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What are Red Sox options with Lucas Giolito sidelined vs. Yankees?

What are Red Sox options with Lucas Giolito sidelined vs. Yankees? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Red Sox manager Alex Cora might have to get creative with the season on the line.

That’s the reality with veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito sidelined due to an elbow injury. Giolito was left off the team’s American League Wild Card roster before the best-of-three playoff series against the Yankees. Giolito was expected to start either Game 2 or Game 3, but that’s no longer the case.

Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet will start Game 1 against Yankees lefty Max Fried while right-hander Brayan Bello will get the ball in Game 2 opposite left-hander Carlos Rodón.

“We’ll go the first two games, then we’ll decide,” Cora said at Yankee Stadium on Monday before Game 1 on Tuesday night. “Obviously, we have some kids over there who have started lately. But first thing’s first: Crochet, Bello and if we have to make a decision for Game 3, we’ll go from there.”

Here are a few options if the Red Sox and Yankees split the first two games and hold a winner-take-all Game 3:

Connelly Early, LHP

A rookie making his playoff debut at Yankee Stadium? And doing so less than one month after being called up to the big leagues? It would be a nerve-wrecking situation for the Fenway Faithful. But Early feels like the best option for the Red Sox. He struck out 11 batters in his MLB debut and has displayed a pitch mix that helped him produce like Boston’s fourth-best starter after Crochet, Brayan Bello and Giolito. In four starts, the 23-year-old recorded a 2.33 ERA with 29 strikeouts to four walks in 19.1 innings.

Longtime Red Sox insider and current radio host Tony Massarotti believes Boston should give the ball to Early if a Game 3 presents itself. In fact, Massarotti said he would’ve preferred for Cora to go with Early even if Giolito was healthy.

“I like the idea of throwing a lefty in New York,” Massarotti said.

Crochet complimented Early ahead of the series.

“The pitchability is beyond his years, man,” Crochet said. “It’s really good plus stuff. Five pitches for strikes and the swing and miss component. I think he’ll be a huge bolster to the staff here in the postseason.”

Kyle Harrison, LHP

Harrison is another young left-hander, but has more experience despite also being called up to Boston earlier this month. Harrison, who was traded to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal, recorded a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings in Boston. He struck out 13 batters with five walks in three games (two starts).

Harrison has made 37 starts in the big leagues, including 30 starts for the Giants the last two seasons. He hasn’t pitched in a postseason contest, though.

Bullpen game

Cora’s decision could come down to whether or not Early and/or Harrison were used in Games 1 and 2. If the Red Sox use either or both in relief, there’s a chance Cora will go with a bullpen arm in the starting spot. Heck, even if neither are used in relief Cora still could opt for such strategy.

That’s what Massarotti believes will happen.

“That’s my guess,” Massarotti said. “I hope it’s Early. I hope he goes with Connelly Early and then if he gets in trouble goes to the bullpen. Cora, in that situation, will trust himself. He’ll manage the game with relievers and get through it that way.”

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Penguins At Red Wings Preseason Preview: Roster Battles Are Heating Up

The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to play the Detroit Red Wings for a second time during the preseason on Monday. 

The Penguins played them in Pittsburgh on Friday and came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Forwards Connor Dewar, Robby Fabbri, and Philip Tomasino scored in the contest. 

Monday's game will take place in Detroit and will feature a similar lineup to the one that was on the ice on Friday. 

Benjamin Kindel, Avery Hayes, Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen, Robby Fabbri, Boko Imama, Matt Dumba, and Jack St. Ivany are just a few of the players who will play in this game. There are spots available up front and on the backend, and this is another opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate players competing for those positions. 

Head coach Dan Muse confirmed after the morning skate that Tristan Jarry will play the entire game in net. 

The Red Wings will play some of their veteran players in this game, including Patrick Kane, JT Compher, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, and Justin Holl. 

Puck drop from Little Caesars Arena will be at 7 p.m. ET and fans can watch the game on the Penguins' official website or listen to it on 105.9 'The X.'

 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

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Sabres Roster Battles In The Final Week Of Camp

 

The Buffalo Sabres made a significant roster reduction a on fter a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. The club’s roster was decreased to 31 players after the club waived  Zach Jones, and forward Jake Leschyshyn on Sunday. Jones and Leschyshyn will be demoted to AHL Rochester if they are not claimed by another NHL club by Monday afternoon. With two preseason games remaining and a week remaining in training camp, GM Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff will need to make some choices before the roster is set at 23 players early next week.

Goaltender - With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen practicing on Friday and Saturday, it appears the Sabres starter is on schedule to play at least one and perhaps both of the games against Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Friday. There is not really a battle between Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev, as Lyon will be the primary backup to Luukkonen. The question is whether Adams chooses to carry three goalies or place Georgiev on waivers to send down to the AHL. Buffalo lost James Reimer when they attempted to do that at the end of camp last season and it could occur again with the NHL goaltending market so thin. 

 

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Lawson Crouse 

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Defense - The injury to Mattias Samuelsson was not described as being serious in nature by Ruff late last week, but durability has been an issue with the veteran blueliner throughout his career. The top four is set with Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram on the top pairing, Owen Power and Michael Kesselring on the second pair, and Conor Timmins playing the right side on the bottom pairing. If Samuelsson is unavailable, then Ryan Johnson, who had a solid defensive season in Rochester, would be the leading candidate to step in over Jacob Bryson. 2025 first-rounder Radim Mrtka is still with the club, but the only drama with him is whether he will be assigned to AHL Rochester or back to his WHL junior club in Seattle. 

Forward - The assumption at this point is that Buffalo will carry 13 forwards, but the goaltending scenario and carry eight D could augment that. Jordan Greenway has been out with a recurrence of his mid-body injury all training camp, so it is likely he will start the season on injured reserve. With Alex Tuch back, the top three lines appear to be set, with Josh Norris centering Zach Benson and Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod up the middle with Jason Zucker and Tuch, and Jiri Kulich centering Josh Doan and Jack Quinn. Kulich has an upper body that has kept him out of the last few practices. 

The fourth line appears to be Justin Danforth and Beck Malenstyn centered by Peyton Krebs, leaving one spot that could be occupied by Tyson Kozak or enforcer Mason Geersten.     

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

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Red Sox at Yankees Wild Card Game 1 prediction: Odds, expert picks, pitching matchup, betting trends, stats

One of the great rivalries in sports is renewed Tuesday night when the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of their Best of 3 Wild Card series.

The Red Sox finished the regular season winning two of three in a weekend series against the Tigers to secure the second wild card spot with an overall record of 89-73. The Yankees closed strong winning eight straight to secure the top Wild Card spot.

Garrett Crochet (18-5, 2.59 ERA) gets the nod for Boston in Game 1. He will be opposed by Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA). The Yankees' hurler faced Boston three times this season compiling a record of 1-1 allowing four earned runs over 18.1 innings with 22 strikeouts. In his first year in Beantown, Crochet was 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA and 39 strikeouts in four appearances against the Yankees.

Lets dive into Game 1 of this series and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Yankees

  • Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
  • Time: 6:08PM EST
  • Site: Yankee Stadium
  • City: Bronx, NY
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Red Sox at the Yankees

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (+112), New York Yankees (-136)
  • Spread:  Yankees -1.5 (+162)
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Yankees

  • Pitching matchup for September 30, 2025: Garrett Crochet vs. Max Fried
    • Red Sox: GarrettCrochet (18-5, 2.59 ERA)
      The left-hander has won his last 7 starts allowing 16 runs over 46 innings while striking out 59
    • Yankees: Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA)
      The right-hander has won his last 6 starts allowing 8 earned runs over 46.1 innings while striking out 48

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Yankees

  • The Yankees have won 11 of their last 12 games overall and 9 of their last 11 at Yankee Stadium
  • 11 of the Yankees' last 13 games against AL East teams have gone under the Total
  • The Yankees have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 2.67 units
  • Aaron Judge is hitting .500 over his last 5 games (9-18)
  • Trevor Story his .302 in September for the Sox

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Tuesday’s Game 1 between the Red Sox and the Yankees

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's Game 1 between the Red Sox and the Yankees:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Yankees on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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Farewell the Wizard: Chris Woakes could cast spells but let his cricket do the talking | Ali Martin

Warwickshire all-rounder always put the team first and hit the heights for England with an enviable Test career and two World Cup wins

As suspected at the time, Chris Woakes bravely walking out to bat at the Oval in August, arm in a sling, crowd on their feet, was his final act as an England cricketer. Grimacing through the agony of a dislocated shoulder, it made for front page news and a fitting, albeit unwitting, exit.

Few Test careers get endings such as Stuart Broad’s mic‑drop at the same ground, or the sentimental farewells laid on for Jimmy Anderson or Alastair Cook. But this one suited Woakes: full circle at the scene of his Test debut 12 years earlier and still putting the team first.

Continue reading...
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Report: Blackhawks Still Shopping Former First-Rounder

Lukas Reichel (© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)

Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time. There were questions about his future in Chicago during this past season, and they carried over to the summer. Yet, even with the trade rumors surrounding him, he is still with the Blackhawks. 

Yet, even with the 2025-26 season just about here, a Reichel trade appears very possible.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Scott Powers reported that the Blackhawks are continuing to inform teams that they are willing to move Reichel. 

"It’s no secret the Blackhawks explored trading Reichel and, even in the last few days, let teams know he’s available," Powers wrote. "What happens over the next week is anyone’s guess. He could be traded. He could make the Blackhawks roster out of camp. He could be placed on waivers, and that could mean either being claimed by someone else or reassigned to the AHL."

With Reichel being a former first-round pick and still being only 23 years old, there certainly could be a team out there willing to take a chance on him. He is still young enough that he could become an impactful NHL player, but he may need a change of scenery to do just that.

In 169 games over four seasons with the Blackhawks, Reichel has recorded 20 goals, 34 assists, 54 points, and a minus-61 rating. He played in a career-high 70 games this past season with the Blackhawks, where he posted eight goals, 14 assists, and 22 points. Overall, he has shown promise at times, but he has yet to break out. 

It will be very interesting to see what happens between the Blackhawks and Reichel from here. 

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NBA season 2025-26 preview: Seven best duos in the NBA

The era of the "Big Three" is over. Dous are what is in around the league.

Blame the second apron of the NBA's luxury tax, but the days of front offices thinking in terms of needing three elite stars to win a title is at an end. It was always difficult to assemble such teams, but now the tax apron makes it incredibly difficult to keep three max players together with enough support around them to win for any length of time.

Elite duos — with a roster of high-quality role players around them — is the direction the league is heading now. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston won a ring two years ago, while last season it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

Who are the best duos in the NBA? Here are my top seven (followed by some honorable mentions/names to watch).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams (Thunder)

"I think both of us just trust each other, have the same mindset, winning mindset, want the best for each other above all," Gilgeous-Alexander said during the Finals of his chemistry with Williams. "Me and him are also naturally really good friends. We talk all the time on and off the court. Always together. That helps with it, for sure. Then we just use our experiences together to grow."

SGA and J-Dub were the driving force behind Oklahoma City winning 68 games last season, and they are the reason Adam Silver will be handing the team rings on opening night (right here on NBC and Peacock). It helps that their games complement each other.

Last season, the Thunder had a +13.1 net rating in the regular season when Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams shared the court (that was a still-impressive +7.1 in the playoffs). Their play and that ring makes them the most decorated duo in Thunder history — which is no small honor considering this franchise saw Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and then Westbrook and Paul George.

One can argue OKC is a "Big Three" with Chet Holmgren — and all three are now on max extensions — but at the core, it is Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander that are the driving force that makes the Thunder the team to beat this season.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Nuggets)

This remains the most devastating and unstoppable pick-and-roll combination in the league. This duo is why a championship banner hangs in Ball Arena.

They didn't take a step back last season: Denver had a +11.1 net rating when they shared the court, across 58 games. This season, the Nuggets' duo is surrounded by a deeper roster of quality role players — Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown and Tim. Hardaway Jr. join returners Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson — but it is Jokic and Murray who make Denver the biggest threat to Oklahoma City in the West.

Donvan Mitchell and Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)

If any team outside OKC is close to a "Big Three," it is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Any combination of Mitchell, Mobley and Darius Garland works (and if you doubt how critical Garland is, think back to last year's playoffs and how their offense struggled as Garland was not nearly himself trying to play through a turf toe injury).

However, we are putting Mitchell and Mobley as the key duo — if the Cavaliers are going to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time without that "kid from Akron," this is the duo that will fuel it. Mobley is the Defensive Player of the Year who added 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds a game last season, and the Cavaliers are banking on him making another offensive step forward next season. Mitchell is the first-team All-NBA rock this team relies on for big plays, a guy who averaged 24 points and five assists a game last season.

When Mitchell and Mobley shared the court last season, the Cavaliers had a +11.1 net rating. Do that again and Cleveland likely sets itself up to repeat as the No. 1 seed in the East and give itself a chance to make it to the Finals.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green (Warriors)

At the end of the day, these are the two men Steve Kerr trusts more than any others — they were the Warriors' most used pairing last season, and the team had a +7.3 net rating when they shared the court.

Curry's legendary shooting and handles are the gravity that opens up the Warriors' offense, and Green's passing out of the short roll keeps the offense humming. Plus, Green remains the middle linebacker of the Warriors' defense.

Yes, the Warriors have Jimmy Butler plus some key role players, but if Golden State is going to make postseason noise, it will be because Curry and Green are in vintage form.

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)

This duo, thrown together just before the opening of training camp last season, ended up lifting the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.

It also was not a seamless fit. The Knicks had a +4.9 net rating when Towns and Brunson shared the court, with weak defensive numbers holding them back. That defense looked better by the playoffs, after Mitchell Robinson had returned and played next to Towns.

The potential is there for more, and new coach Mike Brown will lean into the depth of this roster, seeking better combinations while giving his stars some rest. Still, if the Knicks are going to take advantage of their opportunities in the East this season, it has to start with Brunson and Towns, and them being a little more comfortable and playing better off each other this season.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic (Lakers)

Two of the highest IQ players in the game next to each other, two brilliant passers who can both score. This duo has the potential to be unstoppable.

That wasn't the case last season, when Doncic was shockingly traded to Los Angeles at the February deadline — the Lakers had a +2 net rating when they shared the court. Defense was what held them back.

Now, with a full training camp to iron out the kinks, expectations are high in Los Angeles (they always are with Lakers fans), especially with "skinny" Luka showing up to camp. However, defense remains the primary concern: Doncic is a solid team defender but can be targeted individually, LeBron can dial up stretches of defense still but is no longer a consistent force on that end, and another starter in Austin Reaves is a target. That's going to put a lot of pressure on new center DeAndre Ayton to clean up issues in the paint and around the rim. How coach J.J. Redick handles this team's defense will be one of the key questions of the season.

Still, with the duo of LeBron and Luka, the Lakers can beat anybody on a given night.

James Harden and Ivica Zubac (Clippers)

The most overlooked duo in the NBA: They played the third most minutes of any two-man combo in the league last season, and the Clippers had a very impressive +10.3 net rating when they shared the court.

While he has a deep roster to lean on through 82 games, expect coach Tyronn Lue to play a lot of Harden and Zubac together, using their two-man game. Lue, as a coach, leans into what works and this pairing works.

Honorable mention:

• Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox (Spurs). We only saw them together for five games last season (before Wembanyama's shoulder blood clots ended his season), but if they mesh as expected, I could look foolish for not having them in the top seven.
• Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets). A potentially devastating pairing on the wing, and one with a lot more shot creation and team organization responsibilities now that Fred VanVleet is out for the season.
• Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner (Magic). We only got to see them together for 40 games last season (the team had a +3.8 net rating in the minutes they shared the court). Orlando is poised for a leap this season, but needs this duo to stay healthy and take a step forward together.
• Trae Young and Jalen Johnson (Hawks). Another team with a great offseason, but if this team is going to make the leap from being a perpetual play-in team to a top-four squad, these two have to carry the heavy load. Last season the Hawks were a +4.3 when they were on the court together, but that was only in 34 games due to injuries.
• Paul George and Joel Embiid (76ers). Potentially as good as any duo on this list, but they have to stay healthy and on the court this season. Last season they played just 18 games together and both enter this season with questions about their health.

Posted on

NBA season 2025-26 preview: 7 best duos in the NBA

The era of the "Big Three" is over. Dous are what is in around the league.

Blame the second apron of the NBA's luxury tax, but the days of front offices thinking in terms of needing three elite stars to win a title is at an end. It was always difficult to assemble such teams, but now the tax apron makes it incredibly difficult to keep three max players together with enough support around them to win for any length of time.

Elite duos — with a roster of high-quality role players around them — is the direction the league is heading now. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston won a ring two years ago, while last season it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

Who are the best duos in the NBA? Here are my top seven (followed by some honorable mentions/names to watch).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams (Thunder)

"I think both of us just trust each other, have the same mindset, winning mindset, want the best for each other above all," Gilgeous-Alexander said during the Finals of his chemistry with Williams. "Me and him are also naturally really good friends. We talk all the time on and off the court. Always together. That helps with it, for sure. Then we just use our experiences together to grow."

SGA and J-Dub were the driving force behind Oklahoma City winning 68 games last season, and they are the reason Adam Silver will be handing the team rings on opening night (right here on NBC and Peacock). It helps that their games complement each other.

Last season, the Thunder had a +13.1 net rating in the regular season when Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams shared the court (that was a still-impressive +7.1 in the playoffs). Their play and that ring makes them the most decorated duo in Thunder history — which is no small honor considering this franchise saw Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and then Westbrook and Paul George.

One can argue OKC is a "Big Three" with Chet Holmgren — and all three are now on max extensions — but at the core, it is Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander that are the driving force that makes the Thunder the team to beat this season.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Nuggets)

This remains the most devastating and unstoppable pick-and-roll combination in the league. This duo is why a championship banner hangs in Ball Arena.

They didn't take a step back last season: Denver had a +11.1 net rating when they shared the court, across 58 games. This season, the Nuggets' duo is surrounded by a deeper roster of quality role players — Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown and Tim. Hardaway Jr. join returners Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson — but it is Jokic and Murray who make Denver the biggest threat to Oklahoma City in the West.

Donvan Mitchell and Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)

If any team outside OKC is close to a "Big Three," it is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Any combination of Mitchell, Mobley and Darius Garland works (and if you doubt how critical Garland is, think back to last year's playoffs and how their offense struggled as Garland was not nearly himself trying to play through a turf toe injury).

However, we are putting Mitchell and Mobley as the key duo — if the Cavaliers are going to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time without that "kid from Akron," this is the duo that will fuel it. Mobley is the Defensive Player of the Year who added 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds a game last season, and the Cavaliers are banking on him making another offensive step forward next season. Mitchell is the first-team All-NBA rock this team relies on for big plays, a guy who averaged 24 points and five assists a game last season.

When Mitchell and Mobley shared the court last season, the Cavaliers had a +11.1 net rating. Do that again and Cleveland likely sets itself up to repeat as the No. 1 seed in the East and give itself a chance to make it to the Finals.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green (Warriors)

At the end of the day, these are the two men Steve Kerr trusts more than any others — they were the Warriors' most used pairing last season, and the team had a +7.3 net rating when they shared the court.

Curry's legendary shooting and handles are the gravity that opens up the Warriors' offense, and Green's passing out of the short roll keeps the offense humming. Plus, Green remains the middle linebacker of the Warriors' defense.

Yes, the Warriors have Jimmy Butler plus some key role players, but if Golden State is going to make postseason noise, it will be because Curry and Green are in vintage form.

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)

This duo, thrown together just before the opening of training camp last season, ended up lifting the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.

It also was not a seamless fit. The Knicks had a +4.9 net rating when Towns and Brunson shared the court, with weak defensive numbers holding them back. That defense looked better by the playoffs, after Mitchell Robinson had returned and played next to Towns.

The potential is there for more, and new coach Mike Brown will lean into the depth of this roster, seeking better combinations while giving his stars some rest. Still, if the Knicks are going to take advantage of their opportunities in the East this season, it has to start with Brunson and Towns, and them being a little more comfortable and playing better off each other this season.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic (Lakers)

Two of the highest IQ players in the game next to each other, two brilliant passers who can both score. This duo has the potential to be unstoppable.

That wasn't the case last season, when Doncic was shockingly traded to Los Angeles at the February deadline — the Lakers had a +2 net rating when they shared the court. Defense was what held them back.

Now, with a full training camp to iron out the kinks, expectations are high in Los Angeles (they always are with Lakers fans), especially with "skinny" Luka showing up to camp. However, defense remains the primary concern: Doncic is a solid team defender but can be targeted individually, LeBron can dial up stretches of defense still but is no longer a consistent force on that end, and another starter in Austin Reaves is a target. That's going to put a lot of pressure on new center DeAndre Ayton to clean up issues in the paint and around the rim. How coach J.J. Redick handles this team's defense will be one of the key questions of the season.

Still, with the duo of LeBron and Luka, the Lakers can beat anybody on a given night.

James Harden and Ivica Zubac (Clippers)

The most overlooked duo in the NBA: They played the third most minutes of any two-man combo in the league last season, and the Clippers had a very impressive +10.3 net rating when they shared the court.

While he has a deep roster to lean on through 82 games, expect coach Tyronn Lue to play a lot of Harden and Zubac together, using their two-man game. Lue, as a coach, leans into what works and this pairing works.

Honorable mention:

• Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox (Spurs). We only saw them together for five games last season (before Wembanyama's shoulder blood clots ended his season), but if they mesh as expected, I could look foolish for not having them in the top seven.
• Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets). A potentially devastating pairing on the wing, and one with a lot more shot creation and team organization responsibilities now that Fred VanVleet is out for the season.
• Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner (Magic). We only got to see them together for 40 games last season (the team had a +3.8 net rating in the minutes they shared the court). Orlando is poised for a leap this season, but needs this duo to stay healthy and take a step forward together.
• Trae Young and Jalen Johnson (Hawks). Another team with a great offseason, but if this team is going to make the leap from being a perpetual play-in team to a top-four squad, these two have to carry the heavy load. Last season the Hawks were a +4.3 when they were on the court together, but that was only in 34 games due to injuries.
• Paul George and Joel Embiid (76ers). Potentially as good as any duo on this list, but they have to stay healthy and on the court this season. Last season they played just 18 games together and both enter this season with questions about their health.

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Mets owner Steve Cohen apologizes to fans after team misses playoffs: 'The result was unacceptable'

Mets owner Steve Cohenapologized to the fans following Sunday's loss, which resulted in the team missing the playoffs after racing out to a 45-24 record.

"Mets fans everywhere. I owe you an apology," Cohen wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "You did your part by showing up and supporting the team. We didn’t do our part. We will do a post-mortem and figure out the obvious and less obvious reasons why the team didn’t perform up to your and my expectations.

"We are all feeling raw emotions today. I know how much time and effort you have put into this team. The result was unacceptable. Your emotions tell me how much you care and continues to motivate the organization to do better. Thank You to the best fans in sports."

The Mets entered the year with World Series expectations, but had one of the worst records in baseball from the middle of June through the end of the regular season.

That resulted in them falling out of playoff position, even though they had a chance in the final weekend to secure a spot in the postseason.

Had the Mets won Sunday's game against the Marlins in Miami, they would've punched their ticket to the Wild Card Series, where the Dodgers were waiting.

Instead, the Mets lost, 4-0, bringing their campaign to a close.

As the Mets look to reshape their roster ahead of the 2026 season, there are lots of burning questions.

Among them: the futures of Pete Alonsoand Edwin Diaz, how to fix the starting rotation, and whether the offensive core will be shaken up. 

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns will hold his end-of-season news conference on Monday at 3:30 p.m. It will air live across SNY's social media platforms. 

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NHL Should Be Inspired By MLB And CFL's Rule Changes

If you weren’t paying attention to the larger sports picture last week, you may have missed the significant changes two prominent pro sports leagues made to their product.

The first was MLB’s decision to finally employ video review of balls and strikes calls. The second was the CFL’s move to radically alter the dimensions of their playing surface and the changes to their goal-post locations.

“Tradition Meets Innovation” was how the CFL painted its changes. That was a smart way to put it, because all leagues absolutely should be using technology and thinking outside the box when it comes to changing the way they provide entertainment. This is why the NHL needs to be equally brave when it comes to changing the way its game functions.

For a while now, we’ve argued that the NHL should be employing a third referee – an off-ice official who serves as an “eye-in-the-sky” referee who can buzz down to the two on-ice referees and get a stoppage in play to make a call the two on-ice refs have missed.

Yes, it would be a significant change for the NHL, but the decisions made by the MLB and CFL are equally huge, if not even more so.

When you change the size of your playing field, you’re making a big move. When you use video replay to challenge balls and strikes, you’re making a big move. But there’s only one real question you should be asking – does this move lead to a fairer, more entertaining game? Clearly, the CFL and MLB believe that’s the case. A system that leads to fewer missed calls is absolutely a system the NHL should be employing.

Anyone who’s watched an NHL game in recent years knows the action has gotten nearly impossibly quick, and the two-referee system can’t help but miss out on a penalty call or get it wrong here and there.

But at a time when parity has never been greater, one or two blown calls can decide how a game or series plays out.

So while it might feel foreign at first to see an on-ice sequence stopped out of nowhere, if an eye-in-the-sky referee makes a call, they’d do so knowing the call will be watched and re-watched over and over again. It’s paramount they get the call right. But if we’re giving the off-ice referee final say in calls – and that’s the idea here, so as not to have endless delays and debate waiting for calls to be finalized – then we have to be assured the off-ice referee knows what they’re doing.

But the bottom line isn’t about the particulars of a three-referee, eye-in-the-sky official to be added to the mix. The bottom line is that calls are being made that would have otherwise been missed. That’s what MLB is doing with its new video replay rule changes. And that’s a noble reason for the NHL to reconsider its officiating system.

The whole idea is that no team or fan base should be able to point to a blown call as the reason their team didn’t succeed. (Of course, we’ll never get to 100 percent satisfaction with every call that’s made, but that’s something we should aspire to nonetheless.)

Chris Rooney and Graham Skilliter (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

How would this type of change come about? Well, the NHL would have to run it by the competition committee and the Board of Governors, but the league has shown in the past it can pass any change it likes in short order, depending on the urgency behind it. For full proof, search up “the Sean Avery Rule” and see for yourself the speed at which the league can change a rule when it really wants to.

In any case, we will continue to discuss the three-referee system, as we believe it has value. If we accept the officials as human-and-therefore-flawed actors in this sports business, finding a way to cover off some of the calls they’ll inevitably miss is what they should be doing all the time, over and over, until they get close to total success in that regard.

Remember, it wasn’t all that long ago that the NHL had only a one-referee system. Can you imagine all the calls they’d have missed if they stubbornly stuck to their one-ref system because of hollow notions of “tradition?” The mind truly boggles at the thought. 

So yeah, the NHL should follow the lead of the CFL and MLB and do what’s within its power to change the game for the better. A static league is not always a successful one, and the NHL needs to bear that in mind when the notion of change arises again.

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Kings' veteran guard Dennis Schröder ready to run point with his new team

Kings' veteran guard Dennis Schröder ready to run point with his new team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Almost to a man, the Kings spent much of Monday’s media day gushing about the offseason acquisition of Dennis Schröder.

The 32-year-old point guard is part of general manager Scott Perry’s makeover meant to get his squad back to being relevant after an overwhelmingly disappointing 2024-25 NBA campaign left fans wringing their hands and muttering in frustration when they walked out of a beam-less Golden 1 Center last season.

First-time head coach Doug Christie was at the forefront, leading the cheers. Schröder was a player the coach had been eyeing for some time, and Christie sounded like a kid on Christmas morning while talking to reporters about the veteran point guard during Monday’s media day.

“Identifying Dennis in the offseason was big for me,” Christie said. “I’m a super, super fan. I really appreciate how he brings his heart to the game. Handing him the basketball makes me feel real comfortable that he’s going to bring the right type of demeanor and leadership and all of those things.

“As a coach, I want him to exemplify me on the floor. And if you guys know me, I’m a little rough and I think that that is a lot of what you see with him. He’s not backing down. Super excited to have him, super excited that he is our point guard and leading us into the future.”

Signing Schröder to a three-year, $45 million contract over the summer solved the Kings’ biggest offseason question.

Sacramento has been without a true point guard since trading away De’Aaron Fox early last season. Zach LaVine played out of position and ran the point for most of the season after Fox’s departure, with Keon Ellis coming off the bench to orchestrate the offense while LaVine rested.

Schröder’s arrival theoretically should bring some stability to Sacramento’s backcourt, a sentiment that is shared by several of his new teammates, who expressed their fondness after he helped Germany capture the gold medal at the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.

“True guard, veteran guard that knows the game,” Malik Monk said. “Just came off MVP (In EuroBasket). Not too many people can say that and come back and play in the NBA. That just shows how great he is of a player.”

Kings’ big man Domantas Sabonis echoed Monk, pointing out Schroder’s international success as being a key factor.

“Dennis is fantastic,” Sabonis said. “He’s been proving it in FIBA the last couple of years, doing amazing things. (Has) a high IQ and who can get all of us in the right position.”

Therein lies the rub.

Schröder has made his bones in the NBA by playing tight, efficient and gritty defense. A first-round pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013, he will be asked to bring that same intensity to the state capital while being handed the reigns to run Christie’s offense.

It’s a challenge Schröder welcomed, given that the Kings’ offensive firepower trio of scorers in Sabonis, LaVine and DeMar DeRozan should make facilitating the offense pretty easy.

“How we want to play, everybody is touching the ball, everybody is sharing it,” Schröder said. “We play fast. Everybody shooting a lot of threes, putting pressure on the rim. I think that’s the most fun playing basketball. I think everybody just going to be engaged defensively. I think it starts there and then offensively.

“If we commit on winning basketball, I think we’re going to be really, really tough. It starts tomorrow with training camp, getting on the same page, everybody being focused and willing to commit to basketball, winning basketball.”

Schröder brings a lot more to the Kings than just his defense and the ability to run an offense. With 12 years of experience under his belt, Schroder brings a voice of experience and leadership that should benefit a team with a young roster like Sacramento’s.

“I think just playing with pace, defensively, picking up 94 feet, bringing intensity on that end, kind of that dog mentality,” Schroder said. “Offensively playing with pace, sharing the ball, move the defense side to side, That’s how we play with the national team and we had a lot of success that way. And I hope that we can come together as a team doing the same things, and it’s going to be really, really hard to stop us then.”

As much as the spotlight is on Schröder and the Kings’ offense, his main focus will remain on defense.

“That’s my game, always try to do the right things for the team defensively,” he said. “I think we can pick it up another level. And that’s that’s the reason why I’m here. I’ve been doing this my whole life. I always had to find my way so I can impact the game. That’s just my identity. That’s how I play. And I hope that the Kings organization, my teammates love that and bring the same physicality or the same mindset.

“Because if we do that, I think it’s really, really tough to beat us and to play against us.”

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'He's Done What We Asked Him To Do': Easton Cowan Remains On Fourth Line As Maple Leafs' Lineup Begins To Take Shape

Before the Toronto Maple Leafs headed to Gravenhurst, Ontario, for a team-bonding trip, they practiced at Ford Performance Centre with a trimmed-down group of players.

There aren't many surprises as we cross the midway point of Maple Leafs training camp. Max Domi remains with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Bobby McMann is with John Tavares and William Nylander. Matias Maccelli is beside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua. Easton Cowan is with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz.

It's not shocking to see Cowan remain with Toronto's fourth line. But it's telling that he stayed there while Nick Robertson, David Kampf, and Calle Jarnkrok skate as a line wearing grey jerseys, usually designated for scratches.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube doesn't want to set anything in stone yet, though.

"I mean, I don't ever count anything out, and I don't want to do that. I don't think it's fair," Berube said on Monday. "Camp's still on. Camp's still going. There's people staying here and training, working, so we'll see how it goes. I'm not going to count anything out."

Despite not giving any information on who might make the team for opening night (which is nine days away), Berube's answer on how Cowan has surprised him at this training camp was rather interesting.

"I think the detail of his game. We talked about before camp, him and I, about what he needs to do to play in the NHL right now. What's going to get him to the NHL right now, and I think he's done that," Toronto's head coach said.

"He's taken that, and he's done what we asked him to do. The hounding part of the game. Just the work ethic and the compete, playing predictable, playing direct, and for me, he's done that so far in camp, and he's done it in the games too."

Has Easton Cowan’s Previous Experience As A 4th Liner Set Him Up For Similar Role With The Maple Leafs?Has Easton Cowan’s Previous Experience As A 4th Liner Set Him Up For Similar Role With The Maple Leafs?Easton Cowan is doing everything he can to make the Toronto Maple Leafs out of training camp, and it’s showing.

Even Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has been impressed with the 19-year-old.

"You can see the confidence has always been there. He's a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger (this year). It looks like the pace doesn't really affect him. He's keeping up with the pace really well," Matthews said.

"He's the kind of player that I find can slow the game down as well and speed it up when he has to. When he's on the ice and he has the puck on his stick, he can make a lot happen and can kind of do a lot of different things to control the game...

"He's had a great camp so far. It's been a lot of fun to see and just kind of see him progress over the last three years from when he was first drafted to see kind of where he is at now. And obviously his ceiling is going to continue to grow."

Simon Benoit skated alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson during practice on Monday despite wearing a red non-contact jersey. He's been dealing with an upper-body injury since the opening days of training camp.

Henry Thrun, Philippe Myers, and Dakota Mermis appear to be the three players who'll battle to become Toronto's seventh defenseman. Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby were the two goaltenders on the ice with the main group.

Maple Leafs Officially Sign Anthony Stolarz To 4-Year, $15 Million Contract ExtensionMaple Leafs Officially Sign Anthony Stolarz To 4-Year, $15 Million Contract ExtensionThe Toronto Maple Leafs have signed goaltender Anthony Stolarz to a four-year contract worth $15 million, the club announced on Sunday afternoon.

Stolarz, who signed a four-year, $15 million extension with the Maple Leafs on Sunday, received an ovation from his teammates before practice, and even led the club in stretches at the conclusion of the skate.

"It was good. It's a long process. I'm happy with it," Stolarz said. "I got to a number that my family, agent and I felt comfortable with, and obviously (Brad Treliving) felt comfortable with as well. So looking forward to being in Maple Leaf for this year and four more years."

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Maple Leafs Officially Sign Anthony Stolarz To 4-Year, $15 Million Contract Extension

Has Easton Cowan’s Previous Experience As A 4th Liner Set Him Up For Similar Role With The Maple Leafs?

'I Haven't Had That Much Fun In A Long Time': James Reimer Reflects On First Maple Leafs Practice in 9 Years And When He May Play

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Golden State vets address Jonathan Kuminga cloud hanging over Warriors Media Day

Golden State vets address Jonathan Kuminga cloud hanging over Warriors Media Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – At the annual event when the NBA reintroduces itself to the world, as the Warriors did on Monday, it is incredibly difficult for a reserve player to overshadow three teammates destined for the Hall of Fame.

It ought to be impossible when that reserve is not even in the building.

Yet that’s how it played out at Chase Center. To the podium strode Stephen Curry, four-time NBA champion and one of the top 10 players in NBA history. Then came Draymond Green, four-time All-Star and a binding ingredient to those four championships. Then came Jimmy Butler, six-time All-Star making his Golden State training camp debut.

Jonathan Kuminga, reserve forward, was nowhere and everywhere.

“As leaders on the team, you have to acknowledge what’s going on and don’t make it more than what it is other than a team trying to figure out the situation that’s front of us and the challenge that’s front of us,” Curry said. “Knowing JK’s situation, knowing the new faces that we’re adding to the roster, we talk about it every year going into a training camp what it’s going to take for that particular team to win.

“This is a little different because you have a guy that’s trying to figure out his situation, and we respect that process. It’s going to play out, and when he’s here, ready to work, like we expect him to be locked in on doing what he needs to do to help us win.”

Green, co-leader of the Kuminga cheerleading camp – along with Golden State CEO Joe Lacob – more directly addressed the absence of the 22-year-old forward whose contract status has been in limbo since July.

“Any time a teammate’s not here, it sucks,” Green said. “And, obviously, not having multiple [teammates] here due to the situation, is unfortunate. Media Day marks the start of something. It marks the start of another NBA season.”

The Warriors are starting training camp with at least four roster spots unfilled. There were five vacancies before Gary Payton II re-signed Monday morning. There will be two when Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, both of whom have agreements in place, sign contracts sometime this week. Seth Curry remains a possible addition.

Kuminga’s absence hovered like a cloud above the usually upbeat Media Day proceedings. It begat the absences of Horford, Melton and, possibly, Seth Curry. None were available as Warriors because none officially are on the roster, which vetoed Curry, Green and Butler from making specific references to them.

“If we’re talking about a guy like that, he’s won it, which I really, really respect,” Butler, speaking hypothetically, said of Horford. “And he’s been in this league for a long time for a reason. Elite defender. Can make shots. Plays basketball the right way. Super smart. More than anything, he wins.

“So, wherever that guy ends up, I know he’s going to help that team.”

Horford will end up with the Warriors. Just not yet. Same with Melton and, again, possibly Seth Curry.

This Golden State embargo is an unintended consequence of Kuminga’s contract status going unresolved through July, August and deep into September. All involved parties are inhibited – and will be until Warriors-Kuminga business is settled. The deadline for the qualifying offer – which would please neither side – is Wednesday.

“Like I tell everybody that asks me, not [only] in the media, but random people, and my friends: I’m not into all that,” Butler said. “I hope it gets resolved.”

It is, in many ways, downright astonishing that all of this revolves around someone who projects to come off the bench for the Warriors. The starting forwards are Green and Butler. The starting center will be Horford. The starting guards will be Stephen Curry and perhaps a name coach Steve Kerr picks from a hat.

The game plan of Kuminga and his agent, the intrepid Aaron Turner, is perhaps the most audacious in American professional sports. Has the contract status of a reserve, no matter the sport, ever spent an entire offseason at or near the top of a league’s news cycle? How often does reserve, no matter how talented, hold the key to a franchise completing its roster?

This months-long saga doesn’t quite match the stunning temerity Ben Simmons displayed in ghosting the overtures of the New York Knicks – a troubling indication of uninterest – but it leaves even more observers wondering where this standoff is headed.

There is tremendous potential for an enormous downside, as this summer of irresolution has laid the groundwork for an unimaginably heavy burden on Kuminga. No matter the jersey he wears, he must be spectacularly good for this to make sense.

The Warriors, at least publicly, hope it’s their team.

“Some things are pretty straightforward, some things aren’t,” Stephen Curry said. “This is definitely in the ‘aren’t’ category.

“But when he comes and he’s here, he should be a professional and do exactly what he expects to do and take advantage of his opportunities to help us win. Everybody who is in the locker room, that’s what you’re committed to do. I don’t have any concerns that he’ll approach it that way, and that’s what we expect.”

Kuminga’s status is the last thing Curry or Green or Butler hoped to address. They had no choice. They were available, and Kuminga’s absence was louder by comparison.

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Penguins Make Five More Roster Cuts On Monday

The Pittsburgh Penguins trimmed their training camp roster again on Monday. 

Before the morning skate, they announced that they have reassigned Cal Burke, Finn Harding, Atley Calvert, Nolan Renwick, and Aaron Huglen to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins training camp. The WBS Penguins training camp will start at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Monday before moving to Northeast Pennsylvania at a later date.

The Penguins' training camp roster is now down to 43 players heading into Monday's preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings. There will likely be more cuts coming later in the week before the Penguins' final preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. 

Puck drop for Monday's preseason contest will be at 7 p.m. ET and fans can stream the game on the Penguins' official website or listen to it on 105.9 'The X.'

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

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Playoff Window Slams Shut on Mets as Hectic 2025 Season Ends

After a wild set of Games 162 on Sunday across North America, the New York Mets are out of Major League Baseball’s playoffs, and the Cincinnati Reds are in. This season, the Reds won four of their six games in head-to-head competition to send the Mets packing despite having identical 83-79 records.

“It’s just straight-up disappointing,” Mets slugging first baseman Pete Alonso said in the clubhouse after a 4-0 loss to the Marlins at Miami.

Like the Mets, the Reds lost Sunday, 4-2, at Milwaukee. Even so, the Reds earned the prize of facing the defending World Series Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game NL Wild Card Series starting Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Polar Bear also told reporters he would opt out of the second year of his contract worth $24 million and take another shot at free agency after hitting 38 homers and leading the team with 126 RBIs.

The tie-breaking format giveth and taketh away. Last year, the Mets benefited from it, qualifying on the final day of the season when they and the Atlanta Braves had the better head-to-head records against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who were eliminated.

“I’m still smarting from that,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said at Petco Park where the D-backs were swamped by the playoff-bound San Diego Padres, 12-4. This year, Arizona was eliminated with two games to go.

In the American League, the New York Yankees will renew their long rivalry against the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. They finished atop the East with an AL-best 94-68 record, tied with the Toronto Blue Jays, who won the division by virtue of bettering the Yankees in the season series, 8-5.

If the Yankees defeat Boston, the Blue Jays will be awaiting in an AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Toronto.

“The AL East is maybe the best division in baseball,” Yanks starter Luis Gil told writers in the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium after defeating the Baltimore Orioles, 3-2.

The Jays beat the Rays, 13-4, at Toronto to win the division title.

The Cleveland Guardians completed their comeback from 15.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers on July 8, winning the AL Central by a game when they defeated Texas, 9-8, at Progressive Field on Sunday and Detroit lost at Boston, 4-3. The Tigers and Guardians will continue their battle in the other AL Wild Card Series, beginning Tuesday in Cleveland.

Out west, Cal Raleigh didn’t hit a home run this weekend, but finished his breakout season with 60, setting the record for a catcher and for a switch-hitter, and coming two shy of Aaron Judge’s AL-record of 62 set three years ago. The AL West-winning Mariners were swept by the Dodgers.

Judge finished atop MLB in batting average (.331), OPS (1.144), OPS+ (212) and WAR (9.7), among other categories. Raleigh and Judge are the two favorites to win AL MVP, and the debate continues to rage. The vote of two writers in every AL city is due by game-time Tuesday.

Clayton Kershaw finished his 18-year MLB regular-season career Sunday with 5 1/3 innings of four-hit, no-run ball, including one walk and seven strikeouts. He came back in May after multiple offseason surgeries to record an 11-2 record and a 3.36 ERA. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday was a fitting close of another chapter in Kershaw’s career. He totaled 222 wins, a .698 winning percentage, a 2.54 ERA and 3,045 strikeouts during his years in MLB. His message to Dodger teammates was utilize every opportunity, like the chance to repeat as World Series winners for the first time since the Yanks won three in a row from 1998-2000.

“[Kershaw said] take advantage of [every opportunity],” Roberts said. “And I think those guys really bonded when Clayton mentioned how special this team was.”

The remaining NL series offers the Padres vs. the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field. It may be ancient history, but the last time these two teams met in the postseason was 1984 when the Padres overcame two opening losses at Wrigley to win the last of the best-of-five NL Championship Series in San Diego.

As dramatic as Cleveland’s comeback was, so was the Mets’ collapse. They had the best record in baseball of 45-24 on June 12 and went 38-55 the rest of the way. This happened despite the team having the second-highest payroll in baseball of $340.6 million and signing Juan Soto to a 13-year, $765 million contract this past winter.

Comparatively, the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers and their Central foe Reds both made it with payrolls of $142.2 million and $140.9 million. Milwaukee had the best record in baseball at 97-65.

For that matter, the Tigers and Guardians in the AL Central spent $170.1 million and $121.4 million respectively.

The Mets, in the nation’s largest market, won the offseason but choked during the regular season.

“This was a team that was not only built to play in October, but to play deep in October,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the media on Sunday. “Call it sad, frustrating. I mean, you name it.”

Mendoza now finds himself on the bubble along with Arizona manager Lovullo and Bob Melvin of the San Francisco Giants, whose clubs were eliminated despite high payrolls and even higher expectations. Even though Lovullo is under contract, he said on Sunday he hasn’t been told by Arizona management if he’ll be back in 2026. Mendoza knows the score. 

“All year I’d been saying, ‘We have the talent, we have the talent,’ but we’re going home,” Mendoza said. “I take responsibility. I’m the manager. It starts with me. I’ve got to take a long look here. How I need to get better. That was the message to the whole team as well.” 

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