Baseball

TOKYO (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball, but he's much more than that in Japan. Back home, he's a wellspring of national pride, much like Shohei Ohtani now.

Jeff Torborg, the former catcher who caught Sandy Koufax's perfect game and was the 1990 AL manager of the year with the Chicago White Sox, died Sunday. He was 83.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal recently agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers and is keeping negotiations about a long-term deal to himself.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes has a lot on his mind. The chances of the perpetually curious National League Rookie of the Year staying with the Pittsburgh Pirates indefinitely is not one of them. Not yet anyway.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom already has thrown off the mound this offseason and said everything felt normal after missing most of his first two seasons with the Texas Rangers because of elbow surgery.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Burger will wear No. 21 with the Texas Rangers, a number that has special significance for the first baseman's family after his daughter was born with Down syndrome.

The courting of young Japanese flamethrower Roki Sasaki was one of the few instances that all 30 Major League Baseball teams were on equal footing for prized talent.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are focused on improving their bullpen and bench at this point in the offseason, according to president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says in an Instagram post he intends to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

CHICAGO (AP) — Sammy Sosa jogged onto the stage, carrying an American flag. The crowd cheered wildly. It was just like old times — only Sosa was dressed in a suit, and the scene occurred in a downtown hotel ballroom instead of Wrigley Field.