Baseball

Los Angeles – The Boston Red Sox have signed right-handed reliever Hirokazu Sawamura on a two-year contract, the American League club announced Tuesday. The deal is worth $3 million over the two years, with an option for a third year, according to U.S. media reports. The 32-year-old Sawamura, who finished […]

New York – The Boston Red Sox have reached an agreement with Japanese free-agent reliever Hirokazu Sawamura on a two-year, $3 million contract, U.S. media reported Monday. The deal includes an option for a third year and provisions for bonuses, which could see the 32-year-old right-hander earn up to $7.65 […]

The Toronto Blue Jays released Japanese right-hander Shun Yamaguchi on Friday, Major League Baseball announced, making him free to play in Japan if he chooses. The 33-year-old Yamaguchi joined the Blue Jays a year ago on a two-year deal but never played in Toronto since it moved its home games […]

New York – A five-day quarantine before reporting to spring training. Shorter spring training games. No indoor dining. With few exceptions, no leaving the hotel or meeting anyone outside the traveling party while on the road. Mandatory wearable contact-tracing devices. Discipline for violations, including for failure to wear a mask […]

After years of fielding questions about record home run rates and variations in its baseballs, Major League Baseball informed its 30 teams in a memorandum Friday of changes to the balls — and how they will be handled — for the 2021 season. Chief among the differences will be a […]

Los Angeles – Two-way player Shohei Ohtani avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, the team said Monday. The 26-year-old Japanese will receive $3 million this season and $5.5 million in 2022. He will be arbitration-eligible again in 2023 before he can […]

The Houston Astros agreed to a one-year deal with All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa to avoid arbitration. The team announced the deal on Saturday but did not disclose financial terms. Multiple reports pegged the contract at $11.7 million. Correa was the only remaining unsigned, arbitration-eligible player on the roster. “We’re all […]

Seattle – Reliever Yoshihisa Hirano, currently a free agent after leaving the Seattle Mariners, is set to return to the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball, sources close to the matter said Friday. The 36-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with the Mariners in January 2020, had a 0-1 record […]

Los Angeles – The top pitcher on the free-agent market is heading to the defending World Series champions. Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer announced that he’s signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a YouTube video posted on Friday. “This season is about making sure history […]

Spring training camp kicked off quietly for Nippon Professional Baseball on Monday with all 12 teams playing in empty ballparks as the coronavirus continues to impact the world of sport. Sites for spring training have always attracted out-of-prefecture tourists, but this year baseball fans have been shut out of parks […]