The complete field of 16 teams that will advance to the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League knockout rounds has not yet been finalized, but we already have several clubs that have booked their spots.

European giants Liverpool, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus were the first four teams to clinch on Matchday 4 of the group stage, while Manchester United and Chelsea joined them on Matchday 5.
Only the top two teams in each group advance, and there's incentive to win the group when it comes to the Round of 16 draw on Monday, Dec. 13. The first-place team from each group will be seeded, and their Round of 16 opponent will be drawn from a pot of the second-place finishers.

Champions League Round of 16 qualifiers
Group 1st Place 2nd Place
Grp A — —
Grp B Liverpool —
Grp C Ajax —
Grp D — —
Grp E Bayern Munich —
Grp F Manchester United —
Grp G — —
Grp H Chelsea / Juventus Chelsea / Juventus
When is the Champions League Round of 16 draw?
The Round of 16 draw will be held on Dec. 13 at 6 a.m. ET from the UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. It will be streamed by UEFA.com.

The eight group winners will be seeded for purposes of the draw. They will make up one pot, while the other pot will contain the runners-up from each group.

The two key details to remember for this Round of 16 draw:

Teams from the same country cannot be drawn against one another (see table below);
The group winners (i.e. seeded teams) will host the second leg of each Round of 16 series. This is perceived to be an advantage because, if an extra-time session or penalty-kick shootout is needed, it would happen on home soil.
Knockout round qualifiers by country
Nation Total Clubs Clubs
England 3 Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United
Germany 1 Bayern Munich
Italy 1 Juventus
Netherlands 1 Ajax Amsterdam
The two legs of the Round of 16 will be spread over eight days between February and March. The second leg of each series will take place three weeks after the first leg.

The eight teams left standing will participate in a quarterfinal draw on March 18, 2022, which will determine the rest of the Champions League bracket through the final in Saint Petersburg on May 28. There are no seedings involved in this draw, and unlike the Round of 16, teams from the same country can be drawn against one another.

Champions League Round of 16 schedule
Round of 16, 1st Legs
Date Match Time (ET) TV channels Stream
Feb. 15 Round of 16 #1 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 15 Round of 16 #2 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 16 Round of 16 #3 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 16 Round of 16 #4 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 22 Round of 16 #5 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 22 Round of 16 #6 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 23 Round of 16 #7 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Feb. 23 Round of 16 #8 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Round of 16, 2nd Legs
Date Match Time (ET) TV channels Stream
March 8 Round of 16 #1 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 8 Round of 16 #2 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 9 Round of 16 #3 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 9 Round of 16 #4 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 15 Round of 16 #5 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 15 Round of 16 #6 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 16 Round of 16 #7 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
March 16 Round of 16 #8 3 p.m. TBD fuboTV, Paramount+
Who will win the UEFA Champions League 2021-22?
As the tournament progresses, the oddsmakers are constantly adjusting the future prices for each team when it comes to winning the Champions League. Here are the latests odds courtesy of U.S.-based DraftKings (asterisk denotes teams that have already qualified for the Round of 16):

Champions League outright winner odds
Team Nov. 23
Manchester City +300
Bayern Munich* +350
PSG +500
Liverpool* +550
Chelsea* +600
Manchester United* +1200
Ajax* +2000
Real Madrid +2200
Atletico Madrid +3500
Juventus* +3500
Inter Milan +5000
B. Dortmund +5000
Barcelona +5000
Atalanta +10000
Porto +15000
Benfica +15000
Villarreal +15000
RB Salzburg +15000
Sevilla +20000
Wolfsburg +30000
Lille +50000
Club Brugge +80000
Sporting CP +100000
UEFA Champions League 2021-2022: Tournament format
The 2021-2022 edition of the UEFA Champions League features a familiar format — and one massive new twist.

As usual, the tournament started out with a group stage (eight groups of four teams each), and only the top two finishers in each group advance to the Round of 16 that kicks off in February 2022. Two-leg, aggregate-goal knockout rounds are played the rest of the way through to the single game final that will be held in Russia on May 28, 2022.

Group Stage: Sept. 14-15, Sept. 28-29, Oct. 19-20, Nov. 2-3, Nov. 23-24, Dec. 7-8
Round of 16: Feb. 15-16, March 8-9 / Feb. 22-23, March 15-16
Quarterfinals: April 5-6, April 12-13
Semifinals: April 26-27, May 3-4
Final: May 28, 2022 (St. Petersburg, Russia)
No away goals tiebreaker in Champions League
Here's that twist: For the first time since 1965, there will be no away goals tiebreaker used in the knockout rounds of UEFA competitions, including the Champions League, after it was abolished in June 2021.

Series that are tied on aggregate goals after the conclusion of the second leg will go straight to extra time and, if necessary, a penalty-kick shootout.

How to watch the UEFA Champions League
The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League will be carried in the United States by CBS (English) and Univision (Spanish) across a number of TV and streaming platforms.

CBS Sports will have live pregame, halftime and postgame studio shows, which will air on CBS Sports Network and stream on Paramount+. Also back this year is the RedZone-like whip-around show called "The Golazo Show," also on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+, with all the goals and best chances from the concurrent matches.

Univision will mirror that coverage with its own pregame and postgame shows. Its whip-around show is called "Zona Fútbol."

Nearly every Champions League match is available to be streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free seven-day trial to new subscribers. The streaming platform carries all the Univision family of channels: Univision, TUDN, UniMas, Galavision and TUDNxtra.

Univision will stream select matches on its ad-supported platform PrendeTV, which is available free of charge across mobile and connected TV devices, Amazon Fire TV, Apple (iOS and tvOS), Google (Android phones and TV devices), Roku, and via the web on Prende.tv.

Those who spent up on Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray will be without their studs as the Chiefs and Cardinals take the week off. Of course, Murray owners are used to that, but hopefully that will change after his bye. This week also features three Thursday games, so your start 'em, sit 'emi decisions will feel a little more rushed. Winning the week starts with deciding who to start at quarterback, and our Week 12 fantasy QB rankings can help you makes those tough start 'em, sit 'em decisions.

We mentioned Murray and Mahomes are out, but season-long stud Matthew Stafford (@ Packers) and popular streaming option Teddy Bridgewater (vs. Chargers) are back in action after their byes. For those Mahomes and Murray owners, we'll admit it's not a very deep week for streamers, but there are just enough options to get by. Again, Murray owners are used to this routine, so they should have a decent backup. 

Stafford, along with Aaron Rodgers (vs. Rams), Justin Herbert (@ Broncos), and Joe Burrow (vs. Steelers), headline the "studs with tough matchups" category, but again, it's not the greatest week for streamers, so they all remain QB1s in our rankings.
The best streamers include Mac Jones (vs. Titans), Cam Newton (@ Dolphins), Trevor Lawrence (vs. Falcons), and Justin Fields (@ Lions). Matt Ryan (@ Jaguars) is over 50-percent owned, but if you consider him a streamer, he's in play, too. Those QBs either play teams that are downright awful against the pass statistically or bottom-dwellers that haven't forced many pass-happy game scripts. So, yes, we're counting on three rookies, a guy who was just signed off the street a few weeks ago, and a boom-or-bust veteran. What else did you expect at this point in the season? Also, he's not a streamer at this point either, but start Carson Wentz (vs. Buccaneers). The matchup and game script should set him up for a nice fantasy day.

On the other side of the start-or-sit bubble, we're out on Ryan Tannehill (@ Patriots), Daniel Jones (vs. Eagles), Tua Tagovailoa (@ Panthers), and Teddy Bridgewater (vs. Chargers). These guys have been mentioned several times by us on the "start" side of the conversation, but the matchups just aren't favorable enough to tout them as viable considerations this week. They're looking at some top defenses against fantasy QBs, so we'd opt to play the guys listed above. If you're forced to start one of the three, Jones has the highest upside because of his rushing ability.

This week isn't quite as disastrous of a week as we thought it could be in the preseason, so you can survive. This is the last week with two elite fantasy QBs out of commission, so there should be less competition for streamers going forward. Still, you have to stay on top of everything. We saw last Sunday with Lamar Jackson's surprise scratch that injuries and illnesses can strike with little warning, so always have a plan going into a week.

Note: We'll be updating these QB rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.

Fantasy QB Rankings Week 12: Who to start at quarterback
Rankings are based on standard, four-point passing TD formats.

Rank Player
1 Russell Wilson, SEA @ WAS
2 Josh Allen, BUF @ NO
3 Tom Brady, TB @ IND
4 Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. CLE
5 Dak Prescott, DAL vs. LV
6 Jalen Hurts, PHI @ NYG
7 Matthew Stafford, LAR @ GB
8 Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. LAR
9 Carson Wentz, IND vs. TB
10 Joe Burrow, CIN vs. PIT
11 Justin Herbert, LAC @ DEN
12 Mac Jones, NE vs. TEN
13 Derek Carr, LV @ DAL
14 Cam Newton, CAR @ MIA
15 Kirk Cousins, MIN @ SF
16 Matt Ryan, ATL @ JAX
17 Tyrod Taylor, HOU vs. NYJ
18 Trevor Lawrence, JAX vs. ATL
19 Justin Fields, CHI @ DET
20 Daniel Jones, NYG vs. PHI
21 Jimmy Garoppolo, SF vs. MIN
22 Ryan Tannehill, TEN @ NE
23 Tua Tagovailoa, MIA vs. CAR
24 Teddy Bridgewater, DEN vs. LAC
25 Taylor Heinicke, WAS vs. SEA
26 Baker Mayfield, CLE @ BAL
27 Joe Flacco, NYJ @ HOU
28 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT @ CIN
29 Trevor Siemian, NO vs. BUF
30 Tim Boyle, DET vs. CHI

LAS VEGAS — All the questions about Terence Crawford have been answered.

For years, the only knock on him was that he lacked a signature victory. He finally picked up one — and in exceptional fashion — when he became the first fighter to stop Shawn Porter, recording a 10th-round TKO to retain his WBO welterweight championship in front of 11,568 fans at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Now, the world will be clamoring for a unification bout with IBF and WBC champion Errol Spence Jr.

As it always has been against Porter, winning didn't come easy.

At the time of the stoppage, Crawford was up on all three scorecards: 86-85, 86-85 and 87-84. Porter routinely barreled inside and kept Crawford off balance with aggression and pressure. But Crawford began to time Porter's advances and then picked him off with counters that eventually wore down the former two-time champion.

In the 10th round, Crawford opened with a thudding left hand that deposited Porter on his backside. A frustrated Porter made it to his feet but was met with a scintillating combination that dropped Porter to his knees. Porter pounded on the canvas out of frustration and made it back to his feet again. Unfortunately, his father and trainer, Kenny Porter, decided that his son had had enough and threw in the towel.

Crawford improved to 38-0 with 29 knockouts. Porter became his ninth consecutive knockout victim. As for Porter, his career is at a crossroads of sorts as he falls to 31-4-1 and goes to the back of the line when it comes to title opportunities.

Here's how it all went down in Las Vegas.

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter live updates, highlights
(All times Eastern.)

Round 10 (12:15 a.m.): Crawford drops Porter with a left hand to open the round! Porter is up and Crawford is a killer. He’s looking to finish the job. Crawford with a barrage that drops Crawford. Porter beats the canvas on his way up. Porter’s corner stops it! Wow!

Round 9 (12:13 a.m.): Short left hand by Porter lands to open the round. Big hook by Porter barely lands. Bud is unbothered. Body shot by Porter. Crawford looking for his spots and Porter isn’t making it easy. Crawford lands an uppercut on the inside and a body shot. 10-9, Crawford (86-85, Crawford)

Round 8 (12:09 a.m.): Crawford with a hard right hand and Porter comes straight at him throwing bombs. Crawford avoids and picks him off with a right hand. Beautiful sequence by Bud. Porter chops him on the inside with a short left and barrels inside. Hard left hand by Porter. Big right hand by Porter rattles Crawford. Crawford smiles and centers himself. How do you score this round? 10-9, Crawford (76-76)

Round 7 (12:04 a.m.): Porter strafes Bud with a left hand. Crawford gives Porter different looks and feints. They exchange left hands. Right hand by Porter lands and Crawford bounces off the ropes. Short counter right by Crawford as Porter rolls in. Porter won’t stop coming. Bud is smiling again. But he’s not throwing enough. 10-9, Porter (67-66, Porter)

Round 6 (12:01 a.m.): Crawford lands a big right hand They are going to war again. Crawford looking for the big shot and loading up. Porter comes roaring back. They clash heads. Crawford looks like he’s enjoying the dog fight. Porter roughs him up on the inside. Man, this is a damn fight. Counter left on the inside by Crawford. Lots of infighting to close a tight round. 10-9, Crawford (57-57)

Round 5 (11:57 p.m.): Porter working on Bud from the inside with some roughhousing. Crawford trying to walk Porter down. Flashes the jab. Porter bombing away on Crawford as he covers up. Not a lot gets through. Crawford walking him down. Porter is just outworking him in this round but Crawford is hoping he spent up his gas tank. 10-9, Porter (48-47, Porter)

Round 4 (11:52 p.m.): Hard left hook from Porter to open the round. Crawford lands a combination and a left hand. They exchange hard shots. Porter lands a right hand and Bud smiles. Porter with a jab and Bud responds to the body. Porter with a lunging hook that lands. Crawford with a check hook that almost Ricky Hatton'd Porter. They start swinging again. Closer round. 10-9, Crawford (38-38)

Round 3 (11:48 p.m): Crawford looks comfortable fighting lefty. Starts pushing Porter back. Porter lands a hard combination. Crawford tried to time and barely missed a counter hook. Porter stuns Bud with a left hand! Bud smiles but he was cracked. They are talking now. Porter is cut over the right eye. Crawford smiling but he knows that he's now in a fight. 10-9, Porter (29-28, Porter)

Round 2 (11:44 p.m.): Porter lands a jab and Bud switches to southpaw. Barely misses a counter. Lands a hard right hand on Porter. Porter cracks Bud with a hard right hand in response. Crawford lands a right hand and barely misses an uppercut. A firefight breaks out. Both landing hard shots. Bud with a counter uppercut and Porter with a right hand. Crawford lands the jab and smiles. We're about to have a good one. 10-9, Crawford (19-19)

Round 1 (11:40 p.m.): Porter rushes right at Crawford with a left hook and follows with a right hand that lands. Porter aims to rough Bud up along the ropes and gets tied up. Crawford is reading and timing Porter. Starts to fire the jab. Left hand by Porter lands. Hard jab by Bud lands. Crawford smirks at Porter. He may have figured out something already. 10-9, Porter

11:30 p.m.: "Showtime" Shawn Porter makes his entrance with WWE champion Big E and Grammy-nominated Hip Hop artist Rapsody while Terence Crawford keeps it simple by walking alone to LL Cool J's "I'm Bad."

10:58 p.m.: Through six rounds, Esquiva Falcao, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist from Brazil, has been applying immense pressure to Patrice Volny. Volny tried to work from the outside but Falcao's persistence to throttle Volny from the inside racked up rounds. But a nasty clash of heads in the sixth round split Falcao open above the left eye. Falcao is in a lot of pain and it's likely this fight is going to be stopped. Yup, it's over. Main event is next.

10:22 p.m.: Janibek Alimkhanuly didn't have much trouble turning back the challenge of Hassan N'Dam. He chopped him down over the course of eight rounds to earn the TKO stoppage. N'Dam's best years as a contender are clearly behind him, while Alimkhanuly remains one to watch in the middleweight division. As the rounds wore on, it became target practice for Alimkhanuly. N'Dam offered little resistance and was routinely clocked by power punches and a hard left hand. The mounting damage was too much for referee Kenny Bayless and the fight was called at the 2:40 mark of the eighth.

9:37 p.m.: As expected, Muratalia mowed down Araujo with an exceptional display of body punching and aggression to pick up the fifth-round TKO.

9 p.m.: We're live from Las Vegas and the pay-per-view portion of Crawford-Porter will kick off with Raymond Muratalla and Elias Araujo competing in a lightweight showdown.

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter start time
Date: Saturday, Nov. 20
Main card time: 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT
Main event: 11 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. PT (approx.)
Crawford and Porter are set to step into the ring at about 11 p.m. ET. The night will begin with early prelims at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the prelim card at 7 p.m. ET and the main card at 9 p.m. ET.

We may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up for a streaming service through our links. Sporting News' affiliates have no influence over the editorial content included in this article.

The King is back. 

LeBron James returned from an almost three-week absence for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics on Friday night. James had been out of the Lakers lineup since November 2, missing the team's past seven games with an abdominal strain.

He was listed as a game-time decision with the team announcing he would play just before tip-off. 

Prior to his injury, James was averaging 24.8 points - his lowest scoring average since his rookie season - while also averaging his least amount of rebounds (5.5) also since his rookie campaign and his least amount of assists (7.0) since 2015-16. Most concerning was his shooting percentage (46.7 percent) which was also his lowest since 2003-04.

James played 32 minutes against Boston, and looked like his old self for large parts of the contest, hitting fadeaways, and taking it strong to the basket and absorbing contact. 

He finished with 23 points (10-for-16 from the field), six rebounds, two assists and two steals before exiting the game for good with 4:26 left in the final quarter. 

He played 32 minutes and recorded a team-best plus-minus of -4, among Lakers players to have logged more than 20 minutes.

"Felt okay," James said postgame. "Felt like a rookie again being away from the game."

With the 130-108 loss, the Lakers have dropped to 8-9 for the season and 4-3 in games when James suits up.

Stephen A. Smith was in attendance for Tuesday night's game between the Nets and Warriors. He didn't like what he saw from Brooklyn — and that's putting it mildly.

The ESPN analyst unloaded on the Nets during Wednesday's edition of "First Take" after watching the Warriors hand them a 117-99 loss at the Barclays Center. Golden State led by 22 points at the end of the third quarter, prompting Brooklyn coach Steve Nash to wave the white flag and pull Kevin Durant and James Harden out of the game. Warriors star Stephen Curry continued what has been an electric start, scoring a game-high 37 points on 12-of-19 shooting and earning MVP chants in the Nets' home arena.
Smith declared that Durant is "all alone" in Brooklyn and "made the wrong decision" by joining the franchise in 2019. He also unloaded on Harden for his poor play, ripped Kyrie Irving for his "betrayal" of Durant and called out Nets fans for their lack of spirit.

It was… a lot. His full comments:
The Nets are 10-5 overall, putting them behind only the Wizards (10-3) and Bulls (10-4) in the Eastern Conference standings. They have won eight of their last 10 games, and they have not gotten a single minute from Irving, who will continue to stay away from the team until he is compliant with local health and safety protocols. Smith paints an ugly picture, but things could be much worse.

Still, even Nash admits that the Nets don't belong in the top tier of NBA teams.

"I just don't think we're in that category yet," Nash told reporters Tuesday. "We got a lot of work to do."

It feels safe to say that Smith agrees with Nash's assessment.

You can watch the full segment from "First Take" below.

Sidney Crosby has played in just two of the Penguins' first 14 games this season. And even if he isn't lighting up the stat sheet, he certainly made his presence known on Sunday.

In the Penguins' 6-1 loss to the Capitals, Crosby struggled mightily. He recorded one shot on goal in just under 17 minutes of ice time, and let his frustration boil over in the third period.
After taking his lone shot on goal less than three minutes into the third period with Washington's Martin Fehervary playing defense, the two skated behind the net where Crosby threw the young defenseman face-first into the boards.
Crosby wasn't penalized on that play but did get sent to the box for cross-checking Evgeny Kuznetzov around seven minutes later. Tom Wilson scored on the ensuing power play to make it 6-1.
After the game, the 22-year-old Fehervary didn't seem to pay much mind to Crosby's actions and didn't really have much to say on the matter.

"Yeah, I don't know. I don't even know what should I talk about it," he told reporters. "I don't care. We'll see next game."
Crosby has zero points, five shot attempts and has a plus/minus of -4 to kick start his 2021-22 campaign. The star center — who has already been named to Canada's Olympic squad — missed the first seven games of the season while recovering from offseason surgery on his left wrist. He returned Oct. 30 vs. the Devils before having to enter COVID-19 protocols on Nov. 3. Sunday's game was his first time slotting in.

The Penguins and Capitals have had some notorious and infamous battles in recent years and will next face off on Dec. 10 in Washington.

The Lakers will continue to lean on Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook early in the 2021-22 season as they move forward without the services of their best player.

Los Angeles star LeBron James has missed the last two weeks of action with an abdominal strain. The four-time NBA MVP was sidelined for two of the Lakers' first eight games of the season before suffering the injury against the Rockets on Nov. 2.
What's next for James? Here's everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
What is LeBron James' injury?
The Lakers have listed James as out on recent injury reports with a rectus abdominis strain. That muscle group is "slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis," per BetterHealth.com, and its primary function is to "move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis."

An abdominal strain can cause sharp pains and result in difficulty stretching the muscle.
How long will LeBron James be out?
After the Lakers' game, against the Bucks, the first of five on the road, James said 'I hope I hope' when asked about suiting up in the team's next game against the Celtics.

However, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports that it's a '50-50' chance that James could play on Friday at the TD Garden.

James was initially expected to miss two weeks, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, who reported on Nov. 4 that the Lakers are taking a cautious approach with his injury.

"If this were the playoffs, could James push to play? Possibly," Charania said. "But James suffered the injury in Tuesday's win over the Rockets, and the Lakers want to be careful and manage the injury during the marathon of this NBA season."
However, Tim DiFrancesco, the Lakers' former head strength and conditioning coach, told The Athletic's Bill Oram that even a minor strain can take several weeks to heal.

"Especially the way he plays, it's tough for me to see him getting back under four weeks," DiFrancesco said. "Then again, he's a different dude, so I wouldn't put anything past him. … These are such delicate injuries that can respond to rest with pain relief quickly, but they are highly susceptible to re-injury if returned too quickly."
Lakers upcoming schedule 2021-22
Date Opponent Time (ET) / Result National TV
Nov. 4 vs. Thunder L, 107-104 —
Nov. 6 at Trail Blazers L, 105-90 NBA TV
Nov. 8 vs. Hornets W, 126-123 (OT) NBA TV
Nov. 10 vs. Heat W, 120-117 (OT) ESPN
Nov. 12 vs. Timberwolves L, 107-83 —
Nov. 14 vs. Spurs W, 114-106 —
Nov. 15 vs. Bulls L, 121-103 NBA TV
Nov. 17 at Bucks 7:30 p.m. ESPN
Nov. 19 at Celtics 7:30 p.m. ESPN
LeBron James stats for 2021-22 season
24.8 points per game
5.5 rebounds per game
7.0 assists per game
2.3 steals per game
4.2 turnovers per game
37.0 minutes per game
46.7 percent shooting
34.7 percent 3-point shooting
78.3 percent free throw shooting

So your favorite team needs pitching? Join the club. To quote Yankees GM Brian Cashman at the GM meetings earlier this week: “Pitching, pitching, pitching.”

There’s something for every team in this year’s market. There are veterans looking for short-term, high-dollar deals, starters around 30 years old looking for lengthy, lucrative deals and plenty of potential bounce-back candidates looking for a chance to reestablish value on one-year deals (maybe with an option or two).
If your favorite team doesn’t add a starter, it’s not because it didn’t have options.

Let’s take a look at the top 20 on the market.

1. Robbie Ray, LHP
   Opening Day age: 30

Why he’s here: The Blue Jays traded for free-agent-to-be Ray at the 2020 trade deadline and he liked his time in Toronto, so he bet on himself with a one-year deal to stay with the Jays in 2021. Turns out, that was a brilliant idea. He finally solved the control issues that had long kept him from joining the elite circle of starters; his 2.4 walks per inning in 2021 was light years better than his career average of 4.3 heading into the season. Ray led the AL in ERA, innings, strikeouts and WHIP, just to name a few stats and is a Cy Young finalist (expected to win).

Potential landing spot: The Blue Jays are primed to compete for AL East and World Series titles for years to come, and having a strikeout pitcher such as Ray atop the rotation feels like a pretty good fit.

2. Max Scherzer, RHP
   Opening Day age: 37

Why he’s here: Scherzer is 37 going on 29, still an effective and often dominant starting pitcher in the big leagues. The right-hander with three Cy Young wins had a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts with the Dodgers after arriving in a trade with the Nationals. He’ll have lots of teams bidding for his services, offering two or three-year deals with crazy-high annual salaries.

Possible landing spot: Padres. Even though, on paper, San Diego has the five rotation spots filled — Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, Chris Paddack and Mike Clevinger returning from Tommy John surgery — you know after last year’s disaster the Pads are going to be aggressive. And adding Scherzer would be very aggressive.

3. Marcus Stroman, RHP
   Opening Day age: 30

Why he’s here: The Mets had dozens of issues in 2020, but Stroman was not one of them. He made 33 starts for the club, posting a 3.02 ERA and 3.49 FIP, with only 2.2 walks per nine. Some have criticized Stroman for only throwing 179 innings in those 33 starts, but that total is impacted by a couple of short outings that were not performance-related, such as April 11, when umpires started the game and then pulled Stroman off the mound for a rain delay after he’d faced just two batters. Or June 22, when he left after an inning because of a hip issue. Here’s a more relevant stat: Stroman pitched at least five full innings in 29 of his 33 starts — including every July, August and September outing — and only three pitchers topped that number: Zack Wheeler, Walker Buehler and Julio Urias.

Potential landing spot: Stroman’s more of a contact pitcher (career 7.5 K/9) than many of today’s starters, so pitching in front of a Cardinals team that had five Gold Glove winners makes sense. The Cardinals would like a reliable rotation addition after last year’s cavalcade of rotation injuries and scrap-heap replacements (many of whom did very well, we should add).

4. Kevin Gausman, RHP
   Opening Day age: 31

Why he’s here: Gausman was outstanding in 2021 for the Giants, posting the best season of his career. He had a 2.81 ERA/3.00 FIP in 33 starts, with a 10.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Plus, he played last year after accepting San Francisco’s qualifying offer, so he has no draft-pick compensation attached, which is nice for him.

Potential landing spot: The lack of compensation is nice, no doubt, but Gausman had pitched in Baltimore, Atlanta and Cincinnati and never experienced nearly the success he had in San Francisco. The Giants have a lot of money to spend, and a reunion makes all the sense in the world for both sides.

5. Carlos Rodon, LHP
   Opening Day age: 29

Why he’s here: Just a stellar bounce-back year, a great comeback story for a guy who has basically been an afterthought for a few years. Shoulder concerns might limit teams’ willingness to offer tons of money and lots of years, at least theoretically, but agent Scott Boras has gone on the record that Rodon isn’t signing a one-year deal.

Potential landing spot: The Mariners could use another lefty starter with Yusei Kikuchi opting out of his deal.

6. Noah Syndergaard, RHP
   Opening Day age: 29

Why he’s here: Yeah, this might be a bit high for him, considering how much time he’s missed. But his upside is huge, he’s only 29 and you can bet the two innings he threw at the end of the season helped ease concerns teams might have had about his return from Tommy John surgery. And the track record of players coming back from TJ is pretty solid. Does he take a one-year deal to reestablish value or will some team sign him longer term, maybe a few years guaranteed with lucrative mutual options?

Potential landing spot: Most seem to think Syndergaard will wind up back with the Mets, either accepting the qualifying offer or on another shorter-term deal. But the taste of free agency is a funny thing. I could absolutely see him winding up with a team looking to make a playoff push in 2022. Think Seattle.

7. Clayton Kershaw, LHP
   Opening Day age: 34

Why he’s here: Kershaw, who turns 34 next March, might not be a perennial Cy Young favorite at this point in his career, but he’s still a damn good pitcher when healthy. He had a 2.16 ERA in 10 starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and a 2.93 ERA in five postseason starts (2.31 in two World Series outings). Kershaw’s 3.00 FIP in his 22 starts in 2021 was his lowest since 2016 and his 10.7 K/9 ratio was the third-best mark of his career — better than two of his three Cy Young seasons.

Possible landing spot: Dodgers. Truth is, Kershaw’s probably going to spend time on the IL every year from here on out. He hasn’t made more than 28 starts since the 2015 season, with a wide variety of issues causing him to miss time. For the Dodgers, Kershaw brings value as a franchise ambassador even when he’s hurt, and they have the resources to build back-up rotation options into the roster. It makes sense that they’d keep the fan favorite around and just do everything in their power to make sure he’s healthy for the stretch run and into October.

8. Justin Verlander, RHP
   Opening Day age: 39

Why he’s here: It’s hard to know where to rank a pitcher closing in on “40-year-old future Hall of Famer who has only made one start since 2019.” Here’s much more on Verlander’s situation and his potential landing spots.

9. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP
   Opening Day age: 29

Why he’s here: That 4.74 ERA in 32 games (31 starts) wasn’t pretty on the surface, but that 3.32 FIP sure looks nice. As does the career-best 10.6 K/9 and 3.94 K/BB rate, especially coming off a 2020 season where he was as impacted by COVID as any MLB player. E-Rod will generate plenty of interest.

Potential landing spots: Wouldn’t be at all surprised if he wound up back in Boston, where he has a career 4.16 ERA in 856 2/3 innings.

10. Jon Gray, RHP
    Opening Day age: 30

Why he’s here: Gray has reportedly expressed interesting in staying with Colorado, but the Rockies didn’t extend a qualifying offer, which means Gray doesn’t come with draft-pick compensation and that’s good news for any teams that might be interested in seeing what he can do away from Colorado’s thin air. His career ERA at home (4.54) is actually a tick better than his ERA on the road (4.65), but what happens when he’s not switching between the thin air and “regular” air if he’s in a different home atmosphere? It’s an intriguing question. He’s coming off a solid year, with a 4.22 FIP and 9.5 K/9.

Potential landing spots: Look, we could put the Angels as a “potential landing spot” for every pitcher on this list. But Gray makes a lot of sense in Anaheim. If nothing else, he’s been pretty durable, with at least 20 starts each of the past five full seasons and at least 149 innings in four of those five.

11. Steven Matz, LHP (30)

Why he’s here: After a 9.68 ERA in 30 2/3 innings with the Mets in 2020, the lefty had a nice bounce-back season with the Blue Jays, posting a 3.82 ERA and 3.79 FIP in 29 starts. Matz would make for a good secondary starter acquisition for the Angels.

12. Anthony DeSclafani, RHP (31)

Why he’s here: Like Matz, DeSclafani was pretty awful in 2020 (7.22 ERA) and pretty great in 2021 (3.17 ERA) in a new location, with the Giants. He’d make sense with Matz’s original team, the Mets.

13. Alex Wood, LHP (31)

Why he’s here: Yep, another starting pitcher who was key to the Giants’ success in 2021. Makes sense that they’ll bring at least one back; of the three, Wood seems likely to command the smallest deal of the three. He’d fit in Washington with the Nationals.

14. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP (30)

Why he’s here: The lefty didn’t live up to his billing in Seattle, posting a 4.97 ERA in 70 starts in his three years with the M’s. But he has a durable arm and posted a solid 9.3 K/9 ratio last year, making his first All-Star team in 2021 before struggling in the second half (5.98 ERA). He’ll make sense for teams — not necessarily just contenders — looking to add multiple starters, teams like the Giants, Angels, Cubs, Rangers or Twins

15. Dylan Bundy, RHP (29)

Why he’s here: The former bright hope of the Orioles was great in the shortened 2020 campaign for the Angels, posting a 3.29 ERA in 11 starts, but 2021 was a disaster. Bundy posted a 6.08 ERA and 5.51 FIP, while his K/9 dropped from 9.9 in 2020 to 8.3 in 2021. At this point, he’s probably looking for somewhere to reestablish value with a team that is not counting on him every fifth day to fuel a playoff push. Look for him to land somewhere like Pittsburgh or Texas.

16. Zach Davies, RHP (29)

Why he’s here: Yeah, he was pretty bad for the Cubs in 2021 (5.78 ERA in 32 starts), but he’s not the first pitcher to blow up in Wrigley Field. Don’t forget, Davies compiled a 3.30 ERA in 43 starts pitching for the contending Brewers and Padres in 2019-20. He’s the perfect candidate to sign with a non-contender, work out the issues that caused his BB/9 to spike from 2.5 in 2020 to 4.6 in 2021, then get traded at the deadline and generate more interest as a free agent next year.

17. Danny Duffy, LHP (33)

Why he’s here: He belongs in Kansas City. He’s family there. Here’s hoping he goes back home.

18. Michael Pineda, RHP (33)

Why he’s here: In what was a disaster of a season for Minnesota, Pineda was actually pretty good when he was on the mound, posting a 3.62 ERA in 22 starts, and the Twins (who finished 16 games under .500) were .500 when he started. He’s pretty much a five-inning starter now — he got more than 18 outs only once all year — but he’s good in that role, and finished with a 1.85 ERA in 24 1/3 September innings.

19. Zack Greinke, RHP

Why he’s here: His All-Star days are likely behind him, but the future Hall of Famer knows how to make the most of his stuff, and he could be an outstanding No. 4 starter for a contender. It’s hard to imagine he’d sign with a team like the Twins or Marlins; maybe the Cardinals — that stellar defense would be appealing — or maybe even a return to the Dodgers?

20. Alex Cobb, RHP (34)

Why he’s here: Cobb was solid when he was healthy, posting a 3.82 ERA in 15 starts before landing on the IL and missing almost nine weeks with wrist issues. He returned to make three five-inning September starts; two were good, one was not.

Carlos Correa's statement last week that Yankees legend Derek Jeter "did not deserve" any of his five Gold Gloves wouldn't be as controversial if Correa wasn't one of the hottest free agents on the market this offseason and would solve the Yankees' current shortstop problems. Goodness knows, he isn't the only person who has said such a thing.

Correa, 27, won a Rawlings Platinum Glove this year as the best fielder, regardless of position, in the American League. He also collected a Gold Glove (his first). He racked up 21 defensive runs saved, most in MLB among shortstops and seven more than runner-up Andrelton Simmons. He's no slouch in the field.

In fact, DRS was a large part of Correa's seeming diss of Jeter on an episode of "Me Gustan Los Deportes" ("I Like Sports"), a Facebook Live show hosted by former MLB star Carlos Baerga. Correa used Jeter's career numbers to illustrate the point that evaluation of defense has changed over the years because of the rise of advanced stats such as DRS.

"Derek Jeter. How many Gold Gloves did he win? Five. I think he won five. Derek Jeter did not deserve any of them," Correa, who has been an admirer of Jeter's, said in Spanish. "You know how much Derek Jeter's [DRS was] in his career? Negative 160 [actually, negative 162, per Fangraphs]. In his career. But your eyes can lie to you. Your eyes can lie to you. His fame . . ."
Heard in isolation, that snippet was a shot at "The Captain." And it came out during a period when the Yankees can bid on Correa, who reportedly turned down an offer recently of five years and $160 million from his old club, the Astros.
Jeter's fame served him well over his two decades with the Bronx Bombers, but it's not why AL managers and coaches voted him a Gold Glove winner in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010 when he was roaring through his 30s. (Critics might say his jump throws and solid hitting were why.) He had one positive DRS figure his entire career, a plus-3 in 2009. Sabermetrics didn't help to decide fielding awards then, however; the eye test was still king.

Jeter passed the test. Correa noted that the eyes can lie.

Jeter's enduring popularity led some Yankees fans to rush to his defense Monday against Correa, who is a sworn enemy in parts of New York because he played for the cheating Astros in 2017, when they beat the Yankees in the ALCS.
But other fans — and, most importantly, Yankees management — know that Correa would be a massive upgrade over Gleyber Torres, Tyler Wade or any other internal candidate. Yankees shortstops tied for 25th in the majors this year with minus-14 DRS. Adding a top-notch player at the position is an offseason priority.

And Correa is top-notch. He heads a loaded free-agent shortstop class that also includes Corey Seager, Javier Baez, Marcus Semien and Trevor Story. The Yankees won't reject him because of a quote that may have been taken out of context. They would be glad to have him play Jeter's position — and very happy if he plays it better than Jeter did.

The Charlotte Hornets were clinging to a 99-98 lead with five minutes to play against Golden State. The easily excitable Hornets play-by-play caller Eric Collins was crackling with anticipation on every dribble in what was looming as a memorable early season win.
Despite the hope in the building from the home crowd, you looked at the Warriors lineup and saw the players on the floor.

Stephen Curry. Draymond Green. Andre Iguodala.

To that point, Curry had been decently held, tallying just 24 points. But surely he would break loose…

Charlotte, who were 7-7 coming into the night needed a big win. A highlight machine team, the Hornets play has been inconsistent through the early part of the season.

Rather than crumble under the pressure, the Hornets locked in on the defensive end, stifling the Warriors and inparticular Curry. Golden State would manage just four points the rest of the way, with Curry going scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting from the floor.

Try as he might, Curry couldn't shake loose from multiple Charlotte defenders and on this night at least, he failed to knock down the miraculous attempts.

The 106-102 win is big, but the way they executed defensively feels like something head coach James Borrego can lean on moving forward.

"We're trying to become a more consistent team in our effort, our execution. I think tonight was a good example of that," Borrego said.

"I think we were just locked in defensively. Our ball pressure, our hands, our activity. I thought our group was fantastic on Steph. He banks one in, you move on, he's going to make some of those shots. I thought in general we made it very tough on him tonight. The guys in that locker room deserve the credit, they were locked in from minute one."

An explosive offensive team, the Hornets have quickly become the darlings of NBA League Pass, with the LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges pairing providing as many highlight reel plays as any duo since the beginning of last season.

Aside from the jaw dropping passes and dunks, Ball and Bridges possess serious size, length and versatility that should bode well for a modern defense to have success.

In a positive sign, the Hornets have a defensive rating of 105.3 across 268 minutes when on the floor with big man Mason Plumlee.

As with all young teams, the defensive side of the ball usually develops after the offense, but for tonight at least, the Hornets flashed an ability to lock an opposition team down when they needed it most.

"To be a good team you've got to be able to close. I think we closed out tonight and it was more on the defensive end."

Now it's about consistency.