Witt, Royals agree on 11-year contract worth over $288.7M
The Kansas City Royals agreed with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. on an 11year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed, two people familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Monday, locking up one of baseball's young stars as the club tries to turn around its fortunes and persuade a weary fanbase to invest in a new stadium.
The deal includes a threeyear, $89 million team option that would drive the value to more than $377 million and keep Witt in Kansas City through the 2037 season, according to the people, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the financial terms were not disclosed. Witt's guaranteed salary makes it the 16thlargest current deal in Major League Baseball and second-biggest pre-arbitration agreement behind the 14-year, $340 million contract the Padres gave Fernando Tatis Jr. last April.
Men's basketball
NLRB DECIDES DARTMOUTH PLAYERS ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL >>
A National Labor Relations Board regional official has decided that Dartmouth basketball players are employees of the school, clearing the way for an election that would create the first-ever labor union for NCAA athletes.
All 15 members of the Dartmouth men's basketball team signed a petition in September asking to join Local 560 of the Service Employees International Union, which already represents some other employees at the Ivy League school in Hanover, New Hampshire. UCONN, PURDUE AND NORTH CAROLINA STAY ATOP AP
TOP 25 >> Reigning national champion Connecticut, Purdue and North Carolina remained atop The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the third consecutive week, while South Carolina cracked the rankings for the first time in nearly seven years.
The Huskies earned 45 of 61 first-place votes to remain at No. 1 for the fourth straight week in Monday's poll, while the Boilermakers topped the ballots of 16 other voters.
Women's basketball CLARK AND IOWA BACK UP TO NO. 2 IN AP TOP 25 WOMEN'S POLL >>
Caitlin Clark and Iowa climbed back to No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll as the star guard moved within striking distance of the NCAA career scoring record.
It's the second time in a few weeks that the Hawkeyes have been second in the poll,
a spot that hasn't been kind to teams the past month. UCLA, Iowa and Kansas State all took turns in the second position since Jan. 8 and none of the schools could hold that ranking for more than a week at a time.
Hockey
POLICE CONFIRM SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST 5 MEMBERS OF CANADA'S 2018 JUNIOR TEAM >>
The police chief of London, Ontario, confirmed that five players from Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team have been charged with sexually assaulting a woman that year and apologized to her for the years it took to bring the case forward.
Chief Thai Truong said Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames and former NHL player Alex Formenton have been charged with sexual assault. Detective Sgt. Katherine Dann of
the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section said the investigation reopened in 2022 found reasonable and probable grounds to bring the charges, which could bring jail time if there are convictions.
College football
STEVE BELICHICK AGREES TO TAKE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ROLE AT WASHINGTON >> Steve Belichick has agreed to be the defensive coordinator for new coach Jedd Fisch at Washington, a person with knowledge of the move told the Associated Press.
The son of NFL coaching great Bill Belichick will take a role in college for the first time following 12 seasons working on the staff of the New England Patriots with his dad. Steve Belichick, 36, was the defensive play caller for the Patriots for the past five seasons. He was also a secondary/safeties and outside linebackers coach with the Patriots during his tenure.