Sports
There is now a Will (Venable) — can the White Sox find a way forward?
Former Rangers associate manager Will Venable was named manager of the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox essentially entered the shower moved from Old Comiskey Park to the main concourse level above the bleachers at their South Side ballpark, in search of a much-needed cleansing.
There is plenty of caked-on muck developed over the last two seasons. The long process of removing it started Thursday when Will Venable was named manager.
It is a sensible and respected move from a franchise that has been void of them in recent years.
Left to play out now is whether Venable, 42, can last long enough to see through a franchise reconstruction reaching far beyond a roster rebuild.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the World Series title late Wednesday, club president and CEO Stan Kasten was asked his secret to building what has been a wildly successful organization.
Kasten’s answer was to hire the right people and then get the heck out of their way.
The White Sox can learn a lot listening to the disciplined ideals of the current MLB champions.
Venable represents an ideal hire from general manager Chris Getz, who wasn’t exactly considered the sensible choice for his post, given his lack of experience in a position that has so much responsibility for halting the club’s high-speed freefall.
Venable should prove to be a voice of reason, at least when it comes to on-field decisions and developing a sense of unity in the clubhouse.
More agony is on the way in 2025, although the White Sox will be better than the club that lost a modern-day record 121 games in 2024.
Talk about lowering the bar.
“I have an underdog mentality and all the things that come with that, every step of the way in my professional career,” Venable said Thursday, showing that he understands the assignment. “I’ve been on teams that have had to work hard to overachieve and that’s a mindset and mentality that I’m comfortable with. I’ve seen that work at even the highest levels.”
Indications are that the White Sox still won’t spend this offseason. Smart additions will be needed, with some high-upside roster decisions that carry low financial risks necessary.
The first order of business is to spend $5 million. And that will be to make a subtraction, not an addition, as they buy out Yoan Moncada’s $25 million option for next season. At some point, they are likely to trade away outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
Moncada and Robert were supposed to be difference makers from the last White Sox rebuild. That process stalled when chairman Jerry Reinsdorf decided to hire Tony La Russa as manager after the 2020 season. Front-office mainstays Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams later were fired, presumably because they didn’t make Reinsdorf get out of his own way.
The club does have a budding ace in Garrett Crochet, who made just $800,000 last season and is due for a raise in arbitration. Even at that, he will be a huge value in 2025. But Crochet will be one of the most desired targets on the trade market and could bring a windfall the White Sox must consider.
Harder to get out from under will be the three years and more than $47 million still owed to outfielder Andrew Benintendi.
Top prospects close to making a breakthrough are left-hander Noah Schultz, shortstop Colson Montgomery and switch-hitting catcher Edgar Quero. Arizona Fall League participants like right-hander Eric Adler and outfielder DJ Gladney, a Chicago-area native, have shown promise.
“I know we’re going to struggle with some stuff but if we continue to go out there and compete, to work together and focus on the things we know win games and are good teammates to each other then we can overcome a lot together,” Venable said. “You put those things together and you develop a really strong culture.”
Self-awareness is an important trait. It’s hard to come clean without it.
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
Sports
Who's No. 2? Books shifting from Arvell Reese to David Bailey for Jets
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman David Bailey (DL31) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The New York Jets continue to hold their cards close to the vest when it comes to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
But the most popular online sportsbooks think they see a tell: Texas A&M pass rusher David Bailey has passed Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as the favorite to be selected immediately after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza hears his name called first by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Twenty-four hours ago, BetMGM listed Reese at -400 as the favorite to go No. 2 while Bailey could be secured at +200. At that time, Bailey had been backed by the most total bets at 21.2% and Reese by the most money at 37.2%. But by Wednesday night, Bailey moved into the favorite’s role at -145 while Reese has plummeted to +110.
DraftKings, meanwhile, listed Bailey as -150 to go No. 2 with Reese at +115 and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love a distant third at +8000.
This seismic surge occurred despite Bailey having his “top 30” visit to Jets headquarters canceled by the team. Jets coach Aaron Glenn downplayed not bringing Bailey in for a pre-draft visit, then Bailey supported that view Wednesday by saying he has spent plenty of time with the team’s brass and recently caught up with them on FaceTime.
Yet another question: Will the Jets hold on to that second overall pick?
New York owns five of the top 103 selections in the draft and could opt to move down or stay put at No. 2 and/or No. 16 on Thursday night. The Jets also have a pair of second-round picks on Friday night.
If the team stays put at No. 2, the question between Bailey and Reese has been one of the more interesting pre-draft debates.
The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Reese ranks the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2026 draft by Field Level Media, followed immediately by the 6-3, 247-pound Bailey.
Bailey tied for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks last season and is a weight-room warrior who explodes off the ball. He has been compared to Denver Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who faced similar questions about his potential as a run defender coming out of Oklahoma prior to the 2022 draft.
Reese could be a reliable edge setter in a 3-4 or a thumping presence in the middle of a 4-3. He also can stick with tight ends in coverage, and provides a tantalizing combination of tools and versatility. A comp to retired pass rusher Barkevious Mingo, who by all accounts failed to live up to pre-draft expectations, might have many NFL personnel in the Jets’ shoes favoring Bailey.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red-hot Matt Fitzpatrick popular PGA Championship pick
Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick eyes his line on two green during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Matt Fitzpatrick’s recent run up to a career-best No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking has drawn significant attention from the public ahead of next month’s PGA Championship.
Fitzpatrick outlasted World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to claim a signature event title at the RBC Heritage on Sunday. It was an exclamation point on a run that began with a runner-up at The Players Championship, a win at the Valspar Championship and a tie for 18th at the Masters.
After a bogey on the 72nd hole on Sunday that dropped him into a playoff with Scheffler, Fitzgerald rebounded to knock his approach with a 4-iron into a stiff wind to 13 feet and drained the birdie putt on the first playoff hole.
Following the effort Fitzgerald, 31, went from 35/1 to 20/1 to win the second major of the year at the PGA Championship by Oddschecker. The 2022 U.S. Open champion has also been the most-backed player this week with 23% of the total bets placed on the PGA Championship winner since his victory at Harbor Town.
The second-most bet player this week has been Cameron Young, who tracked down and beat Fitzpatrick at The Players. Young has been backed by 6% of the total bets this week along with Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns and Justin Rose.
Scheffler is still the PGA Championship favorite at 7/2, giving him a 22% implied probability to win. He has been backed by 5% of the total bets this week along with LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm.
The second shortest pre-tournament odds belong to Masters champion Rory McIlroy at 7/1. Rahm is 12/1, followed by Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau at 16/1 and Fitzpatrick and Young at 20/1.
Fitzpatrick and his brother, Alex, are also the co-favorites ahead of this week’s Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA Tour. They are 11/1 along with the team of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tensions rise between Nuggets, Timberwolves ahead of Game 3
Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) defends on Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The war of words is picking up between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.
The battle on the court should be even better.
The Timberwolves and Nuggets will resume their high-stakes rivalry when the teams tip off in Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round playoff matchup Thursday night in Minneapolis. The best-of-seven series is even after Denver won the series opener and Minnesota bounced back to take Game 2.
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels added some spice to the series with his comments after Game 2. He said the Nuggets could not stop Minnesota from scoring at will.
“They’re all bad defenders,” McDaniels said. “They don’t got people who can defend the rim. Even if (Nikola Jokic) is there, we’re more athletic than them.”
Nuggets coach David Adelman fired back Wednesday when asked about the remarks.
“I can’t wait for his podcast,” Adelman said in a sarcastic tone. “He’s a really good player. Everyone has a sounding board these days. It’ll help his social media.”
Nuggets guard Cam Johnson did not seem surprised by McDaniels’ comments. He said it was part of a pattern by the Timberwolves that went back many months.
“They’ve just been saying a lot,” Johnson said. “All season, all series. Let them talk. Let them get everything they want off their chest.”
The neck-and-neck series offered plenty of drama before the trash-talking went public.
Anthony Edwards will try to find his shooting rhythm in Game 3. He is shooting 38.6% from the field and 25% from 3-point range in the series, which is well off his regular-season averages.
Edwards is averaging a team-high 26 points per game in the playoffs despite his inconsistent shot. Julius Randle is next with 20 points per game in the series, and McDaniels rounds out the top three playoff scorers with 15 points per game.
For the Nuggets, Murray leads the way with 30 points per game in the series. He has dominated at the free-throw line but struggled from the field, shooting 38.3% overall and 27.3% from beyond the arc.
Jokic is averaging 24.5 points, 14 rebounds and 9.5 assists in the series. Christian Braun is third with 14 points per game, and he has knocked down 50% of his 3-point attempts.
Johnson said he and his Nuggets teammates had full confidence heading into Game 3 despite losing the previous contest.
“It’s the playoffs,” Johnson said. “Unless you really expected to win 16 in a row really easy, something’s going to happen. It’s the playoffs. You have to bounce back. You know what I’m saying? It’s like a non-negotiable. It’s part of the process.”
Timberwolves Donte DiVincenzo will look to stay hot after knocking down a key 3-pointer late in Game 2. He did not hesitate when asked to describe what he loves about playing in the playoffs.
“It’s fun,” DiVincenzo said. “You see the energy out there. Big moments. That’s what you grow up dreaming about.”
Minnesota went 26-15 on its home court during the regular season. Denver posted the identical 26-15 record on the road.
–Field Level Media
Who's No. 2? Books shifting from Arvell Reese to David Bailey for Jets
Red-hot Matt Fitzpatrick popular PGA Championship pick
