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The Philadelphia Phillies are very happy with their current catcher situation.
J.T. Realmuto is considered to one of the best, if not the best, player at his position in all of baseball and Garrett Stubbs is one of the best clubhouse guys on their roster.
But, once upon a time, the Phillies thought they landed a future star when they selected Andrew Knapp with their second round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft.
He immediately was considered one of their best prospects, being ranked 13th by MLB Pipeline as early as 2014.
Knapp impressed early on in his minor league career, winning the Paul Owens Award that's given to the best player in Philadelphia's farm system after posting a slash line of .308/.385/.491 with 13 home runs and 84 RBI in 2015.
The young, rising star made the Phillies' Opening Day roster in 2017 and primarily served as the backup catcher. That continued to be his role with the Major League team, which was solidified when they acquired Realmuto in 2019.
After posting his worst hitting season in 2021 with a slash line of .152/.215/.214 with two home runs and 11 RBI across 62 games.
Philadelphia decided to outright him after the year and he became a free agent where he signed with the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 2022 season.
Knapp has struggled to catch on after leaving the Phillies, never playing for the Reds, appearing in 11 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, two for the Seattle Mariners and two with the San Francisco Giants.
The former highly-touted catcher spent 2023 within the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros organizations, but never appeared in a Major League game with either team.
Now, Knapp has signed another minor league contract with the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers this offseason, where he hopes he can get his once promising career back on track at 32 years old.
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Yankees Have Trade Pieces for Tarik Skubal Deal
The New York Yankees will be without their ace Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to start the season. Ryan Yarbrough coming back could lessen the blow in the short term, but if the Detroit Tigers end up trading Tarik Skubal, not only will one of the best pitchers in baseball sure up the pitching depth to start 2026, but the combination of Cole, Skubal, and Max Fried in the postseason would be a three-headed monster. The Trade Chips According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Yankees have the firepower to get a deal done. "The Yankees have the upper-level pitching depth Detroit lacks," Passan writes. Ultimately, it will be up to the Tigers to trade him. Passan also says that Detroit will follow the market and see what's out there. "In the end, the Tigers' decision will be informed by the markets that surround it. If teams can upgrade with a player who is 75% of Skubal at 50% the price, they will. Until that is no longer an option, teams simply won't bend over backward to overpay, regardless of how appetizing a rotation helmed by the ace of aces would be. Anyway, they've got plenty of other options." The other teams Passan sees as having a shot at Skubal are the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and potentially the Chicago Cubs. The Mariners have the prospects for Skubal, but he sees them as having little desire to trade for him. The Athletic's Jim Bowden also linked the Yankees to Skubal. "Expect the big-market teams with strong farm systems and the financial wherewithal to sign Skubal long-term to make their interest known, teams like the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Giants, and, yes, the Dodgers," Bowden says. The Boras Dilemma The Tigers may find themselves in the same position the San Diego Padres did when they traded Juan Soto to the Yankees after the 2023 season. Skubal, also a Scott Boras client, will command a massive deal, and spending his whole career in Detroit won't get them any hometown discounts. That usually tends to be the case with Boras' guys outside of Jered Weaver with the Los Angeles Angels, and he is more of an outlier than anything else. It's hard to guess what other teams value, but if this is about the top arms in the Yankee farm system, Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz would likely have to be included. Bryce Cunningham and Ben Hess might be a part of the deal, too. If the Yankees think they have a shot at signing Skubal long-term, then clearing out the farm system does make sense. They probably thought they would with Juan Soto, but the Yankees may have better luck here. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! National Scout Gets Real About Top Yankees Prospect for 2026 Cubs Star Might Not Fit Yankees Yankees' Aaron Judge Wins AL MVP Award Jeff Passan Reveals Best Offseason Move for Yankees Yankees Predicted to Land Padres All-Star
Chiefs React to Travis Kelce's Decision on Sunday
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce continues to make headlines on and off the field. Entering Sunday's Week 11 game against the Denver Broncos, Kelce has been one of the most reliable players on the Chiefs. In nine games this 2025, he has recorded 41 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. He actually leads in the team in receptions and receiving yards and is second in receiving touchdowns. Off the field, the Chiefs tight end has been the subject of plenty of interest due to his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. Not to mention, he has been growing his personal brand by diversifying his ventures — from going into acting to opening up his own restaurant with teammate Patrick Mahomes. Now, prior to their showdown with the Broncos, Kelce drew plenty of attention again with his off-field decision. The 36-year-old star arrived at Empower Field at Mile High wearing a black blazer with a subtle striped pattern, which he paired with matching pants. What stood out from his outfit were his bags, as he brought a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandouliere and Horizon 55 that cost over $9,000 combined, per Style By Kelce. Even the Chiefs couldn't help but react to Kelce's outfit, as they shared photos of him on social media. "Find you someone who cleans up like @TKelce," the Chiefs wrote. For what it's worth, fans agreed with the Chiefs' post, taking to the comment section to share their reactions. "He cleans up Nicely," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "He Polishs up real nice!" A fan added, "There’s only one Travis Kelce." "Looking good as usual Travis! Let's go Chiefs! Let's get those Broncos," a supporter remarked. A fifth follower shared, "He always keeps it tidy." Kelce's popularity remains sky-high. That being said, it shouldn't be a surprise that anything he does is talked about.
Youth movement: Five new players who should be part of Team USA basketball's future
A veteran-heavy USA Basketball squad took home a gold medal last summer in Paris. But their two biggest stars won't be returning. LeBron James and Steph Curry made it clear on the newest episode of "Mind The Game," James' podcast, that they wouldn't be part of Team USA in 2028. That leaves two big pairs of shoes to fill. In addition, the oft-injured Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis are unlikely to be back, Kevin Durant will be 39 in the summer of 2028, Jrue Holiday will be 38 and the national team will get younger. Here are five new players who should be part of Team USA going forward. 1. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets There's always a spot on Team USA for a hard-nosed perimeter defender, and Amen Thompson is one of the toughest defenders in the NBA. He finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and has upped his assists to 5.2 per game, making him the ideal player to slide into Holiday's stopper/ball handler role. Plus, Thompson is still only 22, which means he has plenty of international basketball ahead of him. And if Team USA needs another elite defender, he's got a connection with one on the Detroit Pistons — his brother Ausar Thompson. The only danger is if the Thompson twins decide to play for Jamaica instead. 2. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham, 24, has experience with USA Basketball, winning a gold medal in 2019 at the FIBA U19 championships and leading the USA Select team to scrimmage upsets against the 2023 FIBA Cup team. He only turned down joining the main team because he was recovering from shin surgery. Now he's firmly established as an NBA star, averaging 27.5 points and 9.9 assists for the first-place Detroit Pistons. Not only is he scoring an distributing the ball at an elite level, Cunningham has excellent size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds for the more physical international game. 3. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder Team USA needs a rim protector, and they'd love to have one who can stretch the floor like Chet Holmgren. The 23-year-old is shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range this season and 59.1 percent overall while anchoring the NBA's No. 1 defense. Holmgren may not be best suited to banging with some of the huge big men he'd face in the Olympics, like Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun, but the threat of his shooting can draw these big men out of the paint and create driving lanes. Plus, he has three years to bulk up before the Los Angeles Olympics. 4. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has turned into a legitimate three-point threat this season, sinking 1.7 threes per game, while remaining one of the NBA's best defenders. While Holmgren is more of a shot-blocker and rim protector, Evan Mobley, 24, has the speed and mobility to guard smaller players out on the perimeter, and the height and wingspan to bother big men. In addition, Mobley attended college at USC and high school in famed fight capital Temecula, so he'll be an excellent local choice. 5. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder Jalen Williams, 24, is a bulldog defender who showed he can also be an elite big-game scorer during the Thunder's run to the title. Team USA plays best when they can pressure opposing teams defensively, and Williams has been great with that approach for OKC. Honorable mentions Cooper Flagg (18), Dallas Mavericks Stephon Castle (21) and Dylan Harper (19), San Antonio Spurs Kon Knueppel (20), Charlotte Hornets Darryn Peterson (18), Kansas Jayhawks
3 Overreactions After Dallas Cowboys Crush Las Vegas Raiders
After looking competitive—even in defeat—the past two weeks, the Las Vegas Raiders seemed poised for a breakthrough. Instead, everything crashed back to earth Monday night. Time to react. John Spytek might be a terrible GM… We’ll get to the coaching staff later, but something far more glaring needs to be addressed first: the roster construction has been disastrous. It’s difficult to identify a single offseason move by GM Mike Spytek that has clearly worked. Defensively, the first-year general manager essentially let everyone walk. The only returning pieces were Isaiah Pola-Mao, Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler. Butler has been steady, but the other two have struggled. The rest of the secondary and all of the linebackers were rebuilt with bargain-bin free agents—nearly all of whom have been poor fits. The lone modest success is Eric Stokes, who has been serviceable at corner. On offense, the only major swing was the trade for Geno Smith. Anyone watching can see that move has backfired. The lack of other additions, especially along the offensive line, was equally baffling. The draft offered little relief. Most of the rookies can’t crack a starting lineup at three positions where the Raiders are thinnest: cornerback, offensive line and wide receiver. The only pick showing real promise is running back Ashton Jeanty, taken sixth overall—and even that looks questionable given positional value and the team’s many other needs. There’s a chance the coaching staff influenced these decisions, but their usage of the roster suggests they aren’t high on these players either. The coaching staff hates the roster… It’s hard to fully explain, but it feels as if the coaching staff has little faith in most of the roster—including players they handpicked. Rookies continue to sit behind veterans who look overmatched, and the one rookie who does play is barely used. And remember the move for veteran quarterback Smith? Chip Kelly now has him running a college-style offense because he no longer trusts him. The defensive decisions are just as baffling. Maxx Crosby’s role has been altered for no clear reason, making him less effective. Pola-Mao and edge rusher Eric Snowden have been miscast, with the staff apparently convinced Snowden is an off-ball linebacker. And it’s worth noting that Germaine Pratt, who received a major contract last offseason, was effectively run out of town within five weeks. The message from the staff to the locker room is unmistakable: they don’t believe in their players. The players, in turn, are starting to respond in kind. This Raiders team has checked out… After two weeks of fighting, the Raiders’ edge vanished before the first quarter even ended Monday night. Tackling looked optional, blocking wasn’t far behind, and the low point came on a George Pickens touchdown where the entire secondary appeared content to watch him stroll into the end zone. It only got worse after halftime. Las Vegas folded completely. Every offensive snap felt like a jailbreak, and the defense let the Cowboys march wherever they wanted. Even as Dallas bled the clock late, the Cowboys kept pushing forward while the Raiders simply let it happen. The lone exception was Maxx Crosby, who played with his usual intensity. Beyond him, the roster looked ready for the offseason. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, nearly two months remain—and it’s shaping up to feel like an eternity.
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