Newsmakers

Agreed The St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract with four-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina. The team announced the details Thursday. The contract, which makes him the second-highest-paid catcher in MLB, begins next year and will keep Molina in St. Louis through the 2017 season.

• Craig Gentry, a candidate to be the Rangers’ starting center fielder, and first baseman Mitch Moreland are among the last eight players who have agreed to 2012 contracts with Texas. The others who agreed to deals were catcher Luis Martinez, infielder Brandon Snyder, left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz, and right-handers Cody Eppley, Neil Ramirez and Matt West.

Tagged The Oakland Raiders placed the franchise tag on safety Tyvon Branch, guaranteeing him about $6.2 million for 2012 to keep him off the open market in free agency. Branch, a fourth-round pick in 2008, has started every game the past three seasons and led the Raiders in tackles the past two years.

Hired The New York Giants named Sean Ryan quarterbacks coach and promoted Kevin M. Gilbride, the son of their offensive coordinator, to receivers coach.

Expected The oft-injured Grady Sizemore, the Cleveland Indians outfielder, is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks with a back injury, the latest medical setback for a three-time All-Star.

Pleaded Cincinnati Bengals receiver Jerome Simpson could receive a 60-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to a drug-related felony charge as part of an agreement with prosecutors, further clouding his future in the NFL.

Scheduled Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will undergo surgery tomorrow to repair a fractured right orbital bone. The right-hander was injured Wednesday at the team’s spring training facilities in Bradenton, Fla., while trying to bunt. Claimed Prosecutors claim Jerry Sandusky sexually abused boys ranging in age from 8 to 17, eight of whom were molested on the Penn State campus, according to a document with new details about the case.