Baseball

1/8/2026 |  What Tarik Skubal's record arbitration case could mean for MLB (ESPN) Major League Baseball's salary arbitration system occupies a fascinating space in the sport's larger labor landscape. Starting this morning, agents will discuss with teams the salaries of around 170 players for the 2026 season. The formal deadline to reach a deal is 1 p.m. ET. The real deadline is 8 p.m. Most will come to an agreement. Some will not. Those players will file a number they want to be paid.

1/8/2026 |  Full Swing Forms Distribution Partnership with Marucci Sports (USA TODAY) Full Swing reached an agreement for Marucci Sports to serve as the exclusive sales distribution partner for its new Full Swing Kit launch monitor for baseball.
The Kit for baseball represents Full Swing’s official expansion beyond golf. The equipment provides hitting metrics, including exit velocity, launch angle, spin rate, and ball-flight data, similar to devices installed in Major League Baseball stadiums for professional players.

1/8/2026 |  MLB Launches Leaguewide Push for America’s 250th Anniversary (Front Office Sports) Major League Baseball has long enjoyed its sport being known as the national pastime. Now it’s leaning in to that even more during the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
On Thursday, the league began what will be a yearlong set of commemorations to celebrate the semiquincentennial of the nation’s founding. 

1/7/2026 |  How the Blue Jays Logo Sealed $60M Deal for Japan's Kazuma Okamoto (Fox Sports) Before he moved from Japan to the big leagues, Kazuma Okamoto put the logos of all 30 MLB teams in front of his daughter and asked which one she liked most.
Her choice, just like his, was the Toronto Blue Jays.
The defending AL champion Blue Jays introduced their newest signing at a press conference Tuesday, two days after finalizing a four-year, $60 million contract with the 29-year-old corner infielder.

1/5/2026 |  Houston Astros Bet $54 Million on Tatsuya Imai in Risky Move (DEADSPIN) Facing a deadline to return to his team in Japan, free-agent right-hander Tatsuya Imai reportedly agreed Thursday to a three-year, $54 million contract with the Houston Astros.
It's a shorter deal in length, by perhaps half, than many analysts predicted for Imai when free agency opened after the World Series. It could end up being much shorter, with Imai negotiating opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.