Sports
WWE Wrestlepalooza preview: Cena-Lesnar to kick off ESPN’s first PLE
As a service to fans who have a general interest in WWE but might not have watched a match in months, we’re happy to provide this FAQ as a guide to Wrestlepalooza, which is Saturday at 7 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. ESPN’s first Premium Live Event with WWE, Wrestlepalooza, is streaming exclusively in the U.S. for fans with a subscription to the ESPN Unlimited plan — either directly or through a traditional pay TV package — on the ESPN App.
What is a Wrestlepalooza?
Back in 1995, the late, great Extreme Championship Wrestling had an idea: What if there was an event that took its name from Lollapalooza, but instead of a music festival featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it was a wrestling show that featured The Public Enemy and The Gangstas, in a tag team stretcher match?
WWE, which acquired ECW and its trademarks in 2003, wanted to kick off its new ESPN rights deal with a special Premium Live Event (PLE) that needed a memorable name. So WWE dipped into its deep bag of wrestling intellectual properties and decided on Wrestlepalooza. (Apologies to those who were hoping for “Barbed Wire, Hoodies & Chokeslams,” another ECW pay-per-view classic.)
Despite its roots, there aren’t a lot of extreme wrestling matches on this weekend’s Wrestlepalooza. Just extremely interesting ones, such as John Cena continuing his retirement tour against the formidable Brock Lesnar.
What has the John Cena retirement tour been like?
Here’s a summary of why “the last time is now” for Cena: Cena announced at Money in the Bank in July 2024 that he will retire as an in-ring performer at the end of 2025. His goal was gold: Cena was tied with Ric Flair for the most WWE world championships (16), and now the clock was ticking on breaking that record.
He was eliminated by Jey Uso in the 2025 Royal Rumble in February, costing him a title shot, but won the subsequent Elimination Chamber match in March to earn a match against undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.
Here’s where things get a little weird. The Rock had finally come back to WWE to ask Rhodes to hand over his “soul.” He appeared at the end of Elimination Chamber with his henchman, rapper Travis Scott (told you it got weird), to collect said soul from Rhodes, who was in the ring with Cena. Rhodes, being rather fond of his soul, declined The Rock’s offer. But in his desperation to break the record, Cena turned heel again after two decades as a babyface and joined an attack on Rhodes with The Rock and Scott. Thanks to interference from Scott, Cena beat Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania. Scott and The Rock wouldn’t play a role during Cena’s title reign.
The angle gave us one of the most shocking heel turns in wrestling history … and a slew of moments where Cena tried on an ill-fitting heel persona, cutting promos about his disdain for the fans that he had consistently praised during the rest of his retirement tour.
Luckily, Cena and WWE pumped the brakes on this persona in August on the SmackDown before SummerSlam, telling fans he realized that his reputation had been “flushed down the toilet” in pursuit of “shocking TV.”
“The people that were supposed to be on my team? They left. And they left me alone, trying to pretend that I’m something I’m not,” Cena said.
Cena entered SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to cheers, but Rhodes left with the championship. And that’s where Brock Lesnar reentered the picture. Fans were stunned when his music hit during Cena’s farewell to SummerSlam. But Cena probably wasn’t all that shocked when Lesnar delivered an F-5 to him, given their history.
Why does Brock Lesnar want to fight John Cena again?
There are a few ways to answer that question.
The first answer is that Lesnar, who hadn’t been seen in WWE since 2023, just likes to beat people up. He attacked Cena and Sami Zayn during their U.S. title match on SmackDown recently. He attacked R-Truth (aka “Ron Cena”) when he touted up Cena. He’s the Beast Incarnate. It’s his nature.
Now what did @RonKillings do to deserve that? 😡 pic.twitter.com/ypDWVs1T40
— WWE (@WWE) September 13, 2025
According to WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque on the SummerSlam postgame show, Lesnar was on Cena’s “wish list” of opponents who would help him write “the last chapter of his book.”
Lesnar and Cena have wrestled only six times in one-on-one matches, with Lesnar holding a 4-2 advantage. The last match was at Night of Champions in 2014, which Cena won via disqualification against then-world-champion Lesnar. Saturday’s match will kick off Wrestlepalooza, as announced Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Their legacies are intertwined: They got their starts in the developmental Ohio Valley Wrestling scene, rising up to WWE superstar and champion status. Lesnar isn’t as essential to the Cena story as, say, Randy Orton was, but he’s a significant plot thread to tie up before Cena says goodbye.
But the ultimate factor might be the Cena face turn. Our wrestling heroes need the odds stacked against them. They need seemingly insurmountable opponents to stare down in the ring.
Cena admitted on Raw this week that he’s “afraid” of Lesnar. But he said that “The Last Real Champion” will “take the fight to the Beast” in a “final showdown between two generational titans.”
Man, that guy can hype a match, can’t he?
What about WWE champion Cody Rhodes?
Cody is facing Drew McIntyre for the undisputed WWE championship. These two had a feud just over a year ago that culminated in a street fight on SmackDown.
After Rhodes captured the title at SummerSlam, McIntyre attacked him on SmackDown with a Claymore Kick through the side of the announcers’ table, which was inventive. McIntyre would later argue that Rhodes attacked him first that night — a claim with a modicum of validity — even though McIntyre’s escalation of violence could hardly be called self-defense.
McIntyre fancied that kick through the table so much that he was going to deliver one to Orton a few weeks later on SmackDown when Rhodes returned from injury for the save and to challenge McIntyre to a title match at Wrestlepalooza.
The announcers might want to sit in the skybox for this one, as there is zero chance their ringside table isn’t going to be obliterated into sawdust.
As Rhodes has noted, McIntyre is one of only four wrestlers — along with Cena, Lesnar and Roman Reigns — to have defeated him in a singles match since he returned to WWE in 2022.
Since you mentioned Roman Reigns, does Wrestlepalooza have any Bloodline action?
Why, yes! For the first time on a PLE since 2023, Jey and Jimmy Uso are wrestling as a tag team as the Usos compete against Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, who are members of world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins’ faction, The Vision.
Reigns had been feuding with this Paul Heyman-backed group, suffering an attack that led to a singles match against Reed earlier this month at Clash in Paris. After Reigns was victorious, Reed and Breakker left him so beaten up that he’ll be out several weeks while starring as Akuma in the new “Street Fighter” reboot … I mean, rehabbing that injury.
On the next Raw, Reed and Breakker were beating on LA Knight when Jimmy Uso made an ill-advised save. Jey Uso rushed the ring to save his brother, furthering the feud that has led to this tag match against The Vision.
Important sidebar here: Knight and Jey Uso have a building beef that started with some miscommunication during a brawl with The Vision that left Jey getting flattened by Reed. Jey responded by delivering a spear to Knight, leaving Jimmy dumbfounded. After the two shook hands and seemingly made up a week later, Knight gave him the ol’ Stone Cold “kick-boom-stunner” combo and claimed the score was now even.
Something tells me this animosity might just carry over to Wrestlepalooza. Who will win the immortal struggle of “YEET!” vs. “YEAH!”?
Is there a women’s title match on the card?
Yes, and it’s for a championship that’s currently vacant for a rather joyous reason: Reigning world champion Naomi announced that she and husband Jimmy Uso are expecting a child.
She relinquished the title on Aug. 18 and told the women’s division they had nine months before she returns to reclaim it. No word if her newborn will be worked into subsequent angles, with Naomi choking out opponents with a Baby Bjorn.
The new holder of that title will be determined at Wrestlepalooza between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer, who both have a claim to the championship. Sky was scheduled to challenge for the championship before Naomi announced her pregnancy. Vaquer won a 20-woman Battle Royal at WWE Evolution in July to earn a title shot.
Keep in mind, Sky dropped the title to Naomi in a triple-threat match at Evolution that also featured Rhea Ripley. Those three ran it back at SummerSlam, where Sky again couldn’t win back her title. Vaquer, meanwhile, is chasing her first WWE championship after reigning as NXT women’s champion earlier this year.
Exciting times in the women’s division. And that’s not even mentioning the former champion who dressed like a ninja and attacked CM Punk. Or AJ Lee, who’s wrestling at Wrestlepalooza in her first match since 2015.
AJ Lee is back in WWE?!
In the words of Kurt Angle: Oh, it’s true. It’s damn true.
For about five years, the sight of AJ Lee skipping out from the back with a mischievous grin meant something eventful was about to go down. She was an essential part of the “Divas Revolution” just over a decade ago, not only as one of the longest-reigning titleholders but as the opposing force to the “Total Divas” reality television era. Please recall Lee calling out the Bella Twins and others as “ungrateful, stiff, plastic mannequins” during a “pipe bomb” promo that no doubt endeared her to her husband and pipe-bomb originator CM Punk, whom she married in 2014.
Ever since Punk returned to WWE in November 2023, there’s been speculation that Lee might also make her long-awaited wrestling comeback. Becky Lynch finally gave her a reason.
At Clash in Paris, Punk faced Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win Punk’s title at SummerSlam. Punk had Rollins hoisted up for a final GTS when a mysterious assailant emerged and decided it was clobberin’ time with Punk’s lower extremities. Off came the black mask to reveal Lynch, marking the first time she aligned herself in the ring with Rollins since he gave her a wedding ring in 2021.
Lynch explained in a face-off with Punk that she and Rollins run WWE and that Punk doesn’t fit “the vision,” punctuating it with a slap to Punk’s head. During that promo, fans started an “AJ Lee!” chant, to which Lynch venomously snapped back, “She doesn’t work here!”
Cut to SmackDown in Chicago a few days later. The fans are still chanting “AJ Lee!” Lynch is telling them to “shut up.” Punk informs her that he’d never put his hands on a lady, but “thankfully, I’ve got someone who will.”
And then out skipped AJ Lee.
The mixed tag team match between these four stars could be the showstopper and main event at Wrestlepalooza. Punk and Rollins hate each other. Lynch and Lee are icons from different generations of the women’s division — and now AJ has a receipt from Becky slapping her husband.
It’s got nastiness and drama and, let’s not forget, a former women’s champion competing in her first match since March 2015. One prediction we’re comfortable making about Wrestlepalooza: There will be a “you still got it!” chant during this match.
There is no Juan Soto in MLB free agency this year. There is definitely no Shohei Ohtani. But although there might not be a player who will inspire people to track the flight paths of private jets on social media, it’s an intriguing class of free agents nonetheless — one especially deep in power hitters.
Let’s look at 13 of the most interesting free agents, assuming a few likely player opt-outs, and some potential best fits for each player. We’ll leave out some of the top relievers — Edwin Diaz (opt-out), Robert Suarez (opt-out), Devin Williams — and instead focus on the top position players and starting pitchers available this winter.
Players are ranked in order of their Baseball-Reference WAR from 2025.
2025 stats: .272/.334/.480, 29 HR, 98 RBIs, 13 SB, 5.0 WAR
2026 age: 30
Best fit: New York Mets
Bellinger surprisingly tops the list in 2025 WAR, although that doesn’t by any means suggest he’s going to get the biggest contract. Indeed, although he offers positional versatility with his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base, teams will be skeptical of his 2025 numbers since he hit .302 with 18 home runs and a .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium with its short porch compared with .241 with 11 home runs and a .715 OPS on the road. Bellinger works for the Mets both in center field — heck, they were playing 33-year-old infielder Jeff McNeil out there at times — and at first, if they don’t re-sign Pete Alonso.
Another possible fit: New York Yankees
A reunion with the Yankees is possible, but if the Yankees are committed to Jasson Dominguez in left field and give Spencer Jones a shot in center, they’re going to be reluctant to give Bellinger a long-term contract. Given some of their recent returns on long deals (DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton), they probably don’t want to get sucked into another big contract for a non-superstar player, no matter how good Bellinger was in 2025.
2025 stats: .240/.365/.563, 56 HR, 132 RBIs, 4.7 WAR
2026 age: 33
Best fit: Philadelphia Phillies
Everyone expects Schwarber to return to the Phillies, coming off his 56-homer season and with his added value as one of the best teammates in the game. Nothing is guaranteed, however, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is balancing a lot of decisions this offseason. J.T. Realmuto is also a free agent, Ranger Suarez is a free agent and Zack Wheeler‘s return is a question, plus the team in general is getting older. But it’s still a team in a championship window — if Schwarber remains in the lineup.
Another possible fit: Mets
Think the Mets would love to steal Schwarber away from the Phillies? Addition and then subtraction from your rival. Would Schwarber leave the Phillies for the enemy? Players are a lot less loyal than we’d like to believe. Starling Marte was the Mets’ primary DH and he’s a free agent, plus consider: The Mets signed Soto and Alonso had a better season — yet they still scored two fewer runs than in 2024. It was an above-average offense, fifth in the NL in runs, but it wasn’t a great offense. Adding Schwarber could take it to the next level.
2025 stats: 12-8. 3.20 ERA, 157 IP, 154 H, 38 BB, 151 SO, 4.7 WAR
2026 age: 30
Best fit: Detroit Tigers
Suarez has been a steady and underrated pitcher since 2021, with a 3.25 ERA over the past five seasons, relying on a six-pitch repertoire that allows him to overcome below-average fastball velocity. He always gets dinged up at some point, so he’s a 150-inning pitcher as opposed to a 180-inning guy, but that still makes him a good fit for the Tigers, who need rotation depth, should have plenty of room in the payroll and could trade Tarik Skubal (sorry, Tigers fans).
Another possible fit: Toronto Blue Jays
Suarez will have a lot of interest even though he lacks that blistering fastball. Indeed, his lack of No. 1-starter pedigree will bring more teams into the bidding, even if he’s expected to get a nine-figure deal. The Blue Jays are an interesting fit here. Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are free agents; Shane Bieber has a player option; and Kevin Gausman is a free agent after the 2026 season. They’ll be looking for some long-term stability in the rotation.
2025 stats: .266/.377/.464, 22 HR, 73 RBIs, 25 SB, 4.5 WAR
2026 age: 29
Best fit: Los Angeles Dodgers
If healthy, Tucker would have led this list in WAR — he was hitting .291/.395/.537 for the Chicago Cubs at the end of June when he suffered a fracture in his right hand, which he tried to play through. But he hit just .225 the rest of the way. Indeed, he’s projected to get the biggest contract of the offseason, perhaps as much as $400 million.
As good as he has been, there are some Anthony Rendon vibes here: Tucker has now been injured two years in a row (he also missed much of September with a calf injury); he’s turning 29; his speed/range Statcast metrics aren’t great (26th percentile in both categories); and he’s not a “face of the franchise” type of personality, which you normally expect for $400 million.
Could the Dodgers absorb another huge contract? Well, why not? The Dodgers are the best fit of “will spend money” and “have need,” considering they got nothing from left field in 2025 and suddenly have concerns about Mookie Betts‘ long-term impact at the plate after his subpar (for him) season.
Another possible fit: San Francisco Giants
The Giants, of course, have been trying to land an elite offensive player in free agency forever — finally trading for Rafael Devers last June. Giants corner outfielders hit just .237/.309/.378 with 37 home runs and 12 stolen bases, so adding Tucker to the lineup would give them a much-needed second lefty power hitter (with rookie slugger Bryce Eldridge likely to take over at first base, too).
2025 stats: 13-11, 3.66 ERA, 192 IP, 171 H, 68 BB, 187 SO, 3.8 WAR
2026 age: 32
Best fit: Baltimore Orioles
At some point, the Orioles will sign the front-line starter they need, right? Right?! They finished 24th in rotation ERA at 4.65 and had seven starters who made at least 10 starts in 2025 — and four of them had ERAs over 5.00. That’s not going to cut it in the AL East. Trevor Rogers (1.81 ERA in 18 starts) did emerge in the second half, and Kyle Bradish returned from Tommy John surgery at the end of the season, but the Orioles have lacked that durable No. 1-type starter and Valdez is second in innings pitched over the past four seasons.
Another possible fit: Houston Astros
The Astros have the need to bring Valdez back as the rotation was mostly a mess in 2025 aside from him and Hunter Brown. The payroll, however, looks pretty maxed out with the likes of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Josh Hader (they’re also paying Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier a combined $39 million in 2026). Don’t rule out a return, but the Astros have let other stars leave in free agency — Correa, Alex Bregman, George Springer, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander.
2025 stats: .228/.298/.526, 49 HR, 118 RBIs, 3.6 WAR
2026 age: 34
Best fit: Athletics
The A’s aren’t often included in lists like this one — especially for a player coming off 49 home runs — but a lot of factors could push Suarez to the A’s: his age, his below-average OBP and strikeout rate, his subpar production after he was traded to Seattle. The A’s started nine players at third base in 2025 (players who combined for just 10 home runs), and Suarez would certainly bring power and durability — he has missed just seven games the past three seasons. He’s also a good clubhouse guy who would fit in with the team’s younger players. The A’s surprised people by signing Luis Severino last offseason, so they could land Suarez in a similar scenario.
Other possible fits: Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners
The Brewers (.234, 11 HR, .650 OPS) and Tigers (.221, 11 HR, .629) both made the playoffs despite subpar production at third base. Milwaukee loves high-contact offensive players, so maybe Suarez doesn’t fit there, and Detroit might not want to add another high-strikeout rate guy in the middle of the lineup on top of Riley Greene. The D-backs and Mariners are familiar with Suarez — he played for each in 2025 — but both have young players in Jordan Lawlar and Colt Emerson whom they could play at third.
2025 stats: .273/.360/.462, 18 HR, 62 RBIs, 3.5 WAR
2026 age: 32
Best fit: Boston Red Sox
Bregman hit free agency last year and didn’t sign until the middle of February, a three-year, $120 million deal with opt-outs after both 2025 and 2026. He played well enough with the Red Sox that he’s likely to test free agency, even though a quad strain limited him to 114 games. After a hot start, he didn’t hit nearly as well after returning in July — .250/.338/.386. The big surprise is that the pull-happy Bregman hit better on the road (.875 OPS) than at Fenway (.761 OPS).
Still, the Red Sox remain the best fit. He was an important veteran presence for Boston’s young position players, and he’s a right-handed bat in a lineup otherwise heavy in lefties (Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida). Bregman’s age presents some risk on a long-term deal, but although his speed metrics are sinking (17th percentile), he still has good range at third base and brought his OBP back up after it dropped to .315 in 2024.
Other possible fits: Tigers, Yankees, Phillies
Bregman’s contact ability makes him a likely fit for the Tigers — and he’ll be too expensive for the Brewers. The interesting long shot candidates would be the Yankees and Phillies. The Yankees have Ryan McMahon under contract, but he posted a .641 OPS after coming over from the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline and his strikeout issues are a concern. The Phillies have Alec Bohm in his final year of team control, but Bohm produced just 1.3 WAR in 2025 and the Phillies are a little tired of his lack of postseason production (.225, 2 HR, 14 RBIs in 38 playoff games). Bregman’s fire might be what the Phillies need.
2025 stats: .272/.347/.524, 38 HR, 126 RBIs, 3.4 WAR
2026 age: 31
Best fit: Mets
Alonso’s stature — and ability to hit home runs and drive in runs — means he’s the highest-profile free agent alongside Schwarber, even if his WAR puts him lower on this list. Alonso has averaged 42 home runs per 162 games throughout his career, and his durability is one of his selling points — he hasn’t missed a game the past two seasons. Alonso was a free agent last year and there wasn’t much interest, so he went back to the Mets on a deal that gave him an opt-out and responded with a better campaign in 2025.
Will there be more demand this offseason? Perhaps. But Alonso is a 31-year-old first baseman who is a below-average defender. He has elite power but not elite on-base percentages. That all makes him a “high risk” category, and he’s not quite in the class of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman or Matt Olson, the first basemen who received big nine-figure deals since 2022. It’s hard to envision Alonso leaving the Mets, but president of baseball operations David Stearns won’t overpay to bring him back — and Alonso might not be so willing to give the Mets a sweetheart of a deal this time around.
Other possible fits: Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals
The Texas Rangers didn’t get the output they wanted from Jake Burger; the Red Sox could move on from Triston Casas; and the Phillies (if they don’t sign Schwarber) and Atlanta Braves might consider Alonso as a DH, but let’s toss out the Marlins. Their first basemen hit just .234 with 15 home runs. They haven’t had a 2-WAR first baseman since Justin Bour in 2017 or a 3-WAR first baseman since Derrek Lee in 2002. Teams always think they can fill first base with adequate offense, but the Marlins are proof that’s not always the case. Alonso is also from Florida, which might help. A more realistic long shot might be the Nationals, who need a big bopper and have plenty of room in the payroll.
2025 stats: .311/.357/.483, 18 HR, 94 RBIs, 3.4 WAR
2026 age: 28
Best fit: Giants
Bichette’s free agency will be fascinating. Given his poor defensive metrics at shortstop, it’s almost a certainty teams will be looking at him as a second or third baseman rather than a shortstop — even the Blue Jays (the team he has been with his entire career), who would move Andres Gimenez to shortstop. That’s not a bad thing for Bichette, as it opens up his possible destinations to more teams if he’s willing to change positions.
Although he is a .294 hitter, it will be interesting to see how he ages: He already doesn’t run well (21st percentile in speed) and he doesn’t walk much, so his offensive production is heavily reliant on his batting average. We mentioned the Giants as a potential fit for Kyle Tucker. The same goes for Bichette, as Giants second basemen hit just .216/.273/.342.
Another possible fit: Kansas City Royals
OK, can the Royals realistically afford to sign Bichette? Probably not, but a double-play combination of Bobby Witt Jr. and Bichette would be a lot of fun, and Bichette’s style of hitting would be a good fit for that park. Royals second basemen hit just .236 with 11 home runs, and we know the lineup needs something else. The Royals aren’t the Pittsburgh Pirates or Tampa Bay Rays. They will spend some money — although there isn’t much wiggle room based on the 2025 payroll — and there is a contention window right now with their current rotation.
2025 stats: .295/.353/.462, 20 HR, 92 RBIs, 30 SB, 3.1 WAR
2026 age: 29
Best fit: Mariners
Naylor was the perfect fit for the Mariners, who had not only struggled at first base but also needed a more contact-oriented hitter like Naylor for the middle of the lineup when they traded for him at this year’s deadline. He unveiled one of the most surprising secret weapons, going 30-for-32 as a base stealer despite being one of the slowest runners in baseball. Although many hitters are reluctant to sign with the Mariners, Naylor loves hitting at T-Mobile Park, with a career line of .304/.335/.534. The Mariners should have room to bring him back.
Another possible fit: Rangers
Rangers first basemen/DHs combined for a .657 OPS — only the Rockies were worse. Texas still has Jake Burger and Joc Pederson (who will probably exercise his $18.5 million player option), but both had sub-.290 OBPs, so the Rangers will consider upgrading.
2025 stats: 8-12, 4.55 ERA, 168 IP, 152 H, 71 BB, 215 SO, 1.1 WAR
2026 age: 30
Best fit: Cubs
Cease’s eventual contract will far outpace his ERA and low WAR from 2025. Teams will focus on the power arm (average fastball of 97.1 mph), the high strikeout rate and the durability (five straight seasons with at least 32 starts). A return to the Cubs would be full circle as they originally drafted Cease in the sixth round out of high school in 2014 before trading him to the Chicago White Sox in the Jose Quintana deal.
The 2025 Cubs were a prime example of why teams prefer those power arms in the postseason. With Cade Horton injured, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga were their top two starters, two lefties without high K rates. They have plenty of payroll room to make a big rotation signing.
Another possible fit: San Diego Padres (and every other contender)
With Cease and Michael King (who has a player opt-out) in free agency, the Padres would have Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, Randy Vasquez, Joe Musgrove (returning from Tommy John surgery) and perhaps Mason Miller in their rotation — and the options thin out in a hurry after that. But is there room in a payroll that is already pushing $200 million heading into the offseason?
2025 stats: 13-15, 4.83 ERA, 192 IP, 176 H, 66 BB, 175 SO, 1.1 WAR
2026 age: 30
Best fit: Diamondbacks
Like Cease, Gallen is hitting free agency with a high ERA. Unlike Cease, he averages 93.5 mph with his fastball instead of 97. Gallen’s home run rate nearly doubled from 0.8 per nine innings in 2024 to 1.5 in 2025, and his strikeout rate plummeted to a career-low 21.5%, a notable 5-percentage-points decline from his career rate entering the season. He did pitch better the final two months with a 3.32 ERA. Still, maybe some of the questions push Gallen back to the Diamondbacks, who will enter the offseason down him, Merrill Kelly and Corbin Burnes (Tommy John surgery) from their initial 2025 rotation.
Another possible fit: Los Angeles Angels
Does anyone want to play for the Angels? Their recent free agent signings have been more of the third-tier type, but they have room in the payroll and two pitchers from their 2025 rotation hitting free agency in Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks. They signed Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year, $63 million deal last offseason and might do something similar this offseason with a starter like Gallen.
Munetaka Murakami, 3B/1B (Japan)
2025 stats: .286/.392/.659, 24 HR, 52 RBIs
2026 age: 26
Best fit: Mariners
A big left-handed slugger, Murakami has been a star in Japan since he hit 36 home runs as a 19-year-old in 2019. He followed that up with a career-high 56 home runs in 2022. He missed time this past season with an oblique injury but hit 24 home runs in 69 games. He does strike out a concerning amount — 168 times in 140 games in 2023 and 180 times in 143 games in 2024 — so projects as more of a low-average, 30-homer slugger. Murakami’s defense is considered below average at both corner positions, but his age helps make him an attractive free agent.
We mentioned Colt Emerson as a replacement for Eugenio Suarez at third base for the Mariners, but a year in Triple-A wouldn’t hurt, and Emerson could then take over at shortstop in 2027. That leaves Murakami as a fit for third base, or a backup option to Josh Naylor at first base. The Mariners have certainly shown they’re OK with strikeouts if it comes with power.
Another possible fit: Dodgers
The Dodgers? Hey, you have to consider the Dodgers a possibility for any Japanese player. They obviously have Freddie Freeman locked into first base and have a $10 million option on Max Muncy, but note that Murakami did play a few games in the outfield in 2025. Given their hole in left field, maybe they fake left-field defense with Murakami for a year and then have him replace Muncy at third base in 2027. In the bigger picture, the Dodgers had the oldest group of position players in 2025. Only Andy Pages was younger than 30 among the top 11 regulars. They need to get younger, and Murakami is younger — and less expensive to sign — than Kyle Tucker.
EAGAN, Minn. — J.J. McCarthy seemed to have an edge throughout his triumphant return Sunday as the Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback. On multiple occasions during the Vikings’ 27-24 victory over the Detroit Lions, and in one viral moment in the postgame locker room, McCarthy’s normally joyous face was scrunched into a mean mug.
Speaking on Wednesday with reporters, McCarthy acknowledged his new game-day persona. He referred to it by a name — “Nine,” a reference to his jersey number — and said it is a product of the anger built up over missing 23 of his first 25 NFL games because of injury. McCarthy missed all of his rookie season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee and five games this season because of a high right ankle sprain.
“It really kind of started to show up this year,” he said, “and it came about last year during IR. Just never had a full season, where you want to be out there so freaking bad, but you can’t. It was just this built-up anger that was kind of ready to just explode, and I chose to harness it instead of letting it go into a self-destructive kind of way.”
The Vikings have won two of McCarthy’s three starts this season. He accounted for three touchdowns in each of the wins, in Week 1 over the Chicago Bears and then Sunday against the Lions.
On Sunday, McCarthy was caught staring intensely at coach Kevin O’Connell as he gave a postgame speech.
pure dawg 🔥@jjmccarthy09 | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/uXxMDALN9m
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2025
O’Connell joked Wednesday that he has learned to “get the hell out of the way for my own personal safety” when addressing McCarthy during those moments.
“I kind of love feeding that wolf,” McCarthy said, “because my entire life at [the University of Michigan], there was a smiley face on my hand, and [if] you smile, and you have fun, you’re going to play better and all that — which is true. But I also think there’s a lot of power that comes from that built-up anger that you can transmute into your performance.”
Atlanta United is finalizing a deal to bring back Gerardo “Tata” Martino to be the club’s head coach, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.
The Argentine would replace Ronny Deila, who was fired following hugely disappointing season, one that saw it record just 28 points in 34 matches, just two points ahead of last place D.C. United in the Eastern Conference.
– Source: Revs set to hire U.S. U20 coach Mitrovic
Atlanta’s poor performance came in spite of having the third-highest payroll in the league at $27.6 million.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the first to report the news.
Martino, 62, beat out five other candidates, including former Portland Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese.
Martino was hired in 2016 as the first manager in Atlanta United’s history, culminating in an MLS Cup triumph in 2018. He left following that season to take up the coaching reins of the Mexico men’s national team.
The 62-year-old has been out of work since abruptly leaving his position with Inter Miami last November, following the Herons’ shock playoff exit at the hands of Atlanta.
Among the clubs he has also managed are Argentine side Newell’s Old Boys, Barcelona and the Argentina men’s national team.
The hope is that Martino’s hiring will bring some much needed stability to Atlanta, which has burned through four different managers since Martino’s departure. The Five Stripes have only qualified for the playoffs in three of the last six seasons.
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