Feb 25, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Juan Soto (22) smiles in the dugout against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees were unable to re-sign Juan Soto mostly because they did not match the largest offer for him, but interesting new details about their negotiations with the slugger continue to surface.
Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night. The deal is the largest in professional sports history. While the Yankees were also willing to give Soto a record contract, they reportedly offered less than their crosstown rival.
According to Jon Heyman, the Bronx Bombers also balked at Soto’s request for a major perk that has not been given to any other player in their franchise’s rich history.
Heyman reported on Monday that Soto asked both the Yankees and Mets for his own private luxury suite for home games. Mets owner Steve Cohen had no problem accommodating the request. Yankees ownership felt differently about it.
Aaron Judge pays for a luxury suite for his family and friends at Yankee Stadium. Heyman says Derek Jeter did the same during the shortstop’s Hall of Fame career in pinstripes. Hal Steinbrenner apparently did not feel it would be appropriate to make an exception for Soto.
Again, the Mets offered Soto more money. That was almost certainly the deciding factor for the 26-year-old, but it sounds like the suite arrangement was one of a few other issues Soto had with the Yankees.
Apr 19, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during game two of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Jimmy Butler’s hot stove may be nearing a boiling point.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the Miami Heat are now open to fielding trade offers for the six-time All-Star forward Butler and would be willing to make a deal if the proposal is right. Charania further adds that Butler prefers a win-now destination in a trade and that Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated Butler is open to at least three particular teams — Houston, Dallas, and Golden State.
Butler, 35, has been with the Heat since 2019, and the two sides have enjoyed a fruitful partnership that has included three conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals berths. But Butler failed to reach a contract extension with Miami over the offseason, setting himself to potentially become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The Heat are still very much in the playoff picture this season at 12-10 (with Butler averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists a game). But the Rockets, Mavericks, and Warriors all have better records and are currently top-five seeds in a brutal Western Conference. The former two teams also have to be of particular intrigue to Butler, who is a native of Texas.
Butler rumors have been swirling for a while, and we heard several months ago that he may be interested in joining a different Eastern Conference team next summer. But with the likelihood seemingly increasing that Butler splits with the Heat before then, it appears that his list is narrowing down to win-now teams only.
Oct 18, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts at the end of the fifth inning in game five of the ALDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Judge is coming off his second MVP season, and he could be making a change for 2025.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman met with reporters at the Winter Meetings in Dallas on Monday. Cashman said that moving Judge back to right field was a possibility for next season. Juan Soto has chosen to sign with the Mets, which leaves open the right field sot.
The thinking is that moving Judge would create an opening for prospect Jasson Dominguez.
“We obviously believe [Dominguez] has a very high ceiling, and he’s healthy,” Cashman said.
Judge has played right field for most of his career. He began playing some center in 2021, then split his time in center and right in 2022, and he played almost exclusively in center in 2024.
Judge was completely dominant in 2024. He batted .322 with a .458 on-base percentage, .701 slugging percentage and 1.159 OPS. He led the league in the latter three categories. Judge also led MLB with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs.
Dominguez, 21, is regarded as a top prospect. He slugged four home runs in just eight games in 2023. He batted .179 over 18 games in 2024. He missed time due to elbow and oblique injuries, but he could be ready for a big role in 2025. Now that they have lost Soto, the Yankees could really use Dominguez stepping up.
Nov 5, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany, ; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (19) looks on before an NFL International Series game against the Miami Dolphins at Deutsche Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Another NFL team has given up on Kadarius Toney.
The Cleveland Browns announced on Tuesday that they have waived the veteran receiver Toney. The move ends Toney’s tenure in Cleveland after just three months.
Toney, still only 25, was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Giants (No. 20 overall). But after a tenure that was marred by injuries and constant absences from team activities, Toney was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs a year-and-a-half later. While he was a member of both Kansas City’s Super Bowl-winning teams in 2022 and 2023 (including making a crucial fourth-quarter TD catch in Super Bowl 50 against the Philadelphia Eagles), Toney once again wore out his welcome. Countless ugly on-field blunders in 2023 followed by a profane rant against the team for making him an inactive in the postseason eventually led to Toney being cut by Kansas City before the 2024 season began.
The former Florida star Toney signed with Cleveland’s practice squad in September but ended up making just three appearances on the active roster. In those appearances, Toney recorded a grand total of zero catches on one target as he was mainly used as a punt returner. Even as a returner though, Toney continued to make horrendous mistakes and has now been waived by the Browns with four games still to go in the season. At this point, it is very fair to question whether Toney has played his final snap in the NFL.
Jul 23, 2023; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of famer Ryne Sandberg is introduced during the 2023 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Ryne Sandberg shared a brutal update Tuesday regarding his health.
Sandberg shared a note on his Instagram profile to announce that his prostate cancer has returned.
“Unfortunately, we recently learned the cancer has relapsed and it has spread to other organs. This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family,” Sandberg’s statement said.
Sandberg had initially made his cancer diagnosis public in January. Things seemed to be looking up as Sandberg shared in August that tests had detected no cancer in his body. Unfortunately, four months later, the cancer has apparently returned.
Sandberg turned 65 in September. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Sandberg played 16 seasons in MLB, and played all but one of the seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Sandberg made 10 All-Star teams, won 9 Gold Gloves at second base, and he was named the 1984 NL MVP. Sandberg led the league in runs scored three times, triples once, and home runs once. He also stole 344 bases during his career, including a high mark of 54 in 1985.
Nov 5, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the New Orleans Saints helmet on the team bench against the Chicago Bears during the first half at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The New Orleans Saints have added a veteran quarterback in the wake of Derek Carr’s latest injury.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci announced via social media on Tuesday that he has signed with the Saints.
DiNucci did not specify whether he signed to the 53-man roster or a practice-squad deal, but the latter is more likely. The Saints have not placed Carr on injured reserve and still have Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler on their roster.
The Cowboys drafted DiNucci in the seventh round out of James Madison in 2020. He spent two seasons with the team before being waived. DiNucci started a big “Sunday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles as a rookie when Dak Prescott and backup Andy Dalton were both hurt. DiNucci threw for 180 yards and lost two fumbles in a 23-9 Dallas loss.
After he was waived by the Cowboys in 2022, DiNucci was drafted by the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL and became their starting quarterback. He passed for 2,671 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while rushing for 3 touchdowns in 10 games.
DiNucci’s strong play in the XFL led the Denver Broncos to give him another opportunity in the NFL last year, but he was cut this past offseason.
Carr suffered a fractured left hand after he dove for extra yardage on a scramble play during Sunday’s 14-11 win over the New York Giants. He is also in concussion protocol. The veteran is expected to miss several games, if not the remainder of the season.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker DaMarvion Overshown suffered a devastating knee injury during his team’s 27-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.
Overshown was hit in the side of his right leg during the fourth quarter on Monday and was knocked out for the game. Initially, the thought was that Overshown had suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. However, reports on Tuesday say that Overshown also tore the MCL and PCL in the same knee.
You can see the play where Overshown’s knee got hurt.
Overshown also missed his rookie season due to a torn ACL in his other knee. He suffered the injury during a preseason game against the Seahawks that year.
Overshown was a third-round pick by the Cowboys out of Texas in 2023. He had 90 tackles, 5 sacks and an interception this season and was playing beyond his draft status as a second-day pick.
Overshown’s recovery time period is expected to be lengthy, perhaps taking around a year. Overshown has already displayed a positive attitude despite his injury and responded to a fan to say he wouldn’t become a “what if” story.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Joe Burrow helped lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, but the star quarterback is now handling some problems at home.
Burrow’s home in Anderson Township, Ohio, was broken into during the Bengals’ 27-20 victory over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Karin Johnson of WLWT 5 reports that a woman called 911 to report the break-in on Monday night. The woman told a dispatcher that the house belonged to Joe Burrow and that her daughter was staying there.
“Someone is trying to break into the house right now. My daughter is there. This is Joe Burrow’s house,” the woman said. “She is staying there. He’s at the football game. She’s wondering what she should do, if she should be hiding, or if she should go outside. She said someone was in the house.”
The woman’s daughter then placed a separate call to 911 and told the dispatcher that “someone broke into my house” and that “it’s like completely messed up.”
Johnson reports that the woman was heard during the phone call speaking with a male at the house. The man had been working security at the home. Radio records indicate that there was an officer on detail at Burrow’s home. The records also showed that a window of the home was shattered and a bedroom was ransacked.
The NFL recently issued a security memo to players and teams regarding an organized series of break-ins that have targeted athletes. It is unclear if the incident at Burrow’s Ohio home was related.
Burrow had a huge game in Dallas, finishing 33/44 for 369 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. The Bengals improved to 5-8 with the win.
Oct 10, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Belichick has had ongoing discussions with North Carolina about the school’s head coach job, but there is still a chance he will return to the NFL next season. Should that happen, a new team has emerged as the betting favorite to land the six-time Super Bowl champion.
SportsBetting.ag has listed odds for which team Belichick will coach in 2025. North Carolina tops the list at 2/3 odds, or -150. That is not a surprise given that Belichick confirmed this week that he has been in talks with the Tar Heels.
The team that is viewed as having the next-best chance to hire Belichick is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are the teams with odds of 14/1 or better:
North Carolina Tar Heels 2/3
Jacksonville Jaguars 2/1
Dallas Cowboys 3/1
New York Giants 3/1
New York Jets 9/1
Chicago Bears 10/1
NCAAF team (not UNC) 10/1
New Orleans Saints 12/1
Las Vegas Raiders 14/1
At the moment, oddsmakers clearly favor Belichick coaching in the NFL next season if he does not wind up at UNC. The odds of any other NCAA team landing Belichick is listed at 10/1 behind five NFL franchises.
A much more notable NFL team was viewed as the favorite to land Belichick earlier in the year, but plenty has changed since then.
The Jaguars are 3-10 and expected to fire Doug Pederson. There have been some indications that Belichick might have interest in the job, but all of the talk recently has been about the 72-year-old possibly wanting to try something completely new.
Sep 11, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dak Prescott may have had a tough year on the field in 2024, but there has been plenty to celebrate off of it for the Dallas Cowboys star.
Prescott and his fiancee, Sarah Jane Ramos, announced through a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit exclusive on Tuesday that they are expecting their second child. The news comes just months after the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Margaret Jane “MJ” Rose, on Feb. 22.
A social media post from SI Swimsuit said Dak and Sarah Jane have always planned to have their children close in age. Their second child is also a girl.
Prescott and Ramos also announced back in October that they had gotten engaged. That led to everyone making the same ruthless joke about the Cowboys quarterback.
Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9. The 31-year-old signed a massive 4-year, $240 million extension with the Cowboys prior to the season.
