MLB

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is staying with the only Major League Baseball team he has ever known for the foreseeable future.

Judge and the Yankees agreed to a new nine-year, $360 million contract Wednesday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Judge flew into San Diego late Tuesday night to make his decision between the Yankees, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

The slugger's previous contract ran through the 2022 season, but he said he "wants to be a Yankee for life" in March, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

While a deal didn't happen prior to or during the 2022 campaign, Judge didn't change his tune at the All-Star break when he told reporters: "I want to play for the Yankees. I want to be here for a long time. If it works out, it works out. But if it doesn't, it doesn't. It's out of my hands."

The lack of a long-term deal put pressure on the four-time All-Star during the season, and all he did was turn in one of the best individual campaigns in MLB history.

He finished with a .311/.425/.686 slash line, an American League-record 62 home runs and 131 RBI while capturing the attention of the baseball world. While the Yankees lost to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series, Judge's record-setting efforts drove up his price heading into the offseason.

"The [Los Angeles] Dodgers and other clubs could become serious pursuers of Judge, as well, turning this into a bidding war that figures to surpass $300 million," Randy Miller of NJ.com reported in October.

New York won that bidding war, and he will remain one of the faces of the franchise—as he has been since his terrific rookie season in 2017.

Judge won AL Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger while finishing second in AL MVP voting behind a slash line of .284/.422/.627, a league-best 52 home runs and 114 RBI.

Injuries then became an issue, as he played 112 games in 2018, 102 games in 2019 and 28 games in the shortened 2020 campaign. Still, he was an All-Star in 2018 and launched 27 long balls in 2018 and 2019.

Judge also bounced back in impressive fashion in 2021 by slashing .287/.373/.544 with 39 home runs and 98 RBI in 148 games. The performance underscored his long-term importance to the Yankees and surely gave them additional confidence when it came to signing him to a new deal.

Then came his MVP performance in 2022, which did nothing to quell that confidence.

Now Judge will focus on attempting to win his first career World Series title after helping lead New York to the playoffs in each of his first six full seasons.

Free-agent pitcher Jameson Taillon and the Chicago Cubs reportedly agreed to a contract early Wednesday morning amid the MLB winter meetings in San Diego.

According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the deal is worth $68 million over four years. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand noted that the Cubs were the only team to meet with Taillon in person and were "in on him from the start of free agency."

The news comes as little surprise after Feinsand reported on Nov. 30 that Taillon was expected to command a deal worth more than the four-year, $56 million deal Jon Gray signed with the Texas Rangers last year.

The 31-year-old spent the past two seasons with the New York Yankees, who acquired him in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of the 2021 season.

In 2021, Taillon went 8-6 with a 4.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 140 strikeouts in 144.1 innings across 29 starts.

The Lakeland, Florida, native followed that up with a better 2022 campaign, posting a 14-5 record with a 3.91 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 151 strikeouts in 177.1 innings across 32 starts. He exceeded expectations in a rotation that also included Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino.

Before joining the Yankees, Taillon spent four seasons with the Pirates. He went 29-24 with a 3.67 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 82 starts.

As for the Yankees, they still have a solid rotation entering the 2023 campaign, including Cole, Severino, Cortes, Frankie Montas and Domingo Germán, so they should be just fine without Taillon.

On the Cubs front, signing Taillon is a move seemingly aimed toward getting them out of the doldrums, as they have missed the playoffs in two successive campaigns and three of the past four years, and went just 74-88 last season.

Chicago ranked 20th in MLB last season with an ERA of 4.00 and 24th with 540 walks, which are two areas Taillon should help improve.

While the Cubs may not be done yet in free agency, Taillon will help solidify a starting rotation that already includes Marcus Stroman, Kyle Hendricks, Justin Steele and Adrian Sampson.

The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms on a four-year, $72 million contract with right-handed starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Robert Murray of FanSided initially reported Tuesday that Walker and the Phillies were close on a deal.

Walker went 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.20 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 157.1 innings for the New York Mets last season.

The 30-year-old has pitched in the bigs for 10 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays and Mets, the last of whom he joined prior to his 2021 All-Star campaign.

Walker joins a rotation that lost two starters to free agency and might lose another.

Zach Eflin signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on a three-year, $40 million contract, and Kyle Gibson inked a one-year, $10 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

Noah Syndergaard remains unsigned but recently met with the Baltimore Orioles, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The Phillies have been big spenders this offseason after previously signing shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract. Now they've added Walker, who should slot into the starting rotation alongside Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez.

Philadelphia snuck into the playoffs as the sixth and final team in the National League playoff field but steamrolled its way into the World Series after beating the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.

The Phils lost a tough Fall Classic to the Houston Astros in six games, but the talent is clearly present for a repeat attempt at the World Series.

A stacked lineup led by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber only gets stronger with Turner, and now Walker adds depth to a rotation that already features two stars in Nola and Wheeler and an impressive Suárez, who posted a 3.65 ERA in his first year as a full-time starter.

The Phillies begin their NL pennant defense on March 30 at the Texas Rangers.

Major League Baseball conducted a draft lottery for the first time in league history Tuesday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are the first beneficiaries of that process.

We will select 1st overall in the 2023 MLB Draft! pic.twitter.com/fHNpobdFGM

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) December 7, 2022

The top six in this year's draft order were decided via the lottery system. The Pirates, Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics round out the top six for the draft, which will occur in Seattle in July at a to-be-determined date.

The Pirates, Nationals and Athletics entered the draft with equal 16.5 percent chances to earn the No. 1 spot by virtue of finishing with the three worst win-loss records in the bigs last year.

Every other non-playoff team received decreasing chances of securing the No. 1 spot based on their records, from the 62-100 Cincinnati Reds (13.25 percent) to the 86-76 Milwaukee Brewers (0.23 percent).

Here's a look at how the first round of this year's draft shakes out alongside a look at some of the top prospects right now.

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2023 MLB Draft (Round 1 Order)

1. Pittsburgh Pirates

2. Washington Nationals

3. Detroit Tigers

4. Texas Rangers

5. Minnesota Twins

6. Oakland Athletics

7. Cincinnati Reds

8. Kansas City Royals

9. Colorado Rockies

10. Miami Marlins

11. Los Angeles Angels

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

13. Chicago Cubs

14. Boston Red Sox

15. Chicago White Sox

16. San Francisco Giants

17. Baltimore Orioles

18. Milwaukee Brewers

19. Tampa Bay Rays

20. Toronto Blue Jays

21. St. Louis Cardinals

22. New York Mets

23. Seattle Mariners

24. Cleveland Guardians

25. Atlanta Braves

26. Los Angeles Dodgers

27. San Diego Padres

28. New York Yankees

29. Philadelphia Phillies

30. Houston Astros

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Ole Miss SS Jacob Gonzalez

FanGraphs lists Gonzalez as its top 2023 draft prospect and it's easy to see why. The 6'2", 200-pound Gonzalez broke out for the Rebels in 2021 with a .355 batting average (1.005 OPS) alongside 12 home runs, 55 RBI, 73 runs and 16 doubles in 67 games.

He sports incredible power for a middle infielder, and FanGraphs likes his defensive skillset too.

"Gonzalez's hands, actions, quick transfer, internal clock, and arm accuracy all make him a likely plus defensive shortstop despite lacking big speed/range," FanGraphs' report reads.

His average dropped to .273 in 2022, but Gonzalez notably smacked 18 home runs alongside a .963 OPS in 65 games en route to leading the Rebels to their first national championship.

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LSU OF Dylan Crews

Perfect Game has LSU outfielder Crews as its "consensus top prospect," with Isaiah Burrows writing that he has "an advanced offensive skill set and top-of-the-class exit velocities" as well as "a rare blend of floor and ceiling."

The 6'1", 203-pound Crews hit .349 (1.153 OPS) with 22 home runs and 72 RBI in just 62 games for the Tigers. He averaged nearly three total bases per game (172) and over one run per outing (73).

That campaign followed up an excellent 2021 season, where he hit .362 with 18 homers and 42 RBI alongside a 1.116 OPS. He'll turn 21 years old in February.

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Tennessee RHP Chase Dollander

Tennessee right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander is widely considered the top pitching prospect available in 2023, but Prospects Live went one step further and listed him as the No. 1 player overall in this year's pool.

"Pretty much the complete package and the argument can be made he's the best college pitching prospect in over a decade," the Prospects Live Staff wrote.

The 21-year-old Dollander went 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA (0.80 WHIP) and 108 strikeouts in 79.0 innings for Tennessee. He transferred to the Vols after one year at Georgia Southern.

The SEC Pitcher of the Year and near-consensus First Team All-American stands at 6'3" and 192 pounds.

The San Francisco Giants have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal with veteran outfielder Mitch Haniger, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

According to that report, "Signing Haniger does not take the Giants out of the running for Aaron Judge. They have been pursuing both throughout free agency."

Haniger, 31, will give the Giants an instant dose of power. While he only played in 57 games last year due to back and ankle injuries and a bout with COVID-19, he still managed 11 homers and 34 RBI for the Seattle Mariners.

A healthy Haniger was excellent in 2021, hitting .253 with 39 dingers, 100 RBI, 110 runs and a .804 OPS in 157 contests. The 2018 All-Star has dealt with serious injury issues in his career, however, as a ruptured testicle and sports hernia cost him half the 2019 season and the full 2020 campaign.

But the 2021 version of Haniger, alongside the potential addition of Judge, would immediately give the Giants a ton of pop in the middle of the order. Last season, Joc Pederson led the team in both homers (23) and slugging percentage (.521), while Wilmer Flores topped the club in RBI (71).

For the moment, the reporting surrounding Judge is that he'll choose between the only team he's played for in his MLB career, the New York Yankees, and his favorite team from his childhood, the Giants.

Giants are in with a big offer to Judge — believed to be $360M neighborhood — but the assumption/belief among rivals is that the Yankees remain favorites. Yankees are hopeful but say they still don’t know.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2022

The Giants still, of course, are trying to sign Aaron Judge, just like the #Yankees.
Both teams insist that no decision has been made. https://t.co/nCIkX1SrE2

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 7, 2022

"There are those in the industry who believe that he already has in hand that nine-year offer we've been talking about for a while." 👀@jonmorosi has the latest news on Aaron Judge's market. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/WcCqJT0gRI

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2022

Judge, 30, is the crown jewel of free agency after an AL MVP season that saw him hit .311 with 62 homers, 131 RBI, 133 runs and an eye-popping 1.111 OPS. He basically willed the Yankees into the postseason, and his loss would be devastating for New York.

His addition would be franchise-altering for the Giants, a team that won three World Series titles between the 2010-14 seasons but has made the playoffs just twice since.

One domino has fallen for San Francisco in its efforts to improve the lineup. All eyes now turn to Judge.

The Los Angeles Angels are hoping to have new ownership in place by the start of the 2023 season.

"The point at which people actually see financial information is an important step forward in the process," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters on Tuesday at the winter meetings. "My understanding is that the club would like to have the sale resolved before Opening Day. Whether that happens I think depends in part on the bidding process and how quickly you can get documents done."

In August, longtime owner Arte Moreno and the franchise announced that he was investigating a possible sale of the team:

Today, Angels Baseball announced that the Organization has initiated a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the team. pic.twitter.com/ZdQb34V4Ns

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 23, 2022

Moreno, 76, has owned the Angels since 2003. Under his watch, the team has reached the postseason six times and won just two playoff series. They have now gone eight straight seasons without a postseason berth despite having one of the game's biggest stars, Mike Trout, and more recently, 2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani.

His ownership has been marked by several controversies and some ill-advised, high-profile signings that failed to pan out. It has also been marked by seven straight losing seasons after a promising start to his ownership, which included five AL West divisional titles in seven years.

Moreno, to his credit, wasn't shy about spending money. The players he's given the green light to spend that money on have largely been the issue.

"The infrastructure needs to be improved. There's a lot of things that need to be improved there," former manager Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times in August regarding the Angels' organization. "[Trout and Ohtani] can't do it alone, obviously. It's the non-sexy stuff that has to get better. It's not just bright, shiny objects—they have that."

"They need to do the infrastructure better in order to get to where we had been in the past," he continued. "That was my goal, to get the Angels back to where we had been in the past. That was it. Nothing but pure intentions. I was an Angel. They had every ounce of me. And now that's done."

Perhaps by Opening Day, the Moreno era will be done as well.

Major League Baseball reportedly used baseballs with three different weights during the 2022 season despite Commissioner Rob Manfred claiming the league eradicated the ball-discrepancy issues.

Bradford William Davis of Insider obtained research by astrophysicist Dr. Meredith Wills indicating MLB continued to use "juiced" baseballs that were supposed to go out of circulation. Manfred claimed only the lighter "dead" balls were used during the 2022 season in July, chalking up last season's discrepancies to COVID-19 and errors in production.

"Every baseball that's in use in '22 was produced under the new manufacturing process, and in fact, the process has resulted in a more consistent baseball," Manfred said in July.

Willis' research shows that not only did MLB continue using two different balls in 2022, there was also a third. Dubbed the "goldilocks" ball by the Insider report, this third ball was somewhere in between the "juiced" and "dead" balls.

The weight of baseballs has a direct correlation in their exit velocity and ability to carry in the air. Heavier, "juiced" balls fly farther, creating more home runs, while lighter, "dead" balls carry for a shorter distance.

Every baseball obtained by Insider fell within the legal parameters of the MLB rulebook. In total, Willis studied 204 baseballs obtained from 22 different ballparks.

While it's worth noting MLB says baseballs are randomly distributed, Willis' research found the "goldilocks" balls were used throughout the postseason, World Series and All-Star Game festivities. The only regular-season games where Willis found "goldilocks" balls were New York Yankees games.

MLB released a statement denouncing Willis' research, saying the report is "wholly inaccurate and just plain wrong."

"The 2022 MLB season exclusively used a single ball utilizing the manufacturing process change announced prior to the 2021 season, and all baseballs were well within MLB's specifications," the statement read. "Multiple independent scientific experts have found no evidence of different ball designs. To the contrary, the data show the expected normal manufacturing variation of a handmade natural product."

Ball manufacturer Rawlings also said the research "has no basis in fact."

Inconsistencies with baseballs have long been a source of frustration for pitchers, who have cast blame on MLB officials for their indifference.

"MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs, and they're bad," New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt in April. "Everyone knows it. Every pitcher in the league knows it. They're bad. [MLB] doesn't give a damn about it. We've told them our problems with [the baseballs]. They don't care."

It's worth noting that MLB began its 2022 season with a historic scoring drought before things leveled off as the season progressed.

Free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts is reportedly in line for quite the payday this offseason.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, some agents believe he will make between $180 and $200 million when he eventually signs with a team.

The report comes after the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to an 11-year, $300 million contract with shortstop Trea Turner on Monday, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan. While that would mean more total money for Turner, it is also spread over the course of 11 seasons.

Bogaerts, 30, will likely sign a shorter-length deal with a higher or similar annual payday.

There is also a question regarding whether he will move to third base after he agrees to a deal with a team. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the Chicago Cubs could sign Dansby Swanson and Bogaerts and then ask the latter to shift to third base.

Considering Chicago is coming off two straight losing seasons despite playing in a major market, it is surely looking to bolster its overall roster this offseason. This scenario would allow it to address multiple needs, shift Nico Hoerner to second base and then perhaps focus on adding a center fielder, catcher or starting pitcher.

As for Bogaerts, it comes as no surprise he will command such a notable contract.

His resume includes two World Series titles, four All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger Awards from his 10 years on the Boston Red Sox. He showed no signs of slowing last season while slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI.

Last season marked the fifth straight in which he finished in the top 20 in American League MVP voting, underscoring his overall consistency ahead of free agency.

The shortstop market is one of the biggest focuses of the entire MLB offseason considering Turner, Bogaerts, Swanson and Carlos Correa were all available. Turner was the first domino to fall, and Bogaerts may be the next.