Devers, Red Sox reach one-year contract
The Boston Red Sox agreed to a one-year contract with two-time All-Star Rafael Devers, avoiding salary arbitration.
The deal is for $17.5 million, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose the terms of the contract.
The 26-year-old third baseman, who made $11.2 million last season, will be on Boston’s roster for at least one season in his final year of arbitration eligibility before he can hit the open free-agent market.
The Red Sox will keep one of their key contributors from last season after shortstop Xander Bogaerts, slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi departed.
The New York Yankees hired Brian Sabean as executive advisor to general manager Brian Cashman. Sabean, 66, returns to the Yankees three decades after he left for San Francisco.
Sabean helped lead the Giants to World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He was their general manager from 1996 until 2014, then served as executive vice president of baseball operations from 2015 to 2018.
He shifted to a different executive VP role when Farhan Zaidi was hired as president of baseball operations after the 2018 season.
Outfielder-first baseman Dominic Smith reached a one-year contract with Washington. … Baltimore acquired first baseman Ryan O’Hearn from Kansas City for cash.
Panthers’ owner, Jim Harbaugh talk
Carolina Panthers owner David
Tepper has talked to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh about the team’s head coaching position, a person familiar with the situation told the AP. The person characterized the meeting as a conversation, not an interview.
Carolina (6-10) was eliminated from playoff contention Sunday with a 30-24 loss at Tampa Bay.
Steve Wilks has been serving as interim head coach after Matt Rhule was fired during his third season as coach. The Panthers are 5-6 under Wilks.
The Minnesota Vikings put
right tackle Brian O’Neill (calf ) and center Austin Schlottman (broken leg) on injured reserve and signed center Greg Mancz.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has a strained right hamstring and will be reevaluated in three weeks. He could miss at least 10 games . ... Charlotte guard Kelly Oubre Jr. will undergo surgery Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his left hand . ... De’Aaron Fox made a driving layup with 0.4 seconds left and scored 22 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to help the Sacramento
Kings beat the Utah Jazz 117-115 in Salt Lake City . ... Josh Giddey had 25 points as host Oklahoma City blew out NBA-leading Boston 150-117. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with an illness.
Brazil said a final farewell to Pelé, burying the soccer legend who unified the bitterly divided country.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the nation’s newly inaugurated president, paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pelé played for most of his career. Pelé died last week at age 82 and was laid to rest in Santos, Brazil.
Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced as the superstar new signing of Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, with the team’s president saying the Portugal great deserves to be the highest-paid player on the planet. Ronaldo said he turned down “many clubs” around the world to complete one of the most surprising transfers in soccer history, which could reportedly earn him up to $200 million a year.
The NCAA Division I transformation committee wrapped up months of work with a 22-page report that recommends a variety of changes at the top level of college sports — but only one likely to catch the average fan’s attention.
The committee is recommending allowing 25% of teams in sports sponsored by at least 200 schools to compete in annual championship events. That opens the door to possible expansion of the popular March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 to as many as 90 teams each.
Expanding the tournaments is not imminent even if the recommendation is adopted.
A Fort Hays State (Kansas) football player was shot and killed outside a bar in Oklahoma City early Sunday, police said. Daniel Howard, 22, died and four other people were injured in the shooting. An investigation was continuing. … Wisconsin hired Mike Tressel as defensive coordinator and Phil Longo as offensive coordinator under new coach Luke Fickell.
Iowa basketball forward Patrick McCaffery will take an indefinite leave of absence to address anxiety.
The Detroit Red Wings put forward Jakub Vrana on waivers, twoplus weeks after he returned from the player assistance program set up by the NHL and NHL Players’ Assn.