Spotlight turns to baseball and Padres' weighty expectations
Just hours after confetti fell on the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona, the sports spotlight shifted to baseball as pitchers and catchers who will play in the World Baseball Classic began reporting to spring training complexes throughout the Phoenix area and in Florida.
Giants finish at .500 for 1st time, top playoff-bound Padres
Wil Myers got a nice ovation from the crowd as he exited what probably was his final regular-season game with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Myers' exit to cheers was the highlight for the Padres in an 8-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in the regular-season finale. Manager Bob Melvin had Myers, the longest-tenured Padres player, move from first base to third base before the top of the eighth inning, and then subbed him out.
news.yahoo.comRobinson Canó cut by Padres, elects free agency
Robinson Canó's short stint with the San Diego Padres is over. Less than a month after signing him, the Padres parted ways with the veteran slugger, who elected to become a free agent Thursday when he declined an assignment to Triple-A El Paso. San Diego had hoped the 39-year-old Canó would provide some much-needed offense against right-handed pitching but he batted just .091 (3 for 33) without an extra-base hit in 12 games.
news.yahoo.comLEADING OFF: Canó joins Padres, Kershaw out, Kirby back home
Robinson Canó has found another job in the majors, signing with San Diego less than a week after being released by the Mets. The Padres plan to use the 39-year-old Canó as a left-handed bat off the bench. Acting manager Ryan Christenson said he could get some occasional starts at second base and designated hitter.
news.yahoo.comA's trade 3 more stars, rebuild again going into 2022
The Oakland Athletics posted a farewell photo on social media featuring pitching ace Chris Bassitt and their former superstar slugging Matts, third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson, after trading them away in cost-cutting moves so familiar to this low-budget franchise. Missing in the mix: departed manager Bob Melvin, who left in October to take over the San Diego Padres. Meanwhile, the A's welcomed back a pair of veterans who have meant so much to the franchise: catcher Stephen Vogt and infielder Jed Lowrie.
news.yahoo.comAL batting champion Gurriel lifts Astros over A's 7-6
AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel hit a winning RBI single in the ninth inning, and the AL West champion Houston Astros headed to the postseason with a 7-6 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Gurriel hit .319 and became Houston’s second player to win a batting title after Jose Altuve in 2014, ’16 and ’17.
news.yahoo.comAstros' edge for home field in playoffs cut with loss to A's
Matt Olson and Chad Pinder each homered and the Oakland Athletics beat Houston 8-6 Friday night, cutting the Astros’ edge for home-field advantage in the AL playoffs. Houston leads the White Sox by one game for home field in their best-of-five Division Series matchup next week. The AL West champion Astros also own the tiebreaker after going 5-2 against AL Central champion Chicago this season.
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