Pitcher Yu Darvish has reportedly told the San Diego Padres that he intends to retire with three years remaining on his contract, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

However, Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that the veteran pitcher “has not made a final decision yet.

“This is a complicated matter we are still working through,” Wolfe said in response to reports. 

Darvish repeated that sentiment in a statement he posted to social media. 

“Although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided,” Darvish wrote. 

“Also, I will not be announcing my retirement yet,” he added. “Right now, I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow.”

[Get more San Diego news: Padres team feed]

Darvish, 39, has pitched for the Padres for the past five seasons, compiling a 3.97 ERA while averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Last season, he recorded a 5.38 ERA and 5-5 record with a strikeout rate of 8.5 per nine innings in 15 starts.

The right-hander is under contract with San Diego for three more seasons with a total salary of $46 million. He signed a six-year, $108 million extension with the Padres before the 2023 MLB season.

Darvish is recovering from UCL surgery that he had in late October. He was expected to miss the entire 2026 season because of the procedure. Turning 40 in August, it was worth considering whether or not a return to MLB was feasible. He was apparently asking himself the same questions in December.

“The way my rehab is going now, I am focused on getting right, not on coming back,” he told the SDUT’s Kevin Acee. “Right now I’m not really thinking too much about the future. Just knowing the way I think, I’m sure I will one day want to throw again. All I’ve thought about in my life is baseball.”

Darvish has made only 31 starts over the past two regular seasons due to elbow difficulties. Yet he pitched well in the 2024 postseason, posting a 1.98 ERA in two starts with seven strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. 

However, Darvish reportedly had an understanding with general manager AJ Preller that surgery on his right elbow would eventually be necessary. The pitcher acknowledged the possibility that he might “get rid of” the remainder of his contract, Acee reported. Darvish considered retiring last March when he was shut down during spring training.

Despite the uncertainty, Darvish has been a regular presence with the Padres, sitting in on meetings with free agents and attending press conferences. 

If Darvish does retire, he’ll do so with a career record of 115-93, a 3.65 ERA and a rate of 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings (with 2,075 career Ks) in 297 starts. During his 13 MLB seasons, he also pitched for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. 

Between his MLB career and seven seasons pitching for the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League, Darvish’s 209 wins are the most for anyone who has played in both leagues. He finished as the runner-up in Cy Young Award voting in 2013 (with Texas) and 2020 (with the Cubs).

Pitcher Yu Darvish has reportedly told the San Diego Padres that he intends to retire with three years remaining on his contract, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

However, Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that the veteran pitcher “has not made a final decision yet.

“This is a complicated matter we are still working through,” Wolfe said in response to reports. 

Darvish repeated that sentiment in a statement he posted to social media. 

“Although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided,” Darvish wrote. 

“Also, I will not be announcing my retirement yet,” he added. “Right now, I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow.”

[Get more San Diego news: Padres team feed]

Darvish, 39, has pitched for the Padres for the past five seasons, compiling a 3.97 ERA while averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Last season, he recorded a 5.38 ERA and 5-5 record with a strikeout rate of 8.5 per nine innings in 15 starts.

The right-hander is under contract with San Diego for three more seasons with a total salary of $46 million. He signed a six-year, $108 million extension with the Padres before the 2023 MLB season.

Darvish is recovering from UCL surgery that he had in late October. He was expected to miss the entire 2026 season because of the procedure. Turning 40 in August, it was worth considering whether or not a return to MLB was feasible. He was apparently asking himself the same questions in December.

“The way my rehab is going now, I am focused on getting right, not on coming back,” he told the SDUT’s Kevin Acee. “Right now I’m not really thinking too much about the future. Just knowing the way I think, I’m sure I will one day want to throw again. All I’ve thought about in my life is baseball.”

Darvish has made only 31 starts over the past two regular seasons due to elbow difficulties. Yet he pitched well in the 2024 postseason, posting a 1.98 ERA in two starts with seven strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. 

However, Darvish reportedly had an understanding with general manager AJ Preller that surgery on his right elbow would eventually be necessary. The pitcher acknowledged the possibility that he might “get rid of” the remainder of his contract, Acee reported. Darvish considered retiring last March when he was shut down during spring training.

Despite the uncertainty, Darvish has been a regular presence with the Padres, sitting in on meetings with free agents and attending press conferences. 

If Darvish does retire, he’ll do so with a career record of 115-93, a 3.65 ERA and a rate of 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings (with 2,075 career Ks) in 297 starts. During his 13 MLB seasons, he also pitched for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. 

Between his MLB career and seven seasons pitching for the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League, Darvish’s 209 wins are the most for anyone who has played in both leagues. He finished as the runner-up in Cy Young Award voting in 2013 (with Texas) and 2020 (with the Cubs).

Brendan Donovan was considered one of the hottest trade commodities before the offseason began, so why haven’t the St. Louis Cardinals dealt him yet? While only Chaim Bloom knows why for sure, I speculate that two very unlikely trades from other teams might make the Cardinals trade of Brendan Donovan less likely.

St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said from the beginning that the team will not trade Brendan Donovan unless they are blown away by an offer. That was true as the offseason began and remains true now. It’s obvious that the Cardinals have still not received an offer that has compelled them to move Donovan, but why since he fits the needs of so many contending teams? I have a theory that two players who are being quietly discussed might be holding up progress on Brendan’s market.

The first unexpected infield trade candidate that emerged was a rumor that the Chicago Cubs were listening on offers for Nico Hoerner. It’s been reported that he was definitely a player of interest for the San Francisco Giants who are also considered a top landing spot for Brendan Donovan. Recent reports indicate the Cubs are less likely to move Hoerner after they signed free agent Alex Bregman, but they have not completely ruled that option out. I’ve heard rumors that the Seattle Mariners were also interested in Hoerner if the Cardinals asking price for Donovan is too high.

In the past day, we’ve also learned that the Washington Nationals have been quietly listening on offers for infielder CJ Abrams according to MLB Trade Rumors. Talk Nats has confirmed the “listening” rumors, but say there’s a difference between shopping and listening. Nationals GM Paul Toboni says it’s highly unlikely, but he also won’t rule anything out.

I think many of us thought that Brendan Donovan’s market would become more crystal clear after Bo Bichette signed with a team. Now that the Bichette drama is done, there is no report that I can confirm that Brendan Donovan’s trade is any closer which means Chaim Bloom still does not have the prospect haul offer he wants. I have to wonder if teams like the Giants and Mariners are holding out for the possibility that the Cubs will really make Hoerner available or the Nationals would trade Abrams. I can only speculate since I have not yet developed the ability to read minds (but I’m working on it) if the Giants and Mariners specifically are less likely to offer the breakthrough prospects for Donovan because of uncertainty about Hoerner and Abrams availability.

As I said 3 weeks ago, I would have no problem if the St. Louis Cardinals decide to keep Brendan and continue their rebuild around him instead of trading him. There is no reason to trade him if the prospects on offer aren’t a knockout. It is a gamble, though, to keep Donovan thinking he’ll be a valuable trade deadline candidate. You run the risk of him suffering an injury and there’s also a half year less of team control available. The general consensus was that Brendan Donovan’s trade value will never be higher than it is this offseason. As of today, we’re only about 3 weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training (yay!) so there’s still time that the Cardinals will pull together an epic Brendan Donovan trade. I think the potential trade of CJ Abrams and/or Nico Hoerner is nothing more than a mirage. Once those possibilities disappear, I hope Chaim Bloom gets the return he’s held out for.

Saturday’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors has been postponed after a 37-year-old man was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

“The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community,” the league said in a statement.

The NBA announced that the game has been rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday at Target Center.

The victim was identified by his parents as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse.

Including the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good, it was the second fatal shooting and third in 17 days involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis.

While the main theme of the Tiger farm system is the group of top shelf prospects leading the way, the other big story in the system is a pretty disastrous run of pitcher injuries over the last two years. They’ve invested pretty heavily in prep pitching over the last three drafts, and right now they don’t necessarily have much to show for it. It’s going to be a major problem if the organization isn’t able to produce a whole lot of major league caliber pitching in a few years. Left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein got a big bonus as their competitive balance round B (72nd overall) pick in 2024, and like the other big prep signings in 2023 and 2024, he was barely on the mound at all in 2025.

The Tigers have always had a penchant for power right-handers, though that’s not unusual, so Schiefelbein was a fairly anomalous selection for the organization. An advanced high school lefty with four solid offerings and good control for his age, but without the high velocity fastball that often gets prep pitchers big bonuses, was a bet more on physical projection than anything else. His mechanics and stable, easy delivery spoke to a high likelihood of developing into a plus command guy in time.

At his best, the California native out of Corona High School looked like his just needed to grow into major league caliber stuff without requiring the huge development in command and pitch shapes that most pitchers, especially prep pitchers, need to make to reach the major leagues. His upside wasn’t necessarily on the level of harder throwing prep picks with similar big bonuses like Owen Hall and Paul Wilson, but for a prep pitcher Schiefelbein had a distinctly high floor as well. That was augmented by the fact that he only turned 18 in April of his draft year, whereas many prep players in the draft are already 19 or close to it on draft day.

Now 19 years old, Schiefelbein suffered the same fate as most of the Tigers’ young pitchers in 2025. After extended spring camp, he made three short appearances in the Complex League, looking little changed from draft day, and then missed the rest of the season with an injury that was reportedly a shoulder strain that didn’t require surgery, but did take the rest of the summer to rehab. In Schiefelbein’s case, this isn’t too concerning, at least compared to the other major injuries plaguing the Tigers’ pitching ranks. Rather than pushing him back on the mound at Single-A ball late in the year, the young left-hander just spent his time building up his body and trying to add overall strength before embarking on what will hopefully be a successful full season debut in 2026.

Point being, while 2023 second rounder Paul Wilson won’t likely be on the mound until late this season and will turn 22 years old next December, and the Tigers other top 2024 prep picks, Owen Hall and Zach Swanson most notably, aren’t going to throw a full season until they’re 21 in 2027, Schiefelbein is still on track to get on the mound and pitch his way through the Complex and Single-A levels this season as a 20-year-old. The Tigers will be hoping it plays out that way as their prep pitcher heavy strategy in the draft is looking pretty rough at the moment.

Schiefelbein is a pretty prototypical lefty with a balanced delivery throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. He was well known to scouts as a high school senior after pitching for Team USA, and he was pretty much unhittable in his final year of school posting a 0.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 52 innings of work. He used a twoseam fastball, slider, knuckle curveball, circle changeup mix as of the last time we saw him on a mound and showed the ability to locate all four pitches pretty effectively. His fastball typically sat 90-91 mph though he touched 94-95 mph on multiple occasions in high school.

He looks like more of a supinator than a guy who is going to turn over nasty, horizontally breaking sinkers and changeups, so I would guess the Tigers will have him moving more to the fourseamer and perhaps try and develop a cutter as he moves through pro ball. His curve was the best secondary pitch for him as a senior, and he has good though not crazy spin rates on the breaking stuff. The slider and changeup were more crude, but he wasn’t afraid to throw them in the zone, and already spotted them well for his age.

Unfortunately, there just isn’t much more to add to his scouting report yet. Guys like Hall, Wilson, and Swanson are expected to get back on the mound this year, but only Hall is on track to start his 2026 season on time. Schiefelbein will have the stage to himself to a degree early on, and while the Tigers won’t be pushing him beyond 100 innings this early in his career, he should be ready to throw a full season by now, assuming no further injury trouble emerges.

Prep pitchers take time. Even Jackson Jobe, widely regarded as one of the most advanced and talented prep pitchers of the past decade, struggled through most of his first two seasons and dealt with a host of minor injuries before suddenly breaking out in a big way two years out from his draft day. Schiefelbein is going to be a longer term project, so this season we’ll just be looking for more muscle on his slender 6’2” frame, and for him to stay healthy and start refining his craft. That would be very welcome progress in his age 20 season. The upside here is something like Cole Hamels as the absolute best case scenario, but the more realistic hope is that Schiefelbein stays healthy as he builds himself up over the next few seasons, and hits his likeliest positive outcome as a solid 3-4 level starting pitcher.

Jose Ramirez isn’t leaving Cleveland any time soon. 

The star third baseman signed a seven-year, $175 million extension to keep him with the Guardians through the 2032 season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. 

The deal includes $70 million in deferred compensation, per Passan.

In 2022, Ramirez signed a seven-year, $141 million contract with Cleveland — his second long-term extension with the franchise. 

His new contract adds an additional four years and $106 million to the three years, $69 million he was already owed from the 2022 extension. 

Ramirez, 33, has become an icon in Cleveland since debuting in 2013, and now appears set to play his entire career with the franchise. 

The Dominican Republic product first joined the team all the way back in 2009 at 17.

After a slow-ish start to his big league career, Ramirez broke out during Cleveland’s American League pennant-winning 2016 season, hitting .312/.363/.462 with 11 home runs and 22 stolen bases while receiving a few down-ballot MVP votes. 

In 13 seasons, Ramirez has made seven All-Star teams and won six Silver Slugger awards. 

He’s finished in the top five in the AL MVP voting five times. 

Last season, Ramirez showed no signs of slowing down, slashing .283/.360/.503 with 30 long balls and a career-high 44 stolen bags.

With 15 more home runs and 13 more swipes, Ramirez will become the ninth player in MLB history to reach 300 homers and 300 stolen bases. 

While they haven’t gotten over the World Series hump, the Guardians have enjoyed one of the best stretches in franchise history since Ramirez’s debut, making the playoffs in eight out of 13 seasons.

Shortly after I wrote about the potential of a CJ Abrams trade, a report came out that the Giants seriously pursued the Nats shortstop, but were unable to reach a deal. The fact that this leaked out right after the Gore trade is very interesting and makes me wonder about the timing. It also makes me wonder about whether the Nats will make a late offseason deal.

The report came from Andrew Baggarly, the Giants beat reporter for the Athletic. This makes me think the leak came from the Giants side. It is clearly a strategic leak and has me wondering if this deal is dead yet. The piece reads like the Giants are telling their fanbase that we tried, but the Nats asking price was just too much.

The thing that stood out the most to me was the reporting that the Giants were willing to offer Josuar Gonzalez. Despite being 18 and never having appeared in a stateside game, Gonzalez is a top 50 prospect in baseball. In their new top 100, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 44th best prospect, while Baseball America had him at number 30. 

Gonzalez was the top player in his IFA class, and had a strong showing in the DSL. He is a potential five tool player, who stands out for his elite defensive ability at shortstop. However, the bat is also very advanced. Pipeline said he has the ceiling of a .280 hitter with 25+ homer pop. If that is the case, he could be the closest thing we have seen to Francisco Lindor. 

The biggest drawback to Gonzalez is obviously his age and lack of experience. He has never played above the DSL level, so there is some serious volatility. However, he has a truly massive ceiling. The fact the Giants were open to offering Gonzalez in a deal, and Toboni turned it down says a lot.

The report also stated that prospects Bo Davidson, Jhonny Level, Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan were discussed. These are all prospects with big upside. Davidson and Level are top 100 guys according to Baseball America. This report fired up Giants fans, who seemed stunned at these names all being discussed.

There is one line that intrigued me though. The report said that even if the Giants offered all five players, it would be unclear if the Nats would have accepted. That feels like spin to me. If Toboni was offered all five, he would be a fool to turn it down.

While the report mentioned plenty of names that were being discussed, there was no leaked offer. If Gonzalez was in the deal, I would imagine the secondary pieces were not very strong. The fact there is no actual deal leaked tells me the Giants are trying to make the price sound higher than it actually was.

However, I do have no doubt that Toboni was asking for a lot. There is less incentive to move Abrams now than there was with Gore. Abrams has three years of team control compared to Gore’s two and is also not represented by infamous super agent Scott Boras. 

Toboni also seems excited to get his hands on Abrams from a development standpoint. On 106.7, he talked about how Abrams is one of the most athletic players in the league, but has not fully been able to translate that athleticism to production. While Abrams has been a quality player the last few years, Toboni sees more upside.

That upside could lead to Abrams being a long term piece, or it could lead to enhanced trade value. If Abrams has a hot start to the season, he would be a very hot commodity at the Trade Deadline. Another thing Abrams could do to boost his stock is prove that he is a true shortstop. I think Toboni was mostly referring to Abrams’ defense when he was talking about his athleticism not translating into production.

The Nats shortstop has all of the twitch and movement skills to be a quality shortstop, but has not put it together yet. Toboni seems like he is on a mission to change that. Right now, most teams looking to trade for Abrams see him as more of a second baseman. The Giants certainly see it that way, with Willy Adames firmly entrenched at shortstop.

All of this leads me to believe a deal is more likely to happen at the deadline, but this leak raised my eyebrows. This could be interpreted as the Giants saying we are done with this or a challenge to Toboni to come back to the table. Either way, the Giants let this get out for a reason.

Over the next few months, I have a feeling that we will be talking about CJ Abrams trade rumors some more. He is a very exciting player, but given the Nats timeline and their glut of young infield talent, a trade seems like a possibility.

When a standout player who has been with your organization his entire career wants to stay with you, you listen. That’s what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did when Jorge Posada became a free agent after the 2007 campaign.

A five-time All-Star and switch-hitting Silver Slugger, Posada would’ve been a boon for any team on the market. He still stands as one of the best-hitting catchers of the past 50 years, and his bat was elite in 2007. The Yankees had been able to extend him during the 2001-02 offseason for five years and $51 million with club option, but despite expressing interest in staying with the team he had been with his whole career, there was also major interest from the crosstown New York Mets — making the chase for the decorated, switch-hitting backstop all the more interesting.

The Yankees ended up making the deal, paying Posada the most average annual salary for a catcher at the time—$13.1 million—and thus stopped a rival team from compelling him to remain in the City, in a different borough. Although the final result being a positive one for the Yankees, it certainly wasn’t without its fireworks.

Jorge Posada
Signing Date: November 13, 2007
Contract: Four years, $52.4 million

Posada was already an established star by this the fall of 2007, and it had been a remarkable ascent from near-complete anonymity during the early part of the 1990s. We chronicled his history in greater detail during our Top 100 Yankees series, but we’ll present a shorter version. The Santurce, Puerto Rico native starred in high school and was able to cut his teeth some more at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, AL. He landed on the Yankees’ radar, and after a couple draft attempts, they signed him out of the 24th round in the 1990 edition — two rounds behind the Yanks’ selection of a young high school lefty from Texas named Andy Pettitte.

Originally a second baseman, Posada was convinced to give catching a try in 1991, when he made 11 appearances behind the plate for short-season Oneonta. By the next year, he was a full-time backstop, and over the next couple seasons, he shot up through the minor leagues, playing 92 games with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1994 and officially debuting with the Yankees in September of ’95. Blocked at the big-league level across ’95 and ’96 by Mike Stanley, Jim Leyritz, and Joe Girardi, Posada played just nine games in The Show during that span, and only traveled with the team as they won it all in October 1996. But even though he would never be confused for a defensive stalwart at catcher, his time would soon come.

Prior to the start of ’97, the Yankees traded Leyritz to the Angels despite his World Series heroics. They wanted to open the door for Posada to get big-league reps as Girardi’s backup and were confident that the up-and-comer could earn his keep. Following a 101 OPS+ in 60 games of action in ’97 though, the Yankees did float Posada as a possible trade option with the Montreal Expos for Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. That obviously did not work out, as Pedro was traded to the rival Boston Red Sox, and the next handful of years would live in infamy between those two teams (and the two players in particular).

Posada finally started over 100 games in the record-breaking ’98 season for the Yankees, slashing .268/.350/.475 with 17 homers for an OPS+ of 115, and his numbers only continued to climb from there. He was eventually trusted with the everyday job as Girardi aged out of the role and departed in December of ’99. The 2000 campaign was the first where Posada really shined, making his first All-Star team and hitting .287/.417/.527 with 28 homers and a 139 OPS+, earning his first Silver Slugger as well.

It was an important time for Posada to make his mark, as other members of the Yankees’ core like Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez were nearing the ends of their days in pinstripes. And thanks in part to Posada’s tenacious at-bat against a dominant Al Leiter with two outs in the ninth inning of 2000 World Series Game 5, the Yankees rallied to secure the three-peat, Posada scoring the go-ahead run on Luis Sojo’s single.

Although it would be a few years before the Yankees again won it all, Posada was an essential part of the contending operation alongside pal Derek Jeter (the best man in his wedding). Posada earned four consecutive All-Star nods and Silver Sluggers from 2000-03, and he really shined in the last of those years. He became the first Yankees catcher to hit 30 homers in a season since no less than Yogi Berra, and thanks in part to a 144 OPS+ and 5.9 rWAR in 142 games, he finished third for AL MVP, trailing only Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado. And while his 2004-06 seasons weren’t as decorated, he still played a vital role, remaining a pillar of health with 422 games started out of the possible 486, notching a 121 OPS+.

Entering 2007, Posada had one year left on his deal before he would hit free agency, and in spring training, the Yankees were uninterested in opening up talks on a second extension. He timed his best campaign since ’03 quite well, and his bat would’ve received even more attention had A-Rod not turned in an MVP season for the ages. Posada finished sixth in the voting with career-highs in all the rate stats, batting .338/.426/.543 with a 153 OPS+ and 5.4 rWAR to claim his fifth All-Star selection and Silver Slugger. That made him a valuable commodity for teams, despite approaching his late thirties at the most physically demanding position in the sport.

The Yankees fell to Cleveland in the ALDS that October, and a decision was on the horizon for Posada. He really wanted a four-year deal in wake of that superb season. The Yankees weren’t particularly enthused about handing that long a commitment to a catcher who had just turned 37 that August; they were hoping to get Posada on a three-year contract for around $40 million.

So Posada was willing to hear out some of his other options, especially since A-Rod had opted out and longtime manager Torre was on his way to the Dodgers. Most notably, the folks across town were very interested. The 2007 season had ended in disaster for the Mets, and catcher Paul Lo Duca took a serious dip after leading the NL East champs in 2006. He was a free agent as well, but GM Omar Minaya had his eyes on Posada, as did his former third-base coach, Mets manager Willie Randolph.

As such, it was easy for Posada to not-so-subtly get the Yankees’ full attention by meeting with the Mets the day before other clubs could officially submut offers, per the New York Times:

Posada and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, had lunch Monday with Minaya and [Mets] vice president Tony Bernazard. The Yankees initially offered the 36-year-old Posada a three-year contract but upped their proposal to four years on Monday evening.

While Posada briefly played hard to get for the Yankees, his intentions were clear from the start. He felt it would be easier to stay with the team that he had been with since his mid-twenties, and that’s exactly what happened. The Yankees acquiesced to his request and ultimately signed him to a four-year, $52.4 million deal.

In those final four seasons, Posada played in 397 games and slashed .258/.349/.454 for an above-average OPS+ of 110. A shoulder injury curtailed both his and the Yankees’ hopes for 2008 success under his old teammate-turned-skipper Girardi, but in 2009, it all came together. Posada hit 22 homers in 438 PA, good for an .885 OPS and 125 OPS+, and he had a productive October as well. Jeter might’ve been the captain, but Posada unofficially led the clubhouse and was willing to be the guy who held teammates accountable when necessary.

The Bombers won it all, and Posada had his fifth ring. It would be the last one.

Posada’s bat remained strong in 2010 but his oft-uneven defense had made him a liability behind the plate, and he was a concussion risk as well. The Yankees found a bargain in the more well-balanced Russell Martin that offseason, so they signed him and planned to have Posada DH in 2011. The 40-year-old was unhappy in the role and dipped to a below-average showing at the plate, too. Although it was an awkward swan song for Posada, the hard feelings faded in time (and he was actually one of the few consistent bats during their five-game ALDS loss to Detroit). He retired in January 2012 and the Yankees retired his No. 20 in August 2015, honoring him with a plaque in Monument Park.

So yes, the Yankees had reason to be uneasy about that fourth year. But the overall contract still led to a 2009 World Series crown and the Yankees were able to pivot to a new catcher anyway during that last season. Losing Posada to the Mets would’ve been a true shame; thankfully, they didn’t let it happen.

See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will miss at least three weeks after sustaining a UCL sprain in his left elbow, the team announced Saturday.

According to the team, Morant is expected to make a full recovery and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

Morant was injured during the Grizzlies’ 124-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Morant’s injury comes as his name has popped up in trade rumors ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. He is under contract with the Grizzlies through the 2027–28 season and is eligible to sign a three-year, $178 million extension this summer.

[Get more Grizzlies news: Memphis team feed]

This is the second major NBA injury in two days after Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also could be traded this season, is set to miss 4-6 weeks with a strained right calf.

In recent seasons, Morant’s biggest issue has been staying on the court. This season, he has played in just 20 games and recently missed time with a right calf contusion. He also was injured earlier this season with calf and ankle injuries and served a one-game suspension. In his sixth season, he has not played more than 65 games in a season since his rookie year.

During the 2023–24 season, Morant appeared in only nine games after serving a 25-game suspension to start the year and later suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. When he plays, Morant remains productive, averaging 19.5 points, 8.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Through 43 games the Grizzlies sit 12th in the Western Conference with an 18-25 record. They next play Sunday at home against the Denver Nuggets before traveling to Houston for a date with the Rockets on Monday night.