Notre Dame was looking like it might upset the top-ranked Vi

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Major League Baseballs general managers have wasted little time getting to work since Kris Bryant threw out Michael Martinez for the final out of the World Series. The street sweepers have barely cleaned up from the Chicago Cubs victory parade, and outfielder Cameron Maybin?and reliever Pat Neshek?already have switched teams in trades.Starting Monday, general managers will meet in Scottsdale to address industry business and ramp up conversations with their peers and agents that will pave the way for trades and free-agent signings in the weeks to come.MLBs collective bargaining negotiations are ongoing, so no one knows precisely what ground rules will be in place this offseason. And this winters free-agent crop is, by acclamation, one of the weakest in years. Teams in the market for a closer or a power bat have ample options, but impact starting pitchers and middle infielders are next to impossible to find.As the meetings get underway, ESPN.com surveyed 38 baseball people -- general managers, assistant GMs, scouts and one MLB manager -- for their thoughts on six questions that will dominate the news during the Hot Stove season. Here are their responses:1. Which free-agent closer -- Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman or Mark Melancon -- will provide the best value for the contract hes likely to command?Responses: Jansen 19; Melancon 11; Chapman 6; no response 2.Jansens supporters point out that he broke into pro ball as a catcher and might have less wear and tear on his arm as a result. He has developed into an elite closer with a cut fastball that he threw 94 percent of the time in 2016.He has a simple delivery and one pitch to master, one scout said. Theres not a lot to mess up here.Take note of the word value in the question. Melancon is the oldest of the three pitchers at 31, and his average fastball velocity of 91.8 mph is easily the lowest. But he has logged a 1.80 ERA and converted 147 of 162 save opportunities (90.7 percent) since taking over as Pittsburghs closer in 2013. Chapman converted 91.7 percent of his save chances and Jansen 90.1 percent in the same span.Ill go with Melancon simply because I think he gets about half what the other two guys get, an AL assistant GM said. Hes not as dominant, but hes certainly better than 50 percent of those two guys.Chapman maintains his allure with a fastball that routinely cracks 100 mph and was sitting in the upper 90s even when he was gassed because of overuse late in the World Series. He does it the easiest of the three, which I think makes him the best bet to maintain what he has, an AL general manager said.That said, Chapmans domestic violence incident from last winter is giving some teams reason for pause.His off-field issues are a real concern for me long term, an AL scout said.2. Do you think the Cleveland Indians will trade Andrew Miller this offseason? If yes, where will he wind up?Responses: Yes, 2; No, 35. One respondent said the Indians will hang on to Miller and trade him in July.Of the yes voters, one picked the Los Angeles Dodgers as the best landing spot for Miller, while another speculated that the New York Mets might be in play because of Jeurys Familias arrest on a domestic violence charge. The Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants also were mentioned as possible landing spots.Miller has two years and $18 million left on the $36 million contract he signed with the New York Yankees in December 2014. While thats quite reasonable given what he brings to the table, a $9 million annual layout for a noncloser is out of character for a Cleveland team that ranked 23rd in the majors in payroll this season.As Indians general manager Mike Chernoff recently observed, Cleveland has done well through the years by trading veterans on the verge of free agency for young talent. The Indians acquired Corey Kluber, Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley and Carlos Carrasco in such a manner, and theyve since blossomed into front-line contributors. In years where were not competitive, we have to make some of those painful trades, Chernoff said.Ultimately, survey respondents think the Indians will stand pat with Miller because their roster is good enough to repeat in the AL Central and make another deep postseason run. Even if manager Terry Francona might have to pick his spots with Miller over a six-month haul, Miller is too integral to the mix in Cleveland for the Indians to move him.Hes too valuable in a bullpen that he turned around, an AL assistant general manager said. If he wasnt with them, they arent playing in a World Series Game 7. They actually need more pen help. Trading Miller now also would be a tough PR sell for a Cleveland team that ranked 28th in the majors in attendance in 2016.Given his performance in the playoffs, the Indians front office might have to go into hiding if they make that move, an AL personnel man said.3. Which free-agent slugger do you like best: Edwin Encarnacion, Yoenis Cespedes, Mark Trumbo or Jose Bautista?Responses: Encarnacion 17?; Cespedes 17; Trumbo 1?; Bautista 1. One no response.Encarnacion will play at age 34 in 2017. Hes the second-oldest player in this group behind Bautista, who just turned 36. But he has built an impressive portfolio in Toronto in a very quiet and methodical way.Since 2012, Encarnacion ranks second in the majors in home runs to Chris Davis (193), second in RBIs behind Miguel Cabrera (550) and fifth in slugging percentage (.544) behind Cabrera, David Ortiz, Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton. Hes regarded as a solid teammate and a low-maintenance producer, and he received the coveted Big Papi seal of approval at the All-Star Game.Cespedes wins points as the best athlete and easily the best defender of the four. He loses support because of the widespread perception that his attention strays and he can become disengaged at times. That perception helped the Mets snag him for three years (with a one-year opt-out) when he hit the open market at age 30 last winter.Trumbo would be wise to stay where he is [in Baltimore], an NL scout said. Hes such a great fit for that ballpark, and Buck Showalter is the perfect manager for him. I think Encarnacion is the best hitter of the group, which makes him less susceptible to wild year-to-year swings. You can make the case that Cespedes is capable of the best single season given the crazy tools, but Ill go with Edwin if Im throwing out 3-5 years. Bautistas options could be limited given his age and defensive limitations.4. Whats the most likely scenario: (1) Ryan Braun gets traded; (2) Yasiel Puig gets traded; or (3) they get traded for each other?Responses: Braun gets traded, 13; theyre traded for each other, 9; Puig gets traded, 9. Five respondents think Braun and Puig are traded, but not for each other. Two survey participants declined to answer.Braun, who turns 33 this month, is coming off a productive season (.305/.365/.538) and is now three years removed from the stain of a 65-game suspension for his part in the Biogenesis scandal. But he still has four years and $76 million guaranteed left on his contract, which makes him a tough fit for a franchise thats in the middle of a youth movement. The Brewers traded All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy in August, and its only natural to think theyll move Braun to complete the transition.Puig always seems to be one flare-up away from exhausting the patience of Dodgers management. He hasnt come close to the success he enjoyed as a rookie in 2013, and the Dodgers sent him a message when they demoted him to Triple-A Oklahoma City in August. But hes still only 25 years old, and the Dodgers have to be wary of the possibility of a light bulb going on with a new team.I think theyre afraid of trading Puig and seeing him return to stardom, an NL scout said. They would never hear the end of it.Reports surfaced during the summer that the Dodgers and Brewers were talking, and it makes sense in a lot of ways. The Dodgers are desperate for a big right-handed bat, and Braun would be going home to Southern California. Puig, conversely, would be able to play under a lot less scrutiny in Milwaukee. As an added bonus, the Brewers play under a retractable roof, so he wouldnt have to worry about hitting amid snow flurries in April.Braun is a very good fit for the Dodgers given how bad they have been against left-handed pitchers, a scout said. It will be an interesting cat-mouse game, though. L.A. knows Milwaukee probably wants to move Brauns money. Milwaukee knows L.A. probably wants to move Puig. I assume there will have to be other pieces here. Maybe Milwaukee sends another major league piece to the Dodgers, and the Dodgers send back prospects. Its a good fit on paper, but it might not be super easy to get the right deal.5. Which free agent this winter do you think will land a contract thats far above and beyond what people expect (i.e., the what were they thinking award)?Responses: Ivan Nova 8; Rich Hill and Jeremy Hellickson, 6 each; Ian Desmond 5; Andrew Cashner 4; Edwin Encarnacion 3; Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick, Michael Saunders, Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo, 2 each; Aroldis Chapman, Justin Turner, Mike Napoli, Matt Wieters, Derek Holland, Joe Blanton and Jason Castro, 1 each.They should just name this the Jason Heyward Award, joked an AL front-office man. Heyward crafted a happy ending to his first year with the Cubs with an inspirational speech during the Game 7 World Series rain delay, but its hard to get past that .230/.306/.325 slash line in the first year of an eight-year, $184 million deal.The 38 survey participants gave a total of 49 responses because the options were so abundant and a lot of people had trouble settling on one player. An AL scout, for example, picked Cashner as his buyers remorse pitcher and Desmond as his position player.The votes for Hill, Nova and Cashner were predicated on two factors: (1) Theyre the best available options in an abysmal starting pitcher market; and (2) since all three were traded midseason, they cant be given a qualifying offer by their last club. That means theyll all hit the open market unburdened by the anchor of draft-pick compensation.The Phillies are more inclined to give Hellickson a qualifying offer of $17.2 million. He can either accept it and return to Philadelphia, or reject it and go shopping for a deal on the open market. But interest is likely to be tempered if the team that signs him knows it would have to surrender a draft pick in return.Nova raised his profile considerably by going 5-2 with a 3.06 and a stunning 52-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio after the Pirates acquired him from the Yankees at the non-waiver trade deadline. But he turns 30 in January and has a career FanGraphs WAR of 8.9. He has yet to surpass a 2.4 WAR in a single season.Someone will make a silly deal with Nova after a great second half in Pittsburgh, a National League evaluator said. Hes hit the market at the perfect time in a pitching-starved market and had the second half of his life. No wonder the Pirates havent re-signed him yet. Hes banking on a huge payday, and someone is going to give it to him and regret it in a few years. He is the pitching land mine of the free-agent market.While scouts love Hills competitiveness and pitching acumen, hell turn 37 during spring training and has a lengthy injury history. Hill is 15 months removed from a stint with the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League, and the 110? innings he amassed with the Oakland As and the Dodgers in 2016 were the second-highest total in his 12-year major league career.Cashner has long teased front offices with his mid-90s fastball, but he went 1-4 with a 5.98 ERA for Miami after the Marlins acquired him from San Diego with hopes he could be a difference-maker in a pennant race. Cashners brief tenure in Miami was most notable for his complaints about the teams facial hair policy.[Radar] gun pointers might fall all over themselves over his velocity, but the bottom line is that he cant go through a lineup twice, a scout said. He might be a piece in a pen, but somebody will overpay.6. Will Chris Sale be traded this offseason? If your answer is yes, what do you think is his most likely destination?Responses: No, 18; Yes, 18; No response, 2.Most likely destination: Red Sox 5; Dodgers 4; Yankees, Nationals and Rangers, 2 each; Cubs, Braves and Astros, 1 each.Sale is one of MLBs elite starting pitchers, but his fractious relationship with White Sox management was on display for the world to see when he cut up the teams old-time uniforms during a spat in late July. The White Sox held on to Sale at the trade deadline, but they might be tempted to gauge the market this winter. Given the unappealing free-agent options, contenders in need of rotation help will be exploring deals for Sale, Sonny Gray and even $206.5 million man Zack Greinke this winter.I think the White Sox have had enough of his antics, a National League evaluator said of Sale. I see the Dodgers making a huge play for him and finding the young, necessary chips to push to the middle of the table to get an ace.Skeptics counter that the White Sox just hired a new manager, Rick Renteria, and are motivated to make one more big push under the teams 80-year-old patriarch, Jerry Reinsdorf. Ill say no, because I dont think Reinsdorf will ultimately sign off on a deal, an American League GM said.Sales team-friendly deal is also a factor in trade talks. Hes under contract for $12 million next season, and the White Sox have club options for $12.5 million in 2018 and $13.5 million in 2019. Thats another reason for general manager Rick Hahn to set an asking price that might be too exorbitant for the Red Sox, Dodgers, Yankees and other clubs with high payrolls and deep farm systems.Youve got his ability, for one thing, an AL executive said. Hes a No. 1 starter. Then his contract makes it even more valuable. I just dont know whos going to ante up and give them what theyre looking for. If Im the White Sox, whats the urgency to trade him? Theyve got a window here to compete if they can get their act together and start making some better decisions. Lance Painter Jersey . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. James Pazos Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/954t-steve-reed-jersey-rockies.html . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. David Dahl Jersey .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Trevor Story Jersey . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Rob Nelson of ESPN Stats & Information revisits the worst bad beats from the weekends gambling action.Closing lines are courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, and pick percentages are via Wunderdog Sports.ThursdayMinnesota Timberwolves at Toronto Raptors Closing line: Raptors -9.5The Timberwolves got off to a hot start in this one and led by 10 points after the first quarter. However, no lead is ever safe in the NBA. Entering the fourth quarter, Minnesota still led by one, and the 29 percent of bettors who took the +9.5 were seemingly in good shape. Unfortunately, it would be a final 12 minutes to forget if you were on the underdog.A 17-4 run by the Raptors put them up 12 points midway through the quarter. A Zach LaVine basket with a minute to go cut the Toronto lead down to nine, but that would be the last score for Minnesota. The Raptors tallied the next five points and won by 14, outscoring the Timberwolves 36-21 in the fourth.Final score: Raptors 124, Timberwolves 110 (Raptors cover)SaturdayWofford Terriers at Youngstown State Penguins Closing line: Youngstown State -6The best game of the FCS quarterfinals turned out to be a bad beat for those on Wofford +6. The Terriers jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never trailed by more than four points until double overtime. With the game tied at 23, Woffords David Marvin had a chance to win it with a 53-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. Marvin would miss, and the game would continue.On the first possession of overtime, Wofford drove down to the Youngstown State two-yard line but was stopped on fourth down. Those on the Terriers +6, would be able to cash their tickets with a game-winning Penguins field goal, but Youngstown States Zak Kennedy missed a 37-yard attempt -- his third missed field goal of the game. In double overtime, Youngstown State scored a touchdown, while Wofford turned it over on downs, resulting in a seven point loss for the Terriers.ddddddddddddinal score: Youngstown State 30, Wofford 23 -- 2OT (Youngstown State covers)Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs.?Villanova Wildcats Closing line: Villanova -6.5In a matchup of unbeatens, Notre Dame was looking like it might upset the top-ranked Villanova Wildcats. At the very least, the 38 percent who took the Fighting Irish to cover the 6.5-point spread were in great shape. Notre Dame led for the first 31 minutes but fell behind for the first time when Villanovas Jalen Brunson put his Wildcats up 57-56 with nine minutes left.The two teams went back and forth down the stretch, and Villanova led just 68-66 with less than a minute left. Much to the dismay of those on the underdog, the Fighting Irish went cold down the stretch, missing their final four shots. Villanova, on the other hand, went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final minute, going on to win by eight.Final score: Villanova 74, Notre Dame 66 (Villanova covers)SundayPittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills Closing line: Over/under 46In a game where it snowed throughout, a flurry of late scoring is what ended up costing the 49 percent of bettors on the under. With less than 10 minutes left, the Steelers led 21-7, with the total well below the closing over/under of 46. A pair of field goals by Chris Boswell, with a Charles Clay touchdown in between, made the score 27-13 with less than two minutes left.It would all come down to one last Buffalo drive, with those on the under desperately needing a stop. They wouldnt get it, as LeSean McCoys three-yard touchdown with 1:25 left made the score 27-19. Dan Carpenters PAT marked the 47th point ?of the game (and the 19th point in the final 9:57), pushing the total over.Finals score: Steelers 27, Bills 20 (Game goes over) ' ' '