NBC's return to broadcasting Major League Baseball games will start with an opening-day doubleheader on March 26. Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates will face Juan Soto and the New York Mets at 1 p.

Under MLB’s new TV deal with NBC, Mets fans won’t fully benefit, especially on Opening Day of the 2026 season.

NL Cy Young Award Winner Paul Skenes and Pittsburgh Pirates visit Juan Soto and New York Mets at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock

According to Front Office Sports, Benetti's deal with Fox Sports, for whom he calls national baseball games as well as college football and basketball games, runs through later this year. Any deal with NBC would require Benetti to get permission from Fox Sports and potentially the Tigers, too.

NBC recently acquired the rights to Major League Baseball's “Sunday Night Baseball” package, as well as the first round of the MLB playoffs, for the 2026 season. MORE: Phillies tab former Blue Jays coach,

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds that Alex Bregman’s agreement on a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs includes $70 million in deferrals. Rosenthal also notes that the annual luxury tax charge for the Cubs will be less than $35 million and that the present-day value is expected to land in the $30-$31 million range. What an unbelievable evening it must have been for sports fans in Chicago with the Bears rallying to defeat the Packers in the Wild Card round while the Cubs announced their pact with Bregman simultaneously. The 31-year-old represents a massive upgrade to the middle of the Cubs’ lineup. Alex Bregman is signing with the Cubs for $175 million over five years, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Along with a full no-trade clause, he gets $20 million more than Pete Alonso and $25 million more than Kyle Schwarber over the same timeframe. Outfield might have been the bigger priority for the Cubs, but Bregman still seems like a big upgrade from Matt Shaw at third, and the Cubs could see what Shaw looks like in the outfield. Trading Nico Hoerner is another possibility. For the Red Sox now, it’s Bo Bichette or bust. ESPN’s Buster Olney reports the Yankees are operating under the assumption that Cody Bellinger is going to sign elsewhere. Olney’s report comes on the heels of The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty noting earlier this week that the Yankees and Bellinger remain far apart on the length of a potential deal. The 30-year-old slugger has been connected to more than a half-dozen clubs — including the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Blue Jays, Angels and Reds — since the offseason began. It increasingly sounds like he’s headed elsewhere, with Olney adding that the two sides are at an impasse in negotiations, despite the Yankees’ efforts to bring him back. Toglia will get a fresh start in another phenomenal home ballpark after being non-tendered by the Rockies earlier this offseason. The 27-year-old slugger’s all-or-nothing approach resulted in 42 home runs and a staggering 373 strikeouts across 1,067 plate appearances for the Rockies over the past four seasons. His stratospheric power potential makes him a fascinating lottery ticket but he’ll need to make some strides in the contact department to regain any semblance of fantasy appeal. Braves re-signed RHP Tyler Kinley to a one-year, $3 million contract with a $5.5 million club option for 2027. The deal, which is now official, includes a $1.25 million buyout, which guarantees Kinley at least $4.25 million to return to Atlanta’s high-leverage mix just a few weeks after the club declined his $5.5 million option for 2026. The 34-year-old veteran reliever finished last season with a respectable 3.96 ERA — 3.69 FIP — 1.18 WHIP and 73/33 K/BB ratio across a career-high 72 2/3 innings split between the Rockies and Braves. He’ll help bridge the gap to Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias along with new high-priced setup man Robert Suarez. Guerra returns stateside after spending the past two seasons pitching overseas in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers. The hard-throwing 30-year-old righty last appeared in the majors for the Brewers and Rays when he made 17 relief appearances during the 2023 campaign. He’s an interesting zero-risk lottery ticket for Atlanta as a spring training flyer. Tinoco returns to Miami where he’ll continue rehabbing from last year’s elbow surgery. The 30-year-old reliever compiled a respectable 4.01 FIP, 1.29 WHIP and 10/8 K/BB ratio across 19 1/3 innings over four appearances with the Marlins last year. He made 32 appearances between the Rangers, Cubs and Marlins back in 2024. Marlins signed OF Daniel Johnson to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Johnson heads to Miami to compete for a bench spot in spring training after batting .189/.246/.302 with one homer and two steals in 57 plate appearances over 31 games split between the Orioles and Giants this past season. The 30-year-old journeyman has settled in as the quintessential emergency depth outfielder capable of handling all three outfield spots in pinch while providing some intrigue as a power/speed combo threat at the plate. Astros signed 3B James Nelson to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. This is interesting. Nelson returns to affiliated ball for the first time in nearly a half-decade after a remarkable 34-homer campaign for the Charleston Dirty Birds of the independent Atlantic League. The 28-year-old third baseman, who was a 15th-round pick of the Marlins back in 2016 and has yet to reach the majors, has spent the last four years bouncing around the independent leagues — including a stint in Mexico — but he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in camp with the Astros this spring. A Division of NBCUniversal. DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only, and there is no gambling offered on this site. This service is intended for adult audiences. No guarantees are made for any specific outcome. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER. Ⓒ 2024 NBC Universal

Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw could be headed to television as an analyst for the new baseball broadcasts on NBC.