There are rumors that are growing strong regarding trade talks between the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox.
Many of the rumors involve Astros 3B Isaac Paredes and Red Sox LF Jarren Duran.
There have been several iterations of this rumor, as far as packages going back and forth, and other players that have been mentioned in these rumors include Red Sox SP Brayan Bello as well as Astros CF Jake Meyers and SP Spencer Arrighetti.
Both the Red Sox and the Astros line up well as trade partners, and these rumors have indicated a deal could be coming in the next week.
Keep in mind, it’s the offseason and rumors fly. Rumors can also be very true until the last second when one team pivots out. However, the Red Sox and Astros have been linked as trade partners that make sense all offseason, and they are able to meet each other’s needs through their own surpluses.
The Red Sox are clearly looking for a 3B, and the Astros for a left-handed hitting outfielder.
A trade of Jake Meyers would make Zach Cole the favorite to be the everyday starting centerfielder for the Astros, with Jarren Duran in left field, and Cam Smith/Jesus Sanchez in right field. Trading Paredes would solidify Christian Walker as the Astros starting 1B and Jose Altuve as the starting 2B, clearing the infield log jam.
If acquired, Bello would slot in as the Astros fourth starter behind Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai. Mike Burrows is likely the fifth starter, and a competition for the sixth starter would emerge between Jason Alexander, A.J. Blubaugh, Nate Pearson, Lance McCullers Jr. and Ryan Weiss. Others could emerge in that competition as well.
Astros Fans, It’s Time to Be Realistic About Kyle Tucker
Astros fans, it’s time to step back, relax and stop all the hate for Kyle Tucker because he decided to sign with the Dodgers. You need to be realistic and get past your hurt feelings surrounding Kyle Tucker’s decision to sign with a team you despise. Appreciating Tucker as one of the standout players from Houston’s Golden Era of baseball without holding a grudge over a business decision that was driven by money and financial security, not loyalty to a team he no longer played for, is where your focus should be. If you were in his shoes, you’d do the exact same thing.
Let’s not forget how quickly circumstances changed. Tucker was traded away from a franchise he loved just one year before he reached free agency. Once that happened, all bets were off. Where he would land, how much money he would make, and how long his next contract would be were no longer Houston’s concerns. The Astros’ front office, led by Dana Brown, did what they believed was best for the organization, fully aware that Tucker was likely headed elsewhere when free agency arrived.
The Astros have long operated within specific financial parameters when it comes to long-term, big-money contracts. Fans should have come to terms with Tucker’s eventual departure the moment he was traded. It wasn’t personal. It was business, and that’s okay.
If fans are looking for a place to direct their frustration, Major League Baseball and its Commissioner, Rob Manfred, would be a more appropriate target. After the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a massive, heavily deferred contract, MLB had an opportunity to step in and tighten the rules surrounding such deals. Instead, the league allowed the structure to stand, opening the door for similar arrangements in the future.
That decision signaled a growing divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in baseball. Big-market teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox can leverage financial advantages that small-market clubs simply can’t match. The result is a league increasingly tilted toward the richest franchises.
The harsh reality is that Major League Baseball is heading toward a potentially contentious labor negotiation and inevitably a work stoppage. Smaller-market teams and the lower half of the league are not in a position to compete financially, and that imbalance is only getting worse. Manfred must step in and do what’s right for the sport as a whole, rather than continuing to protect and promote big-market interests.
There has never been a stronger case for both a salary cap and a salary floor. These measures could help prevent financial disparities from dominating roster construction and protect competitive balance across the league. Owners must recognize that another work stoppage could seriously damage the momentum and popularity baseball has built in recent years.
As for the Dodgers, if you don’t like them, that’s fine. Rivalries are part of sports. Their fan base, their World Series history, and their swagger make them easy targets. But don’t be angry simply because their front office outmaneuvered the rest of the league. If the Astros had pulled off the same kind of deal, Houston fans would be celebrating.
The Dodgers are only doing what Major League Baseball allows them to do. It’s up to the rest of the owners and the league office to prevent these financial loopholes from creating long-term competitive advantages. Deals like this require a perfect storm: a superstar player with massive endorsement income who doesn’t need his money up front, and a franchise willing to push the boundaries of contract structure.
That responsibility doesn’t fall on the players or the teams taking advantage of the system. It falls on the league to make sure the system is fair for everyone.
So appreciate what Kyle Tucker gave Houston, accept the reality of modern baseball business, and aim your frustration where it truly belongs, at MLB and the rules that allow the rich to keep getting richer.
NEW YORK (AP) — Devin Booker is back for the Phoenix Suns after missing a game with a sprained left ankle, while the New York Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart for their game Saturday night.
Booker sat out the Suns' loss in Detroit on Thursday, but coach Jordan Ott said the star guard seemed to be in a good place at shootaround earlier in the day and was eager to play at Madison Square Garden.
But Brunson wasn't ready to return for the Knicks after spraining his right ankle in the first quarter of their loss in Sacramento on Wednesday. He then sat out a loss to Golden State the next night and coach Mike Brown said Saturday that the All-Star point guard is day to day.
Hart returned to play in the final three games of the road trip after missing eight games following a sprained ankle sustained on Christmas. Brown said the swingman was feeling sore and the Knicks wanted to be cautious.
The Philadelphia Flyers are continuing to struggle, as they lost to the New York Rangers by a 6-2 final score on Jan. 17. With this, the Flyers have now lost in each of their last six games.
Now, following their loss to the Rangers, the Flyers have announced some roster moves.
The Flyers have shared that they have placed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 14. In addition, the Flyers have called up blueliner Hunter McDonald from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Ristolainen has not played for the Flyers since their Jan. 12 matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 13 games so far this season, the right-shot defenseman has recorded zero goals, three assists, 16 hits, 24 blocks, and a minus-3 rating.
McDonald, on the other hand, has spent all of this season down in the AHL with the Phantoms. In 33 games so far this season with the AHL club, the 6-foot-4 blueliner has posted five assists, 61 penalty minutes, and a plus-5 rating.
McDonald has yet to make his NHL debut, but he is now one step closer to doing so after landing this call-up from the Flyers.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Adam Klapka had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season as the Calgary Flames beat the New York Islanders 4-2 on Saturday.
Yegor Sharangovich, Justin Kirkland and Yan Kuznetsov also scored for Calgary, which has won three of its last four. Kevin Bahl had his first multi-point game since Dec. 5, 2023, finishing with two assists. Dustin Wolf had 28 stops and snapped his five-game losing streak.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee scored for New York, which is 2-2-1 with two games left in its seven-game trip, it’s longest of the season. David Rittich made 15 saves in the loss and slipped to 11-6-3.
Up 2-0 midway through the second period, the Flames doubled their lead when Kirkland and Kuznetsov scored two minutes apart.
In four games since sliding into Blake Coleman’s spot on a line with Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato, Sharangovich has five points (two goals, three assists) for the Flames. Coleman (upper body) remains on injured reserve. While Backlund had his three-game point streak (2-3-5) snapped, Connor Zary extended his to a career-high five games.
Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson had an assist and became the seventh defenseman in Flames history to record five straight 20-assist seasons. He joins Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie, Derek Morris, and Randy Manery.
Rittich, who broke into the NHL and played four seasons in Calgary, has yet to defeat his former team. In six games, he fell to 0-4-2. The 33-year-old Czech was playing his 250th NHL game and came in on a roll, going 8-3-3 with a .920 save percentage over his last 14 starts.
Up next
Islanders: At Vancouver on Monday in the sixth game of a seven-game trip.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Adam Klapka had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season as the Calgary Flames beat the New York Islanders 4-2 on Saturday.
Yegor Sharangovich, Justin Kirkland and Yan Kuznetsov also scored for Calgary, which has won three of its last four. Kevin Bahl had his first multi-point game since Dec. 5, 2023, finishing with two assists. Dustin Wolf had 28 stops and snapped his five-game losing streak.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee scored for New York, which is 2-2-1 with two games left in its seven-game trip, it's longest of the season. David Rittich made 15 saves in the loss and slipped to 11-6-3.
Up 2-0 midway through the second period, the Flames doubled their lead when Kirkland and Kuznetsov scored two minutes apart.
In four games since sliding into Blake Coleman’s spot on a line with Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato, Sharangovich has five points (two goals, three assists) for the Flames. Coleman (upper body) remains on injured reserve. While Backlund had his three-game point streak (2-3-5) snapped, Connor Zary extended his to a career-high five games.
Calgary's Rasmus Andersson had an assist and became the seventh defenseman in Flames history to record five straight 20-assist seasons. He joins Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie, Derek Morris, and Randy Manery.
Rittich, who broke into the NHL and played four seasons in Calgary, has yet to defeat his former team. In six games, he fell to 0-4-2. The 33-year-old Czech was playing his 250th NHL game and came in on a roll, going 8-3-3 with a .920 save percentage over his last 14 starts.
Up next
Islanders: At Vancouver on Monday in the sixth game of a seven-game trip.
CALGARY, Alberta — Go figure: after squeezing out a win in which they were badly outchanced in Edmonton, the Islanders went to Calgary, won the advanced stats competition and lost the game.
It might be overstating it, though, and more than a little, to say they were hard done by a 4-2 loss to the Flames. The Islanders were loose with the puck, got more sloppy as the game went on and far worse in their own zone than two days prior.
Despite the fact that they created chances, it told you something as well that by the end of the second period, Roy was experimenting with his top six, seemingly looking for some kind of spark.
By that point, the Islanders already trailed 4-1, having allowed a trio of goals in the second for the Flames to break the game open.
Adam Klapka boxed out Cal Ritchie at the net front to tip in Kevin Bahl’s shot 3:04 into the second, prompting Roy to start getting cautious with Ritchie’s minutes.
New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) and Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) battle for the puck during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Justin Kirkland and Yan Kuznetsov then struck just 1:59 apart at 9:50 and 11:49 of the period, respectively. Kirkland’s goal followed a two-on-one rush off Mat Barzal’s turnover where the Islanders were uniformly late getting back; Kuznetsov was the trailer of the rush, scoring from the point with traffic in front.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau got one back for the Islanders quickly after Kuznetsov made it 4-0, but the visitors’ best chance to get two points from this one had already come and gone in the first period, when the Islanders failed to capitalize with the ice tilting their way throughout.
Yegor Sharangovich’s first-period opener came against that tide, and after what might have been the only time in the first 20 minutes that the Islanders struggled to break the puck out. Calgary duly took advantage with Andersson feeding Sharangovich for a one-timer in the slot.
There wasn’t much of a push to speak of in the third period. Roy was reduced to emptying his net with eight minutes left in regulation, which resulted in a too-little, too-late goal from Anders Lee, who broke a nine-game scoring drought to score his 300th career goal.
Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) makes a save against New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Islanders got a power play after that, perhaps raising the blood pressure on Calgary’s bench, but could do nothing with it.
Roy was unsure going into Saturday whether to keep his top six from the Edmonton game intact, ultimately deciding in favor. That didn’t last long, and though Ritchie is still showing timely flashes of skill — his assist on the game-winner in Edmonton for example — the young center is starting to show signs of hitting the rookie wall.
No one would blame Rittich for this one, but the Czech didn’t do much in his first start in three games, stopping just six of the first 10 shots he saw as the game grew out of hand.
The standings ramifications of losing a winnable game will be hard to swallow. With the Hurricanes set to play later on Saturday, the Islanders were in danger of falling seven points behind Carolina for first in the Metropolitan Division with a win.
They can see the light at the end of the tunnel of this trip now, with last-place Vancouver and Seattle the last two stops before a merciful flight home. To get back to Long Island — where the hope is that a healthy Bo Horvat will be waiting — better than .500 on the trip, they’ll have to win both.
After losing top defenseman Erik Karlsson to injury earlier in the week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have at least a little bit of good news coming on the injury front.
Injured young forward Rutger McGroarty - out since Jan. 7 with a concussion - was a full participant at the team's morning skate on Saturday. The 21-year-old winger was injured while colliding with a teammate at practice on Jan. 6, and his timetable to return was designated at "indefinite."
But, obviously, it's a good sign that McGroarty - one of the team's top forward prospects - was cleared for contact and is taking the next steps in his recovery a little more than a week after the incident.
"It's another step," head coach Dan Muse said. "His status hasn't changed, but that is another good step in the right direction."
McGroarty, 21, would be returning to an NHL roster that is performing pretty well. The Penguins are 7-2-1 in the 10 games since the holiday break, and pretty much everyone in their lineup has been contributing to their success.
During the 2025 NHL off-season, the Buffalo Sabres acquired Josh Doan as part of the deal that sent winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. The Sabres also brought in defenseman Michael Kesselring in the trade.
When the Sabres acquired Doan, they were hoping that the change of scenery would help the 23-year-old forward tap into his potential more. So far, it is certainly fair to say that he is thriving in Buffalo.
In 47 games with the Sabres so far this season, Doan has recorded new career highs with 15 goals, 19 assists, and 34 points. This was after he had seven goals and 19 points in 51 games for Utah during this past season.
Yet, what's more encouraging about Doan is that he is only getting better as the season rolls on. The young forward is continuing to show the Sabres that they made the right call bringing him, as he has five goals and 10 points over his last nine games alone. This included him putting together back-to-back two-point games on Jan. 14 against the Philadelphia Flyers and Jan. 15 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Doan is continuing to impress in a big way with the Sabres, and it will be intriguing to see how he builds on his breakout year from here.
On January 17, 1996, the Ottawa Senators played their first game at their newly constructed arena. It was a long-awaited moment of celebration for both the team and the city, because getting the building completed in the early 1990s proved to be nearly as difficult as winning hockey games.
In both cases, it felt like one battle after another.
With the Montreal Canadiens in town for a mid-week game to help christen the new building, Sens fans hoped for a repeat of the magic they’d experienced three seasons earlier, when the Senators somehow stunned the Habs 5–3 in the very first game in franchise history.
THN site editor Steve Warne recalls his days as sports director of CKBY and Oldies 1310 radio 30 years ago when the Senators guided the Ottawa media on a tour of their new building.
There was no such magic this time. Canadiens goaltender Jocelyn Thibault made 26 saves in a 3–0 shutout victory, outduelling Ottawa's Don Beaupre.
It was loss number eight in the Sens' 11-game losing slide and the second-to-last game of Dave Allison’s NHL coaching career. The Senators fired him a week later after a 2-22-1 record that season, and that closed out his NHL career with a 2-22-1 record.
Hockey-wise, those were dark days.
But in the years since, the building has hosted countless unforgettable moments: Steve Duchesne’s goal just one year later that sent the Senators to the playoffs; the runs to the 2003 and 2007 Conference Finals; the 2007 Stanley Cup Final; the World Cup of Hockey; World Juniors and Women’s Worlds; burglar masks and post-game hamburgers; Daniel Alfredsson returning home to retire as a Senator; Wayne Gretzky’s final game in Canada; Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s four-goal night; and the infamous playoff line brawl with the Canadiens, just to name a few.
Now, the Senators host the Canadiens once again at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night, exactly 30 years after they first met to open the Arena Formerly Known As The Palladium... and the Corel Centre. And, to borrow a line from 30 Rock, we’ll never forget making “a hockey-loving face at Scotiabank Place.”
With discussions underway about a potential new arena closer to downtown Ottawa, this feels like the perfect moment to celebrate the memories of the old one. Because the next time the building is honoured, it may be in the shadow of a wrecking ball; but only time will tell.
The Senators will mark the anniversary on Saturday with memorabilia displays and a ceremonial puck drop featuring Sens alumni. Earlier this week, the team even broke out a concrete saw, cutting a three-by-three-foot square out of the lobby floor to retrieve the time capsule buried beneath the building 30 years ago.
Sens founder Bruce Firestone joined team CEO Cyril Leeder for a sneak peek this week at what’s inside the time capsule, and the first item he saw must have been a video cassette.
“Anyone got a VHS?” Firestone joked in a team social media post.
Well, at least it wasn't Beta.
The Senators promise to unveil the contents soon, because just like all the old NHL barns of yesteryear, it’s what’s inside that counts.
Steve Warne The Hockey News - Ottawa
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PROVO, Utah (AP) — Taliah Scott racked up 25 points, Bella Fontleroy added 12, and the No. 18 Baylor Lady Bears rolled by BYU, 69-58, on Saturday to pick up their sixth straight victory.
The Bears (17-3, 6-1 Big 12) have not lost since Dec. 21, when they fell to then-unranked Texas Tech (who now ranks at No. 17).
Baylor did not trail for the entirety of the game, opening on an 18-4 run in the first quarter and maintaining a double-digit lead for much of the first half.
BYU cut the lead to as little as three points in the second half, but Baylor kept the edge throughout. Scott scored 12 points in the fourth, including seven straight points in just over a minute of game time down the stretch, to close out the win.
Scott was 8-for-21 shooting (5-for-14 from deep), dished out five assists and grabbed six rebounds. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs hauled in nine rebounds, but BYU held the advantage on the glass 40-39. 15 of Baylor’s 25 baskets came off assists.
Delaney Gibb paced the Cougars (14-4, 3-3) with 20 points, but struggled from the floor (7-for-21) before fouling out late. BYU was held to 32% shooting from the floor and just 17% from beyond the arc. Lara Rohkohl grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
TORONTO (AP) — Daryl Watts scored the winner at 2:16 in overtime as the Toronto Sceptres defeated the Vancouver Goldeneyes 2-1 on Saturday.
Savannah Harmon also scored for Toronto, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Raygan Kirk made 23 saves.
Sarah Nurse scored for Vancouver, which had its losing streak extended to three games. Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 42 shots.
Harmon scored on the power play off a Blayre Turnbull centering pass intended for Maggie Connors, who didn’t get her stick on the puck. Harmon corralled the puck, lined herself up and wired a shot over Maschmeyer’s right shoulder for her first of the year at 12:43 of the second period.
Nurse answered with her second of the season just 29 seconds later. Tereza Vanisova won a puck battle at the side boards before Sydney Bard found Nina Jobst-Smith, whose point shot was tipped in by Nurse.
Four former Sceptres suited up for the Goldeneyes on Saturday. Forwards Nurse and Izzy Daniel were signed away during the expansion process, Hannah Miller joined Vancouver through free agency and goalie Kristen Campbell, who was traded on draft night, backed up Maschmeyer.
Nurse returned from an eight-week absence due to an arm injury and proved to be an immediate help for the struggling Goldeneyes. Vancouver was tied with Toronto for the worst scoring offenses in the PWHL entering the game at 22 goals through 12 games.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Marquel Sutton scored 26 points and Max Mackinnon 20 to lead LSU to a 78-70 win over Missouri on Saturday and snap a four-game losing streak with its first SEC win this season.
Jayden Stone scored 16 of his 20 points, and Mark Mitchell 11 of his 13, in the second half when the Tigers (13-5, 3-2) rallied from 14-point deficit to get within four with a minute to go. T.O. Barrett aded 11 points and Shawn Phillips Jr. 10.
Missouri trailed 55-52 when LSU (13-5, 1-4) hit its next five shots, including 3-pointers by Rashad King and Mackinnon, to go back up by 10. Mitchell led a late charge, scoring nine of Missouri's final 13 points. But Pablo Tamba hit two free throws after his offensive rebound and Sutton added two more following his steal for the game's final points.
Sutton scored 19 points and Mackinnon added 10 in leading LSU to a 37-27 halftime lead. They each had a 3-pointer when the Tigers scored the game's first 10 points. LSU led throughout.
LSU's 16 offensive rebounds gave the Tigers a 21-13 edge in points in the paint and they made 10 of 26 from beyond the arc in bouncing back from a last-second loss to Kentucky, 75-74, after blowing an 18-point second-half lead.
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Braden Frager and Pryce Sandfort each scored 20 points and No. 8 Nebraska stayed unbeaten with a 77-58 victory at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon.
Sam Hoiberg had 12 points and seven rebounds to help the Cornhuskers (18-0, 7-0 Big Ten) add another win to the best start in school history.
Nebraska led 34-29 at halftime and stretched the advantage to 41-32 minutes into the second half after Hoiberg capped a 7-0 spurt with a 3-pointer. The Wildcats (8-10, 0-7) got as close as 46-41 a few minutes later but the Cornhuskers answered with a 17-3 run to turn the game into a rout.
The Cornhuskers turned 11 Wildcat miscues into a dozen points as they retained at least a share of the conference lead.
Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, who started the day as the nation’s second leading scorer, led the hosts with 22 points and 10 rebounds, but managed just seven points after the break.
Tre Singleton added 14 points as the Wildcats dropped their fifth straight.
Up next
Nebraska: Welcomes Washington on Wednesday night.
Northwestern: Visits Southern California the same evening.
PHILADELPHIA — Mika Zibanejad became the Rangers’ all-time leader in power-play goals and his three-goal performance tied the team record for most career hat tricks in New York’s 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
The 32-year-old Swede scored with a man advantage at 5:38 of the second period, giving him 117 power-play goals and moving him past Camille Henry and Chris Kreider, who each had 116 for New York.
Zibanejad’s first-period goal at 7:26 put the Rangers ahead to stay at 2-1 and he completed his scoring at 8:25 of the second, matching Bill Cook with nine career hat tricks with the Rangers.
Artemi Panarin added two goals and an assist, and Brennan Othmann also scored for the Rangers, who snapped a five-game skid. The Rangers, whose last victory came January 2 against Florida, had lost eight of their last nine games. J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck each had two assists. Spencer Martin made 25 saves and earned his first win of the season.
Rangers coach Mike Sullivan earned his 500th coaching win. Sullivan was a two-time Stanley Cup winner in his 10-year tenure with the Penguins. He parted ways with Pittsburgh after missing the playoffs for a third straight season and was hired by New York in May, after Peter Laviolette was fired.
Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim and Trevor Zegras each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who lost their sixth straight game. Samuel Ersson made 22 stops.
Flyers center Rodrigo Abols left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Abols appeared to catch his right foot in an odd position while battling along the boards and struggled to put weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice
The Flyers were without Dan Vladar, Tyson Foerster (arm injury), Bobby Brink (upper-body injury) and Rasmus Ristolainen (upper-body injury for the game.
Up next
Rangers: At Anaheim on Monday for the second game of a four-game trip.
Flyers: At Vegas on Monday in the opener of a three-game trip.
