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San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters Friday it has been frustrating to not talk much publicly about the situation with shortstop Carlos Correa, who agreed to a megadeal with the team before the Giants backed out, reportedly because of medical concerns.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle relayed some of Zaidi's remarks:

The suggestion here seems to be that physical uncovered new medical issue. (Which seems to have been the case for other teams too.)

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 30, 2022

Says organization entirely aligned on all matters throughout from ownership to front office etc. all on the same page. Says good faith effort on both sides to get a deal done.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 30, 2022

The Giants agreed to sign Correa to a 13-year, $350 million contract, but the deal fell through because of the team's concern over a medical issue.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the red flag was a broken right fibula Correa suffered during a minor league game in 2014. San Francisco was reportedly concerned about "the long-term stability of his leg—and the potential for Correa to quickly lose the mobility that won him a Platinum Glove in 2021."

According to Passan, Zaidi called Correa's agent, Scott Boras, with his concerns over the medical report the night before the team's planned introductory press conference. The Giants asked Boras for more time and postponed the press conference, and then they backed out of the 13-year deal.

Boras went public with his side.

"They said at that point in time they needed more information, they needed more discussion," the superagent told reporters. "They wanted to continue to talk, but at this time they couldn't go forward. And then I advised them that I had to pursue alternative measures on behalf of Carlos with other teams."

Correa then agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets, but the contract hasn't been finalized because they too have concerns following the physical, per Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

A source told Mike Puma of the New York Post on Monday that there was a 55 percent chance the deal would go through. The Post's Jon Heyman reported the contract "by all rights, should get done," noting both Correa and Mets owner Steve Cohen "badly" want to finalize it.

As for the Giants, it's been a frustrating offseason. They lost out on another superstar after pursuing American League MVP Aaron Judge, who decided to stay with the New York Yankees. San Francisco's 2022 ace, All-Star Carlos Rodón, is also a Yankee now after leaving in free agency.

San Francisco did strengthen its outfield, though, by signing Mitch Haniger, reportedly adding Michael Conforto and re-signing Joc Pederson. The Giants also added Sean Manaea to the starting rotation.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly unlikely to keep Trevor Bauer after an arbitrator upheld 194 games of his 324-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy and reinstated him.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers are "expected" to release the right-handed pitcher because people in their clubhouse "would prefer he'd be elsewhere."

The Dodgers have until Jan. 6 to make a decision on Bauer's future with the organization.

As part of the arbitrator's decision, Bauer was fined his salary for the first 50 games of the 2023 season.

MLB issued a 324-game suspension to Bauer in April 2022 that included the entire 2022 season and all of 2023. He had been on administrative leave since July 2, 2021, after a woman filed for a domestic violence restraining order against him for alleged assaults during sexual encounters.

The Pasadena Police Department confirmed the woman's allegations were being investigated.

Per Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic, the woman's request for a temporary restraining order said Bauer "assaulted her on two different occasions" during consensual sexual encounters.

During an August 2021 court appearance, the woman who made the allegations testified about her encounters with Bauer.

"I was scared of him," she said at another point in her testimony. "I was in so much pain."

Bauer has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against the woman in April, saying she lied about details involving their sexual encounters and was trying to ruin his MLB career.

The woman filed a countersuit against Bauer's defamation claim in August.

Per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, a judge dismissed Bauer's defamation lawsuit against one of the woman's former attorneys and ruled her sexual assault case can continue.

The Dodgers signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract in 2021. The deal included player opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.

Bauer's last appearance in an MLB game was June 28, 2021. He made 17 starts for the Dodgers before being placed on administrative leave.

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.

The Carlos Correa saga remains in flux, but one insider believes it will eventually end with the shortstop suiting up for the New York Mets.

"I'd be surprised if he's not [a Met]," a person close to the situation told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

While headline players such as Aaron Judge and Justin Verlander signed new deals, the Correa story has become the most memorable one of the offseason.

It seemed to have a straightforward ending when he agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, but that fell apart when the team grew concerned with an old leg injury after a physical examination.

The Mets jumped at the chance to add the star shortstop, agreeing to a 12-year, $315 million contract. However, that deal is in a holding pattern after similar concerns arose following a physical examination.

Given the events with the Giants and the demand Correa figures to draw as such an impact player, it would be understandable if fans assumed he won't sign with the Mets either. Yet Heyman listed a number of reasons that the shortstop will remain in New York, including a desire for both the player and team owner Steve Cohen to make it happen.

What's more, Scott Boras, who is Correa's agent, has "grown close" with Cohen while negotiating deals for Max Scherzer and Brandon Nimmo, and ending this potential pairing could jeopardize that relationship.

"A few teams have been calling, but even a week after the Mets agreement, they are being told it's only a Mets game—for now," Heyman wrote.

While Correa has dealt with injury concerns in the past and appeared in just 75 games in 2019 after playing 109 in 2017 and 110 in 2018, he has been fairly durable of late. He missed just two games during the shortened 2020 campaign, appeared in 148 in 2021 and played 136 in 2022.

Whichever team ends up with him will land a player with a World Series crown, Gold Glove, Platinum Glove and two All-Star selections on his resume. He can impact the game with his bat and glove and is just 28 years old.

It seems like he will be in the middle of the Mets' lineup in 2023, but the process still hasn't fully played out.

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.

Alexander Ovechkin has put together one of the most distinguished careers in NHL history, and he added another milestone to his collection Friday.

The 37-year-old scored his 801st and 802nd career goals during the Washington Capitals' 4-1 home win against the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena, tying and then passing the legendary Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time scoring list.

Ovechkin gave the Caps a 1-0 lead with a snap shot at the top of the right faceoff circle in the first period before adding an empty-netter late in the third to grab second place by himself and cap the evening's scoring.

GOAL #801. OVI TIES GORDIE HOWE FOR SECOND ALL-TIME 🚨 https://t.co/TDMnwSWvYL

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 24, 2022

2nd place all-time in NHL goals now solely belongs to Alex Ovechkin 🏆

Legendary stuff 👏 https://t.co/bm1TiiSLle

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 24, 2022

Ovechkin now trails only Wayne Gretzky, who scored 894 goals in his career. Gretzky is also the all-time leader in assists with 1,963, over 700 more than the next-closest player in the category, Ron Francis (1,249).

Ovechkin won't be getting anywhere near either player in that category, with just 649 in his career.

As for whether he might catch Gretzky in goals, it's still a possibility. He's under contract with the Capitals through the 2025-26 season and has scored 46 or more goals in a campaign 12 times in his career, including 50 last year and 20 through 35 games this season heading into Friday.

It isn't out of the question that Ovechkin might catch Gretzky during his current contract. Granted, at some point, the Russian is going to slow down. And he may simply choose to retire before mounting a serious push for the all-time goals record.

One thing is for certain: If he does catch the Great One, that will be all she wrote for Ovechkin's career.

"You're probably never going to see me on the ice again," he joked during an ESPN interview in 2019 when asked what he would do if he surpassed Gretzky's record (h/t NHL.com). "Right away. See ya."

The Philadelphia Phillies have shored up their bullpen by signing right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $10 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Kimbrel will be reuniting with former Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in Philadelphia. Dombrowski worked for the Red Sox from 2015 to '19, and Kimbrel spent three seasons in Boston from 2016 to '18.

Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations for the Phillies in 2021.

The 34-year-old Kimbrel has been on the move quite a bit in recent years, spending last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his sixth different organization since 2014.

After signing a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2019, Kimbrel was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2021 before being flipped to the Dodgers last offseason in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock.

He became a big part of Los Angeles' success in 2022, recording a 3.75 ERA, 22 saves and 72 strikeouts in 60 innings. The squad posted the best record in the majors during the regular season before falling to the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series.

Consistency has been a problem for the veteran, however, which was especially seen in 2021. After producing a 0.49 ERA across 39 appearances with the Cubs, he had a 5.09 ERA in 24 games with the White Sox.

The eight-time All-Star was one of the top closers in baseball during his prime, posting a 1.43 ERA across five seasons with the Atlanta Braves, adding 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

With his past success and lengthy experience, Kimbrel could be a valuable addition for his new team.

The only question is whether his up-and-down play makes him a trustworthy option in high-leverage situations.

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 San Diego Padres are showing interest in veteran starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, according to FanSided's Robert Murray and the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Miami Marlins have weighed a move for Cueto as well and posited the 36-year-old could be a replacement for Pablo López if the 26-year-old gets traded.

Cueto posted his highest WAR (2.4) since 2016 last season, per FanGraphs. He went 8-10 with a 3.35 ERA and a 3.79 FIP in 25 appearances. Although his 5.80 strikeouts per nine innings were a career low, he had his second-lowest walk rate (1.88).

The two-time All-Star could be a good stopgap on a playoff contender or perhaps serve as a trade asset to flip ahead of the 2023 deadline.

The Padres fit firmly in the former category after reaching the National League Championship Series in 2022. They fortified their ranks by signing Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract.

The rotation remains a bit of a question mark, though, considering San Diego is projected to lean on two pitchers, Nick Martinez and the newly signed Seth Lugo, who operated primarily as relievers this past year. Only 38 of Lugo's 275 career appearances have come in a starting capacity.

Whether it's Cueto or another solution, signing a veteran starter makes sense for the Padres.

As Morosi speculated, Miami's interest might hinge on another player going out. The Marlins return their entire starting rotation, a group headlined by National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

The franchise doesn't have a pressing need for pitching help at the moment, but the situation could change between now and Opening Day.

After losing Carlos Correa earlier this week, the San Francisco Giants are hoping Michael Conforto can provide a spark for their lineup.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Conforto has agreed to a two-year, $36 million deal with the Giants.

ESPN's Buster Olney added the deal includes an opt-out after the 2023 season.

Conforto profiled as a solid bounce-back candidate in 2022 before he underwent offseason shoulder surgery. His agent, Scott Boras, indicated in May he might sign with a team following July's MLB draft, which would remove any draft-pick compensation from his deal.

Nobody chose to take Boras up on the opportunity.

Even before the shoulder injury, Conforto saw his value take a big hit. The 29-year-old picked a bad time to have one of the worst years of his career.

Unlike new teammate Francisco Lindor, who signed a 10-year, $341 million deal, Conforto headed into Opening Day in 2021 without a new contract. New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson signaled the franchise's desire to keep the 2017 All-Star that March.

"We've had Conforto for many years," Alderson said, per the New York Post's Ken Davidoff. "He has not only become an excellent player, but also part of the leadership group within the clubhouse. He's represented the Mets for a long period of time and represented us well. I think if it's possible, we will make the effort to keep Michael with us."

He added the Mets weren't as aggressive as the Toronto Blue Jays in landing George Springer, who signed with Toronto for six years and $150 million, because a new deal for Conforto was part of the calculus.

On George Springer, Sandy Alderson says it really came down to willing to go five years, but not six. He also adds, "had we signed Springer, probably less likely we'd be able to sign Conforto, for example."

— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) March 1, 2021

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported in April 2021 that Conforto might look to sign for $200 million or more, eclipsing the total Springer received.

His performance ultimately didn't help his bargaining position with the Mets or any other team interested in his services.

In 125 games, Conforto had 14 home runs, 55 RBI and a .232/.344/.384 slash line. According to FanGraphs, his .322 weighted on-base average was 30 points lower than his career average (.352).

The Mets offense as a whole was a bit of mess and failed to live up to expectations. Hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater were both fired in the middle of the season.

Lindor saw his batting average slip all the way to .230. Dominic Smith slugged .525 and .616 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, before finishing with a .363 slugging percentage in 2021. Jeff McNeil saw his on-base percentage fall from .383 to .317. In short, Conforto wasn't the only one who struggled at the plate.

Prior to 2021, he was a consistent producer in New York's lineup, so that year may be a bit of an outlier. Per Baseball Savant, his .249 expected batting average was only fractionally worse than his career number (.251), while his expected slugging (.428) was a more pronounced drop from the .463 he has posted since 2015.

The shoulder injury is obviously a massive variable. He might have a clean bill of health now, but nobody can know for sure whether he'll rebound. He may never be the same player after the surgery.

As a short-term gamble, signing Conforto is a worthwhile risk for San Francisco because he was so good from 2017-20. His demand for $200 million looks laughable in retrospect, but his market value before the 2021 season arguably wasn't much below that.

The possible upside justifies the Giants' investment.

As much as this move could help San Francisco, there's no salvaging what has been a disastrous offseason for the franchise.

Carlos Rodón, the ace of the staff, signed with the New York Yankees. That came after Aaron Judged opted to re-sign with the Bronx Bombers having entertained overtures from the Giants. The final insult came as Correa left San Francisco at the altar and signed with the New York Mets instead.

Conforto could make a major difference for a team in need of outfield help, but it already feels like the 2023 season is a lost cause for the Giants.