Month: February 2025

From The Athletic’s Chandler Rome: longtime Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in free agency. Per ESPN, the deal includes two opt-outs.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that “Bregman turned down $170M plus for 6 from somewhere else to go to Boston for 120/3”.

Bregman, 30, joined the Astros as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, making his MLB debut a year later. The two-time All-Star hit .272 with 191 home runs and 663 RBIs over his nine seasons with Houston. Bregman signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Astros in March 2019; he logged career-highs in WAR (8.9), batting average (.296), home runs (41), RBIs (112) and a league-best 119 walks that year, finishing second in the American League MVP race.

Last season, Bregman hit .260 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs over 145 games and also collected his first Gold Glove Award in 2024.

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The New York Jets announced Thursday that they informed quarterback Aaron Rodgers that they will be moving in a different direction, and plan to drop him from the roster.

Coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey said in a joint statement released by the team “Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback. It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”

Jets owner Woody Johnson added in a statement: “I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets. His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”

Rodgers, 41, is expected to be a post-June 1 roster cut, allowing the Jets to split $49 million salary cap charges between the 2025 and 2026 seasons. He has one year remaining on his contract, a non-guaranteed $37.5 million. He was due to count $23.5 million on the cap.

Rodgers accounted for 18 starts and six victories in his two years with the Jets. It’s unclear whether he will continue his career; he has maintained that he is undecided on a 21st season.

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Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Wednesday that right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb is expected to miss a month — including opening day — due to right hip inflammation. The righty, who has had hip surgery twice, signed a $15 million, one-year contract two months ago.

The Tigers released a medical update which stated that Cobb, 37, received a platelet-rich injection last week to address the inflammation that “gradually occurred as he was building his throwing volume for spring training.” Cobb is schedule to perform rehab exercises daily.

Cobb made his MLB debut in 2011 for the Tampa Bay Rays, and has a 79-76 mark with a 3.84 ERA over his first 233 career starts. He also played for the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels. Cobb was 7-7 with a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts and was an All-Star for San Francisco in 2023, when he had hip surgery for the second time. The 13-year veteran made just three starts last season for the Cleveland Guardians, going 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA. He returned for the postseason, but was 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA over two appearances.

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UNLV announced in a statement that offensive lineman Ben Christman was found dead in an off-campus apartment Tuesday morning. Christman was 21-years-old. The university said it didn’t have other details and that a cause of death would be determined by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

UNLV president Keith Whitfield said in a statement: “There is little that can be said to lessen the pain of suddenly losing a member of our university family at such a young age, and my heart breaks for all who knew and loved him.”

Coach Dan Mullen shared: “Our team’s heart is broken to hear of Ben’s passing. Since the day Ben set foot on our campus a month ago, he made the Rebels a better program. Ben was an easy choice for our Leadership Committee as he had earned the immediate respect, admiration and friendship of all his teammates. Our prayers go out to his family and all who knew him. Ben made the world a better place and he will be missed.”

UNLV athletic director Erick Harper added: “We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of Ben Christman, a new member of our football program and UNLV community. Ben recently joined us as a transfer student and had already made a meaningful impact on his teammates and coaches. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates during this extremely difficult time.”

Originally from Akron, Ohio, Christman played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Kentucky (where he sat out 2023 due to a knee injury and played mostly on special teams as a junior in 2024).

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