughout. And so you’ll hear our hitters talk about facing these guys in Akron or facing these guys in Erie, along with Toledo and Columbus.”

The Tigers left off right-handers Chris Paddack and Tanner Rainey but included right-hander Paul Sewald for the best-of-three series that started Tuesday.

Yankees rookie catcher J.C. Escarra and pitchers Paul Blackburn and Will Warren made roster against the Boston Red Sox, while pitchers Luis Gil and Ryan Yarbrough were left off along with outfielder Austin Slater.

New York is carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Escarra is the third catcher after Austin Wells and Ben Rice, giving manager Aaron Boone pinch-hitting and pinch-running options.

Warren is viewed as a better relief option than Gil, who averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings.

Boston included a pair of speedy potential pinch runners, infielders Nate Eaton and David Hamilton, and rookies left-handers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that right-hander Lucas Giolito will miss the series because of an ailing elbow.

Catcher Elias Díaz, who has a sore left oblique, was left off San Diego’s roster for its series at the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres included three catchers: Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin and Martín Maldonado.

Rookie infielder Mason McCoy was on the roster, and left-hander Yuki Matsui was left off.

Chicago included rookie outfielder Kevin Alcántara and catcher Moisés Ballesteros but left off right-hander Javier Assad and catcher Miguel Amaya.

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Twins fire Baldelli after roster purge, 70-92 mark

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Twins fire Baldelli after roster purge, 70-92 mark

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles after a second straight disappointing season.

“This is a difficult day because of what Rocco represents to so many people here,” Twins president Derek Falvey said in a statement. “He led with honesty, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our players and staff. He gave himself fully to this role and I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the way he carried himself and the way he showed up every single day.”

The Twins, who were expected to contend for the AL Central title this season, faltered in June and became active at the trade deadline, sending away 10 players while cutting $26 million from the payroll. The team went 23-43 after the All-Star break to finish fourth in the division with a 70-92 mark.

Minnesota went 19-35 after the trade deadline passed, with only the Colorado Rockies faring worse over the final two months.

The Twins finished with the fourth-worst record in the major leagues and their worst mark since 2016, when they went 59-103 after firing longtime general manager Terry Ryan at midseason. Falvey was hired to replace Ryan after that.

The 44-year-old Baldelli, who won the 2019 AL Manager of the Year award as a rookie, has led the Twins to three division titles. In 2023, Minnesota ended a record 18-game postseason losing streak and won its first playoff series since 2002.

Baldelli had an overall record of 527-505 in seven seasons, and he’s the third-winningest manager in Twins history behind Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field, with the Twins finishing with an 81-home game total of a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold, their lowest number in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the Metrodome and finished 69-93.

Fans have mostly directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost-cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough. The Pohlad family put the franchise up for sale last year, but decided last month to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.

The dizzying trade-deadline activity left Baldelli and his staff without much to work with down the stretch, though All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton was a bright spot in a breakthrough season for his health, and rookie second baseman Luke Keaschall provided consistent production and a professional approach at the plate belying his inexperience.

The departures of shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder Harrison Bader, first baseman Ty France and multi-position player Willi Castro robbed the lineup of experience and steadiness, but that was nothing like what happened to Baldelli’s bullpen.

The Twins traded their five best relievers, from closer Jhoan Duran on down, and left the final 54 games to a ragtag group that had eight blown saves in 18 opportunities during that span.

Baldelli was hired before the 2019 season to replace Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, with Falvey citing his adaptivity to the data-based direction of baseball strategy and his communication skill in distilling it to coaches and players and clearly setting expectations and preferences.

“Over the past seven years, Rocco has been much more than our manager. He has been a trusted partner and teammate to me in leading this organization,” Falvey said in a statement. “Together we shared a deep care for the Twins, for our players and staff, and for doing everything in our power to put this club in the best position to succeed.

“Along the way we experienced some meaningful accomplishments, and I will always be proud of those, even as I wish we had ultimately achieved more.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bochy, winningest active manager, out in Texas

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Bochy, winningest active manager, out in Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas — Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers after a three-year stint that began with the franchise’s first World Series championship in 2023 before missing the playoffs and not having a winning record in both seasons since then.

The Rangers said Monday night that the team and Bochy mutually agreed to end his managerial tenure in Texas. Bochy was offered a front office role to stay in an advisory capacity, the team said.

The move came a day after the Rangers finished 81-81. That was the first .500 record for the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961 before moving to Texas in 1972, and a first for Bochy in 28 seasons managing San Diego, San Francisco and Texas.

Bochy was at the end of the three-year contract he got when Chris Young, one of his former pitchers, hired him after the Rangers’ sixth consecutive losing season. Bochy went 249-237 with the Rangers.

“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history, and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Ranger fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” said Young, then their general manager and now the Rangers’ president of baseball operations. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout, and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career.”

After turning 70 this season as baseball’s winningest active manager, Bochy has a career record of 2,252-2,266, with those wins ranking sixth among all managers — the five ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame. No managers in the past 60 years have more than Bochy’s four World Series titles, and the only ones with more are Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack.

Bochy had been out of managing for three seasons when he was hired by Texas. He had stepped out of the Giants dugout at the end of 2019 after 13 seasons and three championships from 2010 to 2014. That followed 12 seasons and another National League pennant with the Padres.

San Francisco, also 81-81 this season, fired second-year manager Bob Melvin on Monday after the Giants missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Minnesota fired Rocco Baldelli, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles, but only one playoff appearance, over his final five seasons.

The Giants’ president of baseball operations is Buster Posey, the 2012 National League MVP and seven-time All-Star catcher who played all but the last of his 12 MLB seasons with Bochy as his manager.

Over the last week of the regular season, Bochy wouldn’t answer questions about his future with the Rangers, saying that the decision would wait until after the season. But he said he was having a great time and didn’t sound like he was ready to be done as a manager.

“It’s as much fun as I’ve had in the game,” Bochy said last week about managing again. “I said this when I came back, you have a deeper appreciation when you’re out, especially for three years and you realize what you have, how blessed you are to be doing what you’re doing. It’s been a lot of fun, and I still love it, and enjoy it.”

And that was during a strange and frustrating season on the field for the Rangers, who, for the first time, had a pitching staff that led the majors in ERA (3.47). They also set a single-season MLB record with their .99112 fielding percentage, bettering the 2013 Baltimore Orioles‘ mark of .99104.

Among the potential replacements for Bochy in Texas is former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who joined the Rangers last November as a senior adviser for baseball operations.

The 45-year-old Schumaker was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year after the Marlins went 84-78 and made the playoffs. They slipped to 62-100 in 2024 with a roster decimated by trades and injuries before the team and Schumaker agreed that he would not return for this season. He was previously a bench coach for St. Louis, where he had played for the Cardinals during their 2011 World Series championship over Texas.

Young said Schumaker would be a candidate, but that there had not yet been conversations within the organization about the search process.

The Rangers went more than a month at the end of the season without their half-billion-dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien (left foot), as well as 35-year-old right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA over his 14 MLB seasons before getting shut down because of a rotator cuff strain.

Even without those standouts and several rookies filling in, the Rangers went on a 13-3 run to get within two games of the AL West lead on Sept. 13, and in the thick of the wild-card chase. They then lost their next eight games and were eliminated from playoff contention.

The only manager older than Bochy this season was 73-year-old Ron Washington, but he didn’t manage a game for the Los Angeles Angels after June 19 because of quadruple bypass heart surgery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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