The Lakers haven’t made any significant roster moves during the season so far, but they have a couple more weeks to do so before the NBA trade deadline arrives.
While the team hasn’t officially stated the ways they might want to improve in the immediate future, we do have some reports hinting at the direction they want to go.
So, all moves the Lakers make must be based on building sustainable winning for years to come.
On a recent episode of “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” Kevin discussed a way the Lakers could gain the assets needed by trading away their first-round pick for multiple future firsts as part of a trade package.
Kevin O’Connor: “Now, the really interesting thing with them is they’ve been shopping around their future 2032 first round pick for multiple first round draft picks similar to what the Suns did a year ago when they traded their 2031 pick to the Jazz for three lesser firsts in ‘25, ‘27 and ‘29. So, it seems like the Lakers are looking for two or three than future firsts that are worse individually than their future firsts, giving them more parts to put together in Vincent-plus-Vanderbilt or Vincent-plus-Kleber types of packages.”
If Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka can turn his draft pick into two or three and then acquire the wing they need before the Jan. 5 deadline, this would be one of the most impressive trades he’s done.
This type of deal would make a ton of sense for LA. It would increase their limited draft capital, and if it brings in a young wing, like say Herb Jones, that’d be a great move for the franchise.
It’s been reported that the Lakers called the Pelicans about Jones, but the price point was above LA’s means. If they can offer multiple firsts instead of one, maybe that’s enough to convince New Orleans to part with Jones.
Besides Jones, there are other young wings the Lakers can try to trade for. Players like Jonathan Kuminga have connected with LA, and it’s clear when you watch this team that adding wing depth would be a great way to improve this roster.
Now, it’s a matter of execution, and if Pelinka can find the right partner to help him execute this multifaceted deal.
The Tampa Bay Rays, Anaheim Angels and Cincinnati Reds have made an interesting three-team trade that has former Rangers pitcher Brock Burke going from Anaheim to Cincinnati, Chris Clark going from Anaheim to Tampa, Gavin Lux going from Cincinnati to Tampa, and Josh Lowe going from Tampa to Anaheim.
From Anaheim’s perspective, this is a move that fits in with what they’ve been doing all offseason — acquiring players coming off a bad year(s) but who have been successful in the past, in the hope of recapturing that past glory. Lowe, a lefthanded hitting right fielder who turns 28 next month, and who is the younger brother of former Ranger first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, had a big 2023 season for the Rays, slashing .292/.335/.500 in 501 plate appearances, going 32 for 35 on the basepaths, and putting up a 3.7 bWAR.
Lowe has not come close to that the past two seasons, however. In 2024-25, he has put up a .230/.292/.378 slash line in 822 plate appearances with a 0.8 bWAR, albeit while continuing to be very good on the basepaths (43 of 48 on stolen base attempts). He has especially struggled against lefthanded pitchers, putting up a 459 OPS in 2025 and a 547 OPS in 2024.
So Lowe would seem to be, at this point, a marginal platoon outfielder. He is, however, in just his first year of arbitration eligibility, and is under team control through 2028. If the Angels can get him hitting again like they did in 2023, they have a pretty good player for a decent period of time.
The cost to the Angels is fairly slight. Burke, a 29 year old lefty, was originally acquired by the Rangers from Tampa in a different three-team trade seven years. After having his career de-railed due to shoulder issues, Burke ended up being a surprisingly good member of the Rangers’ bullpen in 2022. He regressed in 2023, though, and ended up being waived early in 2024 after putting up a 9.22 ERA in 13 innings. He was claimed on waivers by the Angels and has been a useful middle reliever for them since then, with a 3.40 ERA in 82 innings over 90 appearances.
Burke is a free agent after 2026, as is Lux, so the Reds are not gaining or losing anything from a team control perspective in this swap. Lux was once a consensus top 10 prospect in MLB while coming up in teh Los Angeles Dodgers’ system, and his presence was part of the reason the Dodgers were willing to let Corey Seager depart. Lux missed all of 2023 due to injury, though. Upon his return in 2024, he slashed .251/.320/.383 while splitting time between second base and shortstop.
The Reds acquired Lux for outfielder Mike Sirota and a competitive balance pick last offseason in a deal that worked out great for L.A., as Sirota is now their #3 prospect (per BA) after posting an OPS in excess of 1000 while splitting the 2025 season between low-A and high-A, and they used the draft pick of Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan, their #6 prospect, per BA.
Lux put up a good OBP but hit for little power in 2025, slashing .269/.350/.374 with 5 homers in 503 plate appearances while splitting time between DH, left field, and second base. The Reds apparently saw enough, and cashed him in for Brock.
This doesn’t look like a real exciting return for the Rays. Lux gives them a multi-positional guy who gets on base, and we know that they like that, but they only get him for a year. Clark was a 2023 5th round pick out of Harvard who hasn’t made BA’s top 30 list for the Angels either of the past two seasons.
Combined with $765 million man Juan Soto and perpetual All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, Bichette both lengthens and diversifies New York's lineup. Bichette banged out 181 hits in 139 games in 2025, and twice led the AL in hits, in 2021 (191) and 2022 (189).
It also lessens the reliance on young cornermen Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, who will still get plate appearances at first, third and designated hitter, along with previous acquisition Jorge Polanco. But don't get too comfortable: Bichette has opt-out clauses after the first two years of this deal, and a healthy and regularly productive 2026 season means he'll almost certainly hit the market again next winter at age 28.
Kyler Tucker, the top free agent on the market, just signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He signed a 4-year deal that pays him $60 million a year. Just like last offseason, the defending champs are pretty much buying an All-Star team. As much as some people do not want to admit it, the MLB has a Dodgers problem. However, the Washington Nationals are also a problem for the MLB.
KYLE TUCKER WILL MAKE $60M PER YEAR 💰
Only Shohei Ohtani has had a higher AAV in MLB history ($70M). Now they're teammates! 😳 pic.twitter.com/AWsbZFsc72
With the CBA expiring after this season, baseball has a lot of problems to resolve. They have to solve the Dodgers problem and the Nationals problem. One team is a financial super power with unprecedented access to cash, while the other team refuses to give out free agent contracts worth more than $15 million.
All of this is alienating fans and setting the stage for an inevitable showdown at the CBA negotiation table. Fans have pretty much come to terms with the fact that there will be a lockout next year. The only question now is how long will the work stoppage last. Hopefully it does not eliminate the entire season.
It is crystal clear that the MLB financial system is broken. Right now, the Dodgers are paying more in luxury tax bills than 11 teams are in total payroll. On both ends of the spectrum, that is a problem. Fans do not want to see teams buy a dynasty, but they also do not want to see other teams not try to win at all.
With the luxury tax, the Dodgers will be paying $126 million a season for Tucker (assuming no deferrals). That's more than 11 teams' entire payrolls. This is absurd.https://t.co/uwe3cLpqXw
This is why many fans are warming up to the idea of a salary cap and salary floor system. It is what we see in the NBA, NFL and NHL. This system works well also. We see non-traditional markets succeed in a way that would be impossible to pull off in the MLB. In this system, the Kansas City Royals creating a dynasty would be basically impossible.
Some fans argue that any owner can spend like the Dodgers. Maybe that was true five or six years ago, but this just ignores the economic reality of the situation now. Including the luxury tax, the Dodgers expenses are over half a billion at this point. There are only a handful of teams that could sustain that level of spending.
Some fans may not want to admit it, but the MLB has a serious Dodgers problem. Their insane TV deal, access to international markets and hedge fund led ownership group gives them a situation other teams cannot compete with. This is fun for Dodgers fans, but a real bummer for the other 29 fanbases.
However, the Dodgers are not the only problem the MLB is going to have to deal with. The Washington Nationals represent the other side of the coin. After winning the World Series in 2019 with a top 10 payroll, Nationals ownership suddenly stopped spending money.
It has gotten to the point where the Nats are one of the most frugal teams in all of baseball. On the surface, it appears as if Nats ownership has totally checked out. That is a problem and is alienating the fanbase. Since the 2020-21 offseason, the Nats have not given out a free agent contract worth more than $15 million. This is honestly a slap in the face for fans.
The largest free agent contracts the Nats have handed out since the 2020-21 offseason:
A salary floor is needed in this sport. As smart as teams like the Brewers and Rays are, they will never overcome the financial firepower of the Dodgers. Even the bigger market teams are struggling to keep up with the financial Goliath that is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
When the Nats and Dodgers take the field for the Nationals home opener, there will be 14 players making at least $10 million. All 14 of them will be wearing Dodgers blue. This is just an example of a system that is completely broken.
When the Nationals play their home opener against the Dodgers in 2026, the teams will combine to have (barring more moves) 14 players on their active rosters making at least $10 million per year.
Forget about owners vs players for a second, this system is not in the best interest of the consumer. Baseball is built on the backs of the fans. Right now, the system is not working for the fans. Only three or four teams have any chance to grab the real free agents. We pretty much know who will win the World Series already.
The CBA is looming like a dark shadow over the league right now. Nobody is happy with the status quo at the moment and there is a real appetite for change among fans. Owners will be fighting for a salary cap, and for the first time in recent memory, the fans will be behind them.
However, a salary cap simply will not work without a floor. The Dodgers are not the only problem here. Teams like the Nationals are just as big of an issue. The Nationals are not a small market club, but ownership is spending like that. They have thrown in the towel. This is not only bad for Nats fans, but also the sport.
A work stoppage is coming after this season. Hopefully the fans are considered in these negotiations. I have my doubts because the more likely scenario is the owners and players fighting for their own interests. As the MLB grows as a financial entity, it feels like the fans are being left behind.
For a while, no one was taking the opportunity and running with it as head coach Patrick Roy cycled his lines, hoping that someone would get in an offensive groove and take some pressure off Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat, the latter of whom has missed six straight games and 11 of the last 14.
As of late, two players have risen to the occasion.
Forward Simon Holmstrom is playing the most confident brand of hockey we've seen from him at the NHL level, even more so than what we saw in his breakout campaign last season, where he scored 20 goals with 25 assists for 45 points.
While his slow start to the season might disallow him from reaching last season's point totals, his confidence with the puck on his stick has been impressive and, more importantly, consistent. He's driving plays. He's using that long reach and his 6'1, 208-pound frame to protect pucks, win battles, and find teammates.
Although he's been held pointless in the last two games, with no shots in their 1-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, he had four goals and one assist in the three games prior.
He scored the overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night for the 4-3 dub:
The penalty kill, in which he plays a leading role, has killed off 8-of-10 on this road trip.
The other player who has really stepped up has been forward Anthony Duclair.
After what happened at the tail-end of last season and his struggles to start this season, you have to credit Duclair for buying in and doing the little things that help win hockey games. He found himself in a bottom-six role where he committed to the defensive side of the puck and even sat in the press box at times.
But a breakout game against the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 6, a 9-0 win which saw him score a hat-trick, adding two assists for a five-point night, has him humming along, and Roy rewarded him with an opportunity to play on the top line with Barzal.
After going pointless in their 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators and in their 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild, Duclair has found the back of the net in each of the last two games.
He scored the lone goal in the Islanders' 1-0 shutout win against Edmonton, a power-play goal playing in the Horvat bumper spot:
This summer, when you looked at this team on paper, you thought that this was going to be the deepest offensive team Long Island has seen in quite a while.
However, we were just not seeing the depth scoring come through consistently. With injuries to Horvat and Palmieri, the Islanders had to rely heavily on defense, goaltending, and the penalty kill.
While those things have remained tremendously strong, backstopping the team in every win, the Islanders are starting to get some scoring from "the other guys," and that's beyond critical, especially once Horvat returns.
Jeff Passan is reporting that the Mets and Bo Bichette have agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract. That is $41.5 million a year, which is more than I would want to pay him, but I would want him on a short contract like they got. It also seems like a lot of money for a second baseman.
I’m sad that I’m not going get to watch him play every day. I’m a fan.
I’d imagine that the Jays are finished with major signings, unless there is a closer out there that they would like more than Hoffman.
Such is life.
In the seven seasons he was with the Jays, Bo hit .294/.337/.469 with 111 home runs, and a 21.0 bWAR in 748 games.
Update: Apparently Bo has an opt-out after each of the first two seasons, and there are no deferrals. He’s going to play third base.
Not even 24 hours after losing out on the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, the Mets pivoted and signed, perhaps, the best hitter still on the market, inking Bo Bichettte to a three-year, $126 million contract. The contract has no deferrals, a full no-trade clause, and features opt-outs after the first two seasons, as well as a $5 million ’opt out bonus’. Bichette, son of former MLB All-Star Dante Bichette is entering his age 28 season and is a career .294/.337/.483 hitter, playing primarily shortstop in his big league career thus far.
It is the positional question that is most interesting in this signing, as the Mets’ middle infield is fairly set, with Francisco Lindor locked in at shortstop, the recently acquired, reigning Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien at second base, and Brett Baty seemingly finally getting a shot to play everyday at third. Whether Bichette plans to play third or first or if one of the already entrenched players is potentially going to move positions or perhaps be traded all remains to be seen.
Bichette has battled injuries over the past two seasons, missing half of 2024 with a right calf strain and a fractured middle finger and missing the last month of the 2025 regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs with a left knee injury. This big money, short term deal with opt-outs allows him to rebuild his value, prove his health and test free agency again.
The New York Mets' largely moribund off-season took a dramatic turn for the better Jan. 16, as the club agreed to terms with All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million deal, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.
Bichette's stay in New York could be a brief one: He has opt-out clauses after each of the first two seasons, and can reenter the free agent market at 28 next winter, unencumbered by draft-pick compensation.
Bichette was the last premier free agent available and his agreement with the Mets comes just hours after slugger Kyle Tucker, the consensus No. 1 player on the market, spurned them for a four-year, $160 million deal. Now, the Mets have an admirable infield alignment and, once again, a daunting lineup, with Bichette likely to play third base, All-Star Francisco Lindor at shortstop, trade acquisition Marcus Semien at second and a combination of Jorge Polanco and Mark Vientos at first.
Bichette, the former Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop, played a pivotal role in the team's trip to the 2025 World Series, posting a .311/.357/.483 slash line in 139 regular season games before sitting out the first two rounds of the playoffs due to a knee injury. He returned and had eight hits and a key home run in the Blue Jays' seven-game World Series loss to the Dodgers.
Here's everything to know regarding Bichette's new contract.
Bo Bichette contract details
Bichette agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal, likely with opt-out clauses.
Bo Bichette 2025 stats
Bichette played in 139 games in 2025, tallying 18 home runs while posting a .311/.357/.483 triple-slash, and an .840 OPS, the highest of his career for a full season.
Much of that success came in the form of increased plate discipline. In 2025, Bichette struck out in just 14.5% of his plate appearances, the lowest mark of his career by over 4%. Bichette also walked in 6.4% of his plate appearances, his best rate since his rookie season in 2019.
The Detroit Red Wings are becoming a regular mainstay when it comes to the NHL rumor mill with the team being involved in several trade rumors as well as being regularly named as a likely fit for certain players due to how advantageous a spot like the Red Wings is these days.
A renewed winning culture, a strong young core blending seamlessly with a solid group of veterans, and a pipeline of blue chip prospects that can either accelerate the rebuild or be used as valuable trade assets have positioned the Red Wings as a major topic of conversation around the league.
They have surfaced in even more trade discussions toward the end of the week, centering on a player recently made available by the Vancouver Canucks. Around the league, teams are closely monitoring whether the Canucks will move star center Elias Pettersson, as the former 102-point scorer has experienced a significant drop-off since his career-best season.
Pettersson was reportedly involved in a rumored conflict with former teammate J.T. Miller during their time in Vancouver, with the two said to have clashed frequently. Many believe it was Miller's unsatisfaction with Pettersson's play and his work ethic following signing his current large contract with a heavy $11.6 million cap hit for six more seasons after this one.
The team tried to resolve the issue by dealing Miller to the New York Rangers but still no resolution has been found in Pettersson's game as he's sitting with 29 points in 39 games this season with the Canucks sitting in last place in the NHL.
TSN's Chris Johnston spoke to the rumors of the Canucks open to trading Pettersson saying that many teams believe he just needs a fresh start elsewhere to find that 100-point player once again.
Everything started up with Pettersson trade rumors once again when The Province's Patrick Johnston spoke with Vancouver GM Jim Rutherford, who told the reporter “It’s our duty to take calls on everyone,” in a statement that echoed throughout the entire hockey media landscape.
This quote also builds off a report made by TSN’s Darren Dreger who said that the Canucks management team has been starting to look more into the idea of a complete rebuild and that they are "open for just about anything, and that might include finally trading Elias Pettersson."
Johnston finished off his talk on Pettersson by naming some teams that could be a fit for the Swedish center with the final team mentioned being the Red Wings.
There is a potential spot for Pettersson in the Motor City considering they could immediately put him in a favorable spot on the team's second line and have him play with star talents like Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, who could hopefully get a quick turnaround out of Pettersson. His contract would be a heavy one but the Red Wings would be able to work around it quite well compared to other teams.
Detroit’s most significant upcoming contract decision involves Simon Edvinsson, who is expected to land a deal comparable to St. Louis defenseman Philip Broberg. Broberg recently signed a six-year extension carrying an $8 million annual cap hit. Given their similar playing styles, it is reasonable to project a comparable contract for Edvinsson, though he is two years younger and could potentially command a seven-year term.
The Red Wings currently have more than $27.4 million in available cap space and could see even more flexibility next season, with several contracts set to expire. Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk may come off the books if they choose not to re-sign, while defensemen Travis Hamonic, Ben Chiarot, and Erik Gustafsson, along with goaltender Cam Talbot, are also scheduled to become free agents.
With so much available space, adding a second center with a heavy cap hit like Pettersson isn't the worst idea plus as the cap continues to grow the $11.6 million will take up less of the overall cap and will start to look like a bargain if they can turn Pettersson's game around.
It's a gamble for the Red Wings as they will likely need to sacrifice some meaningful assets, most likely Nate Danielson among others but if they want to possibly acclurate their chances at contending for a Stanley Cup, getting a stable second line center could be a great move.
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Winger Jagger Firkus and defenseman Tyson Jugnauth have been selected to represent the Coachella Valley Firebirds at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game.
Firkus is skating in his second AHL season, and he’s been the offensive force the Seattle Kraken predicted he would be when they selected him in the second round (35th overall) in the 2022 NHL draft. He had a strong rookie season, posting 15 goals and 36 points in 69 games, but the focus was on improving the other aspects of his game.
Now that he is honing in on those skills, his offensive game has been given the room to shine, and it’s doing so. In 35 games, Firkus has scored 14 goals and 35 points, one back of his rookie totals in nearly half of the games. He ranks sixth in the AHL in points while leading the Firebirds and ranking second on the team in goals. He’s been as impressive as any player on the Firebirds, and it won’t be long before we see the 21-year-old skate in the NHL.
Jugnauth is taking part in his rookie AHL campaign, and there hasn’t been much of an adjustment period needed for the left-handed defenseman. In 35 games, the 21-year-old has scored four goals and 26 points, ranking third on the team in points.
Selected in the fourth round (100th overall) by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL draft, Jugnauth’s development has skyrocketed, and he’s continuing to fly up the depth chart. He was impressive in pre-season this year, skating in two games while scoring a goal, but showing his two-way prowess. He’s not the biggest player on the ice, listed at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, but he skates well and uses his hockey IQ to position himself.
Tyson Jugnauth (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Firkus and Jugnauth on the Pacific Division roster are Filip Bystedt, Matvei Gridin, Quinn Hutson, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Andree Lee, Carl Lindbom, Jacob Megna, Isak Posch, Dmitri Simashev, and Tim Washe.
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First there was a back-to-back against the Philadelphia 76ers, coached by Nick Nurse and featuring the G.R.O.A.T himself, Kyle Lowry, in what was likely his last appearance in a game in Toronto. Then there was Wednesday’s game against Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers.
Now, the Raptors’ week of familiar faces culminates in a contest at Scotiabank Arena against Kawhi Leonard, the franchise’s only ever Finals MVP (to date), and the Los Angeles Clippers.
While the Clippers’ 17-23 record isn’t anything to write home about, they are currently on a four-game winning streak, and have won 11 of their last 13 games. As the Clippers continue their steady ascent into the middle of the Western Conference pack, they face a Raptors team that is just one game out of second in the East.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Sportsnet.
Here are some storylines to consider ahead of the matchup:
Everybody flex
With Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter all out, plus Jamison Battle leaving mid-game, Gradey Dick was afforded an opportunity on Wednesday night to play an increased role coming off the bench. Dick was fairly pedestrian from three, shooting just 1/5 from beyond the arc — and yet it was one of his best games of the season.
Dick registered his first career double-double, playing 30 minutes and putting up 21 points, 11 rebounds and three assists on 9/15 shooting. His effort earned him the Raptors’ chain, and led to the post-game photo we’ve all been waiting for: the whole team doing the customary Gradey Dick flex. Tonight, with the Raptors still short-handed, Dick will look to build off his recent success, which has involved finishing strong at the bucket and playing well as a roller. Now the key question is whether he can get out of his shooting funk.
The Clippers have won 11 of their last 13 games, and Kawhi Leonard has been the engine behind their turnaround. Leonard is averaging 32.7 points per game across that 13-game span, including a 55-point performance against the first-place Detroit Pistons. His dominance is a familiar sight for Raptors fans (apparently it’s been six years??!!) — but now the Raptors will need to throw everything they can to slow down the surging 34-year-old forward. Look for a mix of sturdy wings like Scottie Barnes, Ochai Agbaji and even the rookie Collin Murray-Boyles to have a go at defending him.
Next man up
The Raptors’ stretch of playing shorthanded will continue tonight, with Barrett, Poeltl and Walter all being ruled out with their respective injuries. The team is also likely to miss the spacing that Battle affords them, as he’s doubtful with an ankle injury, and Quickley and Mamukelashvili are both questionable. While All-Star voting is now closed, Barnes and Ingram can continue to make their cases for the team by carrying the load for the shorthanded squad. Players like Agbaji and A.J. Lawson also figure to play “next man up” roles for the team.
But the biggest revelation from the team’s shorthanded stretch has been the rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles. Poeltl’s absence has given CMB a runway to establish himself as an impressively stout defender — he’s 99th percentile in the league in deflections — and a promising offensive player who’s just scratching the surface of his upside. Over his last six games, Murray-Boyles is averaging 11.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 57% shooting.
In an emphatic pivot, the Mets are signing infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year deal, per multiple reports.
The contract is worth $126 million, contains two opt-outs, and does not have any deferrals.
New York's agreement with Bichette comes less than 24 hours after Kyle Tucker chose to sign with the Dodgers for four years and $240 million after turning down the Mets' offer of four years and $220 million.
Before signing with the Mets, Bichette had been heavily linked to the Phillies and a possible reunion with the Blue Jays. The Yankees had also reportedly checked in.
With the Mets adding Bichette to play third base, there are plenty of ways they can go with the rest of the infield.
One possibility has Brett Baty sliding to first base and Jorge Polanco serving as the primary DH.
It's also possible the Mets explore the trade market for Baty, possibly in an effort to fill a need in the outfield.
Bichette, who turns 28 in March, had let interested teams know he was willing to move off shortstop, which opened the door for the Mets (and other teams who had the middle infield filled) to pounce.
Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Bo Bichette (11) hits a three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
In 139 games last season for the Jays, Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with a 129 OPS+. He had 18 home runs, 44 doubles, and 94 RBI.
As far as his advanced numbers via Baseball Savant, Bichette was near the top of the league in xBA, xwOBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, sweet spot percentage, whiff percentage, and strikeout percentage.
During his seven-year career -- all with Toronto -- Bichette has hit .294/.337/.469 over 748 games.
A two-time All-Star, Bichette has finished in the top 20 in AL MVP voting four times.
Regarding what comes next for the Mets after inking Bichette, it's likely they'll continue to look for an outfielder and a pitcher who can slot in near the top of their rotation.
Possible outfield targets via trade include Jarren Duran of the Red Sox, Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar of the Cardinals, and Ramon Laureano of the Padres.
Potential starting options include free agent Framber Valdez and trade option Freddy Peralta, who is being dangled by the Brewers.
The mid-2000s were a strange time for the Yankees. The dynasty of the ‘90s engineered a hangover that lasted almost ten years, where the team regularly returned strong lineups but lacked the pitching depth or that elusive “clutch” gene. In some ways, Gary Sheffield might be the poster boy for this period — he never had a bad regular season for the Yankees, but his first campaign with the team ended in the disaster that was 2004, and the club never got closer than that while he was in pinstripes.
Sheffield’s one of the great mercenaries in the history of baseball, an uber-talented hitter who walked around with a king-sized chip on his shoulder. He made the All-Star team nine times and won five Silver Sluggers during stints with eight teams, winning a ring with the 1997 Florida Marlins. That was already his third team in MLB, and he would be dealt away in ‘98 to the Dodgers, although I’ll attribute that decision more to the infamous post-World Series fire sale than anything to do with his personality. Shef did publicly state how embarrassed he was by the team’s teardown, but that’s not an attitude problem — that’s a statement of fact.
LA and Atlanta followed, and by the time December 2003 rolled around, Sheffield had logged 13 consecutive seasons of excellent hitting, with his worst year being a 123 wRC+ in 1993, split between the Padres and Marlins. The less said about his defense the better, but if you were looking to add a bat and some headlines, you could do a lot worse than Gary Sheffield.
Gary Sheffield Signing Date: December 19, 2003 Contract: Three years, $39 million
Signed one year to the day after Hideki Matsui, the Yankees were clearly leaning into the bat-first approach — they had Derek Jeter at shortstop Opening Day instead of the shiny new toy Alex Rodriguez. GM Brian Cashman wanted the team to add erstwhile Montreal Expos standout Vladimir Guerrero and reportedly had an agreed-upon contract. But owner George Steinbrenner picked Sheffield, won over by his buggy-whip power swing and close ties to Steinbrenner’s adopted home of Tampa (not to mention a relation to uncle/former New York star Dwight Gooden).
That first season was a tear for Sheff, as he finished runner-up for AL MVP, walloping 36 homers and leading the Yankees in RBI, runs scored, and OPS+. That ugly defense meant he posted just 3.8 fWAR, and the man who actually won MVP was none other than Guerrero. Nonetheless, Sheffield was the offensive force the club was hoping for. He was shuffled between third, fourth, and fifth in the Yankee lineup, producing wherever Joe Torre set him.
His first taste of October in the Bronx went well enough too, on the personal production side anyway. A 134 wRC+, .904 OPS line should be more than enough to placate even the toughest Yankee fans, but of course the end result of that postseason push left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Sheffield managed just a single base hit in 17 plate appearances in those doomed four games against Boston, just one of many Bombers who became duds on arguably the biggest stage in baseball history.
The kicker to all this was the season was played while Sheffield worked through a shoulder tear, one that would require surgery in the offseason. Herein lies maybe the most interesting thing about Gary — his attitude questions were real, and he had an ejection history a mile long:
The man was expelled from his Little League team for chasing a coach around at practice with a bat!
Despite that, he would unquestionably chew through concrete to perform at the highest level. He was the best fulltime hitter for the Yankees in his first season while playing with one-and-a-half arms. How much of that was sheer willpower and how much was pharmaceutically driven we’ll never know, but having a bat like Sheffield’s in your lineup would make any team better.
That first season would be Gary’s best, but 2005 was no off-year. A 137 wRC+ came in a year where he once again walked more than he struck out, but an ill-timed magazine story quoted him as possibly shading Jeter and A-Rod as “two players [covered] in a positive light, and everyone else is garbage” hung over yet another run toward October. Against the Angels that fall, Sheffield’s rather interesting defensive instincts were on full display in a fifth concsecutive disappointing postseason for the Yankees.
Poor Bubba Crosby.
That and a 65 wRC+ in an abbreviated October meant the funk was truly setting in for the Yankees, who were roundly becoming the uber-regular season team that fell on its face come playoff time. It wouldn’t get better the next year for Sheffield or the team either, as the slugger was laid low with a wrist injury and appeared in just 39 games. Sidelined for months, the win-now Yankees had to pivot and traded for a new right fielder in the more well-rounded Bobby Abreu. So when Sheffield returned, the Yankees got creative and stuck him at the open first base position with Jason Giambi at DH (primarily because of a wrist injury, but also because the Giambino was far from Don Mattingly on defense). He had never appeared at first before but was a good team sport about it adapting over the final nine games of the regular season. But Sheffield went 1-for-12 in yet another dreadful postseason run and that sealed the end of Gary’s time in New York.
The club did pick up his 2007 team option but sent the disgruntled star to the same team that had just eliminated them in the 2006 ALDS, the Detroit Tigers. Sheffield spent three more years in the bigs, coming to Queens sitting on 499 career home runs:
Gary Sheffield’s Yankee tenure was the epitome of George Steinbrenner’s leadership style. The Yankees outbid anyone they wanted for the biggest star available, even if the fit wasn’t exactly right, the player wasn’t as complete as he could be, or the team wasn’t as well-rounded as it should be. Excellent lineups, bad defense, and shaky pitching was the calling card of those mid-2000s teams, and Sheffield supplied two of those three.
Sheffield probably has a Hall of Fame resume, but his connections to BALCO, listing in the Mitchell Report, and productivity in his later years are all in concert with challenges other PED-linked players have found on their incomplete trips to Cooperstown. He’ll likely never have a plaque there, and his time in New York never got past the finish line, but he remains one of the most unique and feared hitters in baseball history. If I were to compile a list of players I’d most want modern Statcast data on, most want to dig into those underlying hitting tools like exit velocity, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Barry Bonds would be at the very top, but Gary Sheffield wouldn’t be far behind.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
The Colorado Rockies officially signed 34-year-old RHP Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $8 million deal on Thursday morning after the signing was first reported last Wednesday. Lorenzen met with the media over Zoom on Thursday afternoon to discuss his ties to the Rockies and his excitement about working with this team.
“One of the things [that drew me to Colorado] is just that I feel like it’s untapped, and I don’t think you could say that about anywhere else in Major League Baseball,” Lorenzen said.
“It feels like there’s a lot of new information to be learned, and that’s kind of right up my alley. I enjoy problem solving. Failure is going to happen; trials are going to happen; you’re going to get your teeth kicked in. But it’s the problem solving and how to make the adjustments that I really enjoy. And Colorado, I feel like, presents that opportunity.”
“We didn’t have to convince him of anything,” PBO Paul DePodesta added in a separate Zoom meeting earlier in the day.
“He ran toward this challenge. Michael actively wanted to pitch here. He’s done a lot of different things in his career – he was an outfielder, he’s been a reliever, he’s been a starting pitcher. I don’t think he’s afraid of anything. He’s also got some history with some of our staff members, so I think there was some appeal there as well.”
Lorenzen’s ties to the new Rockies pitching staff were definitely an extra enticer to sign with the team, and he’s known a lot of them for a long time.
“I’ve known Alon [Leichman] since 2017, I want to say, before he was in pro ball. I’ve known him for a really long time, and he and I have kept in touch throughout the years,” Lorenzen said. “So when he told me he was interviewing for the job, I was stoked for him, and he mentioned that he was going to try and bring me in if he ended up getting the job, which is pretty cool that we’re able to work together.
And as far as the other coaches go, Lorenzen mentioned that he knew pitching coordinator Matt Daniels from his time at Driveline in 2017; he knew assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas from their time together with the Detroit Tigers in 2023; he knew Jeff Pickler from their time together with the Cincinnati Reds, where Pickler was the bench coach; and he knew Brett Pill from their time at Cal State Fullerton.
Lorenzen brings a six-pitch arsenal to Coors Field (though according to Baseball Savant, he has seven, and Lorenzen says he’s planning to bring out another one next year).
And it was actually the pitching coach of the Philadelphia Phillies, Caleb Cotham, who helped Lorenzen understand pitch shapes to expand his repertoire.
“[He] helped me understand in detail what causes a pitch to do certain things, and I kind of made it my own,” Lorenzen said.
“I was able to create a consistent sweeper; I was able to create a consistent gyro (sweeper); and I know what I’m trying to do with the cutter. So all of a sudden, I feel like I own my shapes and when I’m trying to manipulate the ball, I can. I just know what I’m trying to do. I know what I’m looking for. I know the feel I’m trying to create. But obviously being in Colorado is going to have its challenges, so I’ll be making my way up there soon to throw some bullpens and see exactly how these shapes are going to move.
“And that’ll give me an idea of how I can use each one,” he continued. “Do I pick three of them? Do I lean on certain three more than others when I’m pitching in the altitude? So we’ll see. But I would say I’ve got three fastballs and two different changeups. Now I’ve got the sweeper, the slider, and the curveball.”
Lorenzen’s intensity intrigues DePodesta.
“I’d say part of the appeal for him is that he’s a very good strike thrower and pitches with an aggressive mentality,” DePodesta added. “He’s going to go after the hitter, he’s going to make the hitter beat him, he’s going to attack the strike zone, and he has a deep arsenal of pitches. Here at Coors in particular, we need to find different ways to keep hitters off balance, and I think having a deep arsenal is at least one of those ways.”
That all being said, Lorenzen is excited to be in Colorado for this next chapter of his career and to help this team get back in the thick of things.
“I don’t care how many games were lost last year,” he continued. “Every guy is one adjustment away from being one of the best in the game, and there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit that can be changed. We’ll see performance increase, and so I think there’s a lot of easy ways to get better and I’m really excited.”
The Braves haven’t had too fun of a time lately. Neither has Austin Riley. This isn’t a pure coincidence — a thermonuclear Austin Riley can carry a team for a month, and the Braves haven’t gotten that, for one reason or another, for a while. While the team has maneuvered to be different in terms of coaching and roster construction in 2026, Riley’s production is going to be a big part of whatever the team’s fortune will be going forward.
Career-to-date, status
2026 will be Riley’s eighth MLB season; he’ll turn 29 right around Opening Day. For his career, he has a 122 wRC+ and below-average defense. He’s solidly in well-above-average territory with a career 3.5 fWAR per 600 PAs to date, but that’s very much an average, as he had three straight 5+ fWAR seasons from 2021-2023 but has managed just 4.1 fWAR in his last two seasons combined.
A substantial xwOBA underperformance, like most of his teammates, made Riley’s 2024 look worse than it was. Consistently maligned by defensive metrics, Riley had a bit of a defensive breakout in 2023, but didn’t really sustain it in 2024. Still, it was better than getting worse as he aged.
Riley holds the most lucrative contract in Braves history, signing a $212 million, ten-year deal that includes a club option for an eleventh season in August 2022. He’s due to make $22 million annually in 2026 and every year onward through 2032; his club option has a $20 million salary with no buyout.
Recent performance
As noted, Riley’s production took a dip in 2024 and then again in 2025. The former was not “really” his fault, as his .361 xwOBA in 2024 was in line with his .365 xwOBA in 2023. After a slow start to 2024 outputs-wise, he was hitting really well (not thermonuclear on outputs, but definitely beautiful inputs) in the summer before a hit-by-pitch ended his season.
2025 was more of a struggle for various reasons. His xwOBA dipped to .328, and it was right around that range in both June and July before he succumbed to a series of abdominal strains that necessitated season-ending core surgery. His struggles were very generic: more swing and miss in the zone, but ostensibly without any conscious attempt to do so in order to increase power output — in other words, more swing and miss, worse contact quality. Not what you want to see.
There’s not too much to say beyond that — Riley was just worse, but not really in a way that his teammates were worse in terms of trading power for walks or anything. Whether that bodes well or poorly for him going forward is an open question. Defensively, he rebounded a bit relative to 2024 and looked similar to 2023. At this point, Riley probably won’t be a good defender at third base, but his hard work seems to have moved him from outright bad to okay.
Forecasting
Same brief disclaimer: once upon a time I built a projection system to try to mirror/get at the workings of Steamer and ZiPS. I called it IWAG. You can figure out what that means, maybe. I’m bringing it back for this series of posts. Here’s Riley, for 2026.
You can see the injuries being priced in a bit here, and IWAG forecasts Riley’s wRC+ considerably below his career mark of 122. That latter phenomenon occurs because, well, there’s no good or simple explanation for his 2025 offensively — he just looked kind of broken, even leaving the xwOBA underperformance aside.
This aligns almost exactly with Steamer (3 WAR in 601 PAs, 116 wRC+); ZiPS is the “outlier” as it seems to push his career line forward moreso than any debit for 2025.
The probability distribution from IWAG here is a bit silly due to Riley’s recent injuries — you can see that the distribution of talent is a reasonably normal-looking curve that probably aligns with what you expect, but IWAG figures “injured and ineffective” is more likely than “injured and effective” or “fully healthy and effective,” based on our lived experience of Braves trying to play through injury to no good outcome recently, hence the dip in the middle.
Your turn
Alright, I’ve given you the info. Well, some info. You may have your own info. With that, I ask you:
Rounded to the nearest fWAR, how much will Austin produce in 2026? (I am once again seriously inveighing that if you ignore this and provide a partial fWAR, I will round it for you, and your scoring will not be based on 1 WAR around your point estimate, but 1 WAR around the rounded number. Just a pick whole number and don’t make me round.)
How confident are you in your choice? Go with a scale from 1-5, where 3 is “I dunno, reasonably confident,” 5 is certain, and 1 is “I am participating but have no confidence in my choice and don’t want the fact that it will likely be incorrect to affect my place in any theoretical standings all that much.”
