Shohei Ohtani has confirmed he is to join the Los Angeles Dodgers on what is reportedly a record-breaking contract after ending his six-year spell with the LA Angels.

The 29-year-old Japanese free agent, who is said to have agreed a 700million US dollars (£558m) 10-year deal which would make him the highest earner in major league baseball history, ended fevered speculation over his destination in a social media post on Saturday night.

Ohtani, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, wrote on his official Instagram account: “To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.

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“First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process.

“Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.

“And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself.

“Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers, but for the baseball world.”

Free agent Shohei Ohtani is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-way star announced Saturday on Instagram.

His contract will be worth $700million over 10 seasons, multiple media outlets reported.

Ohtani’s post was simply a large image of the Dodgers’ logo with a caption posted in English.

“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” the caption began. “I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.”

The announcement came a day after erroneous reports that Ohtani flew to Toronto on Friday. The private jet that was incorrectly reported to have Ohtani onboard actually belonged to “Shark Tank” star Robert Herjavec.

After spending six seasons in Anaheim with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani will now call Dodger Stadium home after signing the most lucrative contract in North American sports history.

Patrick Mahomes, of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, previously held the record with a contract totalling $450million, but parts of that deal were not guaranteed.

The first blockbuster trade of the offseason arrived Wednesday night, with the New York Yankees acquiring slugger Juan Soto from the cost-cutting San Diego Padres.

The Yankees will get Soto, a three-time All-Star, and outfielder Trent Grisham from the Padres in exchange for pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Soto, widely regarded as one of the game’s best hitters, is due to be a free agent after this upcoming season and was moved because San Diego needed to slash payroll and was seeking pitching depth.

The 25-year-old Soto is expected to slot in as the Yankees’ right fielder, with Aaron Judge likely shifting to center and newly acquired Alex Verdugo manning left field. Grisham will likely serve as a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement.

New York was in desperate need of offense after finishing 82-80 last season, the franchise’s worst record since 1992. The offense ranked 25th in the majors with 4.15 runs per game, 29th in batting average (.227) and 24th in OPS (.701).

Soto provides plenty from the plate with a .421 on-base percentage, the highest among active players. He is a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and batted .275 with 35 home runs, 109 RBIs and .a 930 Ops in his only full season with the Padres in 2023.

San Diego acquired Soto from the Washington Nationals on Aug. 2, 2022, after he turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer.

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo remains optimistic free agent Shohei Ohtani, widely regarded as the world’s best baseball player, could be part of his team set to play in London next summer.

Generational Japanese two-way talent Ohtani was two weeks ago named American League MVP for the second time in three years and draws frequent comparisons to Babe Ruth, still probably the most recognisable baseball name in Britain and beyond despite the former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankee slugger having been dead for 75 years.

Ohtani, reportedly within days of deciding on his next destination and poised to fetch an MLB-record free-agent fee, is historically peerless in his dual-role as a starting pitcher and batter, so much so that a new MLB rule introduced in 2022 – effectively designed to address his singular abilities – is commonly referred to as ‘the Ohtani rule’.

Nimmo, whose Mets are set to play the Philadelphia Phillies at the London Stadium next June, said: “(Ohtani) really is everything that everyone says he is. He’s unbelievable. He hits the ball harder than everyone, he throws the ball harder than everyone, he runs faster than everyone.

“He really is the special talent that everyone has hyped him up to be. He’s one of those special, once-in-a-generation players.

“I know that our front office and our owner and our president were very excited about the prospect of getting him. I know we’re going to be in on (him), I just don’t know where it is going to lead to.”

In baseball, unlike cricket, players are pitchers or combine a fielding position and batting, save for the “designated hitter” (DH), a batting-only position which typically replaces pitchers in the order. But under ‘the Ohtani rule’, he can still serve as a DH even after being pulled as a pitcher.

The DH has featured since 1973 in the American League and National League in 2022, but, even before its universal adoption, no pitchers came anywhere close to Ohtani’s prowess at the plate. He has won MLB’s best DH award for three consecutive seasons.

In 2023, he hit the fourth most home runs in MLB, all while striking out 167 batters and finishing with a 3.14 earned run average.

While the Mets have been linked to Ohtani, who is rumoured to be considering deals worth between USD 500m-600m (£396,205,000-£475,446,000), the latest reports suggest they may be out of the picture, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves and former club the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim among those considered front-runners for his services.

Whoever ultimately signs Ohtani will likely have to wait a full season until he is fit enough to pitch following surgery to his elbow in September, though he should be available to hit come opening day 2024.

Next summer’s London Series marks the third time MLB has made the trip to Britain, in an ongoing attempt to grow the global reach of a game that has variously been accused of being too American to find a footing in the UK, too similar to cricket to take off, and conversely too confusing for the uninitiated to understand.

Nimmo, however, will happily evangelise for the game’s global potential, and agrees that fact that it is a Japanese talent quickly becoming MLB’s most recognisable face – even cracking highlight reels in the United Kingdom – is important as the sport tries to conquer new territory.

He added: “One of the areas where we’ve struggled in MLB is making the players world recognised, and now Shohei has that star quality that can bridge that gap. He’s an integral piece to us growing the game worldwide.

“We need to market him. We need to get him out there. I think a great opening and a great door is to be like, check out this guy.

“He’s not from the States, he’s larger than life, he’s doing something that hasn’t been done before, since one of the great baseball legends like Babe Ruth. Those guys are mythical.”

:: New York Mets will play Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB World Tour: London Series 2024 on June 8–9 at London Stadium

The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday in an attempt to bolster a position that lacked power during the team’s run to the World Series last season.

Arizona finished tied for 28th in Major League Baseball in 2023 with only 10 total home runs by its third baseman. Suarez, meanwhile, hit 22 homers of his own for Seattle.

“It adds a little bit of stability at that spot,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. “He’s a guy we’ve liked for a long time.”

Suarez, 32, was a 2018 All-Star for the Cincinnati Reds, who traded him to the Mariners in March 2022.

He’s hit .248 with 246 home runs and 730 RBIs in 1,313 career games for Detroit, Cincinnati and Seattle.

The Mariners acquired reliever Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala from Arizona, which lost in five games to the Texas Rangers in the World Series after going 84-78 during the regular season.

Starting pitcher Aaron Nola has agreed to a seven-year contract to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.

The deal is worth a reported $172million, as the Phillies keep a cornerstone piece in their rotation.

Nola, 30, is the first major free agent to come off the board in a class that is headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and includes fellow hurlers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

Nola has spent his entire MLB career in Philadelphia and has finished in the top five of Cy Young award voting twice.

The right-hander saw his numbers slip a bit in 2023 with a 4.46 ERA but rebounded in the post-season with three quality starts and an ERA of 2.35 over 23 innings.

Nola and Zack Wheeler make up one of the best and most reliable rotation duos in baseball.

Since 2018, Nola has thrown 1,065 1/3 innings, the second most in the majors over that span. Wheeler is fourth on that list with 1,007 innings pitched.

Nola is one of five pitchers with at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons.

Nola was the priority in a vital offseason for the Phillies after making it to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS last season but falling short of a title.

In 235 career starts, Nola has a 3.72 ERA and has 1,582 strikeouts in 1,422 innings pitched.

The Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas has been approved by Major League Baseball owners.

The 30 franchise owners voted unanimously in support of the team’s move from California to Nevada, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledging that it was a “terrible day” for fans in Oakland.

The Athletics executives reached an agreement to build a new stadium in Las Vegas in May after the state’s legislature approved public financing towards the construction.

The Athletics have been based in Oakland since 1968, having previously been in Kansas City and Philadelphia.

MLB commissioner Manfred told a press conference: “I know this is a terrible day for fans in Oakland. I understand that, and that’s why we’ve always had a policy of doing everything humanly possible to avoid a relocation.

“I truly believe we did that in this case. I think it’s beyond debate that the status quo in Oakland was untenable.

“I absolutely am convinced that there was not a viable path forward in Oakland. We look forward to being in Las Vegas; there’s tremendous support locally for having the A’s there. We do believe over the long haul that Las Vegas will be a great asset to Major League Baseball.”

The Athletics’ owners had been unable to find a solution to keep the team in Oakland, with their existing Coliseum home in need of redevelopment.

Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. have consistently broken the mold in their young careers, and the unique accomplishments seemingly keep on coming.

Ohtani was announced as the American League’s Most Valuable Player of 2023, becoming the first player to win the award twice by unanimous vote.

Acuña was a unanimous selection as NL MVP after completing MLB’s first ever 40-homer, 70-steal season.

Never before have both MVP votes in the same year been unanimous.

A two-way star unprecedented in the modern game, Ohtani led the AL with 44 home runs while hitting .304 and accumulating 96 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. From the mound, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched. 

The Los Angeles Angels star received all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager finished second with 24 second-place votes, while Texas teammate Marcus Semien finished third with five second-place votes.

Acuña helped lead the Atlanta Braves to the best record in baseball at 104-58. He was second in the NL with a .336 batting average and led the majors with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 total bases and 73 stolen bases while hitting 41 home runs with 106 RBIs.

Mookie Betts, who won the 2018 AL MVP award, received all 30 second-place votes, while his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate and former Brave Freddie Freeman finished third.

With the final MLB awards announced, attention now turns to the winter hot stove, primarily Ohtani’s free agency.

The Japan-born star appeared to be a lock for a record-breaking contract this offseason, but injuries cut his 2023 campaign short, and he underwent right elbow surgery in September.

While Ohtani will certainly receive massive compensation, a second major surgery on his throwing elbow could complicate the equation for the Angels and the host of other teams likely to bid for his services.

Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, and while the exact nature of his most recent surgery has not been revealed publicly, his team has said he will not pitch in 2024.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole won his first American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, while the San Diego Padres' Blake Snell won his second Cy Young - and first time in the National League.

Cole was the runner-up twice for the AL Cy Young (in 2019 and ’21) but received all 30 first-place votes by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, becoming the 11th unanimous AL winner.

The right-hander led the league in three of the most important pitching statistics, finishing first in ERA (2.63), WHIP (0.98) and innings pitched (209). His 222 strikeouts were third in the AL behind Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman's 237 and Minnesota Twins righty Pablo Lopez's 234.

Gausman finished third in voting, while Lopez's Twins teammate, Sonny Gray, finished second.

Cole went 15-4 and yielded fewer than four runs in 28 of 33 starts in 2023. He was dominant over the season’s final five weeks, going 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with the Yankees winning all seven of those games.

He's the first Yankee to win the award since 2001, when Roger Clemens won it.

Snell becomes the seventh pitcher to win the award in both leagues after winning the AL Cy Young as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.

The left-hander led all of MLB with a 2.25 ERA and .181 opponents' batting average, while his 234 strikeouts trailed only Atlanta Braves righty Spencer Strider's 281 for the most in the NL.

Snell also led the majors with 99 walks, becoming the first pitcher since Early Wynn for the 1959 Chicago White Sox to win the Cy Young despite leading MLB in base on balls.

Voters looked past his control issues and evidently focused on his incredible stretch from late May through the end of the season. In his final 23 starts, Snell recorded a 1.20 ERA - only Bob Gibson in 1968 posted a lower ERA in as many starts.

Snell, who finished the season 14-9 with a 1.19 WHIP, received 28 of 30 first-place votes to finish ahead of the San Francisco Giants' Logan Webb and Zac Gallen of the NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

Brandon Hyde of the Baltimore Orioles was named American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday and Skip Schumaker of the Miami Marlins took home the award in the National League.

Hyde guided the Orioles to the AL East title and a league-best 101 victories just two years after a 110-loss season.

Hyde earned 27 of a possible 30 first-place votes, with Bruce Bochy of the Texas Rangers receiving the other three. Two-time winner Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays finished third.

Schumaker led the Marlins to an 84-78 record – including 33-14 in one-run games – and a 15-game improvement in his first season as a major league manager with Miami earning a surprise wild-card spot.

He received eight first-place votes, three more than runner-up Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Atlanta’s Brian Snitker was third.

Hyde became the fourth Baltimore manager to win the award, following Buck Showalter in 2014, Davey Johnson in 1997 and Frank Robinson in 1989.

Schumaker is the fourth Marlins manager to win the award, joining Jack McKeon in 2003, Joe Girardi in 2006 and Don Mattingly in 2020.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll and Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson were unanimous winners of Major League Baseball's 2023 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year awards, which were announced Monday.

Carroll is the first player in Diamondbacks history to win the National League honour. Henderson is the seventh Orioles player to take home the American League award, but the first since pitcher Gregg Olson in 1989.

Both players received 30 first-place votes in balloting from selected members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Carroll was instrumental to the Diamondbacks' surprising 2023 campaign that culminated in the club's first playoff appearance since 2017 and the second World Series trip in franchise history. The speedster produced 25 home runs and 54 stolen bases to become the first rookie with at least 25 homers and 50 steals in a season, and also recorded 116 runs scored, 76 RBIs and a .285 average in 155 regular-season games.

The 23-year-old delivered a solid postseason as well, batting .273 with two homers, 10 RBIs and five stolen bases in 17 games to help Arizona capture its first NL pennant since 2001. 

Henderson also played a key role in his team's unexpected success in 2023, as he led all AL rookies in home runs (28), RBIs (82) and runs scored (100) to help the Orioles to an AL-best 101-61 record and the team's first playoff appearance since 2016. The 22-year-old overcame a slow start to hit .276 with 23 homers, 68 RBIs and an .856 OPS from June 1 on.

A second-round pick of Baltimore in the 2019 draft, Henderson also finished second among AL players with nine triples and ended the season with a .255 average, 10 stolen bases and an .814 OPS in 150 games. He was named the AL's Silver Slugger recipient as a utility player as well after splitting his time between shortstop and third base.

New York Mets pitcher and former Japanese league star Kodai Senga placed second in NL voting with 22 second-place votes and 71 points, with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman, Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones and Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McClain finishing third through fifth. 

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee finished second behind Henderson in voting with 20 second-place votes and 67 points. Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas was third with 25 points, with Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung and Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz rounding out the top five. 

Joe Espada will reportedly become the next manager of the Houston Astros.

Multiple news outlets reported the hiring on Sunday and the Astros have a news conference scheduled for Monday, and Espada will be introduced then.

The 48-year-old Espada spent the last six seasons as Houston's bench coach and this will be his first managerial position.

Many had considered Espada to be the favourite to become the Astros' manager after the 74-year-old Dusty Baker retired last month.

Baker had managed the Astros since 2020, and led Houston to the 2022 World Series title. He retired last month after the team was eliminated by the Texas Rangers in the American League championship series - Houston's seventh straight trip to the ALCS.

Espada played nine seasons of minor league baseball from 1996-2006, before pursuing a career in coaching.

After retiring as a player, he worked as a coach for the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees before joining the Astros' staff.

Last season, Espada was reportedly a finalist for Miami's open managerial job - a position that went to Skip Schumaker.

On a bright and beautiful Sunday afternoon, November 4, 2023, the No. 1 Softball Diamond at Up Park Camp headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) witnessed a delightful exhibition baseball game that would be remembered for years to come. The home field of the Jamaica National Softball team served as the backdrop for this unique event, where the Pioneer Select U16 baseball team faced off against Jamaica's formidable softball team.

The Pioneer Select U16 team, comprising talented individuals such as Damion Robinson, Joel Scott, Javier Grant, Francisco Williams, Odeen Afflick, Kira Cooper, Jayshaun Campbell, Noel-Lee McKen, as well as Jasmine Benjamin and Caleb Dixon, took the field with enthusiasm, setting the stage for an exciting showdown. From the very first inning, it was evident that these young athletes meant business.

Robinson, leading off the batting order, showcased his skills by scoring the first of three runs for his team. Team Captain Grant and U12 substitute player Dixon followed suit, crossing home plate and narrowing the score to 3-8 in favour of the seasoned National Softball team.

The exhibition match posed a unique challenge for the U16 team as they had to adapt swiftly to the different rules, ball, and bat sizes of softball. Despite the unfamiliar territory, the young athletes embraced the experience with determination and resilience.

Grant, holding down first base, displayed his defensive prowess with swift tags on National Team runners, keeping the pressure on the opposition and thrilling the spectators in attendance.

On the pitcher's mound, McKen, exhibited remarkable composure, leading her team's offensive efforts. Despite her softball debut, she adapted quickly to the underhand throw, demonstrating her potential to excel in the world of softball.

Behind the plate, female catcher Cooper showcased exceptional skills in handling the larger-sized softball. Her swift and accurate tags on unsuccessful runners attempting to score added an extra layer of defense for the Pioneer Select team.

In the outfield, Campbell, making his U16 debut after advancing from U12, admirably held his own. His presence in the outfield testified to his dedication and commitment to his athletic development.

National Team Technical Director Troy McCaw, who attended the exhibition match, was visibly impressed by the talent displayed by the U16 team. He identified four standout players from the Pioneer Select U16 team, acknowledging their potential for success in the sport.

This remarkable opportunity for the Pioneer Select U16 team reflects their dedication and hard work, with many of their members training in St. Thomas, Jamaica, under the guidance of Coach Kerry Ann Cooper.

Under her guidance, the team actively seeks opportunities to scrimmage and attend clinics with other teams, such as the upcoming clinic in August Town on Sunday, November 12, 2023, all in preparation for the 2024 tournaments.

The Los Angeles Angels have appointed veteran former Texas Rangers boss Ron Washington as their new manager, the Major League team have announced.

The 71-year-old succeeds Phil Nevin, whose contract was not renewed after the Angels failed to reach this season’s play-offs.

Washington, who had been on the coaching staff at Atlanta, led the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 in his last frontline job.

The Los Angeles Angels are turning to a veteran to lead their ball club, hiring the 71-year-old Ron Washington to be their manager on Wednesday.

Washington, who becomes the old manager in major league baseball, hasn't managed a team since 2014, with the Texas Rangers.

His only previous experience as a manger in MLB came with the Rangers from 2007-14, as he directed the team to AL pennants in 2010 and 2011. He went 664-611 during his eight years at the helm in Texas, and also reached the playoffs in 2012, losing a one-game wild-card series to the Baltimore Orioles.

Washington spent the past seven seasons as the Atlanta Braves' third base coach, helping the franchise to the 2021 World Series title.

He becomes Los Angeles' fourth manager in the last six years and replaces Phil Nevin after the Angels decided to part ways with him after 1 1/2 seasons.

Despite having three-time AL MVP Mike Trout and 2021 league MVP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles finished fourth in the AL West this past season with a 73-89 - its eighth consecutive losing season. 

It's been nine seasons since the Angels last made the play-offs, the longest postseason drought in MLB.