SPORTS LINE
The Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis doesn’t like all of the losing in Milwaukee this season. Friday night proved just that, with the fourth quarter being a big disappointment for the Bucks and the fans. The last part of the fourth quarter saw not only Giannis Antetokounmpo suffer another calf injury but also another loss to a very close game. “I’m going to work my butt off to come back probably at the end of February, beginning of March. Hopefully, the team can at least make the Play-In or playoffs, take it day by day, and try to get better.” Those are the words Giannis Antetokounmpo said shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks star announced he would likely be out for four to six weeks due to injury. It sounds obvious, but he’s made his stance clear. Milwaukee is 18-26 this season, including 3-11 when Giannis sits. Asking the team, as constructed, to go on a run right now, while also missing Kevin Porter Jr., is a tall order. Their only hope is to make a series of roster changes — the coaching staff wouldn’t hurt, either.
The current group isn’t suddenly going to find its mojo, even with a favorable schedule. The sample size is big enough now. There’s also an argument to be made that no trade is fixing this. Even if there are players out there who can help now, the Milwaukee Bucks are running low on any meaningful assets to acquire them. It’s a spot no contender wants to be in. Jon Horst,
Milwaukee’s general manager, is caught in quite a predicament. Known for his aggressive swings and disregard for the future, Horst likely won’t quit just yet. He may think there is something out there that helps this team and keeps Giannis fully locked in on staying in Milwaukee. It’s not in his nature to give up when things get challenging; he is known for being the guy who traded for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard when things were unquestionably bleak.
The Milwaukee Brewers.
The Mets and Brewers make a deal. The New York Mets’ winterlong pursuit of a front-line starting pitcher ended late Wednesday when they acquired All-Star Freddy Peralta, as well as fellow right-hander Tobias Myers, from the Milwaukee Brewers for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, two of their top prospects. Some deals cut a little deeper, and this one definitely feels like one of those. But this is how the Milwaukee Brewers operate, regardless of whether you agree with the strategy.
Peralta, as the haul the Brewers received indicates, was coveted by several clubs. He is a two-time All-Star coming off a career season in which he went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 176⅔ innings across 33 starts. He is one of two pitchers, Dylan Cease is the other, with at least 200 strikeouts in each of the past three seasons. He also ranks 10th in the majors among qualifiers with a 3.40 ERA and third in opponent batting average (.210) over that span. The small-market Brewers, after determining they did not have a realistic shot at re-signing Peralta, found that trading him for the right package was preferable to letting him walk for just a compensatory draft pick. The Brewers were more than willing to pay Peralta $8 million for 2026. The reason behind the trade is what comes after 2026. Instead, it has to do with Peralta’s future. He will be a free agent following the 2026 World Series.
Peralta enters his age-30 season in a prime position to cash in. Since his stunning 13-strikeout MLB debut on Mother’s Day in Colorado in 2018, Peralta has been an integral part of the Brewers’ success. Since joining the rotation full-time at the beginning of the 2021 season, Peralta has been a rock in the rotation. The Brewers’ philosophy of baseball business is not to overpay.
The Green Bay Packers.
Jonathan Gannon had plenty of offers before he went with the Green Bay Packers. Gannon previously interviewed for defensive coordinator openings with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders while also speaking with the Tennessee Titans for their vacant head coach opening. Gannon reportedly agreed to become the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator, replacing Jeff Hafle,y after he accepted a job to become the Miami Dolphins’ head coach. Gannon will be able to shift his entire focus to the defensive side of the ball in Green Bay, and it’s quite the talented unit. The Packers’ defense boasts names such as Xavier McKinney and Micah Parsons, who is recovering from ACL surgery. He will become the fourth defensive coordinator in coach Matt LaFleur’s eight seasons in Green Bay.
