Giants reportedly set to sign '24 Cy Young winner Snell
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $62 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The AP on Monday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. Snell has the right to opt out after this season and become a free agent.
Snell gets a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, and a $15 million salary this year. He would get $30 million if he keeps the contract for 2025.
Snell, a 30-year-old lefthander, is 71-55 with a 3.20 ERA in 191 starts over eight major league seasons, winning Cy Youngs in 2018 with Tampa Bay and last year with San Diego.
Snell joins a rotation that includes right-handers Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks and left-hander Kyle Harrison. Righthander Alex Cobb is working his way back from left hip surgery on Oct. 31.
■ MLB announced the starting pitching matchups for all season openers.
Perhaps the most notable matchup has Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler facing Atlanta’s Spencer Strider. Others include Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner for Milwaukee, making his Baltimore debut in an opener against the visiting Angels and Patrick Sandoval; Oakland gave its opening day assignment to Alex Wood, a 33-year-old left-hander who had never started an opener before, going against Cleveland and 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, making his fifth consecutive opening-day start; Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi facing Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs; Logan Webb getting the call for San Francisco when the Giants open their season against the Padres, and Miles Mikolas taking the mound for the Cardinals in their opener against the Dodgers.
PGA TOUR-LIV hold constructive meeting
The PGA Tour took a first step in sparking negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund with a meeting in the Bahamas that Commissioner Jay Monahan described as “constructive” without offering many more details.
In a memo late Monday night to players, Monahan said the player directors on the PGA Tour Enterprises board met with Yasir Alrumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund that provides the money behind rival LIV Golf.
It was the first time player directors, including Tiger Woods, met with Alrumayyan. Woods played nine holes with him at Albany Golf Club, according to a person informed of the meeting who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the day.
The other player directors are Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati. Golfweek first reported the meeting was likely to take place Monday in Ponte Vedra Beach. It shifted to the Bahamas, where Woods often keeps his yacht.
“The conversation throughout was constructive and represents an important part of our due diligence process in selecting potential investors for PGA Tour Enterprises,” Monahan said in the memo. “This mirrors the approach we employed earlier this year as we evaluated an investment offer from the Strategic Sports Group.”
The PGA Tour, European tour and PIF reached an agreement in June to form a commercial partnership. The deal was to be finalized by the end of 2023. But amid government inquiries, and interest from private equity groups, the deal wasn’t done.
The PGA Tour selected SSG, a consortium of U.S. sports owners, in December. A month later, SSG pledged an initial $1.5 billion investment, which could increase to $3 billion. The next step is getting PIF as a minority investor or risk more players defecting to LIV Golf.
James, Russell lead Lakers over Hawks
Lebron James had 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and D’angelo Russell scored 27 points while tying the Lakers’ single-season record for 3-pointers in a 136-105 victory over Atlanta late on Monday night.
Russell’s six 3-pointers against the Hawks gave him 183 this season, passing Kobe Bryant’s 180 in the 2005-06 season and tying Nick Van Exel’s franchise record set in 1994-95.
Chargers bolster linebacker room
Denzel Perryman is back with the Chargers for a second stint with a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday. Perryman was a second-round selection by the Bolts in 2015 and was with the team for six seasons. He played for the Houston Texans last season and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 and ‘22. The signing of Perryman gives the Chargers depth and experience at the inside linebacker position after the team lost two starters when Eric Kendricks was released and Kenneth Murray Jr. signed with Tennessee.
■ The New York Jets have agreed to terms with former Chargers receiver Mike Williams on a oneyear contract, The AP reported, citing a source.
■ New Orleans agreed on a one-year contract with free agent defensive end Chase Young.
■ Detroit agreed on a one-year contract with Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler as a replacement for veteran Jonah Jackson, who signed with the Rams.
■ San Francisco added
Joshua Dobbs to a quarterback room that includes Brandon Allen and starter Brock Purdy.
Former player, dating Sabalenka, has died
Former Belarusian hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, who was coaching in the KHL, has died in Florida, police said Tuesday. He was 42. Miamidade Police confirmed Koltsov’s death in a statement sent to The Associated Press. Police said the death was an apparent suicide and no foul play was suspected. Koltsov played in 144 NHL games for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2003-06 after being selected in the first round of the 1999 draft. Koltsov had been dating secondranked women’s tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, who was scheduled to play in the Miami Open tournament that began Tuesday. A spokesperson for the tournament said late Tuesday afternoon that Sabalenka had not withdrawn from the event.
■ Longtime former NHL enforcer Chris Simon died Monday night in his hometown of Wawa, Ontario. Simon was 52. A cause of death was not immediately available.
IOC urges boycott of Friendship Games
Facing a Russia-organized potential rival to the Olympics, the IOC urged sports and political leaders not to take part in the Friendship Games due to launch weeks after the Summer Games in Paris.
The International Olympic Committee denounced diplomatic moves to promote the inaugural event in September as “a cynical attempt by the Russian Federation” to bring politics into sports.
■ Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be allowed to take part in the traditional parade at the July 26 opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics, the IOC said Tuesday.
■ American captain Tyler Adams thinks he can play at least 45 minutes when he returns to the U.S. national team for the first time since the 2022 World Cup for a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Jamaica on Thursday. Adams, who has had two leg injuries and two operations in the past year, played 20 minutes last week.