AL West

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom is ready for the start of the 2025 MLB season after appearing in just nine games over the past two years following elbow surgery.

The 36-year-old's three starts last season were pivotal in shaping his approach to the offseason.

"That way I could treat it like a normal offseason and not feel like I was in rehab mode the whole time," deGrom said Saturday, per the Associated Press. "So that's what this offseason has been, you know, normal throwing. Been off the mound already and everything feels good."

The two-time Cy Young Award winner has already started throwing off the mound in preparation for the season, saying everything feels "normal." Typically waiting until Feb. 1 to start throwing, the veteran chose to ease into spring training at a slower pace, per the Associated Press.

DeGrom underwent a cautious recovery from Tommy John surgery last year after posting a 1.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 14:1 K:BB ratio over 10.2 innings in his three starts.

He has three years and $115 million remaining on his contract with the Rangers after signing a five-year, $185 million deal in 2023.

During his nine seasons with the New York Mets, deGrom recorded a 2.52 ERA and a 0.998 WHIP. His return will be significant for the Rangers, who finished 78-84 and third in the AL West last season.

"One of the things I'm most excited about is a healthy season from Jacob, and for our fans to see what that looks like, and how good he is," Texas' president of baseball operations Chris Young said, per the Associated Press. "It's just electric, and coming to the ballpark every day that he's pitching, knowing that we've got a great chance to win the game, it's an exciting feeling. Our fans truly haven't experienced that over the course of a season. We're excited and hopeful that this is the year they get to see that."

With his fastball hitting 98 mph during his final start last season, the veteran was candid about his cautious approach to recovery, considering his age.

"In those games, you know, it's still a thought in the back of your mind, you just came back from a major surgery and you probably don't get another one at my age," deGrom said, according to the Associated Press. "So it was, hey, is everything good? And then like I said, was able to check those boxes off in this offseason, treat it normal."

As he enters his 12th season, deGrom feels much more confident in his recovery.

"Just throw the ball to the target and not think about anything," deGrom said, per Associated Press. "So, yeah, I think I can get back to where I was."

The Athletics are adding a nod to the team's temporary new home to their 2025 uniforms.

Players will wear a patch featuring an image of the Tower Bridge above the word "Sacramento" next season, the A's announced Friday.

pic.twitter.com/uuMtZQHtsV

— Athletics (@Athletics) January 17, 2025

The A's will also wear a patch featuring Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson's No. 24 throughout the 2025 season, according to the team.

Henderson, who spent four separate stretches with the A's and won the 1989 World Series with the team, died in December at age 65.

The Athletics expect to play at Sutter Health Park, home of the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats, during the 2025 season ahead of a future move to Las Vegas.

The club currently plans to play three seasons in Sacramento before relocating to Nevada ahead of the 2028 season.

The team's residence in Sacramento includes an option for a fourth season in case the move is delayed until 2029. Construction has not yet begun on the proposed $1.75 billion ballpark project in Las Vegas.

The minor league ballpark is undergoing renovations this offseason amid its preparations to host a Major League club, including the construction of a new clubhouse and the renovation of a natural grass field.

The Athletics are refraining from adding their city to their team name, at least for now.

The club announced in November that the club would drop "Oakland" from its name and simply go by the Athletics, with "A's" as its primary logo, in 2025.

Instead of adding "Sacramento" to their name or uniform front, the team apparently plans instead to recognize the city with the patch. The addition appears to be replacing the elephant patch formerly worn by A's players on their left sleeves.

Fans in attendance on Opening Day will receive a hat featuring the Sacramento patch as well as a rally towel showing the Henderson's number, according to the team. The A's are set to play at Sutter Health Park for the first time March 31 against the Chicago Cubs.

The Athletics made a suprising early splash in free agency after they "faced some pressure" to do so, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

Per Castillo, the free-agent acquisition of starting pitcher Luis Severino was "widely viewed as a significant overpay" around the majors.

The Athletics signed Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract on Dec. 5. The deal given to the right-hander contained the largest guarantee in the franchise's history.

The agreement also includes an opt-out following the 2026 season.

Severino is coming off a resurgent year with the New York Mets, finishing with a record of 11-7 to go along with a 3.91 ERA and 1.242 WHIP. He recorded 161 strikeouts and 60 walks in 182 innings of work.

Citi Field is ROCKING after a 1-2-3 first inning from Luis Severino

(via @Mets)pic.twitter.com/iVBH6tFVx3

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 17, 2024

Still, he admitted that he was surprised by the Athletics' offer.

"Neither I nor my agent were expecting them to offer a contract of that magnitude," Severino said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "It was impressive."

The $22.3 million average annual value of his deal ranks No. 17 among all starters for the 2025 season, via Spotrac.

A's general manager David Forst also recognized the hefty contract offer after the deal was signed.

"We wanted to make something of a statement coming into a new city and coming into a new ballpark," Forst said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "But more than that, to improve on what we have."

After playing in Oakland from 1968 through the 2024 season, the Athletics will be calling Sutter Health Park in Sacramento home from the start of their 2025 season until the end of their 2027 campaign before moving to Las Vegas.

The A's have remained active during the offseason, giving a new five-year, $60 million contract to slugger Brent Rooker on Jan. 7.

As the Athletics attempt to improve upon a 69-93 record in 2024, they're spending much more compared to past years. All of their offseason moves haven't been met with unanimous approval, though.

Starting pitcher Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros agreed to a one-year, $18 million contract to avoid arbitration on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Valdez is in his final year of arbitration, meaning that he'll enter free agency at the end of the 2025 season.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic initially reported on Dec. 9 that the Astros were open to trading the 31-year-old before arbitration, but a deal never materialized.

Dana Brown, Houston's general manager, confirmed that the team was listening to offers but didn't believe that a trade would occur.

"If you're asking me if (I) think we're going to trade Valdez, I don't think we're going to trade Valdez," Brown said on Dec. 13, via Rome. "I think he's a pillar and it's really tough to keep a rotation intact."

The left-hander has developed into a key starter for the Astros, earning All-Star nods in 2022 and 2023 before finishing No. 7 in 2024 American League Cy Young Award voting.

In 28 starts last season, Valdez finished with a 15-7 record and a 2.91 ERA to go along with a career-best 1.106 WHIP. He racked up 169 strikeouts and 55 walks in 176.1 innings of work.

Framber Valdez has the Rangers hitless through 8 👀 pic.twitter.com/KGNVzFtBsG

— MLB (@MLB) August 7, 2024

He particularly excelled down the stretch of the season, posting a 1.96 ERA in 12 starts following the All-Star break.

Valdez has spent all seven years of his career in Houston. He's been relatively durable despite a brief appearance on the injured list in April 2024 due to elbow issues, making at least 30 starts in each of the prior two seasons.

He'll be back with the Astros in 2025 as they attempt to earn a fifth consecutive AL West title, but he should receive plenty of interest once he hits free agency at the end of the year.

Oakland Athletics and slugger Brent Rooker have reached a new agreement on a contract worth $60 million over five years, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The contract features a sixth-year option worth $22 million, which could increase based on performance.

The 30-year-old designated hitter recorded 39 home runs and drove in 112 RBI with a .293 batting average during the A's 69-93 season last year.

The A's were aiming to secure Rooker's contract extension in early December, with general manager David Forst noting "good dialogue" from his agent during initial discussions, according to MLB's Martín Gallegos.

The Athletic's manager, Mark Kotsay, also suggested that the team was prioritizing re-signing Rooker to a potential contract extension.

"He's pretty unbelievable," Kotsay said of Rooker after the team's final game of the season, per Gallegos. "We don't talk enough about the perseverance of this kid's career. As long as it took him to find a home and establish himself as a centerpiece to an offense, it's pretty remarkable for him to put together two seasons the way he has. I'm looking forward to the future for him here."

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting their first child.

"Can't wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!" Ohtani wrote Saturday on his Instagram.

Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko are having a baby! pic.twitter.com/YWR5ZSXcin

— MLB (@MLB) December 28, 2024

The Instagram photo announcing the pregnancy also featured Ohtani's dog, Dekopin, who is also nicknamed Decoy.

Ohtani first announced his marriage in February two months after signing a 10-year, $700 million deal to join the Dodgers.

"Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married," Ohtani wrote on Feb. 29 in an Instagram post.

His wife was later identified as Mamiko Tanaka, who played for the Fujitsu Red Wave in the Women's Japan Basketball League during the 2022-23 season.

Mamiko Tanaka made several public appearances with the Dodgers star before joining him for his team's World Series victory parade in November.

Ohtani led MLB with 134 runs and paced the NL with 130 RBI on his way to a second consecutive MVP award before helping the Dodgers win a championship in 2024.

He could play an even bigger role as the club looks to defend its title next fall. Ohtani is expected to return to pitching for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023.

Ohtani underwent left shoulder surgery following the Dodgers' World Series win but is expected to return in time for spring training, according to the team.

It's a new era for the Athletics.

Sam Blum and Evan Drellich of the Athletic reported that Athletics team president Dave Kaval resigned from his position after an eight-year tenure with the franchise. This comes as the team prepares to move to Sacramento for several seasons before officially moving to Las Vegas.

Dave Kaval just resigned from the A’s: pic.twitter.com/ghINhpdEZl

— Karl Buscheck (@KarlBuscheck) December 27, 2024

"We are grateful for Dave's contributions and leadership over the past eight years," owner John Fisher said in a statement. "He guided our organization through a period of significant transition, and we sincerely thank him for his unwavering commitment to the team."

Prior to his tenure with the Athletics, Kaval served as the president of the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS from 2010 to 2016, with his biggest accomplishment being successfully building a stadium for that franchise. He is first season with the Athletics was in 2017 and he was hired with the idea of getting a new stadium built.

The Athletics tried multiple stadium projects in Oakland before deciding to move, with notably proposals being the Howard Terminal site and one in downtown Oakland. The decision to relocate comes after the franchise was in Oakland from 1968-2024 and won 15 pennants and four World Series titles.

During Kaval's time with the franchise, the Athletics went 570-624 and reached the postseason three times.

The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers "remain interested" in signing free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported.

Feinsand noted that it is not clear that the Tigers "will be willing to give Bregman the type of deal he is seeking," while Boston's pursuit could be complicated by its crowded infield.

The Houston Astros previously offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million contract that he turned down in search of a $200 million deal, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

The Astros have since stocked their infield by signing first baseman Christian Walker and acquiring third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Chicago Cubs, indicating that offer may no longer be on the table.

The New York Yankees have also previously been tied to Bregman, but the New York Post's Jon Heyman recently reported that people around the team "question whether Yankee Stadium is right for him."

In nine seasons with the Astros Bregman had recorded 210 total home runs, only 153 of which would have counted in lefty-friendly Yankee Stadium (h/t Baseball Savant.)

That could open the field for the Tigers to make a bid for Bregman, although the signing could require a major jump in Detroit's payroll.

The franchise is currently set to rank among the lowest-spending teams in the MLB next season with a projected 2025 payroll of under $80 million, per Spotrac, and owner Christopher Ilitch may not be inclined to change that after the Tigers made the 2024 postseason with a similarly inexpensive roster.

The Red Sox would meanwhile need to make a decision regarding first baseman Triston Casas before acquiring Bregman, as noted by Feinsand.

The franchise attempted to trade Casas earlier this season, per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer, but MassLive's Chris Cotillo recently reported his belief that the franchise is more likely to hang on to Casas following their signing of Walker Buehler.

Casas staying means Bregman may have to slide to second base, with Rafael Devers moving to first, in order to fit into the Boston infield.

Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 75 RBI for the Astros last season. Although Baseball Savant projects his home run totals taking similar dips in Boston or Detroit, he would still offer an offensive boost to either team should they find a spot for him on their infield and payroll.

An Alex Bregman signing for the New York Yankees may be doomed by a lack of a proper fit.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that while the team likes his makeup, the it has questions about his fit at Yankee Stadium and the potential for D.J. LeMahieu to fill the role Bregman would occupy.

"Yankees people love Alex Bregman but question whether Yankee Stadium is right for him," Heyman wrote. "It's possible they hope D.J. LeMahieu can regain health to fill 3B."

Bregman is currently a free agent after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Houston Astros. He helped lead Houston to two World Series titles and was a two-time All-Star and also took home a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award.

He hit .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs in 145 games in 2024. The Astros traded for third baseman Isaac Paredes and signed first baseman Christian Walker, so a return for Bregman does not appear to be likely.

The Yankees lost star outfielder Juan Soto but have added southpaw Max Fried, outfielder Cody Bellinger and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Bregman could be another splashy move to help the team's chances at returning to the World Series but the presence of LeMahieu as well as Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Oswaldo Cabrera may make a Bregman signing redundant.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown revealed that discussions with free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman were at a standstill, which led to the team exploring other options.

"I won't get into specifics but I feel like the negotiations stalled," Brown said on Monday, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. "I feel like we made a really competitive offer and showed that we wanted him back. But we had to pursue other options. We couldn't just sit there."

On Dec. 13, the Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a package that included third baseman Isaac Paredes. The team subsequently signed first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million contract.

Paredes and Walker are both set to receive starting infield positions in 2025, drastically decreasing the likelihood of a return for Bregman.

"I won't get into anymore but to say Paredes is going to play third and Walker is going to play first," Brown said, via Rome.

Houston also reportedly pursued St. Louis Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado on the trade market, but the deal couldn't be completed after Arenado refused to waive his no-trade clause.

Bregman spent each of the first nine years of his career with the Astros, making two All-Star appearances and winning a pair of World Series titles. He holds the No. 6 spot on Houston's all-time home runs leaderboard and ranks No. 9 on the team's all-time RBIs list.

In 2024, he hit .260 with 26 homers and 75 RBIs despite posting a career-low .768 OPS.

Alex Bregman has now homered in FOUR straight games 💪

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

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

The length of a potential new contract may have been the sticking point in talks between both sides, as ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Astros didn't "want to stretch" their offer to Bregman any longer than six years.

While Houston may no longer be an option, it shouldn't be too difficult for the 30-year-old to find a new home in free agency. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays have all been linked to Bregman by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

Meanwhile, the Astros appear to be content with moving forward with Paredes and Walker at the corners.