Los Angeles Dodgers

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly adding depth to their infield.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday that the National League Central team acquired infielder Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance Round A pick.

This comes after Passan previously reported the New York Yankees asked the Dodgers about Lux's availability on the trade market.

MLB insider Jim Bowden reported there is no expectation the Reds will now turn around and ship him to the American League East team:

That the Yankees would potentially be interested in Lux comes as no surprise, as they have a void at second base after Gleyber Torres signed with the Detroit Tigers this offseason. With that as the backdrop, Passan also noted New York asked the San Diego Padres about Luis Arráez.

As for Lux, the Dodgers' decision to sign Hyeseong Kim could have drastically impacted the veteran's playing time.

Rather than have him on the bench, Los Angeles shipped him to a Reds team looking to bounce back from a 77-85 season and fourth-place finish in the National League Central. It has been a relatively busy offseason for Cincinnati, which also traded second baseman Jonathan India to the Kansas City Royals in a move that landed it starting pitcher Brady Singer.

What's more, the Reds also kept pitcher Nick Martinez after he accepted his qualifying offer this offseason and, most notably, hired manager Terry Francona.

Lux could help fill some of the void left by India's departure at second base. Matt McLain—who missed the 2024 season with a shoulder injury—was expected to start at second, although he saw time in center field in the Arizona Fall League.

The 27-year-old Lux won two World Series during his six years with the Dodgers and appeared in 139 games last season while slashing .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and five stolen bases.

From Los Angeles' perspective, Sirota was Cincinnati's 14th-best overall prospect on MLB.com's 2024 rankings and provides some organizational outfield depth. He was a third-round pick in the 2024 draft.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly landed a star from Korea.

Per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, the Dodgers are in agreement with Korean Baseball Organization infielder Hye-seong Kim ahead of the end of his posting window, which closes Friday.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the contract is for three years with an option for 2028-29 and includes $12.5 million guaranteed. Heyman noted that the contract is worth up to $22 million.

Kim, 25, has been in the KBO since 2017 and spent the last six seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes. In 127 games with the Heroes last season, he hit .326/.383/.458 with 26 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 75 RBI, 90 runs and 30 stolen bases. He's hit .304/.364/.403 for his career.

Kim mostly plays second base but has also spent time at shortstop and third base, meaning the Dodgers will get a versatile defender who can adjust to different spots in the infield if needed.

Right now, the Dodgers have Gavin Lux at second, Mookie Betts at shortstop and Max Muncy at third, though Kim could make his way into the starting lineup with a strong showing in spring training later this year.

Los Angeles will now begin its title defense boasting a handful of strong new additions, with Kim just adding to the list.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' front office is seen as the best in baseball according to a survey of executives and coaches by The Athletic.

One executive told The Athletic that the first-place vote for Los Angeles was "self-explanatory. They are elite at everything."

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been with the franchise since the fall of 2014, taking over a "treasure trove" of talent from former president Ned Colletti, per The Athletic. However, nearly all of those inherited stars are now gone, with the exception of Clayton Kershaw.

Along with general manager Brandon Gomes, assistant general managers Jeff Kingston and Alex Slater and advisor Josh Byrnes, the Dodgers' front office, led by Friedman, is referred to as a true "juggernaut," according to The Athletic.

The Athletic reported that when Friedman joined the team in 2014, his goal was to make his tenure known as the "golden era of Dodger Baseball." With no missed postseason appearances since then, two World Series titles and two National League pennant wins, Friedman has certainly accomplished this.

In addition, the acquisition of three-time MVP and former Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani has further solidified his achievement of that goal.

"Billy Gasparino, the scouting director recently promoted to vice president of baseball operations, has drafted well despite picking in the latter half of the first round every summer," The Athletic wrote. "The farm system continues to churn out prospects. The roster tends to be well-managed. Friedman often corrects big-league deficiencies with midseason acquisitions; the stars he has acquired at the deadline include Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Manny Machado."

Another executive highlighted Friedman's ability to identify and sign the right stars, citing his acquisitions of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani as prime examples, per The Athletic.

"Another executive explained, that stems from the front office's "insane discipline," not wasting resources on mid-tier players so that when a star becomes available, the team can pounce," The Athletic wrote. "Andrew," another executive said, "is the best at this."

The Los Angeles Dodgers have met with Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki during his posting window, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Ardaya noted that the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have also conducted meetings with the right-hander.

The San Diego Padres are among the teams in pursuit of Sasaki, as Padres manager Mike Shildt said that they're "very optimistic" about their chances to land the 23-year-old (via MLB.com's AJ Cassavell).

Sasaki is coming off another strong season with Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024, compiling a 10-5 record to go along with a 2.35 ERA and 1.036 WHIP in 18 appearances. He also racked up 129 strikeouts compared to 32 walks in 111 innings of work.

In four NPB seasons, Sasaki owned a 2.10 ERA as well as an average of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported on Dec. 5 that there is "widespread industry belief" the pitcher has already picked a team, and that it is "most likely" the Dodgers.

Los Angeles signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani as well as starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency following its 2023 campaign, giving them contracts with a combined total value exceeding $1 billion.

Both players have a connection with Sasaki, as all three were members of the same Team Japan roster during its 2023 World Baseball Classic victory.

The Dodgers won't be able to offer Sasaki anything they want, as all of his potential suitors can only use international signing bonus pool money to sign him since he's an international amateur free agent under 25 years old.

Still, Los Angeles' 2024 World Series title and the team's roster filled with familiar faces may be enough to sway Sasaki following the reported meeting between both sides.

After his impressive 2024 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, outfielder Teoscar Hernández is staying put in Hollywood for the foreseeable future.

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Hernández agreed to re-sign with the Dodgers on a three-year, $66 million contract on Friday. ESPN's Jeff Passan added that the deal includes a fourth-year option worth $15 million.

Additionally, Hernández's contract includes $23 million in deferred money and a $23 million signing bonus, per Passan.

The news comes after Hernández appeared to confirm he was returning to the Dodgers on his Instagram story:

Los Angeles is Hernández's third team in the last four years, as he was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Seattle Mariners after the 2022 season before signing with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Hernández is coming off a strong season in which he earned his second career All-Star selection and helped lead the Dodgers to a 98-64 finish, the best record in the National League. He was the 2024 Home Run Derby champion and finished the year with a career-high 33 home runs while adding 99 RBI and batting .272. During the playoffs, he hit .250 with three homers and 12 RBI as the Dodgers won the World Series by defeating the New York Yankees in five games.

After the season, Hernández was named a Silver Slugger Award winner for the third time in his career.

The 2025 season will be the 10th year in Hernández's major-league career. He made his MLB debut in 2016 as a member of the Houston Astros before being traded to the Blue Jays the following year. He hit 20 or more home runs in six of the last eight years.

By holding onto Hernández, the Dodgers are retaining an experienced slugger who is entering the prime of his career. The 32-year-old should continue to produce at a high level as a member of a talented lineup that also includes 2024 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

The Associated Press named Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani as its Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, a feat that puts him level with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James are the only four-time winners.

"I'm very honored," Ohtani told the AP's Beth Harris through his translator, Matt Hidaka. "Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I'll get the award again.

Ohani added, "Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States."

The Dodgers couldn't have asked more of Ohtani after inking him to what was then a record-setting $700 million contract.

He was an MVP for the third time in four seasons after leading the National League in home runs (54), RBI (130), on-base percentage (.390), and slugging percentage (.646). He also became the first player in MLB history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

The 30-year-old also had some big moments during his first trip to the playoffs. He had a three-run homer in Game 1 of the NLDS and then posted a .364/.548/.636 slash line in the NLCS.

Off the field, Ohtani has boosted what was already a sizable profile for the Dodgers. Team CEO Stan Kasten told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that Ohtani "has brought new fans."

"He's changed the mix of demographics at our stadium for games," Kasten said. "We have changed some of the merchandise, changed some of the concession offerings. We have a raft of daily tours [in Japanese] we didn't have before. We have a raft of new sponsors with Japanese connections we didn't have before."

Los Angeles didn't even get to enjoy the full arsenal of Ohtani's skill set since elbow surgery precluded the right-hander from stepping onto the mound. All 159 of his appearances came as a designated hitter.

As cliché as it sounds, the thing with transcendent talents is they eventually make the extraordinary look ordinary. In Ohtani's case, he continues to find new ways to keep baseball fans riveted.

Walker Buehler is joining the Boston Red Sox on a one-year deal after helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2024 World Series.

Buehler and the Red Sox are agreeing to a one-year, $21.05 million deal with incentives, according to Yahoo Sports' Russell Dorsey. The deal is pending a physical, per Dorsey.

Here's a look at the Red Sox's overhauled starting rotation following the team's latest signing.

Red Sox 2025 projected starting rotation

1. Garrett Crochet
2. Tanner Houck
3. Walker Buehler
4. Brayan Bello
5. Kutter Crawford
6. Lucas Giolito

The Red Sox had $147 million allocated to the 2025 payroll and $171 million in projected payroll allocations prior to the signing, according to Spotrac.

Boston is currently set to remain well under the first tier of the MLB luxury tax, which is projected to sit at $241 million for the 2025 season.

The deal with Buehler matches the $21.05 million qualifying offer the Red Sox extended to starter Nick Pivetta earlier this season. Pivetta declined the deal in favor of testing free agency.

The Red Sox instead used the money to add Buehler, who could potentially move as high as No. 3 in the rotation.

The order is currently led by Garrett Crochet, whom the Red Sox acquired in exchange for multiple top prospects this offseason. Houck could meanwhile be set to slot in behind Crochet after earning his first career All-Star nod in 2024.

Buehler's fit in the rotation isn't completely clear given his up-and-down campaign in 2024.

After missing the 2023 season amid recovery from Tommy John surgery, Buehler was sidelined for the beginning of the 2024 campaign and missed another two months mid-season. He ended up posting a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular-season starts.

Buehler then upped his free-agency stock with four postseason starts. He threw the final pitch in Game 5 of the World Series to force the New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo into a swinging strikeout and earn the title for the Dodgers.

The Red Sox will now hope that having Buehler two seasons removed from surgery will allow him to regain the form that earned him an All-Star nod and Cy Young votes during his 2021 campaign with the Dodgers.

If Buehler bounces back and Lucas Giolito is able to succeed in his return from elbow surgery, the Red Sox's new-look rotation could help position the team as contenders for the top of the AL East.

Ongoing free agency negotiations with outfielder Teoscar Hernández have reportedly led the Los Angeles Dodgers to consider potentially trading for his replacement.

The Dodgers have reportedly considered deals for Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. or Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Los Angeles has also talked about pursuing former San Diego Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim in free agency, according to Rosenthal.

The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly competing with the Dodgers to sign Hernández. He is seeking a three-year deal worth around $22 to $24 million per season, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds have also been tied to Hernández by MLB insider Héctor Gómez.

After playing a key role in the Dodgers' run to the World Series, Hernández is likely looking to cash in on something longer-term than the one-year deal he inked in Los Angeles last season.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported on Dec. 8 that the Dodgers had "been in negotiations for the past few weeks but have been unable to bridge the gap."

The two parties have yet to reach a resolution two weeks later, and the Dodgers will likely need some right-handed batting help if he heads elsewhere.

Robert, who earned an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger Award for his 2023 campaign with the White Sox, saw his production dip to career lows as he struggled with a hip flexor injury last season.

The Dodgers could hope Robert will be able to recover to the form that saw him tie for the White Sox lead with 80 RBI two seasons ago.

Suzuki holds a full no-trade clause, so he has a say in whether or not he would be heading to Los Angeles in a potential trade.

He reportedly doesn't want to stick with the DH position he assumed for the end of the 2024 season (h/t Jordan Bastian), so being offered a spot in the Dodgers outfield could be enough to draw him to California.

Kim declined his side of an $8 million mutual option to become a free agent this offseason after earning a Golden Glove Award in 2023. He underwent shoulder surgery in September and could miss the start of the 2025 season, but would add strong defense to the outfield when he returns.

Whether the Dodgers pursue any of these potential deals could hinge on Hernández's decision. The outfielder has previously said he wants to remain in Los Angeles if he can work out a deal with the reigning World Series champs.

MLB teams broke records for luxury tax penalties accrued in 2024.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, nine squads were penalized a total of $311.305 million for exceeding luxury tax thresholds throughout the year. The Los Angeles Dodgers accounted for $103.016 million of the combined penalties, while the New York Mets and New York Yankees rounded out the top three.

The trio of organizations also represented the only teams to have payrolls exceeding $300 million in 2024.

The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies were taxed at a base rate of 50 percent after staying over the tax for at least three straight years (h/t ESPN's Jesse Rogers).

Los Angeles' luxury tax spending paid off, defeating the Bronx Bombers in five games to win the 2024 World Series. While the Yankees didn't emerge victorious in the Fall Classic, they secured their first American League pennant since 2009.

The Mets provided a challenge to the Dodgers in their National League Championship Series clash before ultimately falling in six games.

Of the nine MLB organizations with Competitive Balance Tax payrolls higher than $237 million, the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers were the only teams that ended the year with a losing record. The Giants finished 80-82, while the Rangers struggled with injuries during their World Series defense and sat at 78-84 by the end of the season.

Luxury tax penalties haven't dissuaded the top teams from staying active in free agency.

The Mets handed star outfielder Juan Soto a record-breaking 15-year contract worth $765 million. The Yankees have remained active after losing Soto, signing starter Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal.

Los Angeles hasn't been satisfied after winning a championship, inking star lefty Blake Snell to a five-year contract worth $182 million.

After making history in 2024, total luxury tax payments could continue to climb in 2025.

Just over one month away from end of the 45-day window for teams to sign Rōki Sasaki, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still viewed as the frontrunner for the 23-year-old among people around MLB.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the Dodgers are "probably" the betting favorite for Sasaki right now.

Sasaki was officially posted for MLB teams on Dec. 9, making him eligible to sign any time between now and Jan. 23.

Joel Wolfe, Sasaki's agent, told reporters at the winter meetings his client will likely sign not long after the 2025 international free-agent period opens on Jan. 15.

"The incentive to sign as early as possible is to get the visa process going so that he would be on time for spring training," Wolfe said.

Being classified as part of the 2025 international class does allow for more teams to present Sasaki with better offers, though he is still limited in what he can earn based on the amount clubs have in their assigned bonus pool.

The bonus money ranges from $5.1 million to $7.6 million. The Dodgers are one of two teams tied for the lowest bonus allotment, along with the San Francisco Giants.

In a survey of executives around the league conducted by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres were voted as the two teams most-likely to sign Sasaki. Los Angeles led the responses with 11 votes, followed by the Padres with seven. No other team received more than one vote.

There were rumblings early in the offseason that Sasaki already had an agreement in place with the Dodgers, but Wolfe vehemently denied the allegation.

"While a bunch of executives who should know me better and do a lot of business with me insult my integrity by insinuating that I would be a part of some type of nefarious agreement," Wolfe told The Athletic's Evan Drellich, "in reality, this is just poor sportsmanship."

Any type of deal like that would be in violation of MLB rules and result in significant punishment for the organization, including fines, suspensions and loss of future signing rights.

The Dodgers have had good luck signing anyone they want, but particularly international free agents. It was just one year ago they won the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes by giving him a 12-year, $325 million contract.

Even though MLB rules prevent Sasaki from earning anything close to that on his first contract, the Dodgers still feel like they will be the landing spot when he makes his ultimate decision.

Sasaki has spent the past four seasons pitching for Chiba Lotte in NPB. He went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched during the 2024 campaign.