Sports this 'n' that

 In less than 24 hours, the College Football Playoff field has taken a pair of major hits.

First, #4 Southern California lost the Pac-12 title to Utah, to the tune of 47-24, a bitter end to Lincoln Riley's 1st season at USC after leaving Oklahoma.

Earlier this afternoon, TCU's chances to a big hit with a 31-28 overtime loss to Kansas State, which won the Big 12 title for the first time in a decade. While the usual pundits still have TCU at #3 at the moment, that may not last, depending on what happens as today's games continue. Ohio State, currently #5, would almost certainly move up if they win the Big 10 title later tonight. Georgia is cruising to the SEC title, leading LSU, 35-10, at the start of the 2nd half.

#6 Alabama would stand to gain if both TCU & USC are removed from the field, and then, the complaints would start again about the Crimson Tide's favored nation status.

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Jesse "Eye" Winker is on the move again.

Traded from Cincinnati to Seattle one year ago, Winker is headed back to the NL Central, as the Mariners traded him and Abraham Toro to Milwaukee for infielder Kolten Wong earlier today. Wong wound up in Craig Counsell's doghouse after he lost his starting job at 2nd base this past season, and no one's really sure why Winker's bags were packed again for the 2nd straight off-season.

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The Texas Rangers love taking risks, but getting little in return.

Despite splashy free agent moves the last couple of seasons, the Rangers have not been able to make the playoffs.

Now, they think 2-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom is the answer.

DeGrom leaves the Mets for Texas after signing a 5 year contract with an option for a 6th, netting him $185 million, or, an average of $37 million per season. With Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker as free agents, the Mets only have Max Scherzer & Carlos Carrasco under contract for next season, and are hopeful of bringing back Bassitt & Walker, despite the latter's late season fade-outs the last two seasons. DeGrom & Scherzer were supposed to be a formidable 1-2 punch at the front of the Met rotation, but deGrom didn't see the mound until August due to injury, and it's his recent injury history that calls into question the decision made by Ranger management to take a flier on him. 

Of course, with every team playing each other at least one series a year starting in 2023, deGrom will see his former mates at least once a year, and unlike Noah Syndergaard in Philadelphia, won't shy away, unless another injury gets in the way.

In other Met news, the team signed journeyman reliever Jimmy Yacabonis to a minor league deal. Yacabonis has pitched for Miami, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, & Seattle in the course of his career. Of course, the caveat emptor sign has to be put up here, as the Mets previously signed reliever AJ Ramos, whose career flamed out due to injury, and Jordan Yamamoto, who spent last season in the minors after injuries cut short his 2021 season. In short, one wonders if the Marlins haven't done enough fleecing.

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Speaking of the cheapskate Marlins, former manager Don Mattingly has signed on as a bench coach in Toronto, working with manager John Schneider. Not that it would help the Blue Jays overmuch.