Los Angeles is home to stars – the Dodgers fortified that reputation, acquiring both star pitcher Max Scherzer and all-star infielder Trea Turner from the Nationals.

The Dodgers are sending a lucrative package of prospects to Washington: pitcher Josiah Gray, catcher Keibert Ruiz, pitcher Gerardo Carrillo and outfielder Donovan Casey. Gray and Ruiz were the top two prospects from Los Angeles’s farm system.

Scherzer is having a stellar season, pitching to a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts. He is owed $35 million in this final year of his contract, although it will be paid off in deferrals through 2028. He will join a rotation of Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin. Recently added pitcher Trevor Bauer is out indefinitely after possible criminal offenses arose off the field.

Turner is currently batting .322 with 18 big flies and 49 runs batted in. He is just 28 years old and is under control through the 2022 season.

Los Angeles has a history of making big splashes at the trade deadline. Previous examples include acquiring Yu Darvish and Manny Machado.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is rapidly approaching. Now is the time to make predictions for each team heading into the 2021 season, following a 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign.

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After making the postseason for seven straight years without a World Series title, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally won it all in 2020. Los Angeles has six other World Series titles. They’ve also lost in the championship series a total of 14 times. In 2020, the Dodgers led the majors in ERA with a 3.02 ERA and home runs with a total of 118. Things are looking good once again for Los Angeles in 2021, and they have what it takes to make it to the World Series.

Here are the Dogers’ projected starters.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS PROJECTED BATTING ORDER:

1. OF Mookie Betts
2. SS Corey Seager
3. 3B Justin Turner
4. OF Cody Bellinger
5. 1B Max Muncy
6. C Will Smith
7. OF A.J. Pollock
8. 2B Gavin Lux
9. Pitcher

LOS ANGELES DODGERS PROJECTED PITCHING STAFF:

• SP1 Clayton Kershaw
• SP2 Trevor Bauer
• SP3 Walker Buehler
• SP4 David Price
• SP5 Julio Urias
• CL Kenley Jansen

LOS ANGELES DODGERS TEAM OUTLOOK:

The Dodgers made impactful moves throughout the offseason. One of those moves was that they made the power move to sign Trevor Bauer. They also acquired Corey Knebel to bolster their bullpen and resigned third baseman Justin Turner. Not only that, the Dodgers acquired Sheldon Neuse from a minor deal with the Oakland Athletics. During the offseason, Los Angeles lost outfielder Joc Pederson, second baseman Enrique Hernandez, relievers Pedro Baez and Jake McGee, and starter Alex Wood.

Regarding their starting rotation, the Dodgers have three elite arms plus three developing pitchers in Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May. Their bullpen could use some tweaking as Kenley Jansen struggled in 2020. Regarding offense, the top of the lineup has an abundance of power. Catcher Will Smith and second baseman Gavin Lux also provide upsides. The Dodgers have the best roster in all of baseball, and their starting pitching depth provides them with the push they need to be back in the World Series in 2021.

Los Angeles Dodgers Schedule:

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MLB announced Thursday that spring training will be postponed and the regular season will be delayed at least two weeks amid the spread of the coronavirus. Spring training games have been suspended as of Thursday 4 p.m. ET, according to ESPN.

“MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible,” MLB said in a statement. MLB seemingly modeled their approach after the NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA who have all canceled or postpone games while their organizations determine the next appropriate steps. Originally, MLB opening day was scheduled for March 26 with all 30 teams participating. Now, they will have to wait.

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Dodgers’ newly acquired pitcher David Price reportedly walked into the team’s facility on Thursday before the decision to postpone baseball and said, “It’s gotta happen. This is so much bigger than sports. I’ve got two kids.”

Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton also voiced his strong support for the MLB’s decision. “It’s unfortunate, but I think it’s the proper measure we need to take now given the situation the country’s in and the world’s in,” Stanton told ESPN. “It’s important to know that some things are bigger than baseball, bigger than sports at the moment. Once we’re able to hopefully get a hold on some things and get some questions answered, we can figure out when things can continue.”

Several teams had previously recommended that their scouts cease travel and have sent them home, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Other clubs have suspended travel for all employees.

Seattle Mariners’ owner John Stanton was unsure if the season would actually begin on April 9 as he spoke at the team’s camp in Peoria, Arizona. “We’re ultimately all people,” he said. “We all love the game of baseball, but this is a far bigger issue for all of us right now, and we’re trying to work our way through it together. I believe that this is going to be something that will have a lot more twists and turns to it.”

Local and state government have also given their opinion on delaying sporting events until evident progress is made.

“All of the owners that I spoke with told me they completely understood and were more than willing to comply with this guidance,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D). “I want to thank them for putting the health and safety of the residents of our state above all else.” Pritzker also passed a mandate banning public events with more than 1,000 people and recommended the cancelation of gatherings of more than 250 people.

Cubs’ president Theo Epstein reiterated that the league will work with all parties affected by the virus. “Every decision we make will be done with as much empathy and thought as possible for everyone’s standing,” Epstein said. “Everyone’s affected by this differently and we want to make sure everyone has what they need to continue to stay healthy.”

Developing story. Check back for more information later.

While the Dodgers were working out a trade for Redsox’ right fielder Mookie Betts, the team was also trying to get a deal done that would’ve sent multiple players including Joc Pederson to the Angels. The deal for Peterson was delayed because the trade involving Betts had to be worked out first, according to The Athletic.

The deal for Betts has gone through and the Dodgers will also receive pitcher David Price in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, shortstop Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong. The Red Sox have also agreed to pay half of Price’s $96 million remaining salary, according to ESPN.

Angels’ owner Arte Moreno got impatient and retracted the deal involving Pederson, and the Dodgers didn’t feel any urgency to get the deal done after the Betts trade worked out. Pederson, 27, hit .249 with 36 homeruns and 74 RBIs in 2019 and had one all-star appearance for the Dodgers in 2015.

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Angel’s general manager Billy Eppler released a statement Monday regarding the team’s decision. “There are a lot of components in deals that need to be satisfied before you get to a point where you are calling players and informing them,” Eppler said. “We weren’t able to get to that point. And in fairness to our players and players with other organizations, we won’t comment further than that.”

A huge three-team deal has hit the MLB and is set to be ready to go pending medical reviews. The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins reached a blockbuster deal sending players from all three teams around the league, setting up shop in new cities, with new teams, donning new uniforms.

Former MVP Mookie Betts and left-hander David Price will depart Boston for Los Angeles for a package that includes outfielder Alex Verdugo. Minnesota will receive former Dodger starter Kenta Maeda and pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol will be sent to Boston.

The biggest news from this mega-deal is Betts, who was a hot commodity entering free agency. As bidding began to heat up between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, Boston sought a deal with Los Angeles.

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The 27-year old Betts is coming off a great season where he finished eighth in the American League MVP voting. He was the MVP in 2018 when Boston won the World Series.

The Dodgers came out winners in this deal, as Betts now joins a lineup including National League MVP Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Gavin Lux.

Watching top free agents like Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg sign elsewhere, the Dodgers stayed pretty quiet for most of the winter, signing only one-year free agency deals.

Los Angeles, who hasn’t won a World Series since 1988, lost in back-to-back World Series against the Houston Astros and Boston. Both teams are now under investigation for using technology to steal signs and both managers have been fired.

The Dodgers’ World Series odds went from 7-1 to 4-1 with news of the trade and their projected win total is now 100 from the previous 99.

There may be a new record-setting deal in the MLB with right-hander Gerrit Cole at the center of it all. The 29-year old, who had a fantastic 2019 season with the Houston Astros, has got the attention of the New York Yankees who have made this a clear offseason priority and have ownership-level approval to offer Cole a huge deal.

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New York is preparing for a bidding war with the Los Angeles Angels which executives expect to go well beyond $250 million, setting Cole up to smash David Price‘s $217 million contract for a pitcher.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have shown interest in Cole, although other priorities lie with potential bids for right-hander Stephen Strasburg and third basemen Anthony Rendon.

Cole’s agent, Scott Boras, has yet to solicit offers, but with interest coming from multiple teams, the deal’s timeline will most likely be expedited.

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The Yankees have shown a shift in the willingness to partake in big-money free-agent signings. In January 2014, free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka saw a $175 million contract and in 2017, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed one worth $295 million. The Yankees will have their hands full as a number of young stars will see escalating salaries, those including outfielder Aaron Judge, catcher Gary Sanchez, and infielder Gleyber Torres.

Cole is no stranger to the Yankees. In 2008, New York chose Cole 28th overall in the draft, but he went to UCLA instead. Three years later, he went number one overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cole’s 2018 season with the Astros saw a 15-5 record with a 2.88 ERA. This year proved even better, posting a 20-5 record with a 2.50 ERA. He finished second to teammate Justin Verlander in American League Cy Young voting.

Although the Yankees have prioritized signing Cole, they have also said they will be pursuing the reigning World Series MVP Strasburg who opted out of the four years and $100 million left on his contract with the Nationals.

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The Yankees would prove to be a powerhouse in the American League East by adding Cole to their roster. And for Cole, it seems a very large payday is bound to make it his way.

Two years ago, Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price confronted MLB Hall of Famer and current NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley about comments made by Eckersley on the air being critical of another Red Sox pitcher, Eduardo Rodriguez. Two years later, Price appears to be once again at odds with Eckersley.

The incident, which occurred on a team flight, saw Price walk up to Eckersley, block his way, and began to both mock and curse at Eckersley. In a profile published by the Boston Globe on Tuesday, Eckersley told the Globe that he does not intend to ever speak with David Price again.

“I didn’t know how to deal with that. I don’t plan on saying a word to him, I don’t plan on seeing him, never,” Eckersley said in the article. “I don’t really give a — one way or another. I don’t think he really cares one way or the other.”

When asked about the quote on Wednesday by the media, Price said, “Honestly, I just think it’s trash. He had an unbelievable career and he’s a Hall of Famer,” Price said. “I saw his special on MLB Network. It was cool. The one thing that stood out to me was that he had zero former teammates in that interview. Not one talking about him. It was him talking about himself.

“If anybody ever does a special on me after baseball, I won’t need to go on that interview. I will have former teammates. I will have former coaches. He didn’t have that. To me, that’s all you need to know. That tells the story right there.”

Alex Cora, the manager of the Red Sox, told reporters on Wednesday that he does not believe the feud between Price and Eckersley is a distraction for the clubhouse, but that he did meet with Price and hopes that the feud will stop continuing to be brought up.

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The Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins met for the first time this season on Monday, with the Red Sox beating the AL Central Leaders.

The Sox are now 7-3 in their last 10 games with six wins straight, and will be looking to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the series on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Twins currently boast the best record in baseball, but have lost four of their last 10 games.

Along with the best record, the Twins have the best run differential as well, thanks to their offense and their underestimated pitching. Rick Porcello started on the mound for the Sox Monday night and pitched for seven innings to give the Sox a much-needed win. Porcello allowed just four hits and added eight strikeouts to a strong performance. For Tuesday Night, the World Series closer David Price faces off against Michael Pineda on the hill. The former New York Yankee Pineda has been nursing his arm after missing the entire 2018 season and is slowly returning to full fitness. Pineda has started 13 times this season and has a 5.04 ERA. Pineda’s last start, however, against the Seattle Mariners, gave up only one run in five innings.

“We’re playing good baseball. We’ve got a lot of baseball to play, though,” Porcello said, according to Boston.com.

With their underrated stars, the Twins are on pace to have a 107-win regular season. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Twins are currently on pace to hit 313 home runs in the 2019 season, which would beat the Yankees’ current record of 267 from last season.

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The Twins had a warming tribute to the Red Sox great David Ortiz before Monday’s first pitch, celebrating the career he had and wishing him good health after Ortiz was shot at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

The Sox are currently third in the AL East, 5.5 games behind the first-place Yankees and three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Twins are 23-12 at home this season, and host the Red Sox for the remainder of the series. The Red Sox are still favorites, with Caesars Palace and Bet365 having them at -1.5, with the O/U at 9.5 and the money line at -118 for the Sox. The second game of the series starts at 8:10 p.m. EST on Tuesday night.

The Baltimore Orioles will visit the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Orioles vs. Red Sox preview

This will be the second game of a three-game series. The Red Sox (106-51, .675) continue to hold the best record in MLB and are a more-than-comfortable 9.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees (96-60), who are second in the AL East.

Boston won Monday’s series opener against Baltimore (45-111) 6-2 after recording one homer, ten hits and five walks.

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David Price (15-7, 3.53 ERA) will start for the Red Sox on Tuesday. The lefty boats 171 strikeouts this season. Price will face right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis (0-2, 6.34 ERA), who has struck out 30 batters in 32.2 innings.

The Red Sox will be missing Dustin Pedroia to a knee injury and several others, including righty pitchers Austin Maddox and Carson Smith. 

Tuesday’s game at Fenway Park will start at 7:10 p.m. EST and will air on MASN and NESN.

Red Sox pitcher David Price is sitting comfortably in the third year of his franchise record seven-year, $217 million contracts with no intention to opt-out following the 2018 season.

David Price won’t opt out of RedSox deal

“Why would I leave here to go to a team that’s not as good as this team?” Price told Masslive. “I came here to win. I don’t worry about all the other stuff. Just come here to win. We’re going to have a really good chance to do that.”

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Price has made it clear that his main concern is winning and nothing else. “I could go 35-0 in the regular season with a zero [ERA] and it wouldn’t matter,” Price told reporters, according to Boston radio station WEEI. “I need to win in October. That’s that; [the] regular season means nothing for me.”

Red Sox fans may prefer he wait to decide on opting in or out until after the postseason, because of his past.

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Price is 33 and has $127 million remaining on his contract. He’ll earn $31 million in 2019 and $32 million each of the final three seasons (2020-22) if he remains with Boston. Price is a five-time All-Star with the ninth-largest sports contract in the world. The Red Sox (99-46) became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot later and will enter the postseason with baseball’s best record.

This winning mindest seems to be paying off, as Price is in the midst of his most dominating stretch as a member of the Red Sox. In nine starts going back to July 12, he is 5-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 0.90 WHIP, along with 61 strikeouts and a .201 batting average against. Going into his scheduled start Wednesday against the Blue Jays, the former Cy Young winner was 14-6 with a 3.57 ERA in 27 starts this season.

The Philadelphia Phillies will visit the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, and here is what you need to know.

Red Sox vs. Phillies Preview

This will be the opener of a two-game series. The Phillies (58-47) are coming off three straight losses to Cincinnati after a four-game series. The Red Sox (74-33) continue to hold the best record in MLB and are coming off three consecutive victories over Minnesota.

Philadelphia is first in its division, 1.5 games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Braves and six games ahead of the third-place Washington Nationals.

David Price (11-6, 4.17 ERA) is expected to start for the Red Sox against Aaron Nola (12-3, 2.42 ERA).

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Monday’s game at Fenway Park will start at 7:10pm EST and will air on NESN and NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Boston Red Sox will visit the Detroit Tigers on Friday night in both teams’ first game after the All-Star break, and here is what you need to know.

Tigers Vs. Red Sox Game Preview

This will be the opener of a three-game series. The Red Sox (68-30), who own the best record in MLB, are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tigers (41-57) last beat the Houston Astros 6-3.

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Lefty Matt Boyd will likely start for Detroit. He will probably face fellow left-hander David Price (10-6, 4.42 ERA), who  has struck out 109 batters this year.

Friday’s game at Comerica Park will start at 7:10pm EST and will air on NESN and Fox Sports Detroit.

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The Tigers are third in the AL Central, 12.5 gams behind leaders Cleveland and five games behind Minnesota.

The Boston Red Sox will start a home series against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Angels Vs. Red Sox Preview

This will be the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox (52-27) are coming off a 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners, while the Angels (41-38) last lost to the Kansas City Royals 2-0. Angels infielder Luis Valbuena has been playing particularly well, as the Venezuelan has three homers in four games.

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Left-hander David Price (8-5, 3.81 ERA) will start for Boston against another lefty, John Lamb (0-0, 5.4 ERA). Price boasts 82 strikeouts this season, while Lamb has struck out just nine batters.

Tuesday’s game will start at 7:10pm EST and will air on NESN. Wednesday and Thursday’s games of the series will begin at the same time.

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The Red Sox are just a half-game behind the New York Yankees (51-25) for the lead in the AL East. The Angels are fourth in the AL West, 10.5 games behind the leading Houston Astros.

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees both won Game 3 of their respective Division Series on Sunday after losing the first two games of the set.

Yankees vs. Indians ALDS Game 3 Score

David Price recorded four strikeouts in four scoreless innings, and Mookie Betts also delivered a strong defensive performance for Boston in a 10-3 victory over the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Hanley Ramirez (4-for-4, three RBIs) and Rafael Devers (homer, three RBIs) contributed offensively.

Ramirez became the third player in Red Sox history to go 4-for-4 in a playoff game after holding a “Believe In Boston” banner aloft as he ran onto the field for pre-game player introductions.

Nevertheless, it was Price who saved the season after the Red Sox dropped their first two games in the ALDS 8-2 in Houston.

“It feels good to put up zeroes in the playoffs,” Price said. “That’s why I signed here.”

The Red Sox and Astros face off at 1:08pm EST on Monday for Game 4. Right-hander Rick Porcello (11-17, 4.65 ERA) is expected to start for Boston, while righty Charlie Morton (14-7, 3.62 ERA) will take the mound for Houston.

Meanwhile, the Yankees defeated the reigning AL champion Cleveland Indians 1-0 in New York on Sunday thanks to a seventh-inning solo homer from Greg Bird. 

Masahiro Tanaka delivered a masterful outing for the Yankees, striking out seven and allowing three hits and one walk over seven innings. Aroldis Chapman got the last five outs for the save, stranding two on base in the ninth.

Game 4 of that series is Monday at 7:08 pm EST. The Indians will start Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19 ERA) on three day’s rest. In Thursday’s 4-0 Game 1 victory, Bauer held the Yankees scoreless over 6 2/3 innings, ending with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Luis Severino (14-6, 2.98 ERA) will start for the Bombers after lasting only one-third of an inning in the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday against Minnesota.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 08: Greg Bird #33 of the New York Yankees hits a solo-home run during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Seven scoreless innings from Matt Moore and an off-performance from David Price was all the Tampa Bay Rays needed to spoil the Red Sox left-hander’s return to St. Petersburg.

Rays left fielder Brandon Guyer returned from a three-week stretch on the disabled list to homer and drive in two runs, leading Tampa Bay to a 4-0 win over Boston, making Price 1-3 lifetime against his former club.

Guyer missed 23 games due to a hamstring strain, but returned to the lineup Wednesday and promptly homered in the second inning to give the Rays the lead and then made it 4-0 after a double down the left field line in the third.

Moore carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning until it was broken up by Christian Vasquez who singled to lead off the inning.

Price allowed four earned runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings, walking one batter and striking out 10.

The only threat the Red Sox posed all afternoon came in the sixth following the Vasquez single. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts both singled to load the bases on Moore with only one out. But David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez both flied out to end the threat.

It was the second time in 2016 that Price was defeated by his former team.

After trading John Lester at the 2014 trade deadline, the Red Sox have sorely lacked a pitching ace. That looks to be a thing of the past, as the team has reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $217 million deal with free agent pitcher David Price.

While the Lester trade was facilitated by an organizational fear of paying aging pitchers large sums of money, new general manager Dave Dombrowski‘s agenda is different. After witnessing Price’s effectivity first hand in Detroit, the signing made sense.

The contract sets a record for the highest annual salary ever paid to a pitcher; the deal roughly breaks down to $1 million per start. Price can also opt out of the deal after three seasons with no deferred money.

Despite his infamous postseason struggles, Price is undoubtedly one of baseball’s top pitchers. After being shipped to Toronto at the trade deadline for example, Price went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in the remaining portion of the regular season.

Prior to the trade, Price had proven his prowess over and over. He was at his most dominant in Tampa Bay, where he went 82-47; he also won the Cy Young Award as a Ray in 2012. In Detroit, he went 13-8 in 32 starts.

Without a doubt, Dombrowski has already improved the Red Sox by addressing their two biggest weaknesses. Not only has he added an ace in Price, but he previously traded for closer Craig Kimbral in November.

Photo: David Price #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals in game six of the 2015 MLB American League Championship Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 23, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)