On Facebook
On Flipboard
Juan Soto opens up about slow start to first season with Mets
While New York Mets star outfielder Juan Soto seemed on the verge of getting hot at the plate coming off impressive performances over the weekend, he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in New York's 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Following that victory, Soto spoke openly about the start to his Mets tenure that hasn't quite gone to his liking, even though the team began Tuesday at 16-7.
"I’m still getting into a rhythm and working on getting my timing," Soto told Manny Gomez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I’m still not at the point where I want to be, but I’ve been feeling better little by little every day."
Soto received a standing ovation from fans at Citi Field ahead of his at-bat in the bottom of the fifth inning of Friday's home game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He then drove home a total of five runs through Sunday en route to helping the Mets complete a four-game sweep.
In the bottom of the third inning of Monday's win, Soto initially thought he had crushed a three-run home run into the second deck in right field. However, umpires correctly overturned the call after replays showed the shot went wide of the foul pole.
Soto ended Monday's action slashing .244/.370/.415 with three homers and 12 RBI on the season. Such production is disappointing considering the Mets gave him a 15-year, $765M contract that could exceed $800M this past offseason, but the club nevertheless continues to tally positive results despite his struggles.
Specifically, the Mets entered Tuesday in the middle of a five-game winning streak. Thus far, the Amazins have gone 10-1 at home and have opened a three-game lead in the NL East.
Per Alex Smith of SNY, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said ahead of Monday's victory that Citi Field crowds have "shown the ability to make this an uncomfortable place for opposing players." Perhaps that energy will give Soto a needed spark during Tuesday's home game versus the 13-10 Phillies.
"I can do better than what I’ve done so far," Soto added during his chat with Gomez. "But at the end of the day, the numbers will speak for themselves. We’ll see how things play out in the end."
More must-reads:
- Mets stay hot despite Juan Soto's continued struggles
- Watch: Twins' Byron Buxton saves game with stunning game-winning catch
- The 'MLB playoff debut strikeouts leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Yankees Nation Turns On Aaron Boone As Anthony Volpe Gamble Sparks Fear After Paul Goldschmidt Call
Blue Jays make questionable decision for Game 4 starter
After taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series over the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays failed to complete the sweep after a historic comeback from the Yankees. After pulling their starter, Shane Bieber, after 54 pitches in 2.2 innings in Game 3, the Blue Jays' bullpen failed to hold things together. Now, they'll turn to their bullpen to try to clinch the series in Game 4. John Schneider makes a questionable decision on Blue Jays' Game 4 starter Deciding to go with their bullpen for Game 4 to help advance them into the American League Championship Series, Schneider and the Blue Jays will rely on Louis Varland to start things off for the Blue Jays, with MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson confirming Varland will be the opener. It's worth noting that Varland gave up a pivotal, game-tying home run to Aaron Judge in Game 3. The Blue Jays acquired Varland and first baseman/designated hitter Ty France from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. Varland had performed well in this series (1.2 innings, one hit) before Judge's devastating blast. Varland picked up a blown save and a loss courtesy of Judge's homer while seeing his postseason ERA balloon from 0.00 to 6.75. The Yankees could get out to an early lead off Varland It's fair to question the Varland choice. Not only is he coming off a disastrous appearance, he has also appeared in each of the first three games of the series, giving the Yankees ample opportunity view and get a feel for his stuff. Of course, he'll also have to face the top of the Yankees lineup, including Judge, who is 7-11 (.636 batting average) with five RBI in the series. Judge, in addition to being scorching hot in the ALDS and delivering the big blow in Game 3, has an excellent track record in elimination games. He has six home runs in elimination games, tying Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz for the most in MLB postseason history, per MLB Stats. Varland made one previous appearance as an opener for the Blue Jays, against the Red Sox on September 25 when he went 2.0 innings and struck out three. Getting out a lead early will be key to helping rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler settle in and replicate his performance against the Red Sox in the wild-card round, where he pitched eight innings and struck out 12.
Lions appear 'destined' to make huge Aidan Hutchinson move
Star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson is once again a key contributor for the Detroit Lions, coming off the devastating injury he suffered last fall. For a piece published on Wednesday, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler suggested that the Lions could soon lock Hutchinson down beyond the ongoing campaign after the club picked up the 25-year-old's fifth-year option for 2026 this past offseason. Lions, Aidan Hutchinson have had "exploratory" contract talks "Lions edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson looks destined for a new deal," Fowler shared. "Both sides have had exploratory discussions about an extension, for which Hutchinson is eligible as a fourth-year pro." Back in July, Fowler noted that Hutchinson was leading the NFL in sacks (7.5), pressures and win rate last season before he went down with gruesome fractures of his tibia and fibula in October 2024. According to Pro Football Reference, Hutchinson enters Week 6 of the 2025 campaign tied for third in the league with five sacks and second with three forced fumbles. How much could Aidan Hutchinson make via extension? "Top pass-rushers now make quarterback money, punctuated by Micah Parsons' four-year, $188M deal with Green Bay," Fowler continued. "While I'm not sure Hutchinson tops that number, he'll be among the highest paid at his position whenever this deal gets done. ...Detroit has shown an eagerness to extend its marquee players, and there's none bigger than Hutchinson." Before Parsons put pen to paper on his deal, Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders received a three-year, $106.5M extension during the offseason. Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns later signed a four-year, $160M deal that included $123.5M guaranteed. During the summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers gave T.J. Watt a three-year, $123M extension that included $108M guaranteed. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell and quarterback Jared Goff are a few examples of Lions players who have received extensions from the club over the past couple of years. That said, both Detroit and Hutchinson may have reasons to drag contract talks out. Hutchinson could increase the value of his deal if he keeps playing well through January (or February). Meanwhile, everybody involved received a harsh reminder roughly 12 months ago that one play can drastically alter or even threaten a player's career. For now, Hutchinson and the 4-1 Lions will focus on preparing for the upcoming "Sunday Night Football" game at the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3). As of Wednesday, ESPN BET had Detroit as a 2.5-point underdog for that matchup.
Golden Knights to sign star center to eight-year extension
The Vegas Golden Knights are expected to sign star center Jack Eichel to an eight-year, $108M contract extension, per the Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster. The move was first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger. Weber adds that the deal is believed to carry a $13.5M cap hit. On a day when the Winnipeg Jets extended star winger Kyle Connor, the Golden Knights have still found a way to steal the show. Eichel’s extension was long anticipated, both for his impact on the Golden Knights’ roster and the intricacies of how Vegas would fit the deal in alongside the $12M cap hit of Mitch Marner. That question has now been answered, with Vegas locking up the tandem through the next eight seasons for $25.5M each season. Landing a max-term extension with Eichel before he has a chance to play alongside 100-point scorer Marner could prove lucrative for the Golden Knights. Eichel had a career year last season, setting career-highs with 94 points and a plus-32 in 77 games. It was a major leap over the 31 goals and 68 points that Eichel managed in 63 games of the 2023-24 season — and the 66 points he scored in 67 games of the 2022-23 campaign. It seems the top center simply needed to ease into his starring role in Vegas after going through a true saga with the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo drafted Eichel second overall in 2015, properly dubbing him second-fiddle to Connor McDavid’s historic draft season. Despite that seat, Eichel boasted plenty of reason for excitement in his own right and seemed to single-handedly will Boston University to a National Championship loss in his draft year. He brought that team-leading drive straight into the NHL, marked by 24 goals and 56 points in 81 games of the 2015-16 season. That remains the most a Sabres rookie has scored since the 1980s. Even better, Eichel matched it in fewer games of his sophomore season, with 24 goals and 57 points in 61 games. But that quickly became Eichel’s M.O. He was oft-injured, but proved to be the undeniable star of Buffalo’s lineup when healthy. He reached at least 25 goals in each of his next three seasons in Buffalo, and even showed his strength with 82 points in 77 games of the 2018-19 season, when the Sabres collectively only won 33 games. The tension between a struggling club and its productive star reached a peak as the 2020s rolled around — and a breaking point when the two sides couldn’t agree on how Eichel should handle an unprecedented shoulder surgery in 2021. Sabres traded Jack Eichel to Golden Knights in 2021 After multiple bouts back and forth and a seemingly endless run of trade rumors, Buffalo decided to trade Eichel to Vegas in November 2021. In return, the Sabres received Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, the draft pick used on Noah Ostlund (2022: 1-16) and a second-round pick traded to Minnesota. All three players remain with Buffalo. Meanwhile, Eichel quickly received the surgery he had preferred upon arriving in Vegas. His 2021-22 campaign was limited to 34 games due to injury, but he recovered in time for the 2022-23 season. Routine injury still marred his year, but he stayed healthy long enough to lead Vegas on a run to the Stanley Cup in 2023. He led the Golden Knights and the postseason in scoring with a dazzling 26 points in 22 games — though the Conn Smythe trophy would go to his goal-scoring teammate Jonathan Marchessault. Regardless, Eichel’s push towards a Cup win showed the Golden Knights, and the hockey world, that he had the grit to be the star center on an NHL champion. He has reaffirmed that thought with 17 points in 18 playoff games since Vegas lifted the Cup. Extension should give Jack Eichel confidence boost With this move, Vegas will place a strong bet on Eichel’s ability to hang onto that role through his 30s. More importantly, they’ll give him a big boost of confidence as he heads into his age-29 season. Eichel has never played alongside a 100-point scorer, nor broken that ceiling himself, but he’ll get his first chance this season. Like Eichel, Marner struggled to crack the century mark for multiple seasons, recording at least 85 points three times between 2021 and 2024. He even reached 99 points in 2022-23. But it wasn’t until last season, when he scored 27 goals and 102 points in 81 games, that Marner was finally able to achieve the feat. In a rare shift, he has now changed teams following a career year and will look to keep the good times rolling on a recent Cup winner. The top of Vegas’ offense is truly a stacked group, featuring Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson, Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev to support Eichel and Marner. The heights of the lineup seem hard to place, and if all goes well, Vegas has ensured they can keep the band together with a pair of long-term extensions for their two stars.
New trade target identified for Steelers: 'It would not surprise me'
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team that has been connected to every potentially available wide receiver in the NFL over the last several years. The fan base has been clamoring for a big move at the position that will bring in another high-level player to pair with DK Metcalf, but it seems like a longshot that that would happen. However, there are some candidates around the NFL that could be moved, especially on teams that have gotten off to a disappointing start to the year. The trade deadline is Nov. 4, so a deal would need to be reached in under a month. Pittsburgh was linked to Tyreek Hill throughout the 2025 offseason, but it never really seemed like a deal would happen. That is especially true after he suffered a horrific season-ending injury. However, one of his teammates could now be an interesting addition to Pittsburgh. Jaylen Waddle has been a really good wide receiver ever since entering the NFL in 2021, but he is stuck in Miami. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote in a recent article that he believes teams will start calling about the wide receiver, and Pittsburgh doing so would make a lot of sense. "League execs are already wondering which struggling teams could enter fire sale mode," Fowler wrote. "In the AFC East, the Jets would have several attractive trade possibilities on the defensive side of the ball, as would the Dolphins on offense. It would not surprise me if teams start to call on Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle if the Dolphins continue to struggle, though I highly doubt Miami would entertain that at this point, especially with Tyreek Hill out for the season." Losing Hill for the entire 2025 season makes it hard to imagine that Miami would part ways with Waddle, but the team is struggling and it is hard to find a path to that franchise succeeding in the near future. Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to be as pre-fired as a head coach can be, and there has been rumblings about the franchise completely cleaning house and moving on from Chris Grier as general manager as well. Waddle arguably had his best season during his rookie year in 2021 when he caught 104 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns, but he broke that single-season yardage and touchdown mark the following season in 2022. He started his career off very well, but injuries and inconsistent quarterback play has made it difficult for him to thrive in Miami. It is completely reasonable to think that Waddle might be open to a change of scenery, while Miami might want to bring in some draft capital to start building for the future. Steelers should be involved in talks for multiple wide receivers Waddle could be an option in Pittsburgh, but another receiver to keep an eye on is Jakobi Meyers. The Las Vegas Raiders are also 1-4, and the team doesn't seem to be getting any better. The quarterback play has not been good, and it is going to be hard to compete in the AFC West after getting off to a horrendous start. Fowler wrote about Meyers being a trade candidate, and about how he expects deals involving wide receivers to happen ahead of the deadline. "One other receiver from a struggling team to watch could be Jakobi Meyers," Fowler wrote. "The Raiders and Meyers couldn't reach a deal before Week 1 despite his trade request, and with the Raiders sitting at 1-4, interest in the player could tick upward. Anyway, there will be much movement leaguewide, and I suspect enough interest in the receiver position to forecast a move or two." Meyers and Waddle would both be welcomed additions in Pittsburgh. However, it is still unlikely for the franchise to be able to land either player. Waddle would carry a very large cap hit with him in 2027 and 2028, and Meyers would need a new extension as the trade is done.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
