Boston Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy addresses the departure of Alex Bregman — and more

Boston Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy met with the media over the weekend and addressed the departure of veteran third baseman Alex Bregman as the ballclub held its first full-squad spring training workout in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Red Sox kicked off their preparations for the 2026 season at JetBlue Park, with aspirations of returning to the postseason after being bounced by the New York Yankees in the 2025 Wild Card round of the MLB playoffs.

While the Red Sox bolstered their roster in several areas over the offseason, Bregman opted to leave Boston in free agency, signing a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Kennedy was asked about Bregman on Sunday.

“Look, if Alex Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately he’d be here,” Kennedy said. “He chose a different path, and we wish him well.”

The Cubs and Red Sox are scheduled to face off in a series at Fenway Park in late September. Kennedy added that he is “looking forward” to seeing Bregman then.

Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer will likely compete to replace Bregman on the hot corner.

Boston plays its first exhibition game against Northeastern on Feb. 20. They then open up Grapefruit League play on Feb. 21.

The Red Sox open the 2026 season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on March 26 . The home opener at Fenway is set for April 3.

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Young FC Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi shares his idols at the club

FC Barcelona: Pau Cubarsi reveals the players who inspired him

In a recent interview, Pau Cubarsi unveiled the two names who inspired him in his role as a defender at FC Barcelona.

A promising young talent already making his mark at FC Barcelona, Pau Cubarsi has chosen his role models wisely. In an interview with France Football, the Catalan center-back revealed that he looked up to two former Barça legends to shape his own playing style.

"My references have always been Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué. With Puyol, I mostly watched highlights. I tried to draw inspiration from his character and the way he led the team. From Piqué, whom I had the chance to watch play, I tried to learn his ball progression and positioning. That really helped me become the player I am today. And I really like Van Dijk, a benchmark for his composure, leadership, and the way he builds from the back," the Spanish international admitted.

Emma Raducanu’s difficult run of form and fitness continued as the British No 1 suffered a first-round exit at the Dubai Tennis Championships, her third defeat in a row while struggling physically.

Raducanu called a medical timeout and received treatment after falling to a 6-1 opening set to Croatia’s lucky loser Antonia Ruzic in just 30 minutes, with the 23-year-old also having issues with her serve.

She was seen to by a doctor and, although there was a brief improvement at the start of the second set, and some admirable resilience as Raducanu fought to force the third, Ruzic took control of the decider to win 6-1 5-7 6-2.

Since reaching the final of Transylvania Open in Cluj, Raducanu has struggled physically in each of her subsequent matches and a first-round exit at the WTA 1000 event is a blow for the world No 25.

She lost 6-0 6-2 to Sorana Cristea while bidding for her first title since the US Open in 2021, before retiring from her first-round match at the Qatar Open against Camila Osorio two days later.

After arriving in Dubai, Raducanu was scheduled to play Elisabetta Cocciaretto before the Italian withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Ruzic, the world No 67.

The Croatian, who almost beat Naomi Osaka in the first round of the Australian Open last month but had lost in the first round of qualifying in Dubai, started the match the stronger player while Raducanu looked out of sorts.

The Briton could be seen practicing her serve in an extended warm-up before the start of the match, and made four double faults in the opening set while winning less than 50 per cent of her service points.

After the timeout, Raducanu had five break points chances in Ruzic’s first service game, and then another in her second, but the Croatian saved them all before breaking to lead 4-3.

Although Raducanu’s serve continued to be vulnerable, she saved a match point before managing to break back while Ruzic served for the match at 5-4.

Enjoying her best spell of the match, Raducanu broke Ruzic to win the third set and then again to lead the decider. But as Raducanu faded, Ruzic won the final six games in a row to seal victory in two hours and 20 minutes.