Stock up: Julius Thomas
BASEBALL: 1B Eric Hosmer 3B Mike Moustakas and OF Lorenzo Cain of the Royals were among nine free agents who received $17.4 million qualifying offers from their teams. Cubs RHPs Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis also received the offers, as did Rays RHP Alex Cobb, Rockies closer Greg Holland, Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn and Indians 1B Carlos Santana . ... Former stars Steve Garvey, Jack Morris and Tommy John and longtime players’ union chief Marvin Miller are among the 10 names on the ballot for a Hall of Fame election next month. Results will be released Dec. 10 at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant and Alan Trammell also are eligible on the Modern Baseball Era ballot, which recognizes those whose biggest contributions came from 1970-87 . ... Alex Cora was introduced at Fenway Park as the 47th manager of the Red Sox . ... Astros 1B coach Rich Dauer, 65, is recovering after surgery on a blood clot in his brain . ... The Twins hired Derek Shelton as their bench coach. ... The Rangers hired Don Wakamatsu as their bench coach.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Miles Bridges, Michigan State’s 6-foot-7 sophomore, headlines the AP’s preseason All-America team. He is joined by Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson, Arizona’s Allonzo Trier, Villanova’s Jalen Brunson and Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. ... West Virginia coach Bob Huggins agreed to a four-year contract extension . ... Iowa F Nicholas Baer, the Big Ten’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, could miss up to a month after breaking his left pinkie finger.
Thomas, one of Miami’s top offseason acquisitions, has struggled for most of the season because of his limitations as a blocker, and looking as if he’s lost a step, which prevents him from serving as a downfield target. But Thomas had his best performance of the season against the Raiders, catching a teamhigh six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. If Thomas, who has 23 receptions for 252 yards on the season, continues to have this kind of impact, his contributions could open up the field for Miami’s receivers. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama LBs Shaun Dion Hamilton and Mack Wilson are out for at least the rest of the regular season. Both were hurt in Saturday’s 24-10 win over LSU. Hamilton had surgery on his right knee. Wilson is out four to six weeks with a foot injury . ... Purdue junior QB David Blough is out for the season following a severe injury to his right leg during a win against Illinois. Blough suffered a dislocated ankle, a small break in the fibula and ligament damage. Blough will have surgery Tuesday . ... Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said injured QB Wilton Speight is making good progress in his recovery from cracks in his vertebrae that have kept him out since late September. Speight has been cleared to do some throwing but hasn’t been cleared for contact . ... Wisconsin will be without top WR Quintez Cephus for its game against Iowa. Cephus suffered a right leg injury in a 45-17 win Saturday at Indiana. ILB Chris Orr also will miss the Iowa game with a right leg injury . ... Illinois defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson is on leave after the unexpected death of his mother Sunday night.
GOLF: Sung Hyun Park of South Korea became the first LPGA Tour rookie to reach No. 1 in the world. Park already has won LPGA Rookie of the Year, and she has a chance to become the first player since Nancy Lopez to win rookie of the year and player of the year in the same season.
SOCCER: West Ham fired manager Slaven Bilic following the team’s slide into the English Premier League relegation zone and was set to name David Moyes as the successor.