For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that’s the richest in baseball history.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract Sunday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract.

Juan Soto appears on a timetable to decide on where to sign either before or during baseball’s winter meetings in Dallas, which start Sunday and run until Dec. 12.

Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher CC Sabathia are among 14 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot, joining 14 holdovers led by reliever Billy Wagner.

Among the roughly 23,000 men who played played Major League Baseball over the past century-and-a-half, none had a season with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases — until now.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 50th homer of the season, connecting in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies.

Magic Johnson’s love of basketball motivated him to save the Los Angeles Sparks a decade ago from folding and also put him on the forefront of what is now a growing WNBA trend.

Billionaire media magnate and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has agreed to partner with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez on their in-dispute attempt to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were not being made public.

The Minnesota Timberwolves ownership dispute is moving into mediation.

Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling has announced his immediate retirement at age 85, a few weeks into his 34th season in New York’s broadcast booth.

The ownership transfer of the Minnesota Timberwolves has slammed to a halt.

Major League Baseball has opened a formal investigation into illegal gambling and theft allegations involving Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

Two people familiar with the agreement say the Kansas City Royals and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. have agreed to an 11-year contract worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed.

Jayson Tatum scored 45 points — 14 of them in the fourth quarter and another 12 in overtime — as the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in a matchup of the two conference leaders to remain perfect at home.

Giancarlo Stanton smashed his 400th home run, Gerrit Cole burnished his Cy Young Award credentials and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Julio Rodriguez had a career-high five hits to go with five RBIs, including a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, as the Mariners rallied to beat Kansas City 6-4.

Derek Jeter will be part of Fox Sports' MLB studio coverage for the coming season.

Although NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” featured new faces in the booth and production truck before the season started, the broadcasts continue to deliver at a high level.

A person familiar with the deal says that Aaron Judge has agreed to return to the New York Yankees on a $360 million, nine-year contract.

Carlos Beltrán, John Lackey and Jered Weaver are among 14 newcomers on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Hall of Fame ballot in what could turn into an evaluation of the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.

Baseball is fun again in the Pacific Northwest in a way that it hasn’t been in more than two decades.

Aaron Judge disappointed fans by staying stuck at 60 homers but doubled twice and scored on Oswaldo Cabrera’s first-inning grand slam that started the New York Yankees to a 14-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Atlanta finally passed the New York Mets this past week.

Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run, moving past Alex Rodriguez into fourth place on the career list and doing it in dramatic fashion with a ninth-inning drive that rallied the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3.

Aaron Judge started the first-game comeback with his major league-leading 55th home run, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a go-ahead grand slam in the nightcap and the New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Minnesota Twins 5-4 and 7-1.

Aaron Judge homered for the fourth straight game, hitting No. 55 of the year in a doubleheader opener against Minnesota to set the New York Yankees’ season record for right-handed hitters.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 43rd home run, Jose Trevino had his first multihomer game and the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 7-2 in a series opener between teams bulking up for the postseason.

Alex Rodriguez was standing near his courtside seat, oblivious to a few fans who were snapping a quick photo of the baseball great as they walked by.

Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera were added to All-Star Game rosters by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred under a provision in the sport’s new labor agreement.

Alex Rodriguez is taking a swing at mixed martial arts as an investor and board member for the Professional Fighters League.

Miguel Cabrera’s quest for his 3,000th hit was delayed for at least one more day when the game between the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies was rained out.

Seven months after Peyton and Eli Manning provided a template on how alternate broadcasts could succeed, Alex Rodriguez and Michael Kay think they can improve on it.

Donald Trump’s luxury hotel near the White House has received government approval to hand the keys to a Miami investment fund in a sale many industry experts doubted would ever go through.

A bank’s decision to loan Donald Trump’s company $100 million is the latest evidence the former president might survive fraud investigations and a business-world backlash over his efforts to stay in office after losing the 2020 election.

Two people familiar with the sport’s Joint Drug Program tell The Associated Press that Major League Baseball has stopped testing players for steroids for the first time in nearly 20 years due to the expiration of the sport’s drug agreement.

David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first turn on the ballot, while steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry to Cooperstown in their final year under consideration by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Former players David Cone and Eduardo Perez are joining Karl Ravech to form a new broadcast team for ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts.

Buck O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Minnie Miñoso, Gil Hodges and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

David Ortiz, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum and Alex Rodriguez are among 13 first-time candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, joining 17 holdovers.

The Red Sox and Yankees resume their rivalry in the playoffs in Tuesday night's AL wild-card game.

A sham candidate for the Florida Legislature pleaded guilty to being part of a vote siphoning scheme in last year’s election.

Gio Urshela hit a three-run homer and the New York Yankees saved a little face by beating the Mets 4-2 to avoid a Subway Series sweep.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined his father as an All-Star and Fernando Tatis Jr. accomplished a feat his dad never achieved.

Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer and passed Mel Ott for 14th on the career runs list, and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended the Arizona Diamondbacks’ losing streak to 17 games with a 9-8 victory.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is expressing confidence the NBA team will remain in Minnesota under new ownership.

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has reached agreement on his $1.5 billion sale of the club.

J-Lo and A-Rod are no longer J-Rod — officially.

Former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and e-commerce mogul Marc Lore have signed a letter of intent to buy the Timberwolves and keep the NBA franchise in Minnesota.

An arrest warrant says Frank Artiles, the former senator from the Miami area, gave more than $44,000 to the fake candidate in the 2020 election. That candidate, Alex Rodriguez, has the same last name as the then-Democratic incumbent, Jose Javier Rodriguez. At one point, Rodriguez said he could get a used Range Rover for Artiles for $10,900, and Artiles agreed. In 2017, he resigned from the state Senate after using racial slurs in a conversation with two Black legislators in a Tallahassee bar. Then it was revealed Artiles used money from his political committee to hire a former Playboy model and Hooters girl as a consultant.

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2020 file photo, Jennifer Lopez, left, and Alex Rodriguez take a selfie as they arrive at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. Lopez and Rodriguez said Saturday, March 13, 2021, in a statement that reports of their split are inaccurate, and they are working things through. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez said Saturday that reports of their split are inaccurate, and they are working things through. “All the reports are inaccurate,” said the joint statement Saturday “from Jennifer and Alex,” emailed to The Associated Press by representatives. The couple was given the nickname "J-Rod" three years ago after they landed on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine.

Lopez and Rodriguez called off their two-year engagement, according to multiple reports based on anonymous sources. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez called off their two-year engagement, according to multiple reports based on anonymous sources. The former slugger proposed to the actor a couple years ago after the celebrity couple started dating in early 2017. The last time Lopez and Rodriguez posted a photo together was last month in the Dominican Republic. In 2019, Rodriguez said he and Lopez had similar backgrounds and her latest film “Second Act” reflected the ties that drew them together.

Tax season is busier than usual for professional athletes and the people they put in charge of their taxes.

The baseball Hall of Fame wont have any new players in the class of 2021 after voters decided no one had the merits on-the-field or off for enshrinement in Cooperstown on this year's ballot. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)It could be a while before the Baseball Writers' Association of America votes anyone new into the Hall of Fame. AdSchilling wrote on Facebook that he has asked the Hall of Fame to remove his name from next year’s ballot. LAST CHANCEBonds and Clemens have one more year on the writers' ballot, and Schilling does, too, unless the Hall abides by his request for removal. OTHER AVENUESEven if the BBWAA doesn't vote anyone in next year, there's still a chance someone will be elected by one of the Eras Committees, which consider players no longer eligible for the BBWAA vote.

Like many baseball writers, C. Trent Rosecrans viewed the Hall of Fame vote as a labor of love. Schilling, a right-handed ace who won three World Series titles, finished 16 votes short of the 75% threshold necessary for enshrinement. Schilling, Clemens and Bonds will be joined on next year's ballot by sluggers Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. Schilling wrote on Facebook that he would like the veterans committee to review his Hall case. “I’ll defer to the veterans committee and men whose opinions actually matter and who are in a position to actually judge a player,” Schilling wrote.

The .245 big league batting average was the the lowest since .237 in 1968 and down from .252 last year. LeMahieu hit .364 for the New York Yankees, the highest for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009 and well ahead of 2019 AL batting champion Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox, who finished second at .322. LeMahieu won the NL batting title with Colorado in 2016. “You've got to just roll with it.”Soto batted .351 for Washington and at 21 years, 11 months, 2 days became the youngest NL batting champion. Bieber and the Chicago Cubs’ Yu Darvish tied for the major league lead in wins with eight.

If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. Brewers (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over St. Louis, or with losses by the Giants and Phillies. If the Giants and Cardinals win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. A career .279 hitter, he had 244 home runs and 942 RBIs for Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Texas. “He had a tremendous career, did a ton for the community in San Francisco and obviously for the San Francisco Giants,” Kapler said.

LOS ANGELES – Gloria Estefan, Alex Rodriguez and Eva Longoria will be among the participants in a monthlong online celebration of Latino contributions to television. It’s the first such event by Paley to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Among the highlights of the event (all times Eastern):— “A Tribute to Hispanic Achievements on Television,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on Yahoo Entertainment. Estefan, Longoria, Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits and George Lopez are among those participating, with Soledad O’Brien as moderator. — “Telemundo’s ‘La Reina del Sur’: A Conversation with the Stars,” Oct. 2, Yahoo Entertainment and Yahoo en Español.

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar, right, reacts after scoring on a fielder's choice in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in San Diego. Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. WILD WESTThe surging San Diego Padres go for their ninth straight victory and try to close within a half-game of the West-leading Dodgers when the NL's top two teams square off again at Petco Park. Lamb homered and doubled in his Athletics debut Monday, a 9-0 victory at Seattle that gave his new team a doubleheader split.

Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. Sportico reported Cohen will own 95% of the team, with the rest staying with the Wilpon and Katz families. Former major league star Alex Rodriguez and fiancee Jennifer Lopez also tried to buy the team but dropped out of the bidding last month. Cohen also entered negotiations to buy the Mets last year, but the deal fell apart in February.

FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2019, file photo, Jennifer Lopez, left, and Alex Rodriguez sit courtside during an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers in Miami. Rodriguez and Lopez have retained J.P. Morgan to represent them in raising capital for a possible bid for the New York Mets. The move was first reported by Variety and confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was not announced. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Rodriguez and Lopez have retained J.P. Morgan to represent them in raising capital for a possible bid for the New York Mets. Rodriguez announced Friday night that despite a fully funded offer at a record price, their group was pulling its offer. CNBC reported Friday night that Cohen had entered final negotiations and was expected to finalize a deal with the team in the coming days. Cohen also entered negotiations to purchase the Mets last year, but the deal fell apart in February. Rodriguez and Lopez emerged as potential buyers after Cohen's first negotiations fell apart.

HOUSTON Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols continued his climb up the career charts Monday night, passing Alex Rodriguez with his 2,087th RBI. The 40-year-old Pujols hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to top A-Rod. Pujols is batting .211 with three home runs and 12 RBIs this season. He's recently been out of the lineup for the Angels, who have the worst record in the American League. The three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star has 659 career home runs, one behind Willie Mays for fifth place.

With two outs and a runner on, Cole had a 1-2 count on Ji-Man Choi, who came back to hit an RBI double. Jose Martinez followed with a two-run homer on the 107th pitch from a clearly tiring Cole. Cole was bidding to tie Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard for the third-longest streak ever. His only loss since May 2019 came in Game 1 of the World Series last October, pitching for Houston against Washington. ... Rays C Mike Zunino was mired in an 0 for 23 slide before doubling off Cole during the fifth.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK Aaron Judge homered for the fifth consecutive game Sunday night, becoming the first New York Yankees player in 13 years to accomplish the feat. The previous Yankees hitter to go deep in five straight games was lex Rodrguez in September 2007. Judge joined A-Rod as the only players in club history to hit five home runs in the first eight games of a season. Judge had never homered in four games in a row until connecting during Saturday night's 5-2 victory over Boston. The shot Sunday gave Judge five homers and 12 RBIs in eight games this year.

The Los Angeles Dodgers play the Los Angeles Angels at sunset during the fifth inning of a preseason baseball game, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Los Angeles Dodgers play the Los Angeles Angels at sunset during the fifth inning of a preseason baseball game, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Los Angeles. Rather than keeping players and club personnel sealed in a bubble environment, baseball teams will fly around the country, raising more health concerns. Fans won't be permitted at Nationals Park or at Dodger Stadium when Los Angeles plays San Francisco - or at any field. Going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball, Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole said. Its that sound, its the summer sound.___AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.

ORLANDO, Fla. Travelers heading to Puerto Rico will have to adjust to new restrictions starting July 15. Wanda Vazquez said all passengers will have to wear a mask and take a COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to their arrival and submit the results to officials at the airport. Officials said those who test positive, or do not have test results available, will be required to quarantine for 14 days. If I were to get the test two or three days ago, I wasnt going to get an answer right away, so how can I get to Puerto Rico on time to see my children, Rodriguez said. For me, its a good option so that we have more safety when you get to Puerto Rico, Torres said.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)NEW YORK Baseballs amateur draft is about to enter the next phase of its ongoing development same as all those young prospects picked every year. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 version was ticketed for a move to Omaha, Nebraska, to coincide with the College World Series there. But with the top pick in the second June amateur draft in 1966, the New York Mets swung and missed. All that hype came to full fruition a decade later, when he was the World Series MVP as the Nationals won the franchises first championship last year. Prior to Appel, the only top overall picks who failed to reach the majors were Chilcott and left-hander Brien Taylor (Yankees, 1991).