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The Rangers announced they’ve designated reliever Grant Anderson for assignment. The move opens the necessary 40-man roster spot for Joc Pederson, who has officially signed his $37MM free agent deal.
Anderson has been on the roster since May 2023. The low-slot righty has made 49 appearances has made 49 big league appearances as an up-and-down reliever. His major league work hasn’t been great, as he has allowed 6.35 earned runs per nine over 62 1/3 innings. Anderson’s respective strikeout (21.5%) and walk (8.8%) rates aren’t far off league average. He has had massive home run issues, though, giving up 16 longballs (2.31 per nine innings) in his major league career.
That hasn’t been as big a problem in the minors. Anderson didn’t allow a single homer over 27 2/3 Triple-A innings this year. He fanned 28.3% of minor league opponents and turned in a sub-3.00 ERA in the Pacific Coast League. Anderson has a 3.87 mark over parts of three seasons for the organization’s top affiliate in Round Rock.
After the New Year, the Rangers will have a week to trade Anderson or attempt to run him through waivers. The 27-year-old has just over one year of major league service. He has one option remaining, so another team could keep him in Triple-A next season if they’re willing to carry him on the 40-man roster.
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Red Sox hold key advantage in race for postseason berth
After putting together a highly successful road trip through the Bronx and Baltimore, the Boston Red Sox will now employ one of their top advantages of the 2025 season. Heading into Friday's home series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates (with pitching prospect Payton Tolle set to make his MLB debut against National League Cy Young Award favorite Paul Skenes), the Red Sox just finished a portion of their schedule where they played 14 of 19 games away from Fenway Park. That includes the just-completed road trip, during which the Red Sox went 7-1 against the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. With a road-heavy schedule behind them, Boston will settle into the comforts of Fenway Park for most of the next month. Beginning on Friday, only 12 of the Red Sox's 27 remaining games will be played on the road. That's great news for a Boston team that has been among MLB's best at home this season, posting a 41-25 record. The Red Sox's September schedule includes a trio of key home series against the Cleveland Guardians, Yankees and a three-game set with the Detroit Tigers that closes out the regular season. Depending on how the rest of the season unfolds, that final series could not only be pivotal for Boston's postseason chances but also be a potential preview of an American League matchup in October. Before a mid-August series against the Orioles in Boston, Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke on several issues. Still, he mentioned his team's solid play at home this season as a change from previous years. "What we've been talking about the whole time, we have to be better at home. We have to, and that's what makes it great and we're doing that," Cora said. "Every day you come here, we're excited about it. There were a few times over the last three years that we weren't good here at Fenway Park. We're enjoying it." Cora went on to explain that the presence of third baseman Alex Bregman (now with Boston after signing as a free agent) and shortstop Trevor Story (fully recovered from injuries that saw him play in just 26 games last season) in the middle of the order was making a big difference in their success. Last season, the Red Sox were 38-43 at Fenway Park, so this year's home record is a big reason why Boston is back in the playoff chase. Simply put, the Red Sox's road to the postseason runs through Fenway Park. If Boston can keep up their winning ways at home, it bodes well for what October could bring.
Jelena Ostapenko responds to racism allegations after post-match confrontation with Taylor Townsend
A heated post-match exchange between former World No. 5 Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend marred an otherwise action-filled fourth day of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. After Townsend defeated the 2017 French Open champion in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, Ostapenko accused her opponent of unsportsmanlike conduct, pointing out that the American didn't apologize when a net cord helped her win a crucial point earlier in the match. The Latvian wrote on social media that Townsend "was very disrespectful" and didn't show the proper etiquette expected of a pro tennis player. "If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants," she wrote in a scathing address of Townsend. Townsend offered more details on their post-match confrontation, which led to some suggesting she was racially targeted. "She told me I have no class and no education, and to see what happens if we play each other outside the U.S.," Townsend revealed. Townsend refused to call Ostapenko a racist. "I didn't take it in that way," she said, via BBC. "But also that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated, and all of the things, when it's the furthest thing from the truth. Whether it had racial undertones or not, that's something she can speak on." Ostapenko was widely lambasted on social media, with even World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka asking her to control her emotions. The under-attack Latvian responded to allegations of her being a racist, while reaffirming her stance on Townsend disrespecting her during the match. "I was never racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn't matter where you come from," she wrote on social media. Townsend will next face Russian teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva in the third round. The World No. 46 American is trying to reach the fourth round of her home major for the first time since 2019.
Post-Ashton Jeanty era gets off to brutal start for No. 25 Boise State
There had to be at least some expectation that the Boise State Broncos were going to take a small step backwards in 2025. They probably just did not expect it to happen so soon in the season, and so emphatically. The No. 25 ranked Broncos were absolutely humiliated on Thursday night, losing 34-7 to an unranked South Florida team that was just 7-6 a year ago. It was a rude awakening for what might be ahead for Boise State following the departure of Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty's historic season helped carry the Broncos to an 12-1 regular season, with the only regular season loss being a three-point defeat to Oregon early in the season. They ended up in the College Football Playoff where they lost their first game to Penn State. But with Jeanty on to the NFL (a first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders) there was always going to be a huge hole for them to replace. Not only in terms of production and skill, but also in their identity. They had none of that power-running identity on Thursday. Not only did they allow 34 consecutive points to South Florida, but the Broncos also managed to rush for only 122 yards on 38 carries, coming out to just 3.2 yards per attempt. They averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2024, tied for the second-highest mark in college football. On one hand, losing an early season game isn't the end of the world, especially in the era of expanded playoffs. Boise State could still run the table the rest of the way with a very manageable schedule and play its way back into playoff contention. It's also not uncommon for teams to struggle early in the season. There is no preseason in college football and everybody is just coming in cold right into real games. Sometimes teams take a while to get moving. But this is not a particularly good South Florida team, and for Boise State to come out so flat and be so uncompetitive in the opener is a bad sign for what might be ahead.
Jerry Jones Has a ‘1-Word’ Response to How Other Cowboys Players Can Get Contract Extension After Micah Parsons Saga
Jerry Jones remains adamant that he handled Micah Parsons‘ contract negotiations perfectly, despite handing the edge rusher over to a team that humiliated the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs a little over a year ago. The veteran owner asserted that his approach to future contract talks will stay the same. Jones and Parsons had a verbal agreement in place regarding his extension in April. Parsons had no qualms about the number he was offered, but he wanted to run it by his agent, David Mulugheta, before making the deal official. The Cowboys brass did not receive the memo. An emotionally hurt Parsons requested a trade. He wanted to leave the Dallas franchise. Several teams inquired about him. The Green Bay Packers eventually offered the best deal. Jones agreed to do business with the Packers because the NFC North side had the necessary cap space to pay Parsons. We only picked teams that had room on their cap, that can pay Micah, and we only picked teams that had top tackles. Interior tackles… that we wanted to have any dialog at all about a trade. That was the criteria of trading. Top existing tackle that could come in here and play for us right now. Jerry Jones said (H/T: FOX Sports) According to inside sources, Parsons had a $40 million deal on the table from the Cowboys. He declined to accept the terms. The Packers offered him a $47 million/year contract in exchange for two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark. Clark is a three-time Pro Bowler with nine years of experience under his belt. However, he only logged 37 total tackles and 1 sack in 2024. Meanwhile, Parsons sacked NFL quarterbacks 12 times despite missing four games last year. Jerry Jones will continue to play hardball with player contracts Jones’ press conference following the trade explained his thought process that went into dealing with Parsons and his agent, or the lack of it. Will he take lessons and revise his way of handling player contracts? Unfortunately, Jerry Jones prefers dealing with players as if he’s negotiating in the 1990s. Quarterback Dak Prescott faced it, and so did CeeDee Lamb, Dez Bryant, and Emmitt Smith before them. And it’s likely to continue in 2026 when the Cowboys have to hold talks with DaRon Bland, Donovan Wilson, Dante Fowler Jr., CJ Goodwin, and a few others. There’s every possibility that these guys might experience the same as Parsons next year. So, what should they do when the time arrives? Jones, with a smirk on his face, said, “Ask Dak.” Prescott’s standoff lasted the entire 2024 offseason. He eventually signed a $61.5 million AAV deal to become the highest-paid quarterback ever. When you’re here in this organization, this is just how you see things are done, whether they’re right, wrong or whoever has their view about them. But what I think that does help is allow us just to stay focused on our jobs and understanding that us putting energy towards any of that doesn’t help. Dak Prescott said (H/T: Fansided) It’s unclear whether Prescott faced the same situation as Parsons or whether he was ever on the verge of a trade. Judging by the Pro Bowler’s latest statement, there may be hidden details that the Cowboys’ front office doesn’t want the general public to find out. Regardless, Parsons is no longer a Cowboy, which complicates their position in the NFC. With the Philadelphia Eagles waiting to host them in week one, they must quickly find another LB who can fill in until Clark gets the hang of Matt Eberflus’ defensive playbook.
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