Manny Machado's new deal proves the NL West's teams are ready to spend. Still skeptical of the Padres' investment? Well, the numbers showPetco Park isn't the pitchers' haven it's cracked up to be—not that the division's pitchers have performed well against Machado anyway.
With plenty of valuable assets already, the Nationalsand the Cubsshouldn't feel too bad if they don't snag Bryce Harper. The Phillies? That's a different story.
BASKETBALL
Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard are rightly the most desired free-agents-to-be—and the Warriorsand the Raptorsshould have plans in place whether they decide to stay put or are ready to jump to a new team.
The rebuilding Cavaliers should be looking for ways to unload J.R. Smith's unique contract.
PRO FOOTBALL
The NFL Combine is underway! Here's what the Packers, Giantsand Jetswill be looking for.
Kicker may not be the most glorified position, but Robbie Gould of the 49ers and Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots appear to be in line for big paydays. The Bears, too, seem ready to spend on a kicker as they try to move on from Cody Parkey.
Rockies fans should be thrilled that the club locked down franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado, who is indisputably a great player: In fact, he has more Gold Gloves than years of service. But does he deserve his eight-year, $260 million contract? That's a little more complicated. Most hitters benefit from playing at mile-high Coors Field, but a bit of number crunching shows that Arenado, with his high launch angle, gets a particularly big boost. Adjusting for his home park, he looks a lot more like Todd Frazier than Mike Trout.
Thanks to his dominant victory in the WGC-Mexico Championship, Dustin Johnson is now the world's No. 2 golfer and the betting favorite, at 10-1 odds, to win the Masters.
Number To Watch: Johnson's biggest competition remains Justin Rose, who, at 12-1 odds to win the Masters, is the world's top-ranked golfer.
Last week, we highlighted the -2000 odds that Zion Williamson will be the first player taken in this year's NBA draft. You still have a chance to take that bet—despite his injury, the odds have not changed.
Upon Further Review
With their rebuild in full swing, the New York Rangers can hang their Broadway Hats on being a big winner at the trade deadline. General manager Jeff Gorton shipped Kevin Hayes to the Winnipeg Jets for a first-round draft pick and Brendan Lemieux. With Adam McQuaid gone as well, the NHL's most valuable team has scored 10 picks for the upcoming draft and can be a major player in the free-agent market. See the full list of the NHL's most valuable teams here.
The Last Word
"We'll be in the airport, and people will say: 'Oh, Hofstra? I saw you guys on TV the other day.'"
Craig Claxton
Sitting pretty atop the Colonial Athletic Association, Hofstra is eyeing its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2001. For an underdog program, a tournament appearance can work wonders, raising the school's profile with prospective students and enticing potential donors. And with Hofstra's attendance up 900 per game over last season, fans are coming to witness the team's success before they tune in on Selection Sunday.
