#roster-construction

#roster-construction

Morel finished the 2024 season with a 50 OPS+ in 49 games with the Rays, hitting three home runs and driving in only nine runs. For the season, he slashed .196/.288/.346 with an 81 wRC+ and -1.0 fWAR.

It's easy to find a lot of negative with the Rangers, so we try to focus on the positive. Though it's only 11 games, the Rangers have a lot of both going on. The defensive process as a whole is strong, with the Rangers looking like a top-10 team in terms of puck possession and play driving at 5v5. The problem is the offense is non-existent due to a number of factors, some that will work themselves out and some that won't.

The Celtics have a brutally difficult start to the season, especially for a team with so much change, and they were in real danger of digging themselves a nasty hole after they lost a winnable game against the 76ers in the opener. Losing to the Knicks and Pistons weren't problematic results in a vacuum, but with two three-games-in-four-nights stretches and contests against championship contenders on the horizon, the Celtics had a chance to go winless or 1-6 in their first seven games.

The Braves' recent roster construction strategy has given the last position player spot to a player who could do all the specialty roles on the team without having to be counted on as an offensive performer. That role, for much of the last two years, has been filled by Luke Williams who added more to his non-offensive repertoire this year - position-player-pitcher guy.

Dave Roberts deserves his flowers. Prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers breaking through last year, he often was criticized by the media and the fan base for his managerial choices. The disgruntlement and criticism has fortunately died down over the last calendar year given the fact he's established himself as one of the most decorated, well-liked, and well-respected skippers in the history of the sport.

Ford's due only $1.2 million over the rest of 2025, and he has averaged a respectable 4.4 yards per carry as a pro, often with dismal passing attacks. As a veteran back who can soak up meaningful touches now and complement Hampton after the rookie returns, Ford fits the sort of profile the Chargers would be looking to add via trade.

Munetaka Murakami to be posted for MLB clubs this offseason (2:20) Ten teams will go into 2026 with a new manager, with eight of those jobs currently vacant (18:50) Plus, we answer your questions, including... Can the Mets get Tarik Skubal from the Tigers? (29:55) Would Pete Alonso return to the Mets if they offered $150MM over five years? (38:20)

The quarterbacks - who will face off for the second time Monday night at Northwest Stadium - will be compared throughout their careers. But as much as their individual performances matter, what is equally as important is how their teams build around them - particularly while they're still on their rookie contracts, before they're eligible to sign lucrative extensions in the 2027 offseason.

Unfortunately, the trade deadline this summer was, uh ..... to put it as nicely as possible, something less than a masterclass. Between moving on from Quinn Priester and Rafael Devers early in the season, Breslow actually shipped out more major league talent this season than he brought in, which is nuts for a team that was in a playoff race.

Even before it landed Kevin Durant, Houston had embraced a surprising strategy for escaping the depths of despair. It paid above market value for NBA champion point guard Fred VanVleet, invested in a veteran wing in Dillon Brooks, and prioritized size and versatility from thereon out-ultimately resulting in 52 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias to discuss... Elias's promotion from general manager to president of baseball operations (1:45) Why the Orioles underperformed in 2025 (3:30) The club's lack of investment in free agent pitching (5:25) The decision making about playing time for prospects when they don't find immediate big league success (9:20)

Offensively led by Stützle, who is "knocking on the door of superstardom" according to The Athletic, the 23-year-old already has a 90-point season under his belt and is certainly primed to outpace the 78 points he scored in 82 games from 2024-25. Trailing not far behind on the scoresheet is linemate Drake Batherson, who is coming off of a career-best season with 68 points in 82 games. That dynamic duo has proven to hold up against some of the NHL's most elite competi

The Houston Rockets have one of the league's most dynamic young cores - led by Alperen Sengun and two-way star Amen Thompson - buoying them to the No. 2 seed in the West last year. However, they lost a rock fight in the first round against Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors. Despite sporting a top-5 defense, the Rockets were a bottom-nine halfcourt offense with the eighth-worst effective field goal percentage and seventh-worst true-shooting percentage. They needed at least one other creator.

I've had two great seasons the last couple years, and by no means do I want those to be my end point, so I fully plan on hopefully blowing that out of the water this year.