LOSING THE RINK IS FAR GREATER. IT’S A LOT MORE THAN JUST HOCKEY, BUT HOCKEY IS THE KEY TO MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN. MATT LEONE HELPS LEAD THE BALTIMORE BANNERS, A FREE REC HOCKEY TEAM FOR CITY KIDS AND YOUNG MEN. THE MINI DOME IS THEIR HOME BASE WHERE MENTORING HAPPENS, AND PLAYERS CAN EVEN GRAB A MEAL. IT’S NOT JUST A TEAM AT THIS POINT. IT’S BEEN PLAYING FOR SO LONG. IT’S FAMILY AS WELL. NOW THAT’S ALL AT RISK. AFTER THE CITY ANNOUNCED IT PLANS TO PERMANENTLY CLOSE THE ICE RINK DUE TO ITS AGE AND OVERALL CONDITION. WE CAME TO THIS DECISION QUITE HONESTLY. IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT ONE. BUT SAFETY OF OUR PATRONS AND STAFF WAS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE. BALTIMORE CITY RECREATION AND PARKS HAS CONCERNS WITH THE CENTER’S FOUNDATION, DOME INTEGRITY AND SOIL MOVEMENT ISSUES THAT DATE BACK TO THE 1998 PATTERSON PARK MASTER PLAN. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS BUILDING A NEW ICE RINK WOULD COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. ALREADY, THE DOME IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO FIX A DAMAGED WALL, AND IF REPAIRS ARE SUCCESSFUL, IT WILL REOPEN IN LATE DECEMBER OR EARLY JANUARY FOR ITS FINAL SEASON. TO HEAR THE ENERGY AND THE KIDS LAUGHING AND SCREAMING AND HAVING FUN, I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CITY IS THINKING. THE DOME HAS BEEN AROUND NEARLY 40 YEARS. MALLORY RICHARDS HAS BEEN THERE FOR 20 OF THEM, LEADING THE PATTERSON PARK STARS, TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO SKATE AND PLAY HOCKEY AT NO COST. SHE ALSO FEARS FOR THE FUTURE OF HER PROGRAM. DISBELIEF, BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CARE FOR THIS FACILITY THAT USE THIS FACILITY. THE STARS AND BANNERS SAY LOSING THE DOME WILL HURT THEIR CITY FOCUSED MODEL, RECRUITING KIDS FROM MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORHOODS TO PLAY A SPORT THEY WOULDN’T GET TO EXPERIENCE OTHERWISE. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME. I FEEL REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY TEAMMATES AND NOW REALLY LIKE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THEY’RE NOT GIVING UP HOPE FOR MANY MORE SEASONS AT THE MINI DOME. FOR NOW, THE CITY SAYS THEY’RE EXPLORING FUNDRAISING OPTIONS, MEETING WITH PARTNERS AND CONSIDERING ALTERNATE SITES. AT PATTERSON PAR
Investigation underway after ‘staged’ fight erupts during youth hockey game
An investigation is underway into what officials are calling a “staged” fight at a youth hockey game in Pennsylvania Saturday night. In a post from the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association, officials issued a statement saying they are aware of a “staged fight” that broke out during an event held at intermission at the Hershey Bears game involving a Pennsylvania 8U team.Video above: Youth hockey coaches seek to save ice rink slated to close”Affiliate, league, and club officials are investigating the matter, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those players and team officials involved in the staged fight,” the hockey association said. “This intermission game was not sanctioned by USA Hockey or the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association.” Following the incident, the Central Penn Panthers Youth Ice Hockey Club issued a statement, saying that the safety and well-being of players is its top priority. “We have been made aware of an incident that occurred last night during the ‘Mites on Ice’ event between periods of the Hershey Bears game,” the youth hockey club said in a post. “The safety, well-being, and positive experience of all participants — especially our young players — are of the utmost importance.” The youth hockey club continued, thanking families, partners, and the community, while asking for patience as an investigation continues. “At this time, we believe it is important to allow this process to take place before drawing conclusions,” Central Penn Panthers Youth Ice Hockey Club said. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our families, partners, and community as we work through this matter.”
An investigation is underway into what officials are calling a “staged” fight at a youth hockey game in Pennsylvania Saturday night.
In a post from the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association, officials issued a statement saying they are aware of a “staged fight” that broke out during an event held at intermission at the Hershey Bears game involving a Pennsylvania 8U team.
Video above: Youth hockey coaches seek to save ice rink slated to close
“Affiliate, league, and club officials are investigating the matter, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those players and team officials involved in the staged fight,” the hockey association said. “This intermission game was not sanctioned by USA Hockey or the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association.”
“We have been made aware of an incident that occurred last night during the ‘Mites on Ice’ event between periods of the Hershey Bears game,” the youth hockey club said in a post. “The safety, well-being, and positive experience of all participants — especially our young players — are of the utmost importance.”
The youth hockey club continued, thanking families, partners, and the community, while asking for patience as an investigation continues.
“At this time, we believe it is important to allow this process to take place before drawing conclusions,” Central Penn Panthers Youth Ice Hockey Club said. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our families, partners, and community as we work through this matter.”
CBS News partner network the BBC counted around 180 body bags in footage taken outside a morgue in Tehran alone. Other videos posted online show protesters taking to the street, shouting “death to the dictator” and openly calling for the end of the Islamic Republic. Some videos show Iranian forces responding to protesters with gunfire.
As of Monday, more than 600 people have been killed, according to the Iran Human Rights (IHR) organization, based in Norway. CBS News could not independently verify that number.
Footage of protests has surfaced despite the internet in Iran having been cut off since late last week, when Iranian authorities cut phone service and internet access in the capital during the protests, according to the internet monitoring organization NetBlocks. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that internet service would be resumed in coordination with Iran’s security services, though he offered no specific timeline.
“We’re looking at it very seriously,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Sunday, saying he spoke with Iranian leaders. “The military’s looking at it and we’re looking at some very strong options.”
If the U.S. were to attack Iran, Speaker of the Parliament of Iran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed to retaliate. “We’re ready to face you … Come and see what will happen to American bases, ships and forces,” Ghalibaf said Monday to a crowd of pro-government demonstrators.
Behind closed doors, Mr. Trump suggested the Iranian regime is seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
“Iran wants to negotiate,” he said Sunday. “We may meet with them.”
The president’s national security team will hold a meeting at the White House on Tuesday to discuss updated Iran options, according to several other sources familiar with the matter. It’s unclear whether the president himself would be in attendance.
There’s playing a character — and then there’s raiding her closet.
Ali Larter is fully in her Landman era, and she’s not leaving empty-handed.
While attending the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards on Jan. 4, the actress revealed she swiped a few fashion favorites straight off the set of the hit Paramount+ series.
“I took the Leddy’s cowboy boots, and I have the Agent Provocateur bra from episode 7,” Larter told People. “What else did I steal from her? Oh, a good pair of Wranglers. I have some jeans — got to have them.”
Angela would be proud.
A Role That’s Bold, Loud — and a Little Liberating
Larter plays Angela, the fiery, no-filter ex-wife of Billy Bob Thornton’s character Tommy Norris in Landman, Taylor Sheridan’s oil-boom drama set in West Texas.
Since its debut in late 2024, the show has become a breakout hit — renewed for Season 3 just weeks after Season 2 premiered.
“Angela walks through life without the fear of judgment of others. She makes up her own rules,” she previously told People. “For me, that’s so exciting to play, because I’m not like that… and you really can’t be like that in most areas of life if you want to fit into the societal norms.”
But that kind of confidence doesn’t always come easy — especially when it involves swimsuits and high-stakes scenes.
“Anytime you have to put on a bathing suit and walk in front of anybody, it’s really difficult,” Larter admitted. “But when I look around, the sexiest women I know are the women that own it. So part of getting there with Angela is owning it.”
No room for insecurity — just boots, Wranglers, and a whole lot of attitude.
What’s Next for Angela (and Her Shenanigans)
Larter recently teased more chaos — and more chemistry — ahead for Landman.
She told Deadline that Season 3 will bring even more “shenanigans” between Angela and Tommy, a relationship that’s as messy as it is magnetic.
New episodes of Landman stream Sundays on Paramount+. Just don’t be surprised if Angela’s wardrobe starts shrinking — one stolen outfit at a time.
11 ‘Landman’ Facts You Definitely Didn’t Know
This list of Landman facts goes much deeper than what inspired the show, who stars in it and how big the audience is. Here you’ll learn the truth about the most memorable scenes and lines of dialogue, including that line from Ainsley Norris. You know which one we mean.
Season 2 of Landman begins Nov. 16 on Paramount+. Here’s the best Landman trivia we could find as the Dutton Rules podcast team prepares for another great year.
The hot stove season is stuck in the middle. When we last checked in, the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, were set to begin, and we figured that a month later the heavy lifting of the 2025-26 offseason would be complete.
Yet here we are. While there has been some activity — including this weekend’s big news about Alex Bregman agreeing to terms with the Cubs — the free agent market remains rich with impact talent, with the likes of Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Bo Bichette among those still unsigned. The whisper mill is still spinning with trade rumors. There is much left to do.
Rather than the de facto winter wrap on each club we thought we might be doing, we’re looking at something more like midterm assessments. That’s fine, because it gives us a chance to note the areas that teams have attacked with their offseason work to date and highlight remaining weaknesses that should be addressed in the weeks to come.
When Stock Watch returns, we’ll be headed for spring training. At that point, the offseason transaction work will be mostly finished, right?
Win average: 99.0 (Last Stock Watch: 98.6, 1st) In the playoffs: 95.3% (Last: 94.7%) Champions: 22.2% (Last: 22.4%)
Progress report: The Dodgers’ offseason has consisted of nabbing a new closer in Edwin Diaz in free agency and then working the edges. Now you get the feeling they are sitting back, enjoying some fine cigars, coiled like a proverbial snake waiting to strike again when the time is right.
As it stands, L.A. projects to have the No. 2 offense and the top pitching staff, both in the rotation and the bullpen. The Dodgers also have the oldest position player group in the majors and could stand to mix in a little youth and athleticism. Both would be accomplished if Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim are ready to seize larger roles. Of course, they would also get a little younger and more athletic if they signed Kyle Tucker and found a taker for Teoscar Hernandez.
Win average: 92.5 (Last: 91.0, 2nd) In the playoffs: 82.0% (Last: 77.2%) Champions: 10.2% (Last: 7.7%)
Progress report: The Braves have quieted down since mid-December after a torrid start to the offseason. The Braves would have projected to bounce back strong from last year’s debacle no matter what, but the reinforcements have the roster looking strong.
The offense looks like one of baseball’s best, with across-the-board skills. The Braves could use a righty-hitting, athletic outfielder to complete the puzzle. Harrison Bader would fit if Atlanta is willing to go even deeper into competitive balance tax (CBT) territory, but the Braves could use another starting pitcher as well. If it’s a choice between one or the other, the pitcher probably takes precedence.
But why not both?
Win average: 90.1 (Last: 89.7, 6th) In the playoffs: 72.7% (Last: 71.7%) Champions: 8.0% (Last: 7.2%)
Progress report: The Dodgers have put themselves on a higher tier than everyone else, but the Mariners are very much a part of a crowded group of second-tier teams that mostly consists of last year’s non-champion postseason teams. It has been a pretty quiet offseason for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, as he’s mostly positioned his team to run back last year’s group. That will especially be true if the Mariners end up bringing back Eugenio Suarez.
A lot of the optimism generated by Seattle’s outlook stems from positive regression for a rotation that can hope for better health in 2026. One low-key need for the Mariners is another lefty or two for the bullpen to help out Gabe Speier, as their righty-heavy staff leaves them short situationally against lefty hitters.
Win average: 89.9 (Last: 89.7, 5th) In the playoffs: 71.9% (Last: 69.3%) Champions: 8.4% (Last: 8.1%)
Progress report: The Blue Jays have not rested on the laurels from their 2025 pennant. Even after adding Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto remains in the rumor mill as a possible landing spot for the top remaining free agents, including franchise fixture Bo Bichette.
Of course Tucker would work well here, too, even as his salary would send the Blue Jays’ payroll further into the stratosphere. Whether it’s him, Bichette or Bellinger, you’d like to see Toronto add someone at that level, the money be damned, if only to keep one of them away from their chief competitors.
The other key need for the Jays is to add bullpen weapons to combat lefty hitters.
Win average: 89.6 (Last: 87.2, 8th) In the playoffs: 70.6% (Last: 60.2%) Champions: 5.9% (Last: 3.9%)
Progress report: The Phillies have already avoided the worst-case scenario for their offseason by bringing back Kyle Schwarber. The pitching staff looks great, with top-five ERA forecasts for both the rotation and the bullpen. It’s a ground-ball-heavy group as well, which puts the onus on an infield defense that last season allowed a .250 BABIP on grounders, five points worse than the MLB average. Barring a splash for another high-level infielder, it’s hard to see the current group projecting much better than that.
Overall, the Phillies’ offensive forecast is solid, but only the Dodgers have an older position group, and it’s not hard to see a lot of downside in the numbers. Getting J.T. Realmuto back at catcher is crucial, but that doesn’t help the age/ceiling issue. One player who would help those areas is 22-year-old burner Justin Crawford, if he can seize a golden opportunity in Philadelphia’s outfield mix.
Win average: 89.5 (Last: 90.5, 3rd) In the playoffs: 69.9% (Last: 73.3%) Champions: 7.6% (Last: 8.2%)
Progress report: Yankees fans might not have noticed this, but their team hasn’t done anything this offseason. No one is talking about this, right? The offense ranks in the lower part of the top 10, depending on how you want to allot projected playing time. This is even though they once again profile as the best power-and-patience lineup in baseball. There are too many strikeouts and the collective average is too low, shortcomings that of course go hand in hand. Kyle Tucker is not just the caliber of player this team needs — he’s the kind of player the Yankees need.
Elsewhere, the rotation has too many walks in its forecast, but more pressing is a bullpen that looks mediocre at the bottom line, lacks dominance and is old. Not a great set of traits.
Win average: 89.1 (Last: 89.8, 4th) In the playoffs: 68.8% (Last: 72.6%) Champions: 5.6% (Last: 6.6%)
Progress report: From a fan reaction standpoint, the moment Pete Alonso signed with the Orioles, it might have become all but impossible for president of baseball operations David Stearns’ offseason work to receive positive reviews in New York. The depth chart clearly has room for one of the elite outfield free agents, but the Mets’ offensive outlook is solid enough that Stearns would be justified in favoring lower-cost depth types who can run and defend.
The rotation is heavy on upside, given the presence of Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong. On the flip side, the forecasted walk rate for the group is alarming. The innings forecast is also low, but that might be a byproduct of the Mets’ tendencies the last couple of years. Either way, the rotation needs a headliner, whether it’s a free agent such as Framber Valdez or a trade target. It’s also a ground-ball-inducing group, which should work well with the Mets’ Marcus Semien-infused infield defense.
Win average: 87.4 (Last: 85.5, 12th) In the playoffs: 62.2% (Last: 53.6%) Champions: 3.9% (Last: 2.7%)
Progress report: Raising the ceiling of the rotation with the acquisition of Edward Cabrera was a potential impact move. The bullpen is kind of a gnarly combination of old and mediocre, but the floor of the group looks pretty high. The rotation is also old and has perhaps a few too many fly ball pitchers for those windy days at the Friendly Confines. But it’s a group with good collective command that should work well in tandem with Chicago’s excellent team defense.
The signing of Bregman has turbocharged a Cubs offseason that really picked up momentum over the past week. Because the preliminary version of this Stock Watch included numbers run before the Bregman deal, I can report this: Chicago’s outlook jumped by 1.3 wins in the simulations, their playoff odds went up by nearly 6% and the title odds went up by 1.1%. With the improvement, Chicago leapfrogged the Brewers as the current, way-too-early favorites in the NL Central.
It was a good enough weekend that you can almost forgive the Cubs for making headline news while the entire city of Chicago was vibrating with every play of Saturday night’s Bears-Packers game. Read the room, people!
Win average: 86.9 (Last: 86.9, 9th) In the playoffs: 56.6% (Last: 56.2%) Champions: 4.3% (Last: 5.1%)
Progress report: Craig Breslow has set the Red Sox up with one of the game’s best rotations. The depth chart goes six-deep with veterans, led by Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello, then adds the depth and upside of young hurlers Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Kyle Harrison. Only the Dodgers have a better park-neutral rotation ERA forecast and a higher projected dominance factor.
The offense could use an upgrade considering its Bregman-sized hole. Bregman not only provided needed injections of contact and patience — while aiding an already-strong defense — but he provided cover against a Trevor Story collapse, as Marcelo Mayer could slide in at shortstop.
It feels like Boston is one key move from making it into that crowded second tier, putting the Red Sox on even footing with the Blue Jays and Yankees.
Win average: 86.2 (Last: 86.5, 10th) In the playoffs: 56.9% (Last: 57.0%) Champions: 3.6% (Last: 4.2%)
Progress report: I’m not sure I get the passive Tigers. Clearly, it’s a team on the rise. Detroit is coming off a second straight playoff run. The pitching outlook is excellent, but not perfect. Set aside the annoyance that Tarik Skubal is headed for an arbitration hearing; the rotation looks well-situated in terms of volume and run prevention. The bullpen depth chart lacks the kind of strikeout rates that you like to see from a dominant group, but after the past couple of years, you have to give the Tigers the benefit of the doubt with that crew.
The offense could use a splash or two. Sure, Detroit has some high-level position prospects creeping up on the majors and you don’t want to block those opportunities, but there is plenty of space for a middle-of-the-lineup anchor. That’s true of both the depth chart and the payroll. Bellinger or Tucker would be the best fit, but Detroit could use any of the top available hitters.
The time is now, folks.
Win average: 86.2 (Last: 85.8, 11th) In the playoffs: 54.4% (Last: 51.3%) Champions: 3.5% (Last: 3.4%)
Progress report: The bulk of the Astros’ offseason work has been on the rotation, where they signed Tatsuya Imai out of Japan, traded for ex-Pirate Mike Burrows and added Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) free agent Ryan Weiss. That trio joins Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr. in what Houston has suggested might often be a six-man rotation.
After all that, the rotation neutral-ERA projection ranks 25th, mostly because a middling strikeout rate that isn’t high enough to offset a few too many homers and way too many walks. While this projection is probably too pessimistic, it’s still a challenge to replace a pitcher like Valdez, a front-end rotation stalwart who offers elite volume and consistency. If the Astros’ productive pitching program coaxes at least a league-average performance from the starters after ace Hunter Brown, the rest of the picture — a filthy bullpen and aging-but-productive offense — is good enough to get Houston back to the postseason. But if that doesn’t happen, and older batsmen Jose Altuve and Christian Walker collapse, it might be a long season for the Astros.
Win average: 85.9 (Last: 88.5, 7th) In the playoffs: 55.2% (Last: 69.0%) Champions: 3.2% (Last: 5.2%)
Progress report: Other than swapping Nick Mears and Isaac Collins for former Royals lefty Angel Zerpa, it’s been mostly crickets from the Brewers this offseason. They haven’t gotten worse since December, but their numbers have fallen as teams around them have gotten better.
Still: My system chronically underprojects the Brewers, so the fact that they rate this high in January is not a great sign for their NL Central foes. The Brewers’ position player group projects as the majors’ best baserunning team but ranks last in isolated power. As in 2025, it’s an attack built on speed and contact … but a little power would be nice. It feels like they have the available DH time to make that happen without disrupting the rest of a roster that fits together so well. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Milwaukee’s CBT calculation currently sits $107 million below the tax threshold. I’m thinking a nice pillow contract for Eugenio Suarez would be a perfect fit — and he wouldn’t have to be strictly a DH.
Win average: 85.6 (Last: 83.2, 15th) In the playoffs: 50.4% (Last: 37.9%) Champions: 3.2% (Last: 2.0%)
Progress report: The Orioles look poised to resume the title pursuit their contention window seemed to offer before the bottom fell out in 2025. Baltimore has enjoyed an aggressive, productive winter that’s given it a turbocharged, power-based offense that has a chance to be one of the game’s best.
The defense and baserunning categories seem light, however. You can live with the latter if the homer barrage arrives, but the defense could be an issue given the below-average strikeout profile of the starting rotation. That’s the area the Orioles still need to attack. The current core five starters are experienced and competent, but — as ever — Baltimore has a bad need for a rotation topper. Yes, he’s expensive, but Valdez would be the perfect fit, and the Baltimore front office knows him as well as anyone outside of Houston.
Win average: 85.2 (Last: 84.9, 13th) In the playoffs: 48.9% (Last: 49.1%) Champions: 2.0% (Last: 2.3%)
Progress report: The Padres’ offseason hasn’t started as ice-cold as last winter, but it hasn’t been fiery, either. Bringing back Michael King to the rotation was essential, but beyond that, San Diego’s primary splash was the signing of KBO star Sung-mun Song.
Last year’s roster deficiencies persist. The rotation is short, even with King back and Joe Musgrove returning from injury. There are too many fly balls without enough strikeouts to offset the likely homers. The bullpen is one of baseball’s best, but the offense is still too tilted toward aggression and contact. San Diego ranks 21st in isolated power and 26th in walk rate in the current forecast. It’s an outlook that screams for a take-and-rake corner player. Bellinger fits the bill, but if he’s too expensive, maybe taking a flier on someone like Marcell Ozuna would make sense.
Win average: 85.0 (Last: 84.5, 14th) In the playoffs: 49.9% (Last: 45.7%) Champions: 2.4% (Last: 2.6%)
Progress report: The Royals look strong in every facet of run prevention — rotation, bullpen, defense, the ability to attack all sorts of hitters. The offense is more middle of the pack with the same shortcoming (walk rate) the Royals have had for virtually their entire existence.
It’s not an idle comment. The franchise’s existence dovetails with the division era (since 1969), during which Kansas City’s 7.7% walk rate is the lowest in baseball by a good margin. The 2026 forecast is for 8%, so … progress? Only two teams project to walk less. It’s not an issue that will be fixed via free agency, so the onus will fall on the new hitting coaches. The Royals do have a need for a righty hitter who can play center — the ideal of which would be Bader. It depends on the price, of course, especially as Kansas City is one of the teams whose local television revenue figure is currently in limbo.
Win average: 82.7 (Last: 82.9, 16th) In the playoffs: 36.4% (Last: 36.5%) Champions: 1.5% (Last: 2.0%)
Progress report: The Rangers are going to have a different look next season. And let’s face it, the lackluster 2025 season called for a shake-up.
For now, this win projection is apt because Texas looks just a hair better than average in most non-bullpen categories. The offense is nicely balanced between the slash columns, with power being the best trait. It’s also balanced between hitting and fielding, and mostly from a platoon outlook, though at least one more righty hitter might help given the number of lefty swingers on the roster. The rotation needs another guy, but it’s right in the middle as well, and has the upside of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker‘s hopeful progress.
But the bullpen, egads, it looks like the game’s worst from a forecast standpoint, unless you’re into pitch-to-contact, fly-ball-allowing bullpens. Under president of baseball operations Chris Young, the Rangers have tended to crowdsource their relief staff without latching onto anyone for too long or for too much money. There surely is more help to come, but the bullpen crowd needs to get a little larger.
Win average: 81.5 (Last: 81.4, 18th) In the playoffs: 31.5% (Last: 32.5%) Champions: 0.8% (Last: 1.1%)
Progress report: The return of Merrill Kelly and the arrival of Michael Soroka give Arizona a coherent rotation that’s buoyed by the depth and upside of a slew of near-ready prospects currently slotted for Triple-A. It’s not a dominant group and will need the support of good defense, but luckily Arizona’s array of defenders is among baseball’s best.
The bullpen is much less coherent, ranking last in strikeout rate and dominance in the forecast. Maybe some of those aforementioned Triple-A pitchers can help.
The lineup looks just as productive and exciting as last season … provided Ketel Marte is still around. Given his team-friendly deal, why did his name keep coming up in the rumor mill? Guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Win average: 80.4 (Last: 81.3, 19th) In the playoffs: 27.5% (Last: 31.2%) Champions: 0.6% (Last: 0.8%)
Progress report: My primary critique of the Farhan Zaidi era in the Giants’ front office is that revenue-rich San Francisco didn’t really flex its economic might. The Giants haven’t started a season with a top-10 payroll since 2019. That might be changing under Buster Posey, but so far this winter, he has mostly worked the edges of the roster with short-term deals for rotation help, adding Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser.
The overall problem with the roster is strikeouts. As in too many of them on offense, and not enough of them from the pitching staff — either the rotation or the bullpen. The offensive part of it would be more than helped by a Tucker signing, and the Giants should have the money to do it. Thankfully, the standout part of their run prevention profile — Patrick Bailey‘s catching skills — isn’t going to be undermined by the new automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system. In fact, it might be enhanced. While we wait to find that out, the Giants should acquire some strikeout pitching.
Win average: 80.3 (Last: 81.8, 17th) In the playoffs: 28.0% (Last: 32.8%) Champions: 0.9% (Last: 1.2%)
Progress report: According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Twins currently project to have an Opening Day payroll under $100 million and a CBT calculation that is less than 50% of the first tax threshold ($244 million). There are television revenue issues, but, still, the Twin Cities make up a middle-sized market capable of supporting a better investment than what Minnesota fans have been getting.
This forecast is obviously almost right down the middle, because the Twins’ front office is adept at scouting and development. Thus, even with the payroll paring, there is a .500 baseline as a jumping-off point. With a little spending, the Twins would easily move into position to challenge Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland in a winnable division. They might do it anyway, but it shouldn’t take threading a needle.
Win average: 79.2 (Last: 79.2, 22nd) In the playoffs: 22.9% (Last: 24.0%) Champions: 0.5% (Last: 0.7%)
Progress report: No splash so far for the Reds. Disappointment lingers from the failed pursuit of Kyle Schwarber, and reports that Cincinnati was willing to match the Phillies’ offer hardly help.
But if the Reds were indeed willing to put $150 million into the DH slot, they should be willing to put that money to work in shoring up a roster that isn’t that far away. Over the past five years, Cincinnati has been out-homered at Great American Ballpark by 86 dingers. And that’s not because of shoddy pitching, which has generally been a strength in recent seasons. The Reds just have not hit enough homers, and that trend projects to continue.
With Schwarber gone, the Reds should set their sights on Suarez, Ozuna and maybe even Bellinger — anyone capable of slugging over .500 and leveraging one of baseball’s most homer-friendly home venues.
Win average: 78.1 (Last: 80.6, 20th) In the playoffs: 19.4% (Last: 27.7%) Champions: 0.5% (Last: 1.0%)
Progress report: The sky is blue, water is wet, and the Guardians have been quiet during the latest transaction period.
Their run prevention should be above average, as usual, with the upside that comes with featuring baseball’s third-youngest projected rotation. The standout metric for the offense is plate discipline, as measured by walks divided by strikeouts. By that measure, no team figures to better balance patience and contact than the Guardians. But they rank 21st in projected wRC+ because of below-average pop, which manifests in both lackluster isolated power and even a surprisingly poor team average despite good contact rates.
Simply put: The Guardians don’t have enough players hitting the ball hard and doing it often. According to Statcast, only three teams had a lower collective average bat speed. While Cleveland should be proactive about acquiring some hard contact, especially from righty hitters, let’s also hope the Guardians have been studying the changes the Blue Jays made last season under hitting coach David Popkins. Turns out, bat speed can be improved.
Win average: 77.7 (Last: 73.6, 26th) In the playoffs: 18.3% (Last: 8.7%) Champions: 0.4% (Last: 0.1%)
Progress report: Look, Bucs fans, things are trending in the right direction. The Pirates have been staunchly in the add category this winter, infusing the lineup with Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia.
After ranking 26th or lower in payroll in each of the past eight seasons, Cot’s Contracts currently has Pittsburgh at No. 24. Better! Keep going.
The Paul Skenes-led rotation you keep hearing about indeed looks great on paper, ranking fifth in projected context-neutral ERA, with the game’s youngest group of starters. The bullpen is middle of the pack but the Pirates’ strength during the bad seasons has been finding and making quality relievers.
With the additions, the offense is better, but it’s not there yet. The biggest need is for a power bat, a need shared by a number of teams as you’ve read by now. It’s tricky to make it work from a positional standpoint, but from a pure offensive perspective, Ozuna would be perfect.
Win average: 77.2 (Last: 80.4, 21st) In the playoffs: 15.6% (Last: 25.2%) Champions: 0.4% (Last: 1.0%)
Progress report: The Rays’ win-without-spending wizardry hasn’t paid off the past two seasons, but don’t expect Tampa Bay to stop leveraging those precious controllable seasons for all they’re worth.
In 2025, the Rays actually posted a plus-31 run differential despite finishing 77-85, giving them a firm baseline from which to enter the offseason. Alas, as the Rays do, they’ve moved proven production for possible production, most notably sending out stalwart Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh.
On paper, the Rays’ road looks like a rugged one, with four legit contenders in their division, another rock-bottom payroll and less track record in their position group. The rotation looks like a top-10 group, however, and the bullpen should be dominant as long as it keeps the ball in the park. Any further moves the Rays make from here are likely to be marginal, but you never know.
Win average: 76.8 (Last: 76.2, 24th) In the playoffs: 14.6% (Last: 12.6%) Champions: 0.3% (Last: 0.3%)
Progress report: The Athletics’ company checkbook continues to thaw. After last year’s Luis Severino splash, this winter, the A’s acquired Jeff McNeil from the Mets, signed veteran reliever Mark Leiter Jr. and signed Tyler Soderstrom to a seven-year, $86 million extension.
Let’s just call these signs of life. The A’s were loads of fun in 2025 and with improved pitching could enter the wild-card conversation in 2026. The offense looks like a poor man’s Blue Jays attack, featuring top-line slugging, some batting average and a whole lot of balls in play. The pitching still looks egregious, outrageous and hopefully not contagious. The Athletics project to land in the bottom three in both rotation and bullpen park-adjusted ERA (don’t blame Sac Town).
When you scan the skill categories for both groups, it’s hard to pinpoint anything to build around. So the A’s will have to outscore teams most likely, and if the staff can surprise, Sacramento might host a wild-card contender.
Win average: 74.1 (Last: 75.0, 25th) In the playoffs: 9.0% (Last: 10.6%) Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.1%)
Progress report: I’m fairly high on the Marlins, even as I recognize the elements that hold back their projection.
The rotation has a chance to be special, but that prospect is based on potential, injury recovery and positive regression rather than elite track record. Sandy Alcantara is the prime example. If the former Cy Young winner puts up 2025 numbers, then the optimism from this picture begins to drain away. Only three teams have younger rotations, and only three have younger position groups.
The hitters don’t figure to be contention worthy, but you can see the outlines of a collective breakout. Jakob Marsee and Xavier Edwards could be a solid top of the order; Kyle Stowers, Agustin Ramirez and Owen Caissie have a chance to be a potent middle of the order. Nearly everyone is still on a trajectory toward their prime. The bullpen is a challenge, but at least Pete Fairbanks is an able back-end anchor.
This is a team with real breakout potential.
Win average: 73.0 (Last: 76.7, 23rd) In the playoffs: 7.6% (Last: 15.9%) Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.3%)
Progress report: It feels like the Cardinals have been offloading veterans for a very long time at this point.
Most of the pillaging is over, but the project won’t be complete until Nolan Arenado is wearing his next uniform. As it is, the Cardinals project to be one of the five youngest teams in the majors. That status will solidify when Arenado goes.
Then ever-patient Cardinals fans will wait for a team not used to being irrelevant to become relevant again.
Win average: 69.6 (Last: 69.0, 27th) In the playoffs: 3.1% (Last: 2.8%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Progress report: It’s not all bad. But it’s pretty bad.
The bullpen projects to have a lot of strikeouts. If it can lasso the homer and walk departments, the relievers could even be an asset. Most of the better hitters are righty swingers with platoon tendencies, so the Angels’ offense should be a threat when facing lefties.
Alas, it’s hard to see a path to .500 for this team, barring some kind of irrational plunge into top-end free agency.
Win average: 62.6 (Last: 63.7, 28th) In the playoffs: 0.4% (Last: 0.7%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Progress report: The Nationals are starting over. New manager, new coaching staff, new front office.
The position group is baseball’s youngest. The pitchers aren’t far behind. The resetting might not be over either, as you will recall the recent past when CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore were among those frequently mentioned in the rumor mill.
The race for the No. 1 pick appears to be on.
Win average: 60.2 (Last: 56.2, 29th) In the playoffs: 0.2% (Last: 0.0%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Progress report: Generally, it’s hard to be too positive or to write anything prescriptive about teams in this region of the Stock Watch. But I remain bullish on the White Sox’s direction.
On the position side, an identity appears to be taking shape, one that emphasizes power and patience. Despite having the third-youngest group of hitters in baseball, Chicago projects to post the ninth-best walk rate. That’s huge. The homers aren’t there yet, but many of Chicago’s hitters have the potential to develop a plus power tool.
More than anything, the team looks worth watching. Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Luis Robert Jr., Kyle Teel … it’s an increasingly fun group. The identity is more the “South Side Hitmen” of 1977 than the “Go-Go Sox” of 1959, but at least it’s an identity. And this summer, barring something unforeseen, UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky should be drafted into the organization.
Things are getting better fast. Now about that pitching…
Win average: 48.7 (Last: 49.7, 30th) In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Progress report: There’s nowhere to go but up, right?
At least this time, there has been meaningful change in the stagnant, insular Rockies operation. It’ll take awhile for Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes to untangle this mess, and the outlook for this season is grim. But Rockies fans, as ever, will turn out anyway, and there now looks like more of a chance that their loyalty will eventually be rewarded.
GRANT COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A mother, deputies said shot and killed her own young child during a standoff outside Silver City, went in front of a judge today. Thirty-five-year-old Madeline Daly broke out in tears in court and told Judge Thomas Stewart she understood, after he ordered she stay in jail until her trial. “The […]
MEXICO CITY — MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had “a very good conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday and that their two governments will continue working together on security issues without the need for U.S. intervention against drug cartels.
The approximately 15-minute call came after Sheinbaum said Friday she had requested dialogue with the Trump administration at the end of a week in which he had said he was ready to confront drug cartels on the ground and repeated the accusation that cartels were running Mexico.
Trump has repeatedly offered to send the U.S. military after the cartels and Sheinbaum has always declined, but after the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump’s comments about Mexico, Cuba and Greenland carried new weight.
“He (Trump) asked me my opinion about what they had done in Venezuela and I told him very clearly that our constitution is very clear, that we do not agree with interventions and that was it,” Sheinbaum said.
Trump “still insisted that if we ask for it, they could help” with military forces, which Sheinbaum said she again rejected. “We told him, so far it’s going very well, it’s not necessary, and furthermore there is Mexico’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and he understood.”
In an interview with Fox News aired last Thursday, Trump said, “We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water and we are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. It’s very sad to watch.”
Sheinbaum said Monday the two leaders agreed to continue working together.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente spoke Sunday with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio asked for “tangible results” and more cooperation to dismantle the cartels, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.
Sheinbaum said Mexico shared those results, including a significant drop in homicides, falling U.S. fentanyl seizures and fentanyl overdose deaths.
Experts still see U.S. intervention in Mexico as unlikely because Mexico is doing what the U.S. asks and is a critical economic partner, but expect Trump to continue using such rhetoric to maintain pressure on Mexico to do more.
Sheinbaum said the two leaders did not speak about Cuba, which Trump threatened Sunday. Mexico is an important ally of the island nation, including selling it oil that it will need even more desperately now that the Trump administration says it will not allow any more oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba.
Speaking on the Garza Podcast, Kataklysm frontman Maurizio Iacono revealed that the Canadian death metal institution will begin work on their next album this summer (this episode was filmed in 2025), marking a deliberate return to the band’s roots after years of remote collaboration.
According to Iacono (as transcribed by Metal Injection), the band will spend the entire summer writing and recording the new album together at a newly constructed studio in Orlando, Florida — a studio he built specifically with this project in mind. “The next plan we have for Kataklysm is that next summer we’re going to record [a new album],” he explained. “I built a studio in Orlando that we’re going to use for the first time.”
The setup sounds closer to a retreat than a traditional studio session. Built on a one-acre property, the space includes a cabin-style home and a custom shed-house studio in the back, designed to allow the band to live and work together throughout the writing process. “What’s cool about it is that I built it on one acre of land,” Iacono said. “There’s a cabin house, like a cabin home, and in the back I built a shed-house–style studio. It’s really nice.”
In recent years, Kataklysm — like many long-running metal bands — have relied on remote collaboration, with members living in different parts of the world and exchanging ideas digitally. “Right now everyone’s living in different places, and we’ve been putting ideas together remotely — sending riffs, drum programming, all that,” Iacono said.
For Iacono, the shift is about reconnecting with the spirit that fueled Kataklysm‘s earlier releases, when the band cut their teeth in rehearsal rooms rather than file-sharing platforms.
Beyond the music itself, Iacono emphasized the importance of atmosphere and mental space in shaping the next Kataklysm record. The Florida setting is meant to encourage creativity without pressure — a luxury the band can finally afford after years on the road. “It’ll be in an environment where we can have a fire at night, smoke cigars… positive, have a good time, try shit, and see how it goes,” he said. “We have the luxury to do it, so I was like, let’s do that. Everybody’s on board.”
While details about the album’s sound remain under wraps, Iacono confirmed that strong ideas are already in place — and that fans may get an inside look at the process. “I think we’re going to document it,” he said. “So… I think we’re onto something cool, and we’re going to have a good record. We already have good ideas right now.”
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Harbaugh previously told Fox Sports that while plenty of teams have reached out, he’s going to narrow his search to roughly three or four teams and then go through the interview process with those franchises. Sports Illustrated reports that Harbaugh had preliminary calls with the Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, and Titans, and after hearing those preliminary pitches, he will now figure out which teams he’d like to interview with.
As Harbaugh scouts for his next destination in the NFL, let’s do the same. Below, we’ll rank the three best fits for the head coach.
According to The Athletic, Harbaugh spent the last few days watching film on a couple of young quarterbacks, including Cam Ward. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft flashed down the stretch of his rookie year, albeit during a forgettable 3-14 campaign for Tennessee.
NFL Media added on Monday that Harbaugh likes what he sees in Tennessee, because of Ward’s presence along with the organization effectively being a blank slate.
Yes, the roster needs to be rebuilt, but the organization has the ammunition to jump-start a turnaround. The Titans are armed with a projected $100-plus million in cap space, the second most in the NFL at the moment. On top of that, they have the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the presence of Ward allows them to take one of the best non-QB prospects in the class. When you pair those assets with Ward, it’s a strong starting point for Harbaugh.
Ranking head coaching vacancies: Which of these eight jobs is the most desirable?
Jared Dubin
A Matt Ryan-John Harbaugh-led Falcons franchise feels like an awfully powerful duo. The franchise has already hired its former MVP quarterback as its first-ever president of football, and now it needs to find a head coach to replace Raheem Morris. If Atlanta were to lure Harbaugh, it would instantly possess one of the top brain trusts in the league, which is something Harbaugh likely recognizes as well and the two sides have already conducted an interview.
From a football perspective, the Falcons are a strong candidate on a couple of different fronts. They have loads of star power on the roster. Offensively, Bijan Robinson is one of the best running backs in the NFL, while wideout Drake London is an up-and-coming star at the position in his own right. On defense, the unit features All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell and some fascinating first-year players, such as pass rusher James Pearce Jr. and safety Xavier Watts. On top of that, the Falcons play in a very winnable division in the NFC South.
The major sticking point with this possible pairing is the quarterback position, specifically Harbaugh’s view of Michael Penix Jr. The former first-round pick is coming off a season-ending ACL tear and has been up and down over the course of his young career. If Harbaugh thinks he can win with Penix, then the Falcons check a ton of boxes.
There’s a really good argument to be made for the Giants as the top job for Harbaugh. We noted that Cam Ward was one of the quarterbacks Harbaugh is reportedly watching tape on — well, so is Jaxson Dart.
New York is a destination that has a young quarterback in place, and Dart flashed a tremendously high ceiling during his rookie campaign. That said, he’ll need to be reined in with some of his scrambling, which Harbaugh should view as an easy fix. Once Dart gets that honed in, he’ll be quite the dual-threat quarterback, which Harbaugh knows something about after coaching Lamar Jackson to two NFL MVP awards.
But the Giants are not just a good fit because of Dart. The roster has potential, with wideout Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo headlining a young skill-position group, along with a defensive line that features Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Abdul Carter.
New York also has the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so there is another avenue to bring in an instant-impact player. This is the type of group that can turn around in a hurry with the right coach, like Harbaugh, and he seems to recognize that.
Giants executive Chris Mara told The Athletic that he met Harbaugh for lunch on Sunday and had an informal meeting at the coach’s house. The report adds that Harbaugh remains very interested in the New York job.
