This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners! Happy Friday! That holiday weekend you’ve been waiting for is just one sleep away! Good for you. I hope you have a special one.
We woke up today knowing exactly why the Dodgers had to pay for Shohei Ohtani with Afterpay.
LA had to make some room for another $300 million contract for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The team signed him to a 12-year, $325 million deal. Charles Curtis has you covered here on the winners and losers of the deal.
This deal is one for the ages. By signing Yamamoto, the Dodgers have now spent $1 billion on two players. Just two. Add in Tyler Glasnow’s $136 million deal and you’re up to a little over $1.1 billion between three players. That’s impressive enough. Add in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to that equation and we’re nearly talking about another half-billion dollars. That’s a lot of cash, man. And it should lead to a ton of wins.
Make no mistake about it, folks. This is a super team. It might be the most super team that has ever been assembled. This is like taking LeBron James’ Heat and Kevin Durant’s Warriors and combining them. There are All-Stars up and down this team’s lineup.
Folks are already pushing back against the very idea of this. They’re saying what the Dodgers are doing is bad for baseball and its competitive balance.
On one hand, I get it. It’s hard seeing a team stack the deck like this knowing that your favorite team probably can’t compete. Especially considering how good the Dodgers already were to begin with.
But here’s the thing: The games still have to be played. We have no idea how this talent will mesh together. That’s the thing about baseball, right? You can have Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the same team and it doesn’t matter if what’s happening around them doesn’t mix. There’s a chance — a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless! — that these Dodgers don’t work. Lots of people are going to watch to see if they do, though. That, objectively, is good for baseball.
Plus, on top of that, I can’t understand the logic of a team going for it all as being bad for baseball. Especially when so many teams just … don’t?
Take this tweet from my pal, Michael Waterloo, for example. In one offseason, the Dodgers have spent as much money as the Pittsburgh Pirates have in 20 years. Twenty years, folks!
The Pirates opening day roster – including 2024 – has had a combined total salary of $1,169,747,570 from 2004-2024.
The Dodgers spent this offseason what the Pirates have spent in 20 years. https://t.co/pw0NPsehgR
— Pitch Mr. Perfect (@MichaelWaterloo) December 22, 2023
That right there? That’s bad for baseball. In a league with no salary cap, not spending means not competing. And the Dodgers are doing the opposite. That’s good. Keep going, Dodgers.
OK, so I was wrong
A couple of weeks ago I told you all the Pistons would get their third win of the season and break a 24-game losing streak against the Utah Jazz on the 21st.
And, honestly, looking back on it, I completely understand my logic! This is a game the Pistons should’ve won, man.
Detroit was at home. The Jazz aren’t good. And, to pile on even further, Utah was missing Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson who are its two best players. Even Woj thought the Pistons might win.
As opportunies go to end this 24-game losing streak and sidestep the infamy of the all-time single-season record of 26, the Detroit Pistons get a good one at home tonight: The Utah Jazz without Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 21, 2023
Instead, it’s 25 straight losses. The Pistons are four losses away from the longest losing streak in league history. Cade Cunningham is in denial. Fans are devastated. It’s all bad.
Sorry, Pistons fans. It looks like your favorite team is about to make the wrong type of history.
Your Christmas wishes!
Saint Kick is in the building, folks! I asked you all to send us your Christmas wishes for your favorite sports teams and you did not disappoint. Let’s share some here!
A forlorn Indiana football fan wants “a winning season with the new coaching staff 🏈” I don’t know if Saint Kick is good enough to deliver that winning season, but hey! We’ll see! Maybe Curt Cignetti is that guy. Baby steps, partner.
Another Chiefs fan wants a new group of receivers for his team. Wait … is this … is this Patrick Mahomes?
“Dear Sports Santa, please give the Chiefs a wide receiver that can catch a pass at any point in the game and that Patrick Mahomes can trust. Kadarius Toney has been god-awful all season, getting in his own head and either dropping a pass or straight up bobbling it to the other team. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was given a 3-year, $30 million contract to be a good deep threat or even slot machine. He has not held up his end of the bargain and single-handedly lost us the Eagles game. Skyy Moore can’t stay on the field and can’t get open when he is. Thanks for Rashee Rice though, he’s awesome.”
Shoutout to Rashee Rice earning some love there. That’s nice. Anyway, moving on, the nicest Broncos fan ever also dropped a wish in.
“I would like to see peace on earth and all wars ended. In sports I would like to see the Denver Broncos make it to the Super Bowl. Thank you and merry Christmas and a safe new year.”
Well, now I feel terrible for talking greasy about Sean Payton. Thanks, Broncos fan. I hope your team makes it to the Super Bowl, too.
Photo Friday: Poor Pistons fans
Pistons, I hope you didn’t think I was done with you. The Pistons broadcast caught fans are out here wearing paper bag masks of shame. You never want to see the paper bag masks of shame.
LOOK AT THEM.
They’re calling for owner Tom Gores to sell the team to someone who seems to care.
— doodleBob (@313clips) December 22, 2023
Pistons fans, y’all deserve better. I hope you get it someday.
Quick hits: Another MLB rule tweak…Cancel Monday Night Football…and more
— Baseball has a shorter pitch clock and a wider lane for runners! Meghan Hall explains it all here.
— AJ Brown wants to cancel Monday Night Football and, well, it kind of makes sense. Cory Woodruff has more here.
— The Dodgers’ projected rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scary. Charles Curtis takes a look here.
— Want to see the most nonsensical onside kick ever? Here’s Robert Zeglinski with more.
— Ja Morant’s buzzer-beater against the Pelicans is only the second one we’ve seen so far this season. That’s weird. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.
— Victor Wembanyama is two Connor Bedards. That’s wild. Blake Schuster has more.
That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you for reading TMW. Have a fantastic holiday. Til next time! Peace. We out.
-Sykes 💯🎄