MLB and players union reach agreement on new CBA before deadline

It may have come down to some dramatic, final-hour negotiations, but there will be baseball in 2017. The owners and players union came to an agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) Wednesday night, avoiding a possible work stoppage hours before the 12 a.m. ET deadline, according to multiple sources. There will be labor peace in baseball for at least the next five years.

 

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan was in the thick of the news breaking:

Sources: MLB and the MLBPA have agreed on a five-year deal.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 1, 2016

MLB's new collective-bargaining agreement will take them past a quarter century of labor peace. Incredible considering the league's history.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 1, 2016

 

Among the decisions in the new agreement, according to various reports:

 

• There won’t be an international draft, as owners wanted. The union won that issue, but did concede a yearly cap on international spending.

 

• An overhaul of the qualifying-offer system will get rid of first-round draft-pick compensation. Teams will still get picks when a player tagged with a qualifying offer departs for another team, but it won’t be a first-rounder. That’s another win for the players union.

 

• The luxury-tax threshold will stay the same initially, but expand over the five years of the deal.

 

• Despite talk of rosters to expanding to 26, they’ll stay at 25.

 

A new deal was no certainty considering the state of negotiations the week before the deadline. With the deadline quickly approaching, both sides did some saber-rattling in the media, trying to convince the other side that they wouldn’t back down on big issues. The first, and most significant, report suggested the owners would consider a lockout if the players failed to meet their demands. Had that happened, it would have been the first time in 21 years baseball experienced a work stoppage.

The union didn’t go for that threat, and things seemed bleak for a roughly 24 hours. But with the deadline rapidly approaching, coverage of the negotiations suddenly became more optimistic. The owners were willing to back off some of the more contentious issues in the CBA, and more stories emerged where both sides came together for all-night negotiation sessions. As Thursday’s deadline approached, it became clear neither side wanted to ruin a good thing.

Still, while things seemed promising in the hours leading to the deadline, there were still significant issues both sides needed to discuss. Early on, it appeared an international draft was the most controversial issue on the table. The owners argued in favor of draft, mainly as a way to save money on signing international free agents. As this would potentially limit player salaries, the union strongly opposed the idea. The players union even went so far as to send Latin American players to negotiations to argue against the measure. The owners reportedly dropped the issue in the days leading up to the deadline.

There will be labor peace in baseball for the next five years. (Getty Images/Rob Tringali)

Though the international draft was off the table, owners still wanted some type of cap limit on international signings. Going forward, international signings will be limited to between $5 million and $6 million per team each year, according to Jon Heyman.

With that issue solved, the luxury tax and draft-pick compensation became the other major issues facing both sides in the final days of negotiations.

On the luxury tax issue, owners were hoping to keep the figure at $189 million in the first year of the new agreement, according to USA Today. That’s exactly where the figure has stood in each of the past three seasons. The luxury tax functions as somewhat of a salary cap for teams. Yes, you can have a payroll that exceeds $189 million, but the league will tax you if you go over that limit. Given the rising cost of player contracts, the union wanted that figure to rise. If the luxury tax number is higher, teams should be willing to spend more money on players. That’s the thinking, at least.

And that’s precisely what’s going to happen. Both sides agreed to increase the luxury tax incrementally over the next five years, according to Rosenthal.

Source: Luxury-tax thresholds could rise in something close to this progression over new five-year CBA: $195M, $197M, $206M, $209M, $210M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 1, 2016

There will, however, be steeper penalties for teams that do exceed the new luxury tax limit, according to Joel Sherman, and teams who exceed the most would pay higher tax rates.

The players were also in favor of drastically overhauling the qualifying offer system. Under the current system, players who hit free agency after spending an entire year with a club are subject to the offer. They can either accept a one-year, $17.2 million deal to return to their team, or decline that offer and hit free agency. If the player declines the qualifying offer, their team receives a draft pick when that player signs with another club.

In the unions’ eyes, the current system has limited some free agents earning potential in recent years. Teams are hesitant to give out deals to some players who decline qualifying offers because they do not want to give up draft picks. Players who declined qualifying offers expecting a robust market have been reduced to taking one-year, show-me type deals in order to rebuild their value the following season.

It was Tony Clark’s first time negotiating a new CBA as head of the players union. (Getty Images/Jim McIsaac)

While draft pick compensation was a significant issue, both sides seemed willing to rework the current system. Hours before the deadline, Ken Rosenthal outlined a number of changes both sides were considering under the new CBA. In the end, both sides agreed that some form of draft pick compensation will still exist, but won’t include first-rounders. According to Jayson Stark, the new agreement hinges on whether a team is over its luxury-tax threshold:

Turns out draft-pick compensation won't disappear. Teams over threshold lose a 2nd- & 5th-round pick. Under threshold: lose 3rd-round pick.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 1, 2016

One issue that earned a lot of discussion but won’t change is roster size. Many insiders figured the new CBA would allow rosters to expand from 25 to 26, but ultimately, it wasn’t something players insisted on, according to Heyman. Likewise, extended September rosters are here to stay for another five years.

With the agreement, the owners and players union will continue to experience labor peace in the immediate future. Now that both sides have finally agreed to terms on a new CBA, there’s also a chance the free-agent market will pick up. Some teams have been hesitant to make moves before this issue was resolved. The winter meetings, which begin Sunday, should be much livelier now that both sides will be active participants.

Coming to an agreement on a new CBA was the first major hurdle of the 2016 Major League Baseball offseason. With that cleared, the fun — and money-spending — can finally begin.

Indiana proves itself once again by dropping surging North Carolina

Nineteen days after upsetting Kansas, the Hoosiers toppled another elite team (AP)

Indiana rocketed to No. 6 in the polls three weeks ago with a season-opening upset win over third-ranked Kansas. The Hoosiers then plummeted right back out of the top 10 a mere eight days later with a stunning loss at Fort Wayne.

So who’s the real Indiana? At last, the Hoosiers have offered some clarity.

Indiana reasserted itself as an elite team Wednesday night with an impressive 76-67 victory over previously undefeated North Carolina. The Hoosiers controlled the game from start to finish, opening a 17-point cushion midway through the first half and holding the lead the rest of the game.

Only once did the third-ranked Tar Heels mount a serious push, a 9-1 surge that closed the gap to four with just under five minutes to play in the second half. It was then that Indiana guard James Blackmon sunk the biggest shot of the game, a 3-pointer that halted North Carolina’s momentum and helped the Hoosiers close out a big victory.

Few thought that Indiana would win so comfortably because North Carolina entered the game playing as well as anyone in the nation. The Tar Heels steamrolled a loaded field at the Maui Invitational last week, winning all three games by an average of 30 points.

North Carolina was at its most dominant in Maui in the paint. On the off chance the Tar Heels didn’t score in transition or around the rim, Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson bludgeoned opponents on the offensive glass, helping their team amass the nation’s second best offensive rebounding rate.

Indiana defeated North Carolina on Wednesday by neutralizing the Tar Heels’ strengths for long stretches of the game.

Josh Newkirk hounded star point guard Joel Berry into 3-for-13 shooting. Meeks and Hicks were ineffective on the low block and scored a combined six first-half points. And while North Carolina collected 13 offensive boards, the Tar Heels’ rebounding percentage was still far below their season average.

Indiana’s own offense lacks a point guard who creates off the dribble as effectively as Yogi Ferrell has the past few years, so the Hoosiers have to manufacture points through ball movement and paint touches. That bogged down in stretches during the second half, but overall the Hoosiers were effective.

O.G. Anunoby led five players in double figures with 16 points including a pair of big dunks. Blackmon had 14 points and Thomas Bryant had 10 of his 12 after halftime.

One topsy-turvy month into the season, we now have a better idea of who Indiana will be.

Erratic defense and a reliance on 3-pointers gives Indiana a lower floor than some of this year’s other title contenders. But as victories over Kansas and North Carolina attest, when the Hoosiers are engaged defensively and in rhythm offensively, they can beat anybody.

Mike Zimmer to undergo emergency eye surgery, might not coach Thursday vs. Cowboys

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer had surgery for a torn retina early this month, and needed another emergency surgery that could keep him out of this week’s game.

The team announced Zimmer was going to have emergency eye surgery on Wednesday night and said it was uncertain if Zimmer would coach on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

“Mike Zimmer is having emergency eye surgery tonight,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement. “His status for coaching tomorrow’s game is uncertain. I have met with the coaches and players and we have a contingency plan in place if Mike is unable to coach against Dallas.”

Zimmer had his first eye surgery in early November. The issue came about after he had trouble with his vision, and scratched his eye during an Oct. 31 game at the Chicago Bears. That’s when he was diagnosed with a torn retina. The Associated Press report said he was at risk for blindness if he didn’t get treatment right away.

Being without Zimmer for a game against the 10-1 Dallas Cowboys isn’t ideal. The Vikings started this season 5-0 but have lost five of their last six, and are a game behind the first-place Detroit Lions in the NFC North.

The Vikings have had a tough year. They lost quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running back Adrian Peterson to injuries. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner resigned during the season. Now Zimmer’s eye problem could sideline him for at least Thursday night’s game against Dallas.

Could NASCAR be dropping the 'Cup Series' moniker in 2017 and beyond?

Is the era of the Cup Series over?

According to a Sports Business Daily report, NASCAR has approached potential sponsors for the now-former Sprint Cup Series by referring to the top level as the “premier series.” NASCAR’s No. 1 series has been referred to as the Cup Series since 1971 when Winston became the series’ title sponsor.

The word “Cup” stayed in the name when Nextel took over for Winston after the 2003 season. Sprint’s final year as the Cup Series sponsor was 2016 and the sanctioning body has not announced a new title sponsor for 2017 and beyond.

 

From SBD:

In at least some sales pitches, NASCAR has referred to the Cup Series as its “premier series” with no reference to the word “Cup,“ which would represent a notable brand change if it comes to fruition. Whether NASCAR had pitched any companies on a deal that would keep “Cup” included was unclear.

NASCAR declined comment to SBD. In a likely not-so-coincidental occurrence, JTG-Daugherty Racing referred to the Cup Series as the “premier series” multiple times in its release about signing Chris Buescher for a second car in 2017. Though Roush Fenway Racing referred to the top level as the “Cup Series” in its release Tuesday.

Dropping the “Cup” from the Cup Series sponsorship would help make a potential Monster Energy sponsorship more palatable. The energy drink company has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Sprint and as we’ve noted before, the “Monster Cup” sounds like something more associated with a fast-food restaurant than a top-level racing series.

But should NASCAR make the word “Cup” negotiable? NASCAR has an older fanbase and much of that fanbase — or at least a very vocal minority — is incredibly nostalgic for the sport’s past. Cutting off one of the last (symbolic) links to the time of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt’s championships seems like an easy way to infuriate and easily-infuriated segment of fans.

Maybe NASCAR thinks any short-term outrage is worth the potential long-term benefit$. The Chase was a break in tradition and NASCAR has shown no signs of wavering from the format despite myriad changes since its inception in 2004. There are very few constants in NASCAR’s sea of change.

Once sidelined by rare disorder, Isaiah Austin gets new shot at NBA dream

After his NBA dreams were dashed, Isaiah Austin returned to Baylor to become a student coaching assistant. Now, he’s getting back on the court. (AP)

Four days before the 2014 NBA draft, Isaiah Austin had his childhood dream snatched away from him. Nearly 2 1/2 years later, though, he’s been given a second chance to make that dream come true.

The former Baylor center was projected by many to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2014 draft — a 7-foot-1 shot-blocker who wasn’t an explosive athlete, but who was skilled enough to perhaps find a niche as an NBA contributor despite being legally blind in his right eye. But then, pre-draft medical testing revealed that Austin has Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissues that hold together all of the body’s cells and organs.

The disorder affects one in roughly every 5,000 people, and one of its most troublesome outcomes deals with the enlargement of the arteries of the heart. Doctors feared that the standard level of exertion that comes with playing professional basketball could cause those arteries to rupture, endangering Austin’s life; thus, while he was still invited to the draft and, in a moving gesture, officially selected by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, his career was over before it started.

Until now.

In an interview with Cassy Athena, Austin revealed Wednesday that he has been medically cleared to return to playing basketball, and that he intends to do whatever he can to make it into the NBA.

“Ever since the draft, I’ve been getting checked by my doctor, David Liang at Stanford, for about 2 1/2 years now,” Austin said. “And through those checkups, we’ve been monitoring my heart, making sure that nothing has changed, and he said that I’m stable. So, I’ve been able to work out a little bit here and there, and the first year and a half, he didn’t really want me doing too much because he still wanted to monitor my heart and everything.

“But I would say about four months ago, I was in Minnesota, he cleared me, and labeled me stable. So I’m able to make the choice if I want to go back and pursue my dream again. I am cleared. I am about to be out here pursuing my dream.”

Where and with whom Austin will do so remains to be seen. While his reported clean bill of health is certainly a great start, he’ll need to convince NBA teams’ medical staffs that there is absolutely zero chance of an adverse cardiac incident with him playing — which, as we’ve seen in the ongoing saga between Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat, is no easy feat. He’ll also need to convince front-office decision-makers that he’s worth a flyer after more than two years away from competitive ball.

That might be a challenge, but Austin’s combination of size, length, mobility, shot-blocking and touch — he shot 31 percent from the college 3-point line on 2.1 attempts per game over two seasons at Baylor — could make him an intriguing prospect in a league moving at breakneck speed toward lineups that require big men to create space on offense and defend in space on defense. Either way, it clearly won’t be the largest challenge Austin has faced in his path thus far.

“If you just look where I started from — in the eighth grade, I had a retina tear,” he said. “I had four emergency surgeries and lost my vision by the time I was a junior in high school. I wasn’t supposed to be able to still play basketball. By the time I was a senior, I graduated top-three in my class in the country. I had my choice to go to any university I wanted to go to to play basketball.

“[…] When I decided I wanted to come out [in the draft] after my freshman year, I tore my shoulder in a workout, just randomly,” Austin continued. “So I came back to Baylor. I shared my story. Nobody knew that I was playing blind in my right eye. I shared my story with the world, and just the impact that I had with so many people around the world, it just inspired me to want to inspire more and more people. When I found out about me not being able to play anymore with Marfan syndrome, it was kind of like God had prepared me for all this, you know?”

Two years ago, Austin said that his ordeal taught him not “to take anything for granted, because it can be ripped away from you in seconds.” Now that he’s been given a second chance, he sounds eager to enjoy every second of it.

“I’m doing this off of pure joy, man,” he said. “Basketball brings me so much joy, and I feel like my testimony will help so many people around the world.”

Matt Joyce signs with the Oakland Athletics

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Athletics have signed outfielder Matt Joyce to a two-year, $11 million contract, pending a physical.

Joyce had a nice bounceback year with the Pirates in 2016, hitting 13 homers and posting an .866 OPS (131 OPS+) over 293 plate appearances, primarily against righties. He’ll get the same sort of work, one suspects, as a platoon corner guy and occasional DH in Oakland.

76ers-Kings postponed due to slick, slippery floor in Philly

A building worker wipes the court before an NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Philadelphia. The start of the game was delayed due to a surface issue with the court.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings were scheduled to kick off Wednesday night’s 10-game NBA slate. But after a delay of more than an hour “due to an issue regarding the surface of the court,” the game was officially postponed, much to the chagrin of those who turned out to Wells Fargo Center.

The issue with the playing surface, it seems, is that it is for some reason really wet and slippery, perhaps due to unseasonable warmth and humidity in Philadelphia for late November:

Hearing condensation issues on the floor in Philly due to irregularly high exterior temperatures. Game is in question. Will know more soon.

— James Ham (@James_Ham) November 30, 2016

 

All big wigs at center court as they sweep Wells Fargo Center floor. Concern about the heat in the building and condensation from ice below.

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) November 30, 2016

There are a lot of wet spots on the #WellsFargoCenter flow. This doesn't appear to safe to play tonight's game between #Sixers vs #SacKings pic.twitter.com/FVODnkpOPQ

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 30, 2016

Sixers have requested permission from the NBA to delay the start of the game. They are wet mopping the floor.

— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoCSN) November 30, 2016

That was just conjecture, though. Apparently, nobody really knew what caused the slick court. From Dan Levy of BillyPenn.com:

“We’re not sure,” Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil told [Marc] Zumoff, [the play-by-play man for Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia’s Sixers coverage,] when asked about what caused the moisture. “Originally some thought it was condensation, which means from the ice that comes up and the floor is wet. And that’s a really easy solve. Literally you just dry it off and it’s fine. It doesn’t seem to be that, so we’re not sure.”

A slick and slippery playing surface, of course, poses a serious safety risk when you’re playing a sport that includes players running, stopping, starting and jumping:

When I stepped on th court to get an update from Philly team officials I almost ate it. Can confirm floor EXTREMELY slippery ????????

— Kayte Christensen (@kayte_c) November 30, 2016

And man, alive, was this a slick and slippery surface:

Watch this video to see how wet the floor gets. #Sixers #SacramentoKings pic.twitter.com/96qHdS8z8h

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) December 1, 2016

 

Despite the safety concerns, Kings center DeMarcus Cousins seemed exceptionally invested in doing whatever he could to make sure he got to square off against the likes of Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor.

This highly unusual situation — “We play indoors for a reason,” quipped Zumoff — dragged on well past the originally scheduled tipoff time. Despite multiple reports from beat writers that a decision had been made to postpone the game, at 7:45 p.m. ET, the 76ers had public address announcer Matt Cord announce that no determination to that effect had yet been made, and that another update would be coming at 8 p.m. ET.

@YourManDevine and they're giving us fans a courtesy countdown to the next announcement!!! pic.twitter.com/Dq8P21jW6Z

— earl simmons (@iamsamkeller) December 1, 2016

Shortly after 8 p.m. ET, Cord returned to the mic to announce that all concerned had agreed to postpone the game, lest someone get hurt unnecessarily.

“The NBA game scheduled for this evening between the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia has been postponed due to unsafe playing conditions on the arena floor,” the NBA said in a statement. “The game will be rescheduled at a later date.”

It’s not yet clear when that might be, but The Vertical’s Bobby Marks suggests a suitable make-up date might not come up for a couple of months:

NBA will examine the schedule but looking at both teams schedule and arena availability there is an opening 1/30 when SAC is out East.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) December 1, 2016

It’s a bummer for all involved — the players and coaches who prepared for naught, the fans who shelled out and showed up only to be sent home early, and the league and broadcast partners who wound up with no product to air. That doesn’t mean, however, that the parties involved weren’t ready to get some jokes off at the situation’s expense:

Tonight's game has been postponed… y'all can trust the process but not the floor? Smh, @Sixers.

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 1, 2016

 

Sliding out of Philly like… ✌️ pic.twitter.com/KeJ4TANEgx

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 1, 2016

 

Well The court was tanking tonight…. #TrustTheProcess

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) December 1, 2016

 

We knew we could count on “The Process” to let his smile be our umbrella in these trying times.

TODAY IN HISTORY - NOVEMBER 30TH

1803 – In New Orleans, Spanish representatives officially transfer the Louisiana Territory to a French representative. Just 20 days later, France transfers the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase.

1804 – The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate begins an impeachment trial of Federalist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase.

1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Franklin: The Confederate Army of Tennessee led by General John Bell Hood mounts a dramatically unsuccessful frontal assault on Union positions commanded by John McAllister Schofield around Franklin, Tennessee, with Hood losing six generals and almost a third of his troops.

1874 – Winston Churchill, English colonel, journalist, and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965) is born.

1900 – Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, novelist, and poet (b. 1854) dies.

1929 – Joan Ganz Cooney, American screenwriter and producer, co-created Sesame Street is born.

1929 – Dick Clark, American television host and producer, founded Dick Clark Productions (d. 2012) is born.

1936 – Abbie Hoffman, American activist and author, co-founded the Youth International Party (d. 1989) is born.

1954 – In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap; this is the only documented case in the Western Hemisphere of a human being hit by a rock from space.

1982 – Michael Jackson's second solo album, Thriller is released worldwide. It will become the best-selling record album in history.

1985 – Kaley Cuoco, American actress is born.

1995 – Official end of Operation Desert Storm.

1995 – U.S. President Bill Clinton visits Northern Ireland and speaks in favour of the "Northern Ireland peace process" to a huge rally at Belfast City Hall; he calls terrorists "yesterday's men".

1998 – Exxon and Mobil sign a US$73.7 billion agreement to merge, thus creating ExxonMobil, the world's largest company.

1999 – In Seattle, United States, demonstrations against a World Trade Organization meeting by anti-globalization protesters catch police unprepared and force the cancellation of opening ceremonies.

2013 – Paul Walker, American actor and producer (b. 1973) dies.

2013 – Paul Crouch, American broadcaster, co-founded Trinity Broadcasting Network (b. 1934) dies.

Cespedes is back! Yo signs with the Mets for four years, $110 million

So much for the contingency plan. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the Mets have re-signed Yoenis Cespedes. The deal is reported to be worth four years and $110 million. Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports that the deal gives Cespedes a full no-trade clause. Beyond that, Cespedes, who just turned 31, will be under Mets control through his age 34 season.

It is the largest free agent deal ever handed out by the Mets in terms of average annual value. Cespedes’ $27.5 million annual average salary is the highest ever for an outfielder on a multi-year deal. Only Miguel Caberea, who avaerages $31 million a year, has a higher average annual salary than Cespedes will. The only larger contract the Mets have ever given out as a $119 million deal to Carlos Beltran, though that was over seven years. As far as the year-by-year breakdown, Cespedes will earn $22.5 million in 2017 then $29 million in both 2018 and 2019 and $29.5 million in 2020.

Cespedes finished the 2016 regular season with a line of .280/.354/.530, 31 home runs and 86 RBI in 543 plate appearances. Earlier this month, Cespedes opted out with two years and $47.5 million remaining on his contract with the Mets in order to become a free agent. While the Mets were generally considered the front runners to retain his services, no shortage of teams were interested. Ultimately, however, it made far too much sense for the parties to reunite given the Mets’ needs and Cespedes’ contractual desires which the Mets were better positioned to afford than most other suitors.

The Mets’ outfield now seems set for 2017, with Jay Bruce in right field, Curtis Granderson in center and Yo in left.

Chris Carter, NL home run co-leader, non-tendered by Brewers

Chris Carter rounding the bases after hitting one of his 41 home runs in 2016. (Getty Images)

If any team is looking for a power hitter in the free agent market, they just got extremely lucky. The Milwaukee Brewers have decided not to tender first baseman Chris Carter a contract, making him a free agent.

Chris Carter becomes one of finest power-hitters on market after #Brewers decide to non-tender him instead of paying likely $9-$10M in arbit

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 29, 2016

If you’re surprised that the Brewers would non-tender the National League co-leader in home runs instead of keeping him, that’s because it is surprising. Carter hit 41 home runs in 2016, tied for the NL lead with Nolan Arenado, and his OPS was .821. But there are a few downsides to retaining Carter for another season. He only hit .222, which is pretty bad (even with those homers), and he struck out 202 times, second in all of baseball. He’s also due around $9-$10 million in arbitration this winter, which is a lot to pay a guy who only hits .222.

The Brewers could afford his price tag, though. They may be a small market team, but their only major financial commitment for 2017 is Ryan Braun, and he might not even be on the team to start the 2017 season. So the question here isn’t really affordability, but value. A team like the Brewers, who are still in the beginning of a comprehensive rebuild, can definitely afford to keep Carter around, but considering how the team is probably going to do next year, they don’t really need to. And it’s apparent now that they don’t want to, either.

If anyone’s worried about what the Brewers will do at first base, they’ve already filled that particular vacancy with Eric Thames. (Remember him?)

#Brewers sign free agent Eric Thames to three-year deal with option for fourth year and he will be their 1B. Played last 3 years in Korea.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) November 29, 2016

As if it wasn’t interesting enough that Thames played his last three years in Korea, the Brewers scouted him in an unconventional way.

Brewers' gamble on Eric Thames is a fascinating one. All of their scouting was done via video of his games in Korea.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) November 29, 2016

Milwaukee isn’t spending any time wondering if they did the right thing with Carter, they’re just plunging ahead with a plan in hand. The Brewers’ loss is another team’s gain, though. With this offseason’s free agent market pretty slim, a power hitter like Carter will draw a fair amount of interest.

Rick Porcello, Anthony Rendon win Comeback Player of the Year Awards

Red Sox starter Rick Porcello and Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon were announced as the winners of the Comeback Player of the Year Awards for their respective leagues, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday.

Porcello, 27, had mostly struggled as a starter in his first seven seasons in the majors, culminating with a career-worst 4.92 ERA in 2015. The right-hander bounced back in 2016, putting up a 22-4 record with a 3.15 ERA and a 189/32 K/BB ratio in 223 innings en route to winning the American League Cy Young Award. That came with a bit of controversy.

Rendon, 26, looked like he would be a perennial MVP candidate after a strong showing in 2014. However, he struggled to a .707 OPS and battled injuries in 2015, limiting him to 80 games. This past season, Rendon hit .270/.348/.450 with 20 home runs, 85 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 647 plate appearances. It’s a nice turnaround for a player the Nationals will soon have to consider signing to a contract extension.

Ex-NFL star Sharper sentenced to 20 years in prison in drug, rape cases

Former National Football League star Darren Sharper was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison after admitting to drugging and raping two women in California, concluding a string of sexual abuse cases that spanned several states.

Sharper, 41, pleaded no contest to charges in California of rape by use of drugs and furnishing a controlled substance, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. District Attorney spokeswoman Jane Robinson said this was the last sentencing he faced.

The sentence will run concurrently with a previous 18-year sentence handed down in a federal court in Louisiana on similar charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the eastern district of Louisiana.

An attorney for Sharper could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.

In the California case, Sharper admitted to meeting two women at a West Hollywood nightclub in October 2013 and later inviting them to his hotel room. He gave both of the women a drink, which made them both pass out, prosecutors said.

One woman woke up naked hours later with Sharper sexually assaulting her and the second woman woke up and stopped the attack, prosecutors said.

Months later, in January 2014, Sharper met two separate women and followed the same procedure, prosecutors said. The two women woke up hours later and one woman believed she had been sexually assaulted. Both left the hotel and sought medical treatment, prosecutors said.

Sharper, a five-time Pro Bowl safety who retired from the NFL in 2011 after helping lead the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl championship, had pleaded guilty in federal court in Louisiana in May 2015 to distributing controlled substances to three unsuspecting women and then sexually assaulting them while they were incapacitated.

He has also pleaded guilty or no contest to rape or attempted rape charges involving several women in Arizona and Nevada.

Sharper's 14-year career in the NFL included stints with the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. He was working as an NFL Network analyst when women began to allege they had blacked out while drinking with him and woke up to find they had been raped.

His 20 year sentence will be served in federal prison at a location to be determined by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in eastern Louisiana. The sentences will run concurrently as part of a negotiated plea deal, the office said.

Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire to seek graduate transfer

Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire is expected to meet with head coach Brian Kelly on Wednesday to gain his release and pursue a graduate transfer, per a report by Irish Illustrated’s Pete Sampson.

Zaire will graduate in December with one year of eligibility remaining.

Zaire was the starting quarterback for Notre Dame’s 2015 season-opener against Texas, but then suffered a season-ending injury against Virginia. He competed with DeShone Kizer in the spring to regain his starting role, but after playing sparingly in the season opener, Zaire ultimately became the Irish’s backup.

Zaire finished the 2016 season completing just 11 of 23 passes for 122 yards a touchdown. The touchdown came against USC last weekend in what would be his final pass at Notre Dame. Zaire never threw more than 40 passes in any of his three seasons with the Irish.

According to Irish Illustrated Florida, Pittsburgh, Michigan State and Wisconsin are among the contenders for Zaire, who will be highly sought as a graduate transfer.

Mike Conley out 6 to 8 weeks with fractured vertebrae

Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Mike Conley will miss six to eight weeks with a fractured vertebrae, league sources told The Vertical.

Conley suffered a traverse process fracture in his back in a third-quarter collision during the Grizzlies’ loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

For the Grizzlies, the loss of Conley is devastating to continuing the momentum of the franchise’s fast start under first-year coach David Fizdale. The Grizzlies (11-7) signed Conley to a five-year, $153 million contract extension in July – the richest long-term deal in league history.

Besides Conley, the Grizzlies are missing several key players: Chandler Parsons (knee), Zach Randolph (death of his mother), Brandon Wright (ankle) and James Ennis (leg).

Conley, 29, had started the season brilliantly for the Grizzlies, who had hoped this would finally be the season that he made the Western Conference All-Star team. He has averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game.

The Grizzlies will have to rely on young guards Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin to play significant minutes in Conley’s absence. The Grizzlies won’t be eligible to apply for a hardship exception until after Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the possibility that the Grizzlies could apply for the exception, creating a 16th roster spot, the Grizzlies plan to start working out free-agent point guards, league sources told The Vertical. Included among the several players expected to visit the Grizzlies for tryouts: Kendall Marshall, Toney Douglas and Will Bynum, league sources told The Vertical.

Lakers' Nick Young carried off court after suffering Achilles strain

Los Angeles Lakers veteran Nick Young’s bounceback season suffered a potentially serious setback early in Tuesday night’s game at the New Orleans Pelicans. Not even two minutes into the contest, Young went up to challenge a lay-up from guard Tim Frazier and came down clutching his right leg. Young was carried off the court by teammates and staff.

The Lakers revealed soon after that Young had been ruled out for the game with an Achilles injury:

Nick Young has a right Achilles' tendon strain. He’s out for tonight’s game and will undergo an MRI tomorrow in Chicago.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 30, 2016

Take a look at the play and its aftermath here:

Lakers’ Nick Young goes down with non-contact injury pic.twitter.com/bPVcRG9bjL

— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) November 30, 2016

 

The injury could be a serious one for the 31-year-old Young. Non-contact injuries are always frightening, especially when they affect the Achilles and require a player to be helped to the locker room by several others. Wednesday’s MRI results will determine the severity of the injury, but fans should be prepared for the worst. This play did not look good by any means.

The Lakers would miss Young considerably should he be forced to miss a lengthy period of time. The West’s biggest surprise entered Tuesday night at 9-9 and No. 8 in the conference, well ahead of every preseason prediction. The man known as “Swaggy P” has played a big role in that fine start, excelling as a funhouse-mirror version of a dependable role player under first-year head coach Luke Walton. Young started the day averaging 14.1 ppg on 41.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc and has often guarded the opponent’s best perimeter scorer in crunch time.

Braves acquire Alex Jackson as part of four-player trade with Mariners

The Braves announced on Monday night that the club acquired minor league outfielder Alex Jackson and a player to be named later from the Mariners in exchange for pitchers Rob Whalen and Max Povse. The Mariners designated pitcher Ryan Weber for assignment to open roster space.

Jackson, 20, was selected by the Mariners in the first round (sixth overall) in the 2014 draft. In his second season at Single-A Clinton, Jackson hit .243/.332/.408 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI in 381 plate appearances. MLB Pipeline rated Jackson as the sixth-best prospect in the Mariners’ system.

Whalen, 22, made his major league debut this past season, making five starts. He yielded 20 runs (18 earned) on 20 hits and 12 walks with 25 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. He will most likely open the season with Triple-A Tacoma.

Povse, 23, split the season between High-A Carolina and Double-A Mississippi, putting up a 3.36 ERA and a 139/29 K/BB ratio in 158 innings. The right-hander could potentially open the year at Triple-A Tacoma as well.

Brewers sign Eric Thames to a three-year deal

It’s not unheard of for a major league club to sign a guy who has been out of the bigs for a while. Maybe someone who played independent ball or went to Japan or Korea or something. It is unusual for them to give such a guy a three-year deal. But that’s what the Brewers have done today, signing Eric Thames to a three-year contract, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. They have an option on him for a fourth year too. The deal guarantees Thames $16 million. He’ll be paid $4 million in 2017, $5 million in 2018, and $6 million in 2019. The club option for 2020 is $7.5 million with a $1 million buyout.

The idea is for Thames to play first base, replacing Chris Carter, who the Brewers were reported last night to be non-tendering.

As Ashley wrote over the weekend, Thames has not played in the majors since 2012. During his two-year stint here the lefty batted .250/.296/.431 with 21 home runs and a .727 OPS for the Blue Jays and Mariners. He raked in the minors but was unable to replicate those results in the big leagues. After his release from the Astros’ Triple-A Oklahoma in 2013, the outfielder-turned-first baseman signed with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization.

He has been outstanding in the KBO, however, hitting 124 home runs and 379 RBI in three seasons, winning an MVP award, a Golden Glove Award and a trip to the KBO All-Star Game. While understanding that KBO is a hitter’s league, he hit .317/.425/.676 with 40 home runs in 2016. In 2015 he was even better, hitting .381/.497/.790 with 47 homers and 140 driven in.

Adam McAlvy of MLB.com says the Brewers scouted Thames solely from videotape of his KBO games. That may be a gamble — as may be a three-year deal for a guy who hasn’t played stateside since 2012 — but it’s an intriguing one to say the least.

Cubs sign Jon Jay to a one-year, $8 million deal

The Cubs have signed outfielder Jon Jay to a one-year, $8 million contract on Tuesday evening, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports.

Jay, 31, had a solid 2016 campaign, batting .291/.339/.389 with 26 doubles in 374 plate appearances. He was limited to only 90 games due to a fracture in his right forearm.

The Cubs lost center fielder Dexter Fowler to free agency. Unless the Cubs bring Fowler back — which is unlikely at this point — or make another comparable addition, Jay figures to platoon with Albert Almora, Jr. in center.

Gary Danielson lays out the blueprint for beating Alabama

Now that Alabama's juggernaut has coasted to an unbeaten regular season and probable top seed in the College Football Playoff, the primary question heading into the postseason is this — how do you stop Nick Saban's well-oiled machine?

During Tuesday's chat with media previewing Saturday's SEC Championship Game, veteran CBS Sports analyst Gary Danielson tried to lay out the blueprint for keeping it close — and perhaps beating — the Crimson Tide.

"I've been asked this question since 2009 and the amazing thing about this run for Alabama is that each of the last nine years, at one point in the season Alabama was ranked No. 1 in the polls," Danielson said. "I don’t think that’ll ever come close to being repeated again. Everybody has theories — mobile quarterback, tempo, got to finesse them — and all those may work occasionally, but I think you’d be mistaken going into the game depending on those things helping you win the game.

"I think you have to do it the way LSU did it and that is being good enough up front to at least tie them or at least not get humiliated up front. Clemson showed that in the national championship game when it took an onside kick to win. In 2014, OSU showed that with power and counter with Ezekiel Elliott. That’s no. 1. And secondly, you better be efficient at quarterback. You don’t have to throw 35-40 times, but you have to be efficient. There are a lot of mistakes than can be made in football and the guy who handles the ball the most and is responsible for not making mistakes is the quarterback."

At some sportsbooks, Alabama's as high as a 24.5-point betting favorite vs. Florida heading into Saturday's showdown, the highest point spread in any Power 5 league title game by far.

Bill Belichick destroyed Tim Tebow's NFL dream as only Bill Belichick could

Bill Belichick lords above Tim Tebow and Tom Brady during a 2013 preseason Patriots practice. (Getty Images)

Former NFL first-round draft pick turned pro baseball prospect Tim Tebow is a devout Christian.

“Fox & Friends” is a Fox News program that caters to conservatives, like some devout Christians.

Bill Belichick was once described as the awful reptile in charge of the evil New England Patriots.

So, it is with all this in mind that we approach Monday’s interview with Tebow on “Fox & Friends.” The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner discussed his new book, “Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms,” which begins with a “stomach punch” from Belichick in a chapter titled “Cut.”

During a six-minute interview in which “Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt said, “Some people say that your faith is a distraction and maybe that’s why you have not landed with a team for a long time, and I applaud you for that, because you’re putting your faith above the sport, and I think that’s awesome,” Tebow summarized his feelings following a 15-minute conversation in August 2013 with Belichick, who cut him after he completed 36.7 percent of his passes during the Patriots’ preseason.

“It’s difficult because it also cuts into your pride, it cuts into your goals, it cuts into your dreams, and when all of that feels like it’s shaken, how do you react? How do you handle it? And, for me, I felt like, ‘Hey, going to the Patriots was gonna be a dream come true.’ Play under Tom Brady, and then when he retires, we’ll go play for Belichick and win a bunch of Super Bowls, and that was my goal. That’s what I thought was gonna happen, and then you get cut and it’s like, ‘Hey, what do I do next?’

“I remember flying to Jacksonville and sitting on the edge of the bed thinking, ‘OK, I have no house, no car, no one wants me to do what I want to do, what do I do next?’ And at moments like that, that’s when you really find out what your identity is all about and what defines you. …

“That’s really hard, especially when you feel like you’ve worked so hard to get to a point and then this was it, this was going to be the opportunity, this was going to be the dream come true, and it gets shattered right in front of you. That is very difficult.”

To recap what Tebow was channeling here, he planned on winning multiple Super Bowls under Belichick once Brady retired (God only knows when that’ll happen), but the Pats coach shattered that plan as if it were one of Tebow’s crystal BCS national title trophies. Hopes dashed, dreams smashed.

For the record, Tebow earned $9,687,500 playing for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets from 2010-12, according to spotrac.com, but you know what might have helped with that whole “no house, no car” situation in August 2013? The $1 million endorsement deal Tebow turned down because Belichick wanted him to follow The Patriot Way. This is a subject Tebow also broached on “Fox & Friends”:

“I didn’t want to be a distraction on the team. I wanted to be just another guy in the locker room, someone that could work, someone that could be a backup to Tom, and I didn’t want to be a distraction, having stuff all over the headlines, so that’s why I called coach Belichick to say, ‘Hey, what do you think about this? This is a great opportunity that I would say yes to, but I want to do what’s right for the team first.’

“He appreciated me calling, but said, ‘Hey, I would prefer if you didn’t do it,’ so of course I didn’t, because it would put the team first. And that’s not something that I look back and regret at all. It was me trying to honor the team, and if I could do it again, I would’ve done the same thing.”

Shortly afterwards, Belichick cut Tebow. Now, telling somebody to turn down a million bucks just before sending them to the unemployment line might seem like something an evil reptile would do, but Tebow sees it through a different lens. From that same Chapter 1 in the former Florida QB’s book:

So when the offer for the one-day commercial turned up, I was sure to discuss the opportunity with him. “I want to know what you think, Coach,” I said. “I respect you and I want to fit in. I want to be one of the guys. Should I do it?”

He thought for a moment and then shook his head. “Timmy, I would really appreciate it if you didn’t.”

Highly respecting the man, I turned down the deal. I didn’t even think twice about it. I wanted the chance to impress Coach Belichick more than I wanted the money. I’ll say that if I were on any other team, I would have probably said yes to the offer. But the thoughts he offered in our initial conversation mattered to me — even more than a million dollars.

Back to the conference room.

“It’s not the right fit,” Coach Belichick said.

My stomach reeled in that moment. I felt disappointed. I felt I had let myself down. I didn’t believe I performed as well in practice or the preseason as I could have, but I was getting better. I had been stoked about the opportunity to learn and train under Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and planned on using that experience to become one of the best quarterbacks of all time too. At the beginning of training camp, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be like Tom and train like Tom and do like Tom, but then I realized it wasn’t about being Tom Brady; it was about being me and doing my best. Yet, despite improving my performance during the preseason, my effort wasn’t enough.

Frankly, it hurt. I had hoped Coaches Belichick and McDaniels would give me the benefit of the doubt. They were some of my biggest supporters. If they didn’t believe in me, who would?

In other words, it was through Belichick that Tebow learned to steer clear of any reckless boasting that may have come with a commercial and instead focus on his true dream of becoming one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks. Sound familiar? I give you Jeremiah 23:32 from another book, called the Bible: “‘Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,’ declares the LORD, ‘and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,’ declares the LORD.”

So, perhaps we have to consider Belichick is not evil. After all, since being cut by the Patriots, Tebow has been credited to some degree with not one, but two life-saving miracles, not to mention the fact he hit a home run in his first professional at-bat upon signing a $100,000 minor-league baseball contract with the New York Mets. As Earhardt said in the “Fox & Friends” interview, “It’s awesome to see how God is using you in another field now.” In many ways, it is Belichick who set Tebow on this path, destroying his hopes and dreams in a storm that eventually led him to discover his true identity, so perhaps we should start thinking of his football failures as “Footprints in the Sand” moments.

Now, I have not read the entirety of Tebow’s “Shaken,” but I sure hope this poem is in it somewhere:

When the last scene of my career flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints on the field.
I noticed that many times along the path of my career
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my career.

This really bothered me
and I questioned Belichick about it:
“Belichick, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my career
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why
when I need you most you would leave me.”

Belichick replied:
“My precious child, I love you and would
never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints, it was then
that I carried you.”

Amen.

Eric Dickerson says he has been told he's not welcomed on Rams sideline anymore

It seems like the Los Angeles Rams are adjusting well to being in a bigger market.

The Rams are 4-7, at times have been the most unwatchable team in the NFL in their first season back in Los Angeles, and former Rams great Eric Dickerson has criticized them. Again, the Rams are 4-7. All 4-7 NFL teams get criticized, especially in a market as large as L.A.

Dickerson, who has a radio show on 570 AM in Los Angeles, said on the show an unnamed person in Rams “upper management” called him and said he wasn’t welcomed on the Rams’ sideline for games anymore.

“They don’t want me on the sidelines, basically they don’t want me at the games,” Dickerson said. “I was told this. They called me and told me this.”

There’s a lot of unanswered questions about Dickerson’s statements. Does the person who told Dickerson this speak for the organization? Does that person have the power to keep Dickerson off the sideline? Was any of this a miscommunication?

Dickerson didn’t say which Rams official told him he’s not welcomed on the sideline anymore, but Dickerson said it was because his criticism made the players “feel uncomfortable.”

Dickerson said he is frustrated because he still identifies himself as a Los Angeles Ram and the team isn’t playing well.

It seems like there was some mix-up between Dickerson and whoever he talked to. Rams vice president of football operations and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said on Twitter that Dickerson is still welcomed by the team.

All Rams alumni, and especially @EricDickerson, are always welcome at our games and practices.

— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) November 28, 2016

I have reached out to Eric to see where a miscommunication may have occurred & to clear up any confusion over his presence at games.

— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) November 28, 2016

 

Most importantly I want to make sure he knows that he is a valued member of @RamsNFL family. We all share his love for our team & our fans

— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) November 28, 2016

 

Those comments seem to make more sense. But Dickerson was obviously upset on the show, with whoever told him he was making the players uncomfortable with his criticism.

On the show, Dickerson told a story about fumbling three times in a game against the Washington Redskins and getting ripped by the media over it.

“Hey, I agreed with them. I felt like I lost that game,” Dickerson said. “You can’t say anything about the players anymore?”

Dickerson is perhaps the most popular ex-Rams player. He rushed for 2,105 yards with the Rams in 1984, a mark that still stands today. After his comments on the show, Dickerson retweeted dozens of messages to him bashing the Rams over this story.

Dickerson was visible all offseason promoting the Rams, as they returned to Los Angeles after moving in 1995. It would seem like the Rams will move quickly to clear up the whole situation, and Demoff’s tweets seem to be the start of that. The Rams don’t need things getting worse this season.