Digest: Hendriks heads to White Sox.
Liam Hendriks’ departure from Oakland is nearly official with reports Monday night that the former A’s closer has agreed to a multiyear deal with the White Sox.
Hendriks, the top reliever on the freeagent market, reportedly agreed to a threeyear contract that is worth $ 54 million guaranteed and includes a team option for a fourth year. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports first reported the agreement, which was pending a physical.
Hendriks, 31, posted dominant numbers the past two seasons: 39 saves, a 1.79 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 1101⁄ innings.
3 He saved 14 games with a 1.78 ERA in the shortened 2020 season.
It has been a remarkable resurgence for the righthander, who was designated for assignment by the A’s in June 2018, dabbled as an opener that season and was named the A’s closer in June 2019.
In November, the A’s opted not to extend Hendriks an $ 18.9 million qualifying offer for the 2021 season and will not get a compensatory draft pick for Hendriks signing elsewhere.
Hendriks was one of four relievers from an A’s bullpen that led the majors in ERA in 2020 to hit free agency this offseason. Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria and T. J. McFarland remain unsigned.
USA Today reported that Commissioner Rob Manfred has told teams to prepare for spring training to open on time in February and to expect a full 162game season to be played.
Colorado rallies to knock off Utah
D’Shawn Schwartz had 15 points and 15 rebounds, McKinley Wright IV tied Colorado’s career assists record and the Buffaloes rallied from a 10point halftime deficit to beat Utah 6558 in Salt Lake City.
Wright had nine points and four assists, tying Jay Humphries as CU’s alltime assists leader with 562.
Jabari Walker added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Buffaloes ( 93, 32 Pac12). Timmy Allen led Utah ( 45, 14) with 19 points.
Utah led 3727 at halftime but didn’t make its first field goa of the second half until the 14: 11 mark. Colorado scored 15 straight points during the drought for a 4237 advantage. ⏩ Arizona junior guard Jemarl Baker Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a broken wrist. ⏩ Tyrese Martin scored 18 points as No. 25 Connecticut ( 71, 41 Big East) picked up a 6053 win at DePaul ( 14, 04). ⏩ Angel Jackson had 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the USC women ( 55, 35 Pac12) to a 5652 win over visiting Colorado ( 46, 25), which got 14 points and 10 boards from Mya Hollingshed. College football: Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops are among the 13 former players and coaches who make up the latest College Football Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted in December.
Joining USC’s Palmer and Stoops will be versatile running backs Darren Sproles of Kansas State and C. J. Spiller of Clemson; offensive tackles Harris Barton of North Carolina ( and the 49ers) and Aaron Taylor of Notre Dame ( and De La Salle HighConcord); and defensive players David Fulcher of Arizona State, Dan Morgan of Miami, Kenneth Sims of Texas, Andre Tippett of Iowa and Al Wilson of Tennessee. Former Eastern Illinois quarterback and CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo also was selected for induction along with former Florida A& M head coach Rudy Hubbard.
Olympics: More than 80% of people in Japan surveyed in two polls say the Tokyo Olympics should be canceled or postponed, or believe the Olympics will not take place. The results are bad news for Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee as they say the postponed Olympics will open July 23. Tennis: Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and secondseeded Elina Svitolina were eliminated from the seasonopening Abu Dhabi Open. Kenin lost to ninthseeded Maria Sakkari 26, 62, 60 in the quarterfinals. Svitolina lost to unseeded Russian Veronika Kudermetova 57, 63, 76 ( 3). Soccer: The United States will host Canada, Brazil and Japan in the 2021 SheBelieves Cup next month in Orlando. U. S. Soccer announced the roundrobin tournament from Feb. 18 to Feb. 24 at Exploria Stadium. Obituary: Former Indiana swingman Wayne Radford, a prominent backup on the Hoosiers’ 1976 unbeaten national championship team, has died at age 64.
Athletic department officials confirmed Radford’s death Sunday with a family member but did not provide details. Radford spent his entire career playing for instate teams: Indianapolis’ Arlington High School, the Hoosiers and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.