Steve Zavala Articles - Page 35

After watching Kenley Jansen sign with the Atlanta Braves last month, the Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their bullpen on Friday, as they traded AJ Pollock to the Chicago White Sox in return for closer Craig Kimbrel. Overall, Kimbrel will continue to play for a playoff-contending team. He featured for the White Sox over their AL […]

The Kansas City Chiefs shocked the NFL world last week when they elected to trade Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. As the Chiefs faced a notable contract extension dilemma with Hill, they ended up throwing in the towel on such talks and opted to part ways with him after six total seasons. The trade […]

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is setting a high bar for Justin Fields for the 2022 season after the quarterback’s roller-coaster rookie campaign. “I said last time in public that the development of him for the second year should be a big jump,” Eberflus said at the NFL owners meeting earlier this week. “It […]

Through just four seasons in MLB, Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto has garnered plenty of comparisons to stars of today and legends of the past. For Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, he sees a bit of Hall of Fame right fielder Tony Gwynn in Soto. “Juan is a unique player,” Strasburg said during Nationals spring […]

At one point in the season, it seemed as if Barcelona was heading towards its worst campaign in decades. But within mere months, Barca manager Xavi Hernandez has transformed the club from the inside out. It was just a few months ago that Barcelona was projected to finish the season outside of the top-four in […]

On the heels of trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, the Atlanta Falcons came to terms with Marcus Mariota on a two-year deal. The move reunited Mariota with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. The two worked together in the 2019 season, where Mariota featured at quarterback in what turned out to be his final […]

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman faced multiple dilemmas over the past months regarding players on the team who hit free agency. He will once again deal with several such issues after the 2022 season, which will include the future of Aroldis Chapman with the team. Overall, Chapman will play the upcoming season on […]

Last year, the San Francisco 49ers signed Kyle Juszczyk to a unique five-year extension deal worth up to $27 million. The agreement between the two sides was essentially a team-friendly one, as there was no guaranteed money for the versatile fullback following the 2023 season. For more insight on Jimmy Garoppolo’s next team, listen below: […]

Following the Jacksonville Jaguars’ elimination in the 2018 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, there was much expectation that they would go on to become a perennial playoff contender. However, this was far from the case, as the Jaguars missed the playoffs in the subsequent season and eventually triggered a rebuilding phase. The […]

After a notable wait, veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner has made the decision to take his talents to the Los Angeles Rams. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams and Wagner have come to terms on a five-year, $50 million deal worth up to $65 million. Former Seahawks’ Pro-Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner is signing a five-year, […]

After centering much focus on revamping their wide receiver depth, the Kansas City Chiefs shifted their attention over to the running back position on Saturday. They came to terms with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II on a one-year deal. Jones featured in four seasons with the Buccaneers, which included playing a […]

The New York Mets were far from a potent offense in the 2021 season. They ranked in the bottom half in multiple hitting stats in the National League, which included ranking at 12th in both home runs (176) and OPS (.705). Heading into the upcoming 2022 season, Francisco Lindor sees plenty of potential with what […]

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is expecting a bounce-back year from linebacker Devin Bush in the 2022 campaign after his roller-coaster 2021 season. “I expect him to get better, just like I expect all of our young players to get better,” Tomlin said on Sunday. “I am excited about him getting back out there […]

The Julio Jones era with the Tennessee Titans lasted one season, as team general manager Jon Robinson opted to release the veteran wideout earlier this month. The Titans designated Jones as a post-June 1 release, which meant that they saved $9.5 million in cap space for the 2022 campaign. The reigning AFC South champions acquired […]

On the heels of Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, the Pittsburgh Steelers came to terms with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on a two-year deal earlier this month. While there was much outside speculation that the Steelers would make a push to trade for Russell Wilson or Jimmy Garoppolo, team general manager Kevin Colbert opted for a low-risk, high-reward […]

As it stands, Javonte Williams is set to lead the Denver Broncos rush offense in the 2022 season, but there is still a possibility that he could once again tag along with Melvin Gordon. Overall, Gordon still remains unsigned in free agency. He became an unrestricted free agent after his two-year deal with the Broncos […]

When the free agency period opened up in November, there was much expectation that the New York Yankees would bolster their lineup with a $100 million-plus signing. Still, Yankees manager Brian Cashman watched as the likes of Carlos Correa and Trevor Story signed mega-deals elsewhere. At the least, Giancarlo Stanton is still confident that the […]

Rafael Devers faces uncertainty regarding his long-term future with the Boston Red Sox, as he is under team control for a mere one more season. If it were up to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Devers would stay put in Boston for years to come. “I would love to manage him for as long as […]

Barcelona has undergone grand changes both on and off the pitch over the managerial reign of Xavi Hernandez, which has caught the attention of former Barca midfielder Ronaldinho. In speaking to ESPN Deportes’ “Ahora o Nunca” program, Ronaldinho offered a stamp of approval to his former Barca teammate. “Well I think he has everything to […]

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts garnered plenty of attention a few days ago when he made a prediction that his team “will win” the 2022 World Series if his starting rotation can stay healthy this season. Within the team, there is a slightly different tone being conveyed. After the Dodgers signed longtime Atlanta Braves first […]

Multiple notable wide receivers have signed off on mega-contract deals so far in the offseason, and Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin may be the next in line to receive a hefty payday. As it stands, McLaurin will become an unrestricted free agent next year. The Commanders receiver will play the upcoming 2022 campaign on the […]

Over the past year, Barcelona has resolved multiple contract dilemmas, which have included signing midfielder Pedri to a multiyear extension deal. Barca president Joan Laporta still has several contract matters to address, including with the situations revolving around Ronald Araujo and Gavi. In speaking to the Spanish-based outlet El Periodico, Laporta confirmed that there have […]

With the addition of veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will now have a multitude of lineup options for the upcoming season. Among the routes that Roberts can take for his go-to lineup this year centers on featuring Mookie Betts and Freeman at the top two spots in the batting […]

Multiple veteran players are still waiting to put pen to paper on a new deal in free agency, including cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who finished off the 2021 campaign with the Carolina Panthers. Gilmore began last season with the New England Patriots before they shipped him off to the Panthers ahead of the NFL trade deadline. […]

After watching Randy Gregory take his talents to the Denver Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys made a low-risk, high-reward move by signing pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. to a one-year deal. Fowler featured in two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before team general manager Terry Fontenot elected to release him in February. The veteran defensive end […]

After a seven-season run with the Chicago White Sox, Carlos Rodon elected to take his talents to the San Francisco Giants earlier this month. The veteran starting pitcher came to terms with the Giants on a two-year, $44 million deal. Over the free agency period, Rodon was linked with a return to the White Sox, […]

There is plenty of hype surrounding the Miami Dolphins following their flurry of moves so far in the offseason. Among them, the Dolphins front office bolstered the offense with the additions of former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and former New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead. After years of featuring under now-former […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have once again tackled an item from their offseason checklist. This time around, they resolved a notable dilemma regarding manager Dave Roberts. According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Dodgers and Roberts have come to terms on a three-year contract extension deal. Roberts is now tied with the Dodgers up until […]

Even at this late stage in his career, Gerard Pique has remained as a starter for Barcelona. The 35-year-old Spanish defender has logged 22 starts in La Liga play so far this season. Overall, Pique has two more seasons remaining on his current contract with Barca. Even as there has been much outside talk that […]

There is a growing sense of urgency surrounding the Los Angeles Angels heading into the 2022 campaign after they missed out on the postseason for the seventh straight season last year. From Mike Trout’s perspective, he sees plenty of potential with what his team can achieve this season. “I think just having the full lineup […]

Over last year’s summer transfer window, Barcelona president Joan Laporta revamped the club by signing multiple notable talents on free transfer deals. Laporta could end up opting for this approach once again later this year. For one, Chelsea right-back Cesar Azpilicueta has been linked with a move to Barca over the upcoming summer transfer window. […]

The Boston Red Sox resolved a notable dilemma earlier in the week, as chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom avoided arbitration with third baseman Rafael Devers after the two sides agreed to an $11.2 million deal for the 2022 season. For Devers, as he told WEEI, the entire matter was a complicated one. “It was tough, […]

The Italy national team suffered arguably the biggest upset defeat of the year on Thursday, as North Macedonia clinched a 1-0 win to move on to face Portugal in the Path C final of the UEFA playoffs for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Italy maintained possession with ease over the course of the match, as […]

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani orchestrated a season to remember in 2021. Many current and former MLB players lauded Ohtani for having put together what they viewed as the greatest season in league history, but for Angels general manager Perry Minasian, he believes that baseball has not yet seen the best out of […]

In a move that seemed inevitable for quite a while, Caleb Williams transferred to USC in early February. While he had interest from schools such as UCLA and would have been welcomed back at Oklahoma, he opted to reunite with his former Sooners head coach, Lincoln Riley. As Williams noted during USC spring practice earlier […]

The Kansas City Chiefs lost another key talent from their Super Bowl 54-winning team, as they opted to trade wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday. Hill was a vital contributor to the Chiefs over the 2019 season, as he recorded 58 receptions for 860 receiving yards. He continued to form keen […]

The Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill era with the Kansas City Chiefs officially came to an end on Wednesday, as the team traded the versatile wideout to the Miami Dolphins. Mahomes and Hill shined during their five seasons together in Kansas City. From putting up video game numbers in the regular season to fooling opposing […]

The Arizona Cardinals have not been among the more active NFC teams in free agency, but they could push to bring back a notable talent for the 2022 season. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it is not “off the table” that the Cardinals could re-sign wide receiver A.J. Green. Arizona would “very much want him back” […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost another key talent from their 2020 World Series-winning run, as closer Kenley Jansen opted to sign with the Atlanta Braves on a one-year, $16 million deal in the ongoing free agency period. Jansen’s Dodgers departure hit a bit more to Clayton Kershaw, who had been teammates with the veteran closer […]