MIAMI - MARCH 31: Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets standing on the field before the game against the Florida Marlins at Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Florida on March 31, 2008. The Mets defeated the Marlins 7-2. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
New York—specifically Etihad Park, which is being constructed right next to Citi Field—will be hosting group stage soccer games during the 2028 Olympics.
Rest easy: Keith Hernandez has signed a new deal with SNY to return to the booth for yet another Mets season.
However, Keith will be cutting back on his workload this season, going from 110 games last season to just 91 this season.
Christian Scott, who should be returning from Tommy John surgery soon, has been throwing in Port St. Lucie.
The three players being inducted to the Hall of Fame have had their cap selections announced, and the speculation can be put to rest—Carlos Beltrán will be going into the Hall of Fame in a Mets cap.
Nolan McLean will be working on refining some of his pitches going into 2026.
Around the National League East
There was very little doubt but it has been confirmed that Andruw Jones will be going into the Hall of Fame as an Atlanta Brave.
Around Major League Baseball
Jeimer Candelario agreed to a minor league contract with the Angels. Regardless of whether or not he makes it to the major leagues, he will still be getting paid a tidy sum by the Reds.
ESPN put out some season predictions for some of the top prospects in baseball going into 2026.
Pitcher Eduardo Salazar has signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins.
The result of Tarik Skubal’s arbitration case will likely have an affect on what the Tigers do next, says Ken Rosenthal.
First baseman Carlos Santana has agreed to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Chaim Bloom is rebuilding the future of the Cardinals to his vision, especially with the Brendan Donovan trade.
Both Rob Manfred and Ron DeSantis have approved of the Tampa Bay Rays’ plan for a new stadium and mixed-use development.
Things are awkward between the Pirates and Andrew McCutchen, but they might find each other once again in the end.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Brian Salvatore took a look at a potential Mets bullpen (side-)arm in Joe Jacques.
Steve Sypa has nearly concluded his list of the top 25 Mets prospects going into 2026, with outfielder Carson Benge taking second place.
The Knicks’ All-Star guard reflects on the unexplainable energy of Madison Square Garden, road playoff battles, and what winning in New York truly demands.
Madison Square Garden has a way of turning basketball games into something closer to mythology, and for Jalen Brunson, it’s a feeling that still resists explanation. The New York Knicks’ All-Star point guard has played on some of the sport’s biggest stages, but when the Garden tightens into playoff mode, it becomes something else entirely. In a conversation for Boardroom’s latest Cover Story, Brunson tried to put words to the electricity that ripples through the building when the stakes rise.
“You can sit here and talk about how crazy it is and how it’s jumping and how you’re going to feel the energy, good or bad,” Brunson told Rich Kleiman. “You’re going to feel the energy. You can’t just explain it; you have to experience it.” He paused, then said what most players eventually realize. “It’s insane. There’s no better place to do anything, not just play basketball, to do anything, perform anything that goes on in that arena.”
For Brunson, that atmosphere isn’t just fuel; it’s responsibility. Still early in his Knicks tenure, he’s already acutely aware of what it means to carry expectations in a city that remembers everything. Legacy is part of the conversation, whether he invites it or not. But Brunson keeps his focus narrow.
“I know I got a lot more to do, a lot more,” he said. “This is cool and all, but my goal is to win. I want to win. I’m going to do whatever it takes, and I’m going to die trying.”
That same playoff intensity showed itself on the road, too. Brunson pointed to a night in Detroit, where clutch shots silenced a roaring crowd that refused to let up. “Their crowd was loud,” he said. “Detroit in the playoffs was crazy. That was a really cool moment.” When asked about Pistons star Cade Cunningham, Brunson saw a familiar trait: leadership without noise.
“He’s not loud,” Brunson said. “He gets the job done. He gets his teammates involved. He does everything you ask of him, and then he goes home.”
In New York, that quiet resolve plays just as loudly as any roar. And inside the Garden, Brunson is learning exactly how far it can carry him.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 31: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts following the top of the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game six of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center on October 31, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kevin Gausman is entering the last year of his five-year, $110 million contract. In his first four years with the Jays, he made 125 starts, posting a 48-41 record, a 3.48 ERA, and an 11.2 bWAR.
We don’t really need a ‘better know’ for him, we’ve been watching him for the last four years.
By bWAR, last year was his best, a 3.8, with a 3.59 ERA in 32 starts, 193 innings (a career high). Not bad for a 34-year-old.
He’s been very consistent in his 30s, making 31 or more starts in each of his last five years. 2024 was a bit of a down season for him, if a 3.83 ERA in 31 games could be called ‘down’. He said he should have started the season on the IL and he likely should have.
Gausman has been a two-pitch pitcher for his career, but over the last couple of seasons, he’s added a slider. In 2025, he used it 8.6% of the time (up from 6.2% in 2024). It was hit pretty hard this year; batters had a .605 slugging average on it. I still think it is a good idea for him to give batters another pitch to think about.
At 34, he hadn’t lost anything on his fastball. He’s still averaging 94.5 MPH on it and topped out at 98.8. At some point, he’ll start slowing down. Steamer still thinks he’ll start 31 games and throw 185 innings, with 11 wins (which would put him 9th in wins in team history) this year, but with a 4.02 ERA, which would be his highest in his time with the Jays.
He is entering his free-agent season. I’m sure he’d like to have a good year and set up another contract. Going into his age-36 season, though, he won’t be getting another five-year deal.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: (L-R) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Los Angeles Dodgers Owner and Chairman Mark Walter pose with a jersey presented to Trump as he hosts the 2024 World Series champions in the East Room of the White House on April 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees with a 7-6 victory in Game 5. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Senators set a precedent for reigning championship winning teams by visiting President Calvin Coolidge at the White House in 1925. Just over a century later, the Dodgers will arrive in our nation’s capitol in early April during their first road trip of the season— just like they did in 2025.
This time around, amidst national turmoil surrounding two fatal incidents regarding federal agents in Minnesota, the case for the Dodgers to visit the commander in chief is far from concrete.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times asked manager Dave Roberts and team president Stan Kasten about whether or not the team that continues to revere the legacy of Jackie Robinson would consider visiting the White House. Roberts confirmed that he intends to go while Kasten declined to provide a definitive answer.
Per Roberts: “I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House.”
Per Kasten: “I don’t have any news for you on that.”
Shaikin argues that the decision for the Dodgers to accept or decline a visit to the White House will be based on their moral courage, especially as they honor a pioneer of baseball who used his platform to advocate for civil rights and liberties once they return to Los Angeles.
For me, going to the White House would feel more expedient than right. If the Dodgers do go, they ought to skip the tributes to Robinson’s grand courage, since they would not have been able to muster up a fraction of their own.
Links
Edwin Díaz will once again be representing Team Puerto Rico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Díaz appeared in four games for Puerto Rico in 2017, allowing two runs and striking out nine over 5 1/3 innings. In 2023, Díaz secured the final out against the Dominican Republic to send his team to the quarterfinals against Team Mexico, but suffered a season-ending injury to his ACL while celebrating.
Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register shares a preview of how the starting rotation will shape up this season. The four-headed monster of All-Stars are cemented at the top with several young options vying to fill in that fifth spot. Plunkett notes that the Dodgers could reignite their interest in Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal should he be made available during the season.
If the Detroit Tigers put Skubal on the market at any point, the Dodgers will be at the front of the line looking to acquire him. They have the prospect capital to make a deal happen and the financial resources to give him the massive contract extension his agent, Scott Boras, will be seeking if Skubal is going to forgo free agency next winter.
Sonja Chen of MLB.com takes a look at how the Dodgers outfield is shaping up. The starters right now are the newly signed Kyle Tucker in right field, Andy Pages in center and Teoscar Hernández returning to left field. Chen breaks down the different depth options at play, while also noting that a reunion with Kiké Hernández is not off the table should the team need additional options outside of Alex Call, the recently re-claimed Michael Siani and rookie Ryan Ward.
It would not be surprising to see the Dodgers bring back fan favorite Kiké Hernández… Los Angeles has openly stated its interest, but because Hernández is recovering from left elbow surgery and expecting to miss time at the beginning of the season, it seems likely that a deal might not materialize until the 60-day IL opens at the start of Spring Training.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 3: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on February 3, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks extended their winning streak to seven last night, shellacking the Washington Wizards in what felt like a home game, 132-101.
It was the exact kind of win that inspires confidence, the kind of win where every single player who steps on the floor contributes in a big way. Four starters had 19 or more points – hold for Josh Hart, who added seven points and seven dimes of his own. Ariel Hukporti shined in a backup center role, posting 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Shamet, Clarkson, and Kolek all made their marks off the bench.
The Knicks were far superior to a younger Washington team, and it showed.
Tonight, the win streak gets seriously tested as New York travels back home to take on the 33-18 Nuggets, the third seed in the West that just welcomed back three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to the lineup. They’re still a bit banged up, with Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson sidelined, but it’ll be a formidable test nevertheless. Denver sustained their winning ways even with Jokic sidelined, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Knicks compete with them on the second end of a back-to-back.
Denver’s offense is one of the best in the league – as a team, they average 120 PPG on 49.5/39.8/81.4 splits. Jeez. That being said, their defense is only middle of the pack, which is to say that points should be abundant tonight.
Jokic leads Denver with 29.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game. Jamal Murray is a motor, scoring at 25.5 points per game. Peyton Watson contributes on both ends with averages of 15 PPG and 1.2 BPG, and Christian Braun delivers nine points and his three-ball has fallen off a cliff this season. Their likely starting five tonight:: Jokic, Murray, Braun, Jalen Pickett (8.2 PPG), and Watson.
Prediction
The Knicks have been rolling as of late, and I truly believe they can continue their winning ways at the Garden. Denver is still working Jokic properly back into the lineup. No Mitch, no Deuce, no problem. It’ll be a close one, but the Knicks take this one by four tonight.
Game Details
Teams: New York Knicks (32-18) vs Denver Nuggets (33-18) Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM ET Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY TV: ESPN, MSG Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
The Florida Panthers enter tonight's matchup with the Boston Bruins riding a four-game losing streak, and are desperate for points to hang around in the playoff race.
My Bruins vs. Panthers predictions expect them to get a much-needed win in a big divisional clash on home ice.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT.
Bruins vs Panthers prediction
Bruins vs Panthers best bet: Panthers moneyline (-140)
While the Florida Panthers haven’t gotten the results they’ve wanted, they have largely played good hockey since Matthew Tkachuk returned to the lineup.
In the eight games with Tkachuk healthy and available, the Panthers have controlled a 57.43% share of the scoring chances. That is the second-highest mark in the league, trailing only the Lightning, who won seven of their eight games.
They are spending a lot of time on the front foot and getting significantly more chances than they’re giving up.
That can’t be said of the Boston Bruins, who sit 26th with a 45.21% scoring chance share over the same period of time.
Part of that is the penalty trouble they’ve run into, but I’m not sure that can be dismissed. They lead the league in PIMs per game and sit 26th in PK% this season. It’s nothing new; it’s the norm.
Including special teams, the Panthers will likely earn an edge in the shot/chance department this evening. They might also get reinforcements as the returns of Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell are looming.
Look for the back-to-back Stanley Cup winners to give Boston their best shot in an attempt to get some crucial points before the break.
Bruins vs Panthers same-game parlay
Tkachuk leads the Panthers in high-danger chances and expected goals over the past eight games. He’s creating a lot of looks, and that should continue tonight. He always seems to save his best for the Bruins, averaging 3.7 shots on goal over the past 23 meetings.
The Bruins have had a couple of days off since the Stadium Series game, which should benefit Hampus Lindholm. He has been very productive in similar situations, recording multiple shots in six straight following two days of rest.
Florida has won seven of the past 10 matchups with Boston. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Panthers.
How to watch Bruins vs Panthers
Location
Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
Date
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT
Bruins vs Panthers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
May 26, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians third base Gabriel Arias (13) and shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) return following the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Today, our topic for conversation is shortstop.
Which player do you prefer get the Opening Day nod as shortstop for the Cleveland Guardians – Gabriel Arias or Brayan Rocchio? And why?
Jul 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Ben Williamson (9) throws to first base for a force out on Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) (not pictured) during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
On this week’s episode of Rays Your Voice, we discuss the recent press conference led by Governor Ron DeSantis, where major power players came out in support of the Rays new stadium plan on the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus. While funding was not discussed, Tuesday’s presser feels like a big step in the right direction for building a ballpark in Tampa.
We also discuss the three-team trade that saw the Rays acquire infielder Ben Williamson in exchange for Colton Ledbetter and a comp pick. Williamson is not the blockbuster acquisition that fans have been dreaming about this offseason (there was a better player involved in this deal headed to Seattle), but he does have the tools to carve a spot on this roster. We take a look at where he fits and what he brings to the table.
If you love what we do on Rays Your Voice, consider becoming a Patreon member for as little as $1/month. Also, if you’ve been a podcast listener from the jump, subscribe to our YouTube channel as well! We go live on YouTube for almost every single episode. Make sure to turn on our channel notifications so you can join us when we go live.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 1: AJ Johnson #4 of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings on February 1, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Wizards traveled to New York where they took on a savvy, veteran, professional team and got vanquished, 132-101. The home town crowd enjoyed the New York-sized victory, chanting “MVP” when Jalen Brunson shot free throws in the third quarter.
Editor’s Note: The game was played in DC.
Note back to the Editor: On TV, they showed entire sections of the stadium filled with people wearing Knicks regalia. Are you sure?!
Editor’s Note: Yes.
Wizards guard AJ Johnson scores in the team’s loss to the New York Knicks. | NBAE via Getty Images
In the grand tradition of Wizards/Bullets seeing their home stadium taken over by the opposing team’s fans, this one lands near the bottom. Sure, Lakers games probably take the top (bottom?) spot, but the Knicks faithful gave them a good run for their money last night.
Bright side: at least I got to listen to Walt Frazier, who remains thoroughly unique. Just once, I’d love to hear him on a broadcast with Charlotte Hornets play-by-play man Eric Collins. For fellow veteran Frazier watchers, last night he wore a leopard print blazer and a leopard print necktie. This ensemble is actually somewhat tame by his standards. I hope there’s a social media account that posts pictures of his outfits.
In addition to entertaining with his one-of-a-kind rhyming and SAT-word vocabulary, Frazier is a worthwhile listen on basketball topics. Last night, he shared how he returned from a sprained ankle in half the expected time by spending his nights in a chair putting his foot in and out of a bucket of ice. He talked about how some of the players being honored on “Black Excellence Night” were “my nemesis.”
And, he quickly and correctly answered the evening’s trivia question, “When was the last time the Knicks had two All-Stars in the same season.” He did have something of a cheat, considering that the correct answer was himself and Dave DeBusschere in 1974.
He also had this observation, which sounded like it could have been ripped from my notebook every time the Wizards play: “You can tell these guys are young by the turnovers they make. So careless with the ball.”
Speaking of being a “veteran,” every time I see AJ Johnson, my brain says, “A.J. English.”
For those readers who are younger than LeBron James, English was a 1990 second round pick out of Virginia Union University by the Bullets. He played two seasons for the team— 1990-91 and 1991-92. He actually wasn’t bad — at least good enough to think he could be on an NBA roster for a few years. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers after those two years in Washington, didn’t make the team and never played in the league again.
Other highlights from the game: late in the half, the Knicks broadcaster shared the news that the Los Angeles Clippers had traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second round pick.
Thoughts & Observations
In the first two minutes of the game, I jotted three notes, “Walt Frazier!!!” and “George out of control closeout” and “KAT overpowers Sarr for oreb and putback hook.” Feels like I could have copy-and-pasted that over and over all night long.
In the first quarter, Mikal Bridges made a crosscourt pass to the weakside corner that used to be an example of amazing court vision and skill. It’s one John Wall made regularly. Now it’s routine in the NBA.
Under new head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks tried to manage Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive deficiencies by forcing penetration to the middle (somewhat unorthodox at the NBA level) and helping hard from the perimeter. The result: New York gave up tons of threes and still had trouble controlling the paint. Now the Knicks are back to “icing” pick-and-roll (forcing the ball to the sideline) and trying to keep the ball out of the middle. In other words, the kind of scheme Tom Thibodeau was using.
I had several notes about Wizards players doing a poor job of helping at-rim. One example was in the second quarter — Towns drove on Sarr for an and-one dunk. The weird thing was that Kyshawn George rotated into the perfect place to contest…and did nothing. He literally just stood there with his arms at his side and watched Towns dunk. On another second quarter play, OG Anunoby drove past George. Both Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly were in good “low man” position on opposite sides of the lane. Neither came over to cut off the drive or contest the dunk. I’m not sure what happened to George on the first example other than maybe he thought Sarr was in position to make a play. On the second, I suspect it was communication issue.
The Knicks led by 27 at the half, which was their biggest halftime lead of the season.
At the half, the Wizards were -25 or worse with each of the five starters on the floor. They finished the game at -30 or worse.
Especially when he’s pivoting on his left shoulder, I’d very much prefer for Sarr to settle himself and shoot the jump hook rather than a fading jumper.
In the third quarter, Walt Frazier joined me in wondering why the Wizards kept letting Jalen Brunson go left. It’s right up there with why they were literally trying to force Harden left when they played the Clippers earlier this season.
The only real drama in this one was whether the Knicks could hold Washington under 100 points (as they have each of their victims in their current seven-game winning streak), and whether they could win by 40 or more. The Knicks failed on both counts.
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
KNICKS
WIZARDS
LGAVG
eFG%
61.7%
47.1%
54.3%
OREB%
22.0%
19.6%
26.1%
TOV%
8.9%
12.9%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.233
0.233
0.209
PACE
101
99.5
ORTG
131
100
115.5
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 listed in the Four Factors table above. 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 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 29: Rutger McGroarty #2 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Olympics are approaching and there’s a housekeeping note to be aware of starting this afternoon. From PuckPedia:
During the Olympics, there are restrictions on teams making player transactions. The Olympic Roster freeze goes from February 4 at 3pm ET to February 22 at 11:59 ET.
During the freeze:
-No Trades are permitted -Players can be sent down if they are waiver exempt, except for players that played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21 -Players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if the player was waived after their NHL team’s final game before the freeze, they do not have to report to their new team until February 17.
There are no restrictions on sending players down prior to the freeze.
The biggest bullets for the Penguins are likely the first two listed. Kyle Dubas will be unable to make any trades during this period – and the regular NHL trade deadline will be fast approaching on Friday March 6th soon after the Olympic freeze is lifted.
The second point handles players being moved from the NHL to AHL roster. Currently only Rutger McGroarty and Ryan Graves can be sent by Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre without needing waivers. Graves, who was removed from the IR on Monday, is eligible for this since he cleared waivers on 12/31 and has only played two NHL games since that point and has not been on the NHL roster for 30 days since clearing waivers due to his stint on IR. Graves has been on the AHL roster within the last 80 days to satisfy that wrinkle of the rule.
Big takeaway might be that based on the rules the Pens can keep both of these players on the NHL roster for tomorrow night’s game against Buffalo and still look to send them down to the AHL if they wish to keep them playing games over the coming weeks, it doesn’t have to be before today’s official freeze at 3pm today.
Then again, Wilkes-Barre also has a game tonight, so the Penguins could always opt to send McGroarty down before the freeze today for participation in that game. Being as McGroarty didn’t play in last night’s NHL game that would be more about strategic management to get him playing again in the AHL more than it would have anything to do with the freeze rules impacting timing, but so it goes to know that the Pens could keep McGroarty with the NHL team for tomorrow if they so wanted.
The third bullet could apply to someone like Caleb Jones, who would need to be waived today and clear tomorrow and be assigned prior to Pittsburgh’s final game before the break. Jones would also have to be healthy enough to be removed from IR, to which the Pens don’t have a spot for him currently on the 23-man roster. Those extra machinations it would take in order to re-assign Jones fully to the AHL before the freeze could go to leave him where he is for a while longer yet as he works back from a second injury this season.
Otherwise, it should be straight-forward for the team at this point going into the break. Besides the four players going to play in Italy for their respective countries (Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Arturs Silovs) the rest of the team can enjoy their well-earned break without having to worry about getting traded in the next few weeks as the league takes a pause.
The Mariners landed the white whale they’ve been after all season as the Cardinals traded infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to the Mariners as part of a three-team deal with the Rays. The Cardinals got three prospects and a draft pick for Donovan, the best of which is pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. Cijntje was announced as a right-handed pitcher, which is a bummer for those of us who hoped he would remain a switch-pitcher. The Cardinals hate fun. And amphibians.
The Dodgers claimed outfielder Mike Siani off of waivers and designated infielder Andy Ibanez for assignment. That’s notable because the Dodgers DFA’d Siani a month ago and also signed Ibanez to a $1.2 million major league deal a month ago.
And finally in honor of Monday’s 150th anniversary of the founding of the National League, official baseball historian John Thorn re-published this look at a new discovery of some founding documents of the league as well as the general story of how the National Association gave way to the National League.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 09: John Sherman, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals, is seen prior to a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“I think over the past couple of years, all the breaking balls that I like to throw, it kind of gave me a reality check — we’ve got to use your fastball,” Lugo said. “We’ve got to command the fastball. Get up when I need to. So that’s been my focus.”
CEO and chairman John Sherman reiterated at Saturday’s Royals Rally that he has no intention of moving the Royals.
“Look, we’re not going anywhere, and that’s what we’ve said all along,” Sherman said. “Someone else will have to do that. But I think related to the other comment about wealth and those types of things, I think that’s part of what we’re dealing with in our society. And in our case, we’re looking for a public partner, right, as I said before. We’re working day and night right now to find a way to make sure this team stays here for as long as any of us are going to be around.
“And the public partner is what ties you to a community, right? That’s really why that’s important.”
“He was asked by Team USA to pitch for them,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “And very mature decision by him to decide not to — as tempting as it was. But in his mind, he wanted to be healthy. He wanted to ramp up into the season and not be ramped up going into spring training. And I thought it was a real mature decision on his end.”
Last year, though, it was a new affliction: a rotator cuff strain, on the heels of a groin strain. The bad news was that it limited him to just over 60 innings and kept him out of the top 100 starting pitchers on the year. The good news was that he came back and showed the same stuff that launched his career just a year before. With that wide arsenal of high-stuff pitches and good command, he’s on a short list of pitchers who could win hardware this year. Which is why you take on the injury risk.
I think it would be difficult for the Royals to give Hays the opportunity to play every day. He hasn’t played center field since 2023, so I don’t think that’s an option. And even when it was sort of an option, it wasn’t even then. He played 36.2 innings that year, but the last time he played more than that was 2020. We can continue to discuss where that 105 wRC+ would rank on the 2025 Royals, but it’s also 17 points lower than what Collins produced in 2025. Sure, Hays has more of a track record, but other than a 75-plate appearance sample in 2019 at 23, he hasn’t ever even come within 10 points of what Collins did last year. And he isn’t even especially good defensively anymore, at least not by the numbers.
No player in MLB — rookie or not — posted larger gaps between actual and expected batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base average than Caglianone. It’s incredible he led the league in every one of the three. Most notably, his expected slugging ranked 10th among rookies, while his actual slugging finished fourth-worst.
Aside from his slash line, Caglianone tops all rookies in EV90, meaning the top 10% of his batted balls were hit harder than any other players. He also ranked 6th among rookies in barrel rate (12%).
Players with those numbers normally produce at a much higher rate. Caglianone has jaw dropping power in his bat, which should be on full display next year.
Jon Heyman has the breakdown on Vinnie Pasquantino’s salary and escalators.
Vinnie Pasquantino has HUGE awards escalators
Base salary of $6.9M in 2027 increases with 2026 MVP awards votes like this …
$4M for MVP
$3M-2nd thru 5th; $2M-6th-10th; $1.5M 11th-15th; $1.25M-16th-20th or $1M All MLB 1st Team ($750K-2nd Team) (Max $4.6M) https://t.co/EtaCT963Ee
The history of the Yankees dates back to the start of the 20th century and a humble team known then as the New York Highlanders. Their first ever game was played on April 22, 1903, against the Washington Senators, a 3-1 loss at American League Park, one of the more well-known Griffith Stadium’s predecessors in the nation’s capital (close to Gallaudet University). And stepping into the batter’s box to take the first ever at-bat in franchise history was an outfielder known as Lefty Davis.
Alphonso DeFord “Lefty” Davis Born: February 4, 1875 (Nashville, TN) Died: February 4, 1919 (Collins, NY) Yankees Tenure: 1903
Little is known about Lefty’s early life and upbringing, but Tennessee had become an epicenter of early organized baseball by the late 19th century, and the Nashville region was certainly in that mix. The Southern League, founded in 1885, was the predominant regional circuit of minor league clubs that included teams from Atlanta, Augusta, Chattanooga, Columbus, Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, and Macon.
Davis got his start in organized baseball in 1896 at the age of 21 playing the outfield for Mobile Blackbirds of the Class-B Southern Association. In 43 games that season, Davis batted .309 in 191 at-bats and also made five relief pitching appearances to the tune of a 1.75 ERA across 36 innings. He moved up to Class-A ball the following season, batting .307 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases in 225 ABs for Detroit in the Western League. 1898 saw Davis split time between Detroit and Minneapolis Millers, and he batted .291 with two home runs and 26 stolen bases across 122 combined games. He played out his final two minor-league seasons with Minneapolis, establishing a reputation as a speedy center fielder and stolen base threat, leading to his establishment in the majors.
The Philadelphia Athletics selected Davis to their team, but before he had played a single game, he jumped to the Brooklyn Superbas as players had far more agency over where they played in the inaugural years of the NL and AL. In his debut season with Brooklyn in 1901, Davis batted just .209 in 25 games, leading to his release midseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him as a free agent, and he would play out the remainder of the 1901 season with the dominant NL team of that era.
In the Steel City, Davis joined the ranks of future Hall of Famers Honus Wagner, Jack Chesbro, and Fred Clarke. He appeared in 87 games for the Pirates after making the switch, slashing .313/.415/.421 for an impressive 139 OPS+ along with two home runs and 22 stolen bases, helping Pittsburgh capture its first NL pennant. The following year, he helped the Bucs defend their NL pennant crown, though he did miss a significant portion of the season to a broken leg.
It was around this time that the Highlanders were coming into existence. With the inception of the AL in 1900, there were calls to establish a pro club in New York. However, the incumbent New York Giants of the NL blocked those plans, and so instead that franchise was awarded to Baltimore and named the Orioles in 1901. In 1902, Orioles manager and part-owner John McGraw departed Baltimore to become manager of the Giants, and the short-lived Orioles folded at the end of that season.
Prior to the start of the 1903 season, the NL and AL resolved their differences and once again a proposal to create an AL team in New York was put forward. Out of the 16 major league owners, 15 voted to approve the proposal, and thus the team that started as the Baltimore Orioles was officially chartered in New York as the Highlanders. Needing to assemble a roster for the season, the Highlanders targeted that back-to-back NL pennant winning Pirates squad. Davis, Chesbro, Jesse Tannehill, Tommy Leach, Wid Conroy, and Jack O’Connor all agreed to jump to the nascent franchise, with only Leach later reneging on his commitment.
In their inaugural game as a franchise in 1903, Chesbro was on the mound as the starting pitcher and Davis was penciled in to the leadoff spot. In the bottom of the first (the home team had the choice of batting first back then) at American League Park in Washington, DC, David grounded out against future Yankee Al Orth. Both starters pitched complete games as the Senators held on to win, 3-1.
Davis would play 104 games for the Highlanders that season, his only full season with a single major-league club in his career. He slashed .237/.319/.263 with no home runs and eleven stolen bases in 372 ABs. Manager Clark Griffith was unimpressed and succeeded in dumping Davis from the team at the conclusion of the season.
Davis returned to the minor leagues, playing two seasons for Class-A Columbus, where he would bat .275 in 148 games in 1904 and .279 in 153 games in 1905. He then returned to the Minneapolis Millers in 1906, batting .333 with 47 stolen bases in 149 games. This resulted in his final opportunity in the majors — 73 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 1907, where he batted .229/.293/.297 with one home run and nine stolen bases in 266 ABs, making the final appearance of his big league career on July 16th against Philadelphia.
Davis wasn’t quite finished with baseball, however, playing for the St. Paul Saints of the American Association in 1908 and 1909, the York White Roses of the Class-D New England League in 1911, and ending with two seasons for the Class-C Winona Packers of the Northern League in 1913 and 1914 before hanging up his cleats for good. In his retirement, he settled in Upstate New York before passing away at the young age of 44 on his birthday in 1919.
Davis typified the light-hitting, transient ballplayers of the Deadball Era. His tenure with the Yankees was short-lived, and he’s definitely overshadowed by a far more Lefty who came along a few decades later. Still, Lefty Davis remains immortalized in the history books as the first batter in franchise history.
References
Lefty Davis. Baseball-Reference.
Lefty Davis. Baseball Almanac.
Tedesco, Marie. “Minor League Baseball.” Tennessee Encyclopedia. October 8, 2017.
Gordon, David J. “The Rise and Fall of the Deadball Era.” SABR. Fall 2018 Baseball Research Journal.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Justin Verlander #35 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are less than a week away from San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training, which might be the best news I’ve heard in a year.
The organization has been busy over the last week, signing Harrison Bader and Luis Arráez, so it’s not an unfair assumption that there might still be moves to be made.
Earlier this offseason, the organization made statements that seemed to indicate that they were likely set with the rotation. However, the rumor mill is indicating that they might be planning a reunion with Justin Verlander for another season.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report in particular predicts that the team is the most likely landing spot for the 42 year old right-hander on a short-term deal.
As with any rumor, I’ll take this one with a grain of salt, but it is worth examining. Because it definitely feels like something they would do.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind it, depending on the specifics of any potential deal. While the team has already made moves to bolster the rotation over the off-season, it couldn’t hurt to have an additional arm for when someone inevitably gets taken out by the Marlins Death Fog or Coors Field.
Despite a rocky start to the 2025 season (a lot of which seemed to be truly awful luck), Verlander ended the year with a 3.85 ERA and FIP, with 137 strikeouts to 52 walks in 152 innings pitched. I’ll take another season of that, if the price is right.
May 11, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Reese Olson (45) throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Detroit Tigers aren’t entirely running it back for 2026, but aside from adding Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, and Drew Anderson, we’re heading toward an Opening Day roster that is little changed form the 2025 edition.
There are reasons for optimism based on the club’s run as one of the top 3 teams in baseball from August 1, 2024 through August 1, 2025. However, those last two months of the season, and really from the All-Star break untll the end of the regular season, really soured the brew and left many wondering if the first half was just an extended hot streak.
My key reason for optimism, is that the Tigers actually have some top shelf prospect talent due to pitch in over the course of the season. That was sorely lacking in 2025 until Troy Melton gave them a boost down the stretch last year.
Still though, this is a fairly young roster, particularly in terms of impact players. Riley Greene is 25 years old and was mashing at a near MVP pace in the first half last year until he fell apart after the break. Spencer Torkelson is 26 and finally put together a complete season without any extended slumps. Colt Keith is 24 and has settled into the major leagues pretty nicely as a hitter, but he hasn’t started producing the power he was expected to bring to the table. Reese Olson has two good partial seasons under his belt heading into his age 26 season. Troy Melton is 25 and will open the season as a big leaguer for the first time.
You get the point. A lot of the Tigers more talented players are in that 24-26 year-old window when good players typically hit their prime years. Some may already be there, but the potential for some breakout seasons is certainly present as well.
Who’s your guy in 2026? Who on the 40-man roster would you bet on to be the breakout player for the Tigers this year?
