AP National Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Outfielder Masataka Yoshida will be able to negotiate with Major League Baseball teams starting Wednesday under the posting system with the Japanese big leagues. A member of Japan’s Olympic team last year, Yoshida will be posted at 8 a.m. EST Wednesday and MLB teams have until 5 p.m. EST on Jan.

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sylvester Croom had a Hall of Fame career as an offensive lineman at Alabama, and was among the first Black players to become a star and team leader under coach Bear Bryant. Three decades later, Croom became the Southeastern Conference’s first Black head

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — The end of the year is approaching and that could mean Masters invitations are in the mail. Augusta National has not said if if its criteria will be changed in the wake of rival LIV Golf. Players in the top 50 in the world at

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that former National League MVP Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a $17.5 million, one-year contract. Bellinger was cut by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Nov. 18 after the 27-year-old outfielder hit .210 with 19 homers

DENVER (AP) — The Oakland Athletics picked up reliever Chad Smith in a trade with the Colorado Rockies. The A’s sent minor league pitcher Jeff Criswell to Colorado. Smith made 15 appearances for the Rockies last season, going 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA. The right-hander spent most of the season Albuquerque, where he had 12

By JENNA FRYER AP National Writer LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was a solitary figure as he walked off the field following a World Cup match in which he was not the center of attention. He’d come off the bench in a 6-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday that moved Portugal into the quarterfinals.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University says it is hiring an external, third-party investigator to review the events surrounding last month’s fatal shooting of a student from a rival university. UNMSU Athletic Director Mario Moccia says Aggies power forward Mike Peake has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team in connection with

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens have signed receiver DeSean Jackson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. The team announced the move Tuesday. Baltimore signed Jackson to the practice squad in October. He was promoted to play in three games so far. He has caught five passes for 100 yards, including

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — UNLV announced former Missouri football coach Barry Odom will take over the same position for the Rebels. He coached the Tigers from 2016-19, going 25-25 with two bowl appearances. Odom was Arkansas’ defensive coordinator and associate head coach the past three seasons. UNLV will formally

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Oakland Athletics will have their relocation fee waived if they decide to move to Las Vegas, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says 2023 is a big year when it comes to the future of the franchise. Speaking at baseball’s winter meetings in San Diego,

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers. The Rams made the move Tuesday to add Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft by Cleveland. Mayfield was released by the Panthers on Monday at his request after seven disappointing

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — A chant of “RONALDO! RONALDO!” swept around the biggest stadium at the World Cup, followed by loud jeers when the fans realized their idol wasn’t coming onto the field. Cristiano Ronaldo was, in fact, sitting in the Portugal dugout, looking glum and still wearing a

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says the Cleveland Guardians and slugging first baseman Josh Bell have agreed to a $33 million, two-year contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a review of

By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Achraf Hakimi converted the decisive spot kick for Morocco with a little dink of a shot known as a “Panenka” in a penalty shootout win over Spain to make his team the first Arab country ever to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. He didn’t

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Sergio Busquets reached soccer’s top step with Spain but now has been stung by La Roja’s third straight elimination from a major tournament on penalty kicks. Spain lost to Morocco 3-0 in the shootout after a 0-0 draw in the round of 16 of

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — TCU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley has been named winner of the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the nation. Riley coached Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan and coordinated the top offense in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs lead the nation with 19 plays of

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — If the Patriots are going to fix their ongoing issues on offense, they will have to start by perfecting the things they’ve been struggling to do consistently over their first 12 games. Coach Bill Belichick reiterated that major changes offensively simply aren’t feasible at this

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Oakland Athletics will have their relocation fee waived if they decide to move to Las Vegas, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says 2023 is a big year when it comes to the future of the franchise. Speaking at baseball’s winter meetings in San Diego,

By JENNA FRYER AP National Writer LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from the starting lineup for Portugal’s match against Switzerland on Tuesday in the round of 16 of the World Cup. The move came a day after his coach expressed frustration about Ronaldo’s attitude in the last game. Gonçalo Ramos, a 21-year-old

MONTREAL (AP) — Canadiens star Carey Price has apologized to people affected by the 1989 Montreal massacre after he made a social media post in support of a firearms rights group in the days leading up to the anniversary of the mass shooting. The goaltender said on Instagram that he stands by his opinions but