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Athletics reportedly made strong Ha-Seong Kim offer before he signed with Braves

Athletics reportedly made strong Ha-Seong Kim offer before he signed with Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics took a big swing but couldn’t quite make contact.

Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the A’s offered free-agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim a four-year, $48 million contract before the 30-year-old opted to sign with the Atlanta Braves.

As reported, the A’s deal would have represented the franchise’s second-largest commitment to a free agent, surpassed only by pitcher Luis Severino’s$67 million deal from last offseason. Per Rosenthal, the green and gold even were willing to increase that offer to land their man.

Instead, Kim — who split last season between the Braves and Tampa Bay Rays — chose to return to Atlanta on a one-year, $20 million deal that allows him to test the market again next offseason.

For the A’s, it’s a free-agency miss that leaves them still searching for infield help as the new year approaches. Per Rosenthal, the team’s plan was for Kim to spend most of his playing time at second base and occasionally spell Jacob Wilson at shortstop.

Now, however, options on the open market are limited. The top remaining free-agent infielders, such as Bo Bichette, are likely to command more money than the Athletics can spend. With Kim locked up elsewhere, the A’s might have to turn to trades to bolster their roster.

Kim, who received the National League Gold Glove Award for utility players in 2023, is a career .242 hitter with 52 home runs in five MLB seasons. He played just 48 games in 2025, missing most of the season with shoulder and back injuries.

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Canadiens: Pay Cash For Their Mistakes In 4-1 Loss To Philadelphia

The big story of the day in town on Tuesday was the Montreal Canadiens’ decision to send Samuel Montembeault down to the Laval Rocket on a conditioning stint, which was no doubt prompted by the fact that Jacob Fowler has shown he can already do the job with the Habs. As a result, the 21-year-old netminder got his first home start against the Philadelphia Flyers.

That development took some of the spotlight away from the fact that Mike Matheson would be missing the game with an upper-body injury, but that came back to the forefront when Jayden Struble was slotted in to play on the top pairing alongside Noah Dobson.

Canadiens: Montembeault Sent Down To Laval For Conditioning Purposes
Canadiens Important Defenseman Out vs. Flyers
Canadiens: Big Decision Ahead

A Golden Opportunity

As is always the case in pro sports, one man’s injury is another one’s opportunity. With Matheson sidelined, Arber Xhekaj was back in the lineup, joining Struble and Adam Engstrom. That was an opportunity for the three defensemen to show that they deserve to be in the lineup when the injured players return, but not everyone seized it.

Xhekaj looked nervous on the ice, and 12 minutes into the first frame, he made an ill-advised pass, which turned into a giveaway. Nothing came of it, but it didn’t go unnoticed. On his next shift, he was unable to handle a routine pass, and it turned out to be his last shift of the period. Every other defenseman saw some ice time on the penalty kill, but not Xhekaj.

While he does bring something special to the lineup with his grit and physicality, he cannot rely solely on that to ensure his presence in the lineup. He really needs to clean up those mistakes that keep happening too often. Since being called up, Engstrom has played a cleaner game than the young veteran, and with 2:49 left in the first frame, he got to play a first shift with Lane Hutson. It might have been because Xhekaj was sitting, but it does show that the coach appreciates his work.

That being said, I don’t believe Struble is having a better season than Xhekaj; his mistakes are not as obvious or frequent.

Late Goals Are Gut Punches

Whoever is in net, one thing that never helps a team is to let in late goals. Through 40 minutes, the Flyers were leading 3-1, and two of their goals came with less than a minute left in the first two frames. That’s a momentum killer if there ever was one, especially when it comes 40 seconds after taking the lead. That Carl Grundstrom goal was the result of yet another defensive snafu, though, so it’s not entirely on Fowler, but the goaltender is there to stop the pucks and to fix mistakes as well.

As for the goal that made it 3-1, that one was on Fowler; he came out of his net to handle the puck behind the goal line and just left it, thinking his defenseman would collect it, but he hadn’t seen Matvei Michkov coming. The Russian fed Bobby Brink in front of the net, and just like that, the Habs were down 3-1. Of course, one could say there was a breakdown in communication between the goaltender and his defensemen, but still, Fowler cannot do that. That’s a mistake he’s not likely to repeat anytime soon.

Not The Same Without Matheson

The Canadiens better hope that the veteran blueliner isn’t out long-term, because they missed him greatly tonight. Lane Hutson had to shoulder much of the load and spent over 27 minutes on the ice, which is a lot even by his standards. However, in his post-game press availability, coach Martin St-Louis explained he felt his team’s attack struggled tonight because it didn’t use its blueliners enough:

I felt like we died with the puck in the offensive zone because we weren’t using our defensemen. It’s a team that plays really tight in front of the net, and if you don’t use your blueliners, you’re playing three-on-five. It’s something we talked about before the game as well; we had trouble sending the puck up the zone. When you do that, you force those teams that are compact in front of the net to deploy themselves, and then you can attack more on the inside.

That’s a fair point, and it may go some way toward explaining the lack of shots in the first two periods, but this has now become a trend. You’re rarely going to win a game when you’ve had a total of 10 shots on net after 40 minutes.

Asked for his thoughts on Adam Engstrom, whom he’s now seen in a few games, the bench boss said:

Obviously, he’s a great skater. I just think he plays the game that’s in front of him. I don’t think he’s intimidated by the NHL; he just plays the game. I think he’s a confident kid, and he can do a lot on the ice. He doesn’t seem too worried out there, so not only has he got a lot of tools, but he’s also got the confidence behind the tools.

The pilot was very pleased with his ability to make reads at high speed, which bodes well for the young man’s future.

The Canadiens will practice in Brossard at 11:30 on Wednesday before leaving for their traditional children’s Christmas hospital visit at 1:30 PM. They'll play their next game on Thursday night at home against the Chicago Blackhawks, who will be without injured star Connor Bedard.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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Could the Phillies' next move shake up their infield?

Could the Phillies' next move shake up their infield? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Yesterday at the press conference to introduce Adolis Garcia, PBO Dave Dombrowski said the team’s outfield is “pretty much set.” But there may be a way to upgrade the infield, without overspending.

The Phillies are big spenders. That results in a very talented roster, but very little ability for Dombrowski to make major moves without getting creative when the opportunity presents itself.

An opportunity could be popping up – a holiday miracle at that – from out west.

According to multiple reports, the Arizona Diamondbacks are suddenly interested in third baseman Alex Bregman, widely regarded as the biggest fish in the free agent pond. Signing Bregman will be expensive, meaning the team would have to part with at least one significant contract.

This is where the Phillies come in.

The player mentioned by MLB pundits as potentially expendable by Arizona is switch-hitting second baseman Ketel Marte. If the Phillies truly want to improve their offense, this is where you strike. You may remember Marte as the pest who had 12 hits in the 2023 NLCS against the Phillies, on the way to winning series MVP.

The 32-year-old is the two-time defending NL Silver Slugger at second base, and appears to be firmly in his prime as a hitter. Over the past three seasons, he has hit 89 home runs, most among MLB second basemen by 15, and his .887 OPS over that span ranks ninth among all players. He also hits for average; his .283 mark over the past 3 seasons ranks 17th in MLB.

Marte has batted first or second in recent years, but his value would be in the much-needed protection in the lineup he would provide behind Bryce Harper, which would force teams to pitch Harper honestly, or face Marte with Harper on base.

This is the kind of move that could not only bolster the Phillies’ lineup, but also give it the versatility it sorely lacks in spots.

Marte has five years and $91 million remaining on his contract, with a player option for 2031 at $11.5 million. That’s rich, but not so rich that it should scare Dombrowski off.

He will become a 10-and-5 player early next season, meaning Marte can veto any trade, but according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Marte’s current no-trade list has just five teams on it: the Athletics, the Yankees, Pirates, Giants, and Cardinals.

A Marte trade will likely require the Phillies parting with incumbent second baseman Bryson Stott, who has never lived up to the pure hitter reputation that led to the Phils selecting him 14th overall six years ago. In addition, one or two prospects would need to be included, but not at the tier of Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller. After all, Arizona doesn’t have that kind of leverage in this case.

The Phillies’ No. 5 prospect, infielder Aroon Escobar, is a righty bat with pop that the Diamondbacks need. They are also looking for depth in their rotation, so they could include No. 11 prospect Jean Cabrera, who impressed at AA Reading last season.

This is the kind of move that could pay very big dividends for the Phillies, especially in October, when they need them most.

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What's next for the Giants after filling a couple of key roster holes?

What's next for the Giants after filling a couple of key roster holes? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants’ announcement on Tuesday that they had signed right-handed reliever Jason Foley included an important update on the health of his shoulder and plenty of information to show why this could end up being a very savvy move. But what was missing from the announcement also was notable. 

The Giants came home from the Winter Meetings in Orlando with a full 40-man roster, and while Foley will almost certainly start the season on the 60-day IL, that move can’t be made until the spring, means they soon will need to announce who is being taken off the roster for Foley. The same will be true once the ink is dry on the two-year deal they have agreed to with right-handed starter Adrian Houser.

For a team that’s most interesting offseason move coming into Tuesday had been DFA’ing former top prospect Marco Luciano, cutting two more players loose is no small thing, and that’s part of what stood out from the busiest day of the Giants’ offseason so far. Foley and Houser fill important holes for the 2026 roster, but right now, the biggest question is: What’s next?

Will a big-name starting pitcher be added in the weeks ahead, pushing Houser to the No. 5 spot in the rotation? Will the front office complement Foley with another free-agent right-hander with closing experience, one who will actually be available on Opening Day? Will the additions to the 40-man lead to a big trade this week?

The Giants have added a solid collection of big leaguers to their roster this offseason, but the fan base is waiting for the splash, and the roster still needs it. 

Houser is coming off the best year of his career, having posted a 3.31 ERA and 3.81 FIP across 21 starts for the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He was so good in Chicago early in the year that he was on the radar as a sensible trade deadline addition for the Giants before they went in the tank in July and ended up selling. 

Houser’s velocity was up nearly two ticks last season, and while he turns 33 in February, there aren’t that many miles on his arm. At $11 million per year, he’s a reasonable option for the back end of the rotation, and the Giants needed another veteran to throw ahead of their collection of young starters, many of whom looked not quite ready for prime time last summer. Houser also has plenty of relief experience, including as recently as 2024, so there’s a fallback option.

Right now, though, he’s right there with Landen Roupp in the middle of the rotation, and the Giants would feel a lot better about their chances if those two lined up as four and five in some order instead of three and four. They have signaled that they don’t want to give out a nine-figure deal to a starting pitcher, and their preference would be to sign a player without a qualifying offer attached, but given how little they’ve spent so far — less than $15 million has been added to the 2026 roster — they still have the flexibility to add another frontline arm.

When it comes to bullpen spending, you don’t even have to read between any lines. Every time team officials have been asked about rebuilding the bullpen this offseason, they have gone straight to minor-league free agents, non-roster invitees, and high-upside projects like Foley and right-hander Gregory Santos, who reportedly is returning on a minor-league deal. 

The 30-year-old Foley missed all of last season after having right shoulder surgery and the Giants don’t expect him back on the mound until the middle of the 2026 season. If he comes back healthy, though, Foley could be a serious weapon for new manager Tony Vitello. 

Foley has a 3.16 ERA in the big leagues and saved 28 games for the Detroit Tigers in 2024. He has a groundball rate of 54 percent, which is three percent below Logan Webb’s career rate, but Foley gets all those balls on the dirt with a sinker that has touched 100 mph.

On the surface, this was a move right out of the Farhan Zaidi playbook, except that ignores the fact that assistant general manager Jeremy Shelley has been successful with these kinds of bets for years. With two years of club control after 2026, the Foley deal could end up being one of the steals of the offseason if he comes back healthy. 

That last part is the key, though. The roster doesn’t have an obvious closer for Opening Day, and with Luke Weaver reportedly agreeing to a deal with the New York Mets on Wednesday morning, the list of available relievers with closing experience has gotten very, very short. 

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Foley closing games for the Giants at some point next year, but right now, he’s on the mend. Sam Hentges, signed earlier this offseason, also is recovering from shoulder surgery, although he should be cleared by the time pitchers and catchers report to camp. 

The Giants have added talent to their bullpen, but much more is needed. They have added some depth to their rotation, but more is needed there, too. Tuesday was a step in the right direction and they’re certainly better than they were a week ago, but as the holidays approach, they still have a simple question to answer. What’s next?  

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The Spin | Bradman’s greatest hour: how Australia came from 2-0 down to win the Ashes

England team on tour are unlikely to mirror comeback orchestrated by legendary batter in the 1936-37 series

By the time you read this, day one of the third Test will have gently unfolded/catastrophically unspooled. You will already have some inkling of how (un)likely it is that England will be able to haul in Australia’s 2-0 lead and claw back the urn.

As you also probably know, only one side has overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a series, and that side was Australia, and that Australia included Don Bradman.

This is an extract from the Guardian’s weekly cricket email, The Spin. To subscribe, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Continue reading...
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Alex DeBrincat Reaches Offensive Mark Not Seen Since Red Wings’ Last Cup Run

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The Detroit Red Wings owed the New York Islanders for their previous two losses in which they were outscored 12-2. 

Forward Alex DeBrincat, one of the hottest goal scorers in the NHL right now, made sure that New York wouldn't enjoy a third straight win over Detroit. 

He scored his 19th and 20th goals of the season, both on the power-play, in the third period of what would ultimately be a 3-2 Red Wings victory at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday evening. 

Not only did DeBrincat reach the 20-goal mark for the sixth consecutive season, but he also became the fastest Red Wings player to reach the plateau since Henrik Zetterberg in 2007-08, the most recent season in which they won the Stanley Cup. 

What's been going right for him? As the old adage goes, just get pucks on net. 

"Just shooting the puck a lot, I think," DeBrincat said. "Obviously playing with great players who get me the puck in good situations, and I'm just trying to pull the trigger as much as I can. Luckily, two went in today and hopefully it keeps going." 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The Red Wings have not had a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa reached that mark during his first and only season in Detroit in 2008–09.

Following their devastating Game 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, Hossa signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and went on to win the Stanley Cup three times alongside current Red Wings forward Patrick Kane from 2010 to 2015.

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Kane later developed an instant chemistry with DeBrincat during their time in Chicago, a special bond that they now share as members of the Red Wings. 

Head coach Todd McLellan made no secret about the fact that he appreciates the competitive nature of DeBrincat, and that it rubs off on the rest of his teammates. 

“His competitiveness rubs off on everybody else and his ability to shoot it into the net is second to none, so that combination is great," McLellan said. "He does so many other things that he almost drags the rest of the group into the game. That’s a good thing for us.”

Currently, DeBrincat is on pace to reach 48 goals, which would be the highest number by a Red Wings player since Brendan Shanahan scored 46 goals following his trade to Detroit in October 1996. 

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Anunoby shines as Knicks beat Spurs to win NBA Cup

Karl-Anthony Towns holds the NBA Cup trophy besides his team-mates after the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs
Karl-Anthony Towns (holding trophy) is a five-time NBA All-Star [Getty Images]

OG Anunoby scored 28 points as the New York Knicks ended their 52-year trophy drought by beating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup final.

The London-born forward finished with five three-pointers as the Knicks came from 11 points down in the third quarter to win 124-113 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Point guard Jalen Brunson, who was named the NBA Cup's Most Valuable Player, scored 25 points as the Knicks won the third edition of the mid-season tournament to claim their first silverware since winning the 1973 NBA Finals.

"We found a way to win," said Brunson. "That's going to be our motto going forward: we're going to find a way."

Mike Brown, who is in his first year as Knicks head coach, said: "Any time you can participate in an event where you're the last one standing and you're able to hang a banner, you take that seriously. And all of our guys took that seriously."

San Antonio upset top seeds and reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday's semi-finals thanks to a superb display from Victor Wembanyama.

In his second game after missing 12 straight matches with a calf injury, he was limited to 18 points and 25 minutes off the bench.

An emotional Wembanyama fought back tears at a brief post-game news conference, saying: "Sorry, I just lost somebody today."

Seven Knicks players reached double figures in points. Karl-Anthony Towns claimed 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Mitchell Robertson had 15 rebounds and two blocks from the bench.

Dylan Harper led the scoring for the Spurs with 21 points.

Victory was the Knicks' sixth in a row - and 10th in 11 games - although the final does not count towards the regular-season standings.

They are second in the Eastern Conference and the Spurs are fourth in the West.

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Fantasy Basketball Trade Tips: Buy-Low & Sell-High Players include Brown, Banchero

As trade winds continue to blow across the NBA, fantasy managers can also wheel-and-deal to
help their chances of winning a championship. Here are some players to consider buying low
on, selling high on or who are worth holding onto in fantasy at this time.

Buy

Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Banchero recently missed 10 games with a groin injury. He jumped right back into the starting
lineup when he returned, but the Magic limited him to fewer than 25 minutes in each of his first
two games. He has seen his playing time increase in both games since, topping out at 35
minutes in Saturday's game against the Knicks. In that matchup, he produced 25 points, eight
rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Banchero's overall stats haven't been great this season. He is shooting just 26.6% from behind
the arc, which is down from 32.0% last season. His scoring is also down to 20.5 points per
game, compared to 25.9 last season. However, he is healthy now and should see his normal
allotment of minutes moving forward. His scoring production could increase, given that Franz Wagner (ankle) and Jalen Suggs (hip) are both out. This might be a rare buy-low window for the
All-Star forward.

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Duren produced a disappointing stat line against the Celtics on Monday, posting six points and
three rebounds over 29 minutes. The only silver lining was that he had two steals and two
blocks. It marked the fourth time over his last five games that he has hauled in fewer than 10
rebounds. It was also his second game with fewer than 10 points during that span.

Even with Duren's recent struggles, he is averaging 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks
for the season. After shooting 66.9% from the free-throw line last season, he has shot 74.7%
from there this season. All his recent struggles might have done was create an opportunity to
acquire him in a trade at a slight discount.

Sell

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

Markkanen is having a fantastic season with averages of 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.9
three-pointers. After shooting just 42.3% from the field last season, he is at 46.9% through 24
games. He is also playing a lot, logging 35 minutes a game. The 28-year-old has a ton of talent
and is, without question, a top fantasy option when he is on the floor.

The last part of the above statement is key. Markkanen has missed only one game after playing
a total of just 102 games the previous two seasons. The Jazz are 10-15 and could turn to their
tanking ways again in the near future. Monday's game against the Mavericks was concerning
because they sat Jusuf Nurkic for rest and removed Svi Mykhailiuk from the starting lineup.
They were replaced by youngsters Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh. It might be best to
sell high on Markkanen now to avoid possible rest day issues down the stretch.

Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

Grant has started each of his last 13 games. In the role, he has averaged 22.1 points, 4.8
rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.0 three-pointers. After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which
he shot 37.3% from the field and 36.5% from three, he has shot 43.8% from the field and 39.5%
from behind the arc this season.

Grant was moved into the starting lineup when Jrue Holiday (calf) went down. He has missed a
month with the injury, and the Trail Blazers have not given any updates regarding his potential
return. However, when Holiday does come back, Grant could see fewer minutes and shot
attempts off the bench. Now is the time to float him out in trade offers.

Hold

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

The absence of Jayson Tatum (Achilles) has set up Brown to have the best season of his
career. He hasn't disappointed those who drafted him, putting up 29.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.9
assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game. Not only has his usage rate increased to
36.2%, but he is shooting 50.0% from the field.

Even with Tatum out and the Celtics losing Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford during the
offseason, they are currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They should remain
playoff contenders, so any potential of them taking a "gap year" and trying to improve their draft
lottery odds without Tatum has probably gone out the window. This is not a sell-high situation
with Brown. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks

After the Hawks benched Clint Capela during last season, Okongwu thrived in a starting role.
Despite his success, the Hawks still added Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason. That left Okongwu to come off the bench to begin the season. Over his first 12 games, he averaged 13.4
points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 three-pointers over 28 minutes a night.

Porzingis has since been in and out of the lineup with injuries and illness, opening the door for 
Okongwu to play 33 minutes over his last 14 games. During that span, he provided 18.4
points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.6 blocks and 2.6 three-pointers a game. It has
been reported that Porzingis is dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
He has battled this before, and it could be something that impacts him throughout the season.
Okongwu should continue to play a lot moving forward, so don't view this as a sell-high
opportunity with him.

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Knicks' bench unit steps up to help secure NBA Cup clinching victory

Jalen Brunson didn’t have his best scoring night on Tuesday, but it didn’t matter. 

The Knicks received contributions from up-and-down their bench as they pulled out a thrilling victory over the San Antonio Spurs to secure their first NBA Cup title. 

Brunson was named the tournament MVP, but he was sure to tip his cap to his teammates afterwards. 

“Without them, we don’t hold that trophy,” he said.  

It starts with OG Anunoby, who led the way offensively with a game-high 28 points. 

Anunoby also continued his stellar all-around play on the other end of the floor, reeling in nine rebounds and earning himself Defensive Player of the Game honors.

“The way he’s shooting the ball is fantastic,” Brunson said. He’s making plays and he has confidence -- when everyone is working on their game even in-season that confidence stays, so it’s a credit to him and what he’s been doing.”

It wasn’t just Anunoby, though, as big man Mitchell Robinson also stepped up with 18 outstanding minutes off the bench while Karl-Anthony Towns battled through some bruises. 

Robinson set an NBA Cup Final record with 10 offensive boards, and reeled in 15 in total. 

“That’s what Mitch does,” Towns said. “I knew playing against him just how much he impacts the game, to be his teammate now and to see what he does, he’s impacted the game how many times -- shoutout to Mitch, hell of a day at the office.” 

Jordan Clarkson had another strong scoring night with 15 big points off the bench, but it was youngster Tyler Kolek who took advantage of the opportunity the most and truly shined on the biggest stage. 

Kolek was leaned on heavily down the stretch and he finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, and turned the ball over just once over his 20 minutes of action. 

It was arguably one of his most impressive at the NBA-level. 

“He played big-time, I’m very happy for him,” Brunson said. “It may be a surprise to a bunch of people, but many of you see how hard this kid works and I’m just very happy for him. The way he played tonight helped us for sure, we needed him.”

The hope is that this success in big minutes can help the rest of the way in the regular season. 

“In a game like this where it’s basically win or go home,” the captain said. “You have guys who step up and pick up the slack for a person like me who wasn’t shooting the ball well and made a terrible second-half turnover with the back-court. 

“It’s when those guys come in and do that, that gives us even more confidence. That excites me more than anything, the guys who come in and do that, it gives us an opportunity to win, it’s just a great feeling.”