The MLB Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday evening, and the Atlanta Braves unfortunately slipped a few spots. Heading into the lottery, Atlanta had the sixth-best odds. Instead, the Braves will have the ninth overall pick in the 2026 draft. The Chicago White Sox will pick first, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins. With the Winter Meetings underway, it has been rumored that the Braves have interest in utility player Willi Castro, who has also drawn interest from the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The lefty made 32 starts in 2024. He had a 14-start stretch in the middle where he posted a 6.18 ERA, 19.8 K%, and 11.4 BB%. That 8.3 K-BB% was the fourth-worst in baseball among qualified starters during that June 3rd-August 17th period. Before and after that, Gore pitched like an ace. His velocity was up early in the season, spiking to 96.6 miles per hour from the beginning of the year through July 1st. It was a full mile per hour slower from that point on.
It's a logical position for a PBO to take, since you never know when a team might emerge with an outlandish trade offer that is too good to pass up. Reports indicate that Skubal is unlikely to be dealt, both because the Tigers' "asking prices are enormous" (as per ESPN's Buster Olney) and because keeping Skubal atop the rotation obviously gives Detroit a much better chance of winning the World Series in 2026.
MLB's winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Florida, signaling the time when baseball's offseason activity is likely to take off. What's the latest on free agent hitters, including coveted sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Tucker? Will Framber Valdez find a new home now that fellow top free agent pitcher Dylan Cease is off the board? What's the latest on a trade market featuring stars such as Ketel Marte and Steven Kwan? And which teams could surprise the sport by making a big splash in Florida?
1966 - The Braves acquire Clete Boyer from the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Bill Robinson and pitcher Chi-Chi Olivo. 1936 - Judge Landis declares Reds players Lee Handley and Johnny Peacock are free agents after they were covered up on minor league teams by Cincinnati. 1957 - Mayor Robert Wagner forms a four-member committee to find a replacement for the Dodgers and Giants in New York.
This evening, teams around baseball will need to decide whether to offer contracts to their arbitration- and pre-arbitration level players. Those who are non-tendered will head directly into free agency without being placed on waivers. Earlier this week, MLBTR's Anthony Franco made a comprehensive list of players who could at least theoretically be at risk of a non-tender today, although the majority of them likely will not actually head into free agency.
Golden State had the first-round draft capital -- the Warriors can trade up to the maximum four first-round picks and also swap in the next seven years -- to make a significant trade during the season. But, unlike the sizable contracts available in the Jimmy Butler trade last February ( Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson), that did not exist this season. Curry, Butler and Draymond Green combine to earn
Over the last five years, and arguably even before that, the Patriots have dealt with far more misses in the draft than home runs, and their roster continues to deal with the consequences. Most of the blame can be placed on Bill Belichick's shoulders, primarily due to his stubbornness and apparent value of how well a player does in an interview, and it has led to several busts coming to the Patriots, while superstars go to teams that didn't pass on them.
The Washington Wizards have piled plenty of talent on the roster this offseason. Between veteran additions, a fully loaded incoming rookie class and multiple high upside swings on former first-round picks, general manager Will Dawkins has put in plenty of work. However, the abundance of moves don't mean the general manager's work is finished. In fact, his work is just getting started.
Making the playoffs is as common as putting the puck into the net. However, one year after winning the President's Trophy as the team with the most points at the end of the regular season, they would miss the playoffs. Everything went wrong and they could not find their game quickly enough to turn it around. Star players did not produce and teams above them did not hit any skids.
At the top of her list are tradespeople, including electricians, plumbers, and repair workers, who perform hands-on tasks in messy, real-world environments that machines still struggle to navigate. She also pointed to care jobs like nursing, primary school teaching, and nursery teaching as roles that heavily rely on empathy, judgment, and social connection - qualities that algorithms can't yet mimic.
Gray hit a tiebreaking solo drive off Tyler Alexander (5-14) in the seventh inning. It was Gray's third homer in 17 games since he was acquired in a July 26 trade with the White Sox for cash. Kevin Kelly (2-3) got one out for the win, and Pete Fairbanks handled the ninth for his 25th save in 30 opportunities. Tampa Bay returned to .500 with its 11th win in 16 games.
The Bulls enter 2025-26 coming off their fourth-straight play-in appearance and second-straight 39-win season. Their biggest move of the offseason was flipping Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro, which was more poor asset management on the Bulls' part after what was reportedly available at the deadline. Ball does have notable health concerns. But they sold low on an expiring contract to take on more guaranteed money not only in 2025-26, but the following season as well.
Doyle played with the Jays for four seasons, or, more accurately, two full seasons and two half seasons. As a Jay, he was 46-26 with a 3.56 ERA in 106 games and 103 starts. The Jays signed him as a free agent on June 21, 1983, about a month after the Yankees released him. When the Yankees let him go, he had a 0-2 record with a 6.35 ERA in 8 games. He was 1-7 the season before with a 6.08 ERA in 16 starts.
Just over a year later, the Pirates have completely flopped on this deal as not only did they fail to find a trade partner for IKF at this years deadline, they placed Kiner-Falefa on waivers and he was claimed by Toronto on Sunday afternoon according to multiple reports. The Toronto Blue Jays claimed utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN. Kiner-Falefa spent 2024 with the Blue Jays before being traded to the Pirates on July 30.- Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 31, 2025