The Padres have made no secret of their desire to add another starter and one more complementary bat before Opening Day. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller reiterated those goals from Spring Training (link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). There are still a handful of free agent starters who could make an impact (e.g. , Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, Griffin Canning). San Diego seems to be working with tight payroll restrictions, however. That could point to a reclamation candidate like Walker Buehler or Germán Márquez if they address that via free agency.
With three days to go before the NBA trade deadline, the market for Giannis Antetokounmpo has started to progress as the Milwaukee Bucks have submitted counteroffers to teams aggressively seeking a deal for the two-time MVP, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday. Having been resistant to the idea of trading Antetokounmpo throughout his career in Milwaukee, the Bucks have now shifted to actively engaging with a few teams concerning a potential league-altering trade.
There was a conversation this week between the Maple Leafs and Matthews' representation. They just asked, "Is anything here different with the way this season has gone?" Is there any reason for the Maple Leafs to believe Matthews wouldn't want to return for 2026-27, or for Matthews believe that the Maple Leafs wouldn't want him to return for 2026-27? And both sides reaffirmed their commitment to each other.
The devastating news regarding Kyle Palmieri's injury has hit the New York Islanders like a ton of bricks. The sobering news has put a serious damper on what has been a good season for the Isles so far. Palmieri joins Alexander Romanov as the second Islanders lineup regular to go down for pretty much the remainder of the season. That's no bueno to say the least. But beyond the crushing effects on the lineup itself, missing Palmieri could also lead to other effects.
