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The Toronto Blue Jays signed veteran right-hander Paolo Espino over the weekend, according to a report from MLB Network.
Sportsnet then reported late Saturday night that Espino will be joining the organization on a minor league deal.
Espino, who turns 37 on Jan. 10, has made 94 major league appearances (41 starts) across five seasons. He made three relief appearances for the Nationals in 2023, posting a 24.75 ERA without recording a decision.
Washington released Espino on Aug. 6.
For his major league career, Espino is 5-14 with a 5.01 ERA while spending time with the Milwaukee Brewers (2017), Texas Rangers (2017) and Nationals (2020-23).
More must-reads:
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Cardinals Struck Gold; Found St. Louis' Next Biggest Star
The St. Louis Cardinals have surprised people left and right this season. St. Louis may not make the playoffs this year, but there has been bright spots up and down the roster. For the Cardinals, one guy who has continued to be a breath of fresh air is young shortstop Masyn Winn. He's just 23 years old and should be the favorite to win the National League Gold Glove Award this upcoming offseason. Winn has been arguably the best overall defensive player in baseball this season. Throughout the season, a lot of the buzz has been about phenom JJ Wetherholt. Not too long ago, that was Winn being discussed. He's developed into a potential star for the team and Brendan Donovan certainly sounds excited, per MLB.com's John Denton. Cardinals phenom not named JJ Wetherholt has turned heads “He’s one of the best defenders I have ever seen in my life,” Donovan said. “You can talk about the arm strength, the accuracy of his throws, the carry on his throws, the mental clock in his head, the instincts, the awareness to read swings and be in the right spots, the aggressiveness -- his ability to do everything at a high level is incredibly impressive...I’m serious, he’s the best defender I’ve ever seen … and he’s only getting better.” This is coming from someone who has won a Gold Glove Award already and was an All-Star this season. If Donovan thinks this kid is good, there's not much else you could ask for. Manager Oli Marmol also got in the mix and praised Winn. “Usually when you have the range and arm and you get to what he gets to, it comes with a lot of errors,” Marmol said. “Not because you’re not a good defender, but because you do things others can’t, and it leads to a throw getting away. The fact that he gets to more than anybody and he’s still securing the baseball, it’s highly impressive.” The Cardinals have looked better than expected in the second half of the season after the trade deadline. They're fortunate to have Winn in the picture for years to come.
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
Oregon wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Ducks, and he is now in a terrible position heading into 2025 as well. Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning announced on Tuesday. Lanning also suggested that Dickey may not play for the Ducks again. "We have two team rules; that’s respectful, be on time,” Lanning said, via James Crepea of The Oregonian. “There’s some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us and we needed a break from that so we could focus on what’s in front of us right now. "Wishing him nothing but the best, as far as success and want to see him get back to where he can be a contributor somewhere; that might be here that might be somewhere else.” Dickey was a five-star recruit and rated as one of the top wide receivers in the country when he came out of Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California, in 2023. He suffered an injury in his senior year in high school and redshirted as a freshman at Oregon. Dickey has two catches for 14 years during his time with the Ducks. Oregon went 13-1 in Lanning's third season with the program last season. The Ducks lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Max Johnson reacts to Bill Belichick going to transfer portal for new QB
North Carolina's Bill Belichick has found himself in a very interesting situation as he gears up for his first season as a college football head coach. On one hand, he has what every new coach covets: An experienced quarterback with an NFL pedigree. That would be Max Johnson, the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson. Johnson missed a majority of the 2024 season after suffering a broken femur in the season opener, but he's healthy heading into this 2025 season and has 22 starts under his belt between stops at LSU and Texas A M. One would think Johnson would be UNC's clear starter, but he is coming off a catastrophic injury and only just recently got back to full-strength. On the other hand, one of Belichick's first moves at UNC was going into the transfer portal to bring in redshirt sophomore Gio Lopez from South Alabama to compete for the starting job. That's a move that could have easily rattled Johnson, but in an in-depth look at his recovery from that terrible femur injury by Andrea Adelson of ESPN, the sixth-year quarterback explained that he understood why Belichick did what he did. "I get it. You have to go in the portal," Johnson says. "I didn't know if I was going to be ready. They didn't know. They asked me those questions. I'm telling them I'm going to be ready, because I know myself. But it's tough from their point of view because it's like, 'OK, we've got to make a business decision.'" Belichick made a business decision and it's worth noting that while Johnson is saying the right things about the introduction of Lopez into the equation, he's also walking the walk. "I transfer in, we're both competing for the spot, and people paint this narrative like they must not like each other. Me and Max are actually great friends," Lopez explained. A starter has not yet been named by Belichick, but one gets the sense that if Johnson gets the call, he'll be ready to pick right back off where he left off with no reservations. And as Lopez tells it, if he ends up winning the starting gig, UNC can expect to have a more than supportive backup in Johnson. "He's been super helpful with the offense. There's no second agenda with him, where he's trying to throw me off. He's been great," Lopez said.
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