Lakers owner Jeanie Buss soured on superstar LeBron James, privately complaining about his “outsized ego” and the control that he and his agency, KlutchSports, allegedly have over the storied franchise, sources told ESPN in a bombshell report published Wednesday.
Buss, 64, reportedly believed James lacked accountability, including with his deflection of blame regarding the unsuccessful Russell Westbrook trade prior to the 2021-22 season.
LeBron James speaks on video of him saying "Happy International Women's Day” to Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis pic.twitter.com/Zi11Zxm7iI
James is in his eighth and perhaps final season with the Lakers after joining the franchise in a seismic move ahead of the 2018-19 season.
His decision to head West galvanized a proud franchise that had missed the playoffs in five straight seasons before his arrival.
The Lakers missed the playoffs in his first season before winning their 18th championship in 2020 during “The Bubble” campaign.
It’s typical for players, not executives, to receive praise for turning franchises around, but Buss did not like that James was viewed as the “savior,” per ESPN.
Buss reportedly felt that it should have been the team’s executives that received praise for wooing James to the Lakers, rather than the idea he joined them and helped right the ship.
ESPN said team sources have long claimed that James told Lakers’ folks beginning in 2017 that he would be leaving Cleveland to join them in free agency for the 2018-19 season.
LeBron James during a win over the Nuggets on Jan. 20, 2026. AP
The 2021-22 campaign did not help their relationship since that marked Westbrook’s arrival.
While the idea of two of the best players of the 2010s teaming up seemed like it could have potential, the Lakers instead flopped with a 33-49 record that kept them out of the playoffs.
The Lakers reportedly made the trade to placate James, but after it blew up Buss felt the superstar didn’t acknowledge his role in the transaction.
LeBron (l) and Jeanie Buss (r) hug after winning the NBA title in 2020. NBAE via Getty Images
Buss’ views on James dived to the point that she even considered trading him during the 2022 season after failing to give him a contract extension, per ESPN.
She reportedly later felt slighted by James’ response after the franchise drafted his son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft in a questionable move.
Folks close to the organization told ESPN that Buss felt LeBron should have been grateful for what the franchise did, which ultimately allowed the duo to become the first father and son to play alongside one another in league history, but the four-time NBA champ did not display that gratitude to her.
Jeanie Buss in 2023. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Buss’ attitude toward James even led to her feeling she needed to extend him during the 2024 summer simply to avoid the bad public relations that would come if they let him walk.
These details have come to light with James potentially in his last year with the franchise after opting into his $52.6 million contract for this season.
James is averaging 22.5 points across 25 games, with his historic run of 21 straight years being named a starter for the All-Star Game being snapped.
The Lakers are in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 26-16 record.
How many times does a team need to learn the same lesson before it’s legitimately recitified?
The San Antonio Spurs blew another double-digit lead on Tuesday night in a 111-106 loss to the Houston Rockets. This time, it was a 16-point lead that disappeared halfway through the fourth quarter after a big run from the Rockets. There were no late-game heroics that could save them this time. Houston steamrolled the Spurs for the entirety of the fourth.
The signs are always the same. The offense slows to a halt while the Spurs bleed transition buckets on the other end. Too often, the Spurs exhibit complacency when they hold a big lead. Their ball movement stalls, they get loose with the ball, and they make defensive mistakes in transition and the half-court. The Spurs went scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the fourth while Houston cut the lead to 1. During that stretch, San Antonio didn’t attempt a two-point shot. They finished the final frame, only scoring 14 points. They looked completely shaken while the Rockets ratcheted up the defensive pressure and overall intensity.
The funny part is that Tuesday’s collapse wasn’t even their worst of the season. They’ve blown bigger leads to worse teams in more embarrassing fashion. But this one was against a rival, so it may sting the team a little bit more. Maybe it’ll be the wake-up call they need to stop blowing leads.
We’ve learned that no lead is safe in the modern NBA. That’s especially true in the playoffs when teams have no reason to take their foot off the gas. This problem isn’t going away without a mindset shift from the players or a tactical change from the coaching staff. If San Antonio wants to contend in the postseason, they have to nip this habit in the bud.
Takeaways
Straightening basketball rims is hard! It took the Rockets’ staff nearly 20 minutes to straighten a rim that the Spurs bent in pre-game warmups. They even had to look at it again in the fourth quarter. Blame the cold shooting in the second half on that, I guess?
San Antonio went from red hot in the first half to ice cold in the second. You could attribute that to several factors. One, the second night of a back-to-back means dead legs, especially late in the game. Two, the Rockets started to close out aggressively on Julian Champagnie, who had been hitting everything in the first half. Three, the quality of looks was worse in the second half. San Antonio stopped generating good offensive looks for the most part. Credit the Rockets’ defense for getting much better in crunch time, but the Spurs didn’t help matters by settling for contested looks.
San Antonio wasted a Champagnie heater. He had 27 points on 8-16 shooting from the three-point line. When he’s on fire, it feels like the Spurs are impossible to guard. It’s no coincidence that the game shifted the other way when the Rockets smothered him.
Victor Wembanyama struggled on both ends against Houston. He settled for contested, fadeaway jumpers far too often, leading to an inefficient 14 points on 5-21 shooting. Defensively, he was out of position and fell for foul-baiting, as Houston outscored San Antonio 52-46 in the paint. Wemby registered no blocks and recorded 4 fouls.
Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet were great off the bench. Harper had 8 points, 5 assists, and 1 turnover, with many of his passes finding Kornet for easy baskets. Kornet was awesome defensively, picking up 2 blocks to go along with his 8 points and 6 rebounds.
The Spurs offense continues to look at its best when it’s playing off a pick-and-roll initiated by either Harper or De’Aaron Fox, or running off-ball screens for Wembanyama and its shooters to get good looks. Yet in the fourth quarter, they seem to rely on high-post isolation plays that lead nowhere. The offensive playbook clearly needs some adjusting, especially late in the game. Finding some go-to plays and counters off of them should be a priority for the team down the stretch this season.
Reed Sheppard would have been an amazing Spur had he fallen to the fourth pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Of course, Spurs fans should be happy with Stephon Castle, who nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists on Tuesday. However, Sheppard’s combination of shooting, defensive instincts, fast hands, and athletic ability for his size is going to make him a tough guard to play against for years to come. Sheppard completely took over the game in the fourth quarter on his way to 21 points off the bench.
MLB Trade Rumors: The New York Mets are acquiring outfielder Luis Robert, Jr. from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for infielder Luisangel Acuna and pitcher Truman Pauley, per multiple reports.
The White Sox have been looking to move the 28 year old Robert for some time. He appeared to be a burgeoning star after finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, and then combining for 5.9 bWAR in just 166 games from 2021-22, missing significant time each year due to injury.
2023 seemed like a breakout year for Robert, as he slashed .264/.315/.542 and put up a 5.3 bWAR, finishing 12th in the MVP voting for a White Sox team that lost 101 games. Over the past two seasons, however, he has missed significant time while not hitting well, putting up a .223/.288/.372 slash line in 210 games.
The White Sox opted to pick up his $20 million option for 2026, a move that seemed questionable at the time. It ended up paying off, although the package they are getting back isn’t that exciting.
Most notably for us here at the LSofB is the inclusion of Luisangel Acuna, the former Ranger prospect who was sent to the Mets in 2023 for Max Scherzer. Acuna was impressive in a limited stint when he made his major league debut late in 2024, but slashed just .234/.293/.274 in 193 plate appearances in the majors over 93 games, and .303/.347/.385 in the minors.
Weirdly, considering he didn’t homer in 315 plate appearances between AAA and the majors in 2025, Acuna has been hitting bombs in the Venezuelan Winter League this winter, hitting 8 homers in 174 plate appearances, including four in one game.
Acuna is out of options this year, meaning he would either have to stick in the big leagues with New York as a utility guy in 2026 or be exposed to waivers. The rebuilding White Sox can give him a roster spot and opportunity it was going to much harder for him to get in New York.
Pauley was the Mets’ 12th round pick out of Harvard in 2025, getting a $397,500 bonus, $247,500 above what a player not picked in the first ten rounds can receive without it counting against a team’s bonus pool, and the third highest bonus received by a 12th rounder last year. He is the second minor league pitcher from Harvard traded in the last week, joining Chris Clark, who was part of the three team deal that sent Josh Lowe to Anaheim.
The Mets are reportedly still interested in signing Framber Valdez despite the draft pick penalties they would incur.
John Harper put out an offseason report card for the Mets, including the blockbuster Bo Bichette deal.
The Mets have discussed the possibility of retiring Carlos Beltrán’s number 15, but are struggling to find time for it this season.
Former Met Carlos Beltrán finally got elected into the Hall of Fame in his fourth year on the ballot.
The Mets released a video from the moment Beltrán found out the good news.
With his induction, Beltrán has solidified his place among the all-time great Mets.
Plenty around the Mets organization offered their congratulations to Beltrán, including Steve and Alex Cohen, David Stearns, and Francisco Lindor.
In addition, multiple former teammates and managers of Beltrán sent their congratulations, including David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and fellow Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez.
Anthony DiComo broke down everything that Beltran’s election means, both on an individual level and on a greater historical level.
David Wright got 14.8% percent of the votes in this year’s Hall of Fame balloting, nearly doubling last years 8.1% total.
MLB.com revealed their top ten third base prospects, and a Met prospect claimed second place on the list.
The Mets made a major trade, sending infielder Luisangel Acuña and prospect Truman Pauley to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder Luis Robert Jr. They’re taking on his entire salary this year and either the option or buyout for 2027.
Around the National League East
The Marlins acquired right-handed pitcher Bradley Blalock in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.
In addition to Beltrán, former Brave Andruw Jones also got elected to the Hall of Fame.
Around Major League Baseball
Joel Sherman explained his Hall of Fame ballot this year.
Ken Rosenthal put out more offseason notes, including some about how a potential lockout isn’t affecting the free agency market.
The Orioles revealed their new on-field alternate caps for the 2026 season.
Pitcher Bryce Miller agreed to a one year deal with the Mariners to avoid arbitration.
Part of the Cubs path to success next season is a bounce back from Shota Imanaga, who will have to focus on some improvements to his game to make it happen.
An ownership source told Evan Drellich that it’s “a 100 percent certainty” that owners will push for a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement.
The BBWAA released the full vote tally from this year’s Hall of Fame balloting.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Thomas Henderson wrote about how, after the Bichette signing, one major hole in the Mets offense remains.
After getting hammered in the first two of a five-game road set, it doesn’t get easier for the Indiana Pacers, who square off with the Boston Celtics at TD Garden tonight.
My Pacers vs. Celtics predictions and NBA picks don't expect Indiana to keep up its end of the scoring bargain, ultimately dragging down the total, on Wednesday, January 21.
Pacers vs Celtics prediction
Pacers vs Celtics best bet: Under 227.5 (-110)
On Saturday, the Indiana Pacers put up their fewest points of the campaign in a 121-78 thrashing at the hands of the Pistons.
They followed that up by scoring just 104 points in a loss to the 76ers, turning it over a whopping 24 times.
Over their last five games, Indiana has scored 104 points or less four times – well below their 110.1 points per game average on the year, which ranks 29th, better than only Brooklyn.
Amazingly, one of those games was a win against these same Boston Celtics, who have lost three of five, with the C’s putting up just 98 points per game in those losses.
Still, in what was supposed to be a regroup year, Boston sits second in the East, powered by All-Star Jaylen Brown.
However, Brown did find his way onto the injury report with a hamstring injury, though he is listed as probable for Wednesday. The one loss to Indy was with Brown out of the lineup.
Indiana can’t score, and Boston owns the second-best scoring defense in the league, and third-best field goal shooting defense.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Under has hit in two of three meetings this season. Indiana has cashed the Under in six of its last seven, and the beat (and beatings) should go on in Beantown.
Pacers vs Celtics same-game parlay
Brown was just named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career on Monday, and Indy is a good opponent to showcase his wares. He’s topped 30 points in both meetings with the Pacers, clearing this total once and falling short by a free throw the other.
And perhaps the books haven’t been following Aaron Nesmith too closely, setting his 3-point make line at 2.5. He’s gone Under that figure in six straight, and is just 2-for-22 from distance in his last three games.
Pacers vs Celtics SGP
Under 227.5
Jaylen Brown Over 30.5 points
Aaron Nesmith Under 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Derrick White's Block Party
Neemias Queta has been a revelation for Boston’s improbable run this year, leading the team in rebounds at 8.2 per game. But he’s only topped his 8.5-board line in two of the last six, and has gone sub-9 in all three games vs. Indy this year.
We’ll finish with the Over for the best blocking guard in the business. Derrick White has had multi-block games in eight of his last 11, including a 7-swat effort against Utah.
The Pacers have lost 15 straight road games vs teams with a winning record. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Celtics.
How to watch Pacers vs Celtics
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Indiana, NBC Sports Boston
Pacers vs Celtics latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Big-serving Serbian takes Australian hope to four sets
‘I’m super happy to battle my way through’
Alex de Minaur maintained his perfect record at the Australian Open against lower-ranked opponents by outlasting the big-hitting Hamad Medjedovic over four sets and advancing to the third round.
After being stunned by the world No 90 in the first set, the Australian’s superior fitness and class came to the fore as he prevailed 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in three hours and four minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Mike Dunleavy may have been a sharpshooter during his 15-year NBA career, but he showed Tuesday night he can still dunk when needed.
The Warriors’ general manager provided a brutal reality check to Jonathan Kuminga, who recently demanded a trade following rocky offseason contract negotiations with the team.
“I think as far as the demand, we’re aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand in the market,” Dunleavy said Tuesday night, one day after the team lost superstar Jimmy Butler for the year with a torn ACL.
“So, we’ll see where that unfolds. But heard, always with these guys, I tell them I’m willing to work with them, want to help people out whether that’s J.K. or any player on our roster. We’re good with, if that’s his wishes, trying to figure that out, but we got to do what’s best for our organization and that’s what we’ll do, as far as it goes with the deadline coming up.”
Mike Dunleavy on the Jonathan Kuminga trade demand: “I’m aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand there needs to be demand.” pic.twitter.com/XOGXj3HFrs
It’s not often you hear a general manager basically say that nobody wants their player, but it would appear there is mounting frustration on both sides.
The Warriors selected Kuminga with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and it’s been a bumpy journey since.
Kuminga reportedly lost faith in coach Steve Kerr during the 2023-24 season, raising questions about his future with the team.
He then rejected a three-year, $75 million contract to become a free agent faster, with the sides agreeing in September to a two-year, $48.5 million deal.
ESPN reported the second year is essentially a dummy year, allowing Kuminga to hit free agency earlier.
Jonathan Kuminga in action Tuesday against Toronto. David Gonzales-Imagn Images
This season has not gone as either party would like, with Kuminga averaging 12.2 points — his lowest since the 2022-23 campaign — and appearing in just 19 of 45 games.
He became trade eligible on Jan. 15 and promptly demanded to be dealt with this year’s trade deadline coming on Feb. 5.
Kuminga missed 16 straight games due to injuries and Kerr not playing him before finally returning Tuesday and scoring 20 points in a 145-127 home loss to Toronto.
Trading Kuminga would have been more straightforward if not for Butler’s injury, but the Warriors likely need him now if they hope to still contend.
“I think we’ll take the next couple weeks to assess this team a little bit more. I felt pretty good with where we’re at heading into (Monday)’s game in terms of what we need to do,” Dunleavy said. “Thought our team was playing really well, heading in the right direction, obviously things have changed. I want to take a couple of weeks here to watch these games, see our team and what we can do better.”
At the time of the trade, Vernon was owed about $86 million over the next four years. His salary was to jump from $15.7 million in 2010 to $26.1 million in 2011. So it was the perfect moment to trade him.
Vernon played 2 seasons for the Angels, hitting .222/.258/.409 with 36 home runs. After that, they sent him (and a lot of money) to the Yankees. With them, Vernon hit .233/.282/.349 with 11 home runs in 2013 and was paid to stay home in 2014.
I’ll admit I always liked Wells. He was one of those guys who played full out all the time (he might have been better off to pick his spots), always ran out grounders as hard as he could, did tonnes of charity work, was a good teammate, and seemed to like playing in Toronto. It wasn’t his fault that the Jays offered him way too much money. Playing all those seasons on the hard surface at Rogers Centre likely didn’t help his career. Somewhere, I have a Jays jersey with his name on it.
We didn’t get a lot out of the two players who came to Toronto. Rivera hit .243/.305/.360 in 70 games before the Jays put him on waivers to be claimed by the Dodgers. Napoli, we quickly sent on to the Rangers for Frank Francisco. In Alex’s defense, if we had kept Napoli, we likely would have lost Edwin Encarnacion.
Dumping Vernon’s contract allowed Alex to make the trade with the Marlins, which may not have turned out the way we would have liked, but it did add some excitement to our lives for a while.
I have no idea what the thought process was on the Angels’ end of things.
Tuesday marked a huge day for the Atlanta Braves organization, as Andruw Jones was finally elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Atlanta great was included on 333 of the 425 ballots, giving him just over the 75% of votes needed to make the 2026 class. Fellow center fielder Carlos Beltran was also elected.
Debuting in 1996, Jones spent 12 seasons in Atlanta before heading West to suit up for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The five-time All-Star played his last MLB game in 2012 and finished his career with 10 Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger award, a .992 fielding percentage, 1,933 hits, 1,289 RBI, and 434 home runs.
His Hall of Fame election cements his place among the legendary Braves of the ’90s and recognizes one of the game’s premier all-around talents.
More Braves News:
We’ve provided the stats, but now it’s your turn. How do you predict Ronald Acuña Jr. will perform in 2026?
It was recently announced that shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will miss a couple months of the regular season due to a hand injury, and here’s what that means for the Braves.
MLB News:
The New York Mets acquired outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. In exchange, the Sox received INF/OF Luisangel Acuña and a minor league pitcher.
LHP Rich Hill announced that he does not plan to pitch in 2026.
The Dodgers’ signing of Kyle Tucker gave opposing fans all the more reason to hate the Dodgers, and it gave fellow team owners all the more reason to loathe the Dodgers front office.
To win two consecutive championships and continue to add star talent while sporting one of the highest payrolls in baseball is the envy and ire of small market organizations. With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2026 season, an impending lockout is all but certain. Rather than discuss a salary floor to ensure that owners allocate a fair percentage of revenue towards their roster, the main issue that will be brought up this offseason will be a salary cap, notes Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
Major League Baseball owners are “raging” in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s free agency agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and it is now “a 100 percent certainty” that the owners will push for a salary cap, one person briefed on ownership conversations who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic. “These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes,” the source said.
Links
With a four-headed monster that includes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers starting rotation on paper looks to be one of, if not the best, in baseball entering the 2026 season. What has been a dire issue over the last two seasons has been the health of the rotation, as each of the aforementioned names have missed significant time due to injury since the beginning of the 2024 season.
As a means to potentially shore up the back end of the rotation and add a relatively younger arm, the Dodgers are maintaining their interest in Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, notes Katie Woo of The Athletic.
The Dodgers remain interested in Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star approaching his final season before free agency. Peralta is one of the top starters on the trade market after logging a career-best 2.70 ERA over 33 starts for the National League Central champions. Given the injuries that plagued the rotation last year, trading for Peralta is worth exploring.
Andruw Jones had two more years of Hall of Fame eligibility entering this year, and he made history on Tuesday by becoming the first player from Curacao to be elected into Cooperstown. On making the Hall of Fame in his ninth year of eligibility, here is what Jones had to say on getting the call, per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
“You don’t play this game to be a Hall of Famer. You play to help your team win a championship. And when you go out there and be consistent and put up numbers and then your name starts popping up [as a candidate], it’s a big honor for me, and it’s a big honor for my family.”
Former Dodger Rich Hill isn’t planning on pitching in 2026 despite spending limited time with the Kansas City Royals this past season. He also has his disagreements with Joe Kelly’s definition of retirement, as he explained on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
The main rhetorical question of the offseason: Are the Dodgers truly ruining baseball? That is what Huston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times answers in the latest edition of Dodgers Dugout.
The Charlotte Hornets return from a successful five-game road swing to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs' perimeter defense is struggling, and my Cavaliers vs. Hornets predictions expect the home team to sneak away with a victory.
Read on for my NBA picks for Wednesday, January 21.
Cavaliers vs Hornets prediction
Cavaliers vs Hornets best bet: Hornets moneyline (+120)
The Charlotte Hornets will win tonight because they present the most dangerous perimeter matchup for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ biggest defensive flaw: their 30th-ranked 3-point defense.
Charlotte owns elite offensive efficiency over its last 10 games and is built to exploit that weakness with Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball spacing the floor.
While Cleveland likely controls the paint, it can’t match Charlotte’s volume shooting on either end of the floor.
Add in Darius Garland’s absence, and momentum from the Hornets' huge upset over Denver can overwhelm a tired defense that struggles to close out on shooters late.
Cavaliers vs Hornets same-game parlay
As previously mentioned, the Cavaliers' perimeter defense has struggled, and they’ll have their hands full tonight with Ball and Knueppel.
Ball has averaged 3.7 made threes in his past 10 contests, while Knueppel is at 2.6 over that same stretch.
Cavaliers vs Hornets SGP
Hornets moneyline
LaMelo Ball Over 3.5 threes
Kon Knueppel Over 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: What's the Buzz?
Hornets forward Moussa Diabate has become a willing passer out of the double-team and has dished at least two assists in seven of his previous 10 games.
Cavs guard Jaylon Tyson is seeing 30+ minutes with Garland on the shelf and has scored 16+ points in six straight games with at least 30 minutes.
Over/Under: Over 236.5 (-110) | Under 236.5 (-110)
Cavaliers vs Hornets betting trend to know
The Cleveland Cavaliers have only hit the Moneyline in 26 of their last 50 games (-30.55 Units / -20% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Hornets.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Hornets
Location
Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Cavaliers vs Hornets latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
“Nic and I have built a relationship where we’re always bouncing ideas off each other,” Núñez said. “Always trying to keep each other in the loop at what’s going on at every level. Our communication is really good, and we complement each other. And we learn from each other. For us to be able to work together as one unit, it’s exciting.”
Núñez calls Jackson “The Doctor” because of his biomechanical knowledge, and Núñez brings vast playing experience and the ability to connect with young players, especially international signees. Their different backgrounds and perspectives stood out as they led the organization’s instructional league in Arizona last fall, as did the camaraderie and continuity in processes that Núñez, Jackson and Raccuia shared.
Beltrán played for seven teams from 1998 through 2017, collecting 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases while excelling in the postseason, hitting .307/.412/.609 across 65 games. A Rookie of the Year for the Kansas City Royals in 1999, Beltrán won two Silver Slugger awards and three Gold Gloves.
Jones won 10 Gold Gloves, patrolling center field for the Atlanta Braves with such aplomb that Willie Mays once called him the best he ever saw at the position. Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt are the only players besides Jones with 10 Gold Gloves and 400 homers, with Jones bashing 434 for five teams from 1996 through 2012.
Kansas City Royals — Moving in the outfield fences might be their biggest move of the offseason. The Royals traded for outfielder Isaac Collins, rolled the dice on outfielder Lane Thomas, and added some relievers (notably, left-hander Matt Strahm) but they haven’t made anything that qualifies as a splash.
Early in the offseason, on the Kauffman Corner podcast, I made a point that the Royals responsibility last winter likely meant they had to be a little irresponsible this winter to fix the issues that plagued them. I still stand by what I said last year in that I totally understood not wanting to overspend on players who probably weren’t good enough to overspend on, but I also disagreed with it. To their credit, I think they were generally right. Anthony Santander had a terrible first season in Toronto that was marred by injury. Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games almost immediately for PED use. And what I heard last year was that the Angels had asked for Carter Jensen for Ward. I think if everything went the way it had, we’d all be frustrated by that trade today with Ward approaching free agency.
Under scouting director Brian Bridges, the Royals leaned into versatile athletes in the 2025 draft. Tulane two-way player Michael Lombardi epitomizes this approach. He worked predominantly as a center fielder and reliever for the Green Wave, but Kansas City will develop him as a right-handed starter. “You’re dealing with an athlete who’s highly competitive,” Bridges said. “A two-way player who wants to concentrate on pitching, with limited mileage on his arm. He’s athletic with feel to pitch.”
Owners still have to determine what salary floor and ceiling they’re comfortable proposing, a discussion that’s expected to be a topic at next month’s regularly scheduled owners meeting. The floor, in particular, could be a contentious issue for smaller-market teams, some of which might stand to make more money on an operational basis in the current system. The value of all 30 franchises would instantly rise if a cap is introduced, however.
It would take at least eight owners of 30 to effectively hold up a labor deal, but when it comes to a cap, internal politics will not be the owners’ biggest hurdle. Players have historically been willing to miss many games to avoid a cap system.
“We just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement. “While the free-agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses.”
I am on the ship today, so I can’t get a link from YouTube. Instead, take this baseball and toss it at someone out of love. Shoot them a message, a quick call, or something to let them know you care about them.
The Colorado Rockies have been busy lately with the signing of free agent pitcher Michael Lorenzen and the reported signing of utilityman Willi Castro. It’s been clear that the Rockies are hoping to build a team in 2026 that affords them the ability to let the young players of 2025 get more time to develop properly. It’s been about gaining depth with players that can allow them to rebuild a bit more smoothly this season.
The starting rotation remains the main area of focus as the team is interested in adding another starting pitcher in the same vein as Lorenzen. While it’s very unlikely they go after the high-profile, there are still several available free agents that could still be helpful in 2026. Particularly, there is one familiar face that could be an interesting flyer if both sides are willing to take a chance.
Left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson has settled into a fairly solid arm since his days with the Rockies. The Rockies’ 20th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Anderson turned in three solid years with the organization before an injury took him down in 2019. He became a journeyman over the next few years, once he was healthy, spending stints with the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Angels. In his career, Anderson, now 36, has posted 17.3 WAR per Baseball Reference and owns a career 4.30 ERA through 231 games, including 223 starts, and was an All-Star in 2022 and 2024.
So, why could he be a fit for the new look Rockies?
Well, one of the first things that sticks out is that he is a relatively reliable innings eater. Now, he isn’t going to go out and deal 200 innings, but he can regularly take the ball every five days and throw five or six innings a game. Since 2018, he has worked at least 130 innings in each full season and made at least 25 starts. His career high of 179 1/3 innings came just recently in 2024. In 2025, Anderson made 26 starts and failed to complete at least five innings just seven times. Of those seven starts, he failed to record at least one out in the fifth inning just twice. For a backend veteran starter, that’s the kind of length the Rockies need in 2026 that they have been lacking for several years now.
Giving length is a useful skill, but what about the run prevention? Obviously, Anderson isn’t going to go out and throw up zeros night after night. He only had four scoreless outings on the year, but for a backend starter, that’s not necessarily required. The job of any starter, particularly one in Colorado, is to mitigate damage and keep things from spiraling out of control. Anderson has continued to do that in his career, and last season, he allowed more than four runs in a start just three times. He gave the Angels plenty of chances to win games, but bullpen failures and a rough offense just couldn’t offset some nights.
Still, Anderson can be effective on the mound and give you a chance to win a game if the offense can keep pace with the opposition. But the inner workings of Anderson’s game should still be intriguing for the new age Rockies.
Per Statcast, he finished with the 16th-lowest hard-hit rate in baseball last season. He remains around league average in Whiff rate with 25%, but places in the 68th percentile in Chase rate with 29.8%. He manages to limit hard contact and gets a decent number of ground balls and fly balls. He manages to do this with an arsenal of pitches to work with.
Anderson is the definition of a soft-tossing lefty. Over his 10-year career, nothing has really changed in terms of the overall velocity of usage of his pitches. The fastball roughly sits at 89 mph while he deploys an assortment of offspeed and breaking pitches. His changeup has been a particularly solid offering against right-handed batters. In all, he has roughly six pitches at his disposal that he could tinker with and deploy that could give the new pitching leadership more info to chew on.
There is a sense of familiarity that could also help the combined collaborative effort the Rockies are fostering now. Anderson has the reputation of being a studious pitcher, constantly taking notes and reflecting on his outings. He is a student of the game, a professor continuously trying to hone his craft and perfect his approach. That type of mentality would play well with the Rockies, as he can impart some knowledge not just from his time in other organizations, but also from Colorado. In 46 appearances at Coors Field, a total of 258 2/3 innings, Anderson sports a 4.04 ERA.
Now, of course, it’s worth pointing out some of the concerns. One of the main ones is that Anderson is not a pitcher who will strike out batters. With a career 19.4% strikeout rate, Anderson has at least been consistent in that department, but 2025 saw the lowest rate of his career at 17.4%. His career walk rate does come in under league average, but over the last three years with the Angels, he had at least a 9.5% walk rate.
Additionally, home runs have always been a concern for Anderson. In 2018, he led the league with 30 home runs allowed, but to his credit, he has reigned things in a bit and been more consistent, but last season some a spike in home runs. Coincidentally, his fly ball rates have also increased over the last few years.
It’s always going to be risky picking up a player who is pitch-to-contact, especially at Coors Field. Anderson would need to truly perfect his execution and utilize his defense accordingly. But that’s the type of problem that the new regime is eager to figure out and Anderson could easily fit the mold of what they are trying to do.
The biggest question would concern the price. Per Spotrac, Anderson’s market value is projected to be roughly $6.97 million. That’s not an awful amount for a one-year deal that he might have to settle for, but it’s unclear how much more the Rockies are willing to spend on the big league roster. Still, he’s an affordable free agent that could be worth serious consideration at that price.
Ultimately, the Rockies need another arm. I like Anderson because he is familiar, has carved out a nice career, is relatively cheap, and would add another lefty to the rotation to re-join Kyle Freeland. He’s older and wiser and could be a unique fit to help mentor the young pitchers on the team while bringing back some of the magic of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. 2026 is all about throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, and Anderson is worthy of joining that discussion.
We’ve heard a lot about how the organization is excited about the new additions to the coaching staff for pitching, but we haven’t heard as much from the players. Well, count Kyle Freeland as someone who bought in and is extremely excited about the new direction for the Rockies. Thomas Harding caught up with Freeland to discuss his thoughts on the team’s new front office.
When the Rockies made the signing of Michael Lorenzen official, Bradley Blalock was designated for assignment. After a few days, the team was able to swing a deal with the Miami Marlins, acquiring minor league pitcher Jake Brooks in return for Blalock.
This week, Evan Lang and I discuss the finalization of Lorenzen’s signing, what Willi Castro’s signing signals for the Rockies and what other moves they may still need to make, while also talking about the return of Nolan Arenado to the NL West alongside the Dodgers spending big on Kyle Tucker.
Bob Nightengale wonders why admitted PED-user Andy Pettitte moved towards induction when other tainted candidates have not. He also says if Pettitte gets into Cooperstown, there is no excuse to not elect the many others connected to PED use. He thinks this is a bad thing.
Sad news as former White Sox knuckleballer Wilbur Wood has passed away at 84. Wood put up some insane innings totals from 1971 to 1975—insane even for the early seventies. I also wonder if the knuckleball isn’t dying out. There aren’t many living knuckleballers left. But our condolences go out to Wood’s family, friends and former teammates. Also to the knuckleball.
On Tuesday, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected by the Baseball Writers of America Association as the two latest inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Those of you who have paid some attention know that I’m a Hall junkie, so I thought it would be fun to take a look to the future, to see who is in a good position from this year’s results and who will be joining the ballot next year; we’ll also see if there are any former Brewers coming up for consideration anytime soon.
Who’s in a good position after this year’s results?
Next year’s Hall of Fame ballot will be a really interesting one. There’s one strong newcomer (see below) but there are no slam-dunk first-ballot choices like we saw with Ichiro Suzuki last year, and there are no players coming back to the ballot who just missed—both Beltrán and Jones were over 65% last year and needed to make only small jumps in support to make it.
We aren’t going to see that with returning players next year, and in fact, it’s definitely possible that no returning players get elected.
After Beltrán and Jones, the next highest vote-getter on Tuesday was the former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley at 59%. That’s a big jump for Utley, who got just 39.8% of the vote the year before, but he’d need another leap of almost 20% to make it in next year. It’s not inconceivable: as we saw with the selections of Ichiro, Billy Wagner, and CC Sabathia a year ago and no super-strong first-ballot candidates this year, others will tend to soak up votes from writers who now turn their focus elsewhere.
This could get Utley close. His case is a bit non-traditional—he finished his career with just 1,885 hits and 259 homers, he never won a Gold Glove, and he never finished higher than seventh in MVP voting. 20 years ago, he’d have no chance. But the analytics that have become the most popular tools to evaluate players suggest that we were missing something with Utley, and his WAR-based case does not just make him a borderline candidate; if you believe the WAR numbers, he’s a pretty ironclad Hall of Famer. Not everyone believes those numbers, which is why Utley is still 16 percentage points short after his third appearance on the ballot.
There are a couple of other interesting returning cases: Andy Pettitte, a staple of the late-90s Yankees dynasty and one of the most prolific postseason pitchers of all time, also made a big jump—even bigger than Utley’s, from 27.9% to 48.5%. Pettitte is also reaching the end of his time on the ballot; he’ll have two more chances before his eligibility expires. Pettitte’s case is complicated by his connection to performance-enhancing drugs, a connection which is viewed as far less egregious than some of his contemporaries but is, nonetheless, an issue for many voters.
The other big mover this year was Félix Hernández, who improved by 26.1 percentage points from year one to year two (the largest single-year gain under the modern voting system, according to Ryan Thibodaux, who runs the Hall of Fame tracker) and, at 46.1% after two ballots, is in excellent position. Hernández’s counting stats are far lower than the traditional Hall of Fame starting pitcher, but it looks like he may be the test case for what Hall voters will have to start looking for in an era when starting pitchers do not play the same way as they used to.
Other returners include Alex Rodríguez (who topped 40% this year on his 5th ballot but probably has a hard cap on the number of voters who will vote for him), Bobby Abreu (who made a modest leap to above 30% but is running out of time), Jimmy Rollins (the counting stats support him over his teammate, Utley, but the advanced stats do not), Dustin Pedroia, Cole Hamels, Mark Buehrle, David Wright, Omar Vizquel, Francisco Rodríguez, and Torii Hunter. Vizquel, who got 18.4% on his ninth ballot, will be back for the 10th and final time next winter. The one first-ballot player who will make a second ballot is Hamels, who received 23.8% of the votes on his first ballot. That’s an uphill climb, but it’s better than Hernández did on his first try.
Who’s new to the ballot?
The next big question is who the new players are. This group is headlined by a player who I think has a strong chance at becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer but has a tricky case: Buster Posey. Posey, from a quality perspective, certainly played at a Hall of Fame level: he won an MVP in 2012, something only two other catchers have done since the 1970s (Iván Rodríguez in 1999 and Joe Mauer in 2009), and by rate stats had one of the best careers of any catcher, ever. FanGraphs’ version of WAR, which includes a player’s pitch framing prowess, is especially fond of Posey.
But Posey had a short career. He played only 1,371 games (that’s almost 150 fewer than Pedroia and over 200 fewer than Wright, both great players who we think of as having careers that were “too short”), and in terms of counting stats, finished with just 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Even at catcher, where physical demands tend to limit the number of games played per season and shorten careers, that’s low; that’s fewer hits than Thurman Munson, another catcher who some feel played at a Hall of Fame level but isn’t there because his career was cut short when he died in a plane crash not long after turning 32.
Posey’s case will be fascinating. I think the lack of great catchers, historically, will probably work to his advantage, and I think he’ll be recognized for what he was, which was—from a pure peak perspective—probably the best catcher of the 21st century (though Joe Mauer and Cal Raleigh fans will argue, and I’m sure Yadier Molina fans would argue too, though Molina’s case is more about longevity than peak prowess).
There is really only one other new name on the ballot next season who might garner enough support to make it to a second year, and that’s pitcher Jon Lester. Lester probably didn’t do enough to get real Hall support—he has just 43.4 bWAR for his career—but he won 200 games, a rarity in modern times, struck out almost 2,500 batters, had three top-four Cy Young finishes, and was a postseason hero who won an NLCS MVP and three World Series. That should be enough of a resumé to get him to the 5% needed for a second showing.
Other interesting but not exactly compelling first-year players include Brett Gardner, who won a World Series, was one of the best defensive corner outfielders of all time, and was about a league-average hitter; Ryan Zimmerman, one of the great heroes of the Washington Nationals franchise; and Kyle Seager, who has no shot at all at making the Hall of Fame but was a better player than people remember.
Are there any former Brewers debuting on next year’s ballot?
We will not know who the new players on the ballot will be until it’s announced late next fall, but we can make a few guesses at what former Brewers could join Francisco Rodríguez in representing the franchise.
One very notable former Brewer shouldget a spot on next year’s ballot: Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy, who is the best catcher in Brewers history (though William Contreras is coming for that crown), had a 12-year career that included a couple of All-Star games and a fourth-place MVP finish in 2014, the best season ever by a Brewers catcher. Lucroy was also one of the first players to get extra shine because of the new ways in which pitch framing was being measured, and FanGraphs’ version of WAR viewed him as a legitimate star, with four straight seasons with at least 5.6 WAR. Lucroy’s 17.7 career bWAR is nothing particularly special, but his 35.2 fWAR ranks 38th all time among catchers in that database.
The next former Brewer who should get a spot on this ballot was only in Milwaukee briefly, and that’s reliever Joakim Soria. From 2007-2010, Soria was one of the best relievers in baseball. A lost season in 2012 derailed him a bit but he continued to have solid seasons into the mid 2010s, and in 2018 the first-place Brewers acquired him from the White Sox at the trade deadline to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run (Milwaukee sent Wilber Pérez and former first-round pick Kodi Medeiros to Chicago; neither ever made the majors). Soria pitched 26 times for the Brewers in the regular season and suffered some bad luck (a 2.93 FIP but 4.09 ERA) but had a difficult postseason. He had three scoreless outings (including a win and a hold) in the divisional round against the Rockies, but he gave up multiple earned runs twice in four outings in the NLCS against the Dodgers. Soria became a free agent after the season and left for Oakland, and his brief Brewers career was over. In all, Soria amassed 229 saves and had a 3.11 ERA (137 ERA+) and 3.12 FIP in 763 innings pitched.
The last guess is more borderline, and that’s that Wisconsin native and former Brewer—for all of 5 2/3 innings—Jordan Zimmermann will get an honorary spot. Zimmermann pitched 1,614 innings across 13 years, almost entirely for the Nationals and Tigers, and he had a respectable career that saw him make back-to-back All-Star Games and seventh- and fifth-place Cy Young finishes in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Zimmermann, who was from Auburndale, Wisconsin and pitched at UW-Stevens Point, made his last two big-league appearances for the Brewers in 2021.
None of these players has any shot at making the Hall of Fame, and I’d be surprised if any got more than a token vote or two, but it’s still fun to see their names.
Brewers fans will need to wait until 2029 before anyone who spent time in Milwaukee will actually make some noise on the ballot. That’s the year when Zack Greinke should become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But he’s not the only former Brewer with a good chance of getting a little support: Brewers Legend Josh Donaldson also debuts that year. (Let’s go out for a beverage and I’ll tell you why Donaldson should get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame.)
