The New York Yankees have added Carlos Rodón to their rotation, agreeing to a $162 million, six-year contract with the left-hander. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the contract to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical. New York took care of its most pressing question when it convinced AL MVP Aaron Judge to stay in the Bronx with a $360 million, nine-year contract — baseball’s biggest free agent deal ever. But the contract for Rodón is an addition for the reigning AL East champions. Rodón went 14-8 this year with a 2.88 ERA in his lone season with the San Francisco Giants.
The Boston Red Sox introduced Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and twice led Japan's Pacific League in batting. The deal will pay him $90 million over five years. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated infielder Jeter Downs for assignment. Downs had been acquired in the trade for Mookie Betts. Yoshida led Orix to a victory in the Japan Series in October, homering twice in Game 5 — including a walk-off to help Buffaloes rally from a ninth-inning deficit.
Brandon Nimmo said the promise of attempting to contend every year with the Mets is how owner Steve Cohen persuaded him to re-sign with New York. Nimmo gushed about remaining with the team Thursday at the news conference for his new deal. His agent Scott Boras talked about the difference of dealing with new owner Steve Cohen rather than the old Wilpon regime, saying “our game needs Goliaths.” Nimmo says being able to start and finish a career with the same team is "really, really special, and not many players get to do that.”
NFL
Rookie Brock Purdy a pair of touchdown passes to George Kittle, and the San Francisco 49ers won their first NFC West title since 2019, beating the Seattle Seahawks 21-13. Despite using their third starting quarterback this season, the 49ers continued to show they might be the class of the NFC alongside Philadelphia. San Francisco won its seventh straight, using its stifling defense to frustrate Seattle into countless mistakes. Playing on the road for the first time in his career, Purdy connected on his first 11 pass attempts. He finished 17 of 26 for 217 yards. Seattle lost for the fourth time in five games and its playoff hopes took another hit.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons isn't wasting time getting people talking about the Philadelphia rivalry again. The teams don't meet for the second time in 2022 until next week. But Parsons' exchange with Von Miller on “The Voncast” grabbed national attention. Parsons posed the question of whether quarterback Jalen Hurts or the team was more responsible for the Eagles' NFL-leading 12-1 record. Parsons and Miller both said it was the QB and the team. Parsons says he wasn't disrespecting Hurts. Parsons has said before he believes defensive players should be a bigger part of MVP conversations.
NHL
Jimmy Vesey had two goals, Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves and the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 for their fifth straight win. Vesey snapped a tie with 4:27 left in the second period. He added an empty-netter with 1:13 remaining for his fifth of the season. Filip Chytil also scored for New York, and Vincent Trocheck had two assists. Toronto lost in regulation for the first time since Nov. 11. It went 12-0-3 in its previous 15 games. The Maple Leafs also had recorded a point in nine straight road games, including seven wins.
NCAA
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA, replacing Mark Emmert as the head of the largest college sports governing body in the country. Baker, a Republican, has been governor of Massachusetts since 2015. He announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election. He will start the job in March 2023. Emmert announced he would step down earlier this year after 12 years of leading the NCAA. Battered by losses in the court and attacks by politicians, the NCAA is going through a sweeping reform, trying to decentralize the way college sports is governed.
World Cup final
France takes on Argentina on Sunday at 10 a.m.
A cold virus has run through the France squad though coach Didier Deschamps expects all his players to be healthy for the World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday. Defender Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Adrien Rabiot were isolated this week and rested for the 2-0 win over Morocco in the semifinals. Deschamps says “it’s flu season now, and in that sense, we have to be careful." The coach says the players' immune systems are run down by the physical toll of World Cup games. He says air conditioning that's routine in Qatar and at stadiums could also be having an affect.
Meanwhile, as Lionel Messi approaches his second and likely last World Cup final the stakes could hardly be higher. The same goes for Argentina after more than 30 years of disappointment since it last won soccer’s ultimate prize. For Messi victory against France at Lusail Stadium on Sunday is a chance to finally get his hands on the one major trophy that has eluded him in his storied career. In doing so he would push ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo who has also never won a World Cup in the long-running rivalry between the two greatest players of their generation.
