Sports briefs
Eli Manning retires
Eli Manning is ending a 16-year NFL career that saw him recognized as a great quarterback, a leader, a solid citizen and the man who led the New York Giants back into prominence with two Super Bowl titles.
Manning, who set almost every Giants passing record in career solely based in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, has retired, the Giants said Wednesday. He will formally announce his retirement on Friday and there is little doubt the team will retire his No. 10 jersey.
“For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field,” John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer said in a statement.
“Eli is our only two-time Super Bowl MVP and one of the very best players in our franchise’s history. He represented our franchise as a consummate professional with dignity and accountability. It meant something to Eli to be the Giants quarterback, and it meant even more to us. We are beyond grateful for his contributions to our organization and look forward to celebrating his induction into the Giants Ring of Honor in the near future.”
In the majors
The New York Mets are finalizing a multiyear agreement with quality control coach Luis Rojas to make him the team’s manager, staying in-house to replace the ousted Carlos Beltrán, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Wednesday.
“I think it’s the fit. It’s where the team is. I think it’s the culture we’re trying to create,” Van Wagenen said.
Rojas would take over for Beltrán, who left the Mets last week before managing a single game as part of the fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
The 38-year-old Rojas is the son of former Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou and the brother of ex-big leaguer Moises Alou. The former minor league manager has been with the organization since 2007 but had never coached in the majors before joining Mickey Callaway’s staff last season.
- The Philadelphia Phillies have signed left-hander Francisco Liriano, right-handers Bud Norris and Drew Storen and infielder Neil Walker to minor league contracts with invitations to attend major league spring training.
Liriano was 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 69 relief appearances for Pittsburgh last season. The 36-year-old Liriano is 112-114 with a 4.15 ERA and has averaged 9.01 strikeouts per nine innings over 419 career games.
Walker batted .261 with a .344 on-base percentage, eight homers and 38 RBIs in 115 games for Miami last season. The 34-year-old switch-hitter has a .267 average, 149 homers and 606 RBIs in 1,288 career games, the majority with Pittsburgh.
- The Minnesota Twins and third baseman Josh Donaldson finalized their four-year, $92 million contract Wednesday 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. The Twins gave then-catcher Joe Mauer an eight-year, $184 million contract in 2010, but that was an in-house extension that kicked in the following season.