So who burnished their 2023 championship prospects? Who bolstered their ability to navigate the draft in 2024?

A look at the winners and losers who seemingly emerged from this year’s cutoff for player deals:

WINNERS

San Francisco 49ers

A three-game losing streak, sparked by some key nagging injuries, had dulled some of their Super Bowl luster and even dropped the Niners into second place in the NFC West. But they won Tuesday. To snag DE Chase Young, probably a more dynamic pass rusher than former Washington teammate Montez Sweat, to a loaded – if scuffling – defense for a compensatory third-round pick? That could be a championship move when you imagine what Young might accomplish playing opposite reigning Defensive Player of the Year and former Ohio State running mate Nick Bosa and with his next contract hanging in the balance. And if Young lands a huge free-agent deal with another team in 2024? Then San Francisco has essentially rented him at no cost, given the team would recoup a compensatory third-rounder down the line if he lands the windfall his talent commands. And, not for nothing, if the 49ers are immediately blown away by Young, they’ve got nearly $40 million in available funds this year for a prospective extension.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Super Bowl 57 teams

Like most good clubs, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are constantly evaluating and aggressively attempting to upgrade their rosters in pursuit of their next Lombardi Trophy – those clubs securing three of the league’s last six championships. The Eagles shored up their suspect back end by paying a very reasonable price to obtain All-Pro safety, and Philly native, Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans last week. (And to add WR Julio Jones for the cost of a practice squad slot? C’mon.) K.C. made a less notable move, reacquiring WR Mecole Hardman, a member of the 2019 and ’22 Super Bowl squads, from the New York Jets. He brings built-in familiarity with QB Patrick Mahomes, the ability to stretch the field and the potential to turn a game with a return on special teams.

Seattle Seahawks

They’re the quasi-upstarts who displaced San Francisco atop the NFC West over the weekend. They also took a swipe at beating the 49ers at their own game, picking up former Pro Bowl DL Leonard Williams on Monday to augment their own defensive line. The price wasn’t insignificant, GM John Schneider and HC Pete Carroll surrendering two draft picks, including a second-rounder in 2024. But Williams could further unlock Seattle’s pass rush in general – and might become a headache for the Niners and QB Brock Purdy specifically given their relative vulnerability up the gut.

Buffalo Bills

Nice to see them finally taking a more aggressive approach, especially in light of the broadsides their defense has absorbed after a litany of injuries. GM Brandon Beane got busy, though, acquiring CB Rasul Douglas and a Round 5 pick from the Green Bay Packers for a third-rounder – which should be an effective way to offset another season-ending injury to former Pro Bowl CB Tre’Davious White. The Bills also added RB Leonard Fournette to their practice squad.

Minnesota Vikings

They added Joshua Dobbs to their quarterback depth chart, expanding their options in the aftermath of Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear – and only at the cost of flipping a sixth-rounder to the Arizona Cardinals for a seventh next year. Dobbs, literally a rocket scientist who isn’t going to be vexed by the prospect of learning a new playbook, has started 10 games over the past two seasons while splitting time between Tennessee, Arizona and the Cleveland Browns.

Washington Commanders’ Montez Sweat deal

Gonna be a while before it’s determined whether offloading the former first-round pick and his expiring contract winds up benefiting the franchise’s current regime or not given HC Ron Rivera and Co. could soon be following the pass rusher out the door. But this was a sensible move long term for the club, Sweat – even with his 6½ sacks and 19 pressures – having insufficient impact for the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense to justify keeping him in a season that seems to be descending. Washington should feel good about the fact the second-rounder obtained for Sweat will likely be (at least) a top-40 selection in 2024.

LOSERS

Washington Commanders’ Chase Young deal

Maybe it was never going to work out for the No. 2 pick of the 2020 draft and his hometown team. But he was finally recapturing the Defensive Rookie of the Year form that had been missing since his 2021 knee injury. Hard to figure why the Commanders didn’t stick with Young, especially given the option to franchise him next year and nearly $100 million available in 2024 salary-cap space. But to export Young for a compensatory third-rounder Washington likely would have received for him anyway had he been allowed to leave in free agency? A real head-scratcher.

Washington Commanders DT Jonathan Allen

The Pro Bowler was openly cursing his long-unenviable circumstances following a Week 7 loss to the struggling New York Giants. Gotta wonder how Allen is feeling about now.

Minnesota Vikings

It was unrealistic to expect them to make a major move to replace Cousins in the 48-hour window following his injury Sunday … even amid (ridiculous?) speculation they might take a run at a different Cardinals quarterback. Dobbs is a nice player, also displaying in 2023 what a bruising element he can bring to the run game (something the Vikes have lacked), but isn’t well-versed in this offense the way, say, veterans Colt McCoy or Case Keenum are. And, it must be noted, Dobbs has won one of his 10 starts. Maybe a move up in class and eventually teaming with WR Justin Jefferson will help, but hard to envision Minnesota really sustaining its playoff push.

Detroit Lions

They plucked WR Donovan Peoples-Jones from Cleveland, adding another nice dimension to a second-ranked offense. But with Young and Sweat available, why didn’t the NFC North leaders take a bigger swing at a time when they’re legitimate threats to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs?

Atlanta Falcons

If you’re going to enter the trade pool, especially when you’re in contention for an eminently winnable division like the NFC South, why not jump right in rather than wading around the edges? Currently tied for first place at 4-4, the Falcons have made uninspiring imports of DL Kentavius Street (following the loss of Grady Jarrett) and WR Van Jefferson, whose brutal drop with 90 seconds left in Sunday’s five-point loss to Tennessee cost Atlanta any shot at a win. Sure, maybe this team is too young to fully adopt a go-big-or-go-home approach, but there were clearly more significant avenues to improving its 2023 playoff prospects.

Ryan Poles

He may well get the last laugh, currently positioned to pick second and third overall in next year’s draft thanks to packaging this year’s No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers … and another very bad Bears team. But before we start mocking blue-chip college prospects to Chicago and/or parsing the merits of trading QB Justin Fields and drafting his replacement, let’s look at what’s immediately in front of us. Poles spent extravagantly during free agency this year (LB Tremaine Edmunds, G Nate Davis, DL DeMarcus Walker, LB T.J. Edwards, DL Yannick Ngakoue and others) for a team that’s 2-6, several of its losses not even of the competitive variety. And while the pre-draft acquisition of WR DJ Moore has panned out well so far, let’s not forget that it’s only been a year since Poles sent the Pittsburgh Steelers what turned out to be the 32nd pick of the 2023 draft … for (since dismissed) WR Chase Claypool. Acquiring Sweat may not be the same kind of fiasco given Chicago again has the fewest sacks in the league (10), and he is most definitely a solid player. But, unlike Claypool last year, Sweat’s contract doesn’t extend beyond this season, so how much is he really going to help a team that’s likely just surrendered another high-end second-rounder? Poles set last year’s pick on fire, and he may very well have singed this year’s at minimum. Sure, Sweat could still be franchised or re-signed outright – and Poles does have more than $100 million at his disposal on 2024’s cap. But why not keep the Round 2 ammo and just try to sign Sweat on the open market next year … or potentially even pursue better QB hunters like Danielle Hunter, Brian Burns, Chase Young or Josh Allen?

Running backs

The Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry, New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh Jacobs, New England Patriots’ Ezekiel Elliott and Indianapolis Colts’ Zack Moss all remain with losing teams, likely forced to play out the string – at their risk-laden position – with no contractual security beyond this season. Maybe things will pan out better for New York Jets RB Dalvin Cook … if QB Aaron Rodgers returns to catalyze the offense and create an expanded role for the four-time Pro Bowler.

Davante Adams

Sorry, dude. Maybe you escape your Sin City prison – perhaps even reunite with Aaron Rodgers – in 2024, but the cap ramifications of your five-year, $140 million megadeal weren’t realistically going to allow for a premature departure. For now, you’ll remain with the sinking Raiders, hoping QB Jimmy Garoppolo won’t continue to overthrow you. Go catch U2’s amazing show at The Sphere, Davante – you’ll definitely feel better afterward.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

PHOENIX – It counts as just a single win, though it pushes the Texas Rangers within one more of their first World Series championship. They could have won by 100 runs and the Rangers would still need another W to finish off these Arizona Diamondbacks.

Yet in Game 4 Tuesday night at Chase Field, the Rangers’ Diamondbacks demolition was so thorough, so damaging that it begs the question if there will be a psychic hangover for the 84-win underdogs as their season hangs in the balance.

The Rangers made World Series history with just about every vicious swing, posting consecutive five-run innings and cruising to an 11-7 victory before 48,388 mostly stunned onlookers.

They took a 3-1 lead in this World Series and Wednesday night, they can end this season and celebrate a championship on Arizona’s field, a fitting end for a club undefeated in 10 road games this postseason.

And should they prevail in Game 5 – ace Nathan Eovaldi will face his Arizona counterpart, Zac Gallen – there’s little doubt who might be taking home more hardware.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

Corey Seager became the first shortstop to hit three home runs in a World Series, his two-run shot off Diamondbacks reliever Kyle Nelson giving Texas a 5-0 second-inning lead. The blowout was sealed an inning later, when second baseman Marcus Semien crushed a three-run shot off Luis Frías, stretching the lead to 10-0.

Seager was MVP of the 2020 NLCS and World Series as a Los Angeles Dodger. And he’d almost surely add the 2023 Series MVP to his mantle with one more win, more than justifying the $325 million contract the Rangers gave him in November 2021, when they signaled serious intent to contend.

Tuesday, all those plans coalesced.

Semien, the $175 million running mate for Seager, tripled, homered and drove in five runs. Starter Andrew Heaney, signed before this year, gave up just one run over five innings, likely exceeding manager Bruce Bochy’s expectations and giving him a loaded bullpen for a potential closeout Game 5.

Oh, and speaking of bullpens: The Diamondbacks’ failed miserably.

Left one starter short on his depth chart throughout the playoffs, manager Torey Lovullo opted for the all-hands approach, and after two innings, Joe Mantiply, Miguel Castro, Luis Frías and Ryne Nelson had coughed up 10 runs, half of those greatly abetted by first baseman Christian Walker booting a potential double-play grounder in the third inning.

The only saving graces? Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s three-run home run helped make the final score semi-respectable and Arizona’s fifth pitcher, Ryne Nelson, plowed through 5 ⅓ innings of three-hit ball, ensuring most of Arizona’s high-leverage relievers didn’t have to participate in this debacle. 

They’ll be needed tomorrow, to stem this Rangers rampage that might not stop until a title is in hand. 

Here’s how Game 4 unfolded on Tuesday:

Rangers up 10-1 through seven

Handed a 10-0 lead, Rangers starter Andrew Heaney did his job by tossing five innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to get the Diamondbacks on the board. Dane Dunning tossed a scoreless sixth for Texas, followed by Cody Bradford in the eighth.

Rangers blow it open, lead Diamondbacks 10-0 through three

PHOENIX – A relatively must-win game for the Arizona Diamondbacks has turned into a bludgeoning.

The Texas Rangers are making a mockery of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen game and bashing their way to the verge of a World Series championship, pummeling four Arizona pitchers to take a 10-0 lead in the third inning of Game 4 at Chase Field on Tuesday.

Texas made World Series history, producing consecutive five-run innings five-run innings, the latter in large part due to first baseman Christian Walker booting a likely inning-ending double-play ball off the bat of Jonah Heim. At the least, it would have ensured the inning finished without incident one batter later.

Instead, emergency right fielder Travis Jankowski produced his second run-scoring hit in as many innings, a two-run double, and Marcus Semien smashed a three-run homer, both off right-hander Luis Frias, to make it a 10-0 game.

Semien has a triple, home run and five RBI in his three at-bats. Meanwhile, starter Andrew Heaney – not ticketed for long in this game – has tossed three shutout innings, giving up just three hits. Should Heaney pitch into the fifth inning, it will only deepen Texas’ pitching advantage for Game 5 on Wednesday.

– Gabe Lacques

Most runs in World Series game: Yankees hold record

The New York Yankees scored 18 runs in Game 2 of the 1936 World Series against the New York Giants, the most in a single World Series game.

The most total runs in a World Series game was 29 in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 15-14 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 1993 World Series.

Corey Seager homers in Rangers’ five-run second inning

PHOENIX – As Torey Lovullo readied his Arizona Diamondbacks for an all-hands bullpen effort in Game 4 of the World Series, he mused that his relievers were “gassed up and ready to go” and that the “chess game” within was going to be a lot of fun.

In less than two innings, the Texas Rangers seemed to yell, “Checkmate!”

The Rangers erupted for five runs off three Arizona pitchers, the final blow yet another home run from Corey Seager, and they held a 5-0 lead after two innings, poised to take a 3-1 lead in this World Series.

Seager destroyed a 1-0 slider from lefty Kyle Nelson – brought in just for that moment – and sent it 431 feet off a back well behind the fence in right center field. It capped an inning that began with rookie Josh Jung greeted starter-but-also-reliever Joe Mantiply with a double to the gap in right center, eventually scoring on Travis Jankowski’s RBI single off the second pitcher, Miguel Castro, in Jankowski’s first World Series at-bat.

Jankowski was playing only because postseason hero Adolis García is out for the season with an oblique injury. His absence might have given the Diamondbacks a bit of hope, but it doesn’t help when the No. 9 hitter replacing him drives in the game’s first run.

And then: Marcus Semien two-run triple, prompting Nelson’s arrival. Seager quickly countered with his third home run of this Series. 

– Gabe Lacques

Adolis Garcia, Max Scherzer off Rangers’ World Series roster with injury

PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers, ravaged by injuries all season, will now be without their record-setting cleanup hitter for the rest of the World Series, along with their three-time Cy Young winner. 

Rangers All-Star right fielder Adolis Garcia, who has eight home runs and a record 22 RBI this postseason, was diagnosed with a strained oblique Tuesday while Max Scherzer was dealing with back tightness – and both were removed from the World Series roster ahead of Game 4.

The roster moves were announced an hour before the first pitch with the Rangers leading the World Series 2-1. Garcia is being replaced by utilityman Ezequiel Duran and Scherzer’s place will be taken by left-hander Brock Burke.

“They’ve worked their entire lives to be on this stage and be in this moment,’ Rangers GM Chris Young said. “And they’ve both suffered injuries that are going to take them out of that. I have great empathy for them in terms of that. But they’re team players, and they’ve got positive attitudes. And the rest of the group is the same way.

“But I hurt for those guys personally because I know how much they mean to our club, how hard they’ve worked to be in this situation. And then now it’s gone for them.’’

– Bob Nightengale

Rangers, Diamondbacks starting lineups and pitchers for World Series Game 4

Texas Rangers

LHP Andrew Heaney

Marcus Semien (R) 2BCorey Seager (L) SSMitch Garver (R) DHEvan Carter (L) LFJosh Jung (R) 3BNathaniel Lowe (L) 1BJonah Heim (S) CLeody Taveras (S) CFTravis Jankowski (L) RF

Arizona Diamondbacks

LHP Joe Mantiply

Ketel Marte (S) 2BCorbin Carroll (L) RFGabriel Moreno (R) CChristian Walker (R) 1BTommy Pham (R) DHLourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LFAlek Thomas (L) CFEmmanuel Rivera (R) 3BGeraldo Perdomo (S) SS

Simulated World Series Game 4: D-backs get last blast to win slugfest

Here’s how tonight’s game will play out, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual Sim Series played using Dynasty League Baseball:

In what most closely resembled the 2011 All-Star Home Run Derby, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Texas Rangers 9-7 in Game 4 of USA TODAY Sports’ annual Simulated World Series.

The two teams combined for 10 homers, five by each team, but Evan Longoria’s two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh inning was the difference as Arizona relievers Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald slammed the door on any potential rally by the Rangers.

Corey Seager set the tone for the evening in the top of the first inning with a mammoth blast into the swimming pool in right field. But the Rangers came right back as Longoria and Ketel Marte homered off Texas starter Andrew Heaney in the second. Marte added another solo shot in the fourth off Jon Gray as the D-backs built a 7-3 lead.

Texas rallied to tie the game on a three-run homer from Mitch Garver and a game-tying missile from Nathaniel Lowe before Longoria’s 386-foot shot to left carried Arizona to victory. Ginkel tossed two scoreless innings to get the win and Sewald pitched the ninth to nail down the save.

What to watch in (the real) Game 4:

– Bullpen management: In what was supposed to only be a bullpen game for the Diamondbacks, the two teams ended up using a total of 11 pitchers, severely depleting their bullpens for Wednesday’s Game 5. With a stretch of three games in three days that isn’t seen in the early rounds of the playoffs, the relievers both managers hold back may be as or more important than the ones they decide to use in Game 4.

– Slugfest looming: The simulated weather conditions didn’t really impact the barrage of home runs as much as it might seem. The fact that pitchers such as Heaney, Gray and Arizona’s Ryne Nelson had such high home run rates during the regular season was more the culprit. As both teams go deep into their bullpens, the chances of a high-scoring game increase considerably.

Torey Lovullo ‘steaming mad’ over umpire calls in Game 3 loss

PHOENIX — For the most part, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo spent his press conference before Tuesday’s Game 4 of the World Series looking forward, not back at the Diamondbacks’ 3-1 loss in Game 3. But when asked about the umpiring in that defeat, Lovullo struggled to hold back.

“I looked at it all,” Lovullo said. “I was up at 3:30 this morning steaming mad. So I’ll leave it right there.”

Immediately after the game, Lovullo said, “If they were off the plate and there were missed calls, they’ve got to tighten it up.” He did, though, follow that criticism with sympathy for the umpires.

“The umps are doing their absolute best,” Lovullo said. “Ball is moving at a high velocity. It’s getting manipulated at home plate. But there were some calls that didn’t go our way today. Was that the difference in the game? I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

– Theo Mackie, AZCentral.com

Even amid the rampant speculation, the NFL trade deadline always has a way of surprising almost everyone.

This year’s window to complete swaps officially came to a close on Tuesday, and what had been shaping up to be a relatively low-key final stretch ended up providing a decent run of deals. A few teams – most notably the Washington Commanders – decided to part with key pieces as part of a larger reset, while others looked to fortify themselves for the stretch run of the season by bringing on new figures at positions of need.

Here are our grades for all of the deals completed:

Packers trade CB Rasul Douglas to Bills

Buffalo Bills receive: CB Rasul Douglas, 2024 fifth-round pick

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Packers receive: 2024 third-round pick

Bills grade: B+

It was probably fun for Bills fans to envision a splashy deal for Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, but giving up what likely would have been a second-round draft pick for either a half-season rental or a very expensive offseason extension candidate didn’t seem realistic for Buffalo. Douglas, however, is a fitting answer for a team that looked iffy on the back end after Tre’Davious White was lost for the year to a torn Achilles. Even getting a solid-starter level of play from Douglas should count as a win for a team that previously looked ill-equipped to slow the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins in its bid for the AFC crown.

Packers grade: B

Lots of groans emanating from Wisconsin as a painful campaign looks like it could get even uglier. But Green Bay was able to clear about $6.5 million off next year’s salary-cap outlook, and the focus for general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur needs to be on how to get this team competitive in 2024 and beyond.

Browns trade WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to Lions

Detroit Lions receive: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

Cleveland Browns receive: 2025 sixth-round pick

Lions grade: B

General manager Brad Holmes opted against a flashy move at the deadline and instead decided to do mere tinkering. Finding a low-cost defensive end or defensive back who would actually tilt the scales in the Lions’ favor this season was out of reach, but Peoples-Jones could help alter the balance of a pass-catching crew that counts on Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta to do all the heavy lifting. With Detroit zeroing in on its first division title in 30 years, there’s no reason not to take a flier on a 6-2, 212-pound target who could aid the downfield passing attack.

Browns grade: B-

Cleveland is dealing with a mess that can’t be solved with a mere swap, as quarterback Deshaun Watson’s struggles and now ongoing absence from the lineup have pushed what might have been a solid wild-card entry onto the periphery of the playoff picture. The Browns seemingly were poised to turn to third-round pick Cedric Tillman for more run as a contested-catch threat, anyway, but he was a healthy inactive in Week 8. Now it’s on Cleveland to develop some of its existing talent, or else import some this offseason.

Commanders trade DE Chase Young to 49ers

San Francisco 49ers receive: DE Chase Young

Washington Commanders receive: 2024 third-round pick

49ers grade: A

For the second consecutive year, the San Francisco 49ers made perhaps the biggest splash of any contender at the trade deadline. No, Young isn’t the defensive equivalent of Christian McCaffrey in impact, but he might play a vital role in revitalizing a floundering pass rush. The former No. 2 overall pick and 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has five sacks this season and is a significant upgrade over Drake Jackson and Clelin Ferrell, neither of whom offered much as a complement to Nick Bosa after the season-opening rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Young ends up being a rental, it should be of little concern, as the 49ers have additional draft compensation coming their way thanks to Demeco Ryans and Ran Carthon landing top roles elsewhere and Mike McGlinchey leaving for the Denver Broncos. But if the 49ers are taken with their new acquisition, they can bring him back on the franchise tag or try to extend him. Regardless, the 49ers boosted their contender credentials in the short term without greatly undermining their long-term roster-building tools.

Commanders grade: C

Did Washington go too far in its reset? While it’s certainly admirable that the franchise realized it needs to train its focus on the future, Young was a potential building block who still could have been an important contributor by the time any turnaround really takes off. With Montez Sweat already having been traded to the Bears and potentially returning a top-40 pick, the Commanders had the option of giving Young the franchise tag if it was in a bind with negotiations with him this offseason. The third-round pick, meanwhile, feels like a fairly modest reward for a player of Young’s ability and accomplishment. Washington’s defense is now far too overly invested in its defensive interior with barely any threat on the edge. Given the hit rate for top defensive end prospects, setting that straight will likely involve top draft picks – and those assets will be needed to sort out the issues at quarterback and offensive line, which were perhaps the biggest catalysts for this rebuild.

Vikings trade G Ezra Cleveland to Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars receive: G Ezra Cleveland

Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 sixth-round pick

Jaguars grade: B+

Offensive line help is always hard to come by, and the Jaguars just might have found some solid support for Trevor Lawrence – and at a time when the team is tied for the AFC’s best record at 6-2. Cleveland has taken a significant step forward as a pass blocker, allowing just one sack in his last 366 pass-protecting snaps. The cost is minimal, so there’s little reason to be upset if the move doesn’t work out or Cleveland, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, ends up being a rental. Maybe it’s not the game-changing pass rusher that the Jaguars would have wanted – they were long linked to the Vikings for NFL sack leader Danielle Hunter – but this is a nice addition for a team that could be ready to contend.

Vikings grade: B+

While Minnesota isn’t prepared to fully shut things down for the season and sell off its assets, scraping together draft picks is still a smart play for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Cleveland missed the last two games due to a sprained foot, and Dalton Risner is fully capable of stepping in as the starter at left guard.

Cardinals trade QB Joshua Dobbs to Vikings

Minnesota Vikings receive: QB Joshua Dobbs, conditional 2024 seventh-round pick

Arizona Cardinals receive: 2024 sixth-round pick

Vikings grade: B+

If you’re going to make a move for a caretaker QB, do it on the cheap – and grab one who knows how to deal with a quick turnaround. Minnesota didn’t go into full-fledged panic mode, and coach Kevin O’Connell is turning to fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall for Sunday’s start against the Atlanta Falcons. Importing a new signal-caller and preparing him to start in five days was likely a pipe dream, so the Vikings managed to go the route that made the most sense and provide more flexibility by adding Dobbs, a savvy player who has proven to be a fast study. And it doesn’t hurt that Dobbs shares the same agent as Cousins and should be able to get settled quickly if Hall has trouble. Given the paltry cost for the acquisition, this might have been the best available stopgap solution for an unenviable situation.

Cardinals grade: C+

Arizona got a fine return from Dobbs after an eleventh-hour move to acquire him and install him as the early-season starter. After coach Jonathan Gannon reversed course and decided to go with either Kyler Murray or rookie Clayton Tune this week against the Cleveland Browns, Dobbs deserved a shot at again serving as a potential steward for a franchise in distress. The gain in draft compensation here, however, is minimal for a player who should be at least an above-average backup.

Commanders trade DE Montez Sweat to Bears

Chicago Bears receive: DE Montez Sweat

Washington Commanders receive: 2024 second-round pick

Commanders grade: A-

It was unclear whether Ron Rivera and Co. could actually stomach moving one of the team’s key pieces with the team having lost five of its last six contests, but this was the sensible long-term play – even if it’s uncertain who will be at the helm when the payoff hits. Re-signing Sweat likely wasn’t in the cards for Commanders, who already have doled out massive contracts to defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen and have a decision to make on whether to franchise tag or extend Chase Young. With this swap, Washington lands what should be an early second-rounder, a clear improvement and one year jump on the compensatory pick the franchise would have received had Sweat walked after this season. It might be hard for the current team to stomach this, but the value here was too good to pass up.

Bears grade: B-

Matt Eberflus, here’s your pass rusher. The Chicago Bears have been starved for some kind of threat off the edge after following up an NFL-worst 20 sacks in 2022 with a league-low 10 so far this year. With Sweat on board, the team finally has a proven presence who has created consistent pressure. Sweat’s track record in finishing plays on the quarterback frequently enough (35 ½ sacks in four and a half years) is sufficient motivation for this move, but Eberflus will undoubtedly love adding a top-notch run defender. Still, GM Ryan Poles paid a premium for a good-not-great player. And while the Bears should have ample cap room in 2024 to shell out a hefty extension, Sweat also now is in prime position to cash in since Chicago can’t let this be a rental, so the overall price tag will only rise over time. While that’s part of doing business in the pass rusher market, that’s a bit of an odd calculus for a rebuilding team that still has substantial deficiencies. One important factor, however: The Bears now are in a better spot to use what could be two top-five picks on offense in a draft in which several top prospects (quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and left tackle Olu Fashanu) could help flip the franchise’s fortunes.

Eagles trade DT Kentavius Street to Falcons

Atlanta Falcons receive: DT Kentavius Street, 2025 seventh-round pick

Philadelphia Eagles receive: 2024 sixth-round pick

Falcons grade: B-

Losing Grady Jarrett to a torn ACL was a significant blow, so adding depth along the defensive front was sensible. Getting Street accomplishes that at a low cost. At some point, however, Atlanta is going to have to make a more serious move to add a high-impact pass rusher to an effort that’s largely been cobbled together.

Eagles grade: B-

Street has only played in 17% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps this season, so there should be minimal fallout from this move. With Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Fletcher Cox and Milton Williams leading the way on the interior, Philadelphia looks just fine at defensive tackle.

Giants trade DE Leonard Williams to Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks receive: DE Leonard Williams

New York Giants receive: 2024 second-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick

Giants grade: A-

Good on Joe Schoen for facing the reality of his 2-6 team. While New York is set to pay the remaining bulk of the approximately $10 million Williams is owed, the franchise was able to recoup more than it paid out to the New York Jets in 2019 (third- and fifth-round picks) to acquire Williams. Re-signing a costly defensive linemen who will be 30 next season wouldn’t make much sense for an organization that needs to figure out a timeline for returning to a competitive level, so loading up on assets here seems like a smart play. Dexter Lawrence is the rightful centerpiece of the defense, and it’s now on Schoen to target some cost-controlled young players to put around him.

Seahawks grade: B

It’s certainly hard to fault Pete Carroll and John Schneider for riding high after taking the NFC West lead on Sunday at 5-2. But given the cost, is this really a move that pushes them substantially closer to the Eagles, 49ers and Cowboys? Both before and after the trade, Seattle sizes up as a solid potential playoff entrant, but one likely a bit behind the NFC’s top tier in its quest to advance beyond the divisional round for the first time since 2014. A new scheme could help Williams approach the form he had from 2020-21 under Patrick Graham, as the veteran essentially pointed out to The New York Post that he could be put in better position to make more plays. But at this point in his career, Williams seems more likely to reinforce the pass rush and run defense rather than transform the defense on either front. His true value, however, might be in the flexibility he affords a defensive line that already features Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed.

Titans trade S Kevin Byard to Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles receive: S Kevin Byard

Tennessee Titans receive: 2024 fourth-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick, S Terrell Edmunds.

Eagles grade: A

Not to be all ‘Howie Roseman did it again,’ but … Howie Roseman did it again. The ever-tinkering Eagles executive vice president and general manager scoured the market for ways to improve a team that boasted the NFL’s best record after seven weeks, and he turned up a low-cost, highly reliable solution at a position of need. Mounting injuries proved sufficient incentive to upgrade the secondary, and Byard should patch up a key potential weakness for a good-but-not-great defense. Most of all, the price point seems just right for Philadelphia, which can plug in a formidable starter for a contender yet for a modest draft package and limited financial commitment.

Titans grade: B

Maybe it wasn’t the return you’d expect for a two-time All-Pro. Still, kudos to first-year general manager Ran Carthon for getting a rebuild rolling, even if this past offseason was somewhat of a half measure on that front. By moving Byard, Tennessee gets draft compensation for a 30-year-old who was under contract through 2024 but a strong cut candidate for this spring given the direction of the franchise. Edmunds feels like a throw-in, but he gives Carthon a young player (26) to take a look at.

Jets trade WR Mecole Hardman to Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs receive: WR Mecole Hardman, 2025 seventh-round pick

New York Jets receive: 2025 sixth-round pick

Chiefs grade: B

Hardman is hardly a panacea for a pass-catching crew that has become overly reliant on Travis Kelce, but there were severely limited options on the open market for a team with limited room to maneuver. Hardman already has a rapport with Patrick Mahomes and can help flip fields as a returner. For the cost, this was a fine addition.

Jets grade: C+

Sometimes things don’t work out. It’s fine. Hardman joined the Jets on a one-year deal to help solidify a Super Bowl push under Aaron Rodgers, and that went sideways after one game. He took a backseat to both Randall Cobb and undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson, playing on just 28 offensive snaps in five games. There are probably bigger issues with how Gang Green built its receiving corps beyond Garrett Wilson, but given his role, cutting bait makes sense.

Rams trade WR Van Jefferson to Falcons

Atlanta Falcons receive: WR Van Jefferson, 2025 seventh-round pick

Los Angeles Rams receive: 2026 sixth-round pick

Falcons grade: B-

Good luck trying to square any of Arthur Smith’s plans for his top skill-position players. It surely doesn’t hurt to add another target for a flagging aerial attack, but it’s difficult to envision a fourth-year receiver, who has yet to establish himself as a consistent threat, breaking through and forming any kind of consistent connection with Desmond Ridder (or Taylor Heinicke). Don’t expect him to approach the career numbers he posted just two seasons ago during the Rams’ Super Bowl campaign, when he notched 50 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns. Yet, given the uninspiring alternatives to adding depth behind Drake London and Mack Hollins, as well as the modest price of a late-round pick swap, there’s at least some upside here.

Rams grade: C+

It’s easier to embrace the ‘(expletive) them picks’ mentality when the Day 2 and 3 selections are regularly panning out. Jefferson, a second-round choice in 2020, was obviously a key part of a title team, so don’t feel too bad for Los Angeles. But the overall contributions are still somewhat disappointing for a player who once figured to be a steady No. 2 option next to Cooper Kupp. Now, that role solidly belongs to fifth-round rookie sensation Puka Nacua, with third-year receiver Tutu Atwell also helping to make Jefferson superfluous.

Broncos trade OLB/DE Randy Gregory to 49ers

San Francisco 49ers receive: OLB/DE Randy Gregory, 2024 seventh-round pick

Denver Broncos receive: 2024 sixth-round pick

49ers grade: B+

When you have one of the league’s most well-rounded rosters and a defensive line coach – Kris Kocurek – renowned for developing pass rushers, taking on reclamation projects is no big thing. If San Francisco can help revive the career of Gregory, it will be a significant win. Gregory, 30, has long shown promising flashes of his pass-rushing prowess, but it might be a stretch for him to rediscover a spark at this point in his career. Any additional juice off the edge for a pass rush that has fallen off, however, would be meaningful, especially down the stretch. There’s also the matter of maintaining team chemistry after adding a player who was suspended for one game last year for throwing a punch at an opponent. San Francisco has to hope a change of scenery – and departure from the league’s worst defense – will do Gregory some good. But another move might be needed to get this defense back into shape.

Broncos grade: C-

Denver put the word out that Gregory was going to be cut, so moving him represents the most minor of victories. Still, the Broncos’ marquee free-agent signing of the 2022 offseason didn’t last two years, and moving on from him became a near necessity to send the right message. Giving more reps to promising second-year pass rusher Nik Bonitto was unquestionably the right move for a defense that needs to identify any viable starters for the future.

PHOENIX — The Texas Rangers, ravaged by injuries all season, will now be without their record-setting cleanup hitter for the rest of the World Series, along with their three-time Cy Young winner. 

Rangers All-Star right fielder Adolis Garcia, who has eight home runs and a record 22 RBI this postseason, was removed from the World Series roster (strained oblique) along with Max Scherzer (back tightness). They were replaced by infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran and reliever Brock Burke.

“It’s a strong group of guys,’ Rangers GM Chris Young said announcing the moves before Game 4. ‘They’ve got high character. They have responded to adversity all season. And, again, nobody’s feeling sorry for us. We’re going to go out and give it our best.’’

Garcia, who sustained the injury swinging in the eighth inning of Game 3 on Monday night, showed up early to Chase Field on Tuesday to undergo treatment. He went into the batting cage to take a few cuts, but was unable to continue with the pain.

“Adolis did everything he could today,’ Young said. “He went down to the cage and gave it a go, and it was very clear he was in pain. It’s not something that’s going to get any better over the next five to seven days. I think it would be more significant timeline if this were the regular season. Made the decision pretty easy.’

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

Scherzer, who left the game after three innings with back spasms in Game 3, also showed no improvement when he arrived at the ballpark. If this were the regular season, Scherzer would have been placed on the injured list, Young said.

“His back is in the same spot it was last night,’’ Young said. “He received full day of treatment and there was no progress. Our medical team has extreme concern in term of his ability to recover over the next few days that would allow him to pitch in this series.’

Asked if Scherzer tried to persuade the Rangers to wait a day, Young said the pitcher acknowledged it was the right decision.

“Max is actually unbelievable in terms of understanding in these situations,’ Young said. “He’s honest, he’s open and he’s authentic. And he gives us as much information as he possibly can provide, and wants us to make the best decision.’

The Rangers are certainly used to dealing with adversity. They used the injured list 25 times during the season, including a pair of stints for All-Star shortstop and MVP candidate Corey Seager, who missed 40 games with hamstring and thumb injuries.

“I can’t say enough about the mental toughness about this club and the resilience they have shown,’’ Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “They don’t get down. There’s no point in it. They understand you have to focus forward. And they’ve done that.’

Said Young: “It’s been a theme of our team. It has. It’s kind of the next-man-up mentality. Our guys don’t feel sorry for themselves, and I love that. That’s a true characteristic of the Texas Rangers, and I’m proud of that. And I’m sure the guys will respond in the same manner that they have all year.’’

Although the Rangers have battled a plethora of injuries all season, the news was tough for the players.

“They’ve worked their entire lives to be on this stage and be in this moment,’ Young said. “And they’ve both suffered injuries that are going to take them out of that. I have great empathy for them in terms of that. But they’re team players, and they’ve got positive attitudes. And the rest of the group is the same way.

“But I hurt for those guys personally because I know how much they mean to our club, how hard they’ve worked to be in this situation. And then now it’s gone for them.’

Travis Jankowski steps in for Rangers

The Rangers replaced Garcia in the lineup with Travis Jankowski, who hit .263 with one homer and 30 RBI in 107 games compared to Garcia’s 39 homers and 107 RBI. 

“Travis has had a really nice year for us in his role,’’ Bochy said. “He’s done a tremendous job. Got pressed into a starting role there for a while when we had our injuries and really picked us up when we needed it. 

“Solid all-around. Smart player. Good defender. Speed. He’s a guy that can handle the bat. He can bunt. He does a good job putting the ball in play, all the little things you like from a Major League player.’

Jankowski was selected to start over Robbie Grossman, Bochy said, because of his speed and defense. Besides, with the Diamondbacks going with a bullpen game, there’s no ideal matchup. 

“I’d say more than anything Jankowski, he’s such a good defender,’ Bochy said. “They’re going to be using everybody out there. So, it’s hard to pick the matchup you want on the starter in a game like tonight. That probably weighed as heavily as anything is they’re going to see different pitchers. 

“Right now we’re going with our best defense out there. And we’ll adjust as the game goes with the matchups, who is on base, things like that, pinch-hitting.’

Tuesday will be the first postseason start for Jankowski, 32, in his nine-year career. He entered five games this postseason as a defensive replacement. 

“I’m going to go out, treat it like it’s Game No. 178,’’ Jankowski said. “Hopefully we get a win, make the most of it.  It’s what you have to do. I don’t feel a ton of pressure. I just need to go out and do what I’ve been doing all year and we’ll be all right.’’ 

Still, as Jankowski acknowledges, he hardly has Garcia’s offensive prowess. 

“It hurts, right?,’ he said. “There’s no replacing Adolis especially what he’s done this postseason run. For me, I’m not trying to replace Adolis. I’m trying to play my game and do what I can to help the team win.’

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders called on the NCAA to do something about the fact that his players and staff were apparently robbed at the Rose Bowl Saturday night during their 28-16 loss against UCLA.

He said several of his team members reported missing cash and jewelry from their locker room and will make a list of missing items hoping for reimbursement. Sanders even suggested the Rose Bowl should pay for it.

Pasadena police are investigating and have been in contact with Colorado, UCLA and Rose Bowl officials.

“Who robs the Rose Bowl?” Sanders asked Tuesday during his weekly news conference in Boulder.

It’s not clear what role the NCAA would have in an alleged theft that occurred during a football game. But Sanders wants them to have one in this.

“NCAA, you do something about everything else,” said Sanders, whose team (4-4) faces No. 19 Oregon State (6-2) Saturday night on ESPN. “Do something about this one.”

The NCAA declined comment Tuesday. Pasadena public information officer Lisa Derderian said it was ‘only the Colorado locker room and players’ who reported missing items after the game.

“All that stuff should be replaced,” Sanders said. “This is the Rose Bowl. It’s at the grandaddy off them all, right? I’m sure grandaddy has some money. Grandpa should have some money to give these kids. I’m gonna have a list made out from these young men, and I know they’re gonna be truthful about what they lost so we can try to get that back for them. They may not be able to get the items back, but we should be able to reimburse them.”

Sanders said he himself didn’t have any items stolen but that a camera worker had a “significant amount of cash” missing. In the future, he said his team would not depend on “someone else’s security” to safeguard their belongings. He said he wished his players had insurance but didn’t. ‘The insurance part of it, we slipped, and we didn’t really educate on them on that,’ Sanders said.

Deion Sanders talks about ‘idiots online’

Like at many stadiums, a private contractor is used for security at the Rose Bowl. The alleged theft came while millions of other eyes were on the field. The game was officially a sellout with 71,343 and had 4.7 million viewers on ABC as the third-most watched college football game of the day, according to Sports Media Watch.

Sanders said he also is aware of ‘idiots online’ who blamed the theft victims for having the things that were stolen, including necklaces.

‘That’s crazy,’ Sanders said. ‘That’s like if you have a car in your driveway and somebody come and steal your car. (Critics might say,) ‘Well you shouldn’t have a car.’ That’s how stupid that sounds. These are young men that work their butts off or they were blessed and gifted by their family members to give them whatever what was stolen.”

Shedeur Sanders update

Sanders said his quarterback son Shedeur was “doing well” after being sacked seven times by UCLA and receiving a painkiller injection at halftime. Deion Sanders still planned to give him more time off from practice this week. Colorado has given up 42 sacks this season, which ranks second in the nation for most sacks allowed behind Old Dominion, which has given up 43.

Last season, when the Buffaloes finished 1-11, the team gave up only 23 sacks. Deion Sanders said he had a private personal meeting with his offensive linemen after talking about their struggles Saturday night in the postgame news conference.

“I have the utmost thought process that those guys are gonna step it up tremendously and you gonna see a more cohesive, more aggressive, more physical, more prepared group than ever before this weekend,” he said. “I really do believe that.”

Alton McCaskill asks to redshirt

Running back Alton McCaskill has asked to redshirt this season after playing in only four games for Colorado, Deion Sanders said. The transfer from Houston was coming back from a knee injury that forced him to miss all of the 2022 season. This season he gained just 59 yards on 14 carries. In 2021, McCaskill rushed for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns and was named the rookie of the year in the American Athletic Conference.

Colorado ranks 128th out of 130 teams nationally in rushing yards per game with 78.6.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The Philadelphia 76ers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey had no choice but to trade James Harden. Everyone knew that.

And for a team that had only one serious suitor for Harden’s (perhaps declining) services, the Sixers made out OK in the overnight trade that sent Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers acquired Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev from the Sixers for Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., a 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick and two second-round picks and rights to swap first-round picks in 2029. Oklahoma City is also involved, and the Thunder will receive a 2027 first-round pick from the Clippers, and the Sixers will receive a 2026 first-round pick from the Thunder.

Once the Sixers and Harden failed to reach any kind of long-term deal over the summer and Harden called Morey a liar twice, the Sixers needed to trade Harden, who became a growing distraction for a team trying to win a championship with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid still producing at an MVP level.

Clippers trade grade

This is the Clippers’ last gasp at winning a title with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the top two players, alongside Russell Westbrook and now Harden.

The West is deep and loaded, and the Clippers lost in the first round last season and didn’t make the playoffs the season before. Leonard, George, Westbrook and Harden are all in their early to mid-30s. And the Clippers just gave up depth and first-round picks in the deal. But they also kept Terance Mann, and P.J. Tucker, 38, who brings championship experience.

STAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter for exclusive content

But this is about the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer trying to win a championship now. And the ultimate question: Can Harden be the player who elevates Los Angeles into that stratosphere?

Last year, Harden wasn’t good enough to help the Sixers reach the Eastern Conference finals. He was good at times – 45 points in Game 1 and 42 points in Game 4 against Boston in the conference semifinals, helping Philadelphia to a 3-2 series lead. But he was just 7-for-27, including 1-for-11 on 3-pointers in the final two games of the series, both Boston victories.

With the Clippers, he doesn’t need to be the first or second option, but it remains unclear how comfortable Harden will be in that role. He’s a player who likes to have the basketball and make plays. But Westbrook does, too, and Leonard and George are primary options.

The Clippers also needed to make a move because they weren’t good enough last season. This is a necessary risk. They have this season and maybe next season, and if they can’t accomplish their goal by then, it will be time for the Clippers to embark on a rebuild.

Until we know the results of this deal, the grade is to be determined.

What does the Clippers’ depth chart look like?

Coach Ty Lue has decisions to make. He could put both Westbrook and Harden in the starting lineup with Leonard, George and Ivica Zubac. Or, he could bring Westbrook off the bench and put Mann in the starting lineup – giving Westbrook opportunity to play his style with the second unit.

What is James Harden’s contract situation?

Harden is the final season of two-year, $68.6 million contract and will be a free agent following this season.

Sixers trade grade

The Sixers aren’t – or least shouldn’t be – finished making moves. The trade grade is an incomplete.

Morey needs to turn the draft picks and some of the players he acquired into an All-Star caliber player who fits alongside Embiid and 22-year-old guard Tyrese Maxey, a rising young star who more than mitigates Harden’s departure. The NBA just named Maxey the East’s player of the week after averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists and making 14-for-25 3-pointers in the Sixers’ first three games.

There is pressure on Morey. Milwaukee added Damian Lillard to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Khris Middleton dynamic, and undefeated Boston looks like a 60-win team with the addition of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to a team featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Al Horford.

The Sixers have to keep up, and this is a start to adding a player who helps create a contender. They eliminated the Harden distraction and have until the trade deadline to make moves − important moves that will impact Embiid’s future with the team.

PHOENIX — This unlikely World Series pairing is a study in contrasts far beyond the talent on the field.

The Texas Rangers pulverize the baseball, lean on a bevy of well-heeled stars – and call a $1.2 billion palace of creature comforts home.

The Arizona Diamondbacks rely on speed and daring and the occasional home run, most of it produced by a homegrown core – and play in a facility badly in need of renovations, teetering on the brink of obsolescence in baseball’s modern economics.

For now, the Rangers have what the Diamondbacks want, and that extends far beyond their 2-1 Series lead.

They have Globe Life Field, a den of opulence stretching across 13 acres and 1.8 million feet, constructed in time for the 2020 season with the help of a $500 million commitment in public funds from suburban Arlington.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

Just down the street, there is Texas Live!, 200,000 square feet of dining, entertainment and accommodations, a public-private partnership that stadium-hungry teams dream about and franchise owners revere because the revenue generated does not count as baseball-related income.

“There are several other ballclubs that have tried doing what we’re doing: Building a district,” says Neil Leibman, the Rangers’ club president and chief operating officer who helped guide the Globe Life Field construction.

“We’re not in a city, so we have to build a city around us. That’s the goal.”

Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have the urban setting so many clubs desire, in downtown Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the USA. There’s adjacent sports books and the potential for almost year-round sports connectivity with the Suns’ and Mercury’s Footprint Center barely a half-mile away.

Yet they also have Chase Field, once a shining modern facility that was brand new for the Diamondbacks’ expansion season of 1998. Season attendance of 3 million came immediately, and a 2001 World Series championship was not far behind.

But stadiums age. Chase Field’s most urgent needs include new lighting and repairs to its retractable roof, so that it can safely close when paying customers are in the building.

There are no ribbon-cuttings or commemorative patches for stadium renovations, which can run in the hundreds of millions of dollars and which both taxpayers and teams are loathe to fund – as municipalities like Milwaukee and Baltimore are finding out.

“We certainly don’t want to have our hand out,” says Derrick Hall, the Diamondbacks’ president and CEO. “But I do think we’re going to need some sort of help. We’re willing to put a lot of money in. And we plan on doing so. We really need to upgrade this place to be more of a 365-day facility.

“Today, it’s not just the standalone ballpark – it’s mixed-use, hotels, restaurants, bars, retail. We need to get to that. But we’ll need some help.

“I want to be respectful, but if there’s assistance we can get, be it from city, county, state, it’s warmly welcomed.”

It will be far more challenging than the state of play in North Texas.

Ballparks on the ballot

In a way, the Rangers used Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys as a lead blocker.

Their previous stadium, The Ballpark in Arlington (also known by various corporate names, some of them infamous), was a gorgeous venue that was part of the early 1990s stadium renaissance. Yet it lacked a key weapon against the stultifying Texas heat and the many pop-up storms and flash floods that inundate North Texas: A roof.

So the bid to find money for what became Globe Life Field was on, with a full-court lobbying press and some provincial fear-mongering that Dallas – the big D in DFW – could swipe the Rangers from Tarrant County.

The ask was significant: About $500 million in taxes, although the sum could end up far greater, as it often does in stadium financing.

The optics helped: These weren’t new taxes, per se, merely an extension of a half-cent sales tax, 2% hotel-occupancy tax and 5% car-rental tax that already went toward defraying Arlington’s $155 million debt for Jones’ AT&T Stadium, a palatial home to the Cowboys that opened in 2009, a few long punts from Globe Life’s site.

Voters approved the measure by a 60-to-40-percent margin, and franchises like the Kansas City Royals are hoping to utilize the extension maneuver in their own markets.

The terrain is tougher in the desert.

Most recently, the NHL’s Coyotes were embarrassed at the polls when voters in the city of Tempe roundly rejected ballot measures to support the Coyotes’ $2.1 billion project for an arena, apartments and entertainment district. The opposition group prevailed with a budget of just $35,000.

The Coyotes are now looking to buy land in Mesa and build the “first privately funded sports facility in Arizona history.”

The Suns fared a little better: They faced vigorous public opposition that delayed a Phoenix city council vote, before the city and team settled on $150 million in arena renovations, with the team contributing $80 million along with greater support for various community programs.

And the Diamondbacks have had their tussles: In 2016, they sued Maricopa County for $187 million, seeking renovation costs, but settled in 2018 with an agreement that the club could look beyond Chase Field for a home in the Valley of the Sun.

“We have a lot of plans in mind for when we know where we’re going to be,” says Hall. “If we know we’re going to be here, we’re ready to go.”

Home cooking

When the Diamondbacks visited Globe Life for the first two games of this World Series, the level of comfort was startling – even for the visiting team.

A clubhouse staff waiting to shake their hands every day when they come in. A game room with pingpong and a hoop shoot. Brochures for the finest restaurants.

And when they emerge from the shower – heated towels!

“It’s one of the few places in the league that has that,” says Arizona reliever Ryan Thompson. “What I like about Globe Life was the big feel, the grand feel – how tall the roof is.

“It just feels big time.”

And he didn’t even see the home clubhouse – a 44,000-square foot ballplayer nirvana.

There’s a barbershop, a media room, sleep pods for players, a recovery room, with cryo-chambers, red light therapy, and the usual hot and cold tubs and sauna.

“It’s nothing like I’ve experienced before,” says Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski, a nine-year big leaguer who has played for six franchises. “The facilities we have on the home side are second-to-none.

“Whatever anyone told the owners, ‘Hey, this will help the guys win,’ bang – it’s there.”

And the Rangers are spending like it.

One year after COVID-19 waylaid Globe Life’s opening season – “A Christmas present we couldn’t unwrap that morning,” says Leibman – owner Ray Davis filled his grandiose home with ballplayers to match. He spent $556 million to bring in a superstar middle infield – shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien – along with pitcher Jon Gray.

That trio essentially accounted for the Rangers’ 3-1 Game 3 victory Monday.

More than $200 million was committed this past winter to import pitchers Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, the latter starting Games 1 and 5 of the World Series.

In Arizona, they’re just hoping the HVAC holds up.

Yep, the Diamondbacks’ home is climate-controlled, but as the Valley only grows hotter, the team’s reliance on a centralized downtown cooling system is being put to the test. Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly has had multiple starts truncated due to cramping, and the extreme heat, even with the roof closed and the AC humming, presents a greater challenge than outdoor stadiums in the summertime.

“I know it’s still hot out there and it’s still a big metal box that we’re in,” Kelly said after leaving a September start early, “but I’m definitely sweating more here than I am other places.”

Still, there are some charms to the sort-of old yard, which may look different in terms of which fans it caters to in the future.

‘We built this right’

Is there such a thing as a bad ballpark?

Thompson came from one of the worst, pitching home games at Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field for four seasons. Still, the big leagues are the big leagues – and Chase felt like a big upgrade.

“I don’t have a problem with Tropicana. I love Tropicana,” says Thompson. “But it feels like the clubhouse here is three times the size. Our lockers are twice as big. The stadium feels nicer.

“This was one of the four or five places I’d never been. It kind of blew me away.”

It remains a perfectly suitable place to watch a ballgame, with a greater sense of connection than many ballparks. You can walk from the main concourse right on down to the finest seats behind home plate, no moat protecting the most expensive seats from the less desirable.

It was particularly postcard-perfect for Monday’s Game 3, with more than 48,000 fans filling the place, the roof open on a perfect night, the Fox Sports cameras capturing some lovely overhead shots.

Yet most nights are not like Game 3.

The Diamondbacks drew less than 15,000 fans for 12 of 81 home dates, and their respectable per-game average of 24,212 means even on a decent night, the place is half-empty.

In the club’s perfect world, the place is renovated to feature greater luxury seating options, a smaller capacity overall – and ancillary team-controlled development beyond its walls.

Kind of like the guys across the field this week.

“I think all these new facilities are a bit of an advantage,” says Hall. “The revenues have gone way up. From a competitive standpoint, that helps them.

“I also think in a modern facility like Globe Life, it really caters to a lot of the premium, which the older ballparks like ours just don’t have. So you’re not going to have a lot of corporate involvement. You’re not going to have a lot of those lounges and VIP sections and clubs.

“They’ve got all that so they can really take advantage of that.”

But can it defy the trend of stadiums barely making it to a third decade?

While Globe Life feels forever, so, too, did The Ballpark. Leibman feels confident his new toy will outlast its predecessor, which sits visible through Globe Life’s outfield glass, still home to high school and college football games, a reminder of impermanence.

“We’re good for 30 years and if we have to renovate after 30, we’ll renovate,” says Leibman. “But I think the design is so unique. Most stadiums are built at an angle. Ours is built more like a fishbowl – the higher up you are, you’re not far enough from the game.

“I think we built this right.”

Is the Mad Dog Russo saga with the Arizona Diamondbacks over?

The sports talk host interviewed Arizona manager Torey Lovullo on MLB Network’s High Heat Tuesday at the Diamondbacks’ Chase Field with a Diamondbacks jersey on, the latest in the saga between Russo and the team that started when the host said he would ‘retire on the spot’ if the Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the final two games of the NLCS.

On the show, Lovullo said: “You’re my boy and I love you. …We’ve got to put this to bed and bury the hatchet. I will give you a jersey to wear for every show this week that you’re on. First Take, radio, anything, it’s got to be on for the rest of this week.”

As you may have guessed, Russo did not retire after Arizona rallied from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Phillies and advance to the World Series against the Texas Rangers.

He appeared on The Howard Stern Show to discuss what he would do to not follow through with his vow to retire.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

It appears that the solution was Russo wearing a Diamondbacks bikini while walking through the streets of New York City with a sign saying he was a ‘liar and dope.’

“If this is the only way I can get back my good name, I’ll have to do it,” Russo said.

Russo said that besides his public humiliation, he would also make a donation to a Diamondbacks charity.

He also said he wanted to beg for Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo’s forgiveness.

“I have to get him on the air before the World Series,” Russo said on the air. “I have to beg forgiveness from the Diamondbacks manager.”

‘That type of stuff is kind of entertaining to me because I know Mad Dog has a show and he’s got to do his thing, but I would love to see him quit if we won today,’ Lovullo told reporters. ‘You know what I mean? There’s nothing better than a wise guy New Yorker saying something and then having to chomp on those words, so that’s how I’m processing it and it will be great. He’s a friend of mine. I love Mad Dog and I know that he’s going to end up hearing this.’

He also addressed Russo at media availability before the World Series last Thursday.

‘I need you to hold him accountable,’ Lovullo told the media. ‘I need you to keep going at him every single day. Don’t let it stop, but a deal’s a deal. I agree.  You can’t back out of that one, Mad Dog, you’ve got to do something. I don’t know what you are talking about, TV, radio, but I do like Howard Stern’s thought about walking with a billboard saying that I am a whatever … in mid-town Manhattan for half a day. That will do it for me, but I ain’t gonna forgive you until you do something unbelievable. Maybe show up here and say you’re sorry to the entire team. Anyways, that’s all I will say about that.’

Is the hatchet finally buried?