ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 26: St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom looks on during the pregame ceremony prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals are set to begin one of the more intriguing off-seasons in recent memory now that the World Series is in the rear view mirror. Important internal roster decisions and an almost certain lockout loom on the near horizon.
Here are the important dates on the St. Louis Cardinals front office schedule as we head into the off-season:
November 1: Gold Glove winners announced on ESPN at 7pm central time
November 2: 8-person National Baseball Hall of Fame Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires
November 2: Silver Slugger Award finalists announced at 1pm central time
November 2: BBWAA Awards Finalists announced – 5 – 7 pm central time (MLB Network) including Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and MVP
November 6: Heart & Hustle Award winners announced on MLB Network
November 6: Gold Glove Award winners dinner in NYC and Platinum Award winners announced
November 9 – 12: GM meetings in Las Vegas
November 10: Managers of the Year announced on MLB Network from 6p to 7p central time
November 11: Cy Young Awards and BBWAA relievers of year on MLB Network from 6p to 7p central time
November 11: MLB Awards Show – 8 to 10pm on MLB Network including All-MLB first and second teams , Hank Aaron Award winners , Comeback Players of year, Mariano Rivera & Trevor Hoffman relievers of year and Edgar Martinez DH of year
November 12: MVP Award winners announced on MLB Network from 6p – 7p central time
November 16: Hall of Fame announces its 2027 ballot, 11 am central time – Writer’s ballot
November 17 – 19: Owner meetings in New York
November 17: Silver Slugger Award winners announced, Deadline for players to accept qualifying offers – 3pm central time, Rule 5 protection deadline (Players need to be added to 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 draft)
November 20: Non-tender deadline
December 1: CBA Expires 10:59 pm central time – Lockout begins
I would love to continue and say the Winter Meetings December 7-9 and Draft Lottery on December 8 would be happening, but the lockout will almost certainly delay those indefinitely. Let’s hope common sense kicks in sooner rather than later between owners and players so that the most important part of baseball isn’t damaged or lost – the fans.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 28: Dejounte Murray #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts to a call during the second half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Smoothie King Center on October 28, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Suns not off to a good start and reports from the locker room that frustration over a certain role has grown, things haven’t looked great for Phoenix so far. That said, it is still early in the year, and last season this team took early losses and still made the playoffs. Anything can happen, and this team could very well bounce back, but with the discourse so negative so early on, it does seem like an uphill battle.
Haynes Headlines: Growing frustration in Phoenix Suns’ locker room due to lack of point guard on roster to organize the offense, sources tell me. @NBATVpic.twitter.com/pM2mwCVqx5
It’s too early to talk about trades, but for some reason, this season, that discourse has already begun among multiple teams. For the Suns, it is not that they are looking to make a move, but they definitely feel the lack of playmaking on their roster and want a true point guard. For fans and the team, that seems like the best move. Even if Devin Booker likes to be the point guard and playmaker, he needs another creator and play initiator alongside him. This would ease the playmaking load and still let Booker hunt his shots and create off-ball for the team.
A big reason for Minnesota’s early success, and why everyone thought they could dominate (before the Ant injury), is how well LaMelo Ball fit alongside Anthony Edwards. That is what many Suns fans saw with Chris Paul, and it proves that having an all-caliber playmaker alongside a solid off-ball scorer makes offense 1000 times easier. So who could solve this issue? Well, it is someone I did write about earlier this offseason, and someone fans are gravitating toward as well with the latest news.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the trade candidate would be Dejounte Murray, known for his defensive identity in San Antonio before bouncing around to Atlanta and now New Orleans. Murray, unfortunately, hasn’t had it great since leaving SA. A backcourt that couldn’t work in Atlanta, plus injuries and a dysfunctional front office in NO, have left him stuck in the mud. With his value at its lowest ever, and him stuck on a bad team coming off injuries, this is the time for the Suns to strike.
REPORT: The belief around the league is that the Pelicans and Dejounte Murray are working together to find him a “better situation”, per @FearTheBrown. pic.twitter.com/Hg4TdjDZvL
The easiest and best way to make this deal is a one-for-one trade involving Jalen Green and Dejounte Murray. The swap would give both teams a path to the better solution they are looking for. For the Suns, it is easy: they get someone who can help playmake and be a solid defender in their scheme. The six-year age gap may make you worry the Suns are giving up on Green too early, but with that contract and an extension looming, this could be the get-out-of-jail-free card the Suns can capitalize on.
With Green making a bit more than Murray, you also save 6M in next year’s deal, and with both having a $30 million player option, you are forced to get it picked up regardless. At least with Murray, your extension can be more team-friendly, since Green is looking to maximize his next payday.
Green also makes sense for the Pelicans, as they are a young team just looking for talent. With no true number one option, Green could come in and try to take the shine as the dominant on-ball scorer he wants to be. Since high school, he’s been the top guy, and he was drafted in Houston as well. This “PG” movement and working with Steve Nash is never going to be his game, so let’s get him to a spot where he can be his best at what he does, not force him to be another player. We saw that with our last coach trying to make Bradley Beal the next Jrue Holiday, and look how that turned out.
Ultimately, I think this solves a major headache for both parties. In my eyes, the Pelicans are bad and have no chance of going anywhere in the near future in the West. So take a flyer on Green, who has potential and gives you more room in your guard rotation for Jeremiah Fears to take off, especially if you can salary dump Jordan Poole somewhere else (not Phoenix). For the Suns, this gives them a true secondary creator and someone who will make the smart, right play for Booker. Murray isn’t coming here to become Phoenix’s next-best player and get a payday; he is looking to be a complementary piece for a championship run, which is what this front office needs alongside Booker in this starting lineup.
There are other guards the Suns could look at, too, guys like Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, and Darius Garland, and ones they missed out on, like Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, and Trae Young, so maybe Dejounte Murray isn’t the end-all, be-all option. Though the sentiment is out there that they need a new playmaker and fast, does that mean the quick solution is to start Collin Gillespie and move Green to the bench? Or is that just a precursor to a bigger move? Only time will tell, but I trust the front office to reevaluate what went wrong and make an educated decision by the trade deadline.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Starter Corbin Burnes #39 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Chase Field on September 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees 8-4. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Corbin Burnes will not be opting out of his contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, per reports.
This is one of the least surprising bits of news that we will have this offseason. Burnes signed a 6 year, $210 million deal with the D-Backs after the 2024 season, which included an opt-out after 2026.
Burnes suffered a torn UCL that resulted in him undergoing Tommy John surgery in the middle of the 2025 season. That cost him almost all of 2026 — he ended up pitching 10.1 innings over three starts for Arizona this season, allowing 9 runs, including 5 home runs, which is kind of impressive, if you think about it.
Burnes, the National League Cy Young Award winner for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021, was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 2024 season in exchange for DL Hall and Joey Ortiz. Both Hall and Ortiz were meaningful contributors to the Brewers’ championship team this season.
Burnes is guaranteed $35 million per year for the 2027-30 seasons, although $11 million per year of that is deferred, which reduces the overall value such that it is valued for luxury tax purposes at $32.911 million per year. Given he’s coming off of an injury and given the uncertain labor market this offseason, his declining the opt-out is a no-brainer.
LeBron James is essentially outlasting every elite athlete in the history of sports by playing his 24th season for the Philadelphia 76ers this year. James turns 42 years old in Dec., and if he fulfills the second year of his contract next season, he will have played 10 more seasons than Michael Jordan. James’ peak wasn’t as high as MJ’s by most models, but he’s trying to win the GOAT debate on longevity, and he’s certainly made it a worthwhile discussion.
Father Time doesn’t lose, and that’s even the case against a freak of nature like LeBron. James showed some signs of age on Wednesday night as his 76ers needed a big fourth quarter comeback just to get by the Indiana Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac. James was solid in the win with 13 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and three stocks, but he was also on the wrong end of two highlight plays that the internet is still talking about a day later.
Early in the second quarter, James was speeding down the court for what should have been a fastbreak dunk. Instead, Indiana’s Jalen Slawson, who is only on a two-way contract, beat him to the rim for the chasedown block. He did a LeBron to LeBron! Watch the play here:
LeBron was never caught from behind for years and years and years. There’s only so much he can do before he turns 42, though, and this time another super athlete like Slawson got the best of him. Look at Slawson talk trash to LeBron at the end of that clip. Have some respect for your elders, young man! I say this as a big Slawson fan, he was on my ‘too good for Summer League’ list this year.
As if that wasn’t ba enough, LeBron got got even worse late in the fourth quarter. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard squared up James and hit him with a dirty crossover that sent the 40-something tumbling. Nembhard missed the shot, so this clip isn’t as humiliating as it could have been.
The Sixers came back and won to improve to 4-1 on the year. That’s great. LeBron has stayed durable while so many other players have gone down with injuries early this season, and he’s poised to be a key piece of a team with championship aspirations come playoff time.
Everything LeBron is doing at this age is crazy, but he’s still showing plenty of signs of slowing down. The end is near, but LeBron is fighting for his athletic life unlike anyone we’ve ever seen before.
On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings will look to maintain their recent momentum, having won four of their last six games, as they face a Chicago Blackhawks team that has also shown signs of improvement with three victories over its last six contests.
Detroit enters the matchup as the favorite, while Chicago continues to navigate a rebuilding process that has produced a league-worst 159-262-57 record since the start of the 2020-21 season. The Blackhawks have struggled again this year, posting a 4-8-0 record while averaging just 2.17 goals per game, the second-lowest mark in the NHL.
Detroit has experienced offensive challenges of its own, averaging 2.58 goals per game, which ranks as the league's sixth-worst total. Nevertheless, Thursday's matchup presents an opportunity for the Red Wings to take care of business with six wins in their last seven meetings with the Blackhawks.
Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs Chicago (Thursday)
*subject to change*
DeBrincant - Finnie - Arvidsson
Brandsegg-Nygard - Copp - Raymond
Rasmussen - Compher - Danielson
Mazur - Dries - Kolesar
Chiarot - Seider
Wallinder - Faulk
Englund - An. Johansson
Gibson
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The Montreal Canadiens posted a social media update Thursday morning featuring Zach Bolduc zooming in on a date: November 2nd. While the short clip doesn’t confirm what it’s about, the team also revealed which games they’ll wear their Hometown Remix jersey for, so it’s easy to deduce.
They'll wear the alternate jersey 10 times total: twice on the road and eight at home: on November 3 against the Winnipeg Jets, November 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, November 12 against the Boston Bruins, November 14 against the Colorado Avalanche, November 23 against the Los Angeles Kings, December 8 against the Vegas Golden Knights, December 27 against the Dallas Stars, January 6 against the Bruins, January 23 against the Calgary Flames and March 28 against the Detroit Red Wings.
The organization better hope these don't end up being “cursed,” like the two Reverse Retro jerseys they wore in 2020-21 (dark blue edition) and 2022-23 (the baby blue edition).
Coach Martin St-Louis wasn’t a fan of those jerseys; back in 2023, he said:
I think the hockey gods, you know, this is a historical franchise, you probably have some guys who wore that jersey 50 years ago, red and white, right? They’re probably looking down on us: “What are you guys doing in blue?” So, we probably get what we deserve with the blue jerseys, given how historic this franchise is. […] I don’t know what next year brings, but I hope it’s not those jerseys.
- St-Louis on the blue Reverse Retro jerseys.
That made reporters chuckle at the time, but three years later, if the leaked jersey image is accurate, someone thought they had to listen to the hockey gods, because that new jersey has no blue in sight. We’ll see for sure on November 2.
Même si ça fait 1001 «mock-up» du hometown remix du CH que je vois, que celui-ci est en haut définition et qu'il n'y a pas de raison de douter que ça s'enligne pour ça... je continue d'espérer que ce sera pas cette horreur 😭 https://t.co/UU61zdRAVHpic.twitter.com/kZAlkgZLDf
Ben Simmons won’t appear in a game for the Kings this NBA season, but he still managed to deliver some good-natured trash talk to one of their Western Conference rivals.
The Warriors were interested in Simmons’ services before the former No. 1 overall pick eventually inked a contract with Sacramento this offseason, Spears reported, citing a source, but apparently not interested enough to send a representative to Simmons’ August workout in Miami.
The 30-year-old Simmons last played for the Los Angeles Clippers, at the end of the 2024-25 NBA season, before going unsigned for the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign due to lingering back injuries.
“I said something to Steve [Kerr],” Simmons told Spears regarding Golden State’s Oct. 10 preseason game against the Kings. “I said, ‘Y’all didn’t want me?’ That was in the first quarter. And [Kerr] said, ‘I didn’t know if you were healthy.’
“And I was like, ‘OK. That’s why you have people that do their job and go fly out and see.’ But it is what it is. That’s just me being competitive. It wasn’t personal.”
Simmons also relayed to Spears his brief interaction with Curry the same day.
The Kings bet on Simmons’ talent to provide veteran production this offseason, signing him to a one-year, $3.5 million deal in September after attending the August workout, the only NBA team to do so.
At first, the move looked brilliant. Simmons impressed in his two preseason games with the Kings and appeared as though he’d flawlessly fill the role Sacramento envisioned for him as a starter and captain.
Then came Oct. 18, and a season-ending torn right Achilles suffered in a practice drill. Now, rehabbing in Sacramento, Simmons says he is more determined than ever to step back on an NBA floor.
“My mentality is that I’ll be back,” Simmons told Spears from his home on Tuesday. “I’ll do everything in my power to get back, get healthy and be better than I was before. There is nothing but time and opportunity to do so. So, I’m going to attack it the way I am now.”
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 15: Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager Jeremy Shelley (L) of the San Francisco Giants speaks with Randy Winn during Spring Training at Scottsdale Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Giants are suggested for five players: 3 hitters, 2 pitchers. The hitters are outfielders and the pitchers are starters. So far, MLB Trade Rumors is on the right track. Yesterday, I noted that the hitting group was pretty thin in the outfield, and that any notable move was likely to make the acquisition the best of the bunch. And, even if we all agree that the entire pitching staff needs to be reworked, grabbing a starting pitcher or two should be the first order of business in that process.
But of this group, only 2 players would be under team control beyond 2027. That’s important because the Giants aren’t one big trade away from being a playoff team, nor should they approach this offseason that way. If they’re going to expend prospect capital — or even somebody from their major league roster (MLBTR offers up four potential trade candidates from the Giants) — it ought to be somebody who will be around for at least a couple of years. There’s no compelling reason to do otherwise.
You’ve probably noticed by now that I haven’t named any of the players mentioned. I didn’t want to cannibalize their work for a post so fresh — although, it’s notable that they listed CJ Abrams as a trade candidate but did not include the Giants as a potentially interested team, even though they tried to trade for him last offseason. But beyond preserving some first 24 hour clicks for MLBTR, I don’t think the names are as important as the idea. Should the Giants trade prospects or major league talent to acquire major league talent that’s nearing the end of team control? The answer has to be no.
But MLB Trade Rumors’ article does list a Giant. Their rankings try to balance value and likelihood of a deal, and for those reasons, they’ve got Rafael Devers at #19. Now, the Giants made Devers available as recently as three months ago, so this isn’t outlandish. Just yesterday, I celebrated Devers’ season for how it flipped the narrative about him and demonstrated that he’s just a hitter who hits no matter where he is. Their reasoning is fine:
The Giants wouldn’t get much of a prospect return, but this might be their best chance to unload one of their long-term contracts and clear payroll room to spend on pitching or outfield help.
If the money is equal, let’s say, then of the Adames-Chapman-Devers trio he’s the easiest to move. He’s the youngest, the best hitter of the bunch, and plays a position with a more predictable age/decline curve and one that points to a solid performance tale over the length of the contract. But there’s a massive however: in order to make the money equal, the Giants would have to get Adames ($155.7 million) and Devers ($211 million) at least down to what Chapman’s still owed ($100.67 million). MLBTR is in the range of $30-46 million in buydown.
But trading Devers for salary relief is a bad reason to trade Rafael Devers. And at the end of the day, whatever money that will be spent on free agency is likely to go towards paying a premium on players a great farm system could produce for far less of a cost or who will simply be adequate rather than significant improvements. They’re better off trading young hitters for young pitchers… but those are the trades with the highest difficulty.
Maybe the Giants have turned the corner in their player acquisition and development pipeline or maybe they just have a good crop. That’s what time will tell. What is an absolute certainty right now is that the major league roster needs a lot of improvement. So, rather than try to execute the most difficult kind of trade or try to clear massive salaries off the books, why not do the easiest thing and simply add payroll?
The Giants spent an estimated $189.76 million on their major league roster in 2026. They’re currently projected to be around $173.93 million to start next season, about a $15 million difference. They can double that without any trades just by getting out from Harrison Bader’s $13 million (easier said than done, sure, but they’re working on it) and non-tendering a couple of their arbitration guys. Committing to a payroll of $210 million, let’s say, gives them about $52 million to work with. That seems like a perfectly fine amount for a team that’s kicking off a whole new rebuild while not trying to tank. By the way, that’d be more in 1-year spending than the team committed in 2025 ($36 million) and 2026 ($44.95 million).
The final thought in all this is that the second-best use case with a farm system is being able to leverage it to acquire players in trades. They have an “excess” of middle infielders to offer and some intriguing upside pitching prospects, too, but the Giants haven’t had a farm system that just makes their team better in such a long time that it stands to reason letting it play out for that purpose is the best move right now.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 26: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets runs to third base during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With 2026 baseball officially behind us, and so much speculation and insecurity around 2027 baseball, we are now entering that liminal space between seasons that may wind up lasting far longer than any of us would like. We will be with you throughout all of it, however long it lasts, and to begin the official offseason coverage, we’re going to take a look at some important dates for the Mets and Major League Baseball as a whole.
Deadlines and Important Dates:
October 29:
Free Agents file
At the end of the season, the Mets had zero (0) free agents. Every single player that was due to hit free agency today was traded (or claimed off waivers) during the season. And so the 9am deadline came and went without any Mets activity at all.
November 2:
Free agency opens at 5 p.m. ET
Last day to issue Qualifying Offer
60-day Injured List reinstatement
Contract options deadline
In terms of the internal machinations, the Mets have no Qualifying Offers to issue. The Mets currently have three players on the 60-day Injured List who will need to rejoin the 40-Man roster (Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, and Jorge Polanco). Bo Bichette is the only Met with a player option, so he will have to make a decision about his future in Queens by Monday evening.
With the lockout expected to begin less than a month from now, look for free agency to happen quite quickly.
November 9-12
GM Meetings in Las Vegas
These are usually fairly tame, in terms of trades and signings, compared to the Winter Meetings, but with those in question, look for the GM meetings to be a hotbed of activity.
November 17
Deadline for players to accept the Qualifying Offer, 4 pm ET
Rule 5 protection deadline (Players need to be added to 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 draft)
With the Mets needing to add some minor leaguers to their 40-man roster, expect a flurry of releases and trades to make some room before this deadline. Our Lukas Vlahos did a great job of outlining where the Mets’ roster stands at the end of the season.
November 17-19
Owners meetings in New York
Expect to see a lot of cigars lit with $100 bills and other signs of excess while crying poverty.
November 20
Non-tender Deadline
See the note about the Rule 5 deadline above.
December 1
CBA Expires 11:59 pm ET – Lockout begins
This is the big one; even if things go better than any of us expect, there will likely still be a lockout starting on December 1st.
Likely to be postponed or cancelled
December 7-9: Winter Meetings in San Diego
December 8: Draft Lottery
December 9: Rule 5 Draft
January 8: Arbitration Figures Exchanged
The Winter Meetings almost certainly won’t happen, and the others in this category will be postponed until the lockout ends.
January 15
International Signing Period opens
This will be the only real activity between the lockout’s beginning and end.
Awards and Hall of Fame:
November 1
Gold Glove Awards announced
The Mets have three players – Luis Torrens, Nolan McLean, and Carson Benge – who are Gold Glove finalists. The award announcements will be exclusively revealed via ESPN at 9pm EST.
November 2
HOF eight-person Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires
Silver Slugger Award finalists announced – 2 pm ET
BBWAA Awards Finalists announced
The Mets look to have at least one Rookie of the Year candidate, but seem unlikely have any finalists in any other categories (Cy Young, MVP, Manager of the Year). These will be announced on an MLB Network broadcast from 6pm-8pm.
November 6
Heart & Hustle Awards announced – TBD – MLB Network Gold Glove Awards dinner in NYC – Platinum Glove winners announced
November 9
Rookie of the Year – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)
It seems likely that Carson Benge and/or Nolan McLean get votes in the Rookie of the Year category, with Benge being the Met frontrunner.
November 10
Manager of the Year – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)
The Mets had two managers this year and neither seems likely to grab any votes here.
November 11
Cy Young Awards and BBWAA relievers of year – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)
MLB Awards show – 9-11pm ET (MLB Network)
All-MLB first and second teams
Hank Aaron Award winners
Comeback Players of year
Mariano Rivera & Trevor Hoffman relievers of year Edgard Martinez DH of year
I suppose there is a chance that a Met picks up an honor on the first or second team, but that seems like the only likely Mets action here.
November 12
MVP Award – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)
In what world would a 2026 Mets be an MVP candidate?
November 16
Hall of Fame announces its 2027 ballot, 12 pm ET – Writer’s ballot
Bobby Abreu, David Wright, and Francisco Rodriguez will all be on this ballot, with potential ex-Mets Asdrubal Cabrera, Todd Frazier, and Jay Bruce potentially looking at debuts on the ballot.
November 17
Silver Slugger Awards
December 6
BBWAA announces Contemporary Baseball Era inductees
January 19
Hall of Fame announces BBWAA voting results & 2007 inductees, 6 p ET (MLB Network)
5. Tarik Skubal, pitcher | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Milwaukee Brewers are now your new World Series champions. The retrospectives are already here, as Andy McCullough of The Athletic has an article out today tracing their path to the franchise’s first World Series title. One note is particularly interesting for Tigers fans. According to this report, the Brewers made a very competitive offer for Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, and the Tigers had accepted it in principle. The Brewers front office thought they might have a deal done, only to watch as Zyhir Hope was pulled from his Double-A game and a deal between the Tigers and Dodgers was announced instead.
Well, kudos to the Brewers, who clearly didn’t need much help. The reported deal was for two top 100 position players in infielder Luis Pena and utility player Jett Williams, along with outfielder Josh Adamczewski. The Tigers wanted pitching, but the Brewers were unwilling to part with rookie left-hander Logan Henderson in a deal. So the offer was the best offer they were going to make when Scott Harris called to ask for their best package before moving to the Dodgers to get their final offer. Not long after, they noted the Hope news, and Harris called back to tell them he was going with a different offer.
“I appreciated the s— out of that,” Arnold said. “He was very transparent.” The timing allowed Milwaukee to pivot and trade for St. Louis reliever JoJo Romero and starter Dustin May. But they did not add an ace.
Instead, the Tigers accepted the deal for Zyhir Hope, who is similarly ranked to Williams, along with injured right-hander River Ryan and High-A pitching prospect Brady Smith. Smith and Adamczewski are pretty comparable, thought the latter is graded a notch higher by some prospect sites.
I’m a big fan of Luis Pena, so this pains me a little bit, but at the same time, the Brewers had to know the Tigers were hunting for pitching with both Skubal and Casey Mize headed to free agency. Someday this may be a very interesting what if, as the Brewers package was the stronger offer on paper. It just didn’t address the Tigers main need, which was pitching to fill the gap until their stock of A-ball level pitching prospects develops further. It really all comes down to Ryan, and whether he can finally put the injuries behind him and reach his potential as a frontline starter or potential ace reliever.
It’s an interesting little study in approach as well. Harris asked for the final best offers and picked the best package from his perspective. It’s tricky balancing need vs. overall value in all sports, but particularly in baseball. Maybe if Harris had acquired both Pena and Williams, he could turn entirely to pitching in free agency with a killer group of position prospects on their way to bolster what they already have in Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, and others. But adding pitching in free agency has not been a front office strength. As far as potentially trading Williams or someone else for cost-controlled pitching later on, the truth is that acquiring arm talent with significant team control is really difficult. No one wants to give up inexpensive pitching, even for a good position player generally ranked in the middle of many top 100 lists. Certainly not during the offseason.
We’ll see how it all shakes out in the long run, but it was interesting to get a bit more of a blow-by-blow of events than has been previously reported. Good to know Harris didn’t just string anyone along and potentially leave the Brewers scrambling in the final minutes. That’s the kind of thing that can really put other teams off from dealing with you again, but it’s certainly not mandatory to inform a team that their trade isn’t accepted. They sometimes don’t find out until a deal is already complete.
The report is a bit of housekeeping from a Tigers fans perspective, but we’ll take it as closure on the 2026 Skubal saga. Let the offseason begin.
On Thursday morning, Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan confirmed that Dylan Larkin would not be in the lineup for their game later that evening against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.
He then said interim general manager Shawn Horcoff would be addressing the matter.
That immediately led to understandable speculation that Larkin was either being held out of the lineup as asset protection ahead of a potential trade or had chosen to sit out of frustration over the lack of progress regarding the trade request he made months ago.
Now, it appears the latter is the more likely scenario.
According to Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, in a statement released to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, his client "has had enough".
“Dylan’s had enough of the situation. We believe he’s been very professional and cooperative through this process.”
Statement from Pat Brisson, agent for Dylan Larkin, regarding his client deciding not to play while awaiting a trade: “Dylan’s had enough of the situation. We believe he’s been very professional and cooperative through this process.”
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Larkin requested a trade from now-former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman shortly after the 2025-26 season concluded, with Detroit missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive year.
The trade request became public in early June, and Yzerman confirmed it following the NHL Draft later that month. However, he made it clear there was no guarantee the request would be granted, emphasizing that Larkin still had five years remaining on his contract.
Shortly before Training Camp began, the Red Wings announced they would move forward without a captain, a role Larkin had held since the start of the 2020-21 season.
Larkin also missed all of Training Camp and the preseason, as well as the first two regular-season games, due to an off-ice training injury.
Seated next to interim GM Shawn Horcoff, Larkin held a media availability session on Detroit's first day of Training Camp. While he confirmed that he had requested a trade, he declined to explain why or say whether the request remained active, adding that he may never fully reveal the details behind it.
When he was introduced with the rest of Detroit's scratches on Opening Night on Oct. 2, Larkin was heavily booed by fans at Little Caesars Arena.
He returned to the lineup on Oct. 6 against the divisional rival Ottawa Senators and was roundly booed whenever he touched the puck.
However, those boos quickly turned to (mostly) cheers after Larkin scored a power play goal, added an assist, and was named the game's first star as part of the 5-3 win.
So far this season, Larkin has appeared in 10 games, scoring twice while adding four assists.
His most recent goal came Monday against the Oilers, when he scored the tying marker late in regulation in what may have been his final appearance in a Red Wings uniform.
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Crotty is a 27-year-old right-handed defenseman measuring 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds. He's played three NHL games this season, averaging 11:09 of ice time. In his NHL career, Crotty has played 11 games, one of which came with the Wild in 2024-25.
Crotty spent the majority of his lone season with the Wild in the AHL, where he captained the Iowa Wild. He dressed in 64 games and recorded 10 assists.
Prior to joining the Wild and then the Senators, Crotty was a third-round pick (82nd overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017 NHL draft. He played just one game with the Coyotes before leaving the organization as a Group-6 UFA.
In the 2025 off-season, Crotty signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Senators carrying an $812,500 AAV. He's now in the second year of his contract and will become a UFA on July 1.
While the Wild deal with injuries to Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon, who is now on the injured reserve, Crotty will be an extra defenseman if the Wild elect to keep him up with the NHL club. The Wild recalled Carson Lambos as tonight’s extra defenseman, but because Lambos cleared waivers earlier this season, they can move him freely between the NHL and the AHL.
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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers battles Baba Miller #18 of the LA Clippers for position during the second half of a game at Intuit Dome on October 28, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Across the first four games of the regular season, Jarred Vanderbilt found himself entirely outside of the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation, with head coach JJ Redick opting for Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney as his backup big men behind Walker Kessler. But Looney struggled mightily in those appearances. His insufficient scoring and passing were stunting the offense while his lack of size and declining mobility rendered him an issue defensively.
So, Redick gave Looney’s rotation spot to Vanderbilt against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night and the veteran forward, in his first minutes of the season, delivered. His motor, range and quickness defensively caused problems and the Lakers outscored the Clippers by 22 points during his 21 minutes. In particular, Redick cited Vanderbilt’s ability to front the post against Brook Lopez as a crucial contribution.
Following the victory, Collin Sexton — who previously spent half a season alongside Vanderbilt with the Utah Jazz in 2022-23 before Vanderbilt was dealt to Los Angeles — praised Vanderbilt’s even-keeled mentality while he rode the bench early on and how his approach benefits the whole team.
“Vando is somebody that is always going to stay ready … You never see any bad days for Vando. He’s always going to be a leader,” Sexton told reporters. “He’s always going to come in and be that vet and be that good person whether he plays no minutes or he plays 48 minutes. He’s always going to be the same person and I feel like that’s one of the things that helps in the locker room is we’re all for the team and tonight, he was definitely for the team. He came in and he brought that juice right away and I feel like he was a huge, huge impact in us winning.”
Given Vanderbilt’s impressive 2026-27 debut and Looney’s poor showing through four games, it seems pretty likely Vanderbilt will continue garnering rotation minutes for the time being. His next chance comes Friday on the road when the Lakers kick off their NBA Cup Group Play against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m.
Despite leading the Belleville Senators and the entire American Hockey League in goal scoring last season, free agent forward Arthur Kaliyev had to wait until late October to find a new team.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Kaliyev is signing a 25-game professional tryout agreement with the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.
Kaliyev scored 40 goals in 70 games with the Belleville Senators last season, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the AHL goal-scoring title. He also added 28 assists for 68 points, finishing tied for third in league scoring and earning a spot on the AHL's First All-Star Team.
Sens GM Steve Staios was asked about the Kaliyev allegations at the start of the 2025 training camp.
It was an outstanding season for the 25-year-old winger, but it wasn't enough to earn him another contract with the Senators organization.
There was already some familiarity between Kaliyev and the Senators' front office. He played junior hockey for the Hamilton Bulldogs when Michael Andlauer owned the team and Steve Staios ran its hockey operations.
Despite his impressive production in Belleville, Kaliyev barely got a cup of coffee in Ottawa. Maybe an espresso. He appeared in two games and got one assist, before being returned to the minors for the rest of the season.
When the summer arrived, he became a free agent and the Senators let him walk. Not many people in Ottawa complained about that, but no one would have imagined that he'd go six months without getting a deal.
Kaliyev's former girlfriend, Lauren Mochem, accused him of defrauding her of more than $50,000 during their relationship, alleging that he used the money to support a gambling addiction. The police and the NHL investigated and found no evidence of any violation.
Kaliyev's offensive ability has never been the biggest question about his game. The former second-round pick has a shot that's elite, even by NHL standards.
His skating and defensive play have been more persistent concerns, helping explain why his success in the AHL hasn't translated into a permanent NHL role.
For now, Kaliyev will attempt to rebuild his career in Iowa, where a 25-game tryout gives him another chance.
It's a weird position for the reigning AHL goal scoring champion to find himself in.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Manager John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays and Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. speak prior to the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers dispatched the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, their 4-1 victory in Game 5 of the World Series giving them their first title in franchise history. Up there in baseball Valhalla, Bob Uecker had the night of his afterlife.
That puts a wrap on the 2026 Major League Baseball season as a whole, meaning the Cincinnati Reds can once again peel themselves off the couch and begin preparations for a 2027 season that, mercifully, cannot possibly be as disappointing as the one that just ended. Baseball wastes little time in sprinting into administrative season, and that began this morning at 9 AM ET when players eligible for free agency were allowed to file.
That includes the likes of Tyler Stephenson of Brock Burke, two names in particular who need a spotlight right here. Though both could have filed for free agency as early as this morning, there’s a five-day window where their former team will be the lone club that can negotiate with them, and since both sure do look like players the Reds would like to have back in 2027 (and beyond), that means the two sides have five days to figure out what a contract would need to look like going forward for that to work. I don’t expect either to sign during this window, but at least there’s a little bit of a heads-up that the Reds will get prior to both getting the opportunity to talk to all 30 clubs beginning next week.
The end of that five-day window will also be the final chance for teams to issue a Qualifying Offer to any of their free agents who were not acquired mid-season. At one point in time that seemed like a discussion the Reds front office was having surrounding Brady Singer, though that has (thank the lord) gone silent amid his season-ending slump. That also marks the day where option decisions must be made, so by then we’ll know if Emilio Pagan has opted into his $10 million salary to remain with the Reds in 2027 or decided to test the free agent waters again. We’ll also have a resolution on the mutual option between the Reds and Eugenio Suarez, though those almost never get picked up by both sides anyway. It’s also the deadline to put players back on the roster from the 60-day IL, so there could be some DFA shuffling (or minor trades) to accommodate the likes of Hunter Greene and Spencer Steer needing 40-man spots once again.
November 1st will see the Gold Glove Awards given out to star defenders across the league. The Reds have no star defenders in the eyes of the powers that be, though – at least, not this year.
November 2nd will see Silver Slugger Award finalists announced, and here’s where we may see the sport’s spotlight swing back to Elly De La Cruz. The 2nd will also see the finalists for all the major BBWAA awards announced, of which Sal Stewart will surely be included in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
November 9th will be the day the Reds find out if Sal won the NL RoY, or not. While the honor itself is a glorious one, keep in mind that the Reds would be in line to get an extra draft pick at the end of the 1st round in 2027 if Sal takes home the prize – and the draft bonus pool boost that goes along with that.
November 9-12 will feature the GM meetings in Las Vegas, ones that will surely be interesting this season given the looming lockout that will be just three weeks later.
November 11th will be the day both the NL and AL Cy Young Award winners will be announced. Chase Burns won’t win the NL award this season despite being firmly in the mix for most of the year, but he’s going to end up with some down-ballot votes.
November 12th is the day the MVPs are announced in both leagues. Elly’s not going to win in the NL this year, but there’s a realistic chance he finishes within the Top 3.
November 16th is the date we’ll see who the BBWAA has included on their ballot for induction in the Hall of Fame, at which point in time social media will become a giant argument over who is worthy of a plaque in the hallway of an old building in an obscure and hard to reach town in upstate New York.
November 17th is the day Silver Slugger Awards are actually announced. It’s also the deadline day for players to accept QOs, if they’d received them. It is also-also the day teams must add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from potential selection in the Rule 5 Draft, which is typically held during the Winter Meetings in December…
…however, the Winter Meetings are currently scheduled for December 7-9th, and that’s after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire on December 1st, and there’s zero indication whatsoever that the MLBPA and MLB itself will come to an agreement before that date to postpone an inevitable lockout.
There’s a lot that typically goes on between December 1st and the start of spring training in mid-February, but the dates when those events will occur (or be cancelled) are pretty meaningless at this juncture. Baseball will have to see the arbitration process dealt with in short order at some point, the Draft Lottery to determine the order for next June’s draft will need to take place, and who signs who will all have to fight what figures to be a long, dark transaction freeze until the two sides can figure out how to properly distribute their billions of dollars. It remains to be seen whether teams will make moves in a fury before the expiration date of the current CBA, or if they’ll roll the dice on getting lucky with what’s left after the fact.
