While this move will be overshadowed by the MacKenzie Gore trade, Paul Toboni made another waiver claim. This time he picked up Gus Varland from the Diamondbacks. He is the older brother of Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland and has some similarities. To make room on the 40-man roster the Nationals DFA’d Riley Adams.
The Nationals have claimed right-handed pitcher Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and designated catcher Riley Adams for assignment.
While Varland did not pitch in the MLB in 2025 and had an injury riddled season, he has MLB experience. He had a really strong season in 2024, posting a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings with 27 strikeouts. If he can get back to that form in 2026, he can be a nice piece for the Nats bullpen.
At just 29 years old, Varland still has time on his side as well. Varland has an exciting fastball/slider combination that can get big league outs. His fastball sat at 95 MPH in 2024, but it has a ton of carry at the top of the zone. The heater is comfortably his best pitch and he throws it over 55% of the time. Varland’s primary secondary pitch is a high-80’s slider, but he also mixes in a changeup.
He is an interesting piece to add to a wide open mix in the Nats bullpen. With Varland and Paxton Schultz in the fold, Paul Toboni has created some more bullpen depth. The high leverage spots are a concern, but it feels like the bullpen has more capable bodies now.
On the other side of the coin, the Nats DFA’d Riley Adams, who has been with the team for a while. Adams was part of a deal that sent Brad Hand to the Blue Jays. While he has not been great, getting a big leaguer for Hand is a win. In his time with the Nats, Adams posted a .640 OPS.
The Nationals have claimed Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and DFA’d catcher Riley Adams.
Adams, acquired in the sell-off in 2021 for Brad Hand, hit .215 with a .640 OPS in five seasons with the Nationals.
Adams has some eye-popping tools, most notably his elite bat speed. His 78.3 MPH average swing speed is one of the best marks in the sport. He also has an absolute cannon of an arm. However, he was just unable to fully put things together.
Adams will turn 30 this year, so time is not really on his side anymore. He is also out of options, so it feels unlikely that he gets claimed. Given some of the tools, I would not be shocked if he got claimed though.
Obviously, this move will be overshadowed by the Gore trade, but it could be a decent pickup for the bullpen. Paul Toboni is making his mark on this roster, there is no denying that.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Jesse Minter is heading back to Baltimore, this time as the Ravens' next head coach.
The club hired the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator on Thursday. Minter replaces John Harbaugh, who was fired earlier this month after 18 years when the Ravens failed to make the playoffs.
Minter spent four seasons on Harbaugh's staff from 2017-20, working his way up to become the defensive backs coach during his final season before taking the defensive coordinator job at Vanderbilt.
The 42-year-old Minter was one of the hottest names on the market. He interviewed virtually with several teams — including the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are also looking for a coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down last week — before landing in Baltimore, where his job will be to help two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson take the next step in a career that’s been consistently snakebit in the postseason.
“This is an organization whose values, culture and tradition of excellence reflect everything I believe about the game of football and how it should be played,” Minter said in a statement.
Minter has been with the Chargers for two seasons after two years as defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan. Minter’s partnership with both Harbaughs helped him build a resume that made him the right fit to replace John Harbaugh and become the fourth head coach in Baltimore's 31-year history.
"Jesse is a strong leader who possesses a brilliant football mind and a spirit that will resonate with our players and fanbase alike,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “Jesse comes from a football family, with success at every level of the sport, and we are confident that he is the right coach to lead the Ravens forward.”
The Bolts were fifth in the league in total defense this season, allowing 285.2 yards per game. They allowed a league-low 17.7 points per game in 2024. The Wolverines led the nation in total defense in 2023 en route to winning the College Football Playoff national championship.
Minter also spent four seasons at Baltimore (2017-20), rising from a defensive assistant to defensive backs coach his final year. He also interviewed for the head coach openings in Atlanta and Miami earlier this week. Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Tennessee have also requested interviews.
The Ravens endured a tumultuous 2025 season marked by a 1-5 start and major injuries, from Jackson to defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. Baltimore recovered to head into a Week 18 showdown with Pittsburgh for the AFC North title.
Rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal on the final play sailed wide right, handing the division crown to the Steelers.
Harbaugh, the NFL's second-longest tenured head coach, was out of a job days later. Harbaugh didn't stay out of work long. He was hired to the same position by the New York Giants last week.
The 2021 NHL Draft is beginning to look like one of the stronger classes in recent memory, producing several impact players across the league. For the Detroit Red Wings, that success now includes towering defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a six-foot-six Swedish blueliner who has quickly established himself as one of the most intriguing young defensemen in the sport. His emergence raises a natural question in if the draft were held again today, would Edvinsson go higher, lower, or remain at sixth overall?
At the very top of a redraft, there appears to be little debate. Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston has developed into a legitimate top-six NHL scorer and is on pace to finish just shy of 90 points this season.
Johnston leads all players from the 2021 class in total points and holds a 53-point advantage over the next closest skater, Seattle’s Matty Beniers. Based on current production and trajectory, Johnston would almost certainly be the first overall pick in a redraft.
From there, the picture becomes more complicated as Beniers remains a cornerstone player in Seattle, while Utah’s Dylan Guenther, Toronto’s Matthew Knies, and Anaheim’s Mason McTavish have all emerged as impactful forwards.
Each brings a combination of scoring, physicality, and top-line upside that would likely push them ahead of Detroit’s original sixth selection. In a redraft scenario, it is reasonable to expect those five forwards to come off the board before the Red Wings are on the clock.
That is where Edvinsson re-enters the conversation. While teams generally preach drafting best player available over positional need, a redraft inevitably accounts for organizational context and proven NHL performance. Detroit’s defensive depth is thinner than its forward group, and Edvinsson’s skill set would fill a clear need. Among remaining options, he stands out as one of the best all-around talents available.
New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes presents the closest competition as the fellow 22-year-old is more offensively inclined and has already posted multiple 40-point NHL seasons, but recent injury concerns and defensive inconsistencies could give teams pause.
Edvinsson, by contrast, offers size, reach, and defensive reliability while still contributing offensively, finishing with only 13 fewer points than Hughes last season despite a different role. His physical presence and durability make him an attractive long-term option for a team seeking stability on the back end.
Other defensemen such as J.J. Moser have also carved out solid NHL careers, but Edvinsson’s five-inch height advantage and two-way impact give him the edge. There are also several forwards including William Eklund, Kent Johnson, Owen Power, Matt Coronato, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake who could reasonably climb in a redraft. Even so, most projections would place Edvinsson firmly in the same range, either remaining with Detroit at sixth overall or sliding only slightly later.
For Red Wings fans, the takeaway is reassuring. Detroit’s scouting staff identified a legitimate top talent, and Edvinsson’s continued development suggests the organization made the right call. In a draft that continues to age well, Detroit’s sixth overall pick looks every bit the part of a franchise cornerstone.
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A trade in the NBA, perhaps more so than the trades in any other major professional sports league based in North America, can only be examined through the prism of what each organization wanted to accomplish in the transaction. The goals of a contender trying to add another piece for its postseason run are different than a struggling team in the midst of a rebuild. Those opposing missions will define the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
The names of the players and their stats often take a backseat to salary cap ramifications, with contracts that have gone sour and draft assets discussed as much by front offices as the potential stars that could be changing teams. But the rumors leading into the Feb. 5 deadline have fueled conversation throughout the league during the first half of the 2025-26 season, and now we're approaching their end point.
They may be the biggest stars on the move, but they aren't alone. A bevy of well-known players have been mentioned as possible trade candidates in recent weeks. Where they wind up after Feb. 5, if they stay put or get dealt elsewhere, is likely to shake up the NBA playoff race.
Here's a breakdown of the top candidates potentially available at the 2026 NBA trade deadline and how they rank:
Mathurin is a restricted free agent after this season after failing to agree to an extension with the Pacers this past offseason and the team could use him to deal for a frontcourt piece to help offset the loss of Myles Turner. Mathurin has been out with a thumb injury in January, but is nearing a return to action. He's averaging career highs in points (17.8), rebounds (5.5) and assists (2.2) this season.
The veteran center could follow Young out of Atlanta ahead of the deadline with an expiring contract and $30 million salary that could help the Hawks improve their roster around Jalen Johnson with the right deal. But Porzingis has appeared in just 17 games this season, including just five since Thanksgiving, due to illness and a recent Achilles injury.
It seemed a near-certainty Kuminga would be dealt to a team in search of help on the wing before the deadline after he fell out of Golden State coach Steve Kerr's rotation and demanded a trade. But the season-ended injury suffered by Jimmy Butler earlier this week could change the Warriors' strategy with Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $48.5-million contract in October 2025 that includes a team option for next season. Kuminga returned to the lineup for the first time in more than a month on Jan. 20 and finished with 20 points and five rebounds. General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. insinuated earlier this week, when asked about Kuminga's trade demand by reporters, that there wasn't much demand for Kuminga on the trade market.
The Raptors are reportedly looking to upgrade their roster after a strong start to the 2025-26 season and their No. 3 overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft could be the piece Toronto is willing to part with to find another player to team with Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Jakob Poeltl and Ochai Agbaji have also been mentioned as possible trade chips.
The Bulls risk losing White for nothing if they don't trade him at the deadline since he'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He's one of eight unrestricted free agents on Chicago's roster, with center Nikola Vucevic and guard Ayo Dosunmu among the prime candidates who could also be traded in the coming weeks. White is averaging 18.5 points and 4.6 assists while shooting a career-best 45.9% from the field.
Sabonis just returned from a knee injury and the Kings appear ready to move on from most of the veterans on their roster, including Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan. Sabonis is more intriguing because he's younger and more accomplished, but with more term left on his contract and serious defensive limitations that have muted his effectiveness. Sabonis is just a year removed from consecutive all-NBA nods and he averaged more than 19 points, nearly 14 rebounds and more than 7 assists per game over the past two seasons.
Porter has turned into a potential trade deadline asset after taking on a leading role and producing a career year in Brooklyn following an offseason trade from the Nuggets. Porter's combination of size and shooting would help any contender, much like he did as a role player in Denver during its 2023 NBA title run. He's averaging 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting better than 39% from 3-point range.
The Grizzlies made clear a couple weeks they were willing to listen to trade offers for Morant after he had been the subject of speculation throughout the first couple months of the NBA season. Morant indicated publicly last week he wants to remain in Memphis, though his departure remains a distinct possibility. Morant's durability concerns, declining production and significant contract could limit the list of suitors and keep Memphis from moving on from him midseason. But his recent return from injury demonstrated that, when properly motivated, the 26-year-old can still impact NBA games in a major way. If Morant is gone from the Grizzlies, teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. could also become available.
Trading Davis got even more complicated for the Mavericks after he recently suffered a hand injury that will sideline him for six weeks. The bright side is Davis will avoid injury and could be available by the postseason for a contender willing to trade for him. His lengthy injury history and contract, with two years and more than $120 million remaining after this season, will limit his suitors. But Davis remains a two-way force inside when healthy and could alter the postseason picture if he's on the move.
It's getting really awkward in Milwaukee, with a breakup between the Bucks and their star seemingly inevitable even if neither side wants to be the one to say it out loud. The Bucks are struggling, Antetokounmpo is frustrated and the team is reportedly looking to add help at the trade deadline in hopes of convincing him to stay. He has one year left on his contract after this season, so waiting to make a trade until the offseason is an option. But if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out of Milwaukee over the next few weeks, teams will be lining up to try to acquire him.
Tyson Lewis saw his name etched in the annals of internet history earlier today by claiming the #8 spot in this year’s Red Reporter Community Prospect Rankings. Congrats to Tyson on the incredible honor!
By now you know the new voting rules here. There will be an embedded poll at the bottom of this post where you can cast your vote until the poll closes, but if that’s stripped out for you for some reason there will exist a link right here to take you to Google Forms to vote. Both of those will magically disappear when voting closes, though, so that internet chicanery cannot come in after the fact, dump votes, and change the already created history of the world.
Here’s how the list has materialized so far:
Sal Stewart
Alfredo Duno
Rhett Lowder
Hector Rodriguez
Edwin Arroyo
Cam Collier
Steele Hall
Tyson Lewis
A few new names have been added to the voting mix for spot #9. Have at it with the votes!
Chase Petty, RHP (23 years old)
2025 at a glance: 6.39 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 102/58 K/BB in 112.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 13 ER in 6.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds
Pros: Three plus pitches, including a fastball that flirts with 100 mph and 60-grade slider and cutter
Cons: Lit up in first cups of MLB coffee, and struggled in AAA after being sent back down
Petty has long been on the radar of every scout in the game, a former 1st round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of high school (whom the Reds had eyes on drafting back then, too). He was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Sonny Gray the other way, and he’s pitched his way onto multiple Top 100 overall prospect lists since.
Of course, he’s also pitched his way back off those same lists, with much of his work in 2025 doing just that. He was shelled at the big league level, though that’s with the caveat that he’d just turned 22 years old when that went down. The stuff’s still there, he’s just struggled to blend it all together for long enough stretches to show he can be an effective big league starter. The hope is that the lumps he took in 2025 paired with a mostly healthy offseason for the first time in a while will send him into 2026 both ready and with something to prove.
Aaron Watson, RHP (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL); signed overslot $2.7 million bonus to forego commitment to the University of Florida
Pros: 6’5” frame; potential 60-grade slider; fastball that runs up to 96 mph from a three-quarter arm slot and already has a solid three-pitch mix with his change rotated in
Cons: Did not pitch professionally after being drafted, so he’s a complete unknown
One glimpse of Watson on the mound and you immediately think yep, I bet that guy can turn into a pretty dang good pitcher. He’s got an ideal frame to produce downhill offerings, and his fastball/slider mix is already something on which he can hang his hat.
However, command of all three of his pitches – specifically a very developmental changeup – will be what he needs to work on to begin to move quickly through the ranks. He possesses a good ‘feel’ at the moment in terms of what pitches to throw, which part of the zone to attack vs. which hitters, etc., but how well he can build in more deception with his offerings will be vital.
Jose Franco, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 118/54 K/BB in 110.0 IP split between AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Southern League) and AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Fastball that flirts with triple digits with ease
Cons: Secondary pitches need work, and that’s impacting his overall command (and ability to limit walks)
Franco turned 25 years old in November and earned a promotion to the 40-man roster of the Reds shortly thereafter due to his consistent performance across the upper levels of their farm system.
The Reds have a few hulks they’ve put on the mound in recent years, and Franco thoroughly qualifies. He’s listed at 6’2” and an oddly specific 257 lbs, and his size and frame allows him to tap into his excellent fastball velocity with ease. It’s the pitch he misses bats with the most, but how well he can differentiate his breaking pitches (and improve his changeup command) will determine whether or not he can a) get left-handed hitter out with aplomb and b) avoid ending up in the bullpen.
He’s been a late bloomer, in part due to injuries that cost him his entire 2023 season, and if he continues the path he’s been on since getting healthy there could be a whole lot more from him as early as 2026 for Cincinnati.
Carlos Jorge, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .251/.342/.355 with 6 HR, 40 SB in 469 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Plus speed; former infielder moved to CF in 2023 and in 2025 looked like a natural there; plus speed; shaved 12.5% off K-rate from down 2024 season; 60-grade arm strength a weapon in CF
Cons: ISO declined for third straight year, this time precipitously; prone to extreme streakiness
If you threw out every other stop of Carlos Jorge’s pro career and just focused on the good ones, he’d already be ranked by now. The good parts of the best of his years have been quite tremendous, all told. He’s flashed great speed (40 steals in 2025), good pop for a small-ish CF (12 HR in 2023 and 2024; .483 SLG in the cavernous Florida State League in 2023), and the ability to play pretty elite CF defense (as recently as 2025).
However, he’s added some real clunkers in there, too. He hit just .220/.291/.394 with a K-rate over 31% at Dayton in 2024, and that came on the heels of hitting just .239/.277/.398 in 23 games once he reached Dayton at the end of 2023.
Maybe it’s just Dayton, where he was again in 2025 in a much better all-around year, even though his power dried up again. He’ll surely begin with AA Chattanooga of the Southern League in 2026, and at 22 (with his position in CF now settled) the former 2B might finally have a one-track shot to focus on his all around game in a new locale. After acing his move on defense, shaving off a ton of strikeouts, and bumping his walk rate back up over 11.1% (where it’s been for most of his career), perhaps 2026 will have a lot more in store for him.
Zach Maxwell, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 4.50 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 13/4 K/BB in 10.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds; 4.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 59/32 K/BB in 49.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Huge. Literally gigantic (6’6”, 275-ish lbs). Throws gas (100 mph+) with a devastating slider (70-grade). And he’s titanic.
Cons: Struggles with control (6.1 BB/9 across 172.1 IP in his minors career)
Maxwell, a former 6th round pick out of Georgia Tech, throws the ball up to 102 mph with his heater, and it’s clear that hitters have just about as little idea where it’s actually going to be as Maxwell himself. That’s the rub here, really, in that Big Sugar has the pure stuff to turn even the best hitters into guessers, and it comes down to whether they’ll guess wrong more often than Maxwell misses the zone in each and every PA.
If they swing, though, they’re likely going to miss, and that’s why he’s right in the mix for a spot in Cincinnati’s bullpen again in 2026 after making his debut there in 2025. He can be a bit wild if it’s effectively wild, and that’s a tightrope he’s been walking since his days back at North Paulding HS in Dallas, Georgia. When he’s locked in, though, the heater is backed up by an absolutely devastating slide piece, and that two-pitch mix – again, when he’s locked in – is good enough to be closer material. He’s just got to continue to refine his delivery.
Leo Balcazar, SS/2B (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .263/.339/.381 with 12 HR, 8 SB in 560 PA split between A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League) and AA Chattanooga Lookouts (AA Southern League); .277/.340/.340 in 103 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)
Pros: Good strike zone judgement and plate discipline (52/75 BB/K in 2025); well-rounded tools, continuing to improve off ACL surgery
Cons: Not a ton of power yet; some question whether he’ll be able to stick at SS long term
It’s easy to forget just how good of a start Balcazar had to his pro career after signing with the Reds for $100,000 out of Venezuela. He posted an .882 OPS in 2021 in Dominican Summer League play, an .886 OPS in 2022 with the Arizona Complex League Reds, and was off to a wicked start (.897 OPS) across the first 18 games of his 2023 season with Class-A Daytona before he tore his ACL.
2024 was a bit of a rough year for him, however, as the layoff and working back from the surgery clearly impacted his performance (.264/.295/.354 in 410 PA). However, 2025 saw him look a lot more like his former explosive self – both at the plate and in the field – and he clearly was healthy enough once again as he logged a combined 663 PA across all leagues.
He’s still just 21 years of age (22 in June of 2026), and if he’s shaken the rust off completely and enters this season after a normal winter, there’s a chance we see a whole lot more from him, too.
Arnaldo Lantigua, OF (20 years old)
2025 at a glance: .268/.345/.519 in 206 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League); .261/.318/.445 in 129 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League)
Pros: Above-average bat speed and raw power; mashes left-handed pitching; good eye at the plate
Cons: Likely destined for corner OF as his range is a concern, though his arm continues to play
The Cincinnati Reds helped the Los Angeles Dodgers sign Roki Sasaki by shipping them international bonus pool money, and in return for it they landed Lantigua, who only turned 20 in December after holding his own across 32 games in the brutal hitting environment of the Florida State League (where right-handed hitters, in particular, are seriously stifled).
You wont see Lantigua winning sprint titles. You won’t see him making plays in the outfield that simply wow you. There’s not a batting title in his future, I don’t imagine. However, there’s a very real chance he continues to evolve into a classic bat-first corner outfielder who can swat over 30 homers a season, and that’s something the Reds have (as you may have noticed) really failed to produce off their farm for quite some time. He’s not on this list because he’s well-rounded, in other words, but the bat/power combo is a skillset where he’s really impressive already at such a young age, and that’s unique among this class.
Brian Gregory was a controversial hire. Mat Ishbia promoted yet another Michigan State Spartan to a position of power in an offseason where that became a trend, as new head coach Jordan Ott was a former video coordinator at MSU under Tom Izzo.
These days, most Suns fans have very little to critique about the coaching hire. Everyone who watched the last dregs of the Monty Williams era, the Vogel season, and the Budenholzer season is elated by the progress this team has shown under Jordan Ott, and I see many fans routinely discuss their contentment with the coach online.
One person who doesn’t seem to get his flowers as often is Brian Gregory. GMs tend to be judged over the course of many drafts and offseasons. The fruits of their labor can take years to be tasted. Coaches give us the here and now. We can see the difference a coach makes a minimum of 82 times per year.
Jordan Ott also had a proven track record as an assistant around the league. The only things we really knew about Gregory were his connection to the Spartans and his fondness for the word “alignment.”
BUZZWORDS COUNTER: Three things are clear from new #Suns GM Brian Gregory…
That said, we do have a sample size. 44 games are behind us. 53.7% of the season has come and gone and we are closer to the playoffs than we are to opening night. So, how has Brian Gregory’s first offseason aged?
The Kevin Durant Trade: Grade: B+
The big one. The first item on the agenda. What was Brian Gregory going to do with KD. The Kevin Durant trade ended up being the largest trade in NBA history, comprising 7 teams.
The Suns traded Kevin Durant for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, picks 10, 31, and 41 in the 2025 NBA draft, and two future second-round picks. At the time, I would have graded this a C- or maybe even a D. The best player the Suns received back played the same position as Devin Booker. After that, all the Suns got was a role player, one good pick, and a handful of second-rounders. When do late picks ever work out, anyway?
As it turns out, I was a fool. Dillon Brooks has had a career season, even though he has begun to regress back to his mean a bit on the current road trip. His mean, however, is a good defensive wing who can space the floor and average 15 per game for his career.
Jalen Green has played just two full games on the season. In one of those two games, he looked like an explosive athlete who was going to be a dynamic backcourt partner to complement Booker. He scored an efficient 29 points and looked good doing it. In his return to the court in Philadelphia, he struggled with his efficiency a bit, but was showing some playmaking ability to make up for it. Most importantly, he looked healthy. While the Jalen Green sample size is not enormous, it does give us hope moving forward. Jalen Green still could have a “second star” in his future.
Meanwhile, the young player I desperately wanted from the Rockets, 22-year-old power forward Jabari Smith Jr., is playing…okay. He is averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds and is generally just a good basketball player. He would have probably played well under Coach Ott, but with the flashes Green has shown for the Suns, I think fans are expecting to be happy with the package they received.
The draft compensation received for Kevin Durant was about as good as Phoenix could have hoped for. We no longer live in the same NBA that was trading the farm for Rudy Gobert. A top ten pick and some future second-rounders in return for an aging star was a reasonable amount of draft compensation.
The most important thing the Suns received in return for Kevin Durant is the privilege of not having him in their locker room. At just the halfway point of the season, the vibes are already poor in Houston.
While Durant was in Phoenix, I thought that watching him play on the court for your favorite team must be the peak of basketball fandom. Unfortunately, watching everyone else on your favorite team be miserable playing with him was the curse that came with the boon.
This was a good trade for the Suns. Good is probably the right word, though, not great. But who knows if a great trade was ever going to be available? At the time of the trade, Durant’s value was at an all-time low for his career. Gregory did what he could with what he had and should be very happy with the results this trade has generated.
The Mark Williams Trade: Grade: A+
On draft night, the Phoenix Suns traded the 29th pick, Liam McNeeley, Vasilije Micić, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams and a 2029 second-round pick.
At first glance, that first-round pick in 2029 might seem like a steep price given the Suns’ current lack of draft capital, but I invite you to look a little deeper with me. The pick that the Suns traded was the least favorable draft pick among the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Utah Jazz. At least two of those teams are likely to be playoff teams in 2029. What the Suns really traded away with that 2029 pick was a player likely to be in the back 5-10 selections of the draft.
In return for that package, Phoenix received a young starter at what was, at the time, their weakest position. Williams is 24 years old, averages 12 points and 8 rebounds, and is five games away from a career high. He is the perfect high-motor big man to hold down the position for the next half-decade or more while the Suns’ center prospect develops, and they got him for a much lower price than they should have been able to. I give this trade an A+ for the sheer value returned for what was given up.
Every team in the league would trade picks 25 and 29 for a 24-year-old starter, and that is essentially what Brian Gregory did.
The Draft: Grade: C+
The thing about judging a draft during a rookie year is that, inevitably, very little of what we say about these guys now will actually be correct in the future. Cooper Flagg might win rookie of the year, but he also could be Michael Carter-Williams in disguise. While I think that is unlikely, I make that point to highlight how rookie seasons really shouldn’t be used to write off a player forever. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s determine if we should write off these players forever.
With their selections, the Phoenix Suns chose Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick, Rasheer Fleming with the 31st pick, and Koby Brea with the 41st pick. All three of these guys were raw, and only one of them had an NBA-ready skill that they could exhibit (Koby Brea’s shooting).
Koby Brea has played a total of eight minutes in the NBA so far. He is averaging 20.1 points in over 36 minutes in the G-League for the Valley Suns. Unfortunately, he is shooting just 31.3% from three. Brea is a player who got drafted because of his jump shot, and if he is going to make it in the NBA, he needs to be an above-average three-point shooter.
On the other hand, Rasheer Fleming has shown flashes. Fleming has averaged 7 minutes per game across the 24 games he has played. He has gotten into NBA games and looked like an NBA player. He is a long way away from being a high-level NBA player, but when you watch Fleming play you see a guy who is likely going to be in the Suns rotation in the next couple of years. Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro represent hits on late draft picks that most teams struggle to get. The ability to evaluate guys late in the first round and deep into the second round will continue to be critical for this team as all of their draft picks will be in this range for the foreseeable future
Maluach has been the player everyone has had their eye on. He has played just 4.7 minutes per game across 18 games this season. He is also 19 years old and likely still growing into his 7 feet 1 inches and 250 lbs. One bright spot is that he has dominated in the G-League. In his eight games for the Valley Suns, he is averaging 15.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3 blocks. There are enough flashes with the teenage center that it probably isn’t time to hit the panic button, yet. Just do yourself a favor and stay away from the basketball reference pages of the guys drafted around him.
Three to four years from now, when Maluach and Fleming are rotation players, I think we are upgrading Brian Gregory’s first draft to a B+.
The Other Guys: Grade: A
This is where the Suns’ front office has truly shone. In addition to the Fleming draft pick, Gregory claimed Jordan Goodwin off of waivers and signed Isaiah Livers to a two-way contract. As a bonus point, Gregory also signed Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way contract, though the season had already started.
Following the Goodwin signing, Gregory then had to make a second decision. There was a tough preseason battle between Goodwin and Jared Butler for a spot on the roster. Ultimately, Gregory made the right choice. Goodwin is averaging 9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in just 21 minutes off the bench. He has been a spark plug on defense and a perfect fit for this team’s new identity.
Isaiah Livers is averaging 10 minutes across just 23 games, mostly filling in for whatever role has been needed of him, especially at the power forward position. While he isn’t on his way to a regular rotation spot, he has been a good signing for what could have been reasonably expected of him.
The Suns have begun to gain a reputation for finding these guys. While Brian Gregory may not have been the general manager at the time, starting point guard Collin Gillespie was also a recent diamond in the rough that the Suns found, just waiting to be signed by anyone who would take him.
Final Offseason Grade: B+
Brian Gregory and the Suns front office team did what I thought was going to be impossible. They turned the dumpster fire 2024-2025 Phoenix Suns into a real playoff team. They found their guys, they aligned their vision, and they proved they can do more than spout buzzwords.
The only thing holding back the score for this offseason is the draft. For the second year running, the Phoenix Suns have walked away from the draft with at least one and maybe two pieces that are likely to turn into long-term rotation players. However, this was also very likely the last time the Suns are going to have a top ten draft pick in the Devin Booker era. If they want to open up the contention window again, Maluach has to turn into something great.
We will see what happens. For now, I am excited to see what the Brian Gregory era has in store for the future.
What about you, Suns fans? How would you grade BG’s first offseason?
After New York suffered an embarrassing defeat on their home court on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, head coach Mike Brown stepped up to the podium and revealed that he had some ideas on which buttons he needed to press prior to Wednesday night’s matchup against Brooklyn.
And while a win, even if it is by 60-plus points, against a tanking Nets team might not be enough to overwrite the last month of subpar basketball, discouraging efforts, and confusing lack of chemistry, we did get a few glimpses of tangible change that could signal that yesterday was more than just shots going in or a good team playing a bad team.
Mike Brown was asked if he knows what buttons he needs to press to "get the Knicks back on track"
While the Knicks’ bad defense has been the topic of discussion over the last few weeks, the more troubling aspect might have been the offense. We knew coming into the season that this team was never going to be an elite defensive team. They had the potential to be a solid, maybe even good one, but never elite. But offensively, they were supposed to be among the best in the league.
They roster the best shooting big man of all-time in Karl-Anthony Towns, floor spacers in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, and one of the best pure scorers in the game in Jalen Brunson. And add in Josh Hart’s secondary ball handling skills and transition baskets, Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding, Deuce McBride’s elite outside shooting, Jordan Clarkson’s erratic, yet explosive potential, and the genius of Mike Brown, and they should’ve had everything they needed to be an elite, albeit imperfect, offense.
And through the first couple of months of the season, we saw it come to fruition. Even with Towns struggling from outside, the offense thrived with Bridges taking on more of the ball-handling duties, Hart becoming a much improved shooter, and Brunson being, well, Brunson. Brown had them meshing great individual talent, with creative sets, and increased ball and player movement, and we saw this team put up some historic numbers with ease, even when guys had off nights. Yet over the last month, the offense regressed progressively. It started with players struggling to shoot, and it led to less trust, less movement, and ,unfortunately, the same kind of isolation-heavy, heliocentric offense we were forced to watch for much of Tom Thibodeau’s tenure.
But last night, we saw the Knicks get back to some of the roots that helped propel them to one of the best offenses in the league to start the season. We saw more organization in the form of set plays and schematic sets at the beginning of the shot clock, which led to much better continuity and flow offensively. There was noticeably less dribbling, less isolation, and less pick-and-rolls that led to late clock chucks, and it showed in the results.
In the clips above, you can see a much more concerted effort to be decisive with their actions. Whether it’s to shoot, pass, or drive, players were being much more intentional. And for the first time in god knows how long, it looked like everyone was actually on the same page, and playing with some urgency. The Nets, being one of the worst defensive teams in the league, especially in January, help. And shots going in will always prove to be the deciding factor in what is known as a “make or miss” league. But last night’s offensive process was the best one we’ve seen since mid-December, and that’s worth noting.
Energy and physicality
You can plug in whatever other word you want to use there. Off the top of my head, I contemplated using effort, activity, fight, pride, and tenacity. And I’m sure there are dozens more that you can use. Whatever you want to go with, though, the Knicks finally played with it. Again, Brooklyn is a tanking team that has not won many games this season. But they are still an NBA team with NBA players. And over the last couple of weeks, they’ve managed to score 96 points against the Raptors, 107 points against the Timberwolves, 107 points against the Warriors, 96 points against the Rockets, 105 points against the Mavericks, and 117 points against the Suns, all of whom are top 10 in defensive rating this season.
"It's no secret to anybody, been a tough stretch for us. But…shows what we can do…Connectivity, physicality, set tone, dictate––we've been talking about these in practice"
The fact that the Knicks held any NBA team, even if it is the Nets, to just 66 points, is impressive. They came out of the gates with the kind of effort we haven’t seen from them, especially in the first quarter, in a very long time. And they maintained it for much of the game. They fought over screens, were active in the passing lanes, seemed more communicative, had fewer mental lapses, and, like on offense, they just seemed more connected as a team. They will not hold opponents to under 100 points nightly, let alone under 70 points. This is no longer the NBA of the 2000’s. But the Mavericks game might’ve finally given this team a very long overdue wake-up call, and it showed with their best effort defensively, maybe all season long.
Rotation changes
Some of this is due to the Knicks being fully healthy. But one major change we’ve seen take place now over the last two games is the much more limited playing time of Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek. It’s unfortunate because both have been a significant part of some of the most memorable moments of the current rollercoaster season. But the pair have been underwhelming for the majority of the recent skid.
Clarkson was brought in to be a much-needed upgrade in the scoring department off the bench, but he’s been just as, if not more, erratic as advertised, while being the negative defender fans had expected. He’s already gone through a few tough stretches this season, and he’s found ways to bounce back with a few big games. But for much of the season, Clarkson has played more minutes than he’s often deserved, and his leash thus far has been unreasonably long.
Jordan Clarkson says he wasn’t approached about being benched. Said he’s taking it in stride but also made it clear he knows he can help this team — and any team — win basketball games .
Meanwhile, Kolek, despite having some nice moments, is still an inconsistent shooter, and while he tries defensively, his lack of athleticism and discipline often get him burned at the point-of-attack, an area the Knicks already struggle with.
Both have played sparingly over the last two games, with all of their minutes coming in garbage time last night. With McBride being such an integral part of the team, and Shamet healthy and playing well again, it’ll be tough to see either of them earning significant minutes moving forward unless another injury takes place. And while that’s tough for them, that’s the way it should be, and needs to be for now.
WASHINGTON — All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore is headed to the Texas Rangers in a trade that sends five prospects back to the Nationals in the biggest move of new Washington president of baseball operations Paul Toboni’s roster rebuilding efforts, a person with knowledge of the swap told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.
Gore gives the 2023 World Series champions a starter who should be able to help the front end of their rotation along with Jacob deGrom — a two-time Cy Young Award winner who was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2025 — and Nathan Eovaldi, who dealt with a rotator cuff strain and had surgery for a sports hernia after compiling a 1.73 ERA in 22 starts.
Gore is under team control for the next two seasons; he can’t become a free agent until after the 2027 World Series. He is scheduled to make $5.6 million in 2026 after to a one-year deal with the Nationals that avoided arbitration.
Gore, who turns 27 next month, is 26-41 with a 4.19 ERA in four major league seasons, the past three with Washington. He was an NL All-Star last season, when he ended up going 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA and a career-best 185 strikeouts in 30 appearances, all starts.
He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres and was sent to the Nationals in the 2022 trade that included Juan Soto.
The players Washington is receiving from Texas are Yeremy Cabrera, Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Abimelec Ortiz, Alejandro Rosario.
Fien is an 18-year-old shortstop who was taken out of high school in the first round of last year’s draft.
Fitz-Gerald is a 20-year-old infielder, Rosario is a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, Cabrera is a 20-year-old outfielder and Ortiz is a 23-year-old first baseman and outfielder.
All five are considered among the top 20 prospects in the Rangers’ system.
After acquiring a pair of pitchers in Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in a trade with Milwaukee late Wednesday night, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns met with the media via a video call on Thursday afternoon to talk about the trade, which sent top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers, the possibility of a Peralta extension, and much more.
Here's what Stearns had to say...
How the Peralta trade came to be
"Similar to a lot of discussions that can happen over the course of the offseason, these began in November when the offseason started, and they took a lot of twists and turns, and involved a lot of different names at different points, different constructs, different sizes of deals. I think talks probably accelerated over the last few days and ultimately we were able to get it across the line for both sides last night."
Is a Peralta extension in the works?
"I’m not going to speculate on that on day one here. We’ll let Freddy get acclimated to the organization. Any conversations that we may have or have in the future, I think we’ll do our best to keep private and not talk about publicly."
With recent moves, where do Mets fit in NL East picture?
"We’ve got a really tough division. We’ve got some really good teams and some teams that are getting better. Until we win a division, we can’t claim that we’re at the top. So, we’ve got to keep going and we’ve got to keep working."
On giving up major prospects
"We recognize that we’ve parted with some very good young players here, players who are going to have good major league careers, and that’s part of it when you’re acquiring a very good player in return. Brandon [Sproat] is going to be a good player, it was very tough for us to give him up, and I do not think we would have given him up in a deal where there was not a starting pitcher coming back."
...
"It's always tough to give up good players, and those are two really good players. It’s also the reality of what it costs to acquire good players coming back. We’re acquiring one of the better starting pitchers in baseball, a guy who has been really consistent. It was going to hurt and it does hurt, giving up good players hurts. Those guys are going to be playing in Milwaukee for a long time. We’re going to be competing against them. We’re also really excited to get Freddy and Tobias here, and I think both of those guys are going to help us."
The plan for Tobias Myers
"I think Tobias, first and foremost when you look at him, he fills up the zone. He goes right after people, he can zone up pretty much his entire arsenal. He’s not afraid. He’s pitched well in very big moments, as we saw firsthand a couple of years ago. And it’s also the versatility and being able to have success in both the rotation and the bullpen. We like his ability to give us multiple innings out of the pen when needed, and also flex into the rotation if that’s the way it goes."
J.T. Realmuto pulled into third base, stared at the Phillies’ dugout, covered his eyes and held up three fingers. Citizens Bank Park was rocking.
He had just delivered a bases-clearing triple in Game 1 of the National League Division Series off the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. Phillies up 2-0.
It was Realmuto’s hardest-hit ball since 2020 — 111.5 mph.
But who remembers that now?
The Phillies went on to lose the NLDS in gut-wrenching fashion, and the hit that opened the scoring and jolted the city faded into the abyss.
At the end-of-season press conference, however, manager Rob Thomson couldn’t stop praising the then–free-agent catcher.
“I’ve had a lot of great catchers [that] I’ve been around. [Jorge] Posada, [Iván] Rodríguez, for a short period of time. It goes on and on and on,” Thomson said. “This guy, to me, is the most prepared guy I’ve ever been around, as a catcher.
“He will spend hours watching video, making up his own game plan, and then matching it up with Caleb, and talking with the pitchers,” the skipper continued. “He’s got a great feel for in-game adjustments, when to go to the mound, when to change the pitch, when to change location… He’s just that good.”
The offseason opened quietly. The Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber, bought low on Adolis García and added relievers — including Brad Keller — through free agency and trades. There were tweaks, but not sweeping changes.
For weeks, the club had a three-year offer on the table for Realmuto.
Then came Bo Bichette.
Philadelphia’s pursuit of the infielder shifted the feel of the offseason. Had the Phillies landed Bichette, a reunion with Realmuto would have been unlikely.
Bichette ultimately signed with the Mets. Less than an hour later, the Phillies finalized Realmuto’s return on a three-year, $45 million deal.
For many, the emotional swing of those 24 hours reshaped the offseason narrative — from the excitement of chasing Bichette to the underwhelming feeling of turning over a familiar roster.
When the Realmuto deal became official and the club addressed the media, the tone wasn’t celebratory. It was candid.
“I know how the game works and I know there’s certain values on players and at the end of the day, I just value myself in what I do for the team and the clubhouse differently than what the Phillies did for a while,” Realmuto said. “So that’s why it took longer than it, maybe, should have.”
Realmuto’s clubhouse value and impact on the pitching staff is, in many ways, immeasurable.
Since being acquired in 2019, he has caught more innings than any catcher in baseball — 6,699.2 — nearly 1,200 more than the next closest. Over that span, Phillies starting pitchers have posted the highest WAR in the majors (103.5) according to FanGraphs, forced the softest contact (88.1 mph average exit velocity) and ranked top 10 in both strikeout and walk rate.
According to FanGraphs’ defensive run value, Realmuto ranks third at the position with 91.2 — a difficult number to sustain over seven seasons of heavy usage.
That influence shows up daily. It showed up again when Cristopher Sánchez learned his catcher was coming back.
“I got goosebumps,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “I just know the pivotal part that he is of the team, and me personally, I just wanted him back so bad.
“To me, he’s one of the best catchers in baseball,” he continued. “Obviously, he’s had a huge impact on me… every time I walk in, J.T.’s already in the kitchen, he has a laptop in his hands, he’s looking at the opposing team, going over the [scouting] report, helping us out, and I just think that’s a testament to him and the preparation he puts in for us to go out there and be able to thrive.”
The praise has never been the issue. The challenge, as Thomson noted back in October, is “putting a dollar sign” on that underlying value.
Realmuto acknowledged his offensive production has dipped — but bristled at how the rest of his impact is weighed in negotiations.
“Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating… I know that I haven’t had my best years the last couple years, but I do believe that it’s not like age or physically related. It’s something that I can improve on and work on and be better for the years to come.”
From a peripheral standpoint, 2025 was one of the least productive offensive seasons of Realmuto’s career. Among qualified catchers, he posted the lowest slugging percentage (.384) and OPS (.700) at the position — the lowest and second-lowest marks, respectively, of his 12 big-league seasons.
October has told a different story.
Realmuto hit .353 with a 1.118 OPS in the NLDS and has collected 11 extra-base hits since the start of the 2023 postseason, posting an .816 OPS across his last 21 playoff games.
Realmuto, who once held the highest average annual value ever for a catcher after signing a five-year, $115.5 million deal, still believes the position remains undervalued.
“For me, it sucks that like the catchers, in my opinion, are just undervalued in this game, as far as contracts and dollars go,” he said. “I truly believe it’s one of, if not, the most important position on the field. So like, I just enjoy fighting for that.”
Left-hander Tanner Banks echoed the sentiment — with a smile.
“From a pitching standpoint, I know he’s got a great rapport with the starting pitching and the relievers that are coming back and I collectively think I could speak for us all and say we’re excited,” Banks said Tuesday.
He also acknowledged the difficulty in quantifying Realmuto’s value.
“It’s hard to put a number on, but a catcher’s in every play of every game. So there’s an extreme value there. You think about a starting pitcher — how good is a starting pitcher if you don’t have your counterpart there, helping you call shots and navigate a lineup three times?”
As with his 2021 free agency, Realmuto again found himself at a negotiating crossroads. This time, though, the leverage shifted.
When Bichette went elsewhere, the Phillies moved quickly — and decisively.
“The dollars looked different and luckily, you know, after the Phillies missed out on an opportunity there at the end, they called back and were able to make something happen, and improve their offer and get to a place that we were happy with.”
Either way, the Phillies have their leader behind the plate.
With Ranger Suárez now gone in free agency, Realmuto’s role as the voice and backbone of the pitching staff becomes even more critical — especially with top prospect Andrew Painter entering the picture.
In the end, both sides landed where they wanted to be.
“We always wanted to bring J.T. back. That was always a priority for us,” Dave Dombrowski said. “We’re thrilled that [he’s] back.”
“The whole time, this is where we wanted to be,” Realmuto added. “I’m glad we’re back here and this is where we want to be the whole time. So really, my focus was just on my legacy here and being able to finish my career with the Phillies.”
Just after I wrote that a MacKenzie Gore trade seemed unlikely, Paul Toboni pulled the trigger. He sent Gore to the Texas Rangers for a five prospect haul. While the Nats did not get Sebastian Walcott, they got five quality pieces from Texas. The return consists of SS/3B Gavin Fien, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 2B Devin Fitz-Gerald, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and OF Yeremy Cabrera.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
Rangers get: LHP MacKenzie Gore
Nationals get: 3B Gavin Fien, SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and and OF Yeremy Cabrera
A big return for the Nationals. Fien was the 12th pick last year. Evaluators love Fitz-Gerald.
The headliner of the return is Fien, who was selected 12th overall by the Rangers last year. He was a shortstop in high school, but is likely to move to third base. Fien was one of the most impressive hitters in last year’s class with a really nice blend of hitting ability and power.
Analytically inclined scouts loved Fien’s bat speed and plate discipline. While his swing is not the most traditional, he made plenty of contact on the showcase circuit. He may not be a top 100 prospect yet, but with a strong year, he can surge on to the list.
What you need to know about new Nats prospect Gavin Fien -12th overall pick in 2025 MLB Draft -Demolished top prep arms in summer before senior year, posting a 1.262 OPS -Analytics people love him for his strong plate discipline and bat speedpic.twitter.com/SOKv6ECNmV
Admittedly, this is a bit of an underwhelming headliner for Gore. However, that is the reason the Nats were able to get five interesting pieces in this deal. Toboni had a choice, he could swing big for one top 50 type prospect or get a grab bag of solid pieces. He chose the latter option, and only time will tell if he is right.
Most of my trade suggestions had the Nats going after a big name headliner, but only getting one or two other pieces. Toboni decided to do something different, which is a bit of a gamble. However, it is one that could pay off in a big way.
There is a world where Fien and Fitz-Gerald are top 100 prospects. As Jeff Passan noted, evaluators loved Fitz-Gerald. He is a switch hitter with a really nice blend of contact and power. Fitz-Gerald is not much of a defender, but scouts think he could be serviceable at second base.
Alejandro Rosario is an interesting case. He was a top 100 prospect in 2024, but went down with a torn UCL in 2025, missing the whole season. However, it has been reported that he did not get his Tommy John Surgery until a couple weeks ago and will miss all of 2026 as well. A weird situation, but if the 2024 version of Rosario returns, his upside is massive.
The squatty 5’10 230 pound Abimelec Ortiz is the fourth prospect in the deal. The 23 year old slugger hit 25 homers in the minors last year and has very good bat to ball data. He should have a chance to compete for reps at 1B or DH.
Abimelec Ortiz finished 2025 with 25 HR and a 124 wRC+ across AA and AAA. In 165 PA at AAA, he put up a .953 OPS w/ a 53.8% Hard-Hit%, .377 xwOBA, & an 88.6% Z-Contact%. He's raked in his professional career & put up a 33 HR campaign back in 2023 in just 109 games. pic.twitter.com/MMPJ6zCv8X
The last piece is 20 year old outfielder Yeremy Cabrera. He is a speedster who also has some power upside. It is more of a throw in, but he is better than your average throw in.
Prospect rankings in Rangers' top 30 per MLB Pipeline/Baseball America:
Overall, the package is solid, but unexpected. It is pretty similar to the Shane Baz deal that went down between the Rays and the Orioles. The Nats needed to add more depth to their farm system and they did that here. Only time will tell if this is the right move, but I am intrigued.
We’re now less than three weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to Salt River Fields, and it feels like the D-backs’ off-season remains a work in progress. With all respect to Taylor Clarke, the bullpen has barely been touched. We don’t know who will be replacing Lourdes Gurriel in left field on Opening Day. Arizona is still waiting to find out what will happen with regard to the bonus draft pick connected to Zac Gallen [despite a report in December the Cubs were “close to finalizing an agreement” with him]. But perhaps no topic, outside of the Ketel Marte trade rumors, has been more discussed than a potential reunion with Paul Goldschmidt.
Goldy remains the best position player in franchise history, putting up an average of almost five bWAR across his eight seasons with the team. That included six All-Star appearances, and a trio of top three finishes in MVP voting, as well as likely the best value extension in franchise history. But, with one season left to go on that contract, Mike Hazen dealt Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals, for Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver, Andrew Young and a competitive balance pick, which became Dominic Fletcher. Even though none of those panned out long-term, given it was in exchange for just one year of Goldy, you’d be hard pushed to call it a bad trade.
It is fair, however, to ask why the team did not work out a contract extension with Goldschmidt. The Cardinals certainly did, agreeing a five-year, $130 million deal before the following Opening Day. After a shaky first season in St. Louis, the deal turned out a good price for St. Louis. Goldschmidt posted 20.9 bWAR over the 2020-2024 period included in the extension. It included Goldschmidt finally snaring the NL MVP honor in 2022, which had eluded him with the D-backs. However, the Cardinals failed to get past the wild-card round in three successive years, Goldscbmidt hitting just .174 (4-for-23) in the postseason over that contract.
When it expired, he went to the Bronx, signing a one-year deal worth $12.5 million with the New York Yankees. Aged 38 by the time the Yankees exited in the AL Division Series against the Blue Jays, it seems that Father Time might finally be catching up to him. Paul struggled significantly against right-hand pitching in 2024 and 2025. Across a total of 853 plate-appearances there, he hit only .237/.284/.367 for a .651 OPS. Goldschmidt was still solid against left-handed pitchers, albeit in a smaller sample (335 PA). He hit .315/.389/.522 for a .911 OPS there over the last two seasons. Goldschmidt hit the open market again this winter.
The case for Goldschmidt
Right now, the plan for the D-backs would involve a platoon of left-hander Pavin Smith and right-hander Tyler Locklear. However, Locklear ended up missing the end of the season with injury, after a collision at first with Boston’s Connor Wong, when trying to field and an errant throw from Jordan Lawlar. Whether due to that, or a pre-existing condition, subsequent evaluation determined Lockler needed surgery both on his ulnar collateral ligament (elbow) and labrum (shoulder). While there’s been no news since, Paul Gambadoro said at the time that Locklear could return late in spring, but would potentially miss the first month of the season before being 100%.
There’s also the question of how good he will be. Locklear came over from the Mariners in the Suarez trade, but did not impress before the injury. Across 31 games as a Diamondback, he hit just .175, with a .529 OPS and 43 strikeouts over 116 PA. It is true that Tyler only turned 25 in November, and has less than fifty games of experience at the major-league level. Which is fine, if the team is punting on 2026, and thinking about Locklear as a long-term solution. Let him take his licks this year, and hopefully, he’ll become capable of taking over full-time down the road.
But if the team is committed to competing in 2026 – and, at least publicly, that seems to be the approach Hazen is advocating – Locklear might not be good enough, even after he has fully recovered from those surgical processes. Signing Goldschmidt as a one-year platoon partner, to face left-handed pitching, while Smith gets the bulk of the at-bats against righties (where he has a career .772 OPS), might not be the worst thing in the world. There’s also a lot of residual love in the fanbase for Goldschmidt, understandably so. Bringing him back and allowing him to finish his career where it started could perhaps end up in Goldy entering Cooperstown as a Diamondback.
The case against Goldschmidt
The biggest obstacle to Paul returning to the desert, might well be Paul himself. On the latest edition of Snakes Territory, Jack Sommers reports [around ninety seconds in] that Goldschmidt still thinks he’s worth an everyday spot in the line-up, rather than having a roster spot and getting fewer starts on the weak side of a platoon. The D-backs are not willing to pay the obviously increased salary due to an everyday player – Jack reckoned they are more or less capped at around a $5 million salary for the spot. He also mentioned the Padres as a possible alternative landing spot, who could be willing to give Goldschmidt that everyday job and the matching price.
There hasn’t been much chatter otherwise regarding where Goldschmidt might go. The fact, again, we are less than one month away from spring training, and Paul is still unemployed, suggests there may be a gap between what he wants, and what teams are looking for – both in role and cost. There’s also the question of how much Goldschmidt wants to return – to the same team and GM which wouldn’t extend him, and traded him instead. According to Nick Piecoro, writing at the time of the trade to St. Louis, “Sources indicated that preliminary conversations with Goldschmidt’s camp left the Diamondbacks less than confident they would be able to reach an agreement.”
Does he hold a grudge? It doesn’t seem that the laid-back Paul we knew would be the kind to do so, instead accepting that it was (to misquote The Godfather) “not personal, Goldy – it’s strictly business.” But it doesn’t appear he is (yet) willing to bend on his demands for the season, and give a home-town discount in financial or other areas. As the trade of Goldschmidt shows, Mike Hazen makes decisions with his head, not his heart, even when these are unpopular with the fans. I don’t expect this to change: if Goldschmidt is going to be a D-back in 2026, I think it’ll be on the team’s terms. Otherwise, expect an alternative – perhaps someone like Ty France.
What do you reckon? Should the team sign Goldschmidt or not? That’s what the comments are for…
Washington traded the lefty hurler to the Rangers on Thursday, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.
The Rangers shipped minor leaguers Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario, Abimelec Ortiz, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Yeremy Cabrera. FanSided reported.
Fien, a prized shortstop and the first-round pick of the Rangers last year, was the franchise’s No. 2 prospect, according to MLB.com.
MacKenzie Gore traded to Rangers. Getty Images
Gore, 26, went 5-15 for the woeful Nationals last season, with a 4.17 ERA over 30 starts with 185 strikes over 159 2/3 innings. He led all Nats pitchers with a 3.0 WAR.
He now joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.
The Yankees were among the teams reported to be interested in Gore’s services this offseason as they prepare to open the season without aces Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.
All three hurlers are working their way back from various injuries.
