Former top-10 MVP finalist Rico Carty, who played 15 seasons with six different teams, died Saturday in the Dominican Republic, the newspaper Listin Diario reported. Carty was 85.

• Second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1964 to Dick Allen, Carty played his first seven seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, earning his lone All-Star Game appearance in 1970 as a write-in candidate.

  Carty was also 10th in NL MVP voting after the 1970 season when he batted .366 to win the NL batting title.

  After nine seasons in the NL, Carty also played seven seasons in the American League, batting .299 with 204 home runs and 890 RBIs in 1,651 games.

  --Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers named former Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward as their first-base coach.

• Woodward replaces Clayton McCullough, who was named the Miami Marlins manager earlier this month.

  A native of the Los Angeles area, Woodward was the Rangers' manager from 2019 into the 2022 season before he was dismissed after compiling a 211-287 record. He was an adviser to the Dodgers' player-development staff last season and was the Los Angeles third-base coach from 2016-18.

  The 48-year-old played 12 seasons in the major leagues, batting .239 with 33 home runs and 191 RBIs over 659 games for five teams, including his first six seasons (1999-2004) with the Toronto Blue Jays before returning to Toronto in 2011.

  --Field Level Media

The Toronto Blue Jays non-tendered two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano on Friday, making the right-hander a free agent.

• Romano, 31, first reached the majors in 2019 with the Blue Jays and has 105 saves in 231 career appearances. He is 20-17 with a 1.14 WHIP.

  Romano battled injuries last season and was 1-2 with eight saves and a 6.59 ERA in 14 appearances. He underwent season-ending right elbow surgery in July.

  Romano had 36 saves in both 2022 and 2023, making the American League All-Star team both seasons.

  The native Canadian earned $7.75 million on a one-year deal last season.

  The Blue Jays also agreed to a one-year deal with Erik Swanson and non-tendered fellow right-hander Dillon Tate.

  Swanson, 31, agreed to a $3 million deal. He went 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 45 relief appearances last season, his second with the Blue Jays.

  Tate, 30, had no decisions and a 5.40 ERA in four relief appearances for Toronto in 2024. He also made 29 appearances for the Baltimore Orioles and went 2-1 with a 4.59 ERA.

  --Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals dealt right-handed starting pitcher Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for second baseman Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer on Friday.

• The Reds moved on from India, the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year, as they build their infield around star Elly De La Cruz. India has one year remaining on his current contract and is arbitration eligible in 2026.

  India, 27, appeared in 151 games in 2024 and batted .248 with 15 home runs, 28 doubles and 58 RBIs. In 523 games over four years with the Reds, who drafted India fifth overall in 2018, he has batted .253 with 63 homers, 101 doubles, 229 RBIs and 42 steals.

  Wiemer, 25, split the 2024 season between Milwaukee and Cincinnati and went 4-for-26 with two runs in 21 appearances.

  Meanwhile, Singer joins Cincinnati after spending his first five major league seasons with Kansas City. He's coming off a 9-13 season in which he pitched to a 3.71 ERA with a career-high 170 strikeouts in 32 starts.

  The 28-year-old is 36-44 with a 4.28 ERA in 127 career games (124 starts) in his MLB career, with 645 strikeouts and 214 walks.

  --Field Level Media

Alyssa Nakken, the first full-time female coach in major league history, is departing the San Francisco Giants for a player development role with the Cleveland Guardians.

• The Guardians haven't announced her hiring or revealed what her duties will be.

  Nakken, 34, held a coaching role with the Giants for the past five seasons. She made history on April 12, 2022 when she took over as first-base coach after Antoan Richardson was ejected against the San Diego Padres.

  "We thank Alyssa Nakken for her incredible contributions to the San Francisco Giants and for trailblazing a path for women in sports," the Giants said in a statement on Friday. "Her leadership, dedication and passion for the game have inspired countless individuals, and her impact has been truly transformative for the Giants organization and the baseball community. As she embarks on this exciting new chapter in her career, we have no doubt that she'll continue to inspire and achieve great things. We wish her and her family nothing but the best."

  Nakken interviewed for the Giants' managerial job following the 2023 season after Gabe Kapler was fired. Bob Melvin ended up getting the gig.

  Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 as a baseball operations intern following a standout softball career at Sacramento State. She later moved into a front office role before joining Kapler's staff.

  --Field Level Media

Right-hander Dustin May agreed to a one-year, $2.135 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of Friday's tender deadline.

• May has made only 30 starts since the 2020 season due to injuries and missed the Dodgers' entire World Series-winning 2024 campaign.

  May, 27, is 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 46 games (34 starts) over five seasons with Los Angeles (2019-23). He has struck out 174 batters and walked 57 in 191 2/3 innings.

  May underwent Tommy John surgeries in May 2021 and July 2023. He had surgery this July to repair a tear in his esophagus.

  MLB teams have until 8 p.m. ET on Friday to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players. Non-tendered players become free agents. May is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

  --Field Level Media

Hours after initially approving a proposal to spend $23 million to repair the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark, the St. Petersburg City Council rejected the plan Thursday.

• The decision comes more than a month after Tropicana Field's roof was torn apart when Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of Tampa on Oct. 9. The stadium also suffered heavy water damage. The city estimates the renovation will cost $55.7 million.

  The Rays have already made plans to play their home games next season at the New York Yankees' 11,000-seat spring training ballpark -- Steinbrenner Field -- in Tampa. But city documents reveal that the repairs to Tropicana Field will not be ready in time for the 2026 season, leaving the club's long-term plans in limbo.

  The council also voted 5-2 to delay voting on a proposal to use bond financing to help pay for the Rays' proposed new ballpark, which is expected to cost $1.3 billion.

  St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is optimistic about a new ballpark but is not willing to use more public funds to complete the project.

  "We believe there remains a path forward," he said in a written statement. "My administration is prepared to bring a modified plan back to City Council for their consideration. However I want to make it clear that this plan will not include additional funds from the City."

  The Rays, who are contractually required to play three more seasons at Tropicana Field, have played in Tampa Bay since their inaugural season in 1998.

  --Field Level Media

After only one prize was available when they met in the World Series, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge both walked away winners Thursday.

• Ohtani was named National League Most Valuable Player following his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Judge won his second American League MVP in three seasons with the New York Yankees.

  For the third time in four years, Ohtani won a league MVP award by unanimous vote; last year he became the only player to do so multiple times. Judge was also the unanimous winner in the AL after receiving 28 of 30 first-place votes in 2022.

  There have now been 23 unanimous league MVPs, three of those belonging to Ohtani.

  Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets finished second in NL voting and Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks was third. In the AL, Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. received all 30 second-place votes and Judge's Yankee teammate Juan Soto finished third.

  The honor for Ohtani caps a particularly memorable month after he helped the Dodgers to the franchise's second championship in 36 seasons with a five-game World Series win over the Yankees.

  "The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we were able to accomplish," Ohtani said through interpreter Matt Hidaka on MLB Network. "Like I said before, I receive this award on behalf of my team."

  Ohtani, 30, became just the second player to win the MVP in both leagues after Frank Robinson did it in 1961 with the NL's Cincinnati Reds and in 1966 with the AL's Baltimore Orioles. He also became the first MVP winner while playing as his team's primary designated hitter.

  A shoulder injury prevented Ohtani from pitching this past season, but as a two-way player for the Los Angeles Angels, he won unanimous AL MVPs in both 2021 and 2023.

  In 159 games during the 2024 regular season, Ohtani batted .310 and led the NL in OPS (1.036), slugging percentage (.646), home runs (54) and RBIs (130). He became the first player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases, taking 59. He narrowly missed out on the league's triple crown, finishing second for the NL batting title to the San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez (.314).

  "I obviously don't go into the season trying to strive to get the MVP award," Ohtani said. "I was more focused on being one of the guys with a new team with the Dodgers. I wanted to obviously embrace the fans as well and let them learn who I was. That was my main focus."

  In the first postseason of his career, Ohtani batted .230 with a .767 OPS, with three home runs and 10 RBIs. He injured his shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series yet continued to play and batted just .105 with no RBIs in five games. Ohtani had shoulder surgery after the World Series ended and is expected to be ready to play by the start of spring training.

  "The next goal for me is to (win MVP) again," Ohtani said. "So right now, I'm in the middle of rehab (from shoulder surgery) and working out and getting stronger.

  "... I'm looking forward to next season so we can run it back."

  Judge, 32, led the Yankees to the World Series after batting .322 with a 1.159 OPS in 158 games this past regular season. He also had a major league-best 58 home runs with 144 RBIs. His home-run total did not match the 62 he hit while winning the AL MVP in 2022, but his OPS was better than his 1.111 mark from that season.

  "It means a lot (to win another MVP)," Judge said on MLB Network. "Just a lot of hard work in the offseason, during the season, the ups and downs throughout it. Just the constant support from my teammates, the fans in New York, just everybody to help me get to this spot."

  Judge did not win the MVP in 2023 after a toe injury cost him more than a month.

  In 14 postseason games in October, Judge batted just .184 with a .752 OPS, including three home runs and nine RBIs. In five World Series games, he batted .222 with a lone home run that came early in Game 5 before the Dodgers rallied to win the title.

  During the 2024 regular season, Judge set career highs in batting average, on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701). OPS, hits (180), doubles (36), RBIs and walks (133). He was named to the AL All-Star team for the sixth time.

  Few could have seen Judge's monster year coming in the season's early weeks, though. He batted .178 with three home runs over his first 23 games and didn't climb above .200 for good until May 3.

  "March and April were not my friend this year, and it's just a testament to (the) long season," Judge said. "You're going to go through some ups, you're going through some downs, and it's just about leaning on your teammates and on your family.

  "... You can't mope, you can't feel sorry for yourself. You know, especially in New York, nobody's going to feel sorry for you. So you just gotta go out there and put up the numbers."

  While Ohtani was playing the first season of a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, Judge was in the second season of a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees.

  --Field Level Media

Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers culminated dominant seasons by winning the Cy Young Awards of their respective leagues, as announced Wednesday night by Major League Baseball.

• Both left-handers won the pitching Triple Crown, with Sale leading the National League in wins, strikeouts and earned-run average, and Skubal -- who was voted for the award unanimously -- repeating the feat in the American League.

  It is the first Cy Young Award for each.

  Sale took the honors over fellow National League finalists Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes. Sale received 26 first-place votes and four for second for 198 total points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

  "This wasn't an easy way to get to winning this trophy for the first time," Sale said, per MLB.com. "As soon as it happened, I'm thinking about people and teammates and coaches and family. It's special to me because of all the hard work that other people put in to get me here."

  Wheeler was second with 130 points (four firsts, 25 seconds, one fourth) and Skenes, the NL Rookie of the Year, was third with 53 (one second, 13 thirds, three fourths). Dylan Cease of the Padres (45), Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (38) were also among the top five vote-getters.

  Sale's teammate, right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, was one of three NL pitchers who received a single fifth-place vote.

  Skubal, with all 30 first-place votes for 210 points, bested American League finalists Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals (93) and Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (66).

  "It's special," Skubal said. "All the hard work, all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, moments like this make it extremely worth it."

  The Royals' Cole Ragans (48), the Orioles' Corbin Burnes (47), the Mariners' Logan Gilbert (25), the Astros' Framber Valdez (17), the Rangers' Kirby Yates (two), the Astros' Yusei Kikuchi (one) and the Guardians' Cade Smith (one) rounded out the voting.

  Sale, 35, had been in the Cy Young conversation multiple times, the runner-up in 2017 and finishing in the top six in voting for seven consecutive seasons from 2012-18.

  The award is the crowning achievement in the comeback for Sale, who missed all of the 2020 season following Tommy John surgery and was limited to just 11 combined starts in 2021 and 2022 due to injury. After a 6-5 season with a 4.30 ERA with the Boston Red Sox in 2023, he was traded to the Braves last Dec. 30 along with cash for infielder Vaughn Grissom.

  In his first season in Atlanta, Sale finished 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA. Over 29 starts and 177 2/3 innings, he struck out 225 batters and walked 39, giving up just nine home runs. He was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year last week.

  "My goal at the beginning of this year was just to be healthy," Sale said. "Getting greedy and thinking of things like this would have been maybe a little over my skis. I was coming to a new team that made a trade for me, when I'm sure there were a lot of people that kind of gave that trade the side-eye when it first happened. ... To say I'd be sitting here right now would be crazy. I just wanted to be able to do my job, really."

  Sale's season ended in disappointment, however, as a back ailment kept him from pitching in the postseason.

  In his career with the Chicago White Sox (2010-16), Red Sox (2017-23) and Braves, Sale has a 138-83 record with a 3.04 ERA and 2,414 strikeouts over 372 appearances (292 starts).

  As for Skubal, he won the award on his 28th birthday. A ninth-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2018, he made his debut in 2020. In 31 starts this season, he finished 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA, striking out 228 and walking 35 over 192 innings.

  Skubal was 6-2 with a 1.85 ERA over his last eight starts as Detroit surged from eight games below .500 in mid-August into the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

  He beat the Astros in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series and finished the postseason 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts.

  "It was a ton of fun to be part of," Skubal said. "The last two months of our season and even the postseason was very special. The memories and the experience will obviously help our club going forward, and I'm glad we got to experience it as a team and as a young team."

  Over 106 career regular-season appearances (103 starts), Skubal is 41-31 with a 3.37 ERA. He has 648 strikeouts in 571 1/3 innings.

  Sale became the first Atlanta pitcher to win the award since Tom Glavine won for the second time in 1998, which capped a dominant decade by Braves pitchers when Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz combined for six Cy Youngs in eight seasons.

  Skubal is the third Tigers pitcher in the 2000s to take home the prize, following Justin Verlander (2011) and Max Scherzer (2013).

  This season was the fourth in major league history that both leagues had a Triple Crown winner in the same year. The last time that happened was 2011, when Verlander of the Tigers and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers accomplished the feat.

  --Field Level Media

The Colorado Rockies are bringing back catcher Jacob Stallings on a one-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.

• Financial terms were not disclosed, however multiple media outlets reported it was worth $2 million.

  The deal includes a mutual option for 2026 that comes with a $500,000 buyout, per the reports.

  Stallings, 34, hit .263 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs last season, his first in Colorado.

  For his career, Stallings is batting .239 with 33 home runs and 184 RBIs with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2016-21), Miami Marlins (2022-23) and Rockies.

  --Field Level Media

The Chicago Cubs acquired right-hander Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for a prospect Wednesday.

• The Guardians acquired Class-A outfielder Alfonsin Rosario from the Cubs.

  To make room for Morgan on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated infielder/outfielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment.

  Morgan, 28, pitched to a 1.93 ERA in 32 relief appearances for the Guardians last season. He is 18-12 with a 3.97 ERA in 161 career appearances (19 starts) in four seasons with the Guardians.

  Wisdom, 33, batted .171 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 75 games with the Cubs last season. He's a career .209 hitter with 88 home runs.

  Rosario, 20, spent the 2024 season in Class-A Myrtle Beach, hitting .230 with 18 doubles, four triples, 16 homers and 73 RBIs in 109 games. He also recorded 20 stolen bases in 25 attempts and scored 61 runs. He was selected by the Cubs in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

  --Field Level Media

The future of the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida is in limbo, with one stadium rendered unplayable by a hurricane and financing for an already planned replacement now in doubt.

• Pinellas County commissioners late Tuesday agreed to delay a vote on issuing bonds to pay for its portion of a new $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg, putting off the vote until Dec. 17. Commissioner Brian Scott, who supports the county funding as outlined in a deal made in July, made a motion to delay the vote because he sensed the issue would go down to defeat on Tuesday.

  Two new commissioners elected in the Nov. 5 election are believed to oppose the deal, and they replaced two that had supported it.

  "Hopefully that will allow some time for our new commissioners to get up to speed on this," Scott told the Tampa Bay Times of the delay.

  Commissioner Rene Flowers was the lone dissenter in the 6-1 vote to delay the financing discussion, and she told the newspaper that she doesn't see it passing.

  "I just felt that instead of, you know, having additional conversations and taking up time, let's just be forthright and let's just put our responses on the table and stand flat-footed," she said. "I don't believe that additional time will change their minds."

  The vote previously had been delayed because of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

  The outcome of the meeting left the Rays reeling. Earlier Tuesday, the club delivered a letter to the commissioners, informing them that the current financial terms for the stadium no longer were viable and that a new solution needed to be reached.

  In the letter, club presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman said the commission's failure to approve the financing by this point has set back the planned 2028 move-in to the ballpark, forcing the team to halt construction plans for the stadium and surrounding area.

  "As we have informed the county administrator and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, the county's failure to finalize the bonds last month ended the ability for a 2028 delivery of the ballpark," the letter read. "As we have made clear at every step of this process, a 2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone."

  While team officials attended the commission meeting, they made no comment. Instead, they gave their reaction to the latest events in the letter.

  "The Rays organization is saddened and stunned by this unfortunate turn of events. We have put in decades of work and spent more than $50 million to bring this historic project to reality -- a project that had been approved by the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Now, that enormous investment of human and financial capital has been jeopardized by the county's failure to live up to its July agreement."

  Welch, in a statement to the Times, said he believes the July deal is still valid and the city "will continue to work with our partners towards that successful outcome."

  Pinellas County commissioners approved $312.5 million in public financing via a tourist tax in July, funded initially by bonds, but in October delayed the bond vote. The reason given was uncertainty as to where the Rays would play next season after the roof at Tropicana Field was shredded by Hurricane Milton.

  The Rays will play their home games in 2025 at the New York Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa.

  "While we are focused on preparing for a unique 2025 season, we stand ready to work on a new solution with any and all willing partners to preserve the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come," Auld and Silverman wrote in the letter.

  The next test for the ballpark comes Thursday, when the St. Petersburg City Council is scheduled to vote on selling its own bonds to pay for its share of the stadium, area roads and sewers.

  --Field Level Media

Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians won the American League Manager of the Year while the Milwaukee Brewers' Pat Murphy was the winner in the National League, as announced by Major League Baseball Tuesday evening.

• "The players did this," Vogt said. "If the players don't do what they're capable of, this wouldn't be possible."

  The AL Central champion Guardians had a highly successful season under Vogt in his first year managing the club, winning 92 games and defeating the Detroit Tigers to make their first AL Championship Series since 2016. They lost in five games to the New York Yankees.

  Vogt, 40, is a unique winner of the award, having only just completed his playing career in 2022.

  He becomes the fastest to win the award following a playing career, the fifth-youngest winner overall and one of just 10 to win the award in his first year of managing.

  The former two-time All-Star improved a young roster from 76 wins to 92 wins in a single year, showing an immediate impact in taking the reins from three-time Manager of the Year Terry Francona (2013, 2016, 2022).

  "I needed to come in and be myself," Vogt said. "I knew I'd never replace Tito (Francona) and fill his shoes, but I just wanted to be me and help our players be the best they can be."

  The Guardians have tied the Chicago White Sox for the most MOY awards all-time (five). In addition to Vogt and Francona, Eric Wedge took home the honors in 2007.

  Earning 27 first-place votes of a possible 30, Vogt won the award over fellow AL Central managers Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals and A.J. Hinch of the Tigers, both of whom also led turnarounds and landed postseason appearances.

  Much like Vogt, the 65-year-old Murphy was also in his first full year as a manager and earned 27 first-place votes. However, the wealth of experience Murphy brought to the table in Milwaukee was in stark contrast to Vogt.

  From 2016 to 2023, Murphy served as a top assistant of Craig Counsell -- who he once coached at Notre Dame (1988-94) -- in Milwaukee until Counsell departed for the Chicago Cubs last offseason.

  In addition, he was a longtime coach of Arizona State (1995-2009) and filled in as an interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, coaching that team to a 42-54 mark during his tenure.

  In 2024, Murphy led a 93-69 team that won the NL Central (ahead of the Cubs) and reached the postseason despite significant challenges faced along the way, including the departure of Corbin Burnes and injuries to fellow top right-handers Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams.

  "I didn't plan on this," Murphy said. "It wasn't my path. But then when I got with (Counsell), I was supposed to be mentoring him, but he did a great job mentoring me. I learned so much about the big league game."

  Murphy won the NL award over Mike Shildt of the Padres and Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets.

  Asked about what the two winners had in common, Vogt pointed to the support they each received, as well as their backgrounds.

  "It just speaks to the organizations, first of all," Vogt said. "Those are two great organizations we get to work for. But we're also baseball people."

  --Field Level Media

The New York Mets acquired outfielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Eric Orze.

• Siri, 29, figures to fill a spot in center field for the Mets with Harrison Bader not expected to return to the club.

  Siri spent parts of the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and played in a career-high 130 games in 2024, with 116 starts in center field. He batted .187 this past season but hit 18 home runs and 47 RBIs while stealing 14 bases.

  In his four-year major league career with the Houston Astros (2021-22) and Rays (2022-24), Siri is a career .210 hitter with 54 home runs, 136 RBIs and 43 stolen bases over 356 games.

  Orze, 27, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Mets in 2020 and made his major league debut in 2024. He went 0-1 in two games out of the bullpen, allowing four runs in 1 2/3 innings, translating to a 21.60 ERA.

  --Field Level Media

The staff under new Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable is taking shape with Walker McKinven hired as the team's bench coach.

• McKinven, 35, comes from the staff of the Milwaukee Brewers, where the former minor league pitcher worked as the club's run-prevention coordinator. The Chicago-area native had a game-planning role under manager Pat Murphy and had been with Milwaukee for nine seasons.

  Venable was announced as the new White Sox manager on Nov. 8. He replaced former manager Pedro Grifol, who was fired last season along with three members of the coaching staff, including bench coach Charlie Montoyo. Grady Sizemore finished the season as interim manager.

  McKinven's addition comes after Ryan Fuller was hired last week as the White Sox's director of hitting. Fuller, 34, was a co-hitting coach the past three seasons for the Baltimore Orioles.

  --Field Level Media

Former New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto and former New York Mets right-hander Luis Severino were among the players who rejected a qualifying offer from their 2024 club on Tuesday and elected to remain free agents.

• Only one of the 13 players who received a qualifying offer, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez, accepted the tender of a one-year, $21.05 million deal.

  The others who rejected the offer ahead of the Tuesday deadline to decide were Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and left-hander Sean Manaea, Baltimore Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes and outfielder Anthony Santander, Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta and Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried.

  Should any of them sign with a new team, the player's former team will be compensated with a draft pick.

  Soto, 26, batted .288 with a .989 OPS in his first season with the Yankees and hit 41 home runs with 109 RBIs while guiding the club into the World Series.

  Big-market clubs such as the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies all reportedly have interest in the four-time All-Star, who was a Silver Slugger winner this year.

  Soto is expected to command one of the largest major league contracts ever as a free agent.

  Severino, 30, went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts in his first season with the Mets, striking out 161 batters across 182 innings.

  A two-time All-Star with the New York Yankees (2017, 2018), Severino is 65-44 with a 3.81 ERA in 172 games (156 starts) with the Yankees (2015-19, 2021-23) and Mets.

  Martinez, 34, went 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 42 games (16 starts) for Cincinnati this year. He previously played for the Texas Rangers (2014-17) and the San Diego Padres (2022-23), and he owns a 37-45 career record with nine saves and a 4.09 ERA in 240 games (103 starts). Martinez pitched in Japan from 2018-21.

  --Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Pirates ace right-hander Paul Skenes capped his first major league campaign by being named winner of the National League Rookie of the Year on Monday night.

• Skenes received 23 of 30 first-place votes for 136 points in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of American.

  San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill was second with seven first-place votes and 104 points. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (26) was third and Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (four) was fourth.

  In the American League, New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil was the winner, edging Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser.

  Gil received 15 first-place votes and 10 seconds for 106 points, while Cowser (101) got 13 firsts and 11 seconds.

  Skenes' strong campaign opened eyes as he quickly handled major league hitters after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 out of LSU. He spent his first two college seasons at Air Force.

  "I've surrounded myself with good people," Skenes told MLB Network of his success. "I've been super lucky to experience all the things that I have. I try to continue to stay present and enjoy the ride."

  Skenes is the first starting pitcher to win the NL award since Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets in 2014. He is the first Pirate to win the honor since outfielder Jason Bay in 2004.

  Skenes is the fifth No. 1 overall pick to win Rookie of the Year. Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros was the most recent in 2015. The others are Bryce Harper (2012 with Nationals), Darryl Strawberry (1983, Mets) and Bob Horner (1978, Braves).

  Skenes, who turned 22 in May, went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. He is also one of three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award.

  Skenes was the starting pitcher for the NL in the All-Star Game. He allowed just 94 hits in 23 starts.

  "The coolest part is we can put a bow on this past year and we can kind of look forward to next year," he said.

  Merrill, who turned 21 in April, batted .292 with 24 homers and 90 RBIs and was a member of the NL All-Star team.

  Merrill was a shortstop by trade with the Padres moving him to center field during spring training. He proved to be a big-time clutch player, hitting six tying or game-winning homers in the eighth inning or later.

  Chourio is the youngest player in major league history to record a 20-homer, 20-steal, reaching the mark at 20 years, 185 days. Vada Pinson (1959 for the Reds) and Mike Trout (2012 of the Angels) also did it in their "age-20 seasons," but both turned 21 before reaching the milestone.

  Chourio batted .275 with 21 homers and 22 steals in 148 games.

  This was the first time since 1981 that starting pitchers won the award in both leagues. On that occasion, it was a pair left-handers -- Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers and Dave Righetti of the Yankees.

  Gil, who turned 26 in June, went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts for the Yankees.

  "It means so much to me," Gil said through an interpreter. "It's incredible. I'm so happy and excited about this."

  He is the 10th Yankee to win the award and the first since outfielder Aaron Judge in 2017. Among the other winners are catcher Thurman Munson in 1970 and shortstop Derek Jeter in 1996.

  "When you come up as a rookie player, first of all your dream is to make it to the big leagues," Gil said. "But once you get there, you want to contribute, you want to do your job, you want to help the team. To be in the same line as those guys, those guys are legends."

  Gil struck out 171 in 151 2/3 innings and compiled a 1.19 WHIP.

  Cowser, 24, batted .242 with 24 homers, 24 doubles and 69 RBIs in 153 games.

  He had struggled during a cameo in 2023 by batting .l15 in 61 at-bats over 26 games.

  Yankees catcher Austin Wells (17) was third in AL balloting, just ahead of Oakland Athletics right-hander Mason Miller (16). Cleveland Guardians right-hander Cade Smith (12) was fifth.

  --Field Level Media

A potential deal that would provide the Tampa Bay Rays a new $1.3 billion ballpark on the Tropicana Field site in St. Petersburg, Fla., is no longer a sure hit.

• The Pinellas County Commission is scheduled to vote on $600 million of bonds for the project on Tuesday, but a vote postponed last month could be delayed again.

  Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is seething from last month's non-action he viewed as the commission breaking promises.

  "Last month, the county commission upended our ballpark agreement by not approving their bonds, as they promised to do," Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times. "That action sent a clear message that we had lost the county as a partner.

  "The future of baseball in Tampa Bay became less certain after that vote."

  Sternberg said that relocation "is not an unlikely conclusion."

  As structure, the proposal up for vote calls for the new ballpark to open in 2028 in the city's Historic Gas Plant District. Any delay in construction would certainly raise the cost of the project.

  Complicating the situation is that the area was damaged during Hurricane Milton, which struck the area on Oct. 9. The Category 3 hurricane ravaged Tropicana Field and tore off 18 of the 24 roof panels.

  A report released by the city of St. Petersburg pinpoints stadium repairs at $55 million and $26 million alone for the roof replacement.

  Next season, the Rays are scheduled to play at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring-training site of the New York Yankees.

  On the possibility of franchise relocation, the Tampa Bay Times cited a $25 million insurance policy for repairs. If the commission chooses not to pay beyond that price, the Rays would be free to pursue relocation as soon as 2026.

  "We're going to exhaust all that we can here until, and unless, it comes to that," Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times. "We've been in that sort of position before, in a sense, but without an expiring clock. An expiring clock that just exploded, basically.

  "If we had 10 years, 12 years left, it's a different conversation. If we had one year left, it's probably a different conversation. If we had no plans to do a stadium here, it's a different conversation."

  The 2025 season will mark the Rays' 28th season on the West Coast of Florida.

  --Field Level Media

Seattle Mariners legends Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez were among the 14 newcomers on the Hall of Fame ballot released Monday.

• The other first-time candidates are CC Sabathia, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, Ben Zobrist, Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones and Fernando Rodney.

  Suzuki swept American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors in 2001 and made the All-Star team in each of his first 10 seasons. The 10-time Gold Glove outfielder retired with 3,089 hits and a .311 average.

  Hernandez was a six-time All-Star and the 2010 AL Cy Young award winner. He tossed a perfect game in 2012, won league ERA titles in 2010 (2.27) and 2014 (2.14) and finished his career with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts.

  They join 14 holdovers led by relief pitcher Billy Wagner, who fell five votes shy of induction in the 2024 balloting for a Cooperstown class featuring Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton. Wagner is on the ballot for the 10th and final time.

  The other returnees are Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Francisco Rodriguez, Torii Hunter and David Wright.

  --Field Level Media

Right-hander Nick Martinez said Monday that he accepted the Cincinnati Reds' $21.05 million qualifying offer.

• The deal makes him the highest-paid player on the Reds for 2025.

  Martinez, 34, opted to stay put after a breakout season in which he finished 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 42 games (16 starts) and struck out 116 batters in 142 1/3 innings.

  Martinez told MLB.com on Monday that he weighed the landscape before accepting the qualifying offer. He's hopeful a long-term deal can be worked out.

  "We were definitely hearing calls, taking them and seeing what was out there," Martinez said. "We're still able to talk (with the Reds) about a multi-year deal. To my understanding, that's still on the table. We're continuing to talk and see what we can do. This was just because of deadlines and stuff to accept the qualifying offer.

  "Being in Cincy, to run it back with these guys, was a better option for me. I'm comfortable with these guys. I'm excited to run it back with them."

  Martinez cited playing for new Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona as a huge selling point.

  The deadline for players to accept or decline qualifying offers is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

  Martinez is 37-45 with a 4.09 ERA in 240 games (103 starts) with the Texas Rangers (2014-17), San Diego Padres (2022-23) and Reds. He played in Japan from 2018-21.

  --Field Level Media

The Chicago White Sox have reached an agreement with free agent outfielder Austin Slater, the New York Post reported Monday.

• Terms were not reported for the 31-year-old veteran, who split the 2024 season between the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles. He hit a combined .209 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 84 games.

  Slater is a career .252 hitter with 40 home runs, 171 RBIs and 48 stolen bases in 634 games with the Giants (2017-24), Reds and Orioles.

  The White Sox are coming off a 121-loss campaign, a dubious record for the modern era. They hired Will Venable as their new manager on Oct. 31.

  --Field Level Media

The Houston Astros will now play baseball at Daikin Park under a 15-year naming-rights partnership announced Monday.

• The agreement with Daikin Comfort Technologies North America Inc. takes effect on Jan. 1 and runs through the 2039 season.

  Previously known as Minute Maid Park since 2002, the 41,000-seat facility originally opened as Enron Field in March 2000.

  Daikin, founded in Japan in 1924, operates the largest HVAC manufacturing facility in North America in the Houston area, where it employs about 10,000 people. The company's leading brands include Goodman, Amana and Quietflex.

  "We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark's naming rights," Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane said in a news release. "Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home.

  "The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ballpark in 2025, I am proud to have Daikin alongside us to create even more special memories for our fans now and in the future."

  The first game at Daikin Park will be on March 24 as the Astros host Triple-A affiliate Sugar Land in an exhibition game. The Astros open the 2025 regular season on March 27 against the visiting New York Mets.

  --Field Level Media

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol underwent surgery on his right shoulder and will be out until the middle of the 2025 season.

• Graterol required a labrum repair last week and won't begin a throwing program for several weeks.

  The right-hander battled multiple injuries last season but was able to return and pitch 2 1/3 innings against the New York Yankees in the World Series.

  The 26-year-old Graterol is one of the Dodgers' top bullpen arms but endured an injury-plagued 2024 season during which he made only seven appearances.

  After missing the first half of the season with a shoulder injury, Graterol finally made his season debut Aug. 6 and threw eight pitches before straining a hamstring and returning to the IL. He returned on Sept. 10 and tossed seven scoreless innings in six appearances in September before his shoulder flared up again, resulting in another IL stint to end the regular season.

  Graterol has a lifetime 2.78 ERA with 11 saves in 188 games (five starts) for the Minnesota Twins (2019) and Dodgers (2020-24).

  --Field Level Media

The Toronto Blue Jays hired former Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell as vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager.

• Bell will oversee player development and the physical and mental performance departments, while also advising on player evaluations and acquisitions, according to the Blue Jays.

  Bell spent nearly six seasons managing the Reds before being fired with five games left in the 2024 season. He had a 409-456 record.

  The 52-year-old Bell also has worked in the organizations of the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.

  Bell was a player for 12 seasons (1995-2006) with six teams and batted .257 with 123 homers and 589 RBIs in 1,403 games. He twice hit 20 or more homers -- smacking 21 for the Seattle Mariners in 1999 and 20 for the San Francisco Giants in 2002.

  --Field Level Media

Former outfielder Al "The Bull" Ferrara died Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced. He was 84.

• Ferrara was part of Dodgers' world championship teams in 1963 and 1965 and also hit 27 total homers over two-plus seasons with the San Diego Padres from 1969-71.

  "We are saddened to hear the news of Al Ferrara's passing today," said Stan Kasten, President & CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers. "Not only was Al a memorable player for the Dodgers in the 1960s, but he tirelessly supported the Dodgers community efforts and was one of our most committed alumni supporters. We extend our sympathies to his family."

  Ferrara was named the Dodgers' MVP in 1967 when he batted .277 with 16 homers and 50 RBIs in 122 games.

  Following the 1968 season, Ferrara was chosen in the expansion draft by the Padres and was the prime left fielder for the franchise during their first two seasons. He batted .260 with 14 homers and 56 RBIs in 1969, and hit .277 with 13 homers and 51 RBIs in 1970. He played 138 games both seasons.

  The Padres traded Ferrara to the Cincinnati Reds in May 1971. Ferrara retired after the season.

  A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Ferrara batted .259 with 51 homers and 198 RBIs in 574 games with the Dodgers (1963, 1965-68), Padres (1969-71) and Reds.

  During his playing career, Ferrara landed guest acting roles on popular series such as "Gilligan's Island" and "Batman."

  Ferrara served as an alumni ambassador for the Dodgers since 2009 and was still making appearances for the organization this year.

  --Field Level Media