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4 months ago

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  • Associated Press

Sep 16, 2024, 10:23 PM ET

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout is open to discussing a position change after he has missed 370 games during the past four seasons.

The Los Angeles Angels slugger and three-time American League MVP said before Monday’s series opener against the Chicago White Sox that “everything’s on the table” when he meets with the team during the offseason. That includes moving to a corner outfield spot or more games as a designated hitter.

“Ultimately, my goal is to be in that batter’s box, in the field, every single day,” said Trout, who spoke to reporters for the first time in nearly two months. “Whether that’s moving to a corner or DHing more, that’s something that I’ll leave it up to the front office to come up with a plan. Where I’m at and what’s happened the last few years, I’m definitely going to try to explore every option that can keep me out there.”

Trout has played in only 266 games since the start of the 2021 season. He saw action in 29 games this season before an MRI confirmed he had a torn meniscus in his left knee. The three-time AL MVP had surgery on May 3.

He was on track to return in late July before he felt discomfort during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake. An MRI later determined there was a new tear above the first one, and he had season-ending surgery on Aug. 7 — his 33rd birthday.

Trout said he didn’t know when either injury occurred.

He played in 36 games during the 2021 season due to a strained calf. In 2022, he was sidelined for five weeks with a back injury but did see action in 119 games.

Last year, Trout broke a bone in a hand on a foul ball during a game at the San Diego Padres on July 3. He tried to return in August but played in only one game and finished with 82.

Trout has made 1,332 of 1,502 starts in center field during a 14-year career. He has only 90 games in the outfield corners (77 left, 13 right) and 80 at DH. He has a career .299 batting average but only .214 as the DH.

“I know I have a certain amount of years on my deal, and I knew when I signed my contract, I’d eventually move to a corner. But is it next year? I don’t know. But we’ll have conversations,” said Trout, whose $426.5 million contract runs through 2030.

Trout said he has resumed hitting and is doing some agility drills. He hopes to have a normal offseason training program.

Trout led the majors with 10 home runs at the time of the injury. He was batting .220 with 14 RBIs and six stolen bases.

“I felt confident in where I was, how I was training and how I was working out during the season,” Trout said. “Coming into spring, I felt really good. So, there’s definitely going to be some conversations on things that I can improve on.”

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Sources: IF Kim, Rays agree to 2-year, $29M deal

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12 hours ago

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January 29, 2025

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Sources: IF Kim, Rays agree to 2-year, M deal

Infielder Ha-Seong Kim and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a two-year, $29 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN, adding a Gold Glove winner to a Rays team that places significant emphasis on defense.

Kim, 29, who is expected to return from shoulder surgery in May, likely will start at shortstop but also has played second and third base, with his Gold Glove coming in a utility role.

The deal, which will pay Kim $13 million this season, is the most Tampa Bay has guaranteed in free agency for a position player since signing outfielder Greg Vaughn for four years and $34 million in 1999.

Before the partial tear of his right labrum required surgery, Kim was expected to land a free agent deal in the nine-figure range. With his opt-out, he can join a free agent class next year that’s thin on infielders, with shortstop Bo Bichette and second baseman Luis Arraez the only players of Kim’s caliber.

He arrived from Korea in 2021, signing with the San Diego Padres as a bat-first middle infielder. While the power Kim displayed in Korea didn’t show up as frequently as it did with the Kiwoom Heroes, his glove was a revelation, and in four seasons with the Padres, he posted double-digit wins above replacement despite never slugging above .400.

Tampa Bay enters the 2025 season with playoff aspirations but had been relatively quiet over the winter, signing catcher Danny Jansen and trading left-hander Jeffrey Springs to Oakland. The Rays used Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls at shortstop last season and are expected to do the same this year before the return of Kim.

Their infield already was a strength, with first baseman Yandy Diaz, second baseman Brandon Lowe and star-in-the-making Junior Caminero at third, with Christopher Morel, Curtis Mead, Jonathan Aranda and Richie Palacios also capable to playing on the dirt.

Shortstop Wander Franco, who was expected to be the Rays’ long-term solution at the position after signing an 11-year deal, remains on the restricted list while facing charges in the Dominican Republic of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation against a minor and human trafficking.

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Fantasy baseball rankings, projections, strategy and cheat sheets

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12 hours ago

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January 29, 2025

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Fantasy baseball rankings, projections, strategy and cheat sheets

  • ESPN Fantasy

Jan 29, 2025, 06:53 AM ET

All of your fantasy baseball draft preparation needs collected in one place! Here you’ll find rankings, projections, cheat sheets, analysis and strategy. Check back every day for new content through Opening Day of the 2025 season. If this is your first time playing fantasy baseball, might we recommend starting with the basics: The Playbook: How to play fantasy baseball.

Don’t have a team yet? Create or join a league and then dive into the latest draft-prep material tailored for whatever format you prefer.

The Playbook: Become an expert in 9 innings

•Inning 1: How to play fantasy baseball

•Inning 2: League Formats: Which is right for you?

•Inning 3: Everything you need to know about salary-cap drafts

•Inning 4: How to create the ultimate cheat sheet

•Inning 5: Roster optimization

•Inning 6: Nine must-follow tips

•Inning 7: Staying ahead of league trends

•Inning 8: Using advanced stats to get ahead

•Inning 9: Mastering the 2025 player pool

Rankings and cheat sheets

• Cockcroft: Points-league rankings

• Karabell: Head-to-head categories/rotisserie rankings

Advice from our experts

• Karabell: The top 10 fantasy baseball prospects for 2025 (1/29)

• Karabell: News or Noise (1/24)

• Zola: What to expect from Roki Sasaki and other Asian newcomers (1/15)

• Cockcroft: Reaction to Juan Soto signing with the New York Mets (12/9)

Roster-building essentials

• 2025 Player Projections and Outlooks

• “Hot stove” free agent and player movement tracker

• Live Draft Results

• Closer depth chart

• MLB depth charts

For Dynasty Leaguers

• Dynasty Top 300 (2025 edition coming soon!)

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Steinbrenner: ‘Difficult’ to spend like Dodgers

Published

18 hours ago

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January 29, 2025

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Steinbrenner: 'Difficult' to spend like Dodgers
Jan 29, 2025, 09:16 AM ET

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner weighed in on the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ offseason spending spree, saying it will be even more “difficult” to keep up with the reigning World Series champions.

The Dodgers have spent more than $450 million guaranteed this offseason, pushing their 2025 luxury tax payroll to approximately $390 million.

With the penalties for exceeding the $241 million threshold, the Dodgers’ total payroll for this year likely will be in excess of $500 million.

“It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Steinbrenner said during an interview with the YES Network that aired Tuesday. “We’ll see if it pays off.”

Despite losing superstar Juan Soto as a free agent to the crosstown rival Mets, the Yankees also have had an active offseason, headlined by Max Fried‘s eight-year, $218 million deal.

The Yankees currently have Major League Baseball’s third-highest luxury tax payroll at just under $303 million. The Phillies are second at just under $308 million, more than $80 million behind the Dodgers.

The Yankees were listed in March 2024 by Forbes as MLB’s most valuable franchise, worth an estimated $7.55 billion, while the Dodgers were the second-most valuable at approximately $5.45 billion.

Los Angeles’ latest free agent addition, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan, is reliever Kirby Yates, who agreed to a one-year deal worth $13 million.

The Dodgers also have signed free agents Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Roki Sasaki, Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim; they re-signed Teoscar Hernandez and Blake Treinen; and they reached a multiyear extension with Tommy Edman.

Steinbrenner, whose Yankees lost to the Dodgers in last season’s World Series, added Tuesday that Los Angeles’ busy offseason does not guarantee another championship.

“They still have to have a season that’s relatively injury-free for it to work out for them,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s a long season as you know, and once you get to the postseason, anything can happen. We’ve seen that time and time again. We’ll see who’s there at the end.”

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