For teams still looking to add this winter, there’s no shortage of valuable players on the market, as many of the top free agents in this year’s class are still available. But one player not on that list who provides a similar impact to those free agents is Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. How Arizona finds resolution to the possibility of trading Marte remains one of the biggest questions yet to be answered as we round the halfway point of the offseason.
It’s no secret that Arizona has been taking calls on its All-Star second baseman. D-backs GM Mike Hazen has stated that while it’s still unlikely the team moves Marte, they have been willing to listen to offers. And any team looking for a bona fide, superstar-level offensive player should be blowing up Hazen’s phone.
The past few years, it has been easy to forget just how good Marte is. But we’re not talking about some fringy star on a bad team. We’re talking about a perennial MVP candidate. Marte, who debuted with Seattle in 2015, has been one of the most consistent players in baseball over the better part of the past decade. He has recorded at least 25 home runs, 135 hits, 85 runs, 70 RBI and 60 walks each of the past three seasons.
In 2025, Marte hit .283 with 28 homers and 72 RBI over 128 games for the D-backs, making his third NL All-Star appearance. In 2024, he finished third in NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. In 2023, he recorded 157 hits and 71 walks and helped lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series appearance.
In short, Marte is one of the top 10 players in MLB, and his production backs that up. But what makes Arizona’s longest tenured player so valuable in a possible trade is the production combined with one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball. In 2026, Marte is entering the second year of a six-year, $116.5 million extension signed in April.
It’s not often that a player of Marte’s caliber is available, and it’s even more rare when such a player will earn less than $23 million per year throughout the length of his contract, and that creates tremendous value for Arizona in a possible trade.
Ketel Marte is an MVP-caliber player on a team-friendly contract, which means he could return a haul to Arizona in a trade.
Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports
Now, many fans around baseball might be asking: Why would the Diamondbacks want to trade away an MVP-caliber player such as Marte? That’s a fair question. And the reality is Arizona would need to be blown away by an offer in order to move the 32-year-old; the combination of his talent and his contract value give Arizona all the leverage.
But like many playoff hopefuls around baseball, the D-backs are in serious need of young, controllable starting pitching. With Arizona boasting a surplus of offense, Marte gives them a trade piece who could bring back frontline starting pitching and then some in a deal.
The other reason that moving Marte now could make sense for Arizona is that he’ll receive full “10-and-5” rights (10 years of MLB service time, five years with the same team) in April. After that point, he can veto any trade proposed, which will significantly decrease the D-backs’ leverage in trade talks.
While it’s not guaranteed that Marte will change teams this winter, you could make the case that he would be the second-best player available in this year’s free-agent class if he were on the market. In a flawed class with many position players who fit a limited number of teams, in terms of roster construction, Marte is the type of hitter who would slot nicely in the middle of any lineup.
The Boston Red Sox have been linked to Marte the most thus far. But the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are also good fits on paper, and the reality is that Marte would improve any contending team’s lineup. It remains to be seen if the Diamondbacks actually move him, but Marte is the type of player who can alter a team’s standing within its division, push a rebuilding team into its contention window or take a playoff team over the top.
When we look back on this offseason, it might turn out that Marte is the most impactful player to land on a new team before Opening Day in 2026.
For teams still looking to add this winter, there’s no shortage of valuable players on the market, as many of the top free agents in this year’s class are still available. But one player not on that list who provides a similar impact to those free agents is Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. How Arizona finds resolution to the possibility of trading Marte remains one of the biggest questions yet to be answered as we round the halfway point of the offseason.
It’s no secret that Arizona has been taking calls on its All-Star second baseman. D-backs GM Mike Hazen has stated that while it’s still unlikely the team moves Marte, they have been willing to listen to offers. And any team looking for a bona fide, superstar-level offensive player should be blowing up Hazen’s phone.
The past few years, it has been easy to forget just how good Marte is. But we’re not talking about some fringy star on a bad team. We’re talking about a perennial MVP candidate. Marte, who debuted with Seattle in 2015, has been one of the most consistent players in baseball over the better part of the past decade. He has recorded at least 25 home runs, 135 hits, 85 runs, 70 RBI and 60 walks each of the past three seasons.
In 2025, Marte hit .283 with 28 homers and 72 RBI over 128 games for the D-backs, making his third NL All-Star appearance. In 2024, he finished third in NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. In 2023, he recorded 157 hits and 71 walks and helped lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series appearance.
In short, Marte is one of the top 10 players in MLB, and his production backs that up. But what makes Arizona’s longest tenured player so valuable in a possible trade is the production combined with one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball. In 2026, Marte is entering the second year of a six-year, $116.5 million extension signed in April.
It’s not often that a player of Marte’s caliber is available, and it’s even more rare when such a player will earn less than $23 million per year throughout the length of his contract, and that creates tremendous value for Arizona in a possible trade.
Ketel Marte is an MVP-caliber player on a team-friendly contract, which means he could return a haul to Arizona in a trade.
Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports
Now, many fans around baseball might be asking: Why would the Diamondbacks want to trade away an MVP-caliber player such as Marte? That’s a fair question. And the reality is Arizona would need to be blown away by an offer in order to move the 32-year-old; the combination of his talent and his contract value give Arizona all the leverage.
But like many playoff hopefuls around baseball, the D-backs are in serious need of young, controllable starting pitching. With Arizona boasting a surplus of offense, Marte gives them a trade piece who could bring back frontline starting pitching and then some in a deal.
The other reason that moving Marte now could make sense for Arizona is that he’ll receive full “10-and-5” rights (10 years of MLB service time, five years with the same team) in April. After that point, he can veto any trade proposed, which will significantly decrease the D-backs’ leverage in trade talks.
While it’s not guaranteed that Marte will change teams this winter, you could make the case that he would be the second-best player available in this year’s free-agent class if he were on the market. In a flawed class with many position players who fit a limited number of teams, in terms of roster construction, Marte is the type of hitter who would slot nicely in the middle of any lineup.
The Boston Red Sox have been linked to Marte the most thus far. But the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are also good fits on paper, and the reality is that Marte would improve any contending team’s lineup. It remains to be seen if the Diamondbacks actually move him, but Marte is the type of player who can alter a team’s standing within its division, push a rebuilding team into its contention window or take a playoff team over the top.
When we look back on this offseason, it might turn out that Marte is the most impactful player to land on a new team before Opening Day in 2026.
Damian Lillard is out for this season, recovering from a torn Achilles.
Don’t forget about him. The seven-time All-NBA guard is working hard on his recovery and mentoring a young Portland Trail Blazers team showing promise. Lillard recently joined Allie Clifton for an episode of the Road Trippin’ Show and said this about his rehab so far (hat tip to Real GM).
“It’s going great. I think it’s just one of those injuries where you’ve got to take your time—you know, it takes what it takes. The first couple of weeks to maybe two or three months is kind of frustrating because you’re so limited. But with patience, giving yourself grace, and doing the things necessary to continue progressing, you get to a point where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Lillard chose to take a year off and not push to return this season at age 35. He said he is happy with that decision, the growth he has seen from the Trail Blazers, and where this could lead next season.
“I feel great about it — even better now than I did when I made that decision. Just getting further along and seeing that everything is coming back…
“Now that I’ve gotten to that point, I feel better about the decision to give myself the maximum amount of time. Also, looking at our team and the type of growth that we’ve had, I know if I’m able to do this and come correct, we’ll have a great shot next season.”
Deni Avdija has played like an All-Star in Portland this season, it will be interesting to see how the Trail Blazers might look next season with him, Lillard, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson (who has yet to play this season due to injury), and maybe Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant (although trade talk about those two will heat up next summer). Portland is starting to build something, and Lillard wants to be a part of it.
In addition to welcoming the new year, Jan. 1 serves as a de facto midpoint of baseball’s offseason. It has been just about two months since the Dodgers hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy as back-to-back champs, and we’re roughly two months away from spring training games commencing in Arizona and Florida.
By some measures, this halfway mark is reflected in the amount of transactional activity that has occurred thus far, as 27 of our Top 50 free agents have signed new deals. But a closer look at our rankings makes it clear that there’s a substantial amount of important business left to be settled: Nine of our top 15 free agents are still unsigned, including three of the top four.
Zach Eflin (#38) is the 26th free agent from our @YahooSports Top 50 to sign this offseason
While it’s hardly uncommon for some top free agents to linger on the market into February, this plethora of unsigned stars — plus a handful of high-profile trade candidates and several contending teams that have yet to make any major moves — sets the stage for January to be an especially compelling month across MLB. There is plenty to be resolved before pitchers and catchers report to camp in mid-February.
Here are the eight biggest questions that will be answered in the coming weeks.
1. Who will sign Kyle Tucker?
After consecutive offseasons with generational talents inking gargantuan, historic contracts in Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, Tucker entered this winter as a relatively underwhelming Best Free Agent Available, with a fraction of the hype and fanfare often associated with the player carrying that label. But even if Tucker was unlikely to produce a frenzied bidding war like recent premier free agents, it’s interesting that we’ve made it to 2026 with barely any buzz about his potential suitors, outside of a reported visit to the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin (conveniently located near Tucker’s hometown, Tampa). This lack of clarity is a stark contrast to Ohtani and Soto, whose deals were signed and sealed by mid-December, and it makes Tucker’s free agency top of mind as we begin the new year.
While the Jays loom as a logical landing spot for Tucker, that seems to have as much to do with their being one of the few teams willing to dole out the kind of megadeal he’s seeking as it does with their roster being the cleanest fit for his services. Toronto is clearly ready to spend, having made the biggest splash of this offseason so far by signing right-hander Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal. It’s unclear if the team’s interest in Tucker supersedes its goal of retaining homegrown star Bo Bichette, another top free agent still unsigned.
Look beyond Toronto, and it’s not clear which other clubs are eager to splurge on Tucker as a franchise anchor. The Cubs don’t seem especially keen on a reunion, even after paying a hefty price to acquire Tucker from Houston a year ago. The Dodgers have room in their outfield but limited appetite to hand out a deal of significant length. The Phillies’ outfield doesn’t project particularly favorably, but they seem content with their addition of Adolis García and are ready to give top prospect Justin Crawford some playing time. The Giants have a clear opening in right field but reportedly aren’t eager to spend at the top of the market.
For as cloudy as the outlook is now, a suitor will eventually emerge. And no matter which team ultimately signs him, Tucker’s deal promises to impact the rest of the market.
2. When will the starting pitching market shake loose?
Whether or not we see a seismic swap involving Skubal or some lesser exchanges league-wide, once free-agent starters start to come off the board, don’t be surprised to see a series of trades to address rotations still in need of reinforcements.
3. When will the New York Yankees wake up and do something?
It has been a stunningly quiet offseason in the Bronx, with New York’s lone external addition being Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest from St. Louis. While Winquest’s selection is notable in that New York hadn’t taken a player in the Rule 5 Draft since 2011, that’s not exactly the genre of transaction Yankees fans are used to buzzing about this time of year. Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer set an odd tone for the Yankees’ offseason plans, as many expected him to decline the one-year deal in search of a longer pact elsewhere; instead, a sizable salary was committed to Grisham. A trio of unsexy re-signings soon followed, with the returns of utilityman Amed Rosario and pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn.
The Yankees’ top offseason priority is yet another in-house name, with free-agent outfielder Cody Bellingerreportedly New York’s top target after a fantastic first season in the Bronx. But even if the Yankees re-sign Bellinger and run it back with what was baseball’s most productive outfield in 2025, alongside Grisham and MVP Aaron Judge, is that really all New York is going to do coming off an ALDS exit at the hands of Toronto? And if Bellinger lands elsewhere, how will general manager Brian Cashman pivot in an effort to meaningfully improve the roster?
How the Yankees proceed from here will hinge on team owner Hal Steinbrenner’s willingness to push the payroll to new heights. Any amount of penny-pinching at this point is likely to result in Bellinger departing and/or a roster that looks almost entirely unchanged from 2025. And it’s difficult to imagine that being received particularly well among Yankees fans.
4. Do the Orioles have another big move in them?
While the Yankees have stayed on the hot stove sideline, the rest of the AL East has been plenty active. The Blue Jays have spent more than any other club in free agency ($277 million) and are looking to add more. The Rays have made a couple of major trades to shake up their roster and bolster their farm system. The Red Sox haven’t signed any free agents but have added three big-league pieces via trades for starters Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo and a big bat in Willson Contreras.
And perhaps no team in baseball has been busier than the Baltimore Orioles, who handed out the largest contract to a free-agent hitter thus far (Pete Alonso, $155M) and parted with the largest prospect package so far in a trade to land Shane Baz from Tampa Bay. Add the acquisition of slugger Taylor Ward to co-star with Alonso in the heart of the order, the signing of closer Ryan Helsley and the return of right-hander Zach Eflin, and it’s clear that Baltimore is focused on retooling the roster to ensure better results after a miserably disappointing 2025.
Yet for all the Orioles have done this offseason, it’s hard not to wonder if there’s more to come before the club opens camp in Sarasota. Adding an impact starting pitcher was a stated priority for president of baseball operations Mike Elias at the outset of the offseason, and while Baz could become that caliber of pitcher with the right tweaks, he doesn’t quite fit the bill of what Baltimore seemed to be searching for. As mentioned above, several starters with gaudier résumés than Baz’s remain available on the free-agent and trade markets, and the O’s remain an ideal landing spot for one of those arms. It has already been an exciting winter in Birdland, but reeling in one more top-tier rotation arm would be the perfect finishing touch for Elias and Co.
5. Will Ketel Marte be traded?
If the D-backs decide to trade Ketel Marte — comfortably the best second baseman in baseball — that would be a humongous transaction that could fundamentally alter his new club’s outlook entering 2026 (not to mention what would be an enormous return for the Snakes). The latest reports out of Arizona suggest that a resolution one way or another is expected soon, with general manager Mike Hazen preferring to move on with the rest of the club’s offseason rather than stay stuck in the haze of uncertainty. That’s an understandable sentiment considering the state of Arizona’s pitching staff: considerably undermanned relative to the team’s stout position-player group and in need of an addition. If upgrades aren’t going to come via a Marte trade, it’s important for the Snakes to add on the mound via other avenues sooner rather than later.
In the event that Marte stays put, who will be the best hitter traded this offseason? Willson Contreras, Taylor Ward, Brandon Lowe, Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo and Marcus Semien represent the most significant position players dealt so far, but there’s bound to be a few more major bats traded before Opening Day. Beyond Marte, St. Louis’ Brendan Donovan represents an exciting alternative for teams seeking a second baseman and could net a major return.
The Cardinals are also still trying to trade Nolan Arenado, just as they were a year ago. It would make plenty of sense for the Red Sox to trade from their surplus of outfielders, making Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu names to watch. Chicago center fielder Luis Robert Jr. remains an enticing target for his upside, but the White Sox seem to be keeping his price quite high. Of course, the most fun trades are the ones that none of us sees coming, so maybe there will be another high-profile hitter on the move in the coming weeks.
The winter’s top free agent, Kyle Tucker, still needs a new team, as do most of the free-agent starting pitchers.
Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports
6. How will the Mets fill out their new-look roster?
Having dramatically purged four of the franchise’s most prominent players from the past decade — Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, all through varying means of baseball breakups — the Mets are seemingly in the early stages of reshaping their roster. So far, those players’ exits are carrying notably more weight than the additions the team has made.
Now, it’s worth noting that the Mets have added four major leaguers projected to play key roles in Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco — very few other teams have added as much to their major-league roster this offseason. But because such a staggering amount of talent has departed from Queens, it feels like the Mets haven’t taken a meaningful step forward yet.
Given how much of a disaster 2025 was, it’s understandable, if even logical, for president of baseball operations David Stearns to want to shake up the roster in a serious way around franchise anchors Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. But now it’s on Stearns and team owner Steve Cohen to chart an appropriately aggressive path forward to ensure that a club with a payroll in excess of $300 million doesn’t miss the postseason in consecutive years. There’s still impact talent available in free agency and on the trade market for the Mets to improve their squad and reenergize an emotionally spent fan base.
7. Will Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette find new homes?
Beyond Kyle Tucker in the top spot, Bregman and Bichette are the top free-agent hitters who remain unsigned into the new year. But unlike Tucker, who is widely expected to leave the Cubs after his one year on the North Side, these two infielders entered the winter under the assumption that their incumbent clubs would be aggressive in trying to retain them, considering their outsized importance to their respective franchises.
Bichette has spent nearly a decade in the Blue Jays’ organization and has been vocal about his desire to stay in Toronto and chase a championship with his close friend Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a dream that was nearly realized in 2025 thanks to the co-stars’ epic efforts against the Dodgers in the World Series. Seeing Bichette in a different uniform would be as jarring as any free-agent move this winter (though Pete Alonso rocking an Orioles jersey is the clear leader in that clubhouse for now). With far more teams needing second basemen than shortstops this offseason, Bichette has reportedly expressed a willingness to move to second, where his defense profiles better long-term. If that’s relevant in the event he stays in Toronto or the Jays revert to the alignment that had Bichette at short remains to be seen, but Bichette’s bat matters most, whether atop Toronto’s lineup or strengthening another contender’s offense.
Bregman’s sample of impact in Boston is far shorter than Bichette’s in Toronto, but he was exactly what Boston was looking for both on and off the field after signing as a free agent a year ago and could fill a crucial role in the infield if he remains. Bregman reportedly has several suitors, including the D-backs, Cubs and, intriguingly, the Blue Jays, which means his landing spot could influence Bichette’s and vice versa (especially with Boston reportedly eyeing Bichette as a Bregman backup plan). Also worth considering: Will Bregman be comfortable with his free agency stretching into spring training the way it did last year? Perhaps a speedier decision this time around could jump-start the rest of the market for free-agent hitters.
8. Can any team do enough to dethrone the Dodgers as preseason favorites?
The champs went into the winter with one clear goal — improving their bullpen — and swiftly did so with the signing of star closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. While some uncertainty remains at second base and in the outfield, which could open the door for another impact addition, it’s possible that Díaz represents the Dodgers’ biggest move of the offseason, with the team having boldly addressed its most glaring weakness with the best option available. If that’s the case and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and Co. are essentially finished shopping this winter, is there anything another contender can do between now and Opening Day to put themselves on equal footing with L.A. from a pure roster talent standpoint?
FanGraphs’ Depth Charts currently project the Dodgers’ roster with a roughly 5-WAR cushion over the next three best teams (Yankees, Blue Jays, Braves), with another group of contenders (Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox) just below them. This is an imperfect measure of roster quality, but it’s a solid approximation of how much talent each club possesses, and it paints an accurate picture of Los Angeles’ superior position relative to the field.
The Blue Jays remain the most alluring candidates to climb into the Dodgers’ tier, having just pushed L.A. to seven games in the World Series and exhibited a willingness to spend boldly this winter, with more additions seemingly on the way. If the Yankees decide to change course and add aggressively, they too could rise closer to what the Dodgers have on paper. Boston and Philadelphia might each be one or two impact additions away from a championship-caliber roster. Maybe the Mets start spending wildly to dig themselves out of the hole they’ve dug and emerge with a World Series-worthy roster and a payroll larger than the Dodgers’.
The point is, there’s plenty of time left this offseason for other contending clubs to upgrade their rosters and become compelling challengers to the defending champs. But the Dodgers have set the bar quite high and might not be finished adding themselves.
In addition to welcoming the new year, Jan. 1 serves as a de facto midpoint of baseball’s offseason. It has been just about two months since the Dodgers hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy as back-to-back champs, and we’re roughly two months away from spring training games commencing in Arizona and Florida.
By some measures, this halfway mark is reflected in the amount of transactional activity that has occurred thus far, as 27 of our Top 50 free agents have signed new deals. But a closer look at our rankings makes it clear that there’s a substantial amount of important business left to be settled: Nine of our top 15 free agents are still unsigned, including three of the top four.
Zach Eflin (#38) is the 26th free agent from our @YahooSports Top 50 to sign this offseason
While it’s hardly uncommon for some top free agents to linger on the market into February, this plethora of unsigned stars — plus a handful of high-profile trade candidates and several contending teams that have yet to make any major moves — sets the stage for January to be an especially compelling month across MLB. There is plenty to be resolved before pitchers and catchers report to camp in mid-February.
Here are the eight biggest questions that will be answered in the coming weeks.
1. Who will sign Kyle Tucker?
After consecutive offseasons with generational talents inking gargantuan, historic contracts in Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, Tucker entered this winter as a relatively underwhelming Best Free Agent Available, with a fraction of the hype and fanfare often associated with the player carrying that label. But even if Tucker was unlikely to produce a frenzied bidding war like recent premier free agents, it’s interesting that we’ve made it to 2026 with barely any buzz about his potential suitors, outside of a reported visit to the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin (conveniently located near Tucker’s hometown, Tampa). This lack of clarity is a stark contrast to Ohtani and Soto, whose deals were signed and sealed by mid-December, and it makes Tucker’s free agency top of mind as we begin the new year.
While the Jays loom as a logical landing spot for Tucker, that seems to have as much to do with their being one of the few teams willing to dole out the kind of megadeal he’s seeking as it does with their roster being the cleanest fit for his services. Toronto is clearly ready to spend, having made the biggest splash of this offseason so far by signing right-hander Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal. It’s unclear if the team’s interest in Tucker supersedes its goal of retaining homegrown star Bo Bichette, another top free agent still unsigned.
Look beyond Toronto, and it’s not clear which other clubs are eager to splurge on Tucker as a franchise anchor. The Cubs don’t seem especially keen on a reunion, even after paying a hefty price to acquire Tucker from Houston a year ago. The Dodgers have room in their outfield but limited appetite to hand out a deal of significant length. The Phillies’ outfield doesn’t project particularly favorably, but they seem content with their addition of Adolis García and are ready to give top prospect Justin Crawford some playing time. The Giants have a clear opening in right field but reportedly aren’t eager to spend at the top of the market.
For as cloudy as the outlook is now, a suitor will eventually emerge. And no matter which team ultimately signs him, Tucker’s deal promises to impact the rest of the market.
2. When will the starting pitching market shake loose?
Whether or not we see a seismic swap involving Skubal or some lesser exchanges league-wide, once free-agent starters start to come off the board, don’t be surprised to see a series of trades to address rotations still in need of reinforcements.
3. When will the New York Yankees wake up and do something?
It has been a stunningly quiet offseason in the Bronx, with New York’s lone external addition being Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest from St. Louis. While Winquest’s selection is notable in that New York hadn’t taken a player in the Rule 5 Draft since 2011, that’s not exactly the genre of transaction Yankees fans are used to buzzing about this time of year. Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer set an odd tone for the Yankees’ offseason plans, as many expected him to decline the one-year deal in search of a longer pact elsewhere; instead, a sizable salary was committed to Grisham. A trio of unsexy re-signings soon followed, with the returns of utilityman Amed Rosario and pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn.
The Yankees’ top offseason priority is yet another in-house name, with free-agent outfielder Cody Bellingerreportedly New York’s top target after a fantastic first season in the Bronx. But even if the Yankees re-sign Bellinger and run it back with what was baseball’s most productive outfield in 2025, alongside Grisham and MVP Aaron Judge, is that really all New York is going to do coming off an ALDS exit at the hands of Toronto? And if Bellinger lands elsewhere, how will general manager Brian Cashman pivot in an effort to meaningfully improve the roster?
How the Yankees proceed from here will hinge on team owner Hal Steinbrenner’s willingness to push the payroll to new heights. Any amount of penny-pinching at this point is likely to result in Bellinger departing and/or a roster that looks almost entirely unchanged from 2025. And it’s difficult to imagine that being received particularly well among Yankees fans.
4. Do the Orioles have another big move in them?
While the Yankees have stayed on the hot stove sideline, the rest of the AL East has been plenty active. The Blue Jays have spent more than any other club in free agency ($277 million) and are looking to add more. The Rays have made a couple of major trades to shake up their roster and bolster their farm system. The Red Sox haven’t signed any free agents but have added three big-league pieces via trades for starters Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo and a big bat in Willson Contreras.
And perhaps no team in baseball has been busier than the Baltimore Orioles, who handed out the largest contract to a free-agent hitter thus far (Pete Alonso, $155M) and parted with the largest prospect package so far in a trade to land Shane Baz from Tampa Bay. Add the acquisition of slugger Taylor Ward to co-star with Alonso in the heart of the order, the signing of closer Ryan Helsley and the return of right-hander Zach Eflin, and it’s clear that Baltimore is focused on retooling the roster to ensure better results after a miserably disappointing 2025.
Yet for all the Orioles have done this offseason, it’s hard not to wonder if there’s more to come before the club opens camp in Sarasota. Adding an impact starting pitcher was a stated priority for president of baseball operations Mike Elias at the outset of the offseason, and while Baz could become that caliber of pitcher with the right tweaks, he doesn’t quite fit the bill of what Baltimore seemed to be searching for. As mentioned above, several starters with gaudier résumés than Baz’s remain available on the free-agent and trade markets, and the O’s remain an ideal landing spot for one of those arms. It has already been an exciting winter in Birdland, but reeling in one more top-tier rotation arm would be the perfect finishing touch for Elias and Co.
5. Will Ketel Marte be traded?
If the D-backs decide to trade Ketel Marte — comfortably the best second baseman in baseball — that would be a humongous transaction that could fundamentally alter his new club’s outlook entering 2026 (not to mention what would be an enormous return for the Snakes). The latest reports out of Arizona suggest that a resolution one way or another is expected soon, with general manager Mike Hazen preferring to move on with the rest of the club’s offseason rather than stay stuck in the haze of uncertainty. That’s an understandable sentiment considering the state of Arizona’s pitching staff: considerably undermanned relative to the team’s stout position-player group and in need of an addition. If upgrades aren’t going to come via a Marte trade, it’s important for the Snakes to add on the mound via other avenues sooner rather than later.
In the event that Marte stays put, who will be the best hitter traded this offseason? Willson Contreras, Taylor Ward, Brandon Lowe, Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo and Marcus Semien represent the most significant position players dealt so far, but there’s bound to be a few more major bats traded before Opening Day. Beyond Marte, St. Louis’ Brendan Donovan represents an exciting alternative for teams seeking a second baseman and could net a major return.
The Cardinals are also still trying to trade Nolan Arenado, just as they were a year ago. It would make plenty of sense for the Red Sox to trade from their surplus of outfielders, making Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu names to watch. Chicago center fielder Luis Robert Jr. remains an enticing target for his upside, but the White Sox seem to be keeping his price quite high. Of course, the most fun trades are the ones that none of us sees coming, so maybe there will be another high-profile hitter on the move in the coming weeks.
The winter’s top free agent, Kyle Tucker, still needs a new team, as do most of the free-agent starting pitchers.
Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports
6. How will the Mets fill out their new-look roster?
Having dramatically purged four of the franchise’s most prominent players from the past decade — Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, all through varying means of baseball breakups — the Mets are seemingly in the early stages of reshaping their roster. So far, those players’ exits are carrying notably more weight than the additions the team has made.
Now, it’s worth noting that the Mets have added four major leaguers projected to play key roles in Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco — very few other teams have added as much to their major-league roster this offseason. But because such a staggering amount of talent has departed from Queens, it feels like the Mets haven’t taken a meaningful step forward yet.
Given how much of a disaster 2025 was, it’s understandable, if even logical, for president of baseball operations David Stearns to want to shake up the roster in a serious way around franchise anchors Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. But now it’s on Stearns and team owner Steve Cohen to chart an appropriately aggressive path forward to ensure that a club with a payroll in excess of $300 million doesn’t miss the postseason in consecutive years. There’s still impact talent available in free agency and on the trade market for the Mets to improve their squad and reenergize an emotionally spent fan base.
7. Will Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette find new homes?
Beyond Kyle Tucker in the top spot, Bregman and Bichette are the top free-agent hitters who remain unsigned into the new year. But unlike Tucker, who is widely expected to leave the Cubs after his one year on the North Side, these two infielders entered the winter under the assumption that their incumbent clubs would be aggressive in trying to retain them, considering their outsized importance to their respective franchises.
Bichette has spent nearly a decade in the Blue Jays’ organization and has been vocal about his desire to stay in Toronto and chase a championship with his close friend Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a dream that was nearly realized in 2025 thanks to the co-stars’ epic efforts against the Dodgers in the World Series. Seeing Bichette in a different uniform would be as jarring as any free-agent move this winter (though Pete Alonso rocking an Orioles jersey is the clear leader in that clubhouse for now). With far more teams needing second basemen than shortstops this offseason, Bichette has reportedly expressed a willingness to move to second, where his defense profiles better long-term. If that’s relevant in the event he stays in Toronto or the Jays revert to the alignment that had Bichette at short remains to be seen, but Bichette’s bat matters most, whether atop Toronto’s lineup or strengthening another contender’s offense.
Bregman’s sample of impact in Boston is far shorter than Bichette’s in Toronto, but he was exactly what Boston was looking for both on and off the field after signing as a free agent a year ago and could fill a crucial role in the infield if he remains. Bregman reportedly has several suitors, including the D-backs, Cubs and, intriguingly, the Blue Jays, which means his landing spot could influence Bichette’s and vice versa (especially with Boston reportedly eyeing Bichette as a Bregman backup plan). Also worth considering: Will Bregman be comfortable with his free agency stretching into spring training the way it did last year? Perhaps a speedier decision this time around could jump-start the rest of the market for free-agent hitters.
8. Can any team do enough to dethrone the Dodgers as preseason favorites?
The champs went into the winter with one clear goal — improving their bullpen — and swiftly did so with the signing of star closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. While some uncertainty remains at second base and in the outfield, which could open the door for another impact addition, it’s possible that Díaz represents the Dodgers’ biggest move of the offseason, with the team having boldly addressed its most glaring weakness with the best option available. If that’s the case and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and Co. are essentially finished shopping this winter, is there anything another contender can do between now and Opening Day to put themselves on equal footing with L.A. from a pure roster talent standpoint?
FanGraphs’ Depth Charts currently project the Dodgers’ roster with a roughly 5-WAR cushion over the next three best teams (Yankees, Blue Jays, Braves), with another group of contenders (Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox) just below them. This is an imperfect measure of roster quality, but it’s a solid approximation of how much talent each club possesses, and it paints an accurate picture of Los Angeles’ superior position relative to the field.
The Blue Jays remain the most alluring candidates to climb into the Dodgers’ tier, having just pushed L.A. to seven games in the World Series and exhibited a willingness to spend boldly this winter, with more additions seemingly on the way. If the Yankees decide to change course and add aggressively, they too could rise closer to what the Dodgers have on paper. Boston and Philadelphia might each be one or two impact additions away from a championship-caliber roster. Maybe the Mets start spending wildly to dig themselves out of the hole they’ve dug and emerge with a World Series-worthy roster and a payroll larger than the Dodgers’.
The point is, there’s plenty of time left this offseason for other contending clubs to upgrade their rosters and become compelling challengers to the defending champs. But the Dodgers have set the bar quite high and might not be finished adding themselves.
(Washington, D.C., December 31, 2025) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. As announced earlier this month by President Trump and Secretary Rollins, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers in 2026. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments.
The Chicago Bulls will be without their two leading scorers for at least the next week, and in Josh Giddey’s case, it will be longer.
Giddey has a strained left hamstring and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the Bulls announced. Although it’s a safe bet he will be out longer than that. Chicago also will be without point guard Coby White for the next week due to calf soreness. Both suffered their injuries Monday night in a loss to the Timberwolves.
Injury Updates: Josh Giddey (left hamstring strain) will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Coby White (right calf tightness) will be re-evaluated in one week.
The Bulls have a packed schedule with nine games in the next 14 days.
Giddey and White are tied for the team lead in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game. Giddey also leads the team with nine assists a game (White is at 4.7) and the Australian is dragging 7.8 rebounds a game. Giddey is a borderline All-Star in the Eastern Conference, although his play has trailed off since a fast start.
The Bulls have built an ethos around depth and having the next man step up, at least that has been the plan of executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas, who believes that having 9-10 good players is better in the regular season than having a couple of great players but then a sharp talent drop off. That will get put to the test in the next couple of weeks.
The Bulls have lost their last two games but won five in a row before that and sit ninth in the East at 15-17. They are just 1.5 games above falling out of the play-in entirely, with one of the teams chasing them being a Milwaukee side that just got Giannis Antetokounmpo back.
The new year is here and, as we keep pushing in the regular season, now we get to the fun part. We know about teams’ identities, what they do well and what they struggle with. A new year brings a new opportunity, a new set of goals, a chance to reset. Let’s take a look around the league to see what should happen more (or less) for all 30 teams going forward.
Show anything that resembles multiple efforts on defense. It would be more fun to highlight the career years from Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu if the Hawks were defending. Heading into the last day of 2025, the Hawks have lost 11 of their past 13 games with opponents averaging 127.2 points a night and shooting 50.4% from the field. The Hawks may want to keep the ball in front on closeouts and avoid overhelping; take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Practice mindfulness and live in the present. By that I mean Boston should stick with the process that’s pushed it to third in the East until the wheels fall off. Coach Joe Mazzulla has this team ready to compete on a nightly basis. The Celtics lead the NBA with the fewest turnovers per game (12.3), while 66.3% of their field-goal attempts and 64.4% of their points have come from Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons. Everyone else knows his role, takes the opportunity and works to contribute. Resist the urge to bring Jayson Tatum back, please.
Invest in yourself and what you have been doing. Seven of the Nets’ 10 wins this season have come this month. In December, they have held teams to 104.6 PPG, which is about five points better than the second-ranked Clippers (and the Celtics and Thunder) in that span. So, continue to build, give the effort defensively, allow room for the young guys to grow and enjoy the bucket-getting of Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas.
Prepare for a shift or change. This is the year where you hand the keys to Kon Knueppel, leave no stone unturned to know what Brandon Miller is, and play Moussa Diabaté and Sion James to fill the gaps. You won’t have every answer, but it will be a letdown if you don’t find clarity.
It’s time for a journey of self-discovery. We’ve gotten used to the Bulls having a level of star power but just competing for the play-in, only for them to pivot, play with more youth, pace and tempo and … compete for the play-in. This team has two five-game win streaks this season and two losing streaks of five or more, and I would just like to see what the next step is outside of fun offensive basketball.
Change the pattern at the start of the year. Whether it has been their defense lacking consistency, the offense generally being a whole lot of Donovan Mitchell and 3s, or injuries breaking their rhythm, this has not been where the Cavs thought they would be entering 2026. With Darius Garland and Evan Mobley both being healthy again, maybe the Cavs can look within and remember who they are as a team. If the defense gets back to a certain level, and if the offense is able to get defenses in rotation to generate good looks, a run can be had.
Understand the future is now. It’s Cooper Flagg’s team. The rookie’s growth when it comes to aggression and patience is what the franchise needs to embrace for the rest of the season.
Build off the momentum of early success. The Nuggets enter 2026 with four of their five starters injured. But early on they displayed a high level of versatility on defense and a unique connection on offense; don’t let go of the rope. Nikola Jokić has been incredible, Jamal Murray has stayed consistent, and Aaron Gordon’s usage has added a different layer. The Nuggets must build and maintain until they get everyone back.
Show gratitude for the work you’ve put in and a belief that you have enough. No one expected the Pistons to be on top of the Eastern Conference to start 2026, so I’d resist the urge to swing for the fences and instead see how far this roster can take you. Cade Cunningham is one of two players in the NBA averaging 26-plus points, 9-plus assists and 6-plus rebounds (the other is Nikola Jokić), Jalen Duren has emerged as a consistent force, and the defense has elevated Detroit toward the top. Many a team has proven there is no problem with knowing exactly what you may need before you alter what you have.
It’s time to shake up this sitcom. The Warriors started 4-1 and have been fighting .500 ever since. They shouldn’t be 4-6 when Stephen Curry scores 30 or more points. So, buy in to the little things on both ends of the floor. Offensively, find a way to execute to avoid clutch games. On defense, build a consistency to give yourself some wiggle room. Set Jonathan Kuminga free and move forward.
Fix the clutch-time issues and lock in your lineups. Kevin Durant’s shot-making has been way too good and important for this team to fall short. The two-man game with Alperen Şengün has paid dividends throughout the season. Understand the attention those two will receive and, whether it’s Tari Eason or Reed Sheppard, continue to make teams pay. Learn the lesson now and let it pay off down the line.
Pascal Siakam, stay hydrated and get a journal for reflection. Everyone else, get well soon. Siakam has had an unbelievable year, but everyone misses Pacers basketball. I’m not sure the slippage on both ends is a proper reflection of who this team is at its core.
Remember your identity. Kawhi Leonard has sent a reminder of exactly what he does, and James Harden remains one of four players in the NBA averaging at least 25 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. You need defense around that to give yourself wiggle room offensively. The efforts of Kris Dunn, Nic Batum and a resurgent Brook Lopez have reopened a door. If that doesn’t move you, just feed Kawhi whatever he has been eating for the last two weeks.
Commit to habits that give you the best chance to win long term. We have seen brilliance from Luka Dončić, consistent growth from Austin Reaves and a return of LeBron James. At the end of the day, though, this team has limitations on the defensive end that it needs to take off the table. When the Lakers work to keep the ball in front, show early help and make multiple efforts defensively, they give themselves a chance. When they don’t, the margin for error is slim to none. If they want to make the most of their early start, they have to recommit to the little things.
Find an in-between on offense. The Grizzlies have found success within their offensive system, but must mix in what Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. bring to the table. The movement and flow has worked for pockets of the system; now add the drives of Morant, add the versatility of Jackson and make it all come together.
Continue to mix in pick-and-roll. The Heat lead the NBA in drives per game (61.9), with their ability to space the floor and continuously flow into drive-and-kick being the base of their offense. Adding more pick-and-roll for Norman Powell is a way to get defenses to react when they are able to keep the ball in front; keep Bam Adebayo involved; and flow into what’s kept pressure on defenses early on this season. It’s helpful to have pick-and-roll in your back pocket when size and length are keeping the drives in front.
Try their best to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from leaving. It’s the start of a new year, full of new possibilities and good vibes that fill the room like a humidifier. If the Bucks can keep Antetokounmpo from leaving, whatever other resolution I’d put here would be the equivalent of committing to going to the gym and hitting snooze on the alarm clock on Day 2.
It’s Anthony Edwards’ time. There will be some bad losses, there will be some great wins, and the offensive improvements will be felt once the defense hits a consistent level. But Edwards is on a mission. Trust and believe in that.
Entrust Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears with minutes to grow. Fears always looks to get downhill, and Queen’s playmaking and driving ability open up movement. That should allow Trey Murphy and Herb Jones room to attack and get in the paint. Throw in the sudden nature of Zion Williamson attacking space, and you have a recipe to be an annoying team in the second half of the season.
Keep a balanced diet offensively. The commitment to pace, tempo and flow has empowered the Knicks’ roster. Seven Knicks players average 10 or more points per game. In December, the team had five or more players score in double-digits in 10 out of 13 games. The Knicks are 14-2 on the season when they have 28 or more assists and 9-0 this season when they have 30 or more assists. Jalen Brunson has led the dance, but consistent production throughout the team has allowed the Knicks to thrive.
Keep doing everything you’ve been doing (and do it better against the Spurs). This is a disruptive defense and a decisive offense led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Keep the faith offensively. The Magic went from averaging 120.9 points a night in November to 112.9 in December and, according to NBA.com, went from having the seventh-best offensive rating in November (119.5) to 26th in December (111.2). Desmond Bane’s drives and playmaking have been key, the aggression from Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black have helped elevate them, and the tempo opens room for quicker decisions from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. If they can get back to the decisive, out-of-the-mud offense, things could pay off in the playoffs with their defensive potential.
Commit to putting together the puzzle pieces. The Sixers have one losing streak of three games or more and one winning streak of more than three games. Tyrese Maxey has been a constant force on offense with his scoring and speed. A commitment to drive-and-kick and movement has opened a window for VJ Edgecombe to consistently contribute. It also gives wiggle room as Paul George returns to form. Live for the nights where you see Joel Embiid looking to drive the basketball and protect the rim. If they can put it all together, they may not be a team people want to see in the playoffs.
Stay low-key, stay under the radar. The Suns have quietly become a team no one enjoys facing. The defensive effort stands on its own, and Devin Booker has been moved around the court to attack in different areas. Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale have been key cogs of the lineup, and Dillon Brooks is no longer just staring you down in warmups; he’s staring you down with 3s and pull-up jumpers. The task was to be annoying; keep doing it.
Get the next steps from Shaedon Sharpe. A defensive base has been established in Portland, but the Blazers must ensure that their promising 22-year-old guard puts together the athleticism, scoring and playmaking with patience.
“The things which hurt, instruct.” Read all the inspirational quotes you can, hope you can get as much development from Keegan Murray as possible and don’t notice the DNPs surrounding Keon Ellis and Malik Monk at various points.
Nail down the blend of your talent and swing for the fences. Why not? Victor Wembanyama has been on a mission all year long. In his absence, they found 48 minutes of guard play from De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Get the most out of that, and keep pressure on offenses knowing Wemby can protect on the back end. The Spurs have defeated the Thunder three times; harness that and push forward.
Keep your balance offensively. RJ Barrett’s return from injury should slot everyone into their roles and get the Raptors back toward the level they displayed early. They can have a stronger starting lineup and better balance as they stagger. Those lineups should allow them to unlock Scottie Barnes as a roller on top of his ability to drive the basketball. Brandon Ingram’s shotmaking has continuously drawn attention from defenses and balanced the Raptors’ attack when they need to make plays.
Get back to winning games at home. In my 38 years on this earth, the Jazz have had a losing record at home only three times. Trust the offense and do the thing that will keep Will Hardy from cussing you out on social media.
The new year is here and, as we keep pushing in the regular season, now we get to the fun part. We know about teams’ identities, what they do well and what they struggle with. A new year brings a new opportunity, a new set of goals, a chance to reset. Let’s take a look around the league to see what should happen more (or less) for all 30 teams going forward.
Show anything that resembles multiple efforts on defense. It would be more fun to highlight the career years from Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu if the Hawks were defending. Heading into the last day of 2025, the Hawks have lost 11 of their past 13 games with opponents averaging 127.2 points a night and shooting 50.4% from the field. The Hawks may want to keep the ball in front on closeouts and avoid overhelping; take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Practice mindfulness and live in the present. By that I mean Boston should stick with the process that’s pushed it to third in the East until the wheels fall off. Coach Joe Mazzulla has this team ready to compete on a nightly basis. The Celtics lead the NBA with the fewest turnovers per game (12.3), while 66.3% of their field-goal attempts and 64.4% of their points have come from Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons. Everyone else knows his role, takes the opportunity and works to contribute. Resist the urge to bring Jayson Tatum back, please.
Invest in yourself and what you have been doing. Seven of the Nets’ 10 wins this season have come this month. In December, they have held teams to 104.6 PPG, which is about five points better than the second-ranked Clippers (and the Celtics and Thunder) in that span. So, continue to build, give the effort defensively, allow room for the young guys to grow and enjoy the bucket-getting of Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas.
Prepare for a shift or change. This is the year where you hand the keys to Kon Knueppel, leave no stone unturned to know what Brandon Miller is, and play Moussa Diabaté and Sion James to fill the gaps. You won’t have every answer, but it will be a letdown if you don’t find clarity.
It’s time for a journey of self-discovery. We’ve gotten used to the Bulls having a level of star power but just competing for the play-in, only for them to pivot, play with more youth, pace and tempo and … compete for the play-in. This team has two five-game win streaks this season and two losing streaks of five or more, and I would just like to see what the next step is outside of fun offensive basketball.
Change the pattern at the start of the year. Whether it has been their defense lacking consistency, the offense generally being a whole lot of Donovan Mitchell and 3s, or injuries breaking their rhythm, this has not been where the Cavs thought they would be entering 2026. With Darius Garland and Evan Mobley both being healthy again, maybe the Cavs can look within and remember who they are as a team. If the defense gets back to a certain level, and if the offense is able to get defenses in rotation to generate good looks, a run can be had.
Understand the future is now. It’s Cooper Flagg’s team. The rookie’s growth when it comes to aggression and patience is what the franchise needs to embrace for the rest of the season.
Build off the momentum of early success. The Nuggets enter 2026 with four of their five starters injured. But early on they displayed a high level of versatility on defense and a unique connection on offense; don’t let go of the rope. Nikola Jokić has been incredible, Jamal Murray has stayed consistent, and Aaron Gordon’s usage has added a different layer. The Nuggets must build and maintain until they get everyone back.
Show gratitude for the work you’ve put in and a belief that you have enough. No one expected the Pistons to be on top of the Eastern Conference to start 2026, so I’d resist the urge to swing for the fences and instead see how far this roster can take you. Cade Cunningham is one of two players in the NBA averaging 26-plus points, 9-plus assists and 6-plus rebounds (the other is Nikola Jokić), Jalen Duren has emerged as a consistent force, and the defense has elevated Detroit toward the top. Many a team has proven there is no problem with knowing exactly what you may need before you alter what you have.
It’s time to shake up this sitcom. The Warriors started 4-1 and have been fighting .500 ever since. They shouldn’t be 4-6 when Stephen Curry scores 30 or more points. So, buy in to the little things on both ends of the floor. Offensively, find a way to execute to avoid clutch games. On defense, build a consistency to give yourself some wiggle room. Set Jonathan Kuminga free and move forward.
Fix the clutch-time issues and lock in your lineups. Kevin Durant’s shot-making has been way too good and important for this team to fall short. The two-man game with Alperen Şengün has paid dividends throughout the season. Understand the attention those two will receive and, whether it’s Tari Eason or Reed Sheppard, continue to make teams pay. Learn the lesson now and let it pay off down the line.
Pascal Siakam, stay hydrated and get a journal for reflection. Everyone else, get well soon. Siakam has had an unbelievable year, but everyone misses Pacers basketball. I’m not sure the slippage on both ends is a proper reflection of who this team is at its core.
Remember your identity. Kawhi Leonard has sent a reminder of exactly what he does, and James Harden remains one of four players in the NBA averaging at least 25 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. You need defense around that to give yourself wiggle room offensively. The efforts of Kris Dunn, Nic Batum and a resurgent Brook Lopez have reopened a door. If that doesn’t move you, just feed Kawhi whatever he has been eating for the last two weeks.
Commit to habits that give you the best chance to win long term. We have seen brilliance from Luka Dončić, consistent growth from Austin Reaves and a return of LeBron James. At the end of the day, though, this team has limitations on the defensive end that it needs to take off the table. When the Lakers work to keep the ball in front, show early help and make multiple efforts defensively, they give themselves a chance. When they don’t, the margin for error is slim to none. If they want to make the most of their early start, they have to recommit to the little things.
Find an in-between on offense. The Grizzlies have found success within their offensive system, but must mix in what Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. bring to the table. The movement and flow has worked for pockets of the system; now add the drives of Morant, add the versatility of Jackson and make it all come together.
Continue to mix in pick-and-roll. The Heat lead the NBA in drives per game (61.9), with their ability to space the floor and continuously flow into drive-and-kick being the base of their offense. Adding more pick-and-roll for Norman Powell is a way to get defenses to react when they are able to keep the ball in front; keep Bam Adebayo involved; and flow into what’s kept pressure on defenses early on this season. It’s helpful to have pick-and-roll in your back pocket when size and length are keeping the drives in front.
Try their best to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from leaving. It’s the start of a new year, full of new possibilities and good vibes that fill the room like a humidifier. If the Bucks can keep Antetokounmpo from leaving, whatever other resolution I’d put here would be the equivalent of committing to going to the gym and hitting snooze on the alarm clock on Day 2.
It’s Anthony Edwards’ time. There will be some bad losses, there will be some great wins, and the offensive improvements will be felt once the defense hits a consistent level. But Edwards is on a mission. Trust and believe in that.
Entrust Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears with minutes to grow. Fears always looks to get downhill, and Queen’s playmaking and driving ability open up movement. That should allow Trey Murphy and Herb Jones room to attack and get in the paint. Throw in the sudden nature of Zion Williamson attacking space, and you have a recipe to be an annoying team in the second half of the season.
Keep a balanced diet offensively. The commitment to pace, tempo and flow has empowered the Knicks’ roster. Seven Knicks players average 10 or more points per game. In December, the team had five or more players score in double-digits in 10 out of 13 games. The Knicks are 14-2 on the season when they have 28 or more assists and 9-0 this season when they have 30 or more assists. Jalen Brunson has led the dance, but consistent production throughout the team has allowed the Knicks to thrive.
Keep doing everything you’ve been doing (and do it better against the Spurs). This is a disruptive defense and a decisive offense led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Keep the faith offensively. The Magic went from averaging 120.9 points a night in November to 112.9 in December and, according to NBA.com, went from having the seventh-best offensive rating in November (119.5) to 26th in December (111.2). Desmond Bane’s drives and playmaking have been key, the aggression from Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black have helped elevate them, and the tempo opens room for quicker decisions from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. If they can get back to the decisive, out-of-the-mud offense, things could pay off in the playoffs with their defensive potential.
Commit to putting together the puzzle pieces. The Sixers have one losing streak of three games or more and one winning streak of more than three games. Tyrese Maxey has been a constant force on offense with his scoring and speed. A commitment to drive-and-kick and movement has opened a window for VJ Edgecombe to consistently contribute. It also gives wiggle room as Paul George returns to form. Live for the nights where you see Joel Embiid looking to drive the basketball and protect the rim. If they can put it all together, they may not be a team people want to see in the playoffs.
Stay low-key, stay under the radar. The Suns have quietly become a team no one enjoys facing. The defensive effort stands on its own, and Devin Booker has been moved around the court to attack in different areas. Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale have been key cogs of the lineup, and Dillon Brooks is no longer just staring you down in warmups; he’s staring you down with 3s and pull-up jumpers. The task was to be annoying; keep doing it.
Get the next steps from Shaedon Sharpe. A defensive base has been established in Portland, but the Blazers must ensure that their promising 22-year-old guard puts together the athleticism, scoring and playmaking with patience.
“The things which hurt, instruct.” Read all the inspirational quotes you can, hope you can get as much development from Keegan Murray as possible and don’t notice the DNPs surrounding Keon Ellis and Malik Monk at various points.
Nail down the blend of your talent and swing for the fences. Why not? Victor Wembanyama has been on a mission all year long. In his absence, they found 48 minutes of guard play from De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Get the most out of that, and keep pressure on offenses knowing Wemby can protect on the back end. The Spurs have defeated the Thunder three times; harness that and push forward.
Keep your balance offensively. RJ Barrett’s return from injury should slot everyone into their roles and get the Raptors back toward the level they displayed early. They can have a stronger starting lineup and better balance as they stagger. Those lineups should allow them to unlock Scottie Barnes as a roller on top of his ability to drive the basketball. Brandon Ingram’s shotmaking has continuously drawn attention from defenses and balanced the Raptors’ attack when they need to make plays.
Get back to winning games at home. In my 38 years on this earth, the Jazz have had a losing record at home only three times. Trust the offense and do the thing that will keep Will Hardy from cussing you out on social media.
I’m sure you’ve heard it everywhere: Check with a doctor before beginning any exercise program. This is the standard disclaimer on fitness advice of any sort, which most of us probably ignore. But should you? Not necessarily, it turns out.
Why are you supposed to check with a doctor before exercising?
The concern underlying this oft-repeated statement is that there are rare cases where a person can die suddenly during exercise. When this happens, it’s usually in a person who (a) had some kind of underlying medical issue; (b) was not used to exercising; and (c) did very intense exercise that they were unprepared for.
For a long time, there was a sense among many medical and fitness professionals that the best way to handle the issue was to focus on the first part: the people who had an underlying medical issue. And because not everybody knows if they have one, you should also see a doctor if you might have an underlying medical issue. Or if you had a family history of a medical issue.
While it sounds like a good idea, the screening got out of hand. One of the most common screening tools was a questionnaire that would ask about your own health as well as things like how old you were, whether you had smoked, and whether you were overweight. One study from 2014 found that it would flag more than 90% of middle-aged and older adults. In other words, these are people who wouldn’t be permitted to exercise until and unless they got a medical clearance.
With the price and availability of healthcare in this country (not to mention difficulties involved in getting an appointment, taking time off work if needed, and so on) that’s a huge barrier for a lot of people. Pretty ironic, considering that exercise is good for your health.
The American College of Sports Medicine did a deeper dive into the numbers, and found that the risks they were screening for were very common; the outcomes they were trying to prevent were very rare (one sudden cardiac death per 1.5 million vigorous workouts, in one study), and screening people based on risk factors didn’t actually seem to reduce the number of people dying during exercise.
How to know if you’re one of the people who really should check with a doctor before exercise
The current guidelines for screening people before exercise have been changed. The American College of Sports Medicine now says “most people can exercise without visiting a doctor first.” The current guidelines—which most gyms and trainers should be using—only use three factors to screen people:
How much you exercise currently
Whether you have signs or symptoms of certain health conditions
How intensely you would like to exercise
The health conditions that trigger that second bullet point are cardiovascular, metabolic, and kidney diseases. If you have diabetes, that’s a metabolic disease. If you have been told you have a heart condition, peripheral artery disease, or cerebrovascular disease, that counts as a cardiovascular disease.
Even without a prior diagnosis, signs and symptoms of those previously mentioned diseases mean that you should stop exercising and check with a doctor before continuing. These include shortness of breath at rest or with mild activity; chest, arm, or jaw pain; dizziness or fainting; and others. If you’re curious if you would qualify, start by taking the PAR-Q test, which is seven yes-or-no questions; if you answer yes to any of them, there is a slightly longer questionnaire called the PAR-Q+ that gets more detailed.
Compared to the old guidelines, the proportion of people over 40 who need to get medical clearance before exercise has been cut almost in half. And as part of the same guidelines, the doctor’s visit itself will probably be a lot simpler. Specific tests are no longer recommended; what happens at that visit is up to your provider and their clinical judgment.
So, yes, some people do still need to check with a doctor before starting an exercise program. But it’s nowhere near everybody. Most people can get started right away, and even people with medical conditions will likely be told that there is some kind of exercise they can do.
