Murrayfield as underdogs is a scenario Scotland like, and a third successive win would set up perfect Six Nations finale
The mischievous will have eyes on Rome on Saturday in case of a historic win but the game of the weekend is in Edinburgh. Second versus first, Scotland versus France, entertainers versus entertainers. The title on the line. We could even have a champion by the end of it.
If France win with a bonus point, that is it. The 2026 Six Nations will be theirs with a round to spare. One feels there will be tries in this game, so the prospect is real. Which would reduce the championship’s beloved set piece of Super Saturday to an exercise in ordering the also-rans and seeing if France can move ahead of Wales as the Six Nations’ most prolific purveyor of grand slams, with a fifth.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - MARCH 03: Gregory Barrios (75) of the Tampa Bay Rays bats during a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 03, 2026 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While most of the attention in camp has focused on players battling for the final spots on the major league roster, several prospects have quietly stood out in small samples. Spring Training results are noisy, but traits like strike throwing, approach, and batted-ball profile can still signal meaningful development – especially when viewed in the context of a player’s track record.
RHP Alex Cook
Cook was added to the Rays 40-man roster in December to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Given his blend of plus strike throwing and above average stuff, it’s easy to see why the Rays wanted to allocate a valuable roster spot to him.
Cook has posted plus strike rates at every professional stop, but he’s taken it to another level this spring with a 71.1% strike rate (ML average sits around 63%). While it’s unrealistic to expect Cook to continue throwing strikes at over 70%, it’s another data point that suggests Cook is ready to face more difficult competition in AAA.
In addition to his solid control and command, Cook has above average stuff. His fastball is a clear plus pitch. It’s a cut-ride shape with solid velocity that plays up due to his low release height. His breaking ball is a two-plane slider in the mid 80s, and he’s got an average cutter in the upper 80s to keep hitters from sitting on either of his other two pitches. Cook can throw all three weapons to both sides of the plate.
He looks ready for a high-leverage role in Durham to begin the 2026 season, and I expect him to have an opportunity to pitch in the majors at some point despite all the quality depth ahead of him in the ML bullpen. Given his platoon-neutral arsenal and strike throwing ability, Cook could even be a candidate to stretch out as a starter later in his career – something the Rays have not been shy about experimenting with.
SS Gregory Barrios
On the position player side, Barrios has put together a nice camp so far, taking advantage of playing time opportunities with Taylor Walls having a slow start this spring.
Barrios has always been a guy with plus speed, contact ability, and defense at SS. He’s got pretty average plate discipline too. So, what’s the catch? Why is Barrios not considered a top prospect? He has nearly bottom of the scale power. His 90th percentile exit velocity (the industry’s preferred proxy for raw power) sits at just 101.1 mph this spring, well below the typical MLB average of roughly 105 mph.
Rather than chasing power, Barrios appears to be leaning fully into a contact-and-speed offensive identity. Below are his LD+GB rates for each of his domestic professional seasons, and what he has done so far this year in Spring Training:
2023: 58.1%
2024: 69.4%
2025: 77.2%
2026 Spring Training: 87.5%
It’s still early, so the exact numbers aren’t stable, but the trend is what matters. His glove and speed will give Barrios plenty of opportunity to stick in a lineup, and leaning into his offensive identity is what can help make him productive.
I expect him to return to Montgomery to begin the season, likely getting work at both middle infield spots with Adrian Santana. Barrios should have an opportunity to advance to AAA later in the year – an impressive trajectory for a 22-year-old whose value comes from defense, contact, and speed rather than power.
C Dom Keegan
Keegan’s 45.6% framing strike rate places him in the 71st percentile among catchers with 50 framing opportunities so far this spring. Keegan is regarded as an above average receiver, but he’s still working on the other defensive parts of his game.
Solid framing combined with his average hit and plus power combo should earn him a cup of coffee at some point this season if his blocking and throwing continue to improve, or at least not be a detriment to his overall profile.
Dominic Keegan worked a 14 pitch AB today and fouled off 8 straight pitches.
Keegan showed good quality of contact metrics in AAA last season (113.5 Max Exit Velocity + 48.0% Hard-Hit%) & can make an impact with the Rays this season.
A recent draftee acquired in the Baz trade, Bodine really hasn’t played much this spring, but he did hit a ball at 106.1mph, just below his collegiate max exit velocity of 106.6mph — which he did with a metal bat. There may not be plus power given his size and physicality, but a new professional max exit velocity is still noteworthy even if it is just spring training.
Bodine’s plus defensive skills and solid hit tool give him a chance to be an everyday ML catcher, and getting to even just average power could make him the franchise catcher the Rays have been searching for.
RHP Luis Guerrero*
*While he technically exceeded his prospect eligibility with the Red Sox last season with 17.1 IP, it’s hard to ignore what Guerrero is doing as someone who has yet to establish himself in the majors, so he’s getting a shout out here as well.
After going unclaimed through waivers in November, the Rays cleared a 40-man roster spot by trading INF Tristan Gray to Boston for the non-rostered Guerrero. Given his lack of a need to be on the 40-man, he will likely begin the year in AAA with a chance to impact the ML bullpen later this season.
Now under the Rays tutelage, LG is showing a harder, more cutter-ish breaking ball shape than last season. The new shape creates a more optimal tunnel with his fastball, which also might have a slightly different profile — with a little less run and a little more ride than what it had in 2025 thus far.
The change in both pitch shapes appear to be a result of Guerrero raising his arm slot just a bit. His ability to throw strikes will dictate whether he can crack the 40-man roster at some point this season, and so far it’s been roughly average this spring, which is good enough when you’ve got plus stuff like Guerrero does.
Spring Training numbers rarely tell the whole story, but developments like these often hint at what might be coming next in the Rays’ player development pipeline.
According to the report, Brooks was taken into custody around 2 a.m. local time and released an hour later.
The 30-year-old Brooks has not played since Feb. 21, when he fractured his left hand in a win against the Orlando Magic. He was expected to miss four to six weeks after surgery as the Suns sit 35-27 and are the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, two games out of the sixth seed, currently occupied by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Brooks is averaging a career-high 20.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 50 games this season, and is in the third season of a four-year, $86 million contract he signed in 2023 with the Houston Rockets, when he was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets botched what should have been an easy win in their most recent game.
Houston lost to Golden State as near 10-point chalk and now have another “should win” matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.
Sengun won’t let a victory and potentially the No. 3 seed in the West slip away. My Trail Blazers vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks call for a big night from Houston’s big man.
Trail Blazers vs Rockets prediction
Trail Blazers vs Rockets best bet: Alperen Sengun Over 17.5 points (-115)
Alperen Sengun’s recent offensive efforts have cut his prop total down as much as two points, with Over 17.5 presenting buyback value versus the Portland Trail Blazers.
He scored 17 points in the loss to the Warriors, coming in Under his scoring prop of 19.5 O/U, and is 3-7 O/U against his points props the past 10 outings.
Portland gets punished in the paint but also from deep, and Sengun dropped 25 points on the Blazers with an inside-out effort in November.
His projections are as high as 21+ points and some books are hanging this total as high as 19.5 O/U.
Trail Blazers vs Rockets same-game parlay
The Houston Rockets let one get away and that knocked them to No. 4 in the Western Conference. Portland is wrapping an extended road trip in Houston and projections give the home team the win and cover.
Sengun hurt Portland inside, outside and at the foul line in their first meeting. Player projections sit between 18.9 and 21.4 points against the Trail Blazers tonight. Prop totals range from 17.5 to 19.5 across the industry. We'll go Over the low side of this market.
Reed Sheppard has upped his production the past month and his points props are taking off, sitting at a high of 16.5 O/U after being as short as 10.5 O/U a few games ago. Projections aren’t as positive as the props, so I’m selling Sheppard’s scoring.
Trail Blazers vs Rockets SGP
Houston Rockets -6.5
Alperen Sengun Over 17.5 points
Reed Sheppard Under 16.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: All eyes on Sengun
Houston is 10-17-1 Over/Under at home (63% Unders) and Sengun knocked down four 3-pointers in his last matchup with Portland.
Trail Blazers vs Rockets SGP
Houston Rockets -6.5
Under 220.5
Alperen Sengun Over 17.5 points
Alperen Sengun Over 0.5 3-pointers
Trail Blazers vs Rockets odds
Spread: Portland +6.5 | Houston -6.5
Moneyline: Portland +220 | Houston -270
Over/Under: Over 220.5 | Under 220.5
Trail Blazers vs Rockets betting trend to know
Houston has stayed Under the total in 32 of its last 50 games (+12.20 Units/22% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Rockets.
How to watch Trail Blazers vs Rockets
Location
Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date
Friday, March 6, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
KUNP, SCHN
Trail Blazers vs Rockets latest injuries
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South Korea's Moon Bo-kyung (R) celebrates his grand slam with teammates in the first inning of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Pool C first round game between South Korea and Czech Republic at the Tokyo Dome on March 5, 2026. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / AFP via Getty Images) / Japan OUT | JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!
The WBC officially kicked off on Wednesday night (ET) with Australia winning a minor upset over Chinese Taipei, 3-0, aided by a homer from 2024 top draft pick Travis Bazzana. Kevin provided a direct recap of that game for Pinstripe Alley, but as the note above indicates, most of the recaps from now until the semifinals will feature multiple WBC contests from the previous 24 hours.
This marks the first of those, and it’s a little unusual given how the ol’ clock lines up for us in the Eastern Time Zone. The two games both featured teams in Pool C. Technically, the first from yesterday at the Tokyo Dome began at 5am ET and the second started at 10pm ET. Although that’s the same day for us, they respectively began on Thursday night and Friday afternoon in Tokyo. So you’ll see the Czechia twice because they had the tough draw of a day game after a night game. Ah, logistics!
Pool C: South Korea (1-0) 11, Czech Republic (0-1) 4
The Czechia club was one of the best stories of the 2023 WBC, with a scrappy team of players who don’t have the luxury of playing baseball full-time. They even won a game against China to earn instant qualification for this year’s WBC. During that previous WBC stint though, Korea jumped all over the Czechs in the first inning of their contest, batting around and plating five runs en route to a 7-3 victory.
The script evidently did not change all that much in their 2026 rematch.
Czechia starter Daniel Padysak immediately ran into trouble from the jump, as a couple walks and a Jung Hoo Lee single loaded the bases with one out for Bo Gyeong Moon, who has hit 46 homers across his last two season for the KBO’s LG Twins. Sure enough, he hit a moonshot (sorry) for a grand slam, and Korea had a 4-0 lead already. They kept the pressure on the Czechs, as Astros infielder Shay Whitcomb tallied two dingers against the arms that followed, Jeff Barto and Michal Kovala.
Former Orioles utiltyman Terrin Vavra, the lone Czechia player with MLB experience, had briefly made it a ballgame again at 6-3 in the fifth with a three-run shot off righty Woo Joo Jeong. But Whitcomb’s second long ball pushed his team’s lead back up to a comfortable five, and they only added from there. 2024 Yankee Jahmai Jones clubbed a solo shot of his own to join in on the action.
South Korea was expected to take care of business against the Czech Republic in their WBC opener, and they certianly did. They’ll face a far greater challenge tomorrow morning, when they square off with Shohei Ohtani and longtime rival/defending champion Japan at 5am ET — a Saturday night thriller at the Tokyo Dome.
Pool C: Australia (2-0) 5, Czech Republic (0-2) 1
No rest for the weary Czechs, who went right back to business in reporting to the ballpark the following morning. Their tenacity was briefly rewarded when they drew first blood against the Aussies. Tomas Ondra threw two scoreless innings, and in the the third, Vojtech Menšík gave Czechia a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly.
That being said, even the brief tally wasn’t a pure feeling of relief, as from the outside, it sure seemed like skipper Pavel Chadim played it too safe by going for small ball. The inning began with a Martin Cervenka double and a walk to Marek Chlup had set the table for one of their few power bats, Martin Mužík. But Chadim had Mužík bunt the runners over, which just looked worse when the sacrifice came on a 3-0 count. (In the postgame, Chadim said that he had indeed called for the bunt, but hadn’t wanted it after going up 3-0.) The Czechs played for one run, got it, and never scored another.
The very next inning burned this decision. Left fielder Chris Burke beat out an infield single for Australia’s first hit, and after a fielder’s choice at second that should’ve been a double play, Bazzana walked to set the table for White Sox infielder Curtis Mead — a familiar name around these parts as a former Rays prospect. Ondra went ahead 1-2 and was nearly out of the jam. Then Mead went monster.
The three-run shot proved decisive. The rest of the Czechia pitchers did a better job of holding down Australia than Korea, as it remained a 3-1 score into the ninth. Unfortunately for them, the Aussie arms had little trouble of their own. Josh Hendrickson, Coen Wynne, Blake Townsend, Ky Hampton, Todd Van Steensel, and Mitch Neunborn combined to hold Czechia to four hits on the day. Alex Hall homered in the ninth as part of insurance for Australia and Neunborn closed it out to move Australia to 2-0.
More likely than not, the Australians will have to at least beat Korea in their eventual head-to-head to advance in the WBC as they did in 2023, but they’ve put themselves in prime position by handling Chinese Taipei and Czechia. As for the Czechs, they know that they won’t be moving on. All they can do now is try to take down Chinese Taipei and at least ensure an automatic qualification for the 2029 WBC by avoiding last place in the pool, as they did by beating China in 2023. Chinese Taipei is far more internationally renowned though, so it’s a tall task.
Today at the WBC
/deep breath/
Japan vs. Chinese Taipei (Pool C) Pitching matchup: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. RHP Hao-Chun Cheng Time: 5:00 a.m. ET TV: FS1 Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan
Cuba vs. Panama (Pool A opener) Pitching matchup: LHP Livan Moinelo vs. LHP Logan T. Allen Time: 11:00 a.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR
Netherlands vs. Venezuela (Pool D opener) Pitching matchup: RHP Antwone Kelly vs. LHP Ranger Suarez Time: 12:00 p.m. ET TV: Tubi Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
Mexico vs. Great Britain (Pool B opener) Pitching matchup: RHP Javier Assad vs. RHP Jack Anderson Time: 1:00 p.m. ET TV: FS1 Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (Pool A) Pitching matchup: RHP Seth Lugo vs. LHP Jose Quintana Time: 6:00 p.m. ET TV: FS1 Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR
Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (Pool D) Pitching matchup: RHP Ronald Medrano vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez Time: 7:00 p.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
United States vs. Brazil (Pool B) Pitching matchup: RHP Logan Webb vs. RHP Bo Takahashi Time: 8:00 p.m. ET TV: Fox Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Chinese Taipei vs. Czech Republic (Pool C) Pitching matchup: RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang vs. LHP Jan Novak Time: 10:00 p.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan
The Philadelphia Flyers have traded forward Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek.
Brink had been the subject of trade rumors for several weeks leading up to the deadline, and the Wild were one of the teams that were linked to him. Now, he is officially heading to Minnesota with this move.
With the Flyers having a surplus of wingers, it is understandable that they have flipped Brink. He should now be a solid part of the Wild's roster as they look to go on a big playoff run this spring.
The Flyers have also landed a fascinating defenseman in Jiricek with this move. The 2022 sixth-overall pick is still looking to break out and become a full-time NHL defenseman. Now, he should get more consistent playing time at the NHL level after being traded to the Flyers.
In 25 games this season with the Wild before the trade, Jiricek has recorded zero points and an even plus/minus rating. Down in the AHL this campaign, the 6-foot-4 defenseman has posted two goals and 10 points in 24 games.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 5: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 5, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Silver linings. You try to find them in every game, especially in a loss. When you look at what the Phoenix Suns put on the floor against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, those silver linings are difficult to locate.
It was ugly basketball. The ugliest game of the season? I am not ready to go that far. I do not even know if it cracks the top five. Although when the conversation turns to ugly nights, this one deserves a seat at the table.
The defense was pitiful. If I squinted hard enough, I felt like I was watching the Phoenix Suns from the previous two seasons. You know, the version that could not contain the perimeter and allowed opponents to make a living at the rim? For a second I thought I saw Bradley Beal jogging through the frame. Drive after drive found daylight. Chicago kept attacking the paint, and Phoenix had no answer.
And sometimes that happens. This is the NBA. Strange results live here. The Houston Rockets lost at home last night to the Warriors, a team missing Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Nights like that occur across the league.
So you take the game, write it on a piece of paper, crumple it up, and toss it toward the wastebasket. If you shot like the Suns did last night, however, that paper ball probably misses the rim too. Still, we are searching for silver linings. That means digging into the trash, unfolding that wrinkled piece of parchment, and studying what is written on it.
One of those silver linings might be something we did not expect. This game told us something about Jalen Green. More specifically, who he is not.
I know what some of you are thinking. “Good golly, Voita! Another Jalen Green piece?! What is this, the third one this week?!!!”
Yes. Absolutely.
Jalen Green sits at the center of one of the most fascinating storylines surrounding the Phoenix Suns this season. A large piece of the future depends on how the organization navigates his role and his development. He accounts for 21.7% of the salary cap. That is not a small detail.
So while I will continue preaching patience and measured judgment, ignoring what is happening would be irresponsible. The job here is to mark the mile markers along the road. To document the experience as it unfolds. When the season ends, the entire story should be sitting in front of us, not reconstructed from memory, but lived in real time.
As a player, Jalen Green checks plenty of boxes on paper, does he not. Athleticism? Check. Length? Check. Personality, likability, the right attitude? Check, check, chiggity-check. Those are the intangibles, the traits that make you lean forward a little and believe there is something there worth investing in.
Then you get to the deliverables.
Three-point shooting? Finishing at the rim? Rebounding? Defense? Efficiency? Those are the areas that define whether a player turns potential into production, and through much of this season, those areas have left plenty to be desired. Against Chicago, all of it sat under the spotlight.
Green finished the night 5-of-20 from the field and 1-of-8 from deep. Yes, he tied for the team lead in scoring during the late fourth-quarter push, although it took work to get there. He needed 11 shots to score his 9 points in the quarter. Amir Coffey also had 9 points in that stretch. He took 3 shots.
The moment that sticks with you arrived in the final seconds. One of Green’s seven misses in the fourth quarter came on a layup attempt at the rim, a shot that would have given Phoenix a 1-point lead — their first of the night — with 4.5 seconds remaining. Instead, the ball rolled away, and with it went the chance to flip the script.
The Suns just lost to a Bulls team that did not win a game in February. Phoenix never led. Had a look to go ahead for the first time in the final seconds, Jalen Green can’t get it to go. He finished 5-20 from the field. pic.twitter.com/tEnzdDamAJ
I know the loss against Chicago does not land squarely on Jalen Green’s shoulders. He was one spoke in a wheel that had a flat tire all night long. Nobody truly played well on either end of the floor, outside of Oso Ighodaro showing flashes here and there. Even he struggled at times protecting the rim. The problem was the inefficiency that spread across the entire roster. Phoenix could not slow Chicago down on one end, and they could not buy a basket on the other. That combination sinks a team every time, and it cannot all fall on Green.
Still, the game offered another look at Jalen Green operating as the second option for the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker is back on the floor, and there will be adjustments. That process takes time. The team is learning it, the organization is learning it, the fan base is learning it. The early returns, though, have not been encouraging.
External factors exist, and they deserve acknowledgment. Injuries disrupt rhythm. Roles shift. Chemistry develops over time. At the same time, the production this season sits in a place that is difficult to ignore. It has been rough. Far rougher than anyone hoped when the season began.
I bring back a chart I initially posted back in November, fresh off the heels of a stellar 29-point Green performance against the Clippers. I charted Jalen Green’s 307 games with the Rockets and reminded the fanbase that, although his debut with Phoenix was electric, inconsistency is the name of his game.
With Houston, Green scored over 30 points 51 times. That was 16.6% of the time. But he also scored with 15 or fewer points in 107 games. 34.8% of the time. My observation then? “The highs are electric. The lows come more often than you’d expect.”
Now we look at the 14 games he’s played with Phoenix this season. Chart it and…
Inconsistent much?
Green is shooting 35.5% from the field this year. From three-point range, he sits at 26.3%. His effective field goal percentage is 41.8%. To put that into context, among players who have appeared in at least 14 games (which is where Green currently sits) he ranks 428 out of 448 in effective field goal percentage. That is the statistical neighborhood he occupies right now, and those numbers paint a clear picture of the struggle.
You can make the argument that he has not had enough time with this team in this role to truly settle into it. You can point to the fact that he missed 48 games this season and is still working to get his legs underneath him. I hear those arguments, and I acknowledge them. At the same time, I am watching what is happening on the court.
His legs did not look heavy late in the game when he took Isaac Okoro off the dribble and accelerated toward the rim. That moment had burst. That moment had lift. Fatigue was not the issue on that play. The problem was the finish.
That sequence tells a story we have seen repeatedly. Throughout this game, and honestly over the past nine games since returning from injury, Jalen Green has looked athletic. Springy. Explosive. A player who can turn the corner and get downhill. The challenge appears when the play reaches the rim.
Finishing has continued to be an issue for him, and that is not something unique to this season. It has followed him through his career. Green possesses elite athleticism, although his ability to convert around the basket has never matched the level of explosion he brings to the drive. During his four seasons with the Houston Rockets, Green took 57% of his shots at the rim and converted 53.8% of them. This season, the profile has shifted. Only 31.1% of his attempts come at the rim, and he is finishing those at 44.6%. The athleticism still shows up on the drive. The result at the end of that drive continues to be the hurdle.
Here is his career shooting chart.
That’s alotta blue…
When a player is integrating into a new system, the mistakes that show up are usually schematic. You see a missed offensive screen. A defensive rotation that arrives a step late. Those are the fingerprints of someone learning a structure, learning timing, learning where the next read lives.
What I have learned over time is that system integration rarely affects the shot itself.
The shot is the familiar part. It is the one thing that travels with a player from gym to gym, team to team, system to system. It is the comfort zone. The muscle memory. The skill that exists outside of the playbook. So yes, there will be a learning curve when it comes to role and responsibility within the offense. That part is expected. The shooting production, though, should be the steady ground underneath all of it. Throughout this season, that ground has not been steady.
Right now, it is a concern. In his 9 games since returning from injury, albeit some of those out of position and scheme, Green is shooting 20.3% from deep and 43.5% overall.
I assume some regression toward the mean will occur over time. Numbers tend to move in that direction if you give them enough attempts. The issue is that the mean itself still sits a distance away. When you look at Green’s career arc as a shooter, it becomes difficult to imagine a sudden leap arriving this late in the season.
He entered this year as a 34.2% three-point shooter during his time in Houston. With 19 games remaining, the math does not offer much room for a dramatic transformation. To get to 38% from three, which would be defined as “progression”, he would need to hit his next 18 attempts in a row. To reach his own career average, he would still need to knock down his next 12 consecutive threes.
Jalen Green would need to go 12-of-12 from beyond the arc to climb back to his 34.2% career average from three point range, the mark he posted during his time in Houston.
That is the kind of arithmetic that tells you where things currently stand. And therein lies the concern.
For all the positive intangibles Jalen Green brings, the deliverables have lagged behind through this stretch of the season. In a strange way, that becomes the silver lining from nights like this. Not because he struggled, but because a longer timeline reveals something clearer. You start to see the contours of the player. You start to see where the limitations live. And those observations matter when you are talking about a player who will earn $72 million over the next two seasons.
Yes, the sample is small. Anyone can argue that there is not enough runway to identify a trend, and I would not push back too hard on that point. I tend to lean on the twenty-game rule when evaluating stretches like this. I need twenty games to truly understand who a player is within the context of a system. And if your push back is along the lines of, “Well, the situation hasn’t been ideal for Green”, I respond with “Welcome to life. It never is.” The cream rises to the top, regardless of the situation. Champions adjust.
This is not a new story emerging out of nowhere. It is more of a reinforcement of something we already understood. Jalen Green, for all of the upside that exists in his athleticism and scoring potential, has long carried the label of an inefficient player. What the Phoenix Suns are seeing right now is a closer look at that reality. They are gathering information in real time while asking a very important question.
Can he be the number two option next to Devin Booker as Booker moves deeper into the prime years of his career? Is that worth $36 million per season?
There are still 19 games left for Green to answer some of those questions. Nineteen games to settle into the offense, find rhythm, and alter the narrative. If he does not, the offseason conversation becomes far more complicated for the Phoenix Suns.
Then again, there is another layer to consider.
Injuries, recovery, and adjusting to a new system all create noise in the evaluation process. It is possible the organization decides this sample does not provide enough evidence to make a firm decision this summer. That possibility exists.
There is another uncomfortable reality attached to that scenario as well. If Green continues to shoot and perform at this level, his value on the open market shrinks quickly. The Suns could once again find themselves holding a large contract that does not align with the production on the floor. Phoenix fans have seen that movie before. Bradley Beal. Deandre Ayton. The hope inside the building is that Jalen Green does not become the next chapter in that story.
That is the silver lining from Thursday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls. The game offered another opportunity to understand who and what Jalen Green is as a number two option. Evaluation is the name of the game this season. Whether the results are good or bad, the process has to occur. The organization needs clarity on who they are and what direction they should take moving forward.
Thankfully, this evaluation period is happening at a moment when the Suns are not hurting themselves too badly in the standings. Phoenix remains firmly planted in the seventh spot in the Western Conference. Even after the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets last night, the Suns still sit three games ahead of Golden State in that position. That means, as things currently stand, Phoenix would host a Play-In game against them. Try not to look too closely at the fact that the Suns are 1-3 against the Warriors this season.
Sure, a win against Chicago would have been ideal. It would have helped Phoenix gain ground on both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. That opportunity slipped away. Instead, the focus shifts to what the game revealed. Several performances fell below the standard. One of them carried far more weight than the others. When a player commands that level of financial investment, the spotlight naturally follows.
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, hosts Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco dive into the growing excitement surrounding the World Baseball Classic while breaking down the latest developments from Kansas City Royals spring training. From international baseball storylines to roster battles in Surprise, the hosts analyze how global competition and early spring performances could shape the Royals’ upcoming season.
Jacob and Jeremy evaluate key player metrics and performances, including encouraging signs from pitchers like Daniel Lynch, while also discussing how the recently finalized Starling Marte signing fits into the team’s evolving roster strategy. The conversation highlights emerging prospects, roster construction challenges, and the data-driven insights that help fans understand which players may rise — or fall — as Opening Day approaches.
Whether you’re tracking the Royals’ spring training competitions, following the global spectacle of the World Baseball Classic, or looking for deeper analysis on roster development and player performance, this episode provides thoughtful insights and engaging discussion for baseball fans everywhere.
Brandon Waddell | Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
In December 2024, David Stearns signed Brandon Waddell to a minor league contract, the right-hander having spent the prior two seasons playing in Asia, 2023 with the Rakuten Monkeys of the CPBL and the Doosan Bears of the KBO and 2024 with Doosan. Scouts specifically honed in on Waddell’s improved control, a refined changeup, and a newly added sweeping slider. While the right-hander didn’t do anything in particular to stick out, he logged an extremely respectable season. He was promoted up and down from Triple-A Syracuse to the major leagues multiple times over the course of the season and posted a 3.45 ERA in 11 games with the Mets, allowing 29 hits, walking 11, and striking out 22 in 31.1 innings.
The yeoman’s work that the left-handed did throughout the year did not go overlooked, as Stearns re-signed the left-hander for the 2026 season on a major league shortly after the 2025 season officially concluded. Not every player who steps foot on the field needs to be a star, and while Waddell certainly was not one, he was a good soldier and then some in 2025. He was designated for assignment in December and then outrighted to Syracuse after passing through waivers.
The left-hander will be competing for a spot in a Mets bullpen that has been augmented since his initial signing, but a strong showing in spring training could punch his ticket north for Opening Day 2026 in Queens as one of the final bullpen arms.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 04: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game between the Team Canada and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Aaron Nola got off to bad starts over the previous two seasons. While it didn’t look bad from a results standpoint in 2024, he had a FIP of 4.49 over the first month of the season and carried a strikeout rate that would’ve been his lowest since 2015 over a full season.
His 2025 season was a mess all around. His ERA sat at 5.40 in the six starts he made to begin the season, but he showed better signs than the previous season with a higher strikeout rate and a slightly lower FIP. It was slightly better from a process standpoint but significantly worse results.
In both cases, the Phillies front office didn’t pay Nola over $24 million a season to put up those numbers, so it was important for him to look different coming into camp. He needed to get off to a much better start in 2026.
The biggest reason Nola started slow in back-to-back seasons is his velocity. Over the first month of the last two regular seasons, he has sat at 91.2 mph on his four-seam fastball. That is always going to be worse for him than the typical 92-93 he ramps up to over the following five months.
This was, at least to some extent, intentional. He is expected to make 30-33 starts and pitch 190-200 innings a season while being as effective as possible in October. Spring training and April are sacrifices to make for what is more important down the line.
But with only pitching 94.1 innings and playing for Team Italy in the WBC, he has looked different to begin spring training. Over his first two starts this spring, Nola has pitched five innings with six strikeouts and one earned run. His breaking ball has looked sharp, the changeup looks good, and the command is dialed in.
But the most encouraging sign is what his velocity looks like so far in camp. He sat 91.7 mph while touching 92.9 against the Marlins. In his second start against Canada, Nola sat 92.1 while touching 93.9.
This looks like the makings of not just a bounce back season from a disastrous 2025 but his best since 2022, the last time Nola looked like a top of the rotation starter.
Other Notes
It’s only been two outings for pitcher Yoniel Curet but you would certainly like to see more. In his first outing against the Nationals, he struck out two in a scoreless inning but it took 28 pitches. His outing against the Tigers was a disaster, walking two, allowing two more hits, and five earned runs.
If the league still ends up suspending Johan Rojas after his appeal is over, the Phillies’ center field depth starts getting very thin. Only Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh play a proven center field on their 40-man roster and the AAA options might be Pedro León. Gabriel Rincones Jr and Bryan De La Cruz are strictly corner outfielders, and there isn’t much depth behind them.
While Johan Rojas has been frustrating as a player with not cutting down the swing, not learning to bunt, and some mental baserunning issues, there could still be room for him to have some future here.
Most hockey fans were surprised when they woke up to see that the Washington Capitals had traded veteran blueliner John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks for a couple of picks during the night. There had been plenty of chatter around the league about the likes of Zach Whitecloud, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Connor Murphy, to name a few, but no one had been talking about Carlson, a lifelong Caps player who had played 1143 games with Washington.
As things stand, the Capitals are outside of the playoff picture, looking in with 69 points. Only four points behind the Boston Bruins, who are the second wild card team. However, Washington has already played 63 games, meaning everyone else involved in the playoff race has one of two games in hand on them, making catching up a very tall task.
This is not Washington’s first trade in the final blitz to the deadline; they also moved Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights for 23-year-old goaltender Jesper Vikman and a couple of picks. The two trades show a clear desire for the Caps to get younger. Could it be that they are on the cusp of entering a rebuild? Alexander Ovechkin’s contract expires at the end of this season, and as of February 20th, the best goal scorer in NHL history didn’t know if he wanted to sign another contract with the Caps.
If this is what’s in the cards, could the Capitals be tempted to listen to offers on other players? The Montreal Canadiens could certainly use some help up front and some grit, especially if the rumours linking Arber Xhekaj to the Calgary Flames turn out to be true. With Juraj Slafkovsky playing on the second line along Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, we’ve seen a revolving door on Nick Suzuki’s wing because the Habs had no one else who has the same profile as the big Slovak.
The Capitals do have someone who fits that bill, though; they have perhaps one of the best power forwards in the league in soon-to-be 32-year-old Tom Wilson. The winger has 49 points in 53 games this season, and at the Olympics, Wilson found himself riding shotgun with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini. The tough guy can definitely play hockey.
You know you really love Canada 🇨🇦 when you’re a Habs fan cheering for a Tom Wilson goal 😅
Could the Caps be open to moving him? Could he be a good fit for the Canadiens? It seems obvious that for now, the answer is yes, but Wilson is not getting any younger, and he’s under contract for another four seasons with a $6.5 million cap hit. The Habs’ brass saw firsthand last season the kind of impact that he can have in a playoff series, and by now, they’re very aware that there is a gaping hole in their top six. Slafkovsky is only one man, and he cannot play on two lines.
Unfortunately, chances are that the price tag on Wilson would be way too high for the Canadiens to make that move. If Wilson were younger, the Habs could be all over him, but sacrificing young assets for a player who will help the Sainte-Flanelle for a couple of years is not the Hughes modus operandi. It’s a shame, as he could kill two birds with one stone, bringing him in, but the package he would have to sacrifice would likely be just too big.
TOM WILSON AND JOSH ANDERSON GET INTO IT AND TAKE THE FIGHT ONTO THE BENCH 😱🤯
Furthermore, the Caps traded Carlson because he was on an expiring deal, and Dowd had only one more season left on his. Wilson is in a very different position, and he very well may be the kind of leader the Caps intend to guide their young players. Still, it was an interesting thought to entertain… Wilson skating with Suzuki and Cole Caufield could have been quite the combination.
Bobby McMann is from Wainwright, Alberta. He grew up about two hours southeast of the Edmonton Oilers home rink, and right now there’s a reasonable case to be made that that’s where he should be playing hockey.
McMann is having a good season for a Toronto team that is, despite what their fans will tell you at every available opportunity, not making the playoffs. He can hit, he can produce, he’ll do the dirty work without being asked twice, and he’ll do what his coach tells him to without having to be asked twice. Not every player on the current Oilers roster can say the same thing. Some of them can barely do one thing consistently, let alone several.
The situation in Toronto is pretty straightforward. McMann is on an expiring contract, he reportedly wants around $4.5 million on his next deal, and the Leafs don’t even want to give him $4 million. That gaps not going to close, which means Toronto has a decision to make. They can move him before the deadline and get something back, or watch him walk in the offseason for nothing while a fanbase that’s already running out of patience asks pointed questions about what kind of decisions their GM is making.
The Leafs are sellers whether they want to admit it or not, and there’s at least some urgency on their end to get a return that isn’t just a handshake and a best of luck.
Edmonton, meanwhile, has some things to move. They already dealt Andrew Mangiapane. Albeit, along with a 2027 conditional first round pick, which, fine not great, but it happened. Now they have offload Trent m Frederic, who’s making $3.8 million and hasn’t been what the Oilers needed him to be. And frankly, Kris Knoblauch needs players who show up every night and do it again the next. Frederic hasn’t exactly carved out an indispensable role.
If Edmonton retains $1 million of that contract and sends him to Toronto, that gets the conversation started. Maybe that’s enough. Maybe it isn’t and you need to attach an AHL player to get it across the finish line, which is fine, that’s how these things work.
The other option is Quinn Hutson, and this is where it gets more complicated. Hutson is a legitimate prospect, a fine hockey player, and everyone in the organization likes him. But he is not his brothers, and that’s not a knock so much as it is an honest assessment of where he projects.
The Oilers need help next season, maybe the season after, because they’re running on McDavid’s contract timeline whether they like it or not. Hutson isn’t ready to push them that far yet, and trading him alongside something else to get McMann isn’t as painful a pill as it might sound on the surface.
Once you make that move with Hutson, you’re also looking at around $2.5 million that needs to go down to the AHL, and that’s probably Connor Murphy. The Oilers are carrying $2.2 million of his $4.4 million deal, and parking that in the minors opens up some cap flexibility.
You could try to work Anthony Stolarz back into this somehow — an Edmonton goaltending situation that includes him is a more comfortable one than what they have right now — but that’s probably a reach. Stolarz has value and Toronto knows it.
Then it’s pretty simple when all is said and done. McMann on a line with Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen, who can play center, is a good third line. Three players who forecheck hard, compete every shift, and don’t need the puck handed to them to be effective. On a team built around McDavid and Draisaitl, surrounded by the Matt Savoies and players still finding their footing, that line does something real against other teams’ third and fourth lines in a long playoff series.
Toronto gets Frederic or Hutson, clears McMann’s contract situation out of the room, and ships him to the Western Conference if they only want to see him twice a year. Edmonton gets a power forward with local ties who wants to win and costs them a player that wasn’t solving any of their problems anyway.
COLUMBUS, GA - JULY 26: Edwin Arroyo #4 of the Chattanooga Lookouts stands in position with a rainbow overhead during the game between the Chattanooga Lookouts and the Columbus Clingstones at Synovus Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Columbus, Georgia. (Photo by Natalie Buchanan/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds have trimmed their roster prior to Friday’s trip to Scottsdale to face the San Francisco Giants. According to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, right-handed pitchers Julian Aguiar and Jose Franco were joined by shortstop Edwin Arroyo and outfielder Hector Rodriguez in being optioned to AAA Louisville, while infielder Leo Balcazar was optioned to AA Chattanooga.
Perhaps the biggest bit of news here is that both Aguiar and Franco are now out of the running for spots in the team’s starting rotation for Opening Day. Both were always going to be considered dark horse candidates given the presence of each of Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Brandon Williamson in camp, but it’s somewhat notable that both were optioned right now given that we’re all waiting with bated breath to see just how forked ace Hunter Greene’s right elbow is.
As for the rest of the moves, they’re pretty stock issue. Arroyo is already away with Team Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic, and despite his best efforts so far in spring camp is clearly behind Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain in the middle-infield mix for the time being. It’s a similar story for Rodriguez, as he’s buried on the depth chart (for the time being) behind the likes of JJ Bleday and Will Benson and will get a second, more thorough chance to mash at AAA as still just a 21 year old.
It’s also worth pointing out who did not get cut in this round. Despite having pretty significant hills to climb to beat out more established guys for Opening Day roster spots, each of Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Rece Hinds, Tejay Antone, and Blake Dunn will remain in big league camp for the time being, as will non-roster guys like Nate Lowe and Garrett Hampson.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Jack Leiter #22 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for March 6, 2026 against the Seattle Mariners.
Texas plays a spring game against the hated Mariners of Seattle this afternoon. Jack Leiter will be the starting pitcher for Texas.
PEORIA, AZ - FEBRUARY 28: Kade Anderson #13 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While we’ve been getting a heavy dose of Mariners prospects this spring with so many players out at the WBC, there’s still a showcase event for prospects: the Spring Breakout games, a prospects-vs-prospects contest between two teams. Last year the Mariners matched up with the Guardians, including top prospect Travis Bazzana. This year, they’ve drawn the Brewers as an opponent and will play the Spring Breakout game at American Family Field in Maryvale.
The Mariners spring breakout game will be on Friday, March 20 at 2:10 PT. It will be broadcast live on MLBN and streamed on MarinersTV. Expect this game to be one of the more-publicized of the Spring Breakout games, as there is a chance the Mariners-Brewers game could have as many as 11 Top-100 prospects (six from the Mariners, tied for highest in baseball, and five from the Brewers: SS Jesus Made, SS Luis Peña, INF/OF Jett Williams, SS Cooper Pratt, RHP Brandon Sproat).
The current Spring Breakout roster is a traditional 40-man roster; that will be reduced to a regular 27-man roster on March 16th. Here is the current Mariners player pool, which will be updated after the cuts are made.
Left-handed pitchers:
Kade Anderson, Robinson Ortiz, Mason Peters
Right-handed pitchers:
Charlie Beilenson, Tyler Cleveland, Ryan Hawks, Casey Hintz, Griffin Hugus*, Lucas Kelly, Grant Knipp, Po-Chun Lin, Danny Macchiarola, Teddy McGraw*, Brock Moore, Michael Morales, Marcelo Perez, Colton Shaw, Chia-Shi Shen, Ryan Sloan
Catchers:
Josh Caron, Connor Charping, Luke Stevenson
Infielders:
Michael Arroyo, 2B; Nick Becker, SS; Felnin Celesten, SS; Colt Emerson, SS; Charlie Pagliarini, 3B; Brock Rodden, 2B/3B; Leandro Romero, SS; Austin St. Laurent, 3B; Luis Suisbel, 1B
Outfielders:
Yorger Bautista, Korbyn Dickerson, Jonny Farmelo, Carlos Jimenez, Victor Labrada*, Lazaro Montes, Jared Sundstrom, Aiden Taurek, Rhylan Thomaa
*Not currently playing due to injury
This will be the last year for the traditional Spring Breakout games (one organization’s prospects vs. another organization’s prospects in a single game). Next year, MLB is introducing a single-elimination, tournament-style contest for the games.
