Philadelphia’s front office had been planning for Bichette to man third base for the foreseeable future, and the outcome reportedly left a sour taste.
Bo Bichette agreed to a three-year deal with the Mets. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“The word livid was used in terms of the reaction to the news that Bo did not end up coming to the Phillies and went to the Mets,” MLB.com Phillies reporter Todd Zolecki said Saturday on “The Phillies Show” alongside reporter Jim Salisbury and former general manager Rubén Amaro Jr.
“It’s kind of a rug-pulled-from-under-them situation.”
Salisbury added that the team had “legit, real confidence” last Thursday that Bichette would sign with them.
The longtime Phillies scribe compared the Mets’ late swoop for Bichette to one of the most famous heists in history.
“It feels like the Lufthansa heist at LaGuardia from ‘Goodfellas’,” Salisbury said with a chuckle — blending the infamous real-life December 1978 robbery at JFK Airport later depicted in the film with the Mets operating just across the street from LaGuardia in Queens.
Amaro, who spent parts of seven seasons as the Phillies GM before joining the Mets as a coach and advisor from 2018-19, said the high-profile signings of Kyle Tucker and Ranger Suárez put the Mets in “panic” mode.
The New York Post back page for Jan. 17, 2026, featuring the news of the Mets signing Bo Bichette.
“As if the Phillies fans needed to have another reason to be pissed off at the Los Angeles Dodgers, they are the wild cards here,” Amaro said.
“The Dodgers signed Tucker, that was a target for the Mets and a target possibly for the Red Sox. Ranger goes to the Red Sox on a panic sign, and I believe in my heart of hearts, it was another panic sign by the Mets to sign Bo Bichette and to do what they did.”
The career shortstop did not seem to have an obvious fit in Queens — where Francisco Lindor is locked in as the starter — but he had expressed to teams a willingness to change positions.
Bichette, who turns 28 in March, will now man the hot corner in Queens while bolstering a Mets lineup that has lost Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil this offseason.
He led the American League in hits in back-to-back seasons from 2021-22 and finished second to Aaron Judge for the batting crown in 2025.
Despite battling a serious knee injury sustained in early September, Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs over 139 games.
The Vancouver Canucks continue their eight-game homestand on Monday with a matchup against the New York Islanders. Vancouver comes into this game having lost their last 10 and will be looking to avoid a historic 11th straight loss. Here are the lineup notes for January 19, 2026.
During morning skate, the Canucks announced that they had traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. In return for the reigning NHL hit king, Vancouver received two second-round picks and defenceman Cole Clayton. Sherwood is currently injured and may not be ready to return in time for when the Sharks visit the Canucks later this month.
As for the starting goaltender, that will be Kevin Lankinen. Monday will be his 23rd start of the season, with the 30-year-old posting a record of 6-13-4. Lankinen has played the Islanders three times in his career and has posted a 1-2-0 record.
Lastly, Teddy Blueger most likely will not play on Monday. Head Coach Adam Foote didn't completely rule him out, but it appears his return will have to wait. Blueger has been out since October 19 and has only played two games this season.
Jan 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (44) during a stop in play against the Boston Bruins in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
M. Pettersson-Hronek Buium-Myers
E. Pettersson-Willander
Lankinen Patera
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was not voted as starter for February's NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, next month, after 10 players – five from each conference – were revealed during the league's MLK Day coverage on Monday, Jan. 19.
It breaks a record run of 21 consecutive All-Star Games in which James has been selected as a starter, dating back to his second season in the league.
The five starters from each conference were chosen through voting conducted through the fans (50%), media (25%) and current players (25%).
The 41-year-old still has an opportunity to make this year's All-Star Game as a reserve in his record 23rd season. Those will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 1 after being picked by the league's coaches.
This year's All-Star Game, scheduled to be played on Feb. 15, features a round-robin style USA vs. World format with the goal of having 16 American selections and eight international picks.
The NBA is trying again to jolt life into its All-Star weekend after years of waning interest from players and fans alike. The solution this year has been to attempt to replicate some of dynamics from the successful 4 Nations Faceoff event held in lieu of an NHL All-Star Game in 2025.
His candidacy as an All-Star during got more complicated after he missed the opening 14 games of the Lakers' regular season while dealing with sciatica. James was nonetheless averaging nearly 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists through, Sunday, Jan. 18.
James has been selected as an All-Star in every year of his NBA career except his rookie season (2003-04) and won All-Star Game MVP three times.
The NBA tips off early on MLK Day, which means NBA player props to bet on all day long.
I’ve found my three best bets for today, including Devin Booker dishing out the dimes against the Nets, and one of my favorite trends going, which is fading the Miami Heat on the glass.
Check out those and more of my NBA picks for Monday, January 19.
Filipowski averages 2.0 assists per game, but has nine since being inserted into the starting lineup three games ago. He also had six assists in a matchup against the Spurs at the end of December.
Opportunity combined with pressure from Wemby means Filipowski is a great bet to hit the Over on his assists prop here.
Booker averages 6.4 assists per game overall, and 7.0 over his last seven games, topping 6.5 assists five times over that stretch.
Tonight, he faces a Nets team that has struggled defensively, particularly when opponents are willing to make the extra pass. The Nets rank 24th in defensive rating and allow the second-most assists per possession.
Book will cook the Nets with his playmaking ability.
The Miami Heat are playing basketball. This means I am fading them on the glass.
It’s not that the Heat are a bad rebounding team (they’re not great, ranking 21st in rebounding rate), it’s that they play at the highest pace in the NBA, and take the most shots per game.
More shots inherently mean more rebounds, and the only question is which Golden State Warriors player to target tonight.
My favorite option is Brandin Podziemski. The shooting guard averages 4.4 rebounds per game and has topped 4.5 four times in his last eight games.
Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review.
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
And for the first time in 21 seasons, LeBron James was not selected as one of the first five, though he still has the chance to extend his record streak of consecutive All-Star selections.
The NBA made the announcement Monday, Jan. 19, during the pre-game show leading into the Oklahoma City-Cleveland Cavaliers game that’s part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day showcase.
Starters were selected through a fan vote (50% weight), and a survey of NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). Players were selected without regard for position. Accounting and services giant Ernst & Young managed and certified the surveys.
The format for this year’s game, however, will be different this season. The league is going to a USA versus the world format in which three, eight-player teams will compete in a round-robin tournament. The East and West starters, therefore, will be slotted into those eight-player teams. NBA coaches will select All-Star reserves, but if there are not enough domestic or international player, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will intervene to fill out the teams.
Here are the 10 starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles:
NBA All-Star Game starters
Eastern Conference
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (second All-Star selection)
Jalen Brunson is taking his show from the Broadway stage out West for a Hollywood premiere.
The Knicks' leading man has been named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA, the league announced Monday afternoon.
It's Brunson's third consecutive All-Star nomination, and second straight as a starter, as he's having arguably his best season in the league with 28.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game over 37 contests this year.
He joins the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey, Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham, and Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown as the East starters.
The Western Conference starters will consist of the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
Brunson recorded 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds over 17 minutes in the 2024 All-Star Game (East vs. West format) and then scored three points with three assists in the 2025 All-Star Game for Kenny Smith's Young Stars team (three-team single elimination tournament format).
This year, the All-Star Game will adopt a new USA vs. World format with a round-robin tournament consisting of three teams. There will be two teams made of American players and one of international players with each team having eight players. If the teams fall short of the required numbers, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will add to the player pool. Overall, there will be four, 12-minute long games and the two teams with the best record will advance to the championship round.
The 2026 All-Star Game reserves will be selected by the league's coaches on Feb. 1.
The teenager Charalampos Kostoulas scored a brilliant overhead kick in injury time to rescue a point for Brighton
4 min Kadioglu, playing at left-back tonight, cuts inside and hits a hopeful shot from the left edge of the penalty area. It bounces just in front of Petrovic, who holds on with authority. Good boy.
2 min “I have much interest in the game tonight,” writes Roger Kirkby. “If Bournemouth don’t win tonight, no team in the Premier League will have won their last two games. Something rare in the world of anoraks.”
There were a number of lessons to take away from the Phillies’ failure to haul in Bo Bichette to a seven-year, $200 million contract last week.
Like with most teams, the luxury tax remains a self-imposed impediment to the Phils’ willingness to spend. The Dodgers and Mets are the two teams who will hold their noses to overpay players obscenely large average annual values in order to land them, eating tens of millions of luxury tax dollars in the process. They are willing to give away opt-outs throughout these short-term contracts, ceding much of the leverage to the player.
It’s clear if the Phillies want to play in the same free agency pool as Los Angeles and New York, they must re-evaluate their belief that young free agents prefer long-term security and big money deals. And if they continue to use the luxury tax as a soft salary cap, as most teams do, they will lose out on free agents to those two teams.
Maybe that’s a price they’re willing not to pay, but in the wake of the Bichette decision, it feels antiquated.
The price a team pays for needing to build out a roster through big-money free agent deals is sometimes unpalatable, but that is the bed Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies had to sleep in following the collapse of the 2007-2011 Phillies mini-dynasty that left the team with a roster of aging players and a farm system that offered little in terms of ready-to-play, impact talent.
Hopes were high that as the team traded away Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and others for prospects that the rebuild of 2013-2017 would be quick and fill the roster with young stars. Instead, the Phils’ return to respectability did not come because Scotty Jetpax, Dom Brown, Nick Martinez or Vince Velasquez took the team to the next level. It came because of free agent contracts to Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and others.
Some of those deals are showing their age. They will likely be paying Castellanos $20 million to play somewhere else in 2026. Taijuan Walker’s $18 million salary is a tad pricey for a No. 6 starter/swing man. One wonders if the Phillies would think twice about Trea Turner’s 11-year, $300 million contract if they could do it again, and one can assume most would love a do-over of Aaron Nola’s seven-year, $172 million contract that still has another six years left on it. Add to that Kyle Schwarber’s five year, $150 million deal, J.T. Realmuto’s three-year, $45 million and, of course, Bryce Harper’s 13-year, $330 million contract, and you’ve got an inflexible roster with a high price tag.
To be fair, some of those guys are still playing at a very high level. Whether Harper remains “elite” or not, one cannot argue his contract hasn’t been outstanding for the organization. After a rocky first season, Turner has given the Phillies what they hoped for at shortstop, and Schwarber is an elite power hitter. But all those deals helped butt Dombrowski up against the fourth luxury tax, and outside of re-signing Schwarber and Realmuto, the Phillies’ biggest expenditure on a position player in free agency this off-season was outfielder Adolis Garcia. Contract extensions may also come soon for Jesus Luzardo and Jhoan Duran at some point. More money will be spent.
The front office cannot un-spend all the cash they are committed to spending, so in order to keep the window of contention open, the Phillies must do what they were unable to do in 2012 when the 2008 championship core began to age and it all fall apart.
They need to actually produce impact talent from their minor league system. They need to produce the next generation of stars.
Even after all the investments the Phils have made since Dombrowski took over, Philadelphia’s farm system is not considered among the top half of the league. Fangraphs ranks it 20th, and ESPN and MLB Pipeline had it 21st in August of last year. There are few highly touted prospects in the minors with the exception of their Big 3: Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller.
Can they hit on all three?
They will certainly get their chances. This time a year ago, Phils fans were salivating at the notion of Painter and his electric stuff in the starting rotation, even coming off of Tommy John surgery. A disappointing season in AAA has taken some of the shine off his arrival, and no one is sure if he will be able to adequately replace Ranger Suarez’ absence in the rotation (it would be great if Nola could step up into the Ranger role and save Painter the need to do it.) If Painter doesn’t turn out to be a top-of-the-rotation starter sooner rather than later, it will be a profound disappointment.
Sorry, kid. You were presented to us as an ace in the making. Those are the expectations, if not right away, then soon.
Crawford’s numbers in the minors have always been good. It makes sense that the Phillies are handing him the everyday job in center field. He’ll hit No. 9 in the lineup, and hopefully won’t be needed to do more than get his feet wet and contribute from time to time in ‘26. He has his detractors, but with an outfield that projects to be one of the weakest in MLB this season, Crawford turning into a quality big league player would go a long way to solidifying what appears to be a real weakness, both in 2026 and beyond.
Then, there’s Miller. He’s the top prospect in the organization right now, a power-hitting shortstop who got off to a very rough start in AA Reading but came on over the final six weeks of the season, finishing with a flourish in AAA Lehigh in the final week. He’ll start there in 2026, and all eyes will be on whether he stays at shortstop or transitions to another spot on the diamond in an effort to get him to the big leagues quicker.
Like Painter, they need Miller to turn into a star. He needs to be better than Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott became. He needs to be a Harper/Schwarber/Turner type player. Will that happen right away? Of course not, but at some point in the next 2-3 years.
If you think that’s unreasonable, it’s not. The Phillies drafted and developed three superstar position players in Utley, Howard and Rollins that became the backbone of a championship team. There are prospects playing for other teams who made a major impact in the Majors right away. First round draft picks are supposed to be great. It’s why they were drafted first. As the existing core ages, these younger players need to make up for what will certainly be a dip in production.
The Phillies need the farm system to hit because, even if they wanted to spend the money, there are no high impact free agents hitting the market in the next two years, as noted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan last week.
Sure, Bichette could opt-out of his Mets deal after the first year, but do you really see the Phillies re-engaging with him and his agent after what transpired last week? Given the paltry list of position players above, any help supplementing the roster, at least from an offensive standpoint, must come from within.
Outside of the Big 3, the player development side of the organization needs to do a better job getting players to be ready to play at a high level in the big leagues. Some organizations do a phenomenal job of churning out high-quality players year after year. The Dodgers almost never draft in the first round and always pick at the end of every round, and yet they have a top-five farm system in baseball. It’s not luck.
Last year’s first round pick for the Phils, pitcher Gage Wood, will start in high-A ball, although there are thoughts he could be a quick riser and potentially pitch in the bullpen this season. Aroon Escobar and Dante Nori are 21-year-olds in AA Reading this season. Neither projects as an All Star caliber player in the Majors, but much development remains. Gabriel Rincones Jr. is the likeliest to see time in the big leagues this season, with a powerful left-handed swing that murders right-handers and crumbles against southpaws. And then there is their big international signing, 17-year-old Francisco Renteria, the No. 3 international prospect this year, who has drawn comparisons to Hall of Fame candidate Bobby Abreu.
No one is putting that kind of pressure on the kid, but Renteria is as good a raw talent that has come into the Phillies farm system in a long time.
The Phillies also need to continue to develop pitching. Cristopher Sanchez wasn’t drafted by the Phils, but he was developed by the team and has turned into one of the five best starters in the game. Ranger Suarez, who just signed with Red Sox, was born and raised in the Phils’ system. Aaron Nola, despite his faults a year ago, is a future Wall of Famer and, if he has another few productive seasons, could warrant Cooperstown conversation. There are success stories there, but after Painter and Gage, there is a lack of young starting pitching prospects in the system, with Moises Chace’s lost 2025 season putting a dent in his prospects.
If the only way the Phils are going to be able to put a playoff caliber team on the field is through free agency, they’re going to have to run their payroll north of $350 million in the coming years. That doesn’t seem sustainable. Dombrowski spent his first year in Philadelphia diagnosing the problems and coming up with solutions to fixing them.
The Milwaukee Brewers recently announced their 2026 international free agent class, consisting of 22 prospects from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Notable international free agents signed by the Brewers over the years have included Jackson Chourio, Jesus Made, Luis Peña, and — this name brings back memories —Alcides Escobar.
Almost all these guys are extremely young, so it will most likely be years before any of them make an impact with the big league club. Still, for those of you who follow the Brewers farm system, here’s a full list of this year’s prospects — including everything I could find about them.
No. 24 Diego Frontado (SS, Venezuela)
Frontado is the second-highest-ranked prospect in the Brewers’ international free agent class but commanded the largest bonus ($1.6M). Per MLB Pipeline, the 17-year-old infielder is “an impactful hitter with a smooth glove that can quickly move through a club’s system.” While he’s still growing into his frame, Frontado has a nearly-perfect swing, makes loud contact, and can hit the ball to all fields. He’s also really, really fast for his age, already clocking 60-yard-dash times as low as 6.6.
No. 49 José Rodríguez (SS, Venezuela)
Rodriguez, another 17-year-old shortstop prospect, features quick hands and a compact, efficient swing at the plate. However, his best trait — by far — is his glove. Rodriguez has an above-average arm and the range (and hands) to make difficult plays look easy. Many scouts consider him one of the top defenders in this year’s class. If he develops power with age, he very well might look like a steal in a couple of years.
No. 20 Ricki Moneys (SS, Dominican Republic)
I didn’t think the Brewers could top “Jesus Made,” but Ricki Moneys just might be an even cooler name. I’m a believer in the idea that prospects with cool names always succeed, so if you ask me, this kid is going to be a superstar. Scouts agree, too. Per Pipeline:
“There’s a direct up arrow next to Moneys’ all-around stock. He plays the game with a high intensity and has a record of in-game production that backs up scouts’ belief he’ll hit for even more power as he continues to get more reps. A right-handed hitter with lots of bat speed, he puts together competitive at-bats consistently and can produce moonshots when he runs into them, something of a rarity for teenagers on the international scene.”
As Pipeline puts it, the “draw” in Moneys’ profile is his hit tool and outstanding production in the Dominican Republic. His defense isn’t too shabby, either — Moneys has great hands and an accurate (although not especially powerful) arm. He’s probably not getting to some of the balls that some (Rodriguez, for example) might be able to get to, so he might not stick at shortstop. Still, Moneys makes all the routine plays and doesn’t make many mistakes, traits that hint at long-term defensive viability at whatever position he ends up at.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The San Jose Sharks have acquired one of the most sought-after trade candidates of the NHL season by getting winger Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks more than six weeks before the March 6 deadline.
San Jose sent 2026 and ’27 second-round draft picks and minor league defenseman Cole Clayton to Vancouver for the 30-year-old pending free agent. The teams announced the deal Monday.
Sherwood led the Canucks with 17 goals through their first 48 games. He also has six assists.
"We would like to thank Kiefer for all his hard work and dedication in Vancouver," Canucks general manager Patrik Alvin said. “As an organization, we take a lot of pride in giving him the opportunity to grow and excel as a player. Given where things currently stand and the direction of our rebuild, we felt it was necessary to make a move like this as we continue to build our pipeline.”
Giving up draft picks to get Sherwood signals a shift for the Sharks from sellers to buyers. They’re in a playoff spot past the midway point of the season.
San Jose visits two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida on Monday night.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A record-breaking third-wicket stand between Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli led Afghanistan to a commanding 38-run win over West Indies on Monday in the first Twenty20 of their three-match series.
Zadran made a career-best unbeaten 87 off 56 balls and Rasooli scored 84 off 59 balls as they combined in a 162-run stand in a strong total of 181-3.
The West Indies top-order struggled against the experienced spin duo of Rashid Khan (2-19) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-29) before cameos from debutant Quentin Sampson (30) and Gudakesh Motie (28) carried them to 143-9.
The series is part of the teams' build-up for next month’s T20 World Cup with West Indies yet to finalize its squad for the mega event to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“As long as we are bringing our best skills to the game, it doesn’t matter whether we bat first or second,” Afghanistan captain Rashid said. “As a team, we are fit and hopefully we will have a good World Cup.”
West Indies made a promising start when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was run out on the first ball and captain Brandon King took a spectacular one-handed catch of Sediqullah Atal in the slips as Afghanistan slipped to 2-19 in the third over.
But Zadran and Rasooli then raised Afghanistan’s highest-ever third-wicket partnership in T20s off 113 balls against some wayward West Indies bowling. Motie stemmed the flow of runs briefly in the middle overs with his economical four-over spell of 0-18, but both Afghan batters showed plenty of aggression against pace in the second half of the innings.
West Indies was also scrappy in the outfield and dropped at least three catches in the death overs as Zadran and Rasooli upped the ante and scored 70 runs in the last six overs. Fast bowlers Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph gave away 91 runs in their eight overs while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre (0-42) was also expensive.
Forde had a consolation wicket on the final ball when Rasooli holed out in the outfield after striking eight boundaries and two sixes.
West Indies stumbled to 3-42 inside the power play when Mujeeb clean bowled King in the first over; Rasooli held on to Evin Lewis’ top-edge in the outfield and Johnson Charles was out lbw while attempting a switch hit against Mujeeb’s quicker delivery.
Rashid then made an immediate impact by grabbing two wickets in his successive overs that included the key wicket of Shimron Hetmyer, who scored only three off seven balls, as West Indies further slipped to 5-50 in the ninth over.
Sampson and Forde (25) combined in the best West Indies partnership of 45 before fast bowler Ziaur Rahman, who conceded 16 runs off his first four balls, claimed two wickets in his return spell and finished with 3-36.
“We are disappointed to lose the game,” King said. “We showed glimpses of good cricket but it wasn’t good enough. Afghanistan are a team that have quite a few good spinners, we will talk about it on the day off and review the game.”
The next two games will be played on Wednesday on Thursday.
The Cubs’ 2022 season began much like 2021 ended — with the team losing games, some of them by large scores (though they also had a 21-0 win over the Pirates in that span, go figure).
They had taken two of the first three games of a four-game set against the Reds in Cincinnati, and the last one started out well. The Cubs had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. Frank Schwindel had doubled in two runs and Nico Hoerner homered, all of that off Hunter Greene. Greene, who had promise, wasn’t quite yet the pitcher he became by 2025.
So that’s all good, right?
Well, not so much. Justin Steele, who wasn’t quite yet the pitcher he became in 2023 and 2024, got hammered for seven runs in two innings (plus five batters into the third). Scott Effross relieved and wasn’t any better, and neither were Brandon Hughes, Chris Martin and Rowan Wick.
The Cubs trailed 15-5 going into the bottom of the eighth and so David Ross summoned infielder Andrelton Simmons to throw that inning.
Simmons, let’s be frank, was not a good signing by Jed Hoyer & Co. He had posted a poor year for the Twins in 2021 (.558 OPS in 131 games) and was coming off a shoulder injury. That hampered his fielding and the man simply could not hit anymore. In 34 games for the Cubs Simmons batted .173/.244/.187 (13-for-75).
And he wasn’t any better as a pitcher. First eight batters he faced: single, single, walk, single, sacrifice fly, single, double, sacrifice fly. If you’ve lost count, that’s five runs before Simmons got Alejo López to pop up to end the inning.
At least Gaetti did make some positive contributions to the Cubs in his time with the team. Not so much with Simmons, who was released in August 2022. His contract was a complete waste of $4 million.
The New York Knicks will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
New York hasn’t been able to cover with any regularity lately, and I’m taking Dallas with a boatload of points in my Mavericks vs. Knicks predictions.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup in New York in my free NBA picks for January 19.
Mavericks vs Knicks prediction
Mavericks vs Knicks best bet: Mavericks +10.5 (-110)
The New York Knicks may be getting Jalen Brunson back tonight, but how much that will matter remains to be seen.
New York is 0-3 since Wednesday, when Brunson went down early in a 112-101 loss to the Kings. It’s not as though the Knicks were lighting the world on fire before Brunson got hurt, as they had won just two of their previous seven games.
The Dallas Mavericks are also getting a key player back tonight. Rookie Cooper Flagg (18.8 ppg) was also hurt early in a Wednesday loss to the Nuggets, but is expected to come back from his sprained ankle in New York tonight.
Unlike the Knicks, the Mavericks were able to work around the loss of Flagg, winning two straight games against the Jazz on Thursday and Saturday.
Dallas is still trying to find itself — this is still a rebuilding season — but they’ve gone 4-3 in their last seven games overall, and have proven they have weapons that can win games.
That includes 35-year-old Klay Thompson, who is averaging 12.0 ppg and put up 23 and 26 points in the two games Flagg missed.
The Knicks have been awful for bettors lately, covering in just two of their last 12 games. Given those struggles, it’s hard to see them covering a double-digit spread against a healthy Mavericks team.
Mavericks vs Knicks same-game parlay
Dallas has his the Over on its last three games, and with both Flagg and Brunson likely back tonight, we should see enough points on the board to hit the Over again.
I’m also going to take Flagg to hit at least two 3-pointers tonight, as he hit that target in three of his last four complete games before getting injured in Wednesday’s contest.
Mavericks vs Knicks SGP
Mavericks +10.5
Over 230
Cooper Flagg Over 1.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Fabulous Flagg
Flagg has dished out five or more assists in 10 of his last 11 full games, and should once again be able to move the ball tonight against the Knicks.
Mavericks vs Knicks SGP
Mavericks +10.5
Over 230
Cooper Flagg Over 1.5 made threes
Cooper Flagg Over 4.5 assists
Mavericks vs Knicks odds
Spread: Mavericks +10.5 | Knicks -10.5
Moneyline: Mavericks +350 | Knicks -450
Over/Under: Over 230 | Under 230
Mavericks vs Knicks betting trend to know
The Knicks are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Knicks.
How to watch Mavericks vs Knicks
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Monday, January 19, 2026
Tip-off
5:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Mavericks vs Knicks 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
Brown, who'll turn 34 in July, had been with the Athletics the past seven years.
He played in just 38 MLB games during the 2025 season, but had seen action in 111 or more games for the A's over four straight seasons from 2021 to 2024. His best season came in 2022 when he hit .230 with 25 homers, 26 doubles, and 73 RBI over 150 games.
Overall, the left-handed hitter owns a career .226/.292/.419 slash line with 74 home runs, 79 doubles, eight triples, and 233 RBI. He's logged 197 games in RF, 172 games in LF, 159 games at first base, 32 games as the DH, and 28 games in CF.
Brown was released by the A's in June 2025 and signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in July, before opting out on Aug. 10 and finishing the year unsigned. He hit .291 with six home runs and six doubles over 26 games for Triple-A Reno.
He will likely serve as outfield depth for the Yanks, who are still trying to reunite with Cody Bellinger in free agency and already have Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez, plus top prospect Spencer Jones looming.
ATLANTA (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher will both miss at least another week for the Atlanta Hawks while recovering from injuries.
Porzingis sat out his sixth straight game when the Hawks hosted the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. He has been dealing with left Achilles tendinitis in another season married by injuries and illness.
Risacher, the top overall pick in the 2024 draft, missed his sixth straight game because of a left knee bone contusion.
Both players will be reevaluated in about a week, the team said.
Porzingis has played just 17 games for the Hawks after being acquired last summer from the Boston Celtics. He is averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Kyle Filipowski
Devin Booker
Brandin Podziemski
