Top News:
Baseball America:
2023 Top 100 Prospects — The 2023 Prospect Handbook is at the printer. All 30 team Top 10s are published. Pitchers and catchers are less than a month away from reporting to spring training. — All of that can only mean one thing: It's time for the grand finale, the 2023 Top 100 Prospects.
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Kristian Winfield / New York Daily News:
Nets remain winless without Kevin Durant: ‘There has to be a DNA, a toughness here’ — Kyrie Irving wanted you to believe that without Kevin Durant, a 30-point-per-game scorer heralded as one of the most versatile players in NBA history, the Nets weren't going to struggle.
Discussion:
Mercury News, New York Post and The Athletic
Antwan Staley / New York Daily News:
Improved Giants defense will be the key against Eagles in NFC Divisional Round matchup — In a league full of enormous offense numbers, defense still wins championships. — The Giants' defense doesn't appear to be anything close to championship material on paper.
Discussion:
New York Post, Mercury News, New Jersey Online, The Trentonian and FanSided
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David Furones / Sun-Sentinel:
Dolphins fire defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, make other staff changes — The Miami Dolphins parted ways with defensive coordinator Josh Boyer on Thursday, the team announced. — Boyer's third season leading the Dolphins defense was a disappointment. A group expected to be one of the better units …
Discussion:
Reading Eagle, Bleacher Nation, NBC 6 South Florida, ProFootballTalk and Pats Pulpit
Ira Winderman / Sun-Sentinel:
Heat show completeness in crushing shorthanded Pelicans 124-98 — The simplicity was in the seizing, something that has not always been the case this season for the Miami Heat. — This time, against a New Orleans Pelicans team lacking Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones …
Discussion:
Denver Post, Boston Herald and USA Today
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
AP Exclusive: Dodgers taxed $32M, MLB payrolls record $4.5B — The Los Angeles Dodgers were hit with a $32 million luxury tax for the second straight season, among six teams paying a penalty as baseball payrolls rebounded after the lockout to a record $4.56 billion.
Stefan Bondy / New York Daily News:
Mitchell Robinson hurt as Knicks get hammered on boards by Wizards, lose 116-105 at Garden — Near the end of the evening, as Kristaps Porzingis heard the chorus of boos after fouling out, the former Knick responded with a gesture. — “I was pointing at the score,” Porzingis said.
Discussion:
Denver Post, New York Post, The Athletic and USA Today
Jon Heyman / New York Post:
Mets, Red Sox among MLB teams eyeing January deals — Teams historically run low on spending money at this stage of the offseason. But it's interesting that a couple of the richest teams (Mets and Red Sox) and a few of the smaller-revenue teams (Marlins, Pirates and Brewers) saved money for January deals.
Discussion:
Cubs Insider, New Jersey Online and MLB Trade Rumors
Kyle Goon / Orange County Register:
Lakers' late-game struggles continue in loss to Kings — LeBron James has 32 points and Russell Westbrook adds 19, but the Lakers get outplayed in the final 70 seconds of a 116-111 defeat, their third tight setback in four games during this homestand — LOS ANGELES — It's been rare enough …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, San Bernardino Sun, FanSided and USA Today
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Jeff Passan's 2022-23 MLB free agency takeaways — Spring training starts in less than a month. Every major free agent is signed. Almost all of the second- and third-tier ones have jobs, too. It's almost like Major League Baseball free agency doesn't need to bleed into the beginning of a new season.
Discussion:
Cubs Insider and Bleacher Nation
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Sources: New York Mets, Tommy Pham agree to 1-year, $6M deal — Outfielder Tommy Pham and the New York Mets agreed on a one-year, $6 million contract Wednesday, sources told ESPN, continuing the team's offseason bonanza and pushing the Mets' record payroll past the $450 million mark.
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Amazin' Avenue, Lookout Landing and New York Post
Darragh McDonald / MLB Trade Rumors:
Braves, Kevin Pillar Agree To Minor League Deal — The Braves and outfielder Kevin Pillar are in agreement on a minor league deal, reports MLBTR's Steve Adams. Pillar will make a $3MM salary if he cracks the club's roster. He's a client of All Bases Covered Sports Management.
Discussion:
Battery Power, New Jersey Online and True Blue LA