The Angels claimed first baseman Ryan Noda on waivers from the A’s and acquired infielder Scott Kingery from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations Friday.
Noda is added to the 40-man roster, while Kingery is on a minor league deal.
Noda, 28, is a left-handed hitter with a career .212 average and .713 OPS in 164 games over the last two seasons. In 2023, he hit 16 homers with a .364 on-base percentage and a .770 OPS in 495 plate appearances. He spent most of 2024 in Triple-A, where he had an .877 playing in the hitter-friendly environment in Las Vegas.
Noda plays mostly at first base, but he’s also played 11 big league games in the outfield.
Kingery, 30, has a .229 average and .667 OPS in 325 games over parts of five seasons with the Phillies. His best season was 2019, when he hit 19 homers with a .788 OPS in 126 games. He spent all of 2024 in Triple-A, with 25 homers and an .804 OPS.
Kingery has played his most games at shortstop, but he’s also played second and third and all three outfield positions.
— Jeff Fletcher
Left-hander Blake Snell exercised his right to opt out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants to become a free agent for the second straight offseason.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner agreed in March to a $62 million, two-year contract that included a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, a $15 million salary for 2024 and a $30 million salary for 2025, of which $15 million would have been deferred and payable on July 1, 2027.
Snell, 31, was 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings.
He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin.
Also, Zack Minasian and was promoted to general manager of the Giants, joining the Angels’ Perry Minasian to make the brothers both big league GMs. Zack Minasian, 41, had been the Giants’ vice president of professional scouting since 2022, three years after he joined San Francisco following 14 years with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Elevating Zack was Buster Posey’s first big move since replacing Farhan Zaidi as president of baseball operations.
“Zack has brought a wealth of knowledge and a lot of experience to the organization in his six years here,” Posey said in a statement. “He’s also a thorough talent evaluator.”
Perry Minasian became the Angels’ GM in November 2020.
Reliever Luke Weaver’s 2025 option was exercised by the New York Yankees on Friday for $2.5 million. Weaver took over from Clay Holmes as Yankees closer in September and finished 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA and four saves, striking out 103 and walking 26 in 84 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander was 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA and four saves in the postseason as the Yankees won their first AL pennant since 2009 and lost to the Dodgers in the World Series.
The Tampa Bay Rays exercised their $10.5 million club option on Brandon Lowe after the infielder hit a team-high 21 homers this season. The 30-year-old Lowe hit .244 with 58 RBIs in 107 games in his seventh season with Tampa Bay. He also led the team in runs (56), slugging percentage (.473) and OPS (.784).
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins exercised his $18 million option for 2025 rather than take a $4 million buyout and again become a free agent.
Right-handers Nick Martinez and Jakob Junis declined 2025 options with the Cincinnati Reds, who turned down their option on catcher Luke Maile,
In addition, first baseman Ty France and outfielder Nick Martini became free agents when they refused outright assignments to Triple-A Louisville.
Brent Suter returned to Cincinnati on a $2.5 million, one-year contract. The left-hander’s deal includes a 2026 option worth $3 million with a $250,000 buyout, and he can earn an additional $200,000 in performance bonuses.
Suter, who lives in Cincinnati, went 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA and two saves in 47 appearances with the Reds this year.
Outfielder Randal Grichuk turned down his $6 million mutual option with the Arizona Diamondbacks, triggering a $1.75 million buyout and becoming a free agent.
The 33-year-old hit .291 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs after missing the first week of the season while finishing his recovery from right ankle surgery. He played left and right field this year and played in center in previous seasons.
Kansas City Royals utilityman Adam Frazier became a free agent after his $8.5 million mutual option was declined. Frazier gets a $2.5 million buyout as part of a deal that guaranteed $4.5 million, including $2 million this year. The 32-year-old hit .264 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 104 games, playing first, second, third, left and right.
Second baseman Jorge Polanco’s $12 million option was declined by the Seattle Mariners, who will pay a $750,000 buyout and allow him to become a free agent.
Seattle also said infielder Luis Urías cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.
Polanco hit a career-low .213 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs this year. He was sidelined between May 26 and June 24 by a strained right hamstring.
The White Sox declined a $25 million option on third baseman Yoán Moncada after he missed almost the entire season because of a left adductor strain. The 29-year-old Moncada gets a $5 million buyout, completing a $70 million, five-year contract. He played in just 12 games this year. Moncada was hurt trying to beat out a grounder at Cleveland on April 9 and did not return until Sept. 18. Acquired from Boston along with pitcher Michael Kopech in the deal that sent former ace Chris Sale to the Red Sox in December 2016, Moncada hit .254 with 93 homers and 338 RBIs in eight years with Chicago.
Chicago also turned down a $7.5 million option on catcher Max Stassi.
NFL
Wide receiver DK Metcalf was ruled out of the Seattle Seahawks’ game Sunday against the Rams because of a right knee sprain. It will be the second game Metcalf misses because of an MCL sprain that he sustained at Atlanta on Oct. 20.
While Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love’s status remains uncertain, the Packers know their secondary will be at less than full strength Sunday against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions. The Packers (6-2) released an injury report that ruled out safety Evan Williams due to a hamstring injury. Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander is questionable with a knee injury and hasn’t practiced all week. Love was listed as questionable after practicing on a limited basis for a second straight day.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice for the Baltimore Ravens and said he’s “100%” able to play this weekend against Denver. Jackson had missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with back and knee issues, but he was back Friday as a full participant. Baltimore did rule out defensive lineman Brent Urban (concussion) for Sunday’s game.
The Miami Dolphins will likely be without four starters when they travel to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler (eye), tight end Julian Hill (shoulder) and cornerback Kader Kohou (neck) were ruled out. Safety Jevon Holland likely won’t play after injuring his knee.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward returned to practice and could be cleared to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers after suffering his sixth documented concussion last week.
New York Giants kicker Greg Joseph was ruled out for Sunday against Washington because of an abdomen injury. Rookie Jude McAtamney is in line to be elevated from the practice squad and play.
The Atlanta Falcons placed rookie defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro on injured reserve with an ankle issue. He will miss at least the next four games, beginning Sunday when the NFC South-leading Falcons (5-3) host the Dallas Cowboys. The Falcons signed linebacker Rashaan Evans to take Orhorhoro’s spot on the the 53-man roster. He started all 17 games for Atlanta in 2022.
WNBA
The Indiana Fever hired Stephanie White as coach, putting her in charge of a team led by WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
White spent the past two seasons as head coach of the Connecticut Sun before parting ways with the team earlier this week.
White is a former star at Purdue, who served on the Fever coaching staff from 2011-16, including as head coach for the final two of those seasons. The Fever won the WNBA title in 2012 with White on the staff.
White replaces Christie Sides, who led the Fever to a 20-20 record last season and the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2016. The organization announced it was moving on from Sides, who was the head coach for two seasons before being let go last Sunday.
Indiana is the first of seven head coaching vacancies in the league to be filled.
TENNIS
Alexander Zverev advanced to the semifinals of the Paris Masters by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4 and knocking the Greek player out of contention for the ATP Finals.
Zverev, the French Open runner-up, next faces 2022 champion Holger Rune for a shot at the title. He’s into his third Paris semifinals in the past four years, though he’s never won the hard-court tournament.
Rune outlasted Alex de Minaur 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a 21/2-hour baseline fight.
Grigor Dimitrov’s hopes of making the ATP Finals were set back after the 2023 finalist was upset by 2018 champion Karen Khachanov 6-2, 6-3 for the first time. Khachanov lost their four previous matches.
Dimitrov was 10th in the race to the top-eight ATP Finals in Turin.
Khachanov will face in the semifinals local hope Ugo Humbert, who defeated Jordan Thompson of Australia 6-2, 7-6 (4) a day after stunning Carlos Alcaraz.
FIGURE SKATING
American Amber Glenn is on course for her first figure skating Grand Prix win after taking a big lead in the short program at the French round of the series in Angers.
Glenn was the only skater in the women’s event to land a triple axel on her way to 78.14 points, taking the lead by more than seven points from South Korea’s Kim Chaeyeon on 70.90.
Jin Boyang led the men’s short program in search of his first Grand Prix win since his home Cup of China in 2020. Jin landed a quadruple toeloop as he scored 88.12, with Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko on 85.73 and Kazuki Tomono of Japan on 83.45.
Last season’s world championship bronze medalists Minerva Fabienna Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany led the pairs on 73.72, ahead of Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii and Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trent Michaud.
In the ice dance, two-time European champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy led on 82.20, with France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud second and Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius third.
All four disciplines conclude with free skates today.
GOLF
Heavy rain and storms associated with Typhoon Kong-rey washed out the third round of the LPGA’s Japan tournament today in Shiga and reduced it to 54 holes.
The LPGA said the tournament was scheduled to be completed on Sunday at Seta Golf Course.
Hana Wakimoto shot a 4-under 68 Friday to maintain her lead after the second round.
The Japanese player shot a 63 in the opening round and continued to set the pace with a 13-under-par total of 131 after 36 holes.
Yealimi Noh of the United States and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand were two strokes off the lead after the second round. Noh shot 65 and Jutanugarn carded a 66.