LeBron James taunted one of his former teammates Tuesday night with a gesture that almost turned PG-13 in a hurry.
Just prior to tip-off of the Lakers’ road matchup with the Nuggets, James made his way toward Denver’s bench to have some fun with assistant coach Jared Dudley.
The two guys were on the 2020 Lakers team that won an NBA title, and in a unique way of acknowledging his old buddy’s presence, James made a motion with his right hand that nearly turned vulgar.
The 41-year-old pretended to wind up his middle finger like a jack in the box, but thankfully for all the young eyes in attendance, James stopped just short of flipping Dudley the bird.
LeBron James was seen having fun with Jared Dudley prior to the Lakers vs. Nuggets game Tuesday night. Denver Post via Getty Images
The two then shared a big laugh, before James hit the floor to try to lead his Lakers to a win.
The 21-time All-Star ended up having a great night against Dudley’s Nuggets, scoring 19 points while recording nine rebounds and eight assists. L.A. went on to pull out the victory, 115-107.
Jared Dudley and LeBron James won a championship together while on the Los Angeles Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
James didn’t address the pregame giggle with Dudley following the tilt, though he did tell reporters why he felt it was necessary to share a mid-game moment with Nikola Jokic, who sat out the contest while still battling a knee injury.
“Jokic is one of the greatest players to ever play this game,” James said. “And for me to see him, just go over and pay my respect, that’s easy. That’s easy.”
James and the Lakers play next in a matchup with the Clippers on Thursday night at Intuit Dome.
In Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis decided to use Jayden Struble over Arber Xhekaj. As a result, he was once again asked what went into that decision. It’s a question he’s been asked often over the last few years, but last night, he gave a bit of a different answer.
Of course, he highlighted the fact that Struble hadn’t played a lot in the last month, and the coach wants to keep his guys “fresh”, but he also explained:
Being a leader means knowing you’ll have to make decisions that will negatively affect people you care about. But that’s the role, it comes with the territory. The role comes with a price; you have to pay the price. Those are not easy conversations, but they start with the truth. Of course, the easiest thing for a coach is six defensemen who don’t get injured for 82 games, 12 forwards who don’t get injured for 82 games, and two goaltenders who don’t get injured for 82 games. Then there’s zero conversation, but that’s impossible. That’s the price that comes with the job; it’s an important job, and I take it to heart. It’s not easy; there’s not a single player who likes being told he’s not playing, but it’s the NHL.
St-Louis has been there as a player, he has been a healthy scratch, he knows how that feels, but he also knows that as a coach, he needs to make those kinds of calls despite how it will make the players affected feel. Much has been written about the fact that he will soon have to make some of those tough calls, and no one knows it better than him.
So far, he has been spared from cutting someone to insert Kirby Dach because Alexandre Texier is day-to-day, but when the Frenchman is ready to return, he’ll have to do it, and that’s not a responsibility he takes lightly.
However, when it’s a routine decision like inserting Struble to keep him fresh, it seems like there’s not much of a conversation, according to Arpon Basu, who reported on TSN that it was actually Juraj Slafkovsky who informed Xhekaj that he would have a night off when he joined him in the hot tub, shortly after the lineup was posted.
The St. Louis Cardinals are bringing back a legend, but not in the way that many thought it might happen. The team has announced they have hired Yadier Molina as a Special Assistant to President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom.
“We are happy to welcome Yadi back to the Cardinals organization,” stated Bloom. “He is an elite competitor, a consistent winner, and one of the greatest ever at his position, and we look forward to many contributions during his visits with us in this new role, both in and out of uniform. Yadi will provide input on our catching program, will advise our staff on catching and game planning strategy, and will give me and our front office valuable perspective from his unique vantage point. Perhaps most important, he will help us nurture in our players the high standards, attention to detail, and championship mindset that are so critical to winning.”
There’s no need to document Yadi Molina’s many career accomplishments. As St. Louis Cardinals fans, most of us can recite them by memory without Google. The big question that immediately comes to my mind is how involved will Yadi really be with the Cardinals. You likely recall back in December of 2023, Yadi was hired by then President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak as a special assistant, but few of us really saw much of Yadi or his involvement. Based on the behavior of the new St. Louis Cardinals front office, I have confidence that we’ll see a more tangible result from Yadi Molina being a part of the team again. Or, at least that is my huge hope.
Cody Bellinger became the last of the top free-agent hitters to reach a deal, agreeing to stay with the New York Yankees for a five-year, $162.5 million contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
Bellinger gets a $20 million signing bonus payable on April 1, $32.5 million in the first two seasons, $25.8 million in the next two and $25.9 million in 2030. He also has a full no-trade provision.
Bellinger has the right to opt out after the 2027 or 2028 seasons to become a free agent again, but if there is a work stoppage that leads to no games being played in 2027, the agreement specifies the opt outs will shift to after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
A two-time All-Star acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in December 2024, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last year — including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium. A left-handed hitter, he played in 149 games in the outfield and seven at first base in his first season since 2022 without a stint on the injured list.
He is a son of former Yankee Clay Bellinger.
Voted the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and 2019 NL MVP, Bellinger has a .261 average with 225 homers and 695 RBIs in eight seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-22), Cubs (2023-24) and the Yankees.
He earned $57.5 million from the three-year, $80 million contract he reached with the Cubs before the 2024 season. Bellinger declined a $25 million option for 2026 in favor of a $5 million buyout.
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He was a left-handed hitting outfielder. They were a Bronx-based baseball team. Can I make it any more obvious?
The offseason began with Cody Bellinger exercising his opt-out and hitting the free agent market a year early, eager to take advantage of arguably his best season since he won the 2019 National League MVP. From the beginning, though, it seemed inevitable that he would return to the Bronx and continue to don the same uniform his father wore. Bellinger hyped up the organization. The front office hyped up the player. Like two high school students who broke up due to circumstances but still clearly had a thing for each other, it seemed inevitable that the two would get back together once the dust cleared.
Oh, yeah, the crowd didn’t go wild because it’s Bellinger. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy, think he’s a solid player, and am glad he’s back. But, much like these two commenters (and many others), I’m simply happy that I won’t be writing up any more Around the Empire posts trying to come up with yet another pun saying that the Yankees are still daring Bellinger to accept their contract.
When it came to the deal itself, our lovely PSA comments’ section could be broken down into three categories. First up, we have the “We’re a better team with him, so I’m happy he’s back” group, who mostly expressed satisfaction — but perhaps not the overenthusiastic excitement that would have followed, say, a Kyle Tucker signing.
Others, however, were not quite as thrilled with the contract, arguing that he does not move the needle enough in what is expected to be a viciously tight American League East in 2026.
Still others, in classic Pinstripe Alley fashion, have already put Bellinger in the rearview mirror and have begun to ask the Bartletian question, “What’s next?”
Oh, and one commenter directly expressed joy that Scott Boras failed to get his client a seven-year deal, although I argue with their notion that Boras rarely loses these days. See, for example: Gerrit Cole’s opt-out last winter, Jordan Montgomery’s failed free agent market, Alex Bregman’s free agency last year, Carlos Correa’s free agency a few years back; basically, anybody not at the extreme top of the market has had a more difficult free agency that they anticipated.
And so, after all this, I return the question to you, dear readers. What are your thoughts on the Yankees’ decision to finally get down on one knee and ask Bellinger to be their left fielder for 2026 — or perhaps, more accurately, on Bellinger finally saying yes?
Vote in our poll, and let us know your thoughts in the comments’ section below!
Opener Abhishek Sharma struck 84 off 35 balls to set up a convincing 48-run win for India in the first of five T20 internationals against New Zealand on Wednesday.
After finishing their homestand with a fourth consecutive victory, the Ducks are hitting the road for a five-game trip. Their first stop is in Denver, where they'll take on the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche have a 34-5-8 record and have lost just once at home in regulation in the entire season. The Ducks are coming off a 5-3 win against the New York Rangers on Monday, while the Avalanche are coming off a 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals on Monday.
“We really liked our three performances on our home ice.” Ducks captain Radko Gudas said. “We played a very tight, checking game and we put the pucks in areas where we can get them, and we didn't give up much defensively either that last game (against the Rangers). Maybe in the third, we kind of got away from it a little bit, but our goalie was there for us, our PK came up huge at the end and the guys stepped up and played really well at the end of the game, so we got two points out of that. But, we have to learn from it, also. We can’t take as many penalties like we did the last two games, so those are some key things that we have to have to take care of.
“We have some best players in the world on the other side right now that are having a great season, so we’ve got to try to limit their time, make sure we have good gaps on them and don’t give them space to do their thing.”
Dec 20, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (49) skates with the puck against Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) and defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) in the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“I think our team's done a great job of playing the right way,” Jackson LaCombe said. “They have a great group over there and they’re really skilled and they're really fast. For us, we’ve just got to keep playing disciplined and keep playing smart.”
“Anytime you get to represent USA, it's a dream going true and special,” LaCombe said. “I'm just really excited.”
Alex Killorn will play in his 1000th NHL game against the Avalanche, a tremendous milestone for any player to reach.
“It’s pretty special,” Killorn said. “You really don't plan for playing a thousand games. You kind of just try to make the NHL and (that’s) just the way things have gone. (I) really fortunate, honestly, to be in this situation. It's pretty special. Fortunate, for sure.”
Nov 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Alex Killorn (17) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Victor Olofsson (95) battle for the puck in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
“It feels like we're doing some steps together, so that's pretty cool,” Gudas said. “I was there when he made his first professional debut, he was there when I made my NHL debut. So it's pretty cool to share these moments, share these personal milestones. I'm really happy that he got to this point when he plays his 1000th game. I think he deserved every bit of it. He's a true pro. He's helping all the young guys here understand what it all takes. He won Cups for a reason. He's a big part of why we're having success this year as well, so couldn't be more thrilled for him.”
“I think Killer gives us a real presence as far as playing the right way, and doing the right things,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “Being a good pro, an old pro. Knows how to prepare himself, knows what needs to be attended to. Knows how it can be and should be addressed. So that experience has played itself out here, particularly in that last little stretch we were going through.”
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Mason McTavish - Ryan Strome Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke Jeffrey Viel - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Avalanche Projected Lines
Victor Olofsson - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Nečas Artturi Lehkonen - Brock Nelson - Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton - Jack Drury - Gavin Brindley Zakhar Bardakhov - Parker Kelly - Taylor Makar
Sam Malinski - Cale Makar Josh Manson - Brent Burns Sam Girard - Jack Ahcan
Cody Bellinger might not have the most impressive underlying hitting metrics in baseball. He doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, with his average exit velocity in the 24th percentile and his 37.9 percent hard-hit rate in 2025 checking in the 26th percentile. His 70.1-mph bat speed is in the 20th percentile. And we can go on.
So why did the Yankees decide that this profile was worth $162.5 million over five years? Well, Bellinger showed that a hitter doesn’t need to have Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge’s metrics to succeed.
Bellinger was, simply put, an above-average performer in the three things expected from a position player: batting, fielding, and baserunning. He was in the 82nd percentile in Batting Run Value per Statcast, in the 69th percentile in Baserunning Run Value, and in the 91st percentile in Fielding Run Value. His barrel control, consistency, work ethic, and natural talent to put the bat on the ball allowed Bellinger to hit 29 homers and post a 4.9-fWAR season in his inaugural campaign in the Bronx last year, his best output since his MVP year in 2019.
The Bombers determined that a player with 30-homer potential, an elite 13.7-percent strikeout rate, excellent defense, versatility, and a solid track record of production (save for a couple years ravaged by a shoulder injury that he didn’t wait long enough to recover from) was worth investing in.
The negotiation process was grueling and seemed to have no ending in sight. But Scott Boras, Bellinger’s agent, finally realized the Yankees weren’t moving from their five-year offer. The star did get a fair amount of flexibility, though, as there are opt-outs after the second and third season, a $20 million signing bonus, and a full no-trade clause. In the event of a lockout nixing the 2027 campaign—a looming threat—those opt-outs will each slide back a year.
In the end, with the Mets trading for Luis Robert Jr. late on Tuesday, it became clear that they weren’t going to seriously pursue Bellinger anymore. It sounded as though the Blue Jays were internally moving on from their interest as well. Finally, the path towards a deal was smoothed, and now the Yankees can finally plan around Bellinger being back on the squad.
He is likely ticketed for left field, with Trent Grisham in center and Aaron Judge in right. If he’s not moved as part of a package before Opening Day, Jasson Domínguez would be the fourth outfielder, with utilitymen Amed Rosario and José Caballero also available to cover corner outfield spots (DH Giancarlo Stanton would only be an emergency). Essentially, it’s a very similar unit to the end of last year, providing the project with some stability. Grisham could move on after his one-year qualifying offer contract in 2026 as well, and though Bellinger is better in left, he’s at least an option to help and play center if needed in 2027, keeping Judge in his most optimal spot.
Bellinger might not have the ceiling of his early career years anymore, when he used to put up wRC+ finishes in the 160s as he did seven years ago (when the ball was admittedly jumpier). He is now a steady, all-around performer who might not be flashy, but is very much effective in all facets of the game and can even man first as well.
Now that the Yanks have finally checked off Bellinger’s return from their list, the expectation is that they will focus on adding at least one more starter before the start of the season. Perhaps they will also add a bullpen piece or two, now that they know exactly how much money Bellinger will make and for how long.
The roster is still not finished—it would rightly be considered folly for the Yankees to think it’s A-OK—but Bellinger’s return is certainly a positive in the grand scheme of things. He showed the ability to take full advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short porch and finished 2025 with his highest home run total since he hit 47 back in 2019.
Bellinger has no platoon weakness (his 180 wRC+ against lefties was, in fact, much better than his 105 mark vs. righties), and he offers contact, power, speed, athleticism, defense, and pure baseball acumen. He also knows how to handle pressure and the media. Oh, and most importantly, he wanted to stay a Yankee, like his father. Now, he finally gets his wish and he
Negotiations weren’t pretty, but it finally happened: Cody Bellinger is staying a Yankee.
When reporters asked Golden State Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, Jr. about Jonathan Kuminga’s trade demand, he didn’t just have an answer. He delivered a bar.
Mike Dunleavy on the Jonathan Kuminga trade demand: “I’m aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand there needs to be demand.” pic.twitter.com/XOGXj3HFrs
“In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be demand,” Dunleavy said Monday. He went to explain that Cranbrook is a private school, Kuminga’s parents had a real good marriage, and that while Kuminga stands tough, he noticed that on defense this man doesn’t have his hands up.
It’s not clear if Dunleavy intended to be so savage about Kuminga’s lack of trade value, one not helped by his inconsistent playing time with the Warriors. At the same time, Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, haven’t been able to find much in the way of interest from other teams, or at least not ones willing to give up anything of value for the 23-year-old forward.
During the summer, the Sacramento Kings were the main team who expressed interest in Kuminga, but their trade offers were centered around second-year point guard Devin Carter and local favorite Dario Šarić, or taking on Malik Monk’s long-term contract, plus a Schrödinger’s cat of a future first-round pick that might be protected, might not, and might not even exist —it depends on what trade rumors you observe. They’re still interested in Kuminga, but the rosters don’t match up well for a trade, considering the Warriors don’t really need an eighth shooting guard in Monk.
During the summer, the Phoenix Suns were reportedly willing to give Kuminga a four-year deal for $90M or so, and their offer also included a salary dump of Royce O’Neale (owed $32.6M through 2027-28) and a garbage plate of second-round picks. It’s very difficult to make a deal work with the Suns in terms of matching contracts, and the 27-17 Suns may not be interested in shaking up their roster, especially with the return of another rim-attacking score-first player in Jalen Green.
Dunleavy’s harshness may be a result of the seemingly endless Kuminga saga, which dates back more than a year. It’s possible that Kuminga’s ankle injury last season scuttled the team’s plans to include him in a blockbuster deal, either for original trade target Kevin Durant or the eventual move for Jimmy Butler. It seems like Kuminga’s agent spends more time posting highlights of his client (some of which were allegedly altered) and taking to social media to criticize the team’s treatment of Kuminga than finding him a new home. Turner posted this after Kuminga sat in the 4th quarter of a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sitting Kuminga for a month hurts his trade value but so does his agent trying to go viral on social media and making the podcast rounds. Is Kuminga’s new organization going to be excited to deal with Turner?
In his return from exile Tuesday, Kuminga scored 20 points, which might help rekindle interest from teams who may have forgotten he was in the NBA at all. If nothing else, he showed that he’s stayed mentally strong and prepared even through a parade of DNP-CDs and that the Kuminga-Hield combination can light up the scoreboard, at least against the Toronto Raptors reserves.
It seems like Kuminga really, really wants a trade and the Warriors are willing to trade him. Finding a trade partner will be a “demanding” job.
Luis Garcia pitching for the Angels in August 2025.
The Mets, after two high-profile lineup moves in recent days, turned toward the bullpen Wednesday.
Luis García, a veteran right-hander who spent last season with three teams, has reached agreement with the club on a one-year contract, The Post’s Joel Sherman first reported.
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García, 38, pitched to a 3.42 ERA in 58 appearances last season with the Angels, Nationals and Dodgers.
He became the third new member of a reconstructed Mets bullpen during an offseason in which Edwin Díaz departed to the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million contract.
The Mets also have Huascar Brazobán, and lefties Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter in the bullpen.
Luis Garcia pitching for the Angels in August 2025. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
García averaged 96.9 mph with his fastball last season, which ranked in MLB’s 87th percentile, according to Statcast. He also had a ground ball rate of 49.7 percent, which ranked in the 82nd percentile.
The Mets are still searching for an arm to bolster the starting rotation.
“I’ve been clear, my preference would be to add a starting pitcher,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “It doesn’t mean it’s a certainty we’re going to do it, but yes.”
Framber Valdez remains the top option on the free agent market, and the Mets convened with the left-hander at the GM meetings in November. The trade options could include Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta, both of whom are entering their walk year.
Brett Baty will be an option to play first base and left field, according to Stearns. Last season Baty split time between second and third base, but those positions are now occupied by full-time players in Marcus Semien and Bichette.
“We have got a lot of people in the organization who feel Brett Baty is going to be a real good left fielder once he gets some experience out there,” Stearns said.
The Mets also plan to evaluate prospect Carson Benge in left field during spring training and have Tyrone Taylor returning.
“I think we have some options out there, and we’ll continue to see how the offseason goes,” Stearns said.
Four other Yankees cracked the list, headlined by shortstop George Lombard Jr. at No. 46.
Pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (59), 2025 first-round shortstop Dax Kilby (No. 61) and pitcher Carlos Lagrange (93) round out the quartet that qualified.
Baseball America has not been kind to Jones throughout the years, ranking him as its No. 46 prospect before the 2024 season and leaving him off lists since.
He’s certainly a divisive prospect, with some projecting Aaron Judge-like power while others worrying his swing has too many holes and he will strike out way too often.
Jones, 24, slashed .274/.362/.571 with 35 homers, 80 RBIs and 29 steals this past season, and could be part of the Yankees’ Opening Day mix.
It seems he’ll start the year in the minors after Cody Bellinger re-signed Wednesday — provided he’s not traded — affording more opportunities to refine his game.
Spencer Jones during spring training last year. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Four Yankees making the list shows that the system has depth, but their top prospect coming in at No. 46 further revealed that the system lacks top-end talent.
The Bronx Bombers have talked up Lombard for quite some time after drafting him in 2023, but he’s coming off a disappointing season in which he had a .695 OPS in Double-A.
George Lombard Jr. during spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Rodriguez-Cruz shined after arriving in the Carlos Narvaez trade, posting a 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts in 150 innings spanning three levels.
Kilby, the No. 39 pick in the 2025 Draft, played in just 18 minor-league games and posted an .898 OPS with 16 stolen bases.
Lagrange rounded out the list after posting a 3.83 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 120 innings spanning Double-A and Single-A.
This will be the second of two meetings between the teams after the Flames went into Pittsburgh on Jan. 10 and won 2-1. Matt Coronato scored the game-winning goal in the third period.
The Flames are coming off a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday, but have still won three of their last five games. They have started a bit of their sell-off after trading defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights. He's been great for the Flames this year, compiling 10 goals and 30 points in 48 games.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf was first off the ice during the Flames' morning skate and is lined up to start in this game. Wolf has a 15-19-2 record with a 2.98 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. His numbers are lower this year than last, but don't let that fool you. He's still a really good young goaltender.
Nazem Kadri leads the team in points with 34 in 49 games, followed by Mikael Backlund with 12 goals and 31 points. Coronato has 13 goals and 26 points in 48 games and continues to play well after breaking out with 24 goals last season.
The Penguins are expected to run with the same forward lines that they had on Monday for Wednesday's game, but the defensive pairings could look different, as Erik Karlsson is still not ready to return and Kris Letang is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Head coach Dan Muse confirmed after the morning skate that Letang continues to be evaluated and hasn't been ruled out.
Stuart Skinner will start in goal for the Penguins, paving the way for Arturs Silovs to start against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The Buffalo Sabres entered the second of back-to-back road games in Nashville, losers of two games in a row, but unlike recent games when Tage Thompson had carried the majority of the scoring burden, the Sabres 5-3 win over the Predators was thanks to the newly formed “Kid Line” of Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, and Zach Benson.
Ostlund scored twice, and Helenius scored his first NHL goal in his second NHL game. Buffalo held a 4-0 lead in the second period, but Nashville closed the gap to 4-3 in the third before Peyton Krebs scored into an empty net. Alex Lyon made 31 saves in his first start since late December.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke after the game:
What happened in the latter half of the game that allowed Nashville to come back?
We got out of structure on a couple of plays. We got caught on a long shift. Intentions were good, but we didn't manage the puck well enough, which really hurt us. And I thought ultimately that's what gave them momentum.
What can you say about the play of the Benson, Ostlund, Helenius line?
Best line by far. Skated well, made every play, every time they were on the ice or in their offensive zone, six, seven shots on goal. That's the type of energy you need. I think when you look at the schedule and you look at back-to-back games, some guys have a little more than others. They had a lot of energy, and they made a lot of great plays.
Why were you comfortable putting that line together?
I think the world of Ostlund, for the way he plays down low, and how smart he's been. I just trust him to play. Give them the opportunity trust them to play. And I think if you keep getting thrown out there, you feel good about your game……It takes three to make a line go and I thought they were kind of connected. They were around the puck together
Add Bichette and Robert to the already-signed Jorge Polanco, and New York's offense has been transformed after the departures of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil.
While Stearns said he's happy with the position player group the Mets now have, they are still in search of a starting pitcher.
"My preference is to add a starting pitcher," Stearns told SNY's Steve Gelbs. "I've been open and honest about that through the entirety of the offseason. I can't say with certainty that we're going to be able to do that, but we remain engaged on a number of different fronts in that market.
"We've still got plenty of time to go in the offseason, certainly plenty of time to go before Opening Day. And so we'll see where it heads."
The Mets, who have yet to dip into their stable of top prospects in any trade this offseason, could be set up well to deal for a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.
The best free agent pitcher remaining is Framber Valdez, who has been heavily linked to the Mets and Orioles and could possibly be had on a three-or four-year deal worth around $30 million annually.
As things currently stand, the Mets' rotation includes Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga.
Then there are the young starters, led by Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Christian Scott -- who should be ready to go after recovering from Tommy John surgery.
While the Mets have rotation depth, they also have lots of question marks -- something that obviously isn't lost on Stearns as he continues the club's pursuit of more starting pitching.
His offense, while inconsistent, is something you can dream on.
Robert has had two consecutive down seasons, but he showed serious flashes last summer when he slashed .297/.350/.468 in 140 plate appearances over 35 games from July 11 to Aug. 26 -- when his season ended due to a hamstring injury.
"As we looked at Luis Robert, we saw so many of the same skills and tools that allowed him to an elite player just a couple of years ago," Stearns told Gelbs. "All of that is still there. When you see those underlying skills and tools at such a high level, it makes you want to get that guy in your organization. We'll do everything we can to bring the best out of him. We'll do everything we can to keep him on the field, make him comfortable.
"Sometimes just a change of place, a change of scenery gives someone a little bit of a new perspective. We don't know what that is. We don't really know why, but we've all seen it plenty of times in sports. And Luis certainly could be a guy like that."
Behind the scenes, though, things haven’t been quite as rosy.
Thanks to a story by Baxter Holmes of ESPN on Wednesday, we learned quite a bit about their relationship. While there were plenty of anecdotes detailing how things changed, the most notable revelation was that Jeanie considered not giving LeBron another extension in 2022 and even thought about trading him to the Clippers.
In 2022, in the aftermath of the Westbrook trade, multiple people said Jeanie privately mused about not giving James a contract extension and, later that year, even about trading James, with the LA Clippers floated as a possibility.
Look, there are plenty of people to blame for the Russell Westbrook trade. The fact that no one really got fired was perplexing. But Jeanie placing the blame at the feet of LeBron and not the President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka is surprising.
If the Lakers decided to trade for Russ because LeBron wanted it, then sure, he takes some of the blame. However, ultimately, he is a player and doesn’t have the final say, sothat falls more on ownership and the front office than on James.
But from Jeanie’s perspective, it seems she believed LeBron was focused on spinning the blame away from himself on this topic, which led to their relationship souring.
The distance between Jeanie and James widened after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook in July 2021, people close to the team said. The team had made the trade in an effort to appease James, but the acquisition backfired in catastrophic fashion. L.A. went 33-49 and missed the playoffs, and James seemed to wash his hands of his role in the acquisition.
Jeanie privately bristled about what she felt was his lack of accountability and the way James would shift blame onto others after the Westbrook trade, the people said.
Despite the icy relationship and Jeanie’s thoughts of moving on from LeBron, she never has. And has still made decisions she thought would make him happy, like drafting Bronny James. But, again, Jeanie wasn’t pleased with his response.
And when the Lakers drafted James’ son Bronny with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, Jeanie privately remarked that James should be grateful for such a gesture, but she felt that he wasn’t, people close to the team told ESPN.
Bronny worked out with other teams, so clearly, he had interest from different organizations, and he was going to find a spot in the league.
While LeBron never publicly said the words “I appreciate what the Lakers did drafting Bronny,” he has certainly shown how much it means to him. When training camp started, he called it “the greatest thing” to have Bronny working with him. And LeBron, for years, mentioned that playing with Bronny was “the ultimate dream.”
While Jeanie might feel LeBron hasn’t shown gratitude for what the Lakers have done for him, LeBron also likely feels like they haven’t been thankful for what he’s done for them.
The fact is, LeBron came to the Lakers when it didn’t make sense for him to do so. Back in 2018, he could’ve gone wherever he wanted, but he chose LA.
And while Jeanie might think they had a great pitch, LeBron had non-basketball reasons for being in Los Angeles due to his business ventures. So, it likely didn’t matter what their PowerPoint presentation looked like or what Magic Johnson had to say when selling Bron on the idea.
LeBron’s arrival, followed by a title within two years, makes him a Laker legend. That credit LeBron gets breeds envy, and Jeanie appears to have some, given how his move and its success are perceived by the general public.
She didn’t like that James was considered a savior for a foundering franchise when he arrived in 2018 and that it was he who chose the Lakers rather than the team’s leadership receiving praise for landing him. Team sources have been adamant for years that James’ camp informed the Lakers as early as 2017 that he was coming to join them when he became a free agent the following year.
In the end, it’s all messy, petty corporate politics mixed with sports.
Clearly, the Westbrook trade was a failure, and no one wants to take accountability for it. Jeanie is the boss of the Lakers and, like all bosses, she wants all of the credit and none of the blame.
Rather than looking within or at Pelinka and the rest of the front office on what went wrong, it’s easier to just blame LeBron. While he likely did push for it, that’s not his job. Someone in charge could’ve said no and they didn’t.
Despite any ideas about walking away from LeBron, Jeanie and the Lakers never did.
This relationship between Jenaie and LeBron seems to be pretty fractured at this point. And considering that LeBron is in the final year of his contract, perhaps this ends, as many things do, in a bit of a cold divorce.
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