The Ottawa Senators are back in action on Sunday, January 18, to take on the Detroit Red Wings.
This Atlantic Division matchup marks the second meeting between these teams in 2025-26 after they met just over a week ago.
My Senators vs. Red Wings predictions and NHL picks suggest that the Sens' usual shooters. including Brady Tkachuk, will continue their trigger-happy ways against Detroit after a tough loss to the Canadiens last night.
Senators vs Red Wings prediction
Senators vs Red Wings best bet: Brady Tkachuk Over 3.5 shots on goal (+120 at BET99)
Despite missing 20 games this season, Brady Tkachuk is one shot off the Ottawa Senators team lead, and will inevitably take it over.
Tkachuk is averaging 4.3 shots per game and has 28 shots in his last five games, hitting the Over in four of them.
The Detroit Red Wings rank in the middle of the pack in terms of shots allowed.
Tkachuk should be primed to pelt the opposing goaltender with a slew of pucks tonight.
Dylan Cozens has at least two shots in 16 of his last 18 games.
He's only been held shotless twice since November 15 and has hit the Over in nine of his last 10. He's riding a hot stretch with four points in his last two games.
Jake Sanderson has established himself as the Sens' clear-cut number one defenseman, ranking third among blueliners in assists over the last week with six in his last five games. He's tied for seventh among defensemen in helpers with 29 on the season, and he racked up three in the loss to the Canadiens last night.
The 23-year-old has 10 assists in his last nine games.
Senators vs Red Wings SGP
Brady Tkachuk Over 3.5 shots on goal
Dylan Cozens Over 1.5 shots on goal
Jake Sanderson 1+ assists
Senators vs Red Wings odds
Moneyline: Senators +105 | Red Wings -125
Puck Line: Senators +1.5 (-225) | Red Wings -1.5 (+185)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-110) | Under 6.5 (-110)
Senators vs Red Wings trend
Ottawa has won two of the last three meetings and six of the last eight against Detroit. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Red Wings.
How to watch Senators vs Red Wings
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Puck drop
5:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN5
Senators vs Red Wings latest injuries
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The NBA’s first-ever MLK Day quadruple header on NBC and Peacock concludes with arguably the day's top matchup, featuring a clash between the Boston Celtics and Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons at 8 PM ET. The high-octane bout between stars Jaylen Brown and Cade Cunningham will be the fourth and final game on NBC and Peacock's star-studded Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate, following Bucks-Hawks, Thunder-Cavaliers, and Mavericks-Knicks.
See below for the full 2026 MLK Day NBA schedule on NBC and Peacock, as well as how to follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock this season.
The Celtics enter Monday night's clash with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games, fresh off a 132-106 demolition of the Hawks on Saturday. Second only to Detroit (30-10) in the Eastern Conference standings, Boston (26-15) will aim to even the season series at 2-2, having last beaten the Pistons on November 26. Each of the three meetings between Boston and Detroit this season has been decided by seven points or fewer. With Jayson Tatum lost for the year, the Celtics will once again lean on Jaylen Brown amid an excellent season as the team's de facto leader, just days after he dropped 41 on the Hawks in an easy 132-106 win.
Beyond the hardwood, the Celtics have ties to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Hall of Famer and Celtics legend Bill Russell marched with King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963, when Russell was already a four-time MVP. On MLK Day 2023, Jayson Tatum became just one of four players in NBA history to score 50+ points on MLK Day, dropping 51 in a 130-118 win over the Hornets.
Led by dynamic duo Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, the Pistons welcome the Celtics to Little Caesars Arena as winners of two straight, becoming the NBA's second team after Oklahoma City to reach 30 wins this season after blowing out the Pacers, 121-78. Cunningham has scored 25+ points in all three of his meetings with the Celtics this year, including 42 in a narrow 117-114 loss on November 26. Second only to Nikola Jokic (11.0) in assists per game, Cunningham (9.6) has cemented his status as one of the association's brightest emerging stars.
Detroit has long boasted connections to MLK Day, having hosted the Detroit Walk to Freedom on June 23, 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech to over 125,000 people in a precursor to what would become the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
The Jays spend some money on international signings:
Juan Caricote is a Venezuelan catcher who signed for $1.96 million. He’s 17 and said to be a good defensive catcher. Baseball America has him as the 17th-best international FA. He’s a left-handed hitter. BA says he could develop into a 15-home run type. He joins Edward Duran as their top catching prospects right away.
Juan Sanchez is a shortstop from the Dominican Republic. He’s 18 and signed for $997,500 MLB Pipeline has put him at #18 on their top Jays prospect list. Baseball America #7. He’s played SS in the Dominican but will likely move to third in the Jays system. He’s 6’3” listed at 180 pounds but will likely add muscle to that as he moves up the ladder. Juan hit .341/.439/.565 with 8 home runs in the Dominican Summer Leagues. Baseball America tells us he hit a ball at 115.8 MPH this summer. BA also called him the number 5 prospect in the DSL. He isn’t fast and doesn’t have a lot of range at short, but will like be fine at third and has a strong arm. He’s a power hitter who strikes out a bit more than average.
Michael Mesa is a left-handed hitting outfielder from the Dominican Republic, who the Jays signed for $900,000. He’s 6’1”, 190, and he plays all three outfield spots, but likely will be a corner outfielder in the majors (presuming he gets there). The phrase ‘whippy” appears a lot with people talking about his swing. He should have decent power as he moves up the minors.
Aneudy Severino is a 5’9” outfielder from the Dominican. Baseball America mentions his ‘high-end exit velocity’. He’ll likely end up a corner outfielder. He’s 17. Listed as an above-average runner and muscular. He signed for $700,000.
Sebastian Casanova is a shortstop from Venezuela. His main tool is speed, and he would be expected to play up the middle, short or center or second. Right-handed, line drive hitter. His signing bonus wasn’t listed but is likely around $100,000.
Gabriel Porras is a 5’7” Venezuelan SS, just 5’7”, 160 pounds. BA says line drive hitter with gap power. He’d likely end up in the middle infield. He’s 16. Signed for $75,000.
Leonard missed Friday's four-point win in Toronto with a right ankle sprain, but NBA reporter Chris Haynes reported that the knee issue in his left leg is what's now causing the most concern. Haynes reported that Leonard is being sent home for treatment and he'll be evaluated once the team returns on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Leonard, 34, has been the driving force behind the Clippers' recent surge. The six-time All-Star has averaged 32.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his last 13 games, 11 of which resulted in Clipper wins.
With Leonard out, the Clippers defeated the Raptors in overtime 121-117 on Jan. 16, to improve their overall record to 18-23.
For the season, Leonard is averaging a career-high 28.2 points per game, while shooting 49.7% from the field and 94.1% from the free throw line.
The Los Angeles Kings are fading away from the playoffs, and that is largely because of the team's lack of offense and ability to score goals.
Los Angeles is the second-worst team in the NHL when it comes to putting the puck in the back of the net in two key categories. They've scored 121 goals and a goals-per-game average of 2.57.
Overall, the Kings' top players haven't been producing as expected. Right winger Adrian Kempe has 15 goals and 36 points in 47 games, and center Quinton Byfield has nine goals and 28 points in 46 contests.
Whether it's the defensive-heavy system that head coach Jim Hiller imposes on the team, or their stars have lacked consistency, it's not good enough for the Kings to latch onto a spot in the post-season.
It's been reported before that Los Angeles and GM Ken Holland are searching for a scoring winger, and one of the best in the league may have just become available.
On Friday, the New York Rangers sent a letter to its fans regarding the club's status for the rest of the season, saying they are looking to retool. That means they'll be open to moving off some veterans.
Artemi Panarin (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)
Furthermore, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman provided a report that with this transition in the Rangers' organization, they won't be offering a contract extension to star left winger and pending UFA Artemi Panarin.
Panarin does have a full no-move clause on his current deal. However, with the transparency from his team that they won't be contending for the playoffs, nor offering him an extension, maybe he'd like to explore a change of scenery.
Despite the Rangers hanging around the basement of the Eastern Conference, the Russian veteran has been having a solid year.
In 48 games, Panarin has scored 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points. He leads the team in scoring, and would lead the Kings in scoring by nearly 20 points if he were to join them right now
That means the Kings will likely need the Rangers to either retain some of Panarin's salary or trade away some salary in a deal with New York or a separate deal.
Nonetheless, if Holland and the rest of the Kings' front office want to make a deal work with the Rangers, it certainly can be done.
If Los Angeles is interested in Panarin enough, they have plenty of assets to share. Top prospects such as Liam Greentree, Carter George, Jared Woolley, Jimmy Lombardi,
Henry Brzustewicz, and more. Not to mention the Kings have three first-round picks and four second-rounders over the next three seasons.
Although, the Kings brass must be careful with what they give up as Panarin is 34 years old and there's no guarantee he stays in Los Angeles beyond the rest of the campaign.
Furthermore, Panarin may not be traded as he holds all the cards with his no-move clause. He could remain a member of the Blueshirts for the rest of the season if he'd like.
But if Holland wants to make a deal, surely Rangers GM Chris Drury will listen.
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In the fallout of the Dodgers signing Kyle Tucker to a huge free agency deal, there has been much discussion around the spending disparity in this sport. This is a complicated issue that is sure to take center stage when CBA negotiations take place next offseason in what seems assured to be another work stoppage. There is undisputedly a huge gap between the largest and smallest payrolls in MLB, with the Dodgers currently holding contract commitments worth more than the bottom five payrolls combined for 2026. Money is merely one of the factors that set teams apart, however, as organizational competence makes a huge difference. The Rays, Guardians, and Brewers stand as examples of consistently successful franchises in recent history that are perennially low spenders.
Baseball is a notoriously high variance sport in small samples, so it is difficult for a truly enduring competitive imbalance to exist for seasons on end beyond normal differences in team quality. The Dodgers are a unique beast, combining a unique capacity to sustainably spend more than any other team with elite organizational competence, with the added bonus of a desirable location for players to live that seems particularly appealing to players coming from East Asia due to relative proximity. An often-proposed solution is a salary cap and floor system, mirroring the other major sports in North America, but there are a host of reasons to doubt that such a system could be agreed upon between the owners and players such that it would create meaningful financial parity to solve the issue of both the extreme highs and lows of payrolls in MLB. It will be fascinating to see what path the sport moves forward with, as it seems like this issue may be coming to a head, particularly if the Dodgers are able to win yet another World Series this upcoming season.
Following their Dec. 29 win against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Knicks improved to 23-9 and looked like one of the few, true contenders in the wide open Eastern Conference.
But since then, New York has lost eight out of their last 10 games and are now 25-17. They are just a half game up on the Toronto Raptors (25-18) for the No. 3 seed in the East and only two games up on the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers (22-18), who would land in the NBA Play-In Tournament if the regular season ended today.
"A lot, a lot of frustration," Towns said. "That's all I got."
The big man went on to discuss his level of concern for the team after their third straight loss as they look to right the ship.
"I don't like losing any games, so of course for me, the concern is winning the next one," Towns said. "Just staying focused on the task at hand, winning games, and giving our fans something to cheer for."
Head coach Mike Brown also talked about the level of concern amid New York's recent skid, but downplayed the urgency, saying the team needs to "keep trying to fight."
"You don't want to lose games at all, but especially going 2-8 in the last 10. There's concern there, but not to the point to where we're going to overhaul everything," Brown said.
"We got to work. We got to look in the mirror and see how we can individually help the group, starting with me. And then we got to get in the gym, we got to work as much as we can. We got to keep trying to fight like we did tonight, and if we do, we're going to give ourselves a chance."
It's clear there is plenty of room for the Knicks to improve, whether that be on defense (bottom five in defensive rating since Dec. 1 and 19th overall in the NBA this season at 116.1) or finding consistency in their three-point shooting (35.1 percent over last 10 games, 15th in the NBA, per StatMuse).
"I think everything," OG Anunoby said when asked what the team can improve on. "You can always get better at everything. Even if we were winning games, we would still be trying to improve everything."
Luckily, with the Knicks needing to get back on track fast, their schedule gets a bit easier over the next week. They'll face the Dallas Mavericks on Monday and the Nets on Wednesday before a matchup with the feisty Sixers next Saturday.
Saturday’s crushing 6-5 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens finally revealed what felt inevitable with each passing game: The league's worst goaltending is finally starting to break the Ottawa Senators.
Jake Sanderson led a 2nd period offensive outburst, assisting on 3 of the Senators’ 4 goals, and added his own goal to make it a 5-3 game midway through the 3rd period, tying a career high for points in a game with 4.
It was probably the best game of his career. He completely put the team on his back at both ends of the ice.
Jake Sanderson wasn't happy after Saturday night's overtime loss to Montreal (Senators on YouTube)
But instead of sheepishly answering questions from the media about his remarkable performance, the Senators’ star defenseman had to talk about how yet another game that his team deserved to win didn’t go their way.
Goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, making his 10th consecutive start and 11th consecutive appearance for the Senators in just three weeks, was dreadful.
It was his worst performance in the 11-straight games, in which he’s rocking a .847 save percentage. He cost the Senators another game as the team tries to claw back into the playoff race.
And Sanderson is making headlines for finally showing a glimpse into the mindset of the dressing room through this stretch.
Postgame, he said “Leevi made some good saves, but you know, I think at the end of the day, you gotta make more than 10 saves to win a game.”
It’s the type of quote that makes you want to see the video to see if the player misspoke.
He certainly didn’t. Sanderson was fuming. The silence after that bomb of a quote couldn’t be more telling.
It’s notable because players are usually quick to defend their goaltenders.
Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle had Meriläinen’s back after the loss. Tkachuk said the team needs to do more to help him. Stützle voiced his displeasure that the goaltending would even be brought into question.
But watch their reactions on the Canadiens’ tying goal.
"Just when I think you couldn't possibly have a worse night, you go ahead and do this... and completely redeem yourself!"
Those are not players who feel like they need to be better for their goalie. They deserve credit for sticking by their guy, but it’s obviously for show.
It doesn’t mean Sanderson should catch heat for being transparent either.
He doesn’t strike me as the kind of star player who is out of touch with his locker room. He was being as blunt as he could without directly saying it.
Saturday’s loss was just a punctuation mark on an issue that has been simmering all season, and has come to a boil in the new year. The goaltending has been breaking this team’s spirit for weeks.
And it falls on the front office.
Their negligence to address the most glaring issue on their otherwise impressive roster is making this a lost season in Ottawa.
Despite his putrid numbers, Meriläinen has been overplayed by the Senators. 11 appearances in 21 days is unheard of in today’s NHL, let alone for a developing goaltender who is struggling mightily.
Linus Ullmark’s status is the elephant in the room for this discussion, even though he wasn’t exactly having a Vezina-calibre season before taking personal leave from the team. And his reported attendance at games as early as a week into his leave, coupled with what we’ve watched in the crease in his absence, is strange.
James Reimer has been dressing as the back-up for 2 games now. If he isn’t ready now, when will he be?
Meriläinen feels like a pitcher who just keeps giving up home runs, so there are relievers warming up in the bullpen, but he gets left in the game because the analytics say to do so.
It’s dinger, after dinger, after dinger. The other team just keeps rounding the bases while Meriläinen withers away on the mound.
Last week, I wrote about how the pressure is rising on President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios.
So why does one OT loss after back-to-back wins make the situation feel more dire?
Because it happened against Montreal, at home, in a game celebrating 30 years of the Canadian Tire Centre, while the building was flooded with Canadiens fans.
Tkachuk, Stützle, Dylan Cozens and Sanderson each had emphatic celebrations for their goals. The Senators get fired up for these games. They hate that their building gets taken over.
Sanderson was also candid when he was asked about the crowd.
This quote is the one that should be making the headlines.
Also dropped this one.
We're going to see more of this if things don't turn around. Can only push moral victories for so long before missing the playoffs becomes a reality. pic.twitter.com/kXtCkzJBfw
The Lakers find themselves in a precarious situation.
This year’s roster needs upgrades. However, Indiana doesn’t have much in the way of sweeteners to make those improvements. Misses on Jalen Hood-Schifino and Dalton Knecht mean the young prospects aren’t there to put into trade packages and undoing the Russell Westbrook trade and making the deal for Luka Dončić depleted the team of their first round picks.
Simply put, the Lakers don’t have the means, as things stand, to make notable upgrades to this team.
The Suns traded an unprotected 2031 pick to Utah in exchange for first rounders in 2025, 2027 and 2029. Those picks were the least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah’s in each year, to give a sense of the types of picks the Lakers could see come back in a similar trade.
In theory, it makes a lot of sense for the position the Lakers are in. What the team needs now is some flexibility and the ability to make moves now that Luka is on the team. Optionality is one of President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka’s favorite words and the Lakers don’t have a ton of it when it comes to trades.
The problem is finding a team willing to do this type of deal. The list of teams with a plethora of picks and a willingness to play ball is short. Incredible short. In fact, after doing a bit of research, it feels like there are only about a handful of teams on paper who could be willing to make that type of deal.
Oklahoma City Thunder
This is the most obvious choice and if Pelinka is serious about this, he should be calling the Thunder daily. There’s an absolute trove of picks OKC could be willing to trade as, over the next two years, they have eight first round draft picks.
The problem is that most of the picks they own from other teams are actually valuable. In 2026, they have the Clippers’ and Sixers’ picks. In 2027, they have a pick swap with the Clippers and potentially the Spurs’ pick.
They do, however, have Denver’s first rounders in 2027 and 2029 and with Nikola Jokic going nowhere, those are prime picks to target.
Would a deal sending out the Lakers’ 2032 first round pick for 2027 and 2029 Nuggets first rounders and an OKC first round in that span work?
Brooklyn Nets
After OKC, the options are much less obvious and much slimmer. Brooklyn has a host of firsts, but they’re also a team that is not competitive right now.
That being said, it’s hard to figure out what the Nets’ plan is right now either. Sure, it’s to tank and acquire picks, but their selections with those picks in the last draft were some head scratchers.
Would they be open to consolidating some firsts after making so many picks in the 2025 draft? They own three future Knicks picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031, all picks likely to be at the end of the draft. They also own a 2032 Denver pick as well as the worst pick from Dallas, Houston and Phoenix in 2029.
On top of that, if they do trade Michael Porter Jr. this season or in the summer, that will certainly net them at least another first.
While they don’t have their 2027 pick, the bevy of picks they have at the end of upcoming first rounds could make them willing to do this sort of deal.
San Antonio Spurs
The final two teams really likely only make sense if the Lakers are looking to get back two firsts and perhaps some seconds, of which they only have one as things stand.
The Spurs have a bunch of picks, but a lot of them are going to be valuable, like Atlanta’s in 2026 and 2027, the Clippers’ in 2029 and Sacramento’s in 2031.
But there are two picks that are interesting in Boston’s 2028 first and the better of Dallas and Minnesota’s first in 2030. The fact that it’s the more favorable of those two teams makes it a little more unclear if they would include that pick, but they also could be a team confident enough in what they’re building, so long as Victory Wembanyama is around, that they’d include their own pick.
Utah Jazz
Negotiating with Danny Ainge sounds like a punishment that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies, but despite being the team that did this type of deal recently, Utah still has enough picks to potentially do another version of it.
It would, again, be a lesser version, but Utah does own Cleveland’s first in 2028 and the better of Cleveland and Minnesota’s picks in 2029. Those picks are probably a bit too good to be included in this deal, but it also shows how few teams may be willing or able to do this kind of deal and the challenges Pelinka will face in completing it.
PARIS (AP) — Strasbourg new coach Gary O’Neil enjoyed a succesful Ligue 1 debut, guiding his team to a 2-1 win over local rival Metz in the French league on Sunday.
O'Neil, who started his tenure with a comfortable win at a fourth-tier club to reach the last 16 of the French Cup last weekend, was appointed earlier this month as a successor to Liam Rosenior, who left for Chelsea.
Strasbourg had failed to win its past five league matches and the win lifted O'Neil's side to seventh in the standings. Metz remained last, with just 12 points from 18 matches.
Diego Moreira put the hosts in front in the 12th minute but Strasbourg did not hold onto its lead for long as Gauthier Hein leveled from the spot. Forward Martial Godo headed home the winner just before the interval.
Rosenior’s departure has left fans opposed to the multi-club ownership model fuming, amid calls for the resignation of president Marc Keller. Strasbourg has been owned by Chelsea owner BlueCo since 2023. Some Strasbourg fans again protested the ownership setup on Sunday by deploying hostile banners in the stadium.
PSG warmed up for next week’s Champions League match at Sporting with a convincing 3-0 win over Lille on Friday. Third-place Marseille won at mid-table Angers 5-2 ahead of a Champions League showdown with Liverpool next week.
For today’s birthday boy, we have ourselves an interesting, injury-riddled, and often controversial character to dive into. Michael Pineda, once acquired by the Yankees in a fairly high-profile deal, looked to be a major part of the New York rotation through the early-mid 2010s.
It didn’t quite work out that way, as injuries and trouble both on and off the field got in the way more often than not for the big right-hander. He still had his moments in pinstripes and elsewhere, but his career certainly didn’t pan out the way he or his clubs likely hoped it would.
Michael Francisco Pineda Born: January 18, 1989 (Yaguate, Dominican Republic) Yankees Tenure: 2012-17
Born in the Dominican Republic and signing for $35,000 with the Seattle Mariners at just 16 years old, Pineda was an intimidating presence on the mound from the get-go. At 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, the hurler signed his first contract late in 2005 and was loaded full of potential coming up through the ranks.
The man known as “Big Mike” made his MLB debut with Seattle in April 2011. He had just placed 16th on Baseball America’s preseason Top 100 Prospects list, with the outlet noting:
Pineda has the size, stuff and control to pitch at the top of a rotation. He throws a crisp fastball that sits at 93-97 mph and gets as high as 101 with explosive life and occasional heavy sink. He tightened and added more tilt to his quality slider this year, though he can still get under it occasionally, causing it to flatten out. He also did a better job of selling his upper-80s changeup with the same arm speed as his fastball, keeping it down and getting hitters to chase it. Pineda throws all three pitches from the same three-quarter arm slot. With his velocity, high-effort delivery and unusual arm action, it’s surprising how well he throws strikes.
Pineda pitched six frames of solid ball in his first outing, kicking off what was a very solid rookie campaign. That year, he tossed 171 innings across 28 starts with a more than respectable 3.74 ERA and 3.42 FIP. His first half was even better, as he completed at least six innings in 15 of his first 17 starts, managing a 2.58 ERA along the way. He was rewarded with an All-Star selection in his inaugural campaign, and received some down-ballot love with Rookie of the Year Award votes.
Expectations were high, and Pineda delivered a rookie season to warrant it.
While Pineda was doing his thing, the Yankees had a young catcher looking the part of a budding star as well. Jesús Montero was considered among MLB’s very best prospects, just behind the likes of Mike Trout and Bryce. Then in 18 games at the end of 2011, he notched a 163 OPS+, hit some big homers, and seemed to be a part of the team’s future. In the offseason following the 2011 campagin, the Yankees sent Montero and pitcher Hector Noesí to Seattle, with the primary return being Pineda. It was a potential-for-potential and youth-for-youth deal, a type of deal that isn’t all that common. It is safe to say that neither side played out the way the clubs likely anticipated in the end, but Pineda was officially a Yankee.
Unfortunately for the pitcher and his new club, the trouble started almost immediately. At the end of his first spring training with New York, Pineda complained of shoulder tightness, beginning what was a long road back to a big league mound. What began as a tendinitis diagnosis turned into a torn labrum and season-ending surgery for the Yankees’ new hurler.
Pineda wasn’t ready for the beginning of the 2013 season, but the Yankees were optimistic he’d be a part of their season. After an extensive rehab assignment in the minors, Pineda seemed close, before being pulled from a game with more shoulder tightness. Once again, it turned into another completely lost season for the big righty.
Finally, after spending two entire years on the shelf, Pineda appeared ready to go to begin the 2014 campaign. He won a spot in the rotation, and actually turned in some excellent work across 76.1 innings. He posted a 1.89 ERA (204 ERA+) in some of the best baseball of his career, but he couldn’t help but find himself in injury (and other) trouble. The drama began in a start against the Red Sox in April, his second against the storied rival. After suspicion in the first, Boston manager John Farrell alerted the umpiring crew of potential pine tar on Pineda. It was smeared on his neck — not the most subtle smudge in the world — and Pineda was promptly ejected from that game.
Over the next two seasons, Pineda was able to maintain his health to a much greater degree and remain in the rotation for longer stretches.
Between the 2015 and ‘16 seasons, the righty made 59 starts and worked over 330 total innings. He was far from a game-changing starter, but he was generally out there every fifth day as a roughly league-average arm — and at the very least, one who didn’t aggravate fans by walking the ballpark (his command might’ve been uneven at times, but his control never really wavered given his career 2.0 BB/9). And Pineda could still show flashes of his raw talent, like his May 2015 start against the Orioles, when he struck out 16 batters across seven innings of work. That tied a Yankees franchise record for the most in a single game by a righty pitcher, matching none other than ’90s ace David Cone:
Despite the high expectations Pineda established for himself headed into New York, there is still something to be said for someone who can pitch fine innings when it’s their turn. Pineda was able to do that for stretches at least, though the injuries and occasional trouble were clearly difficult for him to overcome throughout his career.
Pineda continued on roughly the same track in the 2017 season, providing solid value for the Yankees. But, in mid-July, it was discovered that the righty had a torn ligament in his elbow, and would require Tommy John surgery, as he’d once again be hitting the shelf for an extended period. This marked the end of his time in New York, but not for his MLB career.
After returning from elbow surgery in 2019, Pineda pitched some solid innings over the course of three seasons with the Twins (once interrupted by a PED suspension) though never pitching more than 146 frames in any of them. His final season came in 2022, when he tossed 46.2 underwhelming innings for the Tigers.
It was a rocky road at times for Pineda with the Yankees and elsewhere, in what was ultimately a disappointing career given how it started. That being said, he did have his moments of displaying tremendous talent, he just had plenty of trouble staying on the field one way or another.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Randy Vasquez has seen a steady increase of work since he started his career with the New York Yankees in 2023. He appeared in 11 games as a rookie and made five starts for the Yankees and finished the season with a record of 2-2. Vasquez closed the season with a 2.87 ERA and allowed 18 walks to 33 strikeouts. The future appeared bright for the right-hander.
The numbers produced by Vasquez caught the eye of San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller and he was acquired via the Juan Soto trade along with pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka.
Vasquez was given an opportunity to start for the Padres in 2024 and had mixed results. He appeared and started in 20 games and finished with a 4-7 record. His innings pitched increased from 37.2 to 98.0 which also led to an increased ERA of 4.87. Vasquez gave up 56 runs with 53 of those being earned and recorded 62 strikeouts and allowed 29 walks.
The thought was that Vasquez would take another step forward in 2025, and he did in terms of overall numbers, but the win/loss record remained relatively the same as he finished 6-7. Vasquez appeared in 28 games and made 26 starts. He threw 133.2 innings and worked to a respectable 3.84 ERA. However, his runs and earned runs shot up and finished at 127 and 122 respectively. Unfortunately for the right-hander, and the Padres, he finished with 78 strikeouts and 52 walks.
Vasquez currently stands as the No. 4 starter in the Padres’ rotation. If he remains in that position as San Diego enters the season, he will be asked to take on a greater role and will have to find greater success. Wins and losses are not solely on the pitcher so it’s tough to judge how well Vasquez is performing on record alone, but walks are solely on the pitcher and Vasquez has complete control over throwing strikes. His fastball velocity increased at the end of last season and there is hope that his increased velocity will increase his confidence and he will challenge more hitters.
With growing numbers in games started and innings pitched, Vasquez has been able to steadily acclimate himself to pitching through a major league season over the past three years. Reports are that Vasquez has been working throughout the offseason and is in better shape at this point in the offseason than he was at this time a year ago. Maybe that is maturity and Vasquez becoming more of a professional or maybe he understands he will be leaned on heavily in 2026 and he is trying to show Preller, manager Craig Stammen and the Padres he is up to the challenge.
Welp, this is attempt number three at writing this post. The first version was written on Thursday before the Dodgers had agreed to terms with Kyle Tucker. And the second version was written on Friday morning before Bo Bichette agree to terms with the Mets. Hopefully, I can get this version published before somebody signs Cody Bellinger or the Dodgers trade for Ketel Marte.
Phillies fans spent Friday afternoon in an absolute tizzy because Bo Bichette signed a free agent deal with the Mets.
Bo Bichette basically used #Phillies like Bobby Bonilla did back in the day as FA before signing with Mets to get what finally amounted to his famous $1M a year for 25 years every July 1st contract.
The Phillies missing out on Bichette to the Mets of all people is literally worst case scenario…
Not only that, but we’re going to run it back with the exact same team with worse pitching now that Ranger is in Boston. Just awesome. Really great offseason. Super happy about it.
When the offseason began, Bichette wasn’t really on the radar for most Phillies fans. Yes, he’s a good player, but seemed like an imperfect fit for the Phillies, and it felt much more likely that he would go elsewhere.
But then, the rumors started: The Phillies and Bichette were talking! The talks went well! The Phillies were the prohibitive favorites to sign him!
The Phillies are the overwhelming favorites to sign infielder Bo Bichette while the Yankees and Mets will now be in a bidding war for outfielder Cody Bellinger.
Bichette suddenly became a must have for Phillies fans. We were already penciling him into the lineup and figuring out where Alec Bohm could be shipped off to.
It seemed as if the Phillies had agreed to everything Bichette was asking for. And then…
The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.
If they had basically agreed on everything, why wasn’t the contract signed? It’s possible that the Phillies dragged their feet. Or it’s possible that Bichette’s camp always wanted to see how the Tucker situation played out.
It didn’t play out well for the Phillies. The Dodgers decided they needed another stone for their gauntlet, and Kyle Tucker decided he’d be fine being the sixth best player on a super team. The Mets seemed to think they were going to be the one to sign Tucker, and when they lost him, they pivoted to Bichette, giving him a contract that even Mets fans are a little unsure about.
Mets agree to pay Bichette $40M+ per they lose International Pool Money + Draft Pick(s) and he's playing out of position. Simply put Bichette wasn't/isn't worth. Signing Bichette was an over reaction to losing out on Tucker.
Almost immediately after, the Phillies announce that they’re bringing back J.T. Realmuto, and let’s just say, the fan reaction has been a little different than when they re-signed him five years ago.
Most fans are unhappy that the team is basically “running it back” with mostly the same group that has fallen short the past four postseasons. The Phillies haven’t signed a big-name player in free agency since Trea Turner after 2022, so, I understand why people are unenthused about another season of the “same old” Phillies.
I do push back on this narrative that the past four years have been “failures.” Yes, they’ve seemingly had good opportunities to win the World Series, and they’ve disappointingly failed in that regard. But after watching the team miss the playoffs for a decade straight, I find it hard to turn my nose up at 95+ win division title-winning teams.
Since the ‘22 season, the Philadelphia Phillies (under the direction of Dave Dombrowski) have been one of the most disappointing and underwhelming teams in Philadelphia sports.
The ‘26 season isn’t worth investing a dime in or an ounce of our interest.
There are complaints that the team isn’t trying or were too cheap to match the Mets’ deal. (In reality, the offers were so different that it was almost like they were playing a different sport. Even though the Phillies offered more guaranteed money, the Mets are paying Bichette $42 in 2026, and he’ll have a chance to get a new deal next year when he might be the best free agent available.)
Looking beyond the disappointment at the Phillies not getting their shiny new toy, here’s the reality of the situation:
If the Phillies had signed Bichette, they would have been very likely to make the playoffs but still wouldn’t be the favorites because the Dodgers have an absolutely stacked roster.
Without Bichette, they are still likely to make the playoffs, but they won’t be the favorites because the Dodgers have an absolutely stacked roster.
It’s possible that the Phillies had a chance to match the Mets’ offer but simply refused because they did that calculus. Why spend a fortune in luxury tax money – as well as major penalties in amateur player acquisition – if you’re still going to be dependent on the Dodgers suffering some bad injury luck or having a bad week or so in October?
The Phillies could still make some moves to improve the team, and sadly it might not even matter. Because the way the baseball landscape currently exists, this is the Dodgers world, and the Phillies and 28 other teams are simply living in it.
Last night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets felt more like “rebuilding” than “tanking.” The Wizards played a flawed game loaded with mistakes and miscues, and were competitive throughout, carrying a small lead into the fourth quarter and forcing fourth quarter heroics from Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr. to ultimately lose.
Facing a team devoid of centers (Nikola Jokic and former Wizards great Jonas Valanciunas were both out with injuries), Washington dominated inside — +10 on the boards, 27-4 advantage on second chance points, and outscoring Denver 66-50 in the paint.
Another strong game from Wizards forward Justin Champagnie — 13 points, 9 rebounds in the team’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.
They lost because of an array of defensive breakdowns, and some elite shotmaking from Murray.
A few notes I took during the game:
Denver won the opening tip and seconds later, Jalen Pickett walked into a wide open three. What happened? The Wizards didn’t match up properly. Two defenders were on Peyton Watson, and Tre Johnson (who was the closest defender) watched instead of sprinting into a closeout.
In the first half, Wizards defenders repeatedly sagged into the lane off Murray. While the team’s defensive priority is protecting the paint, there is no way — none — that leaving Murray undefended in the corner was part of the defensive game plan. They stopped helping off him in the second half.
Washington’s transition defense was poor for a few reasons. First, not sprinting back. Second, not matching up in ways that make sense. Third, ball watching and failing to notice opposing players positioning themselves for shots.
One Nuggets fast break got a transition corner three from Hardaway. Jamir Watkins got back but ball watched — failing to notice Hardaway running behind him to the corner. Watkins first noticed Hardaway when the ball swung to the man above the break, who Watkins picked up. When the pass went to the corner, Watkins sprinted to close out but was too late. Meanwhile, Marvin Bagley III and Justin Champagnie jogged back to the defensive end and never got involved in the play.
In the second quarter, Champagnie missed a three. While he watched the ball in flight, Bruce Brown (who’d closed out) ran to the offensive end. Bagley, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson all jogged back, but all three stopped out top and none of them noticed Brown behind them.
In the third quarter, Khris Middleton stopped playing to complain about a foul non-call. Meanwhile, his man got a wide open corner three in transition, which he (fortunately for Washington) missed.
The Wizards defensive scheme uses some of the “pre-helping” concepts pioneered by the Oklahoma City Thunder and being used by more teams around the league. Basically, the weakside “low man” comes halfway into the lane to be in position to help if there’s a drive. It’s generally a good method of complicating penetration and reducing the number and quality of opponent at-rim attempts. The drawback can be giving up open threes.
One play made me laugh: Middleton was low man. He pre-helped on a Murray drive against Alex Sarr, who’d picked him up on a switch. Middleton came all the way across the lane and was (theoretically) in position to cut Murray off. Unfortunately, Middleton’s lack of mobility meant that Murray still got all the way to the rim — he made a nice pass to Spencer Jones, who’d made a cut behind the help…which Carrington (who had weakside zone responsibility) missed because he was ball watching.
I know the preceding is a recitation of woes, but this game wasn’t bad. They were competitive in ways they should have been based on who was missing from the opponent’s lineup. They made mistakes early on and corrected them during the game. The scheme they’re trying to execute is good. What I noticed as problems are pretty normal for young players and are correctable with experience and acceptance of coaching.
Thoughts & Observations
Champagnie does a nice job of cutting to the rim when his man moves into a help position or turns his head.
Strong offensive game from George — an efficient 29 points to go with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. He was credited with three blocks, though I do not think he played well defensively — he’s guilty of ball watching, leaving his man to help when it’s not necessary, and not matching up properly.
Murray was the first guard in several weeks (at least) to figure out a counter to Sarr’s chase down blocks when driving the switch. Instead of a more normal extension into a layup, Murray jumped straight up as he laid the ball in. Sarr crashed into him and it became a three-point play.
Sarr did as well as any big man could be expected when switched onto Murray. He prevented penetration a couple timed, forced Murray into difficult shots at others, and even poked the ball loose once.
Bagley had another strong game off the bench. I’m curious to see Sarr and Bagley play together.
With Bilal Coulibaly out, the Wizards had no strong point of attack defender.
Abysmal game from Tre Johnson, who hit just 1-10 from the floor and missed all four of his three-point attempts. I didn’t love his shot selection, which was heavy on runners and floaters, which tend to be low value shots. The one he made was runner.
Aaron Gordon was two points from a triple-double. Filling in a center, he tallied 11 assists, including one pass that was Jokic-light — he caught the ball in the post and instantly spun and hit a shooter in the opposite corner — literally behind his head. There was no way he could see the man before he went into the pass. I call it “Jokic-light” because Jokic would have made the same pass but no-look.
Peyton Watson has been on a scoring binge with Jokic out. He has an impressive package of skills and the ability to make shots. His offensive efficiency would have gotten a solid boost if he’d shot better than 4-8 from the free throw line.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
WIZARDS
NUGGETS
LGAVG
eFG%
51.6%
61.2%
54.4%
OREB%
33.3%
11.4%
26.2%
TOV%
10.9%
11.8%
12.8%
FTM/FGA
0.167
0.200
0.211
PACE
101
99.7
ORTG
114
119
115.7
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
LONDON (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant started against the Orlando Magic on Sunday and was on a minutes restriction after a six-game absence because of a right calf injury.
“We’ll try to maximize his minutes and try to do it in a smart way," Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said at a pregame news conference at London's O2 Arena.
Iisalo said the medical update he received about the two-time All Star was positive a day after Morant practiced with the team.
“We’ve discussed this several times this season, when you miss a bunch of games, it’s not so easy to (go) right away into big minutes," Iisalo said of his expectations for Morant.
