Evan Drellich

Inside the text messages of the agent who became a ‘mole’ for Rob Manfred and MLB The MLB Players Association says that in 2020 negotiations, agent Jim Murray “acted as a ‘mole’” for Manfred and his top lieutenants.

“F the players,” Murray responded, according to the MLBPA documents. “I’m still so pissed off I can’t see straight.”

“We need them to be kissed (sic) off at their leadership,” Courtney replied.

“Believe me, it is priority for me,” Murray said.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/676...

Emmanuel Clase wants to pitch in Venezuela while under investigation, but Guardians say no

The Cleveland Guardians will not grant Emmanuel Clase, who is under MLB investigation, permission to play winter ball in Venezuela, sources say. www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...

‘Bad actors’ are stealing, reselling fan tickets swiped from MLB’s Ballpark app, MLB acknowledges The rash of scams started around Labor Day, with fans owning tickets to large-market teams the most popular targets.

‘Bad actors’ are stealing, reselling fan tickets swiped from MLB’s Ballpark app, MLB acknowledges

www.nytimes.com/athletic/664...

Stu Sternberg is selling the Rays, but he’ll remain a minority owner — for a time Sternberg and his partners will retain a 10 percent stake in the Rays after the sale but will eventually exit the ownership group entirely.

Sources: Stu Sternberg is to remain a minority owner of the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the team's sale — for a time. Sternberg's group will retain about 10% of the team at the outset. Sale expected to go final at end of regular season. With @ken-rosenthal.bsky.social

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As Savannah Bananas pursue 'a billion fans,' are they real competition for MLB?

The Savannah Bananas’ owner doesn’t like the Globetrotters comparison. He thinks he’s building UFC and MLB is boxing. What does MLB think?

“One’s a league and one’s an exhibition”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

Atlanta Braves, ‘the model’ in MLB, could have added payroll at trade deadline Despite a disappointing season so far on the field, the Braves have seen a significant revenue increase this year.

The Atlanta Braves' revenues are up 12 percent through the first six months of the year. Terry McGuirk said the team could have added payroll at the trade deadline.

“What we have built in Atlanta is the model that every other MLB franchise is chasing"

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The LA Olympics baseball schedule is out — and it’s not perfect for MLB

The 2028 LA Olympics schedule just came out. Major League Baseball would prefer it look different.

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Sale of Rays expected to be final by September: Source

Source: sale of Rays to Patrick Zalupski's group for about $1.7B expected to go final as soon as September. Team likely to remain in Tampa area. With @ken-rosenthal.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

With Ichiro's Hall of Fame moment, Cooperstown hopes and preps for a Japanese tourism surge

“There’s a good degree of uncertainty. Is it 5,000? Is it 10,000? Is it 1,000?”

A big question in Cooperstown this month: how many fans are going to travel from Japan to see Ichiro Suzuki's Hall of Fame induction?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/648...

Rob Manfred has a plan: tell players they've lost billions, and build their trust in him

“There seems to be kind of a mismatch between what we see at the union leadership level and what the players are thinking,” Manfred said.

“The strategy is to get directly to the players”

Candor and criticism on labor we haven’t seen from Manfred in years

www.nytimes.com/athletic/646...

The board decision that sent the MLB, NFL unions into controversy OneTeam Partners is co-owned by the players unions for five major sports leagues. Now federal investigators are asking questions.

An official at the NFLPA said that implementing the plan could mean that labor officials serving on OneTeam’s board of directors were attempting to make a change that could lead to their own financial gain.

Full story, via @evandrellich.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/art...

MLB's baseball is behaving differently again, but no one seems to know why

Something’s up with the ball again.

Long fly balls aren’t flying as far in 2025, about four feet shorter — a change MLB acknowledges. With Eno Sarris

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Huge paydays. Millions more in fines. 2 baseball agencies went to war, exposing a cutthroat industry When WME Sports wanted to grow its baseball business, it went after two top agents at rival Excel. The outcome stunned the industry.

Two baseball agents were poached for a combined $25 million. The problem: they were already under contract.

Massive punishment followed. A 70-page ruling—meant to be confidential—reveals incredible detail of the agent world.

The story of Excel vs. WME:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/637...

Thirty years ago, Hideo Nomo's bold gambit paved the way for Ichiro, Ohtani to thrive

The oral history of Nomo-mania, 30 years after Hideo Nomo's MLB debut, May 2, 1995. Were it not for a failed physical, it might have all happened in Seattle instead of Los Angeles.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

For two baseball-loving sisters, major-league careers honor a family history In a sport long known for fathers and sons and brothers, sisters Amelia and Joanna Schimmel are making their own mark.

For two baseball-loving sisters, major-league careers honor a family history

A’s owner John Fisher says he’s confident, not nervous, as team begins Sacramento tenure Will construction on a new ballpark in Las Vegas start this summer? "I only hope so," said the A's owner.

What A's owner John Fisher had to say before Opening Day in Sacramento:

“Am I nervous about all of this? No, actually, I really am — I’m confident, without being overconfident, and I’m excited about where we’re going.”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/624...

MLB is trying to expand in Japan. Can Japan’s NPB grow in America? Japanese baseball has a rich history, but a series of structural factors stand in the way of it becoming a phenomenon in America.

A final dispatch from Tokyo: MLB is trying to expand in Japan. But what about in the other direction... Can Japan’s NPB grow in America?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/622...

MLB wants Japan to cheer for more than the Dodgers and Ohtani. The prize could be billions

“It was like the Powerball got to $1.5 billion and all of a sudden the entire league wanted to drive down to the corner store and buy a lottery ticket. But they soon realized that it didn’t work that way for this kid, and most Japanese players." — Joel Wolfe www.nytimes.com/athletic/621...

Thanks Aaron!

MLB Commissioner, several owners pressuring Sternberg to sell Rays as buyers eye team

Sources: Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and some owners are pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell the Tampa Bay Rays. Revenue sharing money could be at stake.

Several groups have expressed interest, including the family of Edward DeBartolo Jr.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/618...

Athletics to wear Las Vegas patches on their arms during their stay in Sacramento The A's will not have a city across the front of their jersey, but will have a Las Vegas patch on one sleeve, and Sacramento on the other.

The A's will wear Las Vegas patches on their arms for the next three years, while they play in Sacramento. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is paying the team $2.5 million in 2025, $2.75 million in 2026 and $3 million in 2027.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/618...

Athletics hire former Raiders exec Marc Badain as new team president

News: The Athletics have hired a new president whom fans in Oakland and Las Vegas will recognize. Marc Badain, who oversaw the Raiders' move from Oakland to Las Vegas, is reprising the role in baseball. Badain left the Raiders amidst controversy in 2021.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/618...

Braves chairman says ‘dry powder’ available for payroll; calls MLB-ESPN break-up a ‘non-event’

“So a team outside a top-5 media market without a massive local TV deal can run a $280 million payroll... and still make a $40 million profit?" Tony Clark said. "Never mind that their overall franchise value has gone up over $900 million in just 3 years.”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/616...

Braves chairman says ‘dry powder’ available for payroll; calls MLB-ESPN break-up a ‘non-event’

“The ESPN-MLB breakup is getting really outsized public scrutiny,” said Terry McGuirk, chairman of the Atlanta Braves. “I really think that from the Atlanta Braves’ standpoint, this is a non-event. It will have no effect whatsoever on our economics.”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/616...

The MLB-ESPN Breakup Song Podcast Episode · The Varsity · 02/26/2025 · 41m

New pod: @evandrellich.bsky.social talks all things MLB, from the ESPN divorce to the likelihood of a lockout next year.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Where will baseball’s labor fight go? Just check the emails In spring training, it's becoming clearer where the battle lines are being drawn ahead of the next labor negotiation.

Rob Manfred on an international draft: "And I want to be clear about this: this is not a number of player or economic issue. It is a transparency issue”

Tony Clark: "It’s great to hear that it’s not an economic issue. We’ll take that under advisement..."

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MLB, ESPN opt out of TV deal for 2026-28; MLB cites ‘minimal coverage’ ESPN had been asking to lower the fees it pays to MLB for the next portion of its current contract. The deal would remain in place for 2025.

BREAKING: ESPN and MLB are no longer national TV partners after this season. They "mutually agreed" to opt out of the final 3 years of their deal, per a letter obtained by The Athletic. www.nytimes.com/athletic/614...

The robo ump could cause a unexpected casualty: the TV strike zone box MLB is weighing options to dramatically reduce or remove the ubiquitous broadcast strike zone box as part of bringing the robo ump online.

If and when robo umps arrive in MLB, the strike-zone box you've seen on TV for almost a quarter century — K-Zone, as it's called on ESPN — might disappear.

Why? Cheating is one of the league's concerns.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/614...

Blackout buster? SNY to stream Mets games as MLB reaches 22 teams available without TV bundle The move is part of a growing trend that Major League Baseball hopes will be helpful in combating blackouts

More significant sports media news from @evandrellich.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/614... Blackout buster? SNY to stream Mets games as MLB reaches 22 teams available without TV bundle

If ESPN opts out of TV deal, MLB warns it could walk away: source ESPN has an opt out in its contract with the league covering the years 2026 to 2028.

Major League Baseball is warning it could walk away from ESPN if the network opts out of their national TV deal next month. A new deal with ESPN would be unlikely following an opt out, a person briefed on MLB’s thinking said.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/611...