The winding path to Taylor Jenkins' firing in Memphis can defy logic. Last offseason, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman forced coach Taylor Jenkins to fire all his existing assistant coaches and remake his staff, and management then pushed to hire Noah LaRoche to institute a new motion offense (fewer ball screens). While the offense worked, the Grizzlies are sixth in the league in offensive rating, but Ja Morant and other players were not happy with it and reportedly were tuning out their coach. So Kleiman fired Jenkins and LaRoche, then gave the interim job to Tuomas Iisalo, who coached in Paris a year ago and ran an offense with a lot more ball screens (but maybe better spacing than we have seen in Memphis).
"This decision to do it now and to move on from LaRoche, and to lean back into all the pick and roll stuff... this was a decision that was about optimizing Ja Morant...
"And look there has been noise about Ja being unhappy all season long. There has been noise about, 'Hey, you know, could Memphis look to move Ja this summer? Could Ja look to get out of Memphis this summer?'... I was texting with a GM after this happened and he said 'I would have told you I thought they were definitely going to [shop him]. Ja was out on them. They won games without him. They have to be sustainable.' And he said 'This is a move that goes in the face of that.'"
McMahon sums up the message of the trade as, "Hey, Ja, you're still our guy. Everything we do is going to be based on what's best for you. What optimizes you. They got away from that for a lot of this season and they're leaning back hard into it."
Morant didn't push for Jenkins's firing, and Jenkins would have happily leaned back into more Morant on offense (when he's healthy), but management wanted a new voice. Whether Iisalo is that voice and if he can make meaningful changes before the playoffs remains to be seen.
The Yankees’ torpedo bats have been the talk of Major League Baseball over the first weekend of the season, and for good reason.
The Yankees slugged an all-time record-tying 15 home runs in their three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, with players like Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt all going yard while using the newly designed lumber.
But with the Yankees’ early success in using these bats have come detractors, including Brewers’ reliever Trevor Megill, who called the bats “something used in slow-pitch softball.”
On Monday morning, Chisholm, who homered three times in the first three games, fired back via social media.
“Okay explanation the barrel is bigger and within mlb regulation!,” Chisholm posted on X. “For the idiots that say it’s moved to the label you’re an idiot! Nobody is trying to get jammed you just move the wood from the parts you don’t use to the parts you do! You’re welcome no more stress for y’all !”
Like many hitters in the Yankees’ lineup, Chisholm is off to a tremendous start, slashing .417/.500/1.167 through three games with three home runs and six RBI, all while using a torpedo-style bat.
The torpedo bats, designed by Aaron Leanhardt, a former member of the Yankees analytics department who now works for the Miami Marlins, take wood away from parts of the bat, like the handle, to create and elongated barrel with more mass.
The bats came into the national spotlight on Saturday, when the Yankees blasted nine home runs and put 20 runs on the board in a win over the Brewers.
As Chisholm said, the bats have been deemed legal by MLB officials, and we’ve already seen other players around the league, like Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, using them as well.
And with all of the early success the Bombers have had at the dish, it’s fair to expect that a large number of players around baseball will at least test out using these new bats. In fact, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reports that "several" Baltimore Orioles players are using them, though none of the bats look "quite as jarring" as the ones Chisholm is using.
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Jack Rathbone has been loaned back to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
The Sabres just recalled Rathbone from Rochester on March 30 ahead of their matchup against the Washington Capitals. The 25-year-old blueliner did not dress for the Sabres' contest and is now returning to Rochester.
Rathbone has yet to appear in a regular-season game for the Sabres this season. In 56 games this season with Rochester, he has five goals, 15 assists, 20 points, and a plus-6 rating. This is after he posted nine goals and 25 points in 69 AHL games last season split between the Abbotsford Canucks and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In 28 career games over three NHL seasons, Rathbone has posted two goals, three assists, five points, and a minus-5 rating.
If the Flames lose to the Avalanche in regulation tonight, the Golden Knights will clinch a playoff spot for the seventh time in eight seasons. The Golden Knights currently sit atop the Pacific Division with 98 points, leading the Los Angeles Kings by seven points.
The Golden Knights have nine games remaining on the schedule and are back in action on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers, who they hold a nine-point lead over. Six of the Golden Knights' last nine games are against Pacific Division teams, and all but two are against teams fighting for a playoff spot.
If the playoffs started today, the Golden Knights would battle the Minnesota Wild in the first round. Due to their point percentage, they currently hold the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, tied with the St. Louis Blues with 87 points.
The postseason in the Western Conference is shaping up to be a gauntlet, with several teams capable of going on a long run.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
Of the No. 1 seeds fighting for a spot in the National Championship, Brad Thomas and Vaughn Dalzell make their cases for Duke and Auburn as best bets to cut the nets.
The NHL has levied a fine against Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola.
On Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Mikkola had been fined $5,000 for what it calls “unsportsmanlike conduct” during Sunday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal defeated Florida 4-2 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
In the game’s final seconds, Mikkola had the puck on his stick in the Panthers defensive zone.
As time expired, Mikkola wound up and fired a blistering slapshot down the ice that nearly hit David Savard about 150 feet away.
Niko Mikkola ripped an absolute CLAPPER at the Habs at the buzzer and the Habs weren't having that 😳 pic.twitter.com/E2dHyzd7BM
The Canadiens players responded, understandably so, by going after Mikkola as officials attempted to usher the players to their respective locker rooms.
Mikkola was given a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and a ten minute misconduct, according to the game’s official scoresheet.
It took less than 24 hours after the game had ended for the NHL to respond with the $5,000 fine, which is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.
We’ll see how Montreal responds when they host the Panthers Tuesday night at Bell Center.
Between the aforementioned animosity and how both teams are fighting for every point they can get in the standings, it should be a doozie.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal record with odds increasing for it to happen versus the New York Islanders
The biggest storyline of the NHL season has by far been the GR8 Chase with Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin on the precipice of passing hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goals record. There is nine games left in the Capitals season and Ovechkin is within five goals from breaking the record after scoring versus the Sabres this past Sunday.
The Russian winger now has 37 goals, and betting odds for the record to be broken this season have dropped drastically to -170 which means if you haven't taken it already like we suggest, you may have missed your last opportunity to take the bet at a bargain. However, today we look to outline a couple other options that you still can take to get in on the chase.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
In our last post about the GR8 Chase, we said to take the odds while you could at -136 and like we predicted the odds have continued to drop due to Ovechkin staying hot as the Capitals were heading into favourable matchups. Washington is still dominating with the league's best offence and seventh-best defence plus have the third-easiest remaining strength of schedule, according to Tankathon.
The case is starting to look more and more likely as they will play against bottom eight defences in their remaining games like the Blackhawks, Penguins and Bruins as well as two bouts with the Blue Jackets.
They will also face off twice against the Hurricanes, who is one of the top teams in the East but Ovechkin has his second-most career goals against. We don't see a ton of value in betting the record to be broken now but we can take a guess as to who it'll be against.
The Capitals will have a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday with games versus the Bruins and Hurricanes, which should give us the ability to pencil in a goal or two there. We will need just four more goals after that and Washington will return home on Friday to take on one of the league's worst defences in the Blackhawks. A home matchup versus a Chicago team that has allowed a league-worst 83 goals over their last 20 games should spell for at least one goal for Ovi.
That takes us into next week with three goals to go and after a Sunday matchup versus the Islanders, Washington will get a lengthy four-day break before facing off against Hurricanes for a second time on Thursday. This game could be the most crucial as a much-needed goal here would leave him with two left and four games left to do it.
A pair of matchups versus the Blue Jackets should provide at least one goal and will leave us with one more to go with two matchups left versus the Islanders and Penguins.
Everyone is speaking into existence that Ovechkin will break the record in front of his longtime rival Sidney Crosby when taking on the Penguins and as much as the sports world would love to see it, I expect he gets the job done versus New York.
A random Tuesday night on the road in the Big Apple wouldn't be the most romantic setting for the record to be broken but could provide a massive spectacle with many flocking to the city, hoping to see Gretzky's record broken.
Ovechkin to break the record versus the Islanders or Penguins is listed at +490 and +600 odds respectively and both could be taken at not a high number and should provide a decent return if either hit.
The Blue Jackets have the highest odds at +280 but with how Ovechkin has slowed down with four goals over his last nine games, I don't expect him to break the record earlier then the final two games. The record being broken in New York should give us the best case scenario to cash in on some attendance bets for notable people attending the game.
Wayne Gretzky to be in attendance for the record-breaking goal isn't available on FanDuel but a longshot bet for someone who could be is former teammate Jaromír Jágr. The Hockey legend is still playing actively at 53 years old for the Czechia-based team he owns, Rytíři Kladno, but has been known to miss time and could again to see what will be a one-of-one legendary hockey moment.
A very special congratulations from Jaromir Jagr to Alex Ovechkin (plus a little surprise at the end). 😉 pic.twitter.com/HGgSlqRTaQ
Jagr and Ovechkin have been known to have a very close relationship with Jagr even sending a video to Ovechkin after he became the all-time leading goal scorer for European-born players and congratulating him on the achievement.
The Dan Le Batard show discusses how the future of college basketball could be "heavily tilted" towards the Big East amid changes to revenue share and if there's a scenario where the ACC could merge with the conference.
Welcome to The Weekly Rewind, a column published every Monday that recaps the past week of Vancouver Canucks hockey, including the team’s record, players with the highest stats, and more. This week, we’ll be looking at what the Canucks got up to from March 24 to 30, 2025.
Vancouver started the week with a Prime Monday Night Hockey matchup against the New Jersey Devils. Two of the three Hughes brothers skated in this game, with Quinn Hughes registering his highest number of minutes played in one game this season with 31:38. The Canucks made comeback after comeback, tying the game up with 36 seconds left in the third period and taking the match to a shootout. Vancouver ultimately won the game 4–3 off a confident shot by rookie Jonathan Lekkerimäki.
On Wednesday, Vancouver took on former Canuck Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders, scoring four-straight to take a 5–2 win. The bulk of this win came from a stellar performance by Thatcher Demko, particularly during the first period, as he stopped all 10 shots faced in the first frame. During the second period, Vancouver and New York combined to score five goals, with the Canucks escaping the second frame with the 3–2 lead. Kiefer Sherwood had two goals and an assist in the effort.
Friday night was a shootout for Vancouver in more than one sense — one, because they actually pushed the game to a shootout, and two, because both themselves and the Columbus Blue Jackets combined for 13 goals scored. The Canucks took an early 3–0 lead in the first period, but ultimately squandered this chance by the halfway point of the game. A Kent Johnson shootout goal gave Columbus the 7–6 win.
Heading into Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, the Canucks needed to add to their season point totals in order to contest the efforts of the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames. A lone goal scored by Pius Suter was not enough for Vancouver to win, as they lost 3–1 to the Winnipeg Jets.
Most blocks: Quinn Hughes and Marcus Pettersson (7)
Facts
Kiefer Sherwood hits 400 hits in one season, becomes first NHL player to do so
Jonathan Lekkerimäki scores first career shootout goal
Pius Suter records an ongoing four-game point streak
The Canucks return to Vancouver for a three-game homestand that starts with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, with puck drop expected for 7:30 pm PT. They don’t play again until April 5, when they take on the Anaheim Ducks at 1:00 pm PT. The next day, they’ll play against the Vegas Golden Knights at 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
The data told the story all year on Duke, Houston, Florida and Auburn. The Blue Devils, Cougars, Gators and Tigers had held the top four spots in daily rankings from KenPom since the first half of February, and their net efficiency ranks among the best ever charted by the analytics site going back more than a quarter-century.
The Kings are the NHL’s most dominant team on home ice this season. With a franchise-best home record of 27-4-4, L.A. has been a virtual lock at Crypto.com Arena.
The Kings boast a league-leading points percentage of .829 at home. The Kings' 83-percent penalty-kill rate and 1.94 goals against per game at home are huge factors in their success. If the Kings remain second in the Pacific Division, they can carry their home momentum into the first round of the playoffs, likely against the Edmonton Oilers.
Winnipeg Jets
As the top team in the Western Conference, much of the Jets' success this season is due to their play at home. Through 38 home games, the Jets hold a record of 28-6-4, which translates to an impressive .789 points percentage. The Jets boast the best home-ice power-play percentage, at 32.7 percent, and their 1.95 goals-against average is right up there with the Kings. It's safe to say you do not want to walk into Winnipeg's barn, as it's one of the toughest places to play.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have the most home-ice wins this season, with a record of 29-8-1. That’s good for a points percentage of .776, which ranks fourth in the NHL. Key factors in Carolina’s home success is the 85.2-percent penalty-kill rate and 3.74 goals-for per game, which ranks second in the league.
Dallas Stars
With a home record of 27-7-2, the Stars’ .778 points percentage trails only Los Angeles and Winnipeg. The Stars also have the best home-ice penalty kill, at 88.4 percent. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the team's ability to win on home ice. They’re trending toward holding home-ice advantage in the first round, leading the Colorado Avalanche by seven points.
Vegas Golden Knights
T-Mobile Arena has become one of the hardest places to play in the NHL. The Golden Knights have been stellar in their building over the past few seasons, and this one is no different. With a record of 27-7-3, the Golden Knights’ .770 points percentage ranks fifth in the NHL. Their 3.73 goals-for per game at home ranks third, while their 2.38 goals-against average ranks fifth.
It’s Monday, March 31, and the Los Angeles Clippers (42-32) and Orlando Magic (36-39) are all set to square off from Kia Center in Orlando.
The Clippers are currently 17-21 on the road with a point differential of 4, while the Magic have a 3-7 record in their last ten games at home. The Clippers won the only meeting against the Magic, 104-93 on November 20 in Los Angeles.
Orlando is coming off a 30-point win over Sacramento and is 4-1 in the last five games and 5-2 over the previous seven contests. Los Angeles lost to the Cavaliers yesterday, but are 7-2 over the past nine contests.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Clippers vs. Magic live today
Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
Time: 3:00PM EST
Site: Kia Center
City: Orlando, FL
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Clippers vs. Magic
The latest odds as of Monday:
Odds: Clippers (-144), Magic (+122)
Spread: Clippers -2.5
Over/Under: 212 points
That gives the Clippers an implied team point total of 106.74, and the Magic 105.44.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Monday’s Clippers vs. Magic game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Clippers to win outright:
"The Clippers are coming off a loss to the Cavaliers yesterday (127-122), so they are at a rest disadvantage here. However, Orlando is coming off a 30-point win against Sacramento, which sets them up for a letdown spot. It's a short spread, but with the Clippers being the favorite and no rest, I think that is telling. I lean the Clippers ML in Orlando."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Clippers & Magic game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Orlando Magic at +2.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 212.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Clippers vs. Magic on Monday
The Clippers have won 13 of their last 20 games as a favorite
The Clippers' last 3 road games have gone over the Total
The Magic have covered in 7 of their last 10 games
The Magic are 4-1 in their last 5 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
It’s Monday, March 31, and the Miami Heat (33-41) and Washington Wizards (16-58) are all set to square off from Capital One Arena in Washington.
The Heat are currently 14-22 on the road with a point differential of -1, while the Wizards have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. Miami has won both meetings versus Washington this season by 16 and 20 points.
Miami has won four consecutive games after losing 10 straight and this looks like an ideal spot to conite that streak. Washington is 1-6 over the last seven games and the past two games.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Heat vs. Wizards live today
Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Capital One Arena
City: Washington, DC
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Heat vs. Wizards
The latest odds as of Monday:
Odds: Heat (-344), Wizards (+273)
Spread: Heat -8.5
Over/Under: 221 points
That gives the Heat an implied team point total of 113.79, and the Wizards 109.36.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Monday’s Heat vs. Wizards game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Heat for ML parlays:
"Miami is on a positve four-game winning streak to give them some life down the stretch compared to Washington who is in the middle of their tankathon. The Wizards have dropped six of the past seven games and I think the losing continues here hosting Miami. It's Heat ML for parlays with a lean of Miami -8.5 for me.
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Heat & Wizards game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Miami Heat on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Wizards at +8.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 221.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Heat vs. Wizards on Monday
The Heat have a 33-41 record but are on a 4-game winning streak
The Under is 25-20 in the Wizards' matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season
The Heat have gone 35-39 ATS this season
The Heat have gone 35-39 ATS this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Its Monday, March 31 and the San Francisco Giants (2-1) are in Houston, TX to take on the Astros (2-1) in Game 1 of this series.
Jordan Hicks is slated to take the mound for San Francisco against Ronel Blanco for Houston.
The Astros took two of three at home against the Mets to open the season while the Giants took two of three in Cincinnati against the Reds.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Giants at Astros
Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
Time: 8:10PM EST
Site: Daikin Park
City: Houston, TX
Network/Streaming: NBCSBA, SCHN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Giants at the Astros
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: San Francisco Giants (+105), Houston Astros (-125)
Spread: Astros -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Astros
Pitching matchup for March 31, 2025: Jordan Hicks vs. Ronel Blanco
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Giants at Astros
The Giants are hitting just .214 this season
The Astros are hitting just .176 this season
The Giants have clubbed 5 HRs while the Astros have smacked just 1 HR this season
San Francisco's Team ERA is 3.46 in 2025
Houston's Team ERA is 1.33 in 2025
Houston is 1-2 on the Run Line this season
San Francisco is 3-0 on the Run Line this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Giants and the Astros
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Giants and the Astros:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Francisco Giants at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Dodgers players, staff and ownership pose for a photo after receiving their World Series rings in a pregame ceremony Friday at Dodger Stadium. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
As Evan Phillips stood in front of his locker before the Dodgers’ home opener Thursday, answering questions about the team’s upcoming World Series celebration that night and the gold jersey they would wear to mark the occasion, his new neighbor in the Dodgers clubhouse interjected from one stall over.
“What’d you say to Tanner before the game?” first-year Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott, a longtime personal friend of Phillips’ in the game, implored his new teammate to share with a reporter.
Phillips laughed.
“I was surprised they gave 66 over here a little bit of gold on his jersey,” Phillips joked, referring to Scott’s uniform number — and the fact he wasn't part of the club's title-winning roster last year.
“That’s some bull, right?” Scott responded with a playful shake of his head.
“It’s just foreshadowing," Phillips insisted, "what’s to come for him."
Such was life for new Dodgers players this past weekend, with a group of six offseason acquisitions populating the team’s opening day roster.
All series long, they were present for the nightly pregame ceremonies honoring last year’s World Series. They wore the same gold-accented uniforms, and the same 2024 title sleeve patches, as the rest of their reigning-champion teammates.
But for them, the proceedings provided a different kind of perspective.
They weren’t in any of the scoreboard highlight reels honoring last year’s team. They didn’t have the same emotional attachment to watching a World Series banner get raised in center field. And when the team’s championship rings were presented to players and coaches Friday, they all stayed back in the dugout, serving as mere spectators while being reminded of what their previous teams failed to accomplish last season.
“There’s a lot of people in that room who enjoyed it,” manager Dave Roberts said of his clubhouse’s reaction to the weekend-long celebration. “And also, there’s new guys that didn’t partake. And I want them to want that next year.”
So too, of course, do the new players themselves — almost all of whom offered the same reason for wanting to sign with the Dodgers this offseason.
“I went to a World Series as a rookie. Now I'm almost 10 years removed from that, and I want to go back,” veteran outfielder Michael Conforto, a member of the New York Mets’ 2015 pennant winner, said at the club’s preseason fan fest event after signing a one-year, $17-million deal in December.
“I wanted to go to a team that's going to compete. That was the first thing that I told my agent, that it has to be a team that's competitive. So I think it was a no-brainer when the Dodgers called. … We want to win games and have a chance to get a ring.”
Scott echoed similar sentiments at his introductory press conference in January, fresh off inking a four-year, $72-million contract.
“They’re not a fun team to face,” he said then, just months removed from being eliminated by the Dodgers in the playoffs as a member of the San Diego Padres. “We’re ready to win another one. And I’ll be a part of this one.”
Veteran reliever Kirby Yates, signed to a one-year, $13-million deal a week after Scott, referenced the same championship aspirations when he was introduced at Dodger Stadium for the first time.
“The older you get," said Yates, who has appeared in just one playoff game over his 11-year MLB career, "that starts being more important."
For Yates, a spectacle like this weekend’s was nothing new.
In 2022, he watched the Atlanta Braves receive their World Series rings after signing with the club in the wake of their 2021 championship. Last season, he went through it again as the newly signed closer of the Texas Rangers’ defending-title squad.
"This is my third time signing with the reigning World Series champions," he said. "I'm looking forward to finally trying to make that run and be able to pitch in the postseason."
There was plenty to celebrate last weekend for players who were on the Dodgers in 2024, including, from left, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Last year's Rangers celebration, Yates recalled this weekend, was a bittersweet experience — the 38-year-old right-hander still reeling at the time from the 104-win Braves’ division series knockout the prior October.
“I think everybody on that Atlanta team felt like we had a really good chance of winning that World Series, and it didn’t happen,” Yates said. “So watching that ring ceremony ... you’re excited for [your new team] and you’re happy for them. But on a personal level, you want your chance to win one, too.”
This weekend, however, Yates had a more auspicious feeling during the Dodgers' World Series festivities.
Here, he saw a team uniquely poised to repeat as champions; one that already had a star-studded core, then aggressively pursued additional depth and talent during a half-billion-dollar offseason spending spree.
Yates’ signing itself, after all, represented one of their most luxurious splurges — likely to effectively cost more than double its $13 million price tag when accounting for luxury tax penalties and the Dodgers’ need to cut former reliever Ryan Brasier and his $4-million salary in a corresponding move.
“The idea was to have as many good pitchers and as many good players as they possibly could have,” Yates said, “to basically help [distribute] the load for the entire season, including October.”
Having been part of two previous failed title defenses, Yates’ hope is that such roster construction will allow the Dodgers to overcome what he believes to be the biggest obstacle for any defending champion: health.
“Playing that long into October, it takes its toll on everybody’s body,” Yates said. “But I think the difference here, and what they’ve done, is how many people they’ve added; the depth that you have to be able to make that run.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are hoping the hunger of their new additions will serve as a different kind of catalyst in their 2025 quest.
None of their new players — from Yates to Scott to Conforto to Blake Snell — has won a World Series. And this weekend, they had the feeling of a title dangled in front of them, getting a fleeting preview of how a long-sought championship might taste.
“I don’t think any of the new guys really need any more motivation to go out and win,” Yates said. “But watching how cool that is, watching everybody go get their rings, yeah, you definitely want your chance to be a part of that.”
