Evan Drellich

A reminder that an in-depth book on the Houston Astros and their management culture will be out soon, based on years of reporting. Never-before-told stories about how the franchise was built: Crane, Luhnow, the scandal, the innovation & more. Check it out! amazon.com/Winning-Fixes-…

Rob Manfred likes idea of summer World Baseball Classic but Red Sox manager Alex Cora, formerly Team Puerto Rico's GM, sees hold-up. With @chadjennings22 nytimes.com/athletic/71327…

MLB's deal with Polymarket does not cover Minor League Baseball. But Polymarket exec Ari Bodor said MLB and Polymarket could nonetheless work together there re: threats. Manfred last month expressed concern over the availability of wagering on MiLB. nytimes.com/athletic/71316…

MLB and traditional sports-book partners put in a $200 limit on pitch-level prop bets following the Clase-Ortiz indictments. But how exactly the league will restrict prop bets in prediction markets — where MLB just partnered with Polymarket — is unclear nytimes.com/athletic/71316…

To Miguel Rojas and the Dodgers, I sincerely and publicly apologize. I’ve reached out to Miguel, the Dodgers and Miguel’s agent to say the same. Once again, I’m sorry.

Mark DeRosa on managing Team USA: ‘It would be 100 percent yes to do it again’ nytimes.com/athletic/71276…

Mark DeRosa on whether he would come back for next WBC: "It would be 100 percent yes to do it again. Love to get over the finish line. ... Why? If you saw how hurting the guys are in the locker room now, you’d know why."

The Netflix deal isn’t $100 million flat either, but over. Huge nine-figure haul for the tournament.

Players on the winning team of tonight’s World Baseball Classic championship game will each receive prize money over $100,000. Payouts for all WBC teams are more than double last time. Why? The WBC has a $100 million deal with Netflix for Japanese rights nytimes.com/athletic/71262…

I've never seen a press conference like the one Omar López gave last night after Team Venezuela's win. He kept going and going, just incredible introspection and passion.

Many in MLB assume the next World Baseball Classic will be 2029. That could well be the case, but it has to be negotiated. Said MLB SVP Jeremiah Yolkut: “I think four years is a long period of time. It’s not that we couldn’t do it..." nytimes.com/athletic/71245…

Miami has been so loud as the host of the World Baseball Classic, the games so well attended that some tournament officials think it should be the de facto host of the WBC going forward: “I think Miami is always going to be in the rotation in some way" nytimes.com/athletic/71245…

I’ve deleted a post incorrectly identifying who was suspended today. It was Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies who was suspended.

MLB players vs. minor leaguers? In the middle of the regular season? Midseason exhibitions could arrive in 2028 nytimes.com/athletic/71212…

NEWS: The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a deal with fashion giant Uniqlo to become Dodger Stadium’s official field presenting partner, multiple sources tell The Athletic. An official announcement is expected before Opening Day. nytimes.com/athletic/71207…

A second and final round of bids to purchase the San Diego Padres is expected to come in early to mid-April, with four groups of potential buyers still in the running. The sale is expected to set an MLB record, sources tell @TheAthletic nytimes.com/athletic/71168…

World Baseball Classic dreams are on the line. For several prominent teams, so is a bid to the 2028 Olympics. It's likely a very good team will be left out. Story w/ @EvanDrellich on the qualifying process: nytimes.com/athletic/71143…

@batflips_nerds They would have to qualify later, this isn’t their chance at qualifying

Japan 🇯🇵 Korea 🇰🇷 Italy 🇮🇹 Will NOT get an Olympic spot, even if they win

Half the remaining teams in the World Baseball Classic are playing for a spot in the 2028 Olympics. How MLB, the MLBPA and the WBSC determined the Olympic qualifying set-up, and why the union pushed for two teams to come out of the WBC rather than one: nytimes.com/athletic/71143…

The purpose of the WBC is to grow the game globally. But MLB selling the broadcast rights to Netflix for coverage in Japan — where use of subscription services are minimal — might be having opposite effect. On the partnership, & MLB's response. Read: nytimes.com/athletic/71094…