Marchessault holding off contract decisions
Jonathan Marchessault picked an especially good time to put together the best season of his 11-year career.
He is in the final season of a six-year, $30 million contract with the Golden Knights, giving them a major decision to make after the season. Marchessault has scored a careerhigh 38 goals, just five off the Knights’ single-season record.
Marchessault’s agent, Pat Brisson, told The Associated Press there have been a handful of conversations with Knights management, but he didn’t expect anything to happen until after the season. If the club doesn’t extend the 33-year-old Marchessault, he would be one of the more attractive free agents on the market when free agency begins July 1.
He entered the season after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the playoffs MVP, in leading Vegas to its first Stanley Cup championship.
“He’s OK waiting,” Brisson said. “Of course, you would rather have a deal done. Sometimes the reason you don’t have a deal done is because you’re not there yet. He’s been in Vegas ever since its inception seven years ago. He likes it there, been producing, won the Cup last year, won the Conn Smythe.”
Free agent righthander Michael Lorenzen finalized a $4.5 million, one-year contract and joined the Rangers on Friday, giving the World Series champions another starting pitcher less than a week before the opener. ... Eduardo Rodríguez will have to wait to make his Diamondbacks debut. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters Friday that Rodríguez has a lat strain, which means the left-hander will open the season on the injured list.
MLB:
Israel’s soccer friendly at Bosnia-Herzegovina next week has been canceled. UEFA cites the “current security situation” as a reason. The two men’s teams should have played on Tuesday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.