Yankees baseball is back, and even though it’s only been a handful of games it feels like a turning point in the year to see the boys put on pinstripes and take the field at last. We’ve got a loaded schedule this year for spring with the World Baseball Classic right around the corner, and several Yankees participating in the competition means they’ve got to be in game shape quite quickly. To his credit, Aaron Judge certainly appears so after he made his spring debut memorable with a pair of homers already on his soon-to-be-wiped stat line.
With all this going on, there’s plenty to react to and look forward to as spring begins to unfold. Will we see a dark horse emerge from the spring hopefuls to make the roster? Will any of the regular starters stand out with a particularly hot spring, and does it matter if they do? Who has the deepest roster heading into the WBC? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of February 19th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players union held a virtual meeting Monday to try and further negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
It was the first meeting between the two sides that involved players and the league since they met at the WNBA offices on Feb. 2. Because of the winter storm that hit New York, it was decided to hold the meeting virtually.
Over 50 players were on the call, which lasted nearly two hours, the person said.
The two sides are still far apart on revenue sharing and housing.
The league in its latest proposal that was sent Friday offered 70% net revenue for the players, and said it would do away with a trigger threshold that currently needs to be met to attain revenue sharing.
That came after the union had asked for an average of 27.5% of the gross revenue over the course of the CBA, beginning with 25% in the first year of the new deal. In its previous offer, the union had asked for an average of more than 30%.
The league at that point said in a statement the revenue sharing percentage remained unrealistic and would cause “hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams.”
Also on Monday, the union confirmed to the AP that the WNBA will give its players $8 million from revenue sharing from last season as the league generated enough to trigger revenue sharing for the first time in league history. ESPN was the first to report it.
The players will decide how much each player will receive from that distribution. The union has 60 days from Feb. 9, when it was officially notified of the revenue sharing money, to come up with how it will disperse it.
That money will be distributed by the teams, which will then be reimbursed by the league. Under the 2020 CBA that has since expired, players received 50% of shared revenue — defined in the CBA as the amount of revenue that’s above a predetermined threshold amount minus 30% for expenses.
Neither the league or the union would say what that threshold is.
In its latest offer, the league said teams would continue to pay for housing for all players this season, a different person familiar with the negotiations told the AP on Saturday. The person also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
After that, franchises would pay for housing for players on minimum salary contracts, rookies in their first season and the two developmental players teams would be allowed to have.
The union had asked for teams to continue paying for housing for players in the first few years of the new agreement, but in the last two years of the CBA the franchises would no longer have to pay for housing for players that are making near the maximum salary.
If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. It’s already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland and the start of a free agency frenzy.
“We still need to complete two drafts and free agency before the start of training camp and are running out of time,” the league said in a statement earlier this week. “We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players and generations to come.”
The previous CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin last month. With a massive salary raise expected in a new CBA, 80% of players in the league are free agents this offseason, which makes this the biggest opportunity for player movement in the history of the WNBA.
A delay would hurt both sides. The season is supposed to start May 8 and every game missed is lost revenue, sponsorships, television money and fan support.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. women’s hockey gold medal-winning team has politely declined an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the U.S. women’s team said in a statement released Monday. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
Trump also invited the U.S. men’s gold medal-winning team.
Scheduling will be a challenge as the NHL regular season resumes with five games on Wednesday and the PWHL resumes on Thursday.
Logistics played a role in the decision, as many of the women players were not scheduled to arrive in North America until Monday evening. The men’s team flew by charter to Miami earlier Monday. The women took a commercial flight and were scheduled to land in Atlanta.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the women’s players didn’t learn of the invite until late Sunday night, making it difficult to change their travel plans. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the team’s travel plans.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of both teams.
When extending the invitation to the men’s team on Sunday night, Trump said, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.” Trump joked that if he did not also invite the women’s team, “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
“It’s been a whirlwind, it’s been amazing. It’s a dream of ours, it was such an amazing way to unite the country,” Matthew Tkachuk of the U.S. men’s team said after arriving in Miami.
“We felt the support being across the Atlantic and now being back on home soil we could feel it the second the wheels hit the ground. So excited to be back in the greatest country in the world and so excited to celebrate.”
Tkachuk said it was an honor to hear from Trump after the win. “And so we are definitely honored to represent him and the millions and millions across the country.”
Vice President JD Vance attended two of the U.S. women’s preliminary round wins with his family over the first week of the Games.
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AP writers John Wawrow, Stephen Whyno, Charles Odum in Atlanta, Melissa Goldin in Washington, and Freida Frisaro in Miami contributed to this report.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Manchester United supersub Benjamin Sesko scored 13 minutes after entering the field to give his side a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League on Monday.
It was the third time in four games that Sesko has scored after coming off the bench and secured points for United.
“I believe in me and so do the other players as well,” Sesko told Sky Sports. “They know what they are going to get when I arrive in the game. It’s up to me to deliver of course.”
His goal with 19 minutes remaining finished off the slickest move of an otherwise stodgy game.
Bryan Mbeumo controlled Matheus Cunha’s superb long ball and played a perfectly weighted pass to the feet of Sesko, who steered the ball past Jordan Pickford with aplomb.
“It was a great finish,” United interim coach Michael Carrick said. “It was a ruthless finish. I liked the way he put it away with real confidence. It was great play from Cunha and Mbeumo to set it up and we are dangerous on the break.”
Until then defenses had been on top and the lack of attacking fluency was not helped by a heavy pitch that appeared to slow down both teams.
The result took fourth-placed United three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool. United was three behind Aston Villa.
It also extended Carrick’s unbeaten run to six games since he replaced Ruben Amorim on Jan. 13.
The defeat was a blow to Everton’s hopes of a place in next year’s European competitions and left it languishing in ninth, behind Brentford and Bournemouth and eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool.
David Moyes’ men have gone seven games without a win at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“Generally we did very well in lots of bits,” Moyes said. “We got done on the counterattack and they ran away and got the goal that was there. We put in a great effort to get the goal but lacked the quality to make it count.”
Kevin Durant, 37, is feeling the Olympics call to him yet again. After the United States won gold in both men and women’s hockey in Milano Cortina, the former NBA MVP and the United States’ all-time leading Olympic scorer debunked the theory that 2024 was the last Olympic ride for many of the games biggest stars.
“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant told ESPN. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph.”
Curry is unlikely to participate in 2028 and James has already said that he will not play. Durant added that he wants to play, but only if he is still at the “top of [his] game.”
He said, “I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team.” He continued, “I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
Durant’s Olympic resumé
As mentioned earlier, Durant is the United States’ all-time leading scorer at the Olympics. He began his Olympic career in 2012, playing in London.
Durant averaged 19.5 points per game in the London Olympics, all while hitting more than 48.5% of his three-point attempts. Durant has averaged at least 19.8 points per game in every Olympics since with his worst mark coming in 2024, when he averaged just 13.8 points per game in Paris.
The U.S. has won gold at every Olympics Durant has participated in.
When and where will the 2028 Olympics be?
The 2028 Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, California. The basketball games, specifically, will be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
The first basketball game of the event will take place two days prior to the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, July 12, 2028, with the gold medal game not yet set but likely on Sunday, July 30, 2028. Durant will be 39 years old.
TAMPA, FL – FEBRUARY 18: New York Yankees Infielder Ben Rice (22) smiles as he warms up during the spring training workout on February 18, 2026 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The thing about spring training is that, in the first couple weeks, most of the action involves players that you will not see in the regular season. The first few innings might be something fun, but after that it’s only for those who really crave baseball or are overtly interested in the team’s prospects.
Today, the Yankees got most of their damage done early and by the regulars, as four second-inning walks chased Bubba Chandler and both Ben Rice and Jasson Domínguez delivered clutch run-scoring hits that set the tone for a 6-2 win down in Bradenton. Despite traffic on the bases all day, the Yanks mostly kept the Pirates’ offense at bay, with former first-round pick Ben Hess turning the most heads with a strong outing late in the game.
Chandler got things started with a quick 1-2-3 first, which saw Domínguez strike out, sandwiched by both Ben Rice and Ryan McMahon popping out in foul territory.
Ryan Yarbrough gave up a leadoff single to Oneil Cruz, struck out Nick Gonzales, and jumped ahead of Bryan Reynolds 0-2 before walking him. That would prove to be costly, as after a flyout moved Cruz to third, Marcell Ozuna punched one through the right side for a go-ahead RBI single in the first for the Pirates.
Paul DeJong and Spencer Jones led off the second with walks off the usually frugal Chandler, who battled back to get the next two outs before walking both Zack Short and Payton Henry to force in a run, ending his day. After walking just four batters in 31.1 innings last year, he had four in 1.2 innings today.
Former Yankee farmhand Tyrone Yulie came in to face Rice, who smoked a 100.4 mph, two-run single through the right side. Domínguez joined the party a few pitches later, lofting an RBI double into right field to finish off a four-run second.
Yarbrough settled in after a challenging first, giving up a two-out double to Alika Williams between a pair of strikeouts. The second strikeout of the inning was ABS-assisted, as home plate umpire Macon Hammond originally called ball four to put Cruz on first, but the Yankees challenged, and it was overturned to strike three. Overall, not a bad day for Yarbrough, who struck out four in two innings.
Another former Yankee, Dennis Santana, tossed a scoreless third around an infield single by Max Schuemann and a walk by Short. Paul Blackburn took over for Yarbrough in the third and got into immediate trouble with an infield single and a walk. After threatening to walk the bases loaded with nobody out, Blackburn induced a 3-2 forceout before a clear 5-4-3 double play ended the third.
Gregory Soto pitched a 1-2-3 fourth for the Pirates. Blackburn got into more trouble with back-to-back singles in the bottom half. Fortunately, he pulled out another Houdini act, retiring three straight batters, capping it off with a filthy 2-2 curveball to Cruz to end the inning.
Kyle Nicolas retired the middle of the Yankees’ order quickly, including a strikeout of Spencer Jones, in the fifth. Dylan Coleman continued his bullpen audition in the bottom half and got into trouble, but the Pirates stranded two for the third straight inning.
The Yankees threatened to break the game open in the sixth off of Hunter Barco with two walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases, but Domínguez (batting from the right side) struck out, and McMahon slapped a liner the other way that was snagged by new third baseman Jhonny Severino.
Hess made his first appearance of the spring in the sixth as the regulars were removed from the game, and he was impressive, striking out Nick Cimillo and Omar Alfonzo in a quick, nine-pitch inning. Hess got up to 95 mph on his fastball and got three whiffs, including one on a looping curveball to retire Alfonzo.
The Yankees got an extra run in the seventh. Yanquiel Fernandez walked and stole second, Marco Luciano walked against pitcher Kyle Larsen (no, not the NASCAR driver), and Ali Sanchez reached on a throwing error by Severino that allowed Fernandez to score, making it 5-1 into the seventh inning stretch. Hess went back to work and flirted with trouble with a walk and a single allowed, but he struck out the side around it in the seventh.
Miguel Palma, a soft-hitting depth catcher signed away from the Astros this offseason, smacked a leadoff homer off of former Tigers reliever Beau Burrows in the eighth. George Lombard Jr. got his first at-bat of the game later that inning and walked, but was stranded.
After two strong innings, Hess faltered to start the bottom of the eighth, plunking Severino, allowing an RBI double to Cimillo to cut it to 6-2, and walking Alfonzo. He settled down with a 6-4-3 double play and got out of the inning by retiring former Yankee farmhand Brian Sanchez. That wrapped up a three-inning outing from Hess, who impressive on the whole.
Luciano’s leadoff walk in the ninth was stranded by Brandan Bidois, while Geoff Gilbert came on for the Yanks and got the final three outs, improving the spring record to 2-2.
The Yankees are back in action tomorrow, taking on the Blue Jays in Dunedin at 1:07. Will Warren is scheduled to make his first spring start, while Toronto’s starter is to be determined. The game will be available on the Gotham Sports App and MLB Network (out-of-market only).
Whether you’re a Samsung fan, an Android user, or just a tech enthusiast in general, you may want to clear your calendar: Samsung Unpacked 2026 is nearly here. Like Google I/O or Apple’s fall event, Unpacked is Samsung’s keynote, where the company shows off what it’s been working on since, well, the last Unpacked. Like previous keynotes, this year’s should be full of big Samsung news, all of which you can watch live as it happens.
When is Galaxy Unpacked 2026?
Samsung’s big presentation will kick off in San Francisco on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Like many tech events, Galaxy Unpacked starts at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET).
How to watch Galaxy Unpacked 2026
While Samsung is hosting a live presentation for a limited number of media and guests, anybody can tune into Galaxy Unpacked 2026 as it happens. The company is streaming the show from a number of websites, including Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom, and Samsung’s official YouTube channel. The YouTube livestream is currently up, but, of course, you won’t see much until 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
What will Samsung announce at Galaxy Unpacked 2026?
Usually, all we have is rumors and conjecture when reporting on what a company like Samsung will reveal during a big hardware event. We still need to do that in this case, but, that said, the company outright told us what its biggest announcement will be. When Samsung first announced Unpacked 2026 a couple weeks ago, it said that “the new Galaxy S series is coming,” which, no doubt, refers to the Galaxy S26. Samsung says this new series is “built to simplify everyday interactions, inspire confidence, and make Galaxy AI feel seamlessly integrated from the moment it’s in hand.” Whatever that means.
Unpacked 2026: Galaxy S26 series
We can look to rumors surrounding the S26 series to paint a picture of what to expect Wednesday. As it the norm, Samsung will likely release three main S26 units: the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. It isn’t clear whether the company will release an S26 Edge this year to follow up the S25 Edge.
The standard S26 seems like it’ll be a small upgrade over the current S25, though with one key change: The new Galaxy will house its three rear cameras on a raised camera bump, following in the footsteps of Apple and Google. Rumors are split as to whether the cameras themselves will be upgraded, with some speculating that the Ultra will jump from 12MP to 50MP. The S26 may pack a 6.3-inch AMOLED display, a 4,300 mAh battery, up to 12GB of RAM, and possible up to 512GB of storage. Samsung may be running with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 to power the phone. The S26 Plus will likely be a similar phone, just with a larger 6.7-inch display.
The S26 Ultra looks like it’ll launch with four rear cameras, with three of them contained to the bump out. As usual, the Ultra is the largest of the bunch, sporting a rumored 6.9-inch display. It could even be a bit thinner than the current S25 Ultra. The cameras may get some upgrades too, though the raw numbers appear to the same as the S25 Ultra. For example, while both may have 200MP main sensors, the S26’s sensor may get some upgrades. It, too, could come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, as well as up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, a 5,000 mAh battery, and 60-watt fast wired charging.
The entire S25 series may also support 25W fast wireless charing, and may start selling a 25W Qi2 charger that supports it. They may all also support satellite communications, which would let users call and text emergency services and contacts without cellular network—similar to Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone.
Unpacked 2026: Galaxy Buds 4
Samsung will likely unveiled a new pair of earbuds Wednesday alongside the S26 series: Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. If the rumors are true, the Buds 4 will come in black and the Buds 4 Pro will come in white, though both will come with a charging case with a transparent lid. Besides color, the other big difference here is how the buds fit: The Buds 4 Pro are rumored to come with silicone tips, like AirPods Pro, while the Buds 4 do not, like Apple’s standard AirPods.
Unpacked 2026: AI
Finally, expect some big AI announcements, especially as they pertain to the S26 series. In a press release on Sunday, Samsung announced an “expansion of Galaxy AI” to support “a choice of integrated agents.” Specifically, Samsung is partnering with Perplexity to bring its AI agents to Galaxy devices. You’ll be able to say “Hey Plex” to access the agent, and the bot will work across Samsung apps, like Calendar, Clock, Gallery, Notes, and Reminder.
At the same time, the company is currently testing the latest version of its own assistant, Bixby, with One UI 8.5. The goal is to let users ask Bixby for things on their Galaxy device, such as “I don’t want the screen to shut off when I’m looking at it,” and the bot will adjust the proper settings in kind. The new Bixby can also access the web to answer questions, similar to other AI bots like ChatGPT or Gemini. Expect to hear more about this during Unpacked as well.
Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) reacts in the dugout after being relieved in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The birds are singing, the snow is melting, and pitchers are getting hurt. Spring is here. The Jays have already lost Bowden Francis for the season. Shane Bieber is delayed, and now it sounds like Yimi Garcia will be as well. The Jays wisely invested in depth this winter. Cody Ponce was an interesting signing to shore up the back of the rotation, and Jose Berrios is still here after a winter of trade speculation. Eric Lauer is here too, and wants a starting job. He’s not in the top 5 right now, but he has a case and he’d crack most rotations in the league. The depth in AAA looks thin if you don’t think Ricky Tiedemann is a starter in 2026 (we’ll see about long term), but Jake Bloss should be working his way back by June. All of which is to say that the Jays have some shuffling to do but right now look set to field a very good five man rotation with some depth.
Enter Max Scherzer. The last time the future first ballot hall of famer walked off a mound, he’d held the fearsome Dodgers offence to one run over four and a third to start game 7 of the World Series, leaving with a lead and having out-dueled Shohei Ohtani. If the Jays had held on, it would be the crowning moment of one of the best pitching careers of his generation. But they didn’t, and so Scherzer wants to give the storybook ending one more try. It seems like if he pitches in 2026 it will be for the Blue Jays, and repots are that the talks are heating up.
For all his past greatness, he had a 5.19 ERA in the regular season last year and while the stats suggest he deserved a little better he’s firmly a #5 in 2026. As it is, he probably doesn’t crack the starting five even before Shane Bieber’s slow ramp up is completed. It’s hard to imagine him accepting a bullpen role. On the other hand, you never have enough pitching, and he brings a ton of leadership and (arguably psychotic) intensity to the clubhouse. My questions are: will the Blue Jays end up signing Scherzer, and should they?
The Utah Jazz are running out of players to put in their frontcourt. Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić will undergo a season-ending surgical procedure on his nose, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. Nurkić has reportedly experienced complications with breathing and sleeping since fracturing his nose a few years ago.
Nurkić averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 50.3% from the field in his first season with the Jazz. The 31-year-old has also spent time playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets.
Nurkić is the latest Jazz player to be ruled out for the rest of the season. Jaren Jackson Jr. was also ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee. Jackson was reportedly shut down to ensure his long-term health after a localized PVNS growth was discovered post-trade.
Jackson was acquired by the Jazz in a trade in February that sent multiple players and three future first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies. Jazz center Walker Kessler played in five games this season before undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
With Nurkić ruled out, expect the Jazz to go with Kyle Filipowski, 37-year-old Kevin Love and two-way contract player Oscar Tshiebwe. The Jazz could also experiment with playing star forward Lauri Markkanen at center, as long as he is not shut down.
The Jazz injuries come at a time when the league is trying to crack down on tanking, with teams near the bottom of the standings eyeing a loaded 2026 NBA Draft. The Jazz and the Indiana Pacers were recently fined for “overt tanking behavior.”
The Jazz and Pacers have been under scrutiny because both team have a chance to keeping their 2026 NBA Draft picks, depending on where they land. The Jazz can only keep their pick if it lands in the top eight.
Teams such as the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards have also recently sat star players they recently acquired. The Jazz are 18-39, currently second to last in the West.
The Utah Jazz are running out of players to put in their frontcourt. Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić will undergo a season-ending surgical procedure on his nose, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. Nurkić has reportedly experienced complications with breathing and sleeping since fracturing his nose a few years ago.
Nurkić averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 50.3% from the field in his first season with the Jazz. The 31-year-old has also spent time playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets.
Nurkić is the latest Jazz player to be ruled out for the rest of the season. Jaren Jackson Jr. was also ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee. Jackson was reportedly shut down to ensure his long-term health after a localized PVNS growth was discovered post-trade.
Jackson was acquired by the Jazz in a trade in February that sent multiple players and three future first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies. Jazz center Walker Kessler played in five games this season before undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
With Nurkić ruled out, expect the Jazz to go with Kyle Filipowski, 37-year-old Kevin Love and two-way contract player Oscar Tshiebwe. The Jazz could also experiment with playing star forward Lauri Markkanen at center, as long as he is not shut down.
The Jazz injuries come at a time when the league is trying to crack down on tanking, with teams near the bottom of the standings eyeing a loaded 2026 NBA Draft. The Jazz and the Indiana Pacers were recently fined for “overt tanking behavior.”
The Jazz and Pacers have been under scrutiny because both team have a chance to keeping their 2026 NBA Draft picks, depending on where they land. The Jazz can only keep their pick if it lands in the top eight.
Teams such as the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards have also recently sat star players they recently acquired. The Jazz are 18-39, currently second to last in the West.
