Springer, Blue Jays finalize 6-year contract
TORONTO » All-Star outfielder George Springer finalized his $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, becoming the most prominent free agent to reach an agreement this offseason.
Springer, who turned 31 in September, received the largest deal in team history, topping outfielder Vernon Wells’ $126 million, seven-year contract in 2006.
Springer gets a $10 million signing bonus payable within 30 days and salaries of $22 million this year, $28 million in 2022 and $22.5 million in each of the final four seasons.
He gets a limited no-trade provision, allowing him to designate eight teams annually he cannot be dealt to without his consent.
“When you sign a guy like George Springer, it’s like, ‘Boom. OK, perfect. This is awesome.’” new Blue Jays pitcher Kirby Yates said. “It’s just exciting to be a part of (a) team that’s trying to push really hard to go to the next level.”
A three-time All-Star, Springer had spent his entire seven-season career with Houston and was the World Series MVP when the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games for their first title in 2017.
Springer hit .265 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs during the shortened 2020 season, earning a prorated $7,777,778 from a $21 million salary.
He has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 RBIs, including career bests of .292 with 39 homers and 96 RBIs in 2019.
ZIMMERMAN SEALS DEAL WITH NATS »
Now that he’s set to play for the Washington Nationals this season, Ryan Zimmerman might stick around a little longer, too.
Zimmerman and the Nationals made it official, announcing his $1 million, one-year contract. The deal came after the Nats’ longest-tenured player opted out of the coronavirusshortened 2020 season.
“If I can settle into this role and do well this year, by no means does this have to be my last year,” the 36-year-old Zimmerman said on a Zoom call with reporters. “At least that’s the way I’m looking at it.”
Zimmerman is a twotime All-Star and bats right-handed. His playing time likely will diminish after Washington traded for switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell from Pittsburgh last month.
Olympics
USA BASKETBALL WIDENS REACH » USA Basketball is casting a wider-than-usual net in its roster selection for this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, two people with knowledge of the situation said.
Additions to the list in recent weeks include New Orleans’ Zion Williamson, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Memphis’ Ja Morant, Miami’s Duncan Robinson and Detroit’s Christian Wood.
The people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the final list has not been revealed publicly.
The additions mean at least 60 players could be on the player-pool list that will be released by USA Basketball in the coming weeks. Most of those are holdovers from the finalists list that was announced in February 2020
in anticipation of an Olympics last summer.
College basketball OKLAHOMA STUNS KANSAS »
De’Vion Harmon scored 22 points and Oklahoma beat No. 9 Kansas 75-68 for its second victory this month over a top-10 opponent.
Oklahoma (9-4, 5-3 Big 12) has won three of its last four games against Kansas (10-5, 4-4) in Norman and is 8-1 at home this season at the Lloyd Noble Center. Included in that record is a win over then-No. 9 West Virginia on Jan. 2.
Kansas, which entered the game coming off losses at Oklahoma State and No. 2 Baylor, now has lost three straight games for the first time since February 2013. Marcus Garrett had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks, who were limited to two offensive rebounds.
Kansas entered the game leading the Big 12 in rebounding margin but the Sooners outrebounded them 36-26.
Horse racing
KNICKS GO WINS PEGASUS » Knicks Go went to the lead right out of the gate and dared the other 11 runners in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational to catch him.
Nobody came close. Picking up by far the biggest purse of his career, and doing so with ease, the heavily favored Knicks Go won the fifth running of the Pegasus — his fourth consecutive victory, one that pushed his lifetime winnings to about $3 million.
LPGA
KANG LEADS, KORDA SHOOTS 60 » Danielle Kang played great, tying her career low with an 8-under 63 and protecting her lead in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.
Jessica Korda owned the day.
A sizzling 28 on the back nine — 9-under par — at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando lifted Korda to an 11-under 60, just one shot off the LPGA Tour scoring mark.
Kang was at 21-under 192 through three bogeyfree rounds. Her total tied an LPGA mark for raw score through 54 holes (shared by three others) and shattered the tournament’s 54-hole record (200). She will take a two-shot lead over Korda into Sunday in what sets up as a terrific shootout for the LPGA’s season opener:
Kang leads Jessica Korda by two and Nelly Korda (67) by six. South Korea’s In Gee Chun (67) sits fourth, eight shots back.