JON LESTER
The six-time AllStar left-hander signed a $5 million, one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. Lester is a three-time World Series champion, winning twice with Boston and once with the Cubs. He’s part of a rotation led by threetime Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and lefty Patrick Corbin.
Now that Dak Prescott got his record-breaking contract, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield are in line to top it.
Baltimore Ravens general Eric DeCosta said Tuesday he’s had conversations with Jackson but the two sides haven’t started official negotiations.
“He’s a foundational type of guy for this organization,” DeCosta said.
“We’re confident and committed to trying to get a long-term deal done and hopefully we can get that done at some point in the near future. It might take a little time but we’re willing to try.”
Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is entering the final season of his rookie contract. He’s scheduled to earn $1.771 million in 2021 and the Ravens could exercise a fifth-year option for 2022. They could also apply a franchise tag in 2023.
Prescott played under the franchise tag last season when he sustained a gruesome ankle injury in October. That didn’t prevent the Cowboys from giving him a $160 million, four-year deal that included an NFLrecord $66 million signing bonus.
Those numbers would seem to be the new bar for guys such as Jackson, Allen and Mayfield.
“It’s like when you go to the Bentley dealership or the Range Rover dealership, you know what the cars are going to cost,” DeCosta said.
“You’re not going to get a discount. They all cost about the same and you go in there and you either go in there with the idea that you’re going to buy the car or you’re not going to buy the car. In the end, they’re all very big contracts. They’re outstanding players. They’re quarterback deals. They’re marquee players and you know you’re going to pay a lot but you’re going to get a lot in return.”
Jackson was the last pick in the first round in 2018. He has led the Ravens to the playoffs each of his three seasons.
Coach John Harbaugh said his discussions with Jackson don’t involve talk about a contract.
“We talk life, football, building the team,” Harbaugh said. “It’s very important for him to be on board and understand what we’re trying to do with the offense, what we’re trying to do with personnel, how we’re building things schematically. I want his input all the time. I’m very confident the business part of it will be worked out in the best possible way for everybody.”
ATLANTIC CITY » Rick Pitino has amassed over hundreds of wins in his Hall of Fame career, and now he can add a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament game to the list.
Eschewing this season’s more casual look for coaches, Pitino returned to the suit and tie as Iona smothered Quinnipiac, 72-48, in a first round game on Tuesday evening at Boardwalk Hall.
It was Pitino’s first conference tournament win since his Louisville team won the AAC title game over UConn seven years ago.
“My favorite was winning the last game played in the real Big East,” Pitino said. “We won backto-back championships. Peyton Siva was the only player outside of Patrick Ewing to win back-toback MVPs. I was really jacked up because Madison Square Garden, I grew up seven blocks from the Garden and I was an ex-Knick coach. That was really, rally special.”
What about jitters on Tuesday night?
“Maybe a little in the first half when I saw we didn’t have an assist,” Pitino said. “I had a lot of jitters.”
No need to worry, coach. The Gaels (9-5) returned from a COVID-related pause to hold the Bobcats (9-13) to 28.1% shooting and set up a highly-anticipated quarterfinal against top-seeded Siena on Wednesday.
Iona went 6-3 in a conference campaign that was halted multiple times by COVID. Pitino said his team missed over 60 days of practice, making it difficult to find continuity.
If the MAAC had seeded its tournament based on winning percentage, the Gaels would have been the No. 2 seed and avoided Siena until a possible final. But the schools agreed total wins would be the first tiebreaker and thus Iona was shuffled to the 8/9 game.
“It’s the rules that were set in the beginning of the year,” Pitino
said. “We got unlucky with COVID, but you can’t change the rules.”
Pitino then praised the coaching within the league.
“The coaches in this league, I’ll put them against anybody I’ve coached against,” Pitino said. “The reason being they don’t have erasers. By that, I mean, if you drive to the basket and take your eyes off somebody, you can’t erase the mistake by throwing it up and somebody dunk the basketball. You don’t have defensive erasers all the time. You have to be fundamentally sound and these guys are very creative. I’m so impressed with them as coaches and it’s a privilege to be in this league.”