Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor’s relationship is suddenly even more important to Mets
NY Post
PORT ST. LUCIE — We will look back on Juan Soto getting away as one of the most important positives in recent Yankees history.
Not because Soto isn’t a great hitter. Because he is. Through an age-26 season, Soto is sixth all time in homers and 12th in OPS-plus behind 10 Hall of Famers, plus Albert Pujols, who just might be a unanimous choice upon eligibility in 2028.
The Yankees had a lot of needs, even after going to the 2024 World Series with Soto, and retaining him at $750 million was going to choke off those other areas in Hal Steinbrenner’s budget, notably in adding someone like Max Fried and probably Cody Bellinger, too. The 2024 Yankees got a favorable postseason draw to win the AL pennant and I believe the club that lost in the division series last season was more well-rounded and better, and that the 2026 squad sets up similarly.
We may say the same about this past Mets offseason. That as painful as it was to so many fans to see Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz (plus Jeff McNeil) exit, breaking up notably a positional core that had not accomplished enough together and was going to age beyond their prime simultaneously if retained was an agonizing but correct decision, short- and long-term.
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets’ 2025 failing (one of them anyway) might be their big strength now.
The discourse has gone on for two seasons now. But it doesn’t exactly match reality.
Where were the grownups for Team USA?
The Rangers reconvened after the Olympic stoppage wanting to find some successful combinations that had been largely absent through much of a disappointing last-place season.
SALT LAKE CITY — There was no sugarcoating an ugly first-half performance from the Knicks in the locker room, and the harsh words during the break helped spur a comeback in Wednesday’s 134-117 victory over the Jazz.
Team USA’s fate is out of its hands.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jasson Domínguez’s first-inning at-bat against Tanner Banks on Tuesday featured a different result and a different swing than “The Martian” had been accustomed to against lefty pitching.
Maxx Crosby isn’t looking in the rearview after a wild 24 hours.
Bam Adebayo occupies a new spot in the NBA history books.
Jets fans have been waiting for months to put the 2025 season in the past and start building a new roster.
SALT LAKE CITY — Leon Rose tried to address the bench in the summer. It didn’t work. He got a redo at the trade deadline with Jose Alvarado and Jeremy Sochan.
If Isaiah Likely was the most … er … likely former Raven to follow head coach John Harbaugh to the Giants, Patrick Ricard wasn’t far behind.
The deal that brought Aidan Thompson to the Rangers didn’t create the ripple effects that the Artemi Panarin trade did because of who departed the organization. That was only Derrick Pouliot, a 32-year-old defenseman more than two years removed from his last NHL game. It didn’t create the waves like one for, say, Vincent Trocheck, would have because of current NHL players or draft capital the Blueshirts received in return, either.