The San Francisco Giants have signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Cahill to a minor league contract and have invited him to spring training, the team announced Wednesday.

Cahill, 31, joined the Los Angeles Angels on a one-year, $9 million contract in December 2018 but posted a 6.92 ERA in his first 11 starts and spent the final four months in an inconsequential bullpen role.

Cahill was a consistent starter early in his career, averaging 186 innings and a 3.89 ERA for the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks from 2009 to 2013. He struggled the next two years, became an effective reliever for the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and was inconsistent with the San Diego Padres and the Kansas City Royals the following season.

Cahill again found success when he rejoined the A's in 2018, posting a 3.76 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 110 innings, the vast majority of which came as a starting pitcher. A ground ball pitcher by trade, Cahill has averaged 3.7 walks and 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his 11-year career, going 84-92 with a 4.21 ERA.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.

The Toronto Blue Jays say they are investigating the recent arrest of catcher Reese McGuire, following a report that he allegedly exposed himself outside a Florida strip mall.

"The Blue Jays are aware of the recent police incident involving catcher Reese McGuire," the team said in a statement. "He has been in communication with the club and we are working to gather more information. Out of respect for the legal process, neither he nor the club will comment any further at this time."

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office told Sportsnet that McGuire was arrested Friday after he was seen inside an SUV allegedly exposing himself in the parking lot of a Dunedin, Florida, strip mall. McGuire was given a notice to appear in court March 16, according to the report.

McGuire, 24, played in 30 games for the Blue Jays last season, hitting .299 with five home runs and 11 RBIs.

I'll be doing a good bit of MLB analysis here at ESPN, so it makes sense as I'm walking in the door to do a status check on the offseason as a whole. Most teams did a reasonable execution of their offseason to-do lists, but a handful of teams stand out to me, either because of an offseason-defining move, a particularly strong execution of their plan, or their level of resources in play this offseason were a clear notch higher or lower than usual.

Here are the teams who won and lost this hot stove season, with a special shoutout to the biggest winner ... and loser:

Sponsored post: Spinal Research charity runner seeks SuperRunner success

A Spinal Research charity runner is aiming to become the first ‘SuperRunner’ by completing the inaugural SuperHalfs series in 2020.

Robin Plowman is the charity’s events manager and an avid runner who has represented Spinal Research at numerous events over the past decade, raising over £7,000 in the process. His challenge for this year is to run the new SuperHalfs series where participants complete half-marathons in Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen, Cardiff and Valencia throughout the year.

Referring to the challenge, Robin said: “I’ve worked at Spinal Research since 2010 and have always tried, where possible, to not only support the hundreds of runners we have each year, but get involved and share the experience with them. Our runners go on a journey when they sign up to an event, from training and fundraising, through to the event itself. By being with them and leading by example I could support them better and at the same time raise vital funds for Spinal Research to conduct their life changing research.”

He added: “When we got the opportunity to invest in the SuperHalfs as a charity at the very start I was so excited to be involved in an amazing event series. We’d all love to complete the World Marathon Majors, but costs, locations, training time and availability of places leaves it out of reach for most people. So a European half-marathon series is much more appealing to me and many others, so much so I’ve encouraged my running friends and our charity supporters to sign up and join me on the adventure. I think everyone can become a ‘SuperRunner’!”

The SuperHalfs is a way of sending you and other regular runners off on your own running adventure. It’s a series of five glorious half-marathons that will take you to Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen, Cardiff and Valencia. Not for the headlines, not for a chance to take your place on the podium, but for the fun of running, the thrill of travel and for the joy of saying “I did it!”. All of the SuperHalfs events are World Athletics’ Gold Label races or are run on World Athletics (IAAF) World Championship courses. They are certified by AIMS or have been awarded a 5 Star Road Race standard by European Athletics.

Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding medical research into treatments for the devastating, and life-changing, effects of spinal cord injury on daily living such as breathing, hand movement, sexual function, and bladder and bowel control.

If you’d like to sponsor Robin for this super challenge, use the JustGiving link below. To follow in his footsteps and run one or more of the SuperHalfs, please visit the Spinal Research website for more information or get in touch with the events team.

www.justgiving.com/superhalfs2020
www.superhalfs.com
www.spinal-research.org/superhalfs

[email protected]
020 7653 8935

Click here to view the Spinal Research listing on our ‘run for charity’ page.

17 Egyptians in galaxy of stars in Cairo
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

The world’s best female players will appear at the 2020 CIB Black Ball Squash Open between March 8-14, with the tournament being upgraded to a PSA World Tour Platinum event this season.

With 17 Egyptians in the draw, this year’s seeding is headed up by Egypt’s World No.1 Raneem El Welily, who defeated World Champion Nour El Sherbini at the Black Ball Sporting Club to win the inaugural women’s title in 2019.

World No.2 Nouran Gohar and World No.5 Nour El Tayeb are the other two Egyptian players in the hunt for the trophy, and the winner’s share of the $180,500 total prize fund.

Aiming to fend off the local players will be Tournament of Champions winner Camille Serme, New Zealand’s Joelle King, England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Nour Aboulmakarim and 25-year-old Salma Youssef have been named as the tournament wildcards.

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In addition to the trophy, the winner of the tournament will also qualify for the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals. The World Tour Finals brings together the world’s top eight male and female players and features the reigning World Champions as well as all PSA Platinum title winners.

The other places will be allocated to the highest ranked players on the Road to Egypt Standings, with points on offer at all PSA World Tour events throughout the 2019/20 season.

Action from the glass court stages at Black Ball Sporting Club will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe & Japan).

Tickets for the event will be released on Saturday February 15. In the meantime, fans can stay up-to-date will all the latest news from the tournament by visiting blackballsquashopen.com or following the Black Ball Open on Twitter.

PSA $180,000 Platinum Women’s CIB Black Ball Open, Black Ball Sporting Club, Cairo, Egypt, March 8-14.

Entry List:
1) Raneem El Welily (EGY)
2) Nouran Gohar (EGY)
3) Camille Serme (FRA)
4) Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
5) Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
6) Joelle King (NZL)
7) Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
8) Amanda Sobhy (USA)
9) Tesni Evans (WAL)
10) Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
11) Annie Au (HKG)
12) Joshna Chinappa (IND)
13) Salma Hany (EGY)
14) Alison Waters (ENG)
15) Victoria Lust (ENG)
16) Yathreb Adel (EGY)
17) Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
18) Nele Gilis (BEL)
19) Nadine Shahin (EGY)
20) Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
21) Tinne Gilis (BEL)
22) Joey Chan (HKG)
23) Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
24) Emily Whitlock (ENG)
25) Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
26) Nada Abbas (EGY)
27) Rachael Grinham (AUS)
28) Hollie Naughton (CAN)
29) Sabrina Sobhy (USA)
30) Mariam Metwally (EGY)
31) Coline Aumard (FRA)
32) Melissa Alves (FRA)
33) Donna Lobban (AUS)
34) Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
35) Lisa Aitken (SCO)
36) Mayar Hany (EGY)
37) Rachel Arnold (MAS)
38) Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
39) Tze Lok Ho (HKG)
40) Lucy Turmel (ENG)
41) Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
42) Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG)
43) Farida Mohamed (EGY)
44) Enora Villard (FRA)
45) Menna Nasser (EGY)
46) Rachael Chadwick (ENG)
Wildcard 1) Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)
Wildcard 2) Salma Youssef (EGY)  

Pictures courtesy of PSA and Black Ball Sporting Club 

The future of the second-tier Championship has been thrown into doubt after the Rugby Football Union slashed funding to its clubs.

Money has been cut from about £534,000 to a 2015-level £288,000 per club.

The RFU says targets that were given to the league have not been met.

Championship clubs say they are "disappointed" with the decision, with Bedford chairman Geoff Irvine describing it as Premiership ring-fencing "in all but name".

The decision to cut funding comes after reigning Premiership champions Saracens were relegated to the Championship following persistent salary cap breaches.

Newcastle Falcons, who were relegated from the top flight last season, are currently eight points clear at the top of the table after winning all 12 of their games and look to set win promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt.

What does the RFU say?

RFU boss Bill Sweeney said the the decision in 2015 to significantly raise Championship funding has been set against objectives and deliverables that "we do not believe have been achieved".

"This is a decision based on a principle of ensuring levels of investment are geared to a clear return on investment," he said.

"There are many worthy requirements from both the professional and community game and we need to make sure that every pound spent is clearly justified."

Despite fears from some Championship clubs that the decision marks a major step towards the 'ring-fencing' of the Premiership, the RFU insists that aspirational second-tier sides will still be able to fulfil their ambitions, regardless of this drastic cut in central revenue.

"Ultimately the difference in the levels of funding between the current agreement and our new commitment will not be the deciding factor for clubs with aspirations for promotion and will always require additional investment," Sweeney added.

"The gateway is still open for clubs to get into the Premiership if they have the necessary financial resources and meet the minimum standards required."

Furthermore, although a number of Premiership players have been developed in the Championship, Sweeney says the numbers are not substantial enough.

"The Championship is, and will continue to be, a useful way for players to get additional developmental experience, but we do not believe it is the primary place where Premiership and England players are discovered and developed."

How have the clubs reacted?

Bedford Blues chairman Irvine, whose side are eighth in the table, said the decision was "giving Premiership Rugby all that they want with regard to ring-fencing, in all but name and with none of the financial commitment or support".

He added: "The value of the Championship has not been recognised or rewarded by the RFU, in particular when you consider how many of the England playing squad started their playing careers in the Championship."

Meanwhile, Nottingham chairman Alistair Bow said in a statement that the RFU had offered no guarantee of funding beyond next season.

"It has come as somewhat of a surprise to most, if not all Championship clubs and it puts almost all clubs in a very difficult position," he said.

"There has been no warning, no opportunity for negotiation, or discussion and very little notice to be able to make informed business decisions on the back of it.

"The Nottingham Rugby board are extremely disappointed with the RFU announcement and subsequent reduction in funding, but we are even more disappointed and somewhat astounded at the underhand and deplorable way that we feel this has been communicated.

"To give Championship clubs next to no notice to be able to take action is not acceptable and we will be meeting urgently to review our strategy and consider our position going forwards."

London Scottish chairman Malcolm Offord said the RFU's decision would lead to "fundamental changes" to the league.

"The chairman, president and management at London Scottish will be in immediate consultation with all stakeholders to achieve the most positive outcome for the players and staff at the club," a London Scottish statement said.

GIBSONTON, Fla. — Certainly synonymous with winning, especially in an open-wheel machine, Kyle Larson nearly swept Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 action on Tuesday night at East Bay Raceway Park, leading every circuit of the inaugural Jean Lynch Classic presented by Winn-Dixie for a $5,000 payday.

The 30-lap triumph, the product of an outside-front row starting position, was just one portion of Larson’s near-domination to close-out the All Star’s Florida tour. Larson set time during qualifying followed by a convincing victory during the second of two dashes.

Capping an East Bay visit that concluded with back-to-back runner-up performances, Ian Madsen finished second on Tuesday night, followed by Rudeen Racing’s Cory Eliason, a hard-charging Aaron Reutzel, who advanced 10 positions, and Tony Stewart.

“My goal here as of lately was to get to the double-digit win mark in the (NASCAR) offseason and we were able to get No. 10 here tonight,” Larson said. “That’s not a bad stretch of races since Homestead ended. Hopefully we can move on and win a bunch of NASCAR races with Chip Ganassi Racing.”

Untouchable from start to finish, Larson’s only real challenges were in the form of cautions and lapped traffic, with the first caution appearing on lap seven and again on lap 29, ultimately setting up a two-lap dash to the finish.

Needless to say, the momentum shifts proved to be no harm to the familiar No. 57, keeping KCP Racing’s Ian Madsen in the rearview mirror the entire distance even when traffic hit its peak during a 22-lap green-flag stretch that extended until lap 29.

The caution with two circuits remaining erased a near-five second advantage for Larson.

“I just felt good all night long and it’s really fun to have a car like that. I was actually looking forward to traffic because I knew I had such a good car,” Larson said after his 10^th career All Star triumph. “I really didn’t want to see that last caution because the pace started to slow down in three and four and I was lapping guys around the bottom. You never know where second is, so you gotta figure they would probably go where I wasn’t. I was planning on going to the bottom so I was hoping they wouldn’t get around me. It all worked out great.”

The finish:

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson [2]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 3. 26-Cory Eliason [3]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [14]; 5. 14-Tony Stewart [5]; 6. 3C-Cale Conley [4]; 7. 13-Paul McMahan [7]; 8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [10]; 10. 5-Brent Marks [11]; 11. M1-Mark Smith [17]; 12. 4T-Terry McCarl [6]; 13. 48-Danny Dietrich [13]; 14. 28F-Davie Franek [12]; 15. 21-Brian Brown [9]; 16. 47X-Dylan Westbrook [15]; 17. 40-George Hobaugh [18]; 18. 44-Trey Starks [24]; 19. 1-Jamie Myers [16]; 20. 28-Tim Shaffer [22]; 21. 1080-Jordan Mackison [20]; 22. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [23]; 23. 4-Danny Smith [19]; 24. 15K-Chad Kemenah [21] Lap Leaders: Kyle Larson (1-30)

Iker Casillas intends to stand for election as president of the Spanish football federation, sources have told ESPN.

Reports first surfaced last month that the former Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper was considering running against incumbent Luis Rubiales, who was elected to the top job in 2018.

Casillas has not yet retired from playing and is at FC Porto, but has not featured for the club since suffering a heart attack in May 2019.

The 38-year-old held a meeting with Spanish sport's governing body Consejo Superior de Deportes in Madrid in recent days and, according to ESPN sources, told them that his idea is to stand in the forthcoming elections, expected in autumn this year.

The former Spain national team captain has spent the past month assessing the possible support he would receive, and is aware that the move from playing to sports administration would come quickly.

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Casillas would have the backing of La Liga president Javier Tebas -- who has been a vehement critic of Rubiales since his election -- as well as the president of the largest players' union, the Association of Spanish Footballers, David Aganzo, although their support will be discreet initially in case there is any change of plans.

Rubiales has been a divisive figure in his near two-year spell in charge of the Spanish football federation, having improved transparency at the organisation while also being involved in a number of controversial decisions.

He oversaw the departure of Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the 2018 World Cup, reappointed Luis Enrique as national team coach last year which led to a bitter row with his former assistant Robert Moreno, and took the Spanish Supercopa to Saudi Arabia in January.

The expectation is that Casillas will formally announce his candidacy and his retirement as a player in the coming weeks, provided there is no last-minute change of plans.

Casillas would need to be endorsed by at least 15 percent of the assembly, which is made up of 140 members, to run for president. When the vote takes place, Casillas would need a simple majority -- one more vote than Rubiales -- in the event there are only two candidates. From the announcement of the elections taking place until the vote itself, the process takes around 80 days.

ESPN has approached Casillas' agent for comment.

Information from ESPN Spain correspondent Adriana Garcia was used in this report