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MLBPA Proposes Expanded Draft Eligibility, June Return

Baseball players want to expand amateur-draft eligibility while keeping 20 rounds and moving the draft to June, including college sophomores alongside upperclassmen and high school seniors, and to boost signing bonuses and flexibility in trades amid looming CBA talks. MLB counterproposals would eliminate high school and junior college eligibility, reduce the draft to 12 rounds by 2027, and pursue broader arena rules such as a potential salary cap, signaling a coming labor confrontation in the CBA negotiations.

6 sources

Photo: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Cloys / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

ESPN Fires Ryan Clark Amid Broad Layoffs

ESPN has cut ties with former Steelers safety and current analyst Ryan Clark as part of a wave of layoffs ahead of its first Super Bowl coverage, signaling significant staffing shifts at the network. Clark, one of ESPN's highest-paid on-air talents at about $2 million per year and a regular on First Take and The Pivot, joined ESPN in 2015 and had been central to NFL coverage and Super Bowl plans.

35 sources

Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Grier Retires After 7 NFL Seasons, Brief Panthers Return

Will Grier, the 31-year-old quarterback who spent seven NFL seasons with six teams including the Panthers, Cowboys, Bengals, Patriots, Chargers and Eagles, has retired after a brief rookie-era start and a recent return to Carolina. The Panthers, who drafted him in 2019, now rely on Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, and undrafted Haynes King at quarterback as Grier exits the league.

18 sources