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Report: Nationals extend manager Dave Martinez through 2023
The Washington Nationals missing the playoffs and sitting in last place in the National League East standings at the start of the final weekend of the pandemic-shortened MLB season didn't stop the club from rewarding manager Dave Martinez.
ESPN reported Friday afternoon that the Nationals replaced an option on Martinez's contract for 2021 with a three-year deal that is worth $7.5 million, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Martinez, who turns 56 years old on Saturday, guided the Nationals to the franchise's first World Series title in 2019. According to Baseball-Reference, he's tallied a regular-season record of 198-183 (.520 winning percentage) with Washington the past three campaigns heading into Friday's game.
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- The '2019 Washington Nationals World Series roster' quiz
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Chicago Cubs Exec Seemingly Drops Major Hint About Star OF Kyle Tucker’s Future
The Chicago Cubs made the major offseason blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros for star outfielder Kyle Tucker. To begin the 2025 MLB season, Tucker has lived up to all of the hype that surrounded him when the trade occurred. Following the trade, the big question was about whether or not the Cubs would re-sign Tucker. Tucker is going to be a high-profile free agent following the 2025 season. He is going to command a very large contract. Chicago has not been willing to pay huge money in recent years. That being said, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer may have dropped a major hint about Tucker's future with the Cubs. As shared by Marquee Sports Network, Hoyer recently made a very bold statement about Tucker. "He's the kind of player you want to build a lineup around," he said. Could that be a hint that Chicago is planning to try to continue building around Tucker for years to come? Or, is he simply saying that building around him for the 2025 season was a good move. Fans will have to continue waiting to find out the answer to that question. So far this year, Tucker has played in nine games for the Cubs. He has hit four home runs to go along with 11 RBI's, while stealing two bases. In addition, he has a slash line of .324/.444/.784. He has been able to give Chicago great early returns on its investment. Only time will tell, but Tucker's situation with the Cubs will be closely watched throughout the remainder of the season.
Steelers 'open for business' as George Pickens may suddenly get traded
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of questions throughout the organization's current roster. The obvious one is the quarterback position as the franchise still does not have a reliable starting-caliber player at the position. Another concern is the future of star wide receiver, George Pickens. The receiver is entering his fourth season and it will be the last year of his rookie contract. It does not seem like an extension is coming any time soon for Pickens, and many believe there is a chance he will get dealt elsewhere before the 2025 season begins. Pickens is a controversial player in the league as he has been fairly productive over the course of his career on a mediocre offense. He has had below-average quarterback play, yet has still been able to produce. However, the poor offensive performances have forced him to have some explosions on the sideline. These antics and other issues are what have put his future in jeopardy, and some believe he has played his last game with Pittsburgh. One former NFL GM has confirmed that the Steelers are likely shopping Pickens, which was reported during a post on social media by Andrew Fillipponi. "The Steelers are open for business on George Pickens," the former GM said. "That's why they brought in [Matthew Golden] for a visit." Pittsburgh hosted former Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden for a pre-draft visit, which shows the interest the organization has in a wide receiver in the first-round. It is a slim chance that Golden will be available when Pittsburgh picks at 21, but hosting him shows the organization could be selecting a receiver of some kind with its first pick. Golden has the potential to be off of the board within the first 12 picks of the event, but there is a slim chance that he may fall to where Pittsburgh is picking. He had a decent year in 2024 as he hauled in nine touchdowns and recorded nearly 1,000 yards. If Pittsburgh selects Golden or another receiver, it doesn't confirm that Pickens will be traded, but it should make some teams pick up the phone and call about his availability. Another offseason move that jeopardizes Pickens' future with the Steelers is the franchise trading for star wide receiver DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks ahead of free agency, and he is expected to be a key focus of the Pittsburgh offense. Both Pickens and Metcalf have had their fair share of fits when they are not getting targeted, so it will be interesting to see the dynamic if they do end up playing together. Steelers could deal George Pickens on draft night There are a lot of starting-caliber players available in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Pittsburgh is going to want as many picks as possible. The organization had to give up its second-round pick in exchange for Metcalf, so there is a chance Pittsburgh will be looking to acquire an extra Day 2 pick. This is where trading a player like Pickens could come into play. Pickens' value is hard to determine due to the poor offensive performances in Pittsburgh, paired with the inability to control his emotions. However, it should be fair to assume he would be able to fetch a third-round selection. The Steelers could certainly make this move in order to draft another receiver they have been interested in, or draft one of the running backs or defensive linemen from the deep class. The possibilities are endless, and there is a very real chance that Pickens plays for Pittsburgh in 2025. However, it will be the last year of his deal. The franchise would likely allow him to walk in free agency, which might make trading him now seem like the better option. What do you want Pittsburgh to do with Pickens?
Shedeur Sanders has bold message for teams that pass on him in NFL Draft
It is a pretty good bet that former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is going to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft later this month. What is still up for debate is where. Top-five? Top-10? Does he have an Aaron Rodgers-like slide down into the bottom half of the round? That is the mystery, and it speaks to how polarizing of prospect he is in this year's class. Following Colorado's pro day on Friday, Sanders had a very direct message for teams looking for a quarterback that might pass on him: Don't be a fool. Between two seasons at Jackson State and another two at Colorado, Sanders threw for 14,327 yards, 134 touchdowns and only 27 interceptions. That includes over 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns in his two years at Colorado where he played a significant role in turning around the program and making it competitive — and relevant — again. Sanders' arm is not elite, but it should play at the NFL level. He also has strong accuracy and the type of toughness and fearlessness in the pocket that NFL head coaches should love. Despite those strong traits, he always seems to have a target on his back for criticism, especially as the son of Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders. There is a lot of attention that comes with that, and he has also been the yearly prospect that has teams leaking out anonymous concerns about him. Miami's Cam Ward projects to be the first quarterback — and player — off the board to the Tennessee Titans, with Sanders likely to be the second quarterback. It is just a matter of where. The Cleveland Browns (No. 2 overall) and New York Giants (No. 3 overall) figure to be the two best chances early on, but there are several other teams around the league with long-term needs at the position. Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss also figures to be a potential first-round pick. The Las Vegas Raiders (No. 6), New York Jets (No. 7), New Orleans Saints (No. 9), Seattle Seahawks (No. 18) and Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) also figure to be in the quarterback market.
Analyst names clear winner in Cowboys' trade for Patriots' Joe Milton III
On Thursday, the New England Patriots surprisingly agreed to trade backup quarterback Joe Milton III and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys in return for a 2025 fifth-round choice. Later in the day, ESPN's Seth Walder named the Cowboys the clear winner of that transaction. "If the Patriots were going to move on from Milton," Walder said, "I thought they would get more than this. He was a sixth-round pick a year ago and — even with all the caveats of the circumstances of his one game — surely his stock has gone up since then, right? Instead, they got back only close to what they paid for him. Several teams will surely use a fifth- or sixth-round pick on shaky QB prospects later this month." Milton became the subject of numerous trade rumors after he completed 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown against mostly backups in New England's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills this past January. The 25-year-old also rushed for 16 yards and a score on 10 carries in that contest. As recently as Wednesday, it was suggested that the Patriots would hold onto Milton through the upcoming draft unless the club received a third-round pick for his services. After all, New England had him under contract for the next several seasons, and he could've given the club protection if first-choice starter Drake Maye became unavailable for any reason. "Perhaps new coach Mike Vrabel felt Milton's performance was a mirage and preferred the higher floor of the recently signed Joshua Dobbs as his backup option," Walder added about the Patriots' possible mindset. "Even if that's true, I still would have expected them to get a little more value for Milton. And in the absence of that, I'd rather roll the dice on him developing further." On Thursday morning, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that "the Patriots had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for him." According to Schultz, the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers "showed interest" in Milton this offseason. Meanwhile, Milton will become a backup for a Dallas team that gave starter Dak Prescott a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed this past September. It will likely be bad news for the Cowboys if Milton takes a meaningful in-game snap before 2026 as soon as possible.
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