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Guardians, Pirates TV deals in flux
The New York Post reported on Sunday that Diamond Sports Group, which owns the home broadcast rights to 14 Major League Baseball teams including the Cleveland Guardians, will likely file for bankruptcy on Thursday.
The Post reported that Diamond, which operates Bally Sports Ohio and Bally Sports Great Lakes, will reject the contracts of at least four teams that it pays more in rights fees than it collects through its ad revenue and subscriber fees.
The Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly those teams.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league would take over the local broadcasts of the money losing teams and stream the games for free in local markets. Details of the plan have not been announced.
The Guardians' contract with Diamond Sports Group runs through 2027 and pays the club between $47 and $52 million a year.
Warner Brothers Discovery which broadcasts games through AT&T SportsNet announced last month that it was cutting off rights payments to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies. MLB will take over those broadcasts as well but not by Opening Day according to the New York Post.
The league indicated it wanted to keep local announcing teams intact.
Diamond plans to broadcast NBA and NHL games through the end of the season.
Wolford earns big extension with Tide
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Former Youngstown State University head football coach Eric Wolford earned a big pay day with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Tide's offensive line coach earned a contract extension worth $925,000 a season through 2025 on Monday.
Wolford joined the Tide in 2022. He was the Penguin football coach from 2010 to 2014. Over that five-year span, Wolford went 31-26.
Cavaliers sign guard Merrill
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers signed guard Sam Merrill to a multiyear contract on Tuesday, filling their open roster spot as they near clinching a playoff berth.
Merrill signed a 10-day contract with the Cavs on March 3. Rather than give him a second 10-day deal, the team opted to sign him for three years, two guaranteed.
The 6-foot-4 Merrill has only appeared in one game for Cleveland after playing in 34 for the G League Charge and averaging 16.4 points. He scored a season-high 32 while making 10 of 14 3-pointers against Greensboro on Feb. 22.
Cleveland is intrigued by Merrill's potential and the team views him as a player who can improve the Cavs' outside shooting. Merrill has made 39% of his 3-pointers in 37 career games with Cleveland, Milwaukee and Memphis.
Browns re-signing LB Takitaki
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns are bringing back linebacker Sione Takitaki after his solid 2022 season was ended early by a knee injury, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Takitaki is getting a one-year, $2.5 million deal, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because teams are not allowed to announce signings until the official start of the league year on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Takitaki stepped up big last season after the Browns lost several linebackers to injuries. He started eight games and finished with 71 tackles before sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Houston on Dec. 4.
Takitaki underwent surgery and the Browns are expecting him to be healthy and back in time for the start of next season. The well-liked Takitaki also emerged as a needed leader for Cleveland's defense.
After playing at BYU, Takitaki was drafted by the Browns in the third round in 2019. He's started 29 games and made 203 tackles. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder returned an interception for a touchdown in 2020.
Cleveland has prioritized its defense so far in free agency by reaching agreements with defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (four years, $57 million) and Ogbo Okoronkwo (three years, $19 million), according to the person with direct knowledge of the team's plans.
The Browns are also re-signing center Ethan Polic, who moved into the starting lineup when Nick Harris sustained a season-ending injury in August and anchored Cleveland's offensive line.
Before free agency opened, the Browns restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract to clear $36 million under the salary cap.
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