*Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement won’t expire until Dec. 1, 2026, but it won’t be long before the industry begins feeling the impact of a lockout that already feels all but certain.
Could the prospect of a work stoppage in another 13 months dictate how teams behave and spend this offseason? Most certainly. In past seasons, some free agents have agreed to one-year deals with an eye toward rebuilding value and returning to the open market in another year. You’ll see very little of that this time around, since no player will want to go into the nuclear winter of 2026-2027 without a deal in place.
Also, could teams be reluctant to sign long-term deals this winter without knowing what new economic rules are going to be in place a year from now? Owners desperately want a salary cap as part of the next agreement — the Players Association, as it has been for almost its entire existence, is dead-set against one — and could be reluctant to commit to nine-figure salaries this offseason.
Would those new deals be grandfathered in? Or could a team spend big on Kyle Tucker or Dylan Cease this December, only to find out that massive payroll cuts have to come to accommodate new contracts when play resumes in 2027?
By any measure, baseball has never been better positioned. The games are faster-paced, attendance and TV ratings are on the upswing and there are marketable stars everywhere.
And yet, uncertainty and anxiety lies ahead and the owners seem intent on taking the game hostage.
*At this point, we’re running out of superlatives for Shohei Ohtani . His performance in Game 4 of the NLCS Friday night will surely be remembered for generations. If you want the best indication of how special a talent Ohtani, look at the dugout (and bullpen) shots of his teammates holding their hands to their heads in response to his play - they’re incredulous.
Forget, too, all the nonsense about the Dodgers “ruining the game;” Major League Baseball should pray that it can look forward to having Ohtani on the big stage deep into every October. There’s no better ambassador for the sport.
*They’ll come a time when the Patriots will pay for being unable to successfully run the ball to keep opposing defenses honest. Fortunately for them, this Sunday against the woeful Tennessee Titans is not that time. And, thanks to the cupcake schedule for the next few weeks, it doesn’t look like it’s coming anytime soon.
*Goal-scoring was supposed to be the Bruins’ big weakness, but a handful of games into the season, they haven’t done a great job defending, either. They’re not equipped to get into high-scoring games with far more skilled teams.
That’s likely to improve as the team gets more comfortable with Marco Sturm’s system, but for now, they’re no match for quality teams like Tampa Bay and Las Vegas.
*In this, their 30th anniversary season, the Revolution have become a sad-sack franchise. Just twice in the last 11 years have they finished among the Top 10 teams in MLS. They’ve not been competitive — or compelling — since the days of Taylor Twellman, some two decades ago.
*Some keep pointing to the lack of quality teams in the NBA Eastern Conference as a reason to think the Celtics will actually be pretty good, but I’m not buying it. Without Jayson Tatum, the Celts can ill-afford additional injuries and already, the news that Jaylen Brown may miss the opener is ominous.
I’ve got them for 45 wins, which would be their lowest total in a full season since 2014-15.
*Any team foolish enough to trade for Tarik Skubal this winter deserves what it gets. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the 2026 season and there’s speculation that the Tigers will move him soon rather than risk losing him in free agency.
But because Skubal is represented by Scott Boras, who, almost without exception has his players test the open market whenever there’s a chance to do so, the likelihood of a new team extending the ace lefty is almost negligible. The Yankees tried it with Juan Soto and having him for a year gave them absolutely no advantage when free agency arrived. It will be the same with Skubal.
*One thing that both surprised me and impressed me during the Patriots’ win over New Orleans was how relatively calm Mike Vrabel was in the face of all the incompetence by the officiating crew.
*Major League Baseball keeps insisting that umpires are chosen on merit for the postseason assignments and that only the best-of-the-best work October games. So explain to me how home plate umpire Doug Eddings could miss 17 (!) pitches in Game 2 of the ALCS?
The ABS system can’t get here fast enough.
*There’s a long way to go in the offseason and lots can happen, but for now, if I’m the Red Sox , I’m giving Lucas Giolito the qualifying offer of $22.025 million — assuming, that is, the elbow soreness he suffered late in the year isn’t structural.
That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t look to otherwise upgrade the rotation via a trade or free agency.
If Giolito accepts, he’s a pretty good No. 3 starter at a relatively reasonable cost; if he doesn’t, the Red Sox get an extra draft pick should he sign elsewhere.
* Mookie Betts was nominated for a Gold Glove at shortstop, and can become just the second player to win the award as both an outfielder and infielder. Darin Erstad (outfield, first base) is the other.
*During Game 5 of the ALCS, John Smoltz offered this helpful explanation as to why Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson lifted starter Bryce Miller in the fifth inning: “I just think when you make that move, you’re not confident that your pitcher’s going to get through the inning without taking him out.”
And that, I guess, is why Smoltz gets paid the big bucks.
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