Shohei Ohtani could have pursued a 15-year contract through age 44, but the two-way superstar didn't want to risk a decline in his skills while under the big deal.

Clay Holmes has made the transition from closer to starter look easy.

Starling Marte's 10th-inning, broken-bat single gave the New York Mets a 4-3 win over Philadelphia, a three-game sweep of the Phillies, an unbeaten homestand and a five-game NL East lead over their rival.

Francisco Lindor turned on an inside cutter from Ryan Fernandez leading off the ninth inning and sent the ball soaring into Citi Field’s second deck in right field, 401 feet away.

Max Meyer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Miami Marlins salvaged the finale of a three-game series by beating the New York Mets 5-0 on Wednesday.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $500 million, 14-year contract that starts in 2026, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, a deal that removes what would have been the biggest star from next offseason’s free-agent market.

Juan Soto’s home debut with the New York Mets was a huge success.

Major League Baseball’s average salary broke the $5 million barrier on opening day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press.

Juan Soto hit his first home run with the New York Mets when he connected in the third inning against the Houston Astros.

The New York Yankees showed they can still win with a little scruff on their chins while Baltimore’s Tyler O’Neill might be the best player on Earth during the first game of the season.

Framber Valdez pitched seven scoreless innings and Josh Hader struck out Juan Soto with two on to save the Houston Astros' 3-1 win over the New York Mets.

With a chance to make a late splash in his New York Mets debut, Juan Soto came up empty.

Juan Soto, Blake Snell and Clay Holmes debut for new teams.

There almost certainly won’t be a $700 million deal for any player in the baseball’s next free agency class, nothing like the record contracts for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and four-time All-Star slugger Juan Soto the past two winters.

Baseball's next big star could be part of this year's rookie class in the major leagues.

Shohei Ohtani begins his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his native Japan, taking on the Chicago Cubs in a pair of games at the Tokyo Dome.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says his proposal for a long-term contract with the Toronto Blue Jays was for less than $600 million.

The New York Mets led the major leagues in spending for the third straight season in 2024 and have totaled $1.36 billion in payroll and luxury tax over four years under owner Steve Cohen, exceeding what the Marlins, Pirates and Rays each have spent on players in the past 21 seasons.

Juan Soto has homered in his first spring training at-bat for his new team, hitting a solo shot to left-center field in the first inning for the New York Mets against Houston.

Juan Soto got his desired No. 22 jersey with the New York Mets after his record $765 million contract this offseason.

After turning the New York Mets into baseball’s biggest spender, owner Steve Cohen would like to see his team build more economically through its farm system.

Aaron Judge naturally takes issue with Juan Soto’s conclusion that the New York Mets have a better chance to win World Series titles than the Yankees.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is uncertain for opening day because of chronic tendinitis in both elbows.

There’s a new No. 2 in the New York Yankees’ rotation behind Gerrit Cole.

Spring training workouts start Sunday with the Los Angeles Dodgers trying to become the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that first baseman Pete Alonso is staying with the New York Mets, agreeing to a $54 million, two-year contract.

Max Scherzer is joining the Toronto Blue Jays, agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.

It appears Pete Alonso is going, going, gone.

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally landed a high-profile free agent, agreeing to a $92.5 million, five-year contract with Anthony Santander.

Young Japanese flamethrower Roki Sasaki said on Instagram that he's signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving the defending World Series champions even more star power entering 2025.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing when the first baseman agreed to a $28.5 million, one-year contract on the day players and teams exchanged proposed figures.

Sean Manaea and the New York Mets have finalized a $75 million, three-year contract that keeps one of the team’s best pitchers last season at the front of a remodeled rotation.

Sean Manaea is set to return to the New York Mets on a $75 million, three-year contract, according to a person familiar with the agreement.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees agreed to a $12.5 million, one-year contract.

Cody Bellinger experienced a World Series title at old Yankee Stadium.

In the first 10 days after Juan Soto spurned the Yankees for a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets, the Yankees signed left-hander Max Fried to a $218 million, eight-year contract, acquired closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers and Bellinger, a former NL MVP, from the Chicago Cubs.

Left-hander Max Fried and the New York Yankees have finalized a $218 million, eight-year contract.

The New York Yankees have acquired All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-hander Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin.

The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know his future with them could be set in stone.

Juan Soto gets free use of a luxury suite and up to four premium tickets behind home plate for regular-season and postseason New York Mets home games as part of his record $765 million, 15-year contract.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Max Fried and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $218 million, eight-year contract, the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history.

For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that’s the richest in baseball history.

Juan Soto’s record $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets, the largest and longest deal in baseball history, has reverberated across the winter meetings.

If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract Sunday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract.

Deciding whether Juan Soto tops Shohei Ohtani for baseball’s largest contract could be in the eye of the beholder because of all the deferred money in Ohtani’s deal.

Juan Soto is starting to drop teams from negotiations ahead of baseball's winter meetings next week.

Juan Soto appears on a timetable to decide on where to sign either before or during baseball’s winter meetings in Dallas, which start Sunday and run until Dec. 12.

Aaron Judge won’t be bothered if Juan Soto gets a bigger deal from the New York Yankees than the captain’s $360 million, nine-year contract.

Hal Steinbrenner wants his relationship with Juan Soto to be similar to his friendship with Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, and the New York Yankees owner emphasized the team’s commitment to continually improve its roster if the star free-agent outfielder stays in the Bronx.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is a finalist for his first National League MVP award after winning the AL honor twice, joined among the top three in NL voting by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is bothered a little by criticism of his team’s defense from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly and defended New York’s fielding following a World Series of mistakes and mental errors.

Agent Scott Boras indicated Juan Soto may be seeking to top Shohei Ohtani’s record $700 million contract because he is three years younger than the Japanese two-way star was when he reached his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames are among 13 free agents who have received $21.05 million qualifying offers from their former teams.

The Los Angeles Dodgers spent big last offseason before winning big this postseason, taking home a World Series title after committing more than $1 billion on players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández.

Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried, first baseman Pete Alonso, third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames were among 136 players who became free agents.

Instead of a World Series championship film, the New York Yankees season ended in a comedy of errors that left them to pursue Juan Soto without a title glow.

Just when it appeared Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees were right back in this World Series, they all but gave away the trophy.

Game 5 of the World Series was quite a roller coaster for Aaron Judge.

Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees need to start hitting if they’re going to climb back into this World Series.

Aaron Judge is sinking ever deeper into a gruesome postseason slump, and the New York Yankees’ championship chances are fading right along with him.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings, Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight night and the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three early longballs off Carlos Rodón to beat the New York Yankees 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in the World Series.

In the beginning, the World Series matchup of the Dodgers against the Yankees was a kind of charming intra-city showdown of two New York City boroughs, blue collar Brooklyn, equipped with a neighborhood called Gravesend, against the pretentious Bronx, with the fancy Grand Concourse.

Back at Dodger Stadium, Juan Soto is in the spotlight as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in the World Series for the first time in 43 years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will play Major League Baseball's starriest World Series in decades.

These Yankees have minted a new vibe going into their first World Series since 2009.

Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.

Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase gave up two runs in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees moved closer to another World Series, beating the Guardians 8-6 to take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ season of World Series championship expectations ended with a thud against the New York Mets in the NL Division Series.

Juan Soto homered during New York’s three-run third inning, Carlos Rodón got his first postseason win and the Yankees took advantage of Cleveland’s wildness in a 5-2 victory in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

“Big Spender” is the theme music for baseball’s final four.

Gerrit Cole held the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back to the American League Championship Series.

Yankees slugger Juan Soto says he is focused solely on helping New York win the World Series, and not thinking at all about a potentially lucrative offseason.

Two games into this postseason, those big-money deals for Aaron Judge and Carlos Rodón haven’t paid any October dividends for the New York Yankees.

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has put up some of the best regular season numbers in baseball history over the past six months.

Shohei Ohtani topped Major League Baseball jersey sales for the second straight season while becoming the first player to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same year.

Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes ended an impressive rookie season by retiring six hitters in order, including strikeouts of New York stars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in his Yankee Stadium debut.

Following a one-year absence, the New York Yankees are back in the playoffs.

Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Austin Wells hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night and widened their lead in the AL East.

The Washington Nationals plan to call up outfielder Dylan Crews, the No. 3 prospect in Major League Baseball.

Pinch-hitter Lane Thomas delivered a tiebreaking double to spark a six-run 12th inning, and the Cleveland Guardians outlasted the New York Yankees 9-5 in the longest major league game this season.

Parker Meadows set off fireworks with a 10th-inning single that brought hundreds of Little Leaguers to their feet and scored Zach McKinstry on a headfirst slide to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball Little League Classic.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 300th homer, reaching that milestone faster than any other player when he connected against the Chicago White Sox during a 10-2 victory.

Juan Soto has hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, connecting in three consecutive at-bats for the New York Yankees against the Chicago White Sox.

Looking to spark a struggling club, the New York Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins for three minor leaguers: catcher Agustín Ramírez, infielder Jared Serna and infielder Abrahan Ramírez.

Juan Soto has come and gone.

The oddsmakers say Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the front-runners for baseball’s MVP awards.

Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

Paul Skenes became the fifth rookie to start an All-Star Game, retiring Steven Kwan, Gunnar Henderson and Aaron Judge for the National League in a hitless first inning.

The Baltimore Orioles prevailed in a wild ninth inning in which each closer allowed three runs.

Aaron Judge has set a franchise record for the New York Yankees on Saturday with his 34th home run before the All-Star break.

Shohei Ohtani remained the top-selling jersey during the first half of the season, followed by Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge.

Pete Alonso will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time.

Paul Skenes’ first All-Star selection was as speedy as his fastball.

Ben Rice became the first Yankees rookie to homer three times in a game and drove in seven runs as New York snapped a four-game slide with a 14-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Masataka Yoshida hit a tying, two-run homer off Clay Holmes with two outs in the ninth inning, Ceddane Rafaela homered against Tommy Kahnle leading off the 10th and the Boston Red stunned New York 5-3 and sent the Yankees to their 14th loss in 18 games.

Shohei Ohtani has become the first player elected to start at designated hitter in four straight All-Star Games.

Juan Soto has been on baseball cards with Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout and other big stars.