The New York Yankees are continuing to bolster their lineup in the final hour ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline. 

New York has agreed to a deal to acquire outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants, ESPN reported. 

Ramos, 26, is putting up another productive season at the plate for the Giants. He’s hitting .264 with a .728 OPS, nine home runs and 34 RBIs in 74 games this season. Ramos, who was an All-Star in 2024, hit 43 total homers in the previous two seasons. 

The Yankees’ move for Ramos came a day after they acquired first baseman Luis Garcia from the Washington Nationals. New York’s moves for Ramos and Garcia show a clear desire to upgrade their lineup as they’ve struggled at the plate since Aaron Judge’s injury in early August. Garcia had led the National League in slugging percentage prior to Sunday’s trade. 

While New York has struggled offensively with Judge out of the lineup, the Yankees remain in the thick of the AL East race. They’re 63-49 entering Monday, putting them 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place.

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The San Diego Padres are going for it. 

Hours after agreeing to a trade for Robbie Ray, the Padres secured right-handed pitcher Casey Mize in a trade with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports. The Tigers will get prospects Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf, while the Padres will also acquire third baseman Gage Workman, FOX Sports and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported earlier. 

Mize, 29, was one of the top pitchers available ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. He’s 4-6 with a 2.70 ERA, 85 strikeouts and a 0.992 WHIP in 86 ⅔ innings pitched over 16 starts.

The Padres’ pitching staff has been relatively mediocre this season. They’re 16th in ERA (4.14) and 18th in WHIP (1.32). 

San Diego entered Monday with a 58-54 record. While the Padres are 11 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West, they’re only one game out of the final NL wild-card spot. 

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Larry Berg, co-owner of Los Angeles FC, will be the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, the league announced Monday.

At the start of the new year, Berg will take over for Don Garber, who has served as the league’s commissioner since 1999.

The 60-year-old Berg, who will divest his ownership interest in LAFC, will be officially introduced on Tuesday at MLS headquarters in New York.

“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg said in a statement. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of so many people, Major League Soccer has achieved tremendous success, but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead. We have an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the quality of our competition, develop more world-class players, deepen our connection with supporters, and continue elevating Major League Soccer’s place in the global game.

“Together with our owners, clubs, players, partners, supporters, and league staff, I could not be more excited for what comes next.”

Garber will remain MLS commissioner through the end of the 2026 season before taking over as chairman of the league. MLS has grown tremendously during Garber’s tenure, and hopes to capitalize on the momentum of the 2026 World Cup.

“Having worked closely with Larry over the past decade, I’ve seen firsthand the qualities that make him an exceptional leader, and I have complete confidence he is the right person to serve as Major League Soccer’s next commissioner,” Garber said in a statement. “His integrity, judgment, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to building LAFC and the league have made him an invaluable partner. I look forward to working alongside Larry during this transition and supporting him as he leads MLS into its next chapter.”

Berg previously held ownership stakes in Serie A club AS Roma, as well as Swansea City AFC in Wales. Under Berg’s ownership, LAFC won the MLS Cup in 2022, and the Supporters’ Shield in 2019.

Reported by the Associated Press
 

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Outside of the World Cup, golf has produced some of the most interesting and entertaining bets of the summer.

That was again the case last weekend with the Rocket Classic on the PGA Tour. But in this instance, it wasn’t a bet on the tournament winner that stood out most.

Rather, it was a stunning parlay on Thursday’s first-round groups, in which $25 turned into more than $150,000.

More on that six-figure haul, a couple early big plays on college football odds and a one-dollar wager that profited five figures, as we recap the week that was in sports betting.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

ROCKET SHIP

There are all sorts of ways to wager on golf well beyond just picking the tournament winner. Among the more popular plays: picking a player to finish in the top 5, 10 or 20, betting one-on-one matchups, or whether a player makes the cut.

In Thursday’s opening round of the Rocket Classic, players went off in groups of three, per usual. A Hard Rock Bet customer compiled a nine-leg threesomes parlay, on which golfers would post the best score in each group.

The bettor wagered $25 at massive odds of +974568, or in easier-to-read terms, just shy of 9746/1. Then darn near got the whole enchilada, as eight players came through.

However, Mark Hubbard saw his 66 matched by playing partner Emiliano Grillo. So that leg of the parlay was a push and was therefore removed, which ostensibly cut the odds in half, to +487233 (about 4872/1).

Still, odds approaching 5000/1 represented a massive payday of $121,833.47. Furthermore, the bettor utilized a 25% profit boost promotion, so that hiked the payout to $152,285.59.

That’s quite the ROI, hopefully enough to keep the bettor from thinking about what could have been, if only Hubbard shot one stroke better or Grillo one stroke worse.

Had that been the case, the customer would’ve cashed out for a whopping $304,833.75.

BET A LOT, WIN A LITTLE

Week 0 on the college football oddsboard is less than four weeks away, opening with an abbreviated Aug. 29 schedule. Then things really kick into gear with a full Week 1 slate.

That includes Texas opening its season as a 30.5-point home favorite vs. Texas State.

The moneyline on Texas — the odds of the Longhorns simply winning the game, regardless of margin — are a huge -10000. Which means you’d have to bet $100 to win just a dollar.

A Caesars Sports customer took that to the extreme last week, dropping $400,000 on Texas.

As long as the Longhorns dodge a monstrous upset, the bettor will profit all of $4,000, for a total payout of $404,000.

On the national championship front, also at Caesars, a customer got a little more bang for the buck on Ohio State. The bettor put $15,000 on the Buckeyes +600 to win the College Football Playoff.

If Ohio State, currently the favorite, wins it all, then the bettor pockets $90,000 profit (total payout $105,000).

MORE TEE SHOTS

DraftKings Sportsbook saw a couple notable winners emerge from the Rocket Classic, one in the first round and the other as the tournament closed Sunday.

Ahead of the opening round, a DK customer put a modest $33 on Peter Malnati to emerge as the first-round leader. At odds of +32500 (325/1), Malnati wasn’t expected to even sniff the lead on Thursday.

But Malnati shot a scorching 7-under 28 on the front nine en route to a career-best and bogey-free 9-under 61. That was two strokes better than anyone else.

So that $33 turned into a $10,725. Not a bad day’s work at all.

And it was really the only good day for Malnati. He shot 1-over 71 on Friday, then went 74-74 on the weekend to end up way back in a tie for 68th at even-par 280.

On the flip side, Michael Thorbjornsen started with a nondescript 1-under 69 Thursday, tied for 69th. Then he went 64-66-63 over the final three rounds to win the tournament at 18-under 262.

That made a big winner of another DK customer, who put $1,000 on Thorbjornsen +4100 to win the Rocket Classic. The bettor bagged $41,000 profit (total payout $42,000).

$1 HOLLER

On Saturday, before the 15-game MLB slate commenced, a Hard Rock Bet customer placed a $1 dollar wager on a 12-leg parlay.

Every leg was on a player to go over 1.5 total bases, and only four games were involved: Cubs-Yankees, Astros-Rangers, Guardians-Diamondbacks and Braves-Nationals.

All 12 players did their part, and at eye-popping odds of +2589033 (about 25890/1), that lone dollar bill became a $25,891.33 windfall.

That’s the kind of ROI we all can appreciate.

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The summer of soccer continues after the best World Cup ever. This time, select teams from Major League Soccer and their Liga MX counterparts will kick off the Leagues Cup in the latest edition of the tournament.

Here’s what to know as 36 teams featuring star players like Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi square off in the Leagues Cup. The action begins on Wednesday with a full slate of games, including the Seattle Sounders taking on Toluca (10 p.m. ET on FS1).

Which MLS and Liga MX Teams Are Playing?

Club America will be one of the Liga MX powerhouses in the Leagues Cup. (Photo by Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images) –>

In all there are 36 teams who’ll participate in the Leagues Cup. The tournament will feature 18 of the 30 MLS clubs and all 18 Liga MX squads. The 18 MLS clubs that qualified were based on the 2025 regular season table. Check out the full schedule.

Each team will play three opponents from the other league for a total of 54 MLS vs. Liga MX catchups in the first phase alone. But each league will have its own specific table for this competition. The top four from each table advance to the knockout round.

What Is The Competition Format? When Is The Final?

This year’s edition of the Leagues Cup is played in two phases. The tournament uses a no-ties format to ensure a winner in every match: 

• Phase One (Aug. 4–13) — 54 MLS vs. LIGA MX matchups in a round-robin format

• 3 points for a regulation win
• 2 points for a penalty shootout win (after a tie)
• 1 point for a penalty shootout loss

• Knockout Rounds (Aug. 25–Sept. 6)
      – Single-elimination bracket beginning with the quarterfinals and culminating in the final on Sept. 6.

Will Argentina’s Lionel Messi Play For Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will participate in the Leagues Cup.  –>

Following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain on July 19 at the FIFA World Cup final, Messi took some time off before reporting back to duty with Inter Miami. He is expected to play for Inter Miami during the Leagues Cup and the rest of the MLS regular season. 

He’ll be joined by his Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul and newly arrived Brazilian midfielder Casemiro. 

It was at this tournament in 2023 in which Messi made his Inter Miami debut. He and Miami went on to win the inaurgural edition, giving him his first piece of silverware stateside.  

Inter Miami’s League Cup Schedule

Aug. 5: Inter Miami vs. Atlético San Luis
Aug. 8: Inter Miami vs. Monterrey
Aug. 12: Inter Miami vs. León

Any USA Stars From the World Cup Playing?

USA’s World Cup captain Tim Ream will lead Charlotte FC. (Photo by Cory Knowlton/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) –>

Several of the players who were part of the USA’s squad this summer at the World Cup are expected to play. Those include defender Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), goalkeeper Matt Freese (NYCFC) and midfielder Alejandro Zendejas (Club América). 

Other players from the USMNT squad include keeper Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), midfielder Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders) and defender Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), 

Two players who just missed the World Cup roster were Real Salt Lake duo Diego Luna and Zavier Gozo. Those two will be playing in the Leagues Cup as well. 

What Are Some Other World Cup Stars At The Leagues Cup?

 Son Heung-Min and LAFC should be one of favorites at the Leagues Cup. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) –>

Plenty of international star power will be featured throughout the tournament. That includes LAFC’s Son Heung-min, who has been part of several South Korea World Cup squads. Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Mueller won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, while new Orlando City signing Antoine Griezmann lifted the World Cup trophy with France in 2018. Robert Lewandowski, who featured for Poland, will play for the Chicago Fire. 

The Liga MX teams feature several talents from Mexico’s World Cup team, including 17-year-old Gilberto Mora (Tijuana). Four players from Chivas – Luis Romo, Roberto Alvarado, Brian Gutierrez, Armando Gonzalez – played for Mexico this summer. 

What’s At Stake? 

The Leagues Cup provides three spots for the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup, which involves top teams across North America. The Leagues Cup winner gets a Round of 16 spot in that tournament, which has a direct path to bigger events such as the FIFA Club World Cup. 

Any Predictions On Who’ll Win It All?

(Photo by Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images) –>

The first two editions of this tournament saw teams from Liga MX win (Cruz Azul in 2019, León in 2021). Since then, it’s been all MLS with Inter Miami (2023), the Columbus Crew (2024), and the Seattle Sounders (2025) taking it all. In fact, no Liga MX team has even made the final since 2021. 

For this edition, expect that to change. Look for a top-tier team like Club América to try and reach the final. Pumas UNAM, Cruz Azul and Toluca have also been among the best Liga MX teams in recent seasons.  

On the MLS side, don’t discount Messi and Inter Miami reaching the final again. Nashville tops the current MLS standing while Vancouver and LAFC are also teams primed for a deep run here. 

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Following the announcement of Mauricio Pochettino extending his contract with the U.S. men’s national team, FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas shared his perspective on the state of the program and the expectations facing the head coach heading towards the 2030 World Cup.

Reflecting on the recent tournament performance, Lalas noted that the job ultimately comes down to winning matches in the knockout stages.

 “When it comes to Mauricio Pochettino and his job and role, it was to win the game against Belgium, and in that moment, he and this team failed,” Lalas said on his “State of the Union” podcast. 

Lalas emphasized that evaluating a manager based on results on the biggest stage and whether he can lead the Stars and Stripes to new heights. 

“Where he is again going to be judged is if he is going to get us to that rarefied air and that promised land. And for a lot of people, and that was made very very clear this summer, that is winning the round of 16 games.”

Lalas explained that success in those key matches shifts the broader conversation surrounding American soccer. “If this U.S. team under Mauricio Pochettino this summer had found a way to get past Belgium, all of this talk and all of this self-examination—whether it’s you know pay-to-play and player development and style of play and who we are as a soccer-playing nation—that all goes away,” Lalas said.

Looking ahead, Lalas expressed support for keeping Pochettino for the upcoming cycle. That includes competitions such as the Concacaf Nations League, the Concacaf Gold Cup and possibly the 2028 Copa América should the U.S. be an invited team.

“I think Mauricio Pochettino is fine. I think that he will be a better coach this cycle than he was last cycle,” Lalas said. 

However, he stressed the importance keeping the commitment through the next tournament, where the USA will actually need to go through the qualifying process this time around. 

“That final judgment will come four years from now, and it remains to be seen whether he is even going to be in charge four years from now. It would really disappoint me if, after all of this and this decision that has been made today, if Mauricio Pochettino was not the coach four years from now because he saw something better or took a different job someplace else.”

FIFA Men’s World Cup Related Stories

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The pads are finally starting to be put on at training camps around the NFL. But as that might be exciting, it also means we’re starting to see some injuries occur in practice.

The Chicago Bears were on the wrong side of some injury news on Monday, with one of their key offseason signings having to leave practice and is now out for several weeks. The New England Patriots, meanwhile, saw one of their star players suffer an injury on Monday as well, but he battled through it and ended up having a standout practice. 

And while some players compete on the practice field, there are some others who are making news for not practicing. Detroit Lions running back Jahmy Gibbs and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson each continued their hold-ins on Monday, with the former addressing his contract situation. 

Here’s the news to know from across the NFL on Monday. 

Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss eight-to-10 weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, a bone bruise, and a small fracture during practice on Monday, ESPN reported Monday. Bryant sustained the injury during one-on-one drills against tight end Cole Kmet and left the field on a cart. Surgery is not expected to be necessary.

Tight end Colston Loveland addressed the injury following practice:

“You know, it always sucks to see. That’s part of it. You know, he’s tough, he’s a dog. He’s going to be fine. We’re not worried about it, but I don’t know. We’ll leave that [prognosis] to coach Johnson.”

The Bears signed Bryant to a three-year, $40 million contract this offseason after he helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2025. Chicago signed Bryant as it lost safety Kevin Byard, who led the NFL in interceptions in 2025, in free agency over the offseason. 

Now, Cam Lewis might be in line to get some reps with the first team at safety. Lewis signed with the Bears over the offseason after spending the first six years of his career with the Buffalo Bills. Dillon Thieneman, who the Bears took with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, also figures to factor into the Bears’ starting safety equation. 

Bryant had 66 total tackles and four interceptions with the Seahawks last season. 

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown dislocated his thumb during a play against cornerback Christian Gonzalez. But not only did Brown remain in Monday’s practice, but he also had three touchdown grabs during team drills as he matched up with the All-Pro cornerback. 

Brown spoke to NFL Network afterward about practicing through the injury.

“The game is what it is, and you’re going to get bumps and bruises, but you got to keep going. I know it’s practice, but I’m not coming out of practice. Thumb out of place. You keep going,” Brown said.

Brown also elaborated on his approach to practice. 

“I physically want to impose my will each and every play, and it’s not for everybody to understand,” Brown told NFL Network. “It’s me vs. you. I like to use the reference of, ‘We’re in a boxing match,’ because I’m most of the time on this island, and nobody [is] gonna help you, nobody [is] gonna help me. So let’s go. That’s the mindset I gotta have when I’m out here.”

Brown’s showing on Monday is a positive development in his connection with quarterback Drake Maye. In the Patriots’ first few practices, the duo reportedly had a tough time connecting. Now, Brown has been making highlight plays with Maye, including a 50-yard touchdown on one play.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs attended recent training camp sessions as an observer rather than an active participant, per Pro Football Talk. 

Head coach Dan Campbell previously indicated that both sides are working through contract matters. On Monday, Gibbs stated his absence was not about a new contract, though he did not provide a timeline for his return to practice.

“Only time will tell,” Gibbs said, via the Detroit Free Press.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is also abstaining from practice while seeking a new contract. Both Gibbs and Robinson have two years left on their rookie contracts. 

With Gibbs missing Lions’ practice, newcomer Isiah Pacheco has been getting increased snaps with Detroit’s starting unit. 

Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre has made headgear history by officially becoming the first signature athlete for Guardian Caps, the company announced Monday. The partnership marks a landmark deal for off-field endorsements, shifting focus toward player safety and innovative protective gear.

Pitre began donning the padded protective shell last season following a concussion, reportedly the first player in Texans franchise history to wear a Guardian Cap in a regular-season game. He finished the season wearing the cap in Houston’s final eight contests. 

“Regardless of the level you play at, protection is the most important thing,” Pitre said in a statement released by the company. “Be proactive. Don’t wait until after you get a concussion. This is about continuing to push the game forward. Think about your safety now because that’s what you’ll have when you leave the game.”

 

• San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive end Mikail Kamara. The 49ers waived rookie defensive end Mikail Kamara with an injury designation on Sunday after Kamara suffered a torn ACL during practice Saturday. Kamara joined San Francisco as an undrafted free agent from Indiana.
• Mike Evans missed 49ers practice Monday due to a quadriceps strain. While he observed drills and caught passes on the sideline, his absence leaves San Francisco short-handed at wide receiver.

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Pencils down!

After the Dodgers struck early for the prize of the deadline, there was a flurry of activity in the final 24 hours as the Red Sox pushed their chips in for Adley Rutschman, the Cubs and Padres patched up their rotations, the Pirates loaded up on relievers and the Angels finally made meaningful moves to restock their farm system. 

Here are the winners and losers of the 2026 MLB trade deadline. 

The Big Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers

The best team in baseball got the best player at the deadline, and they did it without losing any big-league talent or decimating their farm system. They also made an interesting low-risk, high-reward move for injured Royals starter Kris Bubic, who was an All-Star last year, and got some catcher reinforcements with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing on the shelf. 

 Tarik Skubal is the latest superstar to join the Dodgers. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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Then again, who are we kidding? After landing Tarik Skubal, they could have snoozed through all that deadline day action and still been the winners of the deadline. 

  The Big Losers: Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers

Will Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela be helpful pieces for the Brewers? Absolutely. I have no doubt Milwaukee will get the most out of all of those arms, and they’ll all likely contribute to a fourth straight division title. 

But, c’mon, man! At some point, you’ve got to play for more than winning the regular season. If last year’s NLCS wasn’t a wake-up call to move some of their prospects for star talent, I don’t know what could be. 

The Braves needed a co-ace to pair with Chris Sale in October. They didn’t get it. Tyler Mahle will help with depth in the rotation for the next couple of months and Lane Thomas will assist the outfield, but it feels like they’re going to regret missing out on an impact arm. 

Winners: Chicago Cubs

The Cubs had needs throughout the pitching staff, and they overhauled the group. They got two of the best starters available in Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, whose penchant for keeping the ball on the ground should play well with the exceptional defense behind him.

Kevin Gausman is headed to Wrigley Field, where he’ll be a key starter down the stretch for the Cubs. (Getty Images)

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They made an upside move bringing in Braxton Garrett. They paid a big price for those starters and for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, whose high walk rate also comes with some of the best swing-and-miss stuff in the game. If they get where they hope to go, it will be worth it. 

The Adley Rutschman Trade

The Orioles and Red Sox get grouped together, for obvious reasons. 

Two years from now, we might look back on the Adley Rutschman trade as a turning point for the Orioles, who received a massive haul back from Boston. For now, though, it’s all just hard to swallow. All that promise in Baltimore after the rebuilding years, the 101-win seasons in 2023, those first two years from Rutschman…and zero postseason wins before blowing up another core. 

Adley Rutschman cost the Red Sox a big haul of prospects. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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To make it worse, O’s fans now have to watch Rutschman on a division rival for at least this season and next. Baltimore also traded Taylor Ward, Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer from a team that was 2.5 games out of a wild-card spot. Once again, it’s all about the future, not the present. 

Meanwhile, it’s the opposite in Boston. 

As incredible as the Red Sox turnaround has been on the field, trading for Curtis Mead and immediately watching him fracture his wrist made for a disappointing start to Boston’s deadline. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made up for that with a major swing, rewarding his team’s resurgence by sending a stunning haul of prospects for Rutschman and adding a big arm to the bullpen in the Giants’ Erik Miller. The price was steep. There’s a lot riding on Rutschman, currently sidelined with a wrist issue, returning as an impact piece. But there’s belief in Beantown again. 

Winners: Pittsburgh Pirates

Relief pitching was Pittsburgh’s clear need, and the Pirates reconstructed the group entirely. They added some big arms at the back end in Luke Weaver, arguably the top reliever dealt at the deadline, and Camilo Doval, who might be a good change-of-scenery candidate to put his tools together, and also acquired Kirby Yates, Lake Bachar and Ron Marinaccio. There’s pressure on this offense to keep up its pace, but they answered their biggest need. 

Losers: Arizona Diamondbacks

At 59-53, the D-backs are trending toward a spot in the postseason. They had a clear need at first base, where they have the lowest OPS and wRC+ in MLB, but they watched Luis Garcia Jr. go to the Yankees and Nathaniel Lowe go to the Guardians. They didn’t get any arms to a staff that ranks 18th in ERA and will now be reliant on the returns of some of their injured arms. Their only addition at all was outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who has been a below league-average hitter in a limited sample this season. That’s…not enough. 

Winners: San Diego Padres

Never doubt AJ Preller’s ability to find a way to add. Despite depleting his farm system in recent years, he still managed to get two of the better rental arms available in Casey Mize and Robbie Ray. It would have been nice to find a bat, too, but with the offense starting to perform better, starting pitching help was clearly the biggest need. And the Padres got that done. 

Losers: New York Yankees

Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos should help an offense that needed reinforcements with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton down. 

Luis García Jr. got off to a great start with the Yankees on Monday night with a clutch two-run home run. (Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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But while they watched Adley Rutschman go to Boston and Liam Hicks go to Tampa Bay, they did nothing to upgrade at catcher — why isn’t Tyler Stephenson, at the least, in the Bronx right now? — or the back end of the bullpen. 

Losers: AL West Contenders

The best teams in the division can’t figure out if they’re good or bad, and nothing they did this week will change that. The Mariners at least got some needed right-handed help with Taylor Ward, and I like what they did with the Luis Castillo deal, but nothing they did significantly changes my opinion of them. 

Houston’s inaction was more disappointing. Daulton Varsho isn’t going to singlehandedly fix the Astros’ outfield hitting woes, and they not only failed to add to their rotation, but they sent starter Spencer Arrighetti away in that Varsho trade. 

The Rangers, meanwhile, basically sat out of deadline day entirely. Maybe these teams are more snoozers than losers, but I expected a little more. 

Losers: Detroit Tigers

It wasn’t supposed to go this way. Not after signing Framber Valdez. Not after holding onto Tarik Skubal this winter. Prospects Zyhir Hope and River Ryan could both end up being great players in the years to come, but I’m still surprised they couldn’t get more out of the Dodgers — or from another more needy team — in the trade for Skubal. 

Still, I can understand them trying to get a return for the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner rather than watching him walk for nothing. So, their placement in this category is more about what happened next. Only 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, maybe they could have sold their fans on a second-half surge with Valdez, Casey Mize, Troy Melton, Keider Montero and Jackson Jobe nearing his return. But then they traded Mize at the buzzer. If you’re going to do that, why is Gleyber Torres still a Tiger? Or Kenley Jansen? Or Kyle Finnegan? 

Thank You For Playing: Los Angeles Angels

John Mozeliak stepped in as interim general manager and immediately went to work restocking the farm system, making changes that have been sorely needed for years. 

The Angels added nine prospects, including a top-100 talent in Arjun Nimmala, while trading away a group of big leaguers who probably wouldn’t have been around to see the next contending team in Anaheim anyway. 

The moves are finally an acknowledgment of reality. Congrats, guys. You did it. 

MLB Related Stories

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There’s a new highest-paid running back in the NFL, and his name is “Bijan Robinson.”

Robinson has signed a three-year, $75 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Media reported on Tuesday morning. The contract will begin in 2028, with the $25 million average annual value and $51 million guaranteed each being an NFL record for a running back. Atlanta presumably hinted at the extension by posting a picture to X of Robinson smiling.

Saquon Barkley held the previous running back salary record, as he signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 ($20.6 million AAV). 

Robinson, a Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons, is coming off a 2025 campaign where the star running back earned his first career All-Pro honor. In said season (2025), Robinson rushed for 1,478 yards — which was fourth in the NFL — and seven touchdowns on a career-high 5.1 yards per carry. He also totaled 79 receptions for 820 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Robinson was first in the NFL with 86 forced missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.

Elsewhere on the extension front, the Falcons signed wide receiver Drake London (four-year deal worth up to $150 million), guard Matthew Bergeron (four-year deal worth up to $96 million) and tight end Kyle Pitts (three-year, $54 million deal) to long-term deals this offseason.

The Falcons are coming off an 8-9 season that saw them miss the playoffs and post a losing record for an eighth consecutive season. 

Atlanta selected Robinson with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Texas.

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NASCAR will move its annual preseason race back to Daytona International Speedway after five years away from its most iconic venue.

The Clash will be a Saturday night affair on Feb. 13, the night before the Super Bowl and eight days prior to the season-opening Daytona 500. It will run on the oval, with eligibility for the invitation-only event still to be determined.

The race was last run on the oval in 2020 and then stayed at Daytona but was competed on the road course there in 2021. 

NASCAR then constructed a track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Clash from 2022-2024. The last two years, it was staged at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina.

This year’s event was postponed for three days because of a heavy snowstorm in North Carolina.

There shouldn’t be any worry about snow at Daytona, designed to create interest heading into the season-opening 500. It is also the first race of the 14-event FOX Sports portion of the Cup schedule, where the Cup races are aired on FOX or FS1. 

It will bring back an element of the old Speedweeks, where there was track activity on two weekends at Daytona. In recent years, drivers have not been on track until the Wednesday before the Daytona 500.

That sounds good to Ryan Preece, who won the Clash this year at Bowman Gray and then drove to Florida to race at the New Smyrna Speedway short track in the following days.

“I’m a fan of Speedweeks,” Preece told me and other reporters a couple of weeks ago at Indianapolis. “For us coming in on Wednesday and racing Sunday, being a purist and loving NASCAR — I’m happy that we … end up going early and kind of making it the whole Speedweeks vibe again.

“Because that doesn’t only help Daytona, but I think it also helps the short-track side of things.”

From 2022-24, NASCAR held the Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

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Preece’s team co-owner, Brad Keselowski, noted that he was willing to race wherever the Clash is conducted — be it Bowman Gray or Daytona.

“From an RFK perspective, we’ll race wherever they put the Clash … [and] we have a lot of reason to think we’d be successful in either one of the two tracks,” Keselowski told me and other reporters at Indianapolis.

NASCAR also announced Wheatley American Vodka as a new sponsor for the Clash as part of a multiyear sponsorship deal with NASCAR. 

The league’s decision to bring the Clash to Daytona was first reported by The Athletic.

NASCAR is not expected to announce its full schedule for at least another few weeks, but tracks that have early 2027 dates are expected to announce their schedules over the next couple of weeks so they can begin ticket sales for next season.

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