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Reports: Pirates reuniting with veteran Frazier
PITTSBURGH -- Adam Frazier is heading back to the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to multiple reports.
The club has agreed to terms with the veteran second baseman/outfielder on a one-year deal worth $1.525 million, per the reports. The deal is pending Frazier passing a physical.
Frazier, 33, spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Pirates from 2016 to '21. He hit .283 with 39 homers and 204 RBIs in 608 games with Pittsburgh. Frazier made the All-Star Game in 2021 before being traded to the San Diego Padres.
Frazier has bounced around recently, playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2022, Baltimore Orioles in 2023 and Kansas City Royals last season. Frazier hit .202 in 104 games with the Royals in 2024.
The deal gives the Pirates a versatile option who can play a corner outfield spot or second. Pittsburgh could have an immediate opening in right field after opting not to retain Bryan De La Cruz.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trio of young stars grace MLB The Show 25 cover
MLB The Show 25 will feature three athletes for the first time, with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes gracing the cover as the video game embraces a "dynamic era" of young MLB talent.
The decision to go with younger stars coincides with the video game franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary with its release on March 18.
"Historically, we've chosen a single cover athlete for MLB The Show, someone who is at the pinnacle of the sport," Todd Liss, group manager of MLB The Show's global marketing team, told ESPN. "However, with the unprecedented young talent coming into the league, we wanted to represent the changing current climate of baseball and showcase it on our cover. These three players are changing what's possible in baseball, and we're changing how many players can be on the cover of The Show."
The stars of today and tomorrow:
Elly De la Cruz
Paul Skenes
Gunnar HendersonYour #MLBTheShow25 Cover Athletes! #ForgeYourJourney and pre-order on February 4th.
Available on March 18.Learn more at https://t.co/baliy5VGpN pic.twitter.com/5npCRnCTv9
MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 28, 2025
Skenes, the National League Rookie of the Year, is the first full-time pitcher on the global cover of the game.
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star, appeared on the cover of MLB The Show 22, and others to get the honor include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2024), Fernando Tatis Jr. (2021), Bryce Harper (2019) and Aaron Judge (2018).
The Pirates brought Skenes up to the majors last May, and the 22-year-old phenom posted an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA. In July, he became the fifth rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game.
De La Cruz debuted in the majors in June 2023, appearing in 98 games. Last season, he became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases.
In his first full season in 2023, Henderson hit 28 home runs with 82 RBIs, aiding in Baltimore's first playoff berth since 2016. Last season, Henderson earned All-Star honors for the first time with 37 home runs and 92 RBIs.
"Testament to the guys that have been drafted and gone through the minor leagues to get to this point," Henderson told ESPN about the up-and-coming group. "They don't brag about it, and they just go out there and continue to work hard and try to be the best player that they can [be]. I feel like that's what you want as a fan and that's what we try to go do each night out."
Skenes referred to his fellow cover stars as "so dynamic." He jokingly said Henderson seems like "just a good old country boy from Alabama," and he highlighted De La Cruz's work ethic and ability to make "unbelievable plays all the time."
"Just a guy that you don't really want on the basepaths because he's just gonna wreak a lot of havoc," Skenes said.
All three players agree on the impact that placement on the video game's cover can potentially have on baseball's youth.
"There are a lot of other guys who weren't finalists for Rookie of the Year or MVP or anything like that who are very, very good young players that aren't as well-known as guys like me or Elly or Gunnar," Skenes told ESPN. "But it's just the talent pool is so deep from young guys, and it's cool to kind of see."
De La Cruz said it sends a message to other young talent in the minors to keep working hard to achieve their dreams.
Skenes, who grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels, said current young stars are benefiting "a little bit" from past athletes, using Mike Trout as an example of a player that has helped pave the way for younger stars.
"Those guys making a difference in the big leagues and growing the game from a very early point in their career, I think that's kind of [what] put us in this position," Skenes said. "So, I think it's kind of our job to continue that so that the next generation can reap the benefits as well."
Henderson and De La Cruz said they played the video game growing up, and Henderson said he frequently took in the "Diamond Dynasty" mode, where users can collect cards to build their team. De La Cruz said MLB The Show 15, which featured Cuban-born outfielder Yasiel Puig on the cover, and MLB The Show 17, which had Ken Griffey Jr., are his favorites.
Skenes, on the other hand, admitted he didn't play the game consistently.
"I'm not very good at it, to be honest," he quipped.
Lowe Returns with BigR Racing for AFT Singles Campaign
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. BigR Racing announced Tuesday it will field Jared Lowe aboard a Honda CRF450R for a second consecutive year in the AFT Singles presented by KICKER class for the upcoming Progressive American Flat Track season.
Last years debut with the team saw Lowe elevate his game to a new level. Last year, he earned his first career top-10 championship ranking (ninth), nearly doubling his previous best points tally despite two fewer races on the schedule.
The Jet lived up to his moniker on a regular basis throughout the standout campaign. He racked up eight top-tens in 2024, highlighted by a maiden top five at the Texas Half-Mile. His ascension mirrored that of Kansas-based BigR racing outfit, which increased its all-time top-ten haul from seven to 15 with the signing of Lowe in 2024.
Lowe will continue to be backed by Sam Lowe as Crew Chief and Ryan Sangals as Lead Mechanic. With another year of experience under his belt and the aforementioned continuity of support, Lowe is positioned for even greater success in the season ahead.
The goal is continued improvement, said BigR Team Owner Ron Belt. The entire team is thrilled to continue to work with Jared after his impressive performance a year ago. His talent and determination make me confident there are even better results to come, and it certainly doesnt hurt that hes got Sam Lowe and Ryan Sangals in his corner theyre what makes our pit area run.
Im excited to return to BigR Racing this season and carry our momentum into the new season, Lowe said. Im proud of what we accomplished last season, but weve got bigger goals in mind for 2025.
The deaths of five people, including Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, in a helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium were accidental, according to an inquest jury on Tuesday.
Vichai, the Thai tycoon who pumped millions of pounds into the clubthat famously won the Premier League title in 2015-16, was killed along with four others when his helicopter crashed in the club's car park and exploded after a match on Oct. 27, 2018.
The Leonardo AW169 helicopter had cleared the top of the stadium before starting to spin, and plummeted to the ground before bursting into flames.
The crash also killed pilot Eric Swaffer, his partner Izabela Lechowicz, and Vichai's staff members Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punparev. The inquest lasted two-and-a-half weeks.
Philip Shepherd, the Vichai family's legal representative, said Swaffer was a "highly competent and very experienced pilot who did everything in his power" to control the helicopter when the tail rotor failed shortly after takeoff.
Vichai's family are actively continuing their legal action against Italian defence company Leonardo, the manufacturer of the helicopter.
They are seeking compensation for loss of earnings and other damages, valued at 2.15 billion ($2.67bn) -- the largest fatal accident claim in English legal history.
According to Forbes magazine, Vichai was the fifth-richest person in Thailand at the time of his death with an estimated net worth of $4.9bn.
Leonardo was not immediately available for comment but said this month that it would defend itself against the High Court claim.
It expressed its deepest sympathy for the victims of the crash, saying their deaths were "an unquestionable tragedy".
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) ruled in 2023 that it was not possible for the pilot to recover from the tail rotor failure.
The pilot had managed to land softly enough for four of the five people on board to survive the impact, according to post-mortem examinations, only for them to be killed by fire.
Investigators found that problems with the bearing in the tail rotor of the helicopter began a sequence of failures leading to the crash.
Thomas Rew turns the screw as England U19s chisel out vital lead
England U19s 299 (Farhan 90, Home 63, Mokoena 5-61, Daniels 4-49) and 275 for 8 (Rew 71*, Vaughan 44, Fonseka 43, Mason 4-97) lead South Africa U19s 319 (Rowles 90, Bulbulia 88, Farhan 4-78) by 255 runs
Mason was the mainstay of the home attack today and after he made the initial breakthrough of Ben Dawkins (33), well caught by Muhammad Bulbulia at first slip, he also got the key wicket of Rew who had counter-attacked to reach his half-century from 54 balls.
WNBA free agency and trade tracker: Latest deals and news
Ever since the buzzer sounded on October's thrilling WNBA Finals, anticipation has been building about what 2025 might have in store. On Sunday, a blockbuster three-team trade started the wheels spinning.
For the first time in WNBA history, a trade involving multiple No. 1 draft picks is sending Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces and Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Seattle Storm received multiple draft picks as well as forward Li Yueru from the Sparks.
It's the first of what is expected to be many moves this offseason.
From Jan. 11-20, teams were allowed to extend reserved, restricted and core qualifying offers to players. Some notable stars -- Plum, the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart, Indiana Fever's Kelsey Mitchell, Connecticut Sun's Alyssa Thomas, Dallas Wings' Satou Sabally and Seattle Storm's Gabby Williams -- received a core qualifying offer, what is often referred to as "being cored."
Negotiations officially opened last Tuesday, and players can sign contracts starting Feb. 1. With a new CBA featuring massive salary bumps expected to come into effect in 2026, expect to see players sign only one-year deals.
Loyd isn't a free agent but requested a trade from the Storm. And earlier this month Sabally announced she had played her last game for the Wings and is working to find a new home. Because she has been cored, that would have to come via trade.
Other big-name free agents to watch include Sun teammates DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones, who are both unrestricted free agents, as are the Storm's Nneka Ogwumike, Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner and the Liberty's Courtney Vandersloot. And questions still surround the future of WNBA legend Diana Taurasi, who indicated toward the end of the 2024 season that it could be her last in the league. There's also uncertainty surrounding the future of Elena Delle Donne, who is technically an unrestricted free agent yet hasn't appeared in the league since 2023.
Keep it here all offseason long for the latest buzz, news and reports surrounding the WNBA. The 2025 season -- the league's 29th -- will tip off May 16.
Trade grades | Top free agents | Predictions | Core designation | Offseason guides
Jan. 26 update
8:21 p.m. ET: In the first trade in league history involving multiple former No. 1 draft picks, the Las Vegas Aces acquired Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd while sending Aces guard Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, Alexa Philippou, Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews.
In the three-team trade, the Storm are also acquiring the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and forward Li Yueru from the Sparks, as well as Las Vegas' 2026 first-round pick, sources told ESPN. Los Angeles receives the 2025 No. 9 pick and a 2026 second-round pick from Seattle. The Aces receive the 2025 No. 13 pick from the Sparks.
The deal will be made official Feb. 1, sources said.
Blockbuster WNBA deal: The Seattle Storm are trading six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces in a multi-team move that sends three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, sources tell me, @ramonashelburne, @alexaphilippou, @kendra__andrews. pic.twitter.com/OlRb37RKIA
Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2025
Jan. 20 update
Brittney Griner, who has spent 11 seasons in Phoenix since the Mercury drafted her No. 1 in 2013, is testing the free agent market for the first time in her career, according to The Associated Press. The center is meeting with multiple teams while in Miami competing for Unrivaled, according to Griner's agent.
Jan. 17 update
The Connecticut Sun extended a core qualifying offer to Alyssa Thomas.
Jan. 16 update
The Indiana Fever extended a core qualifying offer to Kelsey Mitchell.
Jan. 14 update
The Seattle Storm designated Gabby Williams as their core player, meaning she will not become an unrestricted free agent, ESPN's Kevin Pelton reported.
Williams joins Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings) and Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) as players with the core designation, which allows them to sign the one-year qualifying offer at the WNBA's highest possible salary ($249,244) but prevents them from signing with another team as a free agent.
Jan. 9 update
Unrestricted free agent Satou Sabally will be moving on from the Dallas Wings after spending the first five years of her career there, she told reporters Thursday from Miami.
"I'm working with (the Wings) and finding a next home for me," Sabally said. "I've already played my last game in Dallas."
What is the WNBA's core system?
The WNBA's core player designation is akin to the NFL franchise tag. A team can "core" a player to prevent them from becoming an unrestricted free agent by retaining their exclusive rights.
A core qualifying offer is a guaranteed one-year contract at the supermax, but the team and player can negotiate different terms to a deal. Each team can core only one player, and the 2020 CBA reduced the number of times players can be cored in their career gradually from four to three and, as of 2022, to two, a major change that opened up free agency movement throughout the league.
Six players -- Sabally, Plum, Stewart, Mitchell, Thomas and Williams -- have been cored so far in 2025, the most in one offseason under this current CBA. But that doesn't mean those players will return to the teams that cored them. Sabally has already said she's moving on from Dallas. With the Wings coring her -- which they likely did to ensure they'd get some return for Sabally leaving -- the only way for her to change teams is via trade.
According to tracking via Across the Timeline, the last time multiple players were cored and traded in one offseason was 2020 (Tina Charles and Skylar Diggins-Smith), but expect other big names to join Sabally in departing their franchises this free agency via that mechanism. And that doesn't even include a trade that's suspected to come when Seattle parts with Loyd, as the star requested out in December. -- Alexa Philippou
Britain's Patten targets number one doubles ranking
The match against Bolelli and Vavasorri lasted more than three hours and did not finish until 01.42 local time.
"I think it's probably the longest doubles match I've ever played. I had to go and ask my coach for a shot of espresso after the first set, which we lost in a really close tie-break, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the match - it was a war of attrition," said Patten.
The left-handed Englishman from Manningtree in Essex first played tennis at the age of five, and in 2022 won 10 titles on the ATP Challenger tour with fellow Briton Julian Cash.
He teamed up with Heliovaara nine months ago and they have not looked back since winning their first tournament as a pair in Marrakech.
"It's amazing that it's happened so quickly - it feels like just the blink of an eye," said 28-year-old Patten, who served an ace to clinch victory in Melbourne.
"It's still a bit surreal. I don't know if that's the jetlag or just [that I] never imagined this would all happen."
It was their second Grand Slam title, having also won at Wimbledon last summer, and he and Heliovaara will have a chance to add another at the French Open, which begins on 25 May.
"Next week we'll be in Dallas, playing on the ATP tour, then I'll have another week off, and then it's Doha, Dubai and straight back over to the States, so it's non-stop," Patten added.
Tom Willis, who appeared in a warm-up match against Wales in 2023, is primed to win only his second cap off the bench after a stellar season with club side Saracens.
The 26-year-old, whose older brother Jack is outside of England eligibility at French side Toulouse, has topped the Premiership stats for defenders beaten and gain-line carries, while also appearing in the league-wide top 10 for turnovers, tackles and metres made.
"As a squad Saracens have said to us to bring the enjoyment back into things," he told Rugby Union Weekly.
"We've done really well as a forward pack and that has helped free me up to do what I do."
He says he would not over-complicate his approach to the Test game.
"I try and get through as much work and battles as possible," he added.
"I will try and get the team on the front foot and just go from there."
AUBURN, Calif. The Northern Auto Racing Club has experienced a busy offseason in preparation for the highly anticipated 29-event NARC 410 Sprint Car Series campaign.
This involved enacting various rule modifications and updates, with a significant focus on enhancing driver safety and well-being in sprint car racing.
Many of the rule modifications align with those of the High Limit and World of Outlaw series, ensuring consistency across the racing series. A summary is outlined in the accompanying notes.
In addition, the NARC Advisory Board agreed to implement a new CAP (Competitive Advantage Program) Insurance policy for all drivers competing on this seasons tour. This $500,000 excess accident medical insurance policy activates after other insurance options are exhausted. The driver membership fees will increase to include the cost of the policy, with a discount for memberships processed before March 1.
Medical insurance and costs reached viral status in 2024 with major accidents and injuries involving NARC-member drivers Chase Johnson, Angelique Bell, Dominic Scelzi and Justyn Cox. Johnson and Cox were injured at non-NARC events. This policy covers all sprint car events a driver decides to compete in in the United States, not just NARC shows.
Similar mandatory type policies are already in effect with several other sanctioning bodies and tracks.
Most drivers dont realize that track medical insurance provides marginal coverage at best, stated series board member Brent Kaeding. Depending on the track, its between $15,000 and $50,000 total, which barely covers an ambulance ride and one night in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit.) Its enough to bankrupt about any household.
Injured driver Chase Johnson also spoke in favor of the policy.
This is a good thing for all of the NARC drivers, said Johnson, who suffered a back injury at a High Limit event at Chico in August. Im proof that you cant have enough insurance in a bad situation.
In other series news, NARC announced that Andrew Kunas will be the official NARC announcer for the 2025 season. With 16 years of experience announcing for the ASCS Frontier Region and various tracks in the Pacific Northwest, the veteran is a valuable addition to the NARC staff.
RULE SUMMARY
FIRE SUPPRESSION:
The Lifeline Fire Suppression system (and others) must be recertified every two years. This requires inspection of O-Rings, piston, bottle, bladder, and a tank refill. The cost is $230 at Kaeding Performance.
CAR:
A removable wicker bill, maximum height of 1 1/2 inches (1.5), may be mounted on the rear edge of the top wing center foil. Wicker bill must be 90 degrees to the top of the center foil. Built-in wicker bills or gurney lips will not be permitted.
One (1) in-car shock adjuster is permitted in the cockpit.
Any header that is not straight out the back of the car with or without a muffler must be welded when the bend connects to the header and to the muffler.
An In-axle tire inflation system that is attached to a bleeder is legal. No remote/data changing is allowed.
SEATS:
The Northern Auto Racing Club highly recommends the use of a seat insert to increase the safety of the driver.
The seat should be mounted in four places to the chassis with minimum 3/8 steel bolt and nut. It is highly recommended that mounting bolts do not exceed 3.5 in total length. Grade 8 steel bolts are highly recommended. Mounting holes in seat must have a 1.5 diameter mounting plate with a minimum thickness of .060.
OTHER:
Cars are not allowed to break traction at any time during a caution period unless directly authorized by the Director of Competition over the radio. Any cars that do so may be moved to the back of the starting grid.
Cars involved in a race stoppage during the semi or main event that go to the work area will be given two minutes to make repairs once they reach the work area. This rule no longer applies once the semi or main reach the halfway point, or curfew issues come into play. There is no allotted repair time provided during the heat races.
If a car goes to their pit area instead of the designated work area during the semi or main, there is no two-minute time clock because we have no way to check your status. The car can return to competition at an appropriate time. There is no courtesy time.
NORMAN PARK, Ga. Persistent rain throughout the day at Needmore Speedway, combined with a forecast for continued precipitation into the evening, has forced the cancellation of the opening night of the South Georgia Showdown for the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series.
Mondays program will not be rescheduled, however, Tuesdays show remains on as planned featuring a $10,000-to-win feature for HTF Series Super Late Models and a $2,000-to-win feature for the IMCA STARS Mod Lites Series.
Additionally, a non-qualifiers race for the STARS Mod Lites Series has been added to Tuesdays program that will pay $200 to win and $100 to each starter.
Catch all the action on SPEED SPORT affiliate Huntthefront.tv.
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