Just like buses, you wait a while for a Rangers win in the Scottish Premiership and then two come along at once.

On Wednesday night, Rangers, donning their new bright orange fourth kit, for once did not look off colour, beating Hibernian 1-0 at Easter Road, thanks to Danilo’s left-footed strike inside four and a half minutes.

So, having won only one of their first eight league matches this season, Danny Röhl has now won both since his appointment, also battling to a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Ibrox last Sunday.

Next up for Röhl is an Old Firm derby in the League Cup semi-finals at Hampden on Sunday, facing a Celtic side led by Martin O’Neill, wait, what year is this?

Ahead of that massive Glasgow derby, which Rangers star made himself simply undroppable thanks to his exploits in Leith?

Danilo's Rangers resurgence

Fair to say, in general, since arriving from Feyenoord for £6m over two years ago, Danilo has not lived up to expectations.

His goal in Edinburgh this week was only his 15th in 62 outings for the Light Blues, sitting out a whopping 65 matches due to various injuries.

Now though, having also headed home against Killie on Sunday, the Brazilian has scored in back-to-back Premiership matches for the first time in 11 months.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage, Chris Sutton asserted that Danilo has grabbed his opportunity, while former Rangers striker Kris Boyd would like to see him deployed as the centre-forward on Sunday, given that he has shown more promise than either Youssef Chermiti or Bojan Miovski to date.

Well, Danilo’s father Marcelo Silva, who has been a prominent figure at Rangers matches for a few years now, possibly outshone his son in Leith, very much enjoying his night at Easter Road, dancing away at the very front of the away stand.

Nevertheless, despite Danilo’s sudden scoring spree, he was not the biggest Rangers hero on the night.

Rangers' "best player this season"

Worth highlighting that the only reason Rangers departed the capital with all three points on Wednesday was thanks to the contribution of goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With five minutes to go, Connor Barron bundled over Junior Hoilett and referee John Beaton pointed to the penalty spot.

Jamie McGrath stepped up, but saw his effort spectacularly saved by Butland, preserving victory for the Gers.

Butland has now, remarkably, now saved six of the last seven penalties he’s faced, excluding shootout, already denying Oh Hyeon-gyu of Genk and Lawrence Shankland of Hearts from 12 yards earlier in the campaign, albeit the latter did convert the rebound.

Nevertheless, this save secured Rangers’ first away clean sheet since a 3-0 victory over Ross County in Dingwall on 8 December 2024, a run of 325 days and 24 matches, the latter an unwanted club record, smashing the previous one of 22 set in 1897 when Queen Victoria was still on the throne.

For Butland specifically, irrespective of whom the manager has been, he has been a consistent performer so far this season.

Towards the back end of the last campaign, during Barry Ferguson’s interim tenure, Butland found himself on the bench, following a string of errors, with Liam Kelly starting both legs of the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club.

Now though, the England international appears to be back to his best, as the statistics below highlight.

Clean sheets

2

6th

Goals conceded

10

3rd*

Goals conceded per 90

1

4th

Saves

27

7th

Save %

68.8%

10th

Runs out

8

1st

Penalties saved

2

1st

*minimum 600 minutes.

Of course, despite Rangers leakiness at the back, Butland is nowhere near the busiest goalkeeper in the Premiership, with both Scott Bain of Falkirk and Dundee United’s Yevhen Kucherenko facing more than 50 shots apiece to Butland’s 32.

Nevertheless, for the most part, he has made big saves when called upon.

Back when he was at Stoke, then-manager Paul Lambert labelled him the “best goalkeeper in Britain”, while journalist Scott Bradley notes that Butland “was a shell of his former self last season” but has been “Rangers’ best player this season” so far.

Thus, while new manager Röhl is quickly searching for player he can rely on, Butland has certainly proved himself to be one of those, underlining his undroppable status.

If Rangers are going to beat their fiercest rivals at Hampden on Sunday and book their place in December’s League Cup Final, chances are they’ll need their goalkeeper to be at his brilliant best, possibly even in a penalty shootout.

Better than Danilo: Rangers star may have saved his Ibrox career

This Glasgow Rangers star who was even better than Danilo may have saved his career at the club.

ByDan Emery Oct 30, 2025

This comes after India forfeited two games, including the semi-final, against Pakistan due to strained political relations between the two countries

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2025The PCB has issued a “blanket ban” from future participation in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), citing “biased” conduct by the tournament organisers. This comes after India Champions forfeited two games, including the semi-final, against Pakistan Champions due to strained political relations between the two countries.The board also criticised WCL’s decision to award points to a forfeiting team – the teams shared points when India had refused to play Pakistan in the group match – saying it was “tainted with hypocrisy and bias”. The board also took issue with what it described as a selective use of the “peace through sport” narrative, accusing the organisers of allowing political considerations and commercial interests to interfere with the tournament. The statement comes after the PCB’s 79th board of governors meeting, held virtually under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi.”The cancellation was not based on cricketing merit but on appeasing a specific nationalistic narrative,” the PCB said in a statement. “This sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community.Related

India Champions pull out of WCL semi-final against Pakistan Champions

“However, we cannot allow our players to be part of events where the spirit of the game is overshadowed by skewed politics that undermines the very essence of sportsmanship and the gentleman’s game.”The WCL had issued an apology for “hurting sentiments” following India’s withdrawal.”The WCL’s apology for ‘hurting the sentiments’, whilst being farcical, inadvertently acknowledges that the cancellation was not based on cricketing merit, but rather on succumbing to a specific nationalistic narrative,” the statement further said. “This bias, masquerading as sensitivity, sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community.”While reaffirming their commitment to global cricket and healthy rivalries, the board said they would not permit their players to participate in tournaments that “undermine the spirit of the game.”

Tonda Eckert has been asked if he is hoping to become the next permanent manager of Southampton after guiding the club to a win over QPR on Wednesday evening.

It has hardly been the season that Southampton would have expected. In the 2024/25 campaign, they became the first team to be relegated from the Premier League with as many as seven games left to play. Even still, they were expected to be in contention for a swift return to the top flight.

Having established himself as a promising young coach in Ligue 1 with Reims and Lens, Will Still was appointed as Southampton’s new manager in May. Despite an influx of summer signings, however, Still struggled to have the impact he would have wanted at St Mary’s.

After just two wins in 13 Championship games, Still was dismissed following a loss to Preston, which was Southampton’s third successive defeat. In his place, Eckert was named interim boss as the club continue their search for a new manager.

Eckert answers questions about Saints future

Eckert’s first game in charge of the Saints was an away clash against Queens Park Rangers. The 32-year-old, picked out personally by sporting director Johannes Spors in the summer to take charge of their under-21s, guided Southampton to a 2-1 win at Loftus Road.

As reported by The Daily Echo, the young coach was then asked about his desire for the permanent job.

Evidently, Eckert is focused solely on guiding Southampton through their immediate future, with the club set to host Sheffield Wednesday in their next league game. Should they win, it would be the first time this season that they have won consecutive matches in the Championship.

Given their current position in the league, though, it would be a massive gamble for the Saints to hire a young and inexperienced manager, regardless of how much potential they may have.

Saints could turn to veteran to fill managerial vacancy

Whisper it quietly, but Manchester United are close to being a proper team once again. They have a competent goalkeeper at last in Senne Lammens, as well as top-level forwards who cannot only create quality chances but also finish them off in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. They have also developed some resilience, as evidenced by their crucial late goals at Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Liverpool of late.

But they are still missing a crucial element of any team with aspirations to return to the Champions League and compete for the Premier League title: a consistent and top-class midfield. Ruben Amorim's side have been getting by with Bruno Fernandes sitting deeper alongside Casemiro, who is enjoying an Indian summer. Both players have been performing admirably in their respective circumstances, but they both have asterixis by their names.

Fernandes is 31 and the spectre of him winding down his career in Saudi Arabia has not fully gone away despite him resisting the advances of Al-Hilal last summer. Casemiro, meanwhile, might be rolling back the years right now, but he turns 34 in February and his contract is up in June, albeit with the option to trigger a one-year extension. 

Neither player screams long-term planning, and it is no secret that United need and want to sign a top-class midfielder who can lead the team for many years. It is becoming increasingly clear, too, that the man they should be looking at to return them to the highest level is Elliot Anderson, who just happens to also be the future of the England team.

• AFP
  

  Top of the class

  Anderson was one of the main driving forces behind Nottingham Forest’s brilliant 2024-25 campaign as they finished seventh in the Premier League in their third season back in the top-flight, narrowly missing out on the Champions League while reaching the FA Cup semi-finals. But while the Tricky Trees’ results have nosedived amid the upheaval of having three separate coaches already this term, Anderson has continued to stand tall. Taller than every other midfielder in the Premier League, in fact.

  Name every attribute you want a midfielder to have, and there is a good chance Anderson will lead the way in it. According to , he sits No.1 among Premier League midfielders in passes attempted, passes completed, progressive passes, passes into the final third, short passes attempted and completed. 

  He also has the highest passing distance among midfielders (and the fourth-highest in the league) and highest progressive passing distance of any midfielder. In that last category, he is ranked 20th in the league in a field dominated by goalkeepers. The closest midfielder to him is Fernandes in 30th, then Granit Xhaka at 45th while his England team-mate Declan Rice is 50th. Anderson has an accumulated progressive passing distance of 3844 metres, 447 more than Fernandes, 986 more than Xhaka and 1049 more than Rice. 

  In addition, he has more touches on the ball than any other midfielder, and the most ball recoveries.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Doing it all

  "Elliot Anderson can do it all," said former United and England winger Ashley Young. "He can defend, he can get on the front foot, he can play line-breaking passes. He can create, he can do the other side of it as well and win the tackles and release the players further forward."

  Anderson displayed that passing vision with an assist for Chris Wood on the opening day of this season, threading the ball into the forward's path from behind the halfway line. In England’s 5-0 win away to Serbia in September, meanwhile, he provided a pre-assist with his forward pass to Morgan Rogers, whose flashy flick of the boot released goal-scorer Noni Madueke. No Serbia player managed to dribble past him that night, while in the 5-0 drubbing of Latvia last month which sealed England’s spot at the World Cup, Anderson completed 121 passes, the most by any player in an England away game since 2008.

  What has really stood out for England has been Anderson's ability to take the ball from defence and glide past opponents to distribute it further downfield. "His physicality for a player of his size, the way he can keep people away from the ball and get about the pitch is a big strength," said his England team-mate Dan Burn, who also played alongside him at Newcastle. "He's always wanting the ball wherever he is. He's so calm when he gets it, he's got that eye for the passes that we probably need."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  On autopilot

  Speaking after his excellent debut for England against Andorra amid an otherwise dreary team performance in June, Thomas Tuchel said of Anderson. "He has the physicality, he's a very mobile No.6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to win duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines. And he's just very mobile in his game."

  Rice, who has lacked a consistent partner for England since Kalvin Phillips' peak at Euro 2020, is really enjoying playing alongside Anderson: "He has taken it all in his stride and is playing like he plays for his club. When you have a lad who is that confident and comes in and feels he does not have to do anything different, it's like autopilot the way he plays. We are building up a nice little partnership."

  Anderson’s versatility explains why he has managed to perform well for each of his three Forest coaches, going from the counter-attacking football of Nuno Espirito Santo to the positional play of Ange Postecoglou and then back to the more reactive play of Sean Dyche. Nuno deployed him all over the midfield, from an anchoring No.6 to a driving No.8 to a creative No.10 when Morgan Gibbs-White was unavailable. 

  Eddie Howe also played Anderson in more attacking roles when in charge of him at Newcastle before he was sold to Forest for £35 million ($46m) in a move that was widely considered to have been to ease the Magpies' PSR concerns.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Worth the money

  Forest might be about to make a massive return on that investment as the latest reports claim they will demand between £100m and £120m ($131.5m-$158m) for Anderson. It is a similar price tag that United were quoted by Brighton for Carlos Baleba over the summer, which ultimately led to them turning away from the Cameroon international. 

  Anderson’s stock has risen way above Baleba’s in the last three months, and a £100m-plus fee is not actually that outlandish when compared to the two leading midfielders in the league over the last couple of years, Rice and Moises Caicedo. Arsenal paid a club-record £105m to sign Rice from West Ham in 2023. He was 24 at the time and was also an England regular at that stage, albeit with considerably more experience than Anderson given he had both a European Championship and a World Cup under his belt. Caicedo, meanwhile, moved from Brighton to Chelsea at the age of 21 that same summer for £115m.

  Rice has been the main driving force behind Arsenal’s consistent results over the last three seasons while Caicedo was instrumental to Chelsea finishing fourth in the league last season and to them winning the Club World Cup. And if Anderson, who only turned 23 at the start of November, continues on the same path he is at the moment, there is no reason why he could not do the same for United.

  His ability to play in different midfield roles will also be useful for the club’s succession planning. He could fill in for Casemiro next season as Amorim’s primary holding midfielder if the Brazilian leaves this summer before taking the baton from Fernandes in 2027, when the captain’s current contract will be up.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio busca renovar com o goleiro Caíque nos próximos dias. Segundo o Zero Hora, o atleta, contratado junto ao Ypiranga em agosto deste ano, terminou o Brasileirão como titular e possuí contrato com o Tricolor até o dia 31 de dezembro.

RelacionadasGrêmioClube do Paraná pede bloqueio de premiação do Brasileirão do Grêmio por dívida com BitelloGrêmio11/12/2023GrêmioHá 40 anos, o Grêmio conquistava o Mundial de Clubes com show de Renato GaúchoGrêmio11/12/2023Fora de CampoSuárez posta mensagem para o futebol brasileiroFora de Campo10/12/2023

A diretoria gremista está confiante que Caíque permaneça no clube, mesmo ele podendo assinar pré-contrato e sair de graça na virada de ano. Além deste fator, o agente do goleiro é o ex-jogador Lucas Leiva, que possui bom relacionamento com o Grêmio e ainda será procurado para negociar a renovação.

➡️Há 40 anos, o Grêmio conquistava o Mundial de Clubes com show de Renato Gaúcho

De olho no mercado:

Mesmo renovando com Caíque, o Grêmio ainda busca um novo goleiro para a temporada de 2024. O clube recebeu contatos interessados em Gabriel Grando e os dirigentes já planejam trazer uma opção para a posição.

Com isso, conforme o GZH, o alvo do Grêmio no momento é o goleiro João Paulo, do Santos. Mesmo com o contrato até 2027, o rebaixamento do Peixe pode influenciar para que o jogador seja transferido para o Tricolor Gaúcho.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Além de João, Santos e Cássio também foram especulados. Nestes casos, o goleiro do Flamengo recebe um sálario considerado alto e o ídolo do Corinthians deseja permanecer no clube em 2024. De qualquer forma, o tema deverá ser debatido com o técnico Renato Portaluppi a partir da definição pela continuidade do trabalho para 2024.

Seam-bowling allrounder Johann Layne has replaced him in the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2025

West Indies seamer Matthew Forde has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan that starts in Tarouba from Friday. Forde suffered a shoulder dislocation earlier on Wednesday while attempting a catch during a training session.Johann Layne, the West Indies academy seam-bowling allrounder, has replaced Forde in the squad. Layne is among the seamers that impressed Ian Bishop, who called him “rangy, tall and intelligent”.Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd and Jediah Blades are the quicks in their ODI squad with Gudakesh Motie as their frontline wristspinner. Alzarri Joseph has been rested. West Indies would also miss Forde’s talent with the bat lower down the order; he holds the ODI record for fastest fifty (16 balls), achieved in May against Ireland.Related

Alzarri Joseph rested, Shepherd back in WI squad for Pakistan ODIs

Pakistan and West Indies look to break out of their ODI funk

West Indies lost the T20I series against Pakistan 2-1 in Lauderhill, but are looking to claim a fourth-straight ODI series with the tour moving to Trinidad & Tobago. It is only their fifth ODI series since the start of 2023, but come into the contest having beaten England twice (2-1, on both occasions) and Bangladesh once (3-0).The 50-over game has been a difficult format for West Indies in recent history, missing out on the last two ICC tournaments for ODIs. Their qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup is also far from guaranteed as they are ranked tenth in the rankings. West Indies realistically need to finish within the top nine – one place higher than they are – to secure automatic passage at the cut-off date. A series win against Pakistan, ranked six places above them, would help them significantly.

Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim have signed contracts with Northern Superchargers, assuaging concerns that Pakistani players would be locked out of the Hundred under new Indian owners.The ECB insisted earlier this year that the identity of new investors – four out of eight are based in India, and a further two are Indian-American – would have no effect on the involvement of Pakistani players in the Hundred. “We’re aware of that in other regions,” Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said in February, “but that won’t be happening here.”Eyebrows were raised when no men’s players were signed at March’s draft, in contrast to previous seasons. But the snub could also be explained by the unavailability of Pakistan’s white-ball squads (due to a tour of West Indies and a tri-series in the UAE), their recent struggles in T20Is, and the late pullouts of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah last year.Related

• Pakistani paranoia fuelled by Hundred snub, but reasons may be closer to home

• Gould: Hundred IPL links won't affect Pakistan player involvement

Then, on Monday, Amir and Imad became the first two Pakistan players to sign deals for the 2025 season, as late replacements at the Superchargers for Ben Dwarshuis (full season) and Mitchell Santner (two games) due to international duty. The Superchargers’ incoming owners are Indian media tycoons the Sun Group, who will assume operational control on October 1.Amir and Imad will link up with Ben Stokes in the Hundred, who revealed on Monday that he will play an informal, mentoring role at the Superchargers as he starts his rehabilitation from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of England’s fifth Test with India. Stokes opted out of the Hundred earlier this year, but will support Andrew Flintoff and Harry Brook.”You will see me knocking about the Hundred, not in a playing way,” Stokes said. “I had to make a decision in January if I would participate in the comp, but that was after my hamstring surgery. I said I’d still like to be a part of it, so I will be milling about. I won’t have a notebook and pen. I said I would come and give my time to the team. I will be cracking on with my rehab.”Most of England’s Test batters will be available throughout the Hundred, though most of their fast bowlers will be resting. London Spirit have roped in John Simpson as their wicketkeeping to face Oval Invincibles in Tuesday’s curtain-raiser, with Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith both rested, while Glamorgan allrounder Dan Douthwaite has also signed a short-term deal.Mark Chapman and Farhan Ahmed have replaced Rachin Ravindra (international duty, four games) and Marchant de Lange (injury, full tournament) at Manchester Originals, while West Indies allrounder Akeal Hosein will deputise for South Africa’s George Linde at Trent Rockets for two matches.

The Hundred replacements:

London Spirit: John Simpson and Dan Douthwaite to replace Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope for August 5
Manchester Originals: Mark Chapman to replace Rachin Ravindra (August 6-13), Farhan Ahmed to replace Marchant de Lange; Amuruthaa Surenkumar to replace Ella McCaughan
Northern Superchargers: Imad Wasim to replace Mitchell Santner (August 7-10); Mohammad Amir to replace Ben Dwarshuis
Trent Rockets: Akeal Hosein to replace George Linde (August 10-14)

Ruben Amorim says Manchester United must start playing better on the road as they head to Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest seeking only their second away victory of the season.

The Red Devils arrive at the City Ground buoyed by a three-match winning run, with Old Trafford triumphs against Sunderland and Brighton bookending a first victory at Liverpool since 2016.

But that memorable Anfield triumph represents United’s only away win of a season that has seen defeats at Manchester City and Brentford compound a humiliating Carabao Cup exit away to Grimsby.

Amorim's comments ahead of Nottingham Forest trip

Amorim says United need to be better in a variety of aspects as they prepare to head to Forest, who have won the sides’ last three Premier League meetings and recently appointed their third manager of the campaign.

The Portuguese collected his first Premier League win when overcoming new boss Dyche’s Everton outfit 4-0 last December and says he “more or less” knows what lies ahead as he seeks an away upturn.

Fabrizio Romano reveals Lisandro Martinez return date in "boost for Man Utd"

This is a massive positive for the Red Devils.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 31, 2025

“I watched the last game (back),” Amorim said of facing Forest on the one-year anniversary of his appointment as United manager.

“It was one of the first ones here that we won and we were so lucky in that game. You look at the result and it was not that result. It should not be that result.

“I watched (Forest) against Porto, against Bournemouth. The style of play is similar, different characteristics.

“I watched one game we did in pre-season with Sporting to try and understand how we played in that game, and it’s similar.

“He can change some characteristics of the players with the talent that they have, especially with (Morgan) Gibbs-White, (Elliot) Anderson, (Callum) Hudson-Odoi. Very good players.

“So, we need to be prepared for a different game. Against Brighton we had space to play. We are not going to have that space.

“We need to understand we are not being the same team away and at home, so we need to improve the way we control the environment.

“Every tackle is a big moment for the opponents’ fans, so we need to play better away. We are prepared for a very tough match.”

Man Utd targeting shock move for Vinicius Jr with Real Madrid price tag revealed

Amorim may well be tempted to stick with the same side that beat bogey team Brighton last weekend, when Bryan Mbeumo’s second of the day wrapped up a 4-2 victory.

Man Utd to "suffer" without Mbeumo and Diallo

The summer signing linked up well with Amad Diallo down the right and that bond extends off the field, but the pair are soon set to miss a chunk of time due to the Africa Cup of Nations, possibly missing up to seven Red Devils fixtures.

Along with the entire 40-man roster, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone can sport a beard this season for the first time while donning the iconic pinstripes.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner announced Friday that the Yankees are lifting their strict facial hair policy that was in place for over 50 years. Boone joined YES Network's broadcast of the Yankees' spring training opener Friday to chat about the franchise's surprising move.

"I think it was not something done lightly. It's certainly something that Hal and the [Steinbrenner] family put a lot of thought and consideration into … really over the last few years," Boone said. "And just turned it up even more over the last few weeks, talking to former Yankees, current Yankees, people in the industry and people out of the industry. It just felt like the right time for this to happen.

"I think overall it's going to be a really good thing. It'll probably be a little weird for a lot of us that have had this policy for a long, long time. I don't know how it's going to look for a lot of guys—here comes the beard? Not necesarily. I think it was time. I think the due diligence and the consideration that Hal put into this was significant, and I think today is the right time to do this."

Steinbrenner admitted in a press conference that a big factor in his decision was to avoid losing out on acquiring a player down the road due to an outdated team policy.

"If I ever found out that a player we wanted to acquire to make us better, to get us a championship, did not want to be here—and if he had the ability, would not come here—because of that policy, as important as it is to [past generations], that would be very, very concerning," Steinbrenner said. "And I am fairly convinced that's a real concern."

The Yankees' bats appeared to approve of Steinbrenner's decision Friday, as newcomer Paul Goldschmidt clubbed a two-run double in the first inning, and New York took a 4–0 lead into the sixth inning.

The Houston Astros are open to trading longtime middle-of-the-order bat Kyle Tucker, and the trade packages are starting to materialize as opposing teams line up for his services.

The 27-year-old Tucker, who hit .289 with 23 home runs and 49 RBI in an injury-riddled 78 game campaign last season, has received trade interest from the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs.

For any package involving Tucker, the Astros are seeking Yankees starter and AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, according to Jon Heyman of the . In talks with the Cubs, the Astros are interested in outfielder Seiya Suzuki and corner infielder Isaac Paredes, according to Ken Rosenthal of

For what it's worth, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke of Suzuki's future in Chicago, and it didn't sound like he was going anywhere.

"I've got a great relationship with both Seiya and [his agent Joel Wolfe]," Hoyer said on Wednesday. "We've had conversations about his role, DHing, all those things, but ultimately, he's a really good player. I expect him to be a Cub," Hoyer added.

It's clear that the Astros hold Tucker in high regard, so it will take quite the package to acquire him after his solid career in Houston thus far.