original deal, which was signed on Jan. 26.Mets

The verdict in former FIFA President Sepp Blatters appeal against a six-year ban for unethical conduct will be announced on Monday.The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday it will publish the ruling at 3 p.m. Swiss time (1400 GMT).Blatter has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in authorizing a $2 million payment to Michel Platini in 2011. They claimed it was uncontracted salary for France great Platini advising Blatter from 1999 to 2002.FIFAs ethics committee ruled the payment was a conflict of interest in 2011 -- just as a FIFA presidential election campaign was starting -- and banned both for eight years last December. FIFAs appeal committee cut the bans to six years.Platini, who gave evidence for Blatter at a 14-hour hearing in August, previously had his ban cut to four years at CAS.Though a different three-member panel judged Blatters case, it would typically be obliged to respect the precedent of the Platini case which was based on much of the same evidence.Swiss federal prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against Blatter in September 2015 when details of the disloyal payment to Platini emerged. Both men were questioned at FIFA headquarters by Swiss investigators who waited for them outside an executive committee meeting.The case ended then-FIFA vice president Platinis chance to replace Blatter as president, and also forced him out of UEFA.Whatever the verdict on Monday, Blatter faces another FIFA ethics investigation over alleged bribery and self-dealing in his contract, plus the employment deals of his former secretary general Jerome Valcke and finance director Markus Kattner. FIFA has fired both officials.FIFA ethics investigators said in September the latest case involved an alleged coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves.Blatter received a 12 million Swiss franc ($12 million) bonus after the successful 2014 World Cup in Brazil and would have been due another 12 million Swiss francs for completing his 2015-19 presidential term, the contracts revealed.Blatter announced his intention in June 2015 to leave FIFA, days after American and Swiss federal investigations of alleged corruption were revealed.He was suspended from duty in October 2015, and his 40-year employment by FIFA formally ended in February when Platinis former right-hand man at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, was elected president. Deandre Ayton Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Penny Hardaway Suns Jersey .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/ . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Jevon Carter Suns Jersey . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Mikal Bridges Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes intends to opt out of his contract with the New York Mets following the World Series. But his representatives plan to wait until three days after the Series for the official move, because there is no incentive to make an early declaration, sources told ESPN.com.By voiding the remainder of his current contract, Cespedes will be walking away from $47.5 million that would have been owed to him by the Mets through 2018.Cespedes collected $27.5 million this past season on the original deal, which was signed on Jan. 26.Mets officials expect Cespedes will seek a five-year deal as a free agent and are pessimistic about their chances of re-signing him. In fact, one reason for acquiring outfielder Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 1 was to serve as a hedge in case Cespedes bolted this offseason. The Mets intend to pick up a $13 million optionn on Bruce for 2017.ddddddddddddCespedes hit .280 and led the Mets with 31 homers and 86 RBIs in 2016 while gutting through a right quadriceps strain during the final months.He is known to have loved his time with the Mets. Still, at 31 years old and coming off a solid season, the timing is right for Cespedes to try to get a massive contract.In order to try to retain Cespedes after he opts out, the Mets likely would be willing to offer a similar contract to the one being discarded -- a large first-year sum and an opt-out of a deal for roughly three guaranteed years.The Mets do plan to make a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer to Cespedes after he opts out. That will allow the organization to recoup a draft pick should Cespedes depart. ' ' '