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Major League Baseball upheld the decision to fire umpire Pat Hoberg upon appeal after he was found to have violated the league's gambling policy.

While there was no evidence discovered that Hoberg bet on games himself or manipulated the ones he worked, he shared betting accounts with others who did bet on baseball.

MLB insider Jessica Kleinschmidt shared the league's statement that said, in part, "The disciplinary action was taken due to Hoberg's failure to uphold the integrity of the game by sharing sports betting accounts with a professional poker player and friend who bet on baseball and whom Hoberg should have known bet on baseball, and due to Hoberg's intentional deletion of messages central to MLB's investigation into his conduct."

MLB’s statement regarding an appeal process in accordance with its CBA on a decision by MLB to terminate umpire Pat Hoberg’s employment. This action was taken due to Hoberg’s failure to uphold the integrity of the game by sharing sports betting accounts with a poker player. pic.twitter.com/HdSCyH3uKS

— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) February 3, 2025

Hoberg also released a statement and denied betting on games while admitting he did not live up to the standard of his position.

"I take full responsibility for the errors in judgment that are outlined in today's statement [by MLB]" Hoberg said, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "Those errors will always be a source of shame and embarrassment to me.

"Major League Baseball umpires are held to a high standard of personal conduct, and my own conduct fell short of that standard. That said, to be clear, I have never and would never bet on baseball in any way, shape, or form. I have never provided, and would never provide, information to anyone for the purpose of betting on baseball. Upholding the integrity of the game has always been of the utmost importance to me."

Rogers provided a timeline, noting MLB first starting investigating Hoberg in February 2024 when he opened a betting account on a personal electronic device that was associated with a sports betting account of someone who had bet on baseball.

The league removed Hoberg from spring training and did not allow him to work games during the 2024 season as the investigation unfolded and eventually resulted in his firing in May 2024.

The umpire appealed the ruling, but his appeal was denied with Monday's announcement.

Rogers noted Hoberg, who first umpired in MLB in 2014, can apply for reinstatement starting in spring training 2026.

Rogers also pointed out Hoberg was "widely regarded as the best ball-strike umpire in MLB" and finished with a performance in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series that was ruled perfect because he called all 129 balls and strikes correctly.

The New York Yankees reportedly signed veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco to a minor-league deal on Monday, per Jack Curry of YES Network.

The 37-year-old will be a long shot to crack the team's rotation or pitching staff after going 3-10 for the Cleveland Guardians last season with a 5.64 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 21 starts (103.2 innings).

In his prime years, Carrasco was a legitimate top-of-the-rotation option. Between 2015-18 he pitched 180 or more innings in three seasons, hit 200 strikeouts three times and never posted an ERA worse than 3.63.

He's been more erratic in the years since, with strong campaigns in the COVID-shortened season of 2020 (3-4 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 68 innings) and in 2022 for the New York Mets (15-7 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 152 strikeouts in 152 innings).

But the Yankees don't need Carrasco more anything more than depth. The team is set at starting pitcher, with Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil comprising the expected rotation and Marcus Stroman a strong No. 6 option if he isn't traded to address other needs.

So Carrasco will be competing with pitchers like Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, JT Brubaker and Allan Winans to serve as a depth option. Having rotational depth was important for the Yankees in 2023, as injuries limited Cole to 17 starts and Schmidt to 16, though the emergence of Gil seriously mitigated those absences.

While the Carrasco addition won't dominate the headlines, the Yankees continue to pivot from the loss of Juan Soto. Thus far this offseason they've added Fried, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and Devin Williams, among other moves, spreading out their resources to address a number of needs.

Whether it's enough to return to the World Series—or keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who by the time you are done reading this may have added another star player—remains to be seen.

Spring training is drawing nearer, and the league provided fans with a taste of excitement on Monday by unveiling the official spring training hats for all 30 teams:

The 2025 Spring Training hats

(h/t @HatAddicts) pic.twitter.com/fd0gBhZBGY

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 3, 2025

The Chicago Cubs will kick off spring training when pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 9. Every other team will have their pitchers and catchers in place by Feb. 13, and full squad first workouts will begin on Feb. 15 through Feb. 18.

The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers will be under the spotlight once again as they gear up to defend their title. The Dodgers had another strong offseason, headlined by the acquisition of two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki.

Fans can get a head start on preparing for the 2025 campaign by purchasing their favorite team's spring training hat.

The Detroit Tigers are expected to remain active in free agency.

According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are "still interested" in signing third baseman Alex Bregman after adding starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

ESPN's Buster Olney previously listed Detroit as one of the teams pursuing Bregman.

On Sunday, the Tigers brought back Flaherty on a two-year, $35 million contract that includes an opt-out after the 2025 season.

The right-hander opened his 2024 campaign on the Tigers, compiling a 7-5 record to go along with a 2.95 ERA and 0.956 WHIP in 18 starts before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the season.

Threading the needle 🪡

Jack Flaherty has not allowed a hit through 6 innings. pic.twitter.com/a2mNjBdBMK

— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2024

Now, he's back in Detroit.

As for Bregman, the two-time All-Star is still a free agent after spending the first nine years of his career with the Houston Astros.

There doesn't appear to be a shortage of interest in the 30-year-old. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Jan. 24 that the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox were among Bregman's potential suitors and the Astros had interest in a return as well.

Houston previously offered the two-time champion a six-year deal worth roughly $156 million that he declined, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Bregman is "believed" to be searching for a contract closer to $200 million, via McTaggart.

He's coming off a 2024 season with the Astros in which he hit .260 with 26 home runs, 30 doubles and 75 RBIs. Bregman posted a career-low .768 OPS, though.

Alex Bregman has now homered in FOUR straight games 💪

(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/0u6eDbt6gd

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) August 14, 2024

The Tigers haven't handed out any long-term contracts in free agency as they've pursued Bregman. They signed starter Alex Cobb and second baseman Gleyber Torres to one-year deals on Dec. 10 and Dec. 27, respectively.

As Detroit attempts to build upon its 2024 American League Division Series appearance, the signing of Flaherty doesn't appear to have impacted the team's desire to add Bregman.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko suffered a broken jaw after he was struck by an errant puck while sitting on the bench, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Kirill Marchenko broke his jaw after being hit by a puck while sitting on the bench Sunday, according to @Aportzline.

Another tough blow for Columbus … pic.twitter.com/Q24xvQYmWb

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 3, 2025

The incident occurred in the second period of the Blue Jackets' 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Per Portzline, Marchenko was immediately taken to a hospital in Dallas to have his jaw reset during the third period. While his exactly recovery timeline is unknown, the typical timetable for a broken jaw is six to eight weeks.

Marchenko finished with two shots on goal and one assist in just over 11 minutes on the ice before suffering the injury.

The 24-year-old was off to a strong start in Columbus, recording a team-high 21 goals in 53 games played. Marchenko also ranked No. 2 on the Blue Jackets with 34 assists and 55 points, respectively.

THAT'S ALL, FOLKS! ✅

Kirill Marchenko wins it for the @BlueJacketsNHL in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/8SilUICIc4

— NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2025

He was selected by Columbus with a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry draft, amassing 25 points in 59 games as a rookie during the 2022-23 season. Marchenko took a step forward in his second year, recording 42 points in 78 appearances.

To begin his 2024-25 campaign, he was operating as a key piece in the No. 1 line of a Columbus team searching for its first playoff appearance since the 2019-20 season.

The Blue Jackets currently sit at 26-20-7, holding a narrow lead for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 59 points.

Columbus has been hit hard by injuries this season, as center Sean Monahan is expected to be out until March due to a wrist issue that occurred on Jan. 7. Meanwhile, forward Boone Jenner has yet to make his 2024-25 debut after undergoing shoulder surgery in Oct. 2024.

The Blue Jackets will attempt to maintain their playoff positioning without Marchenko starting with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

After spending the second half of the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, starting pitcher Jack Flaherty is heading back to his former team.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Flaherty agreed to a two-year, $35 million contract with the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Jack Flaherty's deal will pay him $25 million this year, after which he can opt out. The guaranteed salary in 2026 is $10 million, and it can get as high as $20 million if he starts 15 games this season. Flaherty found a lot of success with the Tigers last year and now he's back.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 3, 2025

Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young award winner, took to social media to welcome Flaherty back to Detroit:

🫡 https://t.co/RO69ptm2lv

— Tarik Skubal (@TarikSkubal) February 3, 2025

This will be the fifth time Flaherty has changed teams in the last three years, as he was sent from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 trade deadline before signing with the Tigers last offseason and being sent to the Dodgers at the 2024 deadline.

Between the Tigers and Dodgers this past season, Flaherty had a collective 13-7 record with a 3.17 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and 194 strikeouts. His 2.95 ERA in 18 starts in Detroit made him one of the most coveted players in the league as the trade deadline approached. He then went 6-2 in Los Angeles during the regular season before going 1-2 in the playoffs as the team won the World Series by defeating the New York Yankees in five games.

Flaherty began his major league career with the Cardinals in 2017 and developed into a key member of their rotation. He was named St. Louis' Opening-Day starter for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He recorded a sub-3.35 ERA in three out of his six-plus seasons in St. Louis.

Flaherty is joining a Tigers rotation that also includes Skubal and Reese Olson. He will be a key member of the team's push for the postseason in 2025.

Former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent has died at the age of 86.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement about Vincent in the wake of his death:

Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement today regarding the passing of former Commissioner Fay Vincent, who served Major League Baseball in that capacity from 1989-1992, at the age of 86:

“Fay Vincent played a vital role in ensuring that… pic.twitter.com/xrk2McWjVl

— MLB (@MLB) February 2, 2025

Christina Watkins, Vincent's wife, told George Vecsey of the New York Times her husband died from complications due to bladder cancer.

Vincent was elected by the owners as MLB's eighth commissioner in September 1989 after Bart Giamatti's sudden death from a heart attack at the age of 51. He had been named the first-ever deputy commissioner five months earlier.

There was a lot of tumult throughout MLB during Vincent's tenure. He helped navigate the sport through the 1989 World Series between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants that was disrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake shortly before Game 3 was set to begin.

The series was postponed for 10 days before resuming on Oct. 27. Four months later, the owners initiated a lockout that lasted for more than five weeks. He also banned then-New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner from day-to-day management of the club for paying a gambler to find any unflattering information he could about Dave Winfield when the two sides were in the midst of a contract dispute.

Vincent also oversaw MLB's expansion in the early 1990s when the league added the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies to the NL. Even though both teams were joining the NL, he split the expansion revenue by giving the NL clubs $190 million and AL clubs $42 million.

Given his tendency to lean more toward the players' side in disputes, Vincent wasn't especially popular with the owners. The owners gave him a vote of "no confidence" in September 1992 and he resigned his post.

The Athletic's Tyler Kepner noted in a November 2024 interview that Vincent recalled thinking he didn't want to work for the owners anymore given their tendency to try breaking the union during collective bargaining negotiations.

"I don't want to work for these guys,'" Vincent said. "I know that there's going to be cheating, and I don't want to be the policeman without community support. I mean, it's hopeless."

After Vincent's resignation, MLB didn't appoint an official commissioner for another six years. Bud Selig served as acting commissioner from 1992 to '98 before being appointed officially.

Manny Machado admitted Saturday he is "disappointed" the San Diego Padres haven't made any significant moves after losing players like Ha-Seong Kim and Tanner Scott to free agency this offseason.

"Are we disappointed we haven't made any moves? Yeah," Machado said (h/t Marty Caswell.) "I think as a team, you look up there, and you're a little disappointed that we let some of the guys that were a core group here go elsewhere."

Manny Machado "Are we disappointed we haven't made any moves? Yeah" pic.twitter.com/PxC5Y6afEf

— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) February 1, 2025

The Padres were reportedly a frontrunner to sign star Japanese free agent Rōki Sasaki this offseason. Like Scott, Sasaki ultimately decided to sign with the divisional rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kim left to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Padres lost another part of the 2024 team when Jurickson Profar left to join the Atlanta Braves.

Part of the reason the Padres have suffered so much roster turnover this offseason may be the highly-publicized legal dispute over the team's ownership.

Player agent Scott Boras told USA Today's Bob Nightengale in October he believed the death of late Padres owner Peter Seidler in 2023 contributed to the franchise's decision to trade Juan Soto. Seidler's passing also led to an ongoing legal dispute regarding ownership of the team.

Profar cited the Padres' "issue with the ownership" when talking about his decision to sign in Tampa, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sasaki's agent meanwhile mentioned the dispute when discussing Sasaki's signing with the Dodgers, per The Athletic's Dennis Lin.

The Padres were one win away from eliminating the Dodgers and advancing to the NLCS when the team claimed a 6-5 win in Game 3 of the 2024 division series.

San Diego failed to score a run in Game 4 or in Game 5, during which the Dodgers came back to continue advancing toward an eventual World Series win.

The Padres' path to getting another chance to eliminate the Dodgers has gotten steeper this season, not just because of the quiet season in San Diego but because of the Dodgers brought not only Sasaki but Scott and Blake Snell into their pitching lineup.

Combined the pending pitching return of Shohei Ohtani, those offseason moves made the Dodgers the team to beat in the NL West. The Padres could consider turning to the trade market in an effort to raise Machado's confidence his team can contend with the defending World Series champions next fall.

Cincinnati Reds legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin joined the Orlando Dreamers in an attempt to help bring an MLB franchise to the city.

Larkin expressed his belief that Orlando should receive a team in an announcement on Wednesday (h/t Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors).

"It became immediately apparent that Orlando has the most compelling market in the country to be the next MLB franchise location," Larkin said, per the announcement.

The former 12-time All-Star is expected to serve as the MLB Ambassador for the Dreamers.

He'll also lead relationships and communications with MLB and provide strategic guidance to Orlando's baseball initiative.

Larkin revealed that he's already held discussions with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.

"I spent considerable time talking to key people in Major League Baseball, including Commissioner Manfred, before committing to join the Orlando Dreamers' effort," Larkin said, per the announcement. "There were many phone calls to Jim, asking detailed questions concerning the approach, the accomplishments to date, and the strategies moving forward."

While Larkin was born in Cincinnati and spent his entire 19-year career with the Reds, he moved to Orlando and raised his family there following his retirement.

The late Pat Williams, who co-founded the Orlando Magic, also co-founded the Dreamers alongside Jim Schnorf in 2019 with the objective of bringing an MLB team to the city. Schnorf confirmed that Larkin's addition to the organization has already fueled commitments from potential investors.

"Just in the last few days, I have obtained verbal commitments from local investors in excess of $200 million dollars towards minority ownership in our prospective MLB franchise," Schnorf said as part of Wednesday's announcement. "Further, I just received verbal confirmation from an institutional investor group prepared to commit $250 million dollars to become a minority owner in our future team."

Manfred has previously expressed his support for the league's expansion, wanting the location of the two new franchises to be decided before he retires from his position in 2029 (via Sports Business Journal's Mike Mazzeo). He also wants at least one of the new teams to be located within the eastern time zone, which Orlando fits into.

Larkin made 12 All-Star appearances and earned 1995 National League MVP honors during his career, winning a World Series in 1990. He ranks No. 2 on the Reds' all-time hits list and recorded the seventh-most RBIs in franchise history.

Now, Larkin is focused on helping to bring an MLB team to Orlando.

Shohei Ohtani could be just four months away from his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Ohtani returning to the mound in May "sounds about right," per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani pitching in May “sounds about right.” https://t.co/eAEvVKlMVA

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 1, 2025

According to Ardaya, Ohtani said his recovery from offseason surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder remains on schedule.

The Dodgers indicated after the November procedure that Ohtani would be ready for Spring Training, but potentially only as a hitter.

Shohei Ohtani added that everything appears to be on schedule after left shoulder (non-throwing) surgery this offseason. https://t.co/eAEvVKlMVA

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 1, 2025

Ohtani has not pitched since he was playing for the Los Angeles Angels in August 2023. He underwent surgery on a UCL tear in his right elbow the following September.

He threw off the mound for the first time undergoing the procedure last August, per CBS Sports' Mike Axisa.

According to the Los Angeles Times' Jack Harris, Ohtani had progressed to "throwing bullpen sessions regularly," but was waiting until the winter to face live batters, when he suffered the shoulder injury while sliding into a stolen base attempt in Game 2 of the World Series.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters on Dec. 9 during MLB Winter Meetings that Ohtani had resumed throwing again (h/t MLB.com's Sonja Chen.)

When asked how much the shoulder surgery had delayed Ohtani's return to the mound, Gomes answered, "Not that much, seemingly."

Gomes emphasized, however, that the Dodgers did not want to rush Ohtani's return, per Chen. Roberts meanwhile said it was "very unlikely" Ohtani would be ready to join the rotation by the time the Dodgers open the season in Tokyo on March 18.

Getting Ohtani on the mound for the first two months of the season won't be a priority for the defending World Series champions, who spent the offseason building the most star-studded rotation in MLB.

In addition to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers are anticipating the return of Clayton Kershaw alongside the additions of Blake Snell and highly-anticipated Japanese rookie Rōki Sasaki.

That rotation depth means the Dodgers can afford to take their time and make sure Ohtani is as ready as possible to pitch by the 2025 postseason.

Ohtani is expected to also play as designated hitter on his pitching days, per Chen. Dodgers fans could expect to see him take on that double workload as soon as the second month of the 2025 season.