Baseball Wiretap

Pete Alonso 'Not Particularly Thinking About' Free Agency

May 8, 2024 8:17 AM

Pete Alonso is in what could be his final season with the New York Mets.

The first baseman, 29, is hitting .212/.297/.445 with nine home runs in 155 plate appearances this season.

A few weeks ago, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns admitted Alonso reaching free agency is "the most likely outcome." The two sides have reportedly had talks on an extension over the years.

"I'm not particularly thinking about that right now," Alonso said.

"I love the city I play in. I consider myself a New Yorker," he added. "I have a great relationship with guys on the team obviously. And I think I have a great relationship with people in the front office and Steve as well. We'll see what happens this winter. It's a big question mark. For me, right now, I'm just focusing on doing what I can to help us win every day."

Mike Axisa/CBS Sports

Tags: New York Mets, Free Agent Rumor, Misc Rumor

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MLB: Don't Push Kids To Drop Out To Evade Draft

May 8, 2024 8:10 AM

Major League Baseball has sent a warning to teams about encouraging players subject to the MLB draft to withdraw from high school baseball to become eligible to sign as international players.

An MLB spokesman declined comment.

The key section of the memo sent to teams Monday and obtained by ESPN reads: "It has come to our attention that Clubs have been encouraging amateur players in the United States to withdraw from, or otherwise refrain from playing, high school baseball in the United States and/or Canada, in order to try to establish residency in a foreign country, in an effort to make themselves eligible to sign under the International Amateur Talent System instead of the Rule 4 Draft."

In the memo, the league clarified the rules around eligibility and what rules teams were breaking by encouraging players to change their eligibility. The memo says that encouraging players to make this change "shall be subject to significant penalties, including, but not limited to, the denial of player selection rights under the [MLB draft] or loss of benefits under the International Amateur Talent System."

Kiley McDaniel/ESPN

Tags: Draft, Misc Rumor

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Phillies Acquire Tyler Gilbert From Reds

May 8, 2024 8:25 AM

The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired left-hander Tyler Gilbert from the Cincinnati Reds, according to a report.

The report seems to indicate that the Reds will receive cash considerations in return.

Gilbert wasn't on the Reds' 40-man roster and therefore won't need a roster spot with the Phillies.

Gilbert, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason.

Matt Gelb/The Athletic

Tags: Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Misc Rumor, Official Trade

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Cardinals' Willson Contreras Hit By Swing, Fractures Forearm

May 8, 2024 8:14 AM

Willson Contreras broke his left forearm when he was hit by a swing during the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-5 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

The catcher told reporters he will need surgery and miss at least six weeks.

"So right now I mean, I'm in pain pretty good, but I'm really upset missing," Contreras said. "I know that it's going to be tough for me to watch the games and not out there with the guys, but I'm going to do my best to stay present, pick each other up and cheer for them because that's the best thing I can do."

Contreras got hurt with J.D. Martinez at the plate in the second inning. After he was tagged by Martinez's swing, the catcher tumbled over in obvious pain and then jogged away before sitting down while he was examined by the Cardinals' athletic training staff.

"I hit meat," Martinez said. "I felt like I hit meat. I didn't hit like just like a glove where you kind of just point back to catcher, it was just solid. I was like, dude, I hit him good. ... I felt terrible."

Associated Press

Tags: St. Louis Cardinals, Injury, Misc Rumor

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Blue Jays, Aaron Sanchez Agree To Minor League Deal

May 7, 2024 8:27 AM

The Toronto Blue Jays have reached an agreement with Aaron Sanchez on a Minor League deal, according to a report.

Sanchez returns to the club that drafted him with the 34th overall pick in 2010.

The 31-year-old spent last season in Triple-A between the Minnesota and Arizona systems.

Jamie Campbell/Sportsnet

Tags: Toronto Blue Jays, Free Agent Rumor, Misc Rumor, Signing

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Rob Manfred: MLB 'Dragged' Into Legalized Sports Betting

May 7, 2024 8:20 AM

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was asked Monday if the league has decided to shift its stances toward gambling in the wake of Shohei Ohtani's interpreter scandal.

Specifically, prop bets are an area of concern, where fans can bet on individual outcomes from specific events, like a single at-bat.

"We've been on prop bets from the very beginning. When we lobby in states, there's always certain types of bets that we have lobbied against -- I mean, the first pitch of the game, we really don't want that available as a prop bet," Manfred said. 

In the Ohtani scandal, Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter, was making the illegal bets, Manfred reminded the room: "We haven't had a player that was involved."

"When you have problems in our sport or in other sports, it makes you refocus your efforts but we really do think that our integrity program -- in terms of the monitoring and data available to us -- protect the sport," he said. 

MLB has employed a full-time integrity and compliance team for years. Players are allowed to gamble legally on other sports, but are not permitted to gamble on any diamond sports. 

Manfred also offered up a curious quote regarding legalized MLB gambling. 

"We were kind of dragged into legalized sports betting as a litigant in a case that ended up in the Supreme Court," he said. "Having said that, I recognize -- probably better today than when we were involved in that litigation -- that one of the advantages of legalization is it's a heck of a lot easier to monitor what's going on than it is with an illegal operation." 

Matt Snyder/CBS Sports

Tags: Misc Rumor

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Dodgers Place Joe Kelly On IL With Posterior Strain

May 7, 2024 8:17 AM

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed reliever Joe Kelly on the injured list with a posterior strain in his right, throwing shoulder.

He joins relievers Ryan Brasier and Evan Phillips on the IL, all of whom have suffered their injuries over the past six days.

Kelly, 35, has a 4.73 ERA in 15 appearances this season and was last used to record the final out of the seventh inning in Sunday's win over the Atlanta Braves. 

Alden Gonzalez/ESPN

Tags: Los Angeles Dodgers, Injury, Misc Rumor

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Dylan Cease: Final Season With White Sox 'Wasn't Enjoyable'

May 7, 2024 8:11 AM

Dylan Cease, who was traded to the San Diego Padres in March, has opened up about his final season with the Chicago White Sox.

Cease said his final year with the White Sox "wasn't enjoyable in really any way."

"It's definitely really exciting coming to the ballpark," the right-hander said. "Again with the Sox though, I mean, I really felt like we had that talent. We just didn't put it together."

Cease had a 4.58 ERA in a career-high 33 starts last year, while the White Sox struggled to a 61-101 record.

"I still think that in the minds of a lot of people we had a really good chance to compete," Cease said. "I think we feel like we took a chance to compete and we just didn't put it together. We had a really bad year and it obviously kind of led to the need to kind of redo everything."

Associated Press

Tags: Chicago White Sox, Misc Rumor

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Walker Buehler 'Confident' After Fastball Touches 98 MPH In Return

May 7, 2024 8:06 AM

Walker Buehler took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night for the first time in nearly two years.

The right-hander came away from the outing confident despite allowing three runs on six hits over four innings against the Miami Marlins.

Buehler averaged 96 mph with his fastball and reached 97 and 98 mph on a handful of occasions.

"I think I could be OK if I was 92-94 [mph]; I think I'm confident that way," Buehler said. "But it helps a lot if I can throw 96 or 97. I'm very confident in my ability to do a lot of things with the ball. It's just a lot easier for me to do it the way that I know how to do it. The idea that I can get pretty close to what I used to do, it makes it a little more attainable."

Alden Gonzalez/ESPN

Tags: Los Angeles Dodgers, Misc Rumor

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Cleveland To Call Up Top Prospect Kyle Manzardo

May 6, 2024 7:59 AM

The Cleveland Guardians are expected to call up top prospect Kyle Manzardo, according to a report.

The Guardians acquired Manzardo from the Tampa Bay Rays at least year's trade deadline in exchange for Aaron Civale.

A second-round pick out of Washington State, Manzardo has batted .303/.375/.642 for Triple-A Columbus with nine homers and 10 doubles in 29 games. 

Mandy Bell/MLB

Tags: Cleveland Indians, Misc Rumor

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Phillies Off To Best Start Since 1995

Todd Zolecki/MLB

Rays' Ryan Pepiot Leaves Start After Getting Hit By 107.5 MPH Liner

ESPN

AL Batting Leader Steven Kwan Headed To IL

ESPN

Cubs' Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki Could Be Back Next Week

ESPN.com

Gerrit Cole 'Fired Up' After Throwing Off Mound

ESPN.com

Trea Turner To Miss Six Weeks With Hamstring Strain

ESPN.com

Luis Arraez Collects Four Hits In Padres Debut

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Aaron Judge Ejected For First Time

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Gerrit Cole To Throw Off Mound Saturday

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Mike Trout Undergoes Knee Surgery, To Begin Rehab

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Padres Nearing Deal For Marlins' Luis Arraez

ESPN.com

Cubs' Justin Steele About Ready To Return

ESPN.com

MLB, Roku In Talks On Sunday Morning Broadcasts

Andrew Marchand/The Athletic

Yankees Could Flip Aaron Judge, Juan Soto In Batting Order

Chris Kirschner/The Athletic

MLB Extends Draft League Through 2030 Season

Associated Press

Bally Sports Channels Pulled Off Air By Comcast

Alden Gonzalez/ESPN

Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi Exits With Groin Tightness

Associated Press

Julio Urias Pleads No Contest To Battery

Alden Gonzalez/ESPN

D-Backs Acquire Matt Bowman From Twins

ESPN.com

Walker Buehler Expected To Return To Dodgers On Monday

ESPN