TORONTO -- George Springer thinks the Blue Jays' promising young core is similar to the group he played with that led the Astros to their first World Series title in 2017.

Springer and the Blue Jays agreed last week to a team-record $150 million, six-year contract. He joined a roster that includes young sluggers Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. The three-time All-Star outfielder was 2017 World Series MVP when he played with Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa.

"This lineup reminds me a lot of them," Springer said, wearing a Toronto cap and jersey during a video news conference. "It is a young lineup but it's a very talented, advanced younger lineup. From everything I've seen, they're very, very ambitious. They want to win, they work hard. That's awesome to see."

"I think the young core is very, VERY impressive! Bichette, Biggio, Guerrero, Gurriel..." - George Springer ? pic.twitter.com/y8ESk9ehzN

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) January 27, 2021

Toronto went 32-28 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing third in the AL East behind the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees and qualifying for the expanded postseason. The Blue Jays were swept in two games during a first-round series by the eventual AL champion Rays.

"I think they're right there," Springer said of Toronto. "When you play against this team like I have, you could see the talent, could see the potential in their lineup, in their staff, in their arms. I think this team is built to win, and I think they're going to be built to win for a long time."

Team president Mark Shapiro said Springer was "clearly a good fit" for the emerging Blue Jays.

"His experience will add a certain level of wisdom to our players," Shapiro said. "He's been places where our guys haven't been yet and knows how to handle those environments."

In seven seasons, Springer has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 RBIs, including career bests of .292 with 39 homers and 96 RBIs in 2019.

Besides Springer, Toronto also has signed right-handers Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood in the past week. The Blue Jays have a pending $18 million, one-year deal with infielder Marcus Semien, subject to a successful physical.

"We've taken the next step and we'll see where that takes us," general manager Ross Atkins said.

Shapiro insisted the Blue Jays still have flexibility to add payroll, likely to strengthen the rotation, but said "the bulk of our heavy lifting is done."

Springer split time between center field and right with the Astros, but is expected to become a fixture in center for the Blue Jays. He's also likely to lead off Toronto's batting order.

"It's no secret that George is a great leadoff hitter," manager Charlie Montoyo said.

"I'm willing to do whatever it is they want me to do," Springer said. "I'm here for the team, I'm here to win, so whatever they want me to do, I'll gladly do it."

Springer said the Blue Jays contacted him early in the free-agency process, putting him in "a very good state of mind" right from the first call.

"When you have a young, talented group that's already in place, it's obviously very, very attractive because you know what they could potentially do," he said.

Springer's contract is the second $100 million-plus deal in team history. In December 2006, center fielder Vernon Wells and the Blue Jays agreed to a $126 million, seven-year contract.

Under new owner Steve Cohen, the New York Mets were said to be interested in Springer, but on Wednesday the outfielder wouldn't address their pursuit.

"This is about the Blue Jays," Springer said. "I don't really have anything to say on that matter. I'm extremely happy to be where I am."

Springer was more open to addressing Toronto's interest in friend and former teammate Michael Brantley, who rejoined the Astros for a $32 million, two-year deal.

"I talk to Mike as a friend probably every day," Springer said. "It's not my business to ask him all that stuff. I was hopeful for it but, ultimately, I'm happy for him."

The New York Yankees quickly found a replacement for their bullpen, agreeing to a $2.5 million, one-year contract with submarining right-hander Darren O'Day, according to multiple reports.

The deal includes player and club options for 2022 and is subject to a successful physical, according to reports.

O'Day takes the spot vacated when the Yankees traded right-hander Adam Ottavino to Boston on Monday, a move that cut $7.15 million from New York's payroll. O'Day figures to join left-hander Zack Britton and right-hander Chad Green as the primary setup men for closer Aroldis Chapman.

O'Day, 38, was 4-0 with a 1.10 ERA in 16⅓ innings over 19 games last year with Atlanta, striking out 22 and walking five while allowing eight hits. While his fastball averaged just 86 mph, his low arm angle creates deception; right-handed hitters batted .143 (7-for-49) off him with one home run, by Boston's Xander Bogaerts, the leadoff batter of O'Day's final appearance of the season. Left-handed hitters were 1-for-10.

He became a free agent when Atlanta declined a $3.25 million option, triggering a $250,000 buyout.

O'Day is a 13-year major league veteran, going 40-19 with a 2.51 ERA and 600 strikeouts and 158 walks in 576⅔ innings for the Los Angeles Angels (2008), New York Mets (2009), Texas (2009-11), Baltimore (2012-18) and Braves (2019-20).

He was an All-Star in 2015, when he had a 1.52 ERA and six saves while striking out 82 in 65⅓ innings, but he missed the final two months of the 2018 season with a strained left hamstring and the first five months of 2019 with a strained right forearm suffered during spring training.

O'Day made $833,333 in prorated pay last year from a $2.25 million salary, down from a $31 million, four-year contract he signed with Baltimore ahead of the 2016 season. His wife, Elizabeth Prann, is a correspondent for HLN and CNN.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Covid testing has brought "huge peace of mind" to players, says England and Saracens' Vicky Fleetwood.

The league restarts this weekend following a two week suspension aimed at helping to reduce the spread of the virus.

Previously, players were only tested if they showed symptoms.

"We were doing everything we could within Saracens to stick to the rules we'd been given by the RFU", Fleetwood told BBC Sport.

"We were filming all the sessions so if there was close contact with someone who tested positive then those people would have to self-isolate. That did happen a few times and that's why we had games called off.

"Definitely having those tests now has brought huge peace of mind."

'Raring to go' ahead of long awaited return

This weekend's match away at Exeter has been a long time coming for Fleetwood, who has not played since she tore her hamstring tendon in Saracens' opening game of the season on 10 October.

The flanker missed England's November internationals as a result of the injury.

"It was actually good just to take that time for myself, get everything sorted and watch the girls play", said the 30-year-old.

"But for the last month or so I've been fit and ready to play."

Saracens have won all their matches so far this season and are second in the table behind Harlequins, who have played a game more.

"Unfortunately, because of Covid, it's been against us. We've had multiple games cancelled so I'm raring to go this weekend," Fleetwood said.

Exeter Chiefs are in their debut season in the league and lie in fifth place, with four wins under their belt.

"They've got some really big ball carriers, they move the ball really well, move it out well and have got a lot of pace as well so hopefully we'll put on a good show," she added.

'Gutted' at Six Nations postponement

Fleetwood was part of England's World Cup-winning side in 2014 and is targeting a place in the squad at this year's competition in New Zealand.

England's preparations for the September tournament however have been disrupted after the 2021 Women's Six Nations' tournament was postponed until either spring or summer because of the pandemic.

"For me just wanting to play, I was quite gutted it had to be postponed but the fact that we will get that opportunity to play at some point, you've got to think about the bigger picture," Fleetwood, who has 76 England caps, said.

"We've got to do what's right for everyone, for the other countries involved I know some of them don't have the vaccine being rolled out the way we do."

The Women's Six Nations usually runs alongside the men's tournament but Fleetwood says there will be some positives from it being moved to a stand-alone competition.

"Potentially the media coverage that we'll get will be better so we're really looking forwards to playing at a different time.

"I know there's been a lot of chat over the last few years about whether it should be played at a different time and our hand's been forced so let's see how it goes." she added.

INDIANAPOLIS – Buddy Kofoid will contest the seven dirt rounds of the USAC Silver Crown Series schedule this year at the wheel of the Chris Dyson Racing Maxim/Kistler No. 9.

Kofoid, the reigning USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series Rookie of the Year, has not yet raced a Silver Crown car in competition, but has excelled in a wide variety of race cars in the past.

His experience ranges from the midget, where he won three times with USAC this past season, as well as winged sprint cars, where he earned the 2019 Fremont Speedway championship, several All Star Circuit of Champions wins and a pair of victories in the recent Wild Wing Shootout at Arizona Speedway.

Silver Crown cars are a new venture for the 19-year-old native of Penngrove, Calif., and Kofoid is eager to tackle a new challenge with Dyson and crew chief Sean Michael.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” Kofoid said. “I’ve been wanting to get in a Silver Crown car for a few years now. I’m really looking forward to the Silver Crown stuff; they’ve got great equipment and, obviously, Sean and Kyle (Larson) did really well last year and, hopefully, I can do the same. I’m excited to try something new again.”

Kevin Thomas Jr. competed in Dyson’s No. 9 on the dirt last year, which was wrenched on by Michael, who also did the same on his own entry, the No. 19 that Larson went two-for-two in at the dirt miles of the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Although Kofoid and Michael first met just two weeks ago during the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., Michael vividly remembers the first time he heard the name Kofoid, which has stuck with him in the years since as Kofoid has rapidly ascended the racing ranks.

“A couple years ago, Mike Heffner talked about this kid named Buddy Kofoid from California,” Michael recalled. “He was watching him, so I started watching him because of that. Then, he got the midget deal and started winning right away. When he came in to run the All Star races, he won again and was pretty impressive.

“On the way to Springfield last October, Kyle Larson rode with us and we were talking about different guys, and he was pretty high on Buddy,” Michael added. “Since he brought him up, I watched him even more closely, so Chris (Dyson) and I thought we needed to give the kid a chance.”

Kofoid has excelled in new racing adventures of late.

In USAC alone, his first three AMSOIL National Sprint Car appearances were mightily impressive in Sprint Car Smackdown at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway last August.

A fourth-place finish in Thursday’s preliminary was followed by another fourth on the second preliminary night on Friday, before Kofoid concluded the weekend with a fifth in the Saturday night finale.

Three consecutive top-five finishes to start off a USAC sprint car career is a rarity.

The feat is so rare that there have only been three times a former USAC National Sprint Car Series champion even started their career in the series with three top-five feature finishes – Roger McCluskey, Gary Bettenhausen and Jay Drake.

However, nothing quite compares to Silver Crown racing, with its diverse array of strategy and venues. It’s something Kofoid acknowledged he’s looking forward to trying to conquer.

“Almost all of it is going to be completely different as far as racing on the miles, tire wear and having a radio, so it’ll be a little bit different,” Kofoid explained. “The way you race on the miles is different. You’re running a lot straighter, at least towards the end, it looks like, and you’re trying to save your stuff while, at the same time, keeping yourself in contention for when it counts.

“I’m also looking forward to some of the smaller tracks too where you’ve got to hustle it a little bit.”

Kofoid and crew chief Michael will get an early jump on their working relationship by competing in the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series opening weekend at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., Feb. 11-13 in the Chris Dyson Racing No. 20.

The first appearance of Kofoid in the USAC Silver Crown Series will on May 27 during the 66th running of the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, an event won last year by the Sean Michael-wrenched No. 19 driven by Larson.

Michael also revealed plans to contest the three dirt miles on the 2021 USAC Silver Crown schedule as an entrant with his No. 19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Aug. 21, and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on Sept. 4.

The driver of that car will be announced at a later date.

INDIANAPOLIS – Fresh off of a season plagued by rehab efforts, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Ballou is healthy and ready to attack a new year.

Ballou will return to the USAC National Sprint Car Series full time, supplementing his schedule with winged 410ci races after spending time running with the PA Posse last year.

“It feels good to be healthy heading into a season,” Ballou said. “I have been fortunate to have some great doctors put me back together, and after one final surgery this winter, I can’t wait to get to Florida and get this season underway.”

While Ballou is ready to go, he does have sponsorship opportunities available for the full slate of USAC events, as well as a projected 20 events in his winged car.

“I have had some great people behind me over the years, but unfortunately circumstances have arisen and some of these places were forced to close, or simply are unable to sponsor race cars in 2021,” Ballou said. “I am hopeful to acquire a few new partners for the season ahead and make another run at a USAC championship.”

Typically known to keep a low profile both on and off the track, Ballou Motorsports does have a noteworthy resume that boasts some impressive accolades.

Ballou has the 2015 USAC sprint car championship to his credit, as well as the 2015 Indiana Sprint Week title and 29 series victories across 361 starts.

He looks to get back to those winning ways this year with a clean bill of health.

“It’s been a tough last few years,” Ballou said. “Since 2016 it has been very up and down, from injuries to team turnover, to some equipment changes, but I am really excited for the season ahead.”

WELCOME, N.C. – Kaulig Racing revealed the crew chief assignments for its three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and its part-time NASCAR Cup Series team on Wednesday.

Team officials also confirmed the anchor partners for its Xfinity Series operation as well.

Jeb Burton will begin his NASCAR Xfinity Series season with primary partner Nutrien Ag Solutions at Daytona Int’l Speedway in the No. 10 Chevrolet.

Nutrien Ag Solutions will be onboard the No. 10 Chevrolet for 16 races this year.

Bruce Schlicker returns as the crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet for the upcoming season. Last year atop the No. 10 pit box, Schlicker recorded 15 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes with driver Ross Chastain.

Justin Haley will drive the No. 11 Chevrolet for a third-straight year. Primary partner LeafFilter Gutter Protection will also return to the No. 11 Chevrolet for the new season.

LeafFilter has adorned the No. 11 Chevrolet since the team’s inception in 2016 and the car continues to be the flagship entry for the team.

A new addition has been added to the well-known LeafFilter scheme, that of another Leaf-branded company in LeafHome Solutions and its subcompanies, which will be spotlighted the No. 11 Chevrolet as well.

Returning as the crew chief for the No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet and Haley will be Alex Yontz, who will call the shots for his second full-season as crew chief.

Together in 2020, Yontz and Haley recorded three wins, 10 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes for Kaulig Racing.

AJ Allmendinger will kick off his first full NASCAR season since 2018 with partner Ellsworth Advisors on the No. 16 Chevrolet at Daytona.

In addition to his return to full-time competition, Kaulig Racing also announced recently that Allmendinger will pilot the No. 16 Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway road course.

Atop the box for Allmendinger’s Xfinity Series season will be long-time race engineer Jason Trinchere, who was previously Haley’s lead engineer last year in the Xfinity Series.

Trinchere has worked in all three of NASCAR’s top series as an engineer previously.

Kaz Grala was recently announced as the driver for Kaulig Racing’s Daytona 500 entry, as well as other select races in the NASCAR Cup Series season with the team.

Leading the way for the No. 16 Cup Series team as crew chief for its part-time Cup Series endeavor is Matt Swiderski. Swiderski most recently acted as a crew chief for Team Penske’s part-time No. 12 entry in the Xfinity Series.

CATAWBA, N.C. – Mountain Creek Speedway owners and promoters Adam and Rebecca Stewart have hired longtime motorsports broadcaster Derek Pernesiglio.

Pernesiglio has joined the management team at Mountain Creek Speedway as Director of Public Relations and Promotions.

“We want to push the track to the next level,” said Stewart. “We know what it takes to put on a show and run a regular program, but it takes more than putting on a show. We want to increase brand awareness of the track and wanted to bring in a professional like Derek to champion Mountain Creek Speedway and our competitors.”

“I’m excited about it,” said Pernesiglio, a longtime contributor to the SPEED SPORT brand. “Adam and Rebecca are really great people to work with. They understand the balance of family time together and racing.”

Pernesiglio brings a resume with 20 years of television broadcast experience, working with networks including Fox Sports, NBC, MAVTV and CBS, serving in every role from cameraman to on-air talent.

“Money isn’t the biggest issue,” Stewart explained. “Rebecca and I would love to elevate the track and grow it into a popular place for families to come race.”

Pernesiglio’s hiring comes on the heels of speedway upgrades, which began near the end of last season. New renovations include expanding the pit area, a new timing and scoring tower, adding progressive banking, new bathroom facilities and a bigger victory lane.

“When I saw the improvements and renovations taking place, I thought ‘this is going to be something new and exciting, but not out of the realm of duties I’ve done before,’” said Pernesiglio. “Adam and Rebecca are serious about turning Mountain Creek Speedway into one of the premier dirt tracks in the region. I’d like to thank them for having faith in my abilities to perform the job.”

Some of Pernesiglio’s duties will include increasing the speedway’s media and social media presence, digital content creation, video production, marketing and creative concepts.

Along with improvements there will also be a split schedule, with the track running flat karts on Saturdays and outlaw karts Sundays.

“The first thing we needed to do was shorten the nightly program, then get on a schedule and stick to it,” said Pernesiglio. “Last year, we raced on different days of the week which left many competitors repeatedly checking their calendars. We think the Saturday-Sunday program will be better by avoiding overlapping dates and partner with our neighbor tracks in the area to increase the popularity of the sport.”

The Mountain Creek season begins Saturday, March 20 for flat kart racing and Sunday, March 21 for outlaw karts.

The track will also be available for testing and practice days throughout the year.

The St. Louis Blues are the latest NHL team to allow a limited number of fans into home games.

The team says up to 1,400 people will be allowed at its next set of home games Feb. 2-7.

As of now, the Blues would be the fifth NHL team to allow fans into their arena, joining the Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. Nashville allowed only a couple of hundred fans for its game Tuesday night, the first with them in the building.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said before the season began that Pittsburgh and Columbus were among the other teams making plans. The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning originally planned to host 3,800 fans a game but postponed that because of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the area.

Qualifying will return for the 121st U.S. Open. The USGA announced on Wednesday 109 local qualifying sites for the championship, which will take place June 17-20 at Torrey Pines South outside San Diego, California.

The USGA canceled qualifying last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and established an all-exempt field at Winged Foot. There were 9.125 entrants into local qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The record is 10,217 for the 2014 edition at Pinehurst No. 2.

Local qualifying is conducted over 18 holes, taking place April 26-May 18 in 43 U.S. states and Canada.

Players who advance out of local qualifying will join a group of locally exempt players in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes. Dates and courses will be announced in February.

2021 U.S. Open Championship Local Qualifying Sites (109)

Monday, April 26 (1)
Fox Den C.C., Knoxville, Tenn.

Tuesday, April 27 (3)

Hoakalei C.C., Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Huntington Crescent Club, Huntington, N.Y.

Duke University G.C., Durham, N.C.

Wednesday, April 28 (1)

Waterlefe Golf & River Club, Bradenton, Fla.

Thursday, April 29 (7)

Mission Inn R. & C. (El Campeon Course), Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Mayacoo Lakes C.C., West Palm Beach, Fla.

Oakbourne C.C., Lafayette, La.

Columbia C.C. (Ridgewood/Tall Pines Courses), Blythewood, S.C.

Jackson (Tenn.) C.C.

Amarillo (Texas) C.C.

The Pines C.C., Morgantown, W.Va.

Saturday, May 1 (1)

The King Kamehameha G.C., Wailuku, Hawaii

Monday, May 3 (16)

El Niguel C.C., Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Indian Ridge C.C. (Grove Course), Palm Desert, Calif.

Patterson Club, Fairfield, Conn.

Plantation Bay G. & C.C. (Club de Bonmont Course), Ormond Beach, Fla.

Marietta C.C., Kennesaw, Ga.

Cog Hill G. & C.C. (Dubsdread Course), Lemont, Ill.

The C.C. of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Ind.

Beaver Hills C.C., Cedar Falls, Iowa

Eastward Ho! C.C., Chatham, Mass.

Muskegon (Mich.) C.C.

North Shore C.C., Glen Head, N.Y.

Oak Tree C.C. (East Course), Edmond, Okla.

The C.C. of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Escondido Golf & Lake Club, Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Alpine C.C., Highland, Utah

Gold Mountain G.C. (Olympic Course), Bremerton, Wash.

Tuesday, May 4 (12)

Hot Springs C.C. (Arlington Course), Hot Springs, Ark.

El Macero (Calif.) C.C.

Andalusia C.C., La Quinta, Calif.

The Club at Ruby Hill, Pleasanton, Calif.

Collindale G.C., Fort Collins, Colo.

Cherry Blossom G.C., Georgetown, Ky.

Northwest G.C., Silver Spring, Md.

Legends Club, Prior Lake, Minn.

Green Brook C.C., North Caldwell, N.J.

New Mexico State University G.C., Las Cruces, N.M.

Beechmont C.C., Cleveland, Ohio

Whitestone G.C., Benbrook, Texas

Wednesday, May 5 (5)

RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes (Backbreaker/Heartbreaker Courses), Glencoe, Ala.

The Preserve G.C., Carmel, Calif.

Arroyo Trabuco G.C., Mission Viejo, Calif.

Orange Tree G.C., Orlando, Fla.

Butler (Pa.) C.C.

Thursday, May 6 (11)

Sewailo G.C., Tucson, Ariz.

Bermuda Dunes (Calif.) C.C. (Classic Course)

La Purisima G.C., Lompoc, Calif.

Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif.

Hobe Sound (Fla.) C.C.

Bear’s Paw C.C., Naples, Fla.

Bay Point G.C. (Nicklaus Course), Panama City Beach, Fla.

Buckhorn Springs G. & C.C., Valrico, Fla.

Hillendale C.C., Phoenix, Md.

River Landing G.C. (River Course), Wallace, N.C.

The Federal Club, Glen Allen, Va.

Sunday, May 9 (1)

Palmer (Alaska) G.C.

Monday, May 10 (25)

Phoenix (Ariz.) C.C.

Dragonfly G.C., Madera, Calif.

Peach Tree G. & C.C., Marysville, Calif.

Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, Westminster, Colo.

Shuttle Meadow C.C., Berlin, Conn.

Shingle Creek G.C., Orlando, Fla.

The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The Club at Weston Hills (Tour Course), Weston, Fla.

Cantigny G.C., Wheaton, Ill.

South Bend (Ind.) C.C.

Barton Hills C.C., Ann Arbor, Mich.

Medina (Minn.) G. & C.C.

Spencer T. Olin G.C., Alton, Mo.

The G.C. at Creekmoor, Raymore, Mo.

Beatrice (Neb.) C.C.

Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, Stateline, Nev.

UNM Championship G.C., Albuquerque, N.M.

Whippoorwill Club, Armonk, N.Y.

Mohawk G.C., Schenectady, N.Y.

Ravenwood G.C., Victor, N.Y.

Willamette Valley C.C., Canby, Ore.

Indian Valley C.C., Telford, Pa.

Long Cove Club, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The Club at Comanche Trace (Valley/Hills Courses), Kerrville, Texas

Gamble Sands, Brewster, Wash.

Tuesday, May 11 (4)

Ironwood C.C. (South Course), Palm Desert, Calif.

Ledgemont C.C., Seekonk, Mass.

Missoula (Mont.) C.C.

The Bridges G.C., Gunter, Texas

Wednesday, May 12 (5)
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes G.C., Maricopa, Ariz.

Wichita (Kan.) C.C.

The Steel Club, Hellertown, Pa.

Hidden Glen C.C., Cedarburg, Wis.

Riverton (Wyo.) C.C.

Thursday, May 13 (4)

The Grand G.C., San Diego, Calif.

CommonGround G.C., Aurora, Colo.

RedHawk G.C., Nampa, Idaho

C.C. of York, York, Pa.

Monday, May 17 (12)

The C.C. at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Ariz.

The C.C. of Winter Haven (Fla.)

Callaway Resort & Gardens (Mountainview Course), Pine Mountain, Ga.

Illini C.C., Springfield, Ill.

Crumpin-Fox Club, Bernardston, Mass.

Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Course), Las Vegas, Nev.

Pinewild C.C. (Magnolia Course), Pinehurst, N.C.

Maketewah C.C., Cincinnati, Ohio

Catawba Island Club, Port Clinton, Ohio

Kinsale G. & F.C., Powell, Ohio

Elmhurst C.C., Moscow, Pa.

Lakeside C.C., Houston, Texas

Tuesday, May 18 (1)

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (Heathlands Course), Caledon, Ontario, Canada

MOBILE, Ala. -- General manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged this will be a "daunting" offseason for the New Orleans Saints, who will likely need to replace Drew Brees at quarterback and could be close to $100 million over the salary cap.

But Loomis made it clear that the Saints aren't going into rebuilding mode after winning the past four NFC South titles.

"Listen, we've got a great roster. And I can't foresee a circumstance where we're not going to say, 'Man, we're gonna do everything we can to win -- win now and compete for a championship,'" Loomis said during a videoconference with the media while attending the Senior Bowl.

He didn't get into many specifics, saying there are still "more unknowns than there are knowns" at this point in the calendar, including:

• No official word yet on whether Brees will indeed retire as he takes time to decompress with his family after his 20th season.

• No official word on just how low the salary cap will drop after lost revenues from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The cap could drop as low as $175 million per team after it was $198.2 million in 2020, though it could be higher.

• The Saints have not yet finished their in-house player evaluations.

So it's too soon to say whether the Saints will try to re-sign pending free agents such as quarterback Jameis Winston, safety Marcus Williams, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and tight end Jared Cook -- or whether they could get into the market for a high-priced QB like Matthew Stafford or any others that become available via trade.

"All that evaluation and what happens with that still remains to be seen," Loomis said. "We like [quarterback Taysom Hill]. We like Jameis. We liked what they did for us. But just like any position, we're going to have a lot of discussion over the next week or two."

The Saints are currently projected to have $277.8 million in salary-cap charges for 2021 with just 43 salaries on the roster, according to ESPN's Roster Management System. However, they could save at least $13.5 million in cap space -- and possibly more -- if Brees retires. And they have been one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL for years when it comes to pushing cap costs into future seasons. So they could continue to do that if they want to keep as much of the current roster intact as possible.

For years, it seemed like the Saints would "catch up" with the salary cap and maybe go into rebuilding mode whenever Brees retired. But then they reloaded a championship-caliber roster around him with terrific draft classes in 2016 and 2017 that included stars such as receiver Michael Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, Williams, Hendrickson and Rankins.

One major decision facing the Saints is whether they want to extend pending 2022 free agents such as Lattimore, Hill and offensive tackles Ramczyk and Terron Armstead. Another would be whether they would consider any blockbuster trades to free up cap space and add draft picks like they did with stars Jimmy Graham and Brandin Cooks in the past.

"Look, for sure it's going to be challenging," Loomis said of the salary cap. "And yet I don't want to speculate as to how challenging it's going to be until we have a better understanding of what's going to be available -- not just for this year, but even for the year after. So I can't really answer that question other than to say, yeah, it's going to be daunting. I think it's going to be daunting for a majority of teams in our league."