Sports
Dodgers to move Mookie Betts to infield in 2025, seek pitching and outfielders this offseason
The Dodgers’ other big need this offseason, Gomes confirmed Wednesday, is starting pitching.
And while the free-agent market is rich with veteran talent, the team is monitoring star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, too.
A 23-year-old right-hander with a triple-digit fastball and career 2.02 ERA in his native country’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, it’s uncertain if Sasaki will be posted for MLB clubs to sign this offseason. But if he is, he will come as a bargain, since league rules for international free agents under the age of 25 would restrict him to signing only a minor league contract with a modest signing bonus (similar to when Shohei Ohtani, then also 23, signed with the Angels for $2.3 million in 2017).
Sasaki, whom Gomes declined to discuss Wednesday since he is still under club control in Japan, has been long coveted by the Dodgers and heavily scouted by their executives in recent years.
And with the Dodgers considered favorites to sign him if he does come to MLB this winter, he could represent the front office’s dream acquisition: A young, gifted, cost-controlled pitcher to bolster a starting rotation beset by injuries in recent years.
The Dodgers, of course, will have other avenues if Sasaki doesn’t become their latest Japanese acquisition.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell would be the most obvious name for the Dodgers to pursue. Last spring, the team made a late play for the left-hander before he signed with the San Francisco Giants. And even though the soon-to-be 32-year-old is expected to fetch the kind of nine-figure contract that eluded him last offseason, his track record of durable success (he is top 15 in the majors in both ERA and starts since 2017) should make him a priority target for the Dodgers again this winter.
If not Snell, the Dodgers could pivot to other big names.
Corbin Burnes is a former Cy Young winner whom the Dodgers had trade interest in last year, though is projected to command even more money than Snell, which might price him out of the Dodgers’ plans.
Max Fried is a Harvard-Westlake product who has a career 3.25 ERA, but also battled forearm injuries the last two seasons, something the Dodgers will have to weigh given the other health-related question marks already populating their pitching staff.
The next tier of free-agent starters includes Jack Flaherty (the Dodgers’ key trade deadline acquisition this past year), Nathan Eovaldi (a veteran the Dodgers were monitoring at the trade deadline before trading for Flaherty), Yusei Kikuchi, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino.
And then there’s Walker Buehler, whom the Dodgers remain interested in re-signing even after declining to extend him a one-year, $21-million qualifying offer this week.
The Dodgers could be open to still paying Buehler something in that ballpark, depending on how the rest of his market develops. And Gomes emphasized that Buehler’s contributions in the postseason, including closing out Game 5 of the World Series on one day of rest, “does not go lost on us.”
At the same time, however, it’s possible Buehler could fetch proposals beyond what the Dodgers are willing to match, especially since he is not encumbered by the qualifying offer (which, if he had declined, would have required other teams to forfeit draft compensation to sign him).
Like most things this time of year, the Dodgers remain in wait-and-see mode for now.
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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster.
The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.
Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)
“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”
The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season.
“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’
“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”
Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee.
Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )
But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend.
The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU.
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The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.
Ingold’s deal with the Chargers reportedly is for two years and $7.5 million.
Ingold will be no stranger to the Chargers’ plans on offense. He played the past four seasons in Miami under coach Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Last year he caught eight passes for 52 yards and ran the ball twice in 17 games.
Ingold caught 47 passes for 372 yards and rushed for 34 yards in 20 carries in four seasons with the Dolphins. He also had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
Before his time in Miami, Ingold played three seasons with the Raiders.
The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman. They agreed to terms on a one-year deal with edge rusher Khalil Mack on Saturday.
With the free agency negotiation period set to begin Monday at 9 a.m. PDT, the Chargers remain in strong position to be significant players in the free-agent market. They rank among the top-five teams in salary cap space, per Overthecap.com.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, reportedly broke up with their wedding around the corner.
Prescott and Ramos’ relationship had been “rocky” in the weeks leading up to the breakup and things exploded between the two at their joint bachelor and bachelorette parties, TMZ Sports reported on Saturday.
Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos attend the Farrah Fawcett Foundation Tex-Mex Fiesta on Oct. 30, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Omar Vega/Getty Images for Farrah Fawcett Foundation)
Ramos shared pictures of her trip with her friends on Instagram on Friday.
“I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much,” Ramos captioned the collage of snaps.
Prescott was not pictured in any of the 16 photos and videos posted to her social media account.
Sarah Jane Ramos and Dak Prescott pose for a photo before Dak Prescott’s Faith Fight Finish Foundation Gala on May 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Faith Fight Finish Foundation)
Ramos also posted photos of her bridal shower back on Feb. 23. There were no photos of Prescott in the carousel either.
“The most intimate and beautiful bridal shower of my dreams,” she added on Instagram. “So grateful for my aunts who hosted it and my girlfriends and family that came to celebrate. I love you all so much and can’t wait to marry the love of my life with all of you by my side.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Prescott’s representative for comment.
Prescott posted a series of photos on his Instagram of Ramos and his family on July 20, 2025. There’s only a September advertisement posted on his account since.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos pose on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts on Feb. 5, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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The NFL star and Ramos announced they were engaged on Oct. 18, 2024. The couple have two children together.
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