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When the Baltimore Orioles traded for Taylor Ward earlier this offseason, it was the first major trade since the conclusion of the 2025 season. The O’s sent top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for a slugging outfielder. The move immediately ramped up Baltimore’s offense.

It hasn’t worked out too well for the O’s so far. They are in fourth place in the American League East with an 18–23 record. That being said, the club has scored 181 runs entering the game on Monday. This is second best in the division behind only the New York Yankees (215). Baltimore’s problem has been their pitching, where the staff has allowed a division-high 222 runs for a run differential of -41.

Ward showing unique plate discipline

Still, with all that in mind, Ward has been a stalwart player for the O’s. He has led the team offensively and led qualified hitters in every major offensive category except slugging percentage. Ward has a .262/.426/.376 slash line and .802 OPS.

But the important number to look at here is his on-base percentage. At .426, Ward leads all MLB qualified hitters in that category due to an MLB-leading 40 walks. And, despite hitting only one home run on the year, he has an above average OPS mark. Since 2020, Ward has had a solid OBP, posting numbers above .300 every year.

But this is something different. His strikeout percentage (10.7 percent) and walk percentage (21.9) are in the 100th percentile in MLB. And Ward’s whiff percentage (16.3) is in the 88th percentile. All three marks are career highs for the veteran outfielder. All of this has contributed to an above average 138 wRC+ (where 100 is average).

power outage in baltimore

When Ward was traded to Baltimore, it was in hopes of adding some power to an offense that was in desperate need. The O’s also signed Pete Alonso to join him, but the duo have hit only nine home runs through 41 games. Ward has contributed only one long ball to that combination.

This is due to deficiencies in almost every underlying metric that grades power contacts. In 2025, Ward hit a career-high 36 homers. That season, his barrel percentage (13.7), hard-hit percentage (42.7) and bat speed (69.5 mph) were higher than his current 2026 numbers. So far this year, those numbers have dropped to 5.5 percent, 36.7 percent and 67.8 mph, respectively. These are some of the steepest declines in MLB.

Nevertheless, Ward has still managed to provide value for Baltimore. According to Statcast his batting run value is +7. This is above average across MLB, with Ward ranking in the 86th percentile. This is better than the 80th percentile ranking he achieved in 2025 with his high home run total. If Ward can rediscover that power, he could become one of the most dangerous all-around hitters in the entire American League.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur could compete in the summer for Besiktas captain Orkun Koçku, whose return to form has sparked serious interest in England and beyond.

The Fanatic reports that After a slow start to the season, the 25-year-old has performed strongly, attracting interest from Europe’s elite.

According to their information, Manchester United and Tottenham are keeping a close eye on him, including ahead of Besiktas’ recent clash with Kasımpaşa, where he reportedly scored ‘high marks’.

manchester united midfield refresh

United’s recruitment team are actively monitoring their dynamic midfield profile ahead of the summer window.

Koçku’s mix of press resistance, ball progression and leadership fits the club’s effort for a younger, more mobile midfield core.

Meanwhile, Tottenham may look to strengthen their midfield this summer. This will certainly be the case if Joao Palinha’s loan from Bayern Munich is not made permanent. Today a report says that this will not happen.

inter milan interest

Manchester United and Tottenham are not the only sides showing interest. Inter Milan is also making efforts.

According to The Fanatic, the Serie A leaders are keen to add Kokkou as part of their long-term midfield succession plan. Their interest could cause problems for the Premier League pair.

Besiktas set their price

Besiktas has made its stance clear. There will be no sales unless the offer is ‘astronomical’. €50 million is the minimum price they will consider for the 25-year-old.

He is currently valued at €25m by Transfermarkt and has never been valued higher than €35m in 2023. But Besiktas see the midfielder at the center of their plans and will only negotiate if a major European side forces their hand.

It remains to be seen whether Manchester United or Tottenham are willing to pay €50m. For now, it appears they are only searching for a midfielder. But he could be an interesting name to move into in the summer window.

Liverpool could once again find themselves drawn into the Italian goalkeeper market this summer. Juventus are increasingly looking to Alisson Becker as the central solution to their problems between the posts.

The Brazilian has been linked with the Turin club in recent weeksInitially as a substitute for Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario. However, it seems that talks in Italy have moved beyond that stage. Inside Juventus, talk about rebuilding the goalkeeping department is increasingly pointing towards Liverpool being the No. 1.

Juventus want to start a new cycle and avoid another reconstruction that fails to provide stability. For many inside the club, that reset starts with the goalkeeper position.

The idea has now also gained more popularity in Italy as a local outlet. magazine There have been suggestions that the Brazilian keeper may not remain at the center of Liverpool’s long-term project. For the Bianconeri, as they say, “all roads lead to Alisson”.

He still has a contract at Anfield until 2027, so there is no immediate pressure for a change. However, speculation regarding Liverpool’s succession planning has inevitably fueled discussion in Serie A.

Spalletti revives connection idea

One factor that helped trigger this idea is Luciano Spalletti.

The Italian manager worked with Alisson during his time at Roma. This was before the goalkeeper’s €75m (£64m) transfer to Liverpool in 2018. During that period, Alisson established the form that would later make him one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers.

That existing relationship is now being seen as a potential lever in Italy. If Juventus were able to initiate negotiations, Spalletti is seen as someone who could help convince the player to consider a move.

Alisson, now 33, remains under contract with Liverpool until 2027 and remains Arne Slot’s first-choice replacement whenever he is fit. There is no suggestion that Liverpool are actively courting him.

Yet, the broader context of the club’s succession planning has not gone unnoticed.

salary and succession

The latest Italian report claims that the financial side of a potential deal would not be prohibitive for Juventus.

Alisson earns around €6m (£5.1m) per season, a figure considered manageable in Turin. Importantly, it would remain below the club’s current salary cap of around €7m (£6m). That limit is set by Kenan Yildiz’s contract.

That combination – experience, availability and financial feasibility – is why Alison has quickly emerged as the idea that many discuss.

On Liverpool’s side, the question remains of timing. Sporting director Richard Hughes approved the signing of Mamardashvili As part of the club’s future plans. However, the Brazilian remains one of the most reliable goalkeepers in world football.

At the moment, there is no sign that Liverpool are ready to open the door. However, the feeling inside Juventus is that if Liverpool were ever willing to discuss a sale and Spalletti managed to convince the goalkeeper, talks could move forward quickly.

In other words, while there is nothing imminent yet, the idea of ​​Alisson becoming Juventus’ next No. 1 is no longer being considered a distant scenario in Italy.

The NFL’s free agency frenzy is barely a week old and Yahoo Sports insider Caroline Fenton already has a team she believes is going to look really, really bad in about 24 months.

Fenton joined the Sportsknot Interview Podcast this week and he wasted no time getting involved. The Raiders, the Colts, DJ Moore in Buffalo – he had it all under his belt. Some of them may surprise you.

The Raiders Aggression, Max Crosby Trade Fiasco

Start with the Max Crosby mess. Everyone saw the Ravens back out of that trade when the market for Trey Hendrickson softened. Fenton noticed something most people didn’t notice: the specific words used by Las Vegas when it announced it was parting ways.

“They didn’t say Max Crosby failed a physical,” he said. “They said the Ravens backed out of the trade. I thought that was telling.”

His theory? Baltimore went into free agency assuming it would cost them Myles Garrett money for Hendrickson – in the neighborhood of $40 million per year. too rich. So he turned to the Crosby trade. Then Hendrickson just…sat there. And the price fell. Suddenly Eric DeCosta is doing the math in his head and realizing he can get a comparable pass rusher and retain both first-round picks.

“This is shady business,” Fenton said. “But let’s not act like this is the first questionable business that’s been done in the National Football League.”

She thinks both teams had a good finish. Specifically for the Raiders, Crosby staying puts a proven veteran next to a quarterback who has never taken an NFL snap. That matters. So is the signing of Tyler Linderbaum, which he said is exactly what a rebuilding team with a young QB should do.

“Bad franchises fail young quarterbacks far more than bad organizations do,” Fenton said.

What are the Indianapolis Colts doing?

This brings us to Indianapolis, which apparently didn’t get that memo.

The Colts re-signed Alec Pierce to the largest free-agent receiver contract in NFL history. They guaranteed Daniel Jones $50 million. Fenton is not affected by any moves as part of the NFL free agency frenzy.

He said, “Just because you pay a guy like he’s elite, doesn’t make him elite.” Specifically on Jones, he reiterated that an Achilles injury after a good half-season does not rewrite four years of bad football in New York. “This is not a $50 million changed perspective.”

Chris Ballard’s seat should be warm, he said. Under his watch, the AFC South has been won multiple times by the Texans, Titans and Jaguars. Still waiting for Indy.

In other NFL free agency moves, Fenton liked the signing of DJ Moore and said it would have a big impact on Buffalo and Trent McDuffie in LA, which angered him. She went to Moore without hesitation, and the reason was less about Moore himself and more about the Bills’ offensive coordinator, Joe Brady.

“I like what Joe Brady does with receivers,” Fenton said. He covered his 2019 LSU offense and even talked to Justin Jefferson about it at the Super Bowl, Fenton said. The short version: Brady unlocks the passing game in ways that don’t show up on the depth chart.

Moore is not elite. Fenton said this clearly. But he’s an upgrade, he fits the scheme, and he’s paired with Josh Allen, who he calls “Superman,” the extent of that offense becomes even greater.

The second-round pick had to give up a lot. He accepted this. Then, they moved forward immediately. You are in a window. spend.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1…More about Scott Gulbransen

NOTTINGHAM Forest will make a fresh attempt to bring Napoli’s Mathias Oliveira to the Premier League.

is according to naples areaNottingham Forest say they have not forgotten about the 28-year-old.

The Reds showed serious interest in the left-back in the winter market and made efforts to secure his services.

On January 22, Khel Witness broadcast news Nottingham Forest submitted an opening bid of €15m. The Serie A side turned it down and requested €20m.

Later that month, Sport Witness covered Italy’s claim The English club want to offer €18 million. However, neither move ever materialized during the last window.

Nottingham Forest are not giving up

The Reds scored tries when Sean Dyche was in charge. Vitor Pereira replaced the former Everton boss at the City Ground in February.

Despite the managerial changes, Nottingham Forest’s plans for Oliveira have not changed. In fact, they are not giving up and will continue to pursue him until the summer.

Nottingham Forest made repeated contact with Antonio Conte’s side in January asking for the required fee to sign the fullback.

Area Napoli have now said that Pereira’s side will ‘try again’ to secure the services of the Uruguay international. However, they agreed to postpone talks until the summer as Napoli could not find a replacement in the winter market.

summer transfer possible

The South American could be the Naples club’s ‘transfer man’, indicating that Napoli are in favor of a move on him after this season.

He has fans in Spain and England, where Nottingham Forest are still keen. ‘The idea of ​​going to the Premier League is attractive’ for the player.

Our take: PL stay key to Nottingham Forest

Pereira’s side need to avoid relegation to have a chance of signing the Napoli defender.

Nottingham Forest are now 17th in the table, level on points with 18th-placed West Ham United and one point behind 16th-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Should they remain in the top division, Oliveira may consider a move to the City Ground. Otherwise, he is unlikely to join the Reds.

At the end of the January transfer window, Inter Milan attempted to sign Liverpool’s Curtis Jones. sports witness The short-lived saga was covered up again and again, and the deal was never completed.

The main reason for this was that the Reds initially wanted to extend the midfielder’s existing contract on Merseyside. The player’s hesitations ensured he stayed, even though he was seen as a replacement for Davide Fratesi. As a result, the Italian’s transfer to Nottingham Forest also failed.

Since then, Jones has started only once in the Premier League for Liverpool. This may not be a worrying sign, but there is still a possibility of a summer outing.

This has now been confidently claimed in Italy.

Inter still in pursuit of Liverpool player

today’s corriere dello sport Inter manager Christian Chivu reportedly fell in love with Jones when the two teams met in the Champions League.

The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Liverpool won 1–0. Perhaps it was Chivu’s liking for him that made the Nerazzurri make the first move in January.

The Romanian is still keen and would like Inter to make another attempt in the summer. Meanwhile, the Serie A leaders have strengthened their relationship with Jones’ squad.

The Liverpool player has the same agent as Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji, who is expected to join Inter permanently in the summer. This common connection can help with a deal, especially if Fratesi leaves at the end of the campaign.

Jones could be a low-priced deal

The England international’s current contract at Liverpool expires in the summer of 2027.

This could make a relatively cheap deal for Inter in 2026. This could be quite an exciting move, mainly because Jones is still at the right age. He is at the peak of his powers and offers greater technical ability than Fratesi, who is more of an outlet in the final third.

A lot could depend on Liverpool’s demands. The Reds are not known for leaving their players cheaply.