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The New York Mets have traded outfielder Alexander Canario to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations, the Pirates announced Monday.
Canario was designated for assignment Thursday hours before the Mets' season opener. He had traveled with the club from spring training in Florida to Houston last week to participate in the Mets' workout Wednesday, but the team's outfield glut rendered him a long shot to make the roster.
The Pirates moved right-hander Jared Jones (elbow) to the 60-day injured list to make room on their 40-man roster for Canario.
New York's Opening Day roster included six outfielders: Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor, Jose Siri, Starling Marte and Jesse Winker. Despite a strong camp, there just wasn't room for Canario, who was out of minor league options.
Jose Azocar, another outfielder, was also designated for assignment by the Mets on Thursday. The 28-year-old Azocar, however, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse.
Canario's combination of youth -- he's 24 years old -- and tools made him attractive to other teams. The right-handed hitter, who was sent from the San Francisco Giants to the Chicago Cubs in July 2021 as part of a trade for Kris Bryant, made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2023. He appeared in 21 games for the team over the past two seasons, batting .286 with two home runs and two doubles in 45 plate appearances.
The Cubs designated Canario for assignment in late February to make room on their 40-man roster for Justin Turner. The Mets acquired Canario for cash days later. He reported straight to Port St. Lucie, where he slashed .306/.419/.611 with three home runs in 17 spring training games. He'll now be with his third organization in just over a month.
New Zealand Rugby and Ineos have reached a settlement agreement following their dispute over a sponsorship contract.
British-owned petrochemical firm Ineos, which holds a stake in Manchester United as part of its sport portfolio, walked away early from its sponsorship deal of New Zealand Rugby (NZR).
It was a move that led to legal action from the governing body.
On Monday, both parties issued a statement to say the issue has been resolved.
"New Zealand Rugby and Ineos can confirm that a settlement has been reached between the two parties," the joint statement read.
"Whilst the details remain confidential, both organisations are satisfied with the outcome and acknowledge a desire to now move forward."
Ineos, which is chaired by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, agreed in 2021 to become performance partner of NZR from 2022 to 2027.
The deal included Ineos branding on the back of playing shorts and on the front of training jerseys for the nation's teams, including three-time World Cup winners the All Blacks and six-time women's world champions the Black Ferns.
However, NZR said in February that Ineos had "failed to pay the first instalment of the 2025 sponsorship fee, confirming its decision to exit our six-year agreement".
Citing the struggling chemicals industry in Europe, because of "high energy taxes and extreme carbon taxes" along with "the deindustrialisation of Europe", Ineos said in a statement at the time: "We have had to implement cost-saving measures across the business.
"We sought to reach a sensible agreement with the All Blacks to adjust our sponsorship in light of these challenges."
MONTREAL -- The Montreal Victoire are confident Ann-Renee Desbiens will return to action in the near future.
Whether that's soon enough to suit up between the pipes for Canada at the women's world hockey championships still needs to be determined.
"It's the type of injury that needs day-to-day and week-to-week monitoring," Victoire general manager Daniele Sauvageau said Monday at Verdun Auditorium. "A lot of things can improve."
Desbiens -- Canada's No. 1 goalie -- was named to the national team's world championship roster despite sustaining what appeared to be a serious lower-body injury March 18 in the Victoire's 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Fleet.
The league-leading Victoire retroactively placed Desbiens on long-term injured reserve, keeping her out for a minimum of 21 days from March 18.
The 30-year-old from Quebec, however, skated in full gear for about half an hour before the Victoire practiced Monday. It was her third time on the ice since the injury.
"To see her leave the ice with help from two teammates, you never want to see that," said Marie-Philip Poulin, captain of the Victoire and Canada. "She looked like she was in a lot of pain. Really happy to see the recovery is going quicker than we thought it would."
Sauvageau said there's still time to determine Desbiens' availability before Canada opens defense of its world title April 10 versus Finland in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
All signs point to Desbiens joining Montreal teammates Poulin, Laura Stacey, Jennifer Gardiner, Kristin O'Neill and Erin Ambrose on a flight to Czechia on Wednesday or Thursday for Canada's pre-camp.
"It's progressing well, so there's nothing that says she won't be able to keep progressing while participating in Canada's camp," Sauvageau said. "We'll see once we're at that date (April 10) whether she's ready to be a full participant in the world championships."
Sauvageau also said medical teams from the Victoire, PWHL and Hockey Canada would work together with Desbiens to reach a decision.
"Everybody wants the player to be healthy," she said. "No one wants to take risks in any of those federations. If she does go, obviously I trust that she's going to be well-treated."
Canada is already down regular goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, who was placed on long-term injury reserve by the Ottawa Charge after she sustained a lower-body injury in a March 11 game.
Toronto Sceptres goalie Kristen Campbell and 21-year-old Eve Gascon, who plays for the University of Minnesota Duluth, were the other netminders named to Canada's roster.
Desbiens backstopped Canada to gold at the 2022 Olympics and three world championships, including last year's triumph over the Americans in Utica, N.Y.
This season, she leads the PWHL in wins (13), save percentage (.932) and goals-against average (1.85).
"She's been in great spirits, honestly, since (the injury)," Ambrose said. "It's nice to have that as a little bit of a relief. She's the best goalie in the world, so obviously here in Montreal, world championships, we want her there."
The Victoire signed goaltender Tricia Deguire to a standard player agreement while Desbiens remains out.
Montreal (11-6-3-6) clinched a playoff spot with last week's 4-1 win over the Minnesota Frost and has four games remaining in the regular season.
The NHL has reached an agreement with Rogers Communications on a 12-year, $7.7 US billion media rights agreement in Canada, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced.
The contract is the latest source of revenue for the league as the salary cap continues to climb. The previous deal reached in November 2013 was worth $5.2 billion CAD over 12 years.
The NHL contracted with ESPN and Turner Sports in 2021 for the current U.S. TV and streaming rights deal for $4.5 billion over seven years combined.
Chelsea recorded a pre-tax profit of 128.4 million ($165.83 million) for the year ending in June of 2024 despite a fall in revenue thanks to the repositioning -- ostensibly a sale -- of their women's team, the Premier League club said on Monday.
The profit, which was also helped by the disposal of player registrations, comes after a loss of 90.1 million ($116.3 million) in the previous year to June of 2023, which was the first under the ownership of the consortium led by Todd Boehly.
The women's team passed from Chelsea FC Holdings Limited to BlueCo, Boehly's consortium, last June, removing any losses associated with Chelsea Women from the club accounts and Chelsea Holdings benefiting from the sum that BlueCo paid.
The profit on disposal of subsidiaries was 198.7 million ($256.6 million) while the profit on disposal of player registrations came to 152.5 million ($197 million).
Chelsea's overall revenue fell from 512.5 million ($662 million) in 2023 to 468.5 million ($605.2 million), which the club said was due to the men's team not competing in the Champions League.
The club's broadcasting receipts increased thanks to their sixth-place finish in the Premier League, along with decent cup runs, and there was also a fall in operational costs and growth in commercial and matchday revenue.
The women's team is first in the WSL table this season, while the men's side sits in fourth in the Premier League with nine games to go in the season.
Things went in the opposite direction for fellow Premier League side Everton, with the club reporting a loss of 53 million ($68.44 million) in the 2023-24 season, marking a seventh consecutive year in deficit. However, Everton will avoid breaches of the league's profit & sustainability rules.
Despite Everton reporting an improvement from the 89.1 million deficit recorded the previous year, the club's losses over the last seven years total 570 million.
Last season Everton were deducted eight points for two separate PSR breaches for the rolling three-year periods including the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns.
In January, the league confirmed that all clubs, including Everton, were financially compliant for the 2023-24 season, and no additional charges would be imposed.
Information from Reuters was used in this story.
After signing P.J. Tucker to two 10-day contracts, the New York Knicks plan to sign the forward to a two-year deal, sources told ESPN.
Tucker, a 14-year NBA veteran admired for his leadership and playoff experience, would be set to stay with the Knicks through the season and playoffs, with a team option for the 2025-26 season.
He appeared in one game over his two deals, in a 120-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on March 19.
According to Second Spectrum, Tucker has made 704 corner 3-pointers over the past 12 seasons, the most in the NBA during that span. A proven playoff performer on both ends of the floor, Tucker has played 104 postseason games in his career.
He was part of the Milwaukee Bucks' 2020-21 championship team.
LOS ANGELES -- Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar tested positive for a banned substance and will begin an 80-game suspension Monday, for the start of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Profar tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin, a performance-enhancing drug, according to Major League Baseball.
Profar will be eligible to return to the Braves on June 29 against Philadelphia but will be ineligible for the 2025 postseason as part of his suspension.
Profar, 32, signed a $1 million contract with the San Diego Padres in February 2024 and put together the best offensive season of his career last season, slashing .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 158 games. The Braves signed him to a three-year, $42 million deal in January to make him their everyday left fielder.
In a statement sent by the MLB Players' Association, Profar called Monday "the most difficult day of my baseball career" and said he was "devastated" by the news. Profar added that he was tested eight times for PEDs in 2024 and "never tested positive."
"This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game," Profar wrote as part of his statement. "There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite. I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it."
The Braves posted a statement on X, saying, "we were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience."
Profar's suspension, which is without pay, comes after a brutal opening weekend for the Braves, who were swept in a four-game series by the Padres while scoring a combined seven runs -- including zero over the last 22 innings.
Profar's absence hurts the short-handed Braves. Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is not expected back from the injured list for another month. Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz have been platooning in right field in Acuna's absence. With Profar gone, the Braves can also turn to Alex Verdugo, who was signed to a $1.5 million deal March 20 and optioned to the minor leagues to get at-bats.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Among the features of Winward Racings shiny new and expansive workshop is more space dedicated to displaying the teams winning race cars.
Good thing because Winward could be on its way to adding another piece of championship machinery to the showcase.
When Winward co-owner Russell Ward teamed with Philip Ellis and Indy Dontje to win the Grand Touring Daytona portion of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 15, it gave the trio the rare distinction of becoming back-to-back winners in the grueling race on the former airfield.
It also pushed the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the top of the GTD standings as Winward chases a second consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season title.
Coupled with a fourth-place finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, the Sebring victory gave Winward a 41-point lead over the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin GT3 Evo after two of 10 GTD races this season. It also culminated a hectic few months that included the official grand opening of the 40,000-square-foot new headquarters in Houston and pointed to an even brighter future for the team whose IMSA debut came in the Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2018 before joining the WeatherTech Championship three years later and winning at the Rolex 24 in that maiden race.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself, admits Ward, who co-owns the team with his father, Bryce. Bryce co-drives the teams Grand Sport class No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver Daniel Morad. Im an incredibly competitive person and come from an incredibly competitive family in everything that weve done together.
In the time we were doing (only) GT4, we had a lot of expectations going in and really found it difficult to execute properly at the race track and get the result that the teams been working for. For us, its been a learning experience. Weve started to gather the core group of people one guy here, one guy there who stuck around for years, and I really feel that thats the success of the team. It comes from the blood, sweat and tears that is poured into that race car before every event here in the shop.
We as drivers come in there and were prepared as well, the younger Ward continued. Sim time, going to the gym to make sure were physically fit for the event, but we also show up to what looks like a brand-new race car every time. And every time the drivers come up there, you think, Damn! That things well prepped and its gonna be fast. Its been a long road, but now that weve got a good core group, we can maintain this level of performance for the years to come.
Russell Ward who was named the Overall Pro Driver and Pro Driver GT3 awards winner at the 2024 Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship ceremony and full-season co-driver Ellis have nine wins together. Dontje is the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup add-on and has joined them for five victories, including four of the last seven longer events (Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen in 2024, plus Sebring in 2025).
Were racing already quite a long time together, Dontje said following the Sebring triumph. We know each other really well in and outside of the car. I think that helps a lot. We have a really good rhythm in driving, driver-change practice, knowing what we would like in the car. I think all these things come together in this race. Not only in this race, but also in other races.
Lucas Auer, who like Ellis is a Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver, was the fourth driver in the No. 57 for the Rolex 24, when Winward stumbled early with a throttle assembly issue that dropped the car seven laps off the pace while repairs were made.
Unfazed, the team fought back and was in position to win the 24-hour season opener for a second straight year (and third in five years) until a late full-course caution necessitated an emergency stop for fuel. The ensuing penalty dropped the No. 57 to 10th place on the restart but Auer tore through the field in the final hour to finish fourth and perhaps save Winwards hopes of repeating as GTD champions.
At Sebring, a pit-lane infraction led to a drive-through penalty that dropped Winward from the front. Again, the team rallied, this time with Ellis at the wheel. His bump-and-run pass on Jack Hawksworth in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 with just over 12 minutes remaining was for the lead and win.
Hes one of the most top-class guys Ive ever driven with, Ward said of Ellis. His speed is incredible, and I think over the years of driving with us, hes also kind of understood what it takes to win a race here in in the United States. He just was reserved until the opportunity presented itself and he capitalized and then was able to drive away. It was awesome watching that on the box.
Ward is still a bit in awe of the teams sparkling new facility as well. It includes carbon fiber repair and vinyl wrap areas that save Winward time and expense.
We now have a beautiful venue where we can entertain, where we can really showcase the team and hopefully get some more money in here, Ward said. And, he added, more room to fit our championship-winning cars.
MARTINSVILLLE, Va. Casey Mears made his first NASCAR Cup Series start in more than six years Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
Driving the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford, Mears finished 11 laps down in 36th position. It was the veteran drivers first race in the Next Gen car and his 490th career start.
Mears hopes to restart his career in hopes of reaching the 500-start milestone. He was upbeat despite suffering tire and brake failures and getting hot in the race car.
I appreciate the opportunity to get to 490 starts, Mears said after the race. Im happy I was able to come back and do this and my kids got to see me race. Now that we have a bit more of a warning before the next one, hopefully, we will be more prepared to do it right.
Mears said he didnt struggle adjusting to the Next Gen car.
Honestly, Martinsville is Martinsville, he said. Other than shifting, the way the car handles and responds isnt all that different. Maybe if we got to a place where downforce came into play and you have more speed, Id probably get to see the aero platform and the way this car works and responds differently. Here, it didnt feel all that different.
Mears would like to make some more starts this season.
Right now where I am at, the superspeedways and the road courses is probably where we can get the most out of it, he said of the MBM Motorsports machine. Anywhere that you need all the downforce and the platform might have to be something different. Im just glad to get here and tell more story, tell them what I want to do, and hopefully I can get 10 more and get to 500.
Mears was overheated during the second half of the race after the cool shirt he was wearing failed.
I just got hot. I had a cool shirt and it stopped working about halfway through and when that happens, its worse than if you didnt have it, Mears reported. I just got hot. Other than that I felt physically pretty good in the car.
POMONA, Calif. Tony Stewart is still chasing his first NHRA Top Fuel victory after losing to Clay Milican in the final round of Sundays 65th Winternationals at historic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, was seeking to become the first auto racer to win races in four different professional motorsports disciplines (with previous victories in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC) when he advanced to the final round against Millican. Unfortunately, Stewarts TSR Rinnai Dodge//SRT dragster smoked the tires at the 200-foot mark and Millican drove to victory.
Sundays path to the final round was not an easy one for Stewart, who took down three NHRA Top Fuel champions (Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon) en route to the finals.
It was Stewarts third Top Fuel final round performance since he took over the driving chores in 2024 from his wife, Leah Pruett, who removed herself from the Top Fuel car to start a family with Stewart. Their son, Dominic James, was born on Nov. 17, 2024, the same weekend as the NHRA World Finals.
The day I get upset with losing is the day I retire from racing, said Stewart. But the team is upset because they want to win. These TSR crew guys have done an awesome job and have been very consistent. Especially this weekend, having three runs on Friday and four today, these guys busted their butts. There were no mistakes. We just want to take this car to victory lane very badly.
My lights were better, and the cars performance was better. We just didnt get the last little bit. We took down three big guys in a row, all former Top Fuel champions (Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Shaun Langdon). To be the best, you have to beat the best. Im very proud of the whole team and it just wasnt our time yet. Everyone comes here to win, and one driver leaves as the winner, and we raced that guy in the final. We just got a little too aggressive in the final. We have good data heading to Las Vegas now, too.
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