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Ahead of the MLB trade deadline later this month, the Philadelphia Phillies are without a doubt a team to watch. There are a couple of different needs that they could look to address.
One area is in the outfield, while the other is relief pitching.
Looking at the two issues, the bullpen should be a much bigger priority. The Phillies have been able to produce one of the league's better offenses already. However, the bullpen will need to be much better in order to win down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Keeping that in mind, there are quite a few bullpen arms that have been linked to Philadelphia. A name from the Washington Nationals has been one of the most intriguing.
Kyle Finnegan, the closer for the Nationals, could be available ahead of the deadline. He would also be a perfect trade target for the Phillies.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has again name-dropped Finnegan as a potential target for the team. Along with other names, he appears to be a player to watch.
"Carlos Estévez (Angels) and Michael Kopech (White Sox) could be dealt, and if the Nationals sell, it would probably be from a deep pool of relievers that features Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey. Other relievers will be on the move, including some whose teams have not yet given up hope of staying in the wild-card race."
During the 2024 season so far, Finnegan has appeared in 37 games. He has gone 2-4 to go along with a 1.98 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, 23 saves, and just three blown saves.
At 32 years old, Finnegan could be an elite trade target for a good price. He also has at least one more year left on his contract after the 2024 season. That would give the Philies a chance to evaluate his fit with the team and potentially offer him another deal to keep him in town.
Other names that have been connected to Philadelphia are Mason Miller and Tanner Scott. Both of those players would be much more expensive than Finnegan.
Honestly, Miller is the only name that stands out above a name like Finnegan.
All of that being said, it will be very intriguing to keep an eye on the Phillies over the next few weeks. They have a legitimate shot at winning the World Series this season and upgrading their bullpen would take those chances much higher.
More must-reads:
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Mets, Brandon Nimmo Trade Development Emerges on Tuesday
The New York Mets are entering the offseason looking to retool the roster with hopes of returning to the MLB playoffs in 2026. The Mets collapsed during the second half of the year, finishing with an 83–79 record. Despite the disappointing end to the year, outfielder Brandon Nimmo remained a bright spot in the lineup. The 32-year-old veteran posted a .262 batting average, .324 on-base percentage, .760 OPS, 25 home runs and 92 RBIs across 155 games. Nimmo has continued to be a reliable player for New York and just finished playing in his tenth season for the organization. The Mets are the only franchise Nimmo has ever known in his professional career since they selected him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft. However, that could change following a report on Tuesday from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. “The Mets are blowing up plenty. It's not just Luisangel Acuña or Mark Vientos or Brett Baty — center fielder Brandon Nimmo (who has full no-trade protection) and utilityman Jeff McNeil can also be had,” Passan wrote. Nimmo’s name surfacing as a trade possibility is a genuine surprise given everything he has meant to the organization. At the very least, the Mets are now faced with a decision on whether to explore moving him. As noted, Nimmo has a full no-trade clause, which gives him the final say on any potential deal. He still has five years remaining on the eight-year, $162 million contract he signed with New York in 2023. While the Mets would likely prefer to keep Nimmo’s bat and leadership in the lineup, trading him could help replenish the farm system or address other areas of need, particularly pitching, which was a major weakness in 2025. A deal would also free up significant payroll space, potentially allowing the team to pursue other upgrades, including a possible reunion with first baseman Pete Alonso. The decision to trade Nimmo is not an easy one, but it is certainly intriguing. He will be entering his age-33 season, and offensive players often begin to decline around that point. Whatever the Mets decide, this offseason is shaping up to be a pivotal one for the future of the franchise.
In LeBron James' historic season debut, Lakers storm past Jazz
Luka Doncic scored 37 points with 10 assists and LeBron James added 11 points in 30 minutes of his season debut as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied for a 140-125 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Austin Reaves scored 26 points, Deandre Ayton added 20 points with 14 rebounds. Jake LaRavia had 16 points as Los Angeles won its third consecutive game. However, the game was historic for James and the NBA After missing the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica on his right side, James took the court to become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 consecutive seasons. Keyonte George scored 33 points and Lauri Markkanen added 31 for the Jazz, who lost for the fifth time in their past seven games. Svi Mykhailiuk and Ace Bailey each scored 13 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points with 10 rebounds in Utah's only road contest in a stretch of seven games. The Lakers didn't take their first lead until going up 89-88 on a Doncic layup with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter. The basket was part of an 8-0 run that gave Los Angeles a 91-88 advantage. The Lakers dominated from there. They led 104-93 through three quarters after trailing by as many as seven points earlier in the period. Doncic scored 17 points in the third quarter alone when Los Angeles had a 37-22 scoring advantage. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as the Lakers had a 36-32 advantage and finished with a season high in points. The Jazz led the entire first half, taking an 11-2 lead 3:19 into the game and going up 16-6 five minutes into the opening quarter. James had a turnover in the opening minute and missed his only shot of the first quarter as Utah took a 36-27 lead. James' first basket of the season came on a 3-pointer with 8:20 remaining in the first half. He scored seven points in the second quarter, while going 2 of 2 from 3-point range in the period. The Jazz led 71-67 at halftime by shooting 55.3% from the floor as George had 23 points and Markkanen added 22.
Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit in the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimatly come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
Commanders RB Austin Ekeler turns devistating injury into one unique opportunity for life after football
The Washington Commanders have been riddled with injuries this season, including season-ending ones to multiple starters. Veteran running back Austin Ekeler was poised to have a massive season with a critical role on offense, but all of that was cut way too short. Ekeler went down in the second game of the season with a long road to recovery. Instead of sitting back and just giving up, Ekeler does what he always does: keeps his head up and makes the most of it. While he's recovering, Ekeler has a very unique opportunity that not many players get. Austin Ekeler to be a guest on Netflix during the Commanders' Christmas Day game Just because Ekeler's season is over, that doesn't mean he can't take part in the team, just in a much different way. The Commanders are hosting the Dallas Cowboys at home for a rivalry game on Christmas Day, and Ekeler will be there. He won't be on the field, but instead he'll be working on his life after football skills as a desk analyst for the game on Netflix. Ekeler will join Kay Adams, Devin McCourty, and Michael Irvin to discuss the Commanders vs. Cowboys game, which promises to be very entertaining. We all know Ekeler has a strong screen presence, and he's known for his activity in the fantasy football community, as well as podcasts and shows when he's not on the field. This gives him a big stage to show what he can do on the media side of football whenever he decides to hang it up. We aren't sure if Ekeler will come back to keep playing after his gruesome injury, and maybe this is it for him. Austin Ekeler's injury might be the end of a magical run It's weird to see a player in the media talking about a game involving a team he's still technically part of, even if his season is over. Ekeler tore his Achilles tendon during the Week 2 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and that's a tough injury to come back from. He will also be 31 heading into next season, so maybe this is a preview for what's to come if he decides to call it a career. Regardless, this is a big opportunity that he's going to crush, and be an enjoyable watch, which is great because we have no idea what to expect from this team anymore with a 3-8 record. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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