The shakeups in the agreement mostly see NBC and its parent company, NBCUniversal, commanding a larger share of baseball coverage, picking up several key games and events previously aired by ESPN, including “Sunday Night Baseball.” And, for the first time in 26 years, NBC will once again air baseball games on its broadcast network.

Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and pitcher Kona Takahashi are entering Major League Baseball’s posting system and will be available for teams to sign as free agents from Friday through Jan. 4.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins will play in the haunted cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa next season for this year's MLB Field of Dreams game.

Okamoto, 29, is a six-time NPB All-Star best known for his power − hitting at least 30 home runs in six consecutive seasons from 2018-2023. He also homered twice in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, including a solo blast in Japan's 3-2 victory over Team USA in the championship game.

Ellard dealt with hamstring and lat injuries for much of the 2025 season, and moved between the White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte Knights throughout the year. He wrapped up his second major league season with 17 innings pitched, a 4.24 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 22 strikeouts and 19 walks.

Kyle Schwarber said he and his family will spend a lot of time back home in Middletown in the future. As the NL MVP runner-up gears up for free agency, he spoke with our @Porters_Videos about potential interest from his hometown Reds: pic.twitter.com/jvO1vsF1mZ

The way fans watch baseball is about to drastically change, as Major League Baseball tears the Band-Aid off its distribution model and pivots toward a future where linear television and streaming coexist, even if it comes at a cost to both sports leagues and consumers.

Consider that each has pitched in the majors for parts of eight seasons with similar overall results. To wit, Valdez has an ERA+ of 124 for his MLB career to Suárez's 125. On the WAR front, Valdez has a career mark of 18.9 to Suárez's 17.8. As you can imagine, it's a tough call when it comes to which hurler should be more prized on the market.