Sep 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kevin Herget (57) pitches in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images
One of the calling cards of the David Stearns era has been a glut of relievers brought it, called up, sent down, designated for assignment, released, waived, purchased, or otherwise moved around the fringes of the Mets’ organization. While for some folks, myself included, the constant churn can seem like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic at points, the process allows the Mets to get looks at a ton of pitchers and decide if those pitchers have a role in the team longer-term than just the inning or two that is directly in front of them.
In that regard, the Mets seem to like Kevin Herget quite a bit. Over the past 18 months, the Mets have acquired fellow Bergen County, NJ native Herget thrice: claiming him off waivers from the Reds after the conclusion of the 2024 season, signing him as a free agent in mid-July after his first stint with the Mets and subsequent stint with the Braves ended, and then signing him again to a minor league deal in December.
Now, to be fair, the Mets don’t like him that much, as he only threw 12 total innings for the big league club in 2025, and they designated him for assignment twice. The DFAs have more to do with roster construction than anything else; the fact that he was brought back each time is more of an endorsement than the releases were a referendum on his talents.
In his limited time in the majors, Herget only had one appearance that could be classified as bad, and that was when he was left in too long in a laugher against the Tigers. He didn’t strike out a ton of batters, but he limited damage and was dependably giving the Mets at least an inning, if not multiple innings, in each appearance. His final Mets line was a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings over six appearances with six strikeouts and three walks.
His numbers didn’t look too different in Syracuse either (2.81 ERA over 32 innings with 35 strikeouts and eight walks). Simply put, he limits hard contact with a mostly three-pitch mix of four seam fastball, cutter, and changeup. The fastball average velo was just 92.1 mph in 2025, which is not what you’d expect from a right-hander out of the bullpen, but he makes it work.
The question remains to be seen if he can make it work for any extended period of time in the majors and, just as importantly, if the Mets will give him the opportunity to answer that question. Herget is out of options, so if the Mets call him up, he’s going to really have to prove his worth to not have the same DFA shuffle happen again. And while his skillset is certainly useful, with limited bullpen roles, a soft-tossing righty without big strikeout numbers is going to be a hard sell.
Tempe, AZ - February 18: Pitcher Hunter Strickland of the Los Angeles Angels poses for a portrait during photo day at Diablo Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Tempe, AZ. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Prior to beginning this deserved evisceration, this author would like to clarify that she is not related to Angels GM Perry Minasian (so far as she knows). She is proudly related to Raffi Minasian, who, when pressed into attendance, scrolls on Instagram and asks every half inning when they’re going to throw hot dogs to him.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim should be extremely grateful to the Colorado Rockies for existing. Hopefully Bradley Blalock got a fruit basket, at the very least, because the Rockies pitching staff were often the only thing standing between the Angels arms and the very cellar of most FanGraphs leaderboards. They had the highest BB/9 rate of any team in baseball, ranked second-highest in HR/9, put up a walk rate of 9.9% and tallied all that into a cumulative 6.4 fWAR (29th overall). As John pointed out yesterday, they certainly weren’t helped by the worst defense in baseball, but it was much more Felix the Cat running while holding a bomb than Félix Hernández.
To address these issues, this off-season Minasian opted to employ a strategy inspired by Armenians at any family gathering, and many nerds online: Remembering Some Guys.
Notable Transactions
Out: LHP Brock Burke, LHP Tyler Anderson, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Connor Brogdon, RHP Kyle Hendricks, LHP José Quijada, LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP José Ureña In: RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Alek Manoah, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Jordan Romano, LHP Brent Suter, LHP Jayvien Sandridge, RHP Huascar Ynoa, RHP Shaun Anderson, RHP Nick Sandlin, LHP Tayler Saucedo, RHP Kaleb Ort, RHP Angel Perdomo, RHP Hunter Strickland Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite
Here to tell you the story of the Angels’ off-season additions is Jake, an aspiring screenwriter whose favorite films include Transformers, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Armageddon.
We open on Yusei Kikuchi in the weight room at Angels Stadium, sweat pouring down his face.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
A screen recording of Grayson Rodriguez’s extensive injury history page, with the voiceover of Rodriguez telling a reporter that he didn’t go through a physical before being traded to the Angels.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
Alek Manoah throwing 89 MPH fastballs in Buffalo, New York.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
Jordan Romano’s entire 2025 season on 6.9x speed.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
Soft focus zoom into the gray hairs of Kirby Yates’ beard.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
Soft focus zoom into the gray hairs of Drew Pomeranz’s beard.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
Soft focus zoom into the gray hairs that would grow in Brent Suter’s beard.
SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]
This picture
Fade to black
Starting Rotation
Player
Age
Throws
IP
K/BB
ERA
FIP
WAR
Yusei Kikuchi
35
L
169
2.77
4.22
4.21
2.3
José Soriano
27
R
176
2.15
3.86
3.85
2.9
Reid Detmers
26
L
145
3.01
4.08
3.88
2.2
Grayson Rodriguez
26
R
122
3.13
3.95
3.87
2.1
Alek Manoah
28
R
104
2.07
4.75
4.74
0.8
Caden Dana
22
R
86
2.01
5.00
4.97
0.3
According to ZiPS, José Soriano is slated to be The Quiet Place of the rotation, with old friend Kikuchi as The Quiet Place II and Detmers rounding it out as Bumblebee. Beyond those three, it’s all just various iterations of The Purge.
There’s an argument to be made that the Angels’ 1-3 in their rotation represent the team’s most noble, respectful tribute to baseball in the 2026 season. The ceiling isn’t terribly high, but the holes are patched and it keeps you dry. But in 2026, you need more than three starting pitchers, and while Rodriguez, Manoah and Dana offer a little more clearance for your noggin, you’re going to need a few buckets handy in the event of a storm. It’s easy to see some upside here – Rodriguez had surgery in August to remove the bone spurs in his elbow that he claimed were the root of 2+ years of injuries and struggle, Manoah sat 93-94 in his debut Spring Training outing, Dana is still just a baby and Gregg Klassen is waiting in the wings like the Midwestern pitching version of Zach Neto. It’s also a thin line for competence and a generous promenade of risk.
Role
Player
Age
Throws
IP
K/BB
ERA
FIP
WAR
Closer?
Robert Stephenson
33
R
60
3.41
4.09
3.8
0.7
Closer?
Drew Pomeranz
37
L
58
3.15
3.93
3.91
0.7
Closer?
Kirby Yates
39
R
56
2.52
3.93
3.93
0.4
Closer?
Jordan Romano
33
R
57
2.83
4.25
4.14
0.2
Middle
Ryan Zeferjahn
28
R
63
2.12
4.46
4.58
-0.1
Middle
Brent Suter
36
L
60
2.47
4.51
4.46
0.0
Middle
José Fermin
24
R
52
2.20
4.38
4.43
0.0
Long
Chase Silseth
26
R
50
2.35
4.21
4.24
0.1
IL
Ben Joyce
25
R
42
2.66
3.56
3.58
0.1
I’m not here to pass judgement on my fellow 90’s babies, but I’m also not out there every day trying to hurl my arm around like a kid with one of those sticky hand toys. That’s a lotta 30-somethings in that table, to say nothing of the injury histories that get those names beeping like a metal detector being swept along the basin of the Trevi Fountain. This bullpen is the 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – the source material is haunting, but the remake lacks oomph or necessity.
To be honest, at this point I can’t tell if I’m more tired of making Michael Bay references or just considering the Angels franchise. It likely skews towards the latter, but I’ll take some blame myself. As the Halos know better than any, it’s tough to be a Michael.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during a workout at Camelback Ranch on February 17, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers on Tuesday take on the Cleveland Guardians at Camelback Ranch. Here are the active players for the fourth game of the Dodgers’ spring, including Freddie Freeman at first base in his first Cactus League game this year, just as he planned.
Lineup
Miguel Rojas SS Kyle Tucker RF Will Smith C Freddie Freeman 1B Teoscar Hernández LF Andy Pages CF Alex Freeland 2B Nick Senzel 3B Keston Hiura DH
Justin Wrobleski, Edgardo Henriquez, and Paul Gervase are slated to pitch on Tuesday, as are non-roster invitees Ryder Ryan, Wyatt Mills, and Antoine Kelly.
From minor league camp, Antonio Knowles (wearing uniform number 05), Roque Gutierrez (89), Kelvin Ramirez (91), and Nicolas Cruz (93) are also active.
Other position players
Michael Siani is the lone position player on the 40-man roster available in reserve, along with non-roster invitees Ryan Fitzgerald, James Tibbs III, Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Kendall George, Chris Newell, Noah Miller, and catchers Seby Zavala, Griffin Lockwood-Powell, Eliézer Alfonzo, and Nelson Quiroz.
Up from the minor league side are infielders Elijah Hainline (90) and Jake Gelof (06).
Two-time White Sox backstop John Romano passed away on this day, seven years ago.
1928 The future third baseman for the 1959 pennant-winning White Sox, Bubba Phillips, was born, in West Point, Miss. Phillips originally came to the White Sox from Detroit, in a 1955 swap for Virgil Trucks. He played for four seasons on the South Side, covering his most productive seasons in the majors; all told, it was just 5.4 WAR, but his stints for the Tigers and Cleveland in his career both finished as negative-WAR efforts.
Phillips put up an impressive 2.7 WAR in 1957, but lost his starting job to Billy Goodman in 1958. Regaining the role in 1959, Phillips had a modest season but hit .300 for the White Sox in the 1959 World Series.
1948 White Sox GM Les O’Connor sent pitcher Eddie Lopat to the Yankees for three players.
Lopat was a soft-tossing, off-speed pitcher who won 50 games in four years with the Sox, twice having an ERA off less than 3.00. He would quickly develop into one of the aces on the Yankees dynasty of the 1950s, winning 113 games in seven-and-a-half years. He also went 4-1 in World Series play.
Of the players the Sox got in return, only pitcher Bill Wight had any success on the South Side, winning 34 games in three seasons.
It wasn’t really a lost deal, though. Another one of the players acquired, catcher Aaron Robinson, would be sent in November 1948 to the Tigers for a youngster named … Billy Pierce. Pierce would win 186 games in a White Sox uniform from 1950-61, fourth-most in franchise history.
1966 Future White Sox (oh, OK, Mets) pitcher Tom Seaver, who had been taken in the first round (but just No. 20 overall) by Atlanta in the January draft, signed for $40,000. However, because Seaver’s USC season had already begun, the righthander was not allowed to turn pro (MLB and the NCAA understood such poaching would play havoc with college rosters). Because USC then made Seaver ineligible to play (having signed with the pros), baseball commissioner William Eckert set up a special drawing to place Seaver with a team; any team willing to match at least the original $40,000 bonus could throw their names into a hat, and Cleveland, Philadelphia and the Mets did so. Floundering New York won the drawing — yes, literally having their name picked from a hat — and the ascendance of the New York Mets began.
Eighteen years later, the White Sox defied custom and selected the future Hall-of-Famer as free agent compensation, resulting in almost two full, successful, swan-song seasons for Seaver on his way to Cooperstown.
1978 Perfect game defensive hero Dewayne Wise was born in Columbia, S.C.
Forever a part-time player, Wise was called up to the White Sox in 2008 and was a standout in the ALDS loss to Tampa Bay, slashing .286/.375/.857 over three games. He achieved his White Sox immortality, however, by securing an impossible catch in his first play as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of Mark Buehrle’s 2009 perfect game.
2019 A backstop who had a relatively rare two stints with the White Sox, John Romano, died in Naples, Fla.
Signed by the White Sox at age 19, Romano moved up from D-ball to the majors over four seasons, making his debut on Sept. 12, 1958 vs. the Yankees. “Honey” was a part-timer behind incumbent starter Sherm Lollar, and without apparent playing time ahead the Sox sent Romano to Cleveland as part of the ill-fated Norm Cash deal to re-acquire Minnie Miñoso after the 1959 pennant.
After five seasons in Cleveland, Romano came back to the White Sox as part of a three-team deal that also netted Tommy John and Tommie Agee. The catcher had two solid seasons as a White Sox starter in 1965 and 1966 before getting traded to St. Louis, where 24 games for the Cardinals in 1967 would end his MLB career.
Teams are back in action and there’s plenty to get into with the start of the fantasy postseason just weeks away.
With the playoff/play-in teams and lottery-bound squads beginning to separate themselves, which players might be impacted? Let's get into it.
→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock! The Knicks and Cavs get things started at 8 p.m. before the Timberwolves play the Trail Blazers at 11 p.m. ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.
STOCK UP
Kyle Filipowski — PF/C, Jazz
No Jaren Jackson Jr. No Walker Kessler. And now no Jusuf Nurkic. Depending on Lauri Markkanen's availability on a nightly basis, Filipowski is one of, if not the only, workhorse and minutes hogs in the frontcourt for a Jazz team with few proven NBA bodies left. He’s scored 15 or more points five times in his nine appearances during February, and has also reached double figures in rebounds on three of those occasions. He’s picked up his defensive effort recently, tallying 4.3 steals per game, along with averages of 16.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks over the past three games. So long as he remains healthy, Filiposwki’s stock is very clearly moving upward.
It took a while for Melton to make his Warriors 2025-26 debut, with an ACL injury suffered last season keeping him out until early December of this NBA season. He’s played well since returning, but has arguably been more consistent of late than at any other point during the season. With Stephen Curry (knee) currently out and Jimmy Butler (knee) gone for the season, Melton has been one of several role-playing Warriors to increase their production. He’s scored at least 17 points in three consecutive games, has made multiple triples in each (five three-point makes against the Spurs), has a seven-assist game, and a four-steal game within that period. Melton is starting now, and there’s a chance he could retain that role if he continues to produce. Even if he returns to the bench, he’ll have a chance to put up numbers each night.
GG Jackson — SF/PF, Grizzlies
The momentum has been slowly building for Jackson, whose scoring and rebounding numbers have increased little by little each month. And while the build-up has been steady, the February jump has been major. From February 2 onward, the third-year forward is averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 55.3 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from beyond the arc. Scale those numbers down even more, and you’ll find that the scoring has jumped to 21.3 points per game over the past four appearance on 2.3 made threes per contest. Given the Grizzlies’ spot in the standings and the moves they made ahead of the trade deadline, there’s no reason to think that Jackson’s role and productivity won’t remain. He’ll be on the rise the rest of the season; go grab him in fantasy leagues while you can.
Aside from a 19-point, 11-rebound recent outing against his former employer, the Chicago Bulls, Vucevic’s time in Boston has been relatively quiet. He’s settled into a bench role behind Neemias Queta of late and served as a savvy veteran reserve. The 15th-year pro has yet to log 30 minutes in any game as a Celtic, is averaging single-digit shot attempts across his five appearances, and has scored under 10 points in each of his last two games. Such is life, coming from a potentially lottery-bound team to an Eastern Conference contender. While I’m confident in assuming Vucevic is happy to sacrifice the stats for a chance to play into May and potentially June, the decreased production probably doesn’t feel great for the 97 percent of fantasy managers in Yahoo! Leagues who have him rostered.
De’Aaron Fox — PG/SG, Spurs
The Spurs are great, and they’re THE hottest team in the league, having reeled off nine consecutive wins. They’ve been so great, in fact, that their margin of victory during the win streak sits at 15.6 points — this number has caused some of their guys to see fewer minutes on the floor than they otherwise would in more competitive games; for this particular post, I’m referring to De’Aaron Fox. Fox has cracked the 30-minute mark in just five of nine February games and since the All-Star break is at just 14.3 points in 27.3 minutes per game. Add on the fact that San Antonio has no shortage of capable guards, and a deep team overall, and there are nights in which much may not even be required from Fox. For no fault of his own, in this case, his fantasy stock has trended downward lately.
Jaden Ivey — PG/SG, Bulls
Yes, Jaden Ivey is dealing with knee soreness that will reportedly keep him on the sidelines for a bit — poor knee health cut his season short a season ago and has, self-admittedly, been one of the reasons for his on-court struggles this season. But even before the recent injury destination, Ivey had been a healthy scratch in the Bulls’ recent loss to the Raptors, and had post averages of just 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his four appearances with the Bulls after being acquired at the trade deadline. The season has been a tough one for the fourth-year combo guard no matter what team he’s suited up for, but the injury uncertainty makes his rest-of-season outlook very shaky from a fantasy standpoint. Fantasy outlook aside, hopefully, he can recover and finish the season strong.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 12: Sebastian Walcott #1 of the Texas Rangers bats during the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park on Saturday, July 12, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Sebastian Walcott underwent successful internal brace surgery on his elbow last week, per the beats.
This is good news, as Walcott’s damaged UCL did not need the full Tommy John replacement surgery, which would involve a longer recovery time than the internal brace surgery. With what the Rangers are indicating is an expected 5 to 6 month recovery time, Walcott should be able to resume playing before the minor league season is over, though I anticipate he’ll be limited to DH duties upon his immediate return.
Walcott, who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, was a consensus top 10-20 prospect in MLB prior to the injury. Walcott slashed .255/.355/.386 as one of the youngest players at AA Frisco in 2025. While primarily a shortstop so far in his professional career, Walcott profiles as a likely third baseman or right fielder in the majors, assuming that there are no long-term effects from the elbow surgery.
The NBA's Most Improved Player Award is heating up as we have a new leader at the top and a surging choice in third-place. Deni Avdija held the top of the leaderboard for weeks, but now that belongs to Jalen Johnson with Jalen Duren in the hunt. Let's take a look at the top five choices and who I bet on to win the award with odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Most Improved Player award via DraftKings
NBA Most Improved Player Award Rankings:
1. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (-130)
Jalen Johnson is the new leader in the clubhouse for Most Improved Player as his recent play and injuries to the rest of the field have lifted him from +240 prior to the All-Star break to -130 two games post break.
Johnson has only missed six games this season and the departure of Trae Young to Washington has given Johnson the free rein in this Atlanta offense. The Hawks sit at 28-31 and the 9th seed of the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is a 0.5 game up on Charlotte who is in the final spot of the play-in and 2.0 games ahead of Milwaukee who is in 11th.
Johnson has improved every statistical category from points (18.9 to 23.4), assists (5.0 to 8.1), rebounds (10.0 to 10.8), three-point percentage (31.2% to 34.1%), and free-throw percentage (74.6% to 78.5%). Johnson's points per game ranks 21st in the NBA, while his rebounds are 7th and assists are 5th.
Only Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, and Johnson rank in the top 25 for points, rebounds, and assists, while Luka Doncic just missed the cut. That is elite company and driving force in why Johnson has been a top contender all season for the award and my pick to win.
Pick: Jalen Johnson to win Most Improved Player (2 units)
2. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons (+500)
Over the last three weeks, Jalen Duren's odds have continued to shooter going from +5000 before the All-Star break to +2000 post-break and now +500. Duren has been a catalyst for Detroit's success and best record in the NBA despite playing less than 30 minutes per game. In his limited action (27.7 MPG), Duren has averaged six more points this season (11.8 to 17.8) and shooting above 60% again (63%).
As far as making a jump in rebounds, blocks, steals, or any other category, Duren is posting similar stats or slight lower numbers in most categories compared to last season. Duren's usage rate is down from 18.1% to 13.9% and his rebounding percentage is down two points (19.4% to 17.4%), but his offensive and defensive ratings are almost identical to last year.
One of the biggest factors to Duren's success is averaging fewer fouls per game (2.8) and fouling out less than his first three seasons — Duren fouled out once this season. Even though he's third in the odds race, I have Duren as my No. 2 option in Most Improved Player as Detroit's team success can carry him in this field.
3. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers (+400)
The Portland Trail Blazers are currently in the 9th spot in the West and a safe bet to at least make the play-in. Portland is 5.5 games ahead of Memphis who is the 11th team in the West and 7.0 games behind Minnesota who is the 6th seed. Last year, Portland was 36-46 and finished 3.0 games out of the play-in, so this turnaround is a major positive and influence to Deni Avdija's case for Most Improved Player.
Unforutanelt, Avdija is out with a back injury and that's costed him in this market. Avdija was the favorite before the All-Star break, but exits the Suns game with the same injury. Before that game, Avdija missed 10 of Portland's 17 games prior to that matchup with the back injury, so it's been a lingering injury that could cost him this award.
Avdija has raised his points per game from 16.9 to 24.4 on almost five more field goal attempts and 3.5 more minutes per game. Avdija has nearly doubled his assists per game from 3.9 to 6.6 and averages four more free-throw attempts per contest too. Avdija has the stats to back up this award, but with 10 missed games and apparently more on the horizon, his odds of winning this award are slipping.
4. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz (+1500)
Keyonte George is another player whose injury is hurting his case for Most Improved Player. George currently has an ankle injury that has sidelined him and forced him to play in only one game since Jan. 30.
Despite the injury, George has raised his points per game from 13.0 to 16.8 to 23.8 in his three seasons and his assists numbers from 4.4 to 5.6 to 6.5. George is averaging shooting splits of 45/37/89 this season and posting 23.4 combined field goal and free throw attempts per game for Utah. The Jazz have been tanking, so George at 22-years-old, has received more run and is capitalizing off 33.9 minutes per game.
Unfortunately, his team's success will bring him down in this market, as will his recent ankle injury that could keep him off the court due to Utah tanking.
5. Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks (+2000)
Ryan Rollins has made one of the largest leaps of anyone in the NBA when it comes to points per game jumping from 6.2 last year with the Bucks to 17.1 this season. Most of that is due to his minutes skyrocketing as Milwaukee needs help at the guard position and in a down year. Rollins is playing 32.4 minutes after a career-high of 14.6 last season and he's setting career-bests across the board in almost every category because of it.
The Bucks are 24-31 through 55 games and out of the playoff picture at 2.0 games behind the Hornets for the final spot. If Milwaukee somehow makes it in the playoffs and Rollins has an impressive March and April while averaging 20-plus points per game, he could be more in the mix, but it appears he will be a top-five finisher for the award. With shooting splits of 46/42/78, 5.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, Rollins has certainly taken every advantage of his minutes increase and 48 starts over 53 games.
NBA Futures Card
2 units: Jalen Johnson to win Most Improved Player (-130) 2 units: JB Bickerstaff to win Coach of the Year (+130) 2 units: Oklahoma City Thunder to win NBA Finals (+125) 2 units: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win MVP (+125) 2 units: Luka Doncic to win MVP (+400) 1 unit: Boston Celtics to win the East (+400) 1 unit: Golden State Warriors to miss playoffs (+120) 1 unit: Los Angeles Clippers to make the playoffs (+130) 0.5 unit: Boston Celtics to win NBA Finals (+2000) 0.5 unit: Victor Wembanyama to win MVP (+1200)
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
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The Montreal Canadiens are expected to be buyers leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, we here at The Hockey News Canadiens have been looking at a few players on selling clubs that could make sense for the Habs to target.
In this latest edition of the series, let's take a look at the Vancouver Canucks.
Conor Garland, RW
The Canadiens could use another skilled forward in their top nine, and Conor Garland would provide them with just that if acquired. The 29-year-old is also exactly the kind of heart-and-soul forward that a team on the rise like the Canadiens would benefit from having. He is also known for his two-way play, so he could work on Montreal's power play and penalty kill if acquired.
Garland would be more than a rental for the Canadiens if brought in. The Massachusetts native's six-year, $36 million contract extension kicks in next season, so he would be a long-term part of the Habs' plans if acquired.
Garland has appeared in 46 games this season with the Canucks, where he has recorded seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points. This is after he had 50 points in 81 games for Vancouver this past season.
David Kampf, C
David Kampf would not provide the Canadiens with another top-six center, but he would improve their depth. If the Canadiens brought him, he could work nicely on their fourth line and on their penalty kill because of his solid defensive play. Furthermore, he would give the Canadiens another center who thrives at the dot, as he has won 52.8% of his faceoffs this season. He has also only had one season where he was under 50% at the faceoff dot during his nine-year NHL career.
Kampf would also be an easily affordable target for the Canadiens, as he has a $1.1 million cap hit for the remainder of this season. With this, he could be a decent rental for the Habs to bring in for their bottom six.
The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Michael Russo also reported that the Canadiens had interest in Kampf when he was a free agent back in November. Perhaps they could kick tires on him again.
Today we look at the Cubs’ right-handed sometime reliever.
Gavin Ernest Hollowell was born in Somerset, NJ, 11/04/1997. He’s a 6’7”, 215 pounder, a sixth-round pick by the Rockies in the 2019 Amateur Draft, a graduate of St. John’s.
Hollowell had some coffee in Colorado in 2022-23, appearing in 32 games during that span, throwing 40.2 innings, and garnering a single save and three holds (all in 2023, when he threw the majority of his innings). He’s gotten into eight games as a Cub and his numbers are not impressive, Overall he sports a 5.79 ERA, having given up 33 runs in 51.1 innings, allowing 49 hits and 29 walks. He does strike out a man per inning, and his stuff seems decent, but he doesn’t have it all together at this point and is probably looking at Iowa with a possibility of an injury recall. He rode the Des Moines Express in August and September, in 2025.
That straight change might be handy, though. He’s a 2500+ spin rate guy. The sinker seems to be his out pitch, or at least he gets the bulk of his strikeouts using it. IIRC it darts down and can be hard to harness. HIs fastball has some lateral movement and he needs to spot it carefully or it drifts into the middle of the zone.
Maybe the Pitch Lab can fix him, and maybe keep his arm angle the same for two consecutive years, just for something to build on (Baseball Savant, linked above, shows him changing that angle every year).
I don’t know. Anyway, I don’t know if it would pay to get too familiar with him. If he doesn’t step up the out-getting. he’s another camp arm. His name sounds like it should be appended to a law firm. It’s very impressive and official.
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 09: Kansas City Royals left fielder Dairon Blanco (44), Kansas City Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel (28) and Kansas City Royals right fielder Drew Waters (6) celebrate following the Major League Baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians on July 9, 2023, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Royals won 82 games last year, five games out of a playoff spot and four games worse than they were in 2025. It was tantalizingly close, and the reason they fell short seemed easy enough to identify – outfield offensive production. Royals outfielders collectively hit .225/.285/.348, a 73 wRC+ mark that was easily the worst in baseball.
So the goal of the offseason seemed clear. Get some outfielders that can hit! And the Royals didn’t just sit on their hands. J.J. Picollo did make a shrewd trade to get Isaac Collins from the Brewers, a promising on-base machine who hit .263/.368/.411 in his rookie campaign. He also signed Lane Thomas to a one-year deal, hoping he can bounce back from a lousy 2025 season and return to his 2023 form, when he hit 28 home runs. The Royals also acquired Kameron Misner, a Missouri product with solid minor league numbers who has hit just .203 in 79 MLB games. Oh, and they moved in the fences!
There were certainly other outfielders available. Maybe Cody Bellinger (five years, $162.5 million) was too rich for their blood. But there were plenty of options in their wheelhouse.
Mike Yastrzemski signed a two-year, $23 million deal with the Braves
Bader signed a two-year, $20.5 million deal with the Giants
Willi Castro signed a two-year, $18 million deal with the Rockies
Adolis Garcia signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies
Rob Refsnyder signed a one-year, $6.25 million deal with the Mariners
Cedric Mullins signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Rays
Hays signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the White Sox
Miguel Andujar signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Reds
Jake Fraley signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Rays
Mike Tauchman signed a minor league deal with the White Sox
Michael Conforto signed a minor league deal with the Cubs
And there were outfielders that were traded.
The Orioles acquired Taylor Ward from the Angels for Grayson Rodriguez
The Athletics acquired Jeff McNeil from the Mets for Jordan Rodriguez
The Pirates acquired Jake Mangum, and the Rays acquired Jacob Melton in a three-team trade with the Astros
The Angels acquired Josh Lowe from the Rays in a three-team trade for Brock Burke
The Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox for Truman Pauley and Luisangel Acuña
The Blue Jays acquired Jesús Sánchez from the Astros for Joey Loperfido
The Royals were reportedly willing to deal from their surplus of pitching (which some say is the currency of baseball!), but could not find a deal to their liking.
Some restraint is understandable. The Royals passed on last year’s outfield free agent class, and those players largely turned into pumpkins in 2025. Better to make no move than panic and make an ill-advised signing that saddles the payroll for years, or a trade you end up regretting.
But perfect should not be the enemy of good. It would not take much to upgrade the Royals outfield. Of the 145 qualified hitters last year, 141 out-hit Royals outfielders. What is even more curious is the Royals have not brought in a single veteran outfielder on a minor league deal to compete for a spot. Sure, these kinds of players are the dregs of the free agent market, but sometimes they show they have something left in the tank, and the cost is negligible.
Perhaps the Royals still have a move left in them. Spring training trades are not uncommon, and if pitchers start getting hurt in camp, teams may come to the Royals desperate to build pitching depth and willing to give up an outfielder.
Perhaps the Royals are hoping to make do with what they have to start the year and explore better opportunities this summer. Last year, they were able to make substantial upgrades at the trade deadline, acquiring Yasztreski, Adam Frazier, and Randall Grichuk without giving up much of anything.
Perhaps they have tied their season to Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. If the offense is to improve, it will be due to the development of their two most promising young hitters, not some declining veteran who, at best, improves things at the margins.
But when you’re competing for a playoff spot, the margins matter. The Royals fell just short of the postseason last year. Could another bat earlier in the year have made a difference?
The Royals are not wrong to avoid panic. They are not wrong to protect payroll flexibility. And they are not wrong to believe in internal growth. But Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman once said, “If you’re always rational about every free agent, you’re going to finish third on every free agent.”
The Royals have a potential Hall of Famer in Bobby Witt Jr. in his prime. They have another potential Hall of Famer in Salvador Perez, still in his productive years. They have some exciting All-Star caliber hitters in Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino. They have one of the best starting rotations in baseball. They have three shutdown relievers in Matt Strahm, Lucas Erceg, and Carlos Estévez.
The opportunity is there. The Royals need to seize it.
With the 27th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected forward Marek Vanacker. The Blackhawks are hoping that the 19-year-old forward will be a big part of their roster later down the road, and his play this season should create optimism about his future with the Original Six club.
Vanacker is currently having an excellent season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Brantford Bulldogs. In 50 games so far this campaign with the OHL club, the 6-foot-1 forward has recorded 40 goals, 28 assists, 68 points, and a plus-29 rating. With numbers like these, there is no question that he is showing off his offensive upside with the Bulldogs this season.
If Vanacker can continue to produce strong offense like this at the OHL level, it should only create more excitement about his future with the Blackhawks. The young forward has all the tools to become an impactful NHL forward in the future and is just one of several exciting prospects in the Blackhawks' system.
It will now be interesting to see how Vanacker finishes off the season with the Bulldogs from here. It is clear that he has been having a strong campaign, and this is especially so when it comes to the goal-scoring department.
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 23: Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 23, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The highest game total in the 2005 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons was Game 5 with the Spurs winning 96-95. The Silver and Black won that nail biter on a go-ahead, clutch three-point shot by none other than Robert Horry. Tim Duncan had 26 points and 19 rebounds along with 2 assists and 2 blocks.
On Monday night in the year of our Lord and franchise savior Victor Wembanyama, the upstart Spurs and Pistons were able to hit the mid ‘90s total with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. The over/under was projected at 232.5, so odds makers and bettors were probably hoping for more of that sweet modern basketball rather than that grit and grind like we saw way back when the national media was so “bored” with the 2005 Finals that they started making sideline reporters grill Eva Longoria into revealing major plot twists on “Desperate Housewives.”
Regardless, the Spurs and Pistons gave us a nice preview of a heavyweight bout between two of the high ranked teams from their respective conferences. The Pistons, in particular, have never wavered from their embedded DNA of tough basketball, and the Spurs, as they tend to do, do not stray from their heritage of prioritizing defense.
Devin Vassell led all players with 28 points on a scorching 7 – 11 shooting from downtown. Victor Wembanyama poured in 21 points, pulled down 17 rebounds, and had 6 blocks.
Devin Vassell was simply seeing an ocean inside of an ocean inside of an ocean every time he let loose a shot from deep. For the season, he’s shooting 37% from long range as he continues to stack together games played. The Spurs are a deep team, but it especially works when vets like Vassell can stay on the floor and take advantage of the orbit of defenders around Wembanyama.
Do you think Wembanyama has ever had a slice of pizza from Little Caesar’s? He seems the type that would enjoy one of their Crazy Puffs (cupcake-sized pizzas). That being said, I am not sure if his body has ever been introduced to grease before so it might be a shock to his system.
Like a perfectly blended amalgam of marinara sauce, cheese, and more cheese, the Spurs seem to have finally melded together as a team that moves in sync where each player could be blindfolded but still find their teammates anywhere on the floor.
It’s easy to forget (at least for me) that the Spurs have the number 2 overall pick playing off the bench, and the kid has flashed his talent multiple times this season. Their cup runneths over with potential.
Speaking of things easy to forget (for me at least, I’m getting old), it’s also easy to forget that the Spurs also have the number 14 overall pick playing off the bench. The players mentioned after this game how cohesive the offense played. This particular play demonstrates how the team also played complete basketball on both ends with Carter Bryant blocking a shot attempt, running up the floor to space out the Pistons’ defense so that he can easily find a streaking Keldon Johnson for the bucket.
I wanted to highlight this specific play where Stephon Castle found a hole in the defense and casually walked his way to an open dunk because otherwise Castle seems to have an understated Dwyane Wade style to his game. That is, once or twice a game, you’ll see him sacrifice his body and take a hard tumble to the floor. He’s explosive and uber athletic in his own right, but where you saw peak Wade flying down the floor doing acrobatic feats, Castle’s style of play seems more measured until suddenly it isn’t. It’s a slight contradiction that I thoroughly enjoy watching.
I think Wembanyama just invented the block off the glass to himself for a rebound move. Consequently, Castle’s jumper also looks pretty smooth. I’m just tingling watching this team.
Don’t adjust your 55 inch, $300 television (can you believe how cheap TVs are now??), this play below is not a duplicate of the previous play embedded above. Sure, Wembanyama blocked another shot off the glass, and Castle and Vassell have the same hair style and smooth-as-molasses jumper, but this one went to Vassell.
Former President Barack Obama recently said there’s no aliens in Area 51. Mayhaps the former POTUS should look in San Antonio where we have our own Area 51 aliens. And let’s be honest with ourselves, if extra terrestrials are going to visit us, most likely they want a taste of our greatest resource: tacos.
I also have to mention that Robinson had 13 points and 3 rebounds in only 26 minutes. No, not that Robinson. But Duncan did play 26 minutes and racked up 5 assists. No, not that Duncan either. Every team needs shooting, and I need the Spurs to one day sign Duncan Robinson and have him wear a stitched jersey of both the last names of Tim Duncan and David Robinson—he can be the only player in the league with his first and last name on his jersey so we all can briefly relive the glory days.
Sending everyone out with the fond message that the gnomes are out of bounds:
If you missed the game because you were too busy binging seasons 1 and 2 of Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives (the only two you need to binge), here are the full-game highlights:
Next up, the Spurs head up north to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, February 24, 2026.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 30: Ke'Bryan Hayes #3 of the Cincinnati Reds bats against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning of a game at Great American Ball Park on August 30, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There have been 250 big league hitters who have logged at least 650 plate appearances since the start of the 2024 season. Orlando Arcia, who somehow could not find a way to hit with the Colorado Rockies last season, ranks dead last among that group with a meager 62 wRC+ in that time.
Ranking just behind him in second to last over that time frame is resident Cincinnati Reds 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, a player who not only was sought out by the club as a key cog at last season’s trade deadline, but was also brought in on a contract guaranteeing him at least $36 million through the 2030 season. So, he’s not just a short-term pillar of the roster assembled by the Cincinnati Reds, he’s on the books for the long haul, and will do so as an admittedly excellent defender who, by all accounts, completely lost the plot on how to hit.
That wouldn’t be so much of an issue if, say, he could move around the diamond with that excellent glovework. However, on a roster that’s been put together to be as flexible (and mobile) as possible defensively, Hayes sits as the long player on it who plays exclusively one position and one position only, doing so at a position that typically features players who also carry a big bat.
Whether or not the Reds thought they’d found something capable of being unlocked in Hayes’ offense was a question I had late last August, nearly a month after the Reds acquired Hayes (and his entire contract) from their NL Central rivals up the road in Pittsburgh. They had clearly seen plenty of the player now manning the hot corner on the regular, and it was enough to wonder whether there was some hitch, some toe-tap they thought might quickly unleash Hayes as a much more potent offensive force than he had been for quite some time.
That’s why you go and get a guy like Hayes, right? Even with his absurdly good defense (and the value that brings), you don’t just take on an entire contract like that unless you think there’s more there that the world hasn’t yet seen. Right?
Right?
Through almost four weeks, it looked as if there was at least a little bit of change. Hayes, a notorious ground-ball heavy hitter, had begun to put the ball in the air a bit more often, and his patience at the plate was improving significantly both with his chase rate and walk rate. However, by the time the 2025 season ended, much of that improvement had evaporated into the annals of ‘small sample size,’ and one defining characteristic of his batted ball data looked just the same as it always has.
He finished with a 48.1% grounder rate with the Reds after posting a 49.5% rate with the Pirates in the first half of 2025, a mark that’s very much in-line with the 50.6% rate he’s posted overall since the start of 2024 (good for the 10th highest among those 250 hitters with 650 PA). In other words, any tweak with his swing mechanics or approach was still producing a bunch of balls hit right into the dirt.
The oddity, though, is that his hard-hit rate (per Statcast) dipped from 45.3% with the Pirates in his 2025 work there down to just 35.7% with the Reds, with his soft-contact rate rising from 15.9% with the Bucs up to 23.3% in Cincinnati. His average exit velocity in Pittsburgh in 2025 had been 90.2 mph – very much in-line with his career mark of 90.5 mph – but that dipped down to a career worst 87.1 mph in his time with the Reds. His launch angle fell, too – down from 9.1 degrees to just 7.0 – while his barrel rate dipped almost a full percent, too.
That all came with a distinct spike in his walk rate, too. After walking at just a 4.6% clip in Pittsburgh in 2025 (and at a 6.9% rate for his career), Hayes walked in 10.1% of his trips to the plate with the Reds – a mark that would’ve been a career-best for a single season. He also saw his strikeout rate drop from 20.7% (and 20.4% for his career) down to 16.9% with the Reds, a mark that would also have been a career-best in a full single season. That all coincided with a nearly 4.0% drop in his swing rate, a rate that featured drops in both his in-zone and out of zone swing rates, too.
It’s enough to begin to assume that there is something brewing here with a new approach. Though it didn’t fully pan out in that short 178 PA sample with the Reds at the end of 2025, it does look like Hayes was working on being much more patient, swinging at fewer pitches, and perhaps not swinging so hard at even the pitches he did like. His .108 ISO was double that of his .054 mark in 2025 with Pittsburgh, and up significantly over the .058 ISO he posted in a full season with the Pirates in 2024, and all of this came with a .270 BABIP in a Reds uniform that would have been a career-worst mark for a single season for him.
We are going to get ample time to see if these tweaks can materialize in the form of just slightly below average offense from Hayes. His glove is going to keep him on the field for the bulk of the innings played by the Reds next year whether he hits better (or worse) than he did as a Pirate, and his contract is going to keep him on the roster even longer. And even if the power never comes, if this modified approach can result in him boosting his on-base percentage up from his career .308 mark to, say .325 and above, that’ll be a boon to a Reds offense that could use help anywhere it can get it.
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen is a young player who the Metropolitan Division club is hoping will become a key part of their roster in the future. The 22-year-old forward struggled a bit when given the chance to play on Pittsburgh's roster this season, as he has two goals and five points in 27 games this campaign at the NHL level.
While Koivunen has not broken out with Pittsburgh this season, his play at the American Hockey League (AHL) level is very encouraging. The young forward is continuing to shine with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and it could open the door for him to get another chance on Pittsburgh's roster soon if he keeps this up.
In 25 games this campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has posted 10 goals, 21 assists, 31 points, and a plus-11 rating. He has also been staying hot as the season carries on, too.
In his last nine games with the AHL club, Koivunen has recorded five goals and 14 points. With numbers like these, there is no question that the Penguins prospect is thriving right now.
It will be interesting to see how Koivunen builds on his strong play with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from here.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park on March 28, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves will be continuing their spring training today as they face off against the Detroit Tigers in North Port, FL. What typically happens in these games is we get to see mostly players who are slotted to have significant playing time during the regular season.
Reynaldo López is making his long-awaited return after only pitching one game in 2025. With the Braves lacking starting pitching depth, a López return can potentially have a huge role in the success of the season.
Today we will see a lineup that we may see in the regular season on days that Drake Baldwin will get some rest (until Sean Murphy returns).
Outside of Jonah Heim, the rest of the players look to get significant playing time this season. What will be interesting to see if this is how the Braves will face LHP starters once the season starts.
