Mets sign shortstop Francisco Lindor to massive 10-year, $341 million extension, according to report - CBS Sports

The New York Mets have reached an agreement on a long-term extension with shortstop Francisco Lindor worth roughly $340 million, Jon Heyman reports. Multiple other reports put the deal at $341 million over ten years. That figure makes Lindor's extension the third largest contract in MLB history and the largest ever for a shortstop.

Lindor, who had set an Opening Day deadline for a new deal, was previously scheduled to hit free agency this winter. Instead, the Mets appear to have locked up the All-Star mere hours before time ran out. Lindor's new contract won't begin until the 2022 season, which means the Mets have secured his services for the next 11 years. Lindor's salary for 2021 will be $22.3 million. According to Joel Sherman, the contract includes deferrred money but does not include any opt-outs. A partial no-trade clause is also part of the deal.

Lindor, 27, was acquired from Cleveland in January as part of a six-player trade. The Mets also netted injured starter Carlos Carrasco in that deal, and sent out infielders Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez and prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene.

Lindor has batted .277/.343/.502 (122 OPS+) with 78 home runs and 53 stolen bases over the last three seasons. Factoring in his above-average defense at shortstop, he's been worth 13.9 Wins Above Replacement, the 10th most among position players during that span, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.

Lindor will enter the season having made four All-Star Games and won two Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards. He's received Most Valuable Player Award consideration in four of his five full seasons. 

Following Lindor's recent dinner with Mets owner Steve Cohen, the team made what was reported to be a 10-year, $325 million offer. Lindor, however, was reported to be asking for $385 million over 12 years. At that point, an impasse seemed to descend upon talks. As the self-imposed deadline neared, however, both sides moved toward the middle and reached an agreement that will keep Lindor in Queens for years to come. Lindor gets life-changing money, the Mets get a franchise cornerstone, and Cohen makes good on the bravado he put forth early in his ownership tenure. 

This marks the second consecutive year a top player has been traded entering their walk year, only to sign an extension before making their regular-season debut with their new club. Mookie Betts did the same with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, just months after being shipped over from the Boston Red Sox.

Even with Lindor off the market, the winter could boast an unusually strong collection of shortstops. Trevor Story, Carlos Correa, Javier Baez, and Corey Seager are four such names to keep an eye on. Our Matt Snyder recently covered those players' situations in greater detail. 

Lindor, meantime, becomes the fifth player to sign an extension worth at least $300 million. The previous four were Betts, Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, and Fernando Tatis Jr., who signed his own massive extension earlier this spring.

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Gonzaga opens as largest Final Four favorite in NCAA tournament history - Yardbarker

The No. 11-seeded UCLA Bruins are the last darlings remaining in the NCAA men's basketball tournament and earned a place in the Final Four via Tuesday's thrilling 51-49 win over the Michigan Wolverines that occurred largely because of Michigan's offensive woes in the contest's closing minutes:

UCLA's reward is a showdown with the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs, seen by many as a candidate to emerge as arguably the greatest college team of the modern era. Thus, it's understandable Gonzaga opened on BetOnline.ag as a 13.5-point favorite against UCLA, the largest Final Four spread in men's tournament history dating back to 1985 when the spread became widely available. 

There's more. As of early Wednesday evening, the Bulldogs were 14-point favorites to topple the Bruins and earn a berth in the title game versus either the Houston Cougars or Baylor Bears. Baylor began Wednesday night as a five-point favorite to face Gonzaga in the championship contest, assuming BetOnline.ag's predictions are accurate. 

Gonzaga trounced the USC Trojans 85-66 in its Elite Eight matchup that wasn't much of a battle outside of a handful of interesting minutes and has won every tournament game, to date, by double-digits. The Bulldogs are two victories away from becoming the eighth men's team to win the tournament and championship with a perfect record. 

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MLB Opening Day: Predicting the 2021 Yankees and baseball season - Pinstripe Alley

At long last, it’s almost Opening Day. In just 24 hours, we’ll already know how the Yankees’ first game of the season turned out. Well, either that or we’ll be sad that it rained.

With the 2021 season nearly upon us, it’s time for the Pinstripe Alley staff to share its predictions for the upcoming campaign. As always, our writers were tasked with taking their best shots at forecasting standings, awards, statistics, the playoffs, and more. If we’re wrong, blame it on glitches in the matrix.

Last year, Josh unseated Jake’s “dynasty Yankees”-esque run of four consecutive years atop the PSA Predictions leaderboard. Josh has now actually won in back-to-back seasons since he and Jake split the crown in 2019. Will Josh three-peat, or will one of the challengers unseat him?

2021 AL Standings

The Yankees are the unanimous pick to take the AL East, with the Blue Jays and Rays fighting it out for the No. 2 spot. The defending AL champions in Tampa have lost some key pieces from 2020, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that they won’t easily fade.

Over in the AL Central, we’re fairly split between the Twins and White Sox, but the Pale Hose got the one-vote edge. The Astros prevailed over the A’s by the same margin in our AL West, though some writers went for the Mike Trout/Shohei Ohtani-led catnip that is the Angels instead of Oakland at No. 2.

2021 NL Standings

Aiming for their fourth NL East crown in a row, the Braves will probably end up getting a good fight from the Mets, who have made a ton of improvements in the offseason. However, based on our predictions, it doesn’t seem like it will quite be enough. Some — like myself — even have the Phillies above the Mets. A bold strategy, I know.

The NL Central is a hodgepodge aside from everyone agreeing that the Pirates stink. The Cardinals get the edge over the Brewers here with the Cubs continuing their post-2016 tailspin. As for the NL West, it’s “Dodgers, Dodgers, Dodgers” for the ninth year in a row. Respect to Kunj though for giving the upstart Padres a vote to dethrone the juggernaut.

Yankees leaders: AVG, HR, ERA, and WAR

It’s probably fitting that the top vote-getters for most homers on the Yankees were split between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Kudos to John and Andrés for going against the grain by voting for Gio Urshela to lead the team in average over the reigning MLB batting champion. He did hit .314 in 2019, so you never know!

Misc. Yankees predictions

What can we say? We’re optimists.

We’re all hoping for big, healthy comeback seasons from Judge, Stanton, Gary Sánchez, and even the Corey Kluber/Jameson Taillon duo. Amusingly enough, Kunj is the low man on the number of combined starts between Kluber and Taillon, but naturally has Judge breaking the single-season home run record. We keep things reasonable around here!

MLB leaders: AVG, HR, ERA, and WAR

Mike Trout and Jacob deGrom are just unfair in these wide predictions, and I suspect that it won’t be long before Nationals wunderkind Juan Soto ascends to that level, too. He’s absurd.

Most team wins & losses, first manager fired

No, I did not average Kunj’s 161-win prediction into the consensus. I’m rude like that. The funny thing about John’s 112-win guess for the Dodgers is that it’s not too hard to squint and see how it’s possible. Also, condolences to Rockies skipper Bud Black, who is in just about the biggest lose-lose situation imaginable in Colorado. What a mess.

MLB Awards

Dan Brink and I were the only writers to not pick a Yankee for the Cy Young and I feel a little guilty. Alas. Meanwhile, I’m sure a Jarred Kelenic Rookie of the Year win in Seattle would not cause any headaches across town at all, no siree Bob.

Young Marlins stud Sixto Sánchez is the popular pick for NL Rookie of the Year, but don’t sleep on the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes. If you don’t know about him, he’s the son of former Yankee Charlie Hayes and can do it all on both offense and defense.

Playoffs?!

We’re all picking the Yankees to make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Usurping the defending champions though? Some of us think they can do it, but the plurality do not. Hopefully we’re wrong. For what it’s worth, the Dodgers weren’t a unanimous pick to win the NL pennant, and the Yankees won all four of these predicted matchups with the likes of the Padres, Braves, and Mets. So maybe someone else will do the dirty work.

Share your own predictions in the comments below, and who knows? Maybe you’ll end up having the upper hand. It’s anyone’s guess. Have fun with it!

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The Mets extend Francisco Lindor to a - Amazin' Avenue

After weeks of negotiation, ‘final offers,’ and lots of agita for the fanbase, the Mets and Francisco Lindor agreed to a ten-year, $341 million extension. The news was first reported by Jon Heyman. The deal starts in 2022, which makes for 11 years with the Mets at a total of $362 million.

Lindor, who had set an Opening Day deadline for any contract negotiations, came over to the Mets along with Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland in January. The presumption was always that the extension would eventually happen but, in classic Mets fashion, it didn’t happen easily.

It’s an historic moment for the Mets, as Lindor’s deal is by far the biggest one the team has ever signed. For all the stress that the updates had put us through as Mets fans over the past few days, take a deep breath, Mets fans. We get to watch Francisco Lindor play for our favorite team for a very, very long time, and for that, we are very fortunate. Let’s Go Mets.

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Supreme Court Weighs Whether NCAA Is Illegally 'Fixing' Athlete Compensation - NPR

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The arguments before the Supreme Court Wednesday came amid March Madness — and could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars. Paul Sancya/AP

Paul Sancya/AP

As March Madness heads into its final days, college athletes are playing on a different kind of court: the Supreme Court. On Wednesday the justices heard arguments in a case testing whether the NCAA's limits on compensation for student athletes violate the nation's antitrust laws.

The players contend that the NCAA is operating a system that is a classic restraint of competition in violation of the federal laws barring price fixing in markets, including the labor market.

There is little doubt that big-time college sports is a big business. For March Madness TV rights alone, the NCAA is paid $1.1 billion each year. But the NCAA maintains that the antitrust law allows it to impose certain limits on athlete compensation in order to preserve what the NCAA contends is the essence of college sports' popularity: namely amateurism.

The case before the court stems from an appeals court ruling that ordered the NCAA to broaden the education-related benefits available to college athletes. The NCAA objected and appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that it should be left alone to decide athlete compensation. What makes collegiate play attractive to consumers, says the collegiate sports governing body, is that there is no "pay for play."

Chief Justice John Roberts, however, pointed out loopholes that seem to undermine that principle. For example, under current NCAA rules, schools can pay the $50,000 insurance premium for a $10 million policy that protects the student athlete's future earnings in the case of injury.

"That sounds very much like pay for play," he said. "Doesn't that undermine the 'amateur status' theory you have?"

Justice Clarence Thomas, a big football fan, noted that the NCAA has "put a lot of weight on amateurism," but, he asked, "Is there a similar focus on the compensation to coaches?"

There used to be, replied lawyer Seth Waxman, representing the NCAA, until, the coaches challenged earning limits in court and won.

Justice Stephen Breyer asked Waxman what precisely the NCAA is complaining about. Waxman replied by warning that what is now permitted as special rewards for athlete performance could become the norm. Under the lower court's ruling, he contended, the NCAA "cannot restrain schools from awarding to every Division I athlete, just for being on the team, $5,980 per year, God help us." That, he added, "is nothing but pay for play."

That $5,980 number is the amount in rings, trophies and cash that, under current NCAA rules, may be awarded to athletes for performance in high-level competition, like the championship bowls.

Justice Samuel Alito seemed skeptical, pointing to briefs filed by the NFL, NBA and WNBA professional players associations. Alito said they paint "a pretty stark picture" of colleges "really exploiting the students that they recruit."

While the athletes' work is bringing in billions of dollars, they have a pretty "hard life," said Alito. Training requirements leave little time for study, there's pressure to drop out of hard majors, and the graduation rates are "shockingly low."

Summing up the players argument, Alito said "they are recruited, they're used up, and then they're cast aside without even a college degree. So they say, how can this be defended in the name of amateurism?"

Justice Elena Kagan too seemed doubtful about the NCAA's argument that it is protecting not just its business but the athletes.

"The way you talk about amateurism, it sounds awfully high-minded," she said. "But schools that are naturally competitors ... have all gotten together in an organization" and they use the power of that organization "to fix athletic salaries at extremely low levels."

Justice Neil Gorsuch said that in his view the agreement at the center of the case is "an agreement among competitors to fix prices" in the labor market.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh seemed to agree. "It does seem that the schools are conspiring with competitors ... to pay no salaries to the workers who are making the schools billions of dollars," he said.

And Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a former professor at sports powerhouse Notre Dame, asked why the NCAA "gets to define what pay is?"

But when it came time for the athletes' lawyers to make their argument, they faced just as much skepticism.

Chief Justice Roberts suggested the lower court may have overstepped by seeking to "micromanage" the NCAA's business, comparing the lower court's actions to a Jenga game.

"You've got this nice solid block that protects the sort of product the schools want to provide, and you pull out one log and then another and everything's fine, then another and another, and all of a sudden the whole thing comes comes crashing down," said Roberts.

Justice Breyer, too, was concerned about what would happen if judges started "getting into the business of deciding how amateur sports should be run."

"This is not an ordinary product," he said, his voice rising. "This is an effort to bring into the world something that's brought joy and all kinds of things to millions and millions of people. and it's only partly economic."

"This is a delicate area," opined Justice Barrett. "On the one hand, there's concern about blowing up the NCAA. ... But on the other hand, the court must be concerned over not "messing up" general antitrust law.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor was more direct: "How do we know that we're not just destroying the game as it exists?" she asked.

And Justice Kagan, apparently spooked by the NCAA's argument that it might have to pay every athlete nearly $5,980, asked whether the lower court had not just taken that figure "out of thin air." Isn't the number, asked Kagan, "essentially arbitrary?"

But acting Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar pushed back on behalf of the Biden administration, which is supporting the athletes. She said there is nothing in the lower court order that prevents the NCAA from establishing criteria for payments with benchmarks to ensure that theses are not pay-for-play arrangements.

By the time the buzzer sounded after nearly two hours of argument, it was anyone's guess how the court would rule.

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Yankees' Aaron Boone explains why Mike Tauchman is taking ground balls at first base - Yahoo Sports

Mike Tauchman blasts solo homer vs. Tigers

Mike Tauchman at first base?

During his presser just one day away from Opening Day, Yankees manager Aaron Boone addressed a question regarding Tauchman taking ground balls at the position during the team’s workout on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. Boone actually wanted to play Tauchman at first base before the Yanks headed back to New York.

“We were actually going to get him in the last couple days [of spring training], but he fouled the ball off his shin on whatever Sunday, the second-to-last day,” he told reporters via Zoom. “So we took him out of that game. I was probably going to put him at first the last few innings.

“It’s something he’s been doing on the back fields, taking some ground balls. Whether I put him in there or not, we’ll see.”

Jay Bruce made the Yankees’ roster, so he’ll more than likely be pegged to start first base with Luke Voit out. But, as Boone said, defensive versatility goes a long way as a bench player and Tauchman is working to make sure he can play something other than the outfield.

It was slightly concerning that Judge hasn’t played in a game since last Friday, to which Boone responded earlier by saying he was “under the weather.” COVID-19 tests came back negative for Judge, and his skipper expects him to be good to go on Thursday.

“He’s good to go. Looks great. Looked great in BP,” Boone said.

Lucas Luetge makes the team

It felt like a given after what he did during spring training, shutting down hitters left and right. But Boone confirmed that the veteran lefty has earned a spot in the bullpen. The 34-year-old owned a 1.74 ERA over 10.1 innings down in Florida.

“Happy to report that Lucas is on our team. Obviously came into camp, had some expectations around him. But frankly, there was a lot of really good competition. Frankly, better competition than I feel like we had in the last several years and there were a lot of different ways we were considering going for that spot. But hard to deny what Lucas was able to come in from the start of camp and push his way on the roster, earn his spot, and excited to see what he can potentially do for us.”

What Opening Day means to him

Boone has been around Opening Day since he was born, with his father, Bob, playing for the Phillies at the time and having a role either as a player or manager all the way up to 2003. So Opening Day is a “holiday” to Boone when you ask about it.

“It means a lot, it’s special,” he explained. “I think back to my first Opening Day and my dad sending me like a telegram before text messages and all that. Just with a message of ‘Good luck, spit in their eye, go get ‘em.’ It’s a celebration of our sport and a sport I’ve loved my entire life.”

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Gonzaga vs. UCLA odds: 2021 NCAA Tournament picks, March Madness Final Four predictions from proven model - CBS Sports

USATSI

The 2021 NCAA Tournament reaches its stretch run on Saturday with a pair of highly intriguing Final Four matchups. The second game of the doubleheader pits the No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs against the No. 11 seed UCLA Bruins with a spot in the national title game on the line. Gonzaga enters Saturday's contest at 30-0 on the season and the Bulldogs have won 27 straight games by at least 10 points. UCLA is 22-9 on the year after advancing with upset wins over Alabama and Michigan in back-to-back games.

Tip-off is at 8:34 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium on CBS. William Hill Sportsbook lists Gonzaga as a 14-point favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 145 in the latest Gonzaga vs. UCLA odds. Before you make any UCLA vs. Gonzaga picks, check out the March Madness college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Gonzaga vs. UCLA in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for UCLA vs. Gonzaga:

• Gonzaga vs. UCLA spread: Gonzaga -14
• Gonzaga vs. UCLA over-under: 145 points
• Gonzaga vs. UCLA money line: Gonzaga -1100, UCLA +700
• ZAGS: The Bulldogs are 9-4 against the spread in non-conference games
• UCLA: The Bruins are 5-0 against the spread in the 2021 NCAA Tournament

Why Gonzaga can cover 

Gonzaga is balanced and dominant on both ends of the floor. The Bulldogs have the best offense in the country, shooting a blistering 54.9 percent from the field and burying 63.7 percent of their two-point shots. Outside the arc, Gonzaga is also very good, converting 37.1 percent, and UCLA was 10th in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting allowed during conference play. The Bulldogs also pass the ball at an elite level, producing 18.6 assists per game, and they take care of the ball in committing a turnover on only 16.1 percent of their offensive possessions. UCLA ranks outside the top 250 in the country in turnover creation rate (17.6 percent), and the Bruins have only a 7.4 percent steal rate, ranking 295th nationally. 

On the margins, Gonzaga is also well above-average in getting to the free throw line, and the Bulldogs are grabbing 30.8 percent of their own misses on the offensive glass. That offensive proficiency, combined with a top-five defense in terms of overall efficiency, paints the picture of how Gonzaga has accumulated a 30-0 mark.

Why UCLA can cover

UCLA's slow pace masks its overall efficiency, as the Bruins are a top-15 offensive team in the country. Mick Cronin's team commits a turnover on only 15.8 percent of possessions, an excellent mark, and opponents have only a 7.2 percent steal rate against UCLA this season. The Bruins put pressure on the offensive glass, grabbing more than 30 percent of their own misses, and they are a strong 3-point shooting team, making 36.9 percent for the season and 39.0 percent in Pac-12 play to lead the conference. 

Defensively, UCLA is above-average, and the Bruins led the Pac-12 in defensive rebound rate. The task is difficult against Gonzaga, but the Bruins are very strong in limiting free throw attempts. From there, UCLA is above-average in two-point defense, yielding just 49.5 percent, and that is a key against a Gonzaga team that leads the nation in shooting from inside the arc.

How to make UCLA vs. Gonzaga picks

The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 157 points. It also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Gonzaga vs. UCLA? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.

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