BASEBALL
Baseball labor negotiations are set to resume Tuesday, just over two weeks before the scheduled start of a spring training that’s threatened by a lockout.
The sport’s ninth work stoppage began Dec. 2 after the expiration of a five-year labor contract, and the sides did not meet again on the central economic issues until Jan. 24, when players withdrew their proposal for more liberalized free agency.
Management responded the following day by withdrawing its proposal for more limited salary arbitration. Clubs also accepted the union’s framework to funnel additional money to pre-arbitration-eligible players from central revenue, offering a $10 million pool based on awards and WAR. The union has asked for $105 million for the group, usually about 30 players annually.
Tuesday’s session will be the first on the central issues since then, and the sides don’t agree on many economic proposals, leaving very little time to end the lockout and avoid disrupting the Feb. 16 scheduled start of spring training workouts. Players would need several days to travel to team complexes in Arizona and Florida, plus time to go through COVID-19 protocols.
This is probably the last week to reach a deal that would allow a timely start to spring training. Owners are scheduled to meet from Feb. 8-10 in Orlando, Florida, making it less likely there could be negotiations over those days.
Given the need for at least three weeks of workouts, Opening Day on March 31 would be threatened if there is not an agreement by late February or early March.
Players want arbitration eligibility extended to those with at least two years of major-league service, its level from 1974-86. Since 2013, eligibility has included only the top 22% by service time among those with at least two years but less than three.
Clubs say they will not consider changes to arbitration or alterations that would lower revenue sharing. Players have proposed reducing revenue sharing by $30 million annually, a projection management disputes.
Players also want new structures to address alleged service time manipulation and have proposed raising the minimum salary from $570,500 to $775,000 this season. Management proposed a $615,000 minimum for players with less than one year of major league service but with a provision teams couldn’t pay more than that amount.
OLYMPICS
SKELETON: Skeleton silver medalist Nikita Tregubov and one of his teammates will miss the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing after contracting the coronavirus and other athletes are also in doubt, Russian officials said Monday.
“Yesterday it became clear that there was no longer a chance of making it,” Tregubov wrote on Instagram. He said he felt fine and “everything to do with my health is good.”
Tregubov and teammate Vladislav Semenov have been replaced on the team by other Russian sliders, Russian Bobsled Federation President Elena Anikina told state news agency Tass. She added that an unspecified number of other people from the team were “waiting for the results of tests” and will fly to Beijing later than planned “if they get negative results.”
Anikina didn’t name the athletes affected but two bobsledders from the same four-man crew reportedly tested positive last week.
Tregubov and Semenov placed fourth and sixth respectively at the last round of the World Cup series this month. The fifth-place finisher in that event, Germany’s Axel Jungk, is also a doubt for the Olympics after testing positive for the virus.
Another Russian athlete in the sport of biathlon withdrew Sunday after testing positive. The Russian Biathlon Union said Valeria Vasnetsova was in isolation after providing two positive tests, and that it had applied to replace her in the squad.
BASKETBALL
WNBA: The Phoenix Mercury traded center Kia Vaughn to the Atlanta Dream for a 2023 third-round pick.
Vaughn played a key role in Phoenix’s run to the 2021 WNBA finals, averaging 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds as a backup to Brittney Griner.
The 6-foot-4 center has played 12 WNBA seasons with the Mercury, Washington Mystics and two stints for the New York Liberty. She has career averages of 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Vaughn was the eighth overall pick out of Rutgers by the Liberty in the 2009 WNBA draft.
Vaughn’s trade was the first move made by the Mercury since hiring Vanessa Nygaard as head coach last week.
SOCCER
WORLD CUP: The U.S. has little margin for a stumble at home in World Cup qualifying.
With a victory over Honduras on Wednesday night in brutal cold at St. Paul, Minnesota, the Americans could be in position to clinch a return to soccer’s showcase if they beat Panama on March 27 at Orlando, Florida.
A defeat or draw in either home game would put the U.S. in danger of missing its second straight World Cup.
“Our focus right now is finishing off the window with a win,” U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter said after Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Canada. “If we can do that, we’ll be in good position, and then it’s about going to the last window and getting results, and we’re confident we have a team that can do that.”
Canada leads North and Central America and the Caribbean with 22 points and the U.S is second with 18, ahead of Mexico on goal difference. Panama is fourth with 17, followed by Costa Rica (13), El Salvador (nine), Jamaica (seven) and Honduras (three).
The top three nations qualify for this year’s tournament in Qatar, and fourth place advances to a playoff against the Oceania champion, likely New Zealand.
GERMANY: United States defender George Bello joined German first division team Arminia Bielefeld from Atlanta United on the last day of the winter transfer period.
The German club said 20-year-old Bello signed a deal through June 2026 and will wear the No. 24 jersey.
Bielefeld, which was promoted as second division champion in 2020, is 14th in the 18-team Bundesliga, just two points above the relegation zone.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Player Mason Greenwood remained in police custody after officers investigating the rape and assault of a woman were granted more time to question him.
The 20-year-old forward was arrested on Sunday after allegations were posted on the Instagram account of a woman who uploaded images of bruising to her body and bleeding from her lip. A voice note purporting to be of an attack was also posted. The posts were all deleted from the social media site but were widely shared.
United has said Greenwood “will not return to training or play matches until further notice.”
EVERTON: Frank Lampard will get another shot as a Premier League manager after being hired by Everton.
Lampard replaces Rafa Benitez, who was fired two weeks ago, and is tasked with reversing Everton’s slide toward the relegation zone. The club, which has been in English soccer’s top division since 1954, is 16th in the 20-team league and just four points above the bottom three.
The 43-year-old Lampard was fired as Chelsea manager one year ago after 18 months in charge of the club for which he starred as a player.
Chelsea had brought back its midfield great and record scorer as manager in 2019, even though Lampard had only a single season’s experience in management in the second division with Derby.
He achieved Champions League qualification in his first season at Stamford Bridge by securing a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, but was fired midway through last season with Chelsea in ninth place and its defensive record particularly concerning under Lampard.
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