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The details of the proposal Chelsea are willing to offer for FC Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen have now been revealed.

Robert Sanchez has received his fair share of criticism this season, with the goalkeeper being brandished an early red card in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United, but he has since returned to form, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

Speaking after the match, Sanchez said: “I feel confident, I am fit and at my best. I have always felt settled because the club always told me I am No. 1.

“But on a personal level and my performance I have to say yes (this is the most settled he has been at Chelsea).”

However, the Blues continue to be linked with new goalkeepers, with it being revealed they were offered the opportunity to sign Barcelona’s Ter Stegen at the end of October, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of the German.

Chelsea willing to submit proposal for Ter Stegen

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now willing to offer to pay 75% of the Barca shot-stopper’s salary to secure his signature in the coming days, although the loan move would have to wait until the January transfer window opens.

The La Liga club are willing to sanction a departure this winter, with the 33-year-old potentially set to join the Blues on an initial loan deal, before making a permanent move to Stamford Bridge for a fee of €10m (£9m) in the summer.

The veteran goalkeeper would welcome a move to a new club, given that he is keen to receive more game time ahead of the World Cup next summer, with the lack of opportunities at Barcelona jeopardising his chances of being Germany’s starting goalkeeper.

The 44-time Germany international has fallen down the pecking order at the Camp Nou and is yet to make an appearance this season, so it would be understandable if he decides to move on in January, ahead of what could be his final World Cup.

Having established himself at the top level, the £281k-a-week Barcelona man could also be an upgrade on Sanchez, with journalist Graeme Bailey saying: “Ter Stegen is world-class, and if there is a chance to bolster your ranks with a player of this calibre for the second half of the season, I think he is a fascinating option for a number of sides in January.”

The former Borussia Monchengladbach star is vastly experienced in Europe, having made 85 Champions League appearances, while he also knows what it takes to win major trophies, lifting 19 major honours with Barcelona.

As such, Ter Stegen could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, who arguably need to bring in older players with experience of winning trophies if they are going to become title contenders.

Chelsea ready to bid for Vinicius Jr alongside Ter Stegen Related Bid ready: What BlueCo think about bringing Vinícius Júnior to Chelsea

The Blues have identified the man they want to become the face of their Stamford Bridge project.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 1, 2025

Left-armer will lead Australia’s pace attack in the opening Ashes Test in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood

Alex Malcolm19-Nov-2025The last man standing of Australia’s big three, Mitchell Starc, says he may take on a little bit of extra responsibility as the senior man in their new-look pace attack. But he believes Scott Boland’s experience and Brendan Doggett’s form will hold them in good stead in the opening Ashes Test in Perth.Starc, 35, is Australia’s ironman having not missed a Test through injury since he broke his finger on Boxing Day in 2022. He reached his 100th Test and took his 400th Test wicket in Australia’s last Test match in July. He will lead the attack in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in Perth and remarkably will be the only one of Australia’s quicks to have bowled in a first-class game at Perth Stadium, with Boland and Doggett having only played BBL matches at the venue.Related

Hazlewood out of Ashes opener with hamstring injury

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Ashes FAQ: Do England really have a chance?

Marsh set for surprise Shield return with an eye on the Ashes

But Starc is confident both men will handle the big occasion at the start of the series. “I think we’re all pretty clear on what our roles are,” he said on Wednesday.”Obviously I’ve got a little bit more experience there. Scotty’s been around for a fair while now, so it’s not like I’m telling him what to do. We’ve got Patty in the sheds with us anyway. So yeah, I may take on a little bit of an experienced role, if you like. But we’ve all been around the traps for a while, so it’s just staying together as a group.”Starc believes Doggett will be able to handle the pressure of an Ashes series as he seems certain to debut as Australia’s third quick in the attack. Starc first met Doggett in 2018 when they toured the UAE together for a series against Pakistan and believes he has come a long way since his first tour with Australia’s Test squad.”Brendan was a lot younger and rawer then,” Starc said. “We knew what he was about, and since then he’s made the change to South Australia. I think he’s come in red-hot. He’s had a good couple of weeks. We as a group know what he’s capable of, and the skills that he presents. And being a little bit older than back in 2018, he’s probably a little bit more comfortable in his own skin and around the group. So really excited if he gets his opportunity this week to see what he can do on a Test arena. Having had him around the group for a while over the years, I think he’s certainly in a great headspace.”Starc and Doggett put on a clinic in the Perth Stadium nets on Wednesday morning under overcast skies after Australia’s training was delayed briefly due to a lightning strike.Brendan Doggett and Mitchell Starc warm up at Australia training•Getty Images

The Perth Stadium nets have been tough work for batters all week and the pair peppered Steven Smith, Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in a hour-long spell. Starc nicked off Smith and looked in superb rhythm having rediscovered something during his recent Sheffield Shield outing after shaking out some rust in the ODI series against India.He admitted he didn’t bowl as well as Cummins did in the nets on Monday. Cummins did not bowl on Wednesday but was at training after missing the optional session on Tuesday. The injured skipper is edging closer to a return in Brisbane having pulled up well from his eight-over spell on Monday.”Probably understand why he doesn’t train much, because when he does, he makes us all look silly,” Starc said. “He was really, really sharp the other day. Sounds like he’s pulling up pretty well. So very positive.”Cummins’ absence with the ball is a major blow but his absence with the bat is arguably harder to cover. Doggett’s first-class average is just 8.57 and he’s never made a half-century although he has a top score of 49. He will likely bat at No. 11 behind Boland with Nathan Lyon elevating to No. 9 and Starc returning to No. 8, a spot he has been trying to avoid for a number of years as his batting has declined quite steeply since his significant early career contributions.”I’ve been trying to get rid of No. 8 for a while, and now I have to go back there,” Starc said. “You all think we fight about getting higher up the order. We all fight to get lower.”We know how important, how beneficial contributions there can be to first innings, second innings, setting up a total, whatever it may be. That’ll play a part. I will keep working on it.”

The 2025 MLB regular season has ended, and focus has shifted to the opening round of the postseason. Before we do that, it's time to reflect on what has been an incredible 162-game campaign over the last six months.

We've been looking inside the numbers all season, so here's a final look at the most incredible stats from the 2025 season.

204 — Aaron Judge's wRC+, which was 32 points better than any other qualified hitter. Shohei Ohtani came in second at 172, leading the National League. That means Judge was a 32% better hitter than Ohtani this year. Wild. For comparison, it was his second-best wRC+ ever, with 2024's 220 still leading the way.

210 — George Springer's wRC+ after the All-Star break, the best in baseball. A's rookie slugger Nick Kurtz finished second at 199. The 36-year-old Springer discovered that the Fountain of Youth exists somewhere near the Rogers Centre and had his best season since 2019. He notched career highs in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.399), and slugged .560 with 32 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 106 runs. Springer ranked third in baseball behind Judge and Ohtani with a career-best wRC+ of 166. His OPS (.959) jumped an 285 points this season in his mid-30s. I'll have what he's having.

38 — Stolen bases by Juan Soto to tie for the NL lead with Oneil Cruz … Yeah, you read that right. Not Elly De La Cruz, Trea Turner or Corbin Carroll, but . Even crazier? The $765 million man swiped 27 bags after the All-Star break to lead all of baseball. Soto had 34 stolen bases over the past three seasons combined entering 2025.

6.1 — Fernando Tatis Jr.'s fWAR, which was sixth in the NL, one spot ahead of Soto, who slashed .263/.396/.525 with 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, and 120 runs. By comparison, Tatis went .268/.368/.446 with 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 111 runs scored. The difference? Defense. Tatis was seventh in the NL with 15 defensive runs saved, while Soto finished at -7.

6.6 — Tarik Skubal's fWAR, best among MLB pitchers, edging Paul Skenes by 0.1. Skubal will undoubtedly repeat as the AL's Cy Young winner after going 13–6 with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 2.45 FIP and 241 strikeouts against 33 walks in 195 1/3 innings. He's still the best in the business.

10 — Wins for Skenes despite an MLB-best 1.97 ERA. The likely NL Cy Young winner finished the season 10–10 with a 2.36 FIP and 216 strikeouts against 42 walks in 187 2/3 innings. It's a crime that the Pirates aren't better when he's on the mound.

25.2 — Launch angle for Cal Raleigh, highest in baseball by 2.1 degrees and a career-high by 2.7. Raleigh was also fourth in barrel% (19.5), so it's not hard to see how he was able to blast an MLB-high 60 home runs. The Big Dumper became a national star in 2025.

45.1 — Hard-hit percentage for Kyle Schwarber this season, a career high. The man who made himself more money than anyone in baseball during the 2025 season led the NL in the stat and finished 0.5% behind Aaron Judge. The 32-year-old slugger also notched career-highs in home runs (56), RBIs (132), wRC+ (152), slugging (.563), and fWAR (4.9). A big performance in a contract year.

99.4 — Hunter Greene's average fastball velocity, tops in baseball among starting pitchers. It was a strong season for Reds starter as he went 7–4 with a 2.76 ERA. Health is the only thing standing between him and ace status. Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski came in second at 99.0 mph. Not surprisingly, Mason Miller's fastball led all qualified relievers at 101.2 mph.

-424 — The Rockies' run differential, which was the worst MLB has seen since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. The modern era began in 1900, so we'll just say it's the worst ever. The previous record of -349 was held by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, so Colorado “beat” it by runs! The Rockies lost 119 games, which was two fewer than the record-setting 2024 Chicago White Sox, but they were arguably a worse team. Colorado has lost 100-plus games in three straight years and has a .356 winning percentage (231–417) over the past four years. The team's ownership group should be stripped of the team at this point.

Bonus Number

.409 — Any guesses on this one? That's the Mets' winning percentage after having the best record in baseball on June 12. New York was 45–24 on that date and went an excruciating 38–55 over the rest of the season to fall out of the postseason picture. Despite a $323 million payroll, the Mets were eliminated on the final day of the season and will spend a long offseason dwelling on it.

Essex 325 for 5 (Allison 98, Pepper 54*) drew with WarwickshireEssex virtually secured their Rothesay County Championship Division One status as their match with Warwickshire ended in a rain-ruined draw at Edgbaston. No play was possible due to rain on the final day, meaning that three of the four days were completely blank.Essex collected ten points from the draw, putting them pretty much safe from relegation as two of the teams below them – Yorkshire and Durham – meet in next week’s final round of games. It would now take an extraordinary combination of results and bonus points to drag Essex through the trapdoor with Worcestershire.It was a sodden and sorry scene at Edgbaston as Warwickshire’s home season came to an anti-climatic close. After high winds prevented play on the first day and rain did so on the third, persistent drizzle overnight and on the fourth morning again left conditions unplayable. Essex were denied the chance to resume from the 325 for 5 that they build on the second day.Tom Westley’s side at least took a solid ten points from the draw – a more productive return than from the drawn encounter between these teams in their inaugural Championship meeting at Edgbaston in 1895. After three days of hard work and effort, the points gained from that game, in which, incidentally 21 players made their Championship debuts, were Warwickshire 0 Essex 0.

Leeds United’s atrocious away record in the Premier League this season continued on the road at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

It’s now eight games in a row for Daniel Farke’s deflated Whites where they haven’t even scored in an away fixture, as Fabian Hurzeler’s hosts “outclassed” the visitors from West Yorkshire – as journalist Graham Smyth simply put it – by comfortably winning 3-0.

Of course, for as much as Brighton were at their dazzling best in spells, Leeds really didn’t put in a compelling enough fight to try and steal a result on the South Coast.

Several of Farke’s first team personnel very much let the under-pressure German down, as Leeds now slip nearer to the dreaded relegation zone…

Leeds' worst underperformers vs Brighton

Minus beating bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers on their travels at the tail-end of September, Leeds have been largely abject on the road in the Premier League since sealing promotion.

A 2-0 defeat away at Burnley to end October has now been followed up by this 3-0 disappointment against the rampant Seagulls, as Brenden Aaronson unfortunately receded back into his shell.

The gung-ho number 11 who took to the field against West Ham and grabbed a goal was nowhere to be found at the Amex, with the American failing to fire a single effort at the home side’s net.

To make matters worse, the energy and application were also lacking, with zero mazey dribbles pulled off, on top of only three of his ten duels being won.

Another strong performer versus the Hammers in Jaka Bijol, also looked out of sorts on the South Coast, as the towering Slovenian won just one of his own three duels, while Sean Longstaff further looked a shadow of his rampaging best, leading to Anton Stach replacing him on the hour mark.

In truth, nobody donning Leeds’ changed strip could come away from the one-sided affair holding their heads high, with journalist Adam Pope right with his assessment at the full-time whistle, when stating that there is a clear “big gulf” between the two sides.

Still, Leeds’ defence throughout was far too lax and charitable, away from waxing lyrical about Brighton’s clear firepower, as one of Farke’s defenders on the day put in arguably his worst-ever shift since joining the West Yorkshire outfit.

Leeds star had his worst game for the club

Unfortunately, many of Leeds’ promotion heroes have struggled at points this season already to acclimatise to the demands of the top-flight.

Joe Rodon hasn’t been one of those – with two goals already picked up in his new, fast-paced environment – but even he fell victim to a flat individual showing against Brighton, alongside Jayden Bogle also having a nightmarish afternoon he will want to quickly forget about.

In the Championship last campaign, Bogle was an undroppable whippet who was constantly full of energy down the right, as the “unbelievable” full-back – as Farke once lauded him – ended the title-winning season with six goals and four assists under his belt, while also collecting a mighty 16 clean sheets.

Watching his showing against Brighton, however, and you would think a different presence had entered the pitch altogether, with Bogle’s tenacious energy completely gone – as seen in him failing to complete one successful dribble – as an error-prone performance, instead, helped the hosts to an emphatic win.

Minutes played

77

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

37

Accurate passes

20/24 (83%)

Accurate crosses

1/3

Successful dribbles

0/1

Possession lost

10x

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

1

Blocked shots

0

Ball recoveries

1

Total duels won

0/1

Staring at the table above in great detail really does solidify the argument that this was Bogle’s worst-ever display as a Leeds player, with zero tackles being won and zero duels being won by the ex-Sheffield United defender only boosting Brighton’s confidence that they could comprehensively get the better of their weak opponents.

Diego Gomez would go on to have an “absolutely insane” game – as one analyst put it – because of the feeble number two’s off-night, with the 25-year-old then afraid to burst forward with his usual pace, knowing he had an extremely tough job on his hands to cage the two-goal Paraguayan.

However, Gomez’s final goal of the afternoon wouldn’t be the most skilful or high-octane goal. Rather, a scuffed attempt at a pass from Bogle – who lost possession a high ten times throughout – would then lead to ex-Leeds star Georginio Rutter putting it on a plate for the red-hot South American to bury.

The aforementioned Smyth would hand out a lacklustre 4/10 rating to Bogle at the close of the demoralising loss, with Farke now surely prepared to drop his regular for James Justin to get a run-out.

If they conjure up many more of those lifeless displays on the road, Leeds will be staring at an immediate return to the Championship, with Bogle potentially collecting an unwanted third relegation on his CV.

Farke can unleash Stach by dropping Leeds star who's "not good enough"

Leeds United boss could bring Anton Stach back into the starting line-up by dropping this star.

ByDan Emery Nov 1, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Após pedir a liberação do trio Estevão, Luís Guilherme e Vitor Reis da convocação para treinos com a Seleção Brasileira Sub-20, o Palmeiras se acertou com a CBF e os três jogadores serão liberados pelo Verdão para passarem uma semana na Granja Comary.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O trio de joias do Palmeiras enfrentam o Criciúma no dia 2 de junho e se apresentam na Seleção no dia seguinte, para um período de treinos que será até o dia 8 de junho, com isso eles não perderão nenhum compromisso com o alviverde, uma vez que o Verdão só volta a campo diante do Vasco, no dia 13.

Ramon Menezes convocou o trio palmeirense que deve fazer parte de todo ciclo de preparação para o Sulamericano Sub-20, que acontece em 2025, no Peru.

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➡️ O mata-mata da Copa do Brasil está pegando fogo! Abra a sua conta e faça já a sua aposta no Lance! Betting

Enquanto Estevão já é titular da equipe de Abel Ferreira, Luís Guilherme vai crescendo de produção e se tornando um reserva importante para o elenco. Já Vitor Reis está inserido no profissional desde o final da Copinha desse ano e é muoto bem avaliado por toda comissão técnica alviverde, que enxerga um grande potencial no zagueiro.

This is not news, but the NFL runs sports, runs the country and runs most of our lives. Sundays are sacred and all the numbers prove this.

According to Sports Media Watch, NFL game windows averaged 20.5 million viewers through the first three weeks of the season, up 10% from last year.

The NFL also knows how to market itself better than any company in existence. On the flip side, Major League Baseball is absolutely horrific at marketing itself.

So, allow me to help MLB with a marketing issue. The final day of the regular season needs to be pushed to Monday in order to get away from going head-to-head with the NFL.

Baseball is smart in having every game on the final day of the season begin at 3 p.m, ET. The sport should keep that concept. Move the final day of the regular season to Monday, having every game begin at 4 p.m. ET, leading into , to create a mega sports day.

The shortsighted take against this change is that people have to work on Mondays.

First off, it’s much easier to compete with someone’s job than the NFL. Secondly, in this day and age of streaming, everybody can watch games on their phones, computer, tablets, etc. Being at work isn’t the hindrance it once was.

Get a bunch of games on that Monday on as many national outlets as possible.

Using this year as a guide, here’s how the final day of the season would look next season if I was in charge of baseball’s TV situation. 

Mets vs. Marlins would air on Fox.

Reds. Vs. Brewers would air on NBC.

Rays vs. Blue Jays would air on ESPN.

Orioles vs. Yankees would air on MLB Network.

Tigers vs. Red Sox would air on ESPN2.

Rangers vs. Guardians would air on Peacock.

Those were the games that had the most on the line this past Sunday. Think about the juice and buzz baseball would’ve had if those four games aired Monday at 4 p.m. with all them being available across the networks, leading into a  doubleheader.

Instead, baseball played these games at the worst possible time on Sunday—right in the middle of the NFL day. To make matters worse, the games began during the "Witching Hour," as Mike Francesa coined the 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. window, when the 1 p.m. games go haywire.

I can assure you that most people who were watching the ending of Chargers-Giants or Eagles-Bucs weren’t thinking about baseball’s final day of the season at 3 p.m. on Sunday. 

Move the finale to late Monday afternoon, leave Tuesday open in case you have to play some tie-breaker games and begin the playoffs on Wednesday. Play the best-of-3 wild card on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Give teams Saturday and Sunday off. Begin the Division Series on Monday. It’s a no-brainer.

Talat scored 32 in 30 balls and took two wickets in the high-stakes game against SL

Danyal Rasool24-Sep-20252:09

Chopra: Talat holding one end up was important

Pakistan allrounder Hussain Talat launched a passionate defence of his utility to his side with the bat, saying there were “only four or five” players who could play T20 cricket in the middle order. Speaking after guiding his side to victory against Sri Lanka in a game where defeat would have put them on the brink of elimination, he called T20I middle order batting “the hardest of skills”.”We keep saying that if we need a middle order player they need to know how to be both aggressive and have the ability to anchor,” Talat said at the press conference after the game. “But the chances of failure with that kind of cricket are high. Unfortunately, if you don’t perform a few games or series, the media and fans immediately go after you and you’re out of the team suddenly.”I think the middle order is the hardest place to play in T20 cricket because you’re required to play all kinds of cricket. And because it’s difficult, I think you should have more chances in that position. And players who can play in the middle order are very rare in Pakistan, perhaps four or five. And even they don’t want to play there.”Perhaps, given the difficult couple of days he – and the rest of the Pakistan middle order have had, that is understandable. On Sunday, Pakistan’s descent from superiority in their clash against India can be traced almost to the moment Talat walked out to the crease in the 11th over. Until then, Pakistan had sped along at nine an over, but when Saim Ayub was dismissed and Talat was surprisingly sent in to bat, all that changed.Talat, who hadn’t played any games in the UAE in the month Pakistan have been here until that day, looked rusty. He scratched around for 11 balls and scored just 10 as India snatched momentum away from Pakistan. Just 38 came in the seven overs that began when Talat walked out to the crease, the lowest for that period of the game all tournament. India would ultimately cruise to victory, with much of Pakistan’s ire directed at Talat and his fellow middle-order batters. It was, Talat said, why he stays away from social media, but admitted it still affected him.Related

• Abrarcadabra – the four-over spell that left Sri Lanka stupefied

• Nawaz and Talat trump Sri Lanka in nervy chase

• Asalanka: Sri Lanka have to 'get combinations right ahead of the World Cup'

On Tuesday, it was a different story. With a match situation more conducive to his abilities, he found his side floundering rather than flourishing, and anchored the chase to ensure they did not let victory slip from their grasp.”We’d lost so no one was feeling good,: Talat said. “The people wanted us to win, and we did what we could against India, too. But there was no extra pressure before today’s game. There was plenty of criticism which we were trying to avoid and which isn’t good for the team. But it was crucial to win today.”In pursuit of 134, that victory looked almost assured when the opened darted to the perfect start, Pakistan helping themselves to 43 in the first five overs. But a two-wicket sixth over from Maheesh Theekshana triggered a collapse where Pakistan lost four wickets for 13 runs, and Sri Lanka were ascendant.”The pitch was a bit sticky, but improved in the second innings,” Talat said. “We lost a few wickets quickly and that put us under a lot of pressure. And then we were running out of batting pairs which required us to take the game deep.”Sri Lanka tightened the screws further when Dushmantha Chameera cleaned up Mohammad Haris as he slogged wildly, reducing Pakistan to 80 for 5, still 54 runs adrift. With the asking rate under control – at exactly six an over, Talat decided to do something not many in the Pakistan camp talk about much these days – batting circumspectly.”In the group, when we talk about batting, it’s always about playing aggressive. But when I went in, a couple of wickets fell. My gut feeling was the only way to win after that was to take the game deep. When Nawaz hit Hasaranga for two fours, he said he’d go for his shots and for me to anchor. And that worked nicely for both of us.”Pakistan saw off the dangerous Theekshana aware that Wanindu Hasaranga, too, would eventually have to bowl out. But when the allrounder came in for his final two over, he went searching desperately, and that opened up scoring options. Nawaz hit him for two fours in his third when he dropped the ball short, and with the target rushing up to meet them, Talat helped himself to two more in Hasaranga’s last to drive the final nail into Sri Lanka’s coffin. In the end, the runs came in a hurry, with Mohammad Nawaz walloping Chameera for three sixes in five balls as Pakistan cantered to the finish in the 18th over.A win can make all the difference, particularly for Talat who has spent far longer out of the side looking in than most in this group. His recent inclusion into the side has only come after more than four years out in the international wilderness, where he feels people haven’t quite appreciated how hard he’s needed to work to scrap his way back in.”We’re hopeful. We’ve been playing T20 cricket for four months or so now, since Bangladesh came to Pakistan in May. Players are being backed in this group; in the past, players used to play a couple of matches and then be omitted. Now they’re getting an extended run like we see elsewhere in international cricket.”We’re two games away from the trophy, and we believe we can win it.”

The Chicago Cubs have one of the best records in MLB so far this season, and the Cubbies don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. They are considered strong World Series contenders, arguably for the first time since they broke the 108-year curse in 2016.

In order to reach the World Series in October, there are a few positions the Cubs might like to upgrade ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday, July 31. The Cubs are expected to make at least one major move, if not multiple, by the deadline.

Who could be joining superstars like Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is one of the NL MVP favorites this season, Kyle Tucker and Dansby Swanson? Here's some players the Cubs have been attached to in trade rumors, and those who would be the best fits for Chicago.

Positions Needed

The biggest need for the Cubs right now is pitching, plain and simple. The team's season got off to a rocky start in the pitching regard as ace Justin Steele underwent elbow surgery in April to cost him the entire 2025 season. Chicago was also without All-Star Shota Imanaga in May and June after he suffered a hamstring strain. He returned to the Cubs' rotation this month. Matthew Boyd earned an All-Star bid this season, but outside of him and Imanaga, the pitchers are less reliable.

Without as much star power in the bullpen as in years past, Cubs pitchers have slacked in some statistical categories. The team ranks 27th in MLB in strikeouts (764), for instance. However, in other categories, the pitching staff has thrived. The Cubs have posted 12 shutouts this season, the second most in the league. The team's combined ERA is at 3.86 this season, which is middle of the pack.

Outside of pitching, the least stable position on the field for the Cubs right now is third base. Rookie Matt Shaw has done a pretty good job manning the position, but he doesn't stand out as much as his fellow Cubs stars in the lineup. He is the only rookie out on the field for Chicago, so the team may want add a veteran player to the hot corner for the remainder of the season.

Trade Targets for the CubsTrade Target 1: MacKenzie Gore — Starting Pitcher, Nationals

We’ll never forget the beautiful offseason chaos that occurred on Dec. 8, 2023.

At the time, the biggest storyline in all of sports was where two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and his adorable puppy Decoy were going to sign in free agency. Ohtani had just wrapped up his sixth season with the Angels and had two MVP award and three All-Star nods to show for it.

There was no question that Ohtani was going to sign the biggest free-agent contract in baseball history—and likely, North American sports history. The question was … where?

As we all know, Ohtani ended up signing a record-breaking 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million, a contract that included $680 million deferred for a decade. Although Ohtani spending his next 10 years starring at Dodger Stadium seemed like a foregone conclusion that offseason, there were other serious contenders to sign the two-way superstar, including the Blue Jays. In fact, on Dec. 8, 2023, there were inaccurate reports swirling around the internet that Ohtani was on a private flight heading to Toronto—interpreted as an indication he was going to sign with the Blue Jays.

It was debunked an hour or so later, but what a time that was to be online.

Less than two years later, the baseball gods provided us with a storyline almost too good to be true—Ohtani’s Dodgers will attempt to defend their World Series title against the Blue Jays, the team that came oh-so-close to signing the two-way superstar.

Ahead of Game 1 on Friday night, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the flight to Toronto that never was:

Setting the stage: Ohtani’s finalists

As early as the All-Star Game in July 2023, Ohtani’s pending decision dominated the headlines. At the time, Tom Verducci considered the Dodgers the favorites to land Ohtani, followed by—in order—the Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Mets.

In the months following, the Blue Jays crept their way into the Ohtani sweepstakes and surged past the other contenders. By December, Verducci reported the Blue Jays were one of two serious finalists for Ohtani along with the Dodgers, and the Cubs and Giants were “hanging in there.”

Could the Blue Jays actually pull it off and outspend the Dodgers? Well, uh …

Dec. 8, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET: The Report

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi broke the internet.

At 4:01 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2023, Morosi reported, citing sources, that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto and his agent would not comment when asked about his travel plans. Morosi made sure to note that as that flight left the ground, Ohtani had not signed any contract with an MLB team.

Earlier that week, it was reported that Ohtani was touring the Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla. There was also a rumor floating around Toronto media circles that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi made a Friday night reservation for 50 people at a sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre. Certainly, a private jet flying from Southern California to Toronto reportedly carrying the two-way superstar meant he intended to sign with Toronto. Right?

Dec. 8 at 5:11 p.m. ET: The Rebuttal

Well, not so fast.

’s Bob Nightengale—in perhaps the defining moment of his reporting career—shut it down.

“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” he wrote in an X post published at 5:11 p.m. ET. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”

After Nightengale swatted the rumors of a Toronto flight, other reporters confirmed that, in fact, Ohtani was still in the Los Angeles area and not headed north across the border. Morosi, to his credit, issued a heartfelt apology later that night for getting it wrong.

But here’s the thing: There a private flight in the air traveling from Southern California to Toronto. And it was carrying a celebrity—just not a two-way baseball phenom.

Dec. 8 at 5:54 p.m. ET: Jumping the shark

Robert Herjavec, the Canadian billionaire best known for his role on the hit show , boarded flight N616RH out of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., and headed to Toronto on Dec. 8, 2023.

Traveling with his two sons, Herjavec had no idea fans and journalists alike were tracking Flight N616RH through the air. When Herjavec landed in Toronto and was welcomed by a sea of Canadian media, he was beyond confused. He was even asked by a Canadian customs agent whether Ohtani was on the plane.

Just before 6 p.m. ET, a CBC photographer on site at the airport reported that Flight N616RH was carrying Herjavec, not Ohtani.

Later that night, Herjavec himself posted to social media and confirmed the news.

“I’d like to thank the @bluejays organization for signing me today!” Herjavec wrote in an Instagram post. “All joking aside—I’m not @shoheiohtani and he was not on my plane today! Not sure how it all started but I’m calling the jays and seeing if they’ll sign my 5 year old for 600 mil (he WAS on the plane and throws a mean pitch).”

The very next day, Ohtani signed his lucrative contract with the Dodgers. He led Los Angeles to a World Series in his first season with the club, defeating Aaron Judge and the Yankees in five games.

But if Ohtani is going to add a second World Series ring to his trophy case, he’ll have to go through the Blue Jays—the organization that will forever be linked to his free-agent decision.