AL East

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was voted the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year on Friday after he set the American League home run record during the 2022 season.

Judge beat out Los Angeles Angels two-way standout Shohei Ohtani and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry for the honor. Ohtani won the award in 2021 and Curry won it in 2015.

"Wow. That's incredible," Judge said of his selection. "All these other great athletes that not only impacted the game and their sport, but also impacted their communities and the culture in the sports world and outside the sports world. So getting a chance to be amongst that list is an incredible honor."

The 30-year-old joins a group of winners that includes former Yankees Joe DiMaggio (1941), Mickey Mantle (1956) and Roger Maris (1961). Other MLB players to win the honor this millennium include Jose Altuve (2017), Madison Bumgarner (2014) and Barry Bonds (2001).

Judge had a phenomenal 2022 campaign, slashing .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBI in 157 games. He earned his fourth All-Star selection, third Silver Slugger award and first AL MVP award.

Judge also led MLB in runs (133), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), extra-base hits (90) and total bases (391). He tied for No. 1 in the majors with 131 RBI.

The California native became a free agent this winter, and there were questions about whether he would re-sign with the Yankees. After offers from several teams, including his hometown San Francisco Giants, Judge agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Pinstripes.

The Yankees went on to name him the 16th captain in franchise history and the first since Derek Jeter, who served as the club's captain from 1995 to 2014.

Judge has spent his entire seven-year career with the Yankees. While he has plenty of individual honors, his goal entering the 2023 campaign remains to win a World Series. With the Yankees' offseason additions, they'll be one of the teams to beat this season.

Former Boston Red Sox right hander Tyler Danish is joining the club's biggest rival—the New York Yankees.

Danish and the Yankees agreed to a minor league deal on Thursday, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. He's getting an invite to the team's spring training camp, Heyman added.

A once-promising prospect, Danish was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2016 and spent three seasons with the the White Sox as a reliever.

In his 11 appearances for the White Sox between 2016-2018, Danish posted a 4.85 ERA, 2.31 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 13 innings. He spent much of his time with the organization in the minor leagues.

Following the 2018 season, Danish signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. He was released in May 2019 after making just six appearances and posting a horrific 21.26 ERA with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

Following his release from the Mariners organization, Danish spent time with multiple teams across various independent leagues between 2019 and 2021 before finding his way back into MLB's minor league system with the Los Angeles Angels in May 2021.

Danish received another opportunity in the big leagues in 2022, signing a minor league deal with the Red Sox that included an invitation to spring training. He cracked the 40-man roster before Opening Day and went on to make 32 appearances for Boston last season, posting a 5.13 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.

Now with the Yankees, Danish will get the opportunity to make the club's 2023 roster as a reliever out of spring training. He'd join a bullpen that includes Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga, Tommy Kahnle and Michael King, though it's unclear how much he'd be used.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are trading outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays for top prospect Gabriel Moreno and more, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Arizona will also receive outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the deal, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Varsho, 26, spent the first three seasons of his MLB career in Arizona.

During the 2022 campaign, Varsho spent much of his time playing in center and right field. However, he's pretty versatile and can also play catcher. In 151 games, he slashed .235/.302/.443 with 27 home runs, 74 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

The Blue Jays were in need of some outfield help this offseason, especially after trading Teoscar Hernández to the Seattle Mariners.

Gurriel was Toronto's starting left fielder, but now that he's off to Arizona, Varsho will likely take over that position with Kevin Kiermaier in center field and George Springer in right field.

Varsho is under contract through 2026, and he figures to be a key piece for the Blue Jays moving forward.

Gurriel had spent the first five years of his career in Toronto. In 2022, he hit .291/.343/.400 with five home runs and 52 RBI in 121 games. While he's been a solid player for much of his career, he's not the reason the Diamondbacks decided to give up Varsho.

Arizona parted with Varsho to receive one of the best prospects in baseball in Moreno, who was listed as Toronto's top prospect by Baseball America.

The catcher spent much of his time with Triple-A Buffalo in 2022, hitting .315/.386/.420 with three home runs and 39 RBI in 62 games. The Venezuelan also appeared in 25 games for the Blue Jays in 2022, slashing .319/.356/.377 with one home run and seven RBI.

At just 22 years old, Moreno could emerge as one of the best catchers in baseball by the time he hits his prime.

The New York Yankees could look at the trade market to continue to upgrade their roster after making their big moves in free agency.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Yankees are among the teams that have contacted the Pittsburgh Pirates to discuss a trade for Bryan Reynolds.

Morosi noted the Yankees could be at a disadvantage in trade talks for Reynolds because they don't have a lot of high-quality starting pitching in their system, and the Pirates prefer starters if they deal the 27-year-old outfielder.

With the Pirates mired in a perpetual state of rebuilding, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Dec. 3 that Reynolds requested a trade.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Pirates offered Reynolds a contract extension that would have made him the highest-paid player in team history.

It's not a high bar to clear. Ke'Bryan Hayes' eight-year, $70 million extension signed in April is the richest deal the Pirates have ever given out, and it pales in comparison to how much money players have commanded in free agency this offseason

Hayes signed his extension when he was five years away from free agency. Reynolds is under team control for three more years before hitting free agency after the 2025 season.

The Pirates said in a statement that Reynolds' trade request will have "zero impact" on their decision-making process and that they "look forward to him having a great season for the Pirates."

Using MLB.com's rankings for the 2022 season, the Yankees' top seven prospects are all position players. Right-hander Will Warren is the top pitcher in the system, but he faces questions about his viability as a starter because of the quality of his secondary stuff.

The Yankees addressed two big problems in free agency. They retained reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge by signing him to a nine-year, $360 million contract, and they added Carlos Rodón to their starting rotation on a six-year, $162 million deal.

Outfield depth is still a question mark in the Bronx. Harrison Bader is a good defensive center fielder, but he only hit .250/.294/.356 in 86 games between the Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals in 2022.

Reynolds has become one of the best offensive center fielders in baseball since making his MLB debut in 2019. He ranks fifth among players at the position in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (12.5) over the past four seasons. Mike Trout, George Springer, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Starling Marte are the only players ahead of him.

In 493 career games, Reynolds owns a .281/.361/.481 slash line with 74 homers and 239 RBI.

Time is running out for the Boston Red Sox to extend the contract of Rafael Devers.

The third baseman, who is set to become a free agent after the 2023 campaign, "will not entertain negotiations with the Red Sox during the season," and an extension would need to be agreed upon by the end of spring training, sources told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

The Red Sox begin spring training in February and the team's final preseason game is on March 28. They open the regular season on March 30 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom recently expressed the team's desire to retain Devers in an interview with ESPN's Joon Lee:

"We will probably, I think, go beyond reason to try to get this done. Hopefully we can get this done. There are always going to be limitations, like people can just put something plain out of reach. Some people love to bet on themselves and I hope he hits 63 homers if he does that."

While Bloom has continued to reiterate the club's desire to keep Devers in Boston beyond 2023, actions speak louder than words, and the two sides are currently "galaxies apart" in negotiations, Lee reported.

The situation with Devers has become all too familiar in Boston, with the most recent example being the departure of star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who signed with the San Diego Padres this winter.

The Red Sox made Bogaerts a laughable offer during spring training that would have made his contract worth $90 million over four years. The offer was viewed as a "slap in the face" and he went on to play the entire 2022 season without negotiating a contract before signing an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres.

If the same thing happens to Devers, he would be the latest homegrown star to depart the Red Sox organization over the lack of a respectable contract, joining Bogaerts and Mookie Betts, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020 before signing a 12-year, $365 million deal.

Devers, 26, has spent his entire six-year career in Boston and helped the club capture the 2018 World Series title. He has emerged as one of the best third basemen in baseball over the last two seasons, earning two All-Star Game selections and a Silver Slugger award in 2021.

Devers had an impressive 2022 campaign despite the Red Sox finishing last in the AL East with a 78-84 record. He slashed .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs and 88 RBI in 141 games.

The Dominican native is reportedly seeking a contract extension in the neighborhood of $300 million. For a player who has hit 139 home runs and drove in 455 runs over his six-year career, the investment would be worth it for Boston.

But if Bloom fails to make a deal happen, the Red Sox fan base will be left scratching their heads once again.

Some members of the Boston Red Sox front office have questioned the decision-making process of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, according to Joon Lee of ESPN.

"One front-office official said Bloom's deliberate process toward making moves—asking many people for their input before making a decision—can put the Red Sox in a position to fall behind, reacting to other teams versus setting the market," Lee added.

The reaction comes after the Red Sox missed out on re-signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who instead agreed to a 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres.

Bogaerts had hoped to return to the Red Sox, but the team's offer was well short of what the Padres eventually gave him.

"There are a couple of regrets," Bloom said of negotiations with Bogaerts.

The 39-year-old still justified his process of involving others.

"I think we have a culture where people can and do express directly to me when they disagree with something," Bloom said. "We have a lot of people in the loop on transactions that we make and we have a lot of really good debate. We have a place where people can share their opinion and have it be heard."

The internal question marks could still be a problem, especially with fans getting agitated after a second last-place finish in the last three years.

The loss of a homegrown talent like Bogaerts is especially disappointing after trading away Mookie Betts in 2020. The centerpiece of that deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jeter Downs, was designated for assignment last week.

Boston also traded away Andrew Benintendi, while Rafael Devers is set to become a free agent next offseason.

Bloom joined the Red Sox in 2019, just one year removed from a World Series title, but there has been little to show from his three years at the helm.

Free-agent third baseman Justin Turner has agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox, per ESPN's Joon Lee and Jeff Passan.

Justin Turner's deal with the Boston Red Sox is for two years and just shy of $22 million, and it includes an opt-out after the first season, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/9kAFqqX6ay

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 18, 2022

The 38-year-old is a two-time All-Star who has played 14 MLB seasons. His last nine have been with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which have won three National League pennants and one World Series with him at the hot corner.

Last year, Turner hit .278 (.788 OPS) with 13 home runs and 81 RBI. He has struck a career-high 27 home runs on three different occasions, including the 2021 season.

The Long Beach, California, native started his career with the Baltimore Orioles before the New York Mets claimed him off waivers in 2010. He primarily played second base for the Mets in 2011 before moving to a utility role in 2012.

Turner was in and out of the lineup for his three years in New York before he left in free agency for the Dodgers in 2014.

He immediately blossomed for L.A., hitting a career-high .340 in 2014 after entering the lineup because of injuries to Hanley Ramírez and Juan Uribe. He became a full-time fixture at third base in 2015 and stayed there throughout his Dodgers tenure. He finished in the top 15 in the NL MVP voting from 2016 to 2018 and earned his first All-Star honor in 2017.

Turner hit .296 (.865 OPS) with 156 home runs and 574 RBI while in L.A.

He received plenty of interest this offseason, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting that the Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins were among a half dozen teams interested in Turner.

His Dodgers career is now over, though, as Turner turns to a new chapter.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge's 62nd home run ball sold at auction for $1.5 million.

Goldin Auctions sold the ball on Saturday night, with six total bids coming in. The initial price tag was set at $1 million when the listing opened on Nov. 29, with each bid increasing by $50,000 before the winner was determined.

BREAKING: Aaron Judge’s No. 62 home run ball has sold at @GoldinCo for $1.5 million, including buyer’s premium. pic.twitter.com/QU1YRFMA18

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 18, 2022

Judge broke Roger Maris' 61-year-old American League record with his final homer of the regular season on Oct. 4 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.

No. 62 is No. 2!

Aaron Judge's historic blast is the 2nd best play of 2022! pic.twitter.com/QSdde44Bdr

— MLB (@MLB) December 12, 2022

Corey Youmans, the fan who caught the ball, initially said he hadn't thought about what he would do with it.

Judge was asked about potentially getting the ball for his own personal collection after the game.

"I don't know where it's at, so we'll see what happens with that," the Yankees slugger told reporters. "It'd be great to get it back, but that's a souvenir for a fan, so, you know, they made a great catch out there, and they've got every right to it."

Even though Youmans did make out well in this auction, he may regret not selling the ball earlier. He told ESPN's Jeff Passan someone offered him $3 million for the piece of Major League Baseball history.

"It seems fair in the sense it gives anyone that is interested and has the means the opportunity to own it," Youmans explained to Passan. "As a fan, I'm curious to see what it's worth, who buys it and what they do with it."

Judge became the first MLB player to hit at least 60 homers in a season since Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa in 2001. The 30-year-old was named AL MVP for his historic performance in 2022.

The New York Yankees bolstered their starting rotation Thursday by signing left-hander Carlos Rodón, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Rodón's new contract will reportedly earn him $162 million over six years and includes a full no-trade clause. USA Today's Bob Nightengale provided a contract breakdown, noting that Rodón will receive $22 million in 2023 as well as a $5 million signing bonus:

Carlos Rodon $162 million contract breakdown:
$5 million signing bonus.
2023: $22 million.
2024: $27 million
2025: $27 million
2026: $27 million
2027: $27 million
2028: $27 million
Full no-trade

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 16, 2022

The addition of Rodón brings New York's projected total payroll to $247.2 million, per Spotrac.

The 30-year-old joins a star-studded rotation that includes Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas. With Rodón added to the mix, the Yankees' starting pitching staff has the chance to be among the best in the American League.

Rodón will likely be inserted as the No. 2 starter behind Cole, who led the majors and set a franchise record with 257 strikeouts last season. Rodón wasn't too far behind with 237 strikeouts, giving New York a lethal one-two combination.

Carlos Rodón joins the Yankees on a 6-year, $162 million contract.

Rodón finished last season with 237 strikeouts, which trailed only his now teammate Gerrit Cole (257), & Corbin Burnes (243).

His 11 double-digit strikeout games were the most in a season in Giants history. pic.twitter.com/e5VIzZRuaw

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 16, 2022

An All-Star in each of the least two seasons, Rodón notched a 2.88 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in 178 innings on his way to a 14-8 record in 2022. He appears to have fully recovered from his 2019 Tommy John surgery to become one of the most consistent pitchers in MLB.

The Yankees rotation was dominated by right-handers last season, with 2022 All-Star Cortes as the team's only southpaw. Rodón gives New York another lefty hurler, which will surely pay off come playoff time.

With multiple pitchers who have ace potential, the Yankees have increased their chances at making it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

The New York Yankees are going to have one of the best rotations in baseball in 2023.

The Yankees signed free-agent pitcher Carlos Rodón to a six-year, $162 million contract, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Thursday. He joins a rotation that already included Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino.

Rodón, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Chicago White Sox, had a breakout campaign in 2021. He went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 132.2 innings across 24 starts en route to his first All-Star Game selection.

He signed with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2022 season and earned his second straight All-Star Game selection after going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings across 31 starts.

Rodón will be expected to replicate that success in Pinstripes in 2023 and beyond as the Yankees hope to win their first World Series title in more than a decade.

MLB Twitter is already hyped about the signing and the Yankees' "stacked" 2023 rotation:

The Yankees starting rotation is stacked as hell. I love it. They told us they were gonna make moves this winter and they’re doing it. They’re not done either.

— Randy Wilkins (@pamsson) December 16, 2022

It was always just a matter of time. Yankees had their sights on Rodon since day one and did not want to go past six years.

On paper, this gives the Yankees one of the best rotation in history. A long way to go but doesn’t get much better than Cole-Rodon-Sevy-Nestor-Montas https://t.co/NePD6wbr6i

— Dan Federico (@DanJFederico) December 16, 2022

Rodón is an exciting addition to an already impressive Yankees rotation. They are now a better team than the one they ended the season with.

— Justin Shackil (@JustinShackil) December 16, 2022

Stacked starting rotation if everyone remains healthy. Hugeeeeee

— Jack “CouRage” Dunlop (@CouRageJD) December 16, 2022

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1603557895618105345

Fangraphs now ranks the Yankees rotation as the best in baseball (ahead of the Mets) pic.twitter.com/heckoFqH1s

— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) December 16, 2022

Projected Yankees rotation:

Cole
Rodon
Severino
Nestor
Montas

Seems good. https://t.co/518kZysSBK

— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) December 16, 2022

https://twitter.com/JBWolfsthal/status/1603560242503192577

Yankees adding Rondon is huge. Gives the team a legit number two SP behind Gerritt Cole.

— Bobby Thompson (@BThomps81) December 16, 2022

#Yankees get big rotation boost at reasonable price. NY is the center of the baseball universe this offseason. https://t.co/f6wI4DajuA

— David Lennon (@DPLennon) December 16, 2022

Yankees have plenty work to do but re-signing Judge and bringing in Carlos Rodon is a nice start. Couple trades I like out there 👀

— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) December 16, 2022

I haven't felt this good about the Yankees starting pitching in years. Truthfully

— Dan Graca (@DanGraca) December 16, 2022

The Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball for a while now, but they have been lacking the extra piece to get them over the hump and into the World Series. Could Rodón be the missing piece to the puzzle?

Only time will tell.