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Blueshirts’ Blunders: Trouba Trade Didn’t Solve Rangers’ Defensive Woes

Peter Laviolette instructs his team as Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Brennan Othmann look on against the San Jose Sharks. (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)

On Friday night in California, the New York Rangers went head-to-head with former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba for the first time since they traded him to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. And Trouba’s Ducks dealt the Blueshirts a serious blow to their Stanley Cup playoff aspirations by beating them 5-4 in overtime, underscoring a season-long issue for the Rangers: their defense.

Trouba isn’t an advanced analytics darling, but on a Ducks team that needs veteran experience, he’s averaging 20:49 of ice time per game, up slightly from the 20 he averaged for the Rangers in the 24 games he played for them before he accepted a deal to Anaheim. Yet, before and since the trade, the Rangers have largely been unable to stop opponents’ offense, averaging three goals-against per game – the 17th-best mark in the league in that category.

When the Rangers lose, they lose by a lot. Indeed, in 13 of their 28 losses since trading Trouba, the Rangers have allowed five goals or more. And they’ve gone 22-22-6 since the Trouba deal. For a team that has an elite goaltender in Igor Shesterkin – even if he has struggled at times this season – that’s simply unacceptable. And given that the Rangers are not locked to make the post-season this year, you can make the argument that their sub-par defense is the key reason for it.

Now, we’re not here to tell you that the Rangers would have been a strong shutdown squad if Trouba had stayed in Manhattan. But look at their defense corps today, and you’ll see a flawed group that can’t contain the opposition’s scorers.

Top blueliner Adam Fox has been decent with 56 points and a plus-8 plus-minus total, but K’Andre Miller is a minus-6, and Will Borgen – a decent pickup in the deal that sent Kaapo Kakko to Seattle – is only a plus-6. Plus-minus isn’t a perfect stat by any means, but it's still an indicator of a team’s all-around play, and the Rangers’ struggles in that metric says a lot about where they are in the standings today.

In making the Trouba trade, the Rangers obviously wanted to get out from under Trouba’s annual $8-million salary. But it's not as if they’ve used that cap space to improve defensively. Instead, it’s been more of the same, time and again, and Shesterkin hasn’t been able to steal games the way he has in previous seasons. And the Rangers’ offense – currently ranked 13th in the league at an average of 3.01 goals-for per-game – also hasn’t been able to bail out the defense.

You can point out that Trouba hasn’t been especially effective defensively since joining the Ducks, and that’s accurate, as Anaheim presently is 21st in the league with an average of 3.13 goals-against per game. But tellingly, the Ducks have been a better team than the Rangers since the Trouba trade, going 22-21-5 since Dec. 6. And Anaheim has allowed five goals or more in 10 of those 26 losses – again, not anything to write home about, but slightly better than the defensive efforts of the Blueshirts.

With their team’s struggles, Rangers fans are right to question the moves GM Chris Drury has made this season. Many Rangers fans were ready to part ways with Trouba well before the deal was consummated, but they can’t deny that trading their former captain hasn’t solved much of anything. 

And if the Rangers do miss out on the playoffs this year, their suspect play in their own zone will be the chief culprit for their demise.

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Little offense and a familiar issue for Nola as Phillies drop series finale

Little offense and a familiar issue for Nola as Phillies drop series finale originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — No Trea Turner, no J.T. Realmuto and no offense for the Phillies on Sunday at Nationals Park as they dropped their series finale, 5-1, after taking the first two games.

With Turner sidelined by a back spasm and Realmuto out with a foot contusion, the Phils’ lineup was two bats lighter than usual. Edmundo Sosa started for Turner and Rafael Marchan for Realmuto, with Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh all moving up in the order.

Sosa, too, appeared to suffer an injury in the bottom of the seventh Sunday when Jacob Young slid into his knee at second base. He was able to stay in the game after being visited by a trainer and looked healthy an inning later when he singled and sprinted to take second on an error.

Realmuto should be ready for Monday’s home opener, manager Rob Thomson said, but the Phillies may give Turner another day to recover. It would give Turner three in a row with Tuesday’s off-day.

The Phillies had chances early and late on Sunday, their best opportunity coming in the top of the ninth when they loaded the bases with no outs. A run scored on a Marchan groundout but Kyle Schwarber struck out and Bohm lined out to end the game.

The Phils also had two baserunners in each of the first three innings but were unable to cash in. Two different potential rallies were killed by 5-4-3 double plays. In the second, Marsh walked, Johan Rojas singled with one out and the Phils were just about to turn the lineup over before Marchan’s GIDP. Marsh and Marchan singled with one out in the seventh and Nats lefty reliever Jose Ferrer hit Schwarber to load the bases, but Bohm hit a grounder right to Paul DeJong.

All eight Phillies hits were singles.

Aaron Nola started and cruised until hitting Keibert Ruiz with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The next batter, Nathaniel Lowe, singled, and Josh Bell followed with a three-run blast to center. Just like that, the strong beginning to Nola’s day was erased.

His start ended after another two-out homer in the sixth from Lowe. Nola allowed five runs over 5⅓ innings and has given up 21 runs in 19⅓ innings in his last four season debuts.

One big inning has plagued Nola for much of his big-league career. He has a deep mix of pitches that can miss bats and freeze hitters, he is almost always around the plate and rarely shies away from challenging someone. Those qualities have led to long-term success but it’s also why some starts can turn ugly in a hurry. Nola tends to limit walks and hits but struggles with the home run ball. That might never change.

Cristopher Sanchez is next up for the Phillies to start Monday’s 3:05 p.m. home opener against the Rockies. There has been rain in the forecast, but at the moment, it looks like it might stay away until late in the game or afterward.

Colorado could be a 100-game loser and always struggles on the road, so the Phillies have a good chance at another series win before the schedule stiffens with the Dodgers and Braves.

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Blackhawks' Rinzel & Moore Stepping Into Good Spots

Sam Rinzel (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks just signed defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Oliver Moore to entry-level contracts and they will see playing time until the end of the season in the NHL. While this burns a year off their entry-level deals, they both appear to be ready to show the Blackhawks what they have.

Both Rinzel and Moore are former first-round picks. Rinzel was drafted 25th overall in 2022 behind Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar while Moore was drafted one year later in 2023 at 19th overall behind Connor Bedard.

Both Rinzel and Moore just finished up their time at the University of Minnesota where they played great hockey. The 20-year-olds look to make an immediate impact and not only earn their place in the NHL every game until the end of the season, but showcase themselves for next season.

I believe the process of forming the roster in training camp isn't going to be the exact same as it was this season. While every young player isn't going to have to outperform veterans to make the team, Kyle Davidson is also unlikely to bring in as many veterans this time around and block the prospects right off the bat. Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert, who had both joined the Blackhawks late last season after moving on from the NCAA, each had to fight to get to the NHL and didn't make the opening roster.

Rinzel is seen as a premier prospect that is a big part of the future in Chicago. Moore is no slouch either and is able to score and produce offensively.

It appears as though Rinzel is going to start out on the second pairing alongside Wyatt Kaiser while Moore is going to get third line minutes with Joe Veleno and Nick Foligno. These are good spots for both players. Anywhere lower and they risk playing very limited minutes and with some players who won't necessarily help either of them succeed right off the bat.

Blackhawks' Ryan Donato Has A Chance At 30 GoalsBlackhawks' Ryan Donato Has A Chance At 30 GoalsThe Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Friday night. It was a night that had some pros and cons but they ultimately fell short. There is a lot of work to be done but there are glimpses of what’s to come. 

The lineup for the Blackhawks with these two young players making their debuts is very exciting for Chicago fans Here's a look:

Ryan Donato - Connor Bedard - Ilya Mikheyev

Teuvo Teravainen - Frank Nazar - Tyler Bertuzzi

Oliver Moore - Joe Veleno - Nick Foligno

Landon Slaggert - Lukas Reichel - Pat Maroon

Alec Vlasic - Artyom Levshunov

Wyatt Kaiser - Sam Rinzel

Kevin Korchinski - Ethan Del Mastro

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.

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Badly Damaged Tropicana Field a Reminder of Rays’ Predicament

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s no secret Tropicana Field is in a state of steep disrepair. But a long, slow walk Saturday morning around the perimeter of the 35-year-old stadium–now without a roof–revealed just how extensive those problems are.

Even the sign high above the ground identifying the ballpark and its location is missing letters, “St. ——burg, Florida. Some of the framing is also gone, as well as the green shell over the letter “a” in Tropicana. Those 100-mph-plus winds from Hurricane Milton were devastating.

That isn’t the half of it, Rays manager Kevin Cash said on the other side of the bay Saturday where his club lost 2-1 to Colorado Rockies at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field, their interim home for at least this season.

Cash said he’s been inside the Trop multiple times since the storm and has noticed the deterioration. There’s a feeling of nothingness.

“At first, it looked odd without the roof on it,” Cash said during a pregame media session. “Over time it’s kind of gotten worse. They’ve done a lot of work inside. The clubhouse initially was OK. But with the weather and successive storms,  more water has crept in there.”

The trademark sign is a symbol of the chaos and billions of dollars of damage Hurricane Milton wrought this past October in Pinellas County, home of the Trop.

Tropicana Field sign

Walking to the brink of an open loading dock, I was startled to see two things: the blue sky and sunlight flooding in what was left of the steel-skeletal beams that once held the Teflon roof, and no tarp across the blue seats of the upper deck. That used to be a mainstay to shrink capacity from the 45,369 when the Rays started playing there in 1998 to last season’s 25,025.

Even with that shrinkage, the Rays last season averaged 16,515 per game and a total of 1.33 million, third worst for Major League Baseball teams in both categories.

Two elderly female security guards dressed in bright yellow jackets barred any further access.

“Ask the Rays,” one said.

Cash is our eyes and ears.

“A lot of people were working very hard over there trying to fix it,” he said. “But now they’re just trying to maintain enough and see where we go.”

Much has been made about how the Rays are going to adjust to playing a season outdoors in the elements at Steinbrenner Field, but not enough focus has been placed on the emotional trauma of having to vacate your home of so many years to play and live elsewhere.

It’s a feeling shared by so many folks who lost their houses here in last year’s dual hurricanes and ensuing floods, not to mention the January Los Angeles fires and the ones recently plaguing the Carolinas. Tornados have also ravaged a lot of the South and Midwest.

The heart-wrenching question is whether to rebuild or move on. The St. Pete city council is facing that decision about the Trop right now and Thursday will have a pivotal vote on whether to fund the repairs. If they vote yes, the Rays will remain in a reconstituted Trop for at least three more years. If they vote no, the team can move on with approval of at least 75 percent of the other owners.

No question losing a professional sports franchise can have a devastating impact on a community. Just ask the baseball fans of Oakland and the hockey fans of Phoenix, who both lost their teams last year.

Right now, the pain of displacement for the Rays may be temporary, but it’s no less acute.

“It’s our home,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in interview Saturday. “It’s a home we learned to love over the years. We’ve had a lot of special memories in that building. It’s a place that’s meant a lot to everybody. It’s just unfortunate.”

Neander, 41, has been with the Rays in some front office capacity since 2007 and has been through the eras of managers Joe Maddon and Cash, who took over for Maddon when he left for the Chicago Cubs in 2015. Neander was promoted to his current position in 2021.

Neander has seen it all from the rain-postponed, five-game World Series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 to the bubble 2020 World Series that because of COVID was played in Arlington’s Globe Life Field, a six-game loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Neither Neander nor Cash wants to yet face the fact the Rays may have already played their final game at the Trop, let alone St. Pete.

“There’s definitely sentiment about this for me and the players,” Cash said. “We enjoyed playing there. We’re certainly sensitive to the circumstances over there.”

Back at the Trop, the name Musial seems to have eroded off a plaque about the history of baseball in St. Pete that it says dates back to 1914. The team store is dark and bolted as are rusted chain fences, guardrails and gates surrounding the stadium to keep any stragglers out.

The only people in the vicinity Saturday morning were joggers, bicyclists and a few onlookers. There was no apparent restoration or construction work.

While 10,046 die-hard fans sold out the game in Tampa for the second consecutive day, the tarp was placed on the field afterward in anticipation of heavy Sunday rain and a possible first postponement of a Rays home game in club history.

Just 26 miles away at the Trop, a sign above a walkway intended for folks exiting toward the parking lot read, “THANK YOU RAYS FANS.”

That message now is falling on deaf ears.

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Primoz Roglic wins Volta a Catalunya title as late charge denies Juan Ayuso

  • Roglic wins final stage in Barcelona for second title
  • Local favourite Ayuso has to settle for runners-up slot

Primoz Roglic made a late charge to take the lead from the local favourite Juan Ayuso and win the Volta a Catalunya for a second time on Sunday.

A four-time Vuelta a España champion, Roglic of Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe prevailed in the final 20 kilometres to win the decisive 88km seventh stage in Barcelona and clinch the overall title, denying Ayuso victory in the city of his birth.

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Can Villanova rise into a championship contender again? Wildcats bank on Kevin Willard to lead them

Kevin Willard publicly campaigned — pleaded, really — during Maryland's run to the Sweet 16 for more from the university and athletic department for his Big Ten program. More of everything — “fundamental changes," he called them — that really came down to more money, so much more, being funneled into basketball. Willard wanted Maryland to share its plan for revenue sharing with athletes and questioned how the Terrapins could ever be a “top tier” program as the race in college sports to outspend for players and all the adjacent bells and whistles nearly rivals professional levels.

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Why Steph vs. CP3 is matchup to watch in Warriors-Spurs game

Why Steph vs. CP3 is matchup to watch in Warriors-Spurs game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Winning on Sunday at San Antonio would strengthen the Warriors’ collective heartbeat. Losing surely would haunt them.

The Spurs (31-42) represent the last of five consecutive games against sub-.500 opponents, and by splitting the first four the Warriors (42-31) compromised their chances of a guaranteed playoff berth.

Of Golden State’s nine remaining games, San Antonio is one of only two opponents projected to finish in the bottom five in the West. Which makes this ripe for victory. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 3 p.m. with “Warriors Pregame Live,” with tipoff from Frost Bank Center scheduled for 4:05.

The Warriors are heavy favorites, but they have several areas in need of improvement. Stephen Curry, who returned Friday after a two-game absence, can address the struggling offense. And he knows there won’t be many more opportunities to face longtime nemesis Chris Paul.

Paul, who turns 40 in May, has started every game and is having his healthiest season since 2014-15, when he played all 82 for the Clippers. With De’Aaron Fox (finger surgery) out for the season, CP3 – who has recorded 10 or more assists in 14 games – is sharing playmaking duties with impressive rookie Stephon Castle.

Curry, 37, is trying to restore his efficiency. After a 12-game stretch in which he shot 51.3 percent from the field, including 43.8 percent beyond the arc, his accuracy has tumbled to 39.1 and 32.9 percent over his last seven.

As he has struggled, so has Golden State’s offense. Only once in the last five games have the Warriors shot above 43 percent from the field. They were at 23.7 percent from deep Tuesday at Miami and 23.6 percent Friday at New Orleans.

That led to postgame discussion in the locker room, Curry told reporters after the comeback in at New Orleans.

“As a team, we haven’t shot the ball well,” he said. “But we’re creating decent looks. So, can’t get down on yourself. You can’t start overthinking. And if you can continue to create those shots, keep shooting them. That’s what we talked about.”

The Spurs have been a bottom-10 defense all season, and it has gotten worse without center Victor Wembanyama, who is out for the season after being diagnosed with a deep-vein thrombosis during the All-Star break.

What awaits Golden State after San Antonio is the most daunting stretch of the season: at Memphis, at the Lakers, home against the Nuggets and Rockets.

This is a TCB game for Curry and the Warriors. Take Care of Business.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Tyler Soderstrom, Jack Leiter open season strong

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.

For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.

Hitters

TJ Friedl - OF, CIN: 38% rostered
(RUNS, SPEED UPSIDE)

Friedl is not a sexy waiver add, but he's the everyday centerfielder for the Reds and has been productive in that role whenever he's been healthy. In 2023, he hit .279 with swiping 27 bases and crushing 18 home runs in 138 games. He had nine steals and 13 home runs in 85 games last year. He makes an elite amount of contact and hits leadoff which should mean a decent amount of runs in that offense. He is likely going to get hurt at some point, but that doesn't mean you should pass up on him for a player who has less fantasy value right now. You're in a redraft league, not a Best Ball league, so stop thinking about August and September.

Kristian Campbell - 2B, BOS: 38% rostered
(BREAKOUT POTENTIAL, EVERYDAY ROLE)

Kristian Campbell didn't have the best spring, so he started falling in late drafts even though it was clear the Red Sox wanted him to be their starting second baseman. So far, Campbell is 5-for-10 with two walks, one home run, and two strikeouts while playing second base in two games and left field in one. He is one of the top prospects in baseball, and if he's going to get everyday run in a good lineup, he needs to be on your roster. If you're just looking for speed, you can add Campbell's teammate Trevor Story - SS, BOS (33%), who stole a base in each of his first two games. People love to rag on Story because he gets hurt often, and that's sapped a lot of his offensive juice, but he will run, and he's been a really good defender for Boston when he's healthy. He's going to play almost every day, and that's a good lineup to have pieces of.

Ivan Herrera - C, STL: 34% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, GOOD SCHEDULE)

Early in draft season, I mentioned that Ivan Herrera was a decent draft value since he hit .301/.372/.428 in 259 plate appearances last year with five home runs and five steals. The offensive upside was there, but the worry was that he was likely going to have to fight for time with Pedro Pages, which gave us some pause about him getting over 400 plate appearances. Well, Herrera started the first two games of the season, which makes me think that this could be more of a 70/30 type of split this season. That makes Herrera worth a gamble in all two-catcher formats. I also think that Alejandro Kirk - C, TOR (13% rostered) is in for a good season and has some viability in one catcher leagues, even. He is going to play almost every day in Toronto and has been an elite contact hitter his whole career.

Tyler Soderstrom - 1B, OAK: 33% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE)

Soderstrom got off to a huge start to the 2025 season with a 2-5, two-home run game against Logan Gilbert and the Mariners. He's 5-for-12 in his first three games, but this is really about him being the everyday first baseman on a team that will be playing games in a minor league ballpark. Soderstrom also struck out just five times in the spring after striking out 25% of the time last year. That hasn't carried over in the first three days, but at just 23 years old, it's not crazy to assume Soderstrom is continuing to evolve as a hitter and may add at least a passable batting average to his 25+ home run power. Right now I'd only be adding for power upside, but there's some additional intrigue in here. Michael Busch - 1B, CHC (28% rostered) is another power-first first base option. The 26-year-old hit 21 home runs in 152 games for the Cubs last year and is going to be the everyday first baseman in a lineup that's deeper than it was last year. He's off to a slow start in 2025, but I do love that he's taken three walks in his first five games. His 11.5% swinging strike rate last year wasn't that high for a player with plus power, so I think we could see another step forward from Busch this year.

Victor Scott II - OF, STL: 30% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, BATTING AVERAGE POTENTIAL)

Last year, we were all going gaga over Scott because of his game-changing speed, but this year we seem to have forgotten about him despite him having a great spring training. That's the unfortunate power of one bad sample of MLB data. No, Scott is not going to hit many home runs or help you much in counting stats given that he hits at the bottom of the Cardinals' order, but the speed upside remains, and he's stolen two bases so far through two games. If he can just hit .250 or higher, then he's not going to hurt you in your batting average category, and he's going to carry you in stolen bases.

Matt Wallner - OF, MIN: 27% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, GOOD LINEUP SPOT)

The Twins faced three right-handed starting pitchers this weekend, and you saw exactly what that will mean for Wallner this season with him batting lead off in each game. No, he didn't get a hit in either of the first two games, but this is a guy with a 17% career barrel rate who tweaked his approach in the second half last season and hit .275 with 12 home runs, 34 RBI, and three steals over the final 73 games. There is some volatility in his skillset, but the power is unquestioned, and if the approach changes carry over, he's a great add, especially in daily moves leagues. In deeper leagues, I'm also a big for of Wallner's teammate Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN (3% rostered). Much like Wallner, Larnach will start against all right-handed pitchers, and I wrote about him as one of my favorite post-hype hitters this off-season. I should also note that Pavin Smith - 1B/OF, ARI (2% rostered) is in the same boat as an everyday guy against right-handed pitching andis somebody that I’m in onafter he hit .270/.348/.547 with nine home runs and a .896 OPS in 158 plate appearances in a part-time role last year.

Joey Ortiz - 3B/SS, MIL: 25% rostered
(MODEST POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, GOOD BALLPARK)

Much like TJ Friedl, Ortiz is not a sexy fantasy add, and perhaps better for deeper formats, but this is a guy who hit 11 home runs and stole 11 bases in 142 games last year while making elite levels of contact. His batted ball profile in the minors suggests that there is a little more thump in his bat and while that might just mean 15 home runs, there is a good chance that he's a 15/15 guy who can hit .250 or higher and is the everyday shortstop for a Milwaukee team that plays in a good home ballpark. Considering you'll soon be able to play Ortiz at 3B, SS, MIF, and CIF, that is a valuable player to have on your squad.

Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 27% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE)

I know Manzardo can be harder to roster in formats where he's UT-only, but given his prospect pedigree and what we saw from him in spring, I'm surprised his roster rate is so low. He started on Opening Day against a left-handed pitcher, which makes it pretty clear that he's an everyday guy in Cleveland now. I had the chance to talk to him this spring about his adjustment to the big leagues that led to a strong finish to the 2024 season, so I'd encourage you to read that to see why I'm in on Manzardo this year. Another option at first would be Spencer Torkelson - 1B, DET (28% rostered); although, I'd much rather have Manzardo. Torkelson is off to a better start, going 4-for-9 with a home run and a stolen base, in addition to five walks in three games. However, I have less confidence in his contact profile overall. Additionally, he was challenged a lot last year with high fastballs and it limited his power output, and I need a bit more sample size to believe that's fixed. If you just wanted power, I think Torkelson is the better play over Manzardo, but I'd take Manzardo for everything else.

Lars Nootbaar - OF, STL: 21% rostered
(BREAKOUT POTENTIAL, EVERYDAY ROLE)

I wrote about Nootbaar in one of my off-season articles on hitters entering their peak age seasons, and said: "I feel like we’ve been waiting for the Nootbaar breakout for a few years now, but injuries limited him to just 405 plate appearances in 2024. When he was on the field, he hit .244/.342/.417 with 12 home runs and seven steals which hinted a little at what we can expect from him. His career 27.4% flyball rate suggests he might not have elite power upside. Busch Stadium is not great for left-handed power, so this might be a calculated approach from Nootbaar, but it means that even a breakout season might come with just 20 home runs. It could also have a .260 average and 12 stolen bases with an elite on-base percentage, which is great for some leagues." Also, I know there are a lot of Cardinals on here already, but Jordan Walker - OF, STL (11% rostered) is going to play every day and he was one of the top prospects in baseball not long ago, and I wrote about him in detail for my post-hype hitters article this winter.

Ben Rice - 1B, NYY: 10% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

Ben Rice is in a tough situation because we know the Yankees are going to want to use the DH spot to give days off to guys like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt, but I look at Rice the way I look at a starting pitcher like Jack Leiter or Max Meyer. The upside is clear, as I covered in my article on potential second-year breakout hitters. He has been hitting the cover off the ball. If we knew he was locked into a starting role, he'd be rostered in way more leagues. Those are the guys I want on my bench for the first few weeks of the season because I want to already have them if the playing time starts to shake out and people are rushing to throw huge FAAB bids on them. Think of the Colton Cowser situation from last year.

Otto Lopez - 2B/SS, MIA: 10% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, SOLID BATTING AVERAGE)

Lopez is a bit of an afterthought because he plays on a bad Marlins team, but I think he has some fantasy juice. The middle infielder has gone 5-for-11 with one home run, four RBI, and one steal in his first three games. Last year, he hit .270/.313/.377 in 117 games with the Marlins while stealing 20 bases. This didn't really come out of nowhere either. In 2022, he hit .297 with 14 steals in 91 games in Triple-A for Toronto, and in 2023, he hit .258 with 13 steals in 84 games at the same level. He's a good bet to hit .270 with 20+ steals in a full season as the second baseman in Miami, and that's valuable in a lot of formats.

Jeimer Candelario - 1B/3B, CIN: 9% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, GOOD HOME BALLPARK)

With Spencer Steer unable to play the field, we've seen Candelario start as the primary third baseman in Cincinnati with Gavin Lux shifting to left field. Candelario struggled in his first season in Cincinnati last year, but this is a guy who hit .251 with 22 home runs the season before and is a career .241 hitter. Given that Cincinnati plays in the best ballpark for offense, I think expecting a .250 season from Candelario with 20-25 home runs while hitting in the middle of the Reds' lineup is a pretty solid bet. If you need another corner infield option, Brett Baty - 3B, NYM (8% rostered) is going to be their second baseman against right-handed pitching, which will add some nice multi-position eligibility. Baty obviously tore up spring training, but remember that he has done that before. There is upside here since Baty is just 25 years old and clearly still evolving as a hitter, but he doesn't have a lot of time to stake his claim to an every day job, and there's not a track record of MLB success here, so I don't think you need to rush to the wire for Baty, even after the strong spring.

Jorge Polanco - 2B, SEA: 8% rostered
(DEEP LEAGUE OPTION, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)

Polanco is another deep league target with soon-to-be multi-position eligibility, who I wrote about this off-season in an article on undervalued hitters:"He’s a career .263/.330/.435 hitter, and while I know last year was a down season, he was also playing through a knee injury that clearly impacted him. Despite that, he posted an 8.9% barrel rate, an above-average chase rate, and slightly below-average SwStr% and contact rates. We do need to point out that his overall contact rates and swinging strike rates have been headed in the wrong direction for the last two seasons, but for the vast majority of his career, he has been a 77% contact rate guy or better. In spring training this year, he has an 85% contact rate and just a 7.2% SwStr%, so perhaps a lot of that regression was due to injury."Gavin Lux - 2B, CIN (7% rostered) also appears to be the starting left fielder and regular clean-up hitter for the Reds right now. I'm not sure I believe in the talent or that the role will stick, but we can't ignore a cleanup hitter in that park hitting behind Friedl, Elly De La Cruz, and Matt McLain.

Kameron Misner - OF, TB: 0% rostered
(STARTING JOB, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)

This is only a deep-league option, but with Josh Lowe potentially out for months with an oblique injury, it seems that Misner will get the first shot to take his job in Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old was once an intriguing prospect for the Marlins, but it never quite clicked. Still, in 113 games in Triple-A for Tampa Bay last year, he hit .248 with 17 home runs and 30 steals. I don't really trust that Misner is any different of a hitter now, but somebody who has the ability to 20/20 in a starting role is worth a look in really deep formats. So is Manuel Margot - OF, DET (1% rostered), who is going to be the everyday centerfielder in Detroit with Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez sidelined. Margot has been around long enough that we know what he can do, but he's a career .254 hitter who still has the speed to swipe bases in a full-time role. Detroit has also been hitting him fifth or sixth, which could lead to some chip-in RBIs as well.

Pitchers

Jack Leiter - SP, TEX (38% rostered)
Leiter was one of my most-drafted pitchers this year, and I wrote about him in my article covering undrafted starting pitchers with the talent to finish inside the top 25. The biggest thing for me was command, and I felt that Leiter's new sinker would help him pound the strike zone a bit more to set up his swing-and-miss stuff. The first start doesn't change any of that. His fastball was still 98 mph and missed plenty of bats, but was inconsistent in the strike zone. He struggled to locate his new kick-change, and his slider was fine. I actually wasn't super impressed by the start, but I was happy that he was able to produce a decent outing without his best stuff. The upside remains, and I'm happy to take fliers on him in all league types, but I still think volatility is ahead.

Dustin May - SP, LAD: 36% rostered
May did not pitch this weekend, which means he's set to make his regular-season debut on Tuesday against Atlanta. We don't love that start, even with Ronald Acuna Jr. out; however, we do love that May is locked in as the fifth starter on probably the best team in baseball. He has impressive raw stuff and is starting to miss more bats this spring as he varies his sequencing and locations. No, May is not going to pitch a full season for the Dodgers, but we don't care about that now. It's March. I'm happy to add May for the first couple of months, try to take advantage of solid ratios and wins and then I'll worry about replacing him when the time comes.

Grant Holmes - SP/RP, ATL: 34% rostered
Holmes got a raw deal when the Braves reconfigured their rotation so that he could start on Monday against the Dodgers instead of Sunday against the Padres. I really don't want that Monday start, and I probably won't use Holmes there in daily lineup leagues. However, Holmes will also start over the weekend against the Marlins, and I absolutely want to use him there. Holmes unveiled a new changeup this spring that looks like it will be a real weapon for him. He now has potentially three plus secondaries to take the heat off of his average fastball. I think he's being underrated right now. You could also chase upside with his teammate A.J. Smith-Shawver - SP, ATL (25% rostered), who won a roster spot and will start on Sunday against the Padres. Just remember that Spencer Strider is coming back in around three weeks, and somebody is leaving this rotation. Holmes has no minor league options, so the Braves can't send him down, which makes me think Smith-Shawver may not have a long leash in this rotation.

Luke Jackson - RP, TEX (30% rostered)
Look, I don't buy this, but if you're in a desperate situation for saves, you can chase them with Jackson since Bruce Bochy went to him for save opportunities in each of the first two games. I just don't love that Jackson essentially only uses his slider, and has never really shown the consistent ability to lock down saves. I don't see this lasting a long time, and I'd prefer to add Blake Treinen - RP, LAD (32% rostered) because I believe he's a good pitcher. Treinen is in a committee for the Dodgers, so he won't get all of the saves, but he'll get some of them and will also help with ratios and strikeouts and be far less liable to torpedo your ratio categories.

Jason Adam - RP, SD (30% rostered)
Everybody is going to chase closer specs this weekend, and I get it. However, instead of adding guys like Graham Ashcraft or Mike Clevinger, I'd rather add Adam. We know Adam is a good reliever. He's going to help your ratios and steal a few wins, and when the Padres finally trade Robert Suarez, who has been on the trade block all off-season, I think it'll be Adam that takes over and starts to get saves. You can add him now and not have to spend big money.

Justin Slaten- RP, BOS (24% rostered)
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Aroldis Chapman was the closer in Boston, but he also said that they would use him in the eighth inning if they felt they needed to. At the time, that seemed like a way for Liam Hendriks to pick up a few save chances, but then Hendriks went on the IL with elbow inflammation, and Slaten, who was pitching better anyway, got the first save chance of the season on Opening Day. If the Red Sox need to use Chapman earlier in games, it's going to be Slaten that closes them down, and Slaten has the talent to take that job regardless.

David Peterson - SP, NYM (20% rostered)
Peterson is yet another intriguing starter who did not pitch this first weekend. He will start on Monday against Miami, which is an elite streaming situation. I wrote about why Peterson is one of my favorite late-round starting pitchers to draft,so I’d encourage you to read that if you want a detailed discussion of why I like the left-hander.

Mike Clevinger - SP/RP, CWS (15% rostered)
Clevinger is the closer for the White Sox. No, that may not lead to a bunch of save opportunities, but it could lead to a few, and he's looked pretty solid in the role so far this spring and during the first weekend. I'm not running out to pick him up, but I don't think he's going to hurt your team in the same way chasing the Rockies and Marlins closer situation might.

Jose Alvarado - RP, PHI (14% rostered)
If you're in a fine spot with saves and just want to add an elite high-leverage reliever, I would recommend Alvarado. He was lights out this spring and is the late-inning left-hander in the Philadelphia bullpen. That means he could steal a few wins in close games, but he also could emerge into a timeshare if Jordan Romano were to struggle or the Phillies wanted to be cautious with Romano's innings coming off a shoulder injury. You could also take a gamble on Tony Santillan - RP, CIN (17% rostered), who may be the best pitcher in Cincinnati's bullpen. I know that Emilio Pagan - RP, CIN (2% rostered) got the save on Saturday night, and you can gamble there if you want, but Santillan is the cream of the crop here and could rise to the top. You could also gamble on Graham Ashcraft - RP, CIN (8% rostered), who has plus Stuff+ numbers but never missed enough bats as a starter. He could thrive in the bullpen, but this whole situation is a mess, and I wouldn't place big bids on any of these guys.

Max Meyer - SP, MIA (14% rostered)
I wrote about Max Meyer and Jack Leiter as two undrafted starting pitchers I think have the upside to finish inside the top-25, so you can read that article to see a more detailed breakdown of why I like taking a gamble on both pitchers in the first few weeks of the season. If you're in deeper leagues, I also like Sean Burke - SP, CWS (16%), but I just don't think we're going to get tons of wins out of him. I guess that's an issue for Meyer as well.

Brayan Bello - SP, BOS (11% rostered)
If you need an IL stash, Bello is already starting a rehab assignment in Triple-A, and optimism that the Red Sox could have him back by April 11th. I truly believe this is the year he breaks out. Bello tweaked his slider into more of a sweeper at the end of 2023, spent most of the offseason working on it, and then graded out as an above-average pitch by PLV in 2024. He started using it more against righties, and the swinging strike rate on it jumped from 10% to 16% while he also improved his zone rate as the season went on. The issue is that as his slider got better, he seemed to lose the feel for his change-up, which has always been his best pitch. Even though he doesn’t throw the changeup often to righties, Bello’s command of the pitch suffered in 2024, with a lower zone and strike rate, and it got hit much harder. It still had an 18.5% swinging strike rate to lefties, so Bello checks the boxes now of fastball for strikes and secondary for whiffs to hitters of each handedness, and if he can get the command of his changeup back to be a consistent strike pitch then he has all the things I want from a starting pitcher and we could see a big leap.

Tylor Megill - SP, NYM (9% rostered)
I wrote about Megill as one of my favorite late-round starting pitching targets this off-season (in the same article as Peterson), and said: "In 2024, Megill posted a 17.6% K-BB%, 12.8% SwStr%, and 27.6% CSW, all of which were better than the league average despite him having a fairly uneven season. He added a sinker last season, which has a 73% strike rate. He uses it primarily as a strike pitch to righties, which is crucial for him. He also added a cutter in 2024, and despite it having above-average swinging strike rate marks to righties and lefties, it’s also a pitch he can command for strikes with league-average zone and strike rates. It also allowed Megill to throw his slider less in 2024, which is good because his slider was a great out-pitch but struggled as a 20% usage pitch...He really has everything he needs to be a good MLB starter, but the consistency of that command is going to be crucial. With a full off-season under his belt to work on the cutter and sinker, we could finally see that in 2025."

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

(ranked in loose order)

Week of 3/31

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%Opponent
Reese Olson28%vs CWS
David Peterson17%at MIA, vs TOR
Casey Mize10%at SEA, vs CWS
Marcus Stroman4%at PIT
Richard Fitts4%vs STL

Fairly Confident

Chris Paddack2%at CWS
Simeon Woods Richardson1%at CWS
Zack Littell2%vs PIT
Luis Severino25%vc CHC
Luis L. Ortiz5%at LAA
Martin Perez1%vs MIN, at DET
Emerson Hancock1%vs DET, at SF
Matthew Liberatore2%vs LAA

Some Hesitation

Ben Lively3%at LAA
Grant Holmes33%at LAD, vs MIA
Jordan Hicks3%at HOU, vs SEA
Kumar Rocker37%at CIN, vs TB
Jack Kochanowicz0%at STL
Davis Martin0%at DET
Cade Povich2%vs BOS, at KC
Ben Brown4%at ATH, vs SD
Kris Bubic8%%at MIL, vs BAL
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ICYMI in Mets Land: Bats stay quiet in Houston; a positive step for Francisco Alvarez

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday, in case you missed it...

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What we learned as Ray's strong start, timely hits fuel win vs. Reds

What we learned as Ray's strong start, timely hits fuel win vs. Reds originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

CINCINNATI — For five innings Sunday, Robbie Ray looked like he was going to put manager Bob Melvin and new pitching coach J.P. Martinez in a very uncomfortable position.

Ray was perfect through that point of his debut, and in any other month, his pitch count of 61 would not have been an issue. But this being the first time out, that meant Ray had only about 25-30 more before the Giants would have to make a decision. As it turned out, Ray wouldn’t make it out of the sixth. 

The finale in Cincinnati was a strange one, with both pitchers taking a no-hitter into the fifth and Ray flirting with perfection before a home run derby broke out on both sides. In the end, it was a 6-3 Giants win, which clinched a road series win to start their season. 

The first baserunner on either side didn’t come until the fifth, when Heliot Ramos hit a solo shot with one out. Matt Chapman, who had the usual Matt Chapman defensive game, made it 4-0 with a two-run blast but the Reds countered with two homers in the sixth. 

It was a bullpen game from there, and the Giants are confident that always will favor them this season, although this one came with a twist. It was Camilo Doval, not Ryan Walker, who got the ninth. Doval returned to the ninth by striking out Elly De La Cruz and he had a 1-2-3 inning. 

Loves A Debut

In his first appearance as a Giant last July, Ray threw five no-hit innings at Dodger Stadium. He was better than that Sunday, at least until he reached the sixth.

Gavin Lux ended the perfect game bid with a single up the middle and it unraveled from there. After a highlight-reel grab from Chapman prevented a double, Ray was hit with a pitch clock violation. Former Giant Austin Wynns followed that with a two-run homer to left that cut the deficit in half. 

The next batter, Matt McLain, hit a solo shot, and Ray was pulled after walking Santiago Espinal on four pitches. Ray went from perfecto watch to three earned in 5 1/3. He struck out four while leaning heavily on his four-seamer, which had fluctuating velocity. 

Ray picked up a new changeup in the offseason and worked on it often during the spring. He didn’t try it until the bottom of the third and threw 10 overall, just two of which landed for strikes. 

The Right Way

Two games against very different kinds of right-handed starters. Two different pitches. Two homers for Ramos. 

Martinez was sailing along until he threw a changeup down and away to Ramos, who reached for it and yanked it down the left field line. On a day when everything was getting knocked down by the wind early on, the ball had enough to get a half-dozen rows deep in left. It was Ramos’ second homer of the series, joining the blast he hit to right off a Hunter Greene fastball on Thursday. In the eighth Sunday, he added a 110-mph RBI single. 

Ramos didn’t even make his 2024 debut until the 38th game of the season and still hit 22 homers. He’s as good a bet as any Giant to break the 30-homer draught that goes back two decades. 

Circle of Trust

Saturday’s appearance was Lou Trivino’s first in the big leagues since 2022. He had a long road back from Tommy John surgery, but he signed a non-roster deal with the Giants in the offseason and easily won a bullpen job this spring. 

Trivino, who broke into the big leagues with Melvin’s Athletics, was sharp in a perfect eighth inning of Saturday’s loss, throwing 11 of 13 pitches for strikes. A day later, Melvin tasked him with holding a one-run lead in the seventh. He got a pair of groundouts and then a long fly ball to right. 

The Giants already had used Randy Rodriguez twice this series and Walker was unavailable due to back tightness, but still, it’s clear that Trivino will get high-leverage innings right away. 

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Preston 0-3 Aston Villa: FA Cup quarter-final – as it happened

Marcus Rashford scored his first goals for 14 games as Villa eased to victory, setting up a semi-final meeting with Crystal Palace

Email! “Playing Asensio seems a bit harsh to me,” says Kieran McKintosh. “And considering PSG aren’t that far away, a bit questionable. My second-largest hope for today is a Rashford goal. It really has been a long time coming. My largest hope, though, has gotta be hoping someone, anyone, will sell me that Lego set I’ve wanted for years at a decent price. No, eBay, 604 pieces does NOT merit £140. Anyway, up the Villa and all that. I do have a soft spot for them after last season.”

This shark just trod on one of those 604 pieces.

Continue reading...
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Turner and Realmuto out Sunday, could play home opener

Turner and Realmuto out Sunday, could play home opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — Two of the Phillies’ four right-handed bats were out of the lineup Sunday afternoon, with Trea Turner sidelined again by a low back spasm and J.T. Realmuto missing the series finale at Nationals Park with a foot contusion.

Manager Rob Thomson described both absences as precautionary, and it sounds like they could both be in the lineup for Monday’s home opener against the Rockies.

“J.T. is still sore but it’s more of a precaution than anything,” Thomson said Sunday morning. “We’ll work on him during the game today. We could play him if anything happened to (Rafael) Marchan. And kind of the same thing with Trea. We’re shooting for those guys for tomorrow.”

Realmuto fouled a ball off his foot in his final at-bat Saturday and was removed in the seventh inning of a seven-run game. Turner was scratched an hour before that game after his back locked up fielding a grounder. The Phillies won, 11-6, to improve to 2-0.

Turner thinks the back spasm Saturday was caused by hip tightness late in camp.

“Maybe three or four days left in spring, my right hip,” he said. “Felt good playing, it was more sitting down or sleeping. It felt a little weird, but then when I played, it would feel fine. I think that turned into this.”

Without Turner and Realmuto, the Phillies started Edmundo Sosa at shortstop and Marchan behind the plate. Max Kepler was also out of the lineup against a lefty. Thomson had planned to start Kepler and sit Brandon Marsh against Mitchell Parker but reversed the decision after Marsh went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer on Saturday. The next time the Phillies face a left-handed starting pitcher is Wednesday, Colorado’s Kyle Freeland, and it sounds like Kepler will start that game with Marsh on the bench.

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Canadiens: Aiming To Stop A Five-Game Losing Streak Against Florida

Nick Suzuki - Photo credit: Eric Bolte - Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens are now outside looking in to the playoffs race, thanks to a five-game losing streak. For Martin St-Louis’ men to even have a chance to make the Spring dance, they must return to their winning ways now, but it could be challenging. The Habs have only 10 games left on their schedule, and their next two games will be against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers.

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Despite being without Matthew Tkachuk because of an injury and Aaron Ekblad because of a suspension, the Canadiens are marching on. They have a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games and have won their previous two. However, the Canadiens have won the first two matchups with Florida this season.

The 4-0 win at the end of December was a turning point in the Canadiens’ season. It marked Jakub Dobes’ fulgurant start in the league, but he has lost some of his shine since then. He’s dropped his last three starts and expects to see Samuel Montembeault for most games, if not all, as long as the Habs are in the mix. As for the 3-1 victory in mid-March, it put an end to a losing streak and was a springboard for a dominant win over the Ottawa Senators.

The stakes are even higher now, and even if the Habs had a day off on Saturday, it’s easy to know Montembeault will be in goal on Sunday. He has a 2-4-1 record in eight games against Florida, with a 4.21 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage. Dobes played them once and was flawless, but the coach’s confidence in his young netminder has been shaken.

There’s no confirmation as to who will be on duty for the Panthers, but Sergei Bobrovsky has a 16-8-1 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .919 SP against the Canadiens, while Vitek Vanecek is 3-1-0 with a 2.76 GAA and a .894 SP.

Up front, after a tough outing against the Carolina Hurricanes, captain Nick Suzuki should welcome a matchup with the Cats. He has 15 points in 17 games against Florida, six points behind alternate captain Brendan Gallagher, who has 23 points in 38 games, and four points behind Patrik Laine, who has 22 in 21 duels.

The Habs will need to keep an eye on an old foe in new colours, as Brad Marchand has 48 points in 57 games against the Canadiens. Captain Aleksander Barkov comes in second place with 47 points in 37 games, and veteran Sam Reinhart comes third with 22 points in 32 games.

Not to sound like a broken record, but this is an absolute must-win game for the Canadiens who will hope to keep their dominance on the Cats this season going. Montreal has only won three of the last 10 games against their host, so this remains a tall order for the young Habs. It will be interesting to see if St-Louis keeps an 11-7 formation of if he scratches a defenseman. 

On Saturday, the Senators did the Canadiens a favor by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets in regulation, meaning they dropped behind the Canadiens who momentarily got the second wild card back, only to lose it again when to the New York Rangers when they beat the San Jose Sharks in regulation. The silver lining for the Habs is that they still have two games in hand on the Blueshirts, just like Columbus and the New York Islanders mind you. 

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