Sports in 60 seconds
Stroman opts out of contract:
Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman has opted out of the final year of contract, giving up a $21 million salary for 2024. Stroman signed a $71 million, three-year contract in December 2021. He is 77-76 with a 3.65 ERA over nine seasons with Toronto, the New York Mets and Cubs. Stroman went from dominating the first three months this past season and making his second All-Star team to struggling through injuries the rest of the way. He finished with a 3.95 ERA in 25 starts and 27 appearances.
Reds decline Votto's 2024 option:
Joey Votto's $20 million option for 2024 was declined by the Reds, making the first baseman a free agent and possibly ending his career with Cincinnati after 17 seasons. Votto will get a $7 million buyout, completing a contract that guaranteed $251.5 million over 12 seasons. Cincinnati also declined its part of a $4 million mutual option with catcher Curt Casali, who gets a $750,000 buyout. The 40-year-old Votto hit .202 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in 65 games this season. A six-time All-Star and the 2010 NL MVP, Votto has a .294 average with 356 homers and 1,144 RBIs.
Former Red Stars coach might join USWNT:
Chelsea women's manager Emma Hayes will leave the defending Women's Super League champion at the end of the season and has been linked with the United States team. Hayes, who once coached the Chicago Red Stars, has won 14 major trophies at Chelsea. The club said she was leaving to "pursue a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football." Hayes was immediately linked with a move to four-time world champion United States following the resignation of coach Vlatko Andonovski in August. Hayes has spent 11 years with Chelsea and dominated women's soccer in England. She led the team to two league cup doubles and one trophy treble.
Wolves lose on the road:
The Wolves traveled to the desert to face the Roadrunners in the first of back-to-back games Friday night in Tucson. Rocco Grimaldi and Hudson Elynuik scored but the Wolves came up short to the Roadrunners 3-2 at Tucson Arena. The loss marked the Wolves' fourth in a row while Tucson snapped a two-game skid. The Roadrunners broke through first when Nathan Smith found the back of the net midway through the opening period. Early in the second, Grimaldi evened things at 1-1. The veteran forward took a terrific cross-ice pass from Max Comtois and ripped a shot past Tucson goaltender Matthew Villalta to the glove side. In addition to Comtois, Chris Terry earned an assist on Grimaldi's team-leading fourth goal of the season.
White Abarrio wins Breeders' Cup Classic:
White Abarrio has won the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic by a length. The win puts trainer Rick Dutrow back on top months after his 10-year exile from the sport ended. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., White Abarrio ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.87. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, the gray colt paid $7.20 to win. The gray colt was moved to Dutrow's barn by his owners after White Abarrio's previous trainer had two horses die last spring. Dutrow returned to the sport earlier this year after serving a 10-year suspension by New York officials for a history of violations.
Dutrow previously won the Classic in 2005 with Saint Liam. Japanese horse Derma Sotogake finished second, and Proxy was third.