It’s Day 2 of the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas and it figures to be another fun-filled day of rumors, possible signings and trades.

Pitchers Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, third baseman Alex Bregman and first baseman Pete Alonso are among the top free agents still remaining on the market. Is this the day they agree to a new deal?

The Minnesota Twins are facing payroll restrictions this offseason and have received calls for All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa. In Houston, Astros general manager Dana Brown said he is willing to listen to any offers to trade for outfielder Kyle Tucker and pitcher Framber Valdez.

‘We’ll listen on anybody,’ he said. ‘We’re not trying to aggressively move anybody out the door … If it doesn’t make sense, we wouldn’t do it.’

Keep it here for all the news from today’s meetings:

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Blue Jays get Andrés Giménez in trade with Guardians

The Toronto Blue Jays, spurned in attempts to add the top free agent in each of the past two winters, opted for the trade route Tuesday and acquired All-Star second baseman Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, ESPN reported. 

Giménez, 26, was a key piece of the blockbuster deal that shipped Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets. He since signed a seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension in Cleveland – although that certainly did not ensure he’d remain a Guardian. 

Instead he’ll form a double-play combo for at least one season with Bo Bichette as the Blue Jays aim to contend in the last season Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are under contract.

Reliever Nick Sandlin is also going to Toronto. In return, the Guardians will receive infielder Spencer Horwitz and outfield prospect Nick Mitchell, ESPN reported. 

Max Fried contract with Yankees for eight years, $218 million

Max Fried did not set out to be a Juan Soto consolation prize this winter. Yet the New York Yankees will pay him plenty of money to be just that.

Fried and the Yankees are in agreement on an eight-year, $218 million contract, a person familiar with the agreement confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet finalized.

Fried, 31, will slot near the top of the Yankees’ rotation, behind 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and another lefty free agent, Carlos Rodon, who’s entering the third year of a six-year, $162 million deal.

Fried has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball over the past half-decade, but has missed time the past two seasons with forearm injuries. His 2.81 ERA since 2020 leads all starters with at least 600 innings pitched.

Nolan Arenado trade: Cardinals star is ‘not going to go just anywhere’

DALLAS — The St. Louis Cardinals have informed third baseman Nolan Arenado that they will do everything possible to trade him this winter, and have even granted permission to his agent to help facilitate a deal.

Arenado wants to be traded to a contender with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers his first choice, but is willing to waive his no-trade clause for “more teams than you would think,’ agent Joel Wolfe said.

“He would strongly consider it if it’s the right place to go,’ Wolfe said, “but he’s not going to go just anywhere. We hope something good happens, but he’s not going to approve and move his family and go play somewhere that would be (a lateral move).

“He’s in a good place with the Cardinals. He’s not going to go just to go.’

– Bob Nightengale

Yankees rumors swirl after Juan Soto contract

DALLAS – In the Yankees’ executive suite, they’re coping with Life After Juan Soto.

“We’re going to be relentless in how we move forward,’’ said manager Aaron Boone. “On its face, (signing Soto was) the easiest way of addressing what we need this winter.

“But there’s also other ways of building a team and now we have that challenge in front of us.’’

Already, that challenge is more difficult. Two other key free agents tied to Yankees interest are off the board: Blake Snell and Willy Adames. Those players moved while the Yanks were still negotiating with agent Scott Boras for Soto, who signed a record deal with the Mets.

GM Brian Cashman and Yankees officials were on a Zoom with Snell on the same day the lefty starter agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers.

A few hours after the Snell call, Boras phoned Cashman to say things “are advancing rather quickly, are you going to make an offer?’’ Cashman replied: “I can’t make an offer until I know what’s going on with Soto first,’ because he “couldn’t do both at that level.’’

– Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com

Ryne Sandberg announces prostate cancer relapse

Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has revealed that his prostate cancer has returned, which will require more ‘intensive treatment.’

The legendary Chicago Cubs second baseman first made public in January that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. However, he announced in May that he was cancer-free after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment

That made Tuesday’s post on Instagram that the cancer had returned all the more devastating to baseball fans around the world.

‘Unfortunately, we recently learned the cancer has relapsed and it has spread to other organs,’ Sandberg wrote. ‘This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment.’

– Steve Gardner

Reds looking for offensive help

DALLAS — Even the manager who watched his team sign Shohei Ohtani for $700 million a year ago did a double take at Juan Soto’s $765 million deal with the New York Mets this week.

“I didn’t see that happening, period,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I was very surprised.”

Imagine the reverberation levels of the shock down baseball’s economic food chain.

“I was shocked when I saw the bonus. My goodness,” Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said.

The Reds aren’t swimming in any of those deep waters for players after settling much of their pitching questions with the return of Nick Martinez ($21.05 million qualifying offer) and the trade for Brady Singer for Jonathan India. But with Soto gone, and the other big spenders picking up the pace on the next tier of hitters, the market for the hitter the Reds seek might crystallize quickly after that.

“People are starting to see things picking up over the last day,” Reds president Nick Krall said, “but nothing fruitful yet.”

– Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer

Blake Treinen re-signs with Dodgers

Blake Treinen is officially returning to the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The right-handed reliever and the Dodgers agreed to a two-year deal worth $22 million. Treinen, 36, went 7-3 with a 1.93 ERA in 50 games last season and starred in the postseason, appearing in nine games, allowing just three runs in 12.1 innings.

Veteran Washington Post writer elected to Hall of Fame

Thomas Boswell, longtime baseball reporter and columnist at the Washington Post, has been voted the 2025 winner of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award, which is presented annually to a sportswriter “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” He will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame the weekend of July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York.

Twins willing to listen to trade calls on Carlos Correa

With Minnesota coming off a disappointing season, followed by an announcement from the Pohlad family that they will be exploring a sale of the franchise, the Twins are willing to listen to any ideas to ease the payroll. And one of the names that has been swirling is All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa.

‘We get calls on a lot of our players,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Monday. “Some, we have to listen; we have to hear the conversation. Some go absolutely nowhere, but they’re the guys that you would expect teams to call on. So in light of the team sale situation, some of the dynamics around our roster otherwise, I think there’s enough teams kind of checking in.

“And what we tell every team is: Listen, we’re open to being creative. We can’t rule anything out before we hear it, no matter who the player is, and so we’ll just be respectful of their process and what they’re going through and try to kick some creative ideas around. It’s what led us to a Pablo (López) trade, or something like that, at different junctures. So we have to stay open-minded to those things.”

Yet, while the Twins may be listening to offers, trading Correa would be very difficult. He has four guaranteed years left on his contract and is owed more than $130 million, plus four club options.

Cardinals intend to trade Nolan Arenado

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he is looking to ‘reset’ the club after a disappointing 2024 season − and that could include trading 10-time Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado.

“It’s my intention to try,” Mozeliak said Monday.

“We both remain optimistic that both parties will remain happy somehow. (Arenado remaining with the Cardinals) is a possibility, but I’m not sure that puts us where we want to be. From a financial standpoint of trying to move our payroll – there are certainly other ways to do that, but [trading Arenado] would be a big help. It’s financial, but it also creates a runway for someone else.”

The 33-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career, hitting just 16 homers with 71 RBI and a .719 OPS in 152 games. Arenado is due $74 million over the next three seasons – with the Rockies covering $10 million of that as part of the 2021 deal that sent him to St. Louis.

Top MLB free agents remaining

Juan Soto and Blake Snell, the top two players in USA TODAY Sports’ 2024-25 free agent rankings, are now off the board but there’s elite talent remaining on the market expected to fetch big deals.

Here are the top 10 players still on the market:

SP Corbin Burnes
3B Alex Bregman
1B Pete Alonso
SP Max Fried
OF Teoscar Hernández
OF Anthony Santander
INF Gleyber Torres
SP Nathan Eovaldi
SP Jack Flaherty
RP Tanner Scott

Soto contract is history repeating itself 24 years after A-Rod deal

DALLAS — This is the exact spot where it happened, turning the baseball world upside down, leaving executives fuming, and publicly threatening that it would forever ruin the sport.

The date: Dec. 11, 2000. The time: 1:30 a.m. The location: Room 633, Anatole Hotel, Dallas, Texas.

It was the moment the Texas Rangers agreed to a 10-year, $252 million contract with shortstop Alex Rodriguez.’How can I forget?’ said former Rangers GM Doug Melvin. ‘How can anyone forget?’

Now, 24 years later, at this same hotel, history repeated itself. This time, it’s Juan Soto signing a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.

And once again, particularly from the small- and mid-sized markets, you could hear screaming into the Texas night, and cries that the sport is broken – worrying about a work stoppage in 2026.

Scott Boras, the man who negotiated A-Rod’s contract and now Soto’s, can only laugh and will tell you it’s a shrewd business deal that will only enhance the franchise’s value.

‘I think the process was very misunderstood,’ Boras told USA TODAY Sports of the Rodriguez pursuit. ‘When you look at the surplus value, even though the Rangers didn’t win, it was economically beneficial to the franchise. It was definitely team-friendly.’

– Bob Nightengale

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With one massive regular season game, more than 40 bowl games and the College Football Playoff left to be play this season, Bowl Subdivision public school head coaches have combined to claim more than $14.7 million in bonuses, according to tracking by USA TODAY Sports based on contracts acquired through open-records requests.

That’s well within striking distance of last season’s final total just over $15.5 million, which is the largest since USA TODAY Sports began tracking these amounts in 2019. Then-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh drove that number by stacking up $3 million in bonuses, by far the largest single-season haul for one coach.

This season, three coaches are at $1.3 million or more — Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham ($2,564,500), Indiana’s Curt Cignetti ($1.4 million) and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell ($1.3 million).

Two others have reached at least $800,000 — Oregon’s Dan Lanning ($850,000) and Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($800,000).

All but Campbell have their teams in the College Football Playoff.

Last season, only Harbaugh and then-Washington coach Kalen DeBoer reached seven figures.

This season’s bonus total does not include nearly $50 million in scheduled future obligations that coaches have secured through automatic contract extensions and/or changes to buyout arrangements that have been activated by teams reaching various benchmarks.

And the bonus activity will resume Saturday, with the Army-Navy game and the Salute to Veterans Bowl featuring South Alabama playing Western Michigan.

If Army (11-1) defeats Navy (8-3), Black Knights coach Jeff Monken will add $125,000 for his team defeating Navy and Air Force in the same season to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outright. Monken’s total award for winning the trophy is $200,000, but he already has $75,000 for the Black Knights’ defeat of Air Force.

Last weekend, Monken picked up $50,000 for Army’s victory in the American Athletic Conference championship game over Tulane, a win that gave him another $50,000 for the team making the CFP’s final top-25 rankings (it was No. 22). And while Army values nothing like beating Navy, under other circumstances, the AAC title game victory might have been the Black Knights’ final step to a CFP bid and yet another $100,000 for Monken, who already had $100,000 in hand for a non-CFP bowl bid.

The Naval Academy operates its athletics department as a private, non-profit organization and it does not release its coaches’ contracts.

In Saturday’s bowl game South Alabama’s Major Applewhite will get $20,000 for a win, Western Michigan’s Lance Taylor $25,000.

A full, school-by-school list of on-field incentives achieved follows. It is alphabetical, by school, and shows amounts coaches achieved prior to leaving for other positions or being fired. In either of those cases, the amounts still may be owed to the coach.

It does not include bonuses and/or pay increases for assistant coaches, staff and athletics directors that also may be resulting from these achievements. And those totals could be significant. For example, with Ohio State receiving a playoff berth, its 10 primary assistant coaches are set for a combined total more than $1.2 million in bonuses, and they’ll get more if the Buckeyes advance.

This list also does not include coaches’ bonuses for team academic achievements. And, as an example, Dillingham is set for $100,000 based on Arizona State football’s recently publish NCAA Graduation Success Rate.

Appalachian State: Shawn Clark

►$20,000: Competitive scheduling – play guarantee game at home stadium of Power Five opponent (Clemson)

Arizona State: Kenny Dillingham

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-College Football Playoff bowl game

►$200,000: Ninth regular season win

►$300,000: 10th regular season win

►$395,000: Play in Big 12 Conference title game

►$50,000: Big 12 coach of the year

►$395,000: Win Big 12 title

►$39,500 Team No. 25 through No. 11 in final CFP rankings (No. 12)

►$1,135,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals

Arkansas: Sam Pittman

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$50,000: Play in what contract calls ‘Tier 2’ bowl, which mirrors Southeastern Conference Pool of Six (team playing in Liberty Bowl)

Arkansas State: Butch Jones

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Army: Jeff Monken

(Note: If team’s multi-year NCAA Academic Progress Rate is less than 975, Monken’s bonuses would be reduced by various percentages, depending on the APR figure.)

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Seventh regular season win

►$75,000: Win over Air Force

►$25,000: Eighth regular season win

►$25,000: Ninth regular season win

►$50,000: 10th regular season win

►$50,000: Win American Athletic Conference title

►$50,000 Team in top 25 of final CFP rankings (No. 22)

Boise State: Spencer Danielson

►$11,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$11,000: Sixth Mountain West Conference win

►$22,000: American Football Coaches Association regional coach of the year

►$11,000: Seventh Mountain West win

►$44,000: Play in Mountain West title game

►$22,000: Mountain West coach of the year

►$66,000: Win Mountain West title

►$110,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals

Bowling Green: Scot Loeffler

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$7,500: Fifth Mid-American Conference win

►$25,000: Sixth MAC win

►$5,000: Bowling Green player named MAC player of the year (Harold Fannin Jr.)

Buffalo: Pete Lembo

►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$15,000: Eighth regular season win

California: Justin Wilcox

►$25,000: Win over Stanford

►$25,000: Sixth regular season win

►$40,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Clemson: Dabo Swinney

►$75,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least eight wins

►$50,000: Play in Atlantic Coast Conference title game

►$200,000: Win ACC title

►$75,000: Play in CFP first round

Coastal Carolina: Tim Beck

►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Colorado: Deion Sanders

►$150,000: Sixth win

►$150,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$100,000: Seventh regular season win

►$100,000: Eighth regular season win

►$100,000: Ninth regular season win

Colorado State: Jay Norvell

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Fourth Mountain West win

►$50,000: Seventh win

►$25,000: Fifth Mountain West win

►$50,000: Eighth win

►$50,000: Sixth Mountain West win

Connecticut: Jim Mora

►$25,000: Sixth regular season win

►$50,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$10,000: Seventh regular season win

►$10,000: Eighth regular season win

East Carolina: Blake Harrell

(Note: Harrell had been serving as interim head coach, and his bonus total is based on the terms of his interim head coaching agreement. East Carolina has since removed Harrell’s interim tag and named him head coach.)

►$45,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Florida: Billy Napier

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Fresno State interim coach: Tim Skipper

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Georgia: Kirby Smart

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Eighth win, sets up team for Southeastern Conference Pool of Six bowl

►$100,000: Play in SEC title game

►$200,000: Win SEC title

►$425,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals

Georgia Southern: Clay Helton

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$30,000: Eighth regular win

Georgia State: Dell McGee

►$10,000: Win over Power Four team (Vanderbilt)

Georgia Tech: Brent Key

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Illinois: Bret Bielema

►One-year contract extension; $25,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (Agreement set to run through Jan. 31, 2030. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $7.25 million, all guaranteed.)

►$150,000 increase in scheduled total and guaranteed pay for season added under automatic contract extension, making it worth $7.4 million: Seventh win

►$50,000: Eighth regular season win

►$50,000: Ninth regular season win

►$75,000: Ninth win, sets up team for what contract terms ‘Tier 1’ bowl, which includes ReliaQuest and Citrus (team playing in Citrus)

Indiana: Curt Cignetti

►One-year contract extension; $250,000 raise, beginning next season; $200,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (Agreement set to run through Nov. 30, 2030. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $5.1 million, with $3.3 million guaranteed.)

Note: After Cignetti reached this goal, he and school agreed on new contract that is longer and more lucrative.

►$100,000: Fifth Big Ten Conference win

►$50,000: Sixth Big Ten win

►$500,000: Finish among top two in final Big Ten regular season standings

►$50,000: Big Ten coach of the year

►$500,000 bonus this year and increase in the value of buyout if Cignetti is fired without cause to 100% of remaining value of new contract from 85%. (As of Dec. 10, 2024, that difference is nearly $9.5 million.): Play in CFP first round

Iowa: Kirk Ferentz

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Iowa State: Matt Campbell

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$250,000: Seventh regular season win

►$250,000: Eighth regular season win

►$250,000: Ninth regular season win

►$250,000: 10th regular season win

►$250,000: Play in Big 12 Conference title game with team tied for first place in regular season conference standings

Jacksonville State: Rich Rodriguez

►$10,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$10,000: Seventh regular season win

►$10,000: Eighth regular season win

►$20,000: Win Conference USA title

James Madison: Bob Chesney

►$15,000: Win over Power Four team (North Carolina)

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Seventh win over FBS opponents

Kansas State: Chris Klieman

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►One-year contract extension: Eighth regular-season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2032. Extension now scheduled to pay $6.5 million with at least $3.75 million guaranteed.)

Louisville: Jeff Brohm

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

LSU: Brian Kelly

►$500,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Louisiana-Lafayette: Michael Desormeaux

►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins

►One-year contract extension: 10th win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2027. Extension now scheduled to pay $772,800 with $443,680 million guaranteed.)

►$25,000: 10th regular season win

►$25,000: Win Sun Belt Conference division title

►$20,000: Sun Belt coach of the year

Marshall: Charles Huff

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$30,000: Seventh win

►$50,000: Win Sun Belt title

Memphis: Ryan Silverfield

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$75,000: Eighth regular season win

►One-year contract extension and $25,000 bonus: Ninth regular season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2029. Extension now scheduled to pay $2.8 million with $1.68 million guaranteed.)

►$25,000: 10th regular season win

►$25,000 Team No. 25 through No. 11 in final CFP rankings (No. 25)

Miami (Ohio): Chuck Martin

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Play in MAC title game

Minnesota: P.J. Fleck

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$50,000: Fifth Big Ten win

Mississippi: Lane Kiffin

►$100,000: Regular season win over non-conference Power Five team (Wake Forest)

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Contract with Ole Miss Athletics Foundation now set to run through Dec. 31, 2030; contract with university through Dec. 31, 2028. Extension now scheduled to pay $9,000,000, with $7.2 million guaranteed.)

►$50,000: Eighth win, sets up team for SEC Pool of Six bowl (team playing Gator Bowl)

►$150,000: Fifth SEC win

Missouri: Eliah Drinkwitz

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Team in top 25 of final CFP rankings (No. 19)

►$50,000: Play in SEC Group of Six bowl game (team playing in Music City Bowl)

Nebraska: Matt Rhule

►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Nevada-Las Vegas: Barry Odom

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$25,000: Play in Mountain West title game

►$25,000: Team in top of final CFP rankings (No. 24)

North Carolina: Mack Brown

►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

North Carolina State: Dave Doeren

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

North Texas: Eric Morris

►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Northern Illinois: Thomas Hammock

►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Ohio: Tim Albin

►One-year contract extension and $5,000 bonus: Eighth regular season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2028. Extension now scheduled to pay $710,000 with $305,000 guaranteed.)

►$5,000: Ninth regular season win

►$30,753: Play in MAC title game

►$10,000: MAC coach of the year

►$30,753: Win MAC title

Ohio State: Ryan Day

►$100,000: Play in CFP first round

Oregon: Dan Lanning

►One-year contract extension: 10th regular season win (Contract now set to run through Jan. 31, 2031. Extension now scheduled to pay $9,400,000, all guaranteed.)

►$200,000: 11th regular season win

►$100,000: Play in Big Ten championship game

►$200,000: 12th regular season win

►$150,000: Win Big Ten title

►$200,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals

Penn State: James Franklin

(Note: Penn State announced on Nov. 29 that Franklin’s bonus package has been revised to address a 12-team CFP. The university made no details available. The bonuses listed here are from a term sheet the university previously had released rather than a full-form contract.)

►$200,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$200,000: Play in Big Ten title game

Rutgers: Greg Schiano

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Sam Houston State: K.C. Keeler

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

San Jose State: Ken Niumatalolo

►$30,000: Seventh regular season win

South Alabama: Major Applewhite

►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

South Carolina: Shane Beamer

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$50,000: Play in Citrus Bowl

South Florida: Alex Golesh

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Tennessee: Josh Heupel

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$100,000: Team No. 10 through No. 6 in final CFP rankings (No. 7)

►$100,000: Play in CFP first round

Texas: Steve Sarkisian

►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$150,000: Play in SEC title game

►$150,000: Play in CFP first round

Texas-San Antonio: Jeff Traylor

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Texas State: G.J. Kinne

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Texas Tech: Joey McGuire

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$100,000: Eighth regular season win

Toledo: Jason Candle

►$75,000: Sixth regular season win

►$20,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

►$60,000: Seventh regular season win

Utah: Kyle Whittingham

►$15,000: Team ranked in top 25 at any time during season (AP preseason top 25, No. 12)

Virginia Tech: Brent Pry

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Washington: Jedd Fisch

►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Washington State: Jake Dickert

►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins

West Virginia: Neal Brown

►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

Western Kentucky: Tyson Helton

►$50,000: Play in Conference USA title game

►$50,000: 8th win assures team will finish with winning record

Western Michigan: Lance Taylor

►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game

The coach with the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history might be coming to college football.

Bill Belichick confirmed this week that he spoke recently with the University of North Carolina about its vacant head coaching position after reports surfaced about him going through the interview process with Tar Heels’ officials. The former New England Patriots coach has been making weekly media appearances with ESPN, ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ and ‘Inside the NFL,’ among other ventures since the Patriots elected to end their 24-year partnership with Belichick last January.

Belichick, 72, has 333 career wins, eight Super Bowl appearances and six Super Bowl wins over 29 seasons as an NFL head coach, but he has never coached at the collegiate level. His father, Steve Belichick, was a longtime assistant coach at Navy.

Bill Belichick’s apparent willingness to replace Mack Brown at UNC, and perhaps bypass any NFL coach openings this offseason, is suddenly the biggest storyline during this year’s college football coaching carousel. But UNC still must agree Belichick is the right choice and then come to terms with him with enough money left over to put together a college football roster that resembles the NFL more than ever before.

A decision by either Belichick or UNC could be imminent with the transfer portal already open. Here are the latest updates on the coaching search and the intriguing developments surrounding Belichick’s potential future in college football:

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Bill Belichick: Latest updates, rumors on UNC coaching search

The latest national reports suggest that Belichick is considering an offer to become North Carolina’s next football coach, but The Athletic, ESPN and the Raleigh News and Observer have each reported in previous stories that a power struggle going on within North Carolina is holding up the process to make Belichick the next Tar Heels’ football coach. ESPN reported that UNC Board of Trustees chair John P. Preyer has been a key Belichick advocate. Preyer said publicly he did not like how Brown’s firing was handled by North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham.

Other issues standing in the way of Belichick becoming UNC’s coach include the potential role of his son Stephen Belichick, UNC’s NIL resources, Belichick’s salary and resources for the staff, according to ESPN. Stephen Belichick is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington.

Tulane’s Jon Sumrall was also tied to the UNC job, but took his name out of the running Monday when he announced he would be staying with the Green Wave. UNC has also spoken to Army’s Jeff Monken about the opening, as well as Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and former Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilks, according to ESPN. Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith also said UNC approached to discuss the job opening shortly after Brown’s dismissal was announced last month.

If things fall through with Belichick, there will be a lot of pressure on UNC to hire a new coach quickly.

Belichick, during his weekly appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Monday did not discuss specifics about his conversations with North Carolina. But he did lay out a vision for how a college football program would look under his leadership.

‘If I was in a college program, the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL,’ Belichick said. ‘It would be a professional program – training, nutrition, scheme, coaching techniques ‒ that would transfer to the NFL. It would be an NFL program at a college level and an education that would get the players ready for their career after football, whether that was at the end of their college career or their pro career.’

‘But it would be geared towards developing the players, time management, discipline, structure, and all that. There would be life skills regardless of whether they were in the NFL or somewhere in business. I feel very confident I have the contacts in the National Football League to pave the way for those players … to have the opportunity to compete in the NFL .’

The Washington Nationals won the MLB Draft Lottery on Tuesday in Dallas and will have the first overall pick in the July 2025 draft.

It’s the first time the Washington will have the No. 1 pick since they took Bryce Harper in 2010, a year after selecting Stephen Strasburg first overall in 2009.

The Rockies and Marlins entered the lottery tied for the highest odds of getting the No. 1 pick (22.45%), but were disappointed to end up with the fourth and seventh selections, respectively. The Nationals had a 10.2% chance, the fourth-best of any team.

MLB Draft Lottery results

1. Washington Nationals

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2. Los Angeles Angels

3. Seattle Mariners

4. Colorado Rockies

5. St. Louis Cardinals

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

7. Miami Marlins

8. Toronto Blue Jays

9. Cincinnati Reds

10. Chicago White Sox

11. Athletics

12. Texas Rangers

13. San Francisco Giants

14. Tampa Bay Rays

15. Boston Red Sox

16. Minnesota Twins

17. Chicago Cubs

18. Arizona Diamondbacks

MLB Draft Lottery odds

Percentage odds to win No. 1 overall pick

Colorado Rockies: 22.45%
Miami Marlins: 22.45%
Los Angeles Angels: 17.96%
Washington Nationals: 10.2%
Toronto Blue Jays: 7.48%
Pittsburgh Pirates: 5.31%
Cincinnati Reds: 3.67%
Texas Rangers: 2.45%
San Francisco Giants: 1.9%
Tampa Bay Rays: 1.5%
Boston Red Sox: 1.22%
Minnesota Twins: 1.09%
St. Louis Cardinals: 0.82%
Chicago Cubs: 0.68%
Seattle Mariners: 0.53%
Arizona Diamondbacks: 0.27%
Ineligible: White Sox, Athletics

How does MLB Draft Lottery work?

Colorado and Miami each have a 22.45% chance to end up with the top selection, with the Los Angeles Angels (17.96%) and Washington Nationals (10.2%) the only other clubs with odds better than 10%.

The lottery assigns the top six picks in the draft before the seventh selection is decided by the original odds.

Despite finishing with the worst record in baseball history (41-121), the Chicago White Sox aren’t eligible for the 2025 lottery as a team that pays into revenue sharing and received a lottery pick last year. The Athletics are also ineligible as they receive revenue sharing and can’t have lottery picks in three consecutive drafts. Chicago can select no earlier than 10th and the A’s no earlier than 11th overall.

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Oregon is only just barely the favorite to win the national championship. Who could forget Texas and Georgia?
Ohio State, Tennessee drew difficult paths to national championship.
Notre Dame lurks as ultimate wild card in College Football Playoff.

Most years within the four-team playoff era, if offered the chance to pick one team to win the national championship or accept the other three, I’d take my top pick and give you the field.

The 12-team playoff, coupled with this season’s lack of a juggernaut, alters that logic.

No. 1 Oregon, as the nation’s only undefeated team, enjoys favorite status, but barely. The Ducks’ challenging bracket placement might require them to tackle No. 8 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas just to reach the national championship game.

“It’s not supposed to be easy,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said on ESPN after the Ducks learned their draw.

Not in this format, anyway.

Here’s how I’d rank the 12 teams in the bracket, in order of lowest chance to win the national championship to best chance.

Note: This is not a pure power ranking of teams. Rather, it takes into account how strong each team is, combined with its bracket placement and path toward a championship.

12. SMU (No. 11 seed)

The Mustangs join Indiana and Texas as the only teams in the playoff that own no victories against teams currently ranked in the playoff top 25. Rhett Lashlee’s quarterback change in September to Kevin Jennings trigged an SMU rise resulting in a surprise playoff bid, but first-round opponent Penn State poses a stiffer test than any the Mustangs faced within a favorable ACC schedule.

11. Clemson (No. 12 seed)

Credit Dabo Swinney’s squad for rallying into the playoff after suffering a blowout defeat in a season opener against Georgia, but consider that game a harbinger of what awaits in the playoff. Clemson will encounter tough sledding at first-round opponent Texas. Even if the Tigers spring an early upset, they’re on Oregon’s side of the bracket.

10. Indiana (No. 10 seed)

Curt Cignetti deserves coach of the year honors for his first-year achievements at Indiana, taking the Hoosiers from 3-9 to 11-1. Indiana specialized in crushing bad and average teams. A neat parlor trick, and one that requires talent, but in its lone game against a playoff qualifier, Indiana flopped at Ohio State. Playing at Notre Dame in the first round is no easy way to start.

9. Arizona State (No. 4 seed)

The Sun Devils are hot. Their six consecutive victories include a Big 12 championship rout of Iowa State. Running back Cam Skattebo emerged as one of the nation’s most enthralling players, but he could run into a wall of Texas run defense in the quarterfinals that may be too difficult for Arizona State to overcome.

8. Boise State (No. 3 seed)

The Broncos didn’t require any charity to qualify for the playoff. They’d be in, even if this format didn’t reserve a spot for the Group of Five. Their résumé exceeds that of at-large qualifiers like Indiana and SMU. Ashton Jeanty emerged as appointment viewing, but can Boise State’s pass attack provide enough balance to beat teams like Penn State or Georgia in successive fashion? That’s a fair question.

7. Tennessee (No. 9 seed)

Tennessee’s defense compares to elite units at Texas, Ohio State and Notre Dame. The group carried the Volunteers to this point, but they face a tough avenue that begins at Ohio State – Tennessee struggles on the road – and would continue against Oregon. Also, quarterback Nico Iamaleava reached 200 passing yards against just two SEC opponents.

6. Penn State (No. 6 seed)

Penn State presents as the light-beer version of 2023 Michigan. That’s not really a dig – 2023 Wolverines Light sounds pretty good, actually – but is that enough to win four playoff games? The Nittany Lions received a coveted bracket draw. They would not encounter Oregon until the national championship game or Georgia until the semifinals. But, Penn State under coach James Franklin has a history of losing big games, including losses to Ohio State and Oregon this season. That’s tough to ignore.

5. Ohio State (No. 8 seed)

The Buckeyes ooze talent, and they join Oregon and Georgia as the only teams in this field to beat multiple playoff qualifiers, but their offensive line is down two starters, and the loss to Michigan contributed to the Buckeyes receiving an arduous path to the national championship. Their route would include Tennessee, Oregon, possibly Texas in the semifinals and someone like Georgia, Notre Dame or Penn State in the national championship. That’s awfully rugged.

4. Notre Dame (No. 7 seed)

The Irish finished the regular season at peak stride, and they drew the more favorable side of the bracket. Few opponents found much success slowing their ground game or attacking Notre Dame’s defense. The question centers on whether Notre Dame’s light schedule adequately prepared it for the rigors of needing to win four playoff games against a caliber of opponent it hasn’t faced. Maybe, the Irish lurk as the best team this side of Oregon. Or, maybe, they’re a byproduct of a forgiving schedule. They’re the ultimate wild card.

3. Georgia (No. 2 seed)

Georgia earned a first-round bye at the expense of losing its starting quarterback. Carson Beck (elbow) is out indefinitely, but I hesitate to dramatically alter Georgia’s outlook. After all, Beck struggled at times this season. Gunner Stockton, a well-regarded backup, engineered Georgia’s rally in its SEC championship victory. The more pressing question surrounds Georgia’s supporting cast, which doesn’t measure up to Kirby Smart’s past three teams. Count Georgia out at your own risk, though. No team owns more wins against playoff qualifiers.

2. Texas (No. 5 seed)

The Longhorns lack a win against a playoff qualifier, but so do seven other teams in this bracket, and the only team to beat Texas (Georgia, twice) resides on the far side of the bracket. The Longhorns’ defense fuels this engine. Their offensive line handled every opponent except Georgia. They’ll be a decisive favorite in their first two games – Clemson and Arizona State. The question: Is Quinn Ewers a quarterback with whom Texas can win a national championship? He’s been fine, though rarely spectacular. Texas will need him to perform at a higher gear if it runs into an opponent like Oregon, but the rest of the pieces are in place.

1. Oregon (No. 1 seed)

Oregon possesses the playoff’s best quarterback, and it is unencumbered by glaring weakness. That’s an enviable combination. Don’t overlook the Ducks’ offensive line, either. That unit suits the Big Ten. The Ducks endured multiple tough tests throughout the season and kept coming out on top. The playoff draw did Oregon few favors. If the choice is Oregon or the field, take the field. If the choice is between Oregon or my pick of another team, give me Oregon.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

NFL power rankings entering Week 15 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Detroit Lions (1): Their positioning at the top of the heap feels fairly unassailable – the NFC leaders tied for the league’s best record (12-1), consecutive playoff berths in hand for the first time in 29 years and with the NFL’s largest point differential (+183). And yet there are the mounting defensive injuries, the potential double-edged sword borne of HC Dan Campbell’s fearless decision making, to say nothing of the fact that Minnesota (11-2) just will not go away – regardless of how overshadowed the Vikings tend to be. Said more succinctly, the Lions are – currently – the best team, but they’re operating in an environment where a hard left turn seems increasingly possible.

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5. Minnesota Vikings (9): They’re 11-2. Seriously, they’re 11-2 and have just as good a shot as the Eagles of stealing home-field advantage from Detroit. Coming off a career performance Sunday (347 yards, 5 TDs passing), the future of QB Sam Darnold, who’s on an expiring contract, is going to be one of the offseason’s most fascinating topics.

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28. New York Jets (28): When constantly falling short of the playoffs, you get associated with the likes of the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Angels. But rejoice, Jets fans – even if QB Aaron Rodgers won’t be around much longer to let you down, new Mets OF Juan Soto allegedly will be breaking your hearts for the next 15 years.

29. Las Vegas Raiders (29): Brock Bowers’ record-setting season – almost surely destined to be the greatest ever by a rookie tight end – is so much more impressive given the general limitations of this offense.

***

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

Tiger Woods is headed back to the golf course, and he’ll be doing it with a familiar partner: his son, Charlie.

The Woods father and son duo will be back for the PNC Championship, the annual event that pairs golfers with their children, next weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes, Woods announced on Tuesday.

‘I’m very excited to head back to the PNC Championship next week with Charlie,’ he said in a statement. ‘Playing together is something we look forward to and it’s always more special when you’re surrounded by friends and family.’

The Woods duo have become regulars at the event, first competing in the PNC Championship in 2020 when Charlie was just 11-year-old. Now a sophomore at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, Charlie Wood will play with his dad for the fifth-consecutive year.

The elder Woods’ decision to play in the event also comes one week after he shared an update on his ability to play. The 15-time PGA major champion opted to not play in the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts in the Bahamas, last week after a recent back surgery as he continues to battle injuries that have plagued him for the past few years.

‘I’m still not there. And these are 20 of the best players in the world, and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level,’ Woods said then. ‘When I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.’

Woods last competed in The Open Championship in July 2024, which resulted in him missing the cut at his third straight major tournament after finishing at 14-over par. He has played in five events in 2024, with the 2024 Masters being the only time he made the cut this year. Last week, Woods said ‘we’ll see’ if he would compete with his son in the PNC Championship.

Meanwhile, Charlie Woods has continued to grow in his golf game. He made his first appearance in the USGA championship with an appearance in the U.S. Junior Amateur. His father was in attendance to watch the event as Charlie Woods missed the cut in the event.

Tiger and Charlie Woods will be attempting to win the PNC Championship for the first time after finishing in fifth-place last year. In 2021, the duo finished in second.

With four weeks remaining, only four NFL teams – the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles – have officially sealed at least part of their playoff fortune by clinching a spot in the postseason field. But they’re sure to be joined soon by several more, possibly starting as early as Sunday.

The clinching scenarios for Week 15 are fairly straightforward, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings both facing win-and-in games. Two more division titles can be claimed, as the Houston Texans can wrap up the AFC South and the Eagles can seal the NFC East. And the Green Bay Packers can also punch their ticket with a win and a little help.

Here are the playoff clinching scenarios for Week 15:

Houston Texans

Clinch AFC South with:

Texans win + Colts loss

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Pittsburgh Steelers

Clinch playoff berth with:

Steelers win or tie
Dolphins loss or tie + Colts loss or tie

Green Bay Packers

Clinch playoff berth with:

Packers win + Falcons loss or tie + 49ers-Rams tie

Minnesota Vikings

Clinch playoff berth with:

Vikings win or tie
Rams loss or tie
Seahawks loss or tie

Philadelphia Eagles

Clinch NFC East with:

Eagles win + Commanders loss or tie
Eagles tie + Commanders loss

NFL teams that have clinched playoff spots

Kansas City Chiefs: AFC West
Buffalo Bills: AFC East
Detroit Lions: Playoff berth
Philadelphia Eagles: Playoff berth

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Poor Joe Burrow.

The Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback is having a season where he should be the frontrunner for NFL MVP, but his team has accumulated too many losses to boost his candidacy.

Burrow and the Bengals caught a break on Monday Night Football, recovering a block punt, allowing him to find Ja’Marr Chase for the game-winning touchdown in Cincinnati’s 27-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bengals are 5-8, and won their second game this season by seven points or less. Conversely, seven of their eight losses came down to one score this season.

The Bengals also had two three-game losing streaks in a year where they should be playoff contenders.

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Burrow leads the NFL with 33 touchdown passes, 3,706 passing yards and 285.1 yards per game. His 107.9 passer rating ranks fourth behind two of the Top 3 candidates. His 74.1 QBR ranks second behind the leader in the clubhouse for the award this season.

If the Bengals were anywhere near contention, he would certainly be in the MVP mix. Here’s who’s in the mix in our USA TODAY Sports NFL MVP rankings after Week 14:

5. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, stock up

We’ve taken Jalen Hurts off the board. Sure, he threw two touchdowns and scored another in Philadelphia’s 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers. But you can’t contend, or even win NFL MVP, with two straight games or barely 100 yards passing at the quarterback position.

Although Hurts’ case is boasted by feasting on tush push rushing touchdowns, it feels like most times when Hurts has scored, it’s been because of Saquon Barkley’s brilliance.

Barkley and Hurts each have 13 touchdowns this season, which trail only Derrick Henry and Ja’Marr Chase with 15 each, and Kyren Williams (14).

Barkley leads all NFL players with 1,890 yards from scrimmage – more than 358 yards than the next player in line. He’s been instrumental in helping the Eagles lead the NFC East and No. 2 standing in the NFC playoff race.

4. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, stock even

Patrick Mahomes turned in another subpar performance, completing 24 of 37 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

Mahomes led another comeback – his league-leading fifth comeback in the fourth quarter, and seventh game-winning drive of the season – with kicker Matthew Wright’s field goal as time expired to win the AFC West again.

Mahomes remains in the Top 10 with 20 touchdown passes (eighth), 3,189 passing yards (ninth) and a 64.6 QBR (10th). But the Chiefs are 12-1, still atop the AFC standings, thanks to Mahomes’ comeback efforts worthy of MVP consideration this season.

3. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, stock down

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens were on a bye in Week 14, but he drops a spot in our MVP rankings. They return to action visiting the lowly New York Giants this week, where Jackson could have a performance to boost his MVP case again.

Jackson leads the NFL with a 116.3 passer rating, is second behind Burrow with 29 touchdown passes and third behind Josh Allen and Burrow for the best QBR in the league.

The Ravens are 8-5, hanging onto the No. 5 seed in the playoff mix, while looking up at the AFC North-leading Steelers (10-3) in the division standings.  

2. Lions QB Jared Goff, stock up

Jared Goff had a standout day, completing 32 of 41 passes for 283 yards with three touchdowns, in Detroit’s 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers last Thursday.

Goff threw decisive touchdown passes to keep the Lions in control of the NFC North, and executed the fourth down calls by Lions coach Dan Campbell to push the envelope and exert their dominance in the conference.

Goff has the second-best passer rating (109.1) and completion percentage (72.4) in the NFL, while his 25 touchdown passes rank fifth among quarterbacks.

The Lions remain the best team in the NFC with their 11th straight win and the No. 1 seed in the playoff mix, boosting Goff’s MVP case up to the No. 2 spot after Week 14.

1. Bills QB Josh Allen, stock even

Sure, Josh Allen and the Bills suffered a 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. But there’s no denying the history Allen made in defeat.

Allen became the first player in NFL history to throw three touchdowns and score three rushing touchdowns in a game.

Win or lose, that’s a feather in the MVP cap for Allen, who retains the top spot despite his valiant comeback efforts in Los Angeles.

Allen has the best QBR in the league at 76.7, is sixth with 23 touchdown passes, and has 10 rushing touchdowns. But clinching the AFC East a week ago, winning seven straight games before the Rams loss, and handing the Chiefs their only loss boasts his MVP case.