The season is over, but daily links continue.
On to said links:
Phillies News:
You may not want an analysis of last night’s events, but here one is.
And one focusing on Aaron Nola.
The best of Kruk (and friends) from the game 3 broadcast. ($)
MLB news
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo has signed an extension.
The rumored plans for a game at Grand Teton National Park will not come to pass.
The Division Series, previewed.
Those who have seen a Jacob Misiorowski pitch up close tell the tale.
Today’s guest column is from professors John Cairney and Rick Burton.
Most baseball fans are currently focused on one of two things. If their team is still in the playoffs, they are obsessing over current and possible postseason matchups. If their club was eliminated, they are probably already looking toward 2027.
Almost nobody is thinking about collective bargaining. Almost nobody, except the obvious vested interests—and those of us who study the baseball business. That will change if Major League Baseball shuts down in 2027.
The league and the MLB Players Association have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since May, with the current deal expiring Dec. 1. And perhaps no issue is more consequential—or potentially contentious—than MLB’s proposal for a salary cap and salary floor.
Enter the Milwaukee Brewers, winners of an MLB-best 103 games and, for the fourth consecutive season, the National League Central. And the Crew did it with nothing resembling baseball’s biggest payroll.
Of this, we are certain: The player’s union noticed.
MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer has specifically pointed to the recent success of teams like Milwaukee when challenging MLB’s competitive-balance argument. His point is straightforward: Cap systems don’t guarantee competitive balance, because teams like Milwaukee’s payroll ranking (19th) and Tampa Bay’s (23rd) provide examples of lower-payroll teams keeping up with much richer clubs.
The Brewers and Rays (who won an impressive 98 games) therefore look like particularly compelling exhibits. To channel Dr. Suess, little cats A and B.
If two top teams can consistently win while spending considerably less than baseball’s financial heavyweights, what exactly is the problem a salary cap will supposedly solve?
Clearly, a careful owner doesn’t need to spend the most money to win division crowns. So why prevent billionaires (willing and able to spend lavishly) from opening their wallets for free agents?
Could an objective jury suggest this case should be closed? Not quite.
The Brewers and Rays got us wondering about the other side of the argument. If Milwaukee and Tampa Bay become exhibits for salary cap opponents, what would MLB owners say in response?
We came up with four answers. There are undoubtedly others—and perhaps better ones—but here’s our quartet.
First, four exceptions (we’ve added in little cats C and D with the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians) don’t necessarily make the rule. That raises the question of whether this is really about someone’s desire for “competitive balance.”
MLB has explicitly structured its argument around equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcomes. Under that framing, competitive balance doesn’t mean every club should finish 81-81. Why? Because superior scouting, player development, coaching and decision-making all create advantages.
Admittedly, our two exhibits have been exceptionally good at all of them. But that leads to a different interpretation of the success. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay may demonstrate that superbly run smaller-market organizations can overcome an annual financial/salary disadvantage.
But that doesn’t mean the disadvantage doesn’t exist.
Indeed, the Brewers, Rays, ChiSox and Guardians (they of the absolute lowest salary payroll) could be evidence for both sides at once. The union can say, “See, you don’t need a cap to compete.”
The owners respond with, “See how exceptionally well you have to operate a club without the resources of the wealthy.” Milwaukee, Tampa, Cleveland and Chicago prove the financial gap can be overcome—not that it doesn’t matter.
Second, building a winner and sustaining one aren’t necessarily the same thing. The Brewers and Rays have been unquestionably successful for multiple years. But two questions linger. Can they keep their rosters together as their best players become increasingly expensive? And come mid-October, can either club win the big prize?
MLB has made player retention a central part of its competitive-balance case, arguing smaller-market teams should have greater ability to retain the stars they develop rather than eventually losing them to clubs with greater financial resources.
Then there is October. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay have never won a World Series (and Cleveland hasn’t won since 1948). Indeed, Kansas City in 2015 remains the last small-market club to win the World Series.
That doesn’t prove a salary cap is necessary. Far from it. But it does point out a conundrum: Is possessing sufficient resources to compete over 162 games the same thing as possessing sufficient talent to continually assemble and win the Series?
The answer may be yes and no. This October will undoubtedly add interesting data points.
Third, perhaps big payrolls aren’t really about buying wins but more about the consequences of being wrong. This may be the most interesting argument, because one lingering “Moneyball” habit is thinking about payroll in terms of efficiency.
We can measure how many wins an organization purchased for each dollar spent. But can a 103-win team disappear from October in three games? Why, yes, they can. In fact, in 2001, the Seattle Mariners won a record 116 games and promptly lost the American League pennant to the Yankees in five.
This is the advantage of what Purple Row’s Renee Dechert, drawing on Pedro Moura, calls “optionality”: Better resources give teams more ways to respond when things go wrong. Wealth doesn’t guarantee better decisions. It makes bad ones easier to survive.
We think that insight leads to a broader question. Perhaps baseball’s financial imbalance isn’t simply about the unequal ability to purchase talent. Maybe it’s also about the unequal cost of failure.
Consider two teams that each make a $30 million mistake. A wealthy club can absorb it, find a replacement and try again. For a club operating closer to Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee or Tampa’s payroll, the same mistake consumes a far greater share of its resources—and leaves far less room to recover.
Money therefore may not buy certainty, but it may fund resilience.
If that postulation is true, the competitive-balance question changes subtly: Are wealthier clubs better positioned to survive the inevitable mistakes and misfortunes involved in trying to win it all?
The extraordinary efficiency of the 2026 Brewers and Rays doesn’t necessarily answer that question, but it may actually help illuminate it.
Finally, we think when the smoke clears what fans will see is that MLB’s owners aren’t proposing just a ceiling. They’re also proposing a floor. The league’s initial proposal would establish a $245.3 million salary cap and a $171.2 million salary floor in 2027.
Based on 2026 Opening Day payrolls, the Washington Post reported eight clubs would have needed to reduce payroll. But 12 would’ve been required to spend more. The Brewers, Rays, Guardians and the surprising Sox were four of them.
That turns the Milwaukee-Tampa example on its head. The owners’ response could be: Exactly.
Milwaukee has constructed one of baseball’s best teams while spending approximately $131 million. Imagine an economic system that required the Brewers to put another $40 million into that roster while simultaneously reducing the spending advantage enjoyed by baseball’s richest clubs. The numbers are even crazier for the Rays and White Sox. They’re positively insane for the Guardians.
That, in turn, invites an equally powerful response from the players. Why does accomplishing the first objective require the second?
The MLBPA’s proposal points toward another solution: Greater revenue sharing, coupled with penalties for clubs failing to meet minimum payroll benchmarks or invest revenue-sharing proceeds in players.
So, if Milwaukee can build baseball’s best team at its current payroll, why prevent the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets or anyone else from paying players what they believe they are worth? Why not strengthen revenue sharing and require lower-spending clubs to invest more in players—without imposing a ceiling?
And suddenly the Brewers, Rays, Guardians and Sox aren’t evidence for either side so much as evidence of how complicated the question is.
Competitive balance can mean comparable payrolls, chances of reaching October or the financial capacity to survive mistakes. Those are not the same thing.
Milwaukee, Tampa, Cleveland and Chicago will undoubtedly be part of the bargaining conversation despite their status as lesser cats. But despite the attention their success receives, how much should four exceptional teams really tell us about the economics of an entire league? Perhaps not much. Or, possibly, too much.
Then again, high-stakes labor negotiations are rarely won—or lost—on economic evidence alone. They’re often determined by brutal strategies and tactics requiring unwanted compromise or “couldn’t stand the pain” submission.
John Cairney is the dean of the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. Rick Burton is Syracuse University’s David Falk Emeritus Professor of Sport Management and former commissioner of Australia’s National Basketball League.
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A delightful start to the campaign! Jack Hughes finished off an overtime win as the Devils took Thursday’s season opener 3-2. [Devils NHL]
Here we go!
“This is a big season for the Devils. It’s more or less playoffs or bust. The talent is there for them to return to postseason play, especially with a murky Metropolitan Division, but they need to prove it. Can the Devils finally live up to expectations and deliver the goods?” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Goalie goal alert:
Not a great look:
“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman believes that no-trade clauses are no longer being used as ‘originally intended,’ and instead, players are using them to force moves to specific teams after requesting a trade.” [ESPN]
On the Quinn Hughes question in Minnesota: “This year is really important,” Guerin said. “Every year is really important, but the steps we’ve taken over the last five or six years to get where we are now — it’s been a lot of work from everybody involved. Put it like this: We can’t waste years. You can’t waste years.” [The Athletic ($)]
We’re just throwing around money these days:
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
There are 41 Spurs home games…but one is being played Paris and three are being played in Austin, so make that 37 home games here in San Antonio. While that seems like a lot, it isn’t. Not for a season as exciting as this one promises to be. So we’re going to all want to get there as often as possible.
Since the drafting of Victor Wembanyama, demand for tickets has risen significantly, which means prices for tickets have also risen. Add in parking, food, and drinks, and it’s not just a whimsical night out, it is an event. And the Spurs have added themes to some nights to level up the revelry.
For those of us who appreciate the swag, the Spurs have also spiced up their schedule with a ton of theme gear and some giveaways. They recently released the 2026-2027 Promotional Offers.
T-shirts, hats, heritage jerseys, and the annual “ugly sweater” are all on the calendar. There are still nights honoring military and veterans, which not only reflects San Antonio as Military City, U.S.A., but maintains the relationship the organization has with USAA. Last season the Spurs had individualized evenings set aside for various branches of the military. Be on the look out for additions over the course of the season.
Box Out Cancer Night, always a hit with fans, takes place on March 31st this year.
Nights dedicated to celebrating Filipino, Hispanic, French*, Mexican and Black heritage not only highlight the vast backgrounds of the team members, but the multicultural diversity of the city. There is no mention of a Native American Heritage Night, something Jacob Tobey and Lindy Waters III piloted last season.
*It is unclear from the wording if it is “French Heritage” or Harry Potter French Heritage.“ I can only imagine it is two separate themes, as Harry Potter French Heritage must have a very narrow scope.
The Spurs have foregone their long-standing Star Wars Night for Space Jam. They have also scaled back Peanuts and sesame Street while keeping Barbie and Hello Kitty.
No matter what you are into, there is a night for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Faith and Family, Pride, School Employees, and Dia De Los Muertos are all on the schedule this season.
So head on out to the Frost bank Center and cheer on your Spurs this season.
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The Florida Panthers will learn on Friday, Oct. 2 how long captain Aleksander Barkov will be out after he left the ice with an apparent injury to his left leg.
Barkov had missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering injuries to his ACL and MCL in his right knee during training camp.
"It's not related to his injury last year at all," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 1. "So we'll have a good idea by (Friday) afternoon."
Barkov went down awkwardly on his left leg during a board battle in the second period. He got up and immediately went to the dressing room, limping and throwing off his glove in anger. He didn't return to the game.
Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 2, 2026
Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL... pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe
Barkov's injury last season was one of many that derailed the Panthers as they missed the playoffs after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Gustav Forsling, who scored in overtime in the Panthers' opening win, missed Thursday's game. Maurice said he's day-to-day and there's a good chance he could return for Florida's next game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aleksander Barkov injury update as Panthers star leaves with leg injury
NBA training camps are in full swing, and the first preseason game is nearly upon us.
The Miami Heat will head to Quebec City, Canada, to face the Toronto Raptors Saturday, Oct. 3. Both teams have been revamped, with Miami pulling off the blockbuster to land star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Toronto reunited with Kawhi Leonard.
Those are just two of the teams to have undergone massive changes, and they’re not even the ones that had the most seismic offseason; the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on their championship window and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
While it’s safe to expect veterans to play limited minutes during preseason games, here are five storylines I’m tracking as we inch closer to the 2026-27 NBA regular season:
New addition Klay Thompson took the team out on a boat to cruise around Biscayne Bay. Earlier in the month, captain Bam Adebayo and point guard Davion Mitchell organized a players-only week of training they started calling “pain camp,” for all the cardio work they did. Players have said all the right things.
By all accounts, the vibes around the new-look Heat are high. But what will their play look like, in practice? One thing that struck me from the early footage coming from their camp at Florida Atlantic was the pace. Miami led the league last season in that stat, generating 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. And now with Antetokounmpo, that emphasis on fastbreak offense should only intensify; Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 5.5 fast break points per game. Antetokounmpo sucks in the defense when he attacks in transition, and his vision allows him to find open shooters.
I expect the Heat to continue to play fast, and I expect Antetokounmpo to put up huge assist numbers, if he stays healthy. The big question here is whether Miami’s shooting holds up and whether it can sustain this style for an entire season.
The Los Angeles offense, at times last season, looked rather disjointed, particularly when both Luka Dončić and LeBron James were on the floor at the same time.
Both are players who thrive when the ball is in their hands, and both are among the game’s best passers. The issue, then, became: what was one supposed do when the other had the ball? Most often, the player without the ball was relegated to standing off to the side, away from the action.
But now with James moving onto the 76ers, the bulk of Los Angeles’ play-making will fall to him. Last season, Dončić led the NBA in usage rate (36.8%), or the number of possessions that end with that player taking a shot or committing a turnover. Dončić also ranked sixth in assist percentage (38.7%), or the rate of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor – among all players with at least 50 games.
Being as ball-dominant as Dončić is (and being as talented as he is when he initiates actions), I suspect both those figures will be even higher this season. I also suspect that, if healthy, Dončić will play his way into the Most Valuable Player conversation even more so than he has in recent seasons.
Shooting guard Austin Reaves is the other play-maker for the Lakers, and one who should excel even further when Dončić takes a blow on the bench. But when both are on the floor, expect Dončić to be the one to orchestrate everything.
During 76ers media day, when asked who the “alpha” would be on the roster, newly acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown wasn’t having any of it. “Next question,” he said, with sober indifference.
I understand why the question was asked, but I think framing this team in that way is flawed. This isn’t LeBron James willing the 2017-18 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. This isn’t Brown taking on the biggest role of his career last season while Jayson Tatum was out, recovering from an Achilles tendon tear. It’s not Tyrese Maxey carrying the Sixers two seasons ago as Philadelphia contended with debilitating injuries.
The reality is this team doesn’t need to worry about alphas or No. 1s, and if that’s where the discourse ever goes to, coach Nick Nurse will have failed. Top to bottom, this Sixers team is as talented as it has been in decades. This is Philadelphia’s best shot to win a title in the Joel Embiid-Maxey window.
The task at hand is to get the new faces (and old, too) to buy into a team mentality that foregoes individual accolades in favor of collective success. In practical matters, James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid may see their scoring averages dip a touch. I think that would be a good sign that things are working. As long as this team stays healthy, and as long as they share the ball, a championship should be within reach.
San Antonio’s stars may be young, but they appear to have embraced trolling, to a certain degree. In an interview with GQ, Stephon Castle downplayed the energy at Madison Square Garden during the Finals, calling the first game “underwhelming.” For the most part, I think this is a good thing. I would want my players to be confident and bold.
But talk is just talk, and the real test here is whether the Spurs can become the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to win a title the season after losing the NBA Finals.
It will come down to the continued development of Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and how veteran De’Aaron Fox bounces back from an uneven Finals. But more than anything, the Spurs need to learn from their loss against the Knicks, when they couldn’t close out games because they stopped attacking the paint, became too passive and fell in love with a 3-point shot that wasn’t dropping.
It seems like no one is talking about the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is back and healthy, and if not for his Achilles tendon that snapped in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, we might be talking about them in a very different way. The roster has changed somewhat. And while I think Indiana will continue to miss Myles Turner’s perimeter shooting, I actually think Ivica Zubac is an excellent fit with Haliburton’s passing ability. But there’s still a lot to work out, so the preseason will be telling to see how the Pacers gel with Zubac providing rim protection, defensive rebounding and rim running.
Out West, I think it’s the Minnesota Timberwolves who are flying a bit under the radar, overshadowed by the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with LaMelo Ball in place, Anthony Edwards finally has another player who can both create his own shot and initiate actions. This should take a huge burden off of Edwards, and it should make Minnesota more consistent against better defenses in the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat vibes, Alpha Sixers, Doncic domination? Top storylines for NBA preseason
The NBA's preseason schedule is set to begin, and the first game could be a showcase for the blockbuster moves that shook up the league this offseason.
Every team in the league returned to the court this week for the start of training camps, and the opening exhibition game of the 2026-27 season is slated for Saturday, Oct. 3 with an NBA Canada game featuring the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat in Quebec City.
Though the availability of star players remains to be determined, it could be the first opportunity to see Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Heat jersey and the return of Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors. Both Antetokounmpo and Leonard were acquired via high-profile trades in recent months.
Preseason action continues on Sunday, Oct. 4 when the Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu and the Utah Jazz take on the Denver Nuggets in Boulder, Colorado.
Here's a breakdown of the NBA's preseason schedule, as well as key dates on the league calendar heading into the 2026-27 season:
The preseason begins Saturday, Oct. 3 with an NBA Canada game when the Miami Heat face the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City.
The preseason continues Sunday, Oct. 4 with two games: Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu and Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets in Boulder, Colorado.
The NBA preseason runs from Oct. 3 through Oct. 16. Click here for the full schedule.
The 2026-27 regular season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with three games, including an afternoon tilt between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. That matchup will be followed by an evening doubleheader when LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers visit the reigning champion New York Knicks and the Spurs host the Thunder in a Western Conference Finals rematch.
Stream all three NBA opening day games on Peacock
The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup begins Wednesday, Oct. 30 group play featuring 10 games. Group play concludes on Friday, Nov. 27.
The trade deadline for the 2026-27 NBA season is Thursday, Feb. 11.
The All-Star break for this season will run from Feb. 19 through Feb. 24.
NBA All-Star weekend is Feb. 19-21 in Phoenix. The 76th NBA All-Star Game will take place at Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, on Sunday, Feb. 21.
The 2026-27 season ends Sunday, April 11 with a full slate of 15 games.
The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament runs from Tuesday, April 13 through Friday, April 16. This will be followed by the 2027 NBA playoffs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA preseason tips off with Heat vs Raptors: 2026-27 key dates, schedule
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Penguins center Blake Lizotte missed practice Thursday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, just one day after returning from injured reserve in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 season-opening win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Center Ben Kindel, meanwhile, returned to practice in a full-contact jersey and participated in line rushes, signaling he could be nearing a return from his lower-body injury. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to their American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, on Thursday afternoon. [Trib Live]
The Penguins’ makeshift third line of Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre provided a major spark in Wednesday’s win, with each player scoring a goal. The trio was assembled because of injuries and absences, but their strong chemistry and offensive contributions could give Pittsburgh more options as the season begins. [Trib Live]
Penguins head coach Dan Muse and defenseman Erik Karlsson toured U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock as part of the team’s new partnership with the company, which became Pittsburgh’s official helmet partner for the 2026-27 season. [Penguins]
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the recent increase in players requesting trades despite having no-movement clauses is not good for players, teams or fans. [Sportsnet]
The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension worth $43.2 million. [Associated Press via TSN]
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to the lineup Thursday night for the first time since stepping away from the team in March to address his mental health. [Associated Press]
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says there remains no timeline for a Connor Hellebuyck trade. [TSN]
Good morning and happy Friday, the New York Islanders are last in the Metro.
Last night’s scores included the Jack Hughes getting the Devils the win in overtime after he objected to a mid-game question from AJ Mleczko about bubble wrap and plastic utensils (he was reportedly injured during a team dinner last season). [NHL]
The once proud franchise known as the Chicago Bulls has been in the wilderness for a decade now. There have been many issues in Windy City, but perhaps their biggest fault is them not picking a direction. For far too many years, the Bulls spent their season finishing between 35 and 40 wins, finishing right on the fringes of the playoffs, and either getting spanked in the first round or picking late in the lottery. It’s hard to improve when, as a franchise, your ethos is being too good to stink while also being too bad to be actually good.
Enter last year’s Bulls, who finally decided to pick a direction after the All-Star Break. That direction was down, so tank commander Donovan and the group of guys they pulled out of the morning run on the Blacktop courts at Jackson Park lost many games down the stretch. Heck, even the tanking Mavericks couldn’t help but beat them by a million in game 82. Of course, that loss put the Bulls into a coin flip for ninth in the lottery, which they went on to win. Naturally, they then jumped into the top four of the draft. Quite the turn of events!
After the summer, the Bulls look dramatically different and there is no confusion about what the goal is. They want to build a winner around Caleb Wilson, and this year is the start of making that dream a reality.
To be honest, the Bulls new front office did some nice work this offseason. Obviously, the two rookies are headliners for the organization. But beyond that, Claxton is a fun piece to work with at center, especially after years of the Nikola Vucevic experience. Norm Powell and Buddy Hield should be nice vets to have around for this team. Plus, internal development from Matas Buzelis should have fans excited for a Wilson/Buzelis pairing for years to come. And hey, Noa Essengue grew again and, just maybe, is better at the game of basketball.
What can’t be overlooked here is the cultural shift that happened in one offseason. With Brysen Graham heading up basketball ops and Tiago Splitter at head coach, there are actual adults in the room. Combine that with a young core of Wilson, Buzelis and Swain, there’s actually something worth getting excited about in Chicago. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m bullish on the Bulls.
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers are set to begin their quest to the World Series this weekend as they have home-field advantage throughout the postseason, starting with the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, who took down the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series this week.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
You know the drill.
This is now an open thread:
After a glorious playoff win against the Red Sox, the Yankees basked in a glorious offday. In a parallel universe, we may have been sweating out a do-or-die Game 3 against Boston, but in this universe, the Yankees left no doubt, pounding their rivals and giving themselves a chance to enjoy a full reset before this titanic ALDS clash with Tampa Bay. The Rays will be even more rested, but I’m sure the Yankees aren’t concerned with that; they’re rolling into the next round with the wind at their backs, an offense that’s suddenly clicking supporting a league-leading pitching staff.
On the site today, you can catch Andrew’s rundown of the Game 3 clash between the Phillies and the Braves, as well as Jonathan’s entry in the Yankee Birthday series, highlighting pitcher Spec Shea. Also, Andres implores the Yankees not to deploy Trent Grisham in center field, while Madison delivers the answers to this week’s mailbag.
Offday.
1. Who would you lean towards for the Game 1 start against the Rays?
2. Did any of the outcomes or performances of the four Wild Card Series particularly surprise you?
Some NBA players develop a reputation that supersedes their actual on-court impact.
Aging millennial fans will remember Nick Van Exel. Random example: it could have been Rod Strickland. Perhaps it should be Tracy McGrady, but let’s avoid that collective trauma.
The memories are visceral. Van Exel was a joy. He was so talented, but never especially impactful.
Van Exel was ball dominant. He made bad decisions. He wasn’t much of a defender. He was one of the most fun players in the NBA to watch, until he was on your team.
Kyrie Irving has a similar mythology. He’s much better than Van Exel, don’t get me wrong. Irving impacts winning, but somehow, his immense talent outpaces his actual production anyway. He is on an extremely small list of the most skillful basketball players in NBA history.
It’s a matter of scale. In his prime, Van Exel was one of the fifteen-or-so most talented players in the NBA, but he was a fringe top-50 guy at best. Irving is…what? One of the one, two, or three most talented basketball players of his generation? But he’s likely never been a true top-ten player.
The Houston Rockets have been linked to Irving in trade rumors. Sure, they’re linked to just about everyone, but given Rafael Stone’s love of a good bargain, this one feels different.
But should he go after him?
There’s a temptation to answer with yes, simply for the sake of having an excuse to watch Irving more often without being reminded that Cooper Flagg is yet another future MVP candidate who isn’t on the Houston Rockets.
Yet, that’s not a good reason to advocate for a player acquisition. So, I’ll cop out instead. The Rockets should be interested in Irving at the right price.
When we last saw Irving healthy, he was mostly the same player he’d been throughout most of his career. His 3.4 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) fell short of the 7.7 mark he posted in 2019-20 (wait: Was Irving a top ten player?), but he still scored 24.7 points per game with a very solid 59.4% True Shooting %.
He also makes sound conceptual sense for the Rockets. Insulate two of the best shot creators of their generation in Irving and Durant with a murderer’s row of defensive wings. It also helps that they have long-standing chemistry (although who knows what their personal relationship looks like, given that they’re both, let’s say, interesting guys). Finally, it also helps that they’re both logical partners for Alperen Sengun, given their elite three-point gravity.
There are immediate basketball downsides, but they shouldn’t be enough to dissuade Rafael Stone. Irving will be earmarked for a starting position that will present an obstacle for Reed Sheppard, but Fred VanVleet is already there.
The broader implications are more concerning. Even in 2024-25, Irving managed to suit up for just 50 games. He couldn’t play last year. Will he even get on the floor?
It’s a real concern, but it’s also the reason why Irving’s trade value ought to be relatively low. So, without further ado, here’s my price:
Fred VanVleet, Clint Capela, and the Rockets’ 2028 first-round pick, top five protected.
Take it or leave it, Mavericks fans. The Rockets should protect their pick against abject disaster. If something goes so poorly that they’re picking in the top five in two summers, there’s a reasonable chance it’s at least partly on Irving’s shoulders.
Perhaps that’s not enough. If so, the Mavericks can keep Irving. He’s injury-prone, infamously troubled, and a Rockets team without a clear franchise player moving forward would do well to keep their picks anyway:
But dear God, is the guy talented.
New York Post | Mark W. Sanchez: The biggest surprise of the Wild Card Series sweep over the Red Sox was the 18 combined runs scored by the Yankees, not a team known for scoring when Aaron Judge is on the shelf. The way New York put up those runs was surprising too, with a mixture of bunts, base hits, and big home runs all contributing, and the blowout in Game Two sparked by Spencer Jones hustling on a dropped third strike, then stealing second and third. If the Yankees can use all these weapons the same way in the ALDS, it may be a short series for the Rays.
NJ.com | Randy Miller ($): Speaking of Aaron Judge, the Yankee Captain remains optimistic he’ll play a role in the ALDS against Tampa. Judge is in the midst of rehabbing that calf strain, taking BP and running on the field before this week’s Wild Card Games. I’m still skeptical he’ll be available over the next week, but I’ve been surprised before.
New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: Right off the bat, the Yankees will have a tough assignment in ALDS Game One. Drew Rassmussen, who could very well end up a Cy Young Award finalist, will get the ball for the Rays, fresh off four regular season starts against the Yankees this year, putting up a 2.86 ERA and striking out 26 in 22 innings. Drew’s one of the best in the AL, but having a righty on the hill does mean the Yankees should be able to put their ideal lineup in to counter.
FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: This got lost in some of the excitement yesterday, but the Yankees’ strategy of stacking the bench at the expense of the bullpen paid off in spades in the Wild Card round. With 16 position players available, Aaron Boone had more buttons to push in specific pitching matchups, and did so fabulously. The team won’t be able to carry quite so many hitters in the ALDS, but with starters that can go deep into games and your high-leverage relievers able to be used more with extra off days, don’t be surprised to see them carry one more potential batter than the Rays might.
Last season, De’Anthony Melton committed a career-high 1.9 turnovers per game, and made only 29.4 percent of his three-point attempts. You could say he was all thumbs.
He may have a better grasp of his game in 2026-27 thanks to some offseason procedures.
Melton was slowed last season by an injury to his right thumb and apparently, also his left thumb. Not only did Melton have trouble shooting or handling the ball, particularly in the last month of the season, but he was unable to hitchhike, review movies, or efficiently make decisions using a rule of thumb. Not only was Melton not making three-pointers, he wasn’t able to make the classic NBA three-point gesture, holding up his third-through-fifth fingers while making a circle with the pointer finger and thumb.
But now after taking both thumbs in for refurbishing, Melton is poised for a bounceback season, after honestly bouncing back pretty nicely last season, averaging 12.3 points per game in his return from an ACL tear early in the 2024-25 season. Despite going through an undeclared thumb war last year, Melton has been otherwise healthy for the start of the season for the first time in years, after rehabbing a knee last year and working through back problems two years ago.
It’s a shocking update for a team that normally only announces mysterious illnesses, secret surgeries, contract impasses, and sucker punches during training camp. I haven’t thumbed through the GSOM archives yet, but this might be the best preseason news since JaVale McGee officially became a vegan in the fall of 2017.
But Melton truly could be a floor-raising player for the Warriors, if they can get more than the 23 minutes per game in 49 games they got last season. When healthy, Melton has been a very good defensive player, consistently averaging two or more “stonks” (steals + blocks) and an above-average three-point shooter. He’s not a true point guard, but when all his fingers work, Melton can reliably bring the ball up and not embarrass the offense.
If the Warriors are going to find success next season, it’s likely going to be because of their defense. Having a healthy, ten-fingered Melton next season should go a long way to Golden State having a top-10 defense.