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The Chicago Cubs and President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein reportedly agreed to a long-term contract extension Wednesday. 

Bruce Levine of 670 The Score and Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reported Epstein’s new deal with the Cubs is for five years.      

USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reported the deal is expected to be worth more than $50 million. 

Epstein, 42, joined the Cubs after the 2011 season and has promptly built a World Series contender, largely through a combination of smart drafting and savvy moves in free agency. The team made the postseason in 2015, ending a six-year playoff drought, though it lost to the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

The Cubs got off to a strong start in 2016, going 17-5 in April, and are the only MLB team to win at least 100 games this season. They won the NL Central for the first time since 2008. 

Before joining the Cubs, Epstein spent 10 seasons as the Boston Red Sox general manager, helping build two championship rosters (2004, 2007) and ending the team’s title drought that dated back to 1918.

The Cubs are hoping he can build the team that finally ends their title drought that dates back even further, to 1908.

While Epstein knows expectations are high in Chicago, he’s trying to keep everything in perspective, as he told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune:

The expectations thing, I know it can kind of create this subtext that hangs over the club with every two-game losing streak or every game that goes wrong or every injury. People try to put it in context that the ultimate goal is the World Series.

But the reality is that’s not how we feel internally. We know it’s a grind. We know it’s a process. We know what we’re shooting for. We’re here to win the World Series. But you don’t think about that on a daily basis. You think about the challenges the game presents, how you can overcome those and coming together as a team and as an organization and working your tail off to move forward and progress. That’s what drives us.

In the end, if you don’t win the World Series, you’re very disappointed. If you do, it’s worthwhile because you focused on the journey.

Without question, Epstein is one of the top executives in baseball and has worked wonders with the Cubs in his time at the organization. Locking him up for the long haul was a smart move from the team, as Epstein will continue building around the team’s established superstars, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, along with one of baseball’s strongest supporting casts.

Ultimately, the Lovable Losers are hoping Epstein can help them shed that old nickname altogether.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter. 

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Tim Tebow took his next steps toward trying to reach Major League Baseball by going 1-for-6 with a solo home run in his first instructional league game as a member of the New York Mets against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

Any doubters were silenced, at least in Tebow’s first at-bat. The former Heisman Trophy winner hit a home run on the first pitch he saw, driving the ball over the wall in left-center field. 

Making Tebow’s homer even more impressive is that it came off a left-handed pitcher, and he went the other way with the pitch. 

While Tebow does deserve all of the praise for hitting that first pitch out, Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel shared his thoughts on the Cardinals pitcher:

SB Nation’s Michael Katz was able to humorously equate Tebow’s prolific power to an MLB legend:

The Cespedes Family BBQ podcast jokingly speculated about Tebow helping the Mets in October if they are able to make the postseason:

Before we get Tebow’s bust ready for Cooperstown, Joe Trezza of MLB.com did run down the list of players who homered in their first-ever at-bat at the MLB level:

A home run in your first at-bat doesn’t guarantee any kind of success, regardless of the level of baseball at which it occurs. Tebow still has a long way to go while learning the craft of playing the game, and things will only get more difficult when he moves up the minor league ladder. 

Things did calm down for Tebow after that home run. He followed it up by grounding into a double play, grounding out to shortstop, hitting a hard liner to center that was caught and grounding out to third base in his final plate appearance.   

Tebow also played in left field for five innings, though he didn’t have many chances to showcase his defensive skills. 

Per ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin, Tebow’s only defensive chance came when he cut off a ground ball that held a St. Louis hitter to a single. 

After a three-inning game Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday’s contest, Tebow’s confidence as a baseball player seemed like it was as high as it has been since his workout in August.

“I feel like every day I’m getting a little more comfortable,” Tebow said, per Bill Whitehead of the AP. “It’s great just to see live pitching and get live at-bats. I’m just getting a little bit better every day. That’s the goal.” 

This is a perfect setting for Tebow to continue honing his skills as a baseball player because instructional league games are a low-key environment with young minor leaguers still developing and an occasional veteran MLB player rehabbing injuries. 

Tebow won’t be hitting a homer every day, but as long as he is showing improvement as a baseball player, the Mets’ investment in him will give him a chance to make the 25-man roster at some point. 

It’s going to take Tebow at least two years because of the difficult nature of baseball. He also hasn’t played in an organized setting since his junior year of high school, so the acclimation process is going to take some time, but the first homer showed there is something for the Mets and Tebow to build off going forward.

Post-Game Reaction

In a funny bit on social media, Cardinals pitcher John Kilichowski had some words for Tebow about the first-pitch homer he allowed:

As he is known to be, Tebow was very positive about the way his professional baseball debut went. 

“It was fun,” Tebow said, per USA Today. “I just wanted to have the approach that I was going to be aggressive,” Tebow said. “That’s something that we’ve been talking about here every day and practicing it.”

While the solo homer will get most of the attention because it was his only hit in six at-bats, Tebow was encouraged by most of his plate appearances.

“I liked a lot of my at-bats today,” Tebow said. “I hit the ball really hard four out of the six times. … Four of the at-bats I felt really, really good about. Didn’t swing at any breaking balls, didn’t feel like I got fooled seeing it out of the (pitcher’s) hand.”

Baseball is a game built on adjustments. As he gets more at-bats and scouting reports come out, his ability to make adjustments and attack offspeed stuff will determine how far he goes. 

For now, though, Tebow can enjoy owning his first professional home run.

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For the first time since 2007, the Cleveland Indians are the champions of the American League Central thanks to their 7-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday.

The victory immediately led to plenty of celebration in the locker room, as Matt Loede of NEO Sports Insiders and Dave Chudowsky of WKYC shared:

First baseman Mike Napoli provided his thoughts while celebrating, per Dennis Manoloff of Cleveland.com:

As the team’s Twitter account noted, the magic number was officially zero:

Following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ triumph in the NBA Finals, the city has apparently turned around its sports fortunes in the past year, as Rep. Marcia L. Fudge noted:

Tom Withers of the Associated Press broke down the season as a whole:

The Indians have been on the cusp of a breakout since 2013, when they made the playoffs but were shut out by Alex Cobb and the Tampa Bay Rays in a 4-0 Wild Card Game defeat.

Horrible starts out of the gate in each of the following two years left Cleveland with huge holes to dig out of, though the Indians finished over .500 in both 2014 and 2015.

The Indians appeared to be facing an uphill climb in 2016 after learning All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley would miss the beginning of the season after undergoing surgery to repair his ailing right shoulder in November.

The front office made some moves during the offseason—signing Napoli and Rajai Davis, most notably—hoping to bolster the lineup until Brantley’s return.

Brantley briefly returned for 11 games before his shoulder flared up again in May, eventually requiring season-ending surgery, but the Indians were in a better place offensively with an All-Star performance from shortstop Francisco Lindor, a breakout season from Jose Ramirez, a return to form for Napoli, continued excellence from second baseman Jason Kipnis and a career year from Carlos Santana.

Ramirez, in particular, drew praise for filling the void Branley’s injury left in the lineup, per T.J. Zuppe of 92.3 The Fan:

One of the season’s best stories took place from June 17 through July 1, when the Indians reeled off a franchise-best 14-game winning streak that they capped off with a 19-inning marathon win against the Toronto Blue Jays:

Seeing the year was going in its favor, Cleveland’s front office became major players at the trade deadline by acquiring Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees to bolster its relief corps.

Adversity hit the Indians starting rotation down the stretch, when Danny Salazar, who earned a spot in the All-Star Game after posting a 2.75 ERA in the first half of the season, battled injuries in August and September that limited him to just eight starts.

Carlos Carrasco’s season ended prematurely when a line drive off Ian Kinsler’s bat hit his pitching hand on the second pitch of a Sept. 17 game against the Detroit Tigers.

After that game, which the Indians won 1-0 on the strength of nine relief pitchers, manager Terry Francona told reporters what he said after Carrasco exited the contest.

“I called [bullpen coach Jason Bere] down there and said, ‘Tell them to put their seat belts on, because they’re all going to pitch, and we’re going to win,'” Francona said, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and Jason Beck.

That’s a fitting quote for this year’s Cleveland team, which has been forced to use a next-man-up mentality since spring training—and has used it to great success.

One reason the Indians have continued to play at a high level is the bullpen, which has become one of baseball’s best since Miller’s arrival, as MLB showed:

Given the increased importance of relievers in October, as the Kansas City Royals‘ run to the World Series last year demonstrated, the Indians have the right formula to continue the AL Central’s postseason dominance.

It also helps to have a Cy Young candidate such as Corey Kluber leading the rotation and a lineup that has exceeded expectations all year.

The city’s 52-year championship drought ended in June, when the Cavaliers captured their first NBA title.

The Indians will enter MLB’s postseason with a chance to end their 68-year World Series drought and solidify Cleveland’s place as the city of champions in 2016.

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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was one of three people declared dead Sunday after a boating accident. 

He was 24.

“The Miami Marlins organization is devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez,” a team statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.”

Sunday’s game at Marlins Park against the Atlanta Braves has been canceled.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred also released a statement:

All of baseball is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. He was one of our game’s great young stars who made a dramatic impact on and off the field since his debut in 2013. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Miami Marlins organization and all of the people he touched in his life.

The Miami sports community was quick to offer condolences. According to NFL.com, the Miami Dolphins will have a moment of silence in remembrance before their game Sunday and sent out a tweet:

The Miami Heat shared a similar message:

The news also created a ripple effect across baseball, with a number of former teammates, teams and other prominent figures reacting:

Adam Peterson of Purple Row reminisced about Fernandez’s talent and infectious joy:

ESPN.com reported on Tuesday that “a bag of baseballs autographed by [Fernandez] washed ashore on Miami Beach on Monday, according to law enforcement officials.”

A Cuban defector who made multiple life-threatening attempts to leave the country to pursue his baseball dream, Fernandez saved his mother from drowning during their successful trip to the United States.

In 2014, Fernandez’s grandmother saw him pitch for the first time since he left the country. Just last year, he became a United States citizen. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.

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A year after they imploded down the stretch, the Washington Nationals put the clamps on a division title, clinching the National League East on Saturday with a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets‘ 10-8 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The win moved the Nationals to 90-64 on the year, while the Mets dropped to 82-73.

The division crown is Washington’s fourth in franchise history and third since the team moved from Montreal to the nation’s capital.

The Nationals’ official Twitter account relayed several shots of the team reveling in the glory of its accomplishment on Saturday night: 

Olympic swimming sensation Katie Ledecky also chimed in after Bryce Harper was spotted wearing a swim cap with her name on it: 

The Nationals were nine games up on the Mets when their chief NL East rivals made a trip to town Sept. 12 for a three-game series, and manager Dusty Baker’s club made a statement by winning two of three. 

“It’s real big,” center fielder Trea Turner said, per MASNSports.com’s Mark Zuckerman. “It’s the last time we’re going to play them. If they sweep us, it could be a lot different situation. Winning this series has, I think, been very big for us.”

The Nationals, who rank fourth in the NL in runs scored, have been buoyed by a balanced attack at the plate, though Harper entered Saturday batting just .243/.376/.442 with 24 home runs and 82 RBI.

Daniel Murphy—who signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the Nationals over the offseason—has mashed the ball, though. With the season drawing to a close, the MVP candidate is batting .347/.391/.596 with 25 home runs, 104 RBI and an NL-best 47 doubles.

“He’s been more than I think anybody dreamed that he would be,” Baker said, per CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Daniel Shiferaw.

Catcher Wilson Ramos has also been a revelation for the Nationals. A year after he batted just .229 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI, the 29-year-old has posted a .304 average, 22 dingers and 80 RBI while serving as a steady presence behind the plate.

Washington’s pitching staff has been similarly strong, ranking second in the NL in ERA. The Nationals bullpen has also thrived, posting the second-best ERA in the NL.

Max Scherzer has been potent with a 2.82 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while leading the National League in strikeouts en route to posting an 18-7 record.

The Nationals have the depth and firepower to challenge for the pennant in October, though besting the Chicago Cubs—whom they’re 2-5 against this season—won’t be an easy task. Washington will likely face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. 

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The Seattle Mariners announced they have suspended catcher Steve Clevenger without pay for the remainder of the regular season after he sent a series of offensive tweets Thursday.

“As soon as we became aware of the tweets posted by Steve Clevenger yesterday we began to examine all of our options in regard to his standing on the team,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement Friday. “Today we have informed him that he is suspended for the remainder of the season without pay.”

In tweets that have since been deleted, Clevenger appeared to make references to the unrest in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a police officer shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott.

“Black people beating whites when a thug got shot holding a gun by a black officer haha s–t cracks me up! Keep kneeling for the Anthem!” he wrote, according to the Seattle Times‘ Matt Pentz.

The second tweet reportedly referenced the Black Lives Matter movement and President Barack Obama.

“BLM is pathetic once again,” Clevenger said. “Obama you are pathetic once again! Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals.”

After Clevenger’s tweets made the rounds, he issued a statement of apology, as shared by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

“The Seattle Mariners are very disappointed at the tweets posted on Steve Clevenger’s account,” Dipoto said in a statement Thursday. “While he is certainly free to express himself, his tweets do not in any way represent the opinions of the Seattle Mariners. We strongly disagree with the language and tone of his comments.”

The 30-year-old is on the 60-day disabled list and hasn’t appeared in a game since June 29 after he fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand.

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MLB suspended San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller on Thursday for 30 days, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported earlier in the day members of San Diego’s front office could face punishment for failing to properly disclose players’ medical information when negotiating trades with other teams.

In a statement on MLB.com, the league cited the July trade that sent pitcher Drew Pomeranz to the Boston Red Sox:

Major League Baseball has completed an investigation into the July 14th transaction in which [Pomeranz] was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Boston Red Sox. MLB’s Department of Investigations conducted the thorough review, which included interviews with relevant individuals from both Clubs. The findings were submitted to Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

As a result of this matter, Major League Baseball announced today that A.J. Preller, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Padres, has received a 30-day suspension without pay.

MLB considers the matter closed and will have no further comment.

The Padres released the following statements after the announcement:

According to Olney, the Red Sox, along with the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox, complained about potential deception by the Padres.

Olney explained that MLB teams are supposed to log any medical information about a player into the Athlete Health Management System (formerly known as Sutton Medical System). The database is then used by other teams interested in trading for a certain player. The Padres, however, used a separate database in addition to the Sutton Medical System to gain a competitive edge:

The athletic trainers were told to post the details of any disabled-list-related medical situations on MLB’s central system, but they also were instructed to keep the specifics about preventive treatments only on the Padres’ internal notes. One source defined the distinction in this way: If a player was treated for a sore hamstring or shoulder without being placed on the disabled list, that sort of information was to be kept in-house, for use within the organization only.

According to the two sources with direct knowledge of the meetings, the athletic trainers were told that by splitting the medical files into two categories, the Padres would benefit in trade discussions.

After going 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts with San Diego this year, Pomeranz was 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 11 starts in Boston entering Thursday. His FIP has also climbed over a full run (4.81) from his half-season with the Padres (3.14), per Baseball-Reference.com.

“Sources within the Boston organization say it wasn’t until after the deal was made that they became aware of some of the preventive measures that had been provided for Pomeranz,” Olney wrote.

Colin Rea is a more clear-cut case of the Padres’ strategy backfiring. San Diego agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins on July 29, which sent Rea and Andrew Cashner to South Florida. Days later, the Marlins traded Rea back to the Padres in exchange for pitching prospect Luis Castillo.

Rea exited his only start with the Marlins on July 30 with right elbow soreness and hasn’t pitched since.

It’s not a stretch to say Preller’s job could be in jeopardy.

Hardball Talk’s Craig Calcaterra highlighted one potential problem the GM will face going forward:

Preller’s 30-day suspension comes on top of what has been an underwhelming two years with the team.

His initial strategy to turn the Padres into a World Series contender overnight failed, as almost all of his marquee moves were busts. San Diego gave up the farm to add Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, Derek Norris, Matt Kemp, B.J. Upton and Wil Myers.

In return, the team won 74 games in 2015 and had a 62-84 record this year entering Thursday. While Preller bolstered the minor league system by flipping Kimbrel and trading Pomeranz, few teams have a bleaker long-term outlook than San Diego.

If ownership was looking for any more pretext to consider firing Preller, the revelations about the Padres’ trade tactics could be the tipping point that results in his departure.

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The New York Yankees reportedly added another bat to their roster for the stretch run Wednesday.

Citing sources, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported the Bronx Bombers signed Billy Butler to a deal. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed the news.

This comes after the Oakland Athletics released the designated hitter Sunday, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Butler struggled with Oakland this season, slashing .276/.331/.403 with four home runs and 31 RBI in 85 games. The production was a far cry from the numbers he put up for the Kansas City Royals in his prime, when he hit .313 and drilled 29 home runs with 107 RBI in 2012.

He was part of the Royals team that reached the World Series in 2014 before losing to the San Francisco Giants.

In all, the 30-year-old is slashing .289/.354/.441 with 146 homers in his career.

It wasn’t just a drop-off in his power numbers that preceded Oakland’s decision to release Butler. Slusser chronicled a fight he had with then-teammate Danny Valencia in August.

Slusser cited multiple sources who said Butler told an equipment representative that Valencia lied about using off-brand cleats only during pregame warm-ups and “allegedly told the representative that the company should drop Valencia’s endorsement deal.”

The players then pushed each other before Valencia reportedly hit Butler in the head.

Rosenthal suggested the Yankees will use their newly acquired hitter against left-handers, whom they will face seven times in the next 11 contests. However, Butler has hit three of his four home runs this year and 26 of his 39 long balls from 2013 to 2015 against righties, per ESPN.com.

As of Wednesday, the Yankees were four games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League East and two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL’s final wild-card spot.

Butler hasn’t been the force he once was during the 2016 campaign, but he is a proven bat who can help an offense that has struggled for much of the year. As of Wednesday, New York’s 610 runs scored ranked 22nd in the big leagues.    

Butler may not be a season-saving presence in the lineup, but the Yankees offense needs a boost as the club chases a playoff spot.    

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Tim Tebow‘s dream of pursuing a baseball career will continue as the former NFL quarterback and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league contract Thursday.

The Mets announced the deal, noting that Tebow will participate in the instructional league. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the agreement. 

“This decision was strictly driven by baseball,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters after the announcement. “This was not driven by marketing considerations.”

Alderson called Tebow “a classic player development opportunity for us,” comparing him to Seth Lugo and T.J. Rivera, adding that “the idea that any one player has no chance to make it to MLB, I reject.”

Tebow will start in the instructional league on Sept. 18, per Marc Carig of Newsday, with Alderson noting that Tebow “won’t be available every day” due to his commitments with ESPN.

“This is something I don’t take for granted and I am excited about,” Tebow said at the press conference. “I’m looking forward to getting to work.”

When asked about his expectations for success, Tebow said he “would consider success giving it everything I have.”

Tebow, 29, held an open tryout Aug. 30 in front of scouts from 28 of the 30 MLB teams. Playing in a simulated game, Tebow flashed raw power and left some scouts impressed—though, in Tebowian fashion, opinions were split.

“It was a complete waste of time,” an American League scout told USA Today‘s Josh Peter. “It was like watching an actor trying to portray a baseball player. He tried. He tried. That’s the best I can say. He is crazy strong and could run well in one direction, but that’s it. He only had one good throw of all his throws.”

“That was big power,” another scout, who had a more positive outlook, told Peter. “He was mishitting the ball out of the park.”

While few walked out of the tryout thinking they were stumbling on a potential superstar, one thing became clear: Tebow was getting signed.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that eight teams were trying to bring in Tebow. The Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays emerged as the likeliest potential suitors. Atlanta was particularly aggressive, even courting Tebow publicly. Rosenthal also noted one team was eliminated from contention due to their unwillingness to agree to Tebow’s schedule requests. 

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported that the “Tebow field was narrowed to five teams” before he signed with the Mets, adding that “interest was significant.”

“He has demonstrated more than rudimentary baseball skills.” Alderson said of Tebow. “We think he can be a baseball player.”

Tebow, by contrast, wasn’t able to stick on an NFL roster after his run with the New York Jets in 2012. He had seemingly settled into a broadcasting role, which included well-received turns on the SEC Network and even a stint on Good Morning America.

Tebow said the following of baseball, per Peter:

This is something I love to do, and I think when you have that mindset, it lets you be free to just go out there and compete. It lets you be free to do what a lot of people think you can’t do. When you don’t have that (fear), it lets you be able to be free to pursue life and what you’re passionate about, not what other people think you should do.

Tebow hasn’t played competitive baseball since high school, but we’ve learned we can never count him out.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.

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Veteran outfielder Coco Crisp is heading back to his original team, as the Oakland Athletics traded him to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for left-handed pitcher Colt Hynes.

The Athletics announced the deal after the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com) first reported it Tuesday night. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported Crisp will join the Indians on Thursday and be added to the roster on Friday.

According to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, the Indians will only pay for around $500,000 of Crisp’s salary, and the A’s are responsible for the rest.

Crisp is hitting .234 with 11 home runs, 47 RBI and seven stolen bases, which represents a solid bounce-back campaign after an injury-plagued 2015 season that saw him hit just .175 in 44 contests.

The 36-year-old veteran possesses some pop, has decent speed and is a slightly above-average defensive player in left field in terms of defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.

Crisp also has 31 games of playoff experience, including a World Series ring, which he won with the Boston Red Sox in 2007. Cleveland traded the Los Angeles native to Boston in 2006 after three-plus seasons.

While Crisp has enjoyed some decent years since, including time with the Kansas City Royals and A’s, he has never returned to the form he displayed during his final two campaigns with Cleveland. He hit .299 with an average of 16 homers, 70 RBI and 18 stolen bases per year in that span.

Although the Indians aren’t expecting that type of production, Crisp provides outfield depth. Rajai Davis, Tyler Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall represent a below-average starting outfield to begin with, while Brandon Guyer and Abraham Almonte sit behind them.

Michael Brantley is out for the season due to a right shoulder injury, while Almonte is ineligible for the postseason due to an 80-game suspension he served for performance-enhancing drugs.

That left Cleveland with limited outfield flexibility entering the playoffs, but Crisp helps alleviate that.

He won’t be a difference-maker in winning the World Series, but having a player with his level of big-game experience should be a big help for a young Indians team.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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