Andy Murray comments on Novak Djokovic passing Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal in Slams Tennis World USA
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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray continue a golden era at Wimbledon The Washington Post
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Tesla driver dies after car plunges into North Bay swimming pool
02:17
SAN RAFAEL — The driver of a Tesla died after she crashed through a fence and into a swimming pool at a home in San Rafael Saturday.
A driver died after she crashed her Tesla into a backyard swimming pool in San Rafael Saturday.
Dave Cannon via KPIX
A woman was heading west on Point San Pedro around 7 a.m. Saturday when her Tesla left the roadway and ran into the pool outside a residence on Bonnie Banks Way, according to CHP officer Darrel Horner.
According to Horner, the woman was not wearing a seat belt.
San Rafael police and San Rafael fire department were first to arrive at the scene and the driver was pronounced dead, Horner said.
It is not yet known if the Tesla was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash.
No one in the home was hurt and damage was confined to the pool area.
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Images of Rafael Nadal making his way off the court with an injury have unfortunately become an all too familiar sight for tennis fans.
Nadal’s defense of his Australian Open title came to a premature end on Wednesday, as the 22-time grand slam champion was knocked out in the second round by American Mackenzie McDonald.
Nadal was struggling with what looked like a hip injury throughout the match and at one point in the second set pulled up sharply in considerable pain, before eventually needing treatment.
On Thursday, Nadal said an MRI scan had revealed the hip injury could keep him out of competitive action for up to two months.
“I did some medical tests after the loss yesterday,” Nadal said in a tweet. “The MRI showed that I have a grade 2 injury in my left iliopsoas. Now comes some rest from sport and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. Normal recovery time is 6 to 8 weeks.”
It’s a testament to Nadal’s remarkable tenacity and strength of will – characteristics that have come to define him and his incredible career – that he refused to withdraw from Wednesdays’ match, instead choosing to limp on until the end.
Such is the Spaniard’s determination and apparent tolerance to pain, he somehow still made the match a tough contest for McDonald, who eventually won 6-4 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 32 minutes.
Cameras in the tunnel captured Nadal looking emotional as he trudged back to the locker room after the match, later saying defiantly that withdrawing was never on his mind.
“I didn’t want to retire [as] the defending champion here. I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement,” Nadal told reporters.
“It’s better like this at the end. I lost, nothing to say, congratulate [my] opponent. That’s the sport at the same time – just try your best until the end.”
This new injury is the latest in a long list that have hampered Nadal throughout his career. With Father Time gradually catching up with the 36-year-old, Nadal’s injury woes have become more frequent over the past two years.
He won the first two grand slams of 2022 – the Australian Open and French Open – in stunning fashion and was playing some brilliant tennis at Wimbledon before an abdominal injury cut short his bid for a third straight major title.
Injuries to his knees, elbows, left foot and left wrist have been a constant hindrance to Nadal and his recent injury woes look to have impacted his level of performance on the tennis court, with the world No. 2 managing just one win from his previous six matches.
Former British tennis player Laura Robson, who won Junior Wimbledon aged just 14, had a promising career cut short by injuries and understands not only the physical toll they take, but also the mental fortitude needed to keep bouncing back.
“Probably for Rafa, the same as it was for me, it’s just that continuous feeling of you’re on the back foot, trying to do as much practice as possible but constantly dealing with issues in your body and not being able to train to the level you want to commit to,” Robson, now a tennis commentator, told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.
“He’s had a lot of stuff happen in the last 18 months or so, even last summer you go back to Wimbledon where he was playing some excellent tennis coming off an incredible run in Australia and in Paris [for the French Open] and he’s deep into a slam and the ab[dominal] gives way.
“Here we are again, six months later, and he’s dealing with another issue in that same area. It looked to me as though it was a bit of a hip flexor issue, but these things happen and unfortunately some people are more injury prone than others, it’s just about how you deal with it.
“He’s done an unbelievable job so far dealing with it in his career, so I have no doubt he’ll be back better than ever. He just needs a bit of time.”
Indeed, as Robson points out, Nadal managing to overcome so many injuries during his career only makes his all-time record of 22 grand slams all the more remarkable.
As is the case with any aging sports star, questions of retirement inevitably begin to swirl as form diminishes or injuries become more prevalent.
For his part, Nadal was sanguine after his second-round defeat and insisted the ‘R’ word was not on his mind.
For now, he insisted, his continuing love for the sport outweighs the desire the hang up his racket.
“It’s very simple: I like what I do,” Nadal told reporters, per ESPN. “I like playing tennis and I know it’s not forever. I like to feel myself competitive. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life.
“When you like do one thing, at the end, sacrifices always make sense, because the ‘sacrifice’ word is not like this. When you do things that you like to do, at the end of the day, it’s not a sacrifice. You are doing the things that you want to do.”
While the injuries are no doubt frustrating – Nadal admitted he felt “destroyed mentally” after the latest setback – he has been here many times before and knows better than most what it takes to come back.
As his longtime friend and rival Roger Federer did in the twilight of his career, strategically picking and choosing which tournaments and grand slams to compete in may be an option to increase Nadal’s longevity.
The French Open, Nadal’s favorite tournament and a title he has won a staggering 14 times, is the next major on the tennis calendar and if he can shake off his recent injuries, the Spaniard is likely to still be the favorite to win that grand slam come the end of May.
Nadal has fielded questions on his retirement for some time now and did so again on Wednesday, but Robson believes stars like the 22-time grand slam champion should be allowed to broach the subject on their own terms and in their own time.
“I don’t like to speak about anyone’s retirement before they’re speaking about it themselves,” Robson said.
“He’s going to be the first one to bring it up and I think he deserves that. He’s given so much over the years to this sport and is still getting himself out there, still trying, still competing to the best of his abilities even when he’s not physically 100%.
“We’ve been through it so many times before with Andy [Murray], with Roger [Federer], with Venus and Serena [Williams] on the women’s side, trying to retire these legends before they’re ready to go. Ultimately, it’s up to him. When he feels right, it’s going to be right.
“I don’t think we need to speculate constantly about when that’s going to be. If today was the last day in Australia, who knows, and if it was, we’re lucky to have had him here again, and if not, fantastic, we’ll see him next year.”
Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open title defense came to a premature end on Wednesday as he lost 4-6 4-6 5-7 against American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
The 36-year-old Nadal struggled with a left hip injury throughout the match and needed treatment during the second set on Rod Laver Arena.
He managed to finish the match, eventually going down to McDonald in two hours and 32 minutes for his earliest exit from a grand slam since the 2016 Australian Open.
“I didn’t want to retire [as] the defending champion here. I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement,” Nadal told reporters.
“It’s better like this at the end. I lost, nothing to say, congratulate [my] opponent. That’s the sport at the same time – just try your best until the end.”
McDonald made a fast start to the match when he broke Nadal’s serve in the opening game.
He then did the same in the second set, taking control of the contest with consistent, powerful hitting from the baseline.
Nadal, who was looking to extend his men’s record of 22 grand slam titles at the Australian Open, left the court for a medical timeout at 5-3 in the second set.
The Spaniard was clearly struggling with his movement in the third set but nevertheless remained on serve until 5-5.
But then McDonald gained the upper hand, securing the crucial break with a backhand passing shot as both players came to the net.
He wrapped up the contest the next game when Nadal dropped a backhand return into the net to signal the biggest victory of the 27-year-old’s career.
McDonald, unseeded for the tournament, now has a chance to match his best-ever run at a grand slam if he manages to beat Dalibor Svrcina or Yoshihito Nishioka in the third round.
“He [Nadal] is an incredible champion,” McDonald said in his on-court interview. “He’s never going to give up, regardless of the situation, so even closing it out against a top guy like that is always tough.
“I was trying to stay so focused on what I was doing. He kind of got me out of the rhythm with that but I’m happy I kept focusing on myself in the end and got through.”
After the match, Nadal said he would receive treatment to ascertain the exact nature and extent of the injury.
“It’s difficult to make a resolution if it’s a muscle, if it’s the joint, if it’s the cartilage … Let’s see how the injury is, and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar,” he told reporters.
Nadal 7-5 Draper* (* denotes server) Draper had his first chance to break Nadal there but botched it with the exuberance of youth. He double down on the dumb after sending Nadal spiralling off court with a big serve. Why did he go to the drop shot again when a ruthless swipe sufficed? Nadal saw it and swooped to take it to 15-30. Heat rising for Draper but it cools when the Spaniard goes just wide on the next. Nadal doesn’t make the same mistake twice though. He stabs it past Draper, taking it to 30-40 and bringing up set point. Trouble brewing… and it blows up for the Briton as Nadal sends him back and forth, left and right before pulling the trigger on a forehand that’s too fast and too far for Draper. That’s game, break, set Nadal!
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Hello and welcome to our coverage of the 2023 Australian Open. The tennis on day one is already under way at a steaming Melbourne Park, with the men’s No 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal due on court shortly for his potential banana-skin opener against the rising star of British tennis, Jack Draper.
The preceding women’s match between Yuan Yue and Maria Sakkari is in the second set, with sixth seeded Sakari currently leading 4-3, so there’s a chance Nadal and Draper will get their encounter up and running pretty much on time – they are officially up “not before 2:30pm” on Rod Laver Arena. It’s currently 2:06pm local time.
I’ll give an update on already-banked results on the opening day of action in a tick, but for now, remember you can get in touch on this email address with thoughts on this match, the tournament in general or any other (tennis-related) business.
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Key events
Nadal 7-5, 0-4* Draper (* denotes server) There’s a low murmur around the court now and it’s got nothing to do with Draper v Nadal. It’s the news that Nick Kyrgios has just withdrawn from the Australian Open with a knee injury. Apparently he didn’t pull up well from his exhibition match with Novak Djokovic on Friday night and the pain of this lateral meniscus tear has intensified since. It’s now a case of preventing further injury (although surely the Australian Open organisers can’t take too many more body blows). According to Kyrgios’s physiotherapist, he’ll now go back to Canberra for surgery and return to the court in a few months time. That ends Kyrgios’s hopes of a deep run in the singles draw and also ends any chance of joining good mate Thanasi Kokkinakis (AKA the Special Ks) in defending their 2022 doubles crown. Meanwhile Jack Draper has won another service game to go 4-0 ahead.
Nadal* 7-5, 0-3 Draper (* denotes server) That light vapour has revived Rafael Nadal. He’s gone up a gear to combat the charge of his 20-year-old rival. There seems a bit more ‘pop’ on his shots in this third game. Draper is a young buck on the up and, with a head full of steam and a break in his pocket, looks dangerous. Can the Spaniard snuff out this comeback before it’s too late? Draper is having none of it. There’s a fantastic rally of heavy baseline shots and this time it’s Nadal who blinks first, going long and then falling short on the next as Draper bangs it into the corner and earn a second break. Huge momentum shift here.
Nadal 7-5, 0-2 Draper* (* denotes server) We have light rain at Melbourne Park and the players have sauntered under cover to wait it out. Bad timing for Draper who has fought back from that first set implosion to build a two game lead. This shower doesn’t look serious though. Any rain drop hitting the scorch of this court can’t last long. Court officials are conferring and it looks like we’re back.
Nadal 7-5, 0-2 Draper* (* denotes server) Early break to Draper and it’s game on! Nadal suddenly looks nervy (it happens when you’ve earned over $130m in career prize-money, I hear). At 20, Draper is a millionaire only once over though and he wins this second game to love without any stress to extend his lead.
Nadal* 7-5, 0-1 Draper (* denotes server) It was game for game, point for point. Until Nadal dug deep into his bag of tricks and broke the Englishman in that 12th game of the set. On those final few points Nadal chased the ball like a dog does a meat wagon. And those old legs served him well as they have done over 92 title wins. Jack Draper has rebounded impressively in this first game of the second set though. He’s taken the first game to deuce on Nadal’s serve with some enterprising stroke play (and no drop shots!). Nadal wins advantage but Draper’s slicing cuts his opponent to the quick and when Rafa hits the strings skew-whiff on the next Draper gets his revenge, winning the last point and breaking.
Nadal wins first set 7-5
Nadal 7-5 Draper* (* denotes server) Draper had his first chance to break Nadal there but botched it with the exuberance of youth. He double down on the dumb after sending Nadal spiralling off court with a big serve. Why did he go to the drop shot again when a ruthless swipe sufficed? Nadal saw it and swooped to take it to 15-30. Heat rising for Draper but it cools when the Spaniard goes just wide on the next. Nadal doesn’t make the same mistake twice though. He stabs it past Draper, taking it to 30-40 and bringing up set point. Trouble brewing… and it blows up for the Briton as Nadal sends him back and forth, left and right before pulling the trigger on a forehand that’s too fast and too far for Draper. That’s game, break, set Nadal!
Nadal* 6-5 Draper (* denotes server) Nadal didn’t get a look-in on that last Draper service game but he coolly takes the opening points of this eleventh game, smashing the second into the bleachers on the bounce. There was murderous intent in that shot. Just as well Jack had turned his back and moved onto the next point. 40-0 to Nadal with no sign of exhaustion or frayed nerves. But then Nadal gives one back with a wide ball and Draper seizes on the mistake, staying in a rally and then chancing his hand with a backhand down the line. Shot! It unnerves Nadal into netting the next point and falling back to deuce. Draper is anxious to capitalise. Too anxious. He uncoils a winner that instead thuds into the net. Draper’s next return skims the seagulls. Window closed.
Nadal 5-5 Draper* (* denotes server) Jack Draper is sweating now. The temperature on court is cresting 30 degrees and he’s got Rafael Nadal breathing down his neck. The ball kids respond, towelling off the exertions from a centre court spotted in perspiration. Neale Fraser, Australia’s former Davis Cup captain, a noted big server in his playing days is cheering for an upset by the looks. Draper responds to the support, taking the game without dropping a point.
Nadal* 5-4 Draper (* denotes server) Vintage Nadal! That was a fine return by Draper. The ball shot back at the Spaniard’s feet but he skipped out of the way, squared his hips and barrelled it into the corner with superb precision. There’s a Draper challenge to the next Nadal point but it arrives to late for the umpire to acknowledge and act on. Rafa races to 40-0 but Draper fights hard on the final point, both men carving big angled shots from the baseline. It’s Draper who blinks first though, sending the 11th shot long. Another game to love for Nadal and the screws about to turn on the British hope as he fights to stay in the set.
Nadal 4-4 Draper* (* denotes server) Everything going to serve but not according to plan. Nadal is complaining his racquet has gone MIA! Some over-zealous official or the cheekiest fan of the tournament so far? Nadal apologises to Draper for the bizarre delay and it’s all smiles but the momentum is broken. Will it show? It hasn’t affected Draper. He blasts a new ball past Nadal on the first but undoes the good work by lobbing the second long. Another ace keeps him ascendent though. Those long levers are box office. It’s the gamesmanship letting him down, as shown on the next point where he feathers a drop shot Nadal reaches on the run. He gets it back but Nadal is waiting. Bang! Suddenly he’s a break point down and trouble looms. But he saves it with another huge serve that kicks too much for Nadal to control, gets it to deuce. Then takes the advantage, and ultimately the game, when Nadal mishits twice in succession. Now that’s a phrase you don’t hear often…
Nadal* 4-3 Draper (* denotes server) Lovely touch by the top seed! Nadal sent a soft drop shot over the net and Draper rushed in and scooped it up nicely only to send it to the most lethal forehand in the game. Wrong option Jack, and it gets the punishment it deserved. Nadal gets to 40-0 but double faults. Any glimmer of a break vanishes fast though when Draper overhits an open court. Bad miss.
Nadal 3-3* Draper (* denotes server) Nadal hasn’t shown any sign of nerves yet but there’s an uncharacteristic framer to start this game. He’ll settle into this game as usual. Draper looks settled already. The big left-hander cannons Nadal’s return down the line to take it to 40-0. Nadal returns the dose from a tighter angle on the next but a big Draper serve on the last point gets us square again.
Nadal* 3-2 Draper (* denotes server) Nadal nets his first serve, lets the second but lands the third. It starts a fabulous rally, Nadal spearing balls to the corners but Draper using every inch of his big frame to dig them out and return with interest. After four cross court daggers it’s too much for the young man and Nadal takes the opening point. Draper wins the second though. He’s trying to take the Spaniards serve early, an attacking ploy that isn’t foolproof so far but may pay dividends later in the game. Nothing much he can do when Nadal is jagging cross court bullets and serving aces on the last to edge ahead again.
Nadal 2-2 Draper* (* denotes server) So far so good for the Spaniard. Despite losing six of his last seven matches, the top seed looks crisp and confident. It’s enough to unleash his first fist pump of the day as he coaxes Draper to the net in this first point of the game and uncoils and viciously top-spinning return down the line to earn a break point. Draper doesn’t panic though. He leans into his major weapon, the serve, and he wins the next three points and closes it out with an ace. Great boost for Draper. he knows there’s a big sniff of an upset if he plays to his potential and Nadal’s recent rocky form rears its ugly head afresh.
Nadal* 2-1 Draper (* denotes server) Nadal has been highly critical of the balls being used in this tournament and they do appear to be bouncing big on the players, requiring each to take them on the rise and roll high shoulders at them. Both opening points here go to rallies in this third game but Nadal’s court positioning is better. He wins both opening rallies and then draws Draper into the net for the third point. Positive move from the Englishman but it’s a trap. Rafa rips it cross court to take the point in style and, soon after, claims the game.
Nadal 1-1 Draper* (* denotes server) Strong start from the champ. How will the youngster respond? The serve is his weapon and his first rips down the line, too fast for Nadal. The second is an ace, belted down from Draper’s six-foot-four frame, but he lobs long in a short rally for the third point. The Briton takes the fourth too after a 14-shot rally and wins the game with a brave thunderbolt up the guts. Too fast for Nadal. We’re all square.
Nadal* 1-0 Draper (* denotes server) Players commence battle. Rafa in familiar white bandanna and yolk-orange shirt. Draper in white T, sky-blue sneakers and a baseball cap reversed, a clear homage to hometown hero Lleyton Hewitt. Rafa’s first serve goes down the middle and Draper’s reply balloons off the frame. The second goes wide and Draper nets it. There’s a 12 shot rally for the third point, the ball bouncing high but Rafa takes the point and then the game to love.
Thanks Mike, Angus here. An early twist then. Draper won the toss but, despite boasting one of the best serves in the game, has elected to receive. A touch of nerves from the British world No 40? Or some chutzpah to throwing down the cudgel down to the defending champion? We’re about to find out… play about to begin.
Mike Hytner
Nadal’s training top and shoes match the colour of the blue court, but once he peels his top off, he’s in a bright orange playing shirt. Draper is in Wimbledon-appropriate all white, with just a splash of colour in his sweatband and cap. Here’s the toss: Draper wins and elects to receive first.
Nadal peels off his training top. Photograph: Loren Elliott/Reuters
Righto, with that, I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my colleague Angus Fontaine who will take you through the match. Cheerio for now.
Good afternoon, tennis fans. Welcome to our round one clash between Rafael Nadal and Jack Draper. Players are on court and there’s voluminous support all round from a packed centre court at Rod Laver Arena. Despite the furnace-like heat the combatants will have a quick warm up and then we’ll get to the action.
The players are spotted in the bowels of Rod Laver Arena. Nadal, as always, is doing his best impersonation of a Duracell bunny, a bundle of energy, in constant motion as he gears up for his first test of this Australian Open. Draper looks focused. After the long walk past the names of former champions etched onto the walls of the tunnel, out they come into the stadium, to rapturous applause. Draper first, and then Nadal.
Some useful factoids about Rafael Nadal, courtesy of AAP:
Age: 36
Ranking: 2
Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US134,529,921
Career titles: 92
Grand slam titles: 22 (Australian Open 2009, 2022; French Open 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022; Wimbledon 2008, 2010; US Open 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)
Australian Open win-loss record: 76-15
Best Australian Open results: champion 2009, 2022; runner-up 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019
Men’s tennis’ most prolific grand slam title winner is defending his crown in Melbourne for the first time in 13 years after cashing in on Novak Djokovic’s absence 12 months ago. Elevated to top seed following the withdrawal of injured world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
While we wait, Emma Raducanu has also made it safely through to the second round. Here’s what our man on the ground Tumaini Carayol thought:
“After moving timidly in the early exchanges, Raducanu progressively improved throughout her time on court and she finished her Australian Open first round match on top of the baseline, completely outmatching Tamara Korpatsch of Germany as she comfortably moved into the second round with a 6-3, 6-2 win.”
Tumaini’s full report of that one is incoming, hang tight.
Emma Raducanu moves into the Australian Open second round with a 6-3 6-2 win over Tamara Korpatsch.
Raducanu looked tentative with her ankle early on, but improved as the match wore on. Moved decently and outmatched an underpowered Korpatsch from the baseline. Good performance. pic.twitter.com/INbX1LIUZC
Emma Raducanu moves into the Australian Open second round with a 6-3 6-2 win over Tamara Korpatsch.
Raducanu looked tentative with her ankle early on, but improved as the match wore on. Moved decently and outmatched an underpowered Korpatsch from the baseline. Good performance. pic.twitter.com/INbX1LIUZC
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) January 16, 2023
Maria Sakkari, the Greek No 6 seed, has indeed wrapped up a straight-sets win over Yuan Yue of China, 6-1, 6,4, so the 2009 and 2022 men’s champion Rafael Nadal will be up soon enough on Rod Laver. The in-form Jack Draper is his opponent. Tumaini Carayol had this to say about the clash:
The US duo Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are also through to the second round. Pegula, the world No 3, was the first player to post victory earlier this morning at Melbourne Park – a routine 6-0, 6-1 victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian – while seventh seeded Gauff needed seven match points in the final game of her opener to see off Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4.
A couple of big results to bring you up to speed with, then. First, a big one with a local flavour – rising star Olivia Gadecki, who is being mentored by none other than Ash Barty at this Open, won her first main draw grand slam match 7-5, 6-1 against teenage qualifier Polina Kudermetova. The 20-year-old was lost for words earlier, after becoming the first Australian into the second round of this year’s tournament.
“I actually can’t believe it. Wow, I’m speechless,” Gadecki said. “It’s such an amazing crowd, my home slam, my first-ever main-draw grand slam win. I mean, a girl can only dream.”
Emma Kemp’s report is on its way, stay tuned for more details.
Weather update: According to our woman on the ground, Emma Kemp, it’s “hot af” in Melbourne today. Emma, this is for the liveblog, have you any more printable details? “The mercury says 25C but with with humidity feels closer to 30, which means on court it will feel a few degrees hotter than that,” she elaborates. “It’s meant to hit 29 in an hour or so.” Right you are, hot af.
Preamble
Mike Hytner
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the 2023 Australian Open. The tennis on day one is already under way at a steaming Melbourne Park, with the men’s No 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal due on court shortly for his potential banana-skin opener against the rising star of British tennis, Jack Draper.
The preceding women’s match between Yuan Yue and Maria Sakkari is in the second set, with sixth seeded Sakari currently leading 4-3, so there’s a chance Nadal and Draper will get their encounter up and running pretty much on time – they are officially up “not before 2:30pm” on Rod Laver Arena. It’s currently 2:06pm local time.
I’ll give an update on already-banked results on the opening day of action in a tick, but for now, remember you can get in touch on this email address with thoughts on this match, the tournament in general or any other (tennis-related) business.
ESPN MLB insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”
Joon Lee
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ESPN
Previously a Staff Writer at Bleacher Report Cornell University graduate
Third baseman Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an 11-year, $331 million contract extension, sources told ESPN, a deal that will keep the 26-year-old star from reaching free agency this year and constitutes the longest and largest guarantee ever given by the franchise.
The agreement, which is expected to be signed Wednesday night and would be the largest ever for a third baseman, comes in the midst of an arduous winter for the Red Sox, who lost longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts to San Diego in free agency nearly three years after trading star right fielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Offering Devers to a deal far longer than Manny Ramirez’s eight-year pact and more than 50% larger than David Price’s $217 million contract was enough for the two-time All-Star to accept shepherding the Red Sox out of last place in the American League East and back to contention.
The contract will start in 2023 and extend through the 2033 season, sources said. The one-year, $17.5 million contract Devers signed earlier in the week to avoid arbitration will be superseded by the long-term deal.
Devers debuted with Boston at 20 years old in 2017 and quickly illustrated why scouts so adored his bat. His left-handed swing was perfectly suited for Fenway Park, with doubles thwacking off the Green Monster and home runs carrying out to right field. Devers’s acumen only has grown. In 2022, he hit .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs, 88 RBIs and a career-best OPS+.
It was similar to his 2021 season, in which Devers hit 38 home runs, and 2019, when he led the major leagues with 359 total bases as a 22-year-old. The consistency made him the perfect candidate to keep around long-term with the losses of Bogaerts and Betts, whose steadiness was among their defining characteristics. Early negotiations on a deal bore no fruit, with Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Devers’ agent, Nelson Montes de Oca of Rep 1, far apart in their valuations.
Whether the backlash from losing Bogaerts and Betts — and just losing — had any effect on the consummation of the deal is unclear. But on Monday, with Fenway Park hosting the majestic Winter Classic, fans booed Red Sox owner John Henry, a show of the sentiment in the city toward the owner under whom the team broke its 86-year World Series drought before winning three more championships.
Seeing Bogaerts walk with an offer tens of millions of dollars short stung, especially with the Red Sox designating for assignment Jeter Downs, the main prospect return in the Betts deal, just days after. Bogaerts, 30, was, like Devers, a homegrown star: five Silver Sluggers, four All-Star appearances and a pair of World Series rings. The notion of a long-term left side of the infield with him and Devers felt natural to a Red Sox fan base coming to terms with last-place finishes two of the last three seasons, sandwiched around an ALCS appearance.
When Bogaerts left, the focus turned naturally to Devers, who benefitted greatly from the mega-deals given out this winter. Aaron Judge topped the list with $360 million from the New York Yankees. Trea Turner got $300 million from Philadelphia, Bogaerts $280 million from the Padres. And Carlos Correa agreed to a pair of $300 million-plus deals, though medical foibles have his status in limbo.
Beyond Bogaerts this winter, World Series hero Nathan Eovaldi left for the Texas Rangers, and the Red Sox fell short of signing multiple free-agent targets. Instead, the Red Sox redistributed the resources across the roster by adding Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida on a five-year, $90 million deal, relievers Kenley Jansen (two years, $32 million) and Chris Martin (two years, $17 million), third baseman Justin Turner at two years for $21 million and starter Corey Kluber at a year and $10 million.
Devers will be the roster’s cornerstone and the face of the franchise for the new era of the Red Sox. Though the third baseman has improved defensively over the course of his career, he could potentially move to first base or designated hitter down the road. But as long as his swing and production are even a facsimile of what he has done in his young career, it won’t matter what position he’s playing.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
Rafael Montero and the Astros are in agreement on a three-year, $34.5MM deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Montero is the third elite reliever to fall off the board early, after the Padres re-signed Robert Suarez and the Mets held on to Edwin Diaz.
It’s a remarkable deal considering Montero has amassed just 0.1 bWAR over his career and had an ERA north of six just last year, but speaks to how good he’s looked since landing in Houston, and the early value teams are placing on high end relief pitching.
Montero, 32, tossed 68 1/3 innings out of Houston’s pen this year in addition to six innings thrown late last year after coming over from Seattle, posting a 2.18 ERA in that time with a 26.8% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. He’d posted an ugly 7.27 ERA (albeit with decent peripherals) in Seattle last year, before the Astros acquired him as part of the Kendall Graveman deal. In Houston, he’s leaned more heavily on his fastball, and cut back on his sinker and slider usage. Hitters have found it incredibly difficult to square up his pitches, and he gave up just three home runs all year (and one more in the playoffs) and ranked in the 91st percentile for average exit velocity.
It’s certainly worth nothing that this isn’t the first time Montero has had a bit of success, only to crash not long after. The Rangers inked him to a minor league deal in 2019 after four unsuccessful years with the Mets that concluded with Tommy John surgery prior to the ’18 campaign. He turned into a valuable member of the Rangers bullpen that year, throwing 29 innings of 2.28 ERA ball. He regressed a bit in 2020, but the Rangers were still able to flip him to the Mariners for a couple of prospects – Andres Mesa and Jose Corniell – prior to the 2021 campaign, but things would unravel for him in Seattle.
While it’s easy to look at that 2019 season with the Rangers and draw similarities to his past season with the Astros in that it’s an isolated strong season amongst a wider portfolio of poor output, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he’s turned a corner for good. For instance, in 2019 his peripherals were far less impressive than his actual output, and it was over a much smaller sample size (29 innings against 74 1/3 in Houston). Ultimately though, dishing out any sort of multi-year free agency deal to relievers comes with a large degree of risk, and given how tough relievers’ future performance is to predict, there’s no guarantees Montero performs like he did in 2022 over the life of this deal.
This deal locks up a key contributor from their World Series winning team, but it’s curious to see a major deal like this done one day after the team moved on from their general manager. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reported that assistant GM Andrew Ball and senior director of baseball strategy Bill Firkus are running the day-to-day operations for the Astros after the departure of James Click, although Rome adds that that doesn’t necessarily mean those two were responsible for the Montero deal.
Houston’s projected payroll now sits at $164MM per RosterResource, about $15MM shy of their 2022 mark. There’s every chance they bring back Justin Verlander, while they could seek additions at center field, catcher and first base, so there’s a strong possibility their payroll comfortably eclipses the $179MM mark from 2022.
Their bullpen was one of the strengths of their championship roster this past season, and with the likes of Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Ryne Stanek, Hector Neris and the now-returning Montero it’s shaping up to be one of the best in baseball again.
It also bodes well for other top relievers on the market. Montero’s $34.5MM deal follows on from Suarez’ five-year, $46MM contract with the Padres and Diaz’s record-breaking five-year, $102MM deal with the Mets. On the whole, relievers are being paid handsomely to kick off free agency this year, and the agents of pitchers like Taylor Rogers and Kenley Jansen will surely be pointing teams to these deals as price points when going into negotiations.
Roger Federer played his final match Friday night at the Laver Cup in London, losing a doubles match paired up with Rafael Nadal as part of Team Europe.
The two legends teamed up against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock, who beat them, 4-7, 7-6, 11-9.
Both Federer and Nadal shed tears as the crowd gave the former a rousing ovation and he mouthed “Thank you.”
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An emotional Roger Federer of Team Europe acknowledges the crowd after playing with Rafael Nadal in a Laver Cup doubles match against Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the O2 arena in London, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
“It’s been a perfect journey,” Federer said after the match. “I would do it all over again.”
The 41-year-old announced his retirement last week, citing injuries over the last few years slowing him down.
Roger Federer waves to the crowd after playing with Rafael Nadal in a Laver Cup doubles match at the O2 arena in London, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Federer’s losing doubles match with Nadal marked the end of an illustrious career. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
TOM BRADY TALKS ROGER FEDERER’S CAREER FOLLOWING TENNIS SUPERSTAR’S DECISION TO CALL IT QUITS
“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” Federer said. “I have worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”
Federer spoke with the crowd following the match, taking it all in one final time.
“It’s been a wonderful day. I told the guys I’m happy, I’m not sad. It feels great to be here. I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time. Everything was the last time,” he said.
Team Europe is blessed to have the top three grand slam winners together: Federer, Nadal (22), and Novak Djokovic (21).
“It’s been wonderful. And, of course, playing with Rafa on the same team and having the guys, everybody here, all of the legends … It is amazing. It really is,” Federer said.
Roger Federer, left, of Team Europe, sits alongside Rafael Nadal after their Laver Cup doubles match against Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the O2 arena in London, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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“It does feel like a celebration to me,” he added. “I wanted it to feel like this at the end, and it’s exactly what I hoped for.”
Federer spent 310 weeks as the top-ranked tennis player in the world and retires with 20 grand slam titles, the third-most all time. His titles: eight Wimbledons, six Australian Opens, five U.S. Opens and one French Open.
