The New York Mets are staying in-house to replace ousted manager Carlos Beltrán. The Mets’ general manager says they are finalizing a multiyear agreement with quality control coach Luis Rojas. The 38-year-old is the son of former Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou (feh-LEE’-pay ah-LOO’) and the brother of former big leaguer Moises Alou. Beltrán left the club last week before managing a single game in the fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and third baseman Josh Donaldson have finalized their four-year, $92 million contract that is the richest in team history for a free agent. Donaldson agreed last week to the deal that includes a club option for a fifth season. The 34-year-old will make $21 million per season. For 2024, the Twins can either retain him for $16 million or buy him out for $8 million. The deal far surpassed the previous high-dollar mark for Minnesota on the open market, a four-year, $55 million deal for starting pitcher Ervin Santana that began in 2015.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell will miss the rest of the season with a torn right Achilles tendon. The club is confirming the diagnosis it had feared after Powell went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter of last night’s loss to the Clippers. Powell is exploring his options on surgery.
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has purchased a minority stake in the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The 11-time Pro Bowler is often at Suns games, sitting courtside with managing partner Robert Sarver. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. Fitzgerald just finished his 16th season with the Cardinals and is among the most productive receivers in NFL history. He recently signed a one-year deal to return for 2020.
HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) — Legendary high school basketball coach Morgan Wootten has died. Wooten built Maryland’s DeMatha High School into a national powerhouse and mentored several future NBA stars during a career that spanned parts of six decades. Wootten never had a losing season and won at least 30 games on 10 different occasions. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. Wootten was 88.