9+ hour, 18+ min ago (884+ words) In a transaction that became official Monday, the Mets, Rangers and Brandon Nimmo all made trades. Nimmo, who owned a no-trade clause, was willing to trade what might have become Mets immortality for what he feels is a real chance at a World Series with a team that wants him and is three seasons removed from lifting the trophy. Sure, he said, he liked his odds of winning in Queens, but David Stearns had made it clear to him that Stearns felt the Mets" best chances at a title involved this Nimmo-for-Marcus Semien swap being completed. If Nimmo vetoed the trade, he essentially would be hurting the Mets" own title odds. If he accepted, he would be helping both sides. Nimmo had played 1,066 games with the Mets, ranking 11th in franchise history with another five seasons left on his contract. His…...

10+ hour, 33+ min ago (818+ words) David Stearns signaled that Marcus Semien fit the Mets better than Brandon Nimmo in virtually every area: on the field and in the lineup; in the clubhouse; within his contractual situation. So after the Mets spent around $340 million last season to watch the playoffs from home, Stearns was not going to let sentiment dissuade him from a move that he felt would position the team better for now and later. "I think it's a recognition that what we did last year wasn't good enough," the Mets president of baseball operations said after off-loading the club's longest-tenured player, "and running back the exact same group wasn't the right thing to do." On Monday he formally delivered a blow to the team's longtime core, sending Nimmo and $5 million to the Rangers to acquire a defensively excellent second baseman in Semien in a…...

10+ hour, 33+ min ago (65+ words) Don Mattingly discusses what it mean to him to get in the Hall of Fame now that he's getting a second chance on the contemporary baseball era committee ballot. Full episode: https://youtu.be/LOyNJUKz7s8 Don Mattingly discusses what it mean to him to get in the Hall of Fame now that he's getting a second chance on the contemporary baseball era committee ballot....

11+ hour, 41+ min ago (147+ words) Now we come to the part of the year where The Boss easily beats his kinder, gentler son, and that is the spending portion of the season. Hal Steinbrenner in so many ways beats his legendary father as Yankees owner. It's almost like Steinbrenner the Second consciously does the opposite of dad, and I think we are all thankful we won't see any nasty and public wars with star players under his stewardship, or certainly suspensions for misbehavior. We also won't see anyone fired four times, only to be brought back four times, and thankfully, we won't see 19 pitching coach changes within 18 years (that actually happened!). But now we come to the part of the year where The Boss easily beats his kinder, gentler son, and that is the spending portion of the season. Access the Yankees beat like never…...

12+ hour, 13+ min ago (484+ words) On the heels of a stunning Brandon Nimmo trade that netted Marcus Semien and sure looked like the first domino of many, David Stearns said he does not know what the Mets will do next, said "anything would be realistic right now" regarding the club's offseason spending plan and reiterated that he is interested in retaining Pete Alonso and Edwin D'az. More concretely, the Mets president of baseball operations offered ways in which Jeff McNeil " the most affected by the swap " along with Luisangel Acu'a, Ronny Mauricio and plenty of the prospects trying to break into the majors still can find their way back to Queens next season with roles on the team. McNeil has played 584 games at second base since debuting in 2018, and while he has played all over the field, he has been most often seen at the…...

16+ hour, 15+ min ago (334+ words) The Knicks head to Brooklyn to face the Nets for the second time this season. New users can activate'bet365 promo code NYPBET'to snag a special bonus bet offer for Knicks vs. Nets, or any of the games on the Monday NBA slate. The Knicks are in the midst of a five-game road swing, but will be happy to be back in the five boroughs after three disappointing games. The Nets are on the second night of a back-to-back after facing the Raptors in Toronto on Sunday. You can take advantage of a welcome offer at bet365, where new users can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets, whether the bet wins or loses. New bet365 users need to be present in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, or Virginia at sign-up to qualify…...

16+ hour, 28+ min ago (288+ words) Hal Steinbrenner is not naming the price of his 2026 payroll. But the Yankees" owner insists he is not set on lowering the number from the $319 million at which his club finished this year, another season gone by without winning a World Series. "Would it be ideal if I went down [with the payroll]? Of course," Steinbrenner said on a Zoom call Monday. "But does that mean that"s going to happen? Of course not. We want to field a team we know we believe could win a championship." Steinbrenner has said in the past that a payroll of $300-plus million was "unsustainable" and that it shouldn"t take a $300 million payroll to win a championship. Of course, he used to say the same thing about a $220 million payroll. But in the early stages of the offseason, as general manager Brian…...

20+ hour, 10+ min ago (531+ words) The Dodgers have cornered the market on Japanese talent " but one major star does not appear to be California Dreamin. Right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai, currently in the middle of a 45-day posting window to sign with an MLB team, downplayed the back-to-back World Series champions as one of his preferred destinations. During an interview with Japanese legend and ex-MLBer Daisuke Matsuzaka on Japans TV Asahi, Imai addressed his MLB future " and did not mince words about the Dodgers. "I rather take them down," Imai said with a chuckle, according to MLB.com. After uneven results during his first three NPB seasons, Imai has developed into one of Japans top starters since 2021, making three NPB All-Star teams and even pitching in a combined no-hitter last season. In 159 career games for the Lions, he has a 3.15 ERA, including a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts…...

1+ day, 10+ hour ago (266+ words) The uber-makeover by the Mets began with a blockbuster " the exchange of stars that sent the beloved Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien. Baseball seasons, like elections, have consequences. And so the uber-makeover by the Mets began with a blockbuster " the surprise exchange of stars that sent the beloved Brandon Nimmo to Texas in a straight-up deal for Marcus Semien. Access the Mets beat like never before Sentiment is out the window following a disastrous 2025 Mets season in which they memorably and pathetically failed to beat out the tiny-market Cincinnati Reds for the final playoff spot. So Nimmo was sacrificed in the name of defense and right-handedness. Nimmo will be recalled for his clutch hits, consistent hustle and infectious enthusiasm, and for quite some time. But on paper, this deal makes perfect sense for a team that's desperate to…...

1+ day, 13+ hour ago (349+ words) After an ugly stint with the Mets, Ryan Helsley " one of the game's premier relief pitchers the previous three seasons " could be the next one to change roles. Teams, including the Detroit Tigers, have inquired about the right-hander as a starter in the early part of free agency, according to The Athletic. Helsley would be following in the footsteps of Mets teammate Clay Holmes, as well as another former Met, Seth Lugo, and ex-Yankee Michael King, in making the transition from reliever to starter. The 31-year-old right-hander has made 297 appearances in the majors, all of them out of the bullpen. The last time Helsley started was in 2019 while with Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization. He emerged as a top reliever in 2022 and was an All-Star in "22 and 2024 before a shaky first half with the Cardinals last season. A trade…...