Torborg played catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1964-70 and was behind the plate for Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965. He also caught a no-hitter by Bill Singer in 1970. He was a World Series champion in 1965 with the Dodgers.

The New Jersey native, who attended Montclair State and Rutgers, played with the California Angels from 1971-73 and caught Nolan Ryan's first no-hitter in 1973.

Most notable for his defensive prowess, Torborg was a career .214 hitter with eight home runs with 101 RBIs in 574 games.

In 1977, Torborg took over as manager of the Cleveland Indians after Frank Robinson was fired and guided the team into the 1979 season. He was also a manager of the White Sox (1989-91), New York Mets (1992-93), Montreal Expos (2001) and Marlins (2002-03).

The 1990 American League Manager of the Year with the White Sox was 157-201 in his managerial career.

At an offseason fan event on Saturday, fans chanted "sell the team" during a question-and-answer session, leaving CEO Travis Williams to tell the audience that Nutting doesn't intend to sell.

"Bob is not going to sell the team," Williams said. "He cares about Pittsburgh, he cares about winning, he cares about us putting a winning product on the field, and we're working towards that every day."

Still, that's hard for fans to recognize. The Pirates have 17 playoff appearances in their 143 years of existence. They've won the World Series five times, most recently in 1979.

Pittsburgh hasn't made the playoffs since 2015, when they lost the wild-card game for the second consecutive year. Their playoff drought is second longest in the majors, trailing only the Los Angeles Angels, who haven't reached the postseason since 2014.

The Pirates enter the 2025 season coming off back-to-back 76-86 seasons and have had only four winning seasons since 2007, when Nutting became principal owner.

They were still in the playoff hunt into August last season. Entering play on Aug. 1, Pittsburgh was 55-53 and 2.5 games out of the final wild-card spot. After finishing the season 21-33, the Pirates wound up 13 games out of the wild card, with manager Derek Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington called out by fans on Saturday, too.

"We can just look at last year," Williams said. "It was a big positive going through the middle of the season, we were going into August two games above .500, but unfortunately we had a tough run in August and that tough run in August took us out of the hunt for the wild card. ... From myself to Ben to Derek to lots of other people that are here today and throughout the entire organization, but that's not for a lack of commitment or desire to win whatsoever.

"That's from the top all the way down to the bottom of the organization. We are absolutely committed to win; what we need to do is find a way to win."

MLB.com reported that the agreement with the 2024 All-Star is for four years and $72 million. The Athletic added the contract will include a signing bonus and deferred money, though figures were not available.

Major League Baseball Trade Rumors said the deal is tied for third highest for a free agent reliever in terms of average annual value and the fifth most in guaranteed money ever given to a relief pitcher.

The Dodgers are looking to Scott to bolster the back end of a pitching staff that could roll out starters Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and newly added Roki Sasaki. Clayton Kershaw also is expected to return to the Dodgers in 2025 after injury rehab.

Scott, 30, split last season between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. He was considered the top pitcher remaining on the free agent market and had multiple suitors.

In 2024, he appeared in 72 games, posting a 9-6 record, a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves. Over 72 innings, he struck out 84 batters.

For his career with the Baltimore Orioles (2017-21), Marlins (2022-24) and Padres, Scott is 31-24 with a 3.56 ERA and 55 saves.

The contracts of Sasaki and Scott will bring the free-spending Dodgers to a luxury-tax payroll of more than $375 million, ESPN reported Sunday. Only the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees are also above the $300 million mark.

According to multiple media reports, the contract is worth $10 million.

Leclerc, 31, had been with the Texas Rangers' organization since signing an a teenage international free agent in 2010. He pitched eight years in the majors for Texas, going 12-20 with 41 saves and a 3.27 ERA in 350 career games (three starts).

He was a key performer in the Rangers' run to the 2023 World Series championship, going 1-1 with four saves and a 3.29 ERA in 13 relief appearances.

Last season, Leclerc appeared in 64 games and went 6-5 with one save and a 4.32 ERA. In 66 2/3 innings, he fanned 89 and walked 32, logging the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career.

To open a spot on the 40-man roster for Leclerc, the A's designated right-hander Will Klein for assignment. Klein, 25, was acquired by the A's in the July deal that sent right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg to the Kansas City Royals.

Overall for Kansas City and Oakland in 2024, Klein went 1-0 with an 11.05 ERA in eight relief outings.

Sasaki, 23, was the most coveted international free agent of the MLB offseason. He chose to sign with the reigning World Series champions, who have bolstered their oft-injured starting rotation immensely since the winter began.

Sasaki will join a rotation that will be headlined by countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and also feature two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and 2024 All-Star Tyler Glasnow. Snell, most recently of the San Francisco Giants, also signed with Los Angeles this offseason.

Sasaki was reportedly down to the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays. Earlier Friday, veteran MLB reported that San Diego had been eliminated and the Dodgers and Blue Jays were the two finalists.

The signing period for international players opened on Wednesday, giving Sasaki and other players just eight days -- until Thursday at 5 p.m. ET to sign a contract.

Terms of Sasaki's new contract were not yet known.

Sasaki became a folk hero when he set a fastball record for high schoolers with a 101 mph clocking and introduced himself on the world stage during the World Baseball Classic in 2023. In his only start -- a win against Mexico -- Sasaki averaged 100.5 mph on his fastball.

He set a single-game record in Japan in 2022 with 19 strikeouts, including a stretch of 13 consecutive Ks, in a perfect game.

According to reports, Minter's deal with the Mets is a two-year, $22 million contract that includes an opt-out after the 2025 season.

Minter underwent season-ending left hip surgery in September involving a labrum repair, hip impingement and a lesion on the femur. He originally delayed the surgery with a month of rest last season, idling from May until he returned in July.

There was temporarily a positive upturn in results. But Minter walked or allowed a hit to eight of the 16 batters he faced in final three appearances.

"I could still pitch, it wasn't excruciating pain," Minter said in September. "But it was something I knew I needed to get fixed because I wasn't helping the team."

A drop of velocity noted by MLB.com in September -- from 96.6 mph in 2022 to 95.8 mph in 2023 to 94.5 mph and in the 93s last season -- might have been a concern for the Braves and other suitors.

"He's done just a tremendous job over the course of his career here," Braves manager Brian Snitker said when the surgery was announced. "Hopefully, he gets back to where he's full bore again."

Minter, 31, became one of the Braves' trusted arms and has served as a set-up man and closer. He compiled a 3.28 ERA in 348 2/3 innings with 422 strikeouts.

Only Gene Garber (557) and Mark Wohlers (388) had more relief appearances in Braves' history than Minter (384).

His career-high of 15 saves came in 2018 and he was part of the top-heavy 2015 draft by the Braves that included Austin Riley and Mike Soroka.

Durran, 28, will earn $3.75 million in 2025 and has an $8 million club option for 2026 with a $100,000 buyout, according to MLB.com.

He can earn up to an additional $150,000 in performance bonuses in 2025.

FanSided reported that the option includes escalators based on the 2025 MVP voting, including $2 million for a top-10 finish (he finished eighth in 2024) and $4 million if he wins the award.

Durran led the majors in triples (14), doubles (48), plate appearances (735) and at-bats (671) in 2024, batting .285 with 21 homers, 75 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 160 games.

He also was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time. He won MVP honors at the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, after hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the fifth inning of the AL's 5-3 win.

A seventh-round pick by Boston in 2018, Durran made his MLB debut in 2021 and has batted .272 with 34 homers, 142 RBIs and 67 steals in 353 games.

Sasaki eliminated the San Diego Padres and will choose between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, the report claims.

At least eight teams met with Sasaki, who has until Thursday to pick an MLB team or return to Japan.

The signing period for international players opened on Wednesday, giving Sasaki and other players just eight days -- until Thursday at 5 p.m. ET to sign a contract. Without a deal in place, Sasaki would return to the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2025 season.

Similar to the initial signing of Shohei Ohtani, age and MLB rules restrict contract terms teams can offer Sasaki based on bonus pool restrictions, which are placed on foreign-born players unless they are 25 and have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by Major League Baseball for a minimum of six seasons. Sasaki will not turn 24 until November, meaning he'll play at least two more seasons under MLB contract restrictions.

Ohtani, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, was part of a second meeting with Sasaki and the Dodgers on Tuesday, The Athletic reported. The sitdown came one day after reports the Cubs, Yankees, Mets, Rangers and Giants were no longer in the running.

Toronto and San Diego each had $6.3 million available in bonus pool funds as of the December Winter Meetings in Texas, which is believed to be $1.15 million more than the Dodgers have.

Teams can add international pool bonus money in trades with other teams. MLB.com reported on Wednesday that at least the Dodgers and Padres were making calls to inquire about acquiring additional international pool funds from other teams.

Sasaki became a folk hero when he set a fastball record for high schoolers with a 101 mph clocking and introduced himself on the world stage during the World Baseball Classic in 2023. In his only start -- a win against Mexico -- Sasaki averaged 100.5 mph on his fastball.

He set a professional baseball record in Japan in 2022 with 19 strikeouts in a game, including a stretch of 13 consecutive Ks, in a perfect game.

The Cubs acquired Tucker from the Astros in a trade last month that sent infielder Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and 2024 first-round draft pick Cam Smith to Houston.

But it appeared the sides would head to arbitration after Tucker filed at $17.5 million and the Cubs filed at $15 million earlier this month.

Tucker, who turns 28 on Friday, is changing teams for the first time after spending his first seven major leagues seasons in Houston.

In 633 career games for Houston since making his debut in 2018, Tucker is a career .274 hitter with 125 homers, 135 doubles and 417 RBIs.

An All-Star in each of the past three seasons, Tucker missed three-plus months this year with a small fracture in his right shin from his own foul ball in early June.

The New York Post reported the contract is worth $7.5 million guaranteed, with an additional $1.5 million possible in incentives.

The deal is pending a physical.

Winker, 31, played 44 games with the Mets last season after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Washington Nationals for minor league right-hander Tyler Stuart.

With the Mets, he hit .243 with three home runs and 13 RBIs after batting .257 with 11 homers and 45 runs driven in during 101 games in Washington.

In the postseason with New York, Winker batted .318 with four RBIs in 10 games.

Battling injuries the two previous seasons -- 2022 with the Seattle Mariners and 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers -- he hit just .219 in 2022 and .199 in 2023. He signed a minor league deal with the Nationals before the 2024 season.

Winker spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, making the National League All-Star team in 2021.

In 755 career games, Winker has a .262 average, 620 hits, 95 home runs and 324 RBIs.

The Milwaukee native had been battling lung cancer since early 2023, his family revealed. He would have turned 91 on Jan. 26.

"It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Bob. To many, he was an announcer and entertainer whose humor and voice transcended the game, but to us he was so much more," his family said in a statement.

"... He brought joy to countless listeners through his wit, charisma, and love for baseball, Milwaukee, and all of Wisconsin, creating a legacy that will forever be cherished. While his contributions to the game are noteworthy, it is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time as we grieve and celebrate the man we were so lucky to call ours."

Uecker spent six seasons as a catcher in the majors, debuting with the then-Milwaukee Braves in 1962 and winning a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964.

After Uecker's retirement with a .200 career batting average, then-Brewers owner and future MLB commissioner Bud Selig hired him as a scout and he eventually transitioned to the radio booth. Uecker spent more than 50 years calling games for Milwaukee and was renowned for his self-deprecating humor.

Uecker once called his statue outside of Milwaukee's ballpark "great for the fans and even better for the pigeons."

He was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the 2003 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.

Away from the game he loved, Uecker became a regular on late-night TV and was dubbed "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson. He starred in a series of Miller Lite beer commercials, hosted "Saturday Night Live" and delivered classic one-liners in the 1989 comedy film "Major League."

The Brewers remembered Uecker as "the soundtrack of our summers" in a statement released Thursday.

"Today we take on the heaviest of burdens. Today, we say goodbye to our beloved friend, Bob Uecker," it read.

"Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundtrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss. He was the heart and soul of Wisconsin and a dear friend.

"... Saying goodbye to Bob shakes us all. He was so much more than a Milwaukee Brewers icon. He was a national treasure. Bob entertained us with his words and storytelling, so it is no surprise that his passing now leaves us at a loss for our own words."

In a corresponding move, the Red Sox designated rookie right-hander Chase Shugart for assignment to create a spot on the 40-man roster.

Sabol, 27, batted 10 for 32 (.313) in 11 games with the Giants last season, when he started seven games at catcher. Sabol batted .235 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 2023, splitting time behind the plate and outfield.

The Giants designated Sabol for assignment last week.

Shugart, 28, made his major league debut on Aug. 14, 2024. He did not record a decision in six relief appearances, allowing four runs in 8 2/3 innings for a 4.15 ERA. He also walked three and struck out eight.

The Red Sox selected Shugart in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas.

De Geus, 27, was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Friday. He went 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA in 11 1/3 innings over 13 relief appearances with Seattle, Miami and the Blue Jays in 2024.

He is 3-4 with a 7.48 ERA in 60 career relief appearances.

The Orioles designated Hunt for assignment on Monday after acquiring the 26-year-old from Seattle last May.

To make room for Hunt on the 40-man roster, the Mariners designated utility man Samad Taylor for assignment.

Hunt batted .218 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs in 70 games in Triple-A and High-A ball in 2024, including .293 in 24 games for Tacoma, Seattle's Triple-A team. He has yet to make a Major League appearance.

Taylor, 26, went 2-for-5 in three games for the Mariners last season.

In a corresponding move, the Mariners designated career minor league catcher Nick Raposo for assignment, keeping the 40-man roster full.

Mastrobuoni, 29, batted .194 with four RBIs in 98 at-bats over 50 games with the Cubs last season. He hit .241 in 60 games with Chicago in 2023 after eight games for the Tampa Bay Rays as a rookie in 2022, yielding a .219 career average with one homer and nine RBIs in 247 at-bats.

The Rays selected him in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He has appeared in MLB games at third base, second base, shortstop, left field and right field, plus once as a relief pitcher.

Raposo, 26, played last season for the St. Louis Cardinals' and Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliates in Memphis and Buffalo. He batted a combined .206 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs in 78 games. The Mariners claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays on Dec. 19.

A report from the Phoenix Police Department, obtained by the publication, said Matusz was found dead in his home there on Jan. 6 with drug paraphernalia near his body and with a white substance in his mouth.

His mother found his body when she went to his home after being unable to reach him, per the report.

Matusz was 37.

The Orioles selected Matusz with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 draft. The left-hander posted a 27-41 record with a 4.85 ERA in 279 career games (68 starts) with the club.

"A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-16, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched," the Orioles said in a statement issued Jan. 7. "He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he could, was a cherished teammate and always had a smile on his face."

Matusz was traded to the Atlanta Braves in May 2016 but was released one week later. He joined the Chicago Cubs and pitched three innings against the Seattle Mariners on July 31, 2016, his final appearance.

Per the reports, the New York Mets and Texas Rangers are also out of the running before talks begin. On Monday, the San Francisco Giants announced that they also won't be a part of the negotiations.

The Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres met with Sasaki a second time, The Athletic reported on Monday. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs have also met with the 23-year-old hurler.

Sasaki's window to sign opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET and runs until Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. ET, per the posting system between MLB and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB's international amateur signing rules. If Sasaki signs, that team will have him under club control for six years before he will be eligible to test unrestricted free agency.

Though he has pitched four seasons in NPB, Sasaki is classified as an international amateur because he is not yet 25 and has not played six seasons in the league. As a result, he is limited to a minor league contract subject to international signing bonus pools ranging from $5,146,200 to $7,555,500.

Thanks to a fastball that frequently touches 100 mph and a splitter that often misses bats, Sasaki has shined while playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines of NPB since 2021.

In 394 2/3 innings with the club, Sasaki had 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts against 88 walks.

Sasaki had his 45-day posting window open on Dec. 15.

According to a published report, Solano will make $3.5 million this season. The top-flight utility player can play all four infield spots as well as left field.

The Mariners will be the seventh team to employ Solano, who batted .286 with a career-high eight homers to go with 35 RBIs in 96 games with the San Diego Padres in 2024.

Solano, 37, has a .279 career average with 40 homers and 279 RBIs in 916 games with the Miami Marlins (2012-15), New York Yankees (2016), San Francisco Giants (2019-21), Cincinnati Reds (2022), Minnesota Twins (2023) and Padres.

Seattle designated left-hander Austin Kitchen for assignment in a corresponding move.

The 27-year-old went 0-1 with a 14.14 ERA in four games (one start) with the Marlins last season. Miami designated Kitchen for assignment on Sept. 7 and the Mariners claimed him off waivers two days later.

The billionaire brothers bought a small stake in the Chicago White Sox back in 2021, Sportico reported Monday. That stake was not previously public knowledge, and according to MLB bylaws, they would have to sell it if they're able to buy the Twins.

Specifically, the Ishbias invested in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) organized by two adult children of White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. They have a passive, non-governing role and a "mid-single-digit percentage" stake, according to Sportico.

Justin Ishbia, a private equity investor, has expressed interest in buying the Twins. He would lead the acquisition bid, Sportico reported, as opposed to Mat Isbhia, the CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage who became the majority owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury in 2023.

Justin Ishbia is a part-majority owner of the Suns and Mercury, as well as a minority owner of MLS club Nashville SC.

The Twins are currently owned by the Pohlad family, who brought on Allen & Company in October to help them explore a sale. The Athletic reported last week that the Pohlad family is confident it can "pick a winner" by Opening Day 2025.

The Blue Jays announced the deal with the reliever who was a first-round draft pick (ninth overall) by the team in 2014. He was traded to the Colorado Rockies at the 2015 trade deadline as part of the package when Toronto acquired Troy Tulowitzki.

Hoffman, who turned 32 on Wednesday, will bolster the Toronto bullpen and get a chance to be the closer. The Blue Jays parted ways with two-time All-Star Jordan Romano in November.

"We are excited to add Jeff to our bullpen. His arsenal, strike throwing, and ability to miss bats against all types of hitters is elite and will undoubtedly make us better," Toronto general manager Ross Atkins said in a statement. "Jeff will get an opportunity to close games for us this season. His track record, competitiveness and experience make him a great complement to this group."

Hoffman had a stellar season for the Philadelphia Phillies last season, going 3-3 with a 2.17 ERA and 10 saves in 68 relief appearances. He struck out 89 and gave up 48 hits and 16 walks in 66 1/3 innings while being named an All-Star for the first time.

In 2023, Hoffman allowed just 29 hits in 52 1/3 innings for the Phillies. He was 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 54 appearances.

Overall, Hoffman is 23-26 with a 4.82 ERA in 256 appearances (50 starts) in nine seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2016-20), Cincinnati Reds (2021-22) and Phillies.

Toronto also designated right-hander Brett de Geus for assignment. The 27-year-old is 3-4 with a 7.48 ERA in 60 career relief appearances with five teams. He pitched in two games for the Blue Jays last season.