Tag Archives: The Associated Press

Marcelo Bielsa Agrees to Become Coach of Uruguay’s National Soocer Team

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Marcelo Bielsa has landed his next coaching gig…

The 67-year-old Argentine professional football manager has agreed to become coach of Uruguay‘s national team.

Marcelo Bielsa Jorge Casales, a member of the executive committee of the Uruguayan soccer association, told The Associated Press that the former Leeds United manager will sign a contract through the 2026 World Cup.

“The only thing missing is the signature,” Casales said of the 39-month deal, with Bielsa expected in Montevideo within days.

Bielsa’s first matches on the job are likely to be in June, when Uruguay are scheduled to play friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba. South American World Cup qualifying will begin in September.

“We are bringing in someone who we know will leave us a legacy that goes beyond the 90 minutes of a match,” Casales said.

Uruguay was knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar.

Bielsa coached Argentina from 1998 to 2004. He saw his team eliminated at the group stage of the 2002 World Cup and then won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.

He left the job for personal reasons.

Bielsa also coached Chile between 2007 and 2011.

The Argentinian also had spells at Espanyol, Athletic Club, Marseille and Lille. He has been out of a job since February 2022 when he was fired by Leeds.

Casales said the negotiations with Bielsa took three months.

Alex Colomé Agrees to One-Year Deal with Colorado Rockies

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Alex Colomé has a new deal…

The 33-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies, according to The Associated Press. The contract will become official when Colome passes a physical.

Alex Colomé The deal for the reliever is reportedly worth $1.25 million.

Daniel Bard and Carlos Estevez combined for 31 of the Rockies’ 33 total saves in 2021, though Colome’s more established track record as a closer could make him the top ninth-inning choice for the Rox next year.

Bard and Estevez could be moved back into set-up roles, or manager Bud Black could simply take a committee approach with his closer’s role.

Colome, who made his Major League Baseball debut in May 2013, is coming off a season in which he saved 17 games for the Minnesota Twins.

He led the league with 47 saves in 2017 while with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Colome also played for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox.

Jose Iglesias Agrees to One-Year Contract with Colorado Rockies

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Jose Iglesias is headed to Colorado…

The 32-year-old Cuban professional baseball shortstop has agreed to a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies, according to The Associated Press.

Jose IglesiasIglesias, who is represented by MVP Sorts Group, will earn $5 million.

Bringing in Iglesias all but shuts the door on a return of free-agent shortstop Trevor Story, who is set to become the latest big-name player to exit the Rockies.

Before the 2021 season, the team traded perennial All-Star and Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Story turned in a 24-homer, 20-steal season in ’21 as the Rockies missed the playoffs for a third straight year.

Iglesias batted .271 last season over 114 games with the Los Angeles Angels and 23 with the Boston Red Sox. He was an MLB All-Star in 2015 while a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Iglesias, who made his debut in Major League Baseball in 2011, has also played with the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles during his 10-year-career.

Freddy Galvis Signs Two-Year Deal with Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

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Freddy Galvis is headed to Japan…

The 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop has signed a two-year deal with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Freddy GalvisThe club in the Nippon Professional Baseball league confirmed the length of the contract with The Associated Press but declined to give financial details.

Reports in Japan say the total contract could be worth 700 million yen, or about $6 million.

Galvis played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles in the 2021 season.

The shortstop has also played for the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays and the Cincinnati Reds.

Last season marked his second stint with the Phillies.

“I’m so grateful and happy to be part of such a wonderful franchise,” Galvis said in a statement in English provided by the club. “I can’t wait to start playing with my teammates to give the fans and city another championship.”

Galvis has a career batting average of .246 with 109 home runs.

Ron Rivera Officially Named Washington Redskins Head Coach

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It’s official… Ron Riverais headed to The District.

The Washington Redskins have officially hired the 57-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American NFL coach as its head coach, the team officially announced on Wednesday.

Ron Rivera

Rivera had been dismissed in early December by the Carolina Panthers after eight and a half seasons. During his tenure with the Panthers, he took the team to four playoff appearances and finished as the franchise’s most successful head coach, with a 76-63-1 record. 

He arrived in town when quarterback Cam Newtonwas a rookie, and their fortunes rose and fell together. Their peak came in the 2015 season, when the Panthers were 15-1 and made their second Super Bowlappearance, losing to the Denver Broncos, 24-10, in Peyton Manning’s final game.

Rivera was named coach of the year by The Associated Pressin 2013 and 2015.

Despite those highs, the team has had a losing record in three of the last four years. This season, Newton played in only two games before leaving the lineup with a foot injury. There had been hopes that he would return, but he never did, a touchy topic that hung over the team.

The Panthers ran off four straight wins behind the backup Kyle Allen. The magic didn’t last. Rivera was fired after a loss to Washington, with the team’s record at 5-7. They lost their last eight games, limping to a 5-11 record to finish in last place in the N.F.C. South.

Rivera was one of four non-white head coaches in the NFLat the start of this season.

“After several meetings with Coach Rivera, it was clear he is the right person to bring winning football back to Washington D.C.,” said Dan Snyder, the team owner, in a statement. “He is widely respected around the league as a man of great integrity and has proven to be one of the finest coaches in the country.”

Rivera inherits a Redskins team that slumped to a 3-13 record this season after four years of finishing within a game of .500. Coach Jay Gruden was firedafter an 0-5 start, but things didn’t improve much under the interim coach, Bill Callahan.

The team turned to rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins as the starter halfway through the season, but if anything, he performed worse than his predecessor, Case Keenum, before injuring an ankle in Week 16.