Free agent infielder Gio Urshela is in agreement with the Athletics on a major league contract, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

Urshela, 33, has bounced around the past few years, playing for three teams between 2023 and 2024: the Angels, Tigers and Braves. He finished last season with Atlanta, hitting .265 in 36 games. The nine-year veteran is joining his eighth team and has compiled a career .273 batting average with 73 home runs.

Urshela is a third baseman by trade but has played every infield position over the past two years. The A’s need depth at the corners, where Urshela is likely to slot in.

The A’s have been active this offseason, signing free agent pitcher Luis Severino while trading for Rays starter Jeffrey Springs. Bolstering their pitching staff was an offseason goal, and Urshela helps deepen their position player base.

Terms of Urshela’s deal have not been disclosed.

Left-hander Patrick Sandoval and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $18.25 million contract, sources told ESPN, uniting the veteran who was non-tendered in November with a team looking to shore up its pitching depth this year and beyond.

The 28-year-old Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery in June and is not expected to pitch until the second half of 2025. Boston nevertheless paid a well-over-market rate to get Sandoval, cognizant of the heavy price of free agent starting pitchers this winter and hopeful that Sandoval can be a solid midrotation starter upon his return.

Sandoval’s estimated arbitration salary for 2025 was around $5.5 million, and rather than trade him, the Angels non-tendered him. Had Sandoval been offered a contract, his arbitration number for 2026 likely would have been a minimal raise because of the lack of volume due to the injury.

His free agency, however, led to significant interest among teams — and a big raise in 2026. Sandoval will make $5.5 million in 2025 and $12.75 million in 2026, sources said.

Sandoval illustrated his ceiling in 2022, when he posted a 2.91 ERA over 27 starts, throwing 148⅔ innings, striking out 151 and walking 60. He followed with 28 starts and a 4.11 ERA in 2023 but struggled last season with a 5.08 ERA in 16 starts before needing the surgery for elbow ligament replacement.

Boston, seeking starting pitching help this winter, swung a trade for ace Garrett Crochet with the Chicago White Sox. Like Sandoval, he will hit free agency again after 2026. Others in the Red Sox’s rotation mix next season include right-handers Tanner Houck, Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford.

Also Friday, the Red Sox invited 2016 AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

The 31-year-old right-hander missed all of last season recovering from right elbow surgery. A 2017 All-Star, Fulmer was 3-5 with a 4.42 ERA for the Cubs in 2023.

Also invited to spring training are catcher Seby Zavala, infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton and righties Isaiah Campbell, Bryan Mata, and Wyatt Mills. Mata was Boston’s top pitching prospect before missing most of 2023 with an injury.

Championship weekend delivered a blockbuster befitting of the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

In Atlanta, it took overtime, but Georgia, even after two regular-season losses, claimed the SEC by beating Texas and stealing an all-important first-round bye from the Longhorns, who will still host a quarterfinal against 12-seed Clemson.

Top-ranked Oregon and Penn State engaged in an offensive shootout in Indianapolis. But despite a late effort from the Nittany Lions, the Ducks proved once again why they are both still undefeated and ranked atop the college football world. Dan Lanning’s 13-0 team doesn’t just get a first-round bye — they’ll be playing in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

In the land of underdogs and surprises, Arizona State and Boise State made loud statements in their respective Big 12 and Mountain West championship games, earning improbable — but well-deserved — first-round byes. Who would have seen that coming four months ago? Not the Big 12 media, which predicted the Sun Devils to finish last in the conference.

And finally, in Charlotte, Dabo Swinney and Clemson (with an assist from Syracuse last week) resurrected their once-lost season and found themselves with another conference championship and a spot in the playoff by beating SMU on a last-second field goal. The Mustangs had to sweat it out overnight, but in the end, they — not Alabama, not Ole Miss, not South Carolina and not Miami — found themselves in the playoff field as well. Their reward? A trip to Happy Valley to face No. 6 Penn State.

After months of rankings, seedings and countless debates, we have a 12-team bracket that brings about plenty of enticing questions and intriguing possibilities.

Can Oregon run the table and go 16-0 and finally get the coveted national championship the program craves? Will Georgia once again show itself to be the sport’s flagship program a year after missing out on the playoff? How far will the Cinderella runs of Boise State and Arizona State go? Is a sleeping giant such as Notre Dame, Ohio State or Tennessee better positioned for a run after not having to play in a conference championship? Or will the new format bring about more chaos and produce a double-digit-seed semifinalist, maybe even a familiar winner like Clemson?

Here are our full picks for the inaugural, 12-team College Football Playoff.

Andrea Adelson

First round

Texas 28, Clemson 14
Ohio State 27, Tennessee 24
Penn State 24, SMU 23
Notre Dame 38, Indiana 17

Quarterfinals

Texas 33, Arizona State 30
Oregon 35, Ohio State 31
Penn State 38, Boise State 35
Notre Dame 23, Georgia 20

Semifinals

Texas 31, Oregon 30
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24

National title game

Texas 31, Notre Dame 27

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Kyle Bonagura

First round

Texas 31, Clemson 21
Ohio State 28, Tennessee 24
Penn State 31, SMU 17
Indiana 31, Notre Dame 24

Quarterfinals

Oregon 35, Ohio State 28
Arizona State 31, Texas 28
Penn State 38, Boise State 24
Georgia 42, Indiana 38

Semifinals

Oregon 42, Arizona State 31
Georgia 28, Penn State 24

National title game

Oregon 31, Georgia 24

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Bill Connelly

First round

Texas 35, Clemson 16
Ohio State 17, Tennessee 10
Penn State 31, SMU 20
Notre Dame 24, Indiana 23

Quarterfinals

Oregon 28, Ohio State 21
Texas 31, Arizona State 17
Penn State 24, Boise State 20
Notre Dame 20, Georgia 16

Semifinals

Oregon 35, Texas 31
Notre Dame 23, Penn State 21

National title game

Oregon 28, Notre Dame 27

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David Hale

First round

Texas 45, Clemson 27
Ohio State 28, Tennessee 27
SMU 30, Penn State 28
Notre Dame 42, Indiana 10

Quarterfinals

Texas 34, Arizona State 21
Ohio State 32, Oregon 31
SMU 36, Boise State 33
Notre Dame 21, Georgia 20

Semifinals

Ohio State 27, Texas 24
Notre Dame 35, SMU 28

National title game

Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 24

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Eli Lederman

First round

Texas 41, Clemson 31
Ohio State 24, Tennessee 20
Penn State 31, SMU 28
Notre Dame 34, Indiana 17

Quarterfinals

Texas 30, Arizona State 13
Oregon 35, Ohio State 34
Boise State 28, Penn State 20
Notre Dame 24, Georgia 16

Semifinals

Oregon 24, Texas 20
Notre Dame 27, Boise State 17

National title game

Oregon 27, Notre Dame 24

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Chris Low

First round

Texas 31, Clemson 14
Ohio State 27, Tennessee 24
Penn State 35, SMU 21
Notre Dame 24, Indiana 20

Quarterfinals

Texas 34, Arizona State 24
Ohio State 30, Oregon 28
Boise State 28, Penn State 27
Georgia 24, Notre Dame 21

Semifinals

Ohio State 31, Texas 30
Georgia 34, Boise State 21

National title game

Georgia 28, Ohio State 23

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Max Olson

First round

Texas 31, Clemson 20
Ohio State 17, Tennessee 14
Penn State 41, SMU 35
Indiana 24, Notre Dame 21

Quarterfinals

Texas 27, Arizona State 17
Oregon 35, Ohio State 13
Penn State 31, Boise State 21
Georgia 27, Indiana 10

Semifinals

Oregon 37, Texas 31
Georgia 20, Penn State 17

National title game

Oregon 34, Georgia 27

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Adam Rittenberg

First round

Texas 24, Clemson 16
Ohio State 26, Tennessee 19
Penn State 34, SMU 23
Notre Dame 31, Indiana 21

Quarterfinals

Texas 33, Arizona State 20
Oregon 38, Ohio State 35
Penn State 35, Boise State 31
Notre Dame 19, Georgia 17

Semifinals

Oregon 31, Texas 21
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 26

National title game

Oregon 38, Notre Dame 27

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Mark Schlabach

First round

Texas 24, Clemson 20
Ohio State 28, Tennessee 17
Penn State 34, SMU 24
Notre Dame 35, Indiana 21

Quarterfinals

Arizona State 24, Texas 21
Oregon 38, Ohio State 31
Penn State 27, Boise State 24
Georgia 24, Notre Dame 21

Semifinals

Oregon 38, Arizona State 27
Georgia 27, Penn State 21

National title game

Oregon 24, Georgia 20

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Jake Trotter

First round

Texas 24, Clemson 12
Tennessee 21, Ohio State 20
Penn State 27, SMU 19
Notre Dame 31, Indiana 23

Quarterfinals

Arizona State 27, Texas 23
Oregon 35, Tennessee 28
Boise State 28, Penn State 27
Notre Dame 16, Georgia 14

Semifinals

Oregon 44, Arizona State 38
Notre Dame 20, Boise State 14

National title game

Oregon 30, Notre Dame 27

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Paolo Uggetti

First round

Texas 27, Clemson 14
Tennessee 27, Ohio State 24
Penn State 34, SMU 20
Notre Dame 28, Indiana 17

Quarterfinals

Arizona State 27, Texas 24
Oregon 34, Tennessee 21
Penn State 31, Boise State 27
Notre Dame 21, Georgia 17

Semifinals

Oregon 38, Arizona State 27
Notre Dame 24, Penn State 20

National title game

Oregon 31, Notre Dame 20

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Dave Wilson

First round

Texas 27, Clemson 17
Tennessee 34, Ohio State 31
Penn State 37, SMU 30
Notre Dame 24, Indiana 21

Quarterfinals

Texas 34, Arizona State 27
Oregon 30, Tennessee 24
Penn State 41, Boise State 24
Georgia 38, Notre Dame 27

Semifinals

Oregon 31, Texas 17
Georgia 28, Penn State 21

National title game

Oregon 28, Georgia 20