LOS ANGELES -- USC star JuJu Watkins was carried off the court just five minutes into the Trojans' second-round women's NCAA tournament game against Mississippi State on Monday night because of an apparent right knee injury.

The team, in a statement at halftime, announced that Watkins was being evaluated by medical staff and would not return to the game.

As Watkins drove to the basket on a fast break between two defenders, she was fouled and her right knee buckled as she planted her right leg, causing her to collapse to the floor. Watkins immediately grabbed her right knee and stayed down for over a minute.

The crowd at Galen Center collectively held its breath as trainers eventually had to lift up Watkins and carry her into the locker room. She was 0-of-2 shooting, with three free throws, one rebound and two assists before exiting.

"She's getting seen by our great medical team. We have a group, and a fan base and a team that's going to have her back no matter what," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb told ESPN after halftime. "JuJu is the toughest kid I know and she's gonna be good one way or another."

USC beat Mississippi State 96-59 to reach the Sweet 16 for a second straight year. Kiki Iriafen, a Stanford graduate transfer, led the Trojans in Watkins' absence, scoring a season-high 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting to go along with nine rebounds.

Watkins, an Associated Press All-American selection and a contender for national player of the year, is averaging 24.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season and has been the driving force behind USC's 29-3 campaign.

The Trojans earned the fourth No. 1 seed in this year's NCAA tournament.

USC beat UNC Greensboro 71-25 in the first round. During that game, Watkins hurt her left hand after the ball jammed her fingers. She later came up limping on her left leg and winced.

"It's the end of the season, body is a little banged up," she said afterward. "On to the next. Nobody cares. I'm all good."

USC reached the Elite Eight in Watkins' first season a year ago, losing to Paige Bueckers and UConn. The teams could meet again in a regional final in Spokane, Washington, this year.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum left Monday's 113-95 win over the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter after taking a hard foul.

Tatum was leading the Celtics in scoring with 25 points when he got hurt. The six-time All-Star made a contested 3-pointer and was fouled by Kings 6-foot-11 center Domantas Sabonis, who was called for a Flagrant 1 foul.

Tatum remained down for several moments while being examined by Celtics' staff. He was helped to the bench then returned to make one of two free throws to give the Celtics a 79-68 lead with 3:35 left in the third. He then left for the locker room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- After everything came together almost instantly for the Los Angeles Lakers once the Luka Doncic deal was completed and they rocketed up the standings thanks to a surprisingly suffocating defense, that success has left them as quickly as it arrived.

Monday's 118-106 loss to the Orlando Magic dropped Los Angeles to 3-7 in its past 10 games, with the average margin of defeat in those contests well into double digits (15.7 points).

And now, with just 11 games remaining in the regular season and a top-six seed in the Western Conference far from guaranteed, the loss to the Magic delivered a chance for self-reflection for the suddenly reeling group.

"I think we just got a little bit satisfied," Doncic said. "We can't afford that right now."

The Lakers are No. 4 in the West and only three games up on the No. 7 LA Clippers, who occupy the first play-in tournament spot.

Before its four-game road trip through Orlando, Indiana, Chicago and Memphis, Los Angeles had supposedly received a wake-up call over the weekend when the Chicago Bulls dominated the Lakers 146-115 on Saturday.

However, Los Angeles' third-quarter performance against the Magic was eerily reminiscent of how the Lakers fell apart on both ends after halftime against the Bulls just a couple of days ago.

Chicago outscored them 39-27 in the third quarter, Orlando outscored them 34-18.

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith said Los Angeles let its offensive struggles in the third dictate its defense. "We let our offense mess with our defensive energy," he said.

When asked whom it's incumbent upon to stop a trend like that from compounding itself on both ends of the floor, Doncic took responsibility, along with LeBron James, to lead.

"I think me and Bron, think we should be the guys to do that," Doncic said. "That's on me. Obviously, I've got to do better, I've got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn't do that."

Doncic scored 21 points in the first two quarters and only 11 after halftime. James (24 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) looked better than he did Saturday when was playing in his first game in two weeks because of a strained left groin, but still registered a team-worst minus-17 against the Magic.

"We're going through it a little bit," Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the game.

Seven of Los Angeles' remaining games are on the road and the Lakers still have three back-to-back sets left on the schedule, starting Wednesday in Indiana followed by Thursday in Chicago.

With three weeks left in the regular season, the pressure is on the Lakers, who are searching for some momentum before the games matter even more in the postseason.

"We need the adversity," Finney-Smith said. "Especially being a new team, we get to learn a lot about each other during tough times. You usually don't see things when you're winning. So we got the chance to grow. We're going to use this opportunity to grow."

NEW YORK -- Playing for the first time in over six weeks since aggravating an adductor injury, Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis said he felt "great" while finishing with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 26 minutes in Monday's 120-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

"Physically I felt great," Davis said afterward, while seated in the visitors locker room at Barclays Center. "It's the mental aspect when you're coming back from something like that. To mentally be ready to go out and play. I was mentally ready. But then getting into game action where you can't anticipate what the other team is going to do. I overcame that in the first minute or so. From there, it was just about being smart. Obviously, I'm on a minutes restriction."

Monday's game marked just the second time Davis had taken the court for Dallas since coming to the Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic at the start of February. Davis, already dealing with an abdominal strain at the time of the trade, made his debut in Dallas against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8 -- playing 31 minutes and scoring 26 points to go along with 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks -- before aggravating his injury.

Then, as Davis has sat out for the past six weeks, Dallas has seen a series of players -- from Kyrie Irving (torn ACL) to Daniel Gafford (knee sprain) to Dante Exum (fractured hand) to Caleb Martin (hip strain), among others -- all go down with injuries, often leaving the Mavericks flirting with not having the eight healthy bodies required by league rules to play an NBA game.

To that end, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd joked before the game that over the past few weeks he'd told his players to wait until the 15-minute mark to come to the court to warm up, rather than the more typical 20 minutes before, in an effort to try to conserve their energy. Monday, though, marked at least a beginning of a shift in the other direction, with third-year big man Dereck Lively II potentially to return sometime in the next couple of weeks.

"It was tough seeing these guys battling every single night. Winning close games," Davis said. "Losing close games. Blowing teams out. Getting blown out. They are laying it on the line. For me, it was never a thought about if I was going to come back and play. Especially if I was healthy. We are undermanned. Guys are hurt. Gafford. Lively. Kyrie goes out. It was tough. Guys were leaving it on the floor. Guys laying on the floor in the locker room afterwards just gassed -- to the point of exhaustion. There was no doubt I was going to come back and play. That makes you want to come out and play with these guys. Leave it on the floor and battle each and every night.

"As one of the leaders of the team, I just wanted to go out there and give them a breather at least."

Irving's injury, in particular, was a devastating blow to the Mavericks, as he tore his left ACL after landing awkwardly on a drive against the Sacramento Kings three weeks ago. After Irving shot a pair of free throws while clearly in immense pain, Davis was one of the people who helped him off the floor.

Now out for this season and likely at least a significant chunk of next season as well, Irving was with the team in Brooklyn, where he spent parts of four seasons of his career playing for the Nets.

"It was devastating," Davis said of Irving's injury. "Kyrie is a phenomenal basketball player. But even more phenomenal human. Any time anyone goes through something like that, an injury like that, it always sucks. Obviously, the initial injury, the initial moment, you want to give him space. Then he came back to the locker room. Got everything out of his system. Now he's excited about the rehab process.

"He's in a good headspace now ... to see him in a great headspace, it's good for our team. Good for me. And, I'm pretty sure, good for him. Obviously, it sucks. But we have to hold the fort down for this season, and into next season, until he's ready to come back."

Davis, however, was ready to come back Monday. And after Kidd said before the game that he hoped it would be both a positive, and healthy, experience for Davis after his, and all of the other injuries, that Dallas has experienced in recent weeks, he was pleased with how it went.

"It was a positive experience," Kidd said. "We tried to keep his run short. We tried to keep him under his minutes and I thought he did an incredible job. I thought his rhythm was good. Sometimes when you get a player back like AD, you wanna dump the ball to him every time. I thought the guys did a good job of being aggressive and letting the ball find him."

But despite the brief ray of optimism around Davis' return, the team he came back to is one with totally different expectations than the ones Dallas had after the controversial trade was made, when Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison declared the team had a "3-to-4 year" window to win titles. After Monday's win, Dallas sits a half-game ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the 10th and final spot in the Western Conference play-in picture, pending the result of Phoenix's game against the Milwaukee Bucks later in the night.

That, however, didn't stop Davis from pushing to return as soon as he was able to.

"I stressed that to them," Davis said. "Once I'm 100 percent, whenever that time was, and we have games left, I'm going to play. We all huddled up and got on the same page. Went through the rehab process and was able to play tonight. There was never a moment in my mind -- unless we ran out of games -- that I wasn't going to play.

"Seeing these guys playing with seven guys. Guys playing 38, 40 minutes. We just don't have enough bodies. Kessler Edwards is playing the 5. Naji [Marshall] is playing the 5. Added a little bit more motivation for me. I was already motivated to get back. But it added a little bit more motivation seeing those guys battle each and every night. And leaving it on the floor.

"There was no doubt in my mind I was going to come back."

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez will open the season on the injured list as he recovers from lower back soreness.

The left-hander could be ready to pitch at some point next month, barring any issues, Philadelphia president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday.

"I don't think it will be long, long," Dombrowski told reporters prior to the team's exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Rays. "But we're going to be slow. We're not going to bring him back until he feels good. And he feels good now, but now, we're in that stage where we have to build him up."

Suarez, 29, underwent testing after feeling tightness March 17, one day after pitching in an intrasquad game. He missed his planned start Friday.

With Suarez out, Taijuan Walker will be the Phillies' fifth starter.

"It's a great opportunity," Dombrowski said. "It's good to have somebody like that. I hope he pitches like he did a couple years ago. I don't see why he can't with what he has now."

Suarez went 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA in 2024 and is entering his eighth major league season.

Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, did not report to prison to serve his 57-month sentence Monday, as originally ordered by a judge.

According to the Bureau of Prisons inmate database, Mizuhara was not in custody as of Monday night. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California confirmed that Mizuhara's surrender date, which was March 24, was pushed back but did not provide any additional details. The new date, as well as the reason for the delay, are under court seal and not available for public review.

Mizuhara's attorney, Michael G. Freedman, did not respond to ESPN's request for comment. The delay was first reported by NBC Los Angeles.

Mizuhara was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in February for stealing about $17 million from Ohtani. The Dodgers fired Mizuhara in March 2024 after an ESPN investigation revealed that he had sent millions in wire transfers from Ohtani's account to an illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return, admitting that he placed about 19,000 bets with the bookie over a two-year period and accumulated over $40 million in debt.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he's "really encouraged" by the progress of Mookie Betts, who had been dealing with an illness that prevented him from keeping solid food down and prompted him to shed 18 pounds.

Betts went through a full workout at Dodger Stadium on Monday and is expected to play in the team's final exhibition game at Angel Stadium on Tuesday. Asked if Betts will play in the Dodgers' stateside opener Thursday, a home matchup against Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Roberts said: "I think so."

Shohei Ohtani, meanwhile, is scheduled to pitch off a mound again Saturday, when he will restart the process of building back up as a starting pitcher and eventually return to a two-way role. The session will mark Ohtani's first time throwing off a mound since Feb. 25, a 32-day respite that Roberts acknowledged might feel like starting over.

Ohtani was progressing toward facing hitters last month, but the Dodgers paused the pitching side of his rehab, Roberts said, because they wanted him to focus on opening the season as the team's designated hitter. The initial hope was that Ohtani might join the Dodgers' rotation in May.

Ohtani has continued to play catch and kept his arm active for the past four weeks. But he'd still need several bullpen sessions, then begin throwing in simulated games -- a traditional rehab assignment is not an option because the Dodgers want to keep him in their lineup -- to build up enough for a starter's workload before returning as a two-way player. Roberts would not speculate how long that might take, but the Dodgers will clearly take their time.

"For 2025," Roberts added, "the most important piece of this is having him be able to do both through the end of the season and through October."

Ohtani was in the lineup for both of the Dodgers' regular-season games against the Chicago Cubs in Japan last week. Betts, however, was not. The Dodgers' outfielder-turned-shortstop told reporters Sunday that he hasn't kept solid foods down for about two weeks, restricted to only liquids. In that time, his weight had dropped from 175 pounds to 157.

Betts got an IV in Japan and was sent home early. He was initially in the starting lineup for the first of three exhibition games against the Angels on Sunday, but the Dodgers scratched him after another bout of vomiting. At that point, Betts was doubtful to play in Thursday's opener. But he has since "turned a corner," Roberts said.

"He tried solid food, kept it down, got through his workout, and he's going to go home and eat some more solid food," Roberts added before Monday's game at Angel Stadium.

The opening week of the 2025 MLB season is upon us -- on the heels of a chaos-packed offseason.

Not long after the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their 2024 World Series title, they made the first big strike of the offseason, landing a two-time Cy Young winner -- and that was just the start for Los Angeles. But the Dodgers weren't the only ones keeping the hot stove warm in a winter that had a little bit of everything -- from a $765 million contract to lure a superstar across New York City boroughs to a pair of aces signing record nine-figure deals. And the offseason drama continued well into spring training, with two top sluggers finally signing after camps opened.

Whether you are just realizing that Alex Bregman left Houston for the Boston Red Sox or the Dodgers signed ... well, it felt like just about everyone -- or you know all the moves that went down and still aren't quite sure what to make of them, we've got you covered for Opening Day on Thursday.

ESPN baseball experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield break down the moves that rocked the offseason, what they mean for the teams that made them -- and how they'll shape the season ahead.

Dodgers get the offseason rolling -- with a sign of what's ahead

Date of the deal: Nov. 26 -- Dodgers sign Snell to $182 million deal

What it means for the Dodgers: The Dodgers began the offseason with one clear target in mind -- not Juan Soto, but Blake Snell. They had just won the World Series, but they did so despite an injury-ravaged starting rotation that required them to stage bullpen games on multiple occasions throughout October. They needed some certainty at the top of their pitching staff, and Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner they almost signed when his market collapsed last offseason, was seen as an ideal fit.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman engaged with Snell's agent, Scott Boras, at the start of November, and it ultimately took some creativity to come together on a deal that satisfied both parties. They settled on a five-year, $182 million contract that included $66 million in deferred salary but also a $52 million signing bonus.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Snell spent the past two years pitching for the Dodgers' biggest division rivals, dominating for the San Diego Padres in 2023 and, after an abbreviated spring training, putting together a masterful second half for the San Francisco Giants in 2024. Snell's presence on the Dodgers, when coupled with another massive move later in the winter, would give them a rotation that is just about as dominant as their lineup -- and it would set the tone for another blockbuster offseason.

Dominoes: Boras was coming off a rocky offseason in which four of his biggest clients -- Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery -- didn't sign until well into spring training. Boras chalked it up to a bad market replete with unwilling spenders, and Snell's signing showed that this offseason -- another one in which Boras would represent some of the best players available -- might be different. It also helped trigger a run of exorbitant starting-pitching contracts over the next three weeks. -- Gonzalez

Giants finally get their big-money free agent

Date of the deal: Dec.7 -- Adames joins Giants on 7-year deal

What it means for the Giants: The Giants began the offseason with a glaring need at shortstop, and Willy Adames was the best player available at that position. It was really that simple -- and the Giants acted as such, chasing Adames aggressively and signing him before the start of baseball's winter meetings.

The Adames signing represented the first major free agent addition under Buster Posey, the iconic Giants catcher who shockingly stepped in as the new president of baseball operations shortly after the 2024 regular season. Adames landed a seven-year, $182 million contract that set a new franchise record -- breaking the $167 million extension Posey himself signed nearly a dozen years earlier.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Giants had been having a tough time attracting star players to San Francisco. And though Adames isn't as big a name as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge or Bryce Harper -- stars who recently spurned them to sign elsewhere -- his arrival represents a shift in tone for a front office group that, under Posey, wants the Giants to get back to being the type of organization a community will rally around.

Dominoes: The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays had all been linked, to varying degrees, to Adames. He represented a natural pivot if they could not land Juan Soto for those teams. But they needed to wait on Soto first. The Giants knew this. It triggered their aggression. And it eventually prompted the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays to get even more creative than they hoped. -- Gonzalez

Soto joins the Mets for $765 million -- yes, you heard that right: $765 million

Date of the deal: Dec. 8 -- Soto joins Mets on 15-year deal

What it means for the Mets: The Mets' interest in Juan Soto was a poorly kept secret -- pursuing the superstar outfielder was central to their long-term plans since Steve Cohen hired David Stearns to run baseball operations in 2023. Landing him, however, was monumental for the franchise.

First, on the field, Soto is possibly the best hitter in the world. His consistency is unmatched. His floor sits stories above most of his peers' ceilings. He will mash hitting behind Francisco Lindor in a lineup that should rank among baseball's best.

But the move was about more than just Soto's on-field impact. It signaled that the Mets really will be different with Cohen in control. Not only did the Mets sign the most sought-after free agent in over two decades to the richest contract in professional sports history (15 years, $765 million with the potential for the compensation to reach $805 million), they signed him away from the Yankees and beat them for his signature. The Yankees are still the top team in New York. But the Mets are ready to compete for championships and the city's top spot.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The outlook in Queens changed as soon as Soto signed on the dotted line. A year ago, the Mets were projected as a fringe playoff team before exceeding expectations with a magical summer. Signing Soto meant just reaching the postseason is no longer enough -- and that the Mets had more work to do.

Dominoes: Soto's decision opened the offseason's floodgates -- for the four other finalists to land him and several other clubs. The Yankees were forced to turn to Plan B and beyond, prompting a series of moves in December. The Red Sox also spent money elsewhere and the Blue Jays tried to. The Dodgers, the fifth finalist for Soto ... well, the Dodgers just kept spending money.

Beyond this winter, though, Soto's record-setting contract set the market for future high-profile free agents in his age range. The first test case will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is expected to reach free agency next winter at 26 after turning down a $500 million extension offer (with deferrals) from the Blue Jays last month. -- Castillo

Yankees respond to losing Soto with a $218 million ace signing

Date of the deal: Dec. 10 -- Fried, Yankees reach 8-year, $218 million deal

What it means for the Yankees: The Yankees had money to spend and choices to make once Juan Soto spurned them for the Mets. The most obvious need was replacing Soto's offensive production, but they opted to bolster their biggest strength for their first move of the post-Soto era by investing heavily in another frontline starter.

After missing out on Blake Snell and not fitting Corbin Burnes' preference to join a club with spring training in Arizona, the Yankees set their sights on Max Fried. He became the third starter in the past six offseasons whom the Yankees have signed to a long-term deal after Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.

The signing for eight years and $218 million gave New York arguably the best starting rotation in baseball -- a fivesome rounded out by Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The starting rotation lifted the Yankees to the American League East title in 2024. They determined it would make for the best strategy moving forward for 2025 and beyond.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The starting rotation became more formidable with a two-time All-Star with a 3.07 career ERA across eight seasons. And the move proved even more crucial for 2025 than initially believed when Cole's elbow started barking again. Losing Cole for the entire season means Fried will begin 2025 as the club's No. 1 starter. Fried has dealt with forearm injuries the past two seasons. Staying healthy will be imperative for a rotation also without Gil for at least three months to start the season.

Dominoes: The Yankees beat out their rival Red Sox for Fried's services, prompting Boston to turn to another ace in the trade market the very next day and leaving Burnes as the only ace-level starter left on the free agent market. But Fried doesn't hit, and the Yankees needed to improve the lineup. They addressed that before the end of the month. -- Castillo

Red Sox get an ace of their own in blockbuster trade with White Sox

Date of the deal: Dec. 11 -- Boston lands Garrett Crochet for prospects

What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox haven't really had an ace since Chris Sale blew out his elbow back in 2019, but after losing out on Snell and Fried, they used their prospect depth to acquire Garrett Crochet, coming off a big season for the White Sox.

The Boston rotation was pretty solid in 2024, ranking seventh in the majors in ERA, although it was just middle of the pack in innings (16th) and strikeout rate (15th). In his first season starting, Crochet made 32 starts and pitched 146 innings (the White Sox limited his innings the final two months) -- and, most impressively, topped all pitchers with at least 100 innings by posting a 35.1% strikeout rate.

Crochet was the most in-demand non-free agent of the offseason -- he's under control for two more seasons and will make just $3.8 million in 2025 -- and it cost the Red Sox a heavy price in Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, their first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 respectively, plus two other prospects.

How it will shape the 2025 season: With Rafael Devers, 2024 breakout star Jarren Duran, last year's impressive rookies Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, and an exciting group of prospects ready to help in outfielder Roman Anthony (ESPN's No. 2 overall prospect), shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 4) and second baseman Kristian Campbell (No. 26), it was time for the Red Sox to make a push to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Maybe it's a year early for all this talent to coalesce into a World Series contender, but Crochet improves those odds.

Dominoes: One key factor is that Crochet's low salary allowed the Red Sox to make a couple of other moves. First, they would sign Walker Buehler for even more rotation depth. But an even bigger move would come right as spring training kicked off. -- Schoenfield

Yankees continue their pitching push with trade for star closer

Date of the deal: Dec. 13 -- Yankees acquire star closer Williams from Brewers

What it means for the Yankees: Clay Holmes was demoted from the closer role in September, so it wasn't a surprise that the Yankees decided to let him walk in free agency. The thinking was the Yankees could hand the role to Luke Weaver, who sparkled closing games in September and October. But the Yankees aimed higher, acquiring Devin Williams, perhaps the best closer in baseball, from the Milwaukee Brewers for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin.

The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year, Williams is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year and a two-time All-Star. He owns a 1.83 career ERA and 68 career saves behind a screwball-changeup fusion known as The Airbender. He's a clear upgrade. But he's also under team control for just one more season, marking the second consecutive winter that the Yankees traded for a star one year from free agency.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Williams' inclusion moved Weaver back to a multi-inning setup role after his breakout 2024 season -- his first as a reliever. Fernando Cruz, acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Jose Trevino later in the month, has the fourth-highest strikeout rate among relievers with at least 130 innings thrown since he debuted in 2022. With them in the back end, the Yankees' bullpen should improve upon its 12th-ranked strikeout rate from last season.

Dominoes: Williams knew a trade was coming. He was just surprised that it was to the Yankees and not the Dodgers, who were in pursuit of the right-hander. Instead, the Yankees outbid Los Angeles, leaving the Dodgers to continue their search for bullpen help. They ultimately settled on signing the best reliever on the free agent market and a 2024 All-Star, continuing their offseason shopping spree. -- Castillo

Cubs get their star hitter in blockbuster between contenders

Date of the deal: Dec. 13 -- Cubs get Tucker from Astros

What it means for the Cubs: The Cubs needed to improve their power profile while servicing an apparent need to avoid long-term entanglements. In acquiring Kyle Tucker in advance of his walk year, they accomplish both. Chicago leveraged a moment of abundance at third base in its system to land Tucker, one of the game's most potent left-handed sluggers and well-rounded outfielders. Tucker is an upgrade over soon-to-be-dealt Cody Bellinger, but when the latter was traded to the Yankees, it rendered the addition of Tucker more marginal than it had to be. That will be especially true if (when?) the Cubs don't pony up to retain Tucker for the long term.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Chicago traded a serviceable starting third baseman (Isaac Paredes) and a rapidly rising third base prospect (Cam Smith) to snag Tucker. The outgoing package was made possible by the presence of another hot corner prospect -- Matt Shaw -- who opened the season as the regular at the position. Thus, the move needs two things to happen to achieve its short-term aim: Tucker to stay healthy, and Shaw to justify the Cubs' faith.

Dominoes: The Tucker trade will be pushing over dominoes for some time. Bellinger's departure was the start, which also led to low-level rumbling in Chicago over the Cubs' often thrifty ways. Those rumbles grew louder when the Cubs were suitors for Alex Bregman, only to fall short. However, that failed pursuit kept the path clear for Shaw, who earned the third-base job during spring training. Those rumbles may turn into a full-blown uproar if the Cubs disappoint and Tucker signs elsewhere after the season -- or is dealt at the trade deadline. -- Doolittle

Cubs follow Tucker deal by sending a former MVP to the Yankees

Date of the deal: Dec. 17 -- Cubs trade Bellinger to Yankees

What it means for the Yankees: With Juan Soto now with the Mets and Anthony Rizzo a free agent, the Yankees had holes to fill in the outfield and first base. Why not solve one of those with Cody Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP who can play both positions?

With Kyle Tucker in right, Pete Crow-Armstrong ready to take over in center and the less expensive Michael Busch at first base, the Cubs wanted to dump Bellinger's $27.5 million salary. The Yankees were the perfect fit. They later signed Paul Goldschmidt to play first, so Bellinger will end up as the regular center fielder with Aaron Judge moving back to right field.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Yankees knew they couldn't replace Soto with one player, so they're hoping they can replace his production with multiple players. Bellinger has never come close to his 2019 numbers since injuring his shoulder in the 2020 World Series, but he's coming off back-to-back solid seasons with the Cubs (139 OPS+ in 2023, 111 in 2024 when he hit .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs). He has morphed into a more contact-oriented hitter these days, but his pull-heavy approach could work well at Yankee Stadium. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, will try to rebound at age 37 from his worst offensive season (.245/.302/.414, 22 home runs).

Dominoes: With Bellinger and Goldschmidt, the Yankees were no longer a viable landing spot for Pete Alonso, eliminating a key bidder for the slugger's services. Scott Boras had lost his leverage. And the Cubs? In subtracting Bellinger's salary, perhaps they had room for another free agent with Alex Bregman looking like a potential fit. -- Schoenfield

A $200 million ace joins ... the Diamondbacks!?

Date of the deal: Dec. 28 -- Arizona, Burnes finalize six-year deal

What it means for the Diamondbacks: As much as anything, Arizona's second straight offseason investment in its starting rotation declares that even as the Diamondbacks share a division with baseball's newest Evil Empire, the Snakes aren't conceding anything to the high-dollar Dodgers.

After splurging for Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez last year, it would have been easy for Arizona to stand pat with its rotation depth chart, hoping for Montgomery to bounce back and E-Rod to be healthy. Instead, the addition of Corbin Burnes gives Arizona a rotation big three in Burnes, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly that can match anyone. It also makes the Diamondbacks a pickle to match up against in any October series -- even one against the Dodgers.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Gallen and Kelly are healthy this spring after missing time in 2024, and if they can stay that way, this stat might be highly relevant: Those two and Burnes, between them, have averaged 176 innings over the past three years, and that number jumps to 189 if you remove Kelly's 13-start 2024 campaign.

The addition of Burnes pushed everyone else down a slot, giving the Diamondbacks superior rotation depth, which in turn should help cover them against a lack of numbers in the middle and front of the bullpen. (The back is in good shape.) The defense behind the starters should incent the hurlers to be pitch efficient, as will an athletic, potent lineup.

Dominoes: For Arizona, the Burnes signing places the need to find a taker for Montgomery at the top of the to-do list, as he simply makes too much money to be just a rotation depth guy. The larger dominoes were felt elsewhere in the pitching market, as teams aching for Burnes' ace production were left wanting. That begins with Burnes' old team, Baltimore, which would likely rate as a solid favorite in the AL East had Burnes returned. But the Blue Jays, Giants and others were also left to look elsewhere for an impact addition. -- Doolittle

Much-anticipated Sasaki sweepstakes has a Hollywood ending

Date of the deal: Jan. 17 -- Japanese ace Sasaki says he's joining Dodgers

What it means for the Dodgers: In some ways, the Dodgers had been building up to this moment -- all the way back to the mid-1990s, when Hideo Nomo blazed a path for Japanese pitchers to the United States and turned a generation of children in his home country into Dodger fans. In the ensuing years, as Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Yu Darvish and others starred elsewhere, the Dodgers' influence in Japan began to fade. Then Shohei Ohtani signed with them on Dec. 11, 2023. Then Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined him weeks later. Then, powered in part by those two, the Dodgers won the World Series.

By the time Sasaki was posted in December of 2024, the Dodgers had once again established themselves as the predominant major league team of Japan. So much so that Sasaki chose them, too, even though their starting rotation was already quite full. He chose them mostly because he believed they gave him the best chance to develop, but the presence of Yamamoto and Ohtani, and the fact that the Dodgers carried such massive influence in his country, certainly helped.

How it will shape the 2025 season: In a span of 13 months, the Dodgers added Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, Snell and Sasaki to their rotation. To that group you can add Ohtani, who is expected to return as a two-way player this season. And Clayton Kershaw, who is on track to join the rotation around June. And a host of promising arms, including Dustin May. Add in their star-studded lineup, and what they would later add to their bullpen, and the Dodgers have put together one of the most talented rosters in baseball history.

Dominoes: The San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays emerged as the other two finalists for Sasaki, and his decision was a massive blow to both. To the Blue Jays, it meant coming up just short on another premier player after failed pursuits of Ohtani, Soto and Burnes, among others. The Padres had a hole in their rotation and were continuing to operate on a tight budget. In some ways, they had built their entire offseason around the prospect of landing Sasaki. Him choosing their biggest rival prompted them to instead sign Nick Pivetta. -- Gonzalez

The Dodgers add top free agent reliever -- and become baseball's new Evil Empire?

Date of the deal: Jan. 19 -- Dodgers land Scott for $72 million

What it means for the Dodgers: Landing Snell and Sasaki apparently wasn't enough for one offseason: The Dodgers then decided to upgrade an already strong bullpen, signing Tanner Scott, arguably the top lefty reliever in the game over the past two seasons, to a four-year, $72 million contract.

Call it a baseball version of adding Kevin Durant to the Warriors: It seemed like piling on at this point (and especially so when the Dodgers then signed Kirby Yates, who held batters to a .113 average last season, the lowest ever for a pitcher with at least 50 innings).

It also seemed like the final exclamation point on the past two seasons: The Dodgers are officially baseball's Evil Empire. Heck, after this signing, even Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said it is "difficult" for other teams to keep up with the Dodgers. Yes, that's a bit like Darth Vader complaining about Voldemort. Welcome to baseball in 2025.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Dodgers have always had good bullpens -- fourth in ERA in 2024, third in 2023, second in 2022 and 2021 -- but with Scott and Yates added to Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech, Anthony Banda and others, the pen appears deeper and better than ever. It makes it even easier for Dave Roberts to limit innings for his stellar rotation with the hope of keeping those starters healthy for October.

Dominoes: This was more about who didn't land Scott. The Cubs were reportedly runners-up in the bidding with a four-year, $66 million offer, and a few days after the Scott signing they traded for former Astros closer Ryan Pressly. The Blue Jays pivoted and signed Max Scherzer instead. The Orioles signed Andrew Kittredge when they realized they weren't going to land Scott. -- Schoenfield

After monthslong standoff, a Mets icon returns to Queens

Date of the deal: Feb. 5 -- Alonso, Mets agree to 2-year deal

What it means for the Mets: The Mets might have won the offseason by signing Juan Soto, but Pete Alonso's free agency hung over Queens for the rest of the winter. Alonso, on paper, made sense for the 2025 Mets. He was a right-handed power bat to protect Soto. He was an adored homegrown player. But the 30-year-old first baseman wanted more than the Mets were willing to offer and the negotiations turned unusually public -- and ugly -- when owner Steve Cohen expressed his frustration during a fan event in January. A breakup seemed possible. The Mets signaled they were ready to move on. Alonso talked with other teams in search of a long-term contract. But, after a face-to-face meeting with Cohen and David Stearns in Tampa, the two sides agreed on a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out after this season the week before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.

The reunion elevated the Mets to one of the best lineups in baseball, featuring a 1 through 5 of Francisco Lindor, Soto, Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos that should wreak havoc on pitchers when healthy.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Signing Soto was significant, but more was needed to compete in a loaded National League East.

The Phillies, the defending division champs, have one of the best rotations in baseball to complement a veteran, battle-tested, star-studded lineup. The Braves, the division champs the previous six seasons, should rebound from a nightmare, injury-riddled season in which they still managed to reach the postseason as a wild card.

Alonso, who is 27 home runs shy of becoming the franchise's all-time leader, gives the Mets a lineup to compete with those contenders. The starting rotation, however, might be another matter.

Dominoes: If Alonso's season goes as both sides hope, the first baseman will opt out of his contract and become a free agent again in search of a long-term deal next winter. But this past winter suggests finding one could be difficult.

Alonso, who will be the highest-paid first baseman in the majors this season with a $30 million salary, is one of baseball's top sluggers. His 226 home runs are the second most in the sport since his debut in 2019. But the long-term contract he expected -- one similar to, or even better than, the seven-year, $158 million extension he declined in 2023 -- never materialized. Teams have seemingly decided slugging first basemen on the wrong side of 30 without much value on defense and on the basepaths aren't worth that much. Alonso hopes that will change after a strong 2025 season.

The Mets, meanwhile, are expected to pursue Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter to replace Alonso if he reaches free agency and Alonso indeed opts out. -- Castillo

Blue Jays get their big-name free agent in Soto, Ohtani, Roki ... Anthony Santander

Date of the deal: Jan. 20 -- Toronto, Santander reach $92 million deal

What it means for the Blue Jays: Over the past couple of years, the Blue Jays have been frequent headliners in the rumor mills around the top acquisition targets in the marketplace. Time after time, Toronto fell short in these pursuits. Then they inked Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million deal that also cost Toronto a compensatory draft pick because Santander had been saddled with a qualifying offer by his old team, Baltimore.

For the Blue Jays, it at least proves that they can still get someone to take their money, and if Toronto hadn't been featured so prominently in the other quests, the addition of Santander wouldn't feel so much like settling. Santander isn't a perfect player, but he's a legit, middle-of-the-order power hitter threat who has averaged 35 homers over the past three years. The Blue Jays didn't get everything they wanted this winter, but in Santander, they did land a bona fide threat to slot behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the batting order.

How it will shape the 2025 season: With Guerrero's future in Toronto in doubt, there's a lot riding on the Blue Jays' short-term fortunes. After leaning a little too far over to the defensive side when picking their ancillary position players the past few seasons, Santander will help turn the scoreboard and perhaps unlock Guerrero's game even more. If so, it can only help the case Toronto will continue to make in attempting to keep Vlady for the long haul.

Dominoes: The relatively late date of Santander's signing bolstered the Blue Jays' offseason work considerably and still left them time to add more, which resulted in, among other things, the signing of Max Scherzer to the rotation. It also left other teams looking for a big outfield bat out in the cold, with the Royals, Angels, Red Sox and Tigers reportedly among them. -- Doolittle

Braves finally get in on the offseason fun

Date of the deal: Jan. 23 -- Atlanta, Profar agree to 3-year deal

What it means for the Braves: The offseason had been distinctly silent for the Braves until Profar agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal in the latter part of January. If Profar, coming off an age-31 season that was easily the best of his career, can retain most of last season's gains, he fills the one concerning spot in the potent Atlanta lineup. He would do so at salary level (a $14 million-per-season luxury tax number) that, for now, apparently keeps the Braves under the tax line, and even with a bit of room to make in-season adds.

How it will shape the 2025 season: When Ronald Acuna Jr. returns (soon) to regular duty, the Braves will have a fully stocked, powerhouse regular lineup and a quality bench. Profar not only completes the puzzle but will help bridge whatever gap remains between now and Acuna's first game.

That said, Profar's yearly OPS+ figures, beginning in 2018, are: 107, 91, 114, 83, 109, 81, 134. After signing Profar for three seasons, the Braves need him to break that pattern. If he can, the Braves' lineup should have no holes.

Dominoes: Profar turned out to be the one multiyear free agent the Braves signed this winter. Every signing since has been a recognizable veteran on a minor league deal and spring training invite. For Atlanta, Profar was the lone domino.

The timing of his signing with Atlanta might prove to be painful for Profar's old team in San Diego. The Padres never really filled the void opened by Profar's departure. At the time he joined Atlanta, the Padres had not added a free agent on a big league deal, but they later added five. If the purse strings had been loosened just a little sooner, might Profar have been retained? -- Doolittle

The offseason's final star free agent lands in Boston

Date of the deal: Feb. 12 -- Bregman signs with Red Sox

What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox have had three straight non-winning seasons -- the first time that has happened since 1992-94. In signing Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal (with player opt-outs after 2025 and 2026), the Red Sox get a winning player to help reverse that trend, a former MVP runner-up who has averaged 4.5 WAR the past three seasons. They also get a hitter who has dominated at Fenway Park in his career, hitting .375/.490/.750 with seven home runs in 21 games.

They also created some internal strife, with Rafael Devers initially saying he would not be open to moving from third base to DH. Bregman, who won a Gold Glove in 2024, said he'd be willing to move to second base. A month later, Devers changed his stance and told reporters, "I'm good to do whatever they want me to do."

Maybe Devers settles in at DH. Maybe Bregman ends up sliding back and forth. Maybe second-base prospect Kristian Campbell goes down to Triple-A and plays more outfield. No matter what, manager Alex Cora will have his work cut out keeping Devers happy and figuring out how and when to integrate all the young players into the lineup.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Bregman is coming off a .315 OBP, his worst since his rookie season, and 51 points below his career average. It remains to be seen whether he's a major addition to the lineup or merely a solid contributor.

The Red Sox were third in the AL in runs in 2024, but if Bregman's bat plays as hoped at Fenway and some of the young hitters improve, this team could lead the league in runs -- and that could mean their first AL East title since the World Series championship season in 2018.

Dominoes: The Tigers and Cubs were other potential landing spots for Bregman, and both have intriguing rookie third basemen -- Jace Jung in Detroit and Matt Shaw in Chicago. Shaw is the better prospect of the two (No. 23 overall, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel), although he has just 35 games above Double-A. Jung got some big league time in 2024, hitting .241/.362/.304 in 94 plate appearances after hitting .257/.377/.454 in Triple-A, but got sent down last week, so it looks like Detroit will open with a Zach McKinstry/Andy Ibanez platoon.

Alcaraz's struggle to find consistency demonstrates - if we didn't already know - how hard it is for the world's leading players to replicate their best every week.

Jack Draper received a reminder in Miami, too.

Fresh from lifting the Indian Wells title, the British men's number one was brought back down to earth with an opening defeat by talented Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik.

More positively, Emma Raducanu answered some of the sceptics with an impressively gritty win over eighth seed Emma Navarro and is aiming to reach the quarter-finals of a WTA 1,000 event for the first time.

The warp-speed rise of Jacob Fearnley is showing no signs of stopping yet.

As we keep reminding you, the 23-year-old was still a university student in the United States this time last year and ranked outside of the world's top 500.

Now he has provisionally become the British men's number two - overtaking former world number eight Cameron Norrie - and is on course to become a top-75 player when the rankings are updated next week.

Norrie has plummeted outside the top 80 as his struggles continue, while Dan Evans - playing this week at an ATP Challenger in Naples - is on the verge of dropping out of the top 200.

USAs Amanda Sobhy and Frances Victor Crouin claimed the titles at the German Open 2025 Presented by Sportwerk, overcoming defending champion Georgina Kennedy and No.3 seed Fares Dessouky respectively.

In the womens final, No.3 seed Sobhy overcame top seed Kennedy to win her first title since her 2023 achilles Injury.

Kennedy had an up-and-down route to the final. After a comfortable straight-game win over Finlands Emilia Soini, the Englishwoman was pushed to the limit against fellow Englishwoman Lucy Turmel, eventually pulling through 11-3 in the fifth. However, she then followed that up by dismantling Melissa Alves in the semi-finals without dropping a game.

Sobhy, meanwhile, recovered from dropping the first game of her round two match against Nadine Garas to win nine games in a row against Garas, Katie Malliff and Nada Abbas to book her final spot.

It was the No.3 seed that showed no signs of fear or nerves on court against the defending champion, closing down the court well and not allowed Kennedy to control any momentum. There were positive signs from the England No.1, especially in the mid-way point of the game, but it was the American who claimed first game 11-8.

There was incredible squash from both players throughout game two, but ultimately it was Sobhy who had the clinical edge in the match. As the game progressed, Kennedy began to make a few unforced errors at the wrong times, but she found herself with a game ball over the former World No.3.

Sobhy rallied back, and on her first game ball, a fortunate drive into the back-wall nick sealed her 2-0 advantage.

The American continued the form she had in the early phases of the match, and kept ahead of the Englishwoman to claim the title in Hamburg.

Im really proud of myself, said Sobhy after the match. Its been a long road to get back, Ive been in three finals this season which is my comeback season to be able to get over the hump, especially over a great player. This win really means a lot.

Ive had the last five weeks to really put in the work with my team and I think it showed this week. Honestly, when you put in the work, I trust my body, I trust everything Ive done with my team, and I can just go out there and have fun and thats what I did. It was a really nice feeling and I think it showed in my squash.

Im moving well, Im feeling good and Im enjoying my game so I think I can do really great things this season.

The mens final saw No.2 seed Crouin lift his first trophy since 2023 after defeating an injured Dessouky in straight games.

Dessouky came into the final after ousting last years runner-up Dimitri Steinmann in the last four, adding to wins over Yannick Wilhelmi and Ibrahim Elkabbani.

Crouin almost came unstuck against Mexicos Leonel Cardenas in the quarter-finals, fighting back from 2-0 down to avoid an upset. He looked far more composed in his last four match against Switzerlands Nicolas Mueller, fending off the No.7 seed with a 3-0 triumph.

Although Crouin played the same impeccable squash that allowed him to reach the final, it was clear that there was something bothering Dessouky, as the Egyptian made a pained face after a deep lunge halfway through the first game.

Crouin kept playing consistent squash, but it was clear that the No.3 seed was not committing fully to lunges despite battling through, and the Frenchman picked up 11-4, 11-3, 11-1 wins to triumph over the Egyptian.

Speaking after the match, Crouin said: Very happy to get my hands back on a trophy. All the work Ive been doing over the last few months is paying off. I think I played some of my best squash this week. Im just looking forward to going home, celebrating for a few days and then getting back into training mode so I can get ready for the last few events of the season.

Its definitely not the way you want to win an event, but you have to try and push hard until the very end because you never know what will happen.

Finals are always special, you really need to give it your best. Fares [Dessouky] was definitely not at his best. I hope we can have some more balanced battles in the future. Its the first time I beat him, hes one of the most talented players on tour. Im wishing him all the best on his recovery.

Results: German Open Womens Final (Sunday 23rd March)

[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt. [1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG)3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (34m)

Results: German Open Mens Final (Sunday 23rd March)

[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt. [3] Fares Dessouky (EGY)3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-1 (21m)