YANKEES EYE TOMMY PHAM: THE SCRAPPY VETERAN WHO COULD REPLACE CODY BELLINGER IN LEFT
The Yankees are considering Tommy Pham and Austin Hays as Cody Bellinger alternatives. We analyze the stats and clubhouse impact.
The Yankees eye Tommy Pham as a backup if Bellinger signs elsewhere.
The Yankees are making backup plans in case Cody Bellinger heads somewhere else this offseason. Bellinger’s one of the hottest free agents out there right now—lots of teams want him—but nobody’s locked him down yet. He’s still the Yankees’ top choice, but they haven’t made a deal, so they’re looking at other options just in case.
If Bellinger slips away, Yankees insider Brendan Kuty from The Athletic says the team might turn to Tommy Pham as a replacement. Austin Hays is another name in the mix. He’s a free agent, too and could share time with Jasson Domínguez. Last season, Hays hit .319 with two home runs and a .949 OPS against lefties in 105 plate appearances. For his career, he’s got a .819 OPS versus lefties. Pham’s also a free agent and owns a career .802 OPS against lefties.
Pham would be a bit of a curveball for the Yankees. He’d probably end up in a platoon with Domínguez or Spencer Jones. And let’s be honest, Pham’s got a reputation—he’s been in plenty of on-field dust-ups and has made headlines on social media. It’s not clear if the Yankees want that kind of drama in the clubhouse.
But the guy can still play. Last year with the Pirates, Pham hit .245 with 10 homers and 52 RBIs. He’s also got playoff experience—37 games under his belt.
And Pham doesn’t shy away from confrontation. Remember last season against the Blue Jays? After a walk, he flipped his bat and chirped at catcher Tyler Heineman, thinking Heineman said something to him. Heineman later said it was all just weird and unprovoked. Pham fired back online, saying it was disrespectful for Heineman to question the umpire’s strike zone, calling him out publicly. Blue Jays fans can’t stand him now, so honestly, he might fit right in with the Yankees.
On the Bellinger front, the Yankees haven’t given up. They even put a second offer on the table. According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees are also talking to the Marlins about pitcher Edward Cabrera. The thinking is, if they know Bellinger’s coming back to play left field—Grisham in centre, Judge in right—it’d be easier to trade away Domínguez or Jones for pitching help.
Cabrera ended up getting traded to the Cubs, but that’s not the end of the story. The Yankees are probably still looking for another starter, but first, they need to figure out if Bellinger is coming to New York or not. That’s the domino that needs to fall before the rest of the offseason moves can happen.
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
