Money

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell says there's no way in hell he's stepping on the mound for a penny less than his guaranteed salary ...  slamming the MLB's recent proposal in an emotional Twitch stream.

Of course, the league came up with a plan for a shortened season and a 50-50 revenue split between the owners and players earlier this week ... in hopes of salvaging the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Y'all gotta understand, man ... for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof," The Cy Young winner said Wednesday.

"It's a shorter season, less pay."

FYI -- 27-year-old Snell is in the middle of a 5-year, $50 million deal and was set to make $7 million in 2020.

He continued ... "I gotta get my money. I'm not playing unless I get mine, okay? And, that's just the way it is for me. Like, I'm sorry you guys think differently, but the risk is way the hell higher and the amount of money I'm making is way lower. Why would I think about doing that?"

When fans criticized Snell's stance in the Twitch comments ... he doubled down.

"Bro, I'm risking my life. What do you mean it should not be a thing? It should 100% be a thing. If I'm gonna play, I should be getting the money I signed to be getting paid."

The revenue split is likely to get rejected when it's officially presented to the MLB Players Association ... considering the league already agreed to $170 million in up-front money to keep players paid during the pandemic back in March.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer also weighed in on the proposal ... and he's siding with Snell.

One group's $200,000 trash is another's treasure ... Tekashi 6ix9ine's rejected funds are exactly what an L.A. nonprofit -- that also helps kids -- needs to survive.

We broke the story ... the "GOOBA" rapper was set to donate $200k this week to No Kid Hungry, which helps feed families that can't afford to feed themselves. However, the charity turned down 6ix9ine's donation.

Enter Keith Johnson, Executive Director of Kooking 4 Kids, who tells TMZ ... if the rapper's looking to do a good deed and help eliminate hunger, his past deeds shouldn't matter.

As we told ya, No Kid Hungry said, "As a child-focused campaign, it is our policy to decline funding from donors whose activities do not align with our mission and values."

However, the Kooking 4 Kids boss says ... "If there is an individual that wants to help address hunger in Los Angeles, we welcome it. How that person wants to live their life is for them to decide."

Keith says his nonprofit often holds BBQ fundraisers, and he doesn't go digging into the personal lives of people who are there to support the cause. He does add that every organization has the right to determine from whom it will accept funds -- but donations are vital to his organization to survive, so he's not picky.

Johnson says K4K travels to 4 different parts of L.A. weekly and serves about 1,600-1,800 free meals to children and parents every day ... and they always run out.

He tells us, even before the pandemic, the org was stretched thin because L.A. County has some of the highest child hunger numbers ... and it can always use more funding.

Robert Kraft is offering up one his most prized possessions to help raise money for COVID-19 relief ... putting his 283-diamond, Super Bowl LI championship ring on the auction block!!

The New England Patriots owner made the announcement Sunday ... accepting Michael Rubin's All In Challenge with one of the most enticing packages we've seen yet.

The bling is one of the biggest championship rings ever created ... weighing 5.1 carats and featuring 10-karat white gold and nearly 300 diamonds.

Of course, the jewelry has a very special meaning as well ... the Patriots earned it by completing the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever, beating the Falcons in 2017 after going down 28-3.

"We were down 28-3 and had a .04 chance of winning, 99.6 percent chance to lose," Kraft said. "And we came back, and we won."

"And I thought about what's going on at this time and wanted to give something of extreme value in support of our health care workers. So I thought it would be good to give this ring, our fifth Super Bowl win because it showed how we came back."

Kraft says he'll hand-deliver the ring to the auction's highest bidder in his personal trophy room ... and says if the winner is out of state, he'll send the team jet to pick them up!

That's not all ... RK says the trip will come with a personal tour of the Pats facilities -- and maybe even a few meals with the 78-year-old!!

Opening bid started at $75,000 ... but it's already reached $330k -- and could break a million by the time it ends later this month!!

Props for yet another awesome charitable move from Kraft during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 5-year-old boy, whose joyride went viral, won't have to dream about driving a Lambo ... a celeb car broker made his dream a reality, with an assist from Jamie Foxx and Shaq.

ICYMI ... Adrian Zamarripa was pulled over by Utah Highway Patrol last week after he was spotted driving 32 MPH down Interstate 15 in the family's SUV. The trooper wanted to know where he was headed. Adrian -- who barely made it 3 miles from home -- told the trooper he was headed to L.A. to buy a Lamborghini ... with the $3 from his piggy bank.

The story spread like wildfire, and one of the many who heard about it was celeb car broker RD Whittington, who owns the luxury brand, Wires Only. We're told RD flew Adrian and his family out to L.A. just days after the infamous traffic stop, and hooked him up BIG TIME.

We're told RD took the fam out to Malibu where they visited a luxury car dealership. The best part ... Adrian got in the driver's seat of a Ferrari, a Hummer and other fancy rides. His face lit up when he got to rev the Ferrari's engine ... but nothing like when he saw Shaq and Lil Pump show up via FaceTime.

And, it didn't end there ... Adrian got in the passenger's seat and RD got behind the wheel as they cruised down PCH. And, again, it didn't end there. RD and Adrian eventually pulled into Jamie's crib in the hills. They cracked a few jokes ... but it wasn't all fun games.

As you might have figured ... Adrian got in a lot of trouble after his joyride. His mother reportedly said he's being punished, and fortunately for the parents, the Weber County District Attorney said they will NOT face charges because there was no evidence of neglect.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's glorious return to social media paid him handsomely and then some -- but he ain't keeping all the dough for himself ... the dude's giving back to kids in need.

Sources close to the rapper tell TMZ ... the release of his new song, "GOOBA," as well as the launch of some new merch that he promoted on IG last week has left him with a small fortune on his hands in the amount of about $2 million, which he made in less than a week.

We're told Tekashi raked in a solid mil in just the last few days alone. Rather than hold on to all the cash, or put it it the bank for a rainy day -- our sources say 6ix9ine's planning to donate 10 percent of his haul to hungry families who are struggling in the pandemic.

Specifically, we're being told 69 will send $200k to an org called No Kid Hungry, which helps dole out money to families that can't afford to feed themselves or their little ones -- which, as you can imagine, has gotten worse with COVID-19 putting people out of work.

Tekashi's hoping his donation will help in that cause -- and, frankly, it's a really nice gesture and a nice pendulum swing after his wild, and not so smart, weekend activities.

Here's hoping it also serves as a sign to come for 6ix9ine in general -- give and you get, solid life philosophy.

The ink is still wet on Tua Tagovailoa's rookie contract ... but the Miami Dolphins top pick is already in the process of giving back -- vowing to help the communities that raised him.

The 22-year-old ex-Alabama superstar just signed a 4-year, $30.3 MILLION deal with nearly $20 mil signing bonus ... and shared a snap of the moment he became a millionaire on Tuesday.

Tua -- who was raised in Hawaii, went on to win a championship with Alabama, and got drafted by the Dolphins -- says he's going to do what he can for all 3 areas that left an impact on his journey.

"Blessed beyond belief 🙏🏼," Tua said on IG. "Thank you to the Miami Dolphins for making this dream come true for me and my family."

Of course, Tua's already proven he's a generous guy -- he just gifted his mom a Cadillac Escalade on Mother's Day -- but the QB says he's just getting started.

"It's in my heart to give back to the communities that have raised me. Plans are underway to start charitable outreach efforts in Hawaii, Alabama and Miami."

On top of his NFL money, Tua's raking in endorsement dough from Adidas, Wingstop, Bose and more ... so he's in prime position to make a huge impact.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy dropped $250,000 for a private meeting with Roger Goodell ... and tells TMZ Sports he plans to grill the NFL commish like a cheeseburger.

The NFL posted the auction to raise money for COVID-19 relief -- with the winner getting to watch a Monday Night Football game with Goodell in his personal "Man Cave."

Portnoy -- who made a fortune when Barstool was purchased by Penn National Gaming -- decided to drop some of his personal fortune on the opportunity for a face-to-face with Roger.

For those unaware, Portnoy has been very, VERY, critical of Goodell over the years for his handling of Deflategate, the Ray Rice situation and more.

In fact, Portnoy was handcuffed and removed from Super Bowl LIII in 2019 ... days after using bogus credentials to get into a SB media day event.

Portnoy tells TMZ Sports he doesn't know if the NFL has connected the dots and realized that he won the auction -- but says he wouldn't be surprised if they refund his winning bid and gave the prize to the next highest bidder instead.

"I could easily see them canceling this and running."

We reached out to the NFL for comment -- but so far, no word back.

But, you gotta watch the video ... Portnoy makes it clear he will have no mercy for Goodell if the commish goes through with the meeting.

Tua Tagovailoa is showing serious love for his mom with one of his first big NFL purchases ... surprising her with a Cadillac Escalade for Mother's Day!!!

The 22-year-old Miami Dolphins star rookie revealed the new whip in an emotional video on Sunday ... explaining to Diane, "I know you wanted something that would be able to carry everyone."

Mom's reaction is PRICELESS ... and she can't believe Tua's being serious -- "This is mine?!"

It's a smart choice ... 'cause an Escalade can hold up to 8 people, which is perfect for Mama Tagovailoa! Tua's the oldest of 4 kids.

The model appears to be a 2020 Cadillac Escalade -- which starts at $75k -- but we're assuming Tua went all-out for the occasion with some added features.

Of course, Tua is about to cash in on a HUGE rookie deal worth $30.3 milli over 4 years with nearly $20 million signing bonus.

Eddie Murphy has a brand new character to add to his comedic arsenal -- a singer he rolled out for big laughs, and to raise money for charity.

If you tuned in for the Feeding America Comedy Festival Sunday night, you saw Eddie's debut as Murray Murray -- a '60s and '70s singer who taught Ray Charles and Little Richard a few things ... but who also took out a hit on Berry Gordy's cat.

Eddie was the headliner on Byron Allen's 2-hour special, chock-full of huge comedians like Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Tiffany Haddish, George Lopez, Whitney Cummings and dozens more who recorded skits and intros for the fundraiser.

Eddie was in classic form as Murray Murray who, BTW, banged Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Tina Turner. The skit was one of the hilarious highlights for the event which raised money for Feeding America.

Fans have been anticipating Eddie's rumored return to standup comedy ever since he hosted 'SNL' back in December. So, the new skit's only gonna have Eddie fans champing at the bit even more.

His Murray Murray skit was obviously written and recorded before Saturday ... when Little Richard died. Eddie closed it with a tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still looking for a place to call home in L.A., because they can't stay at Tyler Perry's mansion forever, and they will have lots of options.

As we reported ... Harry and Meghan have budgeted $12 million to $18 million, and our real estate sources say they are the brass ring of potential clients. We know a bunch of them are already angling to rep the former royals.

We're told Harry and Meghan are looking on the westside of L.A., and the consensus is the following cribs are the big contenders.

This $15 million Bel-Air modern is an architectural gem, tucked away behind gates. Seven bedrooms should do the trick, and with 10,000 square feet, there's room to expand.

The atrium's amazing, with a curved staircase and ceilings that touch the skies. The floor plan is great because it seamlessly ties in the inside with the outside. The master bedroom is fit for a prince, with glass walls and a spa-like bathroom.

Oh, and there's a 10-seat movie theater, billiard table, 200 bottle wine cellar, plus an exercise and steam room. The grounds have an infinity pool and computerized rain bar. We're in.

Mauricio Umansky, the founder and CEO of The Agency, has the listing.

Next up, check out this $17,995,000 brand-new modern, Hollywood Hills estate with 5 bedrooms and 8,776 square feet, plus a 1,240-square-foot, multi-car garage.

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is killing it when it comes to the autograph market -- with the value of DT signed baseballs more than doubling in price since he took office.

Authentic Trump signed baseballs are selling in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range ... a huge jump from the $1,000 price point most memorabilia shops were getting for DT balls when he moved into the White House in 2017.

In fact, Steiner Sports -- one of the biggest sports autograph dealers in the country -- is asking $2,663.99 for an authentic Trump signature on an MLB baseball.

TMZ Sports spoke with Ken Goldin, who runs Goldin Auctions -- another major player in the sports collectibles market -- who says Trump memorabilia is still in super-high demand, despite the criticism he's received in office.

"The more he's in the news, the more demand there is," Goldin tells us.

Goldin recently sold a copy of the Trump impeachment documents with Donald's signature for a cool $81,000 ... and says the buyer was NOT a Trump fan.

Goldin says some of the biggest Trump collectors are actually Trump haters!

"People who even are not fans of his probably would say, 'Hey, I'd like to have a signature baseball, this is kind of unique."

Rich the Kid can rap all he wants about how "Money Talks" but one celeb jeweler's wondering why the Kid's gone radio silent when it comes to unpaid jewelry bills ... according to a new lawsuit.

Peter Marco from Extraordinary Jewels of Beverly Hills is suing the "Plug Walk" rapper claiming he owes a whopping $234,800 in unpaid jewelry that includes bracelets and incredibly fancy watches.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Marco says he's been doing business with Rich since at least October 2017. RTK ordered diamond necklaces, crosses and even a couple of Patek Philippe watches worth several hundred thousand dollars. And, for a while, Rich did make payments.

In docs, Marco says Rich wired over several payments but they eventually stopped. Even still, RTK continued ordering jewelry and Marco kept delivering ... but the bills kept piling on and Marco claims he wasn't getting paid. So, he's now suing for what he says he's still owed.

Rich the Kid's no stranger to flossing his bling. In the past, he's ordered pricey jewelry when he dropped new albums and even collaborations.

Michael Jordan's personal check -- signed by His Airness -- made out to Donald Trump's Indiana casino during the '97-'98 NBA season ... just hit the auction block.

The one-of-a-kind check is dated "Feb. 16, 1998" ... and is made out to "TRUMP INDIANA, INC." -- Trump's now-closed riverboat casino in Gary, Indiana -- for 15,000 bucks.

MJ's very recognizable autograph is on the checks signature line ... above the font "JORDAN, MICHAEL J"

Michael's Bulls squad didn't have a game on February 16. They just came off a 99-90 win over the Pistons the night before ... and were set to play the Pacers in Chi-town the following night, February 17.

Did Jordan's gambling affect his play against the Pacers? Nope. Chicago won, and Jordan dropped 27 points on Reggie Miller's team.

MJ's love of gambling is well-documented and was prominently discussed on the "Last Dance" docuseries ... when Michael famously traveled from NYC to Atlantic City during the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals series against the Knicks.

So, yeah, Michael liked the casino ... A LOT.

Goldin Auctions -- who are currently auctioning the check -- believe this is the first time an MJ check made to a casino has become available on the open market.

With Jordan's current resurgence in the news, MJ memorabilia is on fire. Last week, a rookie card from 1986 sold for $96k.