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  Alden GonzalezOct 20, 2025, 01:10 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

Albert Pujols is no longer a candidate to be the manager of the Los Angeles Angels, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday.

Pujols, though, is scheduled to interview for the San Diego Padres’ managerial vacancy on Wednesday, a source told ESPN. The Baltimore Orioles have also previously reached out with interest, though an interview has not been scheduled, a source said.

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The Padres became one of eight teams in search of a new manager after Mike Shildt announced he would retire from his role, joining the Angels, Orioles, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins.

Pujols, 45, is held in high regard by the Padres’ two most influential players — Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Pujols is currently a special assistant for the Angels, as part of a 10-year, $10 million contract that was triggered after he retired in 2022. He interviewed with Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis on Oct. 9, but the two sides are no longer in talks, which was first reported by the New York Post.

The Angels have since granted permission to the Padres to interview Pujols, which was first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Pujols has expressed strong interest in managing at the big league level for years and led a Dominican winter ball team, the Leones del Escogido, to a championship in January. Pujols was previously named manager for his native Dominican Republic in next year’s World Baseball Classic, though he would likely rescind that role if he lands a big league job this offseason.

The Angels declined the 2026 option on manager Ron Washington’s contract after the regular season.

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The future Hall of Famer and current special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian is no longer in the running for the clubâ€s open managerial position, a source told MLB.comâ€s Mark Feinsand on Monday. The club has not confirmed the news.

Pujols was once considered the front-runner for the position and interviewed with Minasian in St. Louis on Oct. 9, but contract talks broke down. Pujols is already on the clubâ€s payroll, earning $1 million a year as part of his 10-year personal services contract that started before the 2023 season.

Pujols is now considered a candidate for both the Orioles and Padres’ managerial vacancies; the three-time MVP indicated during Spring Training that he wanted to become a Major League manager and believed he was ready for the role.

With Pujols now out of the mix, the Angels still have two internal candidates in Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki. Both are former Angels who are currently special assistants to Minasian.

Hunter and Suzuki also spent time with the club down the stretch as the Angels conducted their organizational exit interviews. Hunter spent time in the dugout in several series and said in Texas that heâ€d be interested in managing if the right situation came up.

Suzuki also interviewed for the Giants†managerial opening. Both players also played for the Twins and could be candidates for that club’s vacancy.

Additional candidates who have been linked to the Angels include Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and ex-Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.

Angels first-base coach Bo Porter, who managed the Astros in 2013 and ’14, also told The Athletic he has interest in managing again, but itâ€s unclear if the club views him as a candidate. The Angels told all of their coaches they are free to look elsewhere for jobs because the new manager will select his own staff.

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Whether through the addition of Search overviews or simply a rise in AI-generated content, you may be finding it more difficult to find the results you want from trusted sources. It has made Search more difficult for everyone–including publishers like us. But a new Google update is giving you back some control over your results on search, and will allow you to never miss an update from Baseball America.

Google’s new Preferred Sources tool allows users to select their preferred news sources in Search. By setting Baseball America as a preferred source, our stories will appear more often in your “Top Stories†and “From your sources†sections when you search for baseball-related topics.

Here’s how to do it.

First, you will need to log into a Google account. Then you can follow this linkto manage your preferred sources at any time. Simply type in Baseball America, check the box and you’re all set.

You can also set your preferred sources while searching for different topics.

For example, if you search for Kevin McGonigle, Google will surface several recent stories in a carousel of news results at the top of the page.

See that icon next to the Top Stories module that looks like a starred folder? If you click on it, it will open up your preferred sources folder, where you can then search or toggle Baseball America.

After saving your selection and refreshing or reloading your results, Baseball America will be one of your preferred sources moving forward. Once thatâ€s done, youâ€ll start seeing more Baseball America stories highlighted in your personalized Google results, helping you stay updated on every level of the game, from the majors to the minors to the next wave of prospects.

For more details on Google’s Preferred Sources program, click here.

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Oct 14, 2025, 09:51 PM ET

Alex Bregman plans to opt out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox, a source told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez on Tuesday night, confirming a New York Post report.

The move was expected and doesn’t rule out the veteran third baseman returning to Boston, but for now, he’ll be part of a free agent class for a second straight offseason.

Last offseason, he didn’t find a home until the start of spring training, when he agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox in mid-February that included opt-outs after 2025 and 2026.

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Bregman, 31, got off to a fast start in Boston, hitting .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs before suffering a quad injury that sidelined him from May 24 to July 11. He finished the season with a .273 average, 18 home runs and 62 RBIs. Off the field, he was praised for his leadership on a young Red Sox team that lost in three games to the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series.

After the team’s postseason exit, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow declined to say whether contract discussions were already ongoing with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras.

“Obviously, Alex has the right as structured in his contract to opt out, and he’s going to do what’s best for his family,” Breslow said Oct. 6. “At the same time, I will not miss an opportunity to talk about his contributions on the field, in the clubhouse, to the coaching staff, to the front office. Every conversation we’ve had I think I’ve learned something about how his impact and influence have rubbed off on his teammates.”

Boston shortstop Trevor Story also has an opt-out in his deal after inking a six-year, $140 million contract with the team in March 2022. If Story exercises his player option, the Red Sox will have the right to exercise the club option then and make the deal worth $160 million over seven seasons.

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  Alden GonzalezOct 10, 2025, 08:14 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

Future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols met with Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis about the team’s managerial vacancy Thursday night, a source familiar with the process told ESPN on Friday, confirming an initial report by The Athletic.

A formal offer has not been made, sources cautioned, though Pujols has been considered a top candidate since the Angels declined the 2026 option on manager Ron Washington’s contract last week.

Pujols, 45, has expressed strong interest in managing at the big league level for years and led a Dominican winter ball team, the Leones del Escogido, to a championship in January. Pujols was previously named manager for his native Dominican Republic in next year’s World Baseball Classic, though he would likely rescind that role if he lands a big league job this offseason.

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The Angels are one of six teams looking for new managers. Other clubs have inquired about Pujols, though the Angels are the only team he has formally met about managing thus far, according to a source.

Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels in December 2011 that included a 10-year, $10 million personal-services contract that kicked in after he retired. What becomes of that deal would likely be part of any financial negotiations that would inevitably take place with the Angels.

Pujols has been a special guest instructor at Angels spring training each of the past three years and is considered a prime candidate by both Minasian, who held him in high regard even after releasing him in May 2021, and Angels owner Arte Moreno.

One of the greatest players of the 2000s, Pujols won three MVPs and two World Series championships in a 22-year career that included 703 home runs, 2,218 RBIs and 3,384 hits. His best years came in St. Louis, but the Angels could give him his first shot to manage.

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  Jorge CastilloOct 10, 2025, 10:53 AM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

As expected, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent next month, a source told ESPN.

Bellinger, 30, has a $25 million player option for next season. After a rebound season in his first year in pinstripes, he presumably will receive widespread interest in free agency — it should yield a lucrative multi-year contract.

The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs last December. For the Cubs, he was a salary dump days after they acquired Kyle Tucker.

For the Yankees, he was part of the swift pivot from Juan Soto. In the end, the 2019 NL MVP ended up being their second-most valuable player.

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Hitting behind Aaron Judge most of the season, Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs and an .813 OPS in 152 games in 2025. He was especially productive against left-handed pitching despite hitting left-handed, leading all left-handed hitters in on-base percentage (.415) and slugging (.601) against lefties.

He was also one of the sport’s top defenders: Bellinger accumulated seven Outs Above Average and eight Defensive Runs Saved between the three outfield positions and first base. He added 13 steals in 15 attempts. His 4.9 fWAR was tied with Kyle Schwarber for 18th in the majors and second on the Yankees behind Judge.

Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million — with opt-outs after the first and second years — with the Cubs before the 2024 season. He had declined the Cubs’ qualifying offer earlier in the offseason.

Other Yankees expected to reach free agency include outfielder Trent Grisham, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has undergone surgery for a sports hernia and should be ready for the start of the 2026 season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.

Eovaldi, who went 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA in 22 starts for the Rangers, had the procedure in Phoenix and is expected to be ready in four weeks, the source said. He was shut down in late August with a rotator cuff strain, but scans last week showed that injury was healing, according to a report.

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He fell short of the innings needed to qualify as the MLB leader, with Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes (1.97) leading the majors and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (2.21) atop the American League. Pitchers need to average one inning per team game to qualify.

Eovaldi, 35, was one of baseball’s best pitchers all season, and part of the Rangers’ MLB-leading 3.47 ERA as a staff. He was left off the American League All-Star team after missing most of June with elbow inflammation, but Texas still gave him a $100,000 All-Star bonus that is in his contract.

This was Eovaldi’s third consecutive season with at least 11 wins since joining the Rangers. He signed a $75 million, three-year contract in December that runs through 2027.

Eovaldi has a 102-84 career record and 3.84 ERA over 14 big league seasons with six teams and has won World Series championships with Boston in 2018 and Texas in 2023. He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers (2011-12) and later pitched for the Marlins (2012-14), the Yankees (2015-16), Rays (2018) and Red Sox (2018-22).

Eovaldi’s surgery was first reported by alldlls.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  Greg WyshynskiOct 2, 2025, 02:43 PM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

The Anaheim Ducks have locked up defenseman Jackson LaCombe, a key part of their rebuilding team, on a long-term contract extension.

LaCombe, 24, signed an eight-year deal that carries a $9 million average annual value, a source told ESPN on Thursday. The contract is the largest ever given out by the Ducks.

The extension has the same AAV as the deal defenseman Luke Hughes signed with the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, although that was on a seven-year term.

LaCombe’s new contract will begin in the 2026-27 season and end in 2033-34. He has one year left on a two-year bridge deal ($925,000 AAV) that he signed in 2024.

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LaCombe was selected 39th overall in the 2019 NHL draft. He has 60 points in 148 NHL games, with a career-best 14 goals and 29 assists in 75 games last season for the Ducks as he formed an effective pairing with bruising veteran defenseman Radko Gudas.

Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said extending LaCombe was “a priority” for the team and that the young defenseman has “all of the tools to be an anchor on our back end for many years to come.”

LaCombe said it was an “easy decision” to go long term in Anaheim.

“We are building something special here and I am excited to do everything I can to help this team win,” he said in a statement.

The Minnesota alum was invited to the U.S. men’s Olympic orientation camp, putting him in contention for a spot on the 2026 men’s hockey team that will battle for gold in Italy. LaCombe helped the U.S. win gold at the 2025 world championships — the Americans’ first gold at the event in 92 years.

This is the second big signing for Verbeek in the past week. The Ducks and restricted free agent center Mason McTavish agreed to a six-year, $42 million extension Saturday, ending a contentious negotiation that kept him out of training camp.

Anaheim is seeking its first playoff berth since 2018.

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ANAHEIM — The Angels will have a new manager in 2026.

Manager Ron Washington, who was placed on medical leave on June 27 and underwent a quadruple bypass heart surgery on June 30, will not have his option picked up, while interim manager Ray Montgomery also wonâ€t be his replacement, a source told MLB.com on Tuesday.

The Angels, however, have yet to make an announcement about the decision to move on from Washington and Montgomery as manager, which was first reported by The Athletic.

Washington, 73, was hired by the Angels prior to the 2024 season and the Angels went 63-99 in his first year at the helm. They improved on that mark this season under Washington, going 36-38 before he was placed on leave.

Montgomery, who had served as bench coach since 2022, took over as interim manager and went 36-52. The Angels suffered a slew of injuries late in the season and went 13-28 over their final 41 games.

The Angels have a pair of internal candidates who have no Major League or Minor League managing experience, but they have expressed a desire to manage in the big leagues. Former Angels Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols are both special assistants to general manager Perry Minasian.

Hunter said in late August that heâ€d manage if the right opportunity came up and joined the Angels on a few of their final road trips and their last homestand while spending time in full uniform in the dugout.

Another potential candidate with a tie to the organization is former longtime Padres and Rockies manager Bud Black. Black was the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000-06 before going on to manage in San Diego from 2007-15 and Colorado from 2017 until being fired this past May.

Former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker is also from the area, attending nearby Aliso Viejo High School. He managed in Miami from 2023-24, winning NL Manager of the Year honors in ‘23. Heâ€s currently a senior advisor to the Rangers.

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India cruised to a commanding seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their Asia Cup clash (AFP Photo) TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Amidst the tension surrounding the ‘handshake drama†that unfolded on Sunday night at the Dubai International Stadium, it is highly unlikely that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will withdraw from the ongoing Asia Cup, TimesofIndia.com has learnt.”It is very unlikely that the PCB will pull out from the Asia Cup,” a PCB source told TimesofIndia.com.”If we do that, ICC led by Jay Shah will put heavy sanctions on the PCB, and this is something our board cannot afford. The financial situation post the Champions Trophy, where all the stadiums were renovated, is not good,” the source added.

Handshake drama becomes ugly! India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 in DANGER?

This comes a day after PCB president and current Asian Cricket Council head Mohsin Naqvi had posted on social media: “There is nothing more important to me than the honour and prestige of my country.â€PCB had also lodged a complaint against match referee Andrew Pycroft to the ICC, who had asked Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav to skip the customary handshake at the toss.“It is alarming to note that an ICC-appointed and supposedly neutral match referee opted to indulge in conduct which clearly violates the Spirit of Cricket and MCC Laws,” read the PCB letter.“The match referee failed to discharge his responsibility: to ensure that respect was extended and maintained amongst the captains as well as between the two competing sides; and to create a positive atmosphere by his conduct and encourage the captains and participating teams to do likewise.

If we do that, ICC led by Jay Shah will put heavy sanctions on the PCB, and this is something our board cannot afford

PCB source on Pakistan’s threat to withdraw from Asia Cup

“In fact, the match refereeâ€s instructions to the two team captains were entirely directed towards achieving the opposite result. This misconduct violates Article 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Match Officials, which specifically makes it an offence for the match referee to conduct himself in a manner that is contrary to the spirit of the game and violates the MCC Laws.“Given the gravity, political nature/background, and far-reaching consequences and repercussions, the misconduct has also caused disrepute to the game.”We believe the highest level of offence has been committed.â€TimesofIndia.com can confirm that the ICC has rejected PCB’s plea.India and Pakistan are scheduled to train at the ICC Academy on Tuesday. While the time slots are different, the two teams will be at the same venue in preparation for their respective next matches. India’s training is from 6 pm to 9 pm (local time), while Pakistan will train from 8 pm to 11 pm (local time).India have already qualified for the Super 4s following UAE’s win over Oman on Monday. Meanwhile, Pakistan will play hosts the UAE on Wednesday in a must-win encounter. If they manage to beat UAE, Pakistan will again lock horns with India on Sunday.

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