GIANTS SIGN HONEYWELL: SAN FRANCISCO SECURES FORMER DODGERS PLAYOFF HERO ON MINOR LEAGUE DEAL
From LA to SF: Discover why the Giants signed Brent Honeywell and how his "selfless" Dodgers legacy impacted the NL West rivalry.
The Dodgers let Brent Honeywell go after the 2024 season, and now, after taking a year off, he’s heading north to sign with the San Francisco Giants. Chris Cotillo from MassLive says Honeywell’s deal is a minor league contract.
Honeywell’s career has been a wild ride so far. He debuted with the Rays in 2021 but only threw 4 1/3 innings before Tampa Bay shipped him to Oakland for cash. Elbow issues kept him out most of the year, so he never actually pitched in the majors for the A’s.
The next stop was San Diego. He got into 36 games with the Padres, put up a 4.05 ERA, and then got designated for assignment. The White Sox picked him up, but things didn’t go well there; he gave up 11 runs over four games and was DFA’d again.
He kicked off 2024 with the Pirates but barely got a chance, only making two appearances before getting cut in July. The Dodgers claimed him, and honestly, he turned things around. In 18 games with LA, he posted a sharp 2.62 ERA. He started once, finished 12 games, and even pitched in the postseason.
The playoffs weren’t all smooth sailing; he gave up nine runs in 8 2/3 innings, but the team leaned on him when it mattered. After the Dodgers fell behind 8-2 in Game 5 of the NLCS, Honeywell ate up 4 2/3 innings and threw 67 pitches to keep the bullpen fresh.
He came through for the Dodgers’ bullpen on their run to a World Series title. Even though he didn’t pitch last season, the team remembered what he did. When he came to pick up his ring, Freddie Freeman made a point to thank him. “Brent: I think it goes without saying what you did for us in the playoffs last year, especially in Game 5 of the NLCS, will go down as one of the most selfless acts I’ve seen on a baseball field,” Freeman said. “For me personally, I just want to say thank you. That was awesome, what you did last year, man. Appreciate you very much.”
Now, after a year away, Honeywell’s getting another shot this time with the Giants. He’ll try to find his place all over again.
DEXTER LAWRENCE TRADE REQUEST LOOMS OVER GIANTS' PREPARATIONS FOR PITTSBURGH NFL DRAFT
Dexter Lawrence wants out! Discover why the Giants are considering a trade before the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
The New York Giants might have no choice but to trade Dexter Lawrence before the NFL Draft. Negotiations on a new contract with the star defender have hit a wall, and Lawrence already asked for a trade earlier this month. He's skipped the team’s first offseason practices under new head coach John Harbaugh, which hasn’t helped matters.
At this point, the Giants have been talking with several teams about a possible deal for Lawrence. With the draft coming up in Pittsburgh next week, the pressure is on. They need picks, and right now they only hold two selections in the top 100. Harbaugh’s trying to breathe new life into the roster, but he needs more draft capital to do it.
News of the stalled negotiations came just hours after GM Joe Schoen sounded pretty upbeat, saying talks had been "productive". He explained that he, Harbaugh, and senior VP Dawn Aponte were all in regular contact with Lawrence’s reps, looking for some kind of resolution. Schoen insisted they want Dexter to stay, but he admitted it’s out of their hands now. They’ll just have to see what happens.
Lawrence, 28, signed a four-year, $90 million extension last year. Since then, defensive contracts have exploded, so his deal has dropped to just 11th among league defenders. On top of that, the team’s shaken up its roster, letting go of many Lawrence’s close teammates like Saquon Barkley.
Lawrence has been with the Giants since they drafted him 17th overall in 2019. He’s played his whole seven-year career in New York, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro honours. His career stats include 30.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception. But last year wasn’t great; he only managed half a sack, eight QB hits, and a pass rush win rate of 8.3 per cent for a team that finished 4-13. It’s hard to tell if he’ll stay with the Giants much longer.
RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE
No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.
Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.
He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.
He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.
“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”
So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.
Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.
Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.
“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”