1st Down: It was a very, very good day for the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. After reeling in Juan Soto, the team also went out and got a pair of wins over the Colorado Rockies to make things even better. In the opener of the doubleheader, they won 13-5, coming back from an early 3-0 deficit. Trent Grisham had three RBI’s and three runs scored while Jurickson Profar showed out with five hits in the contest. In the night cap, it was closer but the Fathers still came out on top, winning 3-2 to conclude a good but eventful day. Josh Hader got the win on his bow with the club while Grisham again produced, hitting a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to produce the game’s first run since the bottom of the first. Overall, it was a brilliant day for anyone associated with the Padres.
2nd Down: The Miami Dolphins will pay a steep price for violating the NFL’s anti-tampering policy in their pursuits of both coach Sean Payton and Tom Brady. Following a six-month investigation into the allegations, the league has levied a $1.5 million fine and has taken away the Fins’ first-round draft pick in 2023. They also will have a third-round 2024 selection stricken from their books. The league also looked into allegations that the team lost on purpose, but they found no such evidence behind those claims. In addition to those penalties, owner Stephen Ross will be suspended for the first six weeks of the 2022 season.
3rd Down: According to sources, Kevin Durant’s next move is about to be made, with the star forward due to meet with Nets owner Joe Tsai this week. Whether he is still looking for a way out of Brooklyn or he is looking to potentially begin healing a fractured relationship remains to be seen, so it could get quite interesting in the next few days following this development. Durant, of course, asked to be traded about a month ago despite having four years left on his deal with the organization. That puts the Nets in a strong spot for negotiating, meaning they don’t have to let the 34 year-old go for cheap.
4th Down: The LA Galaxy are set to make a big splash, according to sources, with news emerging on Tuesday that they are going to be signing free agent midfielder Riqui Puig, formerly of Barcelona to a contract. It’s been said that there is a verbal agreement between the two parties, with the 23 year-old opting to trade in Spain for LA-LA land. Puig had not been a consistent starter for Barca, but he was a part of the first-team, and at his age, this is a huge signing for the whole of MLS. You just don’t see these types of moves, and the Galaxy are the latest to make one. In other MLS-related transfer news, Chelsea announced a deal for Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. The 18 year-old is considered a prodigy and will join his new team in January after the completion of the current MLS season for a very respectable $10 million+ fee.
