MLB

8:00 AM ET THERE WAS A time when one time-honored description announced a baseball manager’s arrival. That term — old-school — resonated like a benediction. Old-school conveyed toughness and resolve and a temper that demanded respect. It meant standing up for your players and kicking dirt on umpires and sending a knowing nod toward a

7:15 AM ET FIVE EXECUTIVES FROM Octagon and two others from Major League Baseball’s player marketing team traveled to Tampa, Florida, to meet with Gleyber Torres in January. They rented a private room near the back of a fancy steakhouse and spent five hours talking about his brand potential. Meetings like these are hardly ever

8:44 PM ET Here I was, tromping through the weeds on Northerly Island, trying to get my daily hike in before my energy gave out, when I noticed that always welcome notification on my work email account. Checking the message, I found that there was an actual baseball signing, and analysis was required. It doesn’t

7:00 AM ET MLB InsidersESPN Opening Day for the 60-game 2020 MLB season is fast approaching, and it sure feels good to have some actual baseball action to talk about. Each day over the next two weeks, our panel of MLB experts will weigh in on the biggest storylines of the season ahead, starting with

7:00 AM ET The 91st All-Star Game would have been played Tuesday, and it would have been a wonderful celebration of the sport’s best players at Dodger Stadium. Instead, for the first time since 1945, there is no game, so the American League will carry its seven-game winning streak into 2021 at Atlanta’s Truist Park,

7:45 AM ET There’s a self-awareness that kicks in with the very best hitters, Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long says, so that no matter the achievements and the adulation, they can feel they’re in trouble at the plate, vulnerable to the first flicker of a slump. They want to extinguish that as soon as possible,

7:00 AM ET MLB InsidersESPN Among all of the unknowns heading into the shortened 2020 campaign for Major League Baseball, one of the biggest is this: How much of an encore will even a 60-game season be on last season, the Year of the Home Run? With memories of 2019’s exploding scoreboards and record rates

7:00 AM ET Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. Freddie Freeman approached his minor league teammate Jason Heyward as they ran off the field after a game in 2008. Freeman had tears in his eyes. “Jay, did you hear the stuff people were saying to you?” he asked.

7:24 PM ET ESPN News Services Toronto Blue Jays infielder Travis Shaw apologized for recent tweets that criticized his team’s plan to have players stick to the Rogers Centre and connecting hotel if games are played in Canada. On Friday, he tweeted: “All summer isn’t gonna happen. Not an option.” During a video conference call

1:45 PM ET There is a beachhead of hope and a mountain of uncertainty among teams these days as they attempt to play baseball amid the surge of coronavirus infections around the country. After the sport’s first waves of testing results, just about everybody in the game has no more than one degree of separation

8:00 AM ET A small army of third basemen was on the move last winter. Anthony Rendon got the biggest deal ever doled out by Arte Moreno and signed with the Angels. Josh Donaldson signed with the Twins for $92 million. The Cubs made it known they were open to dealing Kris Bryant for the

2:50 PM ET New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for the coronavirus, manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Saturday. Chapman has mild symptoms, according to Boone. “[Zack Britton] naturally could fill the [closer] role,” Boone said. “Britt would be a natural guy [to close games] if Chappy is not able to go.”

4:36 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Yoenis Cespedes is sure he’ll be ready to start the pandemic-delayed season with the New York Mets. Out of the lineup for almost two years, the 34-year-old slugger said Saturday he finally is close to fully recovered from a string of injuries to his feet and legs.

8:00 AM ET Before we get to the ranking of baseball’s best shortstops, a story about an All-Star second baseman. A few years ago, the Houston Astros‘ staff encouraged batting champion Jose Altuve to be more patient at the plate. The staffers assured Altuve they weren’t asking him to hunt walks, but they believed if

7:00 AM ET Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. One thing that will be unmistakable for fans in the National League when games in the 2020 season get played: Pitchers won’t be hitting, thanks to the adoption of the universal DH for this campaign. Whether it’s just a

7:00 AM ET The day-to-day changes Major League Baseball players are dealing with might become routine in time, many players said after the first full week of workouts at summer camp. But the new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic has already had an effect on one aspect of the game that is part of the

8:00 AM ET If you’d like a peek into the future of catching once the electronic strike zone is implemented, just consider how quickly second base has changed since the rules against aggressive slides was adopted in 2016. Back then, one skill separated good second basemen from the bad ones — the ability to take

8:25 PM ET ESPN.com staff The 2020 MLB season is nearly here — four months later than originally planned. While this season will be reduced to 60 games, and there will be no fans in attendance at least initially, because of the shutdown forced by the coronavirus pandemic, teams are in camp preparing for Opening