November 6, 2024

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Good morning. The NFL trade deadline passed Tuesday afternoon. While most of the biggest deals took place with time to spare, deadline day did feature some significant swaps of highly paid stars, and activity was up relative to 2023. We go through what we learned.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

2024 NFL Trade Deadline More Active Than 2023 [[link removed]]

Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal

The NFL trade deadline passed on Tuesday with more midseason movement than last year, but down from the record number of trades in 2022.

Several significant, highly paid players found new homes—many at perceived contenders—ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

The Commanders gave up several draft picks for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore, as the 2–7 Saints shipped off their star defender a day after firing head coach Dennis Allen [[link removed]]. The Lions acquired outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith from the Browns, filling a void left in Detroit’s pass rush after Aidan Hutchinson sustained a season-ending foot injury last month.

Previously, the Jets traded for star wideout Davante Adams and the Chiefs added DeAndre Hopkins, who scored his first two touchdowns for Kansas City on Monday night against the Buccaneers.

In total, 19 players were traded between the season kicking off Sept. 5 and Tuesday’s deadline. That’s three shy of the record 22 players traded during the 2022 season, which is the most ever, according to Front Office Sports research.

Here’s a snapshot of the number of in-season trades this decade:

2024: 19 2023: 16 2022: 22 2021: 16 2020: 15

Other notable deadline moves Tuesday included the Rams sending cornerback Tre’Davious White to the Ravens, the Texans acquiring Khalil Davis from the 49ers, and the Steelers adding receiver Mike Williams, who fell out of favor with Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

For a complete list of players traded during the regular season, and the value of their contracts, check out the tracker compiled by [[link removed]] FOS reporter Colin Salao.

Twins At Crossroads: Team Sale, Media Shifts, and Rising Competition [[link removed]]

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Twins are facing a triple dose of uncertainty this offseason due to an impending franchise sale combined with rising turbulence in the regional sports media business and sharply improved competition within their division.

The club already had plenty of questions to answer after an ugly 7–18 finish to the 2024 season spoiled what had looked for months like a surefire playoff campaign, instead ending in a fourth-place finish with an 82–80 record. Amplifying those questions is a recent decision to part ways with the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group and instead have the Twins’ local games produced and distributed by Major League Baseball [[link removed]].

Just days later, the Pohlad family that owns the Twins made the surprising decision to put the club up for sale [[link removed]], ending a four-decade run that had become one of MLB’s longest-tenured ownership groups.

So it came as little surprise that Derek Falvey, Twins president of baseball operations, acknowledges that dealmaking this offseason to reshape the roster carries some unique challenges—even as he attempts to keep things “pretty much business as usual.”

“My job is to continue to try and build the team the best we can and make decisions that are hopefully in the short-term and long-term interest of the team,” Falvey said at MLB GM meetings happening this week in San Antonio.

Money Matters

The Twins’ 2025 payroll is expected to be about $130 million, right in line with the club’s 2024 spending [[link removed]]. The number is down from 2023’s $156.1 million—which happened before the club returned to DSG this past season at a reduced rights fee [[link removed]] and then parted ways with the FanDuel Sports Network parent company.

The club, however, is already moving toward that $130 million figure with nearly $97 million committed for 2025 [[link removed]] and more than a dozen players due for potential raises in arbitration and contract extensions. The Twins, meanwhile, are also now competing in a long-weak American League Central division that has suddenly become arguably MLB’s most competitive, with the Guardians, Royals, and Tigers all reaching this year’s playoffs and each bringing back much of their key talent next year.

A buyer for the Twins is not likely before the start of the 2025 season, given franchise sales processes that typically require at least six months. But already, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is lamenting the forthcoming departure of the Pohlads.

“I think it’s a loss for the game,” Manfred said last week on SiriusXM. “The Pohlad family have been great stewards in Minnesota. They put a competitive product on the field, and they’ve got a great new stadium. They really have been an important part of the game for a really long time. … The family came to a decision that it was best for them. They’ll be missed.”

Crosstown Traffic

In another potential ownership transfer in Minnesota pro sports, the long-simmering dispute [[link removed]] regarding the NBA’s Timberwolves is moving closer to a conclusion.

Soon after current minority owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore made a deposit of more than $940 million in an escrow account, the pair have been in arbitration this week with current controlling owner Glen Taylor. The hearing before the three-person panel, also involving the WNBA’s Lynx, is expected to last much of this week, with a binding decision expected next month. Rodriguez and Lore have been attempting to complete a three-stage takeover of both teams at a $1.5 billion valuation—a figure originally agreed to but far less than their current worth.

A decision in favor of Taylor would end the matter, while one in favor of Rodriguez and Lore would compel a sale of the controlling stake and move the transaction to the NBA Board of Governors for approval.

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400 People Showed Up to WTA Saudi Final With $15 Million Purse [[link removed]]

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The 2024 WTA Tour Final features the top eight women’s tennis stars, a purse of $15.25 million, and a minimum first-place prize of $3.77 million—more than any Grand Slam tournament this year. But the event is struggling to fill an arena with a capacity of just 5,000.

It’s Year 1 of a three-year deal for the WTA Tour to play its final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [[link removed]]. Sunday’s matches at the King Saud University Indoor Arena—which featured World No. 2 Iga Świątek against 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková and a showdown of U.S. stars Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula— drew around 400 fans [[link removed]], according to The Athletic.

Sunday is a work day in Saudi Arabia, but even the previous day’s matches were reportedly able to fill only about three-fourths of the stadium. Many of the most engaged attendees during Saturday’s contest were supporters of China’s Zheng Qinwen.

Ticket prices for the Sunday leg of the WTA Tour event were reportedly less than $10.

WWE also tapped Monday Night Raw at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh on Sunday—and while there were no reports of the exact attendance at the arena that fits about 22,000, footage from the event showed a lively crowd in a packed arena [[link removed]].

WTA’s Response

Saudi Arabia’s desire to become a destination for major sporting events [[link removed]] has been well documented and has come with a ton of criticism due to the country’s history of human rights atrocities, particularly against women. However, WTA CEO Portia Archer brushed off the criticisms [[link removed]] before the beginning of the tournament.

“We often play in environments and in countries that have different customs, different cultures, and in some cases different value systems than I might have personally or that the WTA may have as an organization based in the United States,” Archer said.

In regard to the poor attendance for its opening games, the WTA released a statement focused on growth in the coming years.

“It’s important to remember that this is the first time a WTA event has been held in Saudi Arabia, so we’re bringing tennis to a new audience and that takes time to build,” the statement read.

The statement also pointed out that Sunday is a work day, and that the WTA expects the numbers to “build” entering the weekend—which is on Friday and Saturday in the country.

The Saudi Pro League, which spent $1 billion in the summer of 2023 to recruit pro soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, has also recorded underwhelming attendance numbers [[link removed]]. The average attendance for the SPL for the 2024–2025 season is under 8,500 per match [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Inside the Secret Potato Empire of an NFL Player

FOS illustration

Saints center Connor McGovern may actually be losing money by playing in the NFL instead of pursuing a career in the family business. The McGoverns own R.D. Offutt, the largest potato producer in the U.S. Front Office Sports reporter Alex Schiffer joins the show to peel back his reporting on McGovern and his family.

Plus, longtime NBA executive Scott Perry discusses the Philadelphia 76ers, who are off to a rocky start and are now handling the fallout from Joel Embiid pushing a reporter. We also look at the NFL trade deadline, the beef between Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith, and how college football is providing a lifeline to the movie theater industry.

Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

Now Is Your Chance

By popular demand, the deadline to take the Best Employers in Sports [[link removed]] survey has been extended by one week!

The Front Office Sports Best Employers in Sports Award [[link removed]] is an employee-driven award that recognizes organizations that do right by their employees through great leadership, focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, commitment to employee well-being, and more.

The award is based entirely on anonymous survey results from sports industry professionals. Responses will be evaluated in collaboration with our primary research partner, Canvs [[link removed]], using patented AI technology free from all subjectivity and human bias.

You have one more week to take the free employee survey. Complete the survey [[link removed]] now or by Nov. 13.

Conversation Starters Nike dropped an ad to commemorate Saquon Barkley’s backward hurdle. Take a look [[link removed]]. The A’s have officially removed “Oakland” from their name [[link removed]] and will go by the Athletics while they play in Sacramento. The team would be called the Las Vegas A’s in 2028 if they finalize their move there. Jason Kelce opened Monday Night Countdown with a public apology after an incident with a fan at Penn State over the weekend. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Dabo Swinney Encounters Voting Mix-Up on Election Day [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]“They done voted me out of the state, lost a game,” Swinney joked. McCarthy: Embiid, Kelce May Have Overreacted, but Hard to Blame Them [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Joel Embiid shoved a columnist, while Jason Kelce smashed a heckler’s phone. Joel Embiid Suspended Three Games for Shoving Journalist [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The columnist wrote about Embiid’s son and late brother. Question of the Day

Do you expect more MLB owners to begin a sales process for their franchises before the start of next season?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Tuesday’s result: 44% of respondents think the Yankees will extend Gerrit Cole’s contract beyond the four years currently remaining.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

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