The Santagiulia Arena, picture in late November, remains under construction [Getty Images]
NHL players will not take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy if the quality of the ice is not good enough, says deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
But he remains "cautiously optimistic" issues will be resolved in time.
Stars from North America's National Hockey League, the biggest in the world, are set to compete at the Milan-Cortina Olympics next year - their first appearance at a Winter Games since 2014.
But there are doubts around the size and quality of the ice at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, where construction is still not finished, despite the Games starting on 6 February. Matches will also be held at Milano Rho Arena.
"If the ice is unplayable, the ice is unplayable," Daly said.
"I don't want to be flip about it. We probably will know that in advance of the official start of the Games. What you do at that point becomes a different issue.
"Obviously, if the players feel that the ice is unsafe, we're not going to play.
"It's as simple as that."
The rink in Milan, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is shorter than the minimum requirement in the NHL, leading to suggestions there could be an increase in high-speed collisions.
The NHL players' association said on Saturday the concerns were more around the quality of the ice than the size.
Daly, though, said he did not think the issues were insurmountable.
"We have offered and they're utilising our ice experts and technicians and outside providers," he added.
"We're basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that's acceptable for NHL athletes. And I'm cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful."
The Nashville Predators will once again have the opportunity to showcase their players in front of a European audience this season. This time, they won’t have to leave home to do it.
The National Hockey League announced on Tuesday that the start time for the Predators’ home game against the Detroit Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena on Monday, March 2, presented by Regions Bank, has been changed to 1 Pm CT.
Originally scheduled as a 7 Pm CT start, the new start time will allow the NHL’s top stars to be showcased in primetime – 8 p.m. CET – to passionate hockey fans across Europe, continuing the excitement from the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden and NHL player participation in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
“We are thrilled that our March 2 game against Detroit is shifting to this unique weekday matinee setting,” Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena CEO Sean Henry said in a statement. “The Preds will take this opportunity to celebrate hockey over multiple days, recognizing local hockey groups, rewarding students and thanking our military members for their service to our country, all while the NHL and its broadcast partners showcase our team and our city internationally. We are confident that the fans of SMASHVILLE will shine one more time on this international stage!”
As part of their commitment to the armed forces community, the Predators will donate 1,000 game tickets to military members and their families from the U.S. Army Fort Campbell base, located near Clarksville, Tenn.
This will also be the fourth Smashville Sports Series game of the season – themed games that blend Predators hockey with other sports – with March 2 centered on baseball. The originally announced giveaway of 5,000 Nashville Predators baseball jerseys presented by Regions has been increased; now, the first 10,000 fans in the building will receive a jersey.
In addition to 50 percent off Michelob ULTRA that fans get at every Smashville Sports Series game, attendees can also enjoy $1 hot dogs throughout the game.
The weekday afternoon game gives fans, corporations and downtown businesses a unique opportunity to bring their companies to Bridgestone Arena for a workplace outing, long lunch break and fun afternoon in Smashville.
The Predators competed in last month’s NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal, where they played in two regular-season games versus the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of sold-out crowds at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
The Preds feature some of the game’s biggest international talents, including Swedish star and franchise goals leader Filip Forsberg and fellow countryman Adam Wilsby, as well as captain Roman Josi (Switzerland), Juuse Saros and Erik Haula (Finland) and Steven Stamkos (Canada).
In addition to last month’s NHL Global Series, the Predators have played abroad on two other occasions: the 2022 NHL Global Series Czechia and GAME ONe Japan 2000.
The Red Wings counter with a global roster of their own that includes defenseman Moritz Seider (Germany), captain Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (United States), forward Marco Kasper (Austria), and six Swedish-born players: forwards Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, and Elmer Soderblom, and defensemen Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Detroit has played in regular-season games abroad two times, both in Stockholm: the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal and NHL Premiere 2009.
In their last meeting with the Red Wings the day before Thanksgiving in Detroit, the Preds exploded for five goals in the third period for a come-from-behind 6-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena. Nick Blankenburg, Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, Erik Haula and Steven Stamkos tallied goals for Nashville in the final frame.
Sportsnet’s Eric Engels has reported that the Colorado Avalanche have requested they wear the Quebec Nordiques jersey against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan 29, and that request has been accepted. With the Nordiques jerseys on, the Canadiens will wear their red jerseys in the matchup.
Sounds like the NHL might permit the Avs to wear the blue Quebec Nordiques jersey Jan 29 vs. Canadiens red. Geoff Molson said he hasn’t been asked yet by the NHL, but that he’d happily approve if they asked.
For the franchise's 30th anniversary, the Avalanche have returned to the organization's roots and are wearing the Quebec Nordiques jerseys in seven games this season. However, they can now include one more game this season against their “rival,” the Montreal Canadiens. They still face the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights in their retro jerseys.
So far this season, the Avalanche, or the Nordiques in this case, are 1-1 while wearing the jerseys. They lost their debut in the jerseys, 5-4 in a shootout against the Carolina Hurricanes, but bounced back with a 7-2 win against the Canadiens.
Engels also reported that the Canadiens' CEO, Geoff Molson, responded to the initial report that the Avalanche wanted to make this matchup happen, saying he would happily approve.
One of the biggest moments these two teams faced off was dubbed the “Good Friday Massacre,” in which, on Good Friday, April 20, in the second round of the 1984 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Quebec Nordiques lost game three to the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 and the series. Most notably, the game ended with an all-out brawl, one of, if not the biggest, fights in NHL/AHA history.
There were multiple fights during the game, but the biggest moment took place at the end of the second period, including another one before the third period started. By the end of everything, there was a total of 11 ejections and 252 penalty minutes handed out.
While I doubt we'll see this happen again, it's encouraging to see the NHL approve the Avalanche’s request to wear the retro jerseys again, and I hope they continue to accommodate similar requests if other teams bring back their own retro jerseys.
Since returning from the sciatica that cost him the start of the season, LeBron James has blended in perfectly with the 17-6 Lakers, a guy with an all-around game willing to do whatever the team needs on any given night. Most recently, in Philadelphia, that was drop 29 points on the 76ers when Luka Doncic was out.
While the fit works, this is the first time in his career LeBron is on a team not constructed around him, where he is asked to fill a role more than be the star everyone else orbits around. Combine that with LeBron being a free agent after this season, and there has been some online speculation about a trade — despite the fact LeBron has a no-trade clause and has said nothing about waiving it.
Kellerman: "Is LeBron, realistically, a guy who could not be on the Lakers at the end of this year?"
Paul: "No."
Kellerman: "He will be on the Lakers at the end of this year?"
Paul: "Yeah. Where's he going to go?"
Constructing a LeBron James trade creates many of the same obstacles as trading Giannis Antetokounmpo (and explains why he is more likely to be traded during the offseason). LeBron makes $52.6 million this season. In a world of tax aprons, how many teams can take on that large a contract for what would be the No. 2 or 3 player on a championship-caliber team? Beyond that, the teams LeBron might want to join — Cleveland, New York, Golden State — are all up against the tax aprons, with restrictions on what they can do (none can take back more money than they send out) and little room to maneuver.
LeBron was never going to be traded during the season, and he knew that when he picked up his player option.
Paul also said during the interview that he did not believe the Lakers, as currently constructed, are contenders in the West and wouldn't even make the Western Conference Finals.
This summer, when LeBron is a free agent, things will be different. The conventional wisdom around the league is that LeBron wants to play one more season — a grand farewell tour — and it's not likely to be with the Lakers. How much of a salary discount he is willing to take to get where he wants to go, or how the Lakers could work with him on a sign-and-trade, remains to be seen, but that is when the action will be. Not at the trade deadline.
The Winnipeg Jets have announced that defenseman Elias Salomonsson has been loaned back to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The move comes as depth defenseman Haydn Fleury returned to practice Tuesday and has been skating with the team, signaling a return to the minors for one of the Jets’ top defensive prospects.
Salomonsson appeared in four games for the Jets this season, finishing without a point and registering a -4 plus-minus rating. His early struggles came against tough competition, including matchups against the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes, each of which scored five goals against him. He recovered over his final two games with a +1 rating, averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time per contest and recording three shots on goal.
The 21-year-old defenseman was called up following an injury to Neal Pionk, rotating in alongside Winnipeg’s other depth defenders. Drafted by the Jets in the second round, 55th overall, in 2022, Salomonsson has continued to impress in the AHL this season with six assists in 17 games for the Moose, though he has yet to record a goal. Across 70 career AHL games, the Skellefteå, Sweden native has totaled 33 points.
Salomonsson’s return comes at a key time for the Moose, who were red-hot with six consecutive wins but have stumbled recently with three losses in their last seven games. His offensive and defensive skills could help Manitoba regain momentum and get back on track.
His AHL resume includes representing the Moose at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic, becoming only the second rookie defenseman in franchise history to earn the honor. He was also named both Best Defenseman and Rookie of the Year for the 2024–25 season, highlighting his rapid development as one of Winnipeg’s top young blueliners.
With Fleury back in the lineup, Salomonsson will return to Manitoba to continue honing his game while providing a boost to a Moose team looking to rebound.
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The Rangers lost a point they could have won and all The Maven has heard since is the lame line, "The Ref made a bad call."
Everybody makes mistakes, refs included, but for Mike Sullivan yapping about a double-minor late in the third period in the Vegas' game is an example of the coach auditioning for the lead role in "Alibi Ike."
So, Rangers defenseman Will Borgen and Vegas' left wing went off for roughing. So, what's the problem, it's even-Steven my fine, feathered Mr. Sullivan.
Using the alleged "bad call" as an excuse to blow a late third period lead and then blow the game because you put the wrong players out there late in the overtime, is theater of the absurd.
For crying out loud the face-off was deep in the Vegas' zone, what more could the Rangers ask for with 14 seconds left in overtime?
No, Pal Mike, your guys blew it. Harvey (Hutch) Cohen, who has been a hockey coach for decades, fingered the Rangers' culprits.
"Any good coach and high school defenseman would have been prepared for the long pass that successfully went to Jack Eichel," Hutch explains. "The three Rangers on the ice were terribly ill-prepared. That was the only play that could beat the Rangers, and it did.
"All the Rangers defenseman had to do was stay behind the closest Vegas' player, Eichel. But the D-man got a late start because he wasn't watching Eichel, who was the biggest threat."
Listen up Sir Sullivan; one more point from Hutch: "I told my players there's an 'In' box and an 'Out' box when playing hockey. The 'In" box contains things you can control such as behavior, wrist shot, slap shot, plus.
"The 'Out' box has those things you can not control -- and that includes officiating, bad bounces and broken sticks. I told my players, 'Don't worry about 'Out' box things."
As for the overtime blunder that cost the Rangers a vital point, Jess Rubenstein adds: "What about the other two Rangers who were on the ice with Matthew Robertson?"
Blaming the refs is for Beer League games – and Hutch Cohen's "Out" Box!
Bayern beat Sporting to move level with Arsenal at top
Atlético come from behind to burst PSV’s bubble
Jules Koundé’s two quickfire headers helped Barcelona to fight back and edge past Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Champions League at Camp Nou on Tuesday, marking a much-needed win for the Catalan side.
After a draw against Club Brugge and a defeat by Chelsea, Barcelona found their stride to climb to 14th in the standings, level on 10 points with several teams, as they aim for a top-eight finish to secure direct qualification for the last 16. Frankfurt are 30th with four points from six matches.
When you think about the Mets' offseason and what the team will look like at the start of the 2026 campaign, there are a few things that immediately come to mind.
Another is the free agency of Pete Alonso, who could return but whose power would have to be replaced externally if he signs elsewhere -- with the Red Sox and Orioles among the teams in pursuit.
Then there's the starting rotation, which will very likely be bolstered in a big way -- with a trade for a top-of-the-rotation arm seeming likely.
Regarding the bullpen?
The relief corps will look a lot different in 2026 -- and the team will feel a lot different -- withEdwin Diazleaving to sign a three-year deal with the Dodgers.
The hope when the Mets signed Devin Williams was that his addition was part one, with the return of Diaz being part two.
With that possibility out the window, New York has serious work to do.
As the Mets go about that, here's how things are shaking out...
The Locks
Williams, Brooks Raley, and A.J. Minter.
New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
And Minter, who missed most of last season after surgery to repair a torn lat, could be a few weeks behind to start the season.
Ryan Helsley signed with the Orioles, while Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto -- acquired, like Helsley, at last season's trade deadline -- are free agents.
Ryne Stanek is also a free agent, and Drew Smith's option for 2026 was declined. Smith had been working his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Meanwhile, Reed Garrett and Dedniel Núñez are both expected to miss the entire season after undergoing TJS.
Williams is penciled in as the closer, while Raley and Minter are both legitimate late-game weapons.
Raley was tremendous in 2025 after returning from his own Tommy John surgery. In 30 appearances over 25.2 innings, he posted a 2.45 ERA (2.12 FIP) and 0.77 WHIP.
The Internal Candidates
Huascar Brazoban figures to be in the mix again, and hard-throwing prospects Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert could also be a factor.
Other relievers who could compete for roles include Jonathan Pintaro (who made his big league debut last season), Adbert Alzolay (who is on a two-year minor league deal and missed the 2025 season), Justin Hagenman, Brandon Waddell, Richard Lovelady, Alex Carrillo, and Joey Gerber.
But in an eight-man bullpen that has only three locks as of now (and perhaps just two if Minter is delayed), it's fair to believe the Mets will only rely on one or perhaps two of the aforementioned internal candidates out of the gate.
That means there is more work to do.
The External Candidates
Everything is on the table now that Diaz is gone.
Re-signing him should've been the easiest move the Mets made all offseason. But here we are.
Apr 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) enters the field during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
That they not only lost Diaz, but saw him leave on a three-year deal to the team they'll almost have to certainly go through in the National League playoffs was stunning.
No matter what happened at the end of the Diaz negotiations, it's very difficult to square it.
In effect, the Mets lost a player who said over and over that he wanted to be in New York over a matter of $3 million.
With Diaz gone, the top option to fill the vacant late-inning role could be Robert Suarez, who is entering his age-35 season and has a scintillating fastball. The Mets have shown interest in Suarez, and it's fair to wonder if he can possibly be had on a two-year at a higher average annual value than the one he just opted out of.
There's also Pete Fairbanks, who is entering his age-32 season and has been one of the best relievers in baseball since 2020. He's on the market after his option was declined by the cost-conscious Rays.
Other intriguing free agent relief arms include Kenley Jansen, Emilio Pagan, Luke Weaver, and Kyle Finnegan. In the case of Jansen, it's possible he would want to close since he's chasing the 500-save mark.
In an ideal world, the Mets will land Suarez on a two-year deal and have him be the setup man for Williams, with the hope that Williams' stuff will shine through after a relatively down 2025.
Could Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum return sooner than expected from his devastating Achilles injury?
On Tuesday, Tatum posted videos to his Instagram story of himself looking spry on the court. His Achilles didn’t seem to bother him while he played 1-on-1 at the Auerbach Center.
You can watch the video below:
Extended clips of Jayson Tatum playing 1v1. There is still 10 weeks until the Celtics play their first game out of the all star break. pic.twitter.com/GFtJWPq7m3
Tatum was expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2025-26 NBA season when he went down in May. Now, it appears the six-time All-Star’s return may be closer than just about anyone anticipated.
Tatum also teased C’s fans Monday with a one-word message on his IG story: “Soon.”
Even if Tatum continues to show stunning progress in his recovery, the Celtics shouldn’t re-insert him into the lineup until he is 100 percent. That said, a healthy Tatum could take Boston back to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The C’s are currently in third place amidst a five-game win streak, only four games behind the conference-leading Detroit Pistons.
Boston will look to stay hot when it visits the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
The Chicago Blackhawks are set to return their home ice on Wednesday night. They will take on the New York Rangers in their first matchup of the season with this Original Six rival.
Chicago is back home following a four game road trip out west. They played the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings twice on the trip.
The Blackhawks went 1-2-1 for three points out of eight during this stretch, so they are looking for a nice rebound once they return home. The last two games, Los Angeles and Anaheim, were blowout losses so a bounce-back performance is much needed.
There is a lot we learned about the Hawks while they were on the road. These are the five biggest takeaways:
Connor Bedard will show up and produce no matter what
Over the four game losing streak that mostly went bad for Chicago, Bedard had two goals and one assist. Despite a lousy effort from most of his teammates, Bedard brought his best at a high intensity level.
Bedard is one of the best players in the NHL right now and he's only going to get better. There will be wins and there will be losses. There will be good road trips and bad homestands. Through it all, it is fair to expect the superstar on the team to always be producing offense, which will give them a chance to win on most nights.
The Blackhawks have tremendous respect for Anze Kopitar
After Chicago's second game of the trip against the Los Angeles Kings, the entire team waited to shake hands with their captain Anze Kopitar.
Although it didn't involve many active players on either team, Kopitar and the Kings had some intense battles with the Blackhawks over the years. The two teams won a combined five Stanley Cups in the 2010s. They also battled each other in a handful of Western Conference Finals through those runs.
It is obvious that even the new players recognize that and made sure to honor one of Chicago's all time greatest playoff foes.
The second half of back-to-backs are a problem
The Chicago Blackhawks have played in two sets of back-to-backs now. In each of them, they were blown out. They lost 9-3 to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the year and this trip's bad loss to the Anaheim Ducks to end it.
The one against the Sabres felt like an anomaly at the time, but it can't be ignored that it happened again when they faced the same situation against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Back-to-backs are a part of the NHL and teams must perform well in those games. Jeff Blashill and his staff must work on a way to fix this issue.
Sam Rinzel has a long way to go before he’s an NHL star
On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent Sam Rinzel (and Landon Slaggert) to the AHL for some work. For Rinzel, this is a good opportunity for him to gain his confidence back, impact games in a bigger way, and get more ice time.
During the road trip, Rinzel had a couple of tough plays that led to goals for the opposition. These games forced the team to do something they didn't want to do, which was part ways with him to the AHL for now.
Rinzel showed signs of being an NHL star late last year and early this year, but has hit a bit of a rookie wall. He has a long way to go before becoming an elite player, but the tools are there for him to be successful. This stint in the AHL will be great for him in the long-term.
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The St. Louis Blues have reportedly signed Dillon Dube to an AHL contract, according to insider Frank Seravalli.
Dube was one of five Hockey Canada players acquitted of sexual assault charges in July from a 2018 incident in London, Ont. Dube joins Carter Hart and Cal Foote as players from this case to sign contracts back in North America. Michael McLeod remains in Russia, and Alex Formenton remains in Switzerland.
Dube hasn't played any hockey this season, but did skate with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL last season, scoring four goals and 11 points in 42 games.
Prior to departing for Russia, Dube was a figure in the Calgary Flames' bottom six. He played in 325 games, notching 57 goals and 127 points. Dube also has AHL experience, skating in 56 games and recording 19 goals and 56 points.
The former 2016 second-round pick (56th overall) is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, but plays a hard-nose game and isn't afraid to be a physical presence.
Due to several injuries the Blues are facing, the Springfield Thunderbirds' roster is thinning out. The Blues have recalled Dalibor Dvorsky, Matt Luff, Hugh McGing and Matthew Kessel from the AHL. Dube will provide additional depth to the Thunderbirds' roster.
Dube's reported agreement is an AHL deal, so if the Blues did want to call him up, they would need to sign him to an NHL contract.
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There were a few injury updates for the New York Rangers to come out of Tuesday’s practice.
First off, Matt Rempe made an appearance for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Oct. 23 after a fight against Ryan Reaves.
He was placed on long-term injured reserve and has been sidelined for the past 22 games.
The 23-year-old forward practiced on Tuesday in a non-contact jersey, and Mike Sullivan confirmed he will travel with the team to Chicago, despite not being available for Wednesday’s game against the Blackhawks, indicating that he’s making significant progress.
“He skated a fair amount on his own with our skills coaches,” Sullivan said of Rempe. “The next step is to get him around the group in a team setting in a non-contact jersey.”
Adam Fox has not practiced with the team, but he resumed on-ice activity according to Sullivan, skating twice on his own.
He was placed on LTIR after suffering a shoulder injury on Nov. 29 in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Schwarber is going back to Philadelphia.
Multiple outlets reported on Tuesday that Schwarber had agreed to a $150 million, five-year contract with the Phillies. ESPN was the first to report on the deal, citing unidentified sources.
Schwarber had been one of the biggest names in free agency. His new contract with Philadelphia could lead to more activity at baseball’s winter meetings as his other suitors execute their alternative plans.
Schwarber is coming off a terrific season with the Phillies, setting career highs with an NL-best 56 homers and a major league-high 132 RBIs. He also scored a career-high 111 runs while leading the club to its second straight NL East title.
Schwarber’s 23 homers against left-handed pitching set a major league record for a lefty batter, passing Stan Musial (1949) and Matt Olson (2021) at 22.
He won this year’s All-Star Game for the NL by swatting three homers in a tiebreaking swing-off, and he finished second in the NL MVP race behind Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
“Good for him, man. He earned it,” said Boston manager Alex Cora, who had Schwarber on the Red Sox in 2021.
Schwarber grew up in southwest Ohio before playing his college ball at Indiana. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 amateur draft.
He was at the beginning of his second year with Chicago in 2016 when he tore two ligaments in his left knee in an outfield collision during an April game in Arizona. It was believed to be a season-ending injury, but he returned for Game 1 of the World Series and helped the Cubs to the franchise’s first championship since 1908.
Schwarber is a .234 hitter with 23 homers and 37 RBIs in 73 career playoff games. He went deep twice in the NL Division Series this year against the Dodgers.
Schwarber hit 38 homers for Chicago in 2019, but he was non-tendered by the team after he batted just .188 in 59 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Washington in January 2021. After clubbing 25 homers in 72 games for the Nationals, he was traded to Boston at the deadline. He helped the Red Sox reach the AL Championship Series before they were eliminated by Houston.
Following his rebound season, Schwarber signed a $79 million, four-year deal with Philadelphia in March 2022. He flourished with the Phillies, belting 187 homers and driving in 434 runs in 627 games.
He hit his 300th career homer on May 19 at Colorado. He recorded his 1,000th hit on his 319th homer on July 25 at the New York Yankees.
Right-hander Edwin Diaz reacts after closing out Game 2 of the 2024 NLCS at Dodger Stadium. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
What kind of team would commit $141 million to two closers?
The one that won last year. The one that won this year. The one that plans to win again next year.
“All I have to say to you,” Dodgers owner Mark Walter told fans at the team’s World Series championship celebration last month, “is we’ll be back next year.”
If the Dodgers are going to be Exhibit A for Walter’s rival owners to cry about how desperately they need a salary cap, bring it on. If Walter’s rival owners demand that players be locked out next winter and not be allowed back until they relent and accept a salary cap, well, bring that on too.
There is a sentence players are taught to utter: “I can’t worry about what I can’t control.” The Díaz signing is basically the Dodgers’ ownership saying the same thing: “We can’t worry about other owners pointing their fingers at us. We’re here to win. If the rules change, then we’ll worry about that.”
Or maybe not.
“Honestly, I think that we have an organization that, whatever rules or regulations or constructs are put in front of us,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday, “we're going to dominate.”
In what they call their golden age, the Dodgers are chasing history. No team had won back-to-back championships in 25 years. Next up: tying the major league record of 14 consecutive postseason appearances, and becoming the first National League team to win the World Series in three consecutive years.
It ain’t bragging if you can back it up. For the first time in what will be his third season with the Dodgers — and after winning consecutive most valuable player awards — Shohei Ohtani should be available to pitch and hit for the entire season.
“I’m ready to get another ring next year,” Ohtani said at the celebration.
Mookie Betts, the only active player to win four championships, will come off a Gold Glove-nominated year in his first full season at shortstop and, presumably, will not have to fight off an illness like the one that derailed his strength and hampered his offense at the start of last season.
“I got four,” Betts told the celebration crowd. “Now it’s time to fill the hand all the way up, baby. ‘Three-peat’ ain’t never sounded so sweet. Somebody make that a T-shirt.”
Roberts stirred some conversation last week when he told the Amazon Prime show “Good Sports” that he would support a salary cap.
“You know what? I’m all right with that,” Roberts said. “I think the NBA has done a nice job of revenue sharing with the players and the owners. But if you’re going to suppress spending at the top, I think that you’ve got to raise the floor, to make those bottom-feeders spend money, too.”
The owners of those bottom-feeders ought to be aware of that, because they would have to spend, and they would not be able to point their finger at the Dodgers. The owners, after all, are pitching a salary cap to the public as a cure for competitive balance.
The Dodgers would welcome that challenge. A salary cap would limit salaries, but it would not limit spending on coaching, analytics, biometrics, facilities, nutrition, team planes, and other areas in which the Dodgers’ owners have earned championship rewards for their significant investments.
For now, though, the Dodgers needed a closer. The Dodgers got the best one available in free agency, a guy who has struck out at least one-third of opposing batters in each of his past seven seasons and has limited opponents to a batting average under .200 in each of his past five seasons.
Would the Dodgers like to get younger? Yes. Did they field the oldest group of position players in the majors last year? Yes. Do the Dodgers now have Díaz and Scott for the next three years, and do both turn 32 next year? Also yes.
But, given where both the Dodgers and Major League Baseball are right now, this might be the more pertinent question for the Dodgers: Can Díaz become the first Dodgers reliever to close out a World Series clincher since Steve Howe in 1981? (Orel Hershiser did the honors in 1988, followed by Julio Urias in 2020, Walker Buehler in 2024 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2025.)
If you believed the Dodgers were ruining baseball, then the signing of Díaz will only intensify that. After all, 11 teams did not open last season with a payroll of $141 million — the combined value of the Díaz and Scott contracts.
