GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Adam Haseley in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Chicago sent minor league pitcher McKinley Moore to Philadelphia for Haseley, a .264 hitter over parts of three big league seasons. Outfielder Blake Rutherford was designed for assignment by the reigning AL Central champions to make room on their 40-man roster.

Haseley was selected by Philadelphia with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft. He made his big league debut in 2019, batting .266 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 67 games.

Haseley opened last season as the Phillies' center fielder, but he appeared in just nine games with the big league club. He hit .233 in 56 games in the minors.

Tom O'Flaherty will join Sale Sharks for the 2022-23 season, ending his five-year stay at Exeter Chiefs.

O'Flaherty is the second Exeter player to be heading to the AJ Bell Stadium following England lock Jonny Hill.

"Tom is coming here in his prime, with his very best years ahead of him," said Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson.

"It's a massive boost for the club and it's a big indication of what we're all about and where we're trying to get to." 

O'Flaherty joined Exeter ahead of the 2017-18 season from Welsh side Ospreys and went on to be part of the squad that won both the Premiership and the European Champions Cup in 2020.

But he will move north at the end of the current campaign along with Hill, as Sale reconstruct their team with England fly-half George Ford moving there from Leicester Tigers.

Exeter are currently fourth in the Premiership, one place and two points above Sale.

Scarlets full-back and wing Johnny McNicholl has signed a new contract to extend his stay in Llanelli.

The New Zealand-born 31-year-old has played 99 games for the west Wales region.

"I have had some great moments in a Scarlets jersey since I arrived here from the Crusaders," said McNicholl.

"The title win in Dublin, the European campaign the year after. Hopefully, with the fans back in the stadium and behind us, we can get back to those levels and be challenging again."

A member of the side that claimed the Guinness PRO12 title in 2017, McNicholl has 44 tries for the Scarlets, including seven in eight appearances this season.

"I've really enjoyed my rugby this season," he added. "Results may not have been what we wanted, but we are looking to develop our game under a new coaching team and I feel there is a lot more to come from us."

Having made his Wales debut in 2020, McNicholl played in three of last year's Autumn Internationals along with the opening and closing matches of this season's Six Nations.

He joins Rhys Patchell, Ryan Conbeer, Sam Lousi and Scott Williams in committing themselves to fresh deals at Parc y Scarlets.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: "Johnny has been outstanding for us this season, not only on the field, but as a leader off it. He is a key member of our group.

"He is a player who can produce something out of nothing and embodies the kind of attacking game we want to develop here.

"Johnny has been here a while now, he has a young family who are settled in Wales and he's established himself as an international player. We are delighted he has signed a new contract with us."

Rob Harley, Glasgow Warriors' record appearance holder, will leave the United Rugby Championship side this summer after 12 years.

Harley has won 23 Scotland caps and scored his only international try on his debut against Samoa in 2012.

"A huge chunk of my life has been with Glasgow Warriors, and it's been an amazing experience," he said.

Crewe-born Harley made his Warriors debut against Leinster in September 2010 and surpassed the previous record mark held by Graeme Morrison when he made his 178th appearance in February 2018.

"There are so many memories," added Harley. "Winning the [2015 Pro12] title was hugely special, but it's hard to pick just one, having played with so many great teams.

"I'm looking forward to coming back to Scotstoun [Stadium] one day as a fan and standing with the fans who have been so good with me over the years, cheering the team on from the stands.

"For now, though, I'm looking forward to finishing my Glasgow career on a high, but also excited about the next step of my playing journey and experiencing something different, wherever that may be."

Head coach Danny Wilson added on Glasgow's website: "Rob Harley is an outstanding professional whose service to this club is second to none."

Steve Borthwick says he has "plenty on his plate" at Leicester and will not be distracted by the prospect of taking over from Eddie Jones as England coach.

Borthwick, 42, is a leading contender given his international experience and the way he has revolutionised the table-topping Tigers.

"You have to look at what is immediately in front of you," he said.

Borthwick, who won 57 caps and captained England, also told BBC Radio 5 Live: "If you keep trying to control what is immediately in front of you, then that is what we will do with this team.

"If I can keep doing that with this team then hopefully these young men can do very well."

Borthwick moved into coaching permanently following his playing retirement in 2014. He was part of Jones' backroom team with Japan at the 2015 World Cup, before joining England as an assistant between 2015 and 2020 - a period in which he also coached the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand in 2017.

He left the England set-up to move to Welford Road in the summer of 2020, taking over the control of all rugby matters at the end of that year following the departure of Geordan Murphy.

Under his guidance, Leicester have enjoyed a startlingly dominant campaign, winning 17 of 20 league matches and cementing a semi-final place by the end of March.

"I've got plenty on my plate at Leicester Tigers right now, with a game Tuesday night [in the Premiership Rugby Cup] and then Clermont away in our European adventure," Borthwick added.

"That is [what is getting] all my attention."

Another candidate to replace Jones is long-standing Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter, who led the Chiefs from the second tier to an historic European and Premiership double in 2020.

Along with Saracens boss Mark McCall, Baxter has been the predominant coaching figure in the English club game for the past decade, with Exeter reaching the last six Premiership finals.

However, this season has been more of a challenge, with the Chiefs far from guaranteed a top-four place after recent losses to Worcester and Leicester.

"Right here and now I am going to concentrate on trying to win some games of rugby for Exeter," Baxter told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"England might be looking at what is going on here and I might be the last candidate they want!

"So right here and now, regardless of anything else, we are going to focus on winning some games here."

Former England scrum-half Danny Care says change is needed at the top if the team are to close the gap on the world's best Test teams.

"Every other thing has changed - players, other coaches, backroom staff, physios - apart from one person," Care told Rugby Union Weekly.

"Something isn't quite working and it hasn't for a couple of years."

The Rugby Football Union has said it fully supports head coach Eddie Jones, who has a contract until the end of next year's Rugby World Cup in France.

Jones has overseen an overhaul of his squad over the past nine months, with the likes of Marcus Smith and Freddie Steward becoming first choice.

His coaching set-up and backroom staff have been through several upheavals during his six years in charge.

Harlequins player Care, who made his last England appearance in November 2018, says if Jones is to stay he needs to change his approach.

"I want England to be playing a brand of rugby that excites and inspires me," he added.

"I don't think they are being trusted enough to say their bit and do what they want to do - and we know there is a bit of fear factor in this camp.

"Eddie is not a bad coach, but something isn't quite working. He has to give the players a little more trust or give [attack coach] Martin Gleeson the trust to say this is how we are going to play.

"England have got an awful lot of work to do if they are going to be anywhere near the best teams."

'It is scary how good this Red Roses team can get'

However, Care believes England's women's team are right on track for their own Rugby World Cup, which begins in October, after a 57-5 thrashing of Scotland in the opening round of their Six Nations defence.

"What is frightening about England is that this game could easily have been 80 points," said Care, 35.

"The growth potential is phenomenal. They played well, but I reckon there is so much more that the squad can do.

"I heard that the Red Roses are being deliberately over-trained for the first three weeks, they are working incredibly hard to take their game to a whole next level.

"If they are being made to work that hard, still put on a performance like that and leave a lot out there, it is scary how good this Red Roses team can get."

It has been two years since the NHL completed an 82-game regular season. Now, that finale is exactly one month away.

The trade deadline has also passed, leaving each of the league's 32 teams to approach these final weeks in their own way.

Some will use it as a tune-up for the playoffs. Others are still fighting for their place in that second season.

And, well, a few might be already dreaming of next season.

Whatever the journey ahead, we've got you covered. Settle in for the regular-season stretch run with our primer on storylines, players, award races and future considerations to monitor.

New faces, new places

The NHL trade deadline brought us some seriously spicy transactions.

Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot to Florida? Brandon Hagel to Tampa? Marc-Andre Fleury to Minnesota? Take your pick. Teams went hard to acquire their targets, and now we have the honeymoon phase, in which all those heavy hitters believe the Stanley Cup is in sight.

Is it really, though?

These coming weeks will be the training ground. Yes, we know all those top-flight talents are great individually, but how will the new guys fit in? Will they elevate their squads as expected, or will some of these quickie marriages fall flat?

Take Giroux in Florida, for example. Adding the former Philadelphia Flyers captain to the top line and power play alongside the likes of Aleksander Barkov looks fantastic. But how does it feel? Is the chemistry there? The early returns have been positive; Giroux has four assists in his first three games. Can that success continue and, ideally, grow even better?

And what about Hagel with the Lightning? Tampa sold the farm to rope in the 23-year-old from Chicago, and Hagel will have to find his footing -- and fast -- with a tight-knit team that's gunning for a three-peat. No pressure.

It goes beyond just the big-name trades, though. Contenders loaded up to varying degrees, all with the purpose of setting themselves apart in this next month and beyond.

The real winners and losers of trade season can only be determined on the ice and over time.

Wild, wild West(ern) playoffs

The Western Conference playoff field goes something like this:

No. 1: Colorado Avalanche
No. 2: Calgary Flames
Literally Everyone Else

That's only slightly exaggerating.

Post-deadline in the West, just the Flames and Avalanche had more than 80 points. At that same juncture back East, eight teams had 80-plus points.

Where will the next month take the Western Conference?

There are maybe five teams you could say are truly out of the running for postseason seeding (sorry, Seattle; you're going 0-1 on franchise playoff appearances). We could see a photo finish for not just second and third place by division, but also the two wild-card slots.

When it's all said and done, we can have deep philosophical discussions about why the West was so tightly contested and why the Eastern table was set basically by December. Until then, let chaos reign, and enjoy the ride.

Dead heat in the East

Speaking of the East, in the span of a single afternoon (last Saturday), the Maple Leafs went from home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs to a wild-card spot.

That's the sort of chaos the Eastern Conference is generating with a month to go, even though the eight teams making the postseason are essentially set.

However, the slate of potential playoff matchups brewing in the Eastern Conference? Chef's kiss.

Pittsburgh vs. New York Rangers? Delightful.

Boston at Carolina? Intriguing.

Tampa vs. Toronto? Who says no to that?

By the time you're reading this, the decks might have shuffled again. The first-round series to come might be even better.

Unlike in the West, we know (barring any seismic meltdowns) which teams will be coming out of the East: Carolina, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Washington, Florida, Toronto, Boston and Tampa Bay.

But there are only about 10 points separating all of them in the standings. So where does everyone end up? How strategic do these clubs try to be while jockeying for position? All will be revealed over the next month.

Push for the Presidents' Trophy

The Presidents' Trophy is the most drama-free of regular-season awards. It simply goes to the team with the best overall record. Assuming there are no tiebreaker procedures involved, it's open and shut.

This season looks like a three-team race to take the trophy among Colorado, Florida and Carolina. The Avalanche won it last year, for the third time since the award was introduced in 1985-86. Neither Florida nor Carolina have ever won.

So, what does hoisting the Presidents' Trophy mean for a team's playoff outlook? Some would say nothing at all. Others start crunching the numbers.

The Presidents' Trophy has been awarded 35 times. Eleven of those times, the Presidents' Trophy winners at least reached the Stanley Cup Final. Eight of those times, the Presidents' Trophy winners also won the Stanley Cup.

So finishing with the league's best record is certainly no guarantee of lifting the Cup or making it deep in the playoffs.

Who has the Hart?

The Hart Trophy proves annually to be a hotly debated award.

This season? There are even more dissenting opinions than usual.

The Hart goes to the NHL's MVP, or "the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team." This is where Hart-related sparring usually starts, over whether being "most valuable" also correlates to "being on a playoff-bound team."

The Hart is about bringing value to the lineup. But how do we define value? Is value represented by the entirety of a player's game, or can value be adequately measured only through what the player does best?

Good luck to the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association who must figure it out this year. Because there are several Hart-worthy candidates out there, and arguments for and against each.

New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin has carried his team this season, but as a goalie, he also doesn't dress every game.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews has shined offensively, but he is also surrounded by other elite talents.

Jonathan Huberdeau is a scoring machine for Florida's top-ranked offense, but his defensive game is statistically average.

What about defensive phenom Cale Makar in Colorado? Or Captain Clutch Connor McDavid in Edmonton? Where's the love for Nashville's defensive anchor, Roman Josi? How about the history-in-the-making season Alex Ovechkin is producing in Washington?

Great 8 keeps scoring

If you haven't heard, Ovechkin has been on a tear.

Here's a recap: The 36-year-old winger is on a mission to reach Wayne Gretzky's all-time record goal total of 894. Ovechkin's tremendous season already put him past Jaromir Jagr for third on the list when he scored the 767th goal of his 17-year career earlier this month. Next milestone: surpassing Gordie Howe's 801 goals to reach the second spot, and inch ever closer to Gretzky.

We'll see where Ovechkin can get to in the final month of this year. Already, he has surpassed 40 goals for the fifth time in a season since turning 30, and for the 12th time overall, tying Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons ever.

He has been torrid in March with 10 goals and four assists in 12 games.

If Ovechkin can hit 50 goals in the coming weeks, he would be the oldest player ever to do so. (Johnny Bucyk, who was 35 during his own 50-goal campaign in 1970-71, holds the mantle.)

Who knows how long Ovechkin will be able to keep playing, and especially to keep scoring at this level? All we know is, he's doing it now.

The Golden Knights' ... Golden Boy?

Evgenii Dadonov: trade rejecter to season saver?

Refresher: Vegas tried dealing Dadonov and his $5 million cap hit to the Anaheim Ducks on trade deadline day. The Golden Knights needed to free up cap space for players coming off long-term injured reserve -- namely Mark Stone and Alec Martinez. Unfortunately, a mix-up over Dadonov's no-trade list nullified the deal, and Vegas was back to square one.

That was quite a scary place to be. The Golden Knights needed $9.1 million in space to get Stone back, and $4.8 million in space for Martinez. There was a time, weeks ago, when some believed the Golden Knights wouldn't activate Stone until the salary cap-free playoffs began. The problem is, Vegas needs to get into the postseason, and having Stone back would go a long way in helping the cause.

Well, to the rescue has been Dadonov. During his first game "back," Dadonov had a goal and three points in the Golden Knights' resounding 6-0 victory over Nashville. In his next outing, Dadonov capped off Vegas' comeback from being down 3-0 by scoring the overtime winner against Chicago.

What a wild turn of events for Dadonov to be the catalyst that gets the Golden Knights back in playoff position, to the point where their cap struggles are suddenly less pressing.

Because it's not like Vegas is dealing only with Stone's absence. While Martinez was able to get back on Saturday, the Knights are still dealing with injuries to Max Pacioretty, Reilly Smith and Robin Lehner.

It's all just a fascinating situation. Vegas ended up here in part because of the Jack Eichel trade; moving Stone to LTIR is what allowed the Golden Knights to activate Eichel after the deal. Perhaps their reality now is a cautionary tale about the perils of going all-in. Or, if it works out, Vegas will be vindicated for trying to win at all costs.

Racing for the Rocket

Auston Matthews is facing stiff competition for a consecutive Rocket Richard Trophy.

The Maple Leafs forward produced a league-leading 41 goals in 52 games last season to claim the first Rocket of his career. He's now back in the lead with 48 goals.

But Matthews has also missed some time this year -- most recently while serving a two-game suspension for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin -- and other skaters are gaining ground.

Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl has made big strides in March and is now just one goal behind Matthews. He has never won a Rocket. New York's Chris Kreider is having the best season of his career with 44 goals and would also be a first-time winner.

And, of course, there's Ovechkin with his 42 goals.

This one should be especially tight.

Tracking the Wright stuff

For most of this season, the Shane Wright sweepstakes looked to be a two-horse race between Montreal and Arizona.

Both the Canadiens and Coyotes remain near the bottom of the standings and thus have greater lottery odds for the upcoming NHL draft, in which Wright projects to be the top pick. But Montreal and Arizona have also been much improved since February, and the gap separating them from Seattle, Ottawa and New Jersey has closed.

Montreal is meant to be hosting this year's draft, and it would be a terrific story for it (and assembled local fans) to have the No. 1 pick announced in that building.

Conversely, by the time we get to the draft in July, will Wright still be the top prospect? And how much will that conversation change over the next few weeks as these aspiring NHL draftees finally get to attend showcases and tournaments previously canceled or postponed because of COVID-19?

Is this goodbye?

Let's just take a moment to appreciate some of the older-guard players still in the game. And ask ourselves, are we about to see some of their final games?

Zdeno Chara is 45 and playing in his 24th NHL season. He has yet to score a goal in this campaign for the New York Islanders and has, quite clearly and understandably, slowed down in all facets. The Islanders aren't making playoffs, so these final weeks could be the last we see of the bruising blueliner.

Then there's Joe Thornton. Yes, Florida is going to be in the postseason, but how much of the 42-year-old Thornton will we see in the Panthers' lineup? He has skated in only 27 games all season (for various reasons), and with all the new additions Florida has brought in, who knows how much ice time Thornton will grab. Will he try for another season after this?

Both guys are legendary. Both have seemed immune (until recently) to the effects of time. As the last stretch of this regular season rolls out, fans can appreciate what greatness both have added to the league, in case there's not much more left of it to see.

Manchester United are upping security after a number of players have been subjected to targeted attacks, sources have told ESPN.

Victor Lindelof, Paul Pogba and Tahith Chong have all suffered break-ins at their homes this year, Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo was injured in a similar incident and Liverpool players have also been affected.

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Sources have told ESPN that United are becoming increasingly concerned that players' houses are vulnerable -- particularly when criminals know they are playing matches -- and have taken steps to improve security.

Lindelof's home was attacked during United's win over Brentford and Pogba's home was broken into during the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid. On both occasions other family members were inside at the time.

The club have held meetings with the squad as a group and individually and offered to review their security at home and recommend improvements including CCTV cameras and onsite guards.

United have also given players access to security experts and rapid response teams.

Meanwhile, sources have told ESPN that United are continuing to monitor coronavirus cases in the Far East ahead of a planned announcement about their preseason tour schedule.

Authorities in Shanghai announced a lockdown in the city on Monday, and although United are not planning to visit mainland China, the developing situation is being watched carefully.

The club have already scrapped plans to play a fixture in Hong Kong after talks broke down when officials made it clear they would not relax their quarantine requirements for visitors. A friendly against Liverpool in Thailand is still being considered along with games in Europe ahead of the start of the new Premier League campaign in August.

Lionel Messi has signed an agreement worth more than $20 million to promote digital fan token company Socios.com, a source close to the deal told Reuters on Tuesday.

Messi becomes the latest global sports personality to enter the crypto world, following Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Messi's deal also comes amid a growing wave of tie-ups between crypto firms and football.

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Messi, whose move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in August included a cryptocurrency payment, will be involved in a publicity and promotion campaign for Socios in the build-up to the Qatar World Cup, which starts in November.

The "ambassador" deal for Messi does not include crypto payments and is a three-year agreement, the source said.

Socios have signed deals, including creating tokens, for more than 130 sports organisations including a number of top football clubs such as PSG, Barca, Juventus and Manchester City.

Fan tokens are a type of cryptocurrency that allow holders to vote on mostly minor decisions related to their clubs.

"Fans deserve to be recognised for their support. They deserve opportunities to influence the teams they love," Messi said in the statement.

"Socios.com exists to enhance the fan experience, to enable fans to 'be more'. I'm proud to join Socios.com's mission to create a more connected and rewarding future for fans around the world."

The tokens are increasingly seen by clubs as a source of new revenue but have been criticised by some supporters groups who see their introduction as superficial participation that adds to the already growing costs of following their teams.

Brady last year took an undisclosed equity stake in crypto exchange platform FTX Trading Ltd and became an ambassador for the company.

In January, James announced a multiyear partnership with Crypto.com, a company who recently signed a sponsorship deal with world football's governing body FIFA.