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As the Detroit Red Wings celebrate their centennial campaign, few figures can say theyâ€ve both played for the franchise and spent decades behind the microphone.

The beloved Mickey Redmond, the first 50-goal scorer in Red Wings history, fits that bill, as he’s been a longtime mainstay on Red Wings television broadcasts since 1986.

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Soon after Redmondâ€s playing days ended in 1976, a new face with ties to another Original Six franchise, the Montreal Canadiens, joined the Red Wings. And like Redmond, he’s become synonymous with Detroit hockey broadcasts.

Forward Paul Woods, who was originally selected by Montreal in the third round (51st overall) of the 1975 NHL Draft, never appeared in a game for the Canadiens and instead won two Calder Cup championships with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs.

However, it wasn’t long before he would be exposed in the 1977 NHL Waiver Draft and then subsequently scooped up by the Red Wings, where he would spend his entire NHL playing career before eventually transitioning into the field of broadcasting.

Woods admitted that he was frustrated that his career didn’t seem to be gaining much traction with the Canadiens, but that when he received the news of getting a chance with the Red Wings, he initially believed it to be a prank pulled by one of his teammates.

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“I was in Montreal and it was my third training camp there,” he said. “I was frustrated that I got sent down, and then a phone call came to me on a pay phone, just showing how much times have changed since then. It was someone from the Red Wings organization, and they asked, ‘If we took you today in the Waiver Draft, will you come?’

“I thought it was a prank, but I said, ‘Yeah sure, I’ll come.’ I thought it was one of my teammates that were just fooling around, trying to get me going.”

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However, he soon received the confirmation that sent him into full on elation – so much that he needed to pull his car over.

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“It came on the radio that I got picked by Detroit in the Waiver Draft,” he said. “I stopped the car and got out, and just started dancing around the car, I was that excited.”

Woods spent seven full seasons with the Red Wings and became the youngest captain in franchise history at the time, a mark later surpassed by 21-year-old Steve Yzerman in 1986, a role he would hold for 19 seasons.

Woods is one of 37 players in the Red Wings†century-long history to wear the captainâ€s “C,†a distinction heâ€s proud of, though he emphasizes that team success depends on everyone.

“It takes the entire team,” he said. “I guess captains are a sign of respect. The coaches decide that, it’s just who they picked to do it. I was involved in a lot of things, but it’s something to be proud of for sure.”

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Upon Woods’ entrance into the NHL in 1977, the Red Wings’ time at historic Olympia Stadium, which they had called home since 1927, was winding down.

As the surrounding neighborhood declined and crime increased, the Red Wings planned to build a new arena in the suburb of Pontiac before a counteroffer from the City of Detroit led to the hasty construction of Joe Louis Arena on the riverfront.

“It was a great building, it wasn’t that big, and it went straight up almost,” Woods said of Olympia Stadium. “The crowd was always right on top of you, it was a very intense building. The ice was outstanding, it was great.”

When the Red Wings moved from Olympia Stadium in December 1979, their new home wasnâ€t yet fully completed. Although it would go on to host countless nostalgic moments for new generations of fans, it took time for the arena to develop the signature charm that players and supporters eventually came to love.

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Woods admitted he wasnâ€t fully on board with the move to Joe Louis Arena at the time, but he eventually grew to appreciate it like so many others.

“Back in those days, I didn’t understand much about economics,” he said. “Not that I’m some great scholar of it now, but the point was for me, I didn’t think it made sense to be leaving such a great place to go to Joe Louis, which wasn’t even completely finished that that point.”

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“It didn’t seem like a good move at the time, but then it did turn out to be good because Joe Louis got its own identity,” he said. “And with the championships and the teams we had, it became a great place to play in, too.

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But I did love Olympia and the history of it. With (Gordie) Howe, (Alex) Delvecchio, Ted Lindsay, Bill Gadsby, all the different great players who played there, it meant something to me.”

Woods played one final season with the AHLâ€s Adirondack Red Wings in 1984–85 before transitioning into broadcasting, an career move that he never saw coming.

“I’d be the last person who would probably have ever gotten involved in that, but when I was done playing, they gave me a call and asked if I’d be interested in trying it. My plan was to do it for one year, just to say that I did it.

But then I started to understand it a a little bit better over time, and there was way more to it than I thought.”

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Like any good student of the game, there is plenty of preparation that goes into the work behind the scenes for any given broadcast.

“For me, it’s like preparing like back in my school days,” Woods explained. “Just like preparing for a test – if you don’t do it, you’ve got that bad feeling when you get there. So I like to keep myself prepared, going over the information of the previous night in the NHL, what’s happening and what’s going on, and just looking at the different teams  and try to come up with a few interesting points.

Woods holds the distinction of being the current longest-serving radio color commentator in Detroit sports history. He initially worked alongside longtime Red Wings commentator Bruce Martyn until his retirement in 1995.

From that point on, Woods has been shoulder to shoulder with Ken Kal, a partnership that has lasted over 30 years.

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“Just like the Bruce Martyn, they have great calls and it’s exciting,” Woods said of working with Kal. “You get dragged into the action when you have that excitement, and you’re enjoying just litending to it as you’re waiting for your moment to say something that’s noteworthy.”

“He’s a great broadcaster, and so was Bruce. I’ve been very fortunate to have (worked with) two guys like that.”

Woods has been behind the microphone as color commentator for four Red Wings Stanley Cup victories, along with another two appearances in the Stanley Cup Final in 1995 and 2009 that would fall short.

The collective euphoria of the 1997 Stanley Cup win, the first by the Red Wings in 42 years, was shared not only throughout the city but at all levels of the Red Wings organization.

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“It’s not an easy thing to do, there are so many teams in the NHL that have never won the Cup,” Woods said of the 1997 win. “It was a great, great moment and something you never forget…it took us a long time to get to that point when we were winning the Stanley Cup with so many lean years before we got there.”

“It means a little bit more too, I think, when you’re an Original Six team.”

Like the players traditionally do, Woods got his own day with the Stanley Cup, a special privilege that was arranged by the team.

“The Red Wings worked it out so that even the broadcasters could have it for a day,” Woods said. “I was coaching my son’s team, I had the Stanley Cup in the dressing room there; it affects so many people in different ways.”

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While his NHL career lasted just over 500 games, Woods has now worked over 3,000 Red Wings games as a commentator, and says coming to the rink never gets old.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “Had someone told me when I was a kid that as I got older in life that they’d be paying me to watch hockey and talk about it, I’d take that deal all day long.”

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  Jorge CastilloDec 5, 2025, 02:56 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

The New York Mets claimed right-hander Cooper Criswell off waivers from the Boston Red Sox on Friday, less than a day after he was designated for assignment.

Criswell, 29, provides depth for the Mets in the starting rotation and bullpen with extensive experience in both roles in the minors and majors. He logged a career-high 99â…“ innings over 18 starts and eight relief appearances for the Red Sox in 2024, with a 4.08 ERA. That included 17â…” innings in the majors over seven outings, with one start.

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For now, Criswell slots into a bullpen undergoing an offseason overhaul and is currently lean on proven options. New York recently signed Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million contract to either become their closer or a setup man — depending on whether they bring back free agent Edwin Diaz.

Criswell is not yet eligible for arbitration, but the Red Sox last month signed him to a fully guaranteed deal for the 2026 season worth $800,000 — slightly more than the league minimum salary — with hopes that the guaranteed contract and his lack of minor league options would deter teams from claiming him off waivers.

The Mets have a full rotation with Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga as the projected five, but they are interested in acquiring a front-line starter and could trade Senga this winter. Utilityman Jeff McNeil is also on the trading block after the team traded veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien last month.

Criswell was squeezed off Boston’s 40-man roster Thursday night so the club could complete a five-player trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Red Sox received right-hander Johan Oviedo and two minor leaguers for top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia and a minor league pitcher in the deal.

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Thursday evening’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena was nothing short of a roller coaster for the Detroit Red Wings, who gained a point in the standings but missed out on the second as part of their 6-5 shootout loss.

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The Blue Jackets, who twice had a lead evaporate, tied the game late in the third period with goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on the bench for an extra attacker, and then picked up the win thanks to goals in the shootout from Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko.

Special teams were the name of the game for both clubs, who each scored multiple power-play goals.

With the setback, the Red Wings are now 14-11-3 in their centennial campaign, but are now tied for the second overall spot in the Atlantic Division with 32 points. They also won’t like the fact that they’ve now allowed at least four goals against in five of their last six games.

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The Blue Jackets struck first after a shot from defenseman Ivan Provorov beat Cam Talbot from distance, but the Red Wings knotted the score early in the second period thanks to a power-play tally from Dylan Larkin.

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Marchenko restored the Columbus lead with a power-play goal of his own, followed by an even-strength tally from Johnson. But after Dmitri Voronkov was whistled for a four-minute double minor after his high sticking infraction on Andrew Copp drew blood, Detroit twice converted courtesy of Lucas Raymond and James van Riemsdyk, tying the game.

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A power-play goal from former Michigan Wolverines forward Adam Fantilli put Columbus ahead late in the second period, only to see the Red Wings roar back in the final frame thanks to goals in quick succession from Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. For Kane, it was the 496th goal of his career.

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Fantilli scored his second of the night to tie the game late in the third period after his shot deflected off defenseman Albert Johansson, setting up overtime.

“Would Be Really Cool”: Patrick Kane Would Love Mike Modano In Attendance For Milestone Achievement

“Would Be Really Cool”: Patrick Kane Would Love Mike Modano In Attendance For Milestone Achievement From one U.S.-born NHL legend to another, Patrick Kane says heâ€d welcome Mike Modanoâ€s presence when he breaks the record for most points by an American-born player.

While the Blue Jackets got shootout goals from both Johnson and Marchenko following a scoreless five-minute overtime session, Merzlikins stopped van Riemsdyk and Raymond, securing the extra point.

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This was Detroit’s first game of a six-game road trip which continues on Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken from Climate Pledge Arena.

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  Jorge CastilloDec 4, 2025, 08:28 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

The Boston Red Sox, seeking to fortify their starting rotation, acquired right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a five-player trade that sent heralded outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to Pittsburgh, the teams announced Thursday.

The Pirates also received minor league right-hander Jesus Travieso and shipped minor league left-hander Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman to Boston.

Oviedo, 27, joins the Red Sox days after the club acquired right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals for two players. Gray is an established 13-year veteran with a 3.60 ERA in 330 career starts. Oviedo has tantalizing tools that made him an attractive option on the trade market. He will be under team control through 2027.

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At 6-foot-6, Oviedo features a mid-90s fastball that touches 98 mph. His arm extension ranked in the 98th percentile last season. In 2023, his slider was one of the best pitches in the majors as calculated by run value.

But inconsistency and injuries have plagued Oviedo’s major league career. He owns an 11% walk rate for his career. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and his 2025 debut was pushed to August after suffering a lat injury during spring training. Oviedo returned to record a 3.57 ERA, posting 42 strikeouts and 23 walks over 40â…“ innings in nine starts when he returned. He pitched into the sixth inning once.

Oviedo lengthens a group of starting pitchers that includes AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet, Gray, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval.

Garcia, nicknamed The Password for his difficult-to-spell first name, made his major league debut Aug. 22 at Yankee Stadium. He went 1-for-7 with a double and two walks in five games before he was demoted to Triple-A Worcester.

A Venezuela native, Garcia batted .267 with 21 home runs and an .810 OPS in 114 games — 83 in center field — between Double-A and Triple-A. He was Boston’s No. 3 prospect in ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel’s August rankings, but the Red Sox have a surplus of capable every-day major league outfielders, with Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu on the roster.

The Pirates have excess in rotation depth, led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, but they are looking to improve the offense this offseason. Garcia figures to have the opportunity to compete for an everyday role for a club that ranked last in the majors in runs scored in 2025, slotting into the outfield alongside center fielder Oneil Cruz and right fielder Bryan Reynolds.

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Jhostynxon Garcia (Photo courtesy of Ashley Green/Worcester Red Sox)

The Red Sox continued their offseason quest to remake their rotation depth, landing Pirates righthander Johan Oviedo in a five-player deal. In return, Pittsburgh acquired Top 100 Prospect Jhostynxon Garcia. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Boston is also acquiring minor league catcher Adonys Guzman and lefthanded reliever Tyler Samaniego. Teenage righthander Jesus Travieso goes to Pittsburgh as part of the deal.

Itâ€s a trade that makes sense for both sides. The Pirates are well-stocked with pitching depth and in need of reinforcements for their big league lineup, especially in the outfield. There wasn’t a clear path to outfield playing time in Boston for Garcia, who ranked sixth in the Red Sox system entering 2026. This is also not the first time the clubs have dealt from areas of depth; the Pirates acquired Nick Yorke from Boston for Quinn Priester in 2024.

For the Red Sox, it’s the second notable addition to their rotation mix after acquiring RHP Sonny Gray earlier this winter. Boston’s rotation depth was tested by the end of its playoff run in 2025, leading the club to call up both Payton Tolle and Connelly Early down the stretch, and Lucas Giolito (who missed the postseason with an elbow injury) is now a free agent. The Red Sox now have a host of options to pick from, with Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval also potentially factoring in if they can return healthy, and younger arms like Luis Perales and Kyle Harrison as Triple-A depth early in the season.

RED SOX ACQUIRE

Johan Oviedo, RHP
Age: 27

Signed by the Cardinals out of Cuba in July 2016, Oviedo arrived in Pittsburgh in a 2022 deadline deal that sent Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton to St. Louis. He already had two years of major league experience and established himself as a regular starter in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery after the season. Oviedo missed all of 2024 and returned in rehab outings in early July of 2025. He rejoined the Pirates on Aug. 4 and made nine starts down the stretch, posting a 3.57 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 23 walks over 40.1 innings. Oviedo sits in the mid 90s with two fastball shapes and mixes three secondaries. He fits an archetype that the Red Sox covet: He’s a giant at 6-foot-6 with 7-foot-4 extension and a flat vertical approach angle on his fastball. He should provide the Red Sox with starter depth and could also work multiple-inning relief.

Adonys Guzman, C
Age: 22

A New York native, Guzman began his college career at Boston College before transferring to Arizona. The Pirates selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, and he made one appearance with Low-A Bradenton. Most of his present value is tied to his defense behind the plate. He has plus arm strength, has impressive body control and controls the running game well. Offensively, he took a step forward as a junior at Arizona, slugging nine homers with solid swing decisions and raw pullside power, though heâ€ll need to improve his contact consistency as a pro. Guzman, who was traded on his birthday, was not set to rank in the Pirates†Top 30 Prospects.Â

Tyler Samaniego, LHP
Age: 26

Samaniego pitched well enough in his return from elbow troubles in 2025 to earn a brief spot on the Pirates†40-man roster when they protected him from the Rule 5 draft last month, even though heâ€ll turn 27 in January and has never pitched above Double-A. His best pitch is a mid-90s fastball that touched 97 mph in 2025 with plus extension, above-average spin and heavy armside run. He landed it for strikes roughly two-thirds of the time and generated a miss rate around 30%. He pairs it with a low-to-mid-80s slider and a seldom-used upper-80s changeup. Samaniego helps replenish Bostonâ€s upper-level relief depth from the left side, which thinned after the club dealt Brennan Bernardino (Rockies) and Chris Murphy (White Sox).

PIRATES ACQUIRE

Jhostynxon Garcia, OF
Age: 22

Affectionately known as ‘The Password’, Garcia has enjoyed a steady rise over the last two seasons, ranking among the Top 100 Prospects in 2025. Garcia is a power-hitting outfielder with a plus arm and enough bat-to-ball ability to consistently get to power in games. His aggressive approach leads to high rates of hard contact but also a fair amount of whiffs in and out of the strike zone. Garcia made his major league debut with the Red Sox on Aug. 22 and played in five games. Garcia spent a majority of his season patrolling centerfield for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, but long term is likely best suited for an outfield corner. Garcia should immediately start for the Pirates in 2026 and could hit in the middle of Pittsburghâ€s order.

Jesus Travieso, RHP
Age: 18

Signed out of Venezuela in January of 2024, Travieso came stateside in 2025 after a strong debut in the Dominican Summer League. He opened the year with 12 appearances in the Florida Complex League, pitching to a 2.77 ERA with 52 strikeouts to 25 walks over 39 innings. Boston promoted Travieso to Low-A Salem on July 27 and he made seven appearances over the final weeks of the season.

Undersized at 5-foot-11, Travieso mixes four pitches in a gyro slider, four-seam fastball, changeup and sweeper. His 84-86 mph slider is his primary pitch, with tight gyro spin and above-average spin rates. Travieso shows the ability to command the slider in and out of the zone generating high rates of whiffs and lots of strikes. The four-seam fastball sits 94-96 mph touching 100 mph at peak with below-average shape. Travieso doesnâ€t generate much ride or run, and lacks the extension to create deceptive release traits on the pitch. He does a good job of killing lift on the changeup and he commands the pitch well, making it at least an average offering. He used his work-in-progress sweeper infrequently. It has some downward tilt and sits in the mid 80s but heâ€s flashed poor command of the pitch in games.

Overall, Travieso has fastball velocity and two above-average secondaries with below-average command and an undersized frame. Heâ€s likely to be bucketed as a future reliever, but will likely get future opportunities to start.

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The Red Sox continue to revamp their rotation, acquiring right-hander Johan Oviedo in a five-player trade with the Pirates, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (MLB’s No. 85 prospect) and right-hander Jesus Travieso are going to Pittsburgh in the deal, while the Pirates are also sending a pair of prospects — left-hander Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman — to Boston.

The clubs have not confirmed the trade, which comes a couple weeks after the Red Sox acquired veteran starter Sonny Gray from the Cardinals.

TRADE DETAILS
Red Sox receive: RHP Johan Oviedo, LHP Tyler Samaniego, C Adonys Guzman
Pirates receive: OF Jhostynxon Garcia (MLB’s No. 85 prospect), RHP Jesus Travieso

Oviedo, who is under club control through the 2027 season, has been effective when healthy, posting a career 4.24 ERA across 81 big league appearances (57 starts). The 27-year-old missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, then suffered a lat strain that limited him to nine starts in 2025, when he logged a 3.57 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings.

Oviedo was a more prominent part of the Pirates’ rotation in 2023 when he went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA in 32 starts.

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Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray apparently is looking forward to taking on his new team’s biggest rival, saying he’s happy to be in “a place where it’s easy to hate the Yankees.”

The Red Sox acquired the well-traveled Gray in a trade with the Cardinals last week, adding the durable pitcher to a starting rotation that was thin on options during Boston’s postseason ouster in New York.

Gray already is familiar with the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry after spending parts of two seasons in the Bronx earlier in his career, and the three-time All-Star didn’t mince words when discussing his experience in New York.

“It just wasn’t a good situation for me,” Gray told reporters Tuesday. “It wasn’t a great setup for me and my family. I never wanted to go there in the first place.”

Sonny Gray struggled to a 4.51 ERA — nearly a full run higher than his career numbers — during his time with the Yankees. “It wasn’t a great setup for me and my family,” he said. “I never wanted to go there in the first place.” Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

That clearly wasn’t the case for Gray with the Red Sox, who needed the right-hander to waive his no-trade clause in order to complete their deal with the Cardinals.

“What did factor into my decision to come to Boston — it feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it’s easy to hate the Yankees,” he said. “It’s easy to go out and have that rivalry and go into it with full force, full steam ahead. I like the challenge.”

Gray struggled to a 4.51 ERA — nearly a full run higher than his career numbers — during his 41-game run with the Yankees in 2017 and 2018. New York acquired Gray in a blockbuster deal with the Athletics only to trade him less than 18 months later to Cincinnati, where he began reviving his career with the Reds.

“When that was happening, and we were in Oakland and getting traded — that was a long time ago — I never wanted to go [to New York],” Gray said. “So then I was there, and it just didn’t really work for who I am. … I just wasn’t myself. I just didn’t feel like I was allowed to go out there and be Sonny.”

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Gray, 36, has a 3.58 ERA over a 13-year career with the Athletics, Yankees, Reds, Twins and Cardinals. He joins a Red Sox rotation that is led by ace Garrett Crochet but also features a handful of unproven candidates after right-hander Brayan Bello.

Gray is the latest Red Sox pitcher to publicly say that he didn’t enjoy playing for the Yankees.

Star closer Aroldis Chapman said earlier this offseason that he would “retire on the spot” before playing for New York again, adding that he “dealt with a lot of disrespect” from Yankees management.

Gray, who is 66-50 with a 3.51 ERA in seven seasons since leaving the Yankees, acknowledged that he learned a great deal from his time in New York.

“I’ve been a better baseball player, husband, everything from having that experience and going through that,” he said.

Boston’s first series with the Yankees next season will be April 21-23 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox play their first series in Yankee Stadium from June 5 to June 7.

If he ends up pitching for the Red Sox in the Bronx, Gray hinted that things will be different.

“This time around, it’s just go out and be yourself,” he said. “Don’t try to be anything other than yourself. If people don’t like it, it is what it is. I am who I am, and I’m OK with that.”

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The Columbus Blue Jacketsare at home take on the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena.

Detroit comes into Columbus having gone 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and are losers of 4 of their last 5. They did win their last game against the Bruins on Tuesday, however.

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The Red Wings beat the Jackets back on November 22nd when Columbus blew a 3-1 third-period lead. They then lost the game 1:50 into the overtime period.

The Blue Jackets last game was a win on Monday night in New Jersey. It was a spirited game that saw four fights and 74 combined penalty minutes. The Jackets went down 2-0 in the first three minutes of the game but battled back by scoring three times in the third period to upend the Devils. It was a game that everybody wanted to see – A game that saw them battle back and keep a third period lead for the win.

The Jackets currently sit 8th in the Metro, 13th in the East, and 19th in the NHL.

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play – 16.4% – 23rd in the NHL

• Penalty Kill – 74.2% – 28th in the NHL

• Goals For – 75 – 24th in the NHL

• Goals Against – 84 – 20th in the NHL

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Red Wings Stats

• Power Play – 21.6% – 11th in the NHL

• Penalty Kill – 79.5% – 23rd in the NHL

• Goals For – 80 – 14th in the NHL

• Goals Against – 92 – 28th in the NHL

Series History vs. The Red Wings

• Columbus is 48-52-1-15 all-time, and 27-24-1-7 at home vs. Detroit.

• The CBJ are 2-1-2 in the last 5 against the Red Wings.

• The Jackets are 29-13-5 in the last 47 games.

Who To Watch For The Red Wings

• Patrick Kane has 88 points in 65 career games against Columbus.

• Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings with 14 goals and 30 points.

• Lucas Raymond leads the team with 20 assists.

• Goalie Cam Talbot is 9-4-1 with a .888 SV%. His last start was on November 29th.

• John Gibson is 5-7-1 with a SV % of .868. His last start was on December 2nd against the Boston Bruins.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Red Wings

• Zach Werenski has 22 points in 26 career games against Detroit.

• Charlie Coyle has 14 points in 31 games.

• Sean Monahan has 17 points in 22 games vs. the Red Wings.

Injuries

• Erik Gudbranson – Upper Body – Missed 18 Games – IR – No timeline for a return

• Boone Jenner – Upper Body – Missed 10 Games – IR – Could return this week

• Mathieu Olivier – Upper Body – Missed 3 Games – IR- No timeline for a return

• Kirill Marchenko – Lower Body – Missed 4 Games – Day to day

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 47

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight’s game will be on ESPN+ & HULU. John Buccigross will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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The Toronto Blue Jays made a major impact on the baseball world when they won the AL pennant and came within a game of winning the World Series this past season. However, just because they got so close to a title doesnâ€t mean they didnâ€t see room for improvement, and with one fell swoop, they found themselves a new potential ace for their rotation.

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On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the mega deal that Dylan Cease received from the Blue Jays, as he finalized a 7-year, $210 million contract to hopefully lead them right back to the World Series next year. Did Toronto jump the gun a little too quickly to bring in the seven-year veteran or were they right to strike before any other team could bid for Ceaseâ€s services?

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss the other moves that saw pitchers finding new homes, including the Boston Red Sox trading for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray, the New York Mets signing Devin Williams to a three-year deal and the Baltimore Orioles bringing in Ryan Helsley to help with their bullpen. Then the guys take a look back at their bold predictions for the 2025 season and whether any actually came true.

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images

(Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

2:31 — The Opener: Cease to Toronto

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25:03 — Scott Boras Scoreboard update

29:27 — We Need To Talk About: Sonny to Boston

42:33 — Around The League: Devin & Helsleyâ€s new homes

55:04 — Turbo Mode: â€25 predictions recap

ðŸ–¥ï¸ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or atyahoosports.tv

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And it sounds like he is really looking forward to facing New York with his new club.

“What did factor into my decision to come to Boston, it feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, itâ€s easy to hate the Yankees, right?†Gray said in a video conference with reporters on Tuesday. “Itâ€s easy to go out and have that rivalry and go into it with full force, full steam ahead. I like the challenge.â€

Gray became a Yankee ahead of the 2017 Trade Deadline when the Aâ€s dealt him as the centerpiece of a four-player swap. But he scuffled to a 4.51 ERA over 41 appearances (34 starts) before the Yanks shipped him off to the Reds.

Gray was blunt when asked to reflect on his time with the Yankees: “I never wanted to go there in the first place.†He added that the move “just didnâ€t really work for who I am†and wasnâ€t great for him or his family.

However, Gray has gone on to make two All-Star teams and turn in a handful of solid seasons after leaving New York, including a runner-up finish for the American League Cy Young Award in 2023 with the Twins. He credited his time with the Yankees, as bumpy as it was, for helping to make him better on and off the field.

“I do appreciate my time [in New York],†Gray said. “I do feel like the last seven years of my career, my life and everything, Iâ€ve been a better baseball player, husband, everything from having that experience and going through that. I just feel like I learned so much after going through that.

“When I immediately left, I was just like, you know what? I just wasnâ€t myself. And I donâ€t know what led to that or anything, but I just didnâ€t feel like I was allowed to, ‘Hey, just go out there and be Sonny, like, go out there and just be yourself.â€â€

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