The Colorado Avalanche have acquired defenseman Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick.
We have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2nd round pick in 2028 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/tZrCRBm3LB
This is a shocking move for the Avalanche, not in what they acquire but in what they gave up, especially with how Samuel Girard has been in numerous insiders' trade lists and the Avalanche’s willingness to get bigger on the defensive end.
Initially, when Elliotte Friedman first announced the Avalanche were going to acquire Kulak, it was going to be for a middle-bottom pairing move, see how he fits with maybe Girard, Malinski or so forth but seeing Girard get moved, this is no longer a “depth” move, it highlights a pretty big change to this defense core the rest of the season.
Kulak is in the final year of his contract, which carries a $2.8 million cap hit. At 31 years of age, he skates pretty well for his age and will help play a role on the already impressive penalty kill unit. He was playing with Kris Letang and doing well despite a rough start to the season with the Edmonton Oilers. Offensively, he might not be hitting the ceiling of what Girard can bring, but when he is at his best, he doesn’t make many mistakes and makes smart plays when he's under pressure.
In 56 games played between the Oilers and the Penguins, Kulak has one goal and eight assists for nine points. He averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time with the Oilers but over 20 with the Penguins.
In a news update first broken by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded defenseman Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche. In return, Pittsburgh is getting Sam Girard and a second-round pick.
The Avs confirmed the deal minutes later on their own social media accounts and official website.
We have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2nd round pick in 2028 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/tZrCRBm3LB
The pending unrestricted free agent, who carries a $2.75 million cap hit through 2025-26, was acquired earlier by Pittsburgh in the Tristan Jarry deal with Edmonton. As Oilers fans know well, Kulak, 32, brings playoff experience and steady depth, making him a strong fit for a Colorado team viewed as a Cup contender and active buyer ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Edmonton wasn't in love with the idea of moving Kulak in the Jarry trade, but to make the money work, GM Stan Bowman wasn't left with much choice. The Oilers have relied on Kulak as a depth guy who can step into a bigger role in meaningful games. He elevates his play during the postseason, which is something the Avs are likely counting on.
The move signals that the post-Olympic trade market is beginning to heat up.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders are planning to keep star edge rusher Maxx Crosby despite the trade talk around the five-time Pro Bowl pick, general manager John Spytek said Tuesday.
“Maxx is an elite player. I've been very upfront from the start since I got here, that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them,” Spytek said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
Crosby has been rehabilitating from left knee surgery he underwent three days after the regular season ended, as speculation about his status has persisted following an NFL-worst 3-14 record for the Raiders and the firing of coach Pete Carroll after just one year on the job.
Crosby said earlier this month he doesn't want out and that the unsubstantiated reports suggesting he does make him laugh. His future with the club that drafted him in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan in 2019 became a subject when he was placed on injured reserve with two games left against his wish, preferring to play out the season. Crosby, who has 69½ sacks in seven years, had a career-high 28 tackles for loss in 2025.
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Alperen Sengun #28 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz on February 23, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There are 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.
(How’s that for insight?)
Some have it easier than others. That’s always been the case. The NBA practically has a caste system. Moving up a rung requires more maneuvering than Viola disguising himself as Cesario in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Take the Washington Wizards. They are cosmically stinky. The best player in the franchise’s history is Wes Unseld, who, with all due respect, played in an era when an NBA head coach quite literally lit stogies during games.
That was Red Auerbach, the head coach of a Celtics team that always gets to be good for no apparent reason. At least the Lakers play in Los Angeles. There’s at least a causal explanation for their never-yielding goodness.
Then, there’s the Houston Rockets.
Middle-upper class. Seldom among the best teams in the league. Rarely in the duldrums. This iteration of the team is no exception.
There are teams you’d readily trade places with. Please do not deny it. If the Spurs offered to trade rosters and assets, you would trade rosters and assets. Lest we even name The Team Who Shall Not Be Named.
Yet, as a Rockets fan, complaints will find deaf ears with over half of the league’s fanbases. They are objectively in a good spot.
Maybe they shouldn’t do anything about it.
Rockets don’t need to rush decisions
This may seem like a 180. Consider it a publicly available internal dialogue of a confused fan.
Antetokounmpo is tempting. The logic is simple. This is the best player that is likely to be available while the Rockets have assets. Get him.
If they do, you won’t find complaints from me. More broadly, the Rockets’ roster is flawed, perhaps irredeemably. We should all be cozying up to the reality that Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are not a natural fit. Neither is a natural fit with Antetokounmpo, for the same reasons, but the logic in acquiring him would be that the Rockets are already this good with a roster flaw, so imagine how much better they’d be with an upgrade.
Yet…you’re still trading the farm without alleviating your two non-shooter problem. You’re solving your no franchise player problem, but creating a new no more assets problem. From a utility perspective, the math does not, as the kids say, math.
Questions emerge. Are we 100% sure you need a franchise player in what’s been dubbed in some circles as “the weakest link era”? No, but I land around 90%. Depth matters more than before, but it hasn’t usurped top-end talent as a priority. The best teams in the league have the best players in the league, and depth. You still need an elite player; it’s just that now, it seems more optimal to have 5 good players behind them rather than 2 elite ones.
(Unless you’re The Team Who Shall Not Be Named. Then, you’ve got Michael Jordan’s successor flanked by Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, and tremendous depth).
Are we 100% sure the Rockets don’t have a franchise player? No. I land around 85%.
It’s such a high bar. If it’s going to be Sengun, he needs to shoot about 10% better between zero-and-three feet if he’s not going to consistently shoot threes. If it’s going to be Thompson, he needs to shoot 10-15% better from deep if he’s going to functionally be a guard (and if he’s not going to be a guard, he’s not going to be a franchise player).
Reed Sheppard is an unknown variable in that sense. He can’t grow, so his three-point gravity has to be so immense as to offset his height. He’ll need to improve his handle. There’s no discernible statistical reason why he can’t be the guy, but his flaw may prove the most debilitating of the group.
Are we 100% sure the franchise player has to be currently on the roster, or Giannis Antetokounmpo?
…Now, we’ve arrived at the question.
If the Rockets think they’ll have to trade for “their guy”, they may want to consider haste. These players are not getting any younger. They’re approaching their mid-20s, and the “young player” luster will wear off quickly. That doesn’t mean they must move for Antetokounmpo, but it does mean they’ll basically have to pull the trigger on the next guy (Ant? Can Tyrese Maxey sustain his current offensive production in a winning environment, and would that make him a top-10ish player?) to hit the market.
Could they still draft that guy? The Rockets have some premium picks coming up. Between the Suns and the Nets, they’re likely to pick in the 2027 lottery. The class is seen as weak: But so was the class that yielded Antetokounmpo.
(And Nikola Jokic, by the way).
So many considerations. So much uncertainty. Here’s where it pays to be an optimist. The Rockets are still young. They still have a lot of picks. The glass is half full.
Why rush to alter a good situation? Within the next couple of years, this organization must clarify its direction. That doesn’t mean it’s pressing enough to rush into anything now. If the Rockets do decide to get Antetokounmpo, it will be a defensible decision, but perhaps the best thing to do is sit back, see what they yield with their next crop of draft picks, and make a decision from there.
The right choice could improve their class standing.
The Boston Red Sox should have prioritized finding a solution to their outfield logjam during the offseason. But with one month left until Opening Day, the issue remains unresolved.
It’s a similar situation to last year, when the Red Sox entered the season with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu as their starting outfielders. Top prospect Roman Anthony was knocking on the door to the big leagues, and Masataka Yoshida spent most of the season on the injured list before returning as the club’s primary designated hitter.
This time, Boston has four starting outfielders on its roster in Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, and Anthony. Yoshida is healthy, but with several OFs and DHs already on the roster, where does he fit in?
We’ll get into that, and everything else you need to know about the 2026 Red Sox’ outfield situation, in our preview:
The Red Sox offense will lean heavily on Roman Anthony in his second MLB season.
Roman Anthony will have plenty on his plate in his first full big-league season. The former No. 1 prospect is expected to be the heart of the Red Sox offense with Alex Bregman no longer in the picture. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a 21-year-old, but he showed as a rookie that he’s up for the task.
Anthony finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year race after posting an .859 OPS and amassing a 3.1 WAR in 71 games. He missed the final month of the season with an oblique injury, so health is one of the very few question marks surrounding him heading into 2026.
Manager Alex Cora announced Anthony will be his leadoff hitter to start the new season. He slashed .336/.439/.564 with six homers in the leadoff spot last year.
Anthony is expected to spend most of his time in left field. Cora stated last season that he would prefer not to use him as a designated hitter.
Wilyer Abreu is an X factor for the Red Sox in 2026.
Abreu has been the subject of trade rumors in the last two offseasons due to the outfield logjam. All signs point toward him returning for 2026, and he’ll be an X factor.
With back-to-back Gold Gloves, Abreu has established himself as one of the best defensive right fielders in the game. He’ll look to bring home the hardware for the third straight season while taking another step forward at the plate.
Abreu was one of the Red Sox’ best hitters in 2025, but there’s room for improvement. He should get more opportunities against left-handed pitchers after taking only 61 at-bats against southpaws last year. If he starts hitting lefties, he could put up some seriously impressive numbers in 2026.
Ceddanne Rafaela has blossomed into an elite defensive center fielder.
Rafaela is reminiscent of Jackie Bradley Jr. as an elite defensive center fielder who’s streaky at the plate. He took a noticeable step forward offensively in 2025, though, with better numbers across the board while cutting his strikeout total from 151 to 117.
There was some talk about Rafaela playing second base this season to clear up the outfield logjam, but that no longer makes sense with infielders Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa now in the mix. It was never really a good idea in the first place, as Rafaela’s exceptional defense in center field is far too valuable.
Rafaela will look to improve his chase rate, which has been among the league’s worst over the last two years. While plate discipline isn’t his strong suit, Rafaela was one of Boston’s most clutch hitters in 2025 with multiple walk-off homers and a walk-off triple.
Jarren Duran was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the Red Sox offseason.
Like Abreu, Duran has been mentioned in trade rumors often over the last two offseasons. Moving him was the most sensible route to clearing the outfield logjam, but Craig Breslow & Co. didn’t get what they were looking for in a potential deal for the 2024 All-Star Game MVP.
While Duran was still one of the Red Sox’ best hitters in 2025, his production fell off significantly from his All-Star campaign. He also took a step back defensively in left field after an impressive season in center.
This year, Duran will likely be the odd man out in the crowded outfield and spend most of the season as Boston’s DH. As he recently stated, he’d “be the fastest DH in the league.”
Masataka Yoshida won’t have a clear path to playing time again in 2026.
For the second straight year, the Red Sox’ outfield logjam has blocked Yoshida’s path to consistent playing time. Even if the club felt confident enough to play him in the outfield, there are four players ahead of him on the depth chart. And with Duran expected to serve as the primary DH, Yoshida is projected to come off the bench if the team can’t find a trade partner for him before the season.
Yoshida, 32, is difficult to move with two years and $37.2 million remaining on his contract. He’d have to be dealt in a salary dump, similar to what the Red Sox did when they traded reliever Jordan Hicks and pitching prospect David Sandlin to the Chicago White Sox earlier this offseason.
Kristian Campbell will spend most of his time in the outfield during spring training.
Campbell’s rookie season got off to a hot start, and he was rewarded with an eight-year contract extension worth $60 million in April. Two months later, he was sent back down to Triple-A after struggling mightily both at the plate and at second base.
Looking ahead to 2026, it will be difficult for Campbell to earn a spot on the big-league roster. The club is using him primarily as an outfielder in spring training, and even though he’s still occasionally being worked out as an infielder, it’s hard to imagine he’ll see much time in Boston’s infield this upcoming season with a handful of middle infielders already on the roster.
Campbell is too talented not to get another shot with the big-league club, but it’s uncertain how or when that will happen.
Nate Eaton stepped in as a utility player in 2025.
Eaton played in 41 games for the Red Sox last season, primarily in right field (16 games) and at third base (12 games). He also made a handful of appearances in center field and left.
While he may not make the Opening Day roster, Eaton offers value with his defensive versatility, and he wasn’t too shabby at the plate last season either. He’s a solid depth piece who should prove useful at points throughout the 2026 campaign.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Andrew Vaughn #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats during the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on February 22, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cactus Crew still hasn’t been able to get their first win of spring training after losing a late lead against the Padres on Monday. Today they’ll be traveling again to face the not-Oakland-not-Las-Vegas-but-not-Sacramento Athletics.
Lefty Rob Zastryzny will get the start today for the Brewers. Righty Mason Barnett is the scheduled starter for the Athletics.
The lineup once again has a mix of some of the big-league regulars and some minor league fillers. Sal Frelick is leading off at DH followed by Brice Turang. Akil Baddoo, Blake Perkins, Tyler Black, and David Hamilton fill out the middle of the order while Reese McGuire, Luke Adams, and Greg Jones round out the bottom of the lineup. The Athletics will have a bunch of their starters in there, including Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, who both were recently extended by the A’s.
After Zastryzny, the Brewers are expected to deploy fellow lefties Ángel Zerpa and Sammy Peralta, as well as right-handed prospect Coleman Crow, who was added to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason.
First pitch in this one is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT and a radio broadcast is available on MLB.com.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Will Warren #98 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait during the New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last year, the Yankees were ousted by the Blue Jays in the ALDS, after having finished second behind them in the AL East on tiebreakers alone. You’d hope that this season they have some revenge on their minds when it comes to Toronto. They probably don’t need to go all out to show it today, considering this is a spring training game.
While these two teams may have some battles later this year, today’s Yankees-Blue Jays game is about continuing the prep to the 2026 regular season.
On the mound today, we’ll see the spring training debut of Will Warren. Last season, Warren showed flashes of being a very good pitcher, he just couldn’t string together consistency. His final memory of 2025 was a tough one at the hands of these Blue Jays, who homered four times off Warren in relief of Max Fried in ALDS Game 2. Especially with some Yankees’ starters still recovering from injury to start the season, the team will probably be relying on him again this season, so we’ll see if he can show any good signs today.
Despite this being a road spring training game, the Yankees are actually sending out quite the strong lineup. Eight of the nine in the lineup will probably make the Opening Day roster, led by Aaron Judge, who’s playing right and hitting second today.
Toronto’s lineup is not as star-studded, but will include a couple names you know. They’ll send pitching prospect Grant Rogers to the mound to face the Yankees’ lineup.
Here’s everything you need to know on how to catch today’s action!
How to watch
Location: TD Ballpark — Dunedin, FL
First pitch: 1:07 pm ET
TV broadcast: Sportsnet (Toronto broadcast), MLB Network (out of market only)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 20: P.J Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks grabs the rebound during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 20, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 20: P.J Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks grabs the rebound during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 20, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Back home to a snowstorm! The Brooklyn Nets wrapped up their three game road trip with an afternoon affair against the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn had a lead for much of the game, but the Hawks closed the game on a 24-2 run to hand the Nets their fourth consecutive loss. Brooklyn leaves the road and comes home to a whole bunch of snow. Winter is no joke!
The opponent tonight is transitioning into another era. The Dallas Mavericks look pretty different these days and are likely looking ahead to the Draft. The team snapped a ten game losing streak with a road win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 7:30 p.m. ET.
🤕 Injuries
Nothing doing for Brooklyn. Another clean slate, their second in the last nine games. Extraordinary in the tanking era. The three two-ways remain with Long Island.
The following players are out:
Kyrie Irving
Cooper Flagg
Dereck Lively II
Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse are doubtful. Daniel Gafford is questionable.
🏀 The game
Dallas won games one and two. Thanks to the Commissioner’s Cup, we get the ultra rare third cross-conference regular season matchup!
Everyone across the city is trying to dig themselves out of the snow, and the Nets are scheduled to make it back in to town early this afternoon. The Mavs were stranded in Indianapolis and as of noon hadn’t left yet. Best of luck to everyone in this one.
The Mavs have made a mess of things over the past few years, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. With Flagg playing like a franchise star, things are looking bright despite the antics of Patrick Dumont and Miriam Adelson. Dallas has one franchise player on board, and pairing Flagg with another one in the Draft could get the Mavs back in the playoffs as soon as next season. From Tyler Edsel of Mavs Moneyball:
Dallas, as an organization, needs to ask itself tough questions to figure out where we’re going here. Keep the team as is, win 32 games, and in all likelihood miss out on the best guards in the draft? Or sell off some veterans for some draft assets, set yourself up to have a step back this season and enhance your chance at acquiring Cooper Flagg’s point guard of the future.
The choice is clear and obvious. It’s time for the Mavericks to get serious about the build around Cooper Flagg, something I’ve been calling for since the Lottery in May. For the future of the organization, the Mavericks have to get this right, right now. That can only mean one thing for Dallas: It’s time to sell and race to the bottom.
A temporary setback for a major comeback, if they play their cards right. Interestingly, two former Nets — Jason Kidd, the Mavs head coach, and Matt Riccardi, the Mavs co-interim GM — will play big roles in whatever the team does going forward.
It’s taken a while, but maybe Marvin Bagley has put it all together? Bagley III came over from the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade and has done well in his new city. In five games, he’s averaging close to a double-double on 53.5 percent shooting from the field. If he can keep this up, he’ll earn a permanent spot on this team and be someone Jason Kidd can count on in the future.
The Nets are going to need to be a lot better on the boards if they want to compete tonight. Atlanta beat them by 18 in the rebounding battle on Sunday, and any team is gonna make you pay if you give them extra opportunities. Nic Claxton and Day’ron Sharpe will be tasked with fixing that area and controlling Bagley III on the other side.
👀 Player to watch: PJ Washington
The Mavs are looking to find their building blocks of the future. Washington should be one of the people Mavs ownership has in mind. Washington has had to do a little bit more on offense this season and his numbers are in the ballpark of where they were last season. At 27 years old and in the first year of an extension, he’ll be someone Dallas should be able to count on in the years to come.
What should the Nets do with Michael Porter Jr? MPJ’s been in a shooting slump, but Steve Lichtenstein thinks it could be something deeper:
“Porter suffered an MCL sprain during a January 7 game versus Orlando and sat out a few games before the All-Star break with tendonitis in that knee, though reports noted that the two injuries were unrelated. Porter’s misfires during this period, including the 7-of-8 three-point attempts in Atlanta, haven’t just been of the in-and-out variety; they’ve often been wildly off, an indication that what’s gone awry could very well be due to something physical in nature.
Considering the Nets are already 11 games out of play-in contention, the prudent course of action would be to shut Porter down, as many other teams in tanking mode have been doing when their best players suffer injuries.“
To the last point, if the league wants to knock on your door because you’re sitting a possibly injured player, let them.
Porter Jr isn’t on the injured list, so he’ll be out there. All but one of MPJ’s makes came at the rim, so the Nets are going to need to find easier shot attempts for him. He’s shown throughout this season that he can heat up at a moment’s notice. One good game could get him back on track and looking more like the player that was an All-Star candidate.
📺 From the Vault
The USA and Canada played a game for the ages for the gold medal in the last event of the Olympics on Sunday. The US captured their first gold medal in hockey since 1980 and Jack Hughes’ golden goal in overtime sealed the upset victory. For US hockey, this win was extra meaningful and as we venture back to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, you see why…
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 14: Andrew Abbott #41 and Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds pose for a photo with Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 and Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves during the All-Star Press Conference at Coca-Cola Roxy on Monday, July 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What a week, and it’s only Tuesday! This Tuesday morning was a momentous one within Braves Country as the team made back-to-back huge announcements. The first was that the long-rumored Braves TV network is real and figures to be spectacular. BravesVision will, in fact, be ready to go for the 2026 regular season and beyond.
On top of that huge news, the Braves proceeded to announce that they’d come to an agreement with Chris Sale on a contract extension that guarantees that he’ll be around here for 2027 along with a club option for 2028. Sale will now be getting paid $27 million for 2027 and then potentially $30 million for the season after that if all goes well.
Between the fact that the Braves are now once again masters of their own domain when it coms to TV and streaming and also the fact that they just made Chris Sale the highest-paid player on the team for 2027 (and very likely for 2028 if all goes well over the next two seasons), it’s pretty clear that we’ve entered into a new era when it comes to the Atlanta Braves and their position in baseball. The Battery has clearly worked out very well for this ballclub, and now they’ll have a self-owned and operated TV product to sell to distributors.
It’s pretty clear that finances won’t be a major issue for this franchise going forward. Now granted, it won’t be like they’re the Dodgers or the Mets where they can just hand out a blank check to anybody they want. If that was the case then we would’ve seen either Chris Bassitt or Lucas Giolito wearing a Braves uniform by this time during spring training. However, it does mean that if they want to go after someone in free agency and it makes even a moderate amount of sense, it’s totally feasible that this team could go out and make some splashes in free agency.
With that being said, it also means that their resources for keeping any of their core players via contract extensions should be expanded going forward. I think y’all know where I’m going with this.
The Braves still have some time left between now and the season where they’ll ultimately have to make sure this gets done, as they have a club option on Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s contract for both 2027 and 2028. With that being said, I do feel like any time before that 2028 season would be a great time to strike while the iron is hot and make sure that this guy stays here for as long as both parties deem it possible. I also know that this would be a very tricky undertaking, what with Acuña’s injury concerns and also the fact that he’ll be in position to try to maximize his earnings after taking the extremely team-friendly contract extension that he’s currently on. It’s not going to be as simple as “He’ll give the Braves a hometown discount” or “The Braves’ll just give him what he wants” and that’s something that needs to be acknowledged in any speculation that’s going on.
With that being said, the (well-earned) contract extension for Chris Sale raised an eyebrow from me for one reason and one reason alone (well, aside from the fact that Sale will be knocking directly on the door of Age-40 once 2028 rolls around): They’re going to be paying him $27 million for 2027 and potentially $30 million for 2028. As our friends over at Braves Today pointed out, the Braves have usually used $22 million as a sort of ceiling when it comes to their contract dealings. That number didn’t come out of nowhere, either — the one thing that Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider all have in common is that they’ll be getting paid $22 million for 2027 and 2028.
So, the fact that the Braves have broken that ceiling by $5 million for 2027 and $8 million by 2028 seems to indicate that that “ceiling” may no longer exist. Between that and the fact that the team only has $59 million committed to payroll (outside of team options) for the 2029 season, it feels like they could be eying that year as the one where they could potentially start Acuña’s contract extension and begin paying him what should/would be a substantial pay raise from what he’s currently bringing in. So really, 2028 could be the actual make-or-break year when it comes to either making sure Acuña stays around for a long, long time or if they’ll have to wave farewell to him like the handful of other former Braves stars who made their name here and made their real money elsewhere.
While those decisions in the past were painful, they were understandable in their own ways. Well, maybe the Freddie Freeman situation was the only one where it was truly a debacle but every other decision ultimately came down to dollars and cents. Again, this is purely speculation on my end but I do feel like the timing of the Chris Sale contract extension announcement immediately after the BravesVision announcement felt like a statement of intent from the franchise.
We’re still a bit away from when this needs to be a super pressing issue for both the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr. but for now at least, I feel like there’s more hope of both parties being able to make some serious headway on any potential contract extension now than there was before. It also feels like something that’s actually tangible especially if the TV network takes off like the Braves figure it could. If they’re essentially printing money from The Battery and any TV distribution deals then the money should be there. It all comes down to whether both parties want it to happen.
We’ll see what happens down the road — things could certainly get complicated if Acuña suffers another serious injury between now and serious contract talks or he has another monster season that causes tomorrow’s price to no longer be yesterday’s price. There’s no telling what the future holds but at least for now, Atlanta’s future with Acuña may not have as many financial hurdles as previously anticipated.
The Philadelphia Flyers will be a team to keep an eye on leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. With the Flyers not holding a playoff spot, there is a chance that we will see them shake up their roster a bit.
One Flyers player who has created chatter as a trade candidate this campaign is Emil Andrae. If the Flyers end up shopping the 24-year-old defenseman, these two teams could make sense for him as landing spots.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have several defensemen who are pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), so it would not be surprising if they looked to add to their blueline ahead of the deadline. With Andrae being a young blueliner with decent upside, he could make a lot of sense as a trade target for a Sharks club that is on the rise.
Winnipeg Jets
It has been a hard year for the Winnipeg Jets. After winning the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team just last season, they are currently among the worst teams in the NHL this campaign. With this, they should be focused on getting younger, and a player like Andrae could grab their attention because of it. He could be a strong fit on their bottom pairing and power play if acquired.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Jason Alexander #54 of the Houston Astros throws a bullpen session during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 18, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros will return from an off day Monday to take on the New York Mets in another Grapefruit League matchup. The Astros dropped their first two spring matchups, falling to the Nationals and the Cardinals. Right-hander Jason Alexander will make his spring debut for Houston in Tuesday’s matchup. Righty Jack Wenninger will get the start for the Mets.
Alexander is a 32-year old right-hander who saw action with the Athletics and Astros last season. The Astros claimed him off waivers in May from the Athletics and he went on to make 14 appearances for Houston where he posted a 3.66 ERA and a 4.65 FIP in 71.1 innings. He’s in camp competing for an Opening Day roster spot.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, February 24, 12:10 p.m. CST
Of note, Cam Smith will play centerfield today, with Joey Loperfido in right field. Shay Whitcomb will play 2B and Nick Allen will play 3B. 2B has been Whitcomb’s best position thus far, and Nick Allen has only played 5 career games at 3B. It would appear Astros giving Allen a look at 3B to see how well he can handle the position.
Everyone starting today at least has a realistic shot of being on the Opening Day roster except 1B CJ Alexander. Alexander is a 29-year old career minor leaguer with 25 MLB ABs. In seven minor league seasons, he is a .254 hitter with a .321 OBP and .776 OPS. Last season, he hit a combined .254 with a .335 OBP and .783 OPS across stints with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders (IL – NYY), Las Vegas Aviators (PCL – ATH) and Oklahoma City Comets (PCL – LAD).
Ryan Waldschmidt running in the outfield. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | John E. Moore III/Getty Images
What are the expectations?
FanGraph Depth Chart projections show two Diamondback outfielders with above average power: Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (proj-SLG>.404 and proj-HR/PA>.031). Because they are injured, their above-average power is not assumed. What is assumed is they will play on the outfield corners when they return from the injured list. The biggest question is who will play center field.
Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar are probably not ready to play full-time center field due to youth (each is 23 years old) and lack of experience in center field (Waldschmidt had 38 games at the AA level, and Lawlar had 3 games in the offseason).
On the other end of the age spectrum, this season may be the last chance for Jorge Barrosa and Alek Thomas to have a breakthrough performance.
Jorge Barrosa has good plate discipline but hits below his potential, especially last season. His defense at center field is above average (2 OAA last season).
In the last four seasons, Alek Thomas had below average batting except for 2024 (when he had only 103 PAs). His defense at center field was great in 2022 and 2023, then average and terrible in the last two seasons.
The expectation is that Tim Tawa’s most valuable role is as a utility player off the bench. Last season, he played 20 games at first base, 23 games at second base, 3 games at third base, 14 games at left field, 18 games at center field, and 3 games at right field.
The following table shows FanGraphs Depth Chart projections for these outfielders.
What could exceeding expectations look like?
Corbin Carroll. The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be exceptional (10 OAA last season).
Three projections predicted regression for Corbin Carroll’s batting. They each projected his homers and hits to drop (the one exception expected him to have 5 more hits than last season).
My 2026 Outlook was more optimistic. One reason was that Carroll, at 25 years old, was younger than the typical peak in batter performance, which occurs between age 27 and 29. My projection was 34 homers and 160 hits. See this player review.
Then Corbin Carroll broke his hamate bone. He may not be ready by opening day. Also, his injury could possibly lower his batting power for months after his return. If he exceeds his projection AND reaches my optimistic outlook, then he will have definitely have exceeded expectations. If he again wins a Silver Slugger (like he did last season), he will have been truly extraordinary.
Ryan Waldschmidt.
Among the six players, his batting projection is second best. Especially noteworthy is his projected on-base-percent. Despite an unorthodox swing, if his batting in the Majors reaches his high potential, that will be the foundation of exceeding expectations. Building on that foundation, if despite his very limited experience in center field, his defense in center field is at least average (and perhaps above average), that will be the capstone in his exceeding expectations.
“Along with assigning him a 50 FV, our prospect team wrote that the 23-year-old outfielder in the Arizona Diamondbacks system “does just about everything you want at the plate and he looks the part of a bat-first future regular in the box.” — David Laurila
Jordan Lawlar.
Last season, he injured his hamstring. In the last couple seasons, he played fewer games than most prospects, which raised doubts about his ceiling. Can he avoid injury? Avoiding injury will be a third of him exceeding expectations.
Last season in the Majors, in 28 games his batting was poor (OPS+ of 51). If his batting in the Majors reaches above average, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations.
He has near-zero playing time in center field. If he can quickly learn the new position if he can almost reach average defense, while showing progress, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations.
“I’ve heard Lawlar described as prospect bust, but I vehemently disagree with calling any player a bust based on a 108 game sample spread out over 2¼ seasons , especially a player with Jordan Lawlar’s prospect pedigree and strong track record in the Minor Leagues.” — C Wesley Baier
Jorge Barrosa. The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be great (2 OAA last season).
Last season, he made an adjustment to his swing. His FanGraphs projection for batting is the lowest of the outfielders that we are considering. If he gets his swing right, and his batting reaches league average, that would be the main part of exceeding expectations.
“In Reno, Barrosa is a borderline full-time starter with a high walk rate (11.8%) and a serviceable strikeout rate (20.8%). This sort of plate discipline and Barrosa’s acuity with the glove will almost certainly get him another look in the Majors in 2026.” — James Attwood
Alek Thomas.
He does not have a trend of improving every season. If Alex Thomas bats like he did in 2024, and if he defends center field like he did in 2022 and 2023, then he will have exceeded expectations.
“At this point, expecting Thomas to anchor center field for a competitive Diamondbacks club feels optimistic. His tools suggest upside, but four seasons of stasis on offense and regression on defense tell a different story.” — Jeff Irving
“While his [Thomas] OPS+ of 82 was a personal high, it still ranked Thomas 163rd of the 177 players to receive 450+ PA in 2025. With his defense also less impressive – there was no Gold Glove nomination for Thomas this season -he ended up basically at replacement level.” — Jim McLennan
Tim Tawa. If he can bat so far above average that the Diamondbacks need him as an everyday player, he will have exceeded the expectation that he is most valuable as a utility player off the bench.
Summary.
As an everyday outfielder, any of these six players could most exceed expectations.
Corbin Carroll seems the most likely to most exceed expectations. And I’d be thrilled if Ryan Waldschmidt was promoted this season and exceeded exectations. With good fortune, maybe two of these players could most exceed expectations.
The Buffalo Sabres are traveling to snowy Newark and will resume their pursuit of a playoff spot against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, but they may have to begin that pursuit without leading scorer Tage Thompson. Thompson and his gold medal-winning Team USA teammates were diverted from New York City to Miami because of the snowstorm that is hitting the East Coast on Monday, and celebrated their victory in Florida.
The Sabres forward is traveling with Team USA to Washington DC to attend tonight’s State of the Union address at the invitation of President Donald Trump, and will be attending a White House ceremony on Wednesday. The possibility of him making it to Newark in time and being inserted into the lineup without practicing is unlikely.
“We don't have anything mapped out right now. I think it just depends on how things go,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said on Monday. “(Tage has) had an unbelievable experience, and it's going to be a tough two or three days for all those guys. Really busy and to be expected."
It is likely that Thompson will travel to Florida to join the Sabres prior to their important back-to-back matches with the Panthers on Friday and Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. With the availability of Thompson in question, the Sabres have called up reinforcements in the form of forward Anton Wahlberg.
This is the 20-year-old's first NHL call-up after playing 119 games over three seasons with the AHL Rochester Americans. Wahlberg has 25 points (6 goals, 19 assists) in 47 games this season, but based on Ruff's usual modus operandi with call-ups, the big Swede will only be inserted as a last resort.
Ruff indicated on Monday that some players injured prior to the Olympic break will be available, including center Josh Norris and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Norris skated at practice between Noah Ostlund and Josh Doan, and has not played since January 14th against Philadelphia. Luukkonen was injured just before the break in Toronto on January 27, which prevented him for playing for Finland in Milano Cortina, but he has participated in three practices. The Sabres are still awaiting test results on winger Zach Benson’s upper-body injury. Ruff indicated that it was unlikely that the 20-year-old would play during their three-game road trip. Benson and forward Jiri Kulich were seen skating on another rink at Harborcenter before practice on Monday. Kulich has been out since early November with a blood clot issue, and last week, Ruff indicated that the youngster is still in protocol for the issue, but that there is still hope of getting him back before the end of the regular season.
Buffalo begins the final stretch in the top Eastern Conference wildcard spot, one point ahead of Boston, five points ahead of the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets, and seven points ahead of the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Alex Freeland #76 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to first base for an out during the second inning of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are still four weeks of exhibition games to determine things, but thus far Hyeseong Kim has started at second base twice, and Alex Freeland starts there on Tuesday after a pair of starts at shortstop. If the Dodgers run a platoon at second with Edman out, Kim or the switch-hitting Freeland could take the bulk of at-bats against right-handed pitchers, with Miguel Rojas at the ready against lefties. Kim has the disadvantage of having a potential early runway of spring playing time cut short by his pending departure for the World Baseball Classic.
Non-roster invitees Santiago Espinal (started at third base twice so far this spring) and Ryan Fitzgerald (two games, one start at second so far; Tuesday is his second game and first start at third base) are also in the mix.
Again, this is way too early, but let’s take the pulse of where we are at right now. Who will win the second base job in Dodgers camp? We’ll check back later in spring
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Nathan MacKinnon and the Myth of the Sore LoserA clipped quote was all it took for the hockey world to turn on Nathan MacKinnon for no reason. 
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