As victims go, Lane Kiffin doesn’t seem like one.

He could have stayed at Ole Miss, made over $10 million a year, led his 11-1 team into a home playoff game and become an icon at a place he supposedly found personal tranquility. Or he could’ve left for LSU to make over $10 million a year leading a program that has won three national titles this century.

Fortunate would be one description of such a fork in life’s road. The result of endless work and talent would be another.

But apparently no one knows a man’s burdens until they’ve walked a mile in his hot yoga pants.

Per his resignation statement on social media, it was spiritual, familial and mentor guidance that led Kiffin to go to LSU, not all those five-star recruits in New Orleans.

“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” he wrote.

In an interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith, Kiffin noted “my heart was [at Ole Miss] but I talked to some mentors, Coach [Pete] Carroll, Coach [Nick] Saban. Especially when Coach Carroll said, ‘Your dad would tell you to go. Take the shot.'” Kiffin later added: “I talked to God, and he told me it’s time to take a new step.”

After following everyone else’s advice, Kiffin discovered those mean folks at Ole Miss wouldn’t let him keep coaching the Rebels through the College Football Playoff on account of the fact Kiffin was now, you know, the coach of rival LSU.

Apparently quitting means different things to different people. Shame on Ole Miss for having some self-esteem.

“I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run … ,” Kiffin said. “My request to do so was denied by [Rebels athletic director] Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance.”

Well, if he hoped enough, Kiffin could have just stayed and done it. He didn’t. Trying to paint this as an Ole Miss decision, not a Lane Kiffin decision, is absurd. You are either in or you are out.

Leaving was Kiffin’s right, of course. He chose what he believes are greener pastures. It might work out; LSU, despite its political dysfunction, is a great place to coach ball.

Kiffin should have just put out a statement saying his dream is to win a national title, and as good as Ole Miss has become, he thinks his chance to do it is so much better at LSU that it was worth giving up on his current players, who formed his best and, really, first nationally relevant team.

At least it would be his honest opinion.

Lately, the 50-year-old Kiffin has done all he can to paint himself as a more mature version of a once immature person. In the end, though, he is who he is. That includes traits that make him a very talented football coach. He is unique.

He might never live down being known as the coach who bailed on a title contender. It’s his life, though. It’s his reputation.

One of college sports’ original sins was turning playcallers into life-changers. Yeah, that can happen, boys can become men. A coach’s job is to win, though.

A great coach doesn’t have to be loyal or thoughtful or an example of how life should be lived.

This is the dichotomy of what you get when you hire Kiffin. He was on a heater in Oxford, winning in a way he never did with USC or Tennessee or the Oakland Raiders.

That seemingly should continue at resource-rich LSU. Along the way, you get a colorful circus, a wrestling character with a whistle, a high-wire act that could always break bad. It rarely ends well — from airport firings to near-riot-inducing resignations to an exasperated Nick Saban.

LSU should just embrace it — the good and the not so good. What’s more fun than being the villain? Kiffin might be a problem child, but he’s your problem child. It will probably get you a few more victories on Saturdays. He will certainly get you a few more laughs on social media.

It worked for Ole Miss, at least until it didn’t. Then the Rebels had to finally push him aside. This is Lane Kiffin. You can hardly trust him in the good times.

If anything, Carter had been too nice. He probably should have demanded Kiffin pledge his allegiance weeks back, after Kiffin’s family visited Gainesville, Florida, and Baton Rouge.

Instead, Kiffin hemmed and hawed and extended the soap opera, gaining leverage along the way.

Blame was thrown on the “calendar,” even though it was coaches such as Kiffin who created it. And leaving a championship contender is an individual choice that no one else is making.

Blame was put on Ole Miss, like it should just accept desperate second-class hostage status. Better to promote defensive coordinator Pete Golding and try to win with the people who want to be there.

To Kiffin, the idea of winning is seemingly all that matters. Not necessarily winning, but the idea of winning. Potential playoff teams count for more than current ones. Tomorrow means more than today. Next is better than now.

Maybe that mindset is what got him here, got him all these incredible opportunities, including his new one at LSU, where he must believe he is going to win national title after national title.

So go do that, unapologetically. Own it. Own the decision. Own the quitting. Own the fallout. Everything is possible in Baton Rouge, just not the Victim Lane act.

Closer Ryan Helsley and the Baltimore Orioles are in agreement on a two-year, $28 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN, continuing the remaking of Baltimore’s beleaguered pitching staff with one of the most sought-after relievers on the free agent market.

While multiple teams sought to sign Helsley as a starter, the 31-year-old right-hander chose to remain in the role that made him a two-time All-Star and will hand him the ninth inning for the Orioles while retaining the ability to reach the open market after 2026.

Helsley, whose deal is pending a physical, is the second bullpen addition of the winter for Baltimore, which reacquired right-hander Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs after dealing him to Chicago at the trade deadline. With a moribund pitching staff, the Orioles went 75-87 and finished in last place in the American League East after consecutive postseason berths.

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias trawled the free agent market for a late-inning option and landed on Helsley, who over his seven-year career has a 2.96 ERA in 319⅔ innings with 377 strikeouts, 133 walks and 105 saves.

Among the lowest points were the final two months of Helsley’s 2025 season, when, following a deadline deal from St. Louis to the New York Mets, he posted a 7.20 ERA and allowed 36 baserunners in 20 innings. Coming off an All-Star showing for St. Louis in 2024, which included a National League-leading 49 saves and a 2.04 ERA, Helsley saved 21 games with a solid 3.00 ERA for the Cardinals before the deadline, when he was sent to the Mets for three prospects.

Acquired to deepen a New York bullpen anchored by closer and fellow free agent Edwin Diaz, Helsley struggled badly during his time with the Mets. He blew saves in three straight appearances in mid-August and spent most of the past month working in low-leverage situations as New York collapsed down the stretch and missed the postseason.

Baltimore saw more noise than signal in Helsley’s downturn and is banking on Helsley’s stuff — which pitch-quality metrics rate as some of the best in the game — returning him to dominance. Helsley deploys one of baseball’s hardest fastballs, which averaged 99.3 mph in 2025, according to Statcast, ranking in the 99th percentile of all pitchers.

With incumbent closer Felix Bautista expected to miss the 2026 seasons following rotator cuff and labrum surgeries in August, the Orioles entered the winter with only right-hander Yennier Cano and left-hander Keegan Akin as veteran bullpen options. Beyond Helsley and Kittredge, Baltimore could add another reliever, sources said. The Orioles’ need for pitching help isn’t limited to their bullpen, either. Following the trade of Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for left fielder Taylor Ward, Baltimore continues to pursue starting-pitching options to join left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-hander Kyle Bradish at the top of their rotation, sources said.

A fifth-round pick out of Northeastern State in Oklahoma, Helsley was a full-time starter throughout the minor leagues until he joined the Cardinals’ big league roster. From 2022 to ’24, he was arguably the most valuable reliever in the NL, alongside right-hander Devin Williams, a free agent with whom the Orioles spoke as well.

ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle contributed to this report.

Is Major League Baseball headed for disaster?

One year from today — on Dec. 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, to be exact — the league’s current labor agreement expires.

As the owners and players look to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, there are major hurdles to clear and some key areas of disagreement.

Will we see a work stoppage in 2027? Is a salary cap coming? ESPN MLB experts Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez field some of the biggest questions looming over the sport.

Is there any chance that the two sides could come to an agreement before next December’s deadline — and what happens if they don’t?

Sure. There’s always a chance. It’s akin to the chance that Lloyd Christmas had with Mary Swanson, but it’s a chance nonetheless.

The greater likelihood, if past is indeed prologue, points toward the league locking out the players Dec. 1, 2026. A lockout would shut down free agency and trades, as it did in 2021, and set an even more important, though informal, deadline: early to mid-March 2027, the drop-dead date for potentially losing regular-season games.

What happens between today and a year from today could have significant bearing on avoiding the doomsday scenario: that not only are the players locked out, but the sides cannot find common ground thereafter. The greatest threat of an extended work stoppage — baseball’s last was in 1994-95 — would come if owners insist on an overhaul of the game’s economic system to include a salary cap. Player leadership has indicated it won’t even entertain the notion of a capped system.

At the same time, the union and executive director Tony Clark are in the middle of a federal investigation into MLBPA finances that launched around May 2025. Any pursuit of a prosecution by the government could have a demonstrable effect on union leadership and, potentially, its positions in bargaining. — Jeff Passan

What is the timeline for negotiations between now and Dec. 1, 2026?

While the sides held a preliminary meeting this fall and could have more informal sessions over the coming months, bargaining typically cranks up during spring training.

At that point, the sides will begin to make their priorities clear to each other, and it will offer a better sense of the issues that are expected to be central to the negotiations. The most pertinent will be just how firm the league is on its desire for a cap.

The initial offers are important to outline the broad strokes of the negotiations to come. The most important meetings, however, will take place closer to the Dec. 1, 2026, deadline, with November the most vital month to establish where the sides stand before the expected lockout. — Passan

Who are the primary names fans should know on both sides of the negotiations?

For the players: Deputy executive director Bruce Meyer is the lead negotiator, Clark the ultimate authority. There is a 38-member executive board of players, made up of eight elected, high-ranking subcommittee members (Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, plus veterans Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien and Brent Suter) and one representative from each team — the delegates for the rank-and-file.

For the league: Deputy commissioner Dan Halem is the lead negotiator, commissioner Rob Manfred the ultimate authority. The league’s labor policy committee — headed by Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, who is joined by Hal Steinbrenner (New York Yankees), John Sherman (Kansas City Royals), Jerry Reinsdorf (Chicago White Sox), Ray Davis (Texas Rangers) and Jim Pohlad (Minnesota Twins) — is the proxy for the 30 owners. — Passan

How will the looming potential of a prolonged labor stoppage impact free agency this offseason?

Executives, league officials and agents are in agreement on one thing at this moment in the offseason: They’re simply not sure how things will shake out just yet in terms of spending. There are no grand predictions about the theme of the offseason, and the few early signings haven’t foreshadowed much, either.

Having said that, two emerging narratives seem to be prevalent. It’s business as usual for the annual World Series contenders like the Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and now we can include the Toronto Blue Jays in that category.

Phillies president Dave Dombrowski didn’t even hesitate when asked how the final year of labor might impact their winter.

“That is not something we talk about,” he said. “We’re going to proceed normally.”

You can expect the same from the Dodgers, who are attempting a rare three-peat in 2026.

Other organizations are waiting for more certainty, potentially in the form of a new economic system, before they jump back into serious spending. That might not come until after the next CBA is signed, which means that the looming end of the CBA will have some say in the offseason, even if it’s a small impact.

Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer admitted at the end of last season that many of his player contracts were designed to be up after 2026 — in other words when the CBA expires — in order to have relatively clean books heading into 2027 and beyond. Several agents and teams believe that cost certainty in the form of a new CBA — and, if MLB gets its way, a first-ever salary cap — will return spending back to higher levels simply because teams will understand their yearly costs more intimately after a new deal.

In the meantime, there’s a postseason and World Series to be played in 2026. And it’s just not the major markets that want to get a playoff run under their belts before things change, according to insiders. So look for free agents to do well in the market even with labor concerns percolating this winter. Yes, a few might take one-year deals, hoping the next economic system benefits them when they go back into the market — but there is certain to be plenty of momentum.

Agent Scott Boras summed it up when asked if spending would be depressed this winter, knowing what’s to come after next season.

“Historically we haven’t seen that, because teams always want to be their best,” he said. “The bottom line is teams understand they don’t have to pay players when there are strikes [or lockouts].” — Jesse Rogers

Will the battle over a potential salary cap be the primary topic discussed between owners and players in the year ahead?

There doesn’t appear to be much doubt about that. Economic disparity has been a hot-button issue for decades. The crumbling of the regional sports network (RSN) television model, which led to several teams losing out on local media revenue, has brought that topic to the forefront in recent years. And the unmitigated spending of teams like the Dodgers and New York Mets has only exacerbated the anger from owners throughout the industry, who continue to claim they don’t have the revenues to keep up.

Even Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner recently downplayed his franchise’s profit margins and spoke out in favor of a salary cap. If Steinbrenner, who presides over one of the most powerful sports franchises in the world, sounds open to one, imagine how strongly his counterparts in markets such as Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Tampa feel.

But the prevalence of free markets has been a tentpole issue throughout the MLB Players Association’s existence. Remember that, and you’ll start to understand how ugly this could get. — Alden Gonzalez

Which other issues will fans hear most from each side in the year ahead before the CBA expires?

A central issue for the union during the last round of talks was on how to get players paid sooner, a counter to the middle class of free agency continuing to dry up. As a result of the current CBA, minimum salaries went up, the prospect promotion incentive was introduced, and pre-arbitration bonus pools were established. Expect more talk around that subject in general. In all likelihood, MLB will once again argue that higher compensation for younger players needs to be coupled with a lower luxury tax threshold and will try once again to pair that with a salary floor. The MLBPA probably will say that steers too close to a traditional salary cap system, and on and on we’ll go again.

So, yes, economics will dominate — particularly with changes to the revenue-sharing model desired by both parties and potentially providing a path to an agreement. But two other topics figure to be front and center. One is how MLB implements rule changes. In the last basic agreement, the league secured full autonomy over the implementation of new rules. The union desires more control. And then there’s the subject of an international draft. The league wants one.

During the last round of talks, the union entertained the possibility. After a new CBA was ratified, the two sides gave themselves an additional four months to agree on a trade: The league gets an international draft, the union does away with the qualifying offer. They couldn’t agree by the deadline, but this will come up again. — Gonzalez