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Afternoon Edition

June 16, 2025

Shohei Ohtani won last year’s NL MVP award without pitching. MLB’s biggest star returns to the mound Monday night, and the league is relishing another high-profile moment in what’s been a banner season.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]

Ohtani’s Return to Pitching Brightens Spotlight on MLB’s Biggest Star [[link removed]]

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Major League Baseball’s biggest talent is back on the mound, significantly ahead of schedule, and again is poised to showcase the unique two-way skill set that first drove him to international stardom.

Shohei Ohtani will start for the Dodgers on Monday night as they begin a home series against the archrival Padres, marking his first such pitching appearance since undergoing major ligament surgery in September 2023, while still with the Angels.

The Dodgers originally were targeting Ohtani to return to pitching sometime after the mid-July All-Star break [[link removed]], and as recently as three weeks ago, said there was “still a long way to go” in his recovery to be able to face major-league hitters in a game. Since then, though, Ohtani has progressed well through a series of practice pitching sessions, while showing his customary velocity and command.

Patchwork Pitching

Los Angeles, meanwhile, continues to face a rash of injuries elsewhere in its pitching staff, with top hurlers Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Blake Treinen forming key parts of a total of 14 pitchers on the team’s injured list.

Ohtani will appear initially as a multi-inning opener and is not yet entirely built up to make full starts as a pitcher. The Dodgers, however, remain highly eager for anything he can contribute, as the expected dominance in their title defense [[link removed]] that started in historic fashion [[link removed]] this season has become much more difficult, in part because of the spate of player injuries. The team is just 14–14 in the last 28 games, and it holds a fragile, two-game lead over the Giants in the National League West division, with the Padres just three games back.

Huge Impact

The defending NL Most Valuable Player and MLB’s first player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season [[link removed]], Ohtani is already one of the league’s foremost stars, but a return to pitching will only expand his notoriety more, and provide the league another sizable boost as it continues efforts to make its standout talents into major national and international figures.

To that end, MLB featured Ohtani today in the final installment [[link removed]] of its anime-themed “Heroes of the Game” marketing campaign that has featured other stars such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Pirates’ Paul Skenes [[link removed]].

“It’s going to be bananas when it happens. There’s been a lot of anticipation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Ohtani’s return to pitching. “I think we’ve done it the right way as far as our [rehabilitation] process. … I think that it’s just great for the game. It’s good for our team. Our guys are excited about this potential. Most importantly, I’m excited for Shohei.”

In the meantime, Ohtani will also continue as a designated hitter, where he is again leading MLB in runs scored, and is trailing only Judge in several other measures.

MLB Network will show Monday’s game nationally outside of the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, where team-based coverage will continue. Already on the schedule for the league-owned outlet, the game has now become the subject of additional promotion [[link removed]] and will be discussed during each of MLB Network’s studio shows during the day leading up to the 10:10 p.m. ET start.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

FOS Brings It Back to the Hamptons

Summer is here and Front Office Sports is headed back to the Hamptons.

On Aug. 1, Huddle in the Hamptons [[link removed]] with official partner UBS will bring together business leaders in sports, entertainment, media, finance, and technology for an afternoon of panels, networking, and activities.

This invite-only experience for VIPs, tastemakers, athletes, and power brokers will be a quintessential summer Friday, consisting of thought leadership, engaging brand activations, and networking over friendly competition.

Learn more about the event, request to attend, or become a partner here [[link removed]].

Devers Deal Gives Giants Star Hitter After Free-Agency Rejections [[link removed]]

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

MLB’s Giants have made arguably their biggest step yet in an ongoing push to return to baseball prominence, landing one of the sport’s best pure hitters while also sending a clear message to the rest of the league of their financial intentions.

The Giants completed a blockbuster trade Sunday with Boston, landing Rafael Devers [[link removed]], parting with two pitchers and two prospects, but also assuming all of the more than $250 million left on the 10-year, $313.5 million contract of Devers, the 15th-largest player deal in MLB history [[link removed]].

A decade ago, San Francisco was enjoying a burgeoning status as one of MLB’s most dominant franchises, boasting three World Series titles in the prior five seasons while also significantly influencing the broader business of sports in a series of other ways spanning technology, ballpark usage, and ticketing. The combined success had the Giants challenging the likes of the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs as one of the foremost powers in baseball.

Since then, though, the Giants have been on an extended run of relative obscurity. After that last championship in 2014, the team has posted six losing seasons, has seen attendance drop precipitously, and has gone through four different leadership regimes in baseball operations.

That all could be ending as the current organization, led by the president of baseball operations and former franchise icon, Buster Posey, is finding new levels of traction in the rebuild. Even before the Devers trade, the Giants were just behind the Dodgers in the National League West division, and were enjoying their best season in 2021 as Posey continues to get more entrenched after starting the front office role last fall.

Getting Devers, a three-time All-Star, on the roster through a trade also showed a more creative approach after prior free-agent pursuits of superstars such as Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani came up short, with the expansive dimensions and pitcher-friendly attributes of Oracle Park thought to be a deterrent to some hitters.

“It’s really hard to acquire this type of talent at this point in his career,” Posey said of the 28-year-old Devers.

The Big Money

The arrival of Devers and his contract brings the Giants’ luxury-tax payroll to 2025 to more than $220 million, 12th highest in the league [[link removed]], but still below MLB’s initial tax threshold this year of $241 million. The current outlay is the second-highest in franchise history, trailing only last year’s $249 million padded heavily by a one-year, $32 million stint from pitcher Blake Snell before he joined the rival Dodgers last offseason.

While those Dodgers continue to spend at an unprecedented level, pushing their outlay this year beyond $400 million, the Giants under Posey have showed much more aggressiveness, extending third baseman Matt Chapman in a six-year, $151 million deal, and signing shortstop Willy Adames last offseason to a seven-year, $182 million pact. The Giants now have more than $164 million in committed salary already for next year, eighth highest in MLB, and $117 million for 2027 and the same amount in 2028.

The Adames deal has yet to pay off amid struggles at the plate, and Chapman is currently injured, but Posey insisted the latest move was more than worth it.

“We’re obviously taking on a lot of money. We’re giving up some pitching. We’re giving up our first-round [draft] pick from last year, so it didn’t come without a cost,” he said. “But we felt like this was a chance to take a shot.”

How College Athlete Buyouts Could Work in the Revenue-Sharing Era [[link removed]]

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The revenue-sharing era is officially set to commence on July 1, after federal judge Claudia Wilken approved the landmark House v. NCAA settlement [[link removed]] allowing schools to pay players for the first time in college sports history.

Contracts may include a concept familiar both among college coaches and in the pros, according to an FAQ released by the NCAA and power conferences last Friday: player buyouts.

The 36-page document suggests schools can include buyout clauses in revenue-sharing agreements with players as a contingency in case a player decides to enter the transfer portal. In the scenario presented, players could potentially lose out on a portion of their earnings. The school they transfer to would be responsible for paying a buyout, which would count toward their revenue-sharing cap. (The buyouts, as with revenue-sharing agreements, would be overseen and enforced by an entity created by the power conferences called the College Sports Commission. [[link removed]])

Buyout clauses have become increasingly common in NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective contracts, Front Office Sports previously reported [[link removed]], though they usually require players to repay some of the money they’ve already received if they decide to transfer. But it’s unclear how many schools might include this buyout structure in their revenue-sharing contracts at this point.

The FAQ provided an example of how a revenue-sharing buyout clause could work with a player who gets a one-year contract for $100,000, as well as a $100,000 buyout clause. The player would receive $50,000 at the beginning of the school year, and then $50,000 at the end of the academic year if they stay. If they decide to transfer, however, they would lose the second payout. Their new school would then pay the $100,000 buyout to their old school; and the money would count toward the $20.5 million cap on revenue-sharing.

These types of buyouts could be seen as a positive for some schools if they disincentivize athletes from transferring, especially for non-power conference programs who fear losing successful athletes to the transfer portal and the promise of bigger earnings at richer schools.

But if the transfer market really does suffer, players could challenge these buyouts in court. Multiple attorneys pointed out on X [[link removed]] that a previous NFL rule requiring teams to pay each other for acquiring free agents made it extremely rare for NFL players to switch teams—creating a restriction that was eventually found to be illegal.

“Athletes could initiate litigation and claim that the anticompetitive language will considerably chill the transfer market by obligating the new institution to pay the buyout and have it count against their cap on revenue-sharing on an annual basis,” sports attorney Darren Heitner tells FOS.

Regardless of their legality, the buyouts may be considered a bad deal for players in general. “No player should sign this,” one industry expert tells FOS. “Did they or did they not earn the remaining $50,000 for usage of NIL during their season? … That amount is not earned during the offseason.”

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Luka Trade of Baseball? Insider Discusses Devers Deal

FOS illustration

The Red Sox shocked the baseball world Sunday when they shipped top slugger Rafael Devers to the Giants in what some are calling MLB’s Luka Dončić moment. Robert Murray, the insider who broke this story, joins Baker Machado and Renee Washington to explain how this shocking trade came together and what’s next for both teams.

Plus, WNBA Hall of Famer Sylvia Fowles joins Front Office Sports Today just days after her induction, and she gives her take on the ongoing CBA discussions and the marketability of next-gen stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Watch the full episode here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Push

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Olympic hockey ⬆ Numerous countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Sweden, named their initial six players Monday for their respective men’s ice hockey rosters for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. NHL superstars such as the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, and Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin will be among those participating. The groups include many of the players who competed in the NHL’s recent 4 Nations Face-Off, won by Canada.

Women’s soccer ⬆ The Women’s Super League, the top division of women’s pro soccer in England, will expand from 12 to 14 teams for the 2026–27 season following a Monday vote, along with an enhanced promotion and relegation system with the lower-division WSL 2. The move is designed to help accelerate a wave of growth already happening in women’s soccer.

Chiefs and Royals ⬆ As expected, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law a funding package designed to help support new or renovated stadiums for the two teams and keep them in the state. Kehoe previously called lawmakers in a special session, in part to review the stadium bond measure. Neither team, however, has committed to remaining in Missouri, and both teams are still reviewing a series of options that include potential stadium sites in Kansas.

Kevin Durant ⬆⬇ The Suns continue to work on potential trades that would send the 36-year-old to the fifth team in his career. The team, however, is not guaranteeing that Durant will be dealt to his preferred destinations [[link removed]] that reportedly include the Heat, Spurs, and Rockets, and instead are focusing on maximizing the return for the 15-time All-Star, wherever it comes from.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS HONORS

Less Than 1 Week Left to Submit

Inclusive of the Rising 25 and Most Innovative awards, Front Office Sports Honors [[link removed]] showcases the individuals and organizations reshaping the business of sports.

Now in its ninth year, the Rising 25 Award [[link removed]] celebrates the brightest young stars in the business of sports and has become one of the most competitive and prestigious awards in the industry.

In partnership with Sports Innovation Lab, the Most Innovative awards spotlight the trailblazing organizations redefining the sports industry through creativity and progress—from venues and athletic departments to brands, leagues, teams, and more. See the full slate of award categories here [[link removed]].

There is less than one week remaining to nominate. Don’t wait— submit now [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Fran Brown wasn’t a finalist for the Syracuse football coaching job—until he texted the AD himself. See what he said [[link removed]]. USF has begun construction on a $348 million stadium. Check out what it looks like [[link removed]]. Kalshi ran an … unconventional ad during the NBA Finals. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks ESPN’s Lisa Salters Returns to NBA Finals After Personal Absence [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]Salters missed Games 2, 3, and 4 of the series. Club World Cup Opening Weekend: 80,000 at Rose Bowl, Dry Pitch at MetLife [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]FIFA’s new tournament started with some surprising successes and early issues. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Amanda Christovich [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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