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10 free agents from last year with something to prove

Marcus Stroman, SP, YankeesThis season carries major financial ramifications for Stroman, who signed a two-year, million deal with the Yankees last January. The veteran right-hander will trigger an million player option for 2026 if he throws at least 140 innings in 2025. Otherwise, he’ll become a free agent at the end of the year, at […]

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10 free agents from last year with something to prove

, SP, Yankees
This season carries major financial ramifications for Stroman, who signed a two-year, million deal with the Yankees last January. The veteran right-hander will trigger an million player option for 2026 if he throws at least 140 innings in 2025. Otherwise, he’ll become a free agent at the end of the year, at which point he’ll be going into his age-35 campaign.
The Red Sox have since added and to their starting staff, which also includes 2024 All-Star , and . But Giolito is still in the mix, too, and he could significantly improve Boston’s postseason chances if his performance looks more like 2019-21 (3.47 ERA, 11.1 K/9) than 2022-23 (4.89 ERA, 9.9 K/9).
That said, Yamamoto was sidelined for nearly three months while dealing with a right shoulder issue and tossed just 90 innings during the regular season, joining a long list of Dodgers starters who missed significant time due to injuries. Los Angeles was able to win it all nonetheless, but it could have a tough time repeating if those problems persist on the mound. Given the checkered injury histories of , , , and , the Dodgers will be counting on the 26-year-old Yamamoto to set the tone from a durability standpoint.
, SP, Dodgers
It’s hard to quibble with the outcome of Yamamoto’s first year with the Dodgers after landing the richest contract (5 million over 12 years) ever signed by a pitcher last offseason. The right-hander’s repertoire lived up to expectations as he made the transition from NPB to MLB, and Los Angeles ended up winning the World Series, with Yamamoto making key contributions in the playoffs.
, 1B/OF, Yankees
Bellinger’s career has been quite a roller coaster. After establishing himself as one of the top stars in the game over his first three seasons — culminating with the National League MVP Award in 2019 — Bellinger regressed to the point where he was MLB’s worst hitter (minimum 900 plate appearances) across 2021-22 (69 wRC+), leading to him being non-tendered by the Dodgers.
, SP, D-backs
A free agent for the first time last offseason, Montgomery lingered on the open market until late March before finally signing with the D-backs, inking a one-year, million contract with a vesting player option for 2025. Lacking a typical buildup to the season, the left-hander was unable to get into a groove all year, recording a 6.23 ERA over 117 innings. It was a far cry from his performance across 2022-23, which saw him post a 3.34 ERA over 64 starts. He also shined on the postseason stage for the Rangers in 2023, helping the club win a World Series title with a 2.90 ERA over six postseason games (five starts).
Hoskins’ contract gave him the ability to opt out at the end of the 2024 campaign, but he decided to exercise his million option to return to the Brewers for the 2025 season. His bat could prove pivotal as Milwaukee looks to replace the substantial production it lost when shortstop departed as a free agent to sign with the Giants.
, OF, Giants
While the addition of Adames should help their lineup, the Giants are also going to need last year’s marquee free-agent addition, Lee, to step up if they’re going to make noise in a stacked NL West. The outfielder, who signed a six-year, 3 million deal with San Francisco after a stellar KBO career, missed most of 2024 after tearing the labrum in his left shoulder when he crashed into the center-field wall on May 12.
When Spring Training begins next month, much of the focus will be on the marquee free-agent additions looking to make an impact with their new teams.
The 36-year-old might be a forgotten man entering 2025, but he could end up playing a pivotal role covering crucial innings for Detroit, especially if manager A.J. Hinch chooses to revisit (whether out of necessity or design) the unorthodox pitching strategy that drove the team’s surprising playoff push last year.
But there are also plenty of players from last year’s free-agent class who have something to prove in 2025. That includes the 10 players below, whose 2024 seasons left a lot to be desired after they signed big contracts in free agency.
Much like Montgomery, however, Stroman currently finds himself without a rotation spot after his team added a marquee starter — , in this case — via free agency. As a result, he is also a candidate to be traded before Opening Day, though demand for the right-hander could be limited after he recorded a 4.31 ERA with a career-worst FIP (4.62) and K/BB (1.88) in 2024, fading during the summer for the second straight year.
With Burnes in the fold, the D-backs’ rotation could potentially rank among the best in baseball this season, but they’ll need a bounceback season from E-Rod to solidify the back end of their starting staff.
But while Candelario tied for second on the Reds with 20 homers in 2024, his bat fell back below the league-average line. He posted an 87 wRC+ and -0.4 WAR before missing the final six weeks with a broken left big toe. Attrition also hit the rest of Cincinnati’s infield, with missing the entire season due to a left shoulder injury, struggling over his first 29 games (.513 OPS, -0.7 WAR) before suffering a season-ending right hand fracture and producing -1.5 WAR over 66 games following an 80-game PED suspension. Given the uncertainty surrounding those youngsters heading into 2025, Cincinnati will be counting on Candelario to provide stability.
, 1B/3B, Reds
Candelario was non-tendered by the Tigers on the heels of an 80 wRC+ in 2022, but he rebounded to the tune of a .251/.336/.471 slash (118 wRC+) with 22 homers and 39 doubles over 140 games between the Nationals and Cubs in 2023. The switch-hitter went on to sign a three-year, million deal with the Reds in free agency last offseason, adding a veteran presence to a team brimming with promising young infielders.
, SP/RP, Tigers
After returning from Tommy John surgery to post a 4.23 ERA over 104 1/3 innings for the Twins in 2023, Maeda signed a two-year, million deal with the Tigers in free agency, slotting in behind ace in the club’s rotation. While Maeda lost his starting job after getting hit hard (7.26 ERA) over his first 16 outings, he showed improvement as a long reliever, notching a 3.86 ERA with a 5.86 K/BB in 42 innings over 12 games out of the bullpen.
The southpaw is still with Arizona, having exercised his .5 million player option. But after the club signed ace pitcher , Montgomery appears to be the odd man out in the team’s rotation, making him a prime candidate to be traded before Opening Day. No matter where he ends up, the 32-year-old will be looking to prove his value before getting another chance to test the free-agent market at the end of 2025.
Bellinger resurrected his career with the Cubs in 2023, producing a 136 wRC+ with 4.4 WAR (per FanGraphs), but after re-signing with Chicago on a three-year, million deal last January, he took a step backward in 2024 (109 wRC+, 2.2 WAR). Bellinger had the ability to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, but he exercised his .5 million player option to stay with the Cubs. Only, he won’t be playing for Chicago in 2025, having been traded to the Yankees in December.
, 1B, Brewers
After his final season with the Phillies was wiped out by a torn ACL in his left knee, Hoskins signed a two-year, million contract with the Brewers last January. Despite missing the previous year, Hoskins showed no signs of rust coming out of the gate in 2024, going deep nine times with an .813 OPS over his first 38 games. However, his performance dropped off after he was forced to the injured list with a right hamstring strain in mid-May. Following a 15-game absence, the slugger returned to hit .206 with a .683 OPS in his final 93 games. Hoskins still managed to record 26 homers and 82 RBIs on the year, but his overall production (100 wRC+) paled in comparison to his Philadelphia years (126 wRC+).
, SP, D-backs
The D-backs likely wouldn’t have signed Montgomery if Rodriguez hadn’t suffered a left lat strain during Spring Training, opening up a spot in Arizona’s rotation. Rodriguez, who signed a four-year, million deal with the D-backs in December 2023, didn’t return to the mound until Aug. 7 and was limited to 10 starts on the season. The left-hander was largely ineffective in those outings, completing six innings only once and posting a 5.04 ERA — up from a 3.30 ERA over 26 starts with the Tigers in 2023.
As they enter the second year of their deals, there’s still time for these players to prove they were worth the investment — or at least improve their stock before making another run at free agency next offseason.
, SP, Red Sox
The Red Sox brought in Giolito to lead their inexperienced rotation after signing him to a two-year, million deal last offseason, but he never ended up throwing a pitch for Boston in 2024. The right-hander had an internal-brace procedure to repair the UCL in his right elbow last March, ending his season before it began. While the club’s remaining starters were better than expected, Boston ultimately missed the postseason for the fifth time in six years.
A bounceback season from Bellinger would not only provide a major boost to a Yankees lineup that lost to the crosstown Mets in free agency but also position the 29-year-old for a significant payday next offseason. After all, Bellinger has another option decision looming at the end of 2025: He can either opt in for a million salary next season or take a million buyout and test the open market.

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No. 1 welterweight brutally honest on next fight after UFC 315 put division on lockdown

Sean Brady has accepted his fate in the aftermath of UFC 315. As of today, Philadelphia’s Sean Brady still remains at the top of the welterweight division with the #1 ranking next to his name. In other instances, Brady would have likely received a title shot for how he dominated Leon Edwards at UFC London […]

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No. 1 welterweight brutally honest on next fight after UFC 315 put division on lockdown

Sean Brady has accepted his fate in the aftermath of UFC 315.

As of today, Philadelphia’s Sean Brady still remains at the top of the welterweight division with the #1 ranking next to his name.

In other instances, Brady would have likely received a title shot for how he dominated Leon Edwards at UFC London in March where he became the first fighter ever to finish the former champ.

However, that probably won’t be the case with all signs pointing to a super-fight between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and newly-crowned welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena after JDM’s win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 last weekend.

So, where exactly does that leave the #1 contender Brady?

Sean Brady knows he’ll fight again for welterweight title shot

The odd man out at 170lbs, the 18-1 Brady figured the title fight wasn’t next even after shutting out Edwards like nobody else.

“I knew if Jack won that I’d be fighting again,” Brady said on The Ariel Helwani Show.

“I’m fine with [it].

“Of course I want the title shot, but there’s still Shavkat [Rakhmonov] there,” Brady added.

“There’s Islam saying he’s moving up. You have Kamaru [Usman] and [Joaquin] Buckley saying whoever wins that’s getting a title shot, so we’re all gonna have to fight.”

Sean Brady eyes Ian Machado Garry as next opponent

The welterweight division filled with young and hungry contenders, Brady looks no further than a fight against #6-ranked Ian Machado Garry.

Coming off a loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, Machado Garry called for a title opportunity following his decision win over #13-ranked Carlos Prates earlier this month.

With a title fight not happening anytime soon for the top welterweights, Brady wants a crack at ‘The Future’.

“I’m gonna have to fight Ian Garry eventually,” Brady said regarding his next fight.

“Why not just do it now and just get it out of the way?

“If I’m as good as I think I am. I would fight Shavkat for the number one contender… He says he’s coming back in October [due to injury]. That really means he’s probably coming back the end of the year or even next year.

“Me and Ian had a little interaction at the fight from across the way… I was like, me and you, that’s what I think. I think me and you are gonna have to fight now because we can’t all wait around for a title shot,” Brady explained.

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Modestas Bukauskas 'Grateful' For Adversity That Took Him Out Of UFC

[embedded content] UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukasukas is really taking it all in on his second run in the UFC coming off his victory over Ion Cutelaba at UFC 315 on Saturday night. Bukauskas (18-6) entered the UFC the first time in 2020. After getting a first round finish in his first fight with the […]

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Modestas Bukauskas 'Grateful' For Adversity That Took Him Out Of UFC

UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukasukas is really taking it all in on his second run in the UFC coming off his victory over Ion Cutelaba at UFC 315 on Saturday night.

Bukauskas (18-6) entered the UFC the first time in 2020. After getting a first round finish in his first fight with the promotion he went onto drop his next three. He was subsequently cut from the UFC, but then made his return in 2023 after a 2-0 run back with Cage Warriors.

“It’s mad because 26 realistically in fighting isn’t like crazy, crazy young. You got guys now that are doing well, 26, but everyone’s journey is different,” Bukauskas told Cageside Press among other reporters at his post-fight scrum.

“I definitely feel that for me. Maybe that was part of my personal journey.”

The time away from the UFC was necessary in Bukauskas’ mind as it lit a fire under him to improve. Even a knee injury is seen as a positive in a way.

“I needed to do it better a little bit later. I needed to learn from those mistakes otherwise I would never be able to do what I’m doing right now. So I look at that as a blessing. I had to go through that,” he said.

“I’m actually very grateful that my knee got tore up, I’m very grateful that I got cut the first time around. Because it wouldn’t have given me the sense of urgency or even just the way that I approach the game.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Modestas Bukauskas above.

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Panam Sports THE PANAM AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGINS!!!

THE PANAM AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGINS!!! The Medellin 2025 Pan American Aquatic Sports Championship begins this Tuesday. The best representatives of the continent will compete in Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water and Artistic Swimming. And you will be able to watch all the details live on the Panam Sports Channel. Today is the Opening Ceremony […]

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Panam Sports THE PANAM AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGINS!!!

THE PANAM AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGINS!!!

The Medellin 2025 Pan American Aquatic Sports Championship begins this Tuesday. The best representatives of the continent will compete in Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water and Artistic Swimming. And you will be able to watch all the details live on the Panam Sports Channel.

Today is the Opening Ceremony at 6pm.

Everything is ready and set in the Colombian city of Medellin for what will be an aquatic event never seen before in our region. It is the Panam Aquatics 2025 Championship that will count with the participation of more than 1200 athletes.

A total of 45 nations will be represented in this competition: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela will be the countries seeking glory in this competition.

This is the first time in history that an event of these characteristics has been held, so expectations are very high considering that it is also a qualifying competition for the Junior Pan American Games 2025 and for the World Aquatic Sports Championship in Singapore.

There will be 5 disciplines in this event:

Swimming: May 13 to 17
Diving: May 13 to 17
Artistic Swimming: May 17 to 20
Water Polo: May 19 to 25.
Open Water Swimming: May 21 to 23.

On Tuesday, May 13, the swimming and diving competitions are expected to begin with the preliminaries.

The Opening Ceremony of this event is scheduled for today at 6 p.m., with a program that includes speeches by the main authorities, an artistic show and the parade of the participating delegations.

All the alternatives of this championship can be seen on our Panam Sports Channel, the Official Channel of the Panam Aquatics Medellin 2025.

If you haven’t downloaded the APP, it’s absolutely free.

PANAM SPORTS CHANNEL

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UFC Aiming for Fall Return to Canada, Destination Unknown

[embedded content] Montreal — It’s been ten years since the UFC touched down at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where Georges St-Pierre once dominated the welterweight division. Following UFC 315 on Saturday, the promotion’s return to those hallowed grounds where over 19,000 fans turned up to see Jack Della Maddalena dethrone Belal Muhammad for GSP’s […]

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UFC Aiming for Fall Return to Canada, Destination Unknown

Montreal — It’s been ten years since the UFC touched down at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where Georges St-Pierre once dominated the welterweight division.

Following UFC 315 on Saturday, the promotion’s return to those hallowed grounds where over 19,000 fans turned up to see Jack Della Maddalena dethrone Belal Muhammad for GSP’s old belt, you can rest assured there won’t be another ten-year gap between visits.

Filling in for Dana White at the UFC 315 post-fight press conference, UFC Senior Vice President of International and Content David Shaw noted that the promotion views Montreal as a Pay-Per-View calibre city.

“Yeah absolutely. I think in our mind, Montreal is a Pay-Per-View city, and so there are a number of Pay-Per-View cities in Canada,” stated Shaw, asked whether the promotion might visit the city more frequently. “We’re trying to get back to maybe three events a year. So it certainly won’t be as long as it’s been.”

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic setting in and shutting things down in early 2020, Canada had seen a steady three UFC events per year. That changed with COVID, as the promotion did not return to the country until a stop in Vancouver in 2023. Two shows, one in Toronto and one in Edmonton, took place last year. Montreal marked the first Canadian show of 2025; there will be at least one more, Shaw confirmed to Cageside Press.

Asked about a rumored second date, “the update is that we will have a date, the lack of update is that we don’t have a date to disclose,” stated Shaw. “Nor do we have a city to disclose. But we’re actively working on it. Not going to happen in the summer, so we’re looking at the fall. October, November.”

Watch the full UFC 315 post-fight press conference appearance by David Shaw above.

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NBA draft lottery

By NOAH TRISTER Patrick Ewing was poised to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft 40 years ago when Commissioner David Stern began the first draft lottery by pulling a logo of the Golden State Warriors out of an envelope — indicating they would select seventh. Pat O’Brien, announcing for CBS, proclaimed: “And […]

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NBA draft lottery

By NOAH TRISTER

Patrick Ewing was poised to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft 40 years ago when Commissioner David Stern began the first draft lottery by pulling a logo of the Golden State Warriors out of an envelope — indicating they would select seventh.

Pat O’Brien, announcing for CBS, proclaimed: “And the first team to hate the lottery.”

Now the question is who will be the next team to hate the lottery. Utah, Washington or Charlotte, perhaps? Each has a league-best 14% chance of picking first this year.

“That day we don’t have a lot of control over. The balls will tell us our fate,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins told Monumental Sports Network recently — a reference to the table tennis balls in a lottery machine that determine the top few picks.

Back in 1985, Stern simply picked envelopes out of a drum, a process seized upon by conspiracy theorists suspicious of the ultimate result that sent Ewing to the New York Knicks. The Warriors had finished tied for the league’s worst record in the 1984-85 season, but they received the No. 7 pick.

Duke star Cooper Flagg is expected to be the first player taken in next month’s draft but nothing is guaranteed.

The lottery is now an annual NBA event in which largely downtrodden teams find out if fortune is smiling on them. Every franchise has had significant experience with the lottery — with some certainly enjoying it more than others.

The Associated Press reviewed each franchise’s draft lottery history. Here are a few highlights and lowlights:

— Most lottery wins. The record for lottery wins is four, by Cleveland and Orlando. The Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and San Antonio have received the top pick three times.

— No lottery wins. Eight franchises have never won the lottery: The Grizzlies, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers and Thunder. Dallas, Denver and Memphis have been particularly unlucky, and Minnesota had a brutal lottery record before finally landing the No. 1 pick in 2015 and 2020.

— Longest long shots. Orlando snagged the top pick in 1993 despite a probability of 1.5%. Chicago in 2008 and Cleveland in 2014 each had a 1.7% chance when they won.

— Best odds on Monday. Each team in the lottery had an equal chance of picking No. 1 during the early years. Then a weighted system was introduced. After Orlando’s 1993 win, the teams at the top of the lottery were given slightly better chances, but lately that’s reverted back a bit. Following Utah, Washington and Charlotte this year are New Orleans (12.5%), Philadelphia (10.5%), Brooklyn (9%), Toronto (7.5%), San Antonio (6.7%), Houston (3.8%), Portland (3.7%), Dallas (1.8%), Chicago (1.7%) and Sacramento (0.8%).

— Record-setting Warriors. For much of the lottery’s history, there’s been a limit to how far teams can fall, so nobody has ever dropped again the way Golden State did in 1985.

___

(AP reviewed data on realgm.com to compile this report.)

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

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Female Athlete-Focused Development Platforms – Trend Hunter

LaunchBreak presents an innovative professional development platform that is specifically designed to harness the competitive advantages of female athletes in corporate leadership. The service capitalizes on compelling research showing 94% of C-suite women have sports backgrounds, as well as the stark gender disparity in executive roles, where women currently hold just 3.4% of CEO positions […]

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Female Athlete-Focused Development Platforms - Trend Hunter

LaunchBreak presents an innovative professional development platform that is specifically designed to harness the competitive advantages of female athletes in corporate leadership. The service capitalizes on compelling research showing 94% of C-suite women have sports backgrounds, as well as the stark gender disparity in executive roles, where women currently hold just 3.4% of CEO positions globally.

LaunchBreak was founded by former Division 1 tennis players Philippa Portnoy and Teresa Saputo-Crerend. The professional development platform recognizes the transferable skills developed through athletics — from teamwork and resilience to strategic thinking — and provides targeted career support, including mentorship connections, resume optimization, and interview preparation.

By creating a dedicated networking community for women with athletic backgrounds, LaunchBreak offers a unique value proposition that differentiates it from generic professional development services.

Image Credit: LaunchBreak

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