Overview
- Brooklyn prosecutors indicted Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on sports-betting and money-laundering charges; Ortiz is in custody, and reports say Clase has not been located.
- The case alleges rigged pitch outcomes coordinated with corrupt bettors who placed wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- The Yakult Swallows posted Munetaka Murakami, opening a 45-day MLB negotiation window, with nine-figure offers expected despite notable strikeout and defensive concerns.
- Kyle Tucker is widely labeled the top free agent, with projections approaching $400 million and frequent links to the Yankees, Dodgers and Blue Jays in multiple reports.
- With GM meetings underway, reporting points to the Mets preparing big swings without a new Pete Alonso deal, the Giants emerging as early suitors for Max Scherzer, and renewed trade speculation surrounding AL Cy Young Award candidate Tarik Skubal.