Happy New Year 2025

Tag: leads

  • Alex Bregman leads list of MLB free agents still available as pitchers and catchers report to spring training

    Alex Bregman leads list of MLB free agents still available as pitchers and catchers report to spring training

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    Pitchers and catchers are in Florida and Arizona to gear up for the marathon that is the baseball season.

    Spring training is officially underway after a wild offseason that saw over $3.3 billion in contracts signed.

    However, there are still some players with All-Star resumes who do not know where they will be on March 27 when the season starts.

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    Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, #2, celebrates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

    Here are the top six available free agents who are still on the market with just over six weeks until Opening Day.

    Alex Bregman

    One of the more consistent players in baseball is a free agent for the first time, and it has not exactly been the ideal offseason for the two-time All-Star.

    Alex Bregman just won his first Gold Glove Award with the Houston Astros in 2024, and since 2021, he is slashing .262/.350/.444.

    It was reported that Bregman was offered a six-year, $156 million deal to return to the Astros, but he declined. His name has circulated around several rumors, but the Scott Boras issues continue this side of Juan Soto.

    While Bregman may not be his MVP-candidate self anymore (he led the majors with an 8.9 WAR in 2019), his bat-to-ball skills are still elite, and as the Gold Glove Award states, so is his defense.

    Alex Bregman waves to fans

    Alex Bregman, #2 of the Houston Astros, waves to fans prior to playing the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the Wild Card Series at Minute Maid Park on Oct. 1, 2024 in Houston. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

    Jose Iglesias

    Jose Iglesias, 35, had a career resurgence upon releasing the hit song “OMG” that became the rallying cry for the New York Mets.

    After not playing in the 2023 season, Iglesias was scooped by the Mets midseason and was more than what anyone had expected. The sure-handed infielder hit .337 and racked up a career-high 3.1 WAR despite playing just 85 games.

    His veteran leadership surely played a role in Queens throughout 2024, and if anyone needs a post-game concert, Iglesias will not cost anything extra.

    Jose Quintana

    To stick with the Mets, Jose Quintana is coming off a 170-inning season, his most in five years. The lefty posted a 3.75 ERA and could very well be a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy for some teams out there.

    The 2025 season would be Quintana’s 14th, and while no team should expect him to make the All-Star Game for the first time since 2016, pitching comes at a premium in the big leagues.

    At age 36, the Colombia native could be a cheap short-term option.

    Jose Quintana

    New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana, #62, throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game four of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

    Nick Pivetta

    One thing that all teams yearn for is a swing-and-miss arm, which is exactly what Nick Pivetta is. He ranked in the 88th percentile in whiff rate last season, while his 2.2 BB/9 was the best mark of his career.

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    Sure, Pivetta’s career ERA of 4.76 is not ideal, but he has pitched to a 4.09 in the last two years with the Boston Red Sox, and his metrics showed he pitched into some bad luck, as well.

    He does get hit hard, but if a team can tap into that strikeout potential, he could be a weapon. Pivetta also turns 32 on Thursday, so it is a young arm to take a chance on.

    David Robertson

    David Robertson just wrapped up his 16th MLB season but seems to be a bit of an ageless wonder. This past season with the Texas Rangers, he pitched to a 3.00 ERA, which is par for the course throughout his career.

    He will turn 40 on April 9, but he knows how to get the job done and has shown no signs of slowing down. His 12.4 K/9 was his best since 2017, as well.

    In a game built on bullpens, Robertson’s services would be more than welcome.

    Alex Verdugo

    Alex Verdugo’s bat had a down season with the New York Yankees in 2024, but in his lone season patrolling the outfield in the Bronx, he looked more than comfortable and was a Gold Glove finalist.

    Alex Verdugo

    Alex Verdugo, #24 of the New York Yankees, celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning in Game One of the Division Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 5, 2024 in New York City. (Elsa/Getty Images)

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    From 2019 to 2022, Verdugo hit .289 with a .778 OPS; his numbers deteriorated in his final year in Boston amid rumors of tension between himself and the team, and perhaps he felt the pressure of playing in a contract year in 2024.

    However, Verdugo can play all three outfield positions very well and is another guy who can put the bat on the ball when you need him to.

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  • Eli Manning leads singing of ‘God Bless America’ at restaurant during Super Bowl week

    Eli Manning leads singing of ‘God Bless America’ at restaurant during Super Bowl week

     

    Eli Manning didn’t let the Pro Football Hall of Fame snub dampen his spirits during Super Bowl week in New Orleans.

    The New York Giants legend was seen at a restaurant in New Orleans leading a rendition of “God Bless America.” Cooper Manning, Eli’s brother, started the song and everybody at the restaurant got involved, according to the New York Post.

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    Eli Manning attends Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl party on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in New Orleans. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

    The Mannings are from New Orleans and have had a big week aside from the Hall of Fame announcement. Children’s Hospital New Orleans was renamed after the Manning family and they celebrated at the Louisiana Legacy Gala earlier in the week.

    Eli and Cooper’s father, Archie, and their mother, Olivia, were given the first Louisiana Legacy Award for their commitment to the well-being of children and their families across the state and the country.

    “I can speak on behalf of my entire family. It’s very hard to put into words,” Archie Manning said at the event. “To have a hospital named after you, this is not like making second-team All-SEC or anything like that. We just have such admiration for this hospital and the people and the leadership. For them to do this for our family, it’s one of the greatest things that’s happened in my life.”

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    Eli Manning in 2024

    New York Giants former quarterback Eli Manning on the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Oct. 13, 2024. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

    Archie said the hospital honor beats all of his football accomplishments.

    “I think it was in 2007, we dedicated Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. And, in 2009, I think it was, we dedicated Eli Manning Children’s Clinics in Jackson, Mississippi. After both of those events, I told my sons that this is your finest hour, and I meant that. Football, in Peyton’s case, they’d just won a Super Bowl, and then Eli. I said, ‘What’s going on here is your finest hour.’

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    “Without a doubt, I can say this happening tonight and renaming this hospital is our family’s finest hour, and we’re very appreciative.”

    Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

    Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

  • West Virginia governor’s order leads to nearly 60 suspected illegal immigrant criminals detained

    West Virginia governor’s order leads to nearly 60 suspected illegal immigrant criminals detained

    West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday that about five dozen people had been detained within a day of ordering cooperation between Charleston and federal immigration authorities.

    By midday on Tuesday, 58 people in the Mountain State were detained within the Regional Jail system pending verification of their immigration status. 

    More detentions are likely imminent, Morrisey said as he repeatedly pledged his full support for President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown.

    Morrisey, a Republican, and only two weeks into his term, promised a further update on his administration’s operations on Thursday, saying West Virginia has good reason to take every step possible to quash the crisis besides the fact these people are allegedly in the country illegally.

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    Virginia leads the nation in drug overdose deaths-per-capita, and Morrisey said illegal immigration and cartel smuggling play a key role in that crisis.

    “To be clear, our numbers may be lower than others in terms of illegal immigrants… but I’ve repeatedly talked about the impact of having illegal immigrants [who] bring deadly fentanyl into the state — that’s flooding in from Mexico [with] raw ingredients coming from China.”

    The West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources recorded 1,389 drug overdose deaths statewide in 2023, down slightly from their peak at 1,537 in 2021. In 2001, there were only 212 such drug-related deaths among its estimated 1.75 million people.

    “You’re going to find a Morrisey administration very cooperative with the Trump administration… It’s important for West Virginia because we have to stop this senseless death,” the governor said.

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    WV_welcome_sign_77

    Travelers are greeted by a West Virginia welcome sign after crossing the East River Mountain Tunnel on I-77 in Princeton. (Charles Creitz)

    Morrisey praised Trump and said what the White House is doing is “absolutely correct.”

    “We will take all appropriate steps to protect our citizens and work with the Trump Administration to crack down on illegal immigration,” Morrisey said in a separate statement to Fox News Digital.

    The move received praise from other state officials.

    State Del. Wayne Clark, R-Charles Town, called it “good progress” on both the illegal immigration front and the quest to curb the state’s drug crisis.

    Huntington Police Chief Phil Watkins said some of his officers also provided support to recent ICE operations in what is West Virginia’s second-largest city.

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    “As a general practice, we always try to accommodate requests for assistance from any of our law enforcement partners,” he told Wheeling’s CBS affiliate.

    The Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation confirmed in a statement that it is detaining suspected illegal immigrant criminals in its facilities at the urging of federal agencies such as ICE and the FBI.

    Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

    He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

    Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

    Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].