Diamond Sports Group fails to pay Padres, loses broadcast rights

Diamond Sports Group has decided not to pay the San Diego Padres their latest rights fee, a monumental development that will revert the team’s broadcasting rights to Major League Baseball and establish precedent for an uncertain, rapidly evolving landscape.

Diamond, the Sinclair subsidiary that operates under the name Bally Sports, skipped its payment to the Padres a couple of weeks ago and had until the end of its grace period on Tuesday to make the team whole and maintain their long-term agreement. Choosing not to meant Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins was the last Padres game under the Bally Sports umbrella. Moving forward—starting Wednesday, continuing through the end of the season and resuming in perpetuity—MLB will air ...

Red Sox will host first scheduled doubleheader since 1978 this Sat.; here’s why

But scheduled doubleheaders over the course of a normal, 162-game schedule? Those are true rarities. In fact, research by the Red Sox indicates that it’s been 45 seasons since the team last had a doubleheader planned from the start of the season. The last scheduled doubleheader took place at Fenway on Aug. 30, 1978 against the Toronto Blue Jays. That was the fourth of four doubleheaders at Fenway that historic season.

On Saturday, that’s going to change, however, when the Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays in a day-night, separate-admission doubleheader at Fenway. The first game will begin at 1:10 p.m, with the second getting underway at 6:10 p.m. It’s an experimental move, one that two other franchises (Philadelphia and Colorado) are ...

It’s Not Your Imagination: A Lot of Relievers Are Really Good Now

First, let’s look at velocity. Over half of the pitchers on the list sit above the major league average fastball speed of 93.8 mph. It’s not a guarantee that each of them will hold that velo throughout their careers, but an impressive number meet a minimum threshold to be above average by big league standards. Ten can reach back for triple digits, and that doesn’t even include the guys in the higher FV tiers. Of the 81 plus or better pitches among the 35+ FV guys, about half are fastballs, but an impressive 39 are breaking balls, 31 of which are sliders. Pitchers throw about twice as many sliders as they did when the pitch tracking era began in 2008, and the fact that so many pitchers can throw one at a high level is certainly a ...

Economic boost or big business hand-out? Nevada lawmakers consider A’s stadium financing

The A’s plan would authorize up to $380 million in public assistance for the potential $1.5 billion retractable-roof stadium in a special tax district, mainly through $180 million in state transferable tax credits and $120 million in bonds mostly from Clark County. The county also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs. The proposal would not directly raise taxes.

Presenters projected $900 million in annual construction wages and $17 million in tax revenue from operations each year in a study run by firms including Goldman Sachs, and funded by the Athletics. They said the state’s general fund would increase from the project.

“This is a good investment,” said Steve Hill, president of the Las Vegas ...

New Top 200 Draft Prospects list: Execs rank the first five

Top 10:
1. Dylan Crews, OF, LSU
2. Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU
3. Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida
4. Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick (N.C.) HS
5. Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) HS
6. Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee
7. Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon
8. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest
9. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest (Fla.) HS
10. Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Complete list »

But it was far from universal. Skenes did receive seven first-place votes. Much like with his teammate, evaluators talked about how Skenes has the chance to be an impact player, and in a hurry.

“Skenes’ stuff can play immediately,” an AL scouting director said.

“It’s a generational college pitcher in Skenes,” an NL national crosschecker said. “Crews’ ...

Angels promote Ben Joyce, 2022 draft pick with triple-digit fastball velocity, to majors for MLB debut

The Los Angeles Angels have promoted right-handed reliever Ben Joyce from Double-A to the majors, the team announced Sunday. Joyce will replace veteran lefty Matt Moore on the active roster after Moore suffered a strained oblique.

Joyce, 22, was selected by the Angels in the third round of the 2022 draft. He had gained national acclaim, or at least as much as a collegiate reliever can, during his time at Tennessee by pumping triple-digit-velocity heaters. Here’s what CBS Sports wrote about him last summer, all the while noting that he “would seem to be one of the safest bets to become the first player from this class to reach the majors.”

Joyce has a monster fastball and slider, with 43 of the former checking in at 100 mph or above ...

Nobody told this stolen base savant that it’s not 1980 anymore

Esteury Ruiz was one of five players acquired by the A’s in the three-team deal that sent catcher Sean Murphy to the Braves. Of the eight players involved in that blockbuster, the 24-year-old Ruiz, coming off a season in which he led all of Minor League Baseball with a combined 85 stolen bases in 114 games, was easily one of the most intriguing. And while he was initially lost in Murphy’s red-hot start, Ruiz has since carved out a niche for himself in his first full Major League season, currently leading baseball with 27 stolen bases through 55 games, which would put him on pace for … 79.5. Sounds promising.

While the number in and of itself is impressive, it’s the path he has taken to 27 that really stands out. Through his first ...

Athletics designate 1B Jesus Aguilar amid 1-for-20 skid

The Oakland Athletics designated first baseman Jesus Aguilar for assignment on Monday.

Aguilar, 32, is batting .221 with five home runs and nine RBIs in 36 games this season, his first in Oakland. He was 1-for-20 in his past seven games.

Aguilar is a career .253 hitter with 114 home runs and 402 RBIs in 10 seasons with six teams. He was an All-Star in 2018 with Milwaukee, slugging a career-high 35 home runs and driving in a career-best 108 runs.

Brewers designate struggling slugger Luke Voit for assignment

Luke Voit was designated for assignment on Monday by the Milwaukee Brewers, who owe the former home run champion a little more than $1.3 million for the remainder his of contract.

The first baseman hit .221 with a .284 on-base percentage, .265 slugging percentage, zero homers and four RBIs in 22 games. He had just three extra-base hits, all doubles, in 74 plate appearances.

Voit, 32, hadn’t played for the Brewers since May 13. He went on the injured list two days later with a neck issue and had been hitting .259 with a .444 on-base percentage, one homer and eight RBIs in eight games during a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Nashville.

2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament Bracket

The NCAA regionals will take place from June 2-June 5 in a double-elimination tournament. The regionals winners will advance to the super regionals, which will run from June 9-June 12. The super regionals are a best-of-3 series. The eight super regionals champions will advance to the College World Series, which begins on June 16.

THE BRACKET ⚾️

➡️ https://t.co/yxf97tkwLE#RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/7AjhvQksxT

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 29, 2023

Black baseball getting an upgrade at the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame officials have embarked on a plan to update their Black baseball exhibit, called Pride and Passion. They have assembled a five-person committee of Negro Leagues historians and baseball experts to guide the expansion, said Jon Shestakofsky, vice president of communication and education for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum….

In its exhibit, the Hall plans to spotlight some of the lesser known players who shaped the Negro Leagues and its forerunners. For every ballplayer of Satchel’s standing, teams suited up complementary talents such as catcher Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe and pitcher Hilton Smith, and boasted forward-thinking owners such as Foster and Gus Greenlee.

Their stories need to be told, just as the ...

Elly De La Cruz is coming soon — and that may leave Jonathan India without a spot

The Reds have a problem with Jonathan India. It’s a good problem, but a problem nonetheless.

The Reds soon may boast too many good infielders, most notably the game’s top prospect, Elly De La Cruz, who is closing in on his major-league debut.

India, 26, was the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year. He’s currently the team’s three-hole hitter, putting together a season much more like his award-winning first year than his injury-riddled sophomore campaign. Beyond that, Reds players and officials consider him the heart and soul of the team.
But in a stunning turn that reflects the acceleration of the Reds’ rebuild and a shift toward perhaps their youngest and most athletic roster ever, India also is in danger of being displaced ...

Red Sox were very close to signing Jose Abreu last Nov., but dodged a bullet

Late last November, according to an industry source, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom went to sleep believing the Red Sox had an agreement in principle with Abreu, with only some minor contractual matters to be completed. But when Bloom awoke, he was greeted with the news that Abreu had spurned the Sox and signed a three-year, $58.5 million deal with the Astros. Bloom was informed that the Red Sox would not have the option of revising his offer and the deal was done.

At the time, it seemed like a poor start to the offseason. Now, it seems like the Red Sox got lucky. Abreu has been horrendous with the Astros, with a slash line of .222/.280/259. Incredibly, he did not have a single homer in his first 45 games.

Eventually, the Sox pivoted ...

Former MLB Stars In Upstate NY, Here’s How You Can Meet Them

More than two dozen former Major League Baseball stars are getting together to re-live the glory days sandlot-style.

The annual Hall of Fame Classic returns on Saturday, May 27, at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown featuring a representative of every MLB team. Managing the rosters are non-other than six Baseball Hall of Famers (see below).

We're exactly 24 hours away from the first pitch of the Hall of Fame Classic! Join us in Cooperstown on Saturday for the annual legends game. Tickets are available tomorrow at Doubleday Field. pic.twitter.com/1awQWN0nUp

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) May 26, 2023

Angels To Promote Sam Bachman

The Angels are set to promote pitching prospect Sam Bachman for his Major League debut, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). Bachman, the ninth overall selection in the 2021 draft, will be used out of the bullpen to begin his big league career, Sam Blum of The Athletic adds. Bachman isn’t on the 40-man roster and will need to be added.

The 23-year-old Bachman ranks seventh in the Angels’ system at Baseball America, fifth at MLB.com and fourth at FanGraphs. Scouting reports on the 6’1″ righty tout potent fastball/slider combo, with the heater capable of reaching triple digits and the slider giving him a potentially plus pitch with which to miss bats. Command is the most oft-cited question mark with Bachman, as is often ...

MLB Tells Brewers They Need to Repair American Family Field

Major League Baseball has told the Milwaukee Brewers that they need to repair American Family Field to ensure it remains an MLB-caliber ballpark, “The Dan O’Donnell Show” has learned exclusively. While the league did not give the Brewers an explicit ultimatum, it was made clear that MLB will not allow American Family Field to “deteriorate” as Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (home of the Oakland A’s) has. Last month, the A’s announced a land purchase agreement that will move the team from Oakland to Las Vegas following the 2024 season.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will be in Milwaukee for the Brewers’ game against the San Francisco Giants Thursday as part of a tour of all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. A source familiar with the ...

ESPN Insider: Robo umps in MLB? Inside baseball’s latest ABS experiment

In Triple-A games this season, the day of the week matters. On Tuesdays through Thursdays, the strike zone is adjudicated by Major League Baseball’s automated ball-strike system (ABS), which tracks pitches using a dozen ultra-high-speed cameras and spits out the result into an earpiece worn by the home-plate umpire in less than half a second. Even though Hendriks’ fastball appeared to clip the edge of the zone on the digital rendering of the pitch seen in MLB’s app and on its website, ABS deemed it a ball—and the system, which the league says is accurate to less than one-tenth of an inch, is judge and jury.

The next day, as the Charlotte Knights again hosted the Durham Bulls, another borderline call. Charlotte catcher Evan Skoug snatched ...

Carlos Correa Diagnosed With Plantar Fasciitis And Muscle Strain In Left Foot

Twins shortstop Carlos Correa has been diagnosed with a muscle strain in his left foot arch and plantar fasciitis, per John Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Correa hasn’t yet been placed on the injured list but it seems like that’s still on the table. “I think we get to Friday and some of our decisions might be made for us,” manager Rocco Baldelli says.

Carlos Correa has a muscle strain in his left foot arch and plantar fasciitis. No IL trip right now. “I think we get to Friday and some of our decisions might be made for us,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. #MNTwins

— John Shipley: Tier 3 (@ShipleyMN) May 24, 2023

Spartanburg gets a minor league baseball team, plans downtown stadium

Minor league baseball will return to Spartanburg for the first time in three decades when a Texas Rangers Class A affiliate moves into a new stadium to be built downtown next to the A.C. Hotel.

The Down East Wood Ducks, currently based in Kinston, N.C., will relocate to Spartanburg and could start playing as early as the 2025 season, according to a news release shared with The Post and Courier.

The Rangers recently sold the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings, one of the largest owners of minor-league teams. The company owns another team in South Carolina, the Augusta GreenJackets, which plays in North Augusta. There’s no word whether the Wood Ducks will get a new name.

Cora: Red Sox moving Corey Kluber to bullpen

“We were waiting for Tanner (Houck) to see how he felt after his start,” Cora said. “We’re going to make a change, actually Tanner is going to start on Sunday and Corey is going to go to the bullpen starting on Friday.

“We had that conversation with Corey, very professional, he understands. He signed here to be a starter, but right now he’s struggling and obviously the kids are throwing the ball well, there are a lot of off days coming up. So, we decided to make a change. We were just waiting for Tanner to see how he felt after his start.”

Kluber’s run with Boston has been a mess so far. He’s been hit hard by teams, resulting in a 2-6 record with a 6.26 ERA. The 37-year-old hasn’t pitched in relief during the regular season ...

A’s, Nevada legislators close to finalizing Las Vegas ballpark deal

The Oakland Athletics and state lawmakers are inching closer to a deal that would see up to $380 million in public money go toward the team’s planned $1.5 billion Las Vegas MLB ballpark, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the Review-Journal.

The public contribution would include $180 million from the state in transferable tax credits, of which $90 million would be repaid over time from stadium revenues.

Clark County would contribute $150 million. Of that total, $125 million would come from bonds taken out by the county and repaid from a tax district set up around the proposed Tropicana Las Vegas stadium site. The county also would agree to pay for $25 million in infrastructure improvements to the stadium site.

The total ...

Cubs president Jed Hoyer on bullpen construction: ‘I’ve put Rossy in a tough spot’

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has given his vote of confidence to manager David Ross whenever asked this season. On Tuesday, Hoyer took it a step further.

Fans have voiced plenty of frustration with Ross this season, but the most consistent complaints have revolved around bullpen management.

“I’ve put Rossy in a tough spot to a certain extent,” Hoyer said.

When Hoyer and his front office went about supplementing the bullpen this offseason, they followed a similar script to recent years. Going into 2021 and 2022, the Cubs signed veteran relievers Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, Chris Martin, Mychal Givens and David Robertson, then traded them.

“We’ve, candidly, done a really good job of finding relievers that ...

What happened to the no-hitter? MLB still waiting for its first no-no in pitch-clock era

And Major League Baseball’s sweeping rule changes to stimulate offense – a pitch clock, a ban on defensive shifts, a few less inches from home to first – have had a modest but still profound effect.

Hits per game are up 2% from last year and 2.5% from 2021 and runs scored up 7%. Even the stingiest pitcher might agree that the changes – resulting in a faster, more active game – have been positive.

But so far in 2023, this hitter-friendlier game has helped wash away one of the game’s enduring gems:

The no-hitter.

It’s been almost exactly two years since then-Yankees right-hander Corey Kluber needed just 101 pitches to no-hit the Texas Rangers on May 19, 2021 – the second no-hitter in as many days and the seventh to date ...

The twilight of SF Giants legend Madison Bumgarner is getting even uglier

The last time we checked in on Giants legend Madison Bumgarner, it wasn’t good. The three-time World Series winner had crashed out of baseball, cut by the Diamondbacks after giving up 20 runs in his first 16.2 innings of 2023. It was an ugly ending to his Arizona tenure, which was marked by a general failure to launch. After what looked like the start of a Hall of Fame arc with the Giants, he was largely terrible in Arizona, with a 5.32 ERA over 69 starts since 2020.

He went out in classically red-assed Bumgarnerian fashion, screaming, “Shut the f—k up, you #####, f—k you” at a hitter for the crime of swinging. In short, anyone watching from the outside could see things weren’t going well.

In private, it appears, things were ...

Red Sox: Kenley Jansen calls out MLB for ‘ruining careers’ with pitch clock

Jansen recently made a guest appearance on Audacy’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast and gave his two cents on how the pitch clock rule has thrown its own curveball at pitchers, who are now expected to quickly adjust to a faster game tempo.

Jansen said:

“You’re learning and adjusting right now, especially when you come out there and you’re not throwing strikes. It can get a little challenging. What would you do if there’s no pitch clock there? You learn how to slow down the game, reset your mind, go back out there and attack the zone. That’s the one thing for me, I’m learning how to adjust to that.”

Jansen speaks about his personal experiences as a closer and how he used to take time to reset in later innings to ...

Royals Designate Hunter Dozier For Assignment

The Royals announced Monday that infielder Hunter Dozier, who’s playing out the third season of a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $25MM, has been designated for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to infielder Nicky Lopez, who is returning from the 10-day injured list.

Dozier, 31, was the No. 8 overall selection in the 2013 draft, though that was generally regarded as an underslot deal that allowed them to go over slot to sign lefty Sean Manaea 26 picks later. Dozier was still a well-regarded prospect himself, but he struggled considerably in his first few pro seasons before a breakout showing between Double-A and Triple-A in 2016. He struggled in his first two big league looks in 2016 and 2018 but looked to have a ...

Royals stadium in North Kansas City could replicate Wrigleyville, Northland leaders say

Elected officials north of the Missouri River say conversations are ongoing with the Kansas City Royals about the potential of building the team’s next stadium in North Kansas City.

On Friday afternoon, the mayor of North Kansas City and two Clay County commissioners issued an open letter about their efforts to move the team away from Jackson County.

For months, the Royals have been publicly discussing plans to relocate from Kauffman Stadium to a stadium in or around downtown Kansas City.

The team has spent most of its efforts studying the East Village neighborhood just north of City Hall in the downtown loop. But team leaders recently acknowledged that North Kansas City, a quick drive over the Missouri River, is among the ...

Can the Oakland A’s Catch the ’62 Mets?

Oakland lost at least 120 games in 5.2% of simulations and more than 120 games 3.6% of the time. The Mets only played in 161 games and had a tie; if we call that a .250 winning percentage (rather than counting the tie as a half-win and half-loss), the A’s are overall more incompetent in 2.5% of the simulated seasons, or about one-in-40. Those are slim chances, but not shocking — about the likelihood of a 15-homer hitter knocking out one in any given at-bat. Nobody had their minds blown by Xander Bogaerts or Jurickson Profar homering last year.

But the A’s have a secret weapon: the trade deadline. ZiPS can only evaluate the roster as currently constructed, but there’s at least some chance that Oakland sheds a few of its desirable ...

Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick ‘The Commish’ Hummel dies at 77

Beloved baseball writer Rick Hummel, who captured timeless highlights and countless historic feats with precise, vivid words that will echo alongside those moments forever, died in his sleep early Saturday morning after a short, aggressive illness. He was 77.

Known as “The Commish” at ballparks throughout the country, Hummel covered baseball at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for five decades. In his Hall of Fame career, he dined with Bob Gibson, talked hitting with Stan Musial and helped Muhammad Ali workshop a commencement speech in a Las Vegas hotel room. Hummel was so well-sourced and well-respected that two actual commissioners of Major League Baseball called him by his nickname.

Who Are the Best Sibling Relievers in Baseball History?

The first family on the list is one most of you probably guessed. Todd Worrell was a three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year. Younger brother Tim pitched 14 seasons in the majors himself, including a 38-save campaign with the Giants in 2003.

Alexis Díaz, with fewer than 80 major league innings to his name, is already one of the most valuable second reliever brothers ever. If he has any kind of longevity, he and Edwin should eventually challenge the Worrells for the top spot on the list. Unless they’re caught by the Rogers twins, both of whom are entrenched in the Giants bullpen and will also move up the list by the end of this season at the latest. (I keep having to remind myself that Marlins lefty Trevor Rogers is not a lost third ...