San Diego’s clubhouse was somber, with players reflecting on the season after exchanging handshakes and hugs.
“They are so special,” Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. said about his team after going 1 for 3 with a home run and a walk. “We went through so many ups and downs this year. We became one (after) we went through every battle and just stuck together. It was an enjoyable group to play baseball with.”
The Padres showed some fight late in the game with the outcome still in doubt.
All-Star closer Mason Miller avoided disaster in the seventh inning. The Brewers produced a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases before infielder Cooper Pratt lined out to center field, allowing Miller and the Padres to escape the inning.
Miller threw 13 strikes in 21 pitches, allowing two hits while striking out one in the inning.
"We had a couple of big pitches and a couple of big swings that didn't quite go our way," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. "I thought Manny's ball was going out tonight."
Machado also appeared confident that the ball was headed over the fence, dropping his bat and blowing his bubble gum before it was denied by Mitchell at the wall.
It was a déja vú moment for Machado, who had a home run ball robbed by Adam Jones in a memorable World Baseball Classic moment nine years earlier in the same ballpark.
Milwaukee rode starter Robert Gasser and reliever Aaron Ashby for most of the game to help preserve its arms for the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who advanced by beating the Atlanta Braves Wednesday.
Ashby finished with three strikeouts while throwing 22 strikes in 38 pitches across three scoreless innings. He replaced Gasser, who pitched the first four innings of the game.
Gasser, a former Padre, allowed three hits and an earned run while striking out three in 56 pitches across four innings.
"You’re not going to win it every year," Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove said. “Only one team can win it. … It never feels good (to be eliminated from the playoffs) but I guess as time passes and you gather your thoughts, you can look back at the positives of the season.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers prepares to pitch during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Roberts wasn’t thrilled with the Dodgers’ offensive effort in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. So, with the series tied and his team set to face one of the best pitchers in the sport, the manager wanted to send his hitters a message.
“It was just to kind of try to put them in a mindset that it’s an elimination game, to challenge them to be more exhausted emotionally because they’re playing every single pitch,” Roberts said. “I wanted Chris Sale to know he was in a fight. I think we accomplished that.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s latest brilliant postseason start on Tuesday earned the praise of Gabe Lacques of USA Today, who notes how Yamamoto is earning his place alongside many notable historical postseason stalwarts.
“Yama is the Dodgers’ rock and his three-year exploits – a 2.14 ERA, 58 strikeouts to 13 walks in 63 innings – are, era-adjusted, growing just as impressive as the Koufaxes and Pettittes and Bumgarners,” Lacques wrote.
The Vancouver Canucks (2-2-0) kick off a six-game road trip on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes (2-1-1). This matchup will be a tough test for Vancouver as they battle the reigning 2026 Stanley Cup champions. Last year, Carolina swept the season series, picking up wins in both matchups.
Thursday will be a good test for this young Canucks team. While the Hurricanes have not had the best start to the campaign, they know how to win and play a very structured game. Vancouver needs a strong first period; otherwise, they may not be able to recover against Carolina's shutdown system.
If the Canucks want to skate out with two points, they need production from the power play. The Hurricanes' penalty kill is currently operating at 89.5% and was virtually unbeatable during last year's Stanley Cup run. Vancouver has had some success so far this season with the man advantage but will need a big performance on Thursday night.
Players To Watch:
Jake DeBrusk:
After dealing with an illness, Jake DeBrusk is projected to return to the lineup on Thursday. He was skating on the first line at practice on Wednesday and was back in his spot on the first-unit power play. Now that DeBrusk is healthy, he will need to start producing both at even strength and with the man advantage.
Taylor Hall:
Taylor Hall has been a thorn in the Canucks' side for the last 17 years. The 34-year-old has 42 points in 44 games against Vancouver, which included a point in each game last season. With two goals so far this year, the Canucks will need to keep their eyes on Hall whenever he is on the ice.
Vancouver Canucks (2–2–0):
Paul Cotter: 4–2–6
Elias Pettersson: 2–4–6
Filip Hronek: 0–5–5
Marco Rossi: 3–1–4
Liam Öhgren: 1–3–4
Goaltenders:
Kevin Lankinen: 1–2–0
Leevi Meriläinen: 1–0–0
Carolina Hurricanes (2-1-1):
Sebastian Aho: 4-3-7
Andrei Svechnikov: 1-3-4
Jackson Blake: 0-3-3
Taylor Hall: 2-0-2
Mark Jankowski: 1-1-2
Goaltenders:
Brandon Bussi: 1-1-1
Pyotr Kochetkov: 1-0-0
Game Information:
Start time: 4:00 pm PT
Venue: Lenovo Center
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: KiSS West Coast
Nov 14, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) and Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) battle over the puck during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 23: (L-R) Actors Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito and Charlie Day act during a dance scene on the set of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" on May 23, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the preseason already up and running, it’s time for our signature Roundtable, where Brew Hoop staff put their meteorologist hats on and forecast the future, hoping their words don’t come back to bite them (like last year—eek!). This time, despite the name, it was less roundtable and more secret ballot—so you know what you’re getting isn’t peer influenced. As a result, writers had a lot to say, meaning you’ll get your fix in two doses instead of one. Let’s get to it!
Editor’s note: This pair combines to form the first of four Roundtables this year—we’re checking in more often in our continued quest to, like the Bucks, “Compete. Together. Get Better.”
What record will the Bucks end up with and where will they finish in the Eastern Conference standings?
Jack: 26-56, 12th. I was way too high on the Bucks last season, so I’m hedging my bets this year and trying to be modest. The team is in transition and could be a mess at times.
Jackson: 27-55, 13th in the East. Even with all the drama of last year, the Bucks still managed 32 wins. This team could be scrappy and surprise some, but I’m expecting another 50+ loss season.
Zac: 28-54, 12th in the East. The Bucks are fun again, but they’re also young. And while this season will be so much better for the soul, the East is just too deep and these Bucks too raw for them to do much damage.
Aiden: The Bucks will finish 25-57. That should put them 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. I believe the Bucks will have a similar record to the 2025-2026 season with their new depth and coaching staff, along with the new game plan they will bring, but the output will be much better. We will be looking at new key players for our team and their shining moments, along with a lot of player development.
Nate: 42-40, 8th. I am going to count last year as the official bottom-out season. This year we know several players will take a step forward, and a young, high energy team could do some damage and find itself on a hot streak post-All Star Break.
Dax: 30-52, 12th in the Eastern Conference. The way the East shakes out, I see the Bucks only being better than the Nets, Bulls, and Hornets (sneaky pick). I can’t project this year’s team to be better than last year’s with the loss of Giannis, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I were forced to eat my words.
Where will the Bucks finish in the league rankings for offence and defence?
Jack: 23rd, 24th. I think the anti-tanking rules will hurt Milwaukee’s chances of finishing above 20th in either category. That said, it’s not like the Bucks don’t have the tools to be a decent offensive team; if nothing else, they’ve got talent that caters to getting buckets. Defensively, they could be a mess trying to have Herro guard at the point of attack, along with the Ware-Turner experiment.
Jackson: Offense: 20th, defense: 28th. I think this offense has a chance to put up big numbers at some points. They have a lot of intriguing options across the roster with Tyler Herro, Rollins, Brayden Burries, Jamie Jacquez Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Caris LeVert to a certain extent. Defensively, there’s just not a lot to write home about on that end. KPJ will get some steals, and I think Ware and Myles Turner will be a decent big man rotation, but there really aren’t plus-plus defenders on this iteration of the Bucks. Taylor Jenkins will certainly get the most out of them on both ends, but I just don’t know how much that’s going to be.
Zac: 26th in offence, 20th in defence. Offensively, the Bucks have more depth than they’ve had in recent years, but they don’t have a bona fide number one option anymore, so will take a slight step back from last year’s 24th placing. On defence, they’ll improve on last year’s 26th placing and Taylor Jenkins will get this team to a point that they’ll be dogs (dawgs?), but that’ll take time and they’re playing catchup in a league full of “win now” squads.
Taylor Jenkins will reignite a competitive nature within this team and create a grit-and-grind system that will use the players’ length and athleticism to make their defence a talking point.
Aiden
Aiden: 25th in offensive rating and 23rd in defensive rating. Taylor Jenkins will reignite a competitive nature within this team and create a grit-and-grind system that will use the players’ length and athleticism to make their defence a talking point. The offence will take a drop-off as players fill out their new roles and figure out where the points will come from, but the defence will lead them to defy predictions.
Nate: 8th, 15th. Offensively, this could be a very solid and exciting team: up and down the roster there are myriad ways to put pressure on the rim and space the floor, and Taylor Jenkins feels like just the coach to figure out how to best put together an effective offensive attack with this personnel. Defensively, I believe Jenkins will get the best out of his players, and I am high on a handful of players’ defensive ceiling, but currently I am just not as sold on our ability to defend at a very high level just yet. Turner still brings elite rim protection (6% block percentage, good for fourth overall) and Rollins had a habit of putting opposing guards in strait jackets, but our defense on the wing remains a big question mark. I think Jenkins will definitely find a way to maximize both Dieng and Jaquez Jr. at the small forward position but I sort of envision this process being a one-step forward one-step back progression and may take more time to materialize than the offensive side of the ball. By being a net neutral-to-positive team, the young Bucks will find a way to hang in to games and then figure out how to close them later in the year.
Dax: 24th in offensive rating, 25th in defensive rating. A team doesn’t get better on offense with the loss of a consistent 30 PPG scorer who facilitates well; however, I don’t think it gets worse. Tyler Herro is a bona fide scorer who’s averaged 20 PPG in, at best, 1A-1B roles. And Jaime Jaquez Jr. can’t be disregarded on offense. He would have been the Bucks’ fourth-leading scorer, even while in a sixth-man role. This offense is more balanced, but lacks a “freak.” The defense will also miss its staple in the DPOY race; however, again, there’s a counter. Taylor Jenkins emphasizes defense, Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. lock down the perimeter, and Myles Turner is more than serviceable in the paint. Both sides of the ball will remain similar to last year.
Who will emerge as the Bucks’ most valuable player?
Jack: If we are talking most valuable, let’s go with Jaime Jaquez Jr. Firstly, he’s a great player in his own right just from a production standpoint—and I think there will be plenty of production—but his value will come via his ability to be a leader on this young team. Jaquez just seems like a guy who can be a calming presence in the locker room and help teach the young fellas how the league works. I reckon he’s going to quickly become one of coach Jenkins’ favourite players. Also, think he’ll be in Milwaukee a while.
Jackson: He was in spurts last year, so I’m going to go with Ryan Rollins. The leap he made last season was a sight to behold, and now with more responsibility being thrust to him, I imagine his numbers will only grow more. I don’t think he’s going to be in All-Star conversations, but of all the players on this Bucks roster, I trust Rollins the most to be the guy when the time comes.
Zac: Brayden Burries will emerge as the Bucks’ most valuable player, but it won’t be obvious until the second half of the season, after the Bucks start to really embrace the youth movement (and have made a trade or two). Then, Burries will prove me prophetic, showing off the offensive and defensive upside that makes him the team’s most valuable player (and asset) in the long term, even if the season-long stats say it’s someone else (namely Ryan Rollins or Tyler Herro).
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 05: Jaime Jaquez Jr. #24 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter during the preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 05: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Terrence Shannon Jr. #4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter in a preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 05: Brayden Burries #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during the preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 05: Tyler Herro #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks passes the ball against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter in a preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Aiden: There may be two cliché answers for who will be the Bucks’ MVP this season: Tyler Herro and Brayden Burries. For me, Burries will be our MVP by the end of the season. He will have some growing pains, as all rookies do, but once he gets comfortable with the NBA pace and pressure, I see him becoming the Bucks’ connecting piece, leading on both the defensive and offensive ends, even as a point-of-attack defender at times. His stats by the end of the season might not shout that he is our MVP, but I believe his motor and IQ will be a magnet for wins, and he will mark a turning point in the Bucks’ future trajectory.
Nate: Ryan Rollins. I think the one thing missing more than almost anything last season for the Bucks was steady playmaking, and by steady I mean each night having a reliable ball handler who could respond to varying looks and mismatches thrown at them by the other team. While some players showed flashes and either could not stay consistent or healthy, Rollins was tasked with stepping in as the starting point guard last season after Kevin Porter Jr. went down in the first game of the season. While I agree that there is an abundance of guards in the league, there is a real shortage of highly effective guard play as the team’s floor general. Further, I think that becoming a highly effective floor general usually takes years to develop, and I believe with all of the tools he has in his toolkit, Rollins can be that floor general for this team.
This is easy to speculate on, but what would that really look like? Well, Rollins last year went for an impressive 17.3 PPG/4.6 RPG/5.6 APG while averaging over 32 MPG. The reason why it was impressive is that he became just the 11th player to log a slash line like that age 23 or younger, with the other 10 going on to multiple All-Star Games, and he was just as dangerous if not more dangerous on the other side of the floor: when on the floor, opposing teams were held to almost 6 points fewer per 100 possessions, while his steal percentage was in the 84th percentile for his position last season. So again, how does he improve upon this and become this year’s MVP and franchise floor general? Well, beyond the numbers he can slash, let’s assume that his usage and minutes remain constant. Then, if he can turn his assist percentage up from 27% last season to 32% this season, his rebounding percentage up from 8% to 11%, and takes four more shot attempts on the same splits, then Rollins would move into being a 21/7/7 player for the whole season. While there is a long season ahead of us and anything could happen, I see no reason to not be optimistic when the reality of him becoming that sort of player is right there in front of him at the ripe old age of 24. To be clear: if he slashes that he will become more than just our team’s MVP but at that point a potential All-Star. I am riding the Hopium Express—and there are seats still available to anyone who wants to join me.
Dax: Ryan Rollins will be the Bucks’ MVP. While the Bucks had few bright spots last year, Rollins was one of them. All odds were against him: starting his career as an end-of-the-bench guy, playing under a coach in his twilight years, and hearing the noise that comes with a struggling team and a star wanting more. This didn’t shake him, as he finished fifth in MIP voting. Now, under developmental leader Taylor Jenkins, the sky’s the limit for the young floor general. Let’s not forget Jenkins being in the corner of Ja Morant.
Which Buck will make the biggest leap?
Jack: With Giannis gone, Ryan Rollins is my pick to take a huge leap. Honestly, the way he dealt with last season’s drama and just kept his head down was amazing. With a clear mind and a coach who we assume will put him in the best spots to succeed, I could see him pushing himself into All-Star consideration. Yep, I said it.
Jackson: I think Kel’el Ware is in line to make the biggest jump. We’ll see what Taylor Jenkins decides to do with the starting lineup, but even if Ware plays behind Myles Turner, I think he gets an expanded role with some more playing time. I could see a world where he gets 25+ minutes a night and starts to show some of the potential he’s flashed on a more consistent basis.
Zac: It feels like cheating but if I said anything else it’d be a lie, so I’ll reiterate my answer from our offseason chinwag: I think Ryan Rollins doubles down on his improvement from a year ago but this time gets the recognition for it (at least from a league-wide perspective). He increases his points to about 20 a night—those off-season workouts with James Harden pay dividends at the stripe—and, more importantly, becomes one of the leaders on the team, cementing his place as the team’s point guard of the present and the future.
Kel’el Ware will make the biggest leap as he jumps ship, and it’ll come with minutes… He’s seven-foot, a double-double threat, and shot nearly 40% from three last year. What’s not to love?
Dax
Aiden: Kel’el Ware will make the biggest jump for the Bucks this season. I’m expecting Ware to be a top 3-5 finisher in the Most Improved Player award, and I would not be surprised to see him win it. The big man positions are wide open, and he is in prime position to become the Bucks’ next star big man.
It’s widely accepted amongst the league that Ware’s upside and potential are through the roof; he just needs the right situation and to be driven to compete every possession. Ware averaged 18 points and 14 rebounds, along with 3 blocks a night when playing more than 30 minutes last season. You’d expect that this number is slightly inflated from limited samples, but anywhere near that kind of production and he will solidify himself as one of the best young players in the league.
Nate: Ousmane Dieng. Milwaukee’s favorite Frenchman, Dieng is a former first round pick who will finally get a full season to ball out. His rookie season he broke his wrist twice, and in that year the Thunder became a contender. When he was healthy, Dieng had limited opportunities to earn minutes, and was primarily used as a 5. With Milwaukee, he just signed essentially a “prove-it” deal and will get plenty of minutes at the 3 and 4, which seemed to be a more natural fit for him on this team last season. Watching someone with length and IQ on the wing was a breath of fresh air for all Bucks fans, and if he can limit his turnovers I can see him starting and becoming a fan favorite glue guy. While I am also high on Jaquez Jr. and his potential ceiling with us, Dieng comes in motivated and with something to prove.
Dax: Kel’el Ware will make the biggest leap as he jumps ship, and it’ll come with minutes. Sure, Myles Turner starts to begin the season, but Ware is a threat. Turner doesn’t fit the timeline, and Ware may be the blueprint. He’s seven-foot, a double-double threat, and shot nearly 40% from three last year. What’s not to love?
Agree with our forecasts or are we like your local weatherman, predicting clear skies when there’s rain? Let us know in the comments and, more importantly, share your predictions. And don’t forget to tune back in tomorrow for Part II, where things get a little whackier.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 07: Luke Kennard #8 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball as Buddy Hield #7 of the Chicago Bulls defends during the first half of the preseason game at the United Center on October 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was the second loss in as many games for the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, falling 124–117 to the Chicago Bulls.
In reality, the wins and losses don’t matter right now. Case in point? The closing five for Phoenix consisted of Jamaree Bouyea, Pat Spencer, Koa Peat, Ryan Dunn, and Haywood Highsmith. If the Suns ever find themselves in a position where that’s their closing five during the regular season, we can go ahead and assume the title of the Eagles’ reunion album has come true and hell has frozen over. So don’t get caught up in wins and losses at this time of year. This is an opportunity for experimentation, for progress, and for players to get their sea legs underneath them as they prepare for the gauntlet that is an 82-game season.
Even when I see Devin Booker go 0-of-8 from beyond the arc, I’m not overly concerned. Yet. But for somebody who shot 33% from three last season, with the hope that he can elevate his game this year, it certainly isn’t the greatest start. Again, temper expectations.
"Back to the lab."
Suns All-Star Devin Booker on his 1-of-12 shooting from 3 through two preseason games.
0-for-8 tonight in Suns 124-117 loss to the Bulls.
"Just getting more reps up, looking at film at the shots I did get and see what I can do better." #Sunspic.twitter.com/ViNghCT296
The highlight of the game was clearly the second unit. By the time all five starters had taken their seats on the bench, the Suns were trailing by three points. What followed was an impressive display of energy from Collin Gillespie, Luke Kennard, Ryan Dunn, Jordan Goodwin, and Khaman Maluach. They were more than a spark off the bench. They were a hurricane of activity.
For the second consecutive game, we’ve seen the collective energy rise when this group takes the floor. And that’s what makes it so encouraging. It isn’t one player creating disruption or providing a burst of energy. It’s the entire unit working together, applying pressure, and making life miserable for the opposition.
Knowing the Suns have that kind of production coming off the bench is exciting for the upcoming season. If the starting unit plays well, this group has the potential to extend leads. If the starters struggle, they possess the energy and defensive intensity to erase deficits and swing momentum back in Phoenix’s favor. And when you begin thinking about the different combinations Jordan Ott can experiment with, mixing and matching members of this second unit with the starters, the possibilities become even more intriguing. There’s plenty of reason for excitement in what we’ve seen from this group through two preseason games.
There were challenges along the way. The Suns also looked undersized compared to the Bulls and struggled to secure rebounds. Phoenix finished with 16 rebounds classified as “team rebounds” last night, a reflection of how hard they had to work collectively to secure possession rather than having a dominant presence inside who could simply take the ball away from the opposition. With Mark Williams out for the foreseeable future, and the Suns potentially undersized at the five if they elect to start Oso Ighodaro, rebounding could become a legitimate concern for this team.
We know Phoenix possesses tenacity and desire, two admirable attributes when it comes to chasing down rebounds. But that also requires expending additional energy and effort when the solution could be as simple as having more size on the floor. So as we anxiously await the third preseason game on Saturday, there are plenty more thoughts I have about what we’ve seen through these first two games. I’ll put those together in other articles as we continue working our way toward the regular season.
For now, I’ll close with a reminder to avoid getting caught up in the losses. Focus on the progress, the development, and occasionally recognize where that progress has yet to materialize. That’s what this time of year is for.
Bright Side Baller Standings
Goodie’s 7 points weren’t earth-shattering against the Pistons, but his effort was, garnering him the first Bright Side Baller of the season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Preseason Game 2 against the Bulls. Here are your nominees:
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 12: Luis de Leon #81 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles signed pitcher Luis De León out of the Dominican Republic in December 2021. His signing bonus was just $30,000. A high-strikeout, high-walk pitcher, De León struggled in the Dominican Summer League in as a 19-year-old, but slowly began working up the ranks of the minors. By the end of 2025, he had worked his way up and finished the season with three games with the Double-A Baysox.
The 2026 season brought big changes for De León. He returned to Double-A and made 19 starts with disappointing results. Now 23, De León struck out nearly 30% of batters but walked over 11%. He had a good ground ball rate, but allowed a ton of baserunners.
Despite his troubles, De León was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk on August 1st. He made three starts at that level before the Orioles moved him to the bullpen. The move made sense. De León didn’t look capable of rising above the starting pitchers in Baltimore, and the Orioles needed bullpen help. With his hard slider and strikeout ability, the bullpen seemed like a good place for him. He made just four bullpen appearances with Norfolk before being called up to the big leagues.
It was a rude welcome for De León, who was inserted into a high-leverage situation on his first day. He gave up a home run, took the loss, and probably felt like a real Oriole for doing so (I kid…or do I?). He also took the loss in his second career MLB game; he took the loss again after Yennier Cano allowed his inherited runner to score. After watching the first two games of his time, I was ready for De León to go back to the minors to work on some things.
But then, things got better. De León got into six more games before the end of the season. He gave up four hits and two walks. He didn’t allow another run. It was a very small sample size, but he started to look like a good pitcher. His emergence was a nice part of a mostly frustrating end of season.
So what is in store for De León next year? The Orioles might try him as a starter again, with a longer stretch at Norfolk. But I believe his future is as a relief pitchers as he has continually struggled as a starter in the minors. A hard-throwing lefty is valuable out of the bullpen, and De León gained about a mile per hour on his fastball as a relief pitcher in the majors.
De León has the talent to succeed; it’s just a matter of if he can control the strike zone. He did so in his 10 MLB games, though it’s foolish to draw conclusions from 9.1 innings. If you were going to, you’d also have to worry about his strikeout rate being half what he had in the minors. Even so, the performance was a nice early audition for next year, when you expect he’ll get the chance to make the team out of spring training.
Until the recent influx of talent into the farm system, De León was the highest-ranking pitcher on the Orioles’ prospect lists. Back in May, FanGraphs ranked him as the team’s third-best prospect overall, with this to say about him:
De León still has command-related relief risk and a bit more because of his fastball’s vulnerability against righties, though it eats lefties alive. His delivery is atypical for a big league starter and it detracts some from his strike-throwing, but it also makes hitters uncomfortable
…
[W]e know De León can hold big velo across as lot of innings and that his secondary stuff (especially his splitter) can finish hitters.
MLB Pipeline placed De León as the #8 prospect in 2026, with the following to say:
De León has always had inconsistent command, and his control can unravel when his mechanics fall out of sync. But his stuff plays up when he’s repeating his delivery and staying on top of his release, and he’s shown improvement in the free-passes department, slicing his walk rate every season as he’s matured. If he can consistently throw all of his pitches for strikes and limit the walks, his weapons give him the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter, with the raw stuff to impact a big league bullpen even sooner.
He fulfilled that last part, but time will tell if he finds his way to being a competent starter.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 19, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cardinals will not be getting Tarik Skubal. I know this, you know this, the most delusional and optimistic Cardinal fan you have ever met knows it too. In theory, every other free agent starting pitcher could be on the table. In theory. I’m not saying it’s a high percentage chance, but it’s enough of a chance that we should probably talk about them this offseason. Skubal is a 0.1% chance. Another writer can take a crack at writing about Skubal. It will not be me.
That starts with arguably the second best starting pitcher on the free agent market, Trevor Rogers. Rogers comes with some warts and is definitely not as good as you want someone with the label “second best starting pitcher on the market” to be, but he is certainly within the Cardinals’ price range. Rogers is the age that you want a free agent to be as he will be 29-years-old next season. That is frankly doing a lot of the work towards making him the next best after Skubal.
However, let’s not underrate Rogers. In his last 48 starts, spread across two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Rogers has been worth 7.3 fWAR, which is pretty easily in top of the rotation territory. He’s been a pretty extreme home run/flyball percentage beater, which would be more concerning if Busch Stadium wasn’t the home park of the Cardinals. It is still concerning however, because in 2026 at least, his home run luck is the difference between him being an above average pitcher and top of the rotation.
Rogers is a fastball pitcher, and in fact has three different fastballs according to Statcast. The one he uses the most is his four-seam fastball, which he throws 93.8 mph on average. He throws it 46.9% of the time, so he leans on it pretty heavy, but it seems like it is best utilized up in the zone or above the zone. It produces a whiff about 25% of the time and he gets a strikeout 19% of the time it’s used in a 2-strike count.
And then at this point, it depends on if the batter at the plate is right-handed or left-handed. Because for right-handed batters, his changeup is pretty easily his second-most used pitch. Of his 551 changeups he threw, 89% of them were against right-handed batters. So it’s barely a pitch when a lefty is at the plate. So against righties, he wants to throw the four-seamer high and the change low or below the zone. Pretty old school strategy. His change isn’t typically used as a strikeout pitch though, putting away hitters only 10% of the time on 2-strike counts in which he throws it.
His third most used pitch is his sweeper and he does not appear to change his usage based on what hand the batter is, which is a little surprising for a lefty. This is his strikeout pitch. It produces a whiff 31.7% of the time and produces a strikeout on 23.9% of 2-strike counts, the highest of all his pitches. His sinker replaces his changeup against left-handed batters. So he uses the sweeper at about the same 14% rate against lefties, but abandons the change in favor of the sinker. You’d think he’d want to throw the sweeper more against lefties. He also throws the cutter more against left-handed batters.
If it’s a right-handed batter, he’s primarily fastball-change with a few sweepers to throw off your game. Against left-handed batters, he pretty much uses three different fastballs and sometimes a sweeper. Whenever he throws the sweeper, it’s effective, so maybe they figured out that throwing it less makes it a more effective pitch. It was an even better pitch in 2025 with a 39% whiff rate, so maybe he just doesn’t have a feel for it in some games.
As for how effective these pitches were, well it’s safe to say his fastball is truly an elite pitch. It was in 2026. It was in 2025. He used it a lot for a reason. It was worth one run per 100 pitches thrown and it was actually worth 2.4 runs per 100 pitches in 2025. Hitters have trouble with his four-seamer. His change took a nosedive this past season, although it was a very good pitch in 2025. I don’t quite know why, but it was as bad of a pitch for him as his fastball was good in 2026. His sweeper is not terribly far behind his fastball, being worth 0.8 runs per 100 pitches in 2026 and 2.7 runs per 100 pitches in 2025. His sinker is a perfectly average pitch and his cutter might be a bit better than that. You don’t mind a fastball heavy pitcher if the fastball is this good.
He is not necessarily the safest pitcher when it comes to health, but looking at his stat page, it’s not as bad as it looks. He made 25 starts in 2021, missed the minimum 10 days from a back spasm and later missed half a month from a family emergency/family death of some sort. He had back spasms again in 2022 and later his season ended about a week early from a lat strain. He still made 23 starts. He missed nearly all of 2023 from a left bicep strain. In 2024, the Marlins traded him to the Orioles and he actually made an additional 5 starts in AAA, so he made 30 starts that season. His 2025 season started late, but I think he made too many starts for it all to have been rehab, because he had 7 starts in AAA in addition to his 18 starts at the MLB level. Basically with the exception of 2023, he’s made about 25 starts per season.
The big question for Rogers, for me at least is: is this HR/FB% thing for real? He was a 4 fWAR pitcher last season, but his ERA was only 4.03 and his xFIP was 3.92. In fact, for his career, his ERA is closer to his xFIP than it is to his FIP. This was also the case last season. Fangraphs might be overrating him in two different ways: there’s the obvious way in which we can expect a higher HR/FB% moving forward and then there’s the other way where he might have a worse ERA than his FIP for whatever reason.
With that said, Oriole Park at Camden is a pretty great place for hitters to hit homers. On Statcast Park Factors, it rates as a 109, which makes it the 6th best park for homers in baseball. He was also in a division with the Yankees (2nd place), Jays (10th), and Rays (12th). Fenway is surprisingly bad for homers. I suddenly understand the Sonny Gray season a lot more now. Anyway, Busch Stadium was literally dead last, so it would be odd if he didn’t at least continue to have his career 9.1 HR/FB% by moving to a much more favorable pitcher’s park.
So what we have is a 29-year-old left-handed starter who has been a little bit inconsistent. His official rookie season got him placed 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting thanks to a 2.64 ERA and 4.3 fWAR in just 25 starts. He wasn’t a good pitcher again until four years later when he had changed teams. He at least has the benefit of repeating his breakout 2025 – although I don’t know if you can call it a breakout if he already had a great season before that.
Last season was frankly a little odd. I mentioned his FIP was a lot lower than his ERA, and most of that was from a below average 69.3 LOB% (left on base), so runners ended up scoring more often than expected once they reached base. His career LOB% of 71.7% is more in line with the average rate that pitchers have. And his 84.2 LOB% in 2025 was always unsustainable (as well as his .226 BABIP).
Rogers will get tagged with a qualified offer and thus the Cardinals would lose a draft pick if they signed him. I know that’s already a deal breaker for a lot of you. When I write these profiles, I’m not advocating to sign them. I’m working it out myself in fact. I actually do like the fact that he has a very good fastball that he can lean on all the time. Makes it feel more likely he can continue. And there’s some potential future where he leans on his sweeper more, which at least to me seems underutilized. Who am I to argue with success though?
If there wasn’t an incoming lockout, I’d say Rogers was virtually guaranteed for 5 years on this deal, but teams may operate differently in the coming months. The qualified offer will also assuredly hurt him. He didn’t come saddled with a qualified offer, but Eduardo Rodriguez signed for 4 years, $80 million entering his age 31 season. Rodriguez didn’t have the floor that Rogers reached, but he wasn’t super consistent himself and had little injuries along the way as well. Feels like Rogers should be able to beat that. Of course, QO attached and lockout incoming very much complicate things for him.
Quick and dirty estimate for his price. I’m going to list him as a 2.7 WAR pitcher. Fangraphs depth charts has him with 3.2 over 181 innings, but that inning total would not be his projection. I think 150 innings is reasonable given his history. If that is to be believed, a “fair” price for him over a 5-year-contract would be 5 years, $85 million. He should get more than Rodriguez, but he also didn’t have a QO attached which is a big deal.
The tough thing with Rogers is that he feels like a very small step removed from being essentially average. I don’t know how many more peak seasons he has in him. I would take the 2025 and 2026 version of him absolutely. I don’t know how much longer that pitcher will exist. Rogers is the first free agent starting pitcher I have taken a deeper look into and I feel like I need to see the others first before I make a determination on if I want Rogers. So my official answer right now is I don’t know, but I don’t love that I’m not thrilled at the idea of him for 5 years, $85 million.
While watching the Yankees’ four-error performance Monday night …..
It made me GREATLY appreciate the Cubs defense we enjoyed this season.
I appreciate your reading.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Probably Fall Short on Tarik Skubal, Still Need to Get ‘Dude’. “Between the truncated initial free agency period, the unknowns of the next CBA, and their general reluctance to play at the top of the market for premium pitching, adding one of the best arms on the planet seems anything but likely.”
PCA-Mania:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong is (Obviously) a Finalist for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award. “It’s how you wind up with a 10+ WAR season, but it still blows my mind that defensive superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong also happened to be among the best of the best bats in baseball this year.”
Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Assessing the Cubs’ Pitching Pipeline Heading Into the Offseason. “Pitching depth (or, rather, the lack thereof) became a major storyline for the Cubs in 2026, and their young arms could play a big role in preventing similar issues down the road. Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing pitchers in Chicago’s pipeline.”
Andrew Wright (North Side Baseball): Chicago Cubs Minor League Pitchers Of The Year. “With the season in the books, let’s take a look at what Chicago Cubs minor-league pitchers shined this season.”
Eddie Shaw (March 20, 1937 – January 29, 2018) was an American Chicago blues tenor saxophonist, arranger and bandleader. He led Howlin’ Wolf’s band, the Wolf Gang, from 1972, both before Wolf’s death in 1976 and subsequently.
Shaw was born in Stringtown, Mississippi. In his teenage years, Shaw played tenor saxophone with local blues musicians, such as Little Milton and Willie Love. At the age of 14, he played in a jam session in Greenville, Mississippi, with Ike Turner’s band. At a gig in Itta Bena, Mississippi, when the then 20-year-old Shaw performed, Muddy Waters invited him to join his Chicago-based band.
In Waters’s band, Shaw divided the tenor saxophone position with A.C. Reed. In 1972 he joined Howlin’ Wolf, leading his band, the Wolf Gang, and writing half the songs on The Back Door Wolf (1973). After the singer’s death in 1976 he took over the band and its residency at the 1815 Club, renamed Eddie’s Place. Shaw led the band on Living Chicago Blues Vol. 1 and Have Blues – Will Travel (1980) and recorded albums with different backing for Isabel Records, Rooster Blues, and Wolf Records.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 31: A general view as Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies bats against Cade Povich #37 of the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Coors Field on August 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning!
With the Division Series in full swing, we’ve have entered their slowest news cycle portion of the year for non-playoff teams. Most of the focus is, rightfully, on the exciting and meaningful games being played each night to electric crowds.
Keeping up with the games each day is enough work all on its own!
Around the edges, though, we cand start to see talk of plans for next years team as well as the tail end of retrospectives on 2026 around the web. There’s enough tidbits squirreled away in various articles that it’s easy to miss some enlightening info on what the Rockies plans are.
Luckily, Purple Row is here to help you avoid missing out on all the goings on in baseball.
Rockies News & Links
Paul DePodesta on 2026 Rockies: ‘I’m sort of very dissatisfied with some of the results’ | Denver Post ($) — The end-of-season press conference from the front office on Tuesday confirmed much of what Rockies fans already knew about how the season went but also hinted at the team’s offseason plans. Kyle Newman breaks down the President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta’s quotes most relevant to constructing the 2027 roster. Of particular note is DePodesta’s assurance that the Rockies will be pursuing free agent starting pitchers that are want to take on the challenge of pitching at altitude and investing even more resources into development personnel.
Colorado Rockies arbitration projections and tender decisions | Just Baseball — As we head into the offseason, Zach Cioffi put together a great resource to set expectations for the club’s arbitration class and Rule 5-eligible players. Take a look to better understand the decisions and circumstances that the front office will need navigate in the coming months.
Colorado Rockies 2026 MLB draft report card | Baseball America ($) — Carlos Collazo runs through the Rockies draft class from this season now that most of it has had a chance to debut in the minor leagues. The names at the top of the draft that you’d expect to see are highlighted, but 14th-round pick Lorenzo Carrier is the name I wasn’t expecting to see mentioned as much as he was. Carrier’s raw tools mixed with his strong professional debut have Collazo intrigued.
Here are each organization’s Prospects of the Year | MLB.com — The MLB Pipeline crew sorts through each franchise’s top performing prospects of the 2026 season. Rockies fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Cristian Arguelles and Jackson Cox getting the nod for Colorado, but there’s still a ton of info on other prospects from across the league that you may know less about.
King for a night: Heroic performance keeps Padres alive in NLDS Game 3 | FanGraphs — If you weren’t able to catch the San Diego Padres Game 3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night, you missed out. It was a tense tight game from start to finish, but the ending put an appropriate cap on the night. After Mason Miller was announced as having been moved to the paternity list just a few minutes before the start of the game, the Padres bullpen plans came into question. Game 1 starter Michael King answered the call and shut the door. If you missed it, this piece from Ben Clemens is a great recap.
Experimental outfield positioning rules in Arizona Fall League | Fangraphs — Eric Longenhagen reports on the latest round of rules experimentation by MLB in the Arizona Fall League. This year the league is piloting a system for tracking outfielder positioning at the start of a play via Hawkeye cameras. A display is visible to the on-field umpires showing whether the outfielders are in an allowed starting position. The system appears to be in its early stages of experimentation with MLB playing around with the exact positioning and tolerance for straying. Something to keep an eye on!
Phillies’ manager search might land on Don Mattingly after Alex Cora opts to sit out 2027: Sources | The Athletic ($) — Mere days after being eliminated from the playoffs, the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to next season. After manager Rob Thomson was fired in April, Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski attempted to bring Alex Cora to Philadelphia. After that attempt to bring Cora on board failed, bench coach Don Mattingly was elevated to the manager position. It looks like Mattingly could again be looked at as the backup option for Dombrowski according to Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Travis Sanheim #6 and Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers defend their goal against Filip Hallander #11 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on September 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Jason Spezza shed some light on the decision making around yesterday’s trade that sent forward Filip Hallander to Edmonton in exchange for defenseman Spencer Stastney.
“We had to make a move due to our depth at forward and by looking at past performances and future potential. Filip was the player we determined as expendable,” Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza wrote in an e-mail to local outlets. “In our trade discussions, the Oilers had interest in Filip, while we had interest in Stastney.”
Spezza’s use of the word ‘expendable’ surely isn’t intended to be as harsh as it comes off in reading, but it’s pretty much on the money. Hallander is 26-years old, he’s only played 17 career NHL games for one reason or another due to injuries, leaving for Sweden and a blood clot issue. He’s got one 5v5 goal in those 17 games (scored last week against the Flyers in a blowout win against a team playing awfully poorly). He’s done well to show gradual improvements yet at the same time has a very low ceiling of a fourth line, PK winger who never has been a high-end skater or shown a lot of dynamic skill. By rule those players are as expendable as it gets.
It’s clear to see that this trade was a problem solver for both Pittsburgh and Edmonton. The Penguins had (and, let’s face it still have) too many forwards. Hallander earned a spot with a strong training camp, yet if it weren’t for injuries/absences to Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel and Andrei Kuzmenko, this type of decision would have had to be made earlier. It wouldn’t have been a great idea or beneficial to risk Hallander on waivers and see him depart for nothing.
The Oilers faced a similar quandary in reverse, having too many defensemen and needing to add a forward. Stastney, a player they acquired for a third round pick less than a year ago, ended up on the outside looking in this year as the team’s eighth defenseman following some off-season adds on the blueline — not dissimilar to how acquiring forwards like Kuzmenko, Nick Robertson and Hendrix Lapierre pushed Hallander further towards the margins in Pittsburgh.
So instead of playing waiver roulette and giving the other 30 teams a chance to pluck the players away for nothing, the Pens and Oil struck a deal that works for both. The dots were there to be connected, as we wrote about over the summer that the situation and a possibility made sense for these teams to work together in this fashion.
Spezza also talked about what Pittsburgh liked about their new player.
“Stastney is a great skating defenseman (who) is at his best when he is asserting himself defensively and offensively, using his legs, retrieving pucks and moving pucks into the forwards’ hands,” Spezza wrote. “Stastney adds to our depth as a left-shot defenseman (who) has experience playing on the left or right side, and he will be competing with our existing defensemen for ice time.”
Stastney checks a lot of the boxes that Dubas likes in players. That profile of defender: plus skater, puck mover, not a huge emphasis on size is a hallmark of what he often goes after.
Beyond that, Stastney is 26-years old, has no contractual commitment after this year and has lacked opportunity in other spots. That’s a lot of boxes to check off for similar players like Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Shea and Declan Carlile that the Pens have employed recently.
Defensive depth is a necessary thing. Pittsburgh has three defenders in their lineup over the age of 35. They have another, Sam Girard, who has averaged missing 19 games over the prior three seasons. Adding another layer before having to go into the AHL and call-up players who might not be ready (especially on the left side) is always a welcome addition.
The other interesting item is that this trade hasn’t truly solved Pittsburgh’s issue in totality, since they are navigating staying under 23 players now that many of the camp injuries are returning to play. Does adding Stastney mean eventually pushing Ilya Solovyov off the roster, perhaps as soon as when Andrei Kuzmenko’s non-roster status expires on Sunday? What will become of Elmer Soderblom, now scratched in three-straight games? Just how safe is Ville Koivunen’s spot on the team? There are still more questions than answers for what direction they will take in the days to come but this first trade of the year starts to right-size the balance of the forward/defenseman split for the roster a little bit. If the team gets back to health this won’t be the only transaction to ease to logjam of forwards.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has confirmed he has chatted with Usman Khawaja about his upcoming autobiography but said he is not concerned about any revelations his former teammate will make about the infamous Sandpapergate series.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: Jackson Chourio #11 and Cooper Pratt #12 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate the 3-1 win against the San Diego Padres in game four of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Angeibel Gomez and Kendry Chourio were named the Royals Prospects of the Year, by MLB.com.
It’s not common for a player to earn organizational hitter of the year honors after a Dominican Summer League campaign, but Gomez’s season (.361/.467/.653, 156 wRC+) was too impressive to look past, and the Royals thought enough of him to make him the second-youngest player ever to compete in the Arizona Fall League.
One of the best pitching prospects in the game pitched like it as an 18-year old across two levels of A ball, topping all Royals with at least 90 IP in ERA (2.48), BAA (.193), WHIP (0.89) and K/BB (5.35).
Carter Jensen was named first team, All-Rookie team by MLB.com as well.
Jensen made the Royals’ Opening Day roster as MLB’s No. 18 overall prospect and immediately showed he was one of the better all-around catchers in the game. He ranked third among all backstops with a 3.7 WAR and fourth among all rookies with 27 homers as he slashed .239/.323/467. The Kansas City native also made great strides on defense, where he showed off above-average framing skills and pop times.
David Lesky looks are what went right for the Royals in 2026.
Philip Ruo of Royals Keep looks back at last year’s pitching acquisitions.
Kevin O’Brien gives out his awards to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
The Brewers and Dodgers will meet in the NLCS again this season.
Manny Machado was robbed of a potential tying homer.
DALLAS, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 25: Tarik Biberovic #13 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for portraits at Mavericks Media Day at American Airlines Center on September 25, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks had a few holes last season that had them stuck near the basement at 12th in the Western Conference. Perhaps the biggest hole was a lack of shooting. in what could go down as one of the team’s savviest under-the-radar offseason move, the Mavericks added Bosnian-Turkish sharpshooter Tarik Biberović after a series of trades following the NBA Draft.
The 25-year-old forward has spent nearly a decade playing professional basketball in Europe, establishing himself as one of the better shooters in the EuroLeague before making the jump to the NBA this summer. Dallas acquired his draft rights as part of the six-team deal that brought Santi Aldama to the Mavericks, while adding Biberović on a two-year deal.
Biberović enters the NBA with a clear calling card: he can shoot. Last season with Fenerbahce, he averaged 10.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 36 regular-season games while shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range and 95.1 percent from the free-throw line. He was even better in the playoffs, averaging 15.8 points and making 52.9 percent of his 3-pointers.
That shooting touch could be a massive benefit to the Mavericks. Dallas shot just 34.4 percent from three as a team last season, and Biberović’s ability to stretch the floor could give a new-look offense another weapon around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Biggest question
He can shoot, but can he defend? Shooters shoot, but how well will his defensive skills translate to the NBA? Can Dusty May trust him enough on both sides of the ball to give him meaningful minutes?
Biberović is 6-foot-7 and 218 pounds, giving him enough size to play either forward spot, but NBA athleticism is a different challenge than what he has faced in Europe. Dallas already has a crowded group of wings and forwards, including Zaccharie Risacher, Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Morez Johnson Jr., all of whom will be getting minutes ahead of the rookie.
While considered a slightly below-average defender in Europe, Biberović’s defense has reportedly been ahead of expectations during training camp. Coach Dusty May specifically said Biberović’s defense has been “a little bit further along” than he anticipated. That’s important. If he can defend his position, rebound and make the right rotations while providing elite shooting, there is a legitimate role for him. This could be the difference between being a specialist who gets played when the Mavericks need offense and being a legitimate rotation player.
Best case scenario
Biberović quickly proves that his EuroLeague shooting translates to the NBA. If he can shoot somewhere around 38-40 percent from deep while making defenses pay for leaving him open, Dallas has a useful rotation piece. The dream scenario is that he becomes the kind of player opposing defenses simply cannot ignore. Put him alongside Flagg or Irving, and suddenly driving lanes become a little wider. Help defenders have to think twice before leaving him. A possession that previously ended with a difficult shot can instead become a kick-out 3-ball. That is the value of a player like Biberović.
He doesn’t necessarily have to score 15 points per game to provide it. If he can give Dallas 15-20 minutes a night, knock down a couple of 3-pointers, rebound at a decent clip and hold his own defensively, he could become one of the more interesting bench pieces on the roster. There is also something to be said for the experience he brings as well. He isn’t a typical rookie. He has already played professionally for years and was part of Fenerbahce’s 2025 EuroLeague championship team. The NBA game will be new. Basketball won’t be.
Worst case scenario
We never like to look at this side, but we have to. Here, Biberović’s shooting doesn’t translate quickly enough, and his defense keeps him glued to the bench. This is the obvious concern with any international player making the jump to the NBA at 25. The NBA is faster, longer, and more athletic than anything he’s seen, and Biberović is going to have to figure out where his shots come from within an offense that is less structured than the one he played in previously. May has already acknowledged that learning to find shots within the flow of Dallas’ offense will be part of the adjustment.
If he struggles to create separation, gets targeted defensively, or has trouble adjusting to the speed of NBA closeouts, his one elite skill may not be enough to keep him on the court. And the Mavericks have alternatives. Risacher is expected to receive an opportunity. Marshall has established himself as a versatile veteran. Washington Jr. is a staple piece. Morez Johnson Jr. will get big minutes his rookie season. Caleb Martin remains on the roster. There are only so many wing minutes to go around. Biberović will have to earn them with his big skill that the others lack — shooting.
Season goal
Become a trusted rotation player. That’s really all Dallas should be asking from Biberović in year one. If he can establish himself as a reliable shooter, prove that he isn’t a defensive liability, and learn how to play alongside Flagg and Irving, the season will have been a success. Something like 10-15 minutes per game would be a reasonable starting point, with the opportunity to earn more as the season progresses. More importantly, he needs to make the coaching staff comfortable putting him on the floor when the game matters. The 3-point shooting is the ticket into the rotation. Everything else determines whether he stays there.
Overall
Biberović is one of the more intriguing unknowns on the Mavericks’ roster. There is a very real chance he becomes exactly what Dallas needs: a big wing who can punish defenses from the outside and provide valuable spacing around its best players. There is also a very real chance that adjusting to the NBA takes time. The good news for Dallas is that he seems to understand the challenge. He has repeatedly emphasized that he didn’t come to the NBA simply to say he made it. He wants to make an impact and earn his minutes. That’s the right mentality for a player entering a crowded rotation.
The Mavericks don’t need the sniper to become a star. They don’t even need him to become a high-volume scorer. They need him to shoot, be an average defender, play within himself, and make the game easier for the players around him. If he can do those things, Dallas may have found one of the better shooting specialists in its new-look rotation.
Derrick White is poised to improve his offensive efficiency this season. | NBAE via Getty Images
There’s nothing quite like basketball season.
Turning on the TV whenever we want and marveling as the best players in the world put on a show is a treat. Watching the Celtics play never gets old, and each season brings a new flavor.
This year is particularly intriguing, for obvious reasons, as they enter a new era with Just the Jay.
Here are 10 things I’m looking forward to as the action begins tonight:
1) A full season of Jayson Tatum
I think we can all agree Jayson Tatum looked even better than we expected when he returned at the end of last season. At the same time, we collectively held our breaths every time he did anything. This year, it will be fun to see Tatum play freely, without any inhibition, and run the operation. He’s ready to remind everyone exactly who he is.
Jayson Tatum appears to have been cooking during 5v5 scrimmages today 👀🍿
We need to collectively agree to not compare Paul George to Jaylen Brown. If we do, there’s a very good chance he’ll fall short of our expectations. If we don’t, and we view him as a reliable, sharp-shooting, 36-year-old key contributor, I believe he’ll meet or possibly even exceed our expectations. The key, of course, is health, but I genuinely believe he’ll have a great season.
3) Derrick White shooting the lights out
Derrick White would be the first to admit he didn’t shoot the way he wanted to last year. I expect his splits to rise significantly this season, with a full offseason of work behind him and Jayson Tatum setting him up for high-quality looks. White is arguably the biggest X-factor on the team, and I’m confident he’ll bounce back as a shooter while continuing to excel everywhere else.
4) Battle among the bigs
It will be fun to see who earns coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust – both to start games and finish them – between Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson. Both will play, and both will contribute at a high level, but it will be an entertaining subplot to see how it shakes out. My guess is it will depend on the matchup, but Robinson will start more than Queta and Queta will close more than Robinson.
Mitchell Robinson is a perfect fit for Celtics basketball, and his teammates are already seeing it pic.twitter.com/zd9kQbduc8
The Celtics finished last in pace (97.7) a season ago, and it will be interesting to see if they make a conscious choice to up that number this season. Pace doesn’t equate to good, and lack of pace doesn’t equate to bad, but there is a case to be made that they should play with more of it. At the same time, the Celtics got older this offseason, with George, Robinson and Mike Conley Jr., so it’s possible they’ll stay right where they are. It may take some time to figure out what works best, and that’s OK.
6) Taking the next step
It will be a joy to watch players like Baylor Scheierman, Hugo González, Ron Harper Jr. and Jordan Walsh take the next step. My guess is Scheierman and Harper Jr. make the most significant leaps, but all four are fully capable of taking their games to another level. Scheierman and Tatum is a pairing I want to see a lot of this season.
7) Jockeying with Jaylen
Celtics-76ers games are going to be extremely intense. Watching Tatum vs. Brown will be must-see TV, and oh yeah, LeBron James is there, too. The 76ers are the more talented team, but talent doesn’t always equate to wins. Plus, the Celtics are the deeper team and have more experience playing with one another. I have a hunch they’re going to meet in the playoffs as well and it’s going to live up to the hype.
Jaylen Brown was HOOPIN' in the first half of his @sixers preseason debut 🔥
While it’s unlikely Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell will see heavy minutes, they do have a chance to see some. Cenac, in particular, is a very intriguing player who moves well for his size, can block shots and has shown he’s capable of stepping out and hitting 3-pointers. Mitchell is a high flyer who may occasionally enter as a defensive stopper. Both have a solid chance to blossom into strong NBA players long term.
9) AJ Dybantsa at TD Garden
Brockton’s own AJ Dybantsa will play back-to-back games at TD Garden in mid-December. I think the Wizards are going to be better than people expect if they stay healthy, and that’s one of the sneaky great schedule quirks of the season. He likely won’t sleep in his childhood bed, but he will get to play in front of family and friends twice in a row. Don’t sleep on those matchups.
10) Something to prove
The final one is simple: The Celtics have a chance to prove they’re better than people think. I’m not entirely sure why people are doubting them this season, but in a way, those seasons are more fun than when expectations are extremely high. I think the 76ers and Knicks are a bit better on paper, but the Celtics have as good a chance as anyone at knocking them off. The vibes were immaculate last season, and I expect that to continue this year. The wait is over. Basketball is back, baby.
In an interesting move that led to them replacing youth and flair with experience and sandpaper, the Philadelphia Flyers signed veteran free agent winger Michael Bunting to a one-year contract on Tuesday. Such a signing has its benefits, but it's fair to wonder if the Flyers got the right guy.
Four games into the season, Bunting isn't the only experienced winger with an established history of some scoring upside out there.
The Flyers likely chose the 31-year-old because of his physicality and ability to play the agitator role as a complementary forward, but in terms of pure skill and scoring upside, well, there's more out there.
All-Star sniper and two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko remains without a contract through the early stages of the 2026-27 season, and he's the only free agent forward remaining who scored at least 20 goals and 40 points last season.
In 75 games with the Minnesota Wild, Tarasenko, 34, scored 23 goals, 24 assists, and 47 points on a team with winning aspirations, rebounding nicely from a bad season with Detroit that saw him score just 11 times in 80 games in 2024-25.
Indeed, the Russian sharpshooter is no longer the player he was at the peak of his career with the St. Louis Blues, but his stints with Minnesota, Florida, and even the New York Rangers have proven that Tarasenko can, at a minimum, still bang 'em in for a contender in a middle-six role.
On top of his obvious scoring upside, Tarasenko won cups with Florida in 2024 and St. Louis in 2019, and his 132 playoff games and two rings are something the Flyers have placed a premium on in the past when adding to their young team.
Remember, at the 2024 NHL trade deadline, the Flyers traded what ended up being the 109th overall pick for an Erik Johnson well past his best playing days, then re-signed him in the offseason.
In the 2023 offseason, the Flyers had brought in Marc Staal, who was fresh off a Cup Final appearance with Florida, the second of his career.
The Flyers moved away from that approach last season and it paid off with their first playoff appearance since 2020, but the bottom appears to have completely fallen out this season, for whatever reason.
The Flyers have scored just five goals in four games this season, and only the rebuilding Calgary Flames (three in three) have been worse.
Defense has never been his thing, but Vladimir Tarasenko can still score at a high level. (Photo: HockeyStats.com)
On top of his skill and experience, Tarasenko would be an excellent mentor for young Russian talents Matvei Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin, who are still cutting their teeth at the NHL level.
Oh, and 75 of Tarasenko's 327 regular season goals have come on the power play, which would surely be a boon for a Flyers power play that has sputtered to an 0-11 start while also allowing a short-handed goal.
Bunting's not half-bad either, with 36 of his 109 goals coming on the power play, but a much larger portion of his goals have come on the man advantage (33% vs. 23%) compared to Tarasenko.
As a not-as-naturally-skilled player, the Flyers may not be able to lift Bunting to his full scoring potential with their woeful power play units, and there is an element of concern given that the two-time 20-goal-scorer ended last season with just one goal in his last 14 games, including his lone playoff appearance.
In any event, Tarasenko, like Bunting, has been without a new team this long for a reason, though it's fair to wonder if Tarasenko would have been a better fit for the offense-needy Flyers.
