Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 14

Los Angeles Angels’ third baseman Yoan Moncada overcame a thumb injury in time for Opening Day. However, he didn’t fully heal from the deep bruise sustained in spring training and now the ailment will sideline him early in the 2025 season. Los Angeles placed Moncada on the 10-day IL Thursday with a right thumb strain, […]

The New Orleans Saints suffered through a disappointing 2024 season, finishing 5-12 and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. While injuries contributed to the team’s struggles last season, veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan has high hopes for 2025. “Let’s be real. The Bucs have won the division the last three or four years. […]

The San Francisco Giants signed three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million contract this offseason. The 42-year-old veteran is entering his 21st season in the majors but Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey believes there’s still gas in the tank. “You mention he’s 42. There’s definitely risk in the […]

The New York Yankees have scored the second-most runs in baseball through the first 12 games of the season as the offense is off to a scorching-hot start. While the team’s production at the plate has led the way early on, starting pitcher Max Fried stepped up on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers. Fried dominated […]

The debate over where Colorado football quarterback Shedeur Sanders lands in the upcoming NFL draft rages on. After drawing concern with his pre-draft workout, Sanders received a vote of confidence from an anonymous NFL executive. “One of the keys for any young quarterback is being able to define your game… And I’m not just talking […]

The Houston Astros have reached the postseason in eight straight years, making four World Series appearances and winning two championships since 2017. But the Astros are a very different team in 2025 after trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and losing Alex Bregman in free agency. Now the Astros are moving forward with a […]

Francisco Lindor is coming off a remarkable season in which he led the New York Mets on an unexpected playoff run that ended in the NLCS. Now paired with superstar right fielder Juan Soto, the Mets are expected to be legitimate World Series contenders in 2025. But so far Lindor has struggled at the plate. […]

The Boston Red Sox made the decision to change Rafael Devers’ position this season. With new addition Alex Bregman manning third base, Devers is now Boston’s full-time designated hitter. Unfortunately, the ninth-year veteran hasn’t done much hitting so far this season. Devers did set a major-league record on Saturday, however with 10 strikeouts in the […]

The New York Mets won the Juan Soto sweepstakes this offseason, signing the star right fielder to a massive 15-year, $765 million contract in free agency. The long-term deal has changed Soto’s thought process about winning a championship after shorter stints with the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees. “I have 15 years […]

The New York Yankees crushed the Milwaukee Brewers 20-9 on Saturday as the Bronx Bombers hit a franchise record nine home runs. The Yankees gave former teammate Nestor Cortes a rude welcome in his return to New York, running him from the game after just two innings. Following the brutal beatdown, Cortes was in no […]

The Los Angeles Angels suffered an embarrassing loss to the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day. The teams matched up again on Saturday and while the Angels picked up the 1-0 victory, evening the series, they did not escape unscathed. Los Angeles’ center fielder Jo Adell was forced to leave the game in the fifth […]

The Tennessee Titans entered the offseason in need of a starting quarterback. Armed with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft there was a growing consensus around the league that the team would take Cam Ward. But cryptic comments from Titans’ GM Mike Borgonzi called that strategy into question. Now head coach Brian Callahan […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the offseason bolstering their World Series-winning roster with even more talent. As a result, LA is favored to repeat as champions in 2025. And one of the organization’s new acquisitions debuted in Thursday’s home opener against the Detroit Tigers. Blake Snell took the mound for Los Angeles, making his eagerly […]

With the New York Yankees’ pitching staff decimated by injuries this spring, manager Aaron Boone called on Carlos Rodon to start on Opening Day. The 11th-year veteran looked sharp against the Milwaukee Brewers. But in the fourth inning, Rodon gave Yankees fans a scare when he appeared to injure himself on a play at first […]

Despite a spate of injuries this spring, the New York Yankees got off to a good start in the season opener against the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday. Second-year catcher Austin Wells belted a leadoff home run, putting New York on the board early and the team carried a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning. It was […]

The Los Angeles Angels suffered an embarrassing loss to the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day. The 8-1 defeat to a White Sox team coming off a historically terrible 2024 season was bad enough. But Chicago nearly added injury to insult. In Mike Trout’s first at-bat of the season, White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke […]

The Los Angeles Angels got embarrassed by the Chicago White Sox in what was undoubtedly the least appealing matchup of Opening Day. Last season the Angels and White Sox combined to win just 104 games as both teams missed the playoffs. This season, White Sox GM Chris Getz set a low bar for the team, […]

The New York Yankees suffered an alarming number of injuries this spring. And while the pitching staff bore the brunt of the damage, position players did not escape unscathed. Giancarlo Stanton is dealing with injuries to both elbows and opened the season on the IL. There’s still no timeline for the veteran slugger’s return to […]

The New England Patriots endured three straight losing seasons for the first time since the early 1990s. Armed with the most cap space in the NFL, the team aggressively pursued free agents this offseason. After bolstering the defense early on, the Patriots addressed their lackluster wide receiver situation by signing Stefon Diggs to a three-year, […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the offseason, aggressively adding impact players to a team that won the World Series in 2024. While many MLB observers believe LA will repeat as champions this season, the team may have one weakness. A mystery stomach illness sidelined Mookie Betts for the Dodgers’ season opening series in Tokyo. Now […]

Fans of petty squabbles were treated to another round of the Micah Parsons-DeMarcus Lawrence beef. The former Dallas Cowboys teammates have been taking shots at each other since Lawrence landed a $42 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency earlier this month. The feud quickly escalated, turning personal when Lawrence accused Parsons of […]

Retired NFL players are increasingly gravitating toward sports media opportunities. While Tom Brady set the standard, as he often does, with a record 10-year, $375 million contract as FOX’s top color commentator, three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt is the latest former football player to make the transition to the broadcast booth. Watt […]

Just when it started to become clear that the Tennessee Titans would take Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, the team threw NFL observers a curveball. Following Ward’s Pro Day workout, Titans GM Mike Borgonzi pushed back on the notion that Tennessee was a lock to take the former Miami […]

The Tennessee Titans hold the first pick in the draft after going 3-14 last season. It’s clear the team intends to make a change at quarterback and there’s a growing consensus around the league that the Titans will take Cam Ward with the first overall selection. In the meantime Tennessee has added to its quarterback […]

The St. Louis Cardinals have missed the playoffs the last two years and the team has won one postseason series in the last decade. Facing a rebuild, St. Louis looked to cut payroll and began shopping Nolan Arenado. The Cardinals thought they had a partner in the Houston Astros but Arenado blocked the trade. Now, […]

Sean Payton hasn’t been able to establish the run since taking over as head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2023. Now the team is searching for a new running back after losing leading rusher Javonte Williams to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. The Broncos failed to add a replacement for Williams at the start […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers racked up $1 billion in deferred payments to assemble a star-studded team. After winning the World Series last season, the Dodgers will field an even stronger squad in 2025. The expectation is that Los Angeles will run away with the championship this season. But the outcome is not so clear cut […]

The New York Giants’ search for a starting quarterback ended on Tuesday when the team signed Russell Wilson to a one-year, $21 million contract. The deal includes $10.5 million guaranteed. Wilson is headed to New York after a one-season stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Giants will be his fourth team in the last five […]

The Los Angeles Angels’ infield is banged up as the team prepares for the season opener. Starting shortstop Zach Neto is still recovering from shoulder surgery with no timeline for his return to the lineup. Third baseman Anthony Rendon underwent hip surgery and is out indefinitely. And his replacement at the hot corner, Yoan Moncada […]

The Philadelphia Phillies finished with a 95-67 record in 2024, winning the NL East for the first time in 13 years. This season the Phillies are considered one of the biggest threats to the Dodgers’ World Series hopes, as the team boasts an excellent, deep rotation and All-Star-caliber players throughout the lineup. Although Kyle Tucker […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is entering the final year of his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. While most teams would have prioritized retaining a superstar player entering his prime, the Blue Jays failed to extend Guerrero during the offseason. But despite the team’s poor handling of the situation, a deal could still get done. Jim […]

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the offseason with major question marks around three of their star players. The Bengals surprised many in the NFL when they re-signed both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to four-year extensions. But Trey Hendrickson’s future with the team remains up in the air. With negotiations for a new contract at a […]

The moment star right fielder Juan Soto signed with the Mets in free agency this offseason, the New York Yankees realized they were facing an uphill battle in their quest to return to the World Series. Since then a spate of injuries has decimated the Yankees’ rotation and significantly weakened the team. Although New York […]

The Texas Rangers are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season, as the team missed the playoffs after winning the World Series the previous year. Rangers’ veteran ace Jacob deGrom is healthy to start the season and the team also boasts exciting young pitching prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker in the rotation. […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting to find out who will start at quarterback for the team in 2025. The Steelers have a contract offer on the table for Aaron Rodgers but the veteran passer is taking his time deciding on his next NFL home. Should Rodgers choose Pittsburgh, he’ll have a little more protection […]

The Kansas City Royals reached the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons last year. Royals fans have renewed hope in the team thanks in large part to rising star Bobby Witt Jr. In 2024, he became the only shortstop in baseball history with multiple 30/30 seasons. And expectations are even higher in 2025 […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off the 2025 MLB season in Japan, where the team dominated the Chicago Cubs in the two-game Tokyo Series. But the Dodgers were forced to start their season without Mookie Betts. The star shortstop was scratched from the series due to a mysterious illness. Nearly a week later Betts is […]

Juan Soto’s Yankees career was brief but memorable. After the San Diego Padres traded Soto to New York prior to the 2024 season, he helped lead the Bronx Bombers to the World Series. Along the way Soto made his fourth career All-Star Game, won his fifth Silver Slugger Award, finished third in AL MVP voting […]

The Cincinnati Bengals surprised many in the NFL world when the team inked both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive, four-year extensions. And since the signings, the Bengals have been feeling themselves, taking a victory lap after one of the offseason’s biggest moves. Chase agreed to a $161 million deal that makes him the […]