NEW YORK — Paul Goldschmidt and the Yankees are working toward a one-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, another move by New York that makes its 2026 roster resemble last year’s team.
The person spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. The deal likely would be for $5 million or less, the person said.
A seven-time All-Star and the 2022 NL MVP, the 38-year-old Goldschmidt hit .274 with 10 homers, 45 RBIs and a .731 OPS after signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract as a free agent.
He tailed off badly, hitting .287 with eight homers, 36 RBIs and a .776 OPS before the All-Star break and .245 with two homers, nine RBIs and a .631 OPS after. The right-handed-hitting Goldschmidt lost playing time at first to lefty-batting Ben Rice and started just two postseason games.
A seven-time Gold Glove winner, Goldschmidt provides defense and a veteran presence to a team seeking its first World Series title since 2009. He has a .288 average with 372 homers, 1,232 RBIs and an ,882 OPS in 15 major league seasons with Arizona (2011-18), St. Louis (2019) and the Yankees.
Coming off an AL Division Series loss to Toronto, New York has had a relatively quiet offseason. The Yankees’ major moves were re-signing outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract, acquiring left-hander Ryan Weathers from Miami in a trade and retaining center fielder Trent Grisham with a $22,025,000 qualifying offer.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Edwin Uceta won their salary arbitration cases Friday, improving players to 5-0 this year.
Ashcraft was awarded $1.75 million rather than the Cincinnati Reds’ $1.25 million offer in a case heard Thursday by Keith Greenberg, Howard Edelman and Rob Herman.
Uceta will be paid $1,525,000 rather than the Tampa Bay Rays’ $1.2 million proposal. That case was heard on Jan. 29 by Janice Johnston, Alan Ponak and Melinda Gordon, and the decision was kept sealed until Friday so as not to impact Ashcraft’s hearing.
A right-hander who turns 28 next week, Ashcraft was 8-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 62 relief appearances last year, striking out 64 and walking 25 in 65 1/3 innings. He had a $780,000 salary and was eligible for arbitration for the first time.
Ashcraft is 25-25 with a 4.76 ERA in four major league seasons.
Uceta also was eligible for arbitration for the first time after going 10-3 with a 3.79 ERA in 70 relief appearances last year, when he had an $815,000 salary. He was a so-called Super Two, eligible because he has 2 years, 150 days of major league service — 10 days above the cutoff for this year’s arbitration class.
Baltimore left-hander Keegan Akin went to a hearing Friday, asking for $3,375,000 rather than the Orioles’ $2,975,000 offer. A decision by John Stout, Jeanne Charles and Samantha Tower is expected Saturday.
A 30-year-old left-hander, Akin was 5-4 with a 3.41 ERA and eight saves in 64 relief appearances last season, striking out 59 and walking 33 in 63 1/3 innings. He had a $1,475,000 salary.
Akin has a 16-22 record with a 4.48 ERA and 11 saves in six major league seasons, all with the Orioles. He can become a free agent after this year’s World Series.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal won his case Thursday when he was awarded an arbitration-record $32 million rather than the Detroit Tigers’ $19 million offer.
In other decisions, right-hander Kyle Bradish was awarded $3.55 million instead of the Baltimore Orioles’ offer of $2,875,000, and catcher Yainer Diaz received $4.5 million instead of the Houston Astros’ $3 million proposal.
Two cases have been argued with decisions withheld until next week: Toronto left-hander Eric Lauer ($5.75 million vs. $4.4 million) and Atlanta left-hander Dylan Lee ($2.2 million vs. $2 million).
Five players remain scheduled for hearings next week: Kansas City left-hander Kris Bubic ($6.15 million vs. $5.15 million), Milwaukee catcher Willson Contreras ($9.9 million vs. $8.55 million), Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers ($2,925,000 vs. $2,625,000), Miami right-hander Calvin Faucher ($2.05 million vs. $1.8 million) and Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson ($6.8 million vs $6.55 million).
LOS ANGELES — A jury has found former major league outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to federal officials investigating an illegal gambling operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday.
The verdict came after a multiweek trial that featured testimony from Major League Baseball officials and Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach that Puig placed bets through. Puig now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced May 26.
Puig’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Puig, 35, initially pled guilty to a felony charge of lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation. He acknowledged in an August 2022 plea agreement that he wracked up more than $280,000 in losses over a few months in 2019 while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games through a third party who worked for an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player.
Nix pled guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and subscribing to a false tax return. He is still awaiting sentencing.
Authorities said Puig placed at least 900 bets through Nix-controlled betting websites and through a man who worked for Nix.
Prosecutors said that during a January 2022 interview with federal investigators, Puig denied knowing about the nature of his bets, who he was betting with, and the circumstances of paying his gambling debts.
But he changed his tune months later, announcing that he was switching his plea to not guilty because of “significant new evidence,” according to a statement from his attorneys in Los Angeles.
“I want to clear my name,” Puig said in the statement. “I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”
The government argued that he intentionally misled the federal investigators. They played in court audio clips of Puig speaking English and brought expert witnesses to testify on Puig’s cognitive abilities, the New York Times reported.
His attorneys said that Puig, who has a third-grade education, had untreated mental-health issues and did not have his own interpreter or criminal legal counsel with him during the interview with federal investigators where he purportedly lied.
Puig’s former attorney Steven Gebelin testified that during the January 2022 interview, Puig tried to be helpful in answering the investigators’ questions and the interpreter struggled with Puig’s Spanish language dialect, according to the New York Times.
Puig batted .277 with 132 home runs and 415 RBIs while appearing in seven major league seasons, the first six with the Dodgers, where he earned an All-Star selection in 2014.
Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully called Puig the “wild horse” for his on-field antics and talent at a young age, joining MLB at 22, a year after escaping his home country of Cuba.
He played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians in 2019 before becoming a free agent. He then played in the Mexican League and last year he signed a one-year, $1 million contact with South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 27: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees in action during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on September 27, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On January 28th, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman addressed the media after Cody Bellinger’s return to the Bronx became official. When inevitably asked about the Yankees deciding to essentially bring back the same roster that lost the AL East and the ALDS to the Blue Jays in 2025, he said that this wasn’t the case:
“It’s not the same roster. … I disagree it’s the same team running it back. … Not afraid to run with the quality and talented roster of players that we do have. I think we’ve been consistent with that throughout the entire winter”
Well here we are a week later and news just broke of the Yankees officially bringing another dude back from the 2025 team, and someone far less essential than Bellinger: first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. ESPN’s Jeff Passan had the report of the 2022 NL MVP accepting a one-year deal to play a second season in New York. The financial figures came in later, with Jon Heyman noting the $4 million contract.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees are finalizing a one-year contract, sources tell ESPN. Goldschmidt, 38, returns to the Yankees after hitting .274/.328/.403 for them last season.
I know that it is not hip at all in the year 2026 to do reaction GIFs or clips, but I’m sorry. I can only be who I am.
Is there an argument that it makes sense to bring Goldschmidt back since up-and-coming first baseman Ben Rice didn’t hit that well against lefties in 2026? Sure. But here’s the dirty secret: Goldschmidt stopped hitting lefties after Memorial Day, too.
Paul Goldschmidt, a righty swinger, had a .981 OPS against lefties last year. But that number fell to .676 from June 1 through the end of the regular season. #Yankeeshttps://t.co/gqffjOhr9S
For the record, Ben Rice’s season OPS against lefties was .752. So that’s neat.
The 2025 World Series was a seven-game classic between two great teams: the Dodgers and Blue Jays. The Dodgers became MLB’s first back-to-back champion since the 1998-2000 dynasty Yankees. They still bolstered their roster this offseason by signing two All-Stars in closer Edwin Díaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker. If one bounce went another way in that Fall Classic or if Isiah Kiner-Falefa got a better lead at third base late in Game 7, the Blue Jays would’ve won it all. They didn’t; although they lost Bo Bichette to the Mets, they’ve still responded this offseason by signing Dylan Cease to boost their rotation and bringing aboard infielder Kazuma Okamoto from the NPB.
The Yankees are running it back. Cashman can try to get cute in his responses by acting like Trade Deadline moves for relievers and bench players make it so that’s not quite the case because well, well, uh, well, they weren’t there in the first half! And Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are gone, so that’s different! Ryan Weathers is here and will totally stay healthy and reach his highest potential! Getting Gerrit Cole back after Tommy John surgery will be like a Trade Deadline acquisition! No one’s ever had a tricky time finding their rhythm again after a year and a half away from the game. And we tied for the most wins in the American League so we’re great! It’s fine! Championship-caliber and all!
Look, the AL is not inspiring and the Yankees should remain good. That is a fact. Still, I come back to this other fact: The 1998 Yankees were probably the best team in baseball history. After winning it all, they shook it up a bit anyway because there was still room for improvement, trading fan favorite and playoff standout David Wells in exchange for Roger Clemens. They then won two more championships.
So whatever. Congrats to Goldy I guess. This is no dig at him personally as he seems like a very nice fellow and the actual value of this contract is a drop in the bucket. But this is all just so silly — and that’s using a kind word.
DENVER — As criticism swirled around Sam Girard for his recent mistakes, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar stepped up Wednesday night to defend his defenseman.
Girard faced intense backlash on social media after an offensive blueline turnover led to a breakaway goal for San Jose Sharks forward Phillip Kurashev, who buried a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood. The Avalanche, however, managed to overcome the error to win 4-2 at Ball Arena.
Not only did Bednar draw a clear line, but he also pushed back on the narrative that Girard hasn’t been performing well, insisting that his play has actually been improving in recent games.
Credit: DNVR. Jared Bednar defends Sam Girard, but didn't let him off the hook entirely for making a costly turnover.
"I actually think his game has been turning around recently," the coach stated regarding his puck-moving defenseman. "He's been playing pretty good. That (play with Kurashev) was just a bad decision.
"There's no way you're going to get back on that. The puck comes, it's sort of a broken play, it's trickling out to the point, the pressure's coming. A good decision would have been just punch it back down behind the net. You don't have to try to make something out of nothing, especially at the time and what just happened."
Colorado outshot San Jose 31-13 through the first two periods and entered the third with a 2-0 lead, but that advantage evaporated early in the final frame. Timothy Liljegren scored 43 seconds into the third period, ripping a slap shot from the point that Blackwood misjudged to make it a one-goal game. Less than three minutes later, Girard made the turnover that allowed San Jose to tie the game.
"They just got a quick one; they're starting to want to pour it on, and then we make that mistake and next thing you know the game's tied," Bednar said as he continued to analyze Girard's play. "I don't know if Cale (Makar) would have gotten back on that one.
"Once you turn it over and the guy's got a step on ya for the length of the ice, he's going to get a scoring chance. That's more decision than not being able to catch the guy."
Avalanche Attempts to Replace Girard Have Fallen Short
Acquired from the New York Rangers last season prior to the trade deadline, Ryan Lindgren was intended to serve as Girard’s replacement—a defense-first option who might sacrifice some offensive output in exchange for reliability on the back end, and at a more cost-effective contract. In the days leading up to July 1, the start of free agency, the Avalanche attempted to re-sign Lindgren before he became an unrestricted free agent, but Lindgren ultimately signed with the Seattle Kraken on a four-year, $18 million deal.
In the 18 games Lindgren appeared in for Colorado, he became the team's second-most-utilized left-shot defenseman behind Devon Toews. After Lindgren’s departure, the Avalanche added Brent Burns on a one-year deal. Meanwhile, Sam Malinski received a contract extension, and Girard has seen less ice time this season than at any point in his nine years with the team.
Girard, viewed as the centerpiece of the Matt Duchene trade, was acquired from the Nashville Predators in November 2017, with Duchene moving to the Ottawa Senators as part of the three-team deal.
The 27-year-old, who hails from Roberval, Quebec, has 37 career goals and 198 assists for 235 points in 588 NHL games. He is signed with Colorado through the 2026-27 season, but it will be interesting to see if the Avalanche commit through the end of the contract despite Bednar's recent comments about his improving game.
Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard John Tonje (17) drives with the ball against Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
BOSTON — Amid all the chao of Thursday’s NBA midseason tradeline deadline, the Celtics traded for two-way player John Tonje.
Tonje, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz 53rd overall in June, was in the middle of standout season with the Salt Lake City stars when he learned he was traded. He ultimately landed in Boston as part of the trade that sent Chris Boucher to the Jazz.
For Tonje, the Celtics mark a new opportunity, but also a reunion of sorts.
The 24-year-old doesn’t know a ton of people in Boston, but he does know one: Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman.
Tonje and Scheierman were AAU teammates in high school, years ago at the Omaha Sports Academy. That club no longer exists, but its legacy lives on: for the first time, the Celtics have two players from Nebraska.
When Scheierman found out that Tonje was coming to Boston, he immediately texted him to congratulate. The two reunited on Friday morning at the Auerbach Center, as Tonje got his first time of the new organization.
“We kept in touch a little bit throughout college — not like a whole lot,” Scheierman said. “But, so it’s cool to have someone from Nebraska, for sure.”
Plenty of people from Omaha were excited to see Tonje and Scheierman reunite.
“I had a bunch of people from back home blowing up my phone,” Scheierman said. “All my old AAU teammates. It’s cool that he’s that he’s here with us. He’s a talented player.”
Tonje appeared in 32 games for the Salt Lake City Stars this season, averaging 18 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. That came on the heels of a big-time NCAA Tournament run with Wisconsin Badgers, in which he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Before Wisconsin, he spent four seasons at Colorado State, and one year in Missouri.
But, before all of that, Tonje was another very talented Nebraskan basketball player, just like Scheierman.
“He can score in a variety of ways,” he said. “He’s a good defender. I think those are the two biggest things that stood out to me back in those days. I was completely different player and build back in those days, but I think those are the two things that stuck out the most, was just his physical maturity, it was just the ability to score.”
Tonje’s locker room at TD Garden sits across the way from Scheierman’s, and two will undoubtedly have plenty of time to catch up in the coming months.
But, for now, Scheierman has gotten a kick out of a pretty unlikely reunion that emerged amid the chaos of a busy trade deadline.
“It’s a cool thing,” Scheierman said. “Just for Nebraska to have two Nebraskans on the same team.”
New York Yankees first base Paul Goldschmidt strikes out swinging during the third inning of the Rays vs Yankees game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, USA, Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
The Yankees really are running it back.
Add Paul Goldschmidt to the list of returning players to The Bronx after the Yankees agreed to a one-year deal with the veteran first baseman, sources told The Post’s Joel Sherman.
Goldschmidt gives the Yankees a right-handed bat who can fill in for lefty-swinging Ben Rice, who is expected to be the primary first baseman this season.
New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is coming back on a one-year deal. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Goldschmidt, the 2022 National League MVP with the Cardinals, first signed with the Yankees last offseason and got off to a good start before he fell off in the second half.
But he remains solid defensively and gives the Yankees some much-needed balance in an infield that skews lefty, with Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon all hitting from the left side, along with catcher Austin Wells and outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham.
Goldschmidt also should be a valuable mentor to Rice, who is still learning how to play first base after coming up through the Yankees system primarily as a catcher — where he may still get time, along with Wells and possibly J.C. Escarra.
Although the 38-year-old Goldschmidt’s performance fell off in the second half, he still ended the season with an OPS of .981 against left-handed pitching and he can also serve as a defensive replacement for Rice.
Goldschmidt was also highly respected in the clubhouse and expressed a desire to return after the Yankees were knocked out of the playoffs.
Paul Goldschmidt joined the Yankees last season. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
They’ll hope the continued development of young players like Rice and Wells, along with the return of Gerrit Cole from Tommy John surgery by midseason and a full season of their acquisitions at last year’s trade deadline will put them in position to at least get back to the postseason.
The bench now consists of Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and perhaps Escarra and Jasson Domínguez — unless the Yankees find a right-handed bat for the outfield, since the switch-hitting Domínguez struggles from the right side and in left field.
And to start the season, José Caballero figures to fill in for Anthony Volpe at shortstop while Volpe recovers from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
A professional athlete is now a partial owner of prediction market platform Kalshi, and it’s a big one.
Key Takeaways
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo said on X that “it was time to make some (opinions) of my own.”
Kalshi had a trade market up on Giannis earlier this week and was offering a spread on his team’s Friday night game.
The NBA asked for the regulation of prediction markets that offer contracts on games in May 2025.
In an unprecedented move, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced Friday on the social media site X that he’s a shareholder of a trading exchange that offers sports event contracts.
“The internet is full of opinions,” the Milwaukee Bucks star wrote. “I decided it was time to make some of my own. Today, I’m joining Kalshi as a shareholder.
The nine-time All-Star and 2021 NBA champion will partner with Kalshi at live events and in marketing.
As an NBA player, he's forbidden from trading on NBA markets, Kalshi announced, citing its insider trading policy.
“Giannis is a legend,” said Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a statement. “He’s exactly the type of long-term partner we want to align our growing brand with, and we couldn’t be happier he’s on board.”
Giannis’ team was listed as a 1.5-point underdog on Kalshi against Indiana in a game that had received more than $90,000 in trading volume on the same day of the announcement. Kalshi even has a page involving Giannis, with contracts on nine active markets.
Earlier this week, Kalshi had a market posted on whether The Greek Freak would be traded before the NBA’s deadline and to which team. He ultimately remained with the Bucks.
Gray area
According to the NBA’s 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, players can have passive investments under 1% in sports betting companies, but they are not allowed to own, operate, or manage sportsbooks. Kalshi falls into a unique category.
Kalshi is federally regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), allowing it to offer outcome contracts on sports in all 50 states. However, the trading exchange has run into several legal roadblocks in states with legal, regulated sports betting. Massachusetts recently won a court decision to keep Kalshi from operating there, but a temporary restraining order has yet to be implemented.
Nevada is also trying to keep prediction markets out of its jurisdiction and is in a lengthy court battle with Kalshi, which argues that it can’t be regulated by states and it offers contracts, not wagers.
NBA request
The league has not yet issued a statement on Giannis’ agreement with Kalshi. In May 2025, however, the NBA asked the CFTC to provide a regulatory framework for single-event games after Kalshi started offering moneylines and spreads on the league’s contests.
“If the CFTC does ultimately decide to permit the continued offering of sports event contracts, we encourage it to close this gap and to adopt a comprehensive regulatory and oversight framework analogous to those governing state sports betting markets, and to impose meaningful limitations on the continued expansion, via self-certification, of these markets into ever more exotic and narrow event propositions,” the NBA wrote in a letter to the federal agency.
The league has experienced multiple betting scandals over the last number of years. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is facing federal illegal gambling charges after he was arrested in October for allegedly taking part in a 2023 scheme.
Ex-Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA after he manipulated playing time to help a group of bettors win player prop bets in 2024. Porter is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The Yankees are, indeed, running it back as the team is reportedly re-signing first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
According to multiple reports, the deal is for one year.
There have been rumblings of a reunion between Goldschmidt and the Bronx for the past few weeks. Goldschmidt, who started the majority of the games at first base last season, will likely defer to youngster Ben Rice in 2026. However, the Yankees saw the value in bringing in Goldschmidt as a late-game defensive replacement and his penchant for hitting left-handed pitchers.
Goldschmidt's first year in the Bronx started off great. While his power numbers were down, the former NL MVP was hitting .356 entering May. He maintained his .300 average through most of June before his production began to taper off. Despite that, Goldschmidt still had a very good 2025, slashing .274/.328/.403 with an OPS of .731, 10 home runs, 45 RBI across 146 games.
He also gave the Yankees a defensive stalwart at first.
While the money figures have not been disclosed, Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that Goldschmidt had opportunities to make more money for another team, but wanted to return to the Yankees.
The Goldschmidt acquisition is just another in an offseason full of re-signings by GM Brian Cashman. In addition to Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham accepted his qualifying offer, while the Yankees picked up Tim Hill's option and re-signed Ryan Yarbrough, Paul Blackburn, Amed Rosario and Cody Bellinger, all of whom were on the team last season.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 5, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxi Kleber (14) scores on a slam dunk over Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford (12) at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Maxi Kleber is far down the list of impactful players on the Lakers roster. He is often only playing during garbage time and doing little during those minutes to make a compelling case for extended play.
However, against the Sixers, Kleber had his best performance as a Laker.
His 4 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists don’t tell the full story of how well he played in this game. From grabbing offensive rebounds to defending multiple positions, Kleber was doing everything that impacts winning. It’s why, during his 26 minutes of play, he had a plus-minus of +23, the best on the team.
After the win, Marcus Smart discussed why Kleber is a guy that everyone loves.
“The ultimate professional,” Smart said. “I mean, there’s a reason why Maxi is still in this league, still going, and it’s the reason why he’s on this team with us and it’s the reason why we celebrate him the way we do because he comes in every day, no matter what, and he gives that.
“Whether it’s in practice, whether it’s in the game, whether he plays two minutes, whether he plays 20. We enjoy watching him actually do that because we know how hard he works and we know what he’s going to give every night. That’s nothing of a surprise for us. We’re just excited to see him out there getting a chance to do it.”
As a defensive role player, Smart is well aware of what it takes to embrace a position on a team. For Kleber, his role is smaller than Smart’s, but just as important to the team’s fabric. He’s a leader and an example for the younger players to look up to on how to carry themselves in the NBA.
“Maxi, it doesn’t matter if he’s played and had a big impact and then is a DNP the next game…his spirit, his approach, his being a teammate and rooting for other people, it never changes,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “For all our guys, he’s an easy guy to root for.”
Against Philly, Kleber ended the game with one of his best moments of the night.
With the Lakers leading by eight points with under a minute to go, LA needed one more score to put the game to bed.
LeBron James put the exclamation point on the win with an emphatic dunk, but Kleber is the one who set it up. As James drove inside, Kleber set a Gortat screen on Joel Embiid, stopping the Sixers big man from contesting LeBron’s drive.
While James drove to the rim, Kleber put his hands up to indicate to the refs that he was not fouling Embiid. When LeBron completed the play, Kleber kept his arms up and pumped them in the air in celebration.
Kleber won’t often play 20-plus minutes, but he stays ready to contribute. And thanks to Kleber’s level of preparedness, the Lakers turned a double-digit deficit into a feel-good win.
With pitchers and catchers now teetering on the edge of reporting, and with a number of definite changes over the month since we last checked in, I figure it was a good point to update the expected roster. So here are the players I currently expect to be present, when the team takes the field in Dodger Stadium on March 26. Changes from the previous edition are in bold.
Starting rotation
Merrill Kelly ($20m)
Ryne Nelson ($3m)
Brandon Pfaadt ($3.4m)
Eduardo Rodriguez ($21m)
Michael Soroka ($7.5m)
No changes here since last time. There is still the dangling and oft-floated possibility of Zac Gallen returning to the team. While there would be some irony to this, the pitcher having declined a hefty qualifying offer from the team at the start of the off-season, I don’t see it happening, unless Gallen comes insanely cheap. The team has its starting rotation, and won’t be bumping Soroka to very expensive long-relief. That aren’t actually short in rotational depth, with the likes of Cristian Mena, Kohl Drake and Dylan Ray – and that’s just the ones currently on the 40-man roster. You can never have too much pitching, true. But Zac simply doesn’t seem to fit the team’s need.
Bullpen
Ryan Thompson ($3.95m)
Kevin Ginkel ($2.725m)
Taylor Clarke ($1.55m)
Kade Stroud
Andrew Saalfrank
Juan Morillo
John Curtiss
Drey Jameson
This was, almost universally, the area of the team seen as needing most help. So far, it appears Mike Hazen is mostly content to wait for reinforcements in the shape of, probably, first A.J. Puk, and then Justin Martinez. However, the addition of Clarke and the trade earlier in the week for Stroud should be helpful, and push some lesser arms into lower-leverage situations. That does now feel like five of the (likely) eight bullpen slots for Opening Day are accounted for. That’s a clear improvement on the three we had locked down, when we checked in last month.
As before, the remainder of the positions could be anyone, and will likely be up for grabs in spring training. Keep an eye on the non-roster invitees: there’s a good chance one or two end up at the back of the bullpen. Jonathan Loaisiga is one to watch, and if Derek Law is healthy and back to anything like his 2024 form, he has the experience to be a significant asset to the Arizona bullpen. I’d currently be inclined to pencil Curtiss as the long reliever – though he’s not on the 40-man roster, there will be spots opening up. He performed well for the D-backs, with an ERA and FIP around four. Almost half of his outings (13 of 30) saw John going more than three outs too.
While the free-agent pickings remaining are increasingly scant, I do note that Jalen Beeks is one of the names still available at the time of writing. If we’re going to re-unite with a free-agent pitcher from the 2025 D-backs, Beeks seems more likely than Gallen. He was both effective and durable, and at a cost of $1.25 million, Jalen was reasonably priced as well. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t been signed by anyone. Perhaps we have a gentleman’s agreement in place with Beeks, but the team are waiting until the IL becomes available, and 40-man roster spots open up, to announce it officially. /adjusts tin-foil hat.
Starting line-up
Catcher: Gabriel Moreno ($2.55m)
First base: Carlos Santana ($2m)
Second base: Ketel Marte ($15m)
Shortstop: Geraldo Perdomo ($6.25m)
Third-base: Nolan Arenado ($5m)
Left field: Jordan Lawlar
Center field: Alek Thomas ($1.96m)
Right field: Corbin Carroll ($10.62m)
Designated hitter: Pavin Smith ($2.25m)
The D-backs made 84 errors last year, the vast majority (77) coming on the infield. That’s a drastic increase over the total errors in both 2023 (56) and 2024 (62). While errors are an unreliable stat, the more advanced metrics also show a clear downturn in Arizona’s defense in 2025. It was no secret it was going to be a focus this winter, and the addition of Arenado and Santana should help get things going back in the other direction. It’s interesting, because early in the off-season, Hazen was speaking about keeping things in-house: “I feel like we have more options internally, position player-wise, to solve some of our issues that we may have defensively and offensively.”
After the trade of Alexander, Hazen also confirmed that while Lawlar will still see some work in the infield this spring, “I think the majority of his work is gonna come in the outfield.” That’s presumably to allow him to fill in left field while the team waits for the return of Lourdes Gurriell. However, that need may not be as long as initially suspected. Last month Hazen said the outfielder “was well ahead of schedule” in his rehab from ACL surgery, though wouldn’t be drawn on a specific date. The original expectation was 9-10 months from the procedure, which works out to around late June. Less than that would certainly be helpful, though how effective he’ll be is also an issue. As discussed earlier, Ryan Waldschmidt could be another option.
Santana and Smith would form a natural platoon at first, but Santana definitely has the greater defensive reputation, while Smith is the better bat. So we could end up seeing both in the line-up on the same day. We don’t really have any obvious DH candidates otherwise: last year, it was mostly Smith, plus Randall Grichuk, with Marte and Adrian DelCastillo seeing time there too. If we don’t want to overtax Gurriel when he comes back, he could play there against left-handed pitching.
Bench
James McCann ($2.75m)
Tim Tawa
Jorge Barrosa
Adrian Del Castillo
The usually well-informed John Gambadoro says that the team “will be looking trade/free agency for a Blaze Alexander replacement – someone who can play 3B/2B. Could also be looking for LF help with Blaze’s departure.” Certainly, that makes sense, since Blaze’s departure does leave the bench looking a little thin. McCann is obviously there as catcher, and Tawa offers a lot of positional flexibility (can he play two positions simultaneously?). But Barrosa still has no bat, while DelCastillo has virtually no professional experience at any other position bar catcher, and as a left-handed bat does not platoon well with Smith as designated hitter.
So I would not be at all surprised if there are indeed further moves to come at the back end of the roster. Exactly what that will be, and whether the cost will be in salary or prospect capital, is uncertain. And speaking of which…
Payroll
I’m going to skip the detailed math from last time, regarding players on the IL, pre-arbitration candidates, etc. and go straight to the Fangraphs figure , which currently has the team at $173 million. That compares to a closing figure last year of $188 million. The team did say they wanted to cut payroll, but technically $187,999,999 would do that. So they still have almost $15 million to spend, right? Uh… Probably not: and that’s another reason why I doubt Gallen will be here. There may be room for some more free-agent spending, such as on Beeks. But we have absolutely no idea how much, if any, is left.
Rather than going all-in immediately, Hazen may also want to keep some resources back, and see how the season progresses. If things are going well, then he can look to take on the salary of a rental at the trade deadline. It’s hard to be sure what would count as “going well”. Yes, we will be getting reinforcements for the pitching staff, in Corbin Burnes, Puk and Martinez, who might help in the second half. But how players perform on their return from Tommy John is never certain. Expecting everyone to go right back to pre-operation form is likely an optimistic assumption.
So, there we go. I’ve no doubt things will change further between now and Opening Day. But I definitely feel things look more solid than they were a month ago. What do you reckon? Who would you change? See you in the comments…
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 07: James Harden #13 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of Team Durant speak during the first half against Team LeBron in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers the first time partially because he wasn’t able to recruit a co-star to Northeast Ohio. Sixteen years later, James might find himself on the other end of the equation.
Former Cavalier and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said on a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ Show that the new backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden is ready to recruit James back to Cleveland for next season.
“My sources told me that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are ready, are starting to push to go and recruit LeBron James this offseason,” Perkins said. “My sources tell me that as soon as James Harden got on the phone, got around the team, the initial was, ‘We’re about to make this run, we’re about to go all out. We want LeBron James.’”
Kendrick Perkins says sources told him Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are already recruiting LeBron back to the Cavs 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/L4KdfTbZ1x
Whether or not James returns next season remains to be seen. However, if what Perkins is saying is true, it’s good to see that the Cavs backcourt is bought into this team.
What we do know is that Harden wanted to come to Cleveland. He waived his partial no-trade clause to be here. And, Mitchell is excited to play with him.
We’ll see how that group pairs on the court before worrying too much about how they sell other players on joining them.
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 1: A generic basketball photo of the Official Wilson basketball during the game between the LA Clippers and the Phoenix Suns on February 1, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Not much movement for the Phoenix Suns at the deadline, but in an effort to reset everythign for you, it’s time to provide a summary of where things stand for the team after the NBA trade deadline:
With all that in place, what are you looking for next from Suns? What do you think is their most pressing need this offseason? Come chat with us in the comments below.
DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 5: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on January 5, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With an eight-game winning streak on the line, the New York Knicks (33*-18) face the Detroit Pistons (37-13) tonight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. For the good guys, Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable with a right eye laceration, Josh Hart is questionable with a left ankle sprain, OG Anunoby is probable with a right toe soreness, and Miles McBride is out with a left ankle issue. For Detroit, Jalen Duren is day-to-day with right knee soreness and Tobias Harris is day-to-day with left hip soreness.
Tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on Amazon and MSG. This is your game thread. This is Detroit Bad Boys. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. No hair pulling or name calling. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
