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The MLB season marches on and we have a loaded slate of games to watch and bet on this Saturday.

We have action on throughout the day, starting in the afternoon and wrapping up at night. I have three games I'm targeting for my best bets, so let's dive into them.

Top MLB Picks Today

• Braves -115 vs. Padres
• Dodgers +105 vs. Mets
• Phillies vs. Athletics OVER 9.5 (+100)

Padres vs. Braves Prediction

If you're going to bet on the Braves, the time to do it is when they're facing a right-handed pitcher to avoid their struggles against lefties this season. Thankfully, they're taking on a righty today in Michael King. The Braves' Ops improves from .653 against lefties to .723 against righties, and they've also recorded a .742 OPS over the past 14 days, which ranks in the top half of the Majors.

The Padres are trending in the opposite direction, ranking 20th in OPS over the past two weeks at .689. I think this is a great opportunity to buy low on a Braves team on a losing streak whose underlying numbers are better than you might think.

Dodgers vs. Mets Prediction

The Mets have had an up-and-down season from a metrics perspective and no matter their record of late, their bats have gone ice cold. Over the past two weeks, they rank 28th in OPS at .636 while the Dodgers are fourth in OPS in that time frame at .819. Despite that, the Dodgers are listed as underdogs in today's matchup.

The Dodgers have an issue with their rotation and pitching depth but Tony Gonsolin is the starter you want to pick on. The Mets may have a slight advantage in that category with David Peterson on the mound, but it's not near significant enough to overcome the offensive advantage Los Angeles has.

Phillies vs. Athletics Prediction

Both the Phillies and Athletics have been two of the best teams in the Majors in attacking left-handed pitching. Ahead of today's games, they rank fifth and sixth in OPS against lefties at .788 and .766 respectively. That's going to play a big role as both teams are also rolling with a lefty starting pitcher.

Cristopher Sanchez (3.10 ERA) of the Phillies will take on Jeffrey Springs (3.91 ERA) of the Athletics and both pitchers are in for a tough matchup against the opposing lineup.

Even if the starters survive the early part of the game, this OVER will never be out of the mix as both teams' bullpens rank in the bottom 10 of the Majors, including the Athletics who have a bullpen ERA of 6.06, the third highest amongst all teams.

Rangers are now reportedly ready to grant Danny Rohl’s transfer request after the German commenced a personal scouting mission ahead of January.

Rangers must be "ruthless", says Rohl

As Old Firm rivals Celtic closed the gap on Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Rangers stuttered for the second-consecutive outing in midweek – drawing 2-2 against Dundee United. Just when Rohl was looking for a reaction, he watched on as the Gers were forced to salvage a point courtesy of Nedim Bajrami’s late penalty.

Disappointed by yet more dropped points, the Rangers boss told reporters: “We are disappointed because it’s just one point. We put everything on the pitch until the end, that’s why we deserve a point.

“When I see how many chances we create, we should win this game. If we can bring this together in the future with a clean sheet, we win games.

“We are disappointed, but I see a step forward today from my group. We had more tempo, better decision-making, our body shape between the lines. We sped up our games in the right moment.

Rangers "passenger" has been so bad that he makes Dowell look good

This Glasgow Rangers flop is currently making Kieran Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 3, 2025

“I’m not happy because you have to win, there’s no question. We have to be ruthless in both boxes. I am convinced that more goals will come. At the moment it is hard work.

“Of course, the last two results are not what we want. They are two different results. The weekend [at home to Falkirk] was a boring draw, today it was an entertaining draw, but for both you get just one point.”

It’s become clear in the last week that those at Ibrox must back Rohl when the January transfer window swings open. Without sporting director Kevin Thelwell, there’s also every chance that the German will have greater control on arrivals and that could see Youssef Chermiti replaced.

Rangers ready to grant Rohl request

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now ready to grant Rohl’s request for a new No.9 to replace summer flop Chermiti. The Gers boss has commenced a personal scouting mission in recent weeks and recruitment chiefs have held talks with agents in the Netherlands and Belgium on the hunt for a crucial addition.

Alongside a new striker, Rohl has reportedly asked the 49ers to sign a dynamic central midfielder and a versatile full-back in an attempt to add quality in depth.

It comes as no surprise that Rohl has set his sights on a striker. It would instantly make up for Thelwell’s mistake in the summer, which saw Chermiti arrive for as much as £8m to make the forward one of Rangers’ most expensive ever signings. That alone perfectly sums up the disaster that was the sporting director’s time in Scotland.

It’s also not a great shock that Rohl’s after a dynamic midfielder in 2026, given that Nicolas Raskin could still leave the club amid interest from the Premier League. Losing the Belgian would be a major blow, but the sale would also fund a much-needed overhaul when the winter window swings open.

Rohl must now ditch Rangers dud who was the "shining light" under Martin

Gareth Bale has downplayed rumours that he had a bad relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The Welsh star played alongside the Portuguese icon for five seasons at Los Blancos, and together they won multiple La Liga and Champions League titles. For all the criticism that came the winger's way in Spain, he says he never had any issues with any of his team-mates at the European giants.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bale had no problem with Ronaldo

  When Bale swapped Tottenham for Madrid in 2013, questions were raised about where he would fit in with fellow wideman Ronaldo. In their 2014 Champions League final win over Atletico Madrid, for example, Bale played on the right and Ronaldo on the left, with Karim Benzema leading the attack. When world-class players are competing for first-team spots, some big egos may have to be put in check. But the ex-Wales international said he had no beef with the now 40-year-old during his time at the Bernabeu. 

  He told : "I'm not really in touch with that many [old Madrid team-mates] – a few of the Wales boys – but I always got on with everybody. I never had any problems with anyone. I never had any big arguments. Sometimes the media might say about me and Ronaldo, we never had an issue, never had an argument, never had a fight, never had anything."

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• Welsh forward was at centre of controversy

  After Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus in 2018, much was expected of Bale at the Spanish giants. But injuries and form didn't help the Welshman's cause in his final five years at the club. The Spanish media did not shy away in criticising Bale and he gave them all the ammunition they needed after Wales qualified for Euro 2020 when he celebrated behind a Welsh flag with the slogan: "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order." Naturally, that didn't go down well back in Spain back in 2019. 

  He said, "That slogan is the one thing I felt hard done by. For one thing, no one knew how much golf I actually played. If I ask you now how much golf you reckon I played, you’d probably say three or four times a week maybe, something along those lines? I played once every two to three weeks, but only on a day off. I'd never play a game for eight hours, I was always very professional about it. But people don't know that so they make up that slogan.

  "I got absolutely slaughtered [by the Spanish media]. I felt a bit hard done by because it all comes down to misinformation. I obviously don't prioritise golf more than I do my country and my club and physically haven't done one thing wrong. I look back at it now and it's like, it is what it is. I can't do anything about it. You have to laugh or you cry. So I laughed."

• Bale backs old boss Ancelotti

  Bale played under manager Carlo Ancelotti at both the start and end of his Madrid career. The Italian led Los Blancos to multiple Champions League triumphs and going by his comments, it seems Bale holds the Italian in the highest regard. While he acknowledged that Brazil are not the force they once were, he thinks the ex-AC Milan boss has a decent chance at leading them to World Cup glory next year.

  "Yes, Ancelotti was great. For me his genius is man management; he'll always keep you happy. You learn so much from managers and him as a person, he'll teach you so much just from his calmness in situations. Where you'd be angry, he'll just keep everybody calm and that's why he's such a good manager," he said. "They don't quite have the team that they used to, but if there's a man who can get a team like Brazil going in one direction, it's him."

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  What comes next for Bale?

  The former Los Angeles FC player, who unsuccessfully tried to complete a takeover of Cardiff City, admitted he is still looking to find something to fill the competitive void of being a professional footballer. He has tried his hand at punditry but that hasn't completely satisfied him.

  He added, "I started playing the piano last winter and it humbled me. It’s something I want to do as I feel like I'll get good at it given time. In my head I'm not going to fail."

As long as Major League Baseball has had Rookie of the Year awards, veteran players from outside traditional minor-league structures have been winning them.

The first was Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson, who took home top honors in 1947 in his age-28 season—with racism and World War II to blame for him not debuting earlier. Boston Braves center fielder Sam Jethroe was 33 in 1950; he'd been a longtime Negro League outfielder for the Cleveland Buckeyes. In 2000, Seattle Mariners pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki was a 33-year-old NPB lifer.

At 26, Hyeseong Kim, the biggest riser of the past two weeks, is old in virtually no conventional sense. But he has managed to insert his name into the conversation with his younger, Western Hemisphere-trained counterparts. Welcome to this week's edition of MLB Rookie Watch.

American League

1. Jacob Wilson, shortstop, Athletics

A ho-hum recent stretch (.237/.310/.316) in the past two weeks has diminished his numbers a bit, but put practically no dent in his formidable lead in this race. Consider, for instance, that he's still hitting .349—second in the AL to New York Yankees right fielder and designated hitter Aaron Judge—with a .390 on-base percentage and .493 slugging percentage. In no world should a rookie who plays in a minor-league ballpark lead the All-Star voting at baseball’s signature fielding position. That's how good Wilson is.

2. Carlos Narváez, catcher, Boston Red Sox

Narváez helped carry an up-and-down Red Sox team through the season's early months, and now Boston is returning the favor. Since June 9, Narvaez is slashing .226/.333/.355—but the Red Sox are 6–3 in games he's played. Offense notwithstanding, his defense is so strong that Carlton Fisk, Tony Peña and Jason Varitek could soon have company as Boston catchers to win Gold Gloves. He's quietly in a dead bWAR heat with Wilson at 2.3.

3. Noah Cameron, pitcher, Kansas City Royals

On June 10, he briefly threatened to become mortal, giving up six earned runs in a 10–2 loss to the Yankees. No matter: Cameron gamely rebounded with five shutout innings against the Athletics and a solid-if-not-spectacular outing against the San Diego Padres. Pitching is the order of the day for a Royals team looming just out of the AL playoff picture. Look for the 25-year-old changeup artist to continue starring for a plus rotation.

Honorable Mention

Shane Smith, pitcher, Chicago White Sox; Nick Kurtz, first baseman, Athletics; Jasson Domínguez, left fielder, New York Yankees

National League

1. Drake Baldwin, catcher, Atlanta Braves

Copy and paste—Baldwin remains the king in the Senior Circuit despite modest numbers over the past two weeks. He did perform well in a high-profile rivalry sweep against the New York Mets, going 2-for-7 with two walks and driving in a pair of runs. That's the kind of series that can help Baldwin win the intangible political component of the voting, but the fickle Braves are doing him no favors. He continues to share dominion over the catching position with ex-All-Star Sean Murphy.

2. Hyeseong Kim, second baseman and center fielder, Los Angeles Dodgers

The May 3 debutant barely cleared the 75-plate-appearance threshold for this week's rankings (he has 83). In an admittedly small sample size, the 26-year-old has raked to the tune of a .372/.410/.538 slash line, two home runs and 12 RBIs. Those are wild numbers for a player whose primary calling card in the KBO League was defense, with four Golden Glove awards to his name in South Korea. He replaces Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks, whose numbers over the past two weeks have been a mixed bag.

3. Caleb Durbin, third basman, Milwaukee Brewers

Durbin takes the spot of Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw, who plays the same position on a better team with similar numbers. He's a fascinating player with an odd set of skills: defense (first among NL rookies in dWAR), the foggy art of clutch play (first among NL rookies in win probability added, mostly thanks to a walk-off home run earlier this month), and getting hit by pitches (first among all NL players). The former 14th-round pick out of St. Louis's brainy Washington University enjoyed a 5-for-13 series against the Minnesota Twins this weekend. Can he keep it up against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies?

Honorable Mention

Agustín Ramírez, catcher, Miami Marlins; Ben Casparius, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

This was a night for three points. Liverpool’s staggering decline this season cannot be understated, and following a succession of disappointing draws against Sunderland and Leeds United, a one-goal win over Inter Milan at the San Siro could bear dividends going forward.

It was a strange contest on the VAR front, with Ibrahima Konate’s first-half header ruled out before Florian Wirtz won a match-winning penalty late on, adjudged to have been pulled to the ground by Alessandro Bastoni. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and converted.

Liverpool have returned to the top eight of the Champions League. Liverpool’s defensive line has been so porous this season, leakier than Old Trafford roofing, but Arne Slot has employed a more compact and pragmatic system in recent fixtures. Back to basics.

However, the Reds’ highly talented forward players are still, as a unit, flattering to deceive, and improvements are needed there.

How Liverpool's forwards played at San Siro

Post-match, Slot detailed Liverpool’s emphasis on shutting up shop in recent weeks. Mixed results on that front, but there has been a concerted plan all the same, and it came to fruition against Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Szoboszlai’s penalty aside, Liverpool amassed 0.56 xG in the second half, as opposed to just 0.12 before the break. Slot’s tactical tweaks were on the money in Italy, but the Premier League champions are still struggling to get a tune out of record signing Alexander Isak, who huffed and puffed but was unable to achieve anything of note in the final third before being withdrawn after the hour mark.

This is a world-class striker, but he needs better creative connections. Curious, then, that he was replaced by Wirtz, who nestled into the ten spot and changed the game, finding pockets of space and placing the Nerazzurri defenders under pressure, creating a chance, winning both of his duels and enjoying neat interplay with Ekitike and Szoboszlai in particular.

Anfield plays host to a crucial Premier League tie against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend, and it’s crucial that the German playmaker starts at the expense of a star who still hasn’t clicked together this season.

Slot must drop 6/10 Liverpool star

So many Liverpool stars have flattered to deceive this season, and Alexis Mac Allister has been one of the most disappointing. The 26-year-old has played at such a high level since joining the Merseysiders from Brighton in 2023, but he’s lacked bite and energy and eloquence in the engine room.

Deployed in a more advanced role against Inter, ostensibly to ease his defensive struggles and build-up problems this season, the £150k-per-week talent did actually prove dependable in stifling the hosts’ threat, but he lacked the completeness that fans have come to expect, unable to effectively service the forwards.

The Liverpool Echo acknowledged Mac Allister’s defensive contribution, handing him a 6/10 match rating, but they also drew attention to the Argentine’s attacking effort, leaving something to be desired on that front.

There has been a suffocating air of frustration around the South American’s performances this term, and most of that is because Liverpool fans know how good he can be.

But he’s offering little right now, and though he completed his defensive duties with diligence, there was a lack of dynamism and sparkle that will hinder the Anfield side going forward. He didn’t attempt a dribble and neither did he create a chance. Wirtz must play at the weekend.

Ultimately, Liverpool still have many, many creases to iron out, but this was a step in the right direction. However, Liverpool’s emphasis on compactness cannot come at the expense of pre-existing creative problems, and Wirtz must start at the weekend; that much is clear.

Dream for Wirtz: Liverpool hold talks to hire "football's next elite manager"

Liverpool are beginning to face the possibility that Arne Slot is on borrowed time in the Anfield hot seat.

By
Angus Sinclair

6 days ago

Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim has been warned by Patrice Evra that missing out on Champions League football would be regarded as a failure. United failed to qualify for Europe's elite competition for successive seasons for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and Evra highlighted the importance of getting back into it, both financially and in terms of prestige.

• United counting the cost of not being in Champions League

  A record six English teams are participating in this season's Champions League although United are not among them, having lost the Europa League final to Tottenham and finishing in 15th in the Premier League. United missed out on an estimated £100m ($133m) in lost earnings by failing to reach the Champions League while the players also saw their salaries reduced due to not participating in the lucrative competition.

  United have a massive advantage on their competitors as they have no European football to distract them while their early exit from the Carabao Cup has given them a week's rest between league matches. They have not made the most of that advantage, having won seven of their 15 matches this season. In the words of Amorim, they should have more points than the 25 they have picked up so far.

  Despite their inconsistent results, United are sixth in the Premier League table, just one point behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace in fourth. And there is a strong possibility that finishing fifth in the English top flight will be enough to qualify for the Champions League again.

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  Evra: United 'losing a lot' by not being in UCL

  "Under the previous manager, we won the FA Cup and EFL Cup, but you lose a lot by not being in the Champions League," Evra told GOAL via . "It’s going to be tough. You’ve got Arsenal, City, Chelsea and Aston Villa giving it a real go. If United do not finish in the top four then it'll be a massive disappointment – a failure. 

  "When I played for United, the goal was winning four trophies per season and now we’re talking about qualifying for the Champions League. Our wages went down by 30 per cent if we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, but we never had that issue."

• Evra still backing Amorim

  Evra, a five-time Premier League and one-time Champions League winner during his nine-year spell at United, is still supportive of Amorim despite the team's unconvincing results. He believes the Portuguese has made personal sacrifices in the team's best interests and he thinks he should remain in charge.

  The Frenchman said: "Even in the bad times, I trust him. He's someone right now who will die for the club. That's my feeling with Amorin. This is someone who really puts the club first before himself and compared to some previous managers, I feel like he is different, but he needs maybe more players.  

  "Watching United, I have to be honest, it's like playing roulette. You never know what you're going to get. One moment you're going to win, the next time you're going to lose. So you can never predict a result when United play. I need more consistency from United. I want to see a more consistent starting 11. This is getting a little bit better and the players maybe understand his philosophy, his system more. I feel Amorim has the full support of the board and that’s really important. It could be a surprise end to the season with a top four finish."

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  What comes next?

  United will be hoping to follow up their win over Wolves with another victory when they welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford on Monday. The Red Devils have fared badly against the Cherries in recent years. They were thrashed 3-0 by Andoni Iraola's side at Old Trafford in December 2024 and 2023, while they have drawn their last two visits to the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth made a strong start to the season but are in the midst of a miserable patch of results, losing four and drawing two of their last six games to sink to 13th in the standings ahead of their trip to Manchester.

Everything you need to know about the IPL auction and retention rules

Nagraj Gollapudi and Yash Jha30-Sep-20243:53

IPL auction 2025 retention rules: All the big questions answered

How many retentions have been allowed?
Franchises can retain up to six players from the 2024 squad – including a maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players – before the mega auction. This is the highest number of retentions ever allowed by the IPL and the main reason for doing so is to give franchises an opportunity to retain the core set of players.Is there a cap on the number of Indian or overseas players retained before the auction? For the first time, the IPL has imposed no nationality limit on capped players: all five capped retentions can be Indians or overseas exclusively, or a combination of Indians and overseas.Related

• Don't rule out a 25-crore buy at the IPL 2025 mega auction

• KL Rahul unlikely to stay with LSG; set for mega auction

• CSK waiting on go-ahead from Dhoni before retention deadline

• October 31 set as deadline for IPL teams to finalise retentions

• Decks cleared for 'uncapped' Dhoni to be retained

Will there be a right-to-match (RTM) card option available? Yes, franchises are free to choose their combination of outright retentions and RTM cards to keep hold of up to six players from their 2024 roster. A franchise that retains no players will enter the mega auction with six RTM cards at their disposal; a franchise retaining all six players will have no RTM cards to use at the auction.The RTM card option was introduced at the mega auction ahead of IPL 2014. It was then retained for the next mega auction ahead of IPL 2018 but discarded before the 2022 season. A maximum of three RTM cards were allowed at mega auctions previously.While a few franchises had as many as eight RTM options on their wishlist, the rule has seen a significant modification which could play a massive role this time.What is the modified RTM rule? The RTM card allows the franchise to buy back a player who was part of their squad in the previous season by simply matching the price at which that player is sold at the auction. In previous mega auctions involving the RTM card, once a player was declared sold, the auctioneer asked the franchise the player belonged to the previous season whether they wished to buy him back; if they did, they secured the player for the amount of the final bid made in the auction.However at the upcoming auction, if the previous franchise wants to use the RTM card, the franchise that made the final bid will be given an additional opportunity to raise their bid. In case that happens, the original team would need to match that bid using the RTM card to secure the player.For example, say Venkatesh Iyer isn’t retained by Kolkata Knight Riders. Another team or teams including KKR are engaged in a bidding contest at the auction for Venkatesh, and the bidding stops at INR 6 crore with the winning bid not by KKR but another team – say Mumbai Indians. The auctioneer will check with Knight Riders if they want to use the RTM card. If they do, then Mumbai Indians will be given a one-time chance to raise the bid beyond the INR 6-crore mark. In case MI decide not to raise the bid, KKR can retain Iyer using the RTM option. However, if MI raise the bid, then KKR will need to match that raised bid using the RTM card to secure Iyer. If they decline, Iyer will go to MI.The Chennai Super Kings table at the IPL 2024 auction•BCCIWhat is the auction purse? The IPL has increased the auction purse to INR 120 crore, which is a 20% increase from the INR 100 crore that franchises had at the 2024 auction. The purse available at the last mega auction, in 2022, was INR 90 crore, to which increments of INR 5 crore were made every subsequent year.What are the retention slabs?The IPL has put in salary caps based on the number of retentions. In a marked shift from previous mega auctions, where every subsequent retention could come at a lesser price, franchises will now have to shell out larger amounts to go beyond three retentions.For the first three players retained, the salary cap will be INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore and INR 11 crore. The salary cap for the fourth retention will be INR 18 crore. The salary cap for the fifth retention will be INR 14 crore. Uncapped Indians will have a salary cap of INR 4 crore.So if a franchise retains five capped players before the auction, it will need to spend INR 75 crore – nearly two-thirds of its purse. For context, teams had to shell out just under 47% of their total purse to make the maximum permitted retentions (four) ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.While the IPL has once again agreed to the wish of several franchises to retain the core group of players, it has posed them a two-part riddle: do you want to spend a massive chunk of purse to retain five players ahead of the auction? Or do you release the player(s) you want to retain into the auction where you can use the RTM card option, but remain vulnerable to bids going above the value at which you wanted to retain the player?Is it true that a former international player can fall in the uncapped category?Yes, the IPL has revived a rule it had scrapped after the 2021 season, which allowed capped Indian players who had retired or not played international cricket in the last five years to be categorised as uncapped players. This means five-time champions Chennai Super Kings can now retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player. Not just Dhoni, this rule will allow several other India internationals who were part of the IPL in 2024 to be retained as uncapped players, including the likes of Piyush Chawla, Mohit Sharma and Sandeep Sharma among others.While CSK will tell you they are happy to pay any price to retain their former captain, a smarter business move would be for them to retain Dhoni at INR 4 crore, the salary cap IPL has put in place for uncapped retentions before the auction.What is the deadline to finalise retentions?October 31, 2024 is the deadline for teams to finalise their retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.For the purposes of retention, any player who makes his international debut before October 31 will be considered capped. If a player is retained while uncapped, he will remain in the uncapped slab even if he plays an international match before the auction.1:19

Moody: Overseas players need to commit to the IPL ‘through thick and thin’

What is it that we hear about overseas players potentially facing bans for missing the IPL?Overseas players who make themselves unavailable for an IPL season after being signed at an auction without legitimate reasons will be penalised with two-year bans. As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier, all ten IPL franchises had requested to act against late pullouts by overseas recruits during their meeting with the IPL governing council in July.Additionally, an overseas player who does not register for the mega auction will not be allowed to register for the subsequent mini auction, with exceptions only made in case of injuries and/or medical conditions confirmed by the player’s home board.And there’s a cap on how much overseas players can make at mini auctions?That’s right, the IPL has decided to impose a “maximum fee” for overseas players at mini auctions. Any overseas player’s auction fee at a mini auction will be the lower figure out of the highest retention price [INR 18 crore] and the highest auction price at the mega auction.For example, if the highest auction price at the mega auction for IPL 2025 is INR 20 crore, then the maximum fee allowed for an overseas player at the next mini auction will be INR 18 crore. But if the highest auction price at the mega auction is less than INR 18 crore – say, INR 16 crore – then the cap will be INR 16 crore.How does that affect bidding for overseas players at mini auctions? The auction process for the overseas player(s) will continue as normal until the player is sold, and the final auction amount will be deducted from the team’s auction purse. But the incremental amount over the “maximum fee” will be deposited with the BCCI.For example, let’s say franchises take an overseas player’s bid at the next mini auction beyond INR 16 or 18 crore, eventually stopping at INR 24 crore. The player’s fee in this case will be the “maximum fee” (as explained above) – so, either INR 16 crore or INR 18 crore. The incremental amount above that – in this case, INR 8 crore or INR 6 crore – will be deposited with BCCI and utilised towards players’ welfare.Can the franchises modify the prescribed retention amounts? Yes, franchises can pay more or less but that will impact the auction purse effectively. Both instances happened ahead of the mega auction in 2021. Punjab Kings retained two players: Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh, who then was uncapped. As per the IPL retention rules, if a franchise retained two players, INR 14 crore would be deducted for the first player, and for an uncapped player it was INR 4 crore. So even though PBKS eventually paid Mayank INR 12 crore and Arshdeep INR 4 crore, their purse going into the auction was 72 crore.In contrast, Delhi Capitals retained four players: Rishabh Pant (12 cr), Axar Patel (9 cr), Prithvi Shaw (7.5 cr) and Anrich Nortje (6.5 cr). The slabs set by the IPL in case of four capped retentions were: 16 cr, 12 cr, 8 cr and 6 cr. Though DC spent INR 39 crore overall, in the case of Nortje they had paid 2.5 crore more than the prescribed limit. Consequently, DC’s purse was deducted by INR 42.5 crore.Can players refuse to be retained?Players have the right to refuse to be retained in case they prefer the auction route.

Like father, like son.

Twenty-seven years after his father, Matt Holliday, was drafted by the Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 MLB draft, Ethan Holliday was taken by Colorado with the fourth pick of the 2025 MLB draft.

One of the most talented prospects in this year's draft, Ethan fell to the No. 4 pick, allowing him to play for the same team his dad started and ended his career with.

"This is a really incredible opportunity," Holliday said on MLB Network. "I'm so driven by faith, I'm so grateful. The Lord has really been the centerpiece of my life. I don't even know what words I can put to this. The Rockies organization, I'm so thankful, obviously with the family, the background, and my dad being drafted by them, that just adds such a cool thing. Knowing everyone in the organization since I was born, I'm just so grateful."

Ethan was born in 2007, ahead of his dad's fourth season in the majors and second straight All-Star season. That proved to be a lucky year for Matt, who went on to lead the National League in batting average and RBIs before claiming the MVP award that season.

Matt spent five seasons with the Rockies to begin his career, andEthan adorably got to know the organization he will now play for early on as a baby. Matt would go on to play for the Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees—winning a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011—before returning to spend his final MLB season in Colorado.

Now, Matt's sons are carrying on his legacy. His eldest son, Jackson, was the No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2022 MLB draft. He has another son that was a top-five draft pick in Ethan, who will also got to play for his former team.

The Seattle Mariners were able to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, on Saturday night, but the score could have been a little different if the home plate umpire hadn't made such a bad call in the third inning.

Seattle had two runners on with two outs when Randy Arozarena was struck out on a 3-2 pitch that looked to be well out of the strike zone. Instead of the bases becoming loaded, the inning came to an end, leaving the game tied at 0-0.

Mariners announcer Aaron Goldsmith didn't hold back on the umpire, Chris Guccione, saying: "Oooh, that is not a good call! Arozarena rung up on ball four."

That's another rough look for an ump, which there have been plenty of so far this season.

The Mariners were still able to improve to 47-42 on the year and sit seven games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West.

As part of a Golden Generation which proved to be incredibly disappointing, Steven Gerrard has now revealed where his England side went wrong and why he “hated” international duty.

Who was part of England's Golden Generation?

To this day, it beggars belief that a generation involving Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes and so much more failed to ever win a trophy. From goal-line controversy in the 2010 World Cup to Rooney’s stamp on Cristiano Ronaldo in 2006, there’s far more moments to forget than there are to savour, but how many stars did this generation really have?

England's Golden Generation divided by club rivalries

To put into context just how many talented players England had at their disposal in the 2000s, their starting line-up when they crashed out against Portugal on penalties in 2006 included Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves, Ashley Cole, John Terry, David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Rooney. It couldn’t have got much better than that.

Alas, silverware never arrived and the failure of that generation remains one of England’s greatest regrets. It makes the task of the current generation even greater, too.

Whilst the 2000s featured Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Beckham and others, the 2026 World Cup squad is likely to feature Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden. Once again, the pressure is on.

Whether the Three Lions have learned from their mistakes at Euro 2024, which saw them lose against Spain in the final late on, or from their mistakes at the 2022 World Cup, where they crashed out in the semi-final against France, is the big question.

The Golden Generation never quite learned and many have had their say as to why that proved to be the case, including Gerrard. The former England captain has now revealed where his side went wrong and why he “hated” international duty.

Gerrard slams "egotistical losers" in England generation

Speaking about England’s failiure to use the Gerrard, Scholes and Lampard trio, Gerrard dubbed the Golden Generation “egotistical losers” and said he “hated” England duty because of the divide in the camp between club rivals.

The former midfielder said: “I hated it. I didn’t enjoy it. Hated the [hotel] rooms. In my early days, I’d have days where I was down, like low down. Like I’m in this room for seven hours, what am I going to do.

“There was no social media, we didn’t have a DVD player or anything. Channel 1 to 5 or whatever it was on TV. I used to get low and down.

“I used to love the games.

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“I used to love playing for England. I was really proud. I used to enjoy the training sessions but it was 90 minutes a day. And then I was just on my own. I didn’t feel part of a team. I didn’t feel connected with my team-mates with England.

“I didn’t feel that with Liverpool. They were the best days of my life. I felt like the staff looked over me, like I felt special. I felt like I couldn’t wait to get there. With England, I just wanted the games and the training sessions and then to be away.”