Reading the tea leaves — and dollar signs — it's time to end MLB lockout  —  Here is a bold prediction that shouldn't be all that bold:  —  By this time next week, baseball's lockout will have ended.  —  Recent headlines do not support this, and the general mood does not reflect this.

Sources: MLB, players' union still far apart after latest meeting yields no game-changer in CBA negotiations  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Five hours in the boardroom on Monday — sometimes together, sometimes in their own caucus — didn't equate to major progress between MLB and the MLB Players Association …

Coyotes waive then trade goalie Carter Hutton to Maple Leafs, but he's not going anywhere  —  The curious case of Coyotes goalie Carter Hutton got a little stranger on Monday.  —  One day after Arizona waived the injured veteran, he cleared waivers and everybody assumed that he would be assigned to Tucson.

What would happen if baseball killed the shift?  —  Once, there was a time when a hitter could fire a laser beam up the middle and not see the shortstop standing there, ready to scoop it up and turn it into routine old out fodder.  —  Once, there was a time when a left-handed hitter could drill …

How Gleyber Torres uncertainty affects DJ LeMahieu, rest of Yankees' infield in 2022  —  TAMPA — Gleyber Torres has spent his late mornings and early afternoons taking balls on a high school infield over the last week.  He's working on his defense at both shortstop and second base these days …

Could LeBron James return to Cleveland again?:  'The door's not closed on that,' he says  —  The Athletic spoke to LeBron one on one on Saturday, and he opened up on a variety of topics.  —  Jason Lloyd130  —  NBA All-Star Weekend 2022: Karl-Anthony Towns wins 3-point contest.

Bucs' Arians lashes out at report, denies any rift with Brady  —  The head coach says he's “pissed off” about a recent report that says their relationship had soured, in part because of Arians altering game plans.  —  TAMPA — Bruce Arians doesn't believe Tom Brady will come out of retirement.

Sunday Notes: Let's Look at Adrián Beltré, Brooks Robinson, and Graig Nettles.  —  Per the JAWS leaderboard, Adrián Beltré (4) and Scott Rolen (10) rank highest among third basemen not in the Hall of Fame.  Beltré will almost certainly get the nod once he becomes eligible …

Minor league pitching injuries are a concern for Reds as they return to normal schedule  —  At all levels in the minor leagues, there was a lot of uncertainty among teams on how to handle pitching staffs to keep arms healthy.  —  There was no 2020 season.  The 2021 season was delayed by a month.

Baseball-lifer Aaron Boone awaits Yankees' post-lockout chaos  —  MORE FROM:  —  The pictures on the walls of Aaron Boone's Yankee Stadium office are a collage of a life.  There are those of his wife and kids, and there is Mike Mussina with an arm around Boone at the height of his playing career …

Buck Showalter at Mets' camp, even though there are no players  —  Mets manager Buck Showalter discusses being in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and his mindset coming into his first season with the club  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — All Buck Showalter needs now is some Mets to manage.