News: Dan Kolko will succeed Bob Carpenter doing play-by-play on Nationals broadcasts this year, according to multiple people familiar with the decision. Kolko filled in regularly for Carpenter last year and has been a part of Nats coverage in various roles since 2012.

Mike Shildt stepping down as Padres manager was so stunning it made people wonder if more was going on. Now, as he starts new role with Orioles, he maintains it was simple. “I was tired of being the principal. I wanted to get back to being the teacher.” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

The Dodgers keep doing the unthinkable. Will the rest of baseball decide it’s unallowable? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

Getting a lot of questions about how the Nats moving to MLB as a broadcast partner instead of MASN will affect fans. Tried to answer some of them here.

News: No more MASN for the Nationals. They’ve chosen to have MLB broadcast their games in 2026. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

The Cubs needed an anchor, a star. They finally splurged on one. The Red Sox needed a star, an anchor. They finally had one, and they let him get away. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

They’ll be throwing Dunkin in the harbor tonight

Alex Bregman will be a Cub, 5/175M, per person familiar with the deal, though you heard from @JonHeyman and @JeffPassan. Seemed such a perfect fit in Boston (city/clubhouse) thought for sure he’d use FA to get more and go back. But 35M AAV thru age 36 season is a monster deal.

Wanted to provide clarity re: MASN contract. The Nationals’ contract with MASN expires at the end of February, both the Nats/O’s confirm to @chelseajanes.bsky.social and me. None of this is to say the Nats won’t opt to go in a different direction with their TV rights. But still with MASN.

Just to add what I can to the MASN discourse, Nats can always choose to have MLB handle production and distribution of games, as league does for San Diego/AZ/etc. My understanding is that in that case Nats receive whatever revenue they get from any cable deals and streaming subs

Anthony Rendon and the Angels restructured his contract so both sides can move on in 2026, which was the supposed to be the final year of his seven-year deal. It should come as no surprise he didn’t finish it. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Late to the party, but confirming the Angels have agreed to a settlement with Anthony Rendon that ends his tenure after six years. The Nationals had a choice after 2019: Give $245 million to Strasburg or Rendon. Hard to say they made the wrong choice?

Re O’s acquiring Baz: Price for starting pitching is high, in trades as in FA. But if Baz is at his best, he’s really really good with three years of control. The “if” is what scares you, but its there with most of the FAs too in some form I guess

Even as big free agent deals go, the Pete Alonso signing is a hugely significant development for the Orioles. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Alonso might not be the most hyped clubhouse guy in this free agent class, but he cares, he’s earnest, and he’s been there before. All of which will help.

The Baltimore Orioles finally get the proven offensive guy they’ve been chasing: Pete Alonso agrees to 5 yrs, $155M, as @JeffPassan said, per person familiar with deal. Biggest free agent move of Elias’s tenure by a wide mile. And given state of the rotation, they’re not done.

Kyle Schwarber tipped the first domino. Edwin Diaz toppled another. Time for everyone who wanted them to pivot — meaning the chaos can begin: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Ryan Helsley said possibility of starting was "definitely real" and that he told his agent to listen if teams asked about it. Said Tigers were "in on me heavy" as SP. "Weighed the options and the risks and they just didn't seem to line up with where I am in my career."

I feel obligated to report that Paul Toboni let slip today that people in Boston called him “T-Bone,” which I can confirm from having spoken to Boston people. Unfortunately, this means my shorthand idea — “POBOni” (President of Baseball Operations) — might not stick.

Seidler family announces they are exploring “strategic options” for the Padres, including a potential sale.

The GM Meetings are overlapping with BravoCon in Vegas this week. This is the exact geographic center of my Venn diagram.

There was a time when Paul DePodesta had the reputation as the kind of front office wunderkind who might, say, figure out how to win at Coors Field someday. But that was many jobs and an NFL jaunt ago. Can he really pull this off? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

MLB announces that all authorized betting partners will now cap wagers on pitch-level bets at $200 and exclude them from parlays. Pitch-level bets, you may remember, are the kind Clase, Ortiz, and their co-conspirators allegedly exploited.

Emmanuel Clase’s attorney Michael Ferrara said the following: “Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

News regarding Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz and the crazy, brazen pitch-rigging scheme alleged against them: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Luis Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, says Ortiz is innocent and that payments to the DR that DOJ alleges were related to betting were for “lawful activities”

Good morning from Craig Albernaz’s introductory press conference. The man sitting in the front row, back of head to the camera in the beige suit, is Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, here to support his friend.

Now that the dust has settled on that crazy World Series, it still strikes me how unlikely it was that Max Scherzer got one (last?) October run. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The Dodgers became baseball’s first repeat champions in 25 years. It took everything they had. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

After all these months and days and hours of baseball, the World Series is headed to Game 7 because of what happened after a ball got stuck under a wall. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The Dodgers know they won’t win the World Series hitting like this. But even they don’t have an easy on switch: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

So anyway, after all that, turns out the Blue Jays were completely fine www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The Blue Jays lose one of the most grueling games in World Series history, learn one of their best hitters will be out of the lineup… then beat the Dodgers 6-2 to even the series as if it were nothing. World Series is tied, and it’s going back to Toronto one way or the other.

That was incredible: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Put Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the list of all-time October greats (already). This is something we don’t see often from a pitcher the likes of which we haven’t seen before. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

In the three true outcomes era, might contact be king? The Blue Jays thought so. And they’re leading the World Series 1-0 because of it. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Blue Jays fans chanting to Ohtani: “We don’t need you.”

Blue Jays announced their World Series roster. Bo Bichette is on it.

Can the Blue Jays, runners up to the Dodgers in some key free agent moments, find a way to beat them now? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

John Schneider said he hopes Ohtani brought back the Blue Jays hat and jacket for Decoy they gave him when courting him in free agency two years ago.

George Springer. What a moment. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

In six months, Trey Yesavage went from A-ball to Game 6. And Sunday night, he went from impressive rookie to Toronto legend: the Blue Jays are one win from the World Series. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

If that Dodgers/Brewers series was a referendum on baseball economics, well… www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Shohei Ohtani just played the greatest game in baseball history. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Shohei Ohtani is in a slump. The Dodgers are a win from the Workd Series anyway. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

On Blake Snell’s stubborn genius and his quest to make sure you see it. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Some big MLB games tonight, but the real event will be on your local ABC affiliate where my superstar brother, Spencer Janes, will be on Jeopardy! Tough MLB didn’t schedule NLDS around it, but I can only assume they’ll feel it in the ratings. Go Spence! t.co/jViJiPlVTD

Is this finally the Blue Jays’ moment? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Aaron Judge, October legend: Only in hindsight will it seem like it was just a matter of time. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Interesting stat from the postgame notes: Only five teams have overcome a five-run deficit in a potential elimination game like the Yankees did Tuesday. The last team to do it? The 2012 St. Louis Cardinals against Drew Storen and the Washington Nationals.