Starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi waves to fans during the Rangers parade on Friday celebrating their World Series championship. Julio Cortez/Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas — Tens of thousands Texas Rangers fans lined up and stacked dozens deep in some areas along a 2-mile route near the team’s ballpark for a parade Friday to celebrate the franchise’s first World Series championship.

“This is why we came back, for the parade,” All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien said.

The parade came two days after the Rangers wrapped up the World Series title with a 5-0 win on the road in Game 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It came a week after Texas won the series opener at home on an 11th-inning homer by Adolis García after Corey Seager hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to tie the game.

“It’s what it’s about, the fans. They’re the reason we do this, why we play. We feed off them and for them to get a championship. That’s what makes this special,” Texas Manager Bruce Bochy said. “They’re all special, the World Series. But getting the first one, and for this to happen for them, is what makes me feel so good.”

The Rangers won their first championship in their 63rd season as a franchise, which began as the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 before the team moved to Texas in 1972.

World Series MVP Seager, AL Championship Series MVP García and Rangers players were part of the parade in the entertainment district of Arlington, the city where they play along Interstate 30 halfway between downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas.

Seager was also the World Series MVP in 2020 when playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won that title in a neutral-site MLB postseason played at Globe Life Field during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no celebration parade that season.

“Really tight-knit group, just the ability to be able to come together and compete every night. It’s a hard thing to do and this group was able to do it and we got to accomplish something special,” Seager said.

The Rangers arrived home in North Texas on Thursday, with Semien exiting first and hoisting the World Series trophy into the air as he stepped off the plane. By that time, some fans were already staking out spots along the parade route.

After starting on the south side of Globe Life Park, the parade went along the side of AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and up around Mark Holtz Lake, named after the late Rangers broadcaster known for his “Hello Win Column!” call. The parade then passed by the Rangers’ former ballpark where they played when making their only other World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.

DODGERS: Pitcher Clayton Kershaw had left shoulder surgery and anticipates being sidelined until next summer.

The 35-year-old in a social media post wrote the surgery with Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache was to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and his shoulder capsule. There are three glenohumeral ligaments and they reinforce the joint capsule.

“I am hopeful to return to play at some point next summer,” he wrote. “Thanks for your prayers!”

Kershaw was sidelined for six weeks by the shoulder injury and it hampered him over the final couple months of the season. Neither he nor the team ever said much about his shoulder during the season.

He didn’t pitch more than 5 1/3 innings after coming off the injured list in mid-August. Then he got hit hard by Arizona in the NL Division Series, tagged for six runs before getting an out in the first inning of the worst start of his career.

The Dodgers lost in the NLDS for the second straight year, getting swept by the D-backs.

Kershaw is a free agent for the third year in a row. He signed one-year contracts each of the last two years to stay with the Dodgers, the only team he’s pitched for since his career began in 2008.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to look,” Kershaw said about his future plans when the season ended.

Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, said the team “absolutely” wants the three-time Cy Young Award winner back. He turns 36 in March.

“The ball is squarely in their court,” Friedman said, referring to Kershaw and his wife, Ellen.

CUBS: Slugger Cody Bellinger declined his end of a $25 million mutual option for 2024 as expected and will test the free-agent market coming off a bounce-back season.

The 2019 NL MVP, Bellinger is in line for a huge payday after hitting .307 with 26 homers and 97 RBI. It was quite a turnaround for a player cut by the Los Angeles Dodgers in November after being limited by injuries and experiencing a drastic decline on offense.

The Cubs signed Bellinger to a $17.5 million, one-year contract, and he helped them stay in playoff contention until late in the year. Chicago finished second in the NL Central at 83-79 after consecutive losing seasons.

Bellinger had a $12.5 million salary this year and gets a $5 million buyout.

The Cubs declined their end of a $5 million mutual option on veteran right-hander Brad Boxberger. He receives an $800,000 buyout.

ARBITRATION: Miami outfielder Jesús Sánchez, New York Yankees reliever Albert Abreu and Detroit outfielder Akil Baddoo were the last of 24 players who made the cutoff for salary arbitration, which was set at 2 years, 118 days of major league service, down from 2 years, 128 days last offseason.

Sánchez and Abreu were at the cutoff and Baddoo has 2 years, 119 days.

Because he is eligible for arbitration, Sánchez likely will get a salary in the $2 million range rather than about $800,000.

Just missing the cutoff were Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer, Milwaukee catcher William Contreras, Seattle left-hander Tayler Saucedo and Detroit right-hander Alex Lange, all at 2 years, 112 days.

Sánchez hit .253 with 14 homers and 52 RBI this year. Abreu was 2-2 with a 4.73 ERA in 45 relief appearances, and Baddoo hit .218 with 11 homers and 34 RBI.

New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart had the most service time in the so-called Super-2 class at 2 years, 168 days, just four days shy of three years of major league service.

Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan is eligible at 2 years, 158 days. He will miss most or all of next season following Tommy John surgery on Aug. 21.

Oakland right-hander James Kaprielian would have been eligible at 2 years, 167 days but was sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas on Oct. 12.

WHITE SOX: Chicago declined its $15 million club option on closer Liam Hendriks.

The White Sox also said right-hander Mike Clevinger had declined his $12 million mutual option. Veteran outfielders Clint Frazier and Trayce Thompson were outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte.

Hendriks is owed a $15 million buyout that will be paid in 10 equal installments from 2024-33. Clevinger receives a $4 million buyout.

Hendriks was voted AL comeback player of the year in the annual Players Choice Awards of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The 34-year-old right-hander returned in May after beginning the season on the injured list to continue his treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

ATHLETICS: Drew Rucinski’s $5 million option for next season was declined by the Oakland Athletics, allowing the right-hander to become a free agent.

BLUE JAYS: Whit Merrifield and Toronto both declined his $18 million mutual option for 2024, allowing the second baseman and outfielder to become a free agent.