Francona and the Indians agreed Tuesday to a two-year contract extension, a deal which carries through the 2018 season and includes team options for 2019 and 2020.
The Cy Young finalists are Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale, Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Cleveland's Corey Kluber.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Dodgers hadn't announced a deal with Zaidi, who just completed his 10th season in Oakland's front office as one of general manager Billy Beane's creative assistants and analysts. Zaidi will now work under new Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who joined the team last month from the Tampa Bay Rays.
In the AL, the MVP finalists are Cleveland outfielder Michael Brantley, Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who finished second to the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera in each of the last two votes.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Gordie Howe's family says the hockey Hall of Famer who had a stroke last month has been "recovering at a remarkable rate" over the past week.
Francona has been worth every penny since the Indians hired him following a disastrous, 94-loss season in 2012. He's helped reshape the team's culture, infused enthusiasm into the organization and made Cleveland a more attractive destination for free agents. Players want to play for Francona.
BASEBALL
"I've lost the love and passion to play the game," said Soriano in a radio interview Tuesday in his native Dominican Republic. "Right now, my family is the most important thing."
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jeff Flagg edged Jeff Crittenden to win the World Long Drive Championship on Tuesday night at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.
Mississippi dropped seven spots to 11th after its second consecutive loss,Cheap Football Jerseys, 35-31 to Auburn. The Rebels remained ahead of four one-loss teams from power-five conferences, directly ahead of Baylor, Nebraska and Ohio State — Nos. 12-14, and all higher than a week ago.
Sucart, in a letter from his lawyer, threatened to expose Rodriquez's PED use if he wasn't given $5 million and a home.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to hire Oakland Athletics assistant GM Farhan Zaidi as the club's new general manager, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said.
Financial terms of the extension were not immediately known.
CLEVELAND (AP) —In two seasons, Terry Francona helped turn the Cleveland Indians back into contenders.
NHL
Kershaw is joined by Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen — the 2013 winner — and Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton as the NL MVP finalists.
Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto and St. Louis' Adam Wainwright are competing with the Los Angeles left-hander for the NL Cy Young.
NBA
The family released a statement through the Detroit Red Wings. The family cited improvements in Howe's speech and his ability to walk with the assistance of a walker, and thanked "friends and fans worldwide for their prayers and incredible outpouring of support."
The tour said a search to replace him was in the early stages. It was not immediately clear when O'Grady would leave.
Griner sustained a small cut when she was attacked by a man while boarding a bus after practice Monday in Shenyang. The man, who followed the players onto the bus, also stabbed one of Griner's teammates. She was wearing two jackets and wasn't injured because the knife didn't go through.
"It was very close, and I think it's the product of Oregon's other wins they have," Arkansas athletic director and selection committee chairman Jeff Long said. "They have the Michigan State win, but they also, again, went on the road against UCLA and won, and a couple of wins that made their body of work, put them a step ahead of (Alabama) at this point."
Both golfers hit their second ball of the final round 365 yards off the platform, but Flagg's shot measured 20 inches past the hash mark, while Crittenden's was seven inches from the 365-yard mark. The 29-year-old Flagg earned $250,000 for the win.
In court documents filed last week in Miami, federal prosecutors said Rodriguez made four wire payments totaling $900,000 between June 2013 and September 2013 to settle a threatened lawsuit by Yuri Sucart, who had worked as Rodriguez's personal assistant. The total value of that settlement could be nearly $2 million, when factoring in other elements of the deal such as a home, a car and insurance.
Marcus Mariota and the Ducks, coming off a 45-16 win over Stanford, moved up one spot from fifth in the initial poll by the 12-member selection committee. They moved in ahead of Alabama, a third team from the West Division of the Southeastern Conference that wa
