The Phillies are sending three of their best starters, including Christopher Sanchez tonight, to the mound, while the Cubs are countering with their 6th and 7th starters, including Javier Assad tonight.
The big news this week is the Dodgers winning the Kyle Tucker and the Mets grabbing Bo Bichette. It's some big money. Kyle Tucker is getting that partially deferred 60MM AAV and Bo Bichette is getting an player option protected 43MM AAV. I don't begrudge them. They're both at the top of a very high profile profession where the top get the tippy-top cash. It might be getting hard to see anything but the bucks though.
Many in the industry expect a lockout and some even worry about the potential for lost games in 2027. Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of The New York Post report that the league has put aside a war chest of about $2 billion, roughly $75MM per team, from a central fund to help weather a potentially lengthy stoppage. The MLBPA has made similar preparations but the report doesn't provide specifics for that side.