NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. gets a full no-trade provision through 2028 as part of his $330 million, 14-year contract with the San Diego Padres. After that he will have the ability to block a trade to 13 teams for the remainder of the deal. However, the 22-year-old Tatis already has two years of major league service, so if he remains in the major leagues he would acquire the right after 2028 to block trades under the collective bargaining agreement as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for five years or longer. His contract calls for a $10 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of approval of the contract by the commissioner's office and a $1 million salary this year, his last season before he would have been eligible for arbitration. He gets $5 million in 2022, $7 million in 2023 and $11 million in 2024, the three seasons he would have been eligible for arbitration. Tatis receives $20 million each in 2025 and 2026, the first two seasons after he would have become... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. gets a full no-trade provision through 2028 as part of his $330 million, 14-year contract with the San Diego Padres. After that he will have the ability to block a trade to 13 teams for the remainder of the deal. However, the 22-year-old Tatis already has two years of major league service, so if he remains in the major leagues he would acquire the right after 2028 to block trades under the collective bargaining agreement as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for five years or longer. His contract calls for a $10 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of approval of the contract by the commissioner's office and a $1 million salary this year, his last season before he would have been eligible for arbitration. He gets $5 million in 2022, $7 million in 2023 and $11 million in 2024, the three seasons he would have been eligible for arbitration. Tatis receives $20 million each in 2025 and 2026, the first two seasons after he would have become... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols woke up from a nap last Monday in Arizona to find several hundred messages and missed calls on his phone. While he was sleeping, the Los Angeles Angels slugger's wife, Deidre, had put up a complimentary Instagram post about her husband that was widely interpreted to mean Pujols had decided to retire after this season, his 21st in the majors. “Hey, that's the life we're living on social media,” Pujols said Saturday with a chuckle. “It's sad that everybody just had to run with it.” The 41-year-old slugger quickly reiterated what he has been saying for months: He hasn't decided whether he will continue playing after the conclusion of his 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels this fall, and he won't make or announce a decision until after the season. “I think our organization, my friends, people that follow my career for 21 years deserve better than just me or her posting something on Instagram,” Pujols said in his first interviews of spring training.... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jo Adell tore through the Los Angeles Angels' minor league system with runaway momentum, and he cracked the big league roster last season just a few months after his 21st birthday. All that momentum faded during a debut campaign that turned out worse than almost anybody expected for the Halos' most prized prospect: a .161 average with just three homers, seven RBIs, a whopping 55 strikeouts, a .478 OPS and several fielding misadventures in 38 games. Although Adell is back in spring training with the Angels in Arizona, he knows he might not be headed back to Anaheim when it's over. With Triple-A baseball back in business, Adell could be headed to the minors to pick up the seasoning he probably needed before his rushed 2020 debut. Los Angeles already acquired veteran outfielder Dexter Fowler to fill Adell's everyday spot in right field. The prospect of a step back doesn't appear to bother Adell, however. After an offseason of hard work on his physical conditioning and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. 's payday from baseball’s longest contract is not quite what it appears. The 22-year-old star shortstop signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with the San Diego Padres, the third-highest deal in the sport's history. But the son of the only major leaguer to hit two grand slams in one inning will be giving up a percentage of his fortune to Big League Advance, a company founded in 2016 by former minor league pitcher Michael Schwimer to invest in prospects making low salaries. Think of it along the lines of stock traders buying Apple in the company's early years. Tatis agreed to receive money from BLA when he was just a budding prospect in exchange for part of his future salary. Only a small percentage of minor leaguers make it to the major leagues, and even a smaller chunk sticks long enough for the big paydays of salary arbitration and free agency. And Big League Advance develops computer programs to try to predict future All-Stars and then tries to invest... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. 's payday from baseball’s longest contract is not quite what it appears. The 22-year-old star shortstop signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with the San Diego Padres, the third-highest deal in the sport's history. But the son of the only major leaguer to hit two grand slams in one inning will be giving up a percentage of his fortune to Big League Advance, a company founded in 2016 by former minor league pitcher Michael Schwimer to invest in prospects making low salaries. Think of it along the lines of stock traders buying Apple in the company's early years. Tatis agreed to receive money from BLA when he was just a budding prospect in exchange for part of his future salary. Only a small percentage of minor leaguers make it to the major leagues, and even a smaller chunk sticks long enough for the big paydays of salary arbitration and free agency. And Big League Advance develops computer programs to try to predict future All-Stars and then tries to invest... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols’ wife apparently disclosed that the Los Angeles Angels slugger intends to retire after the upcoming season, although she later amended her social media post to be less definitive. The 41-year-old Pujols, a three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star, reported to spring training with the Angels on Monday. In a post on her Instagram account later in the day, Deidre Pujols wrote: “Today is the first day of the last season of one of the most remarkable careers in sports!” Shortly afterward, she amended the statement with a parenthetical “based on his contract.” Pujols' 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels ends after this season, his 21st in the majors. But the fifth-leading home run hitter in major league history has repeatedly declined to say whether this season will be his last, and he repeated his uncertainty earlier this month in an interview with ESPN Deportes. Pujols is the oldest player in the majors, and he is a decade removed from his heyday in... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols’ wife apparently disclosed that the Los Angeles Angels slugger intends to retire after the upcoming season, although she later amended her social media post to be less definitive. The 41-year-old Pujols, a three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star, reported to spring training with the Angels on Monday. In a post on her Instagram account later in the day, Deidre Pujols wrote: “Today is the first day of the last season of one of the most remarkable careers in sports!” Shortly afterward, she amended the statement with a parenthetical “based on his contract.” Pujols' 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels ends after this season, his 21st in the majors. But the fifth-leading home run hitter in major league history has repeatedly declined to say whether this season will be his last, and he repeated his uncertainty earlier this month in an interview with ESPN Deportes. Pujols is the oldest player in the majors, and he is a decade removed from his heyday in... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols’ wife apparently disclosed that the Los Angeles Angels slugger will retire after the upcoming season, although she later amended her social media post to be less definitive. The 41-year-old Pujols, a three-time MVP and ten-time All-Star, reported to spring training with the Angels on Monday. In a post on her Instagram account later in the day, Deidre Pujols wrote: “Today is the first day of the last season of one of the most remarkable careers in sports!” Shortly afterward, she amended the statement with a parenthetical “based on his contract.” Pujols' 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels ends after this season, his 21st in the majors. But the fifth-leading home run hitter in major league history has repeatedly declined to say whether this season will be his last, and he repeated his uncertainty earlier this month in an interview with ESPN Deportes. Pujols is the oldest player in the majors, and he is a decade removed from his heyday in St.... [More]

As far as Anthony Rizzo is concerned, Kevin Mather simply said the quiet part out loud. Mather, the CEO and president of the Seattle Mariners, resigned Monday after video surfaced of a speech he gave to a Rotary Club this month in which he made insensitive comments about several current and former players. He also spoke bluntly on a point of contention between teams and players when he said Seattle would likely keep top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert in the minors at the start of the season to delay their right to file for free agency. The players' association has long complained about the practice. Cubs star Kris Bryant filed and lost a grievance against Chicago alleging the club intentionally manipulated his service time when it kept him in Triple-A for two weeks prior to his major league debut in 2015. Had Bryant been promoted one day earlier, he would have been eligible for free agency a year sooner. Bryant and the union lost their grievance because it couldn't prove the... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — In discussing options for a long-term deal with electrifying young shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., the San Diego Padres brought up the concept of “a statue contract.” As in, if the kid is as good as Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman were, maybe in 15 or 20 years there will be a statue of “El Niño" alongside those Padres greats in a grassy area just beyond Petco Park. The options were year-to-year, a multi-year deal that bought out a year or two of Tatis' free agency or a contract in which Tatis was with the Padres for likely the rest of his career. “In typical Tati fashion, his only real comment was, ‘Why not my whole career?’" general manager A.J. Preller said Monday in announcing the two sides had finalized Tatis' $340 million, 14-year contract, the longest in baseball history. “He wanted to be one of those very unique players that plays his career in one spot,” Preller said. "He loves the franchise, he loves the city, he loves his teammates and he talked a lot... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout is beginning a new season with the same old question. How long will the Los Angeles Angels' three-time AL MVP have to wait for his first playoff victory? “It's definitely weighed on me,” Trout said Monday before the Angels' first full workout of spring training in Tempe, Arizona. “I hear it every year. The only way to change that is to get to the playoffs, no matter how that is.” Trout has been waiting for his answer to that query for nearly a full decade since his major league debut in July 2011. After the Angels' latest failure last fall, Trout knows he won't win a postseason game before he turns 30 this summer. The big-budget Angels are tied with Detroit for the third-longest playoff drought in the majors at six seasons, trailing only Seattle and Philadelphia. Not even the expanded 2020 postseason helped Los Angeles, which finished 26-34 for its fifth straight losing campaign — the franchise's worst stretch since the 1970s. Yet the eight-time All-Star... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr.'s $340 million, 14-year contract was finalized Monday by the San Diego Padres, the longest deal in baseball history. “Fernando is a special talent who will be instrumental in bringing a world championship to the city of San Diego,” general manager A.J. Preller said in a statement. “Throughout the process, Fernando’s desire to stay here long term was clear, and we are thrilled that we were able to come to an agreement.” Tatis, 22, had been eligible for salary arbitration after this season and for free agency after the 2024 season. The length of his contract exceeded the $325 million, 13-year agreement in November 2014 between Miami and Giancarlo Stanton, who was traded to the New York Yankees in December 2017, and the $330 million, 13-year contract ahead of the 2019 season between Bruce Harper and Philadelphia. Baseball's biggest deal by dollars remains Mike Trout’s $426.5 million, 12-year contract signed with the Angels in March 2019. Tatis’ deal... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to take a ground ball or swing a bat at spring training and he’s already the talk of the San Diego Padres’ clubhouse. The electrifying shortstop and the Padres agreed Wednesday to a $340 million, 14-year deal, according to two people familiar with the situation, giving San Diego’s camp even more buzz than it already had after the team made a number of high-profile offseason moves. “There’s great excitement around here,” manager Jayce Tingler said on a videoconference Thursday from Peoria, Arizona. “Holy smokes, that’s a lot of money,” newly signed reliever Mark Melancon said. “Just playing across from him, his energy is awesome. You can see how it energizes the team. From everything I’ve heard, he’s a great guy, he’s got his head on his shoulders. That’s why the front office has stepped up and come to terms with him.” The two people confirmed details to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced. It will... [More]

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole and other baseball players will be pushing for changes that make more teams competitive as they think about looming labor negotiations that could lead to a work stoppage at the start of 2022. Many veterans who are not top stars have taken substantial paycuts in recent years. Others have turned down cuts and retired. The players’ association is upset that some teams have lowered major league payroll in favor of rebuilding with youth, a process it calls tanking and that management defends as long-allowed refocusing on retooling for long-term gain. “For me, it just goes back to competitiveness,” Cole said Thursday. “We have a lot of great veterans that offer great entertainment, a quality style of baseball, that continuously are being pushed out because of surplus value on younger players is too high — the analytics are driving the game in that direction. And we want to have an open field for the clubs to be able to find talent, find surplus value.” Cole... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to take a ground ball or swing a bat at spring training and he’s already the talk of the San Diego Padres’ clubhouse. The electrifying shortstop and the Padres agreed Wednesday to a $340 million, 14-year deal, according to two people familiar with the situation, giving San Diego’s camp even more buzz than it already had after the team made a number of high-profile offseason moves. “There’s great excitement around here,” manager Jayce Tingler said on a videoconference Thursday from Peoria, Arizona. “Holy smokes, that’s a lot of money,” newly signed reliever Mark Melancon said. “Just playing across from him, his energy is awesome. You can see how it energizes the team. From everything I’ve heard, he’s a great guy, he’s got his head on his shoulders. That’s why the front office has stepped up and come to terms with him.” The two people confirmed details to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced. It will... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has helped make baseball fun again in San Diego. In return, the Padres have agreed to give the electrifying shortstop a $340 million, 14-year deal that could keep him with San Diego until he’s 35 years old, according to two people familiar with the situation. The two people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the deal hadn't been announced. It will be the longest contract signed in MLB history. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami in 2015. Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philadelphia in 2019. The biggest deal by dollars remains Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12-year contract signed with the Angels in 2019. The 22-year-old Tatis has bloomed into a superstar in less than two full seasons with the Padres, hitting .301 with 39 home runs, 98 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in 143 games. He helped San Diego end a 13-year playoff drought in 2020... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has helped make baseball fun again in San Diego. In return, the Padres have agreed to give the electrifying shortstop a $340 million, 14-year deal that will keep him with San Diego until he’s 35 years old, according to two people familiar with the situation. The two people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the deal hadn't been announced. It will be the longest contract signed in MLB history. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami in 2015. Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philadelphia in 2019. The biggest deal by dollars remains Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12-year contract signed with the Angels in 2019. The 22-year-old Tatis has bloomed into a superstar in less than two full seasons with the Padres, hitting .301 with 39 home runs, 98 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in 143 games. He helped San Diego end a 13-year playoff drought in 2020... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has helped make baseball fun again in San Diego. In return, the Padres have agreed to give the electrifying shortstop a $340 million, 14-year deal that will keep him with San Diego until he’s 35 years old, according to two people familiar with the situation. The two people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the deal hadn't been announced. It will be the longest contract signed in MLB history. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami in 2015. Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philadelphia in 2019. The biggest deal by dollars remains Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12-year contract signed with the Angels in 2019. The 22-year-old Tatis has bloomed into a superstar in less than two full seasons with the Padres, hitting .301 with 39 home runs, 98 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in 143 games. He helped San Diego end a 13-year playoff drought in 2020... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has agreed to a $340 million, 14-year deal that will keep the electrifying shortstop with the San Diego Padres until he's 35 years old, according to two people familiar with the situation. The two people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the deal hadn't been announced. It will be the longest contract signed in MLB history. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami in 2015. Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philadelphia in 2019. The biggest deal by dollars remains Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12-year deal signed with the Angels in 2019. The 22-year-old Tatis has bloomed into a superstar in two full seasons with the Padres. He helped San Diego end a 13-year playoff drought in 2020 and win a wild-card series against the St. Louis Cardinals before the Padres were swept by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series. San Diego... [More]