BASEBALL

Marlins trade Dee Gordon to Seattle in first move to slash payroll

Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon was traded to the Seattle Mariners for three prospects on Thursday in a deal that marks the start of Miami’s latest payroll purge, this time under new CEO Derek Jeter. He wants to cut payroll by more than 20 percent, to $90 million or less

Seattle has All-Star Robinson Cano at second base and is expected to move Gordon to center field. The Mariners believe Gordon can make the transition and fill perhaps the biggest remaining need among their position players.

Miami acquired right-hander Nick Neidert, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, along with infielder Chris Torres and right-hander Robert Dugger. Seattle gets an international signing bonus pool allotment, boosting the amount it can offer Japanese star pitcher and outfielder Shohei Ohtani.

Gordon batted .308 in 158 games in 2017, and had 60 stolen bases to lead the majors for the third time in the past four years.

• Right-hander Tyler Chatwood and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $38 million, three-year contract. He figures to slot into the Cubs rotation behind Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana.

Chatwood, who turns 28 next week, was 8-15 with a 4.69 ERA in 33 appearances, including 25 starts, for Colorado last year.

HIGH SCHOOLS

BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Terion Moss scored 40 points and added seven rebounds to lead Portland to a 101-43 victory over Noble in an opener at the Portland Expo.

Treyvonnte Ballew had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Garrett Brown scored 13 points and Luke Carlock added 11 for the Knights.

SOCCER

BALLON D’OR AWARD: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or award as soccer’s best player of the year for a record-equaling fifth time, moving him level with Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo won the trophy awarded by France Football magazine at a ceremony at the Eiffel Tower on Thursday. He finished ahead of contenders Messi and Neymar.

GOLF

EUROPEAN TOUR: Keenan Davidse showed he was over the illness that confined him to a hospital bed for four days by shooting an 8-under 63 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Joburg Open at Johannesburg, South Africa.

The 28-year-old South African missed the cut in Mauritius last week as a flu virus ran through his family, and he checked himself into the hospital ahead of the Johannesburg event.

n Sergio Garcia was voted the tour’s golfer of the year after claiming his first major title at the Masters and winning two more events in 2017.

Related Stories