It’s that time of spring: Opening Day looms much closer ahead than the opening of training camps in the rear view. And a baker’s dozen of serviceable Major League Baseball free agents lurk. 

Oh, it goes a bit further than the so-called ‘Boras Four who sought nine-figure contracts and opted for a waiting game. The list of best available include a likely Hall of Famer, an elite defensive center fielder and plenty of help on the mound – in the late innings or out of the chute. 

With that, a look at the best remaining free agents: 

MLB top remaining free agents

Blake Snell, LHP: The starting pitcher shortage is a recurring theme and this guy is truly different: Left-handed, the majors’ ERA champion (2.25) for 2023 and soon with a Cy Young Award in both leagues. Snell is not without his downsides – such as a 4.06 ERA in the three seasons after his 1.89 mark won the 2019 AL Cy Young.
Jordan Montgomery, LHP: Big, durable lefties are hard to come by and Montgomery showed his ceiling just in time for free agency, making a career-high 32 starts each of the past two years, topping 200 innings (178 regular season, 31 playoffs) for the first time and ultimately finishing as the No. 2 starter for the World Series champs.
J.D. Martinez, DH: What a renaissance in 2023 for Martinez, who doubled his home run output to 33 and bumped his OPS to .893, best since 2019. That includes 24 homers and an .880 OPS against right-handers. 
Mike Clevinger, RHP: After three injury-wracked seasons that included a domestic-violence investigation, Clevinger produced a steady 2023 campaign, making 24 starts, reaching 131 ⅓ innings and posting a 3.77 ERA.
Tommy Pham, OF: Pham had a nice October platform, ripping eight hits in 17 World Series at-bats, and his acquisition by Arizona showed what he could mean to a contending club, possessing a nice power-speed combo and clubhouse gravitas.
Adam Duvall, OF: Wrist injuries curtailed each of his past two seasons, but Duvall remains an aggressive and dangerous hitter, hitting 21 home runs in 320 at-bats. We don’t recommend a .301 career OBP as a means of producing a .799 career OPS, but dude continues to do it.
Brandon Belt, 1B: Still gives you what you want: 19 homers, a .369 OBP, .858 OPS over 339 at-bats. A great fit in the right situation, perhaps with a righty DH partner.
Joey Votto, 1B: An emotional goodbye from Cincinnati gave way to a proud veteran’s intense desire to stay in the fight.
Michael Lorenzen, RHP: Some fabulous bullet points on his job application: All-Star selection and no-hitter in 2023. Lorenzen hit the wall a bit after that September feat and didn’t figure in Philly’s postseason pitching plans but did produce 153 largely quality innings for the Tigers and Phillies. Has ability to start or relieve.
Shelby Miller, RHP: A neck injury limited him to just 36 appearances, and even that was his most since 2015, when he was firmly a starter. But Miller shined in his limited look, with a 1.71 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. His reclamation project is almost complete.
Ryne Stanek, RHP: Yet another Astros reliever, though one who largely drifted outside the playoff circle of trust. Stanek’s ERA leaped to 4.09, highest since his rookie season, as was his 7.5 hits per nine innings. Still, Stanek gasses it up to 98 mph and could be a late-inning piece in the right hands.
Donovan Solano, INF: Versatile but a bit of a stretch as a full-time first baseman due to a lack of power. Still, Solano’s .369 OBP and respectable 26 doubles in 450 plate appearances are plusses.
Michael A. Taylor, OF: Still spectacular enough defensively and with the ability to pop the ball out of the yard (21 home runs) that his overall offensive deficiencies can be overlooked. Unless the Padres offer him something close to a full-time position, Taylor might have to settle for a fourth outfielder job once again.

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

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Alyssa Naeher had three saves in the penalty shootout after a rain-soaked 2-2 draw with Canada on Wednesday night, earning the United States a spot in the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup final.

The United States advanced 3-1 on penalties and will play Brazil in the title game on Sunday evening. Brazil defeated Mexico 3-0 in the earlier semifinal match.

The game was a sloppy mess with standing water on the field at Snapdragon Stadium from heavy rain in San Diego. The players had difficulty with control. Canada’s Vanessa Gilles twisted the front of her soaked jersey to squeeze out some of the rainwater.

Jaedyn Shaw scored in the 20th minute. A Canada defender tried to send the ball back to goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, but it stopped on the waterlogged field and Shaw ran up on it and scored.

Shaw is the first U.S. player to score in each of her first four starts.

Jordyn Huitema tied it up in the 82nd minute with a header that was beyond U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s reach.

Smith broke the stalemate in the 99th, falling to her knees in celebration before she was mobbed by her teammates.

But Naeher collided with Gilles in the 120th minute and Canada was awarded a penalty, which Adriana Leon calmly converted to tie the match at 2.

Naeher had two saves to open the shootout, and converted on a penalty of her own. She stopped Jesse Fleming to send the United States to the title match.

With Brazil’s victory, the United States was denied a revenge match against Mexico, which pulled off the biggest upset of the group stage in downing the United States 2-0. It was just the second time the Americans had lost to their southern neighbors in 43 meetings.

The United States rebounded from that loss with a 3-0 victory over Colombia in the quarterfinals. Canada, which scored 13 goals in its group without conceding a goal, got by Costa Rica 1-0 in extra time in its quarterfinal match.

It was the 14th time that the United States has faced Canada in the knockout round of a competitive tournament. The U.S. has won 11 of the previous 13 meetings. Canada’s lone win came in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics.

It was Canada’s first major tournament without captain Christine Sinclair, who retired from the national team last year as soccer’s all-time leading goal scorer among men or women with 190 career goals.

Mexico went on to eliminate Paraguay 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Brazil routed Argentina 5-1.

Brazil got goals from Adriana Leal, Antonia and Yasmin, while Mexico was a player down after Nicolette Hernandez was sent off in the 29th minute.

The tournament is the first women’s Gold Cup, designed to give teams in the region meaningful competition. Four of the teams that participated – the United States, Canada, Brazil and Colombia – will play in this summer’s Olympics.

Peyton Manning wasn’t just savvy on the field – he’s continuing to show that to be the case post-retirement, too.

According to the Athletic, Manning and his entertainment company, Omaha Productions, are pursuing former Patriots coach Bill Belichick to join their roster of talent as part of their NFL content plan for the 2024 season. According to the Athletic, one of the plans under consideration is to pair Belichick and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban in a ‘Manningcast’ style broadcast.

Belichick, 71, split from the Patriots in January after 24 seasons and sat in for two head coach interviews with the Atlanta Falcons, before the franchise eventually went in another direction and hired Raheem Morris. That left Belichick without a job in the NFL for the first time since the 1974 season.

The Athletic reported that Belichick has yet to meet with ESPN, the network with which Omaha Productions collaborates, but that Belichick has already met with CBS and NBC, both of which are NFL rights holders, and both of which are looking to add new analysts to their team. The Athletic also reported that, in any potential broadcasts, Belichick is looking to only talk about football topics that interest him.

Belichick has had some on-camera experience, having worked with NFL Films on the league’s production of the ‘NFL 100 All-Time Team’ broadcasts.

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

Belichick and Manning have a long history of facing off on the football field, as Manning was a mainstay in the AFC with the Colts and then Broncos and Belichick led the most prolific contemporary dynasty in the Patriots.

In 2021, the Boston Globe interviewed Belichick, who at the time called Manning ‘definitely the best quarterback I’ve coached against.’

Including postseason games, Belichick got the better of the matchup, going 12-8 in games when Manning was starting.

The NHL trade deadline is days away and the action is picking up.

So, the Dallas Stars’ acquisition of defenseman Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames on Feb. 28 was a sign that things would begin picking up again. Since then Noah Hanifin, Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Walker, Adam Henrique, Vladimir Tarasenko and Anthony Mantha have been moved.

Follow this tracker for news and analysis on deals and other transactions that have happened this season in the months leading up to the NHL trade deadline. A separate live blog will be posted on the March 8 trade deadline day.

TRADE DEADLINE: What do playoff contenders need? | Which players could move? | Primer

DEVILS: Lindy Ruff fired; Travis Green named interim coach

March 6: Vegas Golden Knights acquire Noah Hanifin from Calgary Flames in three-team trade

Once again, the defending champion Golden Knights are aggressive at the deadline. Noah Hanifin was the top defenseman available and Vegas traded for him, even though defense wasn’t its biggest need. But the team now boasts Hanifin, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez, who’s currently on IR. Hanifin, 27, plays nearly 24 minutes a game and has a career-best 11 goals. It was Vegas’ second trade in two days after it acquired Anthony Mantha to improve its depth on wing with captain Mark Stone going on long-term injured reserve.

The Calgary Flames retain half of Hanifin’s salary and acquire a conditional 2025 first-round pick and third-round picks, plus Daniil Miromanov, a 6-4 American Hockey League All-Star defenseman. Miromanov has signed a two-year extension with the Flames that carries an average annual value of $1.25 million. The first-round pick is top 10 protected and the deal assumes the Golden Knights don’t trade it between now and the deadline. Otherwise, the Flames get the Golden Knights’ 2026 first-round pick. The third-round pick becomes a second-rounder if Vegas reaches the second round this season.

The Philadelphia Flyers got involved in the three-team trade to make the money work and get the Golden Knights’ 2024 fifth-round pick.

March 6: New York Rangers acquire Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken

The Rangers give up a 2024 second-round selection and a conditional 2025 fourth-rounder. Alex Wennberg provides center depth to a team that has lost Filip Chytil to an injury.

March 6: Edmonton Oilers acquire Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick in a three-team trade

Adam Henrique can fit anywhere in the Edmonton Oilers forward group. With the Anaheim Ducks, he played center and wing, on the power play and on the penalty kill. He had 23 points in his last 25 games. Carrick has 90 penalty minutes and led Ducks forwards in hits and short-handed time on ice. The Ducks and the Tampa Bay Lightning retained part of Henrique’s salary.

Here are the details of the deal, per the Oilers.

Trade 1: The Anaheim Ducks have traded Adam Henrique to the Tampa Bay Lightning and will retain 50% of Henrique’s salary in exchange for goaltender Ty Taylor.

Trade 2: Tampa has traded Henrique to the Oilers and will retain 50% of Henrique’s salary in exchange for a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2026 Draft, which will become a fourth-round selection in the 2025 Draft if Edmonton fails to win the Stanley Cup this season.

Trade 3: Edmonton obtains forward Sam Carrick and Ty Taylor from Anaheim along with a seventh-round selection in the 2024 Draft in exchange for Edmonton’s first-round selection in 2024 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025. If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, the Ducks will instead receive Edmonton’s fourth-round pick in 2025. The Ducks will also retain 50% of Carrick’s salary.

March 6: Philadelphia Flyers give extension to Nick Seeler

After trading Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they signed defenseman Nick Seeler to a four-year, $10.8 million extension. Walker’s former defense partner leads the NHL in blocked shots.

March 6: Colorado Avalanche acquire Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Walker

The Colorado Avalanche sent defenseman Bowen Byram to Buffalo for Sabres leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt. They sent a 2025 first-round pick (top 10 protected) and center Ryan Johansen to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick.

The Avalanche were looking for an upgrade at center and Mittelstadt, 25, provides that now and in the future. He has 47 points to Johansen’s 23. He’s a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and the Sabres have plenty of other younger players locked in to long-term deals. Byram, who has a year left on his deal, joins a defense corps that includes Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

Walker, a pending unrestricted free agent, is having a resurgent year and will take the roster place of Byram. The first-round pick was a good haul for Walker, but the Flyers placed Johansen on waivers.

March 6: Florida Panthers acquire Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa Senators

The NHL-leading Florida Panthers send a conditional 2024 fourth-round draft pick and a 2025 third-round pick to Ottawa. The Senators retain 50% of the pending unrestricted free agent’s contract. Vladimir Tarasenko, who was dealt near the deadline for the second year in a row, had a no-movement clause and could dictate where he went.

Tarasenko has 17 goals and 41 points, which would place him in the top five on the surging Panthers, who are on a 9-1 run and have won six in a row. He’s a six-time 30-goal scorer who had 11 goals during the St. Louis Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run. If the Panthers win the Stanley Cup this year, the conditional 2024 fourth-round pick becomes a 2026 third-rounder.

March 6: Washington Capitals re-sign defenseman Rasmus Sandin

Rasmus Sandin will average $4.6 million in the five-year extension. Acquired at last year’s trade deadline, he is second among Capitals defensemen in points and average ice time.

March 5: Washington Capitals trade Anthony Mantha to Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired forward Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night for a 2024 second-round pick and 2026 fourth-round pick, the teams announced. Mantha’s cap hit with Vegas will be $2.85 million with Washington retaining 50% of the pending unrestricted free agent’s contract.

Mantha, who has 20 goals and 14 assists this season in 56 games, should help Vegas recover some of the offense lost with captain Mark Stone expected to be out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury, reportedly a lacerated spleen. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the defending champs make another move or two as they look to load up for their title defense.

For the Capitals, this is an early indication they will be among the major sellers for the second consecutive year. Washington is seven points back of a playoff spot — likely too big a gap to overcome — so it won’t be a surprise if the Capitals move several more players before Friday’s deadline.

March 4: Nashville Predators’ Tommy Novak gets three-year extension

He’ll average $3.5 million in the extension. This is a sign that the Predators aren’t likely to be sellers this week after an eight-game winning streak got them into a wild-card spot. Novak has seven points during the streak and 34 points in 51 games this season. A late bloomer, he had a career-best 43 points last season.

March 3: New York Rangers’ Jonathan Quick signs extension

The New York Rangers’ goalie tandem is set for next season after the team signed backup Jonathan Quick to a one-year extension for a reported $825,000. Quick, 38, a Connecticut native, signed with the Rangers this season and has had a bounce-back season, going 13-5-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. The season before, he was up and down, as the Los Angeles Kings traded the two-time Stanley Cup winner to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who moved him soon after to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he picked up another championship ring.

March 2: Washington Capitals waive longtime center Evgeny Kuznetsov

The Washington Capitals and longtime center Evgeny Kuznetsov appear to be heading for a divorce.

Washington waived Kuznetsov Saturday, just hours after the 2010 first-round pick was cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to resume practicing.

Kuznetsov passed through waivers, not surprising given his cap hit ($7.8 million) and the real money he’s owed next season ($8 million) compared to his production (just 17 points in 43 games this season). The Capitals loaned the 31-year-old to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

General manager Brian MacLellan seemed to indicate that Kuznetsov’s time in Washington is likely over.

“It’s about a fresh start for Kuzy,” MacLellan said. “He’s been looking for a change in an environment, and I think this might set the wheels in motion for that to be accomplished.”

March 2: Vancouver Canucks, star Elias Pettersson reach 8-year extension

Elias Pettersson and the Canucks put all the speculation about the star forward’s future to bed Saturday, announcing he had signed an eight-year contract extension. The deal, which runs through the end of the 2031-32 season, carries an $11.6 million cap hit. That cap number will rank fifth in the league starting next season — behind only Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin.

But Pettersson is a player more than worthy of being included in that group. The 25-year-old entered Saturday with 398 points in 387 career games. He rang up 102 points last season and already has 75 points this year in 62 games.

March 1: New Jersey Devils acquire Kurtis MacDermid from Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche get back a 2024 seventh-round pick and the rights to Kontinental Hockey League forward Zakhar Bardakov. MacDermid, 29, who can play defense or forward, plays a physical game, though in limited ice time. The move also clears a little cap space to allow the Avalanche to make another move. MacDermid is a pending unrestricted free agent.

Feb. 29: Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin in three-team trade

The Maple Leafs are bringing back a familiar face by acquiring Lyubushkin. They also traded for Lyubushkin midseason in 2022. The 29-year-old is not known for his offense — he has just five goals and 38 assists in 334 career games. He has no goals and just four assists this season while skating to a -13.

Lyubushkin kills penalties and is a decent depth option for a team looking to go on a deep postseason run. (Before the trade, the Leafs saw veteran defenseman Mark Giordano exit Thursday’s game early with an injury.) Plus, Lyubushkin is coming pretty cheap in both picks and actual cost.

The Ducks are retaining 50% of Lyubushkin’s salary and the Carolina Hurricanes have been brought into the deal to retain an additional 25%. His cap hit for the Leafs will be just $687,500. The Ducks will be getting a third-round pick (2025) and the Hurricanes will get a sixth-round pick (2024). The Leafs are also getting the rights to unsigned prospect Kirill Slepets in the deal. — Jace Evans

Feb. 28: Dallas Stars acquire Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev in three-team trade

The Stars give up 20-year-old defense prospect Artem Grushnikov, a 2024 second-round pick and a conditional 2026 third-rounder for Chris Tanev and the rights to UMass goalie Cole Brady. Tanev, 34, a pending unrestricted free agent, is valued for his defensive play and ranks second in the league in blocked shots. He’ll help steady a Stars team that has given 23 goals during a 1-4-2 slide. He’s also a right-hand shot, important to the Stars, whose defense is filled with left-hand shots. Brady was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2019. The Stars sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Devils to retain half of Tanev’s $4.5 million salary. The Flames trade was the second in a month after they earlier sent Elias Lindholm to the Canucks.

Feb. 22: Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins make trade

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Emil Bemstrom from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick. Both players are pending restricted free agents and likely could benefit from a new opportunity. Nylander, 25, whose brother William stars for the Toronto Maple Leafs, has spent most of the season in the American Hockey League. Bemstrom, 24, has played 32 games this season, recording 11 points. His career best was 22 points last season. Nylander’s career best was 26 points in 2019-20 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Feb. 2: Winnipeg Jets acquire Sean Monahan from Montreal Canadiens

The Winnipeg Jets gave up a 2024 first-round draft pick and a 2027 conditional third-round pick for pending unrestricted free agent center Sean Monahan. The move came two days after the Vancouver Canucks acquired center Elias Lindholm.

Monahan, 29, healthy this season after recent injury-filled campaigns, had 35 points in 49 games – his best scoring pace since 2018-19. Those numbers included 16 power-play points and two short-handed goals. He had 11 points in his last seven games before the trade and had won 55% of his faceoffs.

Jan. 31: Vancouver Canucks acquire Elias Lindholm from Calgary Flames

The Vancouver Canucks showed they are going for it and the Calgary Flames showed they’ll be sellers. All-Star forward Elias Lindholm, a pending unrestricted free agent, is a strong, two-way center who will boost the No. 1 overall Canucks’ top six forward group and help their middle-ranked penalty kill.

The Flames get forward Andrei Kuzmenko, prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick. Kuzmenko, who has been a healthy scratch at times this season and had only eight goals, will benefit the Flames if he rediscovers his 39-goal form from last season.

The Flames still have to make decisions on pending unrestricted free agents Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev before the deadline.

Jan. 25: Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins make minor trade

The Minnesota Wild acquired minor league defenseman Will Butcher from the Pittsburgh Penguins for minor league forward Maxim Cajkovic. Though Butcher has 275 games of NHL experience and Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon is out for the season, Butcher will stay in the American Hockey League.

Jan. 8: Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers make trade

The rights to Cutter Gauthier, 19, voted the top forward at the world junior championships for gold-medal-winning USA, are heading to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick. Both players were top-six draft picks. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said the Boston College forward wasn’t interested in signing with Philadelphia, and he called Drysdale, 21, a ‘pretty special’ and ‘exciting’ player. Drysdale is in the first year of a three-year contract but missed all but eight games last season and had played only 10 games this season because of injuries. He had 32 points in his lone full season.

Dec. 15: Seattle Kraken acquire forward Tomas Tatar from Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche receive a fifth-round pick in the trade. The Kraken rank near the bottom of the league in scoring, and they’re hoping for the Tomas Tatar of previous seasons, not this season. He’s a seven-time 20-goal scorer who has just one goal this season after not getting a free agent contract until September. But he’s a veteran of 810 games with 212 career goals, including 50 on the power play. He’ll help Seattle deal with injuries among its forwards. The team placed Jaden Schwartz on long-term injured reserve.

In a depth trade, the San Jose Sharks acquired center Jack Studnicka from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Nick Cicek and a sixth-round pick.

Dec. 8: New York Islanders acquire St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo

The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Robert Bortuzzo from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a seventh-round pick. The trade was announced after the team said Ryan Pulock (lower body) was going on the injured list, joining fellow defensemen Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho. Bortuzzo, 34, won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 but had been limited to four games this season and often was a healthy scratch. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Dec. 6: Buffalo Sabres acquire Columbus Blue Jackets’ Eric Robinson

The Buffalo Sabres acquired winger Eric Robinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2025. The fourth-liner had 82 points in 266 career games, including one goal in seven games this season at the time of the trade.

Nov. 30: Vancouver Canucks acquire defenseman Nikita Zadorov

The Vancouver Canucks got stronger on defense by adding rugged 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. The Canucks gave up the fifth-round pick they acquired a day earlier in the Anthony Beauvillier trade, plus a 2026 third-round pick. Calgary’s return doesn’t seem high for a player who led the Flames in hits and is going to a division rival, but Zadorov had requested a trade and is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Flames, who have pushed closer to a playoff position after a tough start, also have forward Elias Lindholm and defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev in the final years of their contracts.

Nov. 28: Chicago Blackhawks trade for Anthony Beauvillier after waiving Corey Perry

The Chicago Blackhawks placed Corey Perry on unconditional waivers in order to terminate his contract. The team said it determined that Perry ‘engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.’ The Beauvillier trade happened later. The Vancouver Canucks, who acquired Beauvillier last season in the Bo Horvat trade, will receive a fifth-round draft pick. More important for Vancouver, the Blackhawks take on his entire $4.15 million cap hit, giving them flexibility before the trade deadline. Beauvillier, a winger like Perry, had two goals and six assists in 22 games this season.

Perry later issued an apology for his ‘inappropriate and wrong’ behavior.

Nov. 8: Minnesota Wild trade Calen Addison to San Jose Sharks, acquire Zach Bogosian from Tampa Bay Lightning

Addison was sent to the San Jose Sharks for forward Adam Raska and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. The defenseman is a power play specialist, but he is unreliable in his own zone. That led to him being a healthy scratch often down the stretch last season. With the Wild getting Jared Spurgeon back soon from injury (he was activated from long-term injured reserve), the power play opportunities will dwindle. Addison will be more valuable to the Sharks, who dealt Erik Karlsson last summer. He will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Bogosian lacks Addison’s offense, but the veteran takes care of his end of the ice. He’s a right-handed shot, like Addison.

“He’s a big guy,’ Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin told reporters. ‘He still skates well. He brings heaviness. He brings some grit and we need that.”

The trade buys the Lightning a little bit of salary cap breathing room. Bogosian, in the final season of a three-year contract, has a $850,000 cap hit.

Oct. 10: Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Callahan Burke from Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Caleb Jones

The Hurricanes loaded up on defense this offseason and Jones was the odd man out. Both players will play for the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles.

Could Lionel Messi’s jampacked schedule include a trip to Paris for the 2024 Olympics?

Argentina coach Javier Mascherano is hopeful, but he knows Messi, 36, has plenty to consider.

Along with starring with Inter Miami, Messi is expected to join Argentina – the reigning 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup champions – for this summer’s Copa America 2024.

Mascherano, who coaches Argentina’s under-23 team, said he had conversations with Messi about being one of three possible overage players to join Argentina’s Olympic roster.

“I spoke with Leo and we agreed to keep talking. He has just started the season with Inter Miami and we still have some time until the Olympic Games. And we have to consider he also has the Copa América ahead this summer. It is not an easy situation,” Mascherano told TyC Sports on Tuesday.

“We have to see if he really has the energy to be there [in Paris]. It is not our intention to bother him or pressure him. We made him an invitation in advance, and we gave him all the facts he needs to think about it and to talk with his club. It is not easy for him, either, to manage it with Inter Miami and the MLS and to be absent for a while. He will decide at the right time.”

It’s possible either tournament will be Messi’s last major competition with Argentina after the World Cup victory.

“We have to understand that Leo’s age is a factor now,” Mascherano said of Messi. “He clearly has to manage his efforts.”

Why is it unlikely to play in 2024 Olympics?

Messi must decide between the Olympics or the Leagues Cup tournament, which is sponsored by Apple – Messi’s media partner, who was instrumental in his Inter Miami acquisition last summer. Inter Miami is also the defending Leagues Cup champion. It appears business could play a factor in Messi’s decision.

The Olympics will be July 24 through Aug. 10, while Leagues Cup will be July 26-Aug. 25.

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino, using another player as a reference, prefers his players to play in either Copa America and the Olympics. But not both.

Messi has also played in the Olympics, helping Argentina win gold in Beijing in 2008.

What is Argentina’s Copa America schedule?

Messi will leave Inter Miami for most of June, while competing in Copa America. The tournament begins with Messi and Argentina playing the opening match in Atlanta against Canada or Trinidad and Tobago on June 20.

Argentina’s second match is against Chile on June 25 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina will also play Peru on June 29 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Copa America final will be held at the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins on July 14.

Before Argentina plays in Copa America, they will have two warmup matches: June 9 vs. Ecuador at Soldier Field in Chicago; June 14 vs. Guatemala at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

Messi would miss at least five Inter Miami matches this summer if Argentina reaches the Copa América final again. The potential matches: June 15 at Philadelphia Union; June 19 vs. Columbus Crew; June 29 at Nashville SC; July 3 at Charlotte FC; and July 6 at FC Cincinnati.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Iditarod officials on Wednesday imposed a two-hour time penalty on musher Dallas Seavey for not properly gutting the moose he killed during the race earlier this week.

Race marshal Warren Palfrey convened a three-person panel of race officials to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the moose, which became tangled up with Seavey and his dog team early Monday, about 12 hours after the dayslong race officially started. One dog was injured in the encounter and flown back to Anchorage for care.

If a musher kills a big game animal like a moose, caribou or buffalo in defense of life or property during the race, rules require they gut the animal and report it to officials at the next checkpoint.

Seavey, a five-time Iditarod champion, encountered the moose shortly after leaving the checkpoint in Skwentna. He used a handgun to shoot and kill it about 14 miles (22 kilometers) outside the village at 1:32 a.m. Monday.

According to the panel’s findings, Seavey spent about 10 minutes at the kill site, and then mushed his dog team about 11 miles (18 kilometers) before camping on a three-hour layover.

The team then departed at 5:55 a.m. for the next checkpoint, arriving in Finger Lake at 8 a.m., where Seavey reported the kill.

“It fell on my sled; it was sprawled on the trail,” Seavey told an Iditarod Insider television crew at the Finger Lake checkpoint, where he urged race officials to get the moose off the trail.

“I gutted it the best I could, but it was ugly,” he said.

A statement from the Iditarod said it had “been determined that the animal was not sufficiently gutted by the musher.” By definition, gutting includes taking out the intestines and other internal organs, officials said.

The Iditarod can impose time penalties if a majority of the three-person panel agrees a rule was broken and that a competitive advantage was gained. Penalties can range up to a maximum of eight hours per infraction.

Time penalties can be added to mandatory layovers each musher must take during the race or to a musher’s final time after they reach Nome.

Officials said the two-hour penalty will be added to Seavey’s mandatory 24-hour layover.

The moose was retrieved and its meat salvaged and processed. Iditarod associates in Skwentna were distributing the food.

Seavey was leading the Iditarod on Wednesday, the first musher to leave the checkpoint in the mining ghost town of Ophir, about 350 miles (563 kilometers) into the race after only staying for 15 minutes. Musher Jessie Holmes arrived in Ophir first, nearly two hours ahead of Seavey, but appeared to be resting. Four other mushers were also in Ophir.

The ceremonial start was held Saturday in Anchorage, with the competitive start beginning Sunday.

This year’s race has 38 mushers, who will travel about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) across two mountain ranges, the frozen Yukon River and along the ice-covered Bering Sea. About 10 days after the start, they will come off the ice and onto Main Street in the old Gold Rush town of Nome for the last push to the finish line.

Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark landed another endorsement deal, signing a multi-year contract with Panini, it was announced Wednesday.

Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, becomes the first female athlete to have an exclusive partnership with Panini, one of the prominent sports and entertainment collectibles companies that features trading cards and signed memorabilia.

“Caitlin is a generational talent, and it is natural that she should be our first multi-year exclusive female athlete,” Panini senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations Jason Howarth said in a news release. ‘We’ll have a range of products and memorabilia featuring Caitlin that we believe fans will love.”

While the deal with Panini begins now, her trading card exclusivity with the company begins April 1.  

The initial products from Panini featuring Clark ‘will be a collection of multiple cards celebrating different points in her career, including her first Panini Instant Card celebrating the moment she became the all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball.  Panini will also release a dedicated Caitlin Clark trading card product that will be available for pre-order beginning in April,’ according to the company.

Clark also adds to her list of expanding partnerships as she prepares for her final college basketball games and gets ready for the WNBA. She also has deals with State Farm, Nike, Bose Corporation, Buick, H&R Block, Gatorade and Gainbridge, which has the arena naming rights to the building where the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever play. The Fever happen to have the No. 1 pick in the April draft.

On Sunday, Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, and on Feb. 15, she passed former Washington All-American Kelsey Plum as the all-time leading NCAA women’s basketball Division I scorer.

A former track and field coach was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday in a Boston court for scamming women to get their nude photos, NBC 10 Boston reports.

Last year, Steve Waithe pleaded guilty to 14 counts of fraud and cyberstalking after he was investigated for tricking victims through fake social media and email accounts. Prosecutors said the former Northeastern University coach was convicted of cyberstalking for sending messages to a victim via text and social media and for hacking into her Snapchat account.

Prosecutors said that Waithe, who worked at the school from October 2018 to February 2019, received photos from 50 victims and made attempts to get them from 72 additional victims.

“He was willing to violate university rules. He was willing to violate conditions of release,” a victim said. “I don’t believe even after he gets out he will stop. I’m honestly begging that you give him as much time as possible.”

Prosecutors said Waithe would offer to help women get rid of nude or semi-nude photos that he claimed to find online. He would then ask them to send even more graphic photos, claiming he could ‘reverse image search’ them.

He was accused of creating two public profiles as ‘Katie Janovich’ and ‘Kathryn Svoboda’ and would ask victims for nude photos under the guise of ‘athlete research’ or ‘body development.’

Waithe also asked to use student athletes’ phones to record them during practice, but instead scrolled through their camera roll and sent explicit photos to himself.

Besides Northeastern, Waithe coached at Penn State University — where he was an All-American in track, Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Tennessee, and Concordia University Chicago.