Royals, Ventura estate negotiate settlement of guaranteed contract

Two years after Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura died in a single-car crash in his native Dominican Republic, the $20.25 million remaining on his contract has not been paid.

According to the Kansas City Star, that money has not been paid and his estate is broke. Ventura’s 5-yearold daughter is listed as the sole heir of his estate, according to court documents.

As the executor of the estate, her mother has hired attorneys to pursue the money left on the contract.

The matter — believed to be the first time that a major league player died in the middle of a guaranteed contract — is being negotiated between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, a process that will be kept confidential.

Yankees

The team has been busy this slow offseason, re-signing CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner, J.A. Happ and Zack Britton, acquiring James Paxton in a trade, and signing reliever Adam Ottavino and infielders DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki. Yet owner Hal Steinbrenner still has been the object of criticism, primarily because the lists does not include the names Bryce Harper and/or Manny Machado. Said Steinbrenner: “I get hammered every year about something.”

Cubs

Even for fans living outside of Chicago, there are memories of watching Cubs games on cable supersation WGN in the 1970s and 1980s. This season will be the team’s last on WGN before the games are switched over to a planned team-owned Cubs Channel in 2020. The WGN/Cubs marriage dates to 1925, when games were first heard on WGN Radio. The radio partnership ended in 2014. And with the last out of the 2019 season, so will what remains of a TV relationship that has been reduced over to a 45-game schedule this season as more and more games are shifted to cable.

Cardinals

Veteran Adam Wainwright remains confident in his ability to still be effective on the mound for St. Louis. Wainwright wants to make his case for a spot in the rotation as he goes into his 15th season in St. Louis. He says he is healthy after making just eight starts last year because of injuries.

Elsewhere

The “disabled list” is out in Major League Baseball this season. The “injured list” is in. Deputy commissioner Dan Halem said the change is being made at the suggestion of advocacy groups for the disabled.