Marc Guehi has given a surprising verdict on his failed summer switch from Crystal Palace to Liverpool. The defender looked set for a transfer deadline day move to the Premier League title holders but the Eagles pulled the plug on the deal at the 11th hour. Now, the England international has reflected on what might have been for him amid ongoing links with the Reds.
Adam Voges, who will likely be in the frame to coach Australia when Andrew McDonald finishes, will step down as Western Australia head coach at the end of the 2025-26 season in order to pursue opportunities in franchise cricket.Voges took up the role in 2018-19 following Justin Langer’s appointment as Australia coach and oversaw an incredible run of success for WA with a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles and four One-Day Cup trophies, doing the double in three consecutive seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24 in the process.Last season, they finished bottom in both competitions but are currently third after four rounds of this summer’s Shield after a thrilling one-wicket win over Queensland.”I’m incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to be in the role of WA men’s team head coach over the past eight seasons,” Voges said. “We have enjoyed an incredible amount of success over the past four seasons, which is a credit to everyone involved with the side.”It’s also been really pleasing to oversee many players from WA take the step to international duty and excel playing for their country. While it wasn’t an easy decision to make, I’m looking forward to pursuing more coaching opportunities in franchise cricket.”Earlier this month, ESPNcricinfo had reported that Voges was in talks to join Trent Rockets in the Hundred as an assistant coach. He has previously coached Australia A and worked with the national side.WA Cricket are continuing discussions with Voges about staying on as Perth Scorchers head coach in the BBL.McDonald’s current contract as Australia coach runs through to 2027 and he has indicated he is unlikely to seek an extension having been in the job since early 2022.Voges, who played 20 Tests and finished with the incredible average of 61.87, has been in charge at WA during a time where they have had significant Australia representation. Cameron Green and Josh Inglis are part of the current Test squad.There is a new generation coming through the WA system including allrounder Cooper Connolly and fast bowler Mahli Beardman.
Has the ship already sailed? Will it ever happen for Federico Chiesa at Liverpool?
The forgotten man last season, the Italian winger has again been rather luckless this time around, having been unable to use the Mohamed Salah situation to his benefit this week.
Indeed, even with the Egyptian having been left out for the trip to San Siro, Chiesa could not pounce on that potential opening in the right-wing berth, having been forced to miss the meeting with Inter Milan through illness.
Almost halfway through his second season at Anfield, the ex-Juventus man – signed for a bargain £13m fee – remains bound to the periphery, featuring for just 29 times across all competitions in total.
Notable moments, like his crucial ‘winner’ against Bournemouth on the opening day, have seen the 28-year-old secure cult hero status on Merseyside, although the jury is out on whether he can truly emerge from the shadows.
Latest on Federico Chiesa's future
In truth, the Reds claimed Premier League glory last term without the impact of any new signing, with Chiesa – the only senior addition that summer – having been restricted to just six league outings all season.
Games
6
10
Starts
1
0
Goals
0
2
Assists
0
1
Big chances missed
1
1
Big chances created
0
1
Key passes*
0.3
0.1
Pass accuracy*
93%
74%
Successful dribbles*
0
0.1
Possession lost*
2.2
3.7
Frequently overlooked by Slot in 2024/25, even increased influence this time around has not altered his standing in the attacking pecking order, with all of his ten top-flight appearances coming from the bench.
The man who intervened to deny Wilson Isidor from securing a potential winner for Sunderland not too long ago, there is a will for Chiesa to do well, not least with options not exactly brimming on the flanks.
That being said, Slot – such is his neglect of the one-time Fiorentina star – appears to have other ideas, such has been the winger’s limited game time, with a January exit still being mooted according to recent reports.
As reported by The Athletic, the Euro 2020 hero is said to have a ‘number of admirers’ with the winter window now looming, albeit with it said to pose a potential ‘risk’ if Liverpool do let him depart, considering their relatively small pool of attacking alternatives.
That said, Chiesa himself may wish to push for a move, should his standing not improve, with reports last month suggesting that his agent was in talks over a possible switch, amid hopes of forcing his way back into Italy’s plans ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
A desire to depart would be no surprise considering his lack of use over the last 18 months, with Liverpool perhaps left to reflect on the wisdom of signing off on such a deal.
That said, Chiesa isn’t alone in that department…
Liverpool's pointless signing belongs in the Rodgers era
As harsh as it may be, the minimal impact of Chiesa would force anyone to come to the conclusion that he has been an almost pointless signing, with Slot showcasing little appetite to hand a regular role to the albeit injury-hit forward.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Rightly or wrongly, ‘pointless’ may be the word that springs to mind at present regarding this summer’s marquee signing, Alexander Isak, with the misfiring Swede again looking off the pace against Inter.
Hooked on the 68-minute mark, having made just 25 touches and registered just a solitary shot, the ex-Newcastle United man was again largely a bystander to proceedings at San Siro, with the excuse of his lack of pre-season now beginning to wear thin.
With just two goals in all competitions for his new side, following that controversial, club-record switch from St James’ Park, the 26-year-old has already entered disaster signing territory, with Slot and co in need of a drastic improvement heading into 2026.
There is also a sense that, while depth is needed, was this a move that FSG truly needed to make, considering they had already plucked Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt?
While Isak has toiled, the young Frenchman has dazzled, scoring eight times already from just 22 appearances, rubberstamping the belief that he should be the starting striker.
As for Liverpool’s actual number nine, Isak looks like following in the footsteps of the notable transfer misfires of the Brendan Rodgers era, echoing the post-Luis Suarez world that saw the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke all flatter to deceive at Anfield.
The summer of 2014, in the wake of Rodgers’ near miss with regard to the title, was particularly egregious, with that centre-forward pairing of Lambert and Balotelli ultimately scoring just seven times between them during their forgettable, brief stays on Merseyside.
Perhaps a better comparison lies with Benteke though, signed a year later, with the Belgian – like Isak at Newcastle – looking prolific in the Premier League at Aston Villa, having scored 49 goals in 101 games for the Midlands side.
Just ten in 42 would follow under Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
It might be too soon to write Isak off just yet, and throw him in with that trio of disastrous Rodgers signings, although on current evidence, he is looking like the Benteke of 2015.
Hopefully Ekitike can prove to be the Roberto Firmino…
Fewer touches than Alisson & only 10 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped
Liverpool returned to winning ways in Italy but it wasn’t all positive for Arne Slot.
1 ByMatt Dawson 2 days ago
If any side has it in them to gift bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers a much-needed Premier League win, it might well have been Ruben Amorim’s all too often charitable Manchester United outfit.
Indeed, heading into this Monday night clash at Molineux, the Red Devils had previously handed relegation-threatened West Ham United a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
However, the visitors from Manchester were far more ruthless on this occasion, as Wolves’ abject season shows no signs of stopping off the back of United running out convincing 4-1 winners.
Sitting on just two points, you likely could pick flaws all night long in the woeful home performance, with the die-hard Old Gold faithful clearly at their wits’ end with the ownership at their lowly club, having staged a fan protest before yet another defeat was tallied up.
What went wrong for Wolves on Monday
Championship football already looks destined to be returning to the West Midlands very soon, with the fresh appointment of Rob Edwards to replace Vitor Pereira doing very little to save the sinking ship.
Edwards just can’t account for some silly errors that plagued Wolves’ game all evening, though, with Andre in the first half – who has been on United’s transfer radar – dilly dallying on the ball for far too long, before Bruno Fernandes then scrappily gave the fortuitous away side a 1-0 lead. As journalist Liam Keen put it, the defending for this opening strike was ” totally shambolic.”
The likes of Yersen Mosquera in the heart of the ropey Wolves defence didn’t fare any better, either, with the shaky number 15 handing Fernandes his second of the one-sided affair late on, after a handball decision went against him for the penalty.
Mason Mount also had all the time in the world to put away United’s third when both Mosquera and Emmanuel Agbadou left him in acres of space to fire home, with the abysmal defending on show typical of a side that has surrendered a seriously worrying 33 goals already this season.
All over the pitch, there were very few positives to latch onto, with a lacklustre attacker now needing to be dropped by Edwards, after he put in another no-show against the rampant Red Devils.
Wolves flop must now be dropped after Man Utd
Apart from Jean Ricner Bellegarde scoring Wolves’ first league goal since October, there would be little to smile about from an attacking point of view at Molineux for the hosts, especially when it came to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s idle showing.
Long gone now are the days when Larsen was being tipped for a £50m switch to Newcastle United after bagging 14 league strikes during his debut season, with the out-of-sorts Norwegian instead now on the receiving end of some sarcastic cheers when he was substituted off after an uneventful 69-minute spell against Amorim’s men.
As per the aforementioned Keen, Larsen even had to be calmed down by his manager after looking “furious” with the jeers directed at him.
But, when looking at the table below, it’s hardly a shock that the hardened Molineux masses decided to voice their frustrations in such a gallows humour way, with the goal-shy number 29 coming off after registering zero shots and just five accurate passes.
Larsen’s performance in numbers
Stat
Larsen
Minutes played
69
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
19
Shots
0
Accurate passes
5/9 (56%)
Total duels won
2/12
Stats by Sofascore
Moreover, Larsen only mustering up a sorry 19 touches of the ball in total means even Johnstone in between the sticks for the relegation-doomed side had more touches of the ball, coming in at a far heftier 42.
The Newcastle-linked striker’s notable drop off has impacted the Old Gold so much this season that former Premier League scout Mick Brown, when speaking to Football Insider earlier in the campaign, stated that his presence up top now makes the basement outfit a “worse side.”
This is a far cry from analyst Ben Mattinson’s previous comments that he was a “proper number 9” when scoring goals for fun, meaning Edwards must seriously consider axing him soon, even as his other striker option in Tolu Arokodare, prepares to head to the African Cup of Nations.
Desperate times could call for desperate measures, with Hwang Hee-Chan perhaps the answer in from the cold up top, considering he does have 23 top-flight goals for the Old Gold, one of which came this season, lining up as the sole centre-forward.
Whatever changes do occur, Wolves need to start doing the basics correctly if they stand any chance of turning around their likely insurmountable points gap, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher stating that they have “no fight” at the moment.
Larsen could fall victim to Edwards shuffling his pack, with Wolves surely left with plenty of regret now that they handed the out-of-form number nine a new, bumper five-year deal in September, instead of cashing in.
Wolves now want to sign 'top talent' from Man City with player set to leave in January
Rob Edwards’ side need inspiration from somewhere.
ByEmilio Galantini 6 days ago
The former Australia allrounder was head coach of San Fransisco Unicorns in the MLC recently
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has been appointed assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2026 season, joining a team management that includes Abhishek Nayar (head coach) and Dwayne Bravo (mentor).ESPNcricinfo has learned that Watson and former New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee are new additions to the KKR coaching staff, which has been overhauled after the team finished seventh in IPL 2025. Southee has been juggling playing commitments in franchise cricket with a consultant role with England over the past six months.”It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders,” Watson said in a statement issued by KKR. “I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.”KKR is Watson’s second assignment as a coach in the IPL, having been deputy to head coach Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022 and 2023. He recently left his position as head coach of San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, where he had worked for three seasons. They had wanted him to take on a year-long role but Watson did not want to give up his broadcast and other coaching commitments.A highly-acclaimed T20 player turned commentator, Watson has been part of title-winning teams in the IPL, BBL and PSL. An MVP during Rajasthan Royals’ run to the title in the inaugural season in 2008, Watson finished his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings. He played a key role as an opener in CSK’s run to the title in 2018, scoring 555 runs – the second highest for the team – in 15 innings, including a century in the final. Watson also played two seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2016 and 2017.
Beau Webster has done everything in his power to keep his Test spot, taking five wickets for Tasmania against South Australia with Alex Carey making 59
AAP11-Nov-2025Beau Webster has taken his first five-wicket haul of the summer for Tasmania – but it came on a day when his chances of keeping his Test spot took a hit.Webster claimed 5 for 50 for the Tigers in Hobart on Tuesday to help dismiss South Australia for 177 in reply to the hosts’ first-innings 209. Tasmania then collapsed by losing nine wickets in an extended last session to reach stumps on day two at 177 for 9, with Henry Thornton taking two wickets in the final over to keep the hosts’ lead to 209 with a tight finish looming.Webster was out for eight as Tasmania crumbled, but was still the star of the day and did everything in his power with the ball to keep his Test spot.Related
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However, his wickets came just as Cameron Green was returning to bowl for Western Australia for the first time in six weeks, after battling side soreness.Green bowled with good pace and bounce at the WACA, taking an early wicket and dispelling any concerns over his fitness. If Green is fit to bowl in the first Test from November 21, selectors will be left to decide between keeping Webster or picking a specialist opener in Tasmania teammate Jake Weatherald.A key consideration will also no doubt be that Weatherald’s inclusion would allow Marnus Labuschagne to bat in his preferred position of No.3. Weatherald looked in touch for his 30 on Tuesday, before edging a ball back onto his own stumps off Liam Scott for a pair of squandered starts in this match, after a first-innings 23. He hit Nathan McAndrew for three boundaries in one over, pulling him twice to the rope before a glorious cover drive to the fence.Earlier, Webster was easily Tasmania’s best bowler on Tuesday after having Travis Head caught behind on the opening evening. The seamer bowled Liam Scott through the gate with a ball that swung back in at the right-hander, then also drew Jake Doran’s edge soon afterwards.Beau Webster celebrates his fourth career five-wicket haul•Getty Images
Nathan McAndrew followed in a similar fashion, before Brendan Doggett was the last to go when Webster took the tailender’s off stump.Webster has taken eight wickets at 23.25 since debuting for Australia at the SCG, while also proving a reliable man with the bat at No.6.”Beau does what Beau does, just gets in a nice area,” Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey said. “In conditions like that he gets a lot out of it, and that’s what I’ve seen in his Test career so far.”With wickets that have a bit in it, he comes to the fore and got his five-wicket haul today.”Jake Weatherald, I think, is a really quality player and looked really good for his 30.”Alex Carey drives through cover•Getty Images
Carey (59) was the only South Australian to pass 50, as he played a counter-attacking role in a low-scoring game. On a day when rain, storms and even hail stopped play, the Australian Test wicketkeeper regularly charged the quicks. He used his feet to hit Jackson Bird over the mid-wicket fence, and played another cracking cover drive against Webster.But when Carey guided Gabe Bell to Webster at second slip on 59, it kick-started a collapse of 6 for 33 to end South Australia’s innings.South Australia then went through the Tasmanians by taking nine wickets in an extended final session, with Ben Manenti taking 3 for 26.
The Tigers are bringing back relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday night. The contract can max out at $20 million ’s Robert Murray reported.
Detroit acquired Finnegan at the trade deadline this past summer, and proved his worth down the stretch. In 16 game appearances with the Tigers, Finnegan posted a 1.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts, nine hits and three earned runs over 18 innings pitched. He also had four saves and three holds.
He began the 2025 season with the Nationals, for whom he had played his entire MLB career before being traded to the Tigers ahead of the deadline. In 2024, which was his fifth season in Washington, Finnegan was named an All-Star. Finnegan posted a career-high 38 saves that season.
Since 2023, Finnegan has accumulated 90 saves, which is the fifth-most in MLB in that span. Last season, he had 20 saves in Washington before adding the four saves in Detroit, with Will Vest serving as the Tigers’ primary closer.
كشفت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الأحد، عن قرار اتخذته إدارة نادي ليفربول تجاه المدير الفني للفريق آرني سلوت، وذلك عقب تعادل الريدز مع ليدز يونايتد بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وفشل ليفربول في تحقيق الانتصار على ليدز يونايتد وتعادل معه بثلاثة أهداف لكل فريق يوم أمس السبت، مما زاد من حجم الضغوطات على سلوت.
ويتواجد ليفربول في المركز الثامن في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ليبتعد الريدز تمامًا عن مراكز الصدارة في البطولة المحلية.
وذكرت صحيفة سبورت بيلد الألمانية، أن مستقبل سلوت مع ليفربول بات محل شك، حيث يعتبر المدير الفني الهولندي مهددًا بالإقالة عن تدريب النادي الإنجليزي خلال الفترة المقبلة.
أقرا أيضًا .. ميرفي عن تصريحات محمد صلاح: وضع ليفربول في موقف محرج
وأضافت الصحيفة، أن إدارة ليفربول قررت منح سلوت مهلة حتى أعياد الميلاد في نهاية الشهر الجاري وذلك بشأن تغيير الوضع الحالي في الفريق.
وأوضحت بيلد، أن إدارة ليفربول تؤمن أن سلوت عليه أن يبدأ في اتخاذ خطوات إيجابية تجاه تغيير الوضع في الفريق، لكن إذا استمرت الأمور على حالها فسوف يتم إقالته.
وأتمت الصحيفة قائلة، أن إدارة ليفربول لم تتواصل حتى الآن مع يورجن كلوب بشأن عودة محتملة إلى ملعب آنفيلد.
وكانت بعض الأنباء قد أفادت بعد نهاية مباراة ليفربول وليدز يونايتد، أن إدارة الريدز تفكر بشكل جدي في إقالة سلوت وتعيين أسطورة النادي الإنجليزي، ستيفن جيرارد، بدلًا منه بشكل مؤقت.
كما ورد أن جوليان ناجيلسمان، مدرب منتخب ألمانيا، على رادار ليفربول لتدريب الفريق بدلًا من سلوت.
MatériaMais Notícias
Um dos representantes do meia atacante Claudinho entrou em contato com a diretoria do Flamengo nos últimos dias. Durante a conversa, o empresário do jogador do Zenit (Rússia) ofereceu o atleta ao time Rubro-Negro, que ainda não se manifestou sobre o caso.
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➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo
O jornalista Venê Casagrande publicou que o estafe de Claudinho retomou as conversas com o Flamengo, no intuito de saber se o clube carioca mantém o interesse no futebol do camisa 11. Embora o departamento de futebol goste do meia, uma negociação com o Zenit ainda não foi aberta.
A novela entre Flamengo e Zenit, em relação ao Claudinho, já é de conhecimento de todos. Visto que, em junho de 2023, o Rubro-Negro ofereceu 15 milhões de euros (R$ 78,4 milhões na cotação da época) pelo jogador, porém o clube russo recusou a oferta. No entanto, o Zenit deixou claro ao Flamengo que só aceitaria vender o brasileiro por 25 milhões de euros (R$ 130,7 milhões na cotação da época).
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CLAUDINHO NÃO PRETENDE COMPRAR BRIGA COM O ZENIT
A situação de Claudinho no time do leste europeu é muito positiva. O craque segue sendo um dos principais jogadores da equipe e tem contrato até junho de 2027. Segundo o Coluna do Fla, o meia vê uma transferência ao futebol brasileiro com bons olhos. A questão é que o atleta não quer forçar uma saída. Clube e jogador têm uma relação ótima, e o estafe do camisa 11 não pretende prejudicar esse status.
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NÚMEROS DE CLAUDINHO
Titular absoluto do Zenit, Claudinho disputou 41 jogos na temporada 2023/24. Camisa 11, o brasileiro marcou cinco gols e deu nove assistências em partidas pelo Campeonato Russo e pela copa nacional. Importante ressaltar que Claudinho, assim como todos do clube, estão banidos de competições da UEFA por conta da guerra entre Rússia e Ucrânia.
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MLB’s hot stove is about to get cranked up this week, as the 2025 winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Fla., where executives from all 30 teams will gather. And with executives, managers and player agents in the same room, the proverbial engines of the free agent and trade markets are being revved up. Some of the offseason’s biggest deals often go down at the winter meetings. This year could be no different.
The best available position player on the market, Kyle Tucker, met with the reigning American League champion Blue Jays, perhaps a precursor to his market picking up speed this week. Arguably the next best free agent hitter, National League home run king Kyle Schwarber, is a candidate to be the first free agent domino to fall in Orlando. And then there’s the trade market. Will back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal be dealt by the Tigers? All these questions—and more—will be answered in the coming days, making for an exciting time for baseball fans. That said, here are the biggest questions in MLB heading into the winter meetings.
Tucker, who won’t turn 29 until Jan. 17, combines a 15.8% career strikeout rate and an 11.5% walk rate with 30-home run, 30-stolen base capabilities on offense. And he’s a former Gold Glove winner in the outfield. Put it all together and Tucker is well-positioned to become just the third player in the game’s history to exceed $400 million on a free agent contract.
So where will Tucker, the biggest fish, land? The already-busy Blue Jays, who hosted Tucker at the club’s player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., earlier this week, look poised to be an aggressive suitor for the top free agent bat fresh off of the franchise’s first World Series appearance in 32 years. Contenders with money to spend, such as the Phillies and Giants, should also have a realistic shot at landing the talented outfielder. The Cubs, who traded for Tucker last offseason, aren’t expected to pony up the money to re-sign him.
And while two of the sport’s biggest spenders, the Dodgers and Yankees, may turn their attention to other endeavors rather than splurge on Tucker, they still can’t be ruled out. With a come-one, come-all market, all eyes will be on Tucker in Orlando.
The hot stove is already cooking in the starting pitching market, as Dylan Cease, No. 10 ranked free agent, signed a $210 million deal with Toronto back in November. And we’ve already seen movement on the starter trade market, with former first-round pick Grayson Rodriguez dealt to the Angels, and three-time All Star Sonny Gray and tantalizing 27-year-old Johan Oviedo acquired by the Red Sox.
But there are bigger trades that could be facilitated with the movers and shakers in Orlando. It behooves a playoff contender like Detroit to hold onto back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, a 2027 free agent expected to command a record deal, until at least the trade deadline. But if the Tigers are blown away by a monster prospect-laden offer for Skubal, would they pull the trigger and get what they can for the lefty ace now? It bears watching.
Skubal isn’t the only former Cy Young winner who could be moved at the winter meetings, either. Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, a workhorse starter who was one of the top pitchers available at the 2025 trade deadline before Miami opted to hold onto him, figures to garner plenty of interest from pitcher-needy contenders given that he returned to All-Star form in the second half. If Skubal, Alcantara or another top-tier starter is dealt during the winter meetings, it could shift the hierarchy at the top of baseball’s food chain.
For the third time in the last four offseasons, a league leader in home runs is on the free agent market. In 2022, it was Aaron Judge. In '23, Ohtani. No one would argue that the 32-year-old Schwarber, who is tied alongside Ohtani for the second-most home runs since '22, should command a deal in the stratosphere of the two best baseball players in the world. But it’s likely that the man who just led the NL with 56 homers and finished second in the MVP voting while playing in all 162 games will net a lucrative deal.
The burning question is: Where?
Schwarber has played the last four seasons in Philadelphia, where he has blossomed into one of the very best sluggers in baseball while becoming a fan favorite, as well as a leader in the clubhouse. Since the spring, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made clear that he’d like to retain Schwarber—and the mission hasn’t changed come winter.
But Philadelphia will have plenty of competition. The Reds, a dark horse in the race, don’t possess the same coffers that the Phillies do, but might have geography on their side. Schwarber is a native of Middletown, Ohio, which is 35 miles to the north of Cincinnati. Might he be interested in a homecoming with a team on the rise managed by World Series winner Terry Francona? Or could the Mets, sworn NL East enemy of the Phillies, continue their rivalry with Philadelphia into the offseason and push for Schwarber as a Plan B in the event free agent first baseman Pete Alonso leaves? Phillies fans shudder at the thought. Perhaps Schwarber, seeing what the Red Sox are building in Beantown, wants a longer stint in Boston after he helped lead the club to the American League Championship Series as a trade deadline acquisition in 2021. Then, there’s the possibility of a surprise team emerging in the Schwarber sweepstakes.
The hulking slugger perhaps said it best in the aftermath of the Phillies’ gut-wrenching NL Division Series defeat to the Dodgers.
“You never know how it's gonna work out, right?”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for commission-gobbling agent Scott Boras, who, in anticipation of the lavish deals he hopes to negotiate, always enters the winter in a jolly mood with punny jokes about his clients not far from his lips.
And Boras has plenty of reasons to be whistling a merry tune heading into the winter meetings. He’s representing four of top 10 free agents, headlined by Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, the latter two of whom are the best available at their respective positions. Oh, and Boras also represents two of the more promising free agents from Japan, starter Tatsuya Imai and first baseman/third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.
Plus, for Boras, the festivities have already begun. He helped land Dylan Cease—one of the better starters on the market—the biggest free agent contract in Blue Jays history, kicking the pitching market into high gear in the process.
It’s possible more of Boras’s high-profile clients will net deals in Orlando. The question is, who will be the first? There’s a compelling case that it could be Alonso, whose market seems centered around two big-money contenders—the Mets and Red Sox—with items of equal importance to signing Alonso on their respective to-do lists. Or perhaps Boston bows out of the Alonso sweepstakes and instead quickly ensures that Bregman, a well-rounded third baseman, proven winner and key veteran presence, returns before his market intensifies. There’s also a chance that, should Tucker get signed and set a robust market for position players, that Bellinger—a fine consolation prize for Tucker hopefuls and a Plan A for the wealthy Yankees—finds a landing spot. One thing is for sure: Boras is hoping the winter meetings are quite busy.
The usual suspects are expected to be busy shoppers in Orlando. Most of the teams that comprise baseball’s top 10 payrolls—the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Red Sox, etc.—are among the clubs in the mix for some of the sport’s top free agents.
But what about the small-market teams, effectively baseball’s have-nots? Last offseason, the lower-budget Athletics made a free agent splash when the club signed starter Luis Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract that represented the largest guaranteed contract the franchise had ever handed out. There’s a few clubs who could surprise at this year’s winter meetings, similarly to how Oakland did last December.
The Reds, parked amid the bottom 10 teams in payroll, have been linked to Schwarber. Baltimore, possessing a strong, youthful core and an ownership that has been reluctant to spend in offseasons past, is reportedly in the mix for Tucker, as well as top free agent starters Imai, Ranger Suarez and Michael King. The Pirates, mired in a stretch of seven straight losing seasons and owners of one of the lowest payrolls in the majors, have been rumored to be a potential spender with designs on adding to the club’s offense, MLB’s lowest-scoring unit this past season.
Could little-bank-take-big-bank at this year’s winter meetings?
Los Angeles became the first team since the 1999 Yankees to repeat as World Series champions. Those Yankees went on to capture a third championship in 2000. Can the Dodgers enter truly rarified air in '26? To do so, they will need to address one of the club’s biggest weaknesses: the bullpen. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, knowing where his bread was buttered—and wasn’t—largely rode his starters to the Dodgers’ second straight title, as they averaged nearly six innings pitched per start in the postseason. And after the Dodgers’ bullpen posted an ERA north of four and the seventh-most blown saves during the regular season, one would expect the club to address the bullpen this winter.
But could the events of last year’s offseason dissuade Dodgers’ brass from opening up the wallet to spend on relievers? Los Angeles inked relief pitchers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to deals for a combined $85 million, but the two underachieved mightily. Thus far, the Dodgers have reportedly been circling the waters around three-time All-Star reliever Edwin Diaz, but perhaps the market accelerates to heights too rich even for the affluent Dodgers. Improving the bullpen on the margins is not out of the question for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers also have a need in the outfield, given Michael Conforto’s free agency, as well as the inconsistencies of Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages. Might Los Angeles make a splash by landing the top free agent in Tucker or perhaps seek a reunion with Bellinger, who rose to MVP heights and won a World Series during his six seasons with the club? The Dodgers could also explore the trade market for some upgrades in both the bullpen and outfield.
Whether the back-to-back defending champions choose to reload loudly or quietly makes them a potential catalyst in Orlando.