Sports
MLB Owners Are Killing the World Baseball Classic
The travesty unfolding with Team Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic originates from the same place as the impending work stoppage in Major League Baseball:
The cold hearts and fat wallets of MLB owners, who again choose hoarding cash in lieu of stimulating competition.
Officials from Puerto Rico said Saturday the national team might withdraw entirely from the WBC next month because as many as 10 of the players on the roster, which includes some of the biggest stars in the sport, have been denied insurance coverage due to injury risk.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor reportedly won’t play, and neither will Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa, though Correa’s case and others remain under review, The Athletic reports. Lindor had surgery on his elbow in October, but it was minor enough that he’s healthy now and ready to report for Spring Training for the Mets. Correa’s sordid health history is well known, but he also played 144 games in 2025. No matter: they’re denied.
Additional Puerto Rican players who have been denied coverage include Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Enríque Hernández and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos. Overall, more than a third of the entire roster is impacted. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that they’ve been hit so hard by the insurance premium bug, but Puerto Rico feels picked on.
Officials cite Puerto Rico’s small population (about 3.3 million) as a difficulty for adding viable ballplayers. That’s one issue. But the WBC is more, and should be more, than just finding bodies to fill out rosters. Puerto Rico typically has one of the best teams in the world. Lindor is one of the 10 best players in MLB, and Correa one of the two dozen best. Not only for their talent, but Puerto Rico’s enthusiasm for baseball, along with their historical influence, are well documented.
The Puerto Rican team is always among the top reasons to watch the WBC, a tournament in which MLB invests heavily and takes earnestly. But only to a point. Ensuring that Puerto Rico remains whole enough to field a competitive team is against league policy, so to speak.
Puerto Rico is not the only country affected by insurance roadblocks; Venezuela is too, with José Altuve and Miguel Rojas among the disenfranchised. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch for Japan in the WBC in part because insurance won’t cover that half of his game.
If only MLB could do something to defray the cost of insuring those who remain uncovered. It is apparent they don’t want to, and neither do the individual teams. Mets owner Steve Cohen probably has WBC PTSD about 2023, when closer Edwin Díaz took a bad celebratory step and had his season ruined with an injury.
Freak injuries happen, but the WBC happening outside of the MLB season doesn’t reduce its importance to Lindor and players like him, who take competing in it no less seriously than they would the World Series.
But what else should we expect from this league of owners? They contorted themselves to give the Dodgers, of all teams, a more favorable financial situation with local TV revenue following former owner Frank McCourt’s bankrupting ways. And yet, while being cheap with revenue sharing, MLB owners still won’t take steps to regulate minimum spending standards. Owners of smaller-market teams like the Cleveland Guardians and Pittsburgh Pirates take advantage by pocketing the money, and their fans lose. Congratulations — on your tremendous savings.
Instead of just encouraging the league to be competitive in the standings, MLB owners circle their Gucci wagons and talk about greedy players who need to be restrained with a salary cap. No matter that players already get a smaller share of the pie than the owners, and that salaries have been dragging, in relation to inflation, for 20 years. Ah, who else can’t wait for the upcoming reports on collective bargaining talks? More fun than arguing over insurance claims.
MLB owners still have time to do the right thing by pooling some (some!) of their formidable resources for Puerto Rico and anyone else denied because of WBC insurance. The integrity of the entire tournament is at stake. The decimation of Puerto Rico’s roster matters not only to one team and country, but to all who participate.
Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan hosts pool play in the WBC from March 6–11. Cuba, Panama, Colombia and Canada also are scheduled in Puerto Rico. Fans have bought tickets to see P.R. play them all. Puerto Rico’s best team should play if possible.
It is possible — if MLB does the right thing and shares.
Sports
Three MLB Teams Facing Regression in 2026
Jun 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (22) reacts after being hit boy a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich pondered why so many pundits, analysts and fans always pick his team to fail. “This is the year,” they always seem to say, “when the Brewers finally fall on their face.”
And then they go out and make the playoffs anyway, like the Brewers have done seven times since 2018.
“I don’t know if people think that every year is a fluke, or what — you’d have to ask them,” Yelich told reporters gathered for a workout at American Family Field in Milwaukee earlier this week. “A lot of people have been really waiting for the day that we suck so they can finally say ‘I told you so.’ “
As the 2026 Major League Baseball season revs up, the annual “Doubting of the Brewers” is happening again. Milwaukee is one of at least three teams primed for disappointment in the coming year. The Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays, two other playoff teams this past season, also are setting up for regression.
Milwaukee Brewers
What is it that this time will push the three-time reigning NL Central champs over the edge and out of the running? Chief among other factors, the Brewers in the offseason traded ace right-hander Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets for prospects. Brewers general manager Matt Arnold could prove prudent for doing so in coming seasons, as Peralta is due a big pay day because of free agency leverage. But for now, the Brewers rotation will rely on wunderkind Jacob Misiorowski regaining his pre All-Star dominance, old ace Brandon Woodruff regaining his pre-injury effectiveness, and several middle-of-the-road guys to fill out the rotation.
It’s a pattern the Brewers keep repeating with their best players. So far, they’ve managed to avoid paying the consequences by not paying Willy Adames, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, and Corbin Burnes. Right-hander Brandon Sproat, one of the prospects pried from the Mets, made the Brewers starting rotation after a strong performance in the Cactus League. No matter what Sproat contributes as a rookie, it’s unlikely to match what Peralta gives the Mets.
It’s a simple equation: the Brewers lose their ace to the Mets, who use him to take their spot in the playoffs.
Cleveland Guardians
Jul 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) celebrates after getting the final out against the Chicago White Sox during the tenth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Guardians ownership operates under similar economic limitations to that of the Brewers, notably trading away star shortstop Francisco Lindor to the Mets earlier in the decade. In 2025, they successfully outran a pending payday for slugger Josh Naylor, and managed to keep winning despite a mid-season suspension for All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, who’s now facing prison time for pitch-fixing allegations related to gambling.
All it took was an unprecedented hot streak in the second half, along with a crash by the Detroit Tigers, to erase a record 15 1-2 game deficit in the AL Central.
Resilient bunch, those Guardians. But even with slugger José Ramírez locked into one of the most team-friendly contracts for a superstar in recent MLB history, they’re spreading themselves a little too thin. Steven Kwan has to play center field. Rhys Hoskins will hit fifth. The bullpen will be stretched even further with Hunter Gaddis already on the injured list. Outfield prospect Chase DeLauter has to defy history and stay healthy.
The Tigers overcame their own regular-season collapse in the playoffs, and the Royals are ready to jump the Guardians in the AL Central. Cleveland just won’t be good enough to make the playoffs this time.
Toronto Blue Jays
Mar 19, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) singles during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images The Blue Jays had a magical season in 2025, coming this close to beating the Dodgers in the World Series. Anything less than winning it all would be a disappointment this season, but the Jays are starting off too ominously to be too optimistic about returning to the postseason.
They have five pitchers on the injured list to start the season, including three starters — rookie wonder Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and José Berríos. Key reliever Yimi García too. Getting to the World Series means a lot of great things happened, but it also extends your season and pushes the human body in ways that don’t bode well for follow-up success. It could even catch up to the Dodgers.
With suspect pitching depth, star slugger George Springer about to turn 37, and the rest of the league ready to pounce on the defending AL pennant winners, the Blue Jays have a very narrow path to success and too many “ifs” to avoid disappointment in 2026.
Sports
Mikaela Shiffrin wins record-tying 6th WC skiing title
Feb 15, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States during the women’s giant slalom during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images Mikaela Shiffrin won a record-tying sixth World Cup season title on Wednesday in Hafjell, Norway.
Heading into the giant slalom, the final race of the season, Shiffrin had an 85-point lead over Emma Aicher of Germany. A finish no lower than 15th place would result in claiming the title. Aicher could steal the title if she won the race and Shiffrin finished below 15th in the giant slalom.
Shiffrin finished 11th, and Aicher ended in 12th place.
Shiffrin, 31, tied Annemarie Moser-Proll with her sixth season championship. The Austrian won five season titles from 1971-75 and the final one in 1979.
The 2026 Olympic champion in the slalom, Shiffrin won the World Cup title in consecutive years from 2017-19 and again in 2022 and 2023.
“It’s quite emotional,” Shiffrin said to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation after the race. “I’m really grateful to be in this position now. It’s really a big emotion, but I’m so grateful for the fight.”
Lindsey Vonn is next on the list with four overall titles.
With her slalom win on Tuesday, Shiffrin earned her 110th career victory on the World Cup circuit, extending her lead over Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden, who won 86 before his retirement in 1989.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bucks waive Cam Thomas to convert Pete Nance's contract
Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives against Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on March 21, 2026. The Milwaukee Bucks converted forward Pete Nance’s two-way contract to a fully guaranteed deal.
The Bucks waived guard Cam Thomas in a corresponding move prior to their game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Thomas, 24, signed with the team as a free agent on Feb. 8 and averaged 10.7 points in 18 games off the bench with Milwaukee.
As for Nance, he was elated with the notion of receiving a new deal. The contract made him available to play in the team’s final 11 games this season and runs through the 2026-27 campaign.
“To be able to be in this spot is just awesome,” Nance said after the Bucks’ shootaround, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Obviously I’m super thankful for the Bucks for giving me the opportunity. I think it’s just a testament to growth and the work that I’ve done and the experience that I’ve had over the years.”
Nance, 26, is averaging 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 37 games off the bench this season.
Thomas was benched after playing just three minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on March 14. He was held out of consecutive games on March 15 and 17 due to what was listed as a coach’s decision before returning to the court against the Utah Jazz last Thursday.
“There are things we don’t need to talk about,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said, per the newspaper. “That’s not anybody’s business. Like I said before, that’s where as a coach you have to make decisions on what’s best for the team at that time. People don’t understand that. They start talking about other stuff. And, that’s not for anyone to know.”
–Field Level Media
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