3 MLB free agents Cardinals must avoid at all costs

Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of the MLB’s most electrifying stars in the game with the Atlanta Braves. During the offseason, he returns to his native Venezuela to play winter league baseball to keep himself in shape and get him ready for the upcoming MLB season. This offseason, that’s precisely what Acuna has been doing. […] The post Ronald Acuna Jr. retires from Venezuelan baseball after family was attacked in stands appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Even with the start of Spring Training being less than a month away, there are still a few unsigned free agents that could very well become impact additions for an aspiring contender. In particular, there are a few left-handed relievers capable of strengthening even the best of bullpens left on the market, such as Matt […] The post RUMOR: Phillies ‘destroyed’ relief pitcher market with this deal, says rival executive appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The New York Yankees have had an explosive offseason of work to say the least, as they have managed to re-sign star outfielder Aaron Judge while also landing one of the top starting pitchers on the market in Carlos Rodon. But that’s not to say all the holes on their team are filled, and it […] The post RUMOR: Yankees have ‘talked’ to ex-Diamondbacks, Rays free agent appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The MLB free agent frenzy is over for the most part, with many teams already having done the majority of their offseason work. There are still players who are available that could make an impact for playoff contenders, though, and there are obviously teams still looking to shore up some final spots on their roster. One such area of need is the left-handed reliever market, and it sounds like the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Houston Astros are all looking to address this key need.

The Atlanta Braves have one hell of a pitching rotation. Max Fried, who is coming off of a Cy Young-worthy season, leads the list. Behind him are a crew of excellent arms: Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider, and the reliable Charlie Morton. However, that final slot is up for grabs after Jake Odorizzi’s departure. Two names are set to battle for that spot: Mike Soroka and Ian Anderson. Despite this battle, Soroka revealed that he’s best friends with Anderson, but acknowledges that they’ll need to do battle to earn that rotation spot, per Mark Bowman.

Former second baseman Jeff Kent has been up for Hall of Fame consideration for a decade, with this year marking his last crack at induction via the Baseball Writers Association of America. Kent received 46.5% of the vote during this cycle, well shy of the 75% needed for induction. He falls off the ballot and will no longer be considered by the BBWAA.

The NFL world today is fixated on Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.  Questions continue to follow the future Hall-of-Famers regarding their future. Is retirement on the table? What about a change of scenery? In the case of Brady, a report emerged Tuesday indicating Brady may play in 2023... just ...

Mookie Betts has the only guaranteed job in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfield heading into 2023. However, Chris Taylor is expected to start in left field. With Betts in right and Taylor in left, the Dodgers are also expected to utilize Trayce Thompson and/or James Outman in centerfield. But where does that leave Jason Heyward, who signed with LA during the offseason?

The Chicago Cubs have been hard at work when it comes to spending in free agency this offseason, and they could end up making some noise in the National League Central after a couple of down years. Dansby Swanson was obviously their biggest signing, but the Cubs have made several solid moves this offseason to […] The post Cubs bolster bullpen with ex-Twins reliever appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Baltimore Orioles’ infielder Gunnar Henderson is MLB’s top prospect heading into the 2023 season. Henderson, Arizona Diamondbacks’ OF Corbin Carroll, and New York Mets’ C Francisco Alvarez were all expected to be ranked within the top 3 prospects on MLB Pipeline’s Top Prospect list, per MLB.com. However, it was unclear who would ultimately be ranked No. […] The post Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson named MLB’s Top Prospect for 2023 appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani is about to be a free agent and the franchise has to figure out how to keep him. Although the Angels were able to agree to a monster one-year deal to avoid arbitration with their two-way phenom, he could leave the team as early […] The post Shohei Ohtani’s chances of staying with Angels slapped with harsh reality from rival executive appeared first on ClutchPoints.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. underwent both shoulder and wrist surgeries this offseason. As he works to get back on the diamond, Tatis has taken a massive step in his recovery. Tatis’ surgeries were for a torn labrum in his shoulder and a bone procedure in his left wrist. He was recently cleared […] The post Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. takes big step in return from shoulder, wrist injuries appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Many people around the MLB world claim that the New York Yankees feature a fairly thin lineup with the exception of Aaron Judge. But the fact is New York has plenty of talent when healthy. Unfortunately, injury concerns have loomed over the ball club in previous years. Recent injury updates on Giancarlo Stanton and DJ […] The post Yankees get massive Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu injury updates appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching. How active the Chicago Bulls will be when it comes to their core guys remains to be seen. But there’s at least one trade that’s likely to happen with one of its peripheral pieces. Bulls big man Andre Drummond is rumored to be firmly on the trade block. […] The post RUMOR: The potential Bulls trade nobody should be ‘surprised’ by appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship opponent this Sunday is the Philadelphia Eagles after the NFC West champs took out the Dallas Cowboys 19-12 last week. The story of that Divisional Round game was the No. 1 ranked 49ers defense, which held the high-powered Cowboys offense to just one touchdown and two field goals. On offense, it was seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy connecting with tight end George Kittle for 95 of his 214 yards. Last year’s “Mr. Irrelevant” has been one of the stories of the season, coming from obscurity and winning his first seven starts to get his Niners within a win of the Super Bowl. However, for the upcoming 49ers-Eagles tilt, the 49ers’ X-factor isn’t the young quarterback, it’s the running back the team traded for midseason.

MLB Pipeline released their Top 100 Prospect List for the 2023 MLB season, per MLB.com. The Los Angeles Dodgers have 7 players on the list. Diego Cartaya, who was listed as the No. 2 catching prospect, is listed at No. 14 overall. Other Dodgers’ prospects on the list include: RHP Bobby Miller (No. 24), INF/OF […] The post Diego Cartaya highlights 7 Dodgers players on MLB’s Top 100 Prospect list appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Baltimore Orioles have acquired starting pitcher Cole Irvin and right-hander Kyle Virbitsky in exchange for infielder Darell Hernaiz in a trade with the Oakland Athletics, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Hernaiz, the Orioles’ 16th-ranked prospect in 2022, heads to the Athletics, while Irvin, who was worth 2.1 Wins Above Replacement last year, and […] The post Cole Irvin traded to Orioles from Athletics appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Miami Heat didn’t have the start to the season that they were hoping for, but they are finally beginning to turn things around as we enter the second half of the season. With a 27-22 record, the Heat are sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and they are beginning to creep up […] The post Heat’s nightmare scenario for 2023 NBA trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Chicago White Sox are reportedly interested in trading for Kansas City Royals’ infielder Nicky Lopez, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. KC struck a deal to send Adalberto Mondesi to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. The Royals, as they remain in the midst of a rebuild, are open to trading a number of their […] The post RUMOR: White Sox interested in Royals infielder after Adalberto Mondesi trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

As NFL teams began looking for their next head coach, Sean Payton seemed like the hottest name on the market. However, things have now cooled on Payton as teams think twice about hiring the former New Orleans Saints’ head coach. Payton has interviewed with numerous teams in the league such as the Denver Broncos, Houston […] The post RUMOR: Sean Payton’s quest for coaching return hits major snag appeared first on ClutchPoints.