A reunion between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Teoscar Hernández no longer seems like a guarantee. As rumors and speculation surround the fate of the outfielder, it appears that Hernández removed the Dodgers from his social media profile.
What was once a picture of Hernández holding the World Series trophy in a Dodgers uniform on X (formerly known as Twitter), is now a picture of Hernández on the All-Star red carpet.
Could the update mean something? That is the million dollar question. But here are the facts: The Dodgers had their best chance of signing the All-Star outfielder before Juan Soto chose a team.
Now that it’s confirmed Soto will be going to the New York Mets, teams that lost out on Soto will pivot to Hernández. On Sunday, it was reported that the Dodgers were close to re-signing Hernández.
A few hours later, the Dodgers signed outfielder Michael Conforto in a surprising move. Fans still wondered why the Dodgers stalled the discussions with Hernández.
The two teams that are expected to be the most aggressive in pursuing Hernández are the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. There is speculation that Hernández has always wanted to play at Fenway Park and is a fan of Alex Cora.
After his emotional speech at the World Series parade, it seemed inevitable that Hernández would return to the Dodgers.
“You guys made this dream come true. Thank you for making me a World Champion,” Hernández told fans in a heartfelt and emotional statement. “That’s how much I care, how much I appreciate everything that this organization, these fans have given to me. When I show that kind of emotion, that’s when I truly feel it. I’ve been blessed to be here.”
A month later, there are definitely reservations about a reunion between the fan favorite and the Dodgers. Hernández is coming off a career-year as he slashed 272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs and 99 runs batted in. Not only were his numbers strong, but Hernández embraced the culture of the Dodgers’ clubhouse in a manner that stuck with fans.
If the Dodgers lose out on Hernández, it would mean a key piece from the 2024 core is gone.
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MLB
Dodgers land All-Star outfielder in free agency
The Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday got themselves an All-Star outfielder in free agency. However, it probably was not the one many Dodgers fans were hoping for just yet. The Dodgers agreed to a deal with outfielder Michael Conforto, per MLB Network’s Mark Feinsand. The contract is reportedly worth $17 million for one year. Conforto may not be of the same caliber as Soto or even Teoscar Hernandez at this point in his career, but the newest Dodger has the experience to fit in seamlessly with the reigning World Series champions. In his 2024 campaign with the San Francisco Giants, Conforto batted .237 with 20 home runs, 66 RBI and an OPS of .759 across 130 games. The former All-Star enjoyed his best years as a member of the New York Mets from 2015-21. In seven Mets seasons, Conforto had a .255 batting average with 132 home runs and an OPS of .824.
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College Football
Five-star QB leaving Ohio State for transfer portal
For the second straight year, Ohio State is losing a five-star quarterback to the transfer portal. Last year, the Buckeyes pushed Kyle McCord out to make room for Will Howard. This year, it’s former five-star recruit Devin Brown leaving. Brown announced the news in a post on his X profile. What’s notable is that Brown says he will remain with the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff. That’s big because some players who transfer do so before the end of the postseason, which puts their current team in a bad spot. Brown will not be doing that. Brown is a junior from Arizona. He has gone 26-of-47 for 325 yards, three touchdowns and one interception during his Buckeyes career. He also has one career rushing touchdown. Brown announcing plans to leave after the season could be big news for Julian Sayin. Sayin was a five-star quarterback as well and initially began his career at Alabama. However, he transferred to Ohio State and could be the next man up for 2025. The Buckeyes still have a lot of business left this year. Ohio State is 10-2 and earned the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff. They will host Tennessee in the first round of the CFP on Dec. 21.
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NHL
New York Rangers announce an early roster transaction ahead of Original Six matchup
The New York Rangers have announced another roster transaction before Monday night’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. The New York Rangers are currently getting prepared to faceoff in an Original Six battle against the Chicago Blackhawks. However, on Sunday afternoon, the New York Rangers PR team on X announced that the organization has recalled 22-year old goaltender Dylan Garand and 28-year old defenseman Connor Mackey from the AHL. Shortly after the Rangers recalled the two from the Hartford Wolf Pack, it was revealed that Igor Shesterkin was stepping away from the team due to his wife going into labor. The 22-year-old goaltender served as a backup to Jonathan Quick and has yet to make his NHL debut, and he will have to wait a bit longer as the Rangers have reassigned him to the Wolf Pack. Definitely great news as the team could use him after losing 7-5 to the Seattle Kraken, but also very good news as this indicates that his wife and newborn baby are healthy.
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NFL
Steelers May Be Huge Beneficiary Of Week 2 Ravens Game That Nobody Thought…
The Pittsburgh Steelers have set themselves up nicely for the brutal end-of-season stretch run. A finishing slate of the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals is an absolute gauntlet. The final four contests of the year made it imperative for the organization to be in a good place in December, and that’s the case as the team sits atop the AFC North with a record of 10-3. The first overall seed is still slightly in play, but the big focus currently is winning the division and hosting a home playoff game for the first time since the 2020 campaign.
As the regular season winds down, it’s important for fans to understand the NFL’s tie-breaking procedures. It’s pretty simple for the Steelers moving forward in the grand scheme of things. All Pittsburgh has to do is beat the Ravens in Week 16, and the division crown, along with a postseason game at home, will be clinched.
However, even a loss that week may not ruin the year. In terms of tiebreakers, a loss in Baltimore would eliminate head-to-head with the two teams splitting the season series. If both the Steelers and Ravens potentially win against the Bengals and Cleveland Browns in Week 18, division records would also be deadlocked at 4-2. This is where it begins to get interesting. Next up would be winning percentage in common games.
The Steelers will need to beat either the Eagles or Chiefs, which would grant them a game up on the Ravens as Baltimore lost to both franchises. What looms large in this whole situation, however, is Baltimore’s brutal Week 2 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that Pittsburgh beat handily by a score of 32-13. Not only did this give the Ravens an extra loss that put them in a hole they need to dig out of, but it also is another common game that the Steelers have the leg up on. With a current record of 8-5, the Ravens losing a game at home to one of the worst teams in the AFC could be one of the main reasons why the AFC North is won by Pittsburgh. Anything can happen over the course of the final four weeks, especially with the Steelers’ difficult stretch, but all the way back in September, no one could have predicted that a Baltimore loss to Las Vegas would loom so large.
There are several different scenarios that have Pittsburgh winning the division, and the simple one is just beating the Ravens in Week 16. With that said, there are other avenues that exist as well, and if both teams end up with the same record by the end of the year (and Baltimore beats the Steelers), it’s still almost certain that Head Coach Mike Tomlin and co. would host a playoff game in the first round. Overall, the Ravens’ losses to the Chiefs, Raiders and most recently, the Eagles, have put Baltimore in an extremely difficult spot as the holidays approach.
The key for the Steelers is to beat the Eagles in Week 15, and then, hypothetically, all that would be needed to win the AFC North would be a victory over either Baltimore in Week 16 or Cincinnati in Week 18. The Chiefs contest might not matter at all, especially if Kansas City doesn’t lose a game from now until then. Steelers Have More Realistic Chance To Secure Highly Coveted Two Seed The Buffalo Bills, despite a loss in Week 14, are a phenomenal football team.
The Chiefs seem to be running away with home-field advantage, but the difference between the two and three could be monumental. There is a strong chance that Buffalo and Pittsburgh play in the postseason for the second straight year, and it would mean all the difference to host it at home. Both organizations sit at 10-3, but the Bills currently have the tiebreaker.
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