When do the next iteration of College Football Playoff rankings come out? Here's what to know:
Nashville Predators recapp Joakim Kemell from Milwaukee Admirals
Joakim Kemell, you've won a trip to Sweden.
On Monday, ahead of their game against the New York Rangers and days before their pair of games against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sweden, the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Joakim Kemell from the Milwaukee Admirals.
Kemell is called up following Zachary L'Heureux's lower-body injury, which has him out for 4-6 weeks.
L'Heureux was recalled after Cole Smith suffered an upper-body injury, which sidelines him for at least five more weeks.
Kemell made the opening night roster after an impressive preseason and has played two games with the Predators this season, against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 and the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 13. He has yet to record his first NHL point.
This season in Milwaukee, Kemell has recorded six points in six games (one goal and five assists), and four penalty minutes.
He is also from Jyväskylä, Finland, which is about 630 miles from where the Predators will be playing their NHL Global Series games against the Penguins at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Predators face the Rangers on Monday at 6 p.m., then travel abroad to face the Penguins in Sweden on Friday at 1 p.m. CST and Sunday at 8 a.m. CST.
Former Wheeling Nailer Impressive In NHL Debut
Nov 9, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) skates his rookie lap before making his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings at PPG Paints Arena. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Another former ECHL player saw his lifelong dream come true on Sunday.
Former Wheeling Nailers goaltender Sergei Murashov made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
While the Penguins ultimately fell 3-2 to the Kings, the 21-year-old netminder accounted himself well. Murashov stopped 24 of 27 shots faced, making several key saves to keep his team in the game.
“I need some time just to watch video and see what more I can do better, where I was good,” Murashov said after the game. “But overall, I just like how I felt for all the game. I enjoyed it. Again, just a huge thanks to my team, because it’s [their] third game in four days, and they were battling.”
One of Murashov’s biggest saves came off a 2-on-1 rush by the Kings in the middle frame. Alex Laferriere took the puck off a Penguins turnover, raced up ice, and fed Quinton Byfield on the doorstep. Murashov stretched his full 6-foot-2 height to make a critical stop and preserve what was then a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead.
Murashov played in the ECHL for the Wheeling Nailers last season and became the 70th former Nailer/Thunderbird to reach the NHL with his debut on Sunday.
Murashov began his North American professional career last season with the Nailers and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. His first campaign in Wheeling was outstanding, as he went 17-7-1 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .922 save percentage in 26 games.
The Yaroslavl, Russia native etched his name in the Wheeling record books twice, as he set team records for the longest winning streak by a goaltender (13) and the longest point streak by a goaltender (15; 14-0-1). He allowed two goals or fewer in 15 of 26 games and recorded at least 30 saves on 13 occasions.
One of Murashov's most notable performances was his first ECHL shutout, a 42-save effort against the Tulsa Oilers on Feb. 22.
In addition to his success in Wheeling, Murashov has thrived in the American Hockey League with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He is 17-5-0 in 23 career appearances in the AHL, as he went 12-3-0 last season. He is off to a 5-2-0 start this year.
The netminder earned AHL Goaltender of the Month honors for his 5-1-0 record in October, and also earned AHL Player of the Week honors. Those are the second and third league honors for Murashov, who was November's ECHL Rookie of the Month with the Nailers last season.
Murashov’s first NHL save on Sunday came against Adrian Kempe, who scored his 200th career goal earlier this season.
In addition to being the 70th former Nailer/Thunderbird to reach the NHL, Murashov is the 18th to do so as a goaltender, the 20th to debut with the Penguins, and the fifth to debut as a goaltender for Pittsburgh. Prior to Murashov, the last Wheeling player to make his NHL debut with the Penguins was fellow goaltender Casey DeSmith, who did so on Oct. 29, 2017. DeSmith is now the backup goalie for the Dallas Stars.
In a fun twist, Murashov's NHL debut came on the one-year anniversary of his WesBanco Arena debut, as he made 27 saves to lead the Nailers past the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Trois-Rivières Lions, 4-3, on Nov. 9, 2024.
Sunday’s loss was the Penguins’ third in the last four games, but they have to be encouraged by the solid debut of Murashov, who continues to turn heads with each rung of the professional ladder he climbs.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
FREE GIFT ISSUE + 12 ISSUES + FREE DIGITAL ARCHIVE + FREE SHIPPING*** Canada Post Strike update - as of October 15, 2025 - Please be aware that Canada Post is now in a rolling strike. While they are accepting mail, delivery times could be longer than expected. US orders are not impacted. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR PRINT & DIGITAL ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTION > FREE GIFT ISSUE* of your Minnesota reportedly contacted Memphis to test waters on Ja Morant trade, but no deal close
Minnesota needs help at point guard if they are going to take the next step and reach the NBA Finals. Ja Morant is disgruntled playing in Memphis. That has led people to connect the dots and speculate about a Morant trade to Memphis.
It's not pure speculation, Minnesota has contacted Memphis to "test the waters" of a Morant trade, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. However, the sides are nowhere close to a deal, he added. This is something that would come together closer to the trade deadline. Here is what Krawczynski said (hat tip to SportsKeeda).
"There's no real point guard on the roster. They're asking Anthony Edwards to do it. They're asking Julius Randle to do a lot of point forward stuff. They certainly have checked in with Memphis on Ja ...
"They're testing the waters a little bit. I don't get the sense that there's anything real close. I do think that, if we get to late December and the Wolves are still treading water and that point guard position still has not solidified ... I do think that they could explore at least looking harder at Ja Morant."
A few thoughts about any potential Morant to Minnesota deal:
• This is not the first time the Timberwolves have been mentioned as a team with interest in Morant. That said, league sources have told NBC Sports the market for Morant league-wide is not that strong, at least not as strong as Memphis would want considering the haul it will ask for in a trade.
• Morant is a guy who sells tickets and sells jerseys in a small market in Memphis, trading him is a massive shift for the franchise (and would lead to questions about whether they should also trade Jaren Jackson Jr., who would have a strong market). If Memphis decides to trade Morant, it's going to want either another star player to sell tickets (could we see a your-problem-for-my-problem trade?) or a boatload of picks and young players to jump-start a rebuild. The market for that may not exist, at least not to the level Memphis hopes.
• Minnesota still has the No. 4 offense in the NBA this season. Even with Mike Conley no longer being the point guard they need, the offensive end of the floor has not been the issue behind a sluggish 6-4 start. The bigger concern is that last season's top-10 defense is now in the middle of the NBA pack, and Morant is not going to fix that.
• Is Morant's ball-dominant style really a great fit on a Minnesota team that needs more of a classic floor general?
• If a mid-season trade happens it will be after the calendar flips to 2026 and closer to the February trade deadline. However, the most likely outcome is a trade next offseason.
Brindley Earns His Place Among the Avalanche
If we’ve learned anything over the last week, it’s not to underestimate Gavin Brindley.
The 21-year-old delivered the knockout blow in overtime Sunday night, capping a breakout performance that signaled, unequivocally, his arrival at the NHL level. Brindley netted the game-winner on his very first shift of extra time, extinguishing the team’s notorious five-game overtime curse—a streak that had become a running jest despite the Avalanche’s standing as the league’s preeminent squad.
NHL (@NHL) on XGAVIN BRINDLEY IS YOUR OT HERO!! 😱
The @Avalanche win it in @Energizer overtime!Although Brindley’s rise has been swift, his first career game-winning goal carried an element of surprise, coming immediately after a brief absence due to a concussion sustained against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 31. Yet even amid that setback, The Hockey News inadvertently caught a glimpse of the sheer passion Brindley harbors for the game.
Brindley Is a Kid That Loves This Game
Moments before puck drop for the Avalanche-Lightning matchup on November 4, the elevator doors opened to reveal a man, shorter than this writer, clad in a beanie and black hoodie, clearly animated—whether from haste, excitement, or a combination of both. He beamed and announced, simply, “I passed! I’m playing this weekend.”
It was reminiscent of a child barreling down the stairs on Christmas morning. The relief that his injury had not been more severe, coupled with the fact he would be shedding the red non-contact jersey and returning to the ice at full capacity, had him practically sprinting. Naturally, we asked Brindley for permission to share the news on X (formerly Twitter), which he graciously granted before sprinting off to his next destination.
Brindley carried that same energy into the weekend’s action. In his first game back, he contributed a goal and an assist as Colorado cruised to a 9–1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. It was a dominant team effort, with 12 players recording at least one point and eight posting multi-point games, Brindley included. And this is a player coming off a concussion, yet his energy and drive have proven to be completely overwhelming for the opposition.
We knew from training camp and the preseason that this Brindley kid was going to be something special, but there’s a difference between excelling on the ice when there’s no one around and shining when the lights are at their brightest, but Brindley has gone above and beyond.
Acquired from Columbus last June, the rookie mustered only a single assist through his first 10 games. But as soon as he scored his first-career NHL goal on October 11 en route to 5-4 overtime against the Dallas Stars, it’s like a lightning bolt went off. Now Brindley has four points—two goals and two assists—in his last four contests. He plays with the heart and soul of a player who wants to be in this league for a long time.
Brindley needed to make a strong first impression—and he did. With Logan O’Connor soon returning from his second hip surgery, a roster spot will be up for grabs. Brindley has already cleared two major hurdles: he excelled in training camp and preseason, and he has exceeded expectations in the early part of the regular season. Simply put, Gavin Brindley has firmly secured his place in the lineup.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
NHL Nugget: Glenn Hall's Legendary Streak Ends This Day In 1962
Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Milestone Monday rewinds to Nov. 10, 1962, when Chicago Black Hawks netminder Glenn Hall did something he hadn't done in seven years: not play.
In fact, it's what Hall didn't do that night against the Montreal Canadiens that cemented how impressive his 502 consecutive games played NHL record really is.
What started in 1955 with the Detroit Red Wings and ended in 1962 with the Hawks became hockey history.
Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media. And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.
Red Wings Prospect Nate Danielson Impresses in NHL Debut
The Detroit Red Wings welcomed one of their top prospects, center Nate Danielson, for his NHL debut this past Sunday, slotting him on the third line alongside Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton. Danielson finished the game without a point but recorded four shots on net from five attempts and added one takeaway.
Todd on Nate “we wanted to see him now, so we could make some decisions perhaps on some other players”
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) November 10, 2025
Interesting. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/3otzuaKBAo
The 21-year-old Red Deer native logged 15:16 of ice time, with 11:46 at even strength and 3:30 on the power play, ranking sixth among all Red Wings forwards, ahead of players like James van Riemsdyk, Marco Kasper, and J.T. Compher. While Danielson struggled on the faceoff dot, winning just two of ten draws, his effort and hustle were clear. Despite Chicago scoring five goals, none came with Danielson on the ice, and he helped limit high-danger chances, spending most of his night in the neutral zone or generating offensive pressure in the Blackhawks’ end.
In his first shift, Danielson drove to the front of the net and redirected a point shot through his legs, creating a scoring opportunity on the goaltender. On his second shift, he made a heads-up play behind the net, cutting off Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom and jumping into the glass to keep the puck in Chicago’s zone. Defensively, Danielson was strong, covering for teammates and limiting scoring chances, though he had one misstep when a breakaway slipped behind him when he was covering for the defense but Detroit goalie John Gibson came up big with two key saves to keep the play from turning into a goal.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Brandsegg-Nygård Nets First Goal, Griffins’ Historic Win Streak Snapped in Loss To WolvesBrandsegg-Nygård ignites with his first AHL goal, but a gritty shootout loss ends the Griffins' historic streak.He was active on the power play, working in with the second unit as a defenseman with Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Danielson made plays where he would work the puck low to set up teammates as well as getting open for chances himself like when he had a one-timer chance that was blocked. Danielson’s hustle in the neutral zone and transition game was notable, often picking up loose pucks and quickly moving them to the point.
Offensively, he created scoring chances through quick passes and puck cycles, including a cross-crease attempt for Finnie and a setup for Marco Kasper in the slot. He showed grit in battles along the boards, tying up opponents to maintain possession, and even engaged physically to support teammates during scrums behind the net.
Despite a few missed opportunities, such as a loose puck that could have led to a high-danger chance, Danielson remained resilient, recovering quickly like when he was about to fall into the boards on one shift. It scared many at first as Danielson fell into the boards into his same shoulder that he just came off the injury reserve after injuring. He quickly got up though, stripped the puck off a Blackhawks forward and worked the puck back into Chicago's zone.
Danielson will look to build on the performance and hopefully record his first NHL point Thursday, when the Red Wings take on the Anaheim Ducks at home.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Mets sign INF/OF Jose Rojas to minor league contract
The Mets added some depth on Monday, signing INF/OF Jose Rojas to a minor league contract, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
Rojas, who turns 33 this offseason, has played in 83 big league games with the Los Angeles Angles. In 61 games in 2021, Rojas had a .676 OPS with six home runs, 15 RBI, 14 doubles, and 26 runs scored.
He played 22 games in the majors in 2022 for the Angels, and has bounced around a bit since then, including a stint with the Doosan Bears of the KBO in 2023.
Rojas also spent a couple of stints in the Yankees’ minor league system, including this past season, when he slashed .287/.379/.599 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI in 124 games.
Rojas has eclipsed the 20 home run mark four times in the minor leagues and has 145 career minor league round-trippers.
Former Canadiens Winger Is Red-Hot Right Now
The Colorado Avalanche are currently at the top of the NHL standings with a 10-1-5 record and 25 points. Former Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen has certainly played a role in the Avalanche's strong start to the 2025-26 season.
Lehkonen has had an excellent start to the campaign, as he has recorded six goals, nine assists, 15 points, and a plus-13 rating in 16 games. With numbers like these, there is no question that the former Canadiens forward is producing strong offense this season for the Avalanche.
Lehkonen is also showing no signs of slowing down as the season continues. In his last four games, the former Canadiens winger has recorded four points. This included him scoring two goals in the Avalanche's most recent contest against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 9.
If Lehkonen continues to produce offense like this, he could very well end up setting new career highs with the Avalanche this season. Time will tell what happens on that front, but it is clear that the former Canadiens forward is feeling it right now.
The Canadiens selected Lehkonen with the 55th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In 396 games over six seasons with the Habs from 2016-17 to 2021-22, he posted 74 goals, 149 points, and a minus-2 rating.
How to watch Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons: TV/live stream info, preview for tonight's game
It's the Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons tonight on Peacock. Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM. See below for additional information on how to watch tonight's game and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
Click here to sign up for Peacock!
RELATED:Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire - Kon Knueppel steps up for Charlotte
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons Game Preview on Peacock!
Vaughn DalzellWashington Wizards:
The Wizards (1-9) are off to their worst start since the 2012-2013 season, when they started 0-12. The team has now lost 8 consecutive games, most recently falling 111-105 to the Mavericks on Saturday. The Wizards currently have the worst scoring margin in the NBA (-16.9 per game) and are allowing the most points per game in the league (128.4).
Washington has the second-youngest team in the league, behind only the Brooklyn Nets. The Wizards roster includes eight first-round picks from the last three drafts, including four from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons:
Detroit (8-2) is off to its best start since the 2005-2006 season. The Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 111-108 last night, earning their sixth straight victory, which is currently the longest active win streak in the league.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points and 11 assists in the win, while Jalen Duren added 21 points and 16 rebounds. Duren leads the NBA in total offensive rebounds (43).
Cunningham struggled with turnovers early in the season, committing 24 turnovers in his first four games, but since then, he has found his footing. He is currently second in the NBA in assists per game (9.8) among qualified players.
"It's been a hell of a ride. There's been a lot of ups and downs, but it's still early." Cunningham said after the win. "I'm not [getting] above myself because we're 8-2. I think this is something that we all wanted, but we want something bigger than this. We just want to keep our heads down and keep working."
PUT 'EM IN THE SPIN CYCLE pic.twitter.com/fKFImnOpom
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 10, 2025
How to watch Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons:
- When: Tonight, Monday, November 10
- Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Live Stream:Peacock
Many fantasy managers had high hopes for Maxey before the season began, and he’s lived up to the hype thus far.
Raphielle JohnsonHow 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.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
IOC edges closer to ban on transgender women in female Olympic events
Sources expect ban within next six to 12 months
IOC president wants to protect the female category
The International Olympic Committee is edging closer towards implementing a ban on transgender women competing in the female category in time for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Multiple sources expect such a ban to come into effect over the next six to 12 months with the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, making clear she wants to drive through her campaign pledge to protect the female category.
Continue reading...Athletics star first baseman Nick Kurtz wins 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Award
Athletics star first baseman Nick Kurtz wins 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Award originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Take a bow, Big Amish.
Star Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz won the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous decision, MLB announced Monday.
Kurtz, the ninth Rookie of the Year in Athletics franchise history and first since pitcher Andrew Bailey in 2009, beat out his A’s teammate, shortstop Jacob Wilson, and Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony for the award.
Kurtz, whom the Athletics selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, absolutely raked over his first 117 big-league games after being the sixth-fastest player to reach the majors in franchise history following his promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 23.
The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native and Wake Forest product led all rookies with 36 home runs, 86 RBI and a 5.4 WAR while slashing .290/.383/.619 with a 1.002 OPS and 63 walks. Kurtz, too, led all first basemen in OPS while joining Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge as the lone players with at least 400 plate appearances to finish with an OPS over 1.000.
Kurtz hit several monster homers this year, including a 493-foot grand slam and some walk-offs. But the performance that solidified the 22-year-old’s rookie-of-the-year status came on July 25 in the A’s 15-3 win over the Houston Astros at Dalkin Park.
Then, he became the first rookie to hit four homers in one game en route to finishing with 19 total bases, eight RBI and six hits.
The only true competition Kurtz faced for AL Rookie of the Year was, ironically, his own A’s teammate: shortstop Jacob Wilson.
Wilson led all rookies with 174 hits and slashed .301/.348/.424 over 153 games. He tied with Bo Bichette for MLB’s second-best batting average in baseball behind Judge (.331).
Kurtz, meanwhile, earned other rookie-of-the-year nods from Baseball America and The Sporting News. He also earned the AL Silver Slugger Award for his position and was named the AL’s “Most Outstanding Rookie” by the MLB Players Association.
But the actual AL Rookie of the Year award? That is the formal bow on Kurtz’s stellar introduction to the majors.
After hundreds of millions spent on players, what was Liverpool’s plan?
The defending Premier League champions spent big over the summer, but it’s hard to see how the new players fit
What was it supposed to look like? Amid all the talk around Liverpool and their disappointing form at the start of this season, that is perhaps the hardest question of all to answer. What were they trying to do? If it had worked, how would this team have played?
The champions spent £424m (about $550m) on new signings in the summer, but if all had gone well, they would have spent an additional £40m ($53m) to land Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi. The England international would, at the very least, have given an extra option at the back (the injury to Giovanni Leoni has diminished their defensive options further), allowing Arne Slot to rest Ibrahima Konaté, whose poor form continued in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday. An early City penalty was a direct result of Konaté getting in Conor Bradley’s way as Jérémy Doku cut in from the left.
This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.
Continue reading...‘Some in the industry' expect Giants as Max Scherzer's free agency destination
‘Some in the industry' expect Giants as Max Scherzer's free agency destination originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There is one MLB free agent that has strong ties to the Giants, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he landed in San Francisco this winter.
Veteran starting pitcher Max Scherzer will become a free agent after his one season with the Toronto Blue Jays, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported in his latest column that some anticipate the 41-year-old signing with San Francisco.
“Some in the industry expect Scherzer to land with the San Francisco Giants, reuniting with new manager Tony Vitello, his pitching coach at Missouri in the mid-2000s,” Rosenthal wrote. “A return to Toronto also might be an option. Scherzer, like virtually all of the Blue Jays, speaks with great fondness about the unique bonds the players and their families forged last season.”
In 17 starts for the American League pennant-winning Blue Jays, Scherzer posted a 5.19 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 23 walks in 85 innings pitched. The three-time Cy Young Award winner then played a key role in Toronto’s rotation throughout the MLB playoffs, posting a 3.77 ERA in 14 1/3 innings pitched.
Scherzer, similar to fellow future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander, who the Giants signed to a one-year contract last offseason, likely will command another one-year deal this winter.
If the Giants once again are looking to add another veteran presence to their rotation, perhaps Scherzer makes the most sense.
Pros and Cons: Should the Mets sign Bo Bichette?
Signing Bo Bichette as a pricey free agent doesn’t exactly jibe with David Stearns’ run prevention vision for the Mets' offseason. But adding the elite hitter to play second base certainly would enhance the club’s run production – wait until you see Bichette’s numbers with runners in scoring position – and jolt the core, if such a thing is top of mind in Queens.
So should the Mets look at bringing in Bichette, who turns just 28 in March, as a big-splash move? Or are there too many complications in what already needs to be a hyper-busy winter?
After all, there is much pitching work to be done, both in the rotation and the depleted bullpen, as well as finding more offense, figuring out center field, and retaining (or not) Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of signing Bichette…
PROS
Plain and simple, Bichette, who has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays, is a hitter. His .294 career average is fifth among active players and he batted .311 in 2025, second in the AL to Aaron Judge. He was one of only seven qualified MLB hitters to bat .300 or better. Bichette played in 139 games and had 181 hits, which was also second in the league. He’s led the AL in hits twice and finished in the top six in batting three times.
He’s got extra-base pop, too – he had 44 doubles (second in the AL) and 18 homers last season and has hit as many as 29 home runs in a season.
Bichette also appears to be evolving as a hitter, trimming his strikeout rate while increasing his walk rate. He had a down year in 2024, but got his strikeout rate down to 19 percent, at the time the lowest of his career. As he soared in 2025, he got his K-rate to 14.5 percent, by far the best of his career and well below the MLB average of 22.2 percent.
He’s below-average at walking, but his 6.4 percent rate in 2025 was the best of his career.
Whatever you believe about the clutch gene, Bichette seems to have it. Had Game 7 of the World Series ended differently, they’d be writing songs in Canada about Bichette’s early three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani.
In 2025, Bichette led all qualified MLB hitters in average with runners in scoring position (.381) and had a 1.053 OPS in those situations, which was third-best. Lifetime, Bichette has batted .330 with a .904 OPS -- a long track record of production.
For all the handwringing last year over the Mets and RISP, they batted .260 (eighth in MLB) with an .805 OPS (third). Adding Bichette, obviously, would figure to be a boost in that department, as well as the offense overall.
Bichette was on a two-month heater when he hurt his knee in September, which kept him out of the postseason until the Fall Classic. He was hobbled in the World Series, but still produced, going 8-for-23 (.348) with six RBI. Give him points for clutch, give him points for grit.
He also showed a willingness to switch positions. With Andrés Giménez starting at shortstop, the only defensive position Bichette has ever played in the majors, Bichette played second base five times. He looked comfortable there, perhaps foreshadowing his next role.
CONS
Is second base really a need for the Mets? They seem to have plenty of options, including Jeff McNeil, who had 79 appearances there last season. Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty could figure into the position as well. Plus, one of the Mets’ best prospects, infielder Jett Williams, would fit nicely there, too.
Signing Bichette likely blocks the advancement of those players. But who knows what chain reactions could follow, should the Mets add Bichette.
If the Mets do want to change their core and they signed Bichette, they could move McNeil in a trade. But they could also switch up the core by letting Alonso depart as a free agent, which, theoretically, would also help run prevention, assuming their new first baseman is a better defender than Alonso.
Bichette got the $22.025 million qualifying offer from Toronto, which he is sure to reject, meaning the Mets would lose their second-and fifth-highest selections in the 2026 MLB Draft if they sign him (or another player who rejects the QO). Bichette has also said he wants to remain in Toronto and, while that could be the typical free agent-speak, he and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. --two homegrown stars taking another run at a World Series title -- is a narrative with a nice, ahem, ring to it, no?
Then there’s the cost. Bichette should get a big contract and the Mets have to spend first on pitching, don’t they? MLB Trade Rumors estimated Bichette would get $208 million over eight years, and ESPN predicted a five-year, $130-million deal. Both would be for $26 million per year.
VERDICT
Signing Bichette would be a bold stroke of roster construction by the Mets and also trigger other moves that would significantly reshape the team. That could be just what the Mets need after the crushing disappointment of the 2025 season.
Bichette’s mega-hits profile would add significant depth to a lineup that sometimes struggled beyond the "Fab Four" last year. That sounds pretty appealing, too.
Maybe it’s just fun to think about. But it’d be fun to see if the Mets could make it jell with run prevention.