Le Journal

Shortly after the New York Yankees re-signed Cody Bellinger, the New York Mets answered with a signing of their own in the MLB offseason. The New York Mets don’t plan to dwell on losing out on Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees for too long. Instead, the MLB organization in Queens is now shifting its focus to other areas of need. In that regard, reports suggest the Orange and Blue are adding a veteran pitcher to their rotation. The Mets saw their plans to poach Bellinger away from the Yankees and into their waiting hands fail. Bellinger is returning to the Yankees lineup for the 2026 MLB season, and the Mets are now moving on. With almost no time between moves, the Mets have reportedly answered by targeting reliever Luis Garcia, who is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Angels. Needless to say, he’s hoping to find a permanent home in Queens rather than continuing his journeyman ways. “The Mets are in agreement with reliever Luis Garcia, pending physical,” MLB Network insider Joel Sherman broke the news on his X account. Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees. How much are Mets signing Garcia for? According to Bob Nightengale, the Mets have signed Garcia to a one-year, $1.75 million contract. However, based on incentives and bonuses, the deal could go up to the $3 million figure in the 2026 MLB season. Needless to say, Garcia’s agreement with the Mets does little to overshadow Bellinger’s contract with the Yankees. The two-time All-Star signed a five-year, $162 million extension to stay in the Bronx. Garcia’s numbers in 2025 During a season in which he was moved around a lot in MLB, Garcia registered the following numbers: 0.8 WAR, 55.1 innings pitched, allowing 55 hits, 23 runs, 21 earned runs, and 2 home runs. Moreover, Garcia posted 48 strikeouts. As he joins the Mets, the club in Queens hopes to get the best out of the veteran reliever. Garcia will turn 39 next week. Perhaps, staying put at one place is just what he needs.

Barcelona take on Slavia Praha in Matchday 7 of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, where they will look to secure a victory without the services of star winger Lamine Yamal. As the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League league phase nears its conclusion, Barcelona travel to Fortuna Arena for a Matchday 7 clash with Slavia Praha, seeking a victory to bolster their hopes for direct qualification. However, they must do so without their standout star, the teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Follow Slavia Praha vs Barcelona live with us! Yamal was not part of the Barcelona delegation that traveled to Prague, having been ruled out of the fixture due to a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation. The forward did not board the plane with the rest of the squad, as he serves a mandatory ban that leaves him unavailable for this pivotal matchup. However, he will return for the final league phase match at home against Copenhagen. His absence is a significant blow to Hansi Flick’s offense, forcing the manager to reshuffle his attacking line to secure a win in Prague. With Yamal sidelined, Marcus Rashford and Swedish talent Roony Bardghji are the top candidates to fill the void, as they have done in previous outings. Roony Bardghji reacts during a game. (Getty Images) Barcelona face one more absence Yamal’s absence is not the only hurdle Flick must navigate for this fixture. Barcelona will also be without their leading scorer, as Ferran Torres is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Taken as a precautionary measure, his absence opens the door for Robert Lewandowski to return to the starting lineup as the primary striker. A lingering question for Barcelona was the availability of Pedri. The star midfielder took a heavy challenge from Carlos Soler during the club’s recent 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad and could be rested this evening. However, Flick offered an encouraging update during his pre-match press conference, noting that he spoke with the Spaniard: “I asked him after the match, and he said he was fine after Soler’s tough tackle”. Pedri is ultimately starting today. In a boost for the Blaugrana, Raphinha is also returning to the squad. The captain missed the Real Sociedad match due to a minor thigh injury, but Flick included the Brazilian in the lineup.