Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 34

Former first-round draft pick Jack Leiter could get an opportunity to open the season in the Texas Rangers’ rotation after an injury to veteran starter Jon Gray. Leiter is looking to bounce back from a rough MLB debut last season and the new pitch he added could help him stick in the majors. Leiter added […]

The Los Angeles Angels took a flier on Yoan Moncada this offseason. The often banged up veteran was expected to start at third base for LA but a spring training thumb injury is worse than the Angels anticipated, throwing Moncada’s availability into question. While the team has serious concerns, Moncada is confident that he’ll be […]

The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2025 season with high expectations. While the National League East will be a competitive division with the New York Mets acquiring Juan Soto and the Atlanta Braves getting Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider back from injury, the Phillies believe they’re a championship-caliber team. Philadelphia will begin the season on […]

Injuries have piled up for the New York Yankees this spring. The starting rotation has been decimated while Giancaro Stanton and DJ LeMahieu have been sidelined as well. Then, on Monday, Paul Goldschmidt was forced from a spring training game with a back injury. However, it appears the Yankees have dodged a bullet with Goldschmidt, […]

The Chicago Cubs have headed to Japan where they’ll kick off the 2025 season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series. And top Cubs prospect Matt Shaw could make his MLB debut in the season opener. Should Shaw earn the everyday third base job, he would be the first Cubs rookie to man […]

Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider made his spring training debut on Monday, taking the mound for the first time since his season-ending injury last April. And Strider dominated in 2.2 innings of work against the Boston Red Sox in a Grapefruit League matchup. Following the outing, Strider spoke about getting back in a game after […]

The Houston Texans allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL last season as quarterback C.J. Stroud was taken down 52 times in his sophomore season. Despite the offensive line woes, the Texans made the surprise decision to trade Laremy Tunsil this offseason, sending the standout left tackle to the Washington Commanders. After spending six seasons […]

The New England Patriots entered the offseason with the most salary cap space in the NFL and the team put its surplus of cash to good use. New England signed a number of key defenders in free agency. But new head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that the Patriots whiffed on offensive additions. Veteran wideout Cooper […]

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots split up following the 2023 season, ending a 24-year partnership. After failing to land a new coaching gig in the NFL, Belichick decided to go back to college, becoming North Carolina football’s next head coach. He’s also dating a 24-year-old former cheerleader. And based solely on the happy […]

The New Orleans Saints made a late push to land Cooper Kupp in free agency. After the veteran wideout signed with the Seattle Seahawks on Friday, New Orleans pivoted and took a chance on a lesser known receiver with upside. The Saints agreed to a deal with Velus Jones Jr., according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler […]

Shortly after longtime Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, he began taking shots at his former team. Lawrence did not hold back, publicly blasting the Cowboys’ Super Bowl chances by stating that he wasn’t going to win a championship in Dallas. However, on Saturday, the veteran pass […]

After an injury ravaged season in 2024, the Atlanta Braves added Jurickson Profar to their roster. The team landed the All-Star outfielder on a three-year, $42 million deal. But the injury bug apparently isn’t through with the Braves just yet as Profar was forced to leave a spring training game early after jamming his wrist […]

The Detroit Tigers reached the playoffs last season for the first time in 10 years thanks in large part to reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. In 2024, Skubal also won the pitching triple crown, leading the American League in wins (18), strikeouts (228) and ERA (2.39). And he’s continued his dominance this […]

The Atlanta Braves would surely be one of baseball’s most talented teams if they can manage to stay healthy. An avalanche of injuries wiped out their World Series aspirations last season and now it’s threatening to resume in 2025. All-Star third baseman Austin Riley became the latest Brave to sustain an injury when he was […]

The Boston Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a $120 million contract this offseason. While the move was met with resistance from veteran Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, Boston appears to have avoided a contentious situation as Devers ultimately agreed to change positions. Despite the awkward start to his Red Sox career, […]

The New England Patriots entered the offseason with the most salary cap space in football as the team had nearly $120 million in its war chest. And once free agency began, the Patriots started spending. The team added multiple marquee names to the roster including former Eagles’ defender Milton Williams, who signed a $104 million […]

The Dallas Cowboys lost running back Rico Dowdle in free agency after the Carolina Panthers signed him on a one-year, $6.25 million deal. Now the Cowboys have landed a former Panthers’ RB to take Dowdle’s place. Dallas reached an agreement on a one-year deal with veteran running back Miles Sanders, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler […]

The Seattle Seahawks made the surprise decision to trade entrenched starter Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and replace him with Sam Darnold on a three-year, $100.5 million deal. Darnold had a breakout season in 2024 after failing to impress over his first six years in the league. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak […]

The Indianapolis Colts have been active in free agency as the team attempts to rebound from its 8-9 finish in 2024. In an effort to improve a porous pass defense, the Colts focused on restocking their secondary this offseason, adding former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward on a three-year deal worth up to $60 […]

The Red Sox felt they significantly upgraded the roster when they signed Gold Glove-winning third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract this offseason. Then they encountered a problem. Boston’s current third baseman, Rafael Devers, didn’t want to leave third base. The situation was shaping up to be a major headache for Red […]

The moment the New York Yankees lost ace Gerrit Cole to season-ending Tommy John surgery, the baseball world assumed the team would make a move to replace him in the rotation. But so far the Yankees have refrained from adding a starter to the roster. Somewhat surprisingly, New York appears unlikely to acquire a new […]

The Atlanta Braves proved to be a resilient group in 2024. The team weathered a series of crushing injuries and still managed to reach the postseason. It was the seventh straight year the Braves made the playoffs. During the offseason, Atlanta added All-Star Jurickson Profar to the roster. Now, Braves’ manager Brian Snitker expects further […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. The team is hoping to snap that inglorious eight-year streak in 2025 with the help of some offseason additions. The Steelers added a big piece to their offense with the trade for wideout DK Metcalf and, more recently, the team padded its defense by signing […]

The Arizona Cardinals promised fans an active approach to free agency in 2025. Despite an 8-9 finish last year, the team believes it’s close to getting back into the playoffs after finishing just two games out of first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals hope they can add enough talent to the roster this […]

Baker Mayfield enjoyed a career year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. And with wideout Chris Godwin returning to the team on a $66 million extension, the Buccaneers are anticipating a deep playoff run. In addition to Godwin, Tampa Bay will also re-sign backup quarterback Kyle Trask on a one-year, $2.787 million contract, according […]

Head coach Jim Harbaugh turned the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense around in his first year with the team. Under Harbaugh, LA boasted the top scoring defense in the NFL, allowing just 17.7 points per game. But the unit took a hit this offseason with the release of Joey Bosa. After cutting the five-time Pro Bowler, […]

The Carolina Panthers secured the services of running back Chuba Hubbarrd with a four-year, $37.2 million extension last season. But in an effort to add depth at the position, the Panthers turned to free agency to land a rusher with starting experience. Carolina agreed to a one-year, $6.25 million deal with Rico Dowdle on Wednesday, […]

The New York Jets opted to add former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields this offseason. New York reached an agreement with Fields on a two-year, $40 million deal. While it’s unknown if the fifth-year passer will end up being a long-term solution to the Jets’ perennial need at the position, the team’s latest free agency […]

The New York Jets wisely hung onto a homegrown talent this offseason. After a stellar 2024 campaign, the team rewarded linebacker Jamien Sherwood with a three-year, $45 million deal that includes $30 million guaranteed. On Wednesday, Sherwood received even more positive financial news. The NFL announced who made the top 25 in performance-based pay for […]

For the second straight year Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy will be sidelined early in the season. In 2024 an oblique strain cost him the first two months of the campaign and in 2025 he’ll miss at least a month with a cracked rib. So it’s hard to fault Braves fans for panicking when Murphy’s […]

The Tennessee Titans have several needs to address after finishing 3-14 last season and missing the playoffs for the third straight year. However, the Titans’ top target in free agency, safety Jevon Holland, was quickly taken off the market after agreeing on a three-year, $45.3 million deal with the New York Giants. So, Tennessee pivoted. […]

The San Francisco 49ers have been hit hard by reality this offseason. The 49ers are set to lose a number of important contributors in free agency as the team prepares to pay Brock Purdy, who’s entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. While it would be impossible to replace all the talent […]

Cincinnati Reds sensation Elly De La Cruz took the baseball world by storm in 2024 with his stunning speed and prodigious power. And the 23-year-old shortstop has hit the ground running in the lead-up to the 2025 regular season, crushing two home runs in his spring training debut. On Tuesday, De La Cruz did something […]

The Detroit Lions became one of the best teams in the NFL since Dan Campbell took over as head coach and put Aaron Glenn in charge of the defense while tapping Ben Johnson to run the offense. However, the coaching staff’s success led to new opportunities, as Johnson departed for the Bears and the New […]

The New York Giants are attempting to build a roster capable of competing with the powerhouse teams in the NFC East. After a 3-14 finish last season, the Giants clearly have a long way to go. However, the team believes the quickest route to reaching the playoffs is by adding a veteran quarterback in free […]

The Arizona Cardinals missed the playoffs for the third straight season in 2024, finishing with an 8-9 record. The team is still waiting for a true breakout campaign from former first overall draft pick Kyler Murray. However, the Cardinals have added quarterback depth behind the seventh-year starter. Arizona plans to sign Jacoby Brissett to be […]

The Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason in bad shape financially. After handing out massive contracts to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last year, the team has been forced to make some difficult decisions. By reworking those deals, Dallas created cap space. But the team has been unable to reach an agreement on an extension with […]

The New Orleans Saints face a critical offseason after a disappointing 5-12 finish in 2024 that saw the team miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year. So far, New Orleans has revamped its coaching staff and cleared much needed cap space by reworking Derek Carr’s contract. Now the team has decided to retain veteran […]

After a 4-13 finish in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the offseason determined to get the most out of former first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars are attempting to improve their offensive line to better protect the Pro Bowl quarterback, who signed a $275 million extension with the team prior to last season. On […]