MLB

Shohei Ohtani is already putting some of his new Dodgers contract to good use ... revealing Thursday he and his team are donating at least $1 million to victims of this week's devastating earthquake in Japan.

The Dodgers announced they and Guggenheim Baseball are putting up $1 million on their own ... while the designated hitter -- who just inked a $700 million pact with LA -- is forking over "his own personal contribution."

All of it is being given with the wish that it will help cities in Ohtani's home country rebuild after a 7.6 magnitude quake leveled homes on Monday, killing dozens.

"My hope is that we continue to come together to support those whose lives have been upended," the two-way superstar said. "I hope for the rapid rescue of missing persons and the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas."

The natural disaster struck around 4 PM on New Year's Day ... and as of Friday morning, hundreds of people still remain missing in the rubble.

Ohtani is clearly hurting for those who are struggling to survive ... as are the Dodgers, who said in a statement Thursday, "Our thoughts are with all of Japan in wake of this tragedy."

If you're a baseball fan with a quarter of a million dollars lyin' around -- you're in luck ... 'cause an ultra-rare bat that Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente once used and signed is about to go on sale!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Hillerich & Bradsby signature model U1 bat that Clemente swung during the 1971 season is hitting Heritage Auctions in February -- and it's awesome.

The 36-inch, 35.5-ounce relic has been photo-matched ... and it's also been autographed by Clemente himself.

The inscription -- which Clemente made out to famed memorabilia collector Carey Diab -- reads, "To my friend Carey, Best Wishes Always, Roberto Clemente." It also has the No. 21 written on the knob.

Experts at Heritage Auctions expect it to go for $250K when it ultimately sells ... explaining, "It is one of a tiny handful of known photo-matched Clemente gamers."

Clemente was the first Caribbean and Latin-American MLB player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after playing 18 seasons in the pros. In his career, he logged 3,000 hits and 240 home runs.

He also won two World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and became a 15-time All-Star, a four-time NL batting champ, and an NL MVP. Clemente also won 12 Gold Gloves.

Mookie Betts is on the move, but he ain't leaving the Dodgers ... TMZ Sports has learned he's now got a giant new house to live in!!

Real estate sources tell us ... the MLB superstar just copped a $15 million pad this month in Encino -- just a few miles away from Dodger Stadium.

We're told the place is sweet ... featuring super sleek and modern lines.

Unclear of how many beds, baths and bells and whistles it all officially comes with -- though it sits on 2 acres ... so there's plenty of room for Mookie to work on his base-running skills if he wants.

Of course, Mookie's been living in L.A. for a while now -- he was traded to the City of Angels prior to the 2020 season -- though after having his second child earlier this year ... seems he was in need of an upgrade.

We're told Craig Knizek and Scott Gorelick of The Agency repped the seller ... while Morgan Trent of AKG | Christie's International Real Estate repped the baseball player in the sale.

Mookie Betts está en movimiento, pero no está dejando a los Dodgers ... ¡¡¡TMZ Sports ha indagado que tiene una nueva casa gigante para vivir!!

Fuentes de bienes raíces nos dicen que la superestrella de la MLB acaba de comprar un palacio de $15 millones este mes en Encino, a pocos kilómetros de distancia del Estadio de los Dodgers.

Nos dicen que el lugar es dulce, con líneas super elegantes y modernas.

No está claro cuántas camas, baños, campanas y silbatos tiene, pero cuenta con 2 acres, así que hay un montón de espacio para que Mookie trabaje en sus habilidades de base-running si quiere.

Por supuesto, Mookie ha estado viviendo en Los Ángeles desde hace un tiempo. Fue traspasado a la Ciudad de los Ángeles antes de la temporada 2020, aunque después de tener a su segundo hijo a principios de este año parece que necesitaba una actualización.

Nos dicen que Craig Knizek de The Agency representó al vendedor, mientras que Morgan Trent de AKG | Christie's International Real Estate representó al jugador de béisbol en la venta.

Shohei Ohtani has only been a Dodger for about a week, but he's already getting the superstar treatment in L.A. ... with brand-new murals popping up all over the city!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... famous street artist Jonas Never -- who has done work featuring LeBron James and Anthony Bourdain in the past -- decided to welcome Ohtani to the Dodgers by whipping together a new piece near downtown L.A.

JN used the Prociety shop as his canvas ... and we're told the whole thing took a day and a half to complete.

Of course, Ohtani is no stranger to the area -- after all, he spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Angels.

Jonas also had help from fellow artist Droyce on the project ... and we gotta say, it came out great!!

Former MLB GM Dan Duquette -- who was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2022 -- tells TMZ Sports if he were in the Dodgers' front office ... he would've had some reservations about signing Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million contract.

The ex-Boston exec explained that while he believes the two-way star is truly one of the most unique talents the MLB's ever seen ... the elbow surgery he recently underwent would make Duquette nervous.

"I was a little uncomfortable with the values given the injury," Duquette said.

Ohtani, of course, had the procedure back in September ... the second major one his throwing arm's undergone since 2018.

Both the player and the Dodgers don't seem too concerned about it -- they each expect him to take the mound again in 2025 ... but Duquette told us it's a risky situation he might not have wanted to be a part of if he were making decisions in LA.

"This guy is a huge player," Duquette said, referencing Ohtani's 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. "He hit a couple of home runs, he pitched a really good game, and then he got hurt."

"I don't know that the performance at the top-end of the scale for these great big guys is sustainable. Because there's so much power and force going into a pitch, going into a swing."

However, one thing Duquette was fine with was the structure of the deal -- which will reportedly pay Ohtani $20 million for the next 10 years ... before it gives him $680 mil from 2034-2043.

Duquette told us the deferrals will benefit everyone -- from the team, to the player, to the league as a whole.

After a ton of speculation, Shohei Ohtani is finally spilling the beans on what he named his dog ... and as it turns out, it has nothing to do with his new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His name is Decoy!!

The 29-year-old Japanese superstar met with the media as a Dodger for the very first time just minutes ago ... where he talked all about topics like his decision to take his talents to L.A., winning aspirations and recent surgery.

But the one question everyone wanted the answer to -- what the heck is your dog's name, dude?!?!

Of course, the phenomenon started after Ohtani accepted his 2023 MVP award ... when reporters claimed Shotime's team refused to disclose any information about the four-legged friend who made an appearance with him in a video interview.

The secrecy led to a bunch of rumors -- and some even claimed it was because Ohtani chose a namesake related to his next destination.

But the two-way athlete put an end to all that talk on Thusday ... saying he decided on Decoy -- or the Japanese version, Dekopin.

As for when he knew he would be a Dodger, Shohei said he came to the decision the night before he announced his next move on Instagram.

Buster Posey says San Francisco's current issues with crime and drugs might very well be the reason Shohei Ohtani is currently wearing Dodger blue instead of Giants orange.

The S.F. legend -- who was part of the Giants' consortium that made its pitch to Ohtani recently to get him to sign with the Bay Area squad -- got candid with The Athletic after S.F. lost its pursuit of the two-way superstar to LA ... making it clear he thinks his former team's city truly impacted Shohei's free agency decision.

"Something I think is noteworthy," the three-time World Series champ said, "something that unfortunately keeps popping up from players and even the players' wives is there's a bit of an uneasiness with the city itself, as far as the state of the city, with crime, with drugs."

"Whether that's all completely fair or not," Posey continued, "perception is reality."

Posey added that while Ohtani himself never explicitly brought any of it up -- he said there was definitely some in the designated hitter's camp who did have "some reservation with the state of the city right now."

Ohtani is one of many big-name free agents who have passed up the chance to play in San Francisco recently -- last year, the Giants famously missed out on Aaron Judge, and in the past, they've swung and missed on guys like Bryce Harper and Seiya Suzuki too.

In his interview with The Athletic, Posey made it known the perception of S.F.'s current lifestyle might have had a big role in all of it.

"It's a frustrating cycle, I think, and not just with baseball," Posey said. "Baseball is secondary to life and the important things in life. But as far as a free-agent pursuit goes, I have seen that it does affect things."

Ohtani ultimately ended up inking a 10-year, $700 million contract with a LA -- a deal that Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said this week was nearly identical to the one S.F. had offered.

Posey said he eventually hopes the tide will end up turning ... adding, "It's been well documented that we've come up short for a number of years now."

Talk about getting lucky ... a card collector in Minnesota pulled a unique, one-of-one Topps Tom Brady Montreal Expos Superfractor card, signed by the legend himself!!!

We know what you're thinking ... the Expos were a baseball team, and well, Brady's a football player, right?

Not always!

Way back in 1995, Tom was a talented high school baseball player -- a power-hitting lefty catcher -- who was so damn good, the Montreal Expos selected him in the 18th round of the MLB draft.

Of course, TB12 opted to go to college, instead, the University of Michigan, and was ultimately picked in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

But, this week (on 12/12, a nod to Tom's jersey number), Fanatics and Brady, along with Topps, reimagined what things might've been like if TB had stuck with baseball.

The card giant released several rare Brady/Expos cards, including the totally unique, one-of-one Superfractor.

That card was pulled Tuesday night by the collectors at Triple Diamond Sports Breaks ... and experts have said it could be worth over 6 figures!

If you were hoping to pull that card, you're out of luck ... but, there's still another card out there that's not only been signed by Brady, but also inscribed with "If baseball doesn't work out, there's always football."

In fact, there's a collector who wants that card so bad that they've placed a $500k bounty on it!

Topps also had a little fun at Tom's expense ... with some help from New York Giants Super Bowl hero David Tyree.

But, cool cards weren't the only part of the reimagining ... the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum created and shared a Brady HOF plaque (does anyone doubt he would've found a way to be one of the greats?!)

Major League Baseball, with help from Pedro Martinez, Vlad Guerrero Sr. and Larry Walker, also created a commercial about Brady the baseball player, fit for the alternative universe.

Well, that didn't take long ...

Just 3.5 days after Shohei Ohtani agreed to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, his jersey is now officially available for purchase!!

The MLB announced the threads hit the shelves at its flagship store and its website on Wednesday -- but if ya want one of the Dodger blue and white unis, it'll cost you.

According to the league's site, a replica home Ohtani jersey will run $134.99 -- while a more authentic "limited" Ohtani jersey will cost $174.99.

If jerseys -- or their price tags -- aren't necessarily your thing, the league also put some Ohtani "sherseys" on sale ... for a far more affordable $39.99.

Of course, the No. 17 jerseys all became possible when pitcher Joe Kelly revealed he'd give up his old digits to the two-way superstar in favor of No. 99.

In fact, Kelly was already seen sporting his new digits while at a charity event Wednesday, looking just fine in the Nine-Nine.

Former World Series champ Jerry Hairston says the Dodgers didn't overpay when they dropped $700 million to get Shohei Ohtani ... telling TMZ Sports, "He's worth it."

L.A. inked the two-way star to the deal over the weekend ... and with his pitching career in question due to a second Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm, many wondered if the Dodgers spent just a bit too much.

But, Hairston made it clear to us on Monday ... he believes they didn't.

As for why ... the ex-outfielder who played two seasons for the Dodgers in 2012 and 2013 said there are a multitude of reasons. No. 1, he said he's fully confident Ohtani will be able to pitch again in 2025. No. 2, he told us he believes the 29-year-old is "just entering his prime, especially with the bat."

And, perhaps more importantly for the Dodgers' bottom line, Ohtani brings in revenue like no other player in the sport.

"He brings in anywhere from $70 to $85 million in revenue alone!" Hairston said.

Hairston actually went on to praise Ohtani and the Dodgers for the contract -- noting that the deal's deferred payments will allow L.A. to surround the two-time MVP with even more talent in the next few seasons.

"He is worth the price of admission," Hairston said.

Shohei Ohtani just announced he will be a Los Angeles Dodger ... reportedly landing a massive 10-year, $700 million contract -- the richest deal in Major League Baseball and North American sports history.

The Japanese two-way superstar personally shared the news on his Instagram page just minutes ago ... apologizing for keeping the baseball world on pins and needles as he came up with his decision to leave the Los Angeles Angels.

"First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process," Ohtani said in his post. "Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever."

Ohtani also pledged to give his absolute best on the field for the Dodgers fanbase ... adding, "Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world."

The Dodgers are getting the most entertaining player in the sport -- as Shohei is a dominant force on both sides of the ball.

He played the first six seasons of his MLB career with the crosstown rival Angels ... racking up 681 hits, 171 homers and 437 RBI ... as well as a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts on the mound.

Other organizations reportedly had a chance at landing the two-time MVP -- including the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays -- but the free agency process was super secretive, per Ohtani's request.

Joe Girardi loves the Juan Soto trade for the New York Yankees ... saying this week acquiring the outfielder from the Padres "is pretty big" for his old team.

The Pinstripes officially snagged the 25-year-old on Wednesday -- sending a bevy of players to San Diego in return -- and Girardi said on Friday that Yankees fans should have zero concerns about their new star going forward.

As for why ... the former NY manager said it's simple -- "He's just really good."

Soto, of course, has only played in small markets during his career -- suiting up for Washington for 4.5 seasons before his 1.5 years in SoCal -- but Girardi, again, said he's got no qualms about the New York lights affecting the slugger's play.

"I think he'll fit great," Girardi said.

One Yankees fan who clearly has no issues about the addition is "NYPD Blue" star Nick Turturro ... who tells TMZ Sports he's "very happy" and "overjoyed" with the signing.

"The direction of the Yankees has been so lame lately," he said. "Our lineup has been pathetic. Now we have a real left-handed threat."

"He's a bonafide star, this guy," he added.

One of the brightest young stars in the MLB is on his way to wearing pinstripes in 2023 ... the Yankees are reportedly finalizing a trade for Juan Soto!!

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi ... in addition to the Padres outfielder, New York's deal with San Diego for Soto will also include utility man Trent Grisham.

Morosi added that as part of the pact, the Yanks are planning to send the Padres five players, including pitcher Michael King.

The move will give the Yankees arguably the most talented outfield in the league -- as Soto, a 25-year-old three-time All-Star, will join Aaron Judge as well as newly acquired slugger Alex Verdugo at Yankee Stadium.

Soto was just traded to San Diego from Washington in 2022 ... and after a lackluster first year in SoCal, he bounced back this past season, piling up a .275 batting average with 35 home runs, 109 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

In his career, Soto has played the Yankees nine total times -- and has gone off in almost every game, hitting .310 with five home runs.

Parece que Morgan Wallen está persiguiendo a Josie Canseco. La superestrella fue vista entrando a un hotel en Londres y yendo a un restaurante con la hija del ex slugger de MLB esta semana y TMZ Sports tiene las fotos.

El cantante de "Last Night" y la modelo llegaron al Chiltern Firehouse alrededor de la 1 AM la noche del martes y las fuentes dicen que se quedaron allí durante unas dos horas antes de salir en la misma camioneta Mercedes Sprinter.

Nos dicen que los dos estaban pasándola muy bien, riendo y sonriendo durante su visita.

Morgan se presentó en el lugar con una chaqueta verde, sombrero de camionero y botas de vaquero de la firma y la hijo de José Canseco se puso un conjunto totalmente negro.

No está claro si los dos están realmente "saliendo", ya que ninguno sigue al otro en Instagram, pero tal vez estaban tratando de evitar tener un rastro de papel.

Morgan tiene un hijo, Indigo Wilder, con su ex-prometida, Katie Smith y ha sido bastante discreto en el mundo de las citas después de su separación, fuera de breves relaciones con Paige Lorenze y Megan Moroney.

En cuanto a Josie, es famosa por haber salido con chicos como Mike Stud, Brody Jenner y Logan Paul, pero parece estar soltera por el momento.

It appears Morgan Wallen is chasing Josie Canseco like a shot of whiskey -- the country superstar was spotted entering a London hotel and restaurant with the ex-MLB slugger's daughter this week ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

The "Last Night" crooner and model arrived at the Chiltern Firehouse around 1 AM Tuesday morning ... and sources say they stayed there for about two hours before leaving in the same Mercedes Sprinter van.

We're told the two were having a great time ... laughing and smiling throughout their visit.

Morgan showed up to the venue in a green jacket, trucker hat and signature cowboy boots ... and Jose Canseco's kid donned an all-black ensemble.

It's unclear whether the two are really "dating," as neither follow each other on Instagram ... but perhaps they were trying to keep from having a paper trail.

Morgan has a son, Indigo Wilder, with his ex-fiancée, Katie Smith ... and has been pretty lowkey in the dating world following their split, outside of brief relationships with Paige Lorenze and Megan Moroney.

As for Josie, she famously dated guys like Mike Stud, Brody Jenner and Logan Paul ... but appears to be single at the moment.