Hal Steinbrenner wants his relationship with Juan Soto to be similar to his friendship with Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, and the New York Yankees owner emphasized the team’s commitment to continually improve its roster if the star free-agent outfielder stays in the Bronx.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is a finalist for his first National League MVP award after winning the AL honor twice, joined among the top three in NL voting by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is bothered a little by criticism of his team’s defense from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly and defended New York’s fielding following a World Series of mistakes and mental errors.

Agent Scott Boras indicated Juan Soto may be seeking to top Shohei Ohtani’s record $700 million contract because he is three years younger than the Japanese two-way star was when he reached his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames are among 13 free agents who have received $21.05 million qualifying offers from their former teams.

The Los Angeles Dodgers spent big last offseason before winning big this postseason, taking home a World Series title after committing more than $1 billion on players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández.

Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried, first baseman Pete Alonso, third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames were among 136 players who became free agents.

Instead of a World Series championship film, the New York Yankees season ended in a comedy of errors that left them to pursue Juan Soto without a title glow.

Just when it appeared Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees were right back in this World Series, they all but gave away the trophy.

Game 5 of the World Series was quite a roller coaster for Aaron Judge.

Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees need to start hitting if they’re going to climb back into this World Series.

Aaron Judge is sinking ever deeper into a gruesome postseason slump, and the New York Yankees’ championship chances are fading right along with him.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings, Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight night and the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three early longballs off Carlos Rodón to beat the New York Yankees 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in the World Series.

In the beginning, the World Series matchup of the Dodgers against the Yankees was a kind of charming intra-city showdown of two New York City boroughs, blue collar Brooklyn, equipped with a neighborhood called Gravesend, against the pretentious Bronx, with the fancy Grand Concourse.

Back at Dodger Stadium, Juan Soto is in the spotlight as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in the World Series for the first time in 43 years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will play Major League Baseball's starriest World Series in decades.

These Yankees have minted a new vibe going into their first World Series since 2009.

Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.

Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase gave up two runs in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees moved closer to another World Series, beating the Guardians 8-6 to take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ season of World Series championship expectations ended with a thud against the New York Mets in the NL Division Series.

Juan Soto homered during New York’s three-run third inning, Carlos Rodón got his first postseason win and the Yankees took advantage of Cleveland’s wildness in a 5-2 victory in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

“Big Spender” is the theme music for baseball’s final four.

Gerrit Cole held the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back to the American League Championship Series.

Yankees slugger Juan Soto says he is focused solely on helping New York win the World Series, and not thinking at all about a potentially lucrative offseason.

Two games into this postseason, those big-money deals for Aaron Judge and Carlos Rodón haven’t paid any October dividends for the New York Yankees.

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has put up some of the best regular season numbers in baseball history over the past six months.

Shohei Ohtani topped Major League Baseball jersey sales for the second straight season while becoming the first player to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same year.

Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes ended an impressive rookie season by retiring six hitters in order, including strikeouts of New York stars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in his Yankee Stadium debut.

Following a one-year absence, the New York Yankees are back in the playoffs.

Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Austin Wells hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night and widened their lead in the AL East.

The Washington Nationals plan to call up outfielder Dylan Crews, the No. 3 prospect in Major League Baseball.

Pinch-hitter Lane Thomas delivered a tiebreaking double to spark a six-run 12th inning, and the Cleveland Guardians outlasted the New York Yankees 9-5 in the longest major league game this season.

Parker Meadows set off fireworks with a 10th-inning single that brought hundreds of Little Leaguers to their feet and scored Zach McKinstry on a headfirst slide to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball Little League Classic.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 300th homer, reaching that milestone faster than any other player when he connected against the Chicago White Sox during a 10-2 victory.

Juan Soto has hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, connecting in three consecutive at-bats for the New York Yankees against the Chicago White Sox.

Looking to spark a struggling club, the New York Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins for three minor leaguers: catcher Agustín Ramírez, infielder Jared Serna and infielder Abrahan Ramírez.

Juan Soto has come and gone.

The oddsmakers say Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the front-runners for baseball’s MVP awards.

Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

Paul Skenes became the fifth rookie to start an All-Star Game, retiring Steven Kwan, Gunnar Henderson and Aaron Judge for the National League in a hitless first inning.

The Baltimore Orioles prevailed in a wild ninth inning in which each closer allowed three runs.

Aaron Judge has set a franchise record for the New York Yankees on Saturday with his 34th home run before the All-Star break.

Shohei Ohtani remained the top-selling jersey during the first half of the season, followed by Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge.

Pete Alonso will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time.

Paul Skenes’ first All-Star selection was as speedy as his fastball.

Ben Rice became the first Yankees rookie to homer three times in a game and drove in seven runs as New York snapped a four-game slide with a 14-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Masataka Yoshida hit a tying, two-run homer off Clay Holmes with two outs in the ninth inning, Ceddane Rafaela homered against Tommy Kahnle leading off the 10th and the Boston Red stunned New York 5-3 and sent the Yankees to their 14th loss in 18 games.

Shohei Ohtani has become the first player elected to start at designated hitter in four straight All-Star Games.

Juan Soto has been on baseball cards with Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout and other big stars.

Shohei Ohtani won American League MVP honors unanimously twice in the past three years.

Trent Grisham hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, Aaron Judge and Oswaldo Cabrera also went deep and the New York Yankees rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers to prevent a three-game sweep in a series billed as a possible World Series preview.

Teoscar Hernández homered twice and drove in six runs, including a grand slam that helped power the Los Angeles Dodgers past the New York Yankees 11-3 for their second consecutive victory in this marquee matchup.

Teoscar Hernández broke up a scoreless game with a two-run double in the 11th inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Yankees 2-1 to stop New York’s season-best eight-game winning streak in a matchup viewed as a possible World Series preview.

Yankees slugger Juan Soto has elbow inflammation and was not in the starting lineup for the first time this season when New York opened a high-profile series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yankees slugger Juan Soto was removed from a game against the Minnesota Twins with left forearm discomfort.

The Atlanta Braves were already in a bit of a hole in the NL East before they got the type of news every team dreads.

Juan Soto homered twice, including a go-ahead drive in a four-run ninth inning against All-Star closer Camilo Doval, and the New York Yankees rallied past the San Francisco Giants 7-5.

The Yankees had the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Angels when they were done in by an unconventional double play.

Juan Soto hit a three-run homer and Cody Poteet pitched six solid innings in his debut for New York as the Yankees won 8-2 to sweep a doubleheader over the Cleveland Guardians and continue one of the strongest starts in their storied history.

Juan Soto soaked in the fan fervor on his first day in pinstripes and wound up flinging his bat and helmet in response to his futility.

Pinch-hitter Ernie Clement had a tiebreaking solo home run off Caleb Ferguson leading off the seventh inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 3-0 in New York’s home opener.

The New York Yankees opened 2024 with a four-game sweep at Houston, and their new star outfielder made big plays the whole way.

After the Dodgers and Padres soft-launched the 2024 MLB season with a two-game series in South Korea last week, the rest of the league was scheduled to start play Thursday.

There will be no two-way stars like Shohei Ohtani in baseball's next free agency class, and almost certainly not deals like his record-shattering $700 million over 10 years.

The San Diego Padres have acquired right-hander Dylan Cease in a trade with the Chicago White Sox for reliever Steven Wilson and three prospects: right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel Zavala.

Aaron Judge’s big toe is more than a footnote for the New York Yankees.

Juan Soto gave some new meaning to pride of the Yankees.

Money can buy lots of things, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a pair of Japanese superstars that set the Los Angeles Dodgers back more than $1 billion.

Juan Soto and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $31 million, one-year contract that broke Shohei Ohtani’s record for an arbitration-eligible player.

Juan Soto and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $31 million, one-year contract, breaking Shohei Ohtani’s record for an arbitration-eligible player.

In his first public comments since the Yankees acquired him from San Diego, three-time All-Star Juan Soto deflected questions about a possible long-term deal with the Yankees.

Juan Soto’s arrival is a sign the New York Yankees want stars to help them rebound from their worst season in three decades.

The New York Yankees have acquired All-Star slugger Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the cost-cutting San Diego Padres.

Juan Soto found a new home with the New York Yankees as the winter meetings ended, while Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were still up for grabs as team officials headed home with the bulk of their business yet to be done.

The New York Yankees have made a rare trade with the rival Boston Red Sox, acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo for right-handers Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.

Big-name free agents appear in no hurry to strike deals at the winter meetings, biding time until Shohei Ohtani potentially breaks the record for richest contract set 4 1/2 years ago by Mike Trout.

Manager Bob Melvin and general manager A.

San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler underwent an unspecified medical procedure last month and is "on the road to recovery” according to a statement posted on the team’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Washington Nationals are giving Mike Rizzo a chance to finish what he started as the team’s longtime president of baseball operations and general manager.

Juan Soto hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the San Diego Padres rallied from an early five-run deficit for an 11-8 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez has agreed to a new multiyear contract with the club he led to the 2019 World Series championship.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr, joined Vladimir Sr. to become the first father-son duo to win the All-Star Home Run Derby, beating Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena 25-23 in the final round.

The Home Run Derby has evolved into a made-for-TV-spectacle at a time where very little else is going on in the sports world.

Shohei Ohtani already knows he is headed to the All-Star Game in two weeks.

This year’s Home Run Derby now has a hometown favorite.

Mike Yastrzemski splashed a game-ending three-run homer into McCovey Cove in the 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants rallied past the San Diego Padres 7-4 for their season-best eighth straight victory.

Mookie Betts hit a game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning and James Outman hit a two-run shot in the 10th to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres.

Manny Machado put San Diego ahead in the seventh inning with his second homer and the 11th of the night, and the San Diego Padres outslugged the San Francisco Giants 16-11 in Major League Baseball’s first game in Mexico City.

El Niño is coming and it could be quite the storm.

Pinch-hitter David Dahl and Kim Ha-seong hit consecutive home runs opening the bottom of the ninth inning, and the San Diego Padres stunned the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4.

MacKenzie Gore made his regular-season debut for the Nationals and limited the Braves to one run across 5 1/3 innings in Washington’s 4-1 win over Atlanta.

Manny Machado, Nelson Cruz and the San Diego Padres expect to be big bashers in the batter’s box this season.

All-Star slugger Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres finalized a $350 million, 11-year contract, the fourth-largest in baseball history.

Manny Machado continues to be a very rich man.

There were some familiar faces in new places as teams picked up the pace on the second day of spring training.

Just hours after confetti fell on the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona, the sports spotlight shifted to baseball as pitchers and catchers who will play in the World Baseball Classic began reporting to spring training complexes throughout the Phoenix area and in Florida.

A total of 170 major league players agreed to contracts in the hours before Friday night’s arbitration deadline to exchange proposed salaries with teams, and just one reached a multiyear deal: Minnesota right-hander Chris Paddack.

Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached big-money agreements on one-year contracts as more than 100 players avoided salary arbitration with deals and 33 exchanged proposed figures with their teams.

Xander Bogaerts’ $280 million, 11-year contact with the San Diego Padres has been finalized after the All-Star shortstop passed his physical.