Russell Steinberg Articles - Page 12

One month out from the start of Spring Training and MLB teams are still waiting on a Roki Sasaki decision. With most of the major free agents off the board, the Sasaki sweepstakes are starting to ramp up — and it’s getting wild. Sasaki, 23, is not eligible for a major free agent contract and […]

When the New York Yankees failed to re-sign Juan Soto, the franchise responded by bringing in starting pitcher Max Fried, outfielder Cody Bellinger, reliever Devin Williams and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. It’s quite a haul for the reigning American League champions, but if the Yankees want to go further and win their first World Series […]

Roki Sasaki is already making a splash in Major League Baseball and he hasn’t even signed with a team yet. The 23-year-old Japanese phenom pitcher was mentioned in Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit against her brothers-in-law as she seeks control of the San Diego Padres. Sheel, widow of late team owner Peter Seidler, is alleging that Peter’s […]

South Carolina women’s basketball junior Ashlyn Watkins has a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season, the team announced on Tuesday. Watkins will have surgery in the next few weeks. “Not often that we’ve had injuries like this one. Unfortunately Ashlyn’s out for the rest of the season,” head coach Dawn […]

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen missed most of the 2024 season as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn UCL, but he’s been effective when he’s been healthy, and his team is about to reward him for it. The righty is closing in on an extension with Tampa Bay that will take him […]

Cameron Brink is feeling good, but the recovery from a torn ACL is a long one. The Los Angeles Sparks rookie spoke to the media on Tuesday as part of an availability for Unrivaled, where she gave an update on her road back from the injury that cut short her first WNBA campaign. “I’m not […]

Courtney Vandersloot has played for two WNBA teams in her career, the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty, and she’s won championships in both cities. The veteran point guard, coming off a 2024 WNBA title with the Liberty, is now a free agent, and at 35 years old, is unsure of where she will play […]

Smack in the middle of the school year and amid the Texas Longhorns’ College Football Playoff run, university president Jay Hartzell is leaving the school to take the same position at Southern Methodist University. It’s a shocking move, not necessarily because of the timing but because of the job. UT is the flagship public university […]

The Toronto Blue Jays have become regular “also-rans” in the market for high-profile free agents, missing out on prime targets like Shohei Ohtani last year and Juan Soto this year, among others. Now, Toronto is targeting free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, and the team could be facing an uphill battle again. USA Today reporter […]

Just hours after Sheel Seidler, widow of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, filed a lawsuit seeking control of the team, Peter’s family trust has responded, calling the suit “entirely without merit.” “Peter had a clear estate plan,” read a statement released by the trust. “The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, […]

The New York Yankees still need help in the infield, but just as rumors heated up that the team was looking to trade for Luis Arraez, one MLB insider poured cold water on the idea. “Hearing at least for now Luis Arraez is not seen as a fit for Yankees,” the New York Post’s Jon […]

No one has ever accused ESPN’s Jeff Passan of holding back his thoughts. The baseball insider unloaded on the Seattle Mariners on Monday in a column in which he outlined which teams are “winning” the offseason and which still need to make a move. You’ll never guess which category the Mariners fall into. “Whatever you […]

With Gleyber Torres now a member of the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees still need infield help. But with rumors flying about Gavin Lux and Luis Arraez, manager Aaron Boone has given a vote of confidence to his veteran second baseman, DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu was ineffective in 67 games played for the Yankees in […]

The Atlanta Braves have had a quiet offseason — alarmingly quiet, if you ask ESPN’s Jeff Passan. While Max Fried and Charlie Morton both have new homes, Atlanta hasn’t done anything to replace them quite yet. In fact, the Braves haven’t signed a single Major Leaguer in free agency this offseason. Passan does not expect […]

Sheel Seidler, widow of San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, is suing for control of the team. She is attempting to wrest control from two of her late husband‘s brothers, Bob and Matt Seidler, alleging breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. Sheel released a statement via social media on Monday explaining her decision to take […]

No New York Mets player has worn No. 5 since David Wright retired in 2018, and none will ever wear it again. The Mets will retire his jersey and induct him into the team’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony next season on July 19, the team announced on Monday. The ceremony will take place […]

Anthony Edwards is tired of being double-teamed, but DeMarcus Cousins is tired of hearing the Minnesota Timberwolves guard complain about it. Cousins sympathized with Edwards’ position as the primary scoring option on a team that traded Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason. But he said that’s a reason to get to work on his own game […]

In the NBA, there’s no higher praise than being called the GOAT. That title is reserved for players like LeBron James and Michael Jordan — wherever you fall in that debate. So when you hear that word deployed by a former NBA player for Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, you take notice. DeMarcus Cousins threw it […]

After Bill Belichick spent nearly a quarter century on the sidelines as head coach of the New England Patriots and 48 years overall as an NFL coach, it may be hard to picture him coaching University of North Carolina football. The new Tar Heels head coach is out on the recruiting trail and there’s now […]

The Baltimore Orioles need to move on from the short-lived Corbin Burnes era. The right-handed starter pitched just one season in Baltimore but was the anchor to the team’s rotation as the O’s won 91 games and reached the MLB Postseason for the second year in a row. Now, Burnes is with the Arizona Diamondbacks […]

The Toronto Blue Jays need to make a splash. The team has had a habit of being an also-ran in major free agent sweepstakes, including with Shohei Ohtani last year and Juan Soto this offseason. Now that Corbin Burnes has signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto is left looking elsewhere for starting pitching. It’s about […]

It almost made too much sense, and it finally became official on Monday when Sean Manaea returned to the New York Mets on a three-year, $75 million deal. Manaea came to Flushing last offseason as a free agent, signing a two-year, $28 million contract with a player option for the second season. After having one […]

For a while, it seemed like it wouldn’t happen, but Cody Bellinger is now a member of the New York Yankees. The reigning American League champions acquired him and cash from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Cody Poteet on December 17, giving the Yankees needed help to their lineup. And while Bellinger is […]

The Boston Red Sox are still in the mix for Teoscar Hernandez, but they have not “intensified their efforts” to land the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, according to Chris Cotilllo of MassLive.com. Cotillo’s report comes after news surfaced that the Dodgers were looking into backup plans in case they fail to bring back the 2024 […]

Barring something wildly unexpected, Alex Bregman’s career with the Houston Astros is probably over. Astros general manager Dana Brown gave an update on the club’s negotiations with their homegrown third baseman and it did not sound promising. Brown said negotiations have “stalled,” according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, adding that Houston presented Bregman with “a […]

The Houston Astros made a major move in the once-loaded first baseman free agency sweepstakes when they agreed to a three-year deal with Christian Walker, previously of the Arizona Diamondbacks, on December 20. The team officially announced the signing on Monday, and with it, reports have surfaced about the nature of the deal. The three-year, […]

After signing two-time All-Star Joc Pederson to a two-year deal on Monday morning, the Texas Rangers made an under-the-radar move, adding relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong. Armstrong heads to Arlington on a Major League deal, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported. The Rangers designated catcher Sam Huff for assignment as a corresponding move. A […]

After missing out on the Chicago White Sox managerial job this offseason, Phil Nevin is joining the South Siders as a special assistant in the franchise’s player development department, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Monday. Nightengale added that Nevin will focus on “a number of player development roles, including amateur scouting for the 2025 […]

If there was any doubt before — and there wasn’t, really — it is now clear that Juju Watkins is on track to become an all-time great USC women’s basketball player. And that’s saying a lot, as the program boasts alumnae like Cynthia Cooper, Cheryl Miller, Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith […]

Veteran outfielder and designated hitter Joc Pederson is headed to the Texas Rangers on a two-year deal, but the left-handed hitter could have gone to the New York Mets instead. The New York Mets were interested in acquiring Pederson, who spent 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. […]

Clay Holmes is staying in New York, though he will be playing his games next season across town. The former New York Yankees closer signed with the New York Mets and was introduced to the media on Tuesday in a press conference. Holmes, who will return to his role as a starting pitcher, revealed that […]

New Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker has finally shared his thoughts about the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Houston Astros to the Windy City. The Cubs acquired Tucker last week in a surprising move that also sent Isaac Paredes to Houston, further breaking up the core of the Astros teams that dominated the […]

The New York Yankees bolstered their lineup on Tuesday by acquiring Cody Bellinger and cash in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. With Bellinger on his way to New York, it now begs the question: Where will he play in the field, and how will that affect reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, who primarily played […]

The New York Mets have already done exactly what they planned to do in the 2024 offseason, signing Juan Soto to a truly absurd $765 million contract. But New York’s NL team is far from finished. Still hanging in the balance is their home-grown, four-time All-Star Pete Alonso, who remains a free agent. The first […]

The New York Yankees are staying aggressive after losing Juan Soto in free agency. The team agreed to a trade with the Chicago Cubs for slugger Cody Bellinger on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Bellinger has two years remaining on his contract, which includes an opt-out after 2025. He has $52.5 million remaining and […]

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred shot down the idea of a minimum innings requirement for starting pitchers, but Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman isn’t buying it. Manfred appeared on Foul Territory on Monday where he called an innings requirement “too blunt an instrument to fix this problem.” The problem, he explains, is that starting pitchers […]

The Chicago Cubs need a third baseman, and prospect Matt Shaw is going to have a chance to earn the job, team president Jed Hoyer said on Tuesday. Hoyer met with the media via Zoom where he was asked about the team’s plan at the hot corner, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. […]

The Chicago Cubs pulled off a blockbuster trade last week, landing Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. It’s a deal that came together fast after Astros general manager Dana Brown indicated the outfield slugger was available. Eventually, the Cubs sent Houston a package of Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith in return — […]

Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink is Unrivaled. Brink, the rookie out of Stanford, will join the Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier-led Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league, which begins play in January. She will suit up for the Lunar Owls in 2026 after she heals from the ACL tear she suffered during her first WNBA season. […]