NEW YORK (AP) — Right-hander Paul Blackburn is remaining with the New York Yankees, agreeing Saturday to a $2 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
A former All-Star, Blackburn can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses for innings: $100,000 each for 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120.
Blackburn, who turned 32 on Dec. 4, gives the Yankees pitching depth for a rotation that will be without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón at the start of the season. Cole is expected to return to the Yankees in May or June following Tommy John surgery on March 11, and Rodón is projected back in late April or May after surgery on Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur.
Blackburn could slot into the rotation alongside Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil, with Ryan Yarbrough also a possibility. Blackburn signed with the Yankees on Aug. 21 after he was released by the New York Mets, and had a 5.28 ERA in eight relief appearances. He gave up four runs and six hits over 1 1/3 innings against Toronto in his only postseason outing.
Overall, Blackburn was 0-3 with a 6.28 ERA this year in four starts and 11 relief appearances. He is 22-31 with a 4.97 ERA in 86 starts and 15 relief outings over nine seasons with the Athletics (2017-24), the Mets (2024-25) and the Yankees.
He was obtained by the Mets from the A’s on July 30, 2024, and made five starts before he was diagnosed with a spinal fluid leak in his back and had season-ending surgery.
Blackburn signed a $4.5 million, one-year contract, began 2025 on the injured list with right knee inflammation, and an illness delayed his season debut until June 3. After compiling a 7.71 ERA in six appearances, Blackburn returned to the IL with a right shoulder impingement before getting activated Aug. 13 and released three days later.
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FILE - New York Yankees relief pitcher Paul Blackburn delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sept. 18, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
PHOENIX (AP) — When Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest convention reached its halfway point, Erika Kirk tried to put a smiling face on things.
“Say what you want about AmFest, but it’s definitely not boring,” said Kirk, who has led the influential conservative organization since her husband Charlie was assassinated in September. “Feels like a Thanksgiving dinner where your family’s hashing out the family business.”
That's one way to put it.
Some of the biggest names in conservative media took turns torching each other on the main stage, spending more time targeting right-wing rivals than their left-wing opponents.
The feuds could ultimately define the boundaries of the Republican Party and determine the future of President Donald Trump's fractious coalition, which appears primed for more schisms in the months and years ahead.
Here are some of the most notable moments from the four-day conference.
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the conservative media outlet Daily Wire, set the tone with the first speech after Erika Kirk opened the convention. He attacked fellow commentators in deeply personal terms, saying some of the right's most popular figures are morally bankrupt.
Candace Owens “has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years,” he said.
Megyn Kelly is “guilty of cowardice" because she's refused to condemn Owens for spreading unsubstantiated theories about Kirk's death.
And Tucker Carlson's decision to host antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast was “an act of moral imbecility.”
Barely an hour later, Carlson took the same stage and mocked Shapiro’s attempt to “deplatform and denounce” people who disagree with him.
“I watched it,” he said. “I laughed.”
Others had their chance the next night.
“Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads,” said Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser.
Kelly belittled Shapiro as a marginal figure in the conservative movement and said their friendship is over.
“I resent that he thinks he’s in a position to decide who must say what, to whom, and when,” Kelly said.
Owens, who has spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's death, wasn't welcome at the convention. But she responded on her podcast, calling Shapiro a “miserable imp."
Israel came up repeatedly during the conference.
Some on the right have questioned whether the Republican Party's historically steadfast support for Israel conflicts with Trump's “America First” platform. Carlson criticized civilian deaths in Gaza in remarks that wouldn't have been out of place in progressive circles.
Some attendees dug deep into history, highlighting Israel's attack on the USS Liberty off the Sinai Peninsula in 1967. Israel said it mistook the ship for an Egyptian vessel during the Six Day War, while critics have argued that it was a deliberate strike.
Bannon accused Shapiro, who is Jewish, and others who staunchly support Israel of being part of “the Israel first crowd.” Kelly said criticism from Shapiro and Bari Weiss, the newly installed head of CBS News, “is about Israel."
Erika Kirk pledged Turning Point’s support for Vice President JD Vance to be the next Republican presidential nominee.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she said on the first night of the convention. Vance would be the 48th president if he takes office after Trump.
Turning Point is a major force on the right, with a massive volunteer network around the country that can be especially helpful in early primary states.
Vance was close with Charlie Kirk, whose backing helped enable his rapid political rise. The vice president is scheduled to close out the convention as the final speaker on Sunday.
The Make America Healthy Again movement had a big presence at Turning Point, signaling its quick rise in the right-wing ecosystem.
MAHA is spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy, who leads the Department of Health and Human Services. However, there has been friction with other parts of the Make America Great Again coalition, particularly when it comes to rolling back environmental regulations.
Wellness influencer Alex Clark, whose podcast is sponsored by Turning Point, asked the crowd whether the Environmental Protection Agency is “with us or against us?”
“Big chemical, big ag and big food are trying to split MAGA from MAHA so things can go back to business as usual, but we don’t want that, do we?” Clark said.
Clark and others have asked for Trump to fire EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who responded by reaching out to MAHA activists. The EPA also said it would release a MAHA agenda for the agency.
“The Trump EPA wants to partner with the MAHA community and make sure everyone has a seat at the table,” EPA press secretary Carolyn Holran said in response to Clark's speech.
Erika Kirk smiles at a question and answer session during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Benny Johnson speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Attendees sing and pray during Faith Night worship events at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Benny Johnson speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Megyn Kelly, center, speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Ben Shapiro speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Erika Kirk, center, speaks as Jack Posobiec, left, and Megyn Kelly look on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
