Marc Guehi’s late header settled an enjoyable game that included an outrageous goal from Harry Wilson
9 min: Good effort by Smith Rowe Iwobi, on the left, curls a wicked inswinging corner that brushes a Palace head and flies over the bar for another corner.
This time it’s on the right. Iwobi clips it deliberately towards Smith Rowe, unmarked 10 yards out at the near post. He watches the bounce and twists his body to crack a shot that hits Guehi and flies over the bar. Lovely effort though, a variation on the old Anderton/Sheringham corner.
ORLANDO — One of the most feared sluggers to ever wear orange and black was elected to the Hall of Fame on Sunday, but it wasn’t the one whose case has been discussed most often over the past couple of decades.
In a bit of a surprise, Jeff Kent, the all-time leader in homers by a second baseman, was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee on Sunday. Kent was on the ballot with former teammate Barry Bonds, who failed to receive enough support and will have to wait a few years longer for another shot.
Kent was the only one of eight players on the ballot to receive more than the 12 votes necessary. He had support from 14 of 16 voters and was the only player in double-digits. Bonds received fewer than five votes, the Hall of Fame announced, so he will not be eligible for the committee again until 2031.
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) December 8, 2025
Bonds and Kent reached the committee after falling short on the traditional BBWAA ballot. In his 10 years on that ballot, Bonds maxed out at 66 percent, short of the 75 percent required for induction. Kent reached 46.5 percent in 2023, his final year on that ballot, but got in during his first time being judged by a committee.
“I gave no thought to it,” Kent said on MLB Network. “This is overwhelming. Overwhelming … It’s a moment of satisfaction of the things that I did right in my career and the things that I consistently stuck to, the hard work, the gratification that you get from playing the game the right way. I loved the game, I loved the game, and still do.”
Kent will become the 62nd player in the Hall of Fame who has worn a Giants uniform. He said on MLB Network that he will go in as a Giant, noting that his best years came with Dusty Baker and he reached the World Series in San Francisco.
“I want to congratulate Jeff on his well-deserved induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in a statement. “Jeff’s competitive fire, leadership, and production anchored so many great Giants teams, and his legacy is firmly cemented in our franchise’s history. We’re incredibly proud to see him honored among the all-time greats.”
While Kent rarely is seen around Oracle Park these days, Bonds is a regular, often helping current Giants in the cage before batting practice and providing guidance in the clubhouse. He does not speak often about his Hall of Fame status, but at times over the years — most notably at Willie McCovey’s 80th birthday party — it has been clear what the honor would mean.
Many in the BBWAA stubbornly held firm on Bonds, Roger Clemens and others who fell off the traditional ballot due to PED connections, but by any statistical measure, Bonds’ induction is a no-brainer. On stats alone, he would have gotten in when first eligible a dozen years ago.
Kent’s case has been fascinating, and it was a bit surprising that he failed to gain any traction in his 10 years on the ballot. A five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Kent is one of the best-hitting middle infielders in MLB history. He won the 2000 MVP Award after hitting 33 homers and driving in 125 runs, and he finished his career with 377 homers, 2,461 hits, and 55.4 Wins Above Replacement.
Kent ranks 22nd all-time in WAR among second basemen, and 13 of the men ahead of him are already in Cooperstown. He ranks first in homers as a second baseman and third in RBI.
This year’s Contemporary Baseball Era Committee was made up of seven Hall of Famers (including Juan Marichal), six current or former executives, and three veteran members of the media. The group met on Sunday to discuss the six position players and two pitchers on the ballot.
While Kent can now celebrate, Bonds is running out of time. Starting this year, any candidate who does not receive at least five of 16 votes in multiple appearances on an Era Committee ballot will not be eligible for future consideration. Bonds might have just one more shot at Cooperstown, and it won’t come for years.
Next year’s round should also be kind to the Giants, as it will consider managers, executives and umpires. Bruce Bochy, Baker and Brian Sabean all could be under consideration next December to be part of the 2027 Hall of Fame class. Bochy and Baker, in particular, are considered near-locks to get inducted.
García and Carreras sent off, Swedberg double for Vigo
Napoli move top of Serie A after Højlund sinks Juventus
Real Madrid endured a shock 2-0 defeat and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in La Liga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off the leaders Barcelona.
Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and Real’s Fran García received a second yellow card 10 minutes later.
Macklin Celebrini is a generational star, but even players of his caliber can’t drag a franchise forward on sheer brilliance alone.
The San Jose Sharks haven’t reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2019, and if they hope to break that skid, their supporting cast must rise to the occasion. The numbers make that reality painfully clear: when Celebrini registers at least one point, San Jose wins nearly twice as often as it loses. When he’s held quiet, not only have the Sharks failed to secure a single victory this season, but their offense all but evaporates.
That dynamic resurfaced Friday in a 4–1 loss to the Dallas Stars. The Sharks’ top line was effectively neutralized, and although the third line offered a flicker of life—Collin Graf hammered home his fourth of the season in the second period—it proved insufficient. San Jose’s fifth straight road loss was sealed well before the final horn.
Yet, even amid the setbacks, this remains a team moving in the right direction. After finishing dead last in each of the previous two seasons and hovering just above the basement the year before, the Sharks are beginning to show legitimate, sustainable progress.
If you're getting praised by one of the best hockey players of this generation in Sidney Crosby, you're probably doing things right.
"He’s definitely proved he’s one of the best in the league."
Sidney Crosby talks about Macklin Celebrini's season, #SJSharks star's case to make the Canadian Olympic team & Mack's golf game.
Late in regulation, Celebrini briefly appeared to breathe life into San Jose’s push. He uncorked a blistering one-timer past Jake Oettinger with 2:20 remaining, seemingly trimming the deficit to 3–2. But the celebration was short-lived. Following a Stars coach’s challenge, officials determined that Philipp Kurashev had entered the zone offside—24 seconds before the shot—nullifying what could have been a pivotal moment.
The Blueprint Ahead
If the Sharks want to follow a trajectory similar to the Colorado Avalanche of five or so years ago, the next step is clear: strategic, meaningful roster upgrades. Depth wins in the modern NHL, and San Jose remains a few well-chosen pieces away from turning competitive flashes into consistent success. Celebrini’s continued ascent only amplifies the urgency—and the opportunity.
At just 19, he sits third in the NHL scoring race with 40 points, trailing only Connor McDavid (42) and Nathan MacKinnon (48). His 26 assists rank second in the league, again behind McDavid’s 28. He’s not merely living up to expectations; he’s expanding them.
The Sharks face the Carolina Hurricanes today, carrying one of the starkest statistical contrasts in the league. When Celebrini goes pointless, they’re 0-6-2 with just eight goals to show for it. When he factors into the scoring, they surge to 13-7-1.
San Jose’s future hinges on one truth: Celebrini can be the engine, but the rest of the machine must keep pace.
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Belleville Senators' Phillipe Daoust has put up 23 points in 25 games, the seventh-highest in the AHL and the best numbers for an unrestricted free agent prospect in the league.
This has also eclipsed his previous best of 22 points scored in MORE THAN TWICE the games at 52 from the 2024-25 season.
The 24-year-old was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 2020 Draft and signed to a $2.47M entry-level contract in 2022 that expired this past off-season because of poor showing.
With the dramatic improvement in performance, this is the golden window for the Barrie, Ontario native to get another NHL deal. He just needs to keep up the scoring. Of course, it is easier said than done.
The Nashville Predators penalty kill has been a staple to the franchise.
Embracing a "Smashville" identity, where the Predators play a more physical style of hockey, it only makes sense that year in and year out, the team is effective on the penalty kill. When their opponent thinks they have a leg up on the power play, Nashville immediately shuts it down.
Those numbers have held strong this season, as the Predators' penalty kill has been among the top 10 in the NHL. In their win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday, the Predators' PK killed off 6-of-6 and was awarded the locker room's player of the game award.
The Predators' penalty kill is efficient and is a weapon in their arsenal. However, by itself, it's not going to turn around their season.
Their 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday was an example of the Predators' need to stay out of the box and stop forcing so much on their penalty killing unit.
Carolina's power play, which ranks 27th in the league, scored twice on a whopping six power plays. It's the second straight game that Nashville has given its opponent six opportunities with the man-advantage.
While it is good that the Predators are able to kill off these penalties, as a team still ranked last in the league, they are spending more time defending than attacking. Short-handed goals can be factored in, but Nashville has only scored once while playing 4-on-5.
The Predators' penalty minutes are down from the previous season, ranking 18th in the NHL with 246 PIM. In their last five games, Nashville has committed 73 minutes in penalties, averaging at least 14 minutes per game.
That's nearly 75% of one period playing a man down.
Looking at the Predators' season as a whole, they are averaging 3.94 penalties per game, which suddenly puts them at 11th. In generating offense, Nashville is averaging 27.6 shots per game (17th in NHL) and 2.61 goals per game (29th in NHL).
The penalty kill should be used when needed, but it cannot be the sole factor in giving the Predators a chance to win. Nashville cannot expect to rise in the standings when it's spending so much time playing with one arm tied behind its back.
Two power-play goals allowed in a game isn't the end-all of a final result, but taking those off the board gave Nashville a better chance to win in a game where it got its offense going late.
It would've been 4-3, with the Predators scoring all three of their goals in the third period. Even in the 2-1 overtime win over the Panthers, if Nashville hadn't been in and out of the box, it could've had a chance to blow open the game and maybe not give a point to Florida.
The Predators' penalty killing unit has customized hoodies this season. It's a sled being pulled by four dogs and the hoodie says "DO NOT PET."
If anything, the Predators are currently asking those dogs to sprint the Iditarod.
Building up to the 2026 Olympics in Milan in February, there has been concern around the league regarding the arena that players will be playing in. There have been reports about the arena not being ready, as well as the surface being about three feet shorter than an NHL rink.
On Sportsnet’s ‘Saturday Headlines,’ insider Elliotte Friedman said he sees a good chance that all will be fine and NHL players will get to feature in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
However, Friedman spoke with the NHLPA’s assistant executive director, Ron Hainsey, regarding what the biggest issue will be with the Olympic arena.
While the shorter ice surface isn’t ideal, Hainsey and the NHLPA are more concerned about the safety and quality of the ice in Milan.
The league is supposed to hold a test event from Jan. 9 to 11, Friedman reported.
“I think that test event is going to be critical, very important in determining how good this ice is going to be,” the Sportsnet insider said.
Furthermore, Friedman pointed to the schedule of the opening two days of the men’s ice hockey event, explaining that there will be five games played in 30 hours. In addition, those games will be coming after some contests from the women’s event.
With all that, the message that Hainsey portrayed was clear.
“The health and safety of our players while playing on any surface will not be compromised,” he said.
Earlier in this segment on the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Friedman explained why Hainsey and the NHLPA aren’t as worried about the size of the ice versus the quality.
Both games were held at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, and according to Friedman, the 197-foot surface was similar to what these players will have to deal with at the Olympics.
In this situation, the size of the neutral zone was slightly shorter, while the two remaining zones on opposite sides of the ice remained NHL size.
Hainsey shared that the NHLPA never received any complaints in relation to the ice size and believes it shouldn’t be a big issue come February for the Olympic Games.
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A terrific finish from Jarrod Bowen gave West Ham the lead, but Georginio Rutter’s late equaliser rescued a point for a disappointing Brighton
“Celebrating the resurgence of West Ham is a bit premature, chides Eric Peterson. “They’re on a three-game winless streak, with those games against: a sinking Bournemouth, a floundering Manchester United, and an imploding Liverpool. Facing Brighton, which hadn’t lost since October before running into an irresistible Aston Villa, will provide a sterner, and truer, test.”
They’re much better than they were; United battered Brighton; and Villa were not irresistible in midweek. I don’t think West Ham will go down, do you?
Unusually devoid of creativity, Brighton had found themselves imprisoned within Nuno Espírito Santo’s tactical cage, falling right into his hands. Jarrod Bowen, so often West Ham’s talisman, scored the goal, executing the masterplan from the narrowest of angles, perfectly executing the counterattacking strategy. Slowly but surely, still staring demotion in the face, Nuno’s team look capable of fighting their way to safety. His plan had come together so well that Bowen’s goal was supplied by a substitute in Callum Wilson, on the field for just 51 seconds. His masterplan fell short when the Amex, the home of late goals, staged yet another comeback, Georginio Rutter roofing the equaliser amid the type of madcap scramble that is commonplace at Brighton.
Before a late surge that had seemed wholly beyond them, Brighton could not muster a shot on target. Their ambitions of returning to the European stage they graced in the 2023-24 season are being hindered by inconsistency. West Ham were in Europe that season, too, though horizons are lowered. Leeds’ form has deepened relegation worries and they were denied the three points they needed to close the gap by Rutter’s equaliser.
Charania’s report came after Antetokounmpo appeared to have removed Bucks-related posts and mentions from his Instagram account.
Warriors icon Draymond Green discussed the situation and explained why Antetokounmpo would be a challenging player to center a possible trade around in the latest edition of his “Draymond Green Show” podcast.
“We all know that Giannis wants to compete at the highest level,” Green said. “A lot of people made a lot of noise about him deleting all Milwaukee Bucks references off of his Instagram account. If you’re Giannis and you’re trying to press the team to do something, those are the types of things that you would do in order to make the team realize, ‘I’m not happy … It’s going public now. Y’all better figure it out.’
“What I will say is, it’s not the easiest to trade someone that makes $50 million, because, in most cases, you usually have to depete your whole team, just to even make the salaries work; it limits the amount of teams that Giannis can go to. He’ll have a list of clubs that he’d be comfortable going to, that he’ll share with the team, and I think they’ll try to make it happen.”
Antetokounmpo is on the books for $54.13 million during the 2025-26 NBA season and is under contract through the 2027 campaign. As Green explained, that number isn’t easy to work with — or around.
The Warriors, for example, could offer the paint-dominant Antetokounmpo one of the more intriguing on-court fits across the league next to the floor-spacing Steph Curry. But considering Golden State already is paying Curry and Jimmy Butler over $50 million each, it would be extremely challenging to deal for Antetokounmpo.
However, the financials would be complex for most teams.
Antetokounmpo has spent his entire 13-year NBA career with the Bucks. But with Milwaukee sitting at 11th in the Eastern Conference as of Sunday afternoon, it’s clear the franchise is a shell of its 2021 finals-winning self.
Green believes the Bucks would “try” to fulfill a potential trade request from Antetokounmpo, should he desire an exit. Regardless, any potential deal involving the two-time NBA MVP would be a blockbuster.
The Flyers couldn’t take down the best team in the NHL as they lost to the Avalanche, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Rick Tocchet’s club fell into a 3-1 deficit early in the second period. Travis Konecny made it a one-goal game a little over four minutes later.
The Flyers had some opportunities in the third period to draw even, but they were unable to take advantage (more on that below).
Sean Couturier also found the back of the net for the Flyers (15-9-3).
“We believed in our chances to win this game,” Couturier said. “But it just felt at times we maybe gave them a little too much respect, we watched them a little bit. But overall, we competed hard, we were right there until the end.”
Colorado still owns just two regulation losses. The Avalanche (21-2-6) came in leading the NHL with 4.00 goals per game, while also allowing the fewest at 2.18.
“Some people use games as measuring sticks and I think we don’t need to do that anymore,” Konecny said. “We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams, so why not start believing that we should be right there with them.”
If there was ever a good time to face Colorado, this might have been it for the Flyers. The Avalanche were playing their second game of a back-to-back set and third game in four days, all on the road.
The Flyers, on the other hand, were coming off three days of no games or travel. But it didn’t make a difference.
“I thought we played a pretty good game,” Tocchet said. “I thought a lot of guys tried hard. We’ve just got to tighten up the turnovers and we need some of our players to make some plays under pressure — that’s really what it comes down to.”
Ersson converted 25 saves on 28 shots against high-powered Colorado. He made a huge stop on a Victor Olofsson breakaway in the second period to keep the Flyers down only 3-2.
You could certainly argue the Flyers should have played a rested Dan Vladar against the best team in the NHL. But it’s not like Ersson played poorly Sunday. He gave the Flyers a solid chance.
Mackenzie Blackwood was in net for both games of the Avalanche’s back-to-back set. He beat the Flyers with 24 saves on 26 shots after taking down the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
Trailing 3-2 to open the third period, the Flyers had 1:52 minutes of a power play, but they failed to capitalize.
A little over two minutes later, Trevor Zegras had a penalty shot after being held by Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway. With a career 68 percent success rate in shootout attempts (17 for 25), Zegras was denied by Blackwood.
• The Flyers’ defensive depth was really tested without Cam York. The 24-year-old missed the game because of an upper-body injury.
The third defensive pair of Egor Zamula and Noah Juulsen was on the ice for two of Colorado’s goals. Juulsen also committed a tripping penalty that led to the Avalanche’s go-ahead 2-1 power play goal with 52 seconds left in the first period.
Zamula started losing some shifts in the second period and finished with 14:03 minutes. Juulsen played just 10:11.
“They’re scratching and clawing,” Tocchet said. “That’s what you’ve got to get from them, they’re trying.”
Three days after participating in the team’s morning skate, Rasmus Ristolainen joined the Flyers for practice Saturday. He remained in a non-contact jersey, but the 31-year-old defenseman appears to be getting closer to his season debut, which could come at some point this month.
• Couturier had a special start to his 33rd birthday and 900th career game.
He redirected a Juulsen shot for the game-opening goal just 2:09 minutes into the action.
“It’s just great to see him play 900, he has been through a lot in his career,” Konecny said. “He has always just put his head down and gone to work, led by example. He’s a guy that you can say he doesn’t really care about that goal; he’ll care about if we won or lost the game, and that speaks to why he’s our captain.”
Back on Nov. 20, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that the Winnipeg Jets have given Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade. While the young forward has yet to be dealt, that certainly could change before the trade deadline.
Lambert is a 21-year-old former first-round pick, so there are likely many clubs that would love to add him to their system.
The 6-foot-1 center has shown promise early on in his career, including when he posted 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games in his second season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose in 2023-24.
Although Lambert is still looking to break out at the NHL level, he has the potential to grow as he continues to gain more experience.
With that, let's look at three teams that could be good fits for Lambert.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators could make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Lambert. With the Predators once again being one of the NHL's worst teams this season, they should be looking to add young talent who have the potential to benefit them long-term. Lambert could do just that if he breaks out and hits his full potential.
When looking at the Predators' roster, Lambert would have the potential to immediately fit in their top nine. This would be even more of the case if the Predators end up moving on from top trade candidates like Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos this season.
While the Pittsburgh Penguins have had a strong start to the 2025-26 season, they are still in the middle of a retool. Because of this, it would be very understandable if they made a major push for a young forward with good upside like Lambert.
If the Penguins acquired Lambert, he would give them another promising forward prospect to work with. This would certainly not be a bad thing for Pittsburgh, especially when veteran star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are up there in age.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins also make sense as a potential landing spot for Lambert. The Bruins need more young and skilled forwards as they continue to build up their roster again. Thus, a player like Lambert could very well grab their attention.
In the short term, Lambert could compete for a spot in the Bruins' bottom six. However, he also would have the potential to be a part of Boston's top six if he broke out for the Original Six club.
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The Yankees' offseason, so far, has been uneventful.
Aside from some minor signings, and one big qualifying offer being accepted, New York has yet to fill out its roster to try to get back to the World Series. While division rivals like the Red Sox and Blue Jays have already made big splashes, Yankees GM Brian Cashman is seemingly biding his time. While the team's needs and priorities are very obvious, the Yankees enter the MLB Winter Meetings with a lot of questions and even more work to do.
Here's a checklist of what the Yankees need to do this week during the Winter Meetings in Orlando...
Bring Cody Bellinger back
The biggest offseason move the Yankees need to make is to re-sign Bellinger. Cashman got a steal when he made the trade with the Cubs last offseason to bring the former NL MVP to The Bronx. Bellinger had one of his best seasons as a pro and helped the Yankees lengthen the lineup and shore up the defense in the outfield. He won games single-handedly with his defense alone this past season and has proven that he's perfect for the pinstripes.
It's clear Bellinger is Cashman's priority this offseason, just as Juan Soto was a year ago. And while that pursuit didn't pan out, Cashman can't possibly allow Bellinger not to return, especially when teams like the Dodgers and Mets are vying for his services.
It won't be easy, Bellinger — who is represented by Scott Boras — will look to have a lucrative multi-year deal and the Yankees may have to go further than they otherwise might be comfortable with; that's how important Bellinger is to the 2026 Yankees. Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham can't be the only veterans in the outfield next season while they try to capture lightning in a bottle with Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones.
Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) runs to home plate in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Enact Plan B if Bellinger leaves
This offseason is becoming eerily similar to last year. Soto took the money to go to the Mets and Cashman had to pivot, and pivot he did.
Cashman traded for Bellinger and Devin Williams while signing Max Fried. The GM's moves worked and helped the Yankees tie the Blue Jays for the best record in the American League. Now, what could Cashman do for an encore?
If the Yankees can't re-sign Bellinger, Cashman needs to be ready to enact his Plan B. Whether that's signing Kyle Tucker or trading for an outfielder like Steven Kwan, the longtime GM has to show the fans that if Bellinger doesn't come back, the outfield will be just fine.
Cashman has to be creative; he's done it before, and he may need to do it again. Hopefully, he's prepared.
Fill out the bullpen
Two moves the Yankees have made this offseason are re-signing Ryan Yarbrough and picking up Tim Hill's option, which helps fill holes in the bullpen, but there's still work to be done.
Devin Williams is gone and Luke Weaver is still a free agent. Cashman and the organization have been great at creating a bullpen in the past and I expect this year to be the same. Perhaps a reunion with Weaver is on the way, or signing former Padres closer Robert Suarez to pair with David Bednar is a possibility. And, who knows, perhaps a trade could happen in the same way Williams was acquired.
Figuring out the outfield is the priority for the Yankees, but finishing up the bullpen is second on the list and Cashman needs to address it soon.
Oct 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) throws in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game one of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Get greedy and sign a starter
The Yankees' starting rotation is set ... when it's healthy.
Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon will miss the start of the 2026 season, but they will be back. But there may be questions about their effectiveness when they do return. Cashman and the Yankees also have to wonder if they can fully trust the trio of Luis Gil, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler for another season.
The Yankees can give themselves some comfort by splurging on another starter either in free agency or via trade.
There are some intriguing buy-low, reclamation projects like Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly who can shore up the back of the rotation. Miami has controllable starters like Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera that can be traded for as well. The rotation is definitely low on the list of priorities for the Yankees, but with so many question marks, it can't hurt to have as many starters as possible and if Cashman brings one in, the younger arms become trade pieces for the aforementioned outfielder.
Dispel all payroll questions
Heading into the Winter Meetings, there's been a lot of chatter about the Yankees' 2026 payroll and whether or not Hal Steinbrenner is willing to go over $300 million, including comments from Steinbrenner himself. They currently sit at around $283.6 million (after taxes), so there's not a lot of wiggle room for the Yankees if they hope to improve their team.
I find it hard to believe the Yankees would operate below $300 million, so Cashman could show the baseball world — and Yankees fans — that they are ready to spend this offseason by signing a Bellinger or a handful of names. Not to rush the process, but leaving the Winter Meetings without a deal done would not quell fears. It'll be even worse if targets like Bellinger and Tucker sign elsewhere.
