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  • Jeremy Willis, ESPN.comNov 29, 2024, 07:32 AM ET

On Thanksgiving in 2011, we thought we saw the end of the Texas–Texas A&M football rivalry.

When Texas senior, and future NFL great, Justin Tucker nailed a 40-yard, winning field goal, it gave the Longhorns a 27-25 win over their hated rivals and closed out a series that had been played since 1894.

“It was special,” Tucker said at the time. “This is what we play for in college football. … And being able to put a smile on every Longhorns [fan’s] face tonight was special to me.”

It was the end because conference realignment was splitting up the Aggies and Longhorns. Texas A&M was leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. It would take another titanic round of conference realignment for Texas to join the Aggies there.

And to get the rivalry back on the schedule.

Though, by Saturday, the Aggies and Longhorns won’t have met on a football field in 4,755 days, the hate went nowhere.

The teams have met in other sports. The Horns also swiped Texas A&M’s baseball coach, Jim Schlossnagle, in June. His hiring came a day after he said: “I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again.” But since that Thursday 13 years ago, the football rivalry has largely been reduced to political maneuvers, social media spats and rote answers from new coaches.

Here’s a look at the timeline of pettiness before the Longhorns and Aggies finally play again (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+):

2012

The SEC’s addition of Texas A&M and Missouri was the conference’s first movement outside its traditional footprint. The chance to add new TV markets and expand into new regions has been a factor in expansion ever since. But then-Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds didn’t think the SEC was getting much out of the deal.

One year after Tucker beat the Aggies, the teams were moving on. TCU replaced A&M as Texas’ Thanksgiving Day opponent in 2012 and the Aggies would play Missouri during the holiday weekend.

With the breakup still raw, Texas’ Alex Okafor felt pity for A&M’s players.

The Aggies, riding the mania around Johnny Manziel’s Heisman run, an upset of No. 1 Alabama, and an 11-2 season, might not have been too concerned about their holiday plans.

2013

Throughout this time without the rivalry, the Texas state government tried its hardest to enact laws to force the two teams to play each other.

The first came with HB 778, filed by state representative Ryan Guillen, a Texas A&M graduate. The bill, which never made it out of its legislative committee, did feature a penalty.

“Whichever institution refused to participate in the showdown would suffer restrictions on its athletic scholarships,” the Texas Tribune reported.

Another similar bill was filed by representative Lyle Larson in 2018. In 2019, the bill gained support from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Texas graduate. Abbott even called attention to the measure in his state of the state speech that year.

That measure also died in committee.

Though the legislature was trying to force the two sides back on the field in 2013, everyone from chancellors to athletic directors, coaches and players were trading shots at one another.

“They left,” Dodds said, sounding not at all like the scorned party, in March 2013. “They’re the ones that decided not to play us. We get to decide when we play again.”

At SEC meetings that year, then-Texas A&M chancellor R. Bowen Loftin was asked for a one-liner about his school’s former rival.

“I don’t have to make it anymore,” Loftin said. “[The rivalry is] not relevant to us anymore, that’s the whole point. It’s not an important issue.”

Being continually asked about it kind of makes it relevant but that shouldn’t get in the way of pettiness. But then the football season came around.

In the second week of the 2013 season, Texas was crushed by BYU 40-21, with Cougars QB Taysom Hill racking up 388 total yards and three scores. Aggies defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. made a bold declaration.

The tweet reached then-Texas coach Mack Brown, who bristled at the notion.

“We are the university of Texas in this state and will be, regardless of what some [Texas A&M] kid tweets,” Brown said.

The Aggies still had Manziel and were heading to a 9-4 season. The Longhorns would finish 8-4 that season, but Brown would announce his departure in December.

By November 2013, nearing two years since the last game, it was time again to ask people around the programs about whether they wanted to renew the game. Jason Cook, then an associate athletic director at A&M, took his turn in stating that no regular-season game was coming.

“We hope to play them again in a BCS bowl or playoff game at some point,” Cook told ESPN at the time.

2014

The end of 2013 saw huge changes at UT. Brown was gone and Dodds announced his retirement. Steve Patterson, a Texas alum, would take over as AD and Charlie Strong replaced Brown.

Though Strong was the first of many new coaches at the programs to generically endorse the rivalry’s return, saying “I’d love to play it,” his AD wasn’t feeling the same way.

“There’s a lot of great tradition with Texas A&M. At some point in time, does it make some business sense, some branding sense to play again? I don’t know,” Patterson said in early April. “It’s not at the top of my list.”

Later in the month, Patterson said more to SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum.

In May, the Horns and Aggies would meet again, but in an NCAA baseball regional. Aggies football coach Kevin Sumlin said, “Eventually, I think it will happen,” referring to renewing the rivalry.

Though the spring was busy, another football season went by without the teams meeting. Strong went 6-7 in his first season in charge of the Longhorns. The Aggies went 8-5 and Sumlin & Co. were rolling on the recruiting trail, signing a class that included five-stars Daylon Mack and QB Kyler Murray, who had teased the Longhorns about potentially coming there.

2015

Strong and Sumlin again said they’d like to see the rivalry return. Strong was more cautious about it this time.

“Let me win some games first,” he said. “Then I can push it. I don’t know if I want to go walking into College Station right now.”

The Aggies didn’t miss their chance to capitalize on the Texas coach capitulating to A&M.

Though the coaches were playing nice, administrators in College Station were ready to crank up the hating again.

Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp first said playing the Aggies meant getting on “real TV,” a veiled shot at UT’s Longhorn Network (which was run by ESPN).

Then, when Texas announced it would begin selling beer and wine at football games, Sharp came out firing.

“Our athletic program has not reached the point where we require the numbing effects of alcohol,” Sharp said.

2017

By 2017, it had been more than five years without the rivalry. That didn’t lessen any of the bitterness from some of those involved. Bill Bryne, A&M’s AD from 2003 to 2012, looking back on his time, said he wanted the SEC to keep Thanksgiving weekend open to continue the rivalry but was thwarted by his counterpart in Austin.

“Their AD [DeLoss Dodds] at the time came out and said we will never play Texas A&M again, and they worked along with Baylor and the conference to have no one in the [Big 12] schedule us,” Bryne told AL.com a few years later. “There were other forces at work to make sure we didn’t play.”

Byrne would go on to say, “We don’t need them anymore.”

Despite his desire to see it happen, Strong’s tenure at Texas came and went without the rivalry. He was fired after the 2016 season. Soon after Byrne’s comments, new Texas coach Tom Herman echoed his predecessor’s desire to see the game return.

2018

Before the 2018 season, the Houston Chronicle reported that Texas had tried to schedule a home-and-home series with Texas A&M for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. That would have given college football back the rivalry two years soon.

The Aggies said no.

“We were already booked,” Texas A&M athletic director Scott Woodward told the Chronicle. “We’re booked 10 years out. He had an opening at the time, and it suited him, but it didn’t suit us.”

Woodward also said that playing in the SEC West was all the Aggies needed.

“You have Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State rolling in here every other year and Arkansas in Dallas every year. That’s a pretty darn good schedule,” Woodward said.

The Longhorns scheduled Alabama instead. Their win over the Tide in 2023 helped put them in the College Football Playoff. The Aggies would lose nonconference games to App State and Miami in those seasons.

The Aggies got a new coach in 2018 — Jimbo Fisher, who hired ace recruiter Tim Brewster, to his staff in College Station.

Brewster wasted little time getting caught up in the rivalry sniping by being subtweeted by then-Texas QB Sam Ehlinger who tagged then-Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, who had just led the Tide to a national title.

2020

After years of administrators and politicians stating how much they wanted the game back, pushing for the game to come back or saying the game would come back at some point in the future, nothing much had changed.

Fans, too, called for the game to be back. Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork, who was hired in 2019, got back to one hopeful fan.

2021

A year after Bjork’s tweet, things were indeed moving forward, without A&M’s input. In July 2021, reports began circulating that Texas, along with Oklahoma, were in discussions to join the SEC.

The Austin American-Statesman reported at the time that the Big 12 believed talks between the SEC and the two schools had been going on for months, though Texas A&M had been left out of the discussions. An SEC source told ESPN’s Heather Dinich that it was inaccurate that A&M was left out of the conversation.

Bjork countered, saying he will be “diligent in our approach to protect Texas A&M.”

“We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas,” Bjork said. “There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12 — to be standalone, to have our own identity.”

Texas A&M’s board of regents even called a meeting for the “discussion and possible action on contractual and governance issues relating to Texas A&M University and the Southeastern Conference.”

Bjork said at the time that he didn’t believe there was anything in A&M’s affiliation with the SEC that prevented the league from pursuing other Texas schools.

Loftin, who had retired by this latest round of expansion, said he believed there was an unwritten “gentleman’s agreement” about inviting other teams from member states.

“There’s this understanding among the membership — at least it was 10 years ago — that you don’t admit a school from the same state as a member school unless that member school’s OK with it,” Loftin told ESPN’s Dave Wilson in 2021. “We talked about it from time to time among ourselves, that this was the way it was going to be, that if we had another school in Texas wanting to enter the SEC, Texas A&M would have veto power.”

That bluster was probably the perfect coda to this chapter of the rivalry — a lot of big talk that ultimately didn’t mean anything. Also like most of the games on the field in the history of the rivalry (Texas holds a 76-37-5 record), the Longhorns came out on top.

And when it was becoming clear the Aggies would no longer be the lone Lone Star State SEC school, Loftin couldn’t resist a shot at the Horns.

“They have a very high opinion of themselves — which is not surprising — but not always justified. And that drives a lot of thinking there,” Loftin said in 2021. “… But the fit, culturally, of A&M and the SEC is very good. The fit of Texas is not. That’s just plain and simple.”

2024

With the game finally about to return, the Longhorns and Aggies have each had three coaching changes since 2011. All of those new coaches said they wanted to resume the rivalry yet never got to see its return.

Each program had athletic directors say some spicy things. But Patterson was relieved of his duties in 2015 and Bjork left Aggieland for the AD job at Ohio State. Neither got to back up their words.

The coaches new to the rivalry, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, echoed, at least some of their predecessors, in respecting the history of the game and being glad it’s back.

“We should play them,” Elko said in May. “When you have two programs like that in same state two hours away, they should play every year and it should mean a lot.”

If the 13 previous years are any indication, Saturday’s game should mean quite a bit.

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NHL Power Rankings: New 1-32 poll, each team’s most intriguing December game

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December 5, 2025

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NHL Power Rankings: New 1-32 poll, each team's most intriguing December game

Aside from a loss Thursday, the Colorado Avalanche keep rolling, and their spot atop the NHL standings is equaled by their position in the ESPN NHL Power Rankings.

Beyond the Avalanche, the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers rose up the rankings this week, while the Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Utah Mammoth took a tumble.

The month of December includes many games on the schedule, and for this week’s edition of the Power Rankings, we’ve identified the most intriguing matchup on the docket for each club.

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Nov. 28. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 81.5%

Dec. 27 at the Golden Knights. Months remain before the Stanley Cup playoff picture crystallizes into its final form. It’s a decent bet, however, that the Avs and Knights will both be skating into late April and beyond, and this contest is as good of a Western Conference finals preview as we may get before the actual thing — or at least until their next game on the schedule on April 11.

Next seven days: @ NYR (Dec. 6), @ PHI (Dec. 7), @ NSH (Dec. 9), vs. FLA (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 73.2%

Dec. 13 vs. the Panthers. The Stars have won a great many of their games this season; they are second in the NHL standings behind the juggernaut Avs. But one of the games they didn’t win was against the defending Stanley Cup champs. Can they get a W here, in the last time they’ll see them this season until a possible Cup Final?

Next seven days: vs. SJ (Dec. 5), vs. PIT (Dec. 7), @ WPG (Dec. 9), @ MIN (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 65.4%

Dec. 20 at the Lightning. There’s a lot of season left. But it looks these two former Southeast Division rivals will be near the top of their respective divisions — and could square off in the Eastern Conference finals in May.

Next seven days: vs. NSH (Dec. 6), vs. SJ (Dec. 7), vs. CBJ (Dec. 9), @ WSH (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 63%

Dec. 9 at/Dec. 28 vs. the Canadiens. There were many strange events during the early 2020s. One of them was the 2020-21 NHL season where four new divisions were created, and the playoffs culminated in a Stanley Cup Final pitting one Atlantic Division team against another. Years have passed since then, and now both the Lightning and Canadiens are fighting for playoff position among their traditional division rivals.

Next seven days: vs. NYI (Dec. 6), @ TOR (Dec. 8), @ MTL (Dec. 9), @ NJ (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 62.5%

Dec. 27 at the Jets. Around 450 miles separate these two Central Division rivals, but both will be fighting for similar real estate in the playoff race if the Avs and Stars keep dominating as they have.

Next seven days: @ VAN (Dec. 6), @ SEA (Dec. 8), vs. DAL (Dec. 11)

play

0:56

Jesper Wallstedt records 4th shutout in 6 games

Arda Öcal breaks down Jesper Wallstedt’s historic accomplishment following Minnesota’s 1-0 victory.

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 64.3%

Dec. 11 vs. the Hurricanes. Although the team matchup here is notable — both the Caps and Canes are near the top of the Metro — this comes down to a historical stat angle for Alex Ovechkin. The team against which Ovi has scored the most goals in his record-breaking career is the Winnipeg Jets (58); No. 2 on that list is Carolina (53). Does he close the gap with a tally (or two, or three) in this contest?

Next seven days: @ ANA (Dec. 5), vs. CBJ (Dec. 7), vs. CAR (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 61.1%

Dec. 27 at the Kings. With the Ducks back in the contenders’ mix this season, these Battle of SoCal games take on extra meaning. Anaheim won the most recent matchup, 5-4 in a shootout, on Nov. 28.

Next seven days: vs. WSH (Dec. 5), vs. CHI (Dec. 7), @ PIT (Dec. 9), @ NYI (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 61.5%

Dec. 23 vs. the Sharks. For the first few years of the Golden Knights’ existence, the Sharks were a bitter rival, including some epic, violent clashes in the postseason. San Jose dropped off a bit, but appears back on the upswing. Will this showdown match the intensity of seasons past?

Next seven days: @ NJ (Dec. 5), @ NYR (Dec. 7), @ NYI (Dec. 9), @ PHI (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 61.1%

Dec. 14 vs. the Canucks. With the trade rumor machine running on overdrive when it comes to Quinn Hughes joining his brothers in New Jersey at some point, this is another chance for the Devils faithful to see the eldest Hughes brother in action with his current team.

Next seven days: vs. VGK (Dec. 5), @ BOS (Dec. 6), @ OTT (Dec. 9), vs. TB (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 63.5%

Dec. 13 vs. the Sharks. Penguins fans have been blessed to see Sidney Crosby in 1,378 regular-season games (and 180 in the playoffs). On this night, they’ll see Macklin Celebrini on PPG Paints Arena ice, a player whose game has recently drawn Crosby comparisons.

Next seven days: @ DAL (Dec. 7), vs. ANA (Dec. 9), vs. MTL (Dec. 11)

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0:42

Sidney Crosby notches goal on the power play

Sidney Crosby notches goal on the power play

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 57.4%

Dec. 29 at the Avalanche. The true test for the 2025-26 Kings will be in how far they progress in the playoffs. But this late-December matchup against the current top team in the West will be a good litmus test.

Next seven days: vs. CHI (Dec. 6), @ UTA (Dec. 8), @ SEA (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 63.5%

Dec. 13 vs./Dec. 14 at the Hurricanes. The Flyers’ current standings position is a moderate surprise to those who did not peg them as a playoff team. This home-and-home series against the perennial playoff-contending Canes is a chance for Philly to make a statement.

Next seven days: vs. COL (Dec. 7), vs. SJ (Dec. 9), vs. VGK (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 58.9%

Dec. 27 vs. the Rangers. Neither of these teams has what could be called a firm grasp on a playoff spot at this point, but the geographic rivals always bring the heat to these games no matter the standings.

Next seven days: @ TB (Dec. 6), @ FLA (Dec. 7), vs. VGK (Dec. 9), vs. ANA (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 55.6%

Dec. 27 at the Maple Leafs. Have the Senators surpassed the Leafs? Ottawa didn’t have enough to knock Toronto off in the clubs’ first-round playoff series in the spring but sits ahead of its intraprovince rival currently.

Next seven days: vs. STL (Dec. 6), vs. NJ (Dec. 9), @ CBJ (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 59.6%

Dec. 6 at the Maple Leafs. Is there anything better than a Saturday night matchup between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs? The clubs have split their matchups thus far, and their next tilt after this one isn’t until March 10.

Next seven days: @ TOR (Dec. 6), vs. STL (Dec. 7), vs. TB (Dec. 9), @ PIT (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 55.4%

Dec. 13 at the Blackhawks. These two teams are no longer Norris Division rivals (or even in the same conference), but there’s always something special about a Blackhawks-Red Wings game!

Next seven days: @ SEA (Dec. 6), @ VAN (Dec. 8), @ CGY (Dec. 10), @ EDM (Dec. 11)

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0:50

Patrick Kane lights the lamp for Red Wings

Patrick Kane lights the lamp

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 55.2%

Dec. 23 vs. the Canadiens. These two of the Original Six clubs are both in playoff position in the first week of December, which adds some fuel to this rivalry compared to recent seasons when one team was clearly better than the other.

Next seven days: vs. NJ (Dec. 6), @ STL (Dec. 9), @ WPG (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 51.8%

Dec. 14 at the Penguins. While the Mammoth and Penguins are fighting for postseason positioning, this game is under more of a spotlight for one Utah skater in particular: Logan Cooley, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area and participated in Sidney Crosby’s “Little Penguin” youth hockey program.

Next seven days: @ VAN (Dec. 5), @ CGY (Dec. 6), vs. LA (Dec. 8), vs. FLA (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 56%

Dec. 12 at the Mammoth. Utah isn’t technically an expansion team, but this is still correctly described as the NHL’s two newest teams facing off in what also happens to be a superb uniform matchup — and a pivotal contest in the Western wild-card standings as well.

Next seven days: vs. DET (Dec. 6), vs. MIN (Dec. 8), vs. LA (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 55.2%

Dec. 23/Dec. 31 at the Capitals. If the Rangers are going to get back in the playoff mix, they’ll need to win head-to-head games against teams currently occupying those spots. This double shot of contests against the Caps is an even better opportunity because both games are on the road.

Next seven days: vs. COL (Dec. 6), vs. VGK (Dec. 7), @ CHI (Dec. 10)

play

0:39

Artemi Panarin gets his 900th career point

Arda Öcal reports on the big nights from Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad against the Ottawa Senators.

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 55.6%

Dec. 7 at the Ducks. Since it’s not possible for the Blackhawks to play the Sharks and Ducks at the same time, we’ll pick this matchup that will showcase Connor Bedard against fellow young dynamo Leo Carlsson. Bedard & Co. will next see Macklin Celebrini and San Jose on Feb. 2.

Next seven days: @ LA (Dec. 6), @ ANA (Dec. 7), vs. NYR (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 57.4%

Dec. 7 vs. the Capitals. The Caps and Blue Jackets have played some memorable games in recent seasons — including two Columbus victories down the stretch of 2024-25 when the club was fighting for the final wild-card spot. The Caps have won both contests this season — and both were a 5-1 final score — so the Blue Jackets are out for some vengeance in this one.

Next seven days: @ FLA (Dec. 6), @ WSH (Dec. 7), @ CAR (Dec. 9), vs. OTT (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 51.8%

Dec. 29 at the Ducks. When it comes to rising teams in the Pacific Division, the Ducks appear to be about a year ahead of the Sharks, so this will be a glimpse into the future for San Jose fans. But it’s also a showdown of two of the league’s most exciting young talents in San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson.

Next seven days: @ DAL (Dec. 5), @ CAR (Dec. 7), @ PHI (Dec. 9), @ TOR (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 51.9%

Dec. 9 vs. the Stars; Dec. 11 vs. the Bruins. At this point, we’d hope that fans in Winnipeg appreciate the fine art of goaltending, given that Connor Hellebuyck — arguably the best American goalie of all time — plays for the Jets. If so, this pair of home games will be a treat, as fellow elite American goalies Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman come to town in the same week.

Next seven days: vs. BUF (Dec. 5), @ EDM (Dec. 6), vs. DAL (Dec. 9), vs. BOS (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 53.7%

Dec. 16 vs. the Blackhawks. Three days after Connor McDavid and the Oilers buzz through the Six, another Canadian-born superstar named Connor will grace Scotiabank Arena. So, in a season that hasn’t gone as well as planned for the Leafs, at least Toronto fans will get an extended look at one definite member of their Olympic team (and one possible addition).

Next seven days: vs. MTL (Dec. 6), vs. TB (Dec. 8), vs. SJ (Dec. 11), vs. EDM (Dec. 13)

play

0:44

Matthew Knies falls to knees, gets up to score great goal for Leafs

Matthew Knies falls to knees, gets up to score great goal for Leafs

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 50%

Dec. 15 at/Dec. 27 vs. the Lightning. The NHL schedule makers provided us with a double shot of the Battle of Florida this month! The action will be electric, as usual — although the teams will probably finish with fewer than the 65 penalties for 312 minutes they amassed in their preseason matchup on Oct. 4.

Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Dec. 6), vs. NYI (Dec. 7), @ UTA (Dec. 10), @ COL (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 51.8%

Dec. 13 at the Maple Leafs. Last season, both of these clubs were firmly in playoff position but would see their seasons end at the hands of the Cup champion Panthers. This season hasn’t gone so well. Which of the two could use this mid-December matchup as a turning point?

Next seven days: vs. WPG (Dec. 6), vs. BUF (Dec. 9), vs. DET (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 48.2%

Dec. 31 at the Stars. The closest that Buffalo has come to a Stanley Cup was in the 1999 Final, which it lost in controversial fashion to the Stars, who just came out with a new uniform paying homage to that title. Will Dallas be sporting those unis on New Year’s Eve?

Next seven days: @ WPG (Dec. 5), @ CGY (Dec. 8), @ EDM (Dec. 9), @ VAN (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 44.6%

Dec. 12 vs. the Blackhawks. Not a ton has gone the Blues’ way this season, but maybe this old-school rivalry matchup against Chicago will serve to get them back on track for a big second half.

Next seven days: @ OTT (Dec. 6), @ MTL (Dec. 7), vs. BOS (Dec. 9), @ NSH (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 42.6%

Dec. 29 at the Kraken. When it comes to regional rivalries, the Canucks-Kraken matchup isn’t on the level of many others around the league … yet. Perhaps this game jump-starts a big run for the Nucks.

Next seven days: vs. UTA (Dec. 5), vs. MIN (Dec. 6), vs. DET (Dec. 8), vs. BUF (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 44.4%

Dec. 27 at the Blues. This hasn’t been the greatest season in franchise history. But this game could at least get a bit chippy — it’ll be Nashville’s third against St. Louis in December.

Next seven days: @ CAR (Dec. 6), vs. COL (Dec. 9), vs. STL (Dec. 11)

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 41.4%

Dec. 23 at/Dec. 27 vs. the Oilers. There isn’t quite as much juice for these Battle of Alberta contests as when these two met in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, but there’s every reason to expect fireworks in this bitter feud.

Next seven days: vs. UTA (Dec. 6), vs. BUF (Dec. 8), vs. DET (Dec. 10)

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What Buster Olney, Jeff Passan are hearing about Schwarber’s suitors, top free agents and blockbuster trades

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December 5, 2025

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What Buster Olney, Jeff Passan are hearing about Schwarber's suitors, top free agents and blockbuster trades

  • Buster Olney

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    Buster Olney

    ESPN Senior Writer

    • Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com
    • Analyst/reporter ESPN television
    • Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”

Dec 5, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

MLB’s winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Florida, signaling the time when baseball’s offseason activity is likely to take off.

What’s the latest on free agent hitters, including coveted sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Tucker? Will Framber Valdez find a new home now that fellow top free agent pitcher Dylan Cease is off the board? What’s the latest on a trade market featuring stars such as Ketel Marte and Steven Kwan? And which teams could surprise the sport by making a big splash in Florida?

Here is the latest intel Buster Olney and Jeff Passan are hearing on the players, teams and themes that will rule this year’s meetings.

Last year’s winter meetings were all about Juan Soto — is there one free agent or theme on everyone’s mind going into the meetings this year?

Olney: Some agents and execs are saying the money for free agents is generally locked down. There are outliers, of course — the Toronto Blue Jays are doing their thing, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, A’s and Miami Marlins are all angling for a We Are Trying posture.

The very elite guys, such as Kyle Schwarber, will get their money. But there are early indications that a lot of the teams that are traditionally aggressive might be more conservative this winter, perhaps because of the looming labor situation — and that could lead to more trades, rather than investments in free agents, as teams look to plug holes.

Passan: When does the Kyle Schwarber dam break? Several teams’ fortunes — from Philadelphia to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh to Boston to Baltimore to the New York Mets — depend on where Schwarber goes. The belief among teams is that it will take five years to secure the 32-year-old, and once that happens — perhaps sometime during the meetings — teams will start pivoting, and the action will pick up demonstrably.

Which top free agent hitter is most likely to sign during the winter meetings?

Olney: In recent winters, the Blue Jays wanted to spend big and couldn’t entice Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto to take their money. Now, some free agents could need Toronto, if some of the big-money teams pass on pricey moves. Kyle Tucker has been projected as a $400 million-plus player, but it might behoove him to move quickly if he gets an early, aggressive bid from the Jays (or some other team).

This is not a winter in which you want to be waiting for the big offers to materialize, as they did for Bryce Harper and Manny Machado in past offseasons.

Passan: Schwarber is the best bet. Tucker isn’t close to done yet. Cody Bellinger has a healthy market but is biding his time. Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette are world-class infielders with ample, moneyed suitors. Pete Alonso‘s signing could go down after Schwarber.

What’s clear is that there’s a group of teams that will spend on a big bat (Phillies, Red Sox, Blue Jays), a number surveying multiple options (Yankees, Mets, Cubs) and a handful that would do so opportunistically (Orioles, Tigers, Reds, Pirates). Others could emerge depending on how the market plays out and what trade possibilities emerge.

Which other hitters could move quickly at the meetings?

Olney: Cedric Mullins‘ choice to sign for a one-year, $7 million, with the Tampa Bay Rays could be a warning sign for this free agent class. Mullins was not a perfect free agent by any measure, after his struggles with the Mets, but the rapidity with which he agreed to a deal could reflect the general feeling that this market could play out like a game of musical chairs — if you’ve got offers in hand, it’d be best to move fast and grab a spot (and money). Jorge Polanco could be among those who sign sooner rather than later — he’s coveted by the Mariners and some other teams. Harrison Bader set himself up well with a strong performance in Philadelphia.

Passan: If Schwarber goes early, everyone is in play. Otherwise, the second tier of hitters includes infielder Jorge Polanco, catcher J.T. Realmuto and Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto, and teams believe there could be momentum toward deals with them. Another popular hitter: infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who could return to Atlanta — which still needs a shortstop — on a shorter-term deal or seek longer-term security elsewhere.

Now that Dylan Cease has signed, which big-name aces could move next?

Olney: It depends on your definition of ‘big-name.’ Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, future Hall of Famers, will find landing spots, but they are on the downslopes of their remarkable careers; they can wait, and there is a presumption that Scherzer could pitch for his good friend and new San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello.

If you’re talking about the guys who will be getting paid the most, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are next up, and there are clearly teams with which they could fit. The Mets need an ace; the Orioles need an ace. But the perceived expectations for Valdez’s next deal are high early in this offseason, evaluators say, and any team that bids on Suarez has to get comfortable with investing in a guy who doesn’t throw hard — which is not common in this era.

Passan: Teams in the mix for Suarez believe he’s the next big-time starter off the board. Though the 30-year-old won’t fetch a Dylan Cease-level deal, he long has been a target for Houston, which balks at deals beyond six years, and Baltimore, which is seeking a top-end rotation piece. Right-hander Michael King has widespread interest because of his frontline potential with a willingness to sign for a shorter term than the top starters. Also worth watching: right-hander Merrill Kelly, who at 37 is in line for a multiyear deal. Arguably the best starter in the class, Valdez is often among the league leaders in innings with a playoff résumé, and his market will unfold alongside the best hitters’.

Will we see a run of reliever signings following Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley getting deals?

Olney: Not necessarily, because there are so many relievers available — more than 100 unsigned free agents. Pete Fairbanks could be among the next to sign, and the 35-year-old Robert Suarez. Edwin Diaz‘s free agency is fascinating because he’s the best available pitcher in an offseason in which there are few teams seemingly prepared to invest a nine-figure contract on a short reliever. He has been linked to the Mets, of course, and the Blue Jays, but each of those teams has been filling other holes, so far.

Passan: The run on relievers is slowing slightly, though Fairbanks and Kyle Finnegan are the closers who could be had sooner than later. Tyler Rogers is primed to get a three-year deal, as is Brad Keller, who could transition to be a starter. Luke Weaver will get multiple years. The left-handed market is thin and led by Steven Matz, Caleb Ferguson, Taylor Rogers, Gregory Soto and Sean Newcomb. Diaz and Robert Suarez are the two best relievers left, and they are likely to wait for the larger market to shake out.

Which players will be mentioned most in winter meetings trade discussions?

Olney: It makes sense for teams that have trade candidates under team control into 2027 to weigh offers now because they might struggle to get proper value for those players next July, given the labor uncertainty after the season. That means players such as Mackenzie Gore of the Nationals — and Paul Toboni, Washington’s president of baseball operations, said in a “Baseball Tonight” podcast interview Wednesday that he has talked with Gore about hearing his name in trade rumors — and Kwan of the Guardians.

Interestingly, other teams report that the Twins haven’t been pushing Joe Ryan in trade discussions. Maybe that’s because they don’t have to, or, in the opinion of some evaluators, Minnesota could prefer to keep Ryan. The Diamondbacks told interested teams in July that they wouldn’t trade Marte, but their posture now is very different; they have to improve their rotation, and the quickest way to do that would be to swap Marte.

Passan: Multiple executives see a flurry of potential trades, headlined by Marte, Arizona’s All-Star second baseman. The Diamondbacks aren’t clamoring to move him. They also know that with five very affordable years under contract, Marte is among the most valuable players in baseball, thanks to his combination of productivity and cost. Another second baseman teams are considering: Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe.

Miami is almost certain to move a starting pitcher this winter, and Edward Cabrera has generated the most interest. Boston has been discussing its outfield surplus with multiple teams. Pittsburgh wants to trade a starter for a hitter. The Brendan Donovan market remains conflagrant, as St. Louis considers whether its rebuild will include him or the hefty return he would fetch.

Which is one surprise team to watch at the winter meetings?

Olney: We aren’t accustomed to seeing the Pirates, Marlins or A’s among the most aggressive teams, but they seem to be like college freshmen holding credit cards for the first time — some agents think they’ll add something in the range of $25 million to $30 million in payroll, either in salaries acquired through trades or in free agency.

Passan: After getting Helsley in free agency and Taylor Ward in a trade, the Orioles are looking to land a big player — and though the priority is pitching, they’re not against targeting a hitter, either. The Los Angeles Angels, whose last major free agent signing for more than $65 million was Anthony Rendon in December 2019, are still looking to bolster their rotation after trading for Grayson Rodriguez and signing Alek Manoah.

What else are you hearing that will shape the winter meetings?

Olney: The juiciest rumor I heard this week was the notion that the Mets could push the Phillies for Schwarber, and there are a lot of reasons this could make sense. Beyond Schwarber’s power and on-base capability — can you imagine pitchers working to get through Schwarber and Soto in the same inning? — he is known as someone who works to pull players together. And hell, even if the Mets don’t believe they can beat the Phillies in the bidding for the slugger, they could push Philadelphia’s cost by being involved, as the Braves did with Aaron Nola two winters ago.

There’s a lot of talk among teams about Murakami, the free agent corner infielder who is making his way from Japan — and skepticism, in some front offices, about how his skill set will play in the big leagues, given his big swing-and-miss profile and the perception that his defense could be a problem. But all he needs in this bidding is for one team (or more) to fall in love with his big-time power.

Passan: If Schwarber signs and unclogs the market, expect others to fall — either toward the end of the meetings or in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai could wind up with a big-market team on the East Coast, and the New York Yankees — with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon expected to miss the start of the season — New York Mets and Philadelphia are reasonable landing spots. All three have interest in Bellinger, too. Another Japanese star, Murakami, is more likely to sign in the period between the meetings and holidays. With the paucity of center fielders in free agency and on the trade market, Bader has a healthy market.

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Washington joining Giants staff as infield coach

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December 5, 2025

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Washington joining Giants staff as infield coach

  • Alden GonzalezDec 4, 2025, 02:28 PM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

Former Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington is joining the San Francisco Giants‘ coaching staff, he confirmed Thursday..

Washington, a longtime third-base coach before managerial stints with the Texas Rangers and Angels, will be named infield coach for the Giants.

“We are working out the logistics. I have agreed to join the Giants,” Washington told The Associated Press in a text message Thursday. “I get a chance to continue to make a difference.”

Washington was hired to manage the Angels leading up to the 2024 season but spent a good chunk of 2025 away from the team after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery and was told he would not return at season’s end.

Washington, 73, who stated near the end of the season that he was in good health and expressed a desire to continue managing, now will join the staff of rookie manager and longtime Tennessee Volunteers coach Tony Vitello.

Washington, who also managed the Texas Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, has long been hailed as one of the best infield instructors in the game, drawing rave reviews from several All-Star-caliber players in his extended time with the Atlanta Braves (2017-23) and then-Oakland Athletics (1996-2006, 2015-16).

In San Francisco, Washington will work primarily with a Gold Glove third baseman in Matt Chapman, a star-caliber shortstop in Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, the slugging third baseman who is still working through his transition to first base.

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