Aaron Judge free agency: The Giants' case to sign away the Yankees slugger

To the immense credit of owner Peter Seidler, the San Diego Padres in recent years have heavily committed themselves to fielding the best team possible. The most recent marquee addition is shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who earlier this offseason inked a $280 million pact with San Diego. Add to that the signing of Manny Machado, the Fernando Tatis Jr. extension, and the trades for Yu Darvish and Juan Soto -- among other notable recent moves -- and the Padres have star quality up and down the roster.

The Boston Red Sox and the Miami Marlins have agreed to a trade that will see them swap veteran relievers, according to SportsGrid's Craig Mish. The Red Sox will acquire left-hander Richard Bleier while the Marlins net Matt Barnes, a former All-Star closer who was recently designated for assignment. Miami will also receive cash considerations to offset Barnes' greater salary.

Harrison agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Phillies on Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. The veteran infielder spent the 2022 campaign with the White Sox, and the team declined his $5.5 million club option after he posted a .256/.317/.370 slash line with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 119 games. Harrison should have a chance to earn the starting job at second base, though he's more likely to fill the weak side of a platoon with Bryson Stott while also working as a utility man.

Ross (elbow) agreed Monday with the Giants on a minor-league contract and received an invitation to MLB spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Ross underwent Tommy John surgery last May for the second time in his career and will likely miss the start of the 2023 season while recovering from the procedure. The 29-year-old made 20 appearances (19 starts) for the Nationals in 2021 while posting a 4.17 ERA and 109:34 K:BB in 108 innings. Ross could be a rotation option for the Giants in the second half of the season if he responds well to his rehab program, but he can safely be ignored in even the deepest of fantasy leagues until he reaches the point where he's pitching in minor-league games.

The Diamondbacks announced Saturday that Hager was re-signed on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to MLB spring training. Hager concluded the 2022 season as a member of Arizona's 40-man roster and 28-man active roster before being outrighted to Triple-A Reno in early November. Rather than electing free agency and trying his luck elsewhere, the 29-year-old will stick in Arizona's organization and compete for a utility role in spring training. During his sparse action in the majors in 2022, Hager slashed .240/.345/.280 across 59 plate appearances.

Two future all-time greats went at it in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night. Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night, taking down Joe Burrow and Co.  Following the game, Mahomes and Burrow had a ...

Going into Sunday's NFC Championship game, the 49ers were already down to their third-string quarterback (Brock Purdy), but after an injury to the rookie, San Francisco is now just one big hit away from being forced to play a quarterback who has never actually played quarterback. With Purdy on the...

The Kansas City Royals have reached an agreement with free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke on a one-year deal that will see him return for a 20th big-league season, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. He's expected to make at least $8 million, adds Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Greinke, 39 years old,...

Coonrod was designated for assignment by the Phillies on Monday. It clears room on the 40-man roster for Josh Harrison. Coonrod was ineffective in 12 appearances with Philadelphia in 2022 with a 7.82 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 12.2 innings thrown. If he clears waivers, he can either report back to Triple-A or test free agency.

Senzel (toe) is still expected to start in center field to begin the season, though it's possible that he could get work in other positions, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "He can play all over the field and be an everyday player, but with where we are as a team, he still factors into center field a lot," manager David Bell said.

Justin Verlander and Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 Cy Young Award winners, were recognized for their seasons on Saturday night at the Baseball Writers' Association of America dinner. There, the two received their respective Cy Young Awards, both of which featured a rather embarrassing misspelling. Both award plaques that were given...

Torres agreed to a one-year, $9.95 million contract with the Yankees on Saturday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. It's the penultimate year of arbitration eligibility for Torres, and he'll receive a nice raise after he made $6.25 million in 2022. The 26-year-old rebounded at the plate last season with a .257/.310/.451 slash line and 24 home runs after he struggled to a .697 OPS in 2021.

Widener was outrighted to Triple-A Reno on Jan. 5 after clearing waivers. The 28-year-old right-hander thus remains in the Arizona organization after being recently moved off the 40-man roster. Widener made 14 appearances out of the Diamondbacks bullpen in 2022, logging a 3.63 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 17.1 innings.

Due to NFL rules, the Houston Texans must wait until after Sunday's NFC Championship Game to interview DeMeco Ryans a second time for their vacant head coaching position. In the meantime, the Texans had to figure out whether Ryans would actually want the job. According to a league source, Houston and team owner Cal McNair weren't sure whether Ryans, who once sued the Texans for negligence, would ultimately want to be the head coach for the team.

The NFC Championship Game between the Eagles and 49ers got a bit chippy as Philadelphia continued to chew clock off en route to a 31-7 Super Bowl berth. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, both teams piled up into a skirmish on the field following a 6-yard run by Christian McCaffrey.

The Kansas City Chiefs avoided losing another close game to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 AFC Championship, using a late field goal from Harrison Butker to pick up the win. They will now face the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium. Philadelphia has cruised to a pair of blowout wins this postseason, including a 31-7 rout of the 49ers in the NFC title game. The Eagles are 2-point favorites in the latest NFL odds at Caesars Sportsbook for Super Bowl 57. Which side and total should you include in your NFL bets and NFL picks? Before you make any Super Bowl picks or NFL parlays, be sure to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.