Off the wire
BASEBALL Yelich, Brewers near deal
Christian Yelich is staying quiet when it comes to his contract situation with the Milwaukee Brew- ers. The 28-year-old is reportedly on the brink of a multiyear contract that could keep him in Milwaukee for the rest of his career. The team said the 2018 NL MVP wouldn’t answer questions about the negotiations on Wednesday, and the organization also declined comment. Yelich is guaranteed $27.75 million in the remainder of his current deal: $12.5 million this year, $14 million in 2021 and a $1.25 million buyout of a 2022 team option for $16 million. The Athletic reported his new deal would add seven years and increase the total value to approximately $215 million. Yelich was acquired in a trade with Miami. The silky smooth Yelich turned into one of the game’s most feared sluggers in Milwaukee. He led the NL with a .326 batting average, .598 slugging percentage and 1.000 OPS while helping the Brewers make it to the NL Championship Series in his first year with the team. He hit 44 home runs and won another NL batting title with a career-high .329 average last season.
HORSE RACING Breeders’ Cup increases purses
The Breeders’ Cup is increasing purses for three of its races, in- cluding a $1 million boost that will make the signature Classic worth $7 million starting with this year’s event at Keeneland. The board of directors approved a $2 million boost that will make the Turf worth a total purse of $6 million and a $1 million increase to the Dirt Mile that will raise its purse to $2 million. The board also approved paying runners down to the 10th finishing position from the current eighth position. The increases bring the total purses and awards for the two-day world championships to $35 million. It will be held Nov. 6-7. Starting with this year’s event, the Breeders’ Cup will adopt six recommendations from Dr. Larry Bramlage involving safety and veterinary evaluation protocols.
AUTO RACING Daytona tweaks Speedweeks
NASCAR will hit the road for its first race in 2021, part of a schedule shakeup that starts at Daytona International Speedway. The track announced several changes to the start of the annual racing season Wednesday. They include running the exhibition Busch Clash on the 3.56-mile road course that winds through the Daytona infield and packing seven races as well as Daytona 500 pole qualifying into a six-day span. The tweaks eliminate two traditional “dark days” at the track during Speedweeks and should provide a better fan experience leading into NASCAR’s premier event, the Daytona 500. NASCAR teams have pushed for a shorter season for years, arguing that the 12-week offseason is too short given how little downtime there is during the racing calendar. The sanctioning body is expected to make significant changes to its 2021 schedule, which could include more short tracks, midweek races and double-headers. Overhauling Speedweeks is the first of what’s expected to be many new looks ahead.
FOOTBALL Panthers, Chargers make trade
A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the Carolina Panthers have agreed to acquire two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Russell Okung from the Los Angeles Chargers for fivetime Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be processed and the teams cannot comment on it until the NFL’s new league year begins March 18. Okung has spent the past three seasons with the Chargers and fills a need at left tackle that the Panthers have had ever since Michael Oher retired in 2016, one season after Carolina reached the Super Bowl. The 32-year-old Okung played in six games last year and did not allow a sack. He spent the first part of the season on the reserve/non-football illness list with a pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots. Okung has started 124 games during his career, winning a Super Bowl with Seattle in the 2013 season. The 26-year-old Turner has been a mainstay at guard for the Panthers since he was drafted in the third round in 2014.
HOCKEY Ottawa Senators fire CEO
The Ottawa Senators fired CEO
Jim Little on Wednesday less than two months after he took the job, saying his conduct was “inconsistent” with the core values of the team and the NHL. The 55-year-old Little said in a statement to media outlets that the reasons for his dismissal were simply the result of a heated disagreement with owner
Eugene Melnyk. “On Valentine’s Day, the owner and I had a personal disagreement over the approach that I had been pursuing,” Little said. “I am a strong-willed person, and the disagreement included me using some strong language with him over the phone, including some swearing, which he did not appreciate and for which I later apologized. … It was these events, to my knowledge, which led to my dismissal. Any other inference from the statement is wrong.” The club says a new CEO will be announced in the next few weeks.
90 stitches for Boychuk
New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk needed 90 stitches to his eyelid after being hit in the face with a skate but suffered no damage to his eye, president and General Manager Lou Lamoriello said Wednesday. Boychuk was cut Tuesday night when he was hit by
Artturi Lehkonen’s skate as the Montreal Canadiens left wing fell forward. Both players were in front of the Islanders’ net during the third period when Lehkonen fell, causing his legs to go into the air and his right skate to connect with Boychuk under the visor. Boychuk was down on the ice briefly before he got up and skated off the ice with his hand covering his face. There is no timetable on his return.
Flyers’ van Riemsdyk injured
The Philadelphia Flyers could be without James van Riemsdyk for some time because of a right hand injury. The winger took a shot to the hand from Washington Capitals defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler during the first period of a game between the top teams in the Metropolitan Division. Van Riemsdyk immediately went to the locker room and did not return. Coach Alain
Vigneault said on the TV broadcast that van Riemsdyk had X-rays and “it doesn’t look real good.” The team shortly after announced van Riemsdyk was out for the night.