Ex-Yankees utility player signs deal to play in Japan

The New York Mets will have many evaluators arriving in Port St. Lucie, Florida, when pitchers and catchers report on February 14th. The front office will be evaluating all aspects of the team to find the best 26-man roster for opening day in March. The scouts will travel back and forth from the major and minor league complexes, grading the Mets'…

It was quite surprising to see the Houston Astros sign Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract last week. But if the Astros ink the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner to a mega-deal before Opening Day, that might actually cross the threshold from surprising to shocking. Bleacher Report's Surprise Landing Spots for Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell…

The Yankees announced Sunday that they have released Colten Brewer and that the right-handed reliever will join a team in Japan. According to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, that organization is the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. BUY MLB TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER This offseason, Brewer had been in camp with the Rays on a…

The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season is in its infancy, and the Houston Astros have not gotten off to the best of starts, but the latest MLB betting odds have the Astros as the favorites to retain baseball's coveted World Series. The Astros have reached the World Series four times from 2017 to the present, winning two titles,…

Opening Day is right around the corner, which means it's time for bettors to begin thinking about which teams they believe have the best chance to capture the World Series title in 2023 before the odds begin to shift. The Houston Astros enter the 2023 Major League Baseball campaign as the defending champions, and they open this season as the…

The Astros are on the midst of creating a dynasty in Houston. They won the American League pennant in 2021 and in 2022, capping it off with a World Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Their window is far from closing, they have one of the deepest lineups in baseball and have some of the best young arms in the game. Houston isn't going…

On March 30, the Chicago White Sox will travel south to take on the Houston Astros in the Lone Star State. The action is set to kick off at 6:08 pm at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Excellence and mediocrity are two terms that can be used to describe the 2022 season for the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox, respectively. However, new seasons…

Spring Training is already underway and Opening Day is less than a month away. Normally, the Yankees are among the MLB teams with the highest payroll, but in 2023, they aren't even the highest payroll in New York. Let's take a look at the top-10 highest MLB payrolls heading into the 2023 season. There have been numerous massive deals this offseason…

Lance McCullers Jr. will not be ready to go for the Houston Astros on Opening Day. The veteran starting pitcher said on Wednesday he underwent an MRI and it revealed a small muscle strain that will sideline him for several weeks. After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2018, which forced him to miss the entire 2019 season, and then missing most of…

Spring training during the Astros' golden era is uneventful. In the last five years, rarely has the team reported to West Palm Beach, Fla., without 24 or 25 roster spots already accounted for. Competitions in camp are limited to backup roles and bench bats - first-world problems teams around baseball should envy. Now is no different. Pitchers and…

The Houston Astros are trying to become the first team to repeat as World Series Champions since the New York Yankees did it in the early 2000s. They face stiff competition from the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers and many other contenders. However, former MLB All-Star Ricky Romero doesn't believe it matters. Despite…

The White Sox have agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent infielder Hanser Alberto. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to break the news. Alberto will receive an invite to spring training as a non-roster player. If he makes the team, Alberto will enter his eighth MLB season. The 30-year-old spent the 2022 campaign with the Los Angeles…

The MLB is already set up to be filled with drama and unexpected twists in 2023. The winter meetings just took place in San Diego, and there were a number of noticeable moves that took place. Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night which means over 20 free agents in the major league agreed to contracts. If you add the…

After being eliminated by the Houston Astros in the ALCS for the third time in six seasons, the New York Yankees are looking to catch up to the 2022 World Series champions. By re-signing Aaron Judge and adding Carlos Rodon in free agency, the Yankees seem to be closing the gap. The Astros are still the MLB favorites with+600 odds at DraftKings…

The NL West arms race reached another level on Tuesday night when the San Francisco Giants signed shortstop Carlos Correa to a 13-year, $350 million contract. The Giants had been a bridesmaid for a few other free agents, but they've had a big couple of days, signing pitchers Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea to two-year, $25 million deals. They also…

The New York Yankees are looking to make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. They re-signed their most important player, Aaron Judge, to a massive contract extension. Also, they re-signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who was an important part of their 2022 team. But, have they done enough to put themselves as World Series…

Left field is something of a question mark for the Astros, but the team might be looking to fill the position with a former Gold Glover. Houston has had some discussions with free agent Andrew Benintendi, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports. With Jose Abreu already acquired and Rafael Montero re-signed, adding Benintendi would be the Astros' latest…

Last week, first baseman Anthony Rizzo declined his option for the 2023 season, making him a free agent. The New York Yankees gave him the qualifying offer. If he were to accept it, he would see a pay-raise from $16 million to $19.65 million. Rizzo has yet to accept the offer, and is free to negotiate with any team he chooses. The Yankees are the…

The Chicago White Sox' 2022 season concluded with an abysmal 10-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins. It was a fitting ending in a few ways. First and foremost, the South Siders were abysmal all season. Taking shellackings from below-average teams was a common theme throughout the campaign. And, to add to that, the Sox were below average themselves…

Pickswise provides exclusive sports betting content to Syracuse.com, including picks, analysis, tools, games and sportsbook offers to help bettors get in on the action. Please wager responsibly. The New York Yankees have consistently fallen short of a World Series berth over the last decade, but on Monday afternoon they traded for right-handed…

The St. Louis Cardinals face the Chicago Cubs in a regular season game on Friday, June 24, 2022 (6/24/22) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Fans can watch the game for free via a trial to Apple TV+ . Here's what you need to know: What: MLB regular season Who: Cubs vs. Cardinals When: Friday, June 24, 2022 Where: Busch Stadium Time: 8:15 p.m.…

TAMPA - If you're like us and already made a prediction as to which 28 players will make the Yankees' Opening Day roster, let's hope you used pencil. New York made a trade on Saturday night, a move sending a member of their bullpen to Texas in exchange for some depth at the catcher position. The Yankees acquired veteran backstop Jose Trevino in the…

The Cleveland Indians entered the 2019 season as a near-lock to play in October, and for good reason. They were coming off three straight AL Central titles, plus a trip to the World Series in 2016 and a 22-game winning streak in 2017, while three of their division competitors (Detroit, Chicago, and Kansas City) were mired in rebuilds, and the…

A busy off-season around the margins of their roster continues for the Milwaukee Brewers. Ahead of the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, the Brewers acquired first baseman-outfielder Jake Bauers from the New York Yankees in exchange for a pair of prospects, Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez. "I obviously had some…