Union asks baseball to trade between Red Sox-Dodgers
The holdup in the trade that would send 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers is unfair to the players involved, the head of their union said on Friday.
The Boston Red Sox had a pending trade that would send Betts and lefty David Price to the Dodgers for outfielder Alex Verdugo and Twins prospect Brusdar Graterol. The deal was agreed to on Tuesday night pending the exchange of medical information, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not final.
But Boston is said to have balked when it saw Graterol’s medical records, and the deal still has not been finalized. That is holding up a side deal that would send outfielder Joc Pederson from the Dodgers to the Angels.
Pederson lost his arbitration case and will make $7.75 million in 2020.
“The proposed trades between the Dodgers, Red Sox, Twins, and Angels need to be resolved without further delay,” Major League Baseball Players Association boss Tony Clark said in a statement. “The events of this last week have unfairly put several Players’ lives in a state of limbo.”
• The Dodgers and utility man Chris Taylor avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $13.4 million deal. ASTROS FRONT OFFICE SET
SIGN-STEALING SCHEME IN MOTION >> New details emerged in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal that has engulfed professional baseball, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the Astros’ front office set a program in motion to decode opposing catchers’ signs.
The report, which cites a letter from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and interviews with several people familiar with the matter, said the Astros’ front office used an algorithm based off Excel spreadsheets dubbed “Codebreaker” during the 2017 season, which included the team’s World Series-winning run, and into 2018. MENDOZA HAS NEW ROLES
WITH ESPN, RESIGNS AS METS ADVISER >> Jessica Mendoza will no longer be on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” or work for the New York Mets front office after signing a contract extension with the network.
ESPN announced that Mendoza will be an analyst on weekday games as well as making appearances on various network shows, including “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight.”
Mendoza’s increased appearances on ESPN have led her to resign as a baseball operations adviser to the Mets and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. She was hired as a Mets adviser last March.
RED SOX READY TO NAME
ROENICKE NEXT MANAGER >> The Boston Red Sox will promote bench coach Ron Roenicke to manager once MLB’s investigation into allegations of sign stealing by the team is complete, according to reports Friday. Both USA Today and The Boston Globe reported the pending move, citing league sources.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday he plans to finish his investigation of the Red Sox’s role in the alleged electronic sign-stealing scandal before the opening of spring training on Wednesday.
Golf
SAGSTROM LEADS AT HALFWAY
MARK OF ISPS HANDA VIC OPEN >> Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom shot a 5-under 67 to maintain a onestroke lead at the midpoint of the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Victoria, Australia.
Sagstrom mixed seven birdies and two bogeys to move to 13-under for the tournament, with Ally McDonald
one shot back after firing an 8-under 65.
Tennis
FEDERER TOPS NADAL IN
SOUTH AFRICA IN FRONT OF 51,000 FANS >> Roger Federer wasn’t going to lose this one to Rafael Nadal. Not on what felt like a homecoming for Federer, who beat his great rival 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a three-set exhibition match at a soccer stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. A crowd of 51,954 came to the Cape Town Stadium.
It was Federer’s first match in his mother’s country of birth, and the country Federer rates as his second home.
The exhibition at Cape Town Stadium was to raise money for the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports early childhood education in six southern African countries, including South Africa.
It was a magical evening,” said Federer, who came to South Africa regularly on childhood vacations with his family but hadn’t been to Cape Town in 20 years.
The 38-year-old Federer, winner of a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, and the 33-year-old Nadal, with 19 slams, laughed and joked regularly between points.
But they were typically competitive when the ball was in play.
Women’s soccer
CANADA, U.S. EARN OLYMPIC BERTHS >> Samantha Mewis scored twice and the U.S. national team secured a spot in the Tokyo Olympics with a 4-0 semifinal victory Friday night over Mexico in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament in Carson.
Rose Lavelle and Christen Press also scored for the United States, which extended its unbeaten streak to 27 games.
The United States will face Canada in the tournament’s title game on Sunday. Canada earned the region’s other Olympic berth with a 1-0 victory over surprisingly resilient Costa Rica 1-0 in the earlier match Friday.
Canada has finished as runner-up to the United States in the last three qualifying tournaments.
The top-ranked U.S. team is coming off a victory in the World Cup last summer in France. It was the team’s fourth title in soccer’s premier tournament. The United States has made the field for every Olympics since soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996, and has won the gold medal four times. But the Americans were eliminated by Sweden in the quarterfinals four years ago in Brazil for the team’s earliest exit in the tournament.
Mexico, ranked No. 26 in the world, finished second in its group to draw the United States in the semis.
Mexico made the field for the 2004 Olympics, but has not been back since. However, Mexico is on the rise, boosted by a domestic women’s league. The team won its first two group-stage matches before falling 2-0 to Canada.
Lavelle’s goal in the fifth minute gave the United States an early lead before Sam Mewis scored on a set piece in the 14th, blasting the ball past Mexico goalkeeper Emily Alverado.