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Voters in Arlington, Texas, overwhelmingly approved a proposition to help fund a new $1 billion stadium for the Texas Rangers, which will keep the organization in the city through at least 2053.

Jeff Mosier and Loyd Brumfield of the Dallas Morning News reported the group fighting the proposal quickly conceded Tuesday night after early returns showed strong support. They also passed along comments from Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams about the result:

It’s a phenomenal thing how so many generations now have grown up going to the Texas Rangers here in Arlington. And now we have an opportunity for us to say that we want the Rangers to be here for our kids and grandkids. … It is a historic time in which all of our leaders have come together here to work hard to ensure that we kept the Rangers now.

T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com noted the Rangers are hopeful the new retractable-roof facility will be ready in time for Opening Day 2020. That’s based on a timeline of finalizing designs in 2017 and two years of construction following Tuesday’s election victory.

While Rangers co-chairman Ray Davis expressed the obvious benefits for fans in terms of avoiding the summer heat in Texas, he interestingly suggested the new stadium could also help the front office when it comes to attracting more on-field talent, according to Sullivan.

“Long term, it means our fans can enjoy climate control without getting burned up and we can recruit more free agents,” he said. “Our fanbase has changed as millennials have come along, and we compete with people watching on television. This will create an environment they can enjoy every day.”

Rangers manager Jeff Banister also discussed his feelings about the result with MLB.com, choosing to highlight the strong connection between the team and the community.

“It’s incredible,” Banister said. “A lot of hard work has been done by a lot of people who believe in the Texas Rangers and want to keep baseball in Arlington. I’m happy for all of those people, their hard work has paid off.”

The Save Our Stadium project had attempted to get voters to vote no on the proposition by questioning financial studies about the issue. The group argued the team’s current stadium, Globe Life Park, was recently paid off and had been built to last a century after opening in 1994.

“Asking Arlington residents with a median income of $52,000 a year to fork over their money to millionaires and billionaires so that they do not have to pay for their own stadium is just wrong,” a statement on its website read.

Nevertheless, voters moved forward with the plan anyway. Results from the Dallas Morning News showed 60 percent voted for the project with all precincts reporting, granting the approval of the project by more than 23,000 votes.

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The Detroit Tigers have reportedly received trade inquiries about starting pitcher Justin Verlander as they look to shed payroll before the 2017 season.

Continue for updates.

Latest on Verlander’s Trade Availability

Tuesday, Nov. 8

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported Monday that the Tigers are “willing to discuss just about anything in trades,” including the possibility of moving Verlander, a longtime stalwart in the team’s rotation.

Verlander is coming off his best season in the past four years for the Tigers. He posted a 3.04 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while striking out 254 batters in 227.2 innings across 34 starts. The increased strikeout rate was a welcome sign after it had dipped over the previous two campaigns.

His availability comes as Detroit looks to shave around $27 million off its payroll before next year in order to get below the luxury-tax threshold, according to Heyman. The right-hander is scheduled to make $28 million each of the next three seasons, per Spotrac.

Two years ago, after Verlander finished 2014 with a 4.54 ERA, it would have been impossible to move that monster contract. Now his resurgent performance combined with a weak group of starting pitchers in free agency this winter could make him a popular trade target.

In September, the 33-year-old six-time All-Star discussed how it felt to pitch up to his capabilities again with Brendan Savage of MLive.com.

“I mean, it feels good to pitch well,” Verlander said. “I don’t like to compare anything to the past. I’m just pitching to the best of my ability now. I’m just trying to maintain momentum, go out there every five days, and continue to pitch well.”

Ultimately, trading a player with Verlander’s contract is never straightforward. Any interested team will likely expect the Tigers to take a bad contract in return, eat some of the remaining money or accept a bargain-basement package for him.

None of those alternatives are ideal, especially the latter, which could get the team under the luxury tax quickly, but would be hard to explain to a fanbase. Tigers fans have followed the veteran starter every step of the way since he joined the club in 2005.

In turn, Detroit might be best off waiting until closer to spring training when a contending team gets more desperate to fill a key void in their rotation to get serious about a Verlander trade. It should have a little more leverage in trade talks by that point.

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Prized free-agent closer Aroldis Chapman is already generating interest on the open market less than a week after helping lead the Chicago Cubs to a World Series title.

Continue for updates.

Dodgers Linked to Chapman

Tuesday, Nov. 8

The Los Angeles Dodgers are “expected to make a dedicated pursuit” of Chapman, according to Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times.

Yankees Interested in Chapman

Tuesday, Nov. 8

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported Tuesday the New York Yankees, who traded Chapman to the Cubs in July, have quickly reached out to the reliever regarding a possible reunion.

Chapman Enters Free Agency as No. 1 Reliever on the Market

Relief pitching is one area of strength among an otherwise lackluster group of free agents. Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon join Chapman on the market, but Chapman has emerged as the top choice for the Yankees at this stage, according to Heyman.

The 28-year-old flamethrower has been a dominant force in the bullpen throughout his career. The Cuba native owns a 2.08 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 383 career appearances while striking out an eye-popping 636 batters in 377 innings.

He came out of the pen 13 times for the Cubs during their playoff run. While he did start to wear down from all the work by late in the team’s World Series triumph over the Cleveland Indians, his presence was vital as the Cubs fought back from a 3-1 deficit to end their 108-year drought.

Now he’s set to cash in with a monster contract. Heyman projected it will “easily break” the previous record for a closer of $50 million, despite the star’s 30-game suspension for domestic violence to open the 2016 season.

In July, Chapman expressed interest in a possible return to New York in free agency before getting shipped to Chicago, per Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media.

“I feel very happy and comfortable here in the city,” Chapman said. “At the same time, this is a business and if I happened to be traded away, I’m pretty sure they’re going to be doing it for the good of the team. That being said, if the opportunity comes up where I can come back to the team, I would be more than happy.”

Chapman’s Cubs—and to an even greater extent, the Indians—showcased the value of being able to shorten games with a top-tier bullpen during the postseason. The Yankees started last season with Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, but the rest of the roster wasn’t strong enough.

Betances can close, if needed. But the interest in a free-agent closer suggests New York wants him to fill a role similar to what Miller did with Cleveland, coming in somewhere between the sixth and eighth innings when danger is lurking, with Chapman or another signing available to close it out.

It’s a smart plan on paper, but the question is whether the Yankees would be willing to make such a massive investment on Chapman. They figure to face plenty of competition for him in free agency given the high number of contending teams hoping to upgrade their bullpens this winter.

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The Seattle Mariners announced they picked up outfielder Seth Smith‘s $7 million club option for 2017 on Thursday.

Since the Mariners acquired him in a trade with the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2015 campaign, Smith has posted a .248 batting average and .336 on-base percentage with 28 home runs, 105 RBI and 116 runs scored across 273 games with the organization.

His 16 home runs last season marked the second-highest total of his career behind only his 2010 campaign with the Colorado Rockies. He also set a new career high with 63 RBI.

The Ole Miss product attributed his success to a better approach at the plate after making some minor adjustments, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

“Just make sure you are getting started early enough,” Smith said in July. “Some basic hitting things that sometimes you need to get back to.”

He’s also been better suited for a platoon role in which he starts only against right-handed pitchers. He owns a .355 on-base percentage and .827 OPS against righties compared to his .282 OBP and .594 OPS against lefties in his career, according to Yahoo Sports.

Ultimately, the Mariners decided he was worth the $7 million investment. The team’s offense ranked sixth in runs scored last season, and picking up Smith’s option leaves one less void to fill as Seattle attempts to match or exceed that output in 2017.

How the outfield will shape up probably won’t become clear until after spring training. Smith could end up splitting time with Guillermo Heredia at one of the corner spots, but the team may thrust him into a full-time role if a platoon partner doesn’t emerge.

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The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly will pick up the $12 million club option in the contract of starting pitcher Jaime Garcia for 2017.

Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com first reported the decision, with Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball confirming the report.

Garcia reached the 30-start mark for just the second time in 2016, but his other numbers fell well below his usual standards. The 30-year-old righty went 10-13 with a 4.67 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 171.2 innings, the second-highest total in his career.

His struggles led to a September where he pitched more than four innings just once. The Cardinals kept him on a short leash when he started and also moved him into the bullpen at times as they tried to find other rotation options that could help them reach the playoffs, a quest that ultimately fell short.

Mark Saxon of ESPN.com passed along comments from Garcia in mid-September about the lackluster performance and his efforts to get back on track:

I’m trying to figure out what’s going on, whether it’s push things a little more or back off. I’m doing everything that’s in my power to be the best I can for the team, and unfortunately, I’ve let my team down. I’ve been through tough times before, and I’m going to continue to do what I can to fight and be there for the team.

The lack of quality starts was made more frustrating by the fact he pitched well in 2015. He made just 20 starts due to injury during that campaign, but he finished with career-best totals in both ERA (2.43) and WHIP (1.05).

While the drop-off wasn’t as extreme as the baseline numbers make it seem—his xFIP went up only 0.41 compared to an ERA jump of 2.24, per FanGraphs—the dip in production combined with the fact the Cardinals couldn’t count on him down the stretch made the option decision tougher.

Ultimately, the Cardinals have optioned to keep Garcia in the fold. Even though he didn’t live up to expectations last season, his prior success earned him enough leeway with the organization to get another chance to prove himself as a valuable piece of the staff in 2017.

He’ll likely need to pitch well during spring training to guarantee himself a spot in the rotation, though. St. Louis already has Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Mike Leake, while promising prospect Alex Reyes is pushing for a full-time role.

Garcia’s salary likely gives him the inside track, but Reyes’ rise and the return of Lance Lynn from Tommy John surgery will create a logjam. The Cardinals may hope he gets off to a strong start and then try to flip him for another asset during the season.

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The St. Louis Cardinals and Mike Matheny reached an agreement Thursday on a three-year contract extension to keep the manager with the organization through the 2020 season.

MLB.com passed along official confirmation of the extension. The announcement included comments from Cardinals principal owner and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr.

“Mike has continued the Cardinals tradition of winning in his first five years as manager and we are happy to extend his contract leading our club on the field through 2020,” DeWitt said.

Matheny spent five seasons with the Cardinals from 2000-2004 as a catcher during a playing career that spanned 13 years. The Ohio native won three of his four career Gold Glove Awards during that time.

He was hired as the team’s manager following the 2011 campaign after the retirement of longtime St. Louis skipper Tony La Russa. While it represented a risk for the Cardinals to replace a team legend with a first-time manager, he’s proved up to the task.

Matheny has guided the team to a 461-349 record, four postseason berths and three NL Central titles during his first five years in charge. One of those playoff appearances resulted in a trip to the 2013 World Series, where the Cardinals came up short against the Boston Red Sox.

St. Louis is coming off its first playoff-less season since 2010, though. It went 86-76, finishing one game behind the wild-card entrants, the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

After the Cardinals missed out on one of those final spots, Matheny stated they simply hit their stride a little too late, per David Wilhelm of the Belleville News-Democrat:

There’s no disappointment in winning the last four games. I was waiting for our best run, and we started to put it together. You talk about who’s that hot team, and we had the makings of that. I guarantee you there are teams out there that are plenty happy the St. Louis Cardinals aren’t continuing to play.

Recent history suggests it won’t be a long playoff drought. The Cardinals haven’t gone more than two years in a row without making the postseason in the current millennium. It’s made them one of the best franchises in sports, right alongside the likes of the New England Patriots and San Antonio Spurs.

A seamless transition from La Russa to Matheny is one of the many reasons for that run of consistent success. Even though they didn’t get the desired result this season, the extension shows the front office remains confident the former catcher is the right fit to lead the team moving forward.

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The Chicago Cubs and their diehard fans enjoyed a celebration befitting the long-awaited end of the team’s 108-year championship drought early Thursday morning as the team completed a memorable World Series comeback by defeating the Cleveland Indians on the road in Game 7.

Michael Martinez made the final out as his slow chopper to third was picked off the slick grass by Kris Bryant and fired across the diamond to Anthony Rizzo, who slyly slipped the ball into his back pocket as the celebration erupted in both Cleveland and Chicago.

It’s a moment many Cubs fans have waited decades to witness. They endured a multitude of heartbreak few fanbases in the United States can even fathom along the way. In the end, however, all of that disappointment made the hard-fought triumph even more euphoric.

Of course, the moment of exaltation didn’t come until after some drama. The Cubs blew a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth as Rajai Davis smoked a game-tying two-run homer to left field after Brandon Guyer had doubled home a run for Cleveland.

After a scoreless ninth, the umpiring crew decided to call for the tarp as a heavy rain shower passed through the area. But after waiting 108 years, a couple of extra minutes is nothing.

Chicago came right back out in the 10th and put two runs on the board courtesy of RBI hits by Ben Zobrist and Miguel Montero. Cleveland got one back thanks to another clutch hit by Davis, but it wasn’t enough as Mike Montgomery finally slammed the door shut on a terrific World Series.

Afterward, Cubs manager Joe Maddon discussed the championship from both a long-term and short-term perspective, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

“Historical,” Maddon said. “This carries more significance in the city of Chicago, the fanbase, just history. Obviously, the last time it was won was over a century ago. But for me, the significance is that this team, this group, wins a World Series.”

He added: “I wanted to attack the word ‘pressure’ and ‘expectation’ from day one, so that our guys would be used to hearing it, and also channel it in the proper direction. You’ve got to give our guys a lot of credit, because they’ve been hearing this from day one.”

Steve Keating of Reuters passed along comments from World Series MVP Zobrist, who likened the series and its epic Game 7 finale to a prize fight.

“It was like a heavyweight fight, man,” he said. “Just blow for blow, everybody played their heart out. The Indians never gave up either, and I can’t believe we’re finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy.”

It’s a result that seemed like a long shot after the Cubs fell behind 3-1 in the series with the final two games looming at Progressive Field.

But perhaps in the end, the Indians’ injury issues finally caught up with them. They embarked on the playoff journey without outfielder Michael Brantley and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Fellow starter Danny Salazar returned, but he was limited to a bullpen role.

While the offense remained formidable, the starting rotation got stretched thin, forcing Corey Kluber to pitch three World Series games. The Cubs stuck with a four-man rotation and looked fresher over the final three contests. If Carrasco and Salazar were available to start, maybe Cleveland closes it out.

That said, Chicago was the best team all year long. It won 103 games during the regular season, eight more than the next-closest team, and the club’s star-studded roster responded to adversity with seemingly unwavering confidence throughout the playoffs.

It set the stage for a night Cubs fans, who were tortured for so long and endured 464 losses in a five-year span starting in 2010 as the organization went through a complete rebuild, will never forget. Billy Witz of the New York Times provided the perfect remarks to sum it all up from Rizzo.

“We’re world champions,” Rizzo said. “The Chicago Cubs are world champions. Let that sink in.”

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The Cleveland Indians grabbed a 2-1 lead in the World Series on Friday night with a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The win also restored the home-field advantage the American League champions had lost by dropping Game 2 at Progressive Field.

Now the pressure rests squarely on the Cubs’ shoulders heading into Saturday’s Game 4. A 3-1 series lead for a team with Cleveland’s pitching, especially its shutdown bullpen, would feel like an insurmountable advantage with two home games looming for the Indians, if necessary.

With that in mind, let’s check out all of the important information for Saturday’s contest. That’s followed by a look at the odds, along with a preview and prediction for Game 4.

Game 4 Viewing Details

Where: Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois

When: Saturday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Odds Information

Preview

The managers are utilizing different pitching tactics for Game 4.

Cleveland’s Terry Francona is turning back to his ace, Corey Kluber, on short rest with hope the Indians can take a commanding lead. The 2014 Cy Young Award winner pitched six shutout innings with nine strikeouts in the team’s Game 1 victory.

Chicago’s Joe Maddon is sticking with a four-man rotation, which means John Lackey will take the ball Saturday night for the Cubs. While it’s a risky move in a 2-1 hole, it means he’d have Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks lined up on normal rest to finish the series.

Lackey has struggled in the postseason, giving up five earned runs while allowing 10 hits and five walks in eight innings against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. He’ll likely be looking at a quick hook if he can’t settle into a rhythm early.

The other concern for Chicago is dealing with the emotion. The atmosphere at Wrigley Field for Game 3 was predictably special, as the long-tortured fanbase finally got an opportunity to see the Cubs play a World Series game after a 71-year absence.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times passed along postgame comments from catcher Willson Contreras, who admitted the situation caused the team to press too hard to make a big play.

“We were so anxious to win this game that we tried to do too much,” Contreras said. “We were first-pitch swinging. We didn’t see a lot of pitches. We were trying to do too much to [Indians starter Josh] Tomlin, and he made the right pitch in the right spots.”

Meanwhile, the Indians don’t mind Chicago hogging the spotlight. The star-studded Cubs came into the series as the favorite after a dominant regular season and, given the difference in market size, it’s no surprise they garnered most of the attention.

Add in the fact Cleveland has been playing without two key pieces—outfielder Michael Brantley and starter Carlos Carrasco—just reaching the World Series was a major accomplishment. Beating the Cubs without them seemed like a massive uphill battle.

Jordan Bastian and Carrie Muskat of MLB.com provided remarks from Tomlin after the Game 3 win concerning the lack of outside interest.

“I think we’ve been an afterthought all year long,” Tomlin said. “It doesn’t bother us. We know we have a group of guys who grind it out and try to play the game we know how to play and don’t listen to anybody else.”

They are just two victories away from bringing another championship to Cleveland after the Cavaliers’ NBA title triumph earlier in the year. It’s no shock they want the narrative to remain the same.

Hope is far from lost for the Cubs, though. Jon Hansen of WGN Radio pointed out they found themselves in the same situation in the NLCS before storming back to beat the Dodgers:

All told, between Kluber working on short rest and Andrew Miller pitching an inning and a third Friday, there should be an opportunity for the Cubs offense to score runs in the middle innings. Those frames will likely decide whether they level the series or find themselves in must-win mode for Game 5.

Prediction: 5-4 Cubs

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred stated Friday night he doesn’t foresee changing the way the designated hitter is handled during the World Series as long as the American and National Leagues operate under different rules during the regular season. 

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com passed along comments about the hot-button issue from the second-year commissioner, who doesn’t believe it would be fair to completely change the standards one of the teams has played under all season.

“I think the problem is picking what that one set of rules is,” Manfred said. “The National League plays without a DH all year. Their team is built to play without a DH. It’s the opposite in the American League. And I think the competitive ramifications of picking a single set of rules would be significant.”

He added: “Both teams have to adjust. Each of them has to adjust at some point in the series. And given that we play the game two different ways during the year, that makes some sense to me.”

The Cleveland Indians were forced to use their usual DH, Carlos Santana, in left field Friday to ensure his bat would remain in the lineup. He picked up two walks in three plate appearances before getting replaced by Rajai Davis as part of a double switch.

Meanwhile, Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber was only allowed to serve as a pinch hitter in Game 3 because he’s not medically cleared from a knee injury to play the outfield. He popped out to shortstop in his only at-bat after picking up three hits and two RBI as the DH in the first two games.

Friday’s contest, which Cleveland won 1-0 to take a 2-1 series lead, showcased the different strategies necessary in games without the DH.

T.J. Zuppe of CBS Cleveland noted Indians manager Terry Francona stated before Game 3 he doesn’t “necessarily agree” with how the DH rule is handled in the World Series.

“I just think you set your team up the way you set it up and then you get to the most important games and you’re doing something different,” he said. “It’s a disadvantage. It doesn’t mean you can’t win.”

Of course, while it’s not ideal for the Indians to utilize Santana in left field, it would also be problematic for most National League teams to use a DH for the entire series after not building their roster to fill that void for the regular season. Schwarber is a unique case.

That’s why it would be difficult for Manfred to set the World Series standard one way or the other. As long as the designated hitter remains exclusive to the American League, the fairest way to handle the Fall Classic is keeping the rules the same.

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Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, who grew up in a Chicago suburb, is hoping for the triumphant return of famed Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman during the 2016 World Series.

Kipnis was a Cubs fan as a child and discussed his memories from the infamous moment involving Bartman, Cubs left fielder Moises Alou and a foul ball during the 2003 National League Championship Series. The Indians infielder never blamed his fellow fan for the team’s eventual loss in the series, as relayed by ESPN.com on Tuesday.

“We have a joke,” Kipnis said. “The only thing I’m mad at Bartman for is missing an easy fly ball.”

The second baseman has struggled during the Indians’ postseason run with a .167 average and two home runs through the first two rounds. Cleveland will be banking on a bounce-back performance against Kipnis’ childhood team in the Fall Classic after the 29-year-old slugged 23 homers during the regular season.

As for Bartman, Kipnis believes things got out of hand in the heat of the moment and thinks the once-vilified fan would get a welcome reception if he returned now.

“He didn’t deserve that,” he said. “He never asked for all the stuff that probably happened to him afterward. I don’t think he deserved any of that. He was probably actually a pretty loyal fan and he wanted a ball, and it’s just the way events turns that turned him into this scapegoat.”

He added: “I would love to see him throw out a first pitch. Everyone would go nuts.”

Whether it will happen remains a mystery.

Bartman’s spokesman, Frank Murtha, told Ray Sanchez of CNN last week there have been offers for the longtime Cubs fan to profit off the moment. He’s turned those down, and it’s unlikely he’d return to Wrigley Field for any type of storybook ending to the 13-year-old saga.

“The likelihood that he would return to throw out a first ball or anything like that is probably slim, none and no chance,” Murtha said. “Steve’s goal in all this has been to return to a normal life and the fact that we’re still talking about it 13 years after the fact is nothing short of bizarre.”

Instead, Bartman “wishes the Cubs well and has no interest in being any distraction from whatever happens to them,” according to Murtha. He still lives in the Chicago area, but he has kept a low profile away from the spotlight since the night that became etched in Cubs postseason lore.

Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for Tuesday night in Cleveland. The first game in Chicago, Game 3, will be Friday night.

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