4:14 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians will officially transition to the Guardians on Friday, completing a name change that has been happening in stages over the past few months. The team sent out a release on Wednesday saying its team shop at Progressive Field will begin selling Guardians merchandise and souvenirs
5:37 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — First baseman Brandon Belt accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday rather than pursue bidders as a free agent. Belt was the only one to accept among the 14 free agents who received the offers from their former clubs on
6:12 PM ET ESPN News Services The Houston Astros and right-hander Justin Verlander have agreed to a one-year, $25 million contract with a player option for a second season, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. Verlander won the American League Cy Young Award for Houston in 2019 but made just one appearance during the pandemic-shortened
8:41 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” CHICAGO — New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday the team is “not going to be afraid to get into the free-agent market” and suggested the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal would
6:18 PM ET Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray capped a career 2021 season with the Cy Young award on Wednesday, besting Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Lance Lynn of the Chicago White Sox. Armed with a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and change-up repertoire, Ray was 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA (1.04
6:56 PM ET Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes capped an impressive breakout 2021 season by taking home the NL Cy Young Award on Wednesday, finishing ahead of finalists Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer. Burnes narrowly beat out Wheeler for the award, earning 151 points to Wheeler’s 141. Both
3:02 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Serena Williams is still haunted by her experience at Indian Wells in 2001 and the mental anguish that she says she endured when returning to the event in 2015 after a lengthy boycott. “Even when I went back 14 years later, it was very traumatizing,” Williams said in an interview
12:54 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard has received a contract extension amid Washington’s fast start to the season. Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday that Sheppard and Sashi Brown signed multiyear extensions and received promotions. Sheppard now becomes president and GM of the Wizards. Brown, who has served as
2:28 PM ET Associated Press Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha and video assistant Esteban Ostojich were suspended on Wednesday after failing to give a red card to Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi during a World Cup qualifying match against Brazil. Otamendi hit Brazil forward Raphinha with his elbow in the 35th minute of Tuesday’s match in San
4:49 PM ET Ten more people have been arrested in connection with the violence at Old Trafford that led to the postponement of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Liverpool in May, Greater Manchester Police said on Wednesday. The game on May 2 was called off after United supporters protesting against the club’s