What is the story about?
Everyone loves a dog, but apparently, Josh Naylor really loves the Mariners’ clubhouse dog, because the sweet pooch was a big deciding factor in why he decided to re-sign with Seattle for another five years. Other teams take note!
We’ve also seen the new Hall of Fame ballot for 2026 with a dozen new faces getting their first shot at Cooperstown.
Plenty of little news tidbits to get into, so let’s just get into it.
- Jon Lewis reports that ESPN has purchased MLB TV. What this means for broadcasts in the coming year remains to be seen.
- Could the Red Sox be a potential landing spot for Pete Alonso?
- Emma Baccellieri spotlights former Little League phenom Mo’ne Davis, who may finally get her chance to play pro ball as an adult.
- Michael Rothstein reports that Tyler Skaggs’ mother was aware of his addiction and was never asked by the Angels.
- Josh Naylor admitted that the Mariners’ clubhouse dog helped convince him to stay in Seattle. (AP)
- Why does MLB seem so willing to allow a work stoppage when everything seems to be going so well? Story by Evan Drellich. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- A look at the Hall of Fame candidates for 2026.
- Andrew Simon gives us more details on the new faces added to the ballot.
- Jay Jaffe looks at the big questions surrounding the class of 2026.
- The first season of the Women’s Pro Baseball League will take place in Springfield, Illinois. Story by Annie Costabile.
- Jessica Camerato reports on Blake Butera making his debut as the youngest MLB manager, taking the helm with the Nationals.
- Jeff Passan shares his offseason preview, with what he’s hearing and what he’s predicting.
- Brendan Kuty and Ken Rosenthal report that the Yankees have signed a one-year deal with Ryan Yarbrough. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- More on Naylor’s love for the M’s clubhouse dog.
- Mark Feinsand assesses what the Josh Naylor deal means for the remaining free agents on the table.
- David Laurila shares what Dana Brown’s hopes for the 2026 Astros are.
- Madison Williams breaks down which players accepted their qualifying offers and which players didn’t.
- Teams have until January 2nd to sign Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai. (AP)
- Frankie Montas has been cut by the Mets with $17M left on his contract. (AP)
- This seemed like a cool side quest for these guys.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.
