The quarterback carousel keeps spinning for the New York Jets, though — this time — coach Robert Saleh is going back to a familiar face.

Saleh announced Wednesday that Zach Wilson will start Sunday against the Houston Texans, a reversal from two weeks ago when he benched Wilson and demoted him to the third string.

‘Zach gives us our best chance to win,’ Saleh said Wednesday. ‘And we’re giving him another opportunity to go prove that. … He was good. He was fired up. Like I said on Monday, he came into my office and wants the ball and he’s excited about getting this opportunity to finish this.’

The move comes after a report from The Athletic said Wilson was ‘reluctant’ to take back the starting job after he had been benched; on Monday, Saleh denied that report.

Wilson had been named New York’s starter after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tendon tear on Sept. 11 in the team’s season-opening victory over the Buffalo Bills. While New York (4-8) treaded water in the early half of the season, its offense has cratered in recent weeks. The Jets have scored just three offensive touchdowns since Week 8 and are averaging just 9.7 points per game over their last six.

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

Those struggles prompted Saleh to bench Wilson ahead of a Week 12 game against the Miami Dolphins — a start that backup Tim Boyle made. New York lost that game and named Boyle the starter for Sunday’s contest against the Atlanta Falcons. Boyle struggled, was benched midway through the game for Trevor Siemian and was released Tuesday. In a corresponding move Tuesday, the Jets signed Brett Rypien off the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks.

The Jets had been hoping to remain in contention, as Rodgers moved through his recovery with the aim of an accelerated return to the field. New York, however, is currently the No. 14 seed in the AFC.

Caitlin Clark is more than the best passer in college basketball and a logo-shooting supernova: She’s about to become the best scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, and maybe NCAA history. 

Clark, a senior All-American who led Iowa to the national championship game in April, is on pace to top Kelsey Plum’s scoring record (3,527), set in 2017. Perhaps more impressively, she could also top the men’s scoring record, set by Pete Maravich in 1970 (3,667 points), back before the 3-point line existed. 

Clark started the 2023-24 season with 2,717 career points, and through 10 games she’s averaging 29.6 points per game. Given that she’s never averaged less than 26.6 per season, she’ll likely break Plum’s record toward the end of February (provided she stays healthy). Then again, this is a player who has a history of 40-point performances, so it could happen sooner. 

Should Clark return for a fifth year – because of COVID she has one extra season of eligibility if she wants it – she would undoubtedly shatter both records. 

How many points did Caitlin Clark score in Iowa’s last game?

vs. Iowa State, Dec. 6: Clark went off for 35 points in Iowa’s 67-58 win over the Cyclones, the first time Clark has won at Iowa State in her career. She turned it on the second half, scoring 20 points after the break as she surpassed 3,000 career points. She also tallied nine rebounds and five assists, and extended her streak of hitting a 3-pointer to 68 consecutive games. That mark is the best in the NCAA.  

Points shy of breaking Plum’s record: 515

Points shy of breaking Maravich’s record: 655

How many career points does Caitlin Clark have?

Caitlin Clark has 3,013 career points (and counting!) after her 35-point performance against Iowa State.

Can Caitlin Clark break the scoring record?

Absolutely. The real question is, can Clark break both scoring records? Former Washington All-American Plum, now a WNBA All-Star with the Las Vegas Aces, holds the Division I women’s record with 3,527 points. Pete Maravich holds the Division I men’s record with 3,667. Depending on how deep Iowa plays into the postseason, both of those records are within reach for Clark.

Caitlin Clark scores 3,000 points

On Dec. 6, Clark crossed the 3,000-point milestone with 6:10 to play in the third quarter vs. Iowa State, fittingly, on a deep 3, becoming just the 15th player in the NCAA era to do so. (Former Iowa State All-American Ashley Joens was the most recent player to hit that mark, scoring 3,060 points from 2018-2023.) By hitting 3,000 points, Clark becomes the first college player, men’s or women’s, to tally 3,000 points, 750 rebounds and 750 assists.

Is Caitlin Clark a senior?

Caitlin Clark is indeed a senior — but she’s got another year of eligibility left if she wants it.

Clark is part of the last ‘COVID class’ in the NCAA, where athletes who played in the 2020-2021 season, Clark’s freshman year, were awarded a fifth year of eligibility because of how wonky the pandemic made college sports. Schools are inconsistent in how they notate this on their websites: Clark is listed as a senior on Iowa’s roster, whereas Angel Reese, who is the same recruiting class as Clark, is listed as a junior on LSU’s roster.

Should she decide to go pro after this season, Clark is projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

What is Caitlin Clark’s highest-scoring game?

Clark’s highest-scoring game came early in the 2023-24 season, when she hung 44 points on Virginia Tech, another 2023 Final Four participant. Clark shot 13-for-31 that game, including 5-for-16 from 3. She also grabbed eight rebounds and handed out six assists in the 80-76 win.

What is Caitlin Clark’s shooting percentage?

In a word: impressive. Clark is currently connecting on 45.9% of her shots and 36.8% from 3, eye-popping when you consider the attention she demands from defenses. Her ability to score consistently from long-range is especially impressive considering that, according to ESPN, 68% of 3s she takes are from 25 feet or deeper (the college 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches).

How many points does Caitlin Clark average per game?

Through 10 games in the 2023-24 season, Clark is averaging 29.6 points. Over her career, she’s averaged 27.4 points.

One of the most impressive parts of Clark’s game is that she’s averaged more points each season. Here’s how it breaks down:

Freshman year: 26.6 pointsSophomore year: 27.0 pointsJunior year: 27.8 pointsSenior year: 29.6 points

Caitlin Clark game-by-game points in 2023-24

Here’s a breakdown of Clark’s scoring this season for the Hawkeyes:

vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 pointsvs. Bowling Green, 12/2/2023: 24 pointsvs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 pointsvs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 pointsvs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 pointsvs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 pointsvs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 pointsat UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 pointsvs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 pointsvs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 points

When does Caitlin Clark, Iowa women’s basketball play again?

Clark will be back in action when the Hawkeyes visit Wisconsin on Sunday, Dec. 10.

Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

No, Shohei Ohtani didn’t sign with a team, but Juan Soto was traded in a blockbuster deal.

The Yankees acquired the All-Star outfielder from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

For Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays still appear as the co-favorites for baseball’s two-way star, but the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels still remain in the picture. Ohtani is expected to make his decision by the weekend.

Here’s a look back at Wednesday’s news:

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

Eduardo Rodriguez agrees to $80M deal with Diamondbacks

Free agent pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, cashing in after opting out of his contract with the Detroit Tigers.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale on the condition of anonymity because the signing wasn’t yet official.

The left-hander joins the National League champions’ rotation that already features Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, forming a formidable front three in Phoenix.

– Jesse Yomtov

Yankees land Juan Soto in blockbuster trade with Padres

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The New York Yankees came to the winter meetings Sunday with a look of desperation, and a fear that their greatness was on the verge of being as outdated as the white pages. 

By Wednesday night, they were back to being those old-school Yankees, for whom money is no object. 

The Yankees acquired All-Star right fielder Juan Soto and Gold Glove winner Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

It was an awfully steep price, but in the end, the Yankees simply decided they couldn’t afford to be without Soto if they want to win their first World Series championship since 2009. 

– Bob Nightengale

Diamondbacks hope to bolster rotation

NASHVILLE, Ten.. — Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen sounds optimistic that he will be able to find the starter he needs to add depth to a rotation that already includes Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt.

The club is known to have made a run at right-hander Sonny Gray before he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Diamondbacks reportedly have shown interest in right-handers Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Lucas Giolito.

“I’m confident that we are going to work very hard to make something come to fruition,” Hazen said. “When you’re talking about both the free-agent market and the trade market, you’re at the mercy of the other teams in a lot of cases. But I think there is starting pitching that is going to be out there.”

– Nick Piecoro, Arizona Republic

Mets owner Steve Cohen went to Japan to meet with Yoshinobu Yamamoto

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns went to Japan before the winter meetings to speak with free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his family. 

A 25-year-old right-hander, Yamamoto was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA this season for the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Pacific League, striking out 169 and walking 28 in 164 innings. Major League Baseball teams have until Jan. 4 to sign him.

“Clearly when you’re in the middle of a big free agent pursuit, every club’s going to meet with him,” Stearns said. “I try not to look at it as selling and I try to look at it as as providing information about who we are as an organization and what we want to do and what we want to become.”

– Associated Press

Yadier Molina joins Cardinals front office as a special assistant

Yadier Molina will remain with the St. Louis Cardinals as a special assistant to John Mozeliak, their president of baseball operations, after the longtime catcher wrapped up his 19-year big league career in 2022.

The 41-year-old Molina was a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner who played all 2,224 games of his career for St. Louis. That included 2,184 games behind the plate, the most by any catcher for one team in major league history.

“We are excited to welcome Yadi back to the St. Louis Cardinals,” Mozeliak said in a statement. “He will provide invaluable help at the major league level, as well as spend time with our minor league teams in his new role with the team.”

Molina trails only Stan Musial, who played 22 seasons for St. Louis, for the most with the club. Along the way, he helped the Cardinals reach four World Series and win championships in 2006 and 2011. His longevity coupled with the success of those Cardinals teams are a big reason why he retired as their career postseason leader in hits (102) and games played (104).

Molina, a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2000 first-year player draft, served as the manager of Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He also managed Navegantes del Magallanes in Venezuela.

– Associated Press

Juan Soto to the Yankees? Momentum building towards trade

NASHVILLE, Tenn. − The San Diego Padres and New York Yankees are nearing a blockbuster deal the would send All-Star outfielder Juan Soto to the Bronx, and although a trade has not been finalized, two persons with direct knowledge of the talks said Wednesday there is significant momentum.

The persons spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing.

Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, said Wednesday that he has not been informed by the Padres that a deal is on the verge of being finalized, but has no doubts that Soto would thrive with the Yankees.

“The handful of times that Juan has played at Yankee Stadium in his career,’’ Boras said, “Juan has enjoyed the experience. I think anytime you have a 1.200 or 1.300 OPS anywhere, you enjoy it.

Soto has played in just seven games at Yankee Stadium in his career, but has a 1.219 OPS, hitting .261 with four homers and nine RBI in 23 at-bats, including a .393 on-base percentage and .826 slugging percentage.

– Bob Nightengale

Joe Castiglione wins Ford Frick Award

Joe Castiglione’s voice has provided the soundtrack for Boston Red Sox baseball from Yaz to Yoshida. And Castiglione’s deft narration for four decades of heartbreak and high points will earn him enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Castiglione was named the winner of the Ford Frick Award on Wednesday, and he will be honored next July by baseball’s Hall of Fame. Castiglione has called Red Sox games on the radio since 1983, which was Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski’s final season in Boston. His voice carried through some dank times in the franchise’s history until a sustained period of excellence began in the late 1990s until the club broke through in 2004, with its first World Series title since 1918.

Known as “Joe C.” to ardent Red Sox fans, Castiglione’s radio career began with Cleveland and Milwaukee between 1979-82. He was chosen by a committee over fellow finalists Joe Buck, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Tom Hamilton, Ernie Johnson Sr., Ken Korach, Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper and Dan Shulman.

– Gabe Lacques

Bryce Harper open to extending Phillies contract behind 2031

Bryce Harper’s agent says the Philadelphia Phillies star would be willing to accept a contract that goes beyond the expiration of his current deal in 2031. 

Harper agreed to a $330 million, 13-year contract ahead of the 2019 season and agent Scott Boras has spoken with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski about Harper’s preference. 

“Bryce certainly has expressed to them that he wants to end his career in Philadelphia. I’ve certainly told Dave that I think Bryce is a franchise player,” Boras said Wednesday at the winter meetings. “He wants to work out an extension.”

– Associated Press

Orioles sign reliever Craig Kimbrel to one-year deal

The Baltimore Orioles have been heavily engaged in pursuing pitchers this winter, particularly for a back-end reliever who can fill-in for All-Star closer Felix Bautista, who is set to miss the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery.

They have found a resolution with free agent reliever Craig Kimbrel, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal, the Orioles announced on Wednesday.

Kimbrel, who turns 36 next May, is a nine-time All-Star that spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, appearing in 71 games with 32 saves. His 417 career saves ranks 8th all-time, three behind Kenley Jansen and five behind Billy Wagner.

– Scott Boeck

Red Sox trade Alex Verdugo to Yankees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox swung a trade for only the eighth time in the last 54 years Tuesday night with the Yankees acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo for three pitching prospects.

The trade not only gives the Yankees a veteran outfielder they badly need, but this could put the pressure on the San Diego Padres to lower their asking price for All-Star Juan Soto.

Yes, according to a high-ranking Yankees executive, the Yankees still want Soto. The executive spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.

The Yankees are sending right-handed pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice to the Red Sox for Verdugo.

– Bob Nightengale

Dodgers, Blue Jays the front-runners for Shohei Ohtani

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The mystery and secrecy of the Shohei Ohtani free-agent sweepstakes was finally lifted Tuesday with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays emerging as the co-favorites for baseball’s biggest star, while the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels still remain in the picture.

The Chicago Cubs, who were in the mix early in the sweepstakes, now appear to be out after balking at Ohtani’s price tag of 10 years and at least $500 million, according to one high-ranking Cubs official.

The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of negotiations.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was later scolded by his bosses, said the Dodgers met with Ohtani at Dodger Stadium for a few hours late last week. They were the first team to acknowledge a private meeting with Ohtani. The two-time MVP also recently met with the Blue Jays and Giants, but their team officials have declined to confirm that.

– Bob Nightengale

Ranking MLB’s top free agents

SP/DH Shohei Ohtani, AngelsSP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Orix Buffaloes, JapanSP Blake Snell, PadresOF/1B Cody Bellinger, CubsSP Aaron Nola, Phillies – SIGNED with PhilliesSP Sonny Gray, Twins – SIGNED with CardinalsRP Josh Hader, Padres3B Matt Chapman, Blue JaysSP Jordan Montgomery, CardinalsSP Eduardo Rodriguez, TigersSP Marcus Stroman, CubsOF/DH Jorge Soler, MarlinsOF Lourdes Gurriel Jr., DiamondbacksDH J.D. Martinez, DodgersOF Teoscar Hernandez, Mariners

– Gabe Lacques

This week’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ contest won’t be your dad’s New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers matchup.

What was once one of the premier matchups in the NFL with Tom Brady vs. Ben Roethlisberger will certainly be a not ideal quarterback game for either side, as both teams are struggling at the signal-caller position for their own reasons.

In a perfect world, the game would feature two former first round NFL draft picks in Mac Jones vs. Kenny Pickett. But injuries and poor play have left the quarterback situations on each team with a lot to be desired, as there are questions at the position heading into Thursday’s game.

Here’s what we know about the quarterback battle for the Week 14 matchup:

Who will be the New England Patriots quarterback?

In true Bill Belichick fashion, the longtime head coach has not yet announced a starter going into Week 14, but there seems to be an idea of who it’ll be.

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

Bailey Zappe is expected to start for New England on Thursday. The fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft was the starter for the Patriots last week in the 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, where he went 13-for-25 for 141 yards. Zappe was mum on Wednesday when asked if he was starting against Pittsburgh.

‘Coach has made it pretty clear, but I’ll let him announce it to everybody. That’s private right now. Whenever he announces it, that’s with him,’ Zappe said. ‘I try to prepare every week like I’m the guy, so nothing different for me.’

Zappe took over last week after Mac Jones’ struggles continued, as he failed to finish the games against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants due to inconsistent play. Jones has thrown for 2,120 yards in 11 games, but for only 10 touchdown and 12 interceptions − third-highest in the NFL.

The Patriots have also failed to score more than 10 points in three straight games.

Who will be the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback?

Mitch Trubisky will be the guy for Mike Tomlin after starter Kenny Pickett is expected to be out for several weeks.

Pickett suffered a high ankle sprain in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13, and had surgery on his ankle on Monday, sidelining his for an undisclosed amount of time. Pickett has had a decent season, with 2,070 passing yards on six touchdown and four interceptions, but the Steelers offense has struggled with only 16 touchdowns this season.

Trubisky came in relief for the injured Pickett on Sunday and went 11-for-17 for 117 yards and one touchdown in the loss. Now the seven-year veteran will attempt to keep Pittsburgh in the playoff picture, as they currently are in the No. 5 spot, but have the same record as three other AFC teams.

‘I’m going to be aggressive. I’m going to take care of the football, and we’ve got to play better as an offense,’ Trubisky said Monday. ‘We want to be an aggressive offense. So whatever that means, taking care of football, we got to find ways to score points. That’s the bottom line.’

With Pickett injured, the Steelers also elevated Mason Rudolph to the active roster to serve as Trubisky’s backup.

Trevor Lawrence spoke with media Wednesday for the first time since suffering an ankle injury during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on ‘Monday Night Football.’

Lawrence was stepped on by offensive tackle Walker Little during the fourth quarter of the game, forcing his immediate exit, with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard finishing the contest.

But testing showed no structural damage to the third-year quarterback’s ankle, just a high sprain, making him day-to-day on whether he’ll play Sunday on the road against the Cleveland Browns.

‘I feel a lot better than I would have thought,’ Lawrence said. He was able to walk without a boot or crutches on Wednesday but did not practice for the Jaguars. ‘I feel very fortunate that there wasn’t a worse injury like I thought it was on the field. I’m thankful for that.’

Lawrence spoke about the play where the injury occurred, saying there was a miscommunication with rookie wide receiver Parker Washington, who was playing in place of Christian Kirk, who was injured on the first drive of the game.

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

As a result, Lawrence had to hold the ball longer than anticipated and couldn’t move because he intended to pass.

“I thought he was gonna do something different,” Lawrence said. He was very complimentary of the sixth-rounder out of Penn State, noting he made plenty of big plays for the Jaguars throughout the game. “It was a miscommunication, so I was kind of stuck behind Walker. I didn’t drop [back] because I was trying to get [the ball] out quick.”

The injury disrupted one of his better performances this season. Lawrence had completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards while recording three touchdowns with nearly six minutes remaining in regulation.

It was a continuance of the hot streak he’s been on, passing for 626 yards, accounting for six of Jacksonville’s touchdowns in the two games prior to the Bengals.

Trevor Lawrence has yet to miss playing in an NFL game

Lawrence, who has never missed any of his 46 regular-season games in the NFL, told reporters Wednesday he won’t put the team at risk by playing if he can’t fully perform.

“The team’s always the priority,” he said. “We had the same conversations before the New Orleans game earlier in the season. I’ll never put myself or the team in a position to where we’re at a higher risk or we’re not going to play our best because I’m not able to do my job.”

It’s the second time this season Lawrence is dealing with an injury that could affect his game status. After suffering a knee injury late in a game against the Colts, Lawrence was a game-time decision to play in a ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup against the New Orleans Saints just four days later.

He played in that game, leading the Jaguars to a victory while passing for 204 yards and leading the team in rushing yards with a season-high 59.

But as the week rolls on and the Jaguars try to maintain their lead in the AFC South, Lawrence is focused on doing the right things.

“I’m just going to take my time and do everything right with the medical people downstairs and trainers in the weight room,” he said. “Just check every box that I can to try to be able to play on Sunday.”

Trevor Lawrence addresses injury cart refusal

Toward the end of his availability, he was able to dispel a rumor that’s been growing about not having a cart available to carry him off the field.

“We talked about getting a cart and I was gonna get a cart,” he said. “I’m standing there and I’m already on the sideline at that point. The tunnel is right there. I just wanted to get off the field and get out there.

“I didn’t know what was going on with my ankle and I felt like I could get off.  I was like, ‘Hey, you’re good. Just don’t bring it out. I’m going in.’”

Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @JustonLewis.

The MLB Hot Stove did not just warm up today. It blazed with the power of a raging furnace. The New York Yankees secured the first blockbuster deal of the 2023 offseason, acquiring three-time All-Star Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres.

In exchange, the Padres are believed to have received pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. The already competitive AL East just got that much tougher.

This MLB offseason had been quiet on all fronts aside from Shohei Ohtani rumors. When a superstar of his magnitude is on the open market, all media attention tends to steer in that direction. Under the shroud of Ohtani though, the New York Yankees were playing chess, moving pieces around in order to grab a key player before anybody knew what hit them.

However, you could say it all started with the trade for outfielder Alex Verdugo.

That move had many people scratching their heads on both sides. Why would the Yankees acquire an outfielder when so many of their young players and prospects are outfielders? Why would the Red Sox flip one of the main pieces they got in the Mookie Betts deal for three mid-tier prospects? Well, at least for the Yankees, their reasoning was clear. It was all part of their play to land Soto, revamping their entire outfield, one of their weakest units in 2023.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

Yankees Projected Lineup with Juan Soto:

3B DJ LeMahieuRF Juan SotoCF Aaron Judge1B Anthony RizzoDH Giancarlo Stanton2B Gleyber TorresLF Alex VerdugoSS Anthony VolpeC Austin Wells

How does Soto’s presence help the Yankees?

Soto is obviously a tremendous hitter, but his presence in the Yankees lineup will be bigger than it might originally seem. The most notable benefit is that Soto is a left-handed hitter.

The Yankees ranked 29th in MLB in plate appearances from pure left-handed hitters (1285)Juan Soto and Trent Grisham are both pure left-handed hittersIn 2023, Soto (708) and Grisham (555) combined for 1263 plate appearances

In 2023, the Yankees also struck out in 23.9 percent of their at-bats, the 10th-highest rate in MLB. Soto’s biggest strength has long been his plate discipline and unwillingness to go down on strikes.

Soto posted an 18.2 percent strikeout rate in 2023, his highest since 2019, but still much lower than the Yankees as a whole last seasonThe Yankees had no problem drawing walks in 2023, ranking sixth in MLB with a 9.3 percent walk rate, but Soto’s 18.6 percent walk rate would’ve ranked second on the Yankees behind only Aaron Judge (19.2 percent).

The Yankees outfield as a whole was horrible in 2023 as well.

Yankees’ outfielders slashed .220/.293/.399, good for an 85 OPS+Soto’s career low OPS+ is 142Soto’s OPS+ in 2023 was 158

Does playing in Yankee Stadium make Soto an AL MVP favorite?

Obviously, it’s too early to tell. It’s no secret that Yankee Stadium is a haven for power hitters, especially lefties. Yankee Stadium’s right field wall is just 314 feet down the line. In fact, over the last three seasons, Yankee Stadium had the second-highest home run factor for left-handed hitters of all MLB ballparks (123). Meanwhile, Petco Park in San Diego ranked 26th (84), meaning 16 percent fewer home runs were hit by left-handed hitters at Petco Park than league average.

With that in mind, it’d be safe to assume that Soto could take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s dimensions and set a new career-high in home runs next season. That may not be the case though.

Per BaseballSavant, Juan Soto had just two hits in 2023 that would have been home runs in Yankee Stadium. Neither of those hits came in San Diego though, meaning theoretically, neither of those hits would have been at Yankee Stadium if he were a Yankee.

Although we can project the Yankees’ lineup all we want, we are still unsure where the Yankees will place him/what kind of protection he will have in their lineup. You’d have to imagine it will be similar to the protection he had in 2023 though from guys like Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr., maybe slightly worse even. With all that in mind, it is hard to project AL MVP-type numbers from Soto at this moment.

Will the Soto deal help the Yankees on defense?

Yes, but not because of Soto.

Aaron Judge has played just 68 complete games (appeared in 120) and 932.2 innings in center field in his career. That’s not even a season’s worth of innings. Furthermore, moving Judge to center field could have a devastating effect on Judge’s offensive output if he was forced to learn one of the hardest positions in baseball.

We’ve seen similar declines in production from other players in the past. In 2021, Cincinnati Reds’ third baseman Eugenio Suarez was forced to play much more shortstop than he was used to. He posted a career-low 82 OPS+ that season. In 2022, he returned to a full-time third base position with Seattle and recorded a 129 OPS+.

When Manny Machado was drafted third overall in 2010, he was drafted as a shortstop. The Orioles moved him to third base when he reached the Majors though. For his career, Machado has an .814 OPS as a third baseman. He has an .894 OPS as a shortstop.

Moving players away from their natural position can harm their offensive production. While Judge has statistically been better as a center fielder than right fielder, the risk might be too great to just slot Judge into the everyday center field position. That said, I would not blame the Yankees if they did just that. In fact, as the Soto trade rumors were swirling, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone even stated he felt fine with Judge as his every day center fielder.

At the very least, the introduction of Grisham gives the Yankees a backup plan in center if they need it. Grisham has been a phenomenal defensive player for years, earning two Gold Gloves in center with the Padres. The Yankees also have prospects Jasson Dominguez and Estevan Florial waiting in the wings, both of whom can play center field.

Taylor Swift’s All-American persona has helped propel her from the bleachers into the stratosphere of pop culture.

This year, she embraced a key element of being Miss Americana: football.

The pop superstar has attended five NFL games this season to cheer on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

In her TIME Person of the Year cover story published Wednesday, Swift shared some thoughts on embracing the sport.

‘Football is awesome, it turns out,’ she said. ‘I’ve been missing out my whole life.’

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Kelce and Swift made their first public appearance together in Week 3 after she attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium. She sat in a suite next to Kelce’s mom, Donna, and cheered him on as the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears. Swift, a former Philadelphia Eagles fan, said that she and the All-Pro tight end were already together at that point. She said his attempts to give her his phone number via a friendship bracelet at her Eras Tour show, which he detailed on his New Heights podcast, is what initiated their connection. She thought the gesture ‘was metal as hell.’

‘We started hanging out right after that,’ she said. ‘So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other. By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.’

That Chiefs-Chicago Bears game was the most-watched matchup of the week and saw a big viewership boost among women. Fans have complained about the attention Swift is getting by sports media and how often she’s shown while cheering from her suite. Kelce even noted on his show that the hype over their relationship was a bit much.

‘I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in,’ Swift said. ‘There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when then camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once. … I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.’

Kelce previously spoke on being in such a high-profile relationship.

‘Obviously I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them. … I’ve never dealt with it. But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it …’ he said in a WSJ Magazine interview published last month. ‘The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day … and she’s just living, enjoying life.’

Swift explained how she embraces being in a public relationship and the importance of supporting each other. Overall, the two-time Super Bowl champion has performed better with her in attendance. Besides her attending his games, Kelce was in the crowd at her Buenos Aires show where she changed a lyric of ‘Karma’ to shout him out.

‘When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,’ she said. ‘The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.’