SURPRISE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 21: Winston Santos #18 of the Surprise Saguaros throws a pitch during an Arizona Fall League game against the Glendale Desert Dogs at Surprise Stadium on October 21, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers optioned righthanded pitchers Winston Santos to AA Frisco and Emiliano Teodo to AAA Round Rock yesterday, per the MLB.com transactions page. The team has not formally announced those moves, though I assume they will do so today.
Both Santos and Teodo are dealing with physical issues that are currently limiting him. Santos suffered a broken left hand when hit by a comebacker while throwing batting practice, while Teodo is reportedly still recovering from the back issues which limited him in 2025.
Santos, who turns 24 in April, was added to the 40 man roster after the 2024 season. He spent most of the 2025 season on the injured list, making five starts for Frisco and one start for Round Rock during the regular minor league season. He also appeared in five games in the Arizona Fall League. The expectation is that Santos will be ready to go pretty soon after the minor league season starts.
Teodo, 25, was also added to the 40 man roster the previous winter. While he was seen as a dark horse candidate to make the Rangers’ bullpen out of spring training last year, he struggled to stay healthy and throw strikes all year, ultimately throwing 30 innings over 27 games between the ACL, Frisco and Round Rock, putting up a 7.20 ERA. He also threw four innings in the Arizona Fall League.
While players who are injured normally cannot be optioned, teams are allowed to option a player who is injured if he did not appear in the major leagues the previous season, so long as the player is sent down at least 15 days prior to the start of the major league season.
EDIT — The team has officially announced these transactions. They have also announced that Nabil Crismatt, Declan Cronin, and Trevor Hauver have been officially assigned to the minor league camp, leaving 61 players in the major league camp.
The Dodgers are going to win 130 games and blow away the NL West.
Of course they’re not going to do that. Isn’t that what was said about the Dodgers last year? They won exactly one more game than the Cubs did.
Obviously they’re the favorites to win their division again, as they have done 12 times in the last 13 years, missing out only in 2021 when they won 106 games but the Giants had that freak 107-win year. (And then LA beat the Giants in the postseason anyway.)
But a couple of other teams in this division have improved, and this division might be more competitive than you might think.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Key departures: Jalen Beeks, Ildemaro Vargas, Jake McCarthy, Blaze Alexander
Key arrivals: Nolan Arenado, Merrill Kelly, Carlos Santana, Paul Sewald, Jonathan Loaisiga, Michael Soroka
Look at that “arrivals” list. Looks like a 2019 All-Star team to me.
The D-backs did bring back Zac Gallen, who was rumored for a while to be coming to the Cubs, and re-united with Merrill Kelly, who they traded to the Rangers last summer.
The Cubs had Carlos Santana for a while last September. Remember that? Now he’s expected to be at least a platoon first baseman for Arizona — and he’ll turn 40 in April and hasn’t been dominant since, yes, 2019.
Nolan Arenado seems in career decline, too.
The D-backs still do have some good younger players, including Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno. An injury to Corbin Carroll puts the start of his season in jeopardy.
They finished 80-82 and it says here they won’t be much better than that.
Key departures: Germán Márquez, Kyle Farmer, Thairo Estrada, Sam Hilliard, Ryan Rolison, Michael Toglia, Warming Bernabel, Anthony Molina, Drew Romo, Angel Chivilli
Key arrivals: John Brebbia, Nicky Lopez, Keegan Thompson, Jake McCarthy, Michael Lorenzen, Willi Castro, Edouard Julien, Valente Bellozo, Tomoyuki Sugano, José Quintana
There is almost no chance this Rockies team could be worse than last year’s, which went 43-119, setting a franchise record. It was their third straight 100-loss season.
The Rockies actually played a bit better after starting the year 9-50. From that point until Aug. 31, they went 30-48, which is bad but not horrendous (it’s a 62-100 pace for a full season). Then they went 4-21 in September, which, yikes.
They’ve acquired a couple of decent veteran starters in Lorenzen, Sugano and Quintana and have a few decent young players in Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar.
Like the 2025 White Sox, who improved by 20 wins over their 41-121 season in 2024, the Rockies could post a 60-win season. Which is still bad, but would be a significant step in the right direction.
Key departures: Clayton Kershaw, Michael Conforto, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, Justin Dean, Tony Gonsolin, Ben Rortvedt, Esteury Ruiz, Anthony Banda
Key arrivals: Kyle Tucker, Edwin Díaz, Cole Irvin, Michael Siani, Santiago Espinal
What can be said about the Dodgers that hasn’t already been said?
Kyle Tucker will be a complementary piece in L.A., a different role than he was expected to play in Houston. So if he’s healthy, that’s a big jump for a Dodgers offense that didn’t really need it (they led the NL in runs and home runs last year anyway).
The pitching rotation is its usual 11-deep, even after the retirement of Kershaw. And Díaz will head up a very deep bullpen.
And Shohei Ohtani will do more Shohei Ohtani things and very possibly win a fourth straight MVP (and fifth overall).
The Dodgers will probably win this division again. Maybe this time the Cubs will see them in October. I suspect the Cubs would have given the Dodgers a more competitive NLCS than the Brewers did.
Key departures: Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease, Nestor Cortes, Jose Iglesias, Ryan O’Hearn, Robert Suarez
Key arrivals: Triston McKenzie, Jose Miranda, Marco Gonzales, Nick Castellanos, Ty France, Germán Márquez, Walker Buehler, Griffin Canning
The Padres are trying to address the departure of Dylan Cease with quantity — look at all the FA pitchers they signed. Who knows, maybe they can resurrect Walker Buehler into what he once was with the Dodgers. Griffin Canning is a good signing, and Germán Márquez should be better outside of Coors Field.
With Robert Suarez gone, mid-season acquisition Mason Miller moves into the closer role. He was lights-out (0.77 ERA, 0.729 WHIP, struck out 54.2 percent of batters faced, 45 of 83) as a setup guy last year, so if they can get the game to him they should win a lot of close ones.
Key departures: Justin Verlander, Wilmer Flores, Joey Lucchesi, Andrew Knizner
Key arrivals: Reiver Sanmartin, Sam Hentges, Caleb Kilian, Adrian Houser, Gregory Santos, Tyler Mahle, Eric Haase, Harrison Bader, Luis Arráez, Will Brennan, Michael Fulmer
The Giants had a very strange 2025 season. On June 13 they beat the Dodgers and at 41-29, were tied with them for first place in the NL West.
Then they went on a 20-39 skid that put them at 61-68, 12 games out of first. That was followed by a five-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep of the Cubs at Oracle Park, part of a 14-4 run that put them only a game and a half out of the last wild card spot.
From there the Giants went 7-9 and finished at exactly .500… the fourth straight year they have finished within four games of. 500 (starting in 2022: 81-81, 79-83, 80-82 and 81-81).
They are hoping all the miscellaneous pitchers they picked up will help them this year. They will have outstanding outfield defense with Harrison Bader now in center field and Jung Hoo Lee moved to right. Their left side infield defense is outstanding with Matt Chapman at third base and Willy Adames at short, but the right side… yikes, Luis Arráez at second and Rafael Devers at first is kinda frightening.
Looks like another .500 season in San Francisco. These teams will meet six times in a 10-day period in June.
img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 with the BET99 promo code COVERSNHL" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/promo-articles/bet99nhlcreative2526.jpeg"Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL. (not available in Ontario)
Our best NHL player props for Monday, March 2
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Adam Fantilli Over 2.5 shots
-120 at BET99
Columbus Blue Jackets go-to center Adam Fantilli has only picked up 10 shots across his past 26 games despite recording a healthy 26 attempts. That 38.5% conversion rate is well below the 47.7% mark he posted through the first 52 games of the season, and there’s nothing scary about this matchup.
The New York Rangers rank below average in both shots allowed per game and Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5, and Fantilli is also one of the primary shooters on Columbus' No. 1 power-play unit.
Landeskog has been on the ice with MacKinnon for a healthy 265:15 of ice time this season, and the Avs have scored 6.79 goals per 60 minutes while also running wild at 5-on-5 with 58.0 Corsi For percentage and 56.6 expected goals percentage.
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Prop #3: Marco Kasper Over 0.5 points
+160 at BET99
Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper is projected to skate on the No. 1 line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Raymond paces the team in points, with Larkin ranking third, so this is an excellent opportunity for the 2022 eighth-overall pick.
Kasper is also finding his footing with seven points and 29 shots across his past 12 games. Plus, the Nashville Predators have surrendered the fifth-most goals per game.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Buffalo Sabres are in a position to add to their roster. At the time of this writing, the Sabres have a 35-19-6 record and are second in the Atlantic Division standings. With this and the Sabres looking to avoid extending their playoff drought to 15 years, they should not be afraid to make some moves.
One trade need that the Sabres could look to address is bringing in another forward to their middle six. Due to this, they are now being connected to an interesting forward from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Matthew Fairburn named Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann as an "ideal target" for the Sabres.
"McMann is the type of fast, forechecking winger who would fit on any of Buffalo’s lines. He’s also got some goal-scoring pop to his game and only makes $1.35 million per year," Fairburn wrote.
There is no question that McMann would be a nice addition to the Sabres' roster. The 6-foot-2 forward is currently in the middle of a strong season for the Maple Leafs. In 59 games this campaign with the Original Six club, McMann has recorded 19 goals, 13 assists, 32 points, and 133 hits. This was after he set career highs with 20 goals, 14 assists, 34 points, and 136 hits in 74 games this past season with the Maple Leafs.
When looking at how McMann has performed over the last two seasons with the Maple Leafs, it is clear that he would give the Sabres a nice mixture of secondary scoring and grit if acquired. This would be beneficial for the Sabres, but especially when the games get tougher during the playoffs.
Due to his ability to play both wings, the Sabres would be able to slot McMann in multiple spots in their lineup. Yet, the idea of a line with him, Josh Norris, and Josh Doan is an appealing one. Furthermore, he would give the Sabres another clear option for their power play because of his offensive skill.
Nevertheless, with the Sabres looking to get into the playoffs, it would make sense for them to bring in a forward like McMann. It will be interesting to see if they do just that.
Overall you have to be happy with the way the Pittsburgh Penguins played their first week back out of the 2026 Winter Olympic break. Despite not having captain Sidney Crosby in the lineup, they still earned five out of a possible six points to help maintain their place in the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. While Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers produced a frustrating result, letting a 2-0 lead slip away against a bad team and losing yet another shootout, the way they responded on Sunday made it all pretty easy to let go. The important thing at this point is to just keep collecting points. They are.
Now they enter an important week for their season: Trade deadline week.
Yes, there are games to be played as well, and they really start to get into the meat of their tough March schedule, but it is also going to be fascinating to see how Kyle Dubas handles this week from a roster move perspective.
He has already been busy this season, having traded Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round draft pick, acquiring Egor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for second-and third-round picks, and then most recently trading defenseman Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Samuel Girard and another 2028 second-round draft pick.
That is a lot.
There might still be more ahead.
The big questions to watch this week:
Does he make a move for another depth defenseman?
Does he try to acquire a center for the short-term with Crosby sidelined, or is he confident enough in the Penguins ability to win games and stay competitive until the captain returns?
Does he risk trading Anthony Mantha for what could be a big return, even though he has turned out to be a big part of this roster?
Does he trade Skinner to further add to the Jarry trade tree, while also creating an opportunity for Sergei Murashov to get a more permanent look and role in the NHL?
Does he find another impact player with term-remaining on their contract that fits in with the current young core?
We know he has a ton of draft pick capital to trade from, he has opportunities to acquire more if he trades from that, and we know the Penguins have an enormous amount of salary cap space to work with both this season and in future seasons.
There are a lot of possibilities here. My guess is there is at least one more trade of some importance before Friday. It is just a matter of what that looks like.
In between all of that there are games to deal with.
The week begins on Tuesday with a road game at the Boston Bruins. The Bruins have been wildly inconsistent all season and remain a tough team to get a read on. Their record is fine. Their underlying numbers are terrible and suggest a team that has overachieved.
David Pastrnak is one of the best players in hockey and the main guy they have to be concerned with, while Morgan Geekie has turned into a top goal-scorer (nobody saw that happening) and gives them a strong 1-2 punch offensively. But they have limited depth beyond those two and a defense that gets really thin as soon you get beyond Charlie McAvoy.
The Penguins always seem to struggle in Boston, and already lost there once this season having lost a 1-0 game back on January 11. They have just one regulation defeat since then, going 10-1-4 in the 15 games since, earning 24 out of a 30 possible points. That is an .800 points percentage.
The Penguins then return home for a three-game homestand that begins on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has been the NHL’s best team record-wise since mid-December, and is coming off an impressive 6-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. They look for real and are going to be a very formidable opponent. The Penguins, however, have won the first two games of the season against Buffalo, outscoring them by a 9-4 margin. The first game was probably a little misleading with its 4-2 final score (the Sabres were arguably the better team in that game), but the Penguins response before the Olympic break was a thoroughly convincing win.
They then have another weekend back-to-back. The first of those games will be on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers kind of sunk out of the playoff race before the Olympic break and are now going into the NHL Trade Deadline as likely sellers. It remains to be seen what their roster will look like on Saturday, but I would not anticipate any major changes. This will be the fourth meeting of the season, with the Penguins have won two of the first three and collecting five out of a possible six points in those games. The past two games have been completely one-sided with the Penguins outscoring them by an 11-4 margin.
The Penguins then conclude the week on Sunday, book-ending it with another game against the Bruins, this time at home. Both teams will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Penguins will have the advantage of not having to travel and already being at home.
On paper, this is a tough schedule. They have three games against likely playoff teams, but the Penguins have done extremely well in those matchups this season. Against teams currently in a playoff position, they are 12-5-7, good enough for a .645 points percentage. That would be a 105.7 points pace over an 82-game season. Against teams with a top-10 points percentage they are even better with a 9-3-3 record this season. They have been able to consistently raise their game and level of play against playoff teams and the top teams in the league.
Still, these are going to be some tough games. Given where the Penguins are in the standings, the cushion they have created for themselves and the fact they are still without Crosby for the time being, they pretty much need to just play .500 hockey to maintain things until Crosby returns. Anything that results in four or more points this week should be considered a win.
Lucas Raymond is on pace to average more than a point per game for the first time in his career.
With most of his points coming by way of assist, my Red Wings vs. Predators predictions see him picking up a helper against a weak defensive side.
Let’s dive deeper into my NHL picks for Monday, March 2.
Red Wings vs Predators prediction
Red Wings vs Predators best bet: Lucas Raymond Over 0.5 assists (-105)
Lucas Raymond has recorded an assist in 19 of his last 30 games against bottom-half defenses, consistently taking advantage of favorable matchups.
He has a great one on Monday, as the Nashville Predators rank 28th in goals against, conceding 3.44 per game.
They continue to struggle defensively, sitting 27th in 5-on-5 goals allowed over the last 10 games, and have also conceded a power-play goal in five straight.
Raymond leads the Red Wings in points at full-strength and on the power play, making him a prime candidate to take advantage.
Red Wings vs Predators same-game parlay
Dylan Larkin goes as Raymond goes. He’s hit the scoresheet in eight of the past 10 games when Raymond has picked up a point, which makes sense given they correlate on the top line and power play.
Moritz Seider shoots more on the road when Detroit doesn’t control the matchups. He generates a lot of his volume from the right point, where the Predators rank 27th in shots allowed over the last 20 games.
Red Wings vs Predators SGP
Lucas Raymond Over 0.5 assists
Dylan Larkin Over 0.5 points
Moritz Seider Over 1.5 shots on goal
Red Wings vs Predators odds
Moneyline: Red Wings -105 | Predators -115
Puck Line: Red Wings +1.5 (-275) | Predators -1.5 (+220)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)
Red Wings vs Predators trend
Lucas Raymond has assists in four of his last six games against Nashville. Find more NHL betting trends for Red Wings vs. Predators.
How to watch Red Wings vs Predators
Location
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Puck drop
2:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Detroit, FDSN South
Red Wings vs Predators latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Melbourne recently released a membership video that leaned into the cliches and the disappointment – one of the better executed and coherent offerings from the club in recent years. They were eight wins off finals last year. But they beat Brisbane at the Gabba, nearly beat Collingwood twice and ran top-placed Adelaide close. They lost half a dozen games by eight points or less.
Clippers vs Warriors best bet: Clippers moneyline (-125)
The Los Angeles Clippers are right on the Golden State Warriors’ heels in the West, sitting in ninth with a 28-31 record. The Clips pulled out a thrilling 103-102 victory over their Pacific Division rivals on January 5.
Ty Lue’s squad got back on track on Sunday with a huge victory over the Pelicans, and the Clippers have won three of their last five road games, beating a few good teams during that span, like the Timberwolves, Rockets, and Nuggets.
Golden State is still without Steph Curry, and it's 4-6 in its last 10, losing three of its previous four contests at home.
Clippers vs Warriors same-game parlay
Kawhi Leonard has turned back the clock, averaging 27.9 points per game. He’s stayed healthy, and it’s paid off.
The veteran has cashed the Over in points in two of his last three appearances, posting 30+ in both of those games.
Brook Lopez is one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA, averaging 1.5 makes on 4.2 attempts for a 35.2% clip. Lopez just drained 4 of 7 threes on Sunday against New Orleans, and he was also 2-for-7 last week against the Timberwolves.
Clippers vs Warriors SGP
Clippers moneyline
Kawhi Leonard Over 27.5 points
Brook Lopez Over 1.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Jones Keeps Up
Derrick Jones Jr. has cashed the Over in points in five of his last six appearances.
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
By the second half of 2025, Brooks Baldwin had established a truly impressive launch angle at bat. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
I really hate to keep beating the same drum, but I’m going to continue to be on the record as believing that the make-or-break aspect of the next would-be competitive era of White Sox baseball — the aspect that Rick Hahn and friends utterly failed at from 2017-19 — is going to be whether they can find at least a couple All-Stars or solid starters out of the scrap heap. In other words, unexpected help that picks up the slack when all of the prospects aren’t magically good at the same time the moment they hit the big leagues — a concept that Rick Hahn always seemed a little bit challenged by.
As I’ve blabbed about a million times before, the Cubs don’t win in 2016 without Jake Arrieta. In Houston José Altuve was barely a Top 100 prospect, Dallas Keuchel never came close to sniffing a prospect list, and Marwin González was a critical cog in their championship roster. The Orioles may have blown their shot, but they wouldn’t have even had one if they hadn’t gotten more than 500 extra-base hits from the previously-anonymous Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins over a five-year stretch.
Things look more promising for the Sox this time around. When the decision was made to tear down the core that brought home the 2021 AL Central crown, nobody knew that Shane Smith was going to be in the plans as a Top 3 starter, and I can’t think of another Sox prospect who’s ever rebounded from “seems like a bust” to “possibly a superstar” like Colson Montgomery.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be identifying and breaking down five players on the Sox roster who could potentially be those unexpected building blocks — and what it means for the team if it ever comes to fruition.
Let’s get straight to the point here. I want you to look at an assortment of hand-picked stats from three young Sox players, measured from July 3-onward last year.
Player A, as you’ve probably gathered from the massive slugging number and perhaps conspicuous cutoff date, is Colson Montgomery. Player B probably isn’t hard to pin down as Kyle Teel, who’s probably second to Montgomery in terms of excitement generated for future Sox teams, and whose numbers are particularly exciting for a solid receiver behind the plate.
Player C, though? That’s Brooks Baldwin, who was called back up to the majors on July 1 last season and proceeded to hold his own with the best of the Sox young talent the rest of the way (albeit with a bit less playing time). It’s not an exaggeration to say that he came as close to matching Montgomery’s absurd second-half output as anybody else on the Sox, especially when you look at the batted-ball metrics.
Interesting! Very Interesting!
Let’s turn this into a quick deep-ish dive on what exactly happened between his initial demotion in May and final recall to Chicago in July. I found a real short answer: He figured out how to hit fastballs in the air instead of on the ground.
In fact, I wrote this entire article before I realized video existed of the kid going oppo-taco on a Spencer Strider fastball. The same Spencer Strider whose entire shtick is, hey, you can’t hit me because I consistently throw a four-seamer up in the zone faster than you can blink.
Baldwin’s bat speed isn’t elite, but it’s not unplayable either. Even when he’s struggled, he’s made solid contact, posting above-average exit velocities at every measured level. When he came back from Charlotte at the beginning of July, all of that hard contact suddenly started going places where it could do actual damage. His overall fly ball percentage jumped from 30% to 48% after that call-up!
I’m pretty embarrassed I didn’t notice it before. It didn’t take a lot more diving to locate the specific place of improvement, either.
The game is largely moving away from traditional fastballs, but pitchers are always going to have to throw them. The key for Baldwin is to avoid getting himself out on breaking stuff. There are a solid number of solid big-leaguers who make a living off of hammering fastballs. It’s plenty conceivable that Baldwin could become one of them.
The flip side is that Baldwin’s tendency to chase is still worrisome. Even after he started being awesome against heaters (I specifically love how he took his average launch angle against sinkers from a virtually flat one degree all the way up to 16, solidly in line drive territory) he still offered at pitches out of the zone at a rate near the bottom of the league. Damage against fastballs doesn’t matter if pitchers can spam breaking balls and offspeed pitches and get away with it most of the time.
Still, there’s still a much wider range of outcomes with Baldwin than many of us are giving him credit for. Defensive metrics have panned his work pretty much across the board, but he’s plenty fleet of foot, ranking in the 82nd percentile for Baseball Savant’s sprint speed metric. It also thinks he has a solid enough arm, one that will play all across the diamond even if it’s nothing special. Contrasted with someone like Lenyn Sosa, whose lack of lateral speed and overall athleticism put a hard cap on his defensive ceiling, Baldwin still has room for improvement. This is not the guy who has the tools of a negative defender.
Now, to zoom out of the nitty-gritty. Let’s assume July-August-September Baldwin is what we actually get this season. Pencil in a 120 wRC+ switch hitter who isn’t better-than-average at any position, but can give any of your regulars a breather on any given day. He’s going to walk and strike out at rates around league average, and he’s got enough speed to do some damage on the basepaths. Project it out over 500-odd trips to the plate, and you get a guy who might push 20-20 without even locking down a regular position.
In what world were the 2026 White Sox supposed to have a guy like that that we didn’t already know about?
Did I just accidentally describe peak Ben Zobrist when trying to come up with a comp for Brooks Baldwin? Maybe I did! So sue me. This is the thought experiment right here, guys. Does anyone expect every single one of the farm system’s ranked prospects to hit their ceilings any more than they did the last time? I’m sure one of these years, we’ll finally witness long-awaited glory from a rotation topped by Jon Rauch, Matt Ginter, and Dan Wright.
If the 2027 or 2028 White Sox are going to be competitive, it’s not going to be because of Teel, Edgar Quero, the Montgomerys, and Roch Cholowsky.
(Pause for dramatic effect)
That’s a lie! Of course it’s going to be because of them. A better way of putting that might be to say that if the 2027 or 2028 Sox want a shot at being 100-win juggernaut instead of a 92-win question mark or 84-win flop, it’s not going be because the top prospects clicked; it’s going to be because someone like Brooks Baldwin turned into a poor-but-not-necessarily-crazy-poor man’s Ben Zobrist, and nobody saw it coming. Nobody but us, of course.
It could just as easily be that Baldwin reverts to the 60 wRC+ hitter he was for the first 80-odd games of his big league career. It’s almost famously common knowledge by now that September stats have, broadly speaking, no real correlation with performance the following season. But hey, tell that to Lenyn Sosa in September 2024.
If Baldwin does anything in 2026 akin to how Sosa followed up on that scorching-hot September, there’s no telling how the calculus on this team’s roster might be changed seven months from now.
The 2026 NHL trade deadline is less than a week away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are certainly a team to keep an eye on leading up to it. The Penguins have already made multiple trades this season, but they should not be done yet.
One area that the Penguins could look to improve is their center depth. Due to this, one player who could make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to target is Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras.
Poitras is a name to watch leading up to the deadline, as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta recently reported that the Bruins are open to trading the 21-year-old forward. With Poitras still being young and having plenty of skill, he is the kind of player that the Penguins should consider taking a chance on.
If the Penguins brought in Poitras, he would give them another solid forward prospect to work with. He also has a decent amount of NHL experience, too, as he has recorded seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points in 69 career NHL games over three seasons. However, with the Bruins having several centers, he has had trouble cementing himself as a full-time player in Boston.
Yet, a change of scenery could be exactly what helps Poitras take that next step. The potential for him to blossom into an impactful middle-six forward is there, and it is fair to wonder if he could do just that with the Penguins.
Poitras has appeared in 49 games this season with the Providence Bruins, where he has 10 goals and 31 points. This is after the 2022 second-round pick had 17 goals and 41 points in 40 games with Providence this past season. Overall, the young forward has shown promise in the AHL and could be a good player for the Penguins to add to their system because of it.
Rockets vs Wizards best bet: Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points (-120)
Kevin Durant has been a beast since the All-Star break, cashing the Over in points in four of six games.
The Houston Rockets superstar just torched the Magic for 40 last week, and then he went off for another 32 points on Saturday night against the Heat. Durant is averaging 28 PPG on the road this season, which is just above his season average of 26.2 points.
A homecoming for Durant will always provide some extra motivation, and he did score 23 against the Washington Wizards earlier in the campaign.
Rockets vs Wizards same-game parlay
Alperen Sengun is averaging 6.3 assists per game, and he’s cashed the Over in dimes in four of his last six games since the break. Sengun already dished out six assists against the Wizards earlier in the campaign, and Washington allows the second-most dimes in the Association.
Tari Eason isn’t a household name, but he’s proven to be a key piece for the Rockets lately, hitting the Over in four of his last five outings.
The 24-year-old had 11 rebounds on Saturday, and another eight last Thursday against the Magic.
Rockets vs Wizards SGP
Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points
Alperen Sengun Over 5.5 assists
Tari Eason Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Everybody Beats the Wiz
Houston has won six in a row against Washington, and they’ve covered the 15.5-point spread in back-to-back meetings.
Over/Under: Over 224.5 (-110) | Under 224.5 (-110)
Rockets vs Wizards betting trend to know
The Houston Rockets have hit the Game Total Under in 25 of their last 35 games (+14.00 Units / 36% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Wizards.
How to watch Rockets vs Wizards
Location
Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
SCHN, MNMT
Rockets vs Wizards latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
While much of the attention through the first few weeks of Spring Training has been on the Braves pitching staff, the Braves offense has been the source of much success so far. Power has been on full display from just about everyone, from newcomers such as Mike Yastrzemski to emerging prospects like John Gil. Of course, the mainstays are also getting in on the fun, including Austin Riley. Riley went deep for the second time on Sunday, and has looked locked in so far this Spring. If Riley can return to his 2022-2023 form, the Braves offense can be among the best in baseball once again.
Braves made their first round of cuts, including reliever Hunter Stratton and utilityman Nacho Alvarez. Most of the cuts were to free players up to join their respective WBC clubs.
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“I’ve only been here for four years, and you’re already talking about this?” Freeman said. “That makes me happy because that means I’ve done my job well.”
Consider this a bonus daily question to answer in the comments below: What cap should Freeman wear when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Start your Monday off by seeing the reception Shohei Ohtani received when arrived in Osaka for Japan’s final two tuneups before the World Baseball Classic, from Theo DeRosa at MLB.com.
Speaking of World Baseball Classic news, old friend Ryan Yarbrough was added to the United States roster for pool play, replacing Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. Yarbrough pitched for the Dodgers in parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and is currently with the Yankees.
The Vancouver Canucks (18-24-7) return to Rogers Arena on Monday when they take on the Dallas Stars (36-14-9). For the Canucks, they will have their eyes on snapping a five-game losing steak, which started back on January 31. As for the Stars, it is full steam ahead as they have eight-straight.
As the trade deadline approaches, the rumour mill continues to swirl around Vancouver. Tyler Myers has sat out the last two games while players like Evander Kane and Teddy Blueger have continually been mentioned in trade rumours. With the way this season has gone, Monday could very well be the final game for some of the Canucks roster.
Shifting to the game itself, Vancouver needs to have a stronger effort than they did on Saturday. While the Canucks were able to generate shots, most chances in the offensive zone were one-and-done. Vancouver also has to be more aware as they gave up far too many odd-man rushes in Saturday's loss.
Players To Watch:
Center Elias Pettersson:
The big question heading into Monday is how will Elias Pettersson respond? Not only was he benched for the final half of the third period on Saturday, but he was called out by Adam Foote who made it clear he needs to play better. With no goals in his last 13 games, Pettersson needs to find a way to step up and show that he can be a valuable part of the future.
Jamie Benn:
Could Monday be the final time Jamie Benn plays an NHL game in British Columbia? It is possible as the 37-year-old Victoria-born forward faces the Canucks for the final time this season. If this is the end for Benn, he will go down as one of the provinces best players as in 1,229 games, he has scored 400 goals while recording 979 points.
Nov 20, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn (14) defends against Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (8) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (18–34–7):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–22–35
Filip Hronek: 5–27–32
Jake DeBrusk: 13–15–28
Brock Boeser: 12–14–26
Evander Kane: 10–16–26
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 7–20–4
Nikita Tolopilo: 3–3–2
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Dallas Stars (36-14-9):
Points:
Mikko Rantanen: 20-49-69
Jason Robertson: 33-35-68
Wyatt Johnston: 32-31-63
Miro Heiskanen: 7-41-48
Roope Hintz: 15-29-44
Goaltenders:
Jake Oettinger: 24-10-4
Casey DeSmith: 12-4-5
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 26: Brett Kulak #27 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena on February 26, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Countdown to TradeCentre: Could the Avalanche and Nazem Kadri reunite? [TSN]
Are the Colorado Avalanche trying to acquire Nashville Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly? [NHL Trade Rumors]
Bednar laments discipline as penalties sink Avs in tough loss. [The Hockey Writers]
New defenseman Brett Kulak looked comfortable in his Avalanche debut. [Colorado Hockey Now]
Avalanche primed for another big move before the deadline. [Sports Illustrated]
Keep track of predictable trade deadline buzz words with Bingo Card 4.0 [Mile High Hockey]
News Around the League
Edmonton Oilers waive forward Andrew Mangiapane, defenceman Alec Regula. [Sportsnet]
What we’re hearing going into the NHL’s trade deadline next Friday. [Ottawa Citizen]
‘It’s clearly fake’: Brady Tkachuk unhappy with White House video that insulted Canadians. [Global News]
L.A. Kings fire coach Jim Hiller and name D.J. Smith as the interim replacement. [CBC]
The Maple Leafs aren’t used to being on the trading block. But misguided playoff hopes have hurt the franchise before. [Toronto Star]
Fantilli Over 2.5 shots
Landeskog Over 0.5 assists
Kasper Over 0.5 points
