Dodgers miss out on Verlander; what’s next?

Justin Verlander's decision to sign with the New York Mets leaves the Dodgers searching for other options.

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1. Dodgers miss out on Verlander; what’s next?

Justin Verlander's decision to sign with the New York Mets leaves the Dodgers searching for other options. The Sporting Tribune’s Blake Harris wonders what’s next for the Dodgers.

Justin Verlander sure picked an inconvenient time to choose his next team. Just as I was finishing up a lengthy article discussing all of the pros and cons of the Dodgers signing the Cy Young winner, he decided to sign with the Mets. I was literally proof reading it to make sure it was good to go when I got the notification. Article deleted. Well, I guess that means I can start a new article! Thanks, Justin. So, with the Dodgers missing out on Verlander, who do they turn to next?

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2. U.S. Soccer: the good, the bad, and the ugly

The U.S. crash out of the 2022 World Cup, but 2026 and the future could be bright for them if they focus on what's most important. The Sporting Tribune’s Chandrima Chatterjee has more on the past, present and future of USMNT.

Two weeks, four matches, only one win. That is the record of the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2022 World Cup who exited the tournament in the Round of 16 just as they did in 2010 and 2014, despite having a younger and more well-rounded team with global developmental experiences. Now that the journey of the 2022 USMNT has come to an end, marking yet another end of a four-year (after a 4-year drought) cycle, it’s not a question of whether they will qualify for the Cup in four years (which they will automatically as co-hosts). It’s a question of whether they will ever be in the higher ranks of the tournament, now dominated by familiar nations: Brazil, England, France, Netherlands, Argentina… As Australia, Senegal, Japan and South Korea joined the U.S. and all crashed out in the knockout stage, the all-too familiar script of chalk leaves fans bereft of the delight of the upset by the underdog. Where to go from here?

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3. TST’s NBA Power Rankings Week 8

The Celtics continue to be the class of the NBA, Anthony Davis has asserted himself into the MVP race, and Devin Booker has the Suns on fire in December. Have the Lakers turned their season around after going 8-2 over the last 10 games? The Sporting Tribune’s Brandon Deutsch has the answer.

In a season that many people including myself thought was finished, Anthony Davis said not so fast. Davis has single-handedly taken over for the Lakers, averaging 35.3 points, 15.6 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game over his past 9 games. The Lakers have won 8 of their last 10 games (tied for the best record in the league at that span) and their offensive rating has skyrocketed to 111.4 (22nd in the NBA when they were 30th just a couple of weeks ago). Their defensive rating of 111.7 is ranked 11th in the NBA, and the team has shot 41.2% from 3PT range in their last five games.

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4. Dodgers re-sign Clayton Kershaw to 1-year deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers are bringing back rotation stalwart Clayton Kershaw for a 16th season on a one-year, $20 million deal. Here’s what The Sporting Tribune’s Blake Harris wrote about Kershaw’s return when it was first reported last month:

Last offseason was a waiting game with Kershaw as he was a free agent. He didn’t sign before the lockout, so we had to wait months to know if he’d be returning to the Dodgers. Once again, Kershaw was set to become a free agent this offseason. The Dodgers had the opportunity to give him a qualifying offer, but for the second straight season they declined to do so, allowing him to spend time with his family to really weigh his options. After the deadline to extend QO’s passed yesterday, I’m sure we were all expecting this decision to take some time once again. Turns out, Kershaw’s decision was apparently already made up.

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5. Angel City FC re-sign veteran D Jasmyne Spencer

Angel City FC re-signed veteran defender Jasmyne Spencer to a new contract on Monday. The Sporting Tribune has more on the signing.

10-year NWSL veteran’s deal is guaranteed for two years and includes an option for a third year in 2025. “I’m so excited to be returning to Angel City,” she said. “We are building something incredible here in L.A. and there’s no place I’d rather be. See you soon, ACFC fam — we’ve got unfinished business.” Spencer, 32, had one assist in 15 matches (10 starts) during her first season with Angel City in 2022.

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6. Injuries present McTavish with an opportunity for expanded role

In a season that’s been full of dread and dreary for the Ducks, it’s easy to see why it would be difficult to pick out any bright spots. Thankfully, there are a few. The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee has a few silver linings for Ducks fans to focus on this season.

There’s the continued excellence of Troy Terry, who’s building off of last season’s breakout performance. Trevor Zegras seems to add another highlight to his reel almost every night with his package of exquisite puck skills. Perhaps going a bit unnoticed outside of the Anaheim sphere is how well Mason McTavish has fared in what will be his first full season in the NHL. In a nine-game cup of coffee last season, McTavish didn’t look out of place. He scored his first NHL goal in the first game of the season after being notified hours before the game that he would be drawing in.

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7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

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8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick  

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:

Carolina Hurricane @ Anaheim Ducks: $25

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9. On the Air presented by Pirnia Law

Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:

4:00 p.m. - Los Angeles Kings at Ottawa Senators - Bally Sports West

4:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland Cavaliers – TNT

7:00 p.m. - Carolina Hurricanes at Anaheim Ducks - Bally Sports SoCal

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10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune 

On Monday’s show, the crew talked about the Raiders beating the Chargers to stay in the playoff hunt, Caleb Williams’ chances to win the Heisman Trophy and Anthony Davis returning to MVP form with The Sporting Tribune’s Alysha Del Valle and Fernando Ramirez.

Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

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That’s it for today. Talk to you all tomorrow!