The first iteration of Sunday Night Baseball for the 2026 season goes down tonight between the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners at 7:20 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Can star slugger Jose Ramirez and red-hot rookie Chase DeLauter take advantage of an advantageous pitching matchup? How about Slade Cecconi’s strikeout prop against a whiff-heavy Mariners squad?
Emerson Hancock gets the nod for the Seattle Mariners, and that’s more about the injuries around him than it is his personal brilliance.
The tall righty has managed poor results with a 5.49 xERA and 5.23 FIP across 162 2/3 innings despite playing in the pitcher’s haven that is T-Mobile Park.
The former Georgia Bulldog pitches to contact with a lowly 16.6% K rate, and those balls-in-play have a high likelihood of falling for hits given his second-percentile xBA (.291).
Jose Ramirez demolished right-handed pitching a year ago (143 wRC+) and has strong numbers against four-seamers, sinkers, and changeups — Hancock’s hittable three-pitch arsenal against left-handed bats.
Slade Cecconi Over 4.5 strikeouts (-112)
The Seattle Mariners have some worrisome contact data at the plate through three games, leading to an increased expectation for Cleveland Guardians starter Slade Cecconi’s strikeout numbers.
They have the worst zone-contact percentage (74.6%) in the league, which has led to a 32.1% K rate. Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Joey Cantillo all managed to find swings and misses against this lineup, and now it’s Cecconi’s turn.
The 26-year-old was sharp in the spring, tossing a 1.62 ERA across 16 2/3 frames. He’s riding a nine-inning scoreless streak and has found success adding a sweeper and tightening his cutter. The new arsenal should pay immediate dividends before hitters can adjust.
Chase DeLauter home run (+450)
Do you know who leads Major League Baseball in home runs entering Sunday?
It’s Cleveland rookie Chase DeLauter with four, who has homered in each of his first three regular-season games — including last night’s game-winning dinger in the 10th inning.
The ballyhood prospect has lived up to the hype and more, and a case can be made that he’s the league’s hottest hitter given his .357/.357/.1.214 slash line.
There’s been a lot of swing-and-miss in his game (35.7%), but Hancock’s unimpressive strikeout abilities diminish that concern. If DeLauter makes contact, look out.
How to watch Guardians vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
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.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made a roster move, as they have announced that they have recalled defenseman Kevin Korchinski from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Korchinski has appeared in four games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded one assist, three blocks, and a minus-1 rating. In 53 games this season with the IceHogs, he has posted two goals, 24 assists, and 26 points.
Korchinski landing another call-up with the Blackhawks is certainly notable, as he is one of Chicago's brightest young players. Now, the 2022 seventh-overall pick will be looking to impress after getting this latest chance on the Blackhawks' roster.
In 96 career games over three NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, Korchinski has recorded six goals, 12 assists, 18 points, and 30 penalty minutes.
OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 26: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his third-period goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Erik Karlsson #65, Egor Chinakhov #59, Bryan Rust #17 and Noel Acciari #55 on March 26, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference playoff race are starting to get into single digits for remaining games this season. The race is on for the highly competitive spot above the playoff line.
In this week’s developments the Flyers and Capitals have won enough games to hang on the periphery but are running out of time and accordingly remain longshots. Philadelphia has a better chance given they have at least a game in hand on all the other teams but they would have to win a few more and get some luck for multiple teams losing before things truly got interesting.
That leaves 10 serious teams vying for the eight playoff spots. Some teams have lost momentum, the Penguins, Islanders and Red Wings have all been spinning their wheels as far as getting results in the last 10 or 12 games. That left the door open for the first wave of hard charging teams, Columbus and Ottawa, to put themselves in the picture after tremendous post-Olympic runs for both. It’s difficult for those runs to last forever, the Blue Jackets have dropped three of their last four games and the Senators find themselves losers of their last two (0-1-1 to pick up an important point against Pittsburgh).
One team quietly doing a good job lately is Boston, 5-1-2 in their last eight games. Avoiding regulation losses is the name of the game and the Bruins have done a good job of that, and even better by pulling out wins against quality opponents (Buffalo and Minnesota have fallen recently to the B’s).
The Penguins look ahead to potentially their most important week of the season. Their fate might go down to the wire to make for even bigger games at the end of the season but a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back against NYI and Detroit is so important. Hockeystats.com’s model has Pittsburgh today at 81% likely to make the playoffs. Tomorrow’s game carries up to a 21% swing, depending on the result. The game has even bigger implications for the Islanders, who could see a 29% swing for their projection simply based on this one game. Games can be more meaningful but it’s a challenge to find one so important to both teams.
Moneypuck’s model is even more sensitive to the Pens’ cause, throwing a 27.1% swing into the mix.
The good news for the Penguins is while this game is huge with massive implications, it’s hardly a ‘must win’ game. Winning, obviously, is more helpful to the situation than a loss, but the team has more chances down the stretch. The Hockeystat’s model projects Pittsburgh to end up with 98 points at the end of the season. That becomes more difficult and less margin of error to get there with a loss tomorrow, though it’s still possible the team could win five out of their last eight games and end up in the same place.
That said, given the damage a regulation loss would due to the Isles’, it’s a game with a great opportunity to stay in front of them in the standings. And if the Pens stay ahead of NYI, then they will make the playoffs (assuming nothing zany like a 10-game Philadelphia winning streak happens, pardon the mere idea!)
The Tuesday game against the Red Wings is nearly as important, and could deal another massive blow to Detroit’s chances. The Red Wings don’t play today or tomorrow, they have a lot of time to prepare and focus on the Pens. Pittsburgh has their massive game on Monday to add a back-to-back element. For much of the year it seemed like the Pens were incredibly fortunate on catching teams on the second part of their b-2-b, the situation turns at a crucial moment.
The calendar turns to April on Wednesday, and Pittsburgh is playing meaningful games. It doesn’t get much better than that. The season is coming down to the wire and teams have worked all year to put themselves in these positions. Now is the fun part to see which are able to rise to the occasion and who will be left disappointed and wondering where things went wrong.
The red-hot Montreal Canadiens will visit the Carolina Hurricanes today. These teams met just five days ago at the Bell Centre, with Montreal emerging victorious in a convincing 5-2 win.
My Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks suggest some similar happenings in Raleigh, given Montreal's strength on the road. Expect Cole Caufield, the NHL's hottest goal scorer, to chump the Hurricanes for a second time this week.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes prediction
Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Cole Caufield anytime goalscorer (+150)
No one has scored more goals than Cole Caufield in 2026.
The 45-goal man has eight goals in his last eight games and found twine against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. He has two goals and four points in three games against Carolina this season.
He has 26 goals in 32 games since the calendar flipped. Ride the hot hand as he pushes for the elusive half-century mark.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes same-game parlay
Few offseason additions have been as beneficial as Noah Dobson. The 26-year-old leads the NHL in blocked shots (176) and has hit the Over in six of the last seven games, blocking an astounding 25 shots. He has a terrific matchup to wear some rubber tonight, as the Canes average the second-most shots on goal per game.
The Habs are perhaps the hottest team in the league right now, entering tonight on a four-game heater. They've won three straight against Carolina, including two straight as underdogs.
Furthermore, they're the fourth-best team away from home in terms of points percentage (.657). Jakub Dobes will get the nod in goal, and he's been lights-out as of late.
The Canadiens have won three straight games against the Hurricanes, including back-to-back wins as underdogs. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.
How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes
Location
Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Puck drop
5:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN2
Canadiens vs Hurricanes 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.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JUNE 22: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder speaks with referees Josh Tiven #58 and James Williams #60 before Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We got ourselves a Sunday treat as there is an NBA Finals preview on tap.
Knicks vs. Thunder for the second time this regular season as the warm-up game for New York’s future sweep of OKC come June.
Here’s the latest before this evening’s showdown.
“I want y’all to know I’m ready for y’all. Y’all not ready for me, I’m applying all pressure on y’all all summer…Y’all was sleeping on me…All gas no brakes-that’s gone be me rest of my life”
— Dink Pate’s 12 straight for Westchester wins last game of year, Mark Pope courtside pic.twitter.com/RP4ZHvJrfo
On the close loss to Oklahoma City earlier this season:
“It was a good game. It was a competitive game. Shai hit a big three I think down the stretch to create a little separation, but that could have been anybody’s game at the end of the day. Usually when you have two good teams, that’s what the result can be.”
On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-drawing:
“Does a great job of convincing the referees, probably better than anyone in the league, that he’s getting hit.
“He’s crafty. He’s the one that’s figured out how to make sure he’s in position to take advantage of the situation … We have to do a better job of not helping him or enhancing what he does really well.”
On preparing for the rematch with Oklahoma City:
“You gotta give Shai a lot of credit, because he’s crafty. He’s the one that has figured out how to make sure he’s in a position to take advantage of the situation or the system. We have to do a better job of not helping him or enhancing what he does really well.”
On chasing Pat Riley’s first-season wins record:
“There’s one thing that’s gonna mean a lot to me, and you know what that is.”
On Jordan Clarkson’s leadership:
“You can have leadership in a lot of different ways. As of late, the reality of it is, a guy like Jordan Clarkson is starting to separate himself and showing that he’s one of the leaders of the team. Just because you start, just because you score a ton or shoot a ton, or you’re one of the best defenders, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a leader. Because one of the things is, leaders aren’t afraid to tell the truth. They do what they say. Being a leader means you gotta be on point all the time. You can’t be worried about whether your teammate likes you at the time because you’re saying something that’s truthful or you’re holding people accountable or not. So when you look at a guy like Jordan, who’s been through a lot, who’s still stayed ready, even when he was out, for him and listening to him speak up in front of the group now, that’s starting to show real leadership. Other guys have spoken up, other guys are trying to do it, and Mitch is one of them.”
"Giannis is not coming. He's not coming to New York."
“I feel like we kind of executed our game plan. We give them credit. Chet had a great game. Shai had a good game. Obviously, defensively they played well. That’s the main thing I remember. They’re good. And I think we played very well, too.”
On adjusting to officiating and SGA’s foul-baiting tendencies:
“There’s so much dialogue about it. You gotta adjust to every ref things differently every game, every player, no two players are the same. You gotta be able to adjust to what the referees are calling, to your opponent.”
“Communication and effort. That kind of slows up anybody. The more connected, the more we talk and be there for one another and have each other’s backs, we’ll be all right.”
On growing into a vocal leader:
“The guys are starting to trust me a lot more. They’re putting trust in me, so I’m telling them what I see and things that I think we can get better at. Being more vocal, it’s coming naturally. The guys mentioned a few times that I’m the anchor of the defense. They trust me on the defensive end. That helps a lot.”
On the need for improvements before the playoffs:
“We’re gonna do some talking and get better connected and stuff like that. That’s basically what we have to do, at this point right now. In the playoffs, you’re playing the same team, potentially, seven times. The more we’re connected, the better off we’ll be. You’ve seen what we did last year, and we’re trying to go farther.”
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) slides to the plate as Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) looks on in the bottom of the sixth inning of an MLB game between the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays on March 28, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The A’s are still looking for that first win of the season. Let’s not get swept by the Blue Jays to start the season, eh?
We got Luis Morales on the bump today for his first start of the season. The righty had a tough camp but he can start putting that all behind him with a quality outing today.
Switching things up, we like it. Shea bats leadoff on his half-day while we see Darell Hernaiz get his first start of the year at second base in place of Jeff McNeil. Will it help jump-start our year? To be determined…
MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 18: Bruce Sherman, principle owner of the Miami Marlins, introduces Clayton McCullough (L) as the manager of the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on November 18, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2022, the “It’s Not My Moneyball” series was created in response to the lockout imposed by the owners that disrupted Spring Training and arguably cost Clayton Kershaw a perfect game in Minneapolis (I had fun). As the season starts, the World Baseball Classic concludes, we must revive this series as trouble looms in the distance, hanging in the air, exactly in the way a brick does not.
Introducing the Dirty Dozen
The current playoff system is allowing more teams than ever to play in postseason ball, with 23 of 30 teams making the playoffs at least once, and 12 of 30 have won their division. While I was initially skeptical, this state of affairs is an unalloyed good. The fact that MLB did not have a repeat champion for 25 years clearly demonstrates the randomness of the postseason tournament.
Those crying for “parity” point to the National Football League as a prime example, seemingly forgetting that dynasties can and do happen in a hard-salary-cap league. For all the NFL’s alleged parity, one has to go back to 2010 for a conference championship weekend without either the New England Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs participating.
If the owners (and to a lesser extent, Hollywood) had their way, the famous line about “rich teams, poor teams, fifty feet of excrement, and then the Athletics” from the venerated film Moneyball would be true. I love the film, but it completely ignores Miguel Tejada’s MVP campaign and the young stellar rotation of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson. But sure, let’s focus on pre-Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt, while cementing a slightly askew version of baseball economics.
If we are being entirely honest, while using the film’s framing for reference, there are the Dodgers, then teams that can feasibly keep up them on a pure spending basis in the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays, then teams that are either barely going over or hovering at the 2026 luxury tax threshold of $244 million in the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs.
Then we have teams at least within 60 million of the luxury tax threshold: Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals.
Then we have the teams bringing up the rear, with projected luxury tax payrolls from FanGraphs and threshold amounts. It’s not pretty because we are talking about over a third of the league — twelve teams, a dirty dozen of billionaire paupers.
Cincinnati Reds ($151 million, 93 million from threshold)
Cleveland Guardians ($98 million, 146 million), and
Miami Marlins ($84 million, 160 million).
It’s kind of funny, and a little pathetic, that the owners are going to pretend that Miami is not a viable baseball market during negotiations. That statement is true during the regular MLB season, as loanDepot Park is a factory of contemporary sadness. However, one would not have known that state of affairs during the recently concluded World Baseball Classic. Loud fans, who are actually allowed to sit in the upper deck in a packed house? In this economy?!? At loanDepot Park?!?
The fact that loanDepot Park is unlikely to get that full again for at least three years is a damning indictment of the incompetence of the current ownership group down there. There is a high cost to being poor or playing at being poor, in baseball’s case, in the United States.
When the Dodgers’ luxury tax bill exceeds a team’s literal payroll, a few truths become painfully clear.
First, these teams are not trying. While one would expect teams that just started rebuilding (like St. Louis and Minnesota) to have lower payrolls, there are teams in this pauper’s brigade who are clearly being subsidized by the Dodgers’ largesse.
A rebuild that never ends is just sanctioned mediocrity.
The Brewers rely on a model of self-imposed austerity in which they either draft and develop well or suffer perpetual mediocrity. This essay is not arguing that the Brewers must spend like the Dodgers, as most teams cannot. However, if a team cannot spend within the completely arbitrary yet somehow respectable $160 to $190 million range of the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Royals, and Angels (all that money wasted in Anaheim), and make itself look like a pauper compared to the San Francisco Giants, what are you doing?
To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, there is far less margin for error when operating on a pauper’s budget.
Tampa plays in the Dinky Ice Rink that God (Usually) Forgets, and Cleveland plays in a nice ballpark, somehow won their division last year, and planned to follow up that campaign by literally doing almost nothing apart from running it back, much to the annoyance of anyone who noticed. If one were forced to find a theme in what I will call the Dirty Dozen, most members are from the Central Divisions of both leagues.
But Michael, these teams cannot possibly spend on the level of the Dodgers and other markets. Therefore, they cannot possibly retain their stars.
If such a fact were true, it would be time to strip away the league’s antitrust exemption, consider dividing the league into a Premier League and a Champions League, and introduce relegation in Major League Baseball.
[Author’s Note: Expand to 32 teams, split between 16 teams — talk about a thought experiment! The bottom two teams play a playoff series to avoid relegation. The top four teams in the lower division play in a playoff tournament, with the winner promoted. Thoughts for later.]
Capitalism is alive and well in MLB
This fact is not true, so I shall continue. One does not have to think very hard in order to come up with examples.
Bobby Witt is inarguably the best player produced by the Kansas City Royals organization in the past twenty years, although just how good is a question for our colleagues at our sister site, Royals Review. If the naysayers were correct, Witt would have hit free agency with aplomb, likely leaving the City of Fountains.
There is an unacknowledged truth about the market as it is now: there’s nothing stopping teams from spending money to lock up homegrown talent during the team control years, at the expense of buying years of arbitration (which owners generally hate) and early free agency. Witt signed for 11 years and $288 million, both franchise records.
Now, there are instances where players price themselves out of the market. Everyone seems to forget that the Dodgers let star shortstop Corey Seager depart for the Texas Rangers in a 10-year, $325 million deal. Yes, this deal occurred in the pre-Ohtani era. I would have gone 7 years at $275 million, which is the type of higher Average Annual Value deal the Dodgers could not make work with Bryce Harper et al., but one that finally worked for Kyle Tucker.
Yet most view it as a fait accompli that Paul Skenes will depart Pittsburgh and Tarik Skubal will depart Detroit at their earliest respective opportunities. Yet Skenes is only in his second year, and Skubal and the Tigers did not discuss a long-term extension this offseason, which is his last year under his current contract.
If the Tigers are just going to shrug and feign helplessness, I hope they make use of the compensatory draft pick when Skubal signs elsewhere. If an organization is going to try to embarrassingly lowball Skubal in his final year of arbitration — and what a blunder that fiasco was — one cannot be shocked when Skubal suits up for more money next year. I saw Skubal be somewhat mortal against the Dodgers in Detroit in 2024, which was the only game the Dodgers prevailed in that weekend.
If Skubal ends up in Los Angeles, the Tigers will likely only have themselves to blame. The Dodgers have both benefited from other teams’ failures (Boston re: Mookie Betts, Atlanta re: Freddie Freeman, San Francisco re: Blake Snell, Tampa re: Tyler Glasnow, Toronto re: Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, etc., etc.) and invested in infrastructure and drafting, even finding value in down-year drafts.
Stars will continue to get paid. The underlying gripe in the naysayers’ complaints, as I see it, is that these cheapskates, rather than haranguing and hectoring their own skinflint ownership into acting, would rather not follow up on the good fortune of having a star come up through the ranks in order to be paid like one.
Juan Soto’s latest contract, a 15-year, $765 million deal, is a boneheadedly stupid contract for someone with mediocre-to-awful defense and someone who is not a two-way player. If a team wants to spend stupidly, see the Mets, see the late 2000s Dodgers, etc., the market is going to allow it, and generally pay the baseball and monetary costs for it.
A loser with a checkbook is still a loser
The lazy, borderline stupid take is that imposing a salary cap and floor would improve parity in MLB and make talent more available throughout the league. Brodie Brazil argued as such recently, when a proposed $260-280 million cap and a $140-160 million floor entered the discussion, likely in an attempt to prime public opinion.
Mr. Brazil makes the dubious argument that, if the hypothetical floor and cap were imposed using this year’s payrolls, the players would end up with more money under this system than they do under the current system, and that things would not change all that dramatically, as under the proffered numbers for hard cap and floor, players would get more money overall.
While the arithmetic is technically correct, it’s an argument missing context, like confidently arguing a lump of metal falls faster than a feather when dropped from the same height (gravity is the same on both objects; wind resistance is the missing variable).
If he truly believes that last part of his argument, I have an overextended, teetering Bay Area mass transit system to sell him. I could even do a little song about it, even though it’s technically not a monorail. Rather than asking how the boot leather tastes, it is worth noting that MLB already operates under a soft cap system.
If penalties for going over or being too far under need more teeth, that discussion might be worth having. Maybe the parties will get there after setting all the goodwill generated by the 2025 World Series and the 2026 World Baseball Classic on fire.
Imagine making an extra $100 million dollars available to the owners of the Dirty Dozen right now. Does anyone honestly believe that they are going to spend this extra money on payroll rather than pocket it as they have been doing? The flip side to the Dodgers being forced to spend less money on payroll in a hardcap system is the unexpected consequence of the organization keeping more money, which they will undoubtedly use creatively to maintain their current dominance.
If anything, the Dodgers have been operating with a chip on their shoulders for a while. Years of playoff frustration and mockery, combined with unlimited money, tend to do that.
Do the naysayers really want to create additional variables for people smarter than the average front-office person to overcome? The Dodgers responded to the league’s apparent indifference toward the 2017 Trashtros’ misdeeds by transforming from a perceived squad of talented homegrown goobers into a faux-mercenary brigade that challenges the league to beat them when it counts.
Get better or get angry
The Dodgers are benefiting from mastery of the current economic system. When I now hear the lamentations of those who complain, it is the frustrated wish of those saddled with being fans of teams that are fundamentally lacking.
Shohei Ohtani was never, under any circumstances, going to be a Sacramento/Oakland/Las Vegas Athletic or Milwaukee Brewer or a Miami Marlin, 50/50 heroics aside. One can chart out the same path for Freeman, Betts, Glasnow, Snell, or just about any of the Dodgers’ current constellation of stars.
“There’s a legacy that’s already in here, and you just try to carry that [legacy] on,” said Max Muncy, now the team’s longest-tenured player after Kershaw’s departure. “You’re not trying to change it, you’re trying to keep it going.”
Baseball’s richest payroll means plenty of well-compensated stars. Which means egos and players wanting to maximize their place in a lineup that resembles the Walk of Fame. Which, in theory, breeds simmering chaos.
Except in Los Angeles, it seems.
“We don’t have the narcissistic superstar,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained.
Mookie Betts put it less delicately.
“Nobody’s being a d— in here,” he said….
…“Because we all love each other, we all trust each other,” Betts said. “We’re all very comfortable going up and telling one another our opinions. And it’s never in a derogatory (way), a tearing someone down way. It’s always in a positive manner, and it’s never like, ‘This is the end of the world.’”
There is a reason that even veteran role players like Miguel Rojas have bought into what the Dodgers are selling on the field.
Miguel Rojas says the Dodgers don’t care what anyone thinks about how they’re operating and that other teams are just “trying to blame someone for their losses” pic.twitter.com/LN6HVNw8SY
Yes, the money helps, but the Dodgers’ current run is something truly unique.
The Smoking Gun
Yes, there are multiple non-exclusive ways to build a roster: through the draft, through trades, through the open market of free agency, and through international posting. It is not one exclusive approach that works, as the Dodgers have shown excellence in all of these areas.
Per Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post,who reported on February 19, the owners have assembled an approximately $2 billion war chest as a rainy-day fund, with about $75 million from each team.
As of this essay, 15 teams have spent more on this lockout fund than on the open market. It is not a perfect one-to-one match, but it is no surprise that ten teams of the Dirty Dozen spent more on the fund than in the open market. The White Sox spent barely more than their contribution. The Giants did not, somehow, which explains a lot of the agita from San Francisco this winter.
The Players Union will never agree to a salary cap. These Dirty Dozen owners do not want to spend cash now while existing in a more forgiving system. Stars will continue to get paid, especially while deferred money is still a thing. The people caught in the crossfire of a hardcap are the mid-tier guys and the overvalued bullpen guys: your Michael Confortos, Chris Taylors, Kirby Yates, Tanner Scotts, et al, etc.
If that view is what the naysayer truly believes and is oblivious to the fact that dynasties can and do happen in a hard-cap system, I only have one thing to say: good luck. After all, a loser with a checkbook is still a loser. As long as the Dodgers remain a destination, players will continue to gravitate toward them.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Now that the Phillies’ dreams of an undefeated season have been dashed, they’ll have to settle for going for a series victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Jesus Luzardo gets the start for the Phillies. The lefthander was 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 2025.
MacKenzie Gore will be making his Rangers debut after coming to Texas in an offseason trade. The former National had a 2.50 ERA in three starts against the Phillies in 2025.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is thriving as a scorer entering tonight's clash with the Golden State Warriors.
My Warriors vs. Nuggets predictions are high on Murray adding to his career-best offensive season.
I explain why with my NBA picks for Sunday, March 29.
Warriors vs Nuggets prediction
Warriors vs Nuggets best bet: Jamal Murray Over 22.5 points (-110)
Jamal Murray is averaging a career-high 25.5 points per game, and he’s in the midst of a major heater right now. Murray has averaged 27.1 points across his last 16 outings, including 84 points across his last two games.
He's been a versatile scorer over that stretch, knocking down 3.4 triples and hitting 5.9 free throws per game. The Denver Nuggets' star point guard has reached 23 points in 44 of 70 games, including 20 of 33 at home.
In three matchups with the Golden State Warriors, Murray scored 21, 23, and 25 points, and Golden State’s defense presents a favorable matchup on Sunday.
Over the last 10 games, the Warriors have allowed the 10th-most points (120.8), and they sport the 19th-ranked defensive rating (117.1).
Golden State’s roster has been ravaged by injuries, and finding the players needed to slow down Murray will be no easy task.
The point total is set at 238.5, and I’m predicting a high-scoring matchup. That means Murray will have plenty of opportunities to score, and he’ll have no problem reaching the Over on such a modest scoring line — given his recent offensive success and friendly defensive matchup.
Warriors vs Nuggets same-game parlay
The Nuggets and Warriors have hit the Over at the highest and second-highest percentages, respectively. Denver is 8-2 to the Over across its last 10 games, and Golden State is 7-3. Both teams also rank in the Top 10 in pace across their last 10 games overall.
The Dubs haven't found much success against the spread on the road. Both teams have struggled to cover in recent contests, but Denver gets the edge due to health and home-court advantage. The home team has also covered in all three meetings this season.
Warriors vs Nuggets SGP
Jamal Murray Over 22.5 points
Over 238
Nuggets -11.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Dynamic duo
Murray and Nikola Jokic made history earlier in the week, reaching 400 wins as teammates and becoming the first duo to have one player with 50 points and another with 15/15/15 in the same contest. Both should stay hot against a struggling Warriors defense.
Murray has averaged 7.3 dimes across his last nine outings. He's cashed the Over on this line in two of three matchups with Golden State.
Jokic has averaged 25.7 points across his last 15 games, hitting 26+ in seven of them. He scored at least that many points in two of three matchups with the Warriors. Over his last 15 games, the Joker has averaged 11.9 assists and recorded 12+ dimes 10 times.
Warriors vs Nuggets SGP
Jamal Murray Over 22.5 points
Jamal Murray Over 6.5 assists
Nikola Jokic Over 25.5 points
Nikola Jokic Over 11.5 assists
Warriors vs Nuggets odds
Spread: Warriors +11.5 | Nuggets -11.5
Moneyline: Warriors +450 | Nuggets -600
Over/Under: Over 238.5 | Under 238.5
Warriors vs Nuggets betting trend to know
The Golden State Warriors have hit the game total Over in 31 of their last 50 games (+10.10 Units / 18% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Warriors vs Nuggets
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Warriors vs Nuggets latest injuries
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ZURICH (AP) — The International Ice Hockey Federation is expected to have a new president later this year after Luc Tardif announced Sunday that he is not seeking re-election.
Tardif has been in the role since succeeding longtime leader Rene Fasel in 2021. It was not immediately clear who might be in line to follow Tardif, who revealed that he is stepping down on his 73rd birthday.
His term runs until October.
“With the IIHF in a strong and stable position, I feel it is the right time to pass the puck to a younger leader,” Tardif wrote in a letter. “I am committed to ensuring a smooth and effective transition for the benefit of the global ice hockey community.”
Tardif succeeded in bringing NHL players back to the Olympics by helping reach a deal involving the league, union, IIHF and International Olympic Committee. The Canada-born French executive hinted at having a role in preparations for the 2030 Games in the south of France.
“These past five years as president have been among the most challenging, yet also the most meaningful, of my career,” Tardif said, mentioning the navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic among other factors. “I am incredibly proud to have been a guardian of our sport, our events, our organization and our values, safeguarding them during these critical and uncertain times.”
That includes the difficulty — and often years of drought — of making the Final Four. It's something that, after a near trip to the Final Four in 2024, No. 3 seed Illinois finally experienced inside the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, March 28. The Fighting Illini defeated Big Ten foe, No. 9 Iowa, in the Elite Eight to become the first team to advance to the Final Four.
Keaton Wagler won the point guard battle against Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year finished with 25 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal. That line was good enough for Wagler to be named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player after he averaged 19.0 points in two games in Houston.
"It's better than I dreamt it would ever be," he said in postgame following his team's win vs. Iowa. "Thirty-nine years in the business and that's all I'm going to say about my side of this."
But with the Illini now sitting two wins away from a national championship, curiosity has risen about when the last time Illinois — which had seen four first-round exits in the last five years entering this year's Men's NCAA Tournament — last made the Final Four.
Here's what to know.
When was the last time Illinois made Final Four?
The Illini's win over the Hawkeyes on Saturday sent them past the Elite Eight and into the Final Four for the first time since 2005. It's Illinois' sixth trip to the Final Four, where it is 1-5 in the national semifinal game.
"It feels great. From the moment we stepped on campus, we kind of got a sense of how talented we were, but it feels surreal actually being in this moment. I wouldn't want it any other way with these guys right next to me," Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic said after the Elite Eight win.
"Don't get it wrong, it's not just us three. We got guys 1 through 15 and a roomful of coaching staff, administration, guys that help us every day, managers that don't get the credit, and it took all of us to get here and it took all of us to give 100% percent of what we got to achieve this.
"Last thing I'll say is I don't want anybody to think that this is it. We didn't get to the Final Four just to get there. We're coming to win two more games, and we'll take it one game at a time."
“It’s been 21 years for the Illini, but finally, the road will take them to Indianapolis. Illinois is going to the Final Four!” pic.twitter.com/FZb8Xj2NQJ
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026
Illinois basketball Final Four history
This is the Illini's sixth trip to the Final Four and first since 2005.
1949: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-47
1951: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-74
1952: lost semifinal to St. John's, 61-59
1989: lost semifinal to Michigan, 83-81
2005: won semifinal vs. Louisville, 72-57; lost in final to North Carolina, 75-70
Mar 28, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) celebrates after making a basket during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images
The Sixers went all out on their recruitment pitch for Paul George.
They even enlisted the help of one of the most legendary figures in franchise (and basketball) history, Julius Erving. So, why have Erving involved, aside from him being arguably the coolest person to ever exist? To sell George on what he could be for the Sixers: the missing piece on a championship contender, much like big man Moses Malone was for Erving in 1983.
Lofty, even for a player as accomplished as George.
This isn’t breaking news, but things have not gone as planned for George or the Sixers. In his first season, George played just 41 games in a dismal 24-win campaign. This season was off to a much better start, but a 25-game suspension for George taking a banned substance threatened to derail the whole thing.
But the team survived, still in the thick of the playoff hunt as George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey returned.
While we haven’t seen Daryl Morey’s vision for the Sixers, for one night in Charlotte, you didn’t have to squint to see the potential of the Big 3 he’s assembled.
All three of George, Embiid and Maxey were available Saturday for the first time since Jan. 29, the game before the league handed down George’s suspension. In a game with plenty of playoff implications, the Sixers outlasted the upstart Hornets in a gutty 118-114 win.
The victory improved the Sixers’ record to 41-33, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference. With eight games remaining, there is plenty of room for movement. They sit 1.5 games up on the eighth-place Orlando Magic, but also just a half game back of the sixth-place Atlanta Hawks and fifth-place Toronto Raptors.
Now finally healthy, the Sixers don’t exactly control their own fate, but they have a real opportunity to avoid the play-in and secure a guaranteed playoff spot. It will take more games like Saturday, where the stars play like stars and the supporting cast does what it’s supposed to do.
Much like in his return vs. the Chicago Bulls, Embiid was brilliant from opening tip, putting up 14 points in the first quarter and 21 for the half. That allowed Maxey to ease into the game in his return and for the Sixers to stem the tide of Charlotte’s torrid start. For the first three quarters of the game, it sort of felt like the Sixers were just hanging around. In the fourth, they took over.
Unsurprisingly, it was Maxey who led that charge to start the period, getting the whole bench off their feet with a poster dunk on Miles Bridges. It looked like the All-Star guard had plenty to say to Bridges afterwards, which only got Maxey’s teammates even more fired up.
At the end of the game, it was George’s turn. With the Sixers trailing 114-113, Embiid missed his second free throw. George fought Grant Williams for the rebound. Williams could never fully grasp it and the ball went out of bounds, earning the Sixers another possession. On the inbounds play, Maxey found George for a corner three. Splash.
But George wasn’t done. He forced a LaMelo Ball turnover and Maxey was fouled on a drive with 31.1 seconds left, splitting the free throws. After Ball missed a 31-footer, Charlotte was able to retain possession. Ball then snaked into the lane, finding Brandon Miller, who scorched the Sixers on multiple occasions Saturday, for a three in the corner. It was then Embiid who rumbled out there for an impressive block with 7.4 seconds left.
On the final possession, Ball was able to corral the inbound pass and get to the corner. George jumped for Ball’s pump fake, but recovered to contest Ball’s actual attempt, which was way off the mark. George was then fouled, splitting the pair of free throws to seal the Sixers’ win.
Embiid finished with 29 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Maxey had 26 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, a steal and a block. George recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds (his highest total since 2021), two assists, four steals and one block. A balanced effort from three stars.
But it wasn’t just the stars. Rookie VJ Edgecombe, who took a backseat offensively, filled his role to perfection, making plenty of timely plays on both ends. Kelly Oubre Jr. provided a huge spark off the bench in his return and closed the game. Andre Drummond, who was summoned like a rebounding geist in the fourth quarter, restored order on the glass.
The Sixers outscored the Hornets 26-17 in the fourth. It felt like a playoff-level intensity — and the veteran Sixers were up for the challenge.
Maybe George won’t be the Moses who leads the Sixers to the promised land, but Saturday’s win in Charlotte was just what the Doctor ordered.
It's official: The Milwaukee Bucks are eliminated from the postseason.
That, however, feels much more like the light just turned green on the speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in the city.
After being blown out by the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday behind a Stephon Castle triple-double, Milwaukee is now 9.5 games back of the No. 10 seed Charlotte Hornets with nine games remaining in the season. The Bucks are eliminated. Bucks coach Doc Rivers talked about being eliminated postgame.
Will being eliminated change Antetokounmpo’s plan to try to return to the court this season once he recovers from a left knee hyperextension that led to a bone bruise? The Bucks front office has wanted him to shut it down both because of that injury and the lingering other ones that have limited him to 36 games this season, plus they should be focusing on the best draft position possible. But Antetokounmpo's push to return was always more performative and about how he views himself, so that fight may not be over.
Milwaukee missing these playoffs started last playoffs, when Damian Lillard tore his Achilles and was going to miss this season entirely because of it. That led to a desperation move by the Bucks front office, waiving and stretching the more than $112 million remaining on his contract over five years, freeing up the money to sign Myles Turner as a free agent. He did not live up to expectations for the Bucks this season.
The question now becomes, will Antetokounmpo agree to a max extension with the Bucks this offseason (something he can't sign until Oct. 1, but the talks will happen much earlier)? The Bucks' front office will explore trading more draft picks and players to upgrade the roster, but will that be enough for Antetokounmpo to see a contender and stay? The expectation in league circles is that he will tell the Bucks he will not sign an extension with them — not asking for a trade directly (something he has said he would never do) but essentially forcing the Bucks to deal him or lose him for nothing in a year — and the sides working to find him a new home this offseason.
Let the Antetokounmpo offseason speculation begin.
(Original Caption) Left to right- first row: Barnes, Adams, Shocker paschal, Braxton, Oleary, Gazzela, Sharky- middle row- Koenig, Collins, Bengough, Huggins, Boall, Ponnock, and Meusel; back row- Woods (trainer), Fred Merkle, Jones, Coons, Ward, Skiff, Hoyt, Lazzari, Ruth, Gobrig, Thomas, McQuaid, and Dugan. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
The first half of the 1920s were a transformative time for the Yankees, the still relatively new franchise transitioning from an also-ran into a true behemoth. With the arrival of Babe Ruth coinciding with the beginning of the live-ball era and the assemblage of Murderers’ Row, the building of the sport’s greatest empire was just beginning. Not all who played for those teams garnered the same fanfare as your Ruth’s and Gehrig’s — some were lucky enough just to be along for the ride, and that label certainly applies to right-handed relief pitcher Herb McQuaid.
Hebert George McQuaid Born: March 29, 1899 (San Francisco, CA) Died: April 4, 1966 (Richmond, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1926
Herbert George McQuaid was born on March 29, 1899, in San Francisco, CA, to Frank McQuaid — brother-in-law to former heavyweight champion James J. Corbett — and Lillian Cecilia McQuaid (née O’Neill). He grew up just across the street from Recreation Park, home of the Class AA San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League — a young McQuaid gaining his love for the game from watching Seals games out the window of his childhood home. His family suffered tragedy when he was young, his father taking his own life during a poker game when McQuaid was just 13-years-old.
McQuaid attended Mission High School and pitched for the Visitacion Valley neighborhood team before moving to the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland prior to his senior year. By 1919 he was working as a stenographer and pitching for the St. Joseph’s Sodality team of east Oakland in the Oakland Midwinter League. He caught the attention of local professional teams when he tossed a near-no-hitter for the J.J. Kriegs store team in 1920, and earned an invitation to the training camp held by the team he watched growing up, the Seals. He threw a complete game during his audition and snuck a spot on the Opening Day roster when a pair of their pitchers were released for gambling allegations.
McQuaid threw a complete game in his professional debut, a 2-1 win over Portland at the same Recreation Park that he grew up adjacent to. That fall, Ty Cobb traveled to San Francisco as part of his barnstorming tour, and McQuaid retired him twice on a ground out and popup in another. McQuaid pitched two seasons for the Seals and one for the Los Angeles Angels — both in the PCL — and caught the eye of Cincinnati Reds scout Dick Egan, with whom he signed prior to the 1923 season.
The then-24-year-old pitcher made his MLB debut that season, giving up a run in two innings of relief of an 8-2 loss to the Pirates on June 22, 1923. The six-foot-three hurler possessed a “blinding” fastball, a fast overhand curve, and a slower, “wicked” underhand curve. Shortly thereafter, he missed over a month with a sore foot, and was later unused during a 15-game road trip when he returned from injury. However, he made nine appearances between September and October, earning his first start on September 13th and first career win nine days later. The Reds finished second in the division and missed out on the playoffs, but McQuaid finished the year with a 2.36 ERA and didn’t allow a home run across 12 appearances totaling 34.1 innings.
That winter, the Reds sold McQuaid to the St. Paul Saints of the Class AA American Association as partial payment for Chuck Dressen. He pitched two seasons for the Saints, going 21-14 in 76 appearances with a 4.39 ERA across 314 innings. In September of 1925, Saints president and former Yankees scout Bob Connery sold McQuaid to the Yankees in part to prevent him from being exposed to the Class AA draft, New York agreeing to pay St. Paul an additional $25,000 should McQuaid remain on the roster beyond May 1st.
McQuaid made the Opening Day roster and appeared in one game before the Yankees agreed to return him to the Saints. However, they made an immediate U-turn and traded pitcher Hank Johnson, outfielder Nick Cullop, two players to be named later, and cash to St. Paul to reacquire McQuaid. He made one start that season, allowing three runs in seven innings of a 4-3 win over the Tigers, and finished the year with a 6.10 ERA in 17 appearances totaling 38.1 innings having not appeared in the Yankees’ final 14 games of the regular season.
As division winners, the Yankees advanced to the World Series to face the Cardinals. McQuaid was the very last player added to the World Series roster, with instructions that he only be called as a last resort. He didn’t make an appearance as the Bombers fell to St. Louis in a seven-game instant classic. He wouldn’t pitch another game in the Majors, the Yankees selling him back to the Saints for $10,000 at the end of the season.
McQuaid pitched six more seasons in Class AA between American Association and the Pacific Coast League. He retired from professional baseball in 1932 and ran a taproom in Modesto and was later a bartender in Oakland, where he coached local youth teams in the area he grew up. He passed away from cancer on April 4, 1966, in Richmond, CA, at the age of 67. A relative footnote during a legendary decade in Yankees history, it is said that “his greatest act with the Yanks was refusing to be released.”
References
Herb McQuaid. Baseball-Reference.
Herb McQuaid. Baseball Almanac.
Gibson, Darren. “Herb McQuaid.” SABR.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Desire to remain relevant is understandable, but a glance at his behavioural pattern casts doubt on his PGA Tour and Ryder Cup involvement
It is a scene that has become more extraordinary with the passing of time. Plenty of sportspeople have been guilty of or admitted to extramarital capers. Only Tiger Woods appeared live on television, in front of a hand‑picked audience, to deliver a 14‑minute mea culpa on his transgressions.
American golf executives in their perfectly ironed slacks stood in sombre mood as Woods laid bare his “personal sins”. The venue, hilariously, was the home of the PGA Tour. Woods had no need to go into tawdry detail about his antics; the tabloid media had done that for him. “I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply,” Woods said. Sixteen years since that speech, it is worth pondering whether much has changed.
Jose Ramirez Over 1.5 total bases
