The Dodgers will bring Austin Barnes back for another season as their backup catcher.

Barnes signed a two-year contract extension in July 2022 that paid him $3.5 million in 2023 and 2024. It contained a club option for another season at $3.5 million, which the Dodgers will exercise.

Barnes, 34, will be playing his 11th season with the Dodgers. Among current players, only Clayton Kershaw has been with the team longer. Barnes hit .264 with one home run and 11 RBIs in 54 games in 2024. — Bill Plunkett

Gerrit Cole exercised his opt out from his New York Yankees contract, giving the team two days to void the opt out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029, multiple sources reported.

New York declined first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s $17 million option in favor of a $6 million buyout, making the first baseman a free agent.

Cody Bellinger picked up his $27.5 million player option with the Cubs.

The Cubs declined Drew Smyly’s $10 million mutual option in favor of a $2.5 million buyout, making the lefty a free agent. Smyly went 4-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 50 appearances this year.

Left-hander Sean Manaea declined his $13.5 million option for 2025 with the Mets to become a free agent for the third consecutive offseason, sources reported.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery exercised his $22.5 million option with Arizona while the team exercised options to retain third baseman Eugenio Suárez and right-hander Merrill Kelly for 2025, multiple sources said. Joc Pederson declined his mutual option for $14 million, will get a $3 million buyout and becomes a free agent.

Gary Sánchez’s $11 million mutual option for 2025 was declined by the Milwaukee Brewers, making the catcher a free agent.

Right-hander Emilio Pagán exercised his $8 million option for 2025, remaining with the Cincinnati Reds rather than becoming a free agent.

The Baltimore Orioles declined a $16.5 million option on outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jiménez, who becomes a free agent.

TENNIS

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka eased to a straight-set victory over Zheng Qinwen in the opening match of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sabalenka won 6-3, 6-4 to extend her perfect record against the Chinese player to 5-0. It was also her 21st win in her last 22 matches.

The victory also sets up Sabalenka for ending the year at the top. The Belarusian player only needs to win two of her three group matches to ensure she retains the No. 1 ranking.

Fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy beat fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the other Purple Group match.

Alexander Zverev reached the Paris Masters final for the second time after beating former champion Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 (4).

The 2020 runner-up next plays 15th-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who downed 2018 champion Karen Khachanov 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first Masters final at the age of 26.

A victory today would give Zverev a seventh Masters title and also move him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for most wins on the ATP tour this year. They are tied on 65.

Figure skating

Amber Glenn overcame a fall and her doubts to win a maiden Grand Prix figure skating title at the Grand Prix de France in Angers.

The American skater had the lead from Friday’s short program. That and the support of the crowd got her through a tough free skate in which she fell on a triple flip and put a hand onto the ice to steady herself on two other jumps.

Glenn posted the day’s third-best score in the free skate but it was enough to win overall with a total of 210.44 points, ahead of Japanese skaters Wakaba Higuchi, who won at Skate America last month, and Rion Sumiyoshi.

South Korea’s Kim Chaeyeon had been second in the short program but dropped to fourth, one place ahead of 17-year-old U.S. skater Sarah Everhardt, who made her Grand Prix debut.

Home favorite Adam Siao Him Fa made an astonishing comeback to win the men’s event as overnight leader Jin Boyang of China tumbled down the standings.

Siao Him Fa had been in eighth place after the short program but top-scored by nearly 13 points with his free skate to take the overall win.

It was the third year in a row Siao Him Fa had won his home Grand Prix and he did it with a score of 246.58, ahead of Japan’s Koshiro Shimada and U.S. skater Andrew Torgashev.

SOCCER

Xande Silva scored with about a minute to go in stoppage time shortly after a goal by Lionel Messi was waved off by a clear offside, giving ninth-seeded Atlanta United a 2-1 victory over visiting Inter Miami and evening the best-of-3 MLS playoff series at one game apiece.

NEW YORK CITY FC 3, FC CINCINNATI 1: Alonso Martínez and defender Thiago Martins scored first-half goals and New York City FC forced a deciding match with a win at Citi Field. Santiago Rodríguez scored on a penalty kick in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to help No. 6 seed NYCFC even the best-of-3 first-round series with third-seed Cincinnati.

MOTORSPORTS

Aric Almirola won the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway, a victory that gave Cole Custer a chance to defend his NASCAR championship.

The win by Almirola, his third of the season, allowed the final two slots in the championship race to be decided on points. The spots went to Custer, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, who finished fourth, and Justin Allgaier, who finished fifth.

McLaren driver Lando Norris won a Formula 1 sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix to cut his deficit to championship leader Max Verstappen to 45 points.