PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24, 2026: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners throws to second base during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to start taking at look at the other American League playoff contenders. First up, a team that finished with one more win than the Sox in 2025.
What’s This Team’s Deal?
After a heartbreaking loss to the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the ALCS kept the Mariners from their very first World Series, they are looking to maintain that momentum and do one better in 2026.
They are hungry for more, and it’s not just the players; the front office has gotten in on the act too. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s infamous 2023 quote, where he professed to aiming to win only 54% of the time, typifies the past approach. Not this season. The Mariners believe their time is now, and they have made offseason moves to take charge of their own destiny. They locked down Josh Naylor at first base. They signed Brendan Donovan to stabilize third base; both of these players improve the offense as well.
Their starting rotation, which has remained nearly unchanged for the past three seasons, barring fluctuations for injuries, remains upper echelon, though unfortunately Bryce Miller will likely start the season on the IL.
How Good Are They?
Many are already predicting they will represent the American League in the World Series. At this point, Jon Morosi thinks they have the most balanced, talented distribution of players of all the teams in the AL.
Recent Mariners rosters have leaned into streaky players, and some like Julio Rodriguez, who take time to warm up. This has led them to rely too much on Cal Raleigh for offense. In 2026, that weight should be distributed more evenly with a full year of Naylor and the addition of Donovan. They are reliable bats, not just defensive upgrades. Second-year player Cole Young, who will likely start at second base, had some impressive moments in the summer, including whaling the longest Mariners home run of the season. An extended and ugly slump cost him the starting job, but spring training reports suggest he used his winter productively, returning as an improved hitter and defender. If he can be part of the infield turnaround, as well as provide flashy pop from time to time, the Mariners will have finally put the pieces together.
Typically, as with most teams, there is some uncertainty around the bullpen. Morosi and others note that Mariners relievers pitched a lot of innings in the postseason, and several (notably Andres Muñoz, Gabe Speier, and Eduard Bazardo) also played in the World Baseball Classic. Did they have enough time to reset over their shortened offseason? Time will tell. There are a number of new relievers, like old friend Alex Hoppe, who are getting some serious looks in spring training. For others, it may be more like the front office kicking the tires. Expect the Mariners to bolster the bullpen at the trade deadline no matter what, at least as a line of defense against injury.
Most Likable Player
The Mariners are full of likable players but for our purposes, it comes down to two:
Cal Raleigh is the backbone of this team. His historic 2025 season included doing just about everything: supporting the pitching staff, winning the Home Run Derby, hitting 60 HRs, captaining the team deeper into the postseason than they have ever been before, and being the most serious MVP runner-up in years. With his New England family ties, grinder mentality, and Red Sox Nation’s potboiling anger over Aaron Judge beating him out for said MVP, he’s the guy.
Rob Refsnyder. I was sorry to see him leave Boston, but if he had to go, I’m glad I can still watch him with the Mariners.
Least Likable Player
The whole team is genuinely likable, but Randy Arozarena raised eyebrows during the WBC by beefing with Raleigh. (Not his parents though! Notably not his parents.) If this tension doesn’t get resolved or blow over once Arozarena and Raleigh are teammates once again, Arozarena will be the bad guy.
Old Friends
Although the teams have resisted repeated calls for high-profile trades with each other, there are a number of old friends to keep an eye on this year:
Rob Refsnyder (sniffle)
Cooper Criswell, who is off to a good start in the Mariners organization
Alex Hoppe, former Sox prospect who may see the bigs this season as right-handed relief, but will likely be up and down between Triple-A and Seattle
Eduard Bazardo, who pitched very well in the 2025 postseason
Gabe Speier, who began his career with the Red Sox minor league system, but was traded away years ago in the package for Rick Porcello
Honorable Mention
Dominic Canzone, Brewster Whitecaps alum.
Schedule vs. Red Sox
The Sox and Mariners will face each other in the regular season for two three-game series. The Sox visit T-Mobile Park June 19-21, while the Mariners head to Boston August 31-September 2.
Season Prediction
It would be extremely unlikely for Raleigh to repeat with another individually historic year, but he will channel that competitiveness and drive toward the greater good of the team. The AL West is the Mariners’ to lose. Last year, they were 90-72 and won the AL West by three games. With their strong pitching and improved overall roster, they’ll gain five wins and finish the regular season 95-67, sitting pretty for a deep run in October. They’ll likely make the Series against the Dodgers, barring some catastrophe on either side. And if that happens, given how well-matched the Blue Jays (who barely escaped the Mariners’ clutches) and Dodgers were in 2025, it will be a fair fight.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights will be together for Saturday Night Hockey in Viva Las Vegas. This will be the third and final meeting of the season between these two clubs, with the season series at 1-0-1. Each team picked up a post-regulation win at home earlier in the year.
The Blackhawks are coming off consecutive overtime wins over the Utah Mammoth, one in Chicago and one in Salt Lake City. The Golden Knight hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night and defeated them 6-2. Each team has 4 wins in their last 10.
Scouting Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights are a good team. They enter Saturday at 30-22-14. They’ve collected a lot of points by getting games to overtime, but then in turn left a lot on the table by not getting that extra point.
Although they are second in their division, they feel that there is room for improvement. Whenever you lose a player like Alex Pietrangelo to a likely career-ending injury, it’s never a good thing. He’ll be in the Hall of Fame.
They also haven’t had William Karlsson for most of the season, which weakens them down the middle. On the wing, they are strong, but they could really use Karlsson right about now. Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl are the 1-2 center punch.
In addition to having Mitch Marner in the fold this season, other impactful players like Pavel Dorofeyev, Ivan Barbashev, and Mark Stone skate on the wing. Stone just returned from injury on Thursday, and he has resumed what’s been an incredible year for him personally.
Barbashev–Eichel–Stone
Dorofeyev–Herl–Marner
Howden–Sissons–Bowman
C. Smith–Dowd–Kolesar
McNabb–Theodore
Hanifin–Andersson
Lauzon–Korczak
Hill
Schmid
Whether it’s Adin Hill or Akira Schmid in the net, the Golden Knights need them to be at their best. Without Pietrangelo, they have a good defense, but they definitely miss their former number one.
Still, Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and Rasmus Anderson were all Olympians in Milan, and they are all capable of changing the game. Chicago needs to be on their toes against them. If this group gets moderately good goaltending, they can defend against anyone.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks miss having Oliver Moore’s speed, but Ryan Donato has filled in nicely as the third-line center. With Andrew Mangiapane gaining some chemistry with him and Ilya Mikheyev, they form a pretty good third line.
Since moving back to the center, Frank Nazar has begun to produce like the third-line center that Chicago needs him to be. With both him and Connor Bedard dominating offensively, they have proven that they can beat whoever stands in their way.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teravainen
Mangiapane-Donato-Mikheyev
Lardis-Lafferty-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Grzelcyk-Levshunov
Del Mastro-Rinzel
Knight
Soderblom
Spencer Knight made a somewhat surprising start on Thursday against the Mammoth. He had missed the three prior games due to illness and was projected to be the backup upon his return, as he wasn’t at the morning skate. He was excellent, despite this.
This is not a back-to-back situation for the Blackhawks, and they don’t play again until Wednesday. Their decision in net could go either way.
Wyatt Kaiser was hurt late in the game on Thursday and never returned for overtime. After, Jeff Blashill would not confirm or deny his availability for Saturday’s game. If he doesn’t play, Ethan Del Mastro will draw in.
This game against the Knights is in the middle of a two-week stretch where the Blackhawks are going against some of the best teams in the conference. If they come out of this stretch with a positive record, it will be a great end-of-season storyline for their confidence.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on CHSN locally. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 9:00 PM CT.
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The Calgary Flames look to make it back-to-back wins when they visit the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon.
My Flames vs. Islanders predictions have Calgary's recent dominance in this head-to-head continuing, and will snatch a third straight 2-game regular-season series sweep.
The Calgary Flames are coming off a 5-4 win over the Devils. It's just the fourth time in 17 games they've scored four or more goals, but each time they've been victorious.
That trend works with the New York Islanders, as they've tallied at least four goals in seven of the last nine meetings, going 6-0-1 in those games.
After a season-best five-game win streak, New York has lost three of five and is clinging to third in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flames aren't the team they want to meet: Calgary has won four straight against the Islanders and eight of the last 10.
Flames vs Islanders same-game parlay
Yegor Sharangovich scored a goal in his last game against Jersey, and he's now got two goals in his last three games. He also scored a goal the last time the Flames faced the Isles.
And Matthew Barzal was kept off the scoresheet in New York's loss to LA, but that's just the second time in 12 games that's happened.
The Flames have won each of their last four games as underdogs against the Islanders. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Islanders.
How to watch Flames vs Islanders
Location
UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
Date
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSGSN2, SNW
Flames vs Islanders latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 1: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils and Cody Ceci #5 of the Los Angeles Kings skate for the puck during the first period at Crypto.com Arena on November 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (32-31-2) versus the Los Angeles Kings (27-23-15).
The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN, Radio — Devils Hockey Network
Back to a Losing Record
The Devils might still be “NHL .500,” but there is a key issue with their team this season: they have lost more games than they won. For a little while, they got back above with their four-game winning streak, but two brutal losses to the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames have sank them once more. Thanks to their lack of overtime losses this season, which have kept the objectively bad Los Angeles Kings in a playoff spot, the New Jersey Devils can only afford to lose one or two more games in regulation this season. But that’s just what happens when you play in a league that rewards being a loser in 65 minutes rather than 60 and most of the team’s losses are by more than one goal. Whose fault is that? Well, it might come down to…
Once a turnover happens, their system requires forwards to track back into coverage as opposed to pressuring to get the puck back. This is why you see so many “one-and-done” offensive chances. This is one of my biggest gripes with Keefe’s systems, is we were told we would be “pressuring the puck all over the ice” but instead the first instinct is to fall into a defensive posture.
This then brings us to the neutral zone, where once again we play prevent, as opposed to applying pressure.
After a few games of playing the right way during their four-game winning streak: that is, playing quickly on the rush, forechecking, and pressuring the puck with three or four skaters at or below the dots in the offensive zone, the Devils regressed right back to the ultra-conservative offensive system they had been flailing with all season. Tim also recapped the recent loss to the Flames, which I only saw the third period of. What I saw there was Keefe continuing to refuse to pull the goaltender, which should have been done after the third goal against. Without the softie allowed by Markstrom at the start of the period, the Devils might have actually taken that game to overtime. But even after Jack pulled the team to within two, Keefe would not pull Markstrom for the extra attacker until there was only a bit over three minutes to play. Down multiple goals, it generally behooves coaches to pull their goalies with five or more minutes left in the game: especially for a team as starved for goal-scoring as the Devils. But hey, at least Keefe had some shots for the guy who made it a game again.
Sheldon Keefe on Jack and Jack's line tonight for #NJDevils against the Flames:
“Just a lot of very sloppy play, until Jack shot the puck in the net, I don’t know if he handled one puck clean, it just wasn’t clean.”
I would suggest that the coach whose team’s victories and losses are always determined by the 40-minute mark take a look in the mirror for once in his coaching career. Meanwhile, Lindy Ruff is seeing his team pull off 8-7 back-and-forth victories and saying “that’s my kind of hockey.” I know what I’d rather watch, especially for a team full of talented rush players. Keefe can’t even get a forward to cover for a pinching defenseman.
Kings With Something to Play For
With Kings Captain Anze Kopitar in his final NHL season, the Los Angeles Kings are going to be playing their hearts out for the rest of the season while they try to cling onto eighth place in the Western Conference. Kopitar may have chosen retirement at the right time, as it seems time has caught up to him. He is still a very good defensive player, but his scoring has largely dried up, and this season is the first time Kopitar has ever produced below a 56-point per 82-game pace (46).
The Kings are obviously missing Kevin Fiala, who was hurt in a collision with Tom Wilson during the Olympics. Their replacement in that part of the lineup is pretty good though, as Artemi Panarin has nine points in nine games for the silver and black. Also around the Kings, former Devil Brian Dumoulin has massively turned his season around, going from some rather poor early numbers to now doing better than break-even at five-on-five with great penalty killing. The young Kings have had mixed seasons. Quinton Byfield’s development has turned to offensive regression. Alex Turcotte has not broken past fourth-line production. Alex Laferriere has seen no growth from last season. Only defenseman Brandt Clarke has had a particularly good season among the Kings’ under-25 players. Maybe that could be something to circle back on in a couple of months.
For the time being, though, the Kings are in a playoff spot despite having just three more points in the standings than the Devils. They need every win they can get with the Sharks on their tail. Tonight will not be an easy game for the Devils, if the powers that be even want them to win at this point.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? Will the Kings win? If so, by how much? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
BRONX, NY - OCTOBER 01: Romy Gonzalez #23 of the Boston Red Sox at bat during the American League Wild Card Game 2 against the New York Yankees on October 1, 2025 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is off to a 13-5 start in 2026 but the ‘Canes are only 1-3 in the ACC and finished 0-2 against the Florida Gators in a weather shortened series. While UM might struggle a bit in a talented ACC, there are some ‘Canes in the pros this season as spring training gets into full swing as well as the World Baseball Classic.
Boston Red Sox IF Romy González is Miami’s best bet at an every day player in 2026. González had a .826 OPS on nine HR’s in 2025. González is projected to have over 300 AB’s playing first and second for the Sox.
Cleveland Guardians hitter C.J. Kayfus is another Hurricane on a major league roster. Kayfus had a .707 OPS last season and is projected to log 200+ AB’s in ‘26. Kayfus is playing 1B and RF for the Guardians.
Slade Cecconi and Andrew Walters should be on major league rosters in 2026 as pitchers. Cecconi started 23 games in ‘25 for the Guardians posting a 7-7 record on a 4.30 ERA. Cecconi is posting a strong spring training with 4.67 SO/W and a 2.13 ERA. Walters, another Guardian player, struggled in limited duty in ‘25 after a solid ‘24 campaign.
Miami will be well represented in the minor leagues with Victor Mederos, Carson Palmquist, Rafe Schlesinger, Gage Ziehl, Yohandy Morales, Alejandro Rosario, and Dominic Pitelli along with Freddy Zamora and Zach Levenson who are in the WBC.
ZachLevenson (St. Louis Cardinals) represented Israel in the WBC and FreddyZamora (Milwaukee Brewers) represented Nicaragua. Levenson was 3-for-14 in the WBC while hitting .250 in spring training for the Cards. Zamora was only 1-of-9 in the WBC, but is hitting .333 in spring training for Milwaukee.
Mederos and Palmquist are on the LA Angels and Colorado Rockies 40-man rosters, respectively. Mederos made three starts with an 0-2 record and 7.41 ERA in ‘26, while Palmquist really struggled in the majors in ‘25 posting an 8.91 ERA and 0-4 record in seven starts.
2025 top picks Griffin Hugus and Brian Walters have yet to make their spring training debuts in the Mariners and Phillies organizations, respectively. Both players will be in the minor leagues in 2026.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Authorities were searching for a man who shot and killed two people in a drug store parking lot near the TPC Sawgrass, leading The Players Championship to delay opening gates for the third round Saturday morning.
St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said the suspect, whom he identified as Christian Barrios, shot two people multiple times about 10:30 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Walgreens in a domestic violence situation. The store is located about a mile away from the course.
He said canine units pursued Barrios onto TPC Sawgrass property. Hardwick said Barrios, who turned 32 on Saturday, at one point picked up a PGA Tour radio and later dropped it. He then stole a black BMW, and Nassau County authorities in the far northeastern tip of Florida pursued the car and forced a crash into the woods.
The suspect fled on foot and was still at large.
The PGA cited “operational considerations” in deciding not to open the gates until 9 a.m. The first round bean at 8:15 a.m. and was not delayed. Hospitality areas were delayed opening until 11 a.m.
Hardwick said Barrios had a long criminal history and knew the victims, both of whom were shot multiple times and taken to the hospital where they died.
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 13: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 13, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Houston Rockets were without Alperen Sengun, but Kevin Durant hit a jumper with seven seconds left, then two free throws a few seconds later to close the game out and give the Rockets a 107-105 victory that somehow has them in third place in the jam-packed Western Conference.
Durant went for 32 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists while turning the ball over just once. He was 13-for-24 from the field and also added a steal and a block.
Amen Thompson pitched in 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists on a near triple double, while Reed Sheppard had 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting from three and Jabari Smith jr. had 16 points on 3-for-10 from downtown to round out the Rockets in double figures.
The Pelicans turned the ball over twice in the final 13 seconds, for an offensive execution that might actually be worse than the Rockets, and blew a slim lead despite Dejounte Murray’s 35 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. They also got 21 from Zion Williamson, though they were the two who turned the ball over down the stretch for the Pels.
The Western Conference is now super bunched up, with just a half game seperating the third through the sixth seed, and just 2.5 games if you stretch it to the seventh seed. The Rockets stand at 41-25 on the year, which has them on pace for 51 wins, or one worse than last season. They will return to action on Monday with a massive game against the fourth-seeded L.A. Lakers. They will then play the Lakers again on Wednesday. Both games are at home, so it will be a chance for the Rockets to make at least a little bit of space in the west standings. Monday’s game is airing on NBC/Peacock, while the Wednesday game is on ESPN, so that should tell you how big they are.
Feb 20, 2026; North Port FL, USA; Atlanta Braves infielder John Gil (93) poses for a photo during media day at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves continued to trim down the roster on Friday, with John Gil and Tayler Scott being the next victims. After these two were reassigned to minor league camp, the Atlanta roster stands at 47.
The #Braves today reassigned INF John Gil and RHP Tayler Scott to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 47 active players in camp.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Pitcher River Ryan #77 of the Los Angeles Dodgers takes the sign during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
River Ryan is scheduled to pitch one of the Dodgers’ split squad games on Sunday, getting the home game at Camelback Ranch against the Texas Rangers. The right-hander who had Tommy John surgery in August 2024 and missed all of 2025, is now vying for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, or at least a spot on the opening day roster in some role.
He’s also having a solid spring training, with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, with a solo home run his only hit given up so far in Cactus League play.
Ryan was listed in two different articles this week about strong performances this spring, including by J.J. Cooper at Baseball America:
Back from Tommy John surgery, Ryan needed one spring training outing to dial in the strike zone, as in his first appearance against Arizona he landed strikes with only 42% of his pitches. But he showed no control problems in his next two outings, and he’s sitting 96-98 mph with a swing-and-miss 90-91 mph slider. That slider has generated eight whiffs in 14 swings.
“Ryan has looked excellent in the early going in Arizona after not pitching since 2024,” McDaniel wrote. “He has the components to start but his deep arsenal of plus stuff can work in any role.“
Links
Major League Baseball this week released a report about Game 7 of the World Series regarding Miguel Rojas throwing out Isiah Kiner-Falefa at home plate in the ninth inning, that the play was not as close as it originally seemed From Ben Walker at The Associated Press:
“After reviewing all relevant angles, the replay official definitively determined the catcher’s foot was touching the plate when the ball contacted the interior of his mitt,” read the official report by MLB, which recently provided it to The Associated Press.
Mark Simon wrote about the Dodgers team defense at Sports Info Solutions: “The one thing that could go against them is age, with Betts, Muncy, Freeman, Rojas, and Hernandez all being 33 or older and on the downside of the aging curve. If it came apart for all of those players at once, the Dodgers could be in trouble.”
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: This offseason, the Suns will have the option to go forward in either of two directions. They can shed some salary to stay under the luxury tax level or keep the team largely intact, which probably pushes them over the 1st tax apron. Which option do you think is likely the best one for the team?
GuarGuar: I think we will probably try to go under the first apron, but I really don’t want to split this group up. They are a really good team when healthy and can compete with anyone. I’d love to see what another year of continuity could accomplish. Ishbia is an owner willing to spend, so I can see us keeping almost everyone this offseason.
Diamondhacks: I let Mat Ishbia navigate NBA aprons. Perhaps more central to how the Suns best position themselves for sustained excellence may be Ott and Gregory’s demonstrated ability to identify and assimilate surprisingly useful contributors, at least so far, at reasonable cost.
This ability dovetails with my generic belief that standing pat, primarily to “hold onto” older players deemed mission critical, is most often a suboptimal long-term strategy.
Ashton: What a great team. Right, Suns fans?
You really do not want to mess with the gears that turn into what almost every national pundit describes as a “surprising Suns team”. I know I am surprised. That should be enough to support going into the luxury tax. Our very own Rod Argent had a comment that nothing really prohibits the Suns from going into this area.
But, in Brian Gregory we trust, and if he can continue to find talent in a pool of scrubs, then let’s avoid the luxury repeater tax and the first apron. This season has been defined, on an almost weekly basis, of the next upcoming players by commentators and writers alike. You pick a player favorite on recent bias. And then another favorite emerges.
I hate to say it all, but to accomplish these goals, some bait must be cut for the betterment of the Sun’s organization. So, my contrarian view is to stay under the luxury tax and first round and try to find the next NBA potential player hungry enough to stay and play the position.
OldAz: I probably have some of my facts wrong on this one, and Rod will mock me terribly as this is in his wheelhouse, but here goes. As I understand it, the 1st Apron should be about $210 million next season, and the Suns currently have 12 players under contract for about $161.5 million and another $23.2 million in dead cap money.
The three players from this year’s team NOT already signed for next season are Gillespie, Williams, and Goodwin. My best guess on those contracts would be about $14 million for Gillespie, $12-15 million for Williams, and $4-5 million for Goodwin, which would put them about $5-10 million over the 1st tax to keep it all together. However, as Fleming develops, Brooks gets healthy, and Dunn finds his footing, I think there is a path to basically doing both by trading Royce O’Neale (and his $10M salary) and taking back as little in salary as possible.
Getting under the tax for a second year would be huge, as it would completely reset any potential repeater penalties for the next few seasons. Unless my numbers are off (likely) and until we see more of how Green fits in with this current group, this would be my strategy going into the off-season.
Rod: Staying under the 1st tax apron won’t be a big problem next year, but staying under the luxury tax line could be. Contrary to what some may believe, the luxury tax line and the 1st tax apron are not the same thing. The luxury tax line is at $201.7 million, the 1st TA starts at $210.3 million. The combined salary for 11 players under contract next year, plus the dead money on the cap sheet, leaves the Suns only about $16.7 million under the luxury tax line. That would cover re-signing Collin Gillespie to the max amount he can be paid, but there wouldn’t be enough left after that to sign a single player to a vet minimum contract without going over the luxury tax line.
Basically, the Suns can’t avoid paying luxury taxes next year without moving some contracts to clear some room on their cap sheet. They can certainly do that, but the question is whether they can do that without the team taking a step (or two) backwards quality-wise. While that might be possible, taking a step forward while cutting salaries would likely be difficult without some of the younger guys on the roster taking big leaps in their level of play.
I could see the Suns dipping their toes into the 1st tax apron waters to start next season, but not diving in headfirst. If they decide that they could lose too much by staying below it, they could cross that line to begin the season and then make some moves to drop back below it before the trade deadline if things don’t pan out. Where teams start the season regarding the tax line and the TAs doesn’t matter nearly as much as where they finish. If they finish it below the tax line, it still counts as a season under it and the repeater tax penalties are wiped from their slate. To me, this would seem to be the best option for them this offseason.
Q2: How much of a factor do you think Mark Williams’ injury will play in his possible return to the Suns after this season and the size of his future contract offer(s)?
GuarGuar: Mark’s got a long injury history. I mean, we spent the whole summer just trying to get his body ready to play basketball. He didn’t practice most of training camp. He looked pretty durable so far, but this recent injury, hopefully, is just a little speed bump and doesn’t linger. I can’t see us giving him a contract with many years on it; that would be pretty risky. I can see a short amount of years, but a high annual salary average for those years.
Diamondhacks: Both Mark’s performance and financial projections likely hinge on the nature of the injury. Better if it’s a one-off, perceived as something he can put behind him. Worse if it’s deemed chronic or pre-existing.
Ashton: Again, I am so impressed that he lasted this long off the injury list (Lakers, you all need better medical evaluators). This should be enough to justify increased interest and a pay bump by other interested NBA teams. The Suns should let him walk or try to trade him for a late first in 2026) as per Q1 requirement. MW did his job with the Suns organization with the opportunity that he had. Like Sam Darnold in the NFL (Seattle), a player can come to the Valley as a reclamation project in the NBA and prove themselves worthy. Not so sure about the Cards organization, though.
The Suns will have to rely on Oso and KM (please stop with the Man Man references), and they are doing quite well with that duo. Fleming is blowing up to be someone who can man (man) the PF position beside Brooks (unless he blows his career up in smoke).
And with the 47th pick, the Suns need to take a serious look at Tobe Awaka, 100 miles down south. This guy powers through everything in the front court for the offensive rebound and is smart enough to pass the ball out or just go up again to draw the foul.
Enjoy the March Madness, all! Remember, these players are the foundation of what the NBA is built upon.
OldAz: The center position has been marginalized in the modern NBA unless you are someone like Jokic or Wemby. However, the center position is also one that is prone to injury while still being able to draw massive contracts (Anthony Davis? Joel Embiid?). I actually think this season really helps him in this case, because he has played more games and been effective. This is assuming he comes back healthy and contributes in the playoffs, however.
What works against him the most is that he is still young and has yet to establish how dominant he can be at the position. Average starting centers are making $15 million -$20 million in the NBA, and center-needy teams would love to add someone like Williams, who hustles and plays the way Williams can. Heck, every time DA has a bad game in LA, their fans go back to lamenting that they could have had Williams, whose motor runs so much hotter. I suspect that Williams will get a deal somewhere between $12-$15 million per year on this next contract, and if he can replicate the number of games played from this season throughout that contract while also building on his skill set, then he could be in line for a Miles Turner-type deal the next time around. However, I don’t see any team going over that this time around simply because of his injury history.
Rod: As a restricted free agent, it’s definitely going to have other teams leery of giving him an offer sheet…or at least offer him a big one. Depending on how he finishes this season, I could even see him back with the Suns next year playing for the QO ($8.8 mil) before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2027-28. While that would be bad for him, it might be the best thing for the Suns considering how Khaman has progressed. I’d like to keep him on the team but I think Khaman and Oso are the Suns’ long-term tag team at center and wouldn’t risk a high salary contract on Williams with the admittedly limited info I have on his present injury.
Q3: In the long run, who do you believe will develop into the better player overall, Ryan Dunn or Rasheer Fleming?
GuarGuar: Fleming is better right now, and I think he will continue to be the better of the two. Fleming’s a better athlete, scorer, shooter, and rebounder than Dunn. They are neck and neck on defense, and I’ve seen more improvement from Fleming in this single season than Dunn has in his year and a half so far. Dunn’s offensive limitations will hold him back as long as he has them. My bet is on Sheer to be the better player going forward 100%.
Diamondhacks: Ryan Dunn can continue to improve, but after 2500 NBA minutes, he still looks like he’s mostly trying to fit in and not screw up too much. Rasheer Fleming, at 350 mins, is starting to call for the ball. And his mates are looking for him. I believe it’s less a cocky thing than a mutual learned confidence that he can knock down a shot, take his man to the paint, or even rifle a one-handed dime on the run to an open teammate at the arc. Not all the time, certainly, or even most of the time. But my early general impression is that, for such an inexperienced player, his teammates already like sharing the court with him.
Ashton: I stated last week that “Sheer” was my most overlooked player on Inside the Suns. So, I must stand by that statement, even if I was the only one out of the Fantable to make that statement. Look, I make statements that age like milk, but in this case, this is more like fine cheese or wine. Fleming is the easy answer. Dunn is maybe Done.
Again, I am looking forward to hungry NBA players who want to make a name for themselves in a very competitive market. I just do not see Dunn there with recency bias or as a long-term solution.
OldAz: This is still way too early to tell. Fleming is such a physical specimen that it is tempting to just go with him, but in reality, NBA history is littered with freakish talent that only ever showed out in spurts or had some other issue derail an otherwise promising career.
Dunn, on the other hand, is suffering through a rougher sophomore season and is struggling to find his footing on a team that could use a bigger wing at either forward position. Additionally, while the Suns are certainly leaning into better practices when it comes to developing young players, Dunn was not drafted by the current leadership and has not found the same level of success as Oso this year.
Who ends up being the better player long term will entirely depend on their desire and continued effort over the next 5+ years. Growth is not linear, and it takes perseverance and a strong mental makeup to overcome the struggles that will inevitably come. For now, if I had to bet, it would probably be on Fleming, but only because his size puts him at such an advantage to get playing time on the current “7 dwarfs” roster construction the Suns have and because his outside shot has found a whole lot more consistency compared to Dunn’s (so far).
Rod: The sample size for Fleming is still pretty small, but he already just looks more comfortable on an NBA court than Dunn, who is in his second year and has over 6 times the total game time minutes of Rasheer. This isn’t meant to be a knock on Dunn. Dunn is a good player and should have a good NBA career, but he often seems to be playing outside his comfort zone when on offense. I don’t see that in Rasheer. In fact, he seems more and more comfortable on an NBA court the more he plays, and he’s largely effective on both ends of the court. Neither one may ever approach the “star” level of play in the NBA, but at this moment, I believe Rasheer has the higher ceiling.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m just playing right now…staying in the moment.” – Rasheer Fleming
“We went again with no true 5, really opens up the floor for him (Jalen Green), specifically. That’s been the solution the last two nights (vs Bucks and Pacers). Doesn’t mean it will be tomorrow night.” – Jordan Ott
“His energy is on 24/7.” – Jordan Ott on Jordan Goodwin
“That’s two buckets getters doing what they do best.” – Ryan Dunn on Booker and Green combining for 79 points vs the Pacers
“You never can anticipate everything that’s going to happen in the game, but once situations come up that we haven’t covered or come up yet this season, we try to address it right then and there. Talk through it. Those lines of communication are growing. We need to speed it up. Practice time is limited this time of the year.” – Jordan Ott
Suns Trivia/History
Random Suns stats (from Stat Defender/Twitter):
Phoenix Suns — 14.3 Offensive Rebounds Per Game Post All-Star Break – Tied for 2nd best in the NBA Phoenix Suns — 18.2 Fouls committed Per Game Post All-Star Break – Tied for 5th fewest in the NBA Phoenix Suns — 19.1 Points Scored Per Game Off Turnovers Post All-Star Break – 9th best in the NBA Phoenix Suns — 1.08 Points Per Possession Given Up In Transition For The Regular Season – Tied for 2nd fewest in the NBA 5th Best EFG% On ISOs For The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Devin Booker (53.8% EFG%)
In Thursday’s game against the Pacers, Devin Booker’s 43 pts and Jaylen Green’s 36 pts marked the first time a Suns duo scored 40+ and 35+ in the same regular season game since Amare Stoudemire (41 pts) and Steve Nash (36 pts) did it on 3/31/08 against Denver in a 132-117 Suns win.
On March 15, 2009, on the second night of a back-to-back, the SSOL Phoenix Suns scored the most fast-break points ever in a game (56) during a 154-130 win on the road against the Golden State Warriors. This game is also tied for the 4th-highest scoring output by the Suns in team history. The game it is tied with was played almost exactly 20 years earlier on March 23, 1989 and was also on the second night of a back-to-back on the road at Golden State. The Suns won that one 154-124.
On March 19, 1969, NBA Commissioner Walter Kennedy flipped a coin, Phoenix called ‘heads,’ and it turned up ‘tails. Thus, Milwaukee chose first in the NBA Draft, eventually selecting Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) while Phoenix picked Neal Walk with the 2nd pick.
On March 22, 2000, the Suns lost Jason Kidd for the remainder of the regular season after he broke his ankle during a 114-93 win over Sacramento at America West Arena. The following day, the Suns announced that Kevin Johnson was coming out of retirement to help his former team in its time of need. Johnson, 34, whose career average of 9.2 apg ranks fourth in NBA history, had not played since the 1997-98 season.
This Eeek’s Game Schedule
Monday, March 16 – Suns @ Boston Celtics (4:30 pm) Tuesday, March 17 – Suns @ Minnesota Timberwolves (5:00 pm) Thursday, March 19 – Suns @ San Antonio Spurs (5:00 pm)
This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule
Saturday, March 14 – Valley Suns @ Windy City Bulls (5:00 pm) Tuesday, March 17 – Valley Suns vs Stockton Kings (7:00 pm) ESPN+ Thursday, March 19 – Valley Suns @ San Diego Clippers (4:00 pm)
Important Future Dates
March 28 – NBA G League Regular Season ends March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play) April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET) April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin
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Jun 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Good morning Birdland,
MLB’s regular season is inching ever closer. The World Baseball Classic will wrap up in just a few days. The Grapefruit League enters its final week. And the Orioles have named an Opening Day starter.
Team USA is still alive in the WBC, although the road has not been as easy as they probably expected it to be. They had to sweat out the final game of Pool play in order to squeak into the quarterfinals. That set the stage for a matchup with Canada on Friday night. That was a game they ultimately won 5-3, and now they will face a very impressive Dominican Republic squad on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Even if you aren’t a WBC fan overall, that is a game worth checking out. Will USA skipper Mark DeRosa come to his senses and put Gunnar Henderson (5-for-10, home run) in the lineup ahead of Alex Bregman (2-for-11, five walks)? Don’t count on it.
One week from today, the Orioles will play their final game in Florida. After that, they are due to head north for a home-and-home pair of exhibition games with the nearby Nationals. Those will be the last tune ups before Opening Day on March 26. It’s practically right around the corner!
And we now know who will be pitching for the Orioles on March 26. The team announced on Friday that Trevor Rogers will take the hill as the unofficial “ace” of the staff. On one hand, it’s no surprise to give a veteran coming off of a Cy Young-contending season the Opening Day start. But on the other, Kyle Bradish is far more established within Baltimore, and still felt like the favorite to a degree coming into camp. Instead it looks like he will get to work in Game 2 of the year.
In the meantime, there is still plenty of baseball to watch. In the WBC, Puerto Rico and Italy will play at 3 p.m. ET, while Venezuela and Japan meet up at 9 p.m. ET. The Orioles will head to Bradenton for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch against the Pirates. Rogers will be on the bump.
Links
Gunnar Henderson, underrated? WBC treatment is puzzling for Orioles star | The Capital Gazette Bregman is still a good player, but he is years past his prime. Meanwhile, Henderson might still be ascending. There is no question about who is the better player right now. The only arguments for Bregman being in the lineup is that he has more experience, has won big tournaments (World Series), and he plays third base everyday. And I will say that those are not without merit. Would I still pick Henderson? Yes, but I am openly biased.
How the Orioles built a potentially special draft class of pitchers in 2023 | The Baltimore Banner The Mike Elias era of Orioles baseball is not without its pitching success stories. Bradish was plucked from the Angels when many saw him as a relief pitcher long term. Rogers has found a new level in Baltimore. Dean Kremer has been far more productive than many expected when he was a prospect. But the team has not really built a player from draft pick up to impact big leaguer yet. Maybe that changes soon.
Trying to learn more about Albernaz’s leadoff plans, Jackson on playing second base, teammates happy about Rogers’ Opening Day start | Roch Kubatko The lead off consideration is interesting. The team probably still wants Jackson Holliday to be that guy at some point, but he’s hurt and still needs to prove some things at the big league level. Given the current state of the team, I would probably go with Henderson. It feels like a waste for his power potential, but he does so many things well on offense. For me, he is the best choice to set the table ahead of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso.
More than 750 players have appeared in a Rockies game — but only about 200 have ever started on Opening Day.
As spring training is in full swing and Opening Day is approaching quickly (seriously… how is it March 14th already?!), there are still plenty of roster battles playing out. The Colorado Rockies will open the season in Miami on March 27, and the lineup is undecided to say the least.
With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look back over previous Opening Day lineups in Rockies history. And I’m glad I did.
This exercise won’t suddenly explain how the Rockies can become competitive, but it does reveal some interesting — and occasionally funny — takeaways.
Roster Churn
Turnover from year to year is very real. According to Baseball-Reference Opening Day lineup records, not once since 1993 have the Rockies opened a season with the same lineup as the year before. Given injuries, roster churn, and offseason changes, that result isn’t surprising.
The most consistent stretch came from 2016 through 2018, when seven starters carried over year to year, including Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Gerardo Parra, Charlie Blackmon, and Carlos González. Not coincidentally, that stability helped produce back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Jon Gray started Opening Day in both 2017 and 2018, providing rare stability on the pitching side as well.
The Stable Positions
First base, shortstop, and right field have historically been the most stable spots in the Rockies’ Opening Day lineup.
Todd Helton is the model of consistency, having started at first base in a club-record 16 consecutive Opening Day lineups. Few players in franchise history have come close to that level of stability, and Helton’s mark feels safe for the foreseeable future.
Shortstop was anchored for 15 seasons by Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story. Tulowitzki started nine Opening Days at the position, with Story adding six more.
Right field also saw extended stability. Hall of Famer Larry Walker started seven Opening Days there while Brad Hawpe and Charlie Blackmon each started five.
Blackmon ranks second in franchise history in Opening Day starts, and his appearances came at multiple positions — center field (5), right field (5), and DH (1).
Left field, meanwhile, has been anything but stable. If Jake McCarthy gets the nod this year, he would become the eighth different Opening Day left fielder in the past eight seasons, making LF arguably the Rockies’ most inconsistent position over the past decade.
On the Mound
The franchise leader in Opening Day starts is Kyle Freeland. The Denver native has made four Opening Day starts and appears likely to make his fifth this season.
Germán Márquez is next with three starts. Others include familiar names like Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Jennings, and Aaron Cook — along with surprises like Kyle Kendrick, Kip Wells, and Joe Kennedy.
Opening Day Oddities
There are also some strange historical oddities buried in these lineups.
After trading Nolan Arenado, who had started seven consecutive Opening Days, the Rockies replaced him at third base for Opening Day 2021 with… his cousin, Josh Fuentes.
It was the first Opening Day after the trade, and the family connection made for one of the stranger trivia notes in franchise history.
Kris Bryant’s lack of availability has been unfortunate. Seeing him on the field in a Rockies uniform sometimes feels about as rare as spotting a puffin, yet he has somehow appeared in the last four Opening Day lineups — starting at left field, right field, first base, and DH.
Another fun tidbit involves Chris Iannetta, who holds the franchise record for Opening Day starts at catcher with six. Those starts came across two separate stints with the Rockies.
Iannetta made his fourth Opening Day start with Colorado on April 1, 2011, then didn’t make another until March 29, 2018 — a seven-year gap between Opening Day starts with the same franchise.
To me, the strangest Opening Day lineups came in 2004 and 2005. Those were years when the Rockies were cycling through veterans, short-term roster fixes, and rebuilding pieces before the club eventually turned the corner toward the 2007 pennant.
Those lineups featured names like Kit Pellow, JD Closser, Jeromy Burnitz, Dustan Mohr, and Shawn Estes — a group that reads today like a particularly deep baseball trivia question.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, several players are hoping to make their first Opening Day lineup, while a few newcomers are vying for their first Opening Day start with the Rockies.
Dominic Minchella highlights why the Rockies are hopeful that Chase Dollander could become a key piece of the team’s future rotation. The article acknowledges Dollander hasn’t yet found consistent success in the majors and that Coors Field presents a uniquely difficult environment for young pitchers. Still, learning how to pitch effectively at Coors is part of the challenge— and part of what could define Dollander’s development this season.
In this article from MLB.com, Thomas Harding looks at Jordan Beck’s continued development as he tries to take another step forward. The piece notes that Beck reached the majors after a relatively short time in the minor leagues, which means he’s still learning and adjusting at the big-league level. If that growth continues, the Rockies believe Beck has the tools to become an important piece of their outfield.
In this 18-and-a-half-minute video from Mile High Sports, Drew Creasman breaks down the Rockies’ unsettled first base battle as spring training winds down. He looks at several candidates — including T.J. Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Charlie Condon — and weighs their chances of claiming the job.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 04: A detailed view of the Rawlings baseball gloves used by Casey Schmitt #10 of the San Francisco Giants is seen in the dugout prior to the start of the game against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on June 04, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants will be at home for the two games this weekend.
First up, they will play the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 p.m. PDT on Saturday, which will have broadcasts on NBC Sports Bay Area for local fans and MLB Network for out-of-market fans. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR.
Sunday, they will play the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:05 p.m. and this game will have radio coverage available on KNBR.
While we wait, I thought we’d watch another fun video from the Giants social media team. Earlier this week, I shared a video from their YouTube channel of Ron Washington running first base drills with Jerar Encarnación. They recently put out another in that same series, with Washington working with Luis Arraez. So I thought we could watch that this morning.
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) leads off first base against Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) during the ninth inning of game four of the ALDS round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The MLB regular season is less than two weeks away, and teams and players across the league are just about geared up and ready, whether they’re fine-tuning in Arizona or Florida or letting it fly in the World Baseball Classic. Thanks to the WBC, relevant baseball is already here, and not a week after the tournament concludes will we have Opening Night between the Yankees and Giants to greet us.
With the season about to kick off, we asked Yankees fans who they thought was the Yankees’ primary foe entering the year:
Unsurprisingly, the reigning AL champs won this poll in a landslide. The Blue Jays tied with the Yankees for the most wins in the American League last season before handling the Bombers in the ALDS en route to the pennant. Though they fell just short in the World Series, Toronto moved aggressively in the offseason to bolster their chances at a repeat run through the AL, landing Dylan Cease on a seven-year deal, while also adding NPB star Kazuma Okamoto and pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers. To wit, most projections have the Yankees and the Blue Jays neck-and-neck at the top of the AL East.
The Red Sox come in second here above the Mariners, in part perhaps because Boston is obviously a direct (and hated) division rival, while Seattle feels like a far-off threat. But the Mariners, in the grand scheme of things, might be strongest AL team the Yankees have to deal with this year. Those projections that have the Yankees and Jays locked at the top of the AL East? They also have the Mariners projected to lead the AL in wins. The M’s didn’t have a super flashy offseason, but made a couple solid moves to augment a roster that came achingly close to the pennant last year, re-signing Josh Naylor and then adding Brendan Donovan in a trade with the Cardinals. If Seattle’s typically strong rotation bounces back from an iffy 2025, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Now, on to the cellar of the Junior Circuit:
This is Chicago’s crown to lose, though the Angels are pushing them in the race to the bottom. The White Sox “rebounded” from their historically poor 2024, looking more like a normal, terrible team rather than a mind-bendingly bad one. A few young talents, like Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, and Shane Smith provided bright spots, though unfortunately Teel is already down after injuring his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic. The White Sox also added Munetaka Murakami to the mix, the kind of risky but high-upside play that it feels like the Pale Hose should be making.
If you squint, it’s possible to see the White Sox rebuild moving in a positive direction. The Angels, though, seem stuck in purgatory, aimlessly wandering through the desert. Their roster is close to barren beyond Zack Neto, Yusei Kikuchi, and the still-fighting Mike Trout, and their farm system looks unlikely to provide much help any time soon. Dark times indeed in Anaheim.
These next two are MLB-wide polls:
PED’s are unfortunately in the headlines right now, with Jurickson Profar getting suspended for the entire 2026 season after a second positive test, while Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas received an 80-game suspension after his first positive test. Profar has fully torpedoed what was once a great story, one of a former top prospect finally making good after a decade-long journey through the majors. Instead, he will likely always be remembered for his two PED suspensions.
Less than half of fans feel that PED’s aren’t a major problem, and it’s easy to argue that recency bias is suppressing that number bit. As disappointing as it was to see two big leaguers popped in the span of a week, from 2023 to 2025, just five players were suspended under the league’s doping policy. Unless MLB is simply failing at detecting juicers, there just haven’t been many guys turning to PED’s in recent years, with the exception of the couple of cases that just came down.
Fans are rather split on whether the league’s current punishments are harsh enough. Currently, a first positive test nets an 80-game suspension, a second yields a season-long suspension, and a third leads to a lifetime ban. These punishments, which have been in effect for 12 years now, are notably harsher than previous PED policies, which had much shorter suspensions for first- and second-time offenders. That those harsher policies have coincided with a pretty low number of positive tests would suggest that players are being sufficiently deterred from turning to drugs, but it stands to reason that unless the league adopts a literal zero-tolerance policy, some fans will be left feeling that the rules aren’t stringent enough.
