2023 MLB trade deadline tracker: Our latest intel, rumors and news
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adminThe 2023 MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, with contending teams deciding what they need to add before 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
What does Shohei Ohtani‘s future look like with the Los Angeles Angels? What will follow Max Scherzer going to the Texas Rangers in a blockbuster deal with the New York Mets? Could Marcus Stroman, Cody Bellinger and Jack Flaherty be dealt to contenders? And which of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants will go all-in to boost their 2023 World Series hopes?
Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.
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July 31 updates
Two contenders looking for rotation upgrades: Now that the Rays have landed Aaron Civale, the Reds and Orioles seen by rival execs to be among the most aggressive teams searching for starting pitching today. — Buster Olney
Will the Yankees find an outfield fit? Not surprisingly, the Yankees are said to be still working hard to get an outfielder. Their left fielders went into Sunday night’s game 27th of 30 teams in OPS, and last in some key defensive metrics. — Olney
San Diego is now going for it: The Padres did their due diligence about possibly offloading before the deadline, but that chapter is apparently over. They are now out in the market checking on possible OF/DH help, and relief pitching. Fangraphs assesses their chances of making the playoffs at 39.8% after a good weekend against the Rangers. — Olney
Could a Candelario trade happen soon? With trade winds swirling, Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario is not in the starting lineup on Monday. Washington GM Mike Rizzo said Sunday that eight teams were interested in the switch-hitting veteran. The Twins, Yankees, Marlins, Cubs, Brewers and Angels were among the possible suitors though it’s believed Los Angeles has dropped out after trading for two hitters in a weekend deal with the Rockies. — Jesse Rogers
Could Verlander be headed to L.A.? The Dodgers have been engaged with the Mets on the potential of landing Justin Verlander, sources have told ESPN. But the prospect of pulling something off has seemed unlikely given the nature of Verlander’s 2025 option, which automatically vests with 140 innings in 2024. If he hits that number, the acquiring team would be on the hook for somewhere in the neighborhood of $92 million for two-plus seasons of Verlander, who will be 41 in February.
But the machinations of the Max Scherzer trade made this interesting. In it, the Mets paid down all but $22.5 million of Scherzer’s remaining salary in order to acquire a premier prospect in Luisangel Acuna, the brother of Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. The younger Acuna is now the Mets’ second-best prospect, according to MLB.com.
Each of the Mets’ top five prospects is a position player. What they need are pitchers, and the Dodgers have plenty of those. The question is whether they’re willing to give up the ones who would prompt the Mets to pay down enough of Verlander’s remaining salary to make both sides comfortable.
It’d be a complex scenario, potentially made even more difficult by Verlander’s no-trade clause. If Blake Snell and Marcus Stroman are off the table, and Logan Gilbert isn’t really available, Verlander — and potentially Eduardo Rodriguez — could be the last high-ceiling starting pitcher remaining. The Dodgers aren’t expected to add another starter if he isn’t of that caliber. — Alden Gonzalez
Padres’ sweep helps clear their murky deadline decisions: Have the Padres’ players convinced their front office to keep them together? Word throughout the industry as of Friday was that Padres GM AJ Preller still hadn’t decided whether to trade Blake Snell and Josh Hader and essentially punt on the 2023 season; he and his lieutenants wanted to wait and see how the weekend played out before making a decision on Monday, the last full day before the trade deadline.
Well — the Padres swept the first-place Rangers, outscoring them 16-4 in the process.
The Padres are still two games under .500 and eight games out of first place, and they have yet to win more than three consecutive games all season. But they also have a plus-63 run differential, have been the best defensive team in baseball based on outs above average, and one could make the case that they’ve been generally unlucky, going 0-9 in extra-inning games and 6-17 in one-run games and posting only a .706 OPS with runners in scoring position. In other words, they’re not quite the Mets.
At this point, it will probably take a lot to pry Snell and Hader from the Padres (especially Snell). — Alden Gonzalez
India likely to stay a Red: Any chances of Jonathan India getting traded this summer were probably put to rest Sunday, when the Reds placed him on the injured list because of a bout with plantar fasciitis. The Reds hope India’s stint on the IL is relatively brief — but the chances of him being dealt seemed unlikely to begin with.
India seems like something of a redundant player given the emergence of young, promising infielders like Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Spencer Steer, with Noelvi Marte on the way. But he’s also a critical presence in the clubhouse. The Reds’ desire to get controllable starting pitching in return might be better served for the offseason. — Alden Gonzalez
July 30 updates
Angels additions continue: The Angels continued to go all in on 2023 on Sunday, sending two more prospects to the Rockies in exchange for first baseman C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk, both of whom were originally first-round picks by the Angels. Cron and Grichuk represent the fifth and sixth veteran players acquired by the Angels over the last five weeks, joining infielders Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Escobar, starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez. They’re all expected to become free agents this offseason.
It cost the Angels a total of five prospects ranked within the top 20 in their system, according to MLB.com, including two of the top three. The latest moves were a reaction to a lineup that is without Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon and is now without Taylor Ward for the remainder of the regular season after he took an Alek Manoah fastball to the face on Saturday. The lack of depth was causing teams to barely attempt to pitch to Shohei Ohtani. –Alden Gonzalez
In St. Louis, Hicks and Montgomery are just the beginning: The trades of Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays and Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers are just the start for the Cardinals, who are in uncharted territory as a team moving pending free agents instead of adding help in July. Starter Jack Flaherty is as good as gone, with Baltimore and San Francisco looking for help on the mound. Infielder Paul DeJong could be part of a package with one of the pitchers, and outfielder Dylan Carlson, who has been scouted by the New York Yankees, could be moved as well. St. Louis will look very different come Tuesday night. — Jesse Rogers
Cubs shifting focus from subtracting to adding: As the Cubs continue to add wins to their pre-deadline streak, the team has decided to pull Cody Bellinger‘s name off the trade market, sources told ESPN.
Now that the Cubs are certain to add, bullpen needs are a top priority. It’s likely the team wants to remain under the first luxury tax threshold, so cheaper additions could be in order. Rockies left-handers Brad Hand and Brent Suter fit the bill, but White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer might be the best of the group simply because he’s a ground ball machine. The White Sox didn’t have the defense behind him to take advantage, but the Cubs do. Bummer is signed through next season, so the return would be decent for the White Sox, though considering he has a 6.69 ERA this year, the Cubs probably wouldn’t have to give up a top prospect to land him. — Jesse Rogers
July 29 updates
Rangers make megadeal for Max Scherzer
The Mets’ surprisingly aggressive teardown continued on Saturday, by agreeing on a deal to send three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to the first-place Texas Rangers and Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal. The Rangers now have a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter to make up for the loss of Jacob deGrom. The Mets, meanwhile, will have another hole to fill in 2024. It’s clear they’ve given up on 2023 and are using the trade deadline to bolster the farm system and secure long-term sustainability, a stated goal of lucrative Mets owner Steve Cohen, who doesn’t want to be in a position to surpass the highest level of Major League Baseball’s luxury-tax threshold on a yearly basis. –Alden Gonzalez
Will the Padres upend the trade market again? This is the one time of the year in the baseball industry that a small sample size can make an enormous difference, and this might be the case for the San Diego Padres, who beat Texas on Friday to stay on the fringes of the NL wildcard race (Fangraphs pegs their playoff chances at 29.8%). Rival executives say that AJ Preller, San Diego’s head of baseball operations, has been in contact with other teams and is assessing the trade value of some of his most elite players — pitchers Josh Hader and Blake Snell and outfielder Juan Soto, included. The sense from other execs is that Preller would prefer to keep his team intact or even add through the deadline, but that he could pivot and decide to offload before the deadline.
If Preller decides to clean house, he would instantly transform the trade market. Soto would become the best position player available, perhaps attractive to a team like the New York Yankees; Hader would become the best reliever available, someone who could transform the bullpen of the Houston Astros or Atlanta Braves; and Snell would become the best starter available, for potential buyers like the Baltimore Orioles or Boston Red Sox. The Padres made the biggest splash in the market last season, when they acquired Soto, Hader and others. They could have a similar impact this year as a one-stop shop for star talent. — Buster Olney
July 28 updates
Will Giants get infield help from Braves or Royals? The San Francisco Giants are looking for middle infield help, particularly one that comes with a steady glove. Atlanta Braves shortstop Vaughn Grissom and Kansas City Royals infielder Nicky Lopez have been connected to the Giants by industry sources. Giants catcher Joey Bart (out of options next year, probably needs a change of scenery) appears to be available, but Kansas City and Atlanta seem flush with catching so that likely wouldn’t be a fit. — Kiley McDaniel
Two K.C. relievers drawing interest: The Royals are asking for a high return for reliever Scott Barlow — one team was asked for a back-end Top 100 prospect — but have also been getting interest in Carlos Hernandez. As the starting pitchers are coming off the board, the market for relievers should be getting ready to move. — McDaniel
How the Reds could upgrade their rotation: The Reds have used a handful of relievers often — six relievers have already thrown 40 innings each — and have the third-most relief innings thrown in the NL. They’re looking to add an innings eater starter and Lance Lynn (now with the Dodgers) would’ve fit well. The Reds may be turning their sights toward arms like Marcus Stroman, Jose Quintana, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, and former Red Michael Lorenzen. — McDaniel
The Dodgers were expected to be among the most active teams in this year’s trade deadline, and they lived up to that reputation on Friday, striking a deal to acquire Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox. The Dodgers began the week by adding a new shortstop (Amed Rosario) and a right-handed-hitting option against lefties (Enrique Hernandez). Now, in Lynn, they have added a veteran arm for their needy rotation and, in Kelly, a familiar face for the back end of their bullpen in Kelly. Though all four of those players — essentially rentals, though Lynn and Kelly have club options for 2024 — have had disappointing seasons thus far, the Dodgers are clearly confident they can get more out of them once they get them into their system. They have a history of doing so. — Alden Gonzalez
Could Arenado fit in L.A.? While the hefty return it would take to pry the All-Star third baseman from St. Louis still makes a deal seem like a long shot, keep this in mind as rumors swirl about Nolan Arenado potentially going from the Cardinals to the Dodgers: The Dodgers have a history of making blockbuster deals around the trade deadline. In 2017, it was Yu Darvish. In 2018, Manny Machado. In 2021, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. With a close division race this year, that could mean it’s more likely they do make a big move. To fit Arenado, they could slide Max Muncy over to second base and Mookie Betts back to the outfield. And, yes, Arenado is signed through 2026, but the only players the Dodgers have signed beyond 2024 are Betts, Freddie Freeman and Chris Taylor, so there is payroll flexibility to fit in Arenado long term — and still make an offseason run at Shohei Ohtani. — David Schoenfield
Chicago at the center of this trade deadline: With five days left to deal, the Chicago White Sox are looking to follow up their deal sending Lucas Giolito to the Angels by trading away more of their veteran players with Lance Lynn and Tim Anderson two names drawing interest. Meanwhile, the surging Cubs have a tougher deadline decision to make. — Jesse Rogers
July 27 updates
Will Seattle add to its lineup? The Mariners have had an up-and-down and generally disappointing season thus far, and internally, the organization is unsure how much to truly invest into this season when it comes to assessing needs in this market.
The Mariners are not expected to give up key players of their future for would-be free agents at season’s end, like the Angels did while trading two of their best prospects for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Ideally, the Mariners would instead find controllable offensive players — preferably a second baseman or a corner outfielder.
Those types of players will be hard to come by this summer. But in order to truly contend — this year and moving forward — the Mariners need to address their offense. — Alden Gonzalez
Will the Angels add to their deadline splash? The Angels made their big move with six days left until the trade deadline, and they might not be done. Giolito is a nice addition to their rotation and Lopez could be a boost to the back end of their bullpen if he gets right. But the Angels would still like to add to their bullpen and would ideally walk away with another bat, either an outfielder or a corner infielder. A big name here seems unlikely, however.
“We’ll see,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters from Detroit on Thursday. “I’m not taking off to the Bahamas tonight. We have some time. We’ll try and look to add in places that we can and improve the team any way we can. I’m not gonna box ourselves into one spot. I think there’s definitely multiple ways to continue to improve the club.” — Gonzalez
Texas looking to add to both rotation and bullpen: We’d heard the Rangers could be one of the most aggressive teams this deadline. By all accounts they are, canvassing the market in a push to land both a starter and a reliever as they try to distance themselves atop the AL West — Jesse Rogers
Miami attempting to find lineup upgrades: With an offense that lags behind the teams they are battling in the NL wild-card race, the Marlins are casting a wide net for potential improvements, including at shortstop and in the outfield. They are willing to trade from their system strength of young pitching to get the bat they desire. — Rogers
July 26 updates
Angels making moves: Word spread late Wednesday that the Angels had essentially pulled Shohei Ohtani off the trade market, largely because they want to contend for the playoffs. And then the Angels proved it almost immediately — by acquiring starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez for Edgar Quero and Ky Bush, two premium prospects. The Angels have put everything into winning this season. That continues.–Alden Gonzalez
Marlins looking to reel in Tim Anderson? The Marlins are looking at White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who has finally gotten hot. He still ranks last in OPS among all qualified hitters, but his approach at the plate after the All-Star break has been much better. Anderson is hitting balls to right field again; that’s when he is at his best. Miami ranks 25th in OPS at shortstop — still ahead of the White Sox — but Anderson is a more proven commodity than anyone the Marlins employ. A change of scenery and a smaller market could do him some good, as well. — Jesse Rogers
Yankees casting wider net beyond Cody Bellinger? If Cody Bellinger is off the market, the Yankees might turn to Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson or Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario as they attempt to fill a void from the left side of the batter’s box. Candelario would be a solid defensive addition at third base. — Rogers
Too many starters available? This deadline favors teams with players to deal, in general. But one executive noted the volume of teams searching for starting pitchers who are under team control beyond 2023 — and he wonders whether all of the teams looking to move rental starting pitchers (impending free agents) will find trade partners. Among the available starting pitchers who could be free agents this fall: Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Rich Hill, Marcus Stroman, Eduardo Rodriguez, Carlos Carrasco, Jose Quintana, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Michael Lorenzen and Brad Keller. — Buster Olney
Don’t expect a McCutchen trade: Andrew McCutchen is a free agent at season’s end and might normally be considered a possible trade target. But in this case, there seems to be an understanding between the player and team that he’ll remain with the Pirates through the 2023 season, in a continuation of what has been a strong reunion. — Olney
Trade tracker
Rays add to rotation with Civale
The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring right-hander Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians, sources tell ESPN. Cleveland will receive first baseman Kyle Manzardo in return.
Angels land Cron, Grichuk from Rockies
The Los Angeles Angels landed outfielder Randal Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron from the Colorado Rockies for two minor league pitchers, RHP Jake Madden and LHP Mason Albright. Story » | Grades »
Braves get infield help from Royals
The Atlanta Braves acquired infielder Nicky Lopez from the Kansas City Royals on Sunday in exchange for left-hander Taylor Hearn. Story | Grades »
Rangers add second starter in Montgomery
The Texas Rangers acquire left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals, who get infielder Thomas Saggese, right-hander Tekoah Roby and left-hander John King, sources told ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Blue Jays land deadline’s top reliever in Hicks
The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals, sources told ESPN. Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse are headed to St. Louis. Story » | Grades »
Rangers land Scherzer in blockbuster with Mets
Max Scherzer has been traded from the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers in the first true blockbuster deal of this MLB trade deadline. Story » | Grades »
Astros reuinite with Graveman in deal with White Sox
The Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a deal that will send right-handed reliever Kendall Graveman to the Astros. Story »
Lynn, Kelly headed to Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Dodgers added an experienced arm for their shorthanded rotation and a familiar face to the back end of their bullpen on Friday, acquiring starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly from the Chicago White Sox, sources told ESPN. In exchange, the White Sox received outfielder Trayce Thompson, who was originally drafted by Chicago, along with minor league starter Nick Nastrini and minor league reliever Jordan Leasure. Story »
Mets send Robertson to Miami
The Mets’ offloading officially began on Thursday night with a deal sending closer David Robertson to the Marlins for infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez. Story » | Grades »
Santana traded across NL Central
The Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring first baseman Carlos Santana from the Pittsburgh Pirates with 18-year-old shortstop Jhonny Severino headed back to Pittsburgh. Story » | Grades »
Giolito heads to the Angels
The Los Angeles Angels acquired RHP Lucas Giolito and RHP Reynaldo López from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league LHP Ky Bush and C Edgar Quero. Story » | Grades »
Rosario to the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired shortstop Amed Rosario from the Cleveland Guardians. Noah Syndergaard is headed to the Guardians in return. Story » | Grades »
Twins and Marlins swap relievers
The Minnesota Twins acquired Dylan Floro from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Jorge Lopez on Wednesday in a swap of struggling right-handed relievers. Story »
Mariners adding arm to pen
Reliever Trent Thornton, who was DFA’d last week by Blue Jays, is being traded to the Mariners. Toronto will receive Triple-A infielder Mason McCoy. Story»
Dodgers reunite with former utility player
Enrique Hernandez is headed back to Los Angeles after the Dodgers traded RHP Nick Robertson and RHP Justin Hagenman for him. Story » | Grades »
Mets add to bullpen in early deal
Bullpen help is on its way to New York, with the Mets trading LHP Zach Muckenhirn to the Mariners for RHP Trevor Gott RHP Chris Flexen. Story »
Texas lands resurgent reliever
Breakout Rangers acquire Aroldis Chapman from Royals for LHP Cole Ragans and OF Roni Cabrera. Story »
MLB trade deadline analysis
Olney: High tension as Arte Moreno, Angels mull Ohtani trade
What an MLB exec says eight bubble teams should do
Let’s make a deal! Proposing nine potential Ohtani blockbusters
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Sports
Rangers P deGrom (elbow) throwing, ‘feels good’
Published
17 hours agoon
January 18, 2025By
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Associated Press
Jan 18, 2025, 04:27 PM ET
ARLINGTON, Texas — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom already has thrown off the mound this offseason and said everything felt normal after missing most of his first two seasons with the Texas Rangers because of elbow surgery.
The three starts deGrom got to make in September were significant for him.
“That way I could treat it like a normal offseason and not feel like I was in rehab mode the whole time,” he said Saturday during the team’s annual Fan Fest. “So that’s what this offseason has been, you know, normal throwing. Been off the mound already and everything feels good.”
The right-hander said he would usually wait until Feb. 1 before throwing, but he started earlier this week so he could ramp up a bit slower going into spring training.
DeGrom, 36, has started only nine games for the Rangers since signing a $185 million, five-year contract in free agency two winters ago. They won all six starts he made before the end of April during his 2023 debut with the team before the surgery. After rehabbing most of last year, he was 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 10⅔ innings in those three September starts.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is a healthy season from Jacob, and for our fans to see what that looks like, and how good he is,” Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said. “It’s just electric, and coming to the ballpark every day that he’s pitching, knowing that we’ve got a great chance to win the game, it’s an exciting feeling. Our fans truly haven’t experienced that over the course of a season. We’re excited and hopeful that this is the year they get to see that.”
Since his back-to-back Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019, deGrom hasn’t made more than 15 starts in a season. He started 12 times during the COVID-19-shortened 60-game season in 2020.
DeGrom had a career-low 1.08 ERA over 92 innings in 2021 before missing the final three months with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then was shut down late during spring training in 2022 because of a stress reaction in his right scapula. He went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts over the last two months of that season before becoming a free agent.
His fastball touched 98 mph in the last of his three starts last season, when he pitched four innings of one-run ball against the Los Angeles Angels.
“In those games, you know, it’s still a thought in the back of your mind, you just came back from a major surgery and you probably don’t get another one at my age,” he said. “So it was, hey, is everything good? And then like I said, was able to check those boxes off in this offseason, treat it normal.”
Now deGrom feels like he can start pitching again without worrying about being injured.
“Just throw the ball to the target and not think about anything,” he said. “So, yeah, I think I can get back to where I was.”
Sports
Source: Sarkisian lands new 7-year deal at Texas
Published
18 hours agoon
January 18, 2025By
adminMore than a week after its season ended in the College Football Playoff, Texas has agreed to a new contract with coach Steve Sarkisian, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday, confirming a report. The sides came to an agreement Friday night in a deal that includes an extension.
A source told ESPN that it’s a seven-year contract for Sarkisian, 50, that adds a year to his deal and makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
News of the agreement was first reported by The Action Network, which noted that the deal came after Sarkisian declined interviews with two NFL franchises for coaching positions.
The Longhorns, in their first season in the SEC, advanced to the title game and won two CFP playoff games against Clemson and Arizona State before being eliminated by Ohio State on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl.
Texas played Ohio State tight before a late fumble return stretched the Buckeyes’ lead to 14 points. Sarkisian said being the last remaining SEC team in the playoff in their first year in the league is something the Longhorns take pride in.
“I really believe this is a premier football conference in America because of the week-in, week-out task that it requires physically and mentally,” Sarkisian said. “I know unfortunately for Georgia, they lost their starting quarterback in the SEC championship game, and I’m sure other teams in our conference had to endure things that can take their toll on your team, and that’s no excuse. At the end of the day, we have to find a way to navigate our ways through it, but to be here on this stage to be back in the final four wearing that SEC patch on our jersey, we’re going to do our best to represent it because this is a heck of a conference.”
Sarkisian arrived at Texas in 2021 after serving as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama in his previous stop. As head coach previously at Washington and USC, combined with his run at Texas, he is 84-52 overall. With the Longhorns, he is 38-17 and won the Big 12 title last season.
Texas will open next season with a rematch against Ohio State on Aug. 30 in Columbus, Ohio. In that game vs. the Buckeyes, the likely starter under center for Sarkisian will be Arch Manning, who backed up Quinn Ewers for two seasons and will soon get his chance to headline what will be one of the most anticipated quarterback situations in recent memory. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning came to Texas as ESPN’s No. 5 recruit in the 2023 class.
Arch Manning saw more playing time this season as Ewers dealt with injury, and he completed 61 of 90 passes for 939 yards and nine touchdowns. He also showcased big-play ability as a runner, breaking off a 67-yard scamper against UTSA and averaging 4.2 yards per carry.
Sports
AD: Irish prefer independence over vying for bye
Published
20 hours agoon
January 18, 2025By
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Heather Dinich, Senior College Football InsiderJan 18, 2025, 01:44 PM ET
Close- College football reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of Indiana University
ATLANTA — Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said the independent Irish are comfortable continuing to give up access to a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff — something currently granted to only the four highest-ranked conference champions — as long as the fate of conference championship games remains the same.
“We’re comfortable that if conference championship games continue as they’re currently configured, part of the deal we made is that we wouldn’t get a bye, and that’s understandable,” Bevacqua said Saturday, speaking to a small group of reporters at the national championship game media availability at the Georgia World Congress Center. “And quite frankly, I wouldn’t trade that [first-round] Indiana game at Notre Dame Stadium for anything in the world, but you also have to be smart and strategic, and your odds of making a national championship game are increased if you get to play one less game.
“So I think a lot is going to depend on the fate of the conference championship games,” he said. “Should they go away? And that’s obviously not my decision. Should they be altered in some sort of material way where it’s not the top two teams playing for a championship, but something else? Then I think we absolutely have to re-look at Notre Dame’s ability to get a bye if we end up being one of the top four teams.”
Bevacqua’s comments come as he and the FBS commissioners prepare to meet Sunday to begin their review of the inaugural 12-team field, which will produce a national champion on Monday with the winner of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame.
Bevacqua is part of the CFP’s management committee, which is also comprised of the 10 FBS commissioners tasked with determining the format and rules of the playoff to eventually send to the 11 presidents and chancellors on the CFP board for their approval. The commissioners and Bevacqua will have a 90-minute business meeting to start to discuss possible changes for the 2025 season, which would require unanimity, leaving many CFP sources skeptical that next season will look much different.
Bevacqua said he thinks “there’s a chance” the group could agree on a change to the seeding, but one option that has been floated by sources with knowledge of the discussions is having the committee’s top four teams earn the top four seeds — which opens the door for Notre Dame to earn a first-round bye without playing in a conference championship game.
“I think everybody wants what’s best for the overall system,” he said. “It was interesting, when you think about those four teams that got a bye, they didn’t advance. Now I don’t think that has anything to do with the fact that they got a bye, I think that was mostly competition and happenstance. But I think there’ll be a good, honest conversation that will start tomorrow. Are there any changes that we ought to make from this year to next year and make something that’s worked really well work even better? Will there be changes? I’m just one person. I’m not sure.”
CFP executive director Rich Clark, who also spoke to a small group of reporters at the media day event, said some changes for 2025 would require “more lead time than a few months to implement,” so no major structural changes like the size of the bracket are expected for 2025.
Clark said the commissioners will talk about every aspect from “cradle to the grave,” including seeding and re-seeding possibilities.”
Clark said whatever changes are made for 2026 and beyond — the start of a new, six-year contract with ESPN — need to be determined by the end of the calendar year. That could include increasing the bracket size, possibly to 14 or 16 teams.
“We’re trying to beat that timeline,” Clark said. “We don’t want to obviously wait until the limits of it. So we want to move smartly on these things, but we don’t want to make bad decisions, either.”
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