Defenseman Quinn Hughes will not travel to Boston to join the United States team as an injury replacement option for its 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada, his agent confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Sources told ESPN that the Americans will have Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson and New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce as injury insurance for Thursday night's 4 Nations final.

Hughes, 25, was expected to join the Americans for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game after defenseman Charlie McAvoy was lost for the tournament. McAvoy was hospitalized Monday with an infection in his right shoulder and a significant injury to his AC joint.

Hughes initially made Team USA's roster but had to back out because of an oblique injury. He still hasn't been officially cleared by the Vancouver Canucks to return to play, having been out of action since Jan. 31. He wore a red noncontact jersey in Canucks practice Tuesday before being cleared for contact for Wednesday's practice.

Sources told ESPN that Hughes recently flew across the country back to Vancouver from the East Coast. To fly to Boston, and then to Las Vegas for the Canucks' next game Saturday, would have been a taxing travel week for him.

Tournament rules state that if a team loses two players at forward or on defense to injury or illness, it can bring on a non-roster player as an emergency injury replacement. Team Canada, for example, called up Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley after it lost Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore to injury and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was unable to play against the U.S.

"The rules are the rules. I can't play unless anyone else gets injured, and I obviously don't want to see anyone get injured," Hughes said Tuesday. "If they had to do it over again, I think they'd allow teams to bring a couple extra players."

The Hughes decision ends two days of intense speculation that one of the NHL's best players could make a surprise comeback in the championship game. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman last season. He has 14 goals and 59 points to lead the Canucks and is averaging more than 25:18 in ice time this season.

On Tuesday, U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said "Quinn Hughes is coming" when asked about the Americans bringing in a defenseman from outside of their roster. After Wednesday's morning skate, Sullivan acknowledged that Hughes was not yet on his way from Vancouver and said Team USA GM Bill Guerin and his assistants were continuing to work to bring him to the 4 Nations final.

U.S. players anticipated the possibility that Hughes could join them in Boston, if not appear in the game.

"I know he's been watching every game," said his brother Jack Hughes of the Devils, who plays in Team USA's top line. "I know he is definitely frustrated. He wishes he could be a part of this, and a lot of great players that were injured and couldn't play a couple of them, so he's one of them and we're missing him big-time. But I know he was really looking forward to this and coming down the road here at the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey coming up, I know he'll be really excited for those events."

Jack Hughes said the drama surrounding his brother's Team USA status has been "just a tough situation for everyone" involved.

Quinn Hughes said the initial decision not to play was "extremely hard" for him.

"I gotta thank Bill Guerin for how patient he was with me, not only 10 days ago but even last night and the last 24 hours. He understood how much I wanted to play and also what my obligations were to the Canucks. Really what it came down to, I just wasn't healthy enough where I wasn't sure it couldn't get worse," he said. "If there's a positive, I should be healthy enough to go next game against Vegas."

Team USA will face Canada for the 4 Nations championship Thursday night at TD Garden. It's a rematch of their emotional battle in Montreal on Saturday night that featured three fights in the opening nine seconds of the game and that the Americans won 3-1.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan contributed to this report.

NEW ORLEANS -- Following a joint meeting between athletic directors representing their respective conferences on Wednesday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said they agreed that the way teams are seeded in the 12-team College Football Playoff should change this fall.

While the voices of the two wealthiest and most powerful conferences certainly carry weight, any changes for the 2025 season have to be unanimously agreed upon by the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua.

"I'm prepared to vote for seeding change, but it has to be unanimous," Sankey said.

This past season, the four highest-ranked conference champions earned the top four seeds and a first-round bye. It was one of the most controversial facets of the format because it allowed for ninth-ranked Boise State, which won the Mountain West Conference, to earn the No. 3 seed and for 12th-ranked Arizona State to earn the No. 4 seed. Third-ranked Texas and fourth-ranked Penn State were runners-up in their respective conferences, but they couldn't be seeded higher than Nos. 5 and 6 because the top four seeds were reserved for conference champions.

A popular suggestion to change the seeding for this fall -- which Petitti said he favored -- has been to use the selection committee's ranking for the seeding while still making room for the five highest-ranked conference champions. In that model, the committee's top four teams would earn the top four seeds and first-round byes, regardless of whether they were conference champions. That would also open the door for Notre Dame, which can't win a conference title as an independent, to earn a first-round bye as a top-four seed.

"We're in favor of going to a straight seeding, where there's no difference between rankings and seeding like we had this year," Petitti said. "We're in support of that for next year."

The joint meeting between the Big Ten and SEC came less than a week before both Petitti and Sankey will meet in Dallas with their fellow FBS commissioners and Bevacqua to begin a thorough review of the inaugural 12-team playoff.

The SEC and Big Ten have the bulk of control over what the CFP will look like when the new contract with ESPN begins following the 2025 season. That power was part of the negotiation process that also included guaranteed access for conference champions and certain protections for Notre Dame.

When asked directly what their respective conferences would like the playoff to look like in 2026 and beyond, Sankey declined to get into specifics.

"That's something we owe our colleagues first," he said, referring to his fellow FBS commissioners. "I think I've been consistent in that observation."

For almost a year, multiple sources in both leagues have indicated a strong preference for expanding the field to 14 teams in 2026 and beyond. Sources in the SEC and the Big Ten have also favored a certain number of automatic playoff spots for each league, but even within each league there remain varying opinions.

Sources in the Big Ten seem more aligned in their desire for automatic qualifiers. A popular model includes four guaranteed teams each from the Big Ten and SEC, two teams each from the Big 12 and ACC, one spot for the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion, and one at-large spot, which could go to Notre Dame if the Irish were ranked high enough for inclusion.

While Sankey declined to speak directly about automatic qualifiers, he said the leagues have talked about everything regarding format and will continue to.

"This is not a new issue," Sankey said.

Petitti said that because of the way the power is divided, eventually both leagues need to come to a consensus on what they want it to look like moving forward -- but there are no restrictions on where ideas can come from moving forward.

"The process going forward if we decide to make changes contemplates that the structure of that is led by the SEC and the Big Ten, so it requires us to get to a consensus to make a meaningful recommendation, if any, to our colleagues in other leagues, and it also requires us to give them an opportunity to weigh in on whatever it is that we're thinking about," he said.

Sankey said the 2026 season is a "pretty small part" of the agenda for next week's CFP meeting in Dallas, during which much of the time is expected to focus on 2025. This week was an opportunity, though, for both conferences to start in-person discussions about the future.

"I think we both individually owe our colleagues an update on our thinking," Sankey said. "Is it alignment? I'm not going to use that word. We've got our issues to work through. Our regular-season scheduling issue ... can we compare notes? Absolutely, but I'd be cautious about using the word 'alignment' at this point."

Sankey said he still wants a stronger understanding of the selection committee's decision-making process over the past few years. He pointed to inconsistencies in the value of conference championship games and strength of schedule.

"We entrust them with that work, but there are domino effects from those selection decisions," Sankey said. "I'm not forming the agenda [for next week], but I'm identifying things that are regularly a part of our conversation."

Petitti echoed what former selection committee chair and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said, which was that the committee did what was required of them according to the system designed by the commissioners.

"I believe the committee was doing the work that was set in place," Petitti said. "... Overall, that system that is taking place is part of the ideas we're raising about the process for next year because that would give the committee more flexibility to do the job in a way that's much clearer for fans."

On Monday, SEC coaches met with the league's athletic directors, and the ADs met again separately on Tuesday here as part of their regularly scheduled meetings before the Big Ten joined them. Sankey said considerations for a nine-game league schedule remain a part of their consideration, but no decisions have been made yet.

"I think there's a lot of interest," Sankey said. "People change, positions change ... understanding the selection committee's perspective and how the criteria is applied is an important element."

As expected, Wednesday's meeting also included discussions about the House vs. NCAA settlement and future NCAA governance. Attorneys for both leagues were present to avoid anything that might be construed as collusion. Petitti said that while the Big Ten and SEC are leading the future format decisions of the CFP, the NCAA governance conversations have been "incredibly collaborative and involves everybody."

"People are working together," Petitti said. "... The work that's been down around the settlement among the conferences is probably unprecedented in terms of the amount of collaboration that's required to get this right."

As far as the CFP conversations, Sankey said the Big Ten and SEC have "deployed leadership in a responsible way."

"Moving forward, Tony described a methodology that was agreed to by everyone a year ago for how decisions will be made by everyone -- not dictated by us -- agreed to by everyone," he said. "We have a responsibility to use that wisely."

AUSTIN, Texas -- All-Star center Victor Wembanyama is listed as doubtful for the San Antonio Spurs' game Thursday because of an illness.

The Spurs play the Phoenix Suns at the Moody Center on the campus of the University of Texas, where Kevin Durant starred during his lone college season.

It's the first game of a back-to-back that the Spurs will play in Austin, which is about 75 miles northeast of San Antonio. It marks the third consecutive season that the Spurs will play a pair of home games in Austin, which the franchise considers part of its region.

The Spurs play the Detroit Pistons at the Moody Center on Friday.

Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year and a first-time All-Star, has averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 3.8 blocks in 46 games for the 23-29 Spurs.

According to the FBI, burglars who recently targeted famous athletes such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow bounced from city to city using cars they'd rented with fake IDs. They ditched the cars as needed, along with the burner phones they used to coordinate with each other.

They'd hide in woods while monitoring the patterns of security guards, then break into the homes of wealthy athletes by breaking small windows or prying open sliding doors before converting jewel-encrusted watches, designer bags, gold chains and rings into cash, using loot launderers far from their victims.

Their booty had an estimated value of about $3 million, taken from some of America's best-known athletes.

But the seven Chilean burglars who targeted the star athletes over three months late last year also made some rookie mistakes that allowed law enforcement to eventually catch up, as detailed in a 20-page criminal information sheet released by the FBI on Wednesday.

In the document, the FBI lays out how the gang members were undone by allegedly posting photos for co-conspirators to see via an iCloud site.

Images obtained and released by the FBI show three of the alleged burglars, along with an unidentified fourth man, posing with watches apparently stolen from the home of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. Largely because of the images, the men are in federal custody and were charged Tuesday with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. They could face up to 10 years in prison.

The Chilean gang "is known to travel throughout the United States and burglarize residences belonging to popular and well-known professional athletes" from the NFL, NBA and NHL, the complaint says. The gang "is responsible for stealing jewelry, expensive brand watches, United States currency, and other high-value merchandise."

Methods of the gang involved dividing "responsibilities to each member such as renting vehicles, obtaining hotels or short-stay rentals, acquiring fraudulent identification and contacting 'fences' (buyers) of the stolen merchandise," the FBI complaint states.

Police closed in on a New York pawn shop, allegedly connected to the ring, earlier this month.

Key to the burglars' success, up to now, has been an ability to monitor not only their victims' schedules but also the activities of police investigators and security teams watching over the athletes' homes, the FBI document says.

The FBI hasn't identified the athletes by name, but the dates and locations listed in the criminal complaint coincide with well-publicized burglaries at the Kansas City-area homes of Mahomes and Kelce, as well as the homes of Portis in Milwaukee and Burrow in Anderson Township, Ohio. The complaint also lists two unidentified athletes, one from the Memphis Grizzlies and another from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mahomes and Kelce were the first known victims, in early October, one of them during the Oct. 7 "Monday Night Football" game against the Saints at Arrowhead. The unnamed Bucs player was targeted on Oct. 21 during a game against the Ravens. Portis' home was struck Nov. 2 in Milwaukee during a game against the Cavaliers. Burrow's home in the Cincinnati-area was burglarized during a Dec. 9 game at the Cowboys. And the unnamed Grizzlies player was hit during a Dec. 19 home game against Golden State.

No information is provided regarding possible NHL victims identified by the FBI, or additional NBA victims, but close to the time of the Kansas City burglaries, the Dallas Stars' Tyler Seguin reported a home break-in, with watches valued at $500,000 reportedly taken. In December, an estimated $23,000 in jewelry was stolen from Luka Doncic's Dallas home before a trade sent the Mavericks star to Los Angeles. It's not clear if authorities believe the Chilean gang is behind the Seguin and Doncic heists.

Attached to the Jan. 30 federal complaint in Florida is an affidavit by an FBI agent whose name is blacked out. The agent ascribes high levels of sophistication to the seven defendants for the way they identified their targets, found vulnerabilities in home security systems and figured out how to convert the high-value loot into cash through "fences." The men allegedly used fake IDs, multiple rental cars and burner phones to keep from being tracked as they traveled across the country between burglaries.

At the same time, the agent identified a series of blunders that helped law enforcers identify the culprits and, crucially, connect them directly to many of the stolen items. The mistakes included a series of selfies that the alleged burglars, according to the complaint, apparently shared with others as if to advertise their exploits. The problem was, they uploaded the photos to a secure Apple iCloud account that the FBI was able to access with a search warrant.

In one particularly lucrative burglary, apparently the one at Portis' home, gang members broke open a safe "containing several watches, chains, personal items, jewelry, and cash. Also stolen was a Louis Vuitton suitcase and designer bags." The total value of the items exceeded $1.48 million, the complaint says, identifying the victim only as "Athlete 4."

On Nov. 3, Portis posted on X: "I consider Milwaukee my home. Last night, while I was at work, my home was burglarized, and many of my prized possessions were stolen. If you have any tips or info, please send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Rewards for info leading to recovery or arrests!"

Referring to the Nov. 2 burglary, the FBI complaint includes a color selfie photo of four men, one wearing a Chiefs jersey, inside what appears to be a hotel room. On the floor is a broken-open safe, along with an array of eight watches, plus a bejeweled watch that one of the suspects, the selfie photographer, is wearing.

The face of one person is blacked out because the FBI has yet to identify him. In a second photo, the selfie photographer prominently displays the watch on his left wrist along with various luxury items arrayed on a bed. Also on the bed is a yellow crowbar.

That same burglary also was notable for the security camera video that Portis posted online showing two men at the house's front door, with their heads and faces covered. They hesitate while one speaks on a cellphone. Then he says to the other in Spanish, "Go for it." The second one kneels and uses a power tool on a panel near the base of the door.

On Feb. 5, a federal grand jury in Ohio indicted three men in connection with the Nov. 2 burglary. "The individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg" in a string of crimes, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the southern district of Ohio stated.

In the Dec. 19 burglary in Memphis, the defendants allegedly netted an estimated $1 million in unidentified items from the home of a person identified only as "Athlete 6."

The case of the Bengals' Burrow drew particular attention after the burglary of his home on Dec. 9. "My privacy has been violated in more ways than one," Burrow told reporters at the time.

The FBI complaint, identifying Burrow only as "Athlete 5," listed the value of items stolen at around $300,000. Some of those items were identified recently at a New York City pawn shop, and both the shop owner and an employee have been charged with conspiring to receive stolen property.

In late January, some of the suspects were halted in their Florida rental car by police on an Ohio highway. Body cam video from the Ohio Highway Patrol showed one of the men wearing a Bengals stocking cap. The men didn't speak English, so when an officer asked them in Spanish where they were headed, they answered, "Orlando."

"Wrong direction," the officer responded. A person in the back seat then changed his destination to New York, then back to Florida. During a search of the car, an officer found a pouch hidden behind the glove box, and inside were two tools that another officer later identified as "window punches." They also found a yellow crowbar.

They were arrested shortly afterward.

Burrow had employed a security team to patrol his house while the Bengals were in Texas, but the complaint describes the burglars as having tracked not only the athlete's movements but also those of his home security team. The defendants allegedly monitored the times when shift changes occurred and when the security personnel would move between the back and front of the home.

The complaint describes the burglars as being bold enough to stealthily enter the back of the house without breaking any windows while the security detail was standing in the driveway. The defendants allegedly monitored the detail's movements "from a wooded area where no security cameras were located," the complaint states.

The FBI agent describes using a number of high-tech tactics to zero in on the alleged burglars, including license-plate reader data from local police at various locations on the defendants' routes. They also used cell-phone tower data to co-locate one or more defendants' phones with their rental vehicles. The same rental vehicle was identified as having been in Cincinnati and Jeffersonville, Indiana, before being abandoned at a McDonald's in Miami.

The seven defendants are identified as Pablo Zunigo Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Orellano Morales, Sergio Ortega Cabello. The latter three, all identified in the selfie photo released with the complaint, also were named in the Feb. 5 indictment in Ohio.

ESPN researcher John Mastroberardino contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Luka Doncic is going back to work with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he's likely back to full speed as well.

Coach JJ Redick says Doncic probably won't have a minutes restriction this week after his deliberate start to his Lakers tenure before the All-Star break.

When the Lakers host Charlotte on Wednesday night, Doncic will play in his third game back following a 6 1/2-week absence due to a strained left calf suffered on Christmas while playing for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Slovenian superstar played in both of the Lakers' final two games before the All-Star break, but he logged only 47 total minutes while the Lakers eased him back into competition. Doncic then got several days of recovery while the rest of the NBA's top players convened in San Francisco for the All-Star Game.

"He'll be fine," Redick told reporters Tuesday night after the Lakers' first practice back following the break. "That extra five, six days of All-Star break was good for him. His minutes will be up [Wednesday], and I don't think that there's going to be any sort of restrictions going forward."

The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Mavs on Feb. 2 in a seismic trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.

LeBron James is listed as questionable to face the Hornets after he missed the final game before the All-Star break and then sat out the midseason exhibition, ending his 20-year run of All-Star participation. James, 40, is dealing with a sore left foot and ankle.

The Lakers and Hornets are returning from the break earlier than every other NBA team because they are playing a game that was rescheduled last month because of the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged the Los Angeles area. Redick and his family lost their home in the Pacific Palisades fires.

Los Angeles returns from the break with three games in three cities over four days, playing in Portland on Thursday and Denver on Saturday.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Javonte Green has agreed to a contract buyout and intends to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers upon clearing waivers, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The expected deal provides additional wing depth for the Eastern Conference-best Cavaliers, and it comes after they landed forward De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, future second-round picks and pick swaps at the deadline.

The buyout comes after Green played a season-high 34 minutes for the Pelicans in their final game before the All-Star break. Green started in place of a resting Zion Williamson and had nine points, seven rebounds, five steals and two assists in an overtime win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.

Green joined the Pelicans as a free agent in August and has averaged 5.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game this season.

The Cavaliers would be the fourth team for Green in his sixth NBA season. He is averaging 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in his career.

Astros star Jose Altuve was willing to move from second base to left field if it meant bringing back longtime teammate Alex Bregman, but those days are done in Houston.

Without Bregman, the Astros are moving forward with a spring training trial of Altuve in left field. He's taking fly balls with outfielders and working at his typical spot, second base.

Houston did reach an agreement Tuesday on a minor league deal with second baseman Brendan Rodgers, the player selected third overall and one spot behind Bregman in the 2015 draft. A defensive whiz at second who won a Gold Glove with the Rockies in 2022, Rodgers is a former top prospect in the Colorado system. He was non-tendered at the end of last season, when he hit .267 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs in 135 games.

Astros manager Joe Espada said it was premature to disclose any plans for the season and he doesn't want to make Altuve's spot in the field a matter of daily discourse.

"He will play some second base. Right now, it's one day at a time," Espada said. "I want to get some feedback from him before we discuss where we're going to go next, but he will play some second base."

Rodgers played only second base in Colorado the past three seasons but has 36 career games at shortstop.

Houston added third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade in December. If Altuve is used in the outfield or as a designated hitter on a given day, utility infielder Mauricio Dubon could be in the mix at second along with Luis Guillorme, who signed with the Astros last week, and Rodgers. Paredes was used at first, second and shortstop in 2022 and 2023 with the Rays but didn't make an appearance at the middle infield positions in 2024 with the Rays and Cubs.

Bregman signed a three-year deal with the Red Sox and is working through a perceived tug-of-war at third base with All-Star Rafael Devers. Red Sox manager Alex Cora downplayed reports that tensions were simmering between the two, sparked when Devers said he wasn't moving to a new position on Monday.

Altuve, 34, has spent his entire career with Houston since making his major league debut in July 2011 at age 21. A Gold Glove winner in 2015, he is the active major league leader with 1,765 games at second base, including 1,749 starts. He has played in two games at shortstop for a total of six innings.

History is on the Astros' side, having once moved Hall of Fame second baseman Craig Biggio to the outfield to make room for Jeff Kent.

Espada said prior to spring training that Altuve is capable of playing outfield.

"He's so athletic, and he can do some things on the baseball field that a lot of people can't do," Espada said. "If we get there, we'll have that conversation with him. He wants to do whatever it takes to win. It's important to us. I think he's a cornerstone on this team. He's the heart of the organization. He understands that, but when we get to that point, we'll have that conversation with him."

Rafael Devers turned the hot corner into hot-topic material before Alex Bregman had time to back out of a perceived territorial dispute with the Boston Red Sox.

Devers emphatically stated Monday he believes third base is his position in response to whether he was comfortable playing elsewhere to make room for the newly signed Bregman.

"I'm super excited to just be [Devers'] teammate," Bregman told reporters Tuesday. "He's a great player. I think everybody in this clubhouse is worried about winning, and whatever it takes to help the team win -- that's all I'm focused on. I'll play wherever [manager Alex Cora] tells me to play."

Bregman, a Gold Glove-winning third baseman with the Houston Astros, signed with the Red Sox earlier this month without consideration as to what position he would play. His relationship with Cora underscored they would both have the team's best interest at heart, regardless of where the Red Sox decide to use their best nine players.

Bregman and Devers were alongside others at Cora's rental house for dinner on Monday night, dispelling reports of simmering drama between the All-Stars.

Cora added to the opinion that all is well with the infielders after watching Devers receive constructive feedback from Bregman during glove work on the practice field earlier Monday.

Cora also said Bregman and Devers "were talking for 45 minutes" during the gathering at his house.

"I think everybody here believes in their abilities," Bregman said. "I think all of us believe that if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team.

"I can only talk for myself but I'll play wherever helps the team win."

It's realistic to presume top prospect Kristian Campbell is part of the equation when Cora pencils in his starting lineup on Opening Day.

Campbell, 22, said Monday he is working out exclusively at second base despite also previously playing in the outfield. He batted .330 with 20 home runs, 24 stolen bases and 32 doubles in 115 games across three levels of the Red Sox farm system in 2024.

"[Everyone] saw last year how special of a player he is," Bregman said of Campbell, who was primarily a second baseman as a freshman in his only season at Georgia Tech.

Campbell was drafted 132nd overall by the Red Sox in 2023 -- a selection Boston was granted as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency -- and last year was named the top hitter in the minor leagues.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- His spot at the top of the batting order no longer secure and his statistics trending downward, George Springer has plenty to prove as he enters the penultimate season of his six-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Manager John Schneider plans to give the veteran right fielder some reps in left field this season and says the leadoff spot will likely be "a fluid situation."

"He's open to anything and everything, which is awesome," Schneider said. "So it's just trying to use him appropriately."

Springer, 35, posted strong numbers in his first year with Toronto -- an injury-riddled 2021 season -- but his statistics have been on a steady decline since.

He hit .267 with 25 homers and 76 RBI over 133 games in 2022. A year later, he played in 154 games and hit .258 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs.

The four-time All-Star endured a terrible first half last season. He was able to pull his numbers up but still hit just .220 over 145 games with 19 homers and 56 RBIs.

"Obviously I did not do what I had hoped to do last year," Springer said. "I understand that, I accept that, I acknowledge that. I think a lot of it is just understanding what went wrong, how it went wrong and understanding how to get yourself out of it slowly but surely."

Springer chose not to reveal specifics of any adjustments he has made as camp returned to normal Wednesday on the heels of the failed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract extension talks. The 25-year-old slugger plans to become a free agent after this season.

"I just kind of watched it from afar," Springer said. "I know who he is, I know what kind of player he is, but the most important thing is he's a great human.

"He's here to win and obviously a guy like that on your team -- for however long -- is great."

After spending his first seven seasons with the Houston Astros, Springer, the 2017 World Series MVP, signed a team-record $150 million deal with the Blue Jays in early 2021.

His arrival signaled the franchise was aiming for big things after a wild-card round appearance in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Springer helped Toronto return to the playoffs in two of the next three years, but the team didn't make the Divisional Series.

With a veteran-heavy starting rotation and homegrown players Guerrero and Bo Bichette entering contract years, the pressure is on the Blue Jays to take advantage of an open competitive window that could slam shut if there's a weak first half.

"I'm very confident in the group that we have and the mentality," Springer said. "It isn't about tomorrow. It's about now and I think guys understand that."

Springer's engaging personality and jovial style help keep things light and energetic around the player development complex.

"He's a veteran guy who has been through a lot," Schneider said. "He knows when to push the envelope and knows when to back off. He knows when to have a little bit of urgency and knows when to not panic."

Schneider expects he'll "mix and match" in the leadoff spot this season depending on the opposition and pitching matchups. That list, at least as of Wednesday, included Springer, Bichette, Will Wagner and Andres Gimenez.

"There's a handful of guys who can do it and we're just going to try to maximize [it] each night," Schneider said.

While his defensive play has been steady, Springer's on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS have dropped every year since his Toronto debut.

He had an OBP of .352 in 2021 but it was just .303 last season. His slugging percentage (.555 to .371) and OPS numbers (.907 to .674) have dropped more sharply over the same span.

"I'm not trying to chase results," Springer said. "I'm just doing whatever I can to help us win that day. Whether it's in the box, in the field, in the clubhouse. I also understand that results matter.

"So it's just being the best version of myself and we'll see what happens."

Hurricane Milton wrecked the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark last fall, leaving them without a stadium. For this season, they will play their home games in the Yankees' spring training facility, which has a capacity in the range of 11,000 fans.

And yet the Rays have outspent the Chicago Cubs in free agency this winter.

Which says so much more about the conduct of the big-market Cubs than about the Rays. Last week, the Cubs were outbid by multiple teams for the services of All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, and the question that should hang over the franchise is: why? Why aren't the Cubs spending more?

Owner Tom Ricketts provided no answers last week when he briefly stopped by camp in Arizona, told the players that it was a privilege to play for his organization (according to manager Craig Counsell) and then left without speaking to reporters. Jed Hoyer, the team's head of baseball operations, cited the club's budget when asked about the Bregman bidding. The Cubs dangled a four-year, $115 million deal that left them outbid significantly by the Tigers and Astros, and Bregman chose a three-year deal with the Red Sox, partly to give himself the option of testing the market again next fall since the deal includes two opt-outs.

Nothing about the Cubs' offer could've given them a legitimate shot at landing a player who would've been a perfect fit. The Tigers offered the most total dollars on the table; the Astros offered a chance for Bregman to continue his Houston legacy, without being tapped for state taxes. The Red Sox deal offered the highest average annual salary with contractual flexibility. It was as if the Cubs wanted Bregman to play for less money and the privilege of being part of their organization.

But it's hard to see that being appealing enough to convince someone like Bregman, who has played in the postseason in every year of his career and aims to continue that tradition. Despite the fact that the Cubs are playing in baseball's land of opportunity, the incredibly weak NL Central, they've given no indication that winning is actually a priority. Making money seems to be the modus operandi.

This all comes at the end of a winter in which Ricketts already made headlines for his comments about the Cubs' inability to keep up with the sport's top payrolls when he told 670 AM in Chicago that "it's really hard to compete" with the Dodgers. In that January interview, he said that fans "think somehow we have all these dollars that the Dodgers have or the Mets have or the Yankees have and we just keep it. Which isn't true at all. What happens is we try to break even every year, and that's about it."

But that doesn't really align with the available numbers from Sportico's MLB team values rankings. The Cubs' franchise value, as assessed by Sportico, was at $5.3 billion as of last season. That's the fourth highest in Major League Baseball, and more than three times greater than the combined value of the Brewers ($1.6 billion), Reds ($1.5 billion) and Pirates ($1.4 billion). The Cubs' revenue generated last season, as estimated by Sportico, was at $502 million, the fourth highest in the majors, behind the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox.

With the draw of Wrigley Field, the Cubs' ability to generate income is Teflon-coated, especially compared to other teams that didn't spend much this winter. The Rays' situation is fragile; it's really tough for fans to get to and from the Marlins' park; and even Cardinals' fans have vacated their park in recent years because of the team's lackluster play. But even in the worst years, the Cubs draw. It's one benefit of playing in the third-largest market in the nation.

And yet the Cubs' payroll will be significantly lower than last year. Per Sportico, the Cubs are in line to spend $186 million in player salary, or nearly $30 million less than last year.

Sure, the Cubs traded for All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Astros -- for one year, perhaps, because Tucker will be a free agent in the fall -- but the front office seemingly had to move Cody Bellinger and his $27.5 million salary to make that happen. Tucker will make $16.5 million.

The Cubs swapped for Ryan Pressly, after the Astros agreed to pay down some of his salary. Colin Rea was signed for $5 million. And the Cubs signed Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal.

The storm-ravaged Rays? They landed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim for $29 million over two years and signed catcher Danny Jansen to a one-year, $8.5 million deal. With those two contracts, Tampa Bay spent more in free agency than the Cubs.

Yes, the Cubs' overall payroll currently sits just above $185 million compared to $72 million for the Rays, but in a crucial offseason for the franchise, Chicago has elected to spend like its small-market counterparts. And, yes, the Cubs do have reason for hope in 2025, but also likely not enough star talent to stand toe to toe with the National League's best.

The defense is excellent -- Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner are exceptional up the middle, and the outfield of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Tucker will probably be the best in the majors. A signing of Bregman would've given the Cubs another lockdown defender, another Gold Glove contender feeding into a distinct style. The Dodgers might have the most prolific offense; the Phillies have a great group of veterans; Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider will be back for the Braves; the Mets added Juan Soto -- but with a high-end third baseman, the Cubs could have been the best run prevention team in baseball, which often translates well in the postseason. And Bregman would've improved an offense that was so inconsistent last year.

Instead, the financially mighty Cubs chose to effectively stand down in the bidding for Bregman, content to fall somewhere in the range of 12^th to 14^th among the 30 teams in their payroll size, and they have a roster that feels unequipped to take on the teams that were willing to spend.

Ricketts can rightly expect the best effort from his players. But sadly, he has not reciprocated. The Cubs players -- the Cubs fans -- deserve better.