San Francisco Giants biggest questions after the trade deadline reset

The MLB trade deadline is over and we're at the latter part of the 2026 baseball season, during which teams are either jockeying for postseason position, evaluating young prospects and other talent they recently acquired, and re-evaluating those held on to.

If you're 49-65 and have one of the worst records in baseball like the San Francisco Giants, then odds are the remainder of the season is an extended tryout period to see who will claim a starting spot, find a way into the batting lineup or even make next year's 40-man roster.

That's the direction the Giants are headed to next.

"We're going to get some looks at some younger players, and I think as much as anything, it's going to be an opportunity for us as a front office and a coaching staff to evaluate some of our players, and some of them are going to get some longer runways than they've had in the past," Giants general manager Buster Posey said in a radio interview on 97.5 FM.

It's about the only thing left for San Francisco to play for since being left out of playoff conversations. The Giants are 21 games back of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Grading talent and going into the offseason this fall is about all the Giants have to look forward to.

But there are still questions that need to be answered going into the offseason. There are holes in the roster that need to be filled. And overall, San Francisco needs to figure out which direction it's headed.

"I think these last two months that we can be excited about, to build off of, and you know to look to build on from what we do here these last couple months and into the future," Posey said.

Posey will have his work cut out for him as the Giants face many questions as the season comes to a close following the deals made, and those not made, at the deadline. It seems like San Francisco went through a semi-reset, dealing six players at the deadline including Luis Arraez, Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle.

Here's what San Francisco needs to consider in these final two months and into the offseason:

Play the top prospects

Wins have been hard to come by all year long, so it shouldn't be an issue to play younger players a bit more in the final two months of baseball.

There should be more sightings of guys such as Blade Tidwell, Dylan Smith, Drew Cavanaugh, Daniel Susac, Osleivis Basabe, Drew Gilbert and Bryce Eldridge.

Eldridge has particularly shown promise as a designated hitter, but he could be more and San Francisco should consider giving him the chance to play elsewhere other than at designated hitter. Test him out at first baseman for a string of games.

Posey wants to create a particular "brand of baseball," he said during a radio appearance on Bay Area sports radio station 97.5 FM.

"We keep saying you look for fundamental baseball guys that are going to throw throw the ball over the plate, control the strike zone at the plate, catch the ball on defense and make smart decisions on the bases," Posey said. "I do think it's been nice to see that we've been pushing the envelope a little bit more as far as stolen bases have gone the last month or so. So that's been nice to see, but just trying to create a brand of baseball."

Guys who are under 30 should be getting those opportunities to show that they can buy-in to the brand Posey wants the Giants to play.

Is a full rebuild on the horizon?

Next, the Giants need to figure out which direction they are going in. Whether it's a full overhaul, or mixing young and the old, they need a clear direction.

They weren't able to get rid of Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, some of the most expensive contracts on the payroll. These guys aren't that old. But they also aren't under 30 years old, except Devers who turns 30 in October.

They opted to keep Jung Hoo Lee, who turns 28 this month, out of trade talks, but there are two months to decide whether that should be reconsidered. There's a bunch of money tied up between these four, nearing $100 million. San Francisco should have a hard look at who's costing money but not producing on-field.

Will Logan Webb remain a Giant?

Logan Webb is one of few bright spots on the Giants' pitching staff. The bullpen needs help. If the Giants were to lose Webb, then that would be another setback dilemma. San Francisco had already made it known to those who inquired about Webb near the MLB trade deadline that he wasn't available, according to USA TODAY Sports baseball columnist Bob Nightengale, who reported interest from the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

Webb, 29, is the longest-tenured member of the Giants. He turns 30 in November. It's likely he remains a Giant, which directs the attention back to whether a fire sale or full rebuild is coming or not.

Maybe. Probably not. To be determined.

Is Tony Vitello's job still safe in San Francisco?

It hasn't been the rookie year that first-year MLB skipper Tony Vitello had hoped. There were more head-scratching moments than celebratory moments this season. But that's what comes with a rookie manager and a team without clear direction: growing pains filled with ups and downs.

Posey and company need to determine soon whether Vitello is the man for the job. Realistically, if evaluating him as well, he should get one more year to see if the experiment should end early or not.

Vitello signed a three-year contract that pays him $3.5 million annually. It's like that line from J. Cole, "fool me one time, shame on you. Fool me twice, can't put the blame on you."

With that said, Vitello should see a second season, but if plays out his three-year deal and the next couple seasons mirror 2026, then you can go ahead and finish that lyric and dump him.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: San Francisco Giants biggest questions after the trade deadline reset

On this date in Knicks history: Knicks acquire Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford of the New York Knicks during "Reebok Now Playing" Featuring Nelly, Daddy Yankee, Mike Jones and Lupe Fiasco - After Party at Marquee in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Carley Margolis/FilmMagic)

On August 5, 2004, the Knicks acquired Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Othella Harrington, Frank Williams, Cezary Trybański, and Dikembe Mutombo. 

The Knicks were already a few years into a plague of nine-straight losing seasons when Crawford’s ship reached our shore. Those teams rarely gave you much to care about. Jamal, at least, gave you a reason to look up from a book while the TV played in the background.

The former Michigan Wolverine arrived as a gifted young scorer whose imagination occasionally exceeded the structure that contained him. Drafted eighth in 2000 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he won Sixth Man of the Year in his second season with the Knicks and would win it twice more before retiring. 

It’s fair to wonder what Crawford might have become in a healthier basketball ecosystem. The Isiah Thomas years were dark, dark, dysfunctional times. During his four-plus seasons in New York, Jamal played under six different head coaches and averaged 17.6 points in 299 games before being traded to Golden State in November 2008.

There were nights when ‘J-Crossover’ rose above the morass and brought some beauty to the disorder. Like when he dropped a career-high 52 points on Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat (1/26/2007). 

Crawford’s NBA career lasted 20 seasons, spread out over nine teams. In retirement, he still has a toe in the Knicks world. Last season, he served as a part-time analyst for MSG Network, covering around 10 games (filling in while Clyde enjoyed the island life). His growing national broadcasting profile may limit those appearances going forward, but whenever he returns, Crawford serves as a welcome reminder of one of the few bright lights from a particularly gloomy chapter in franchise history.

Go Knicks.

Open Thread: R. C. Buford reaffirms Spurs commitment to Project Marvel

Last November, Bexar County residents voted in favor of Propositions A and B which helped fund Project Marvel in San Antonio. Prop B included $311M in county funds toward building a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs committed at least $500 million toward construction of an arena, plus overruns while paying rent. That money is designed to offset a proposed $489 million contribution from the city.

Last week, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones — who has been in opposition of funding a new Spurs arena — called for a measure to give locals an opportunity to vote on whether city money could be used in the initiative.

On Tuesday, this letter was sent out by Spurs CEO R. C. Buford on behalf of the Spurs.

“Believing in What’s Next for San Antonio
Last November, the people of Bexar County made their voices heard. They approved a shared vision that invests in a new downtown home for the Spurs, strengthens the East Side and creates new opportunities across our
community. We committed to respecting that vote, and we will.
Now is the time to move forward together.
This project is about strengthening San Antonio for the next generation. Over the past several years, the City,
County, Rodeo and Spurs have worked together to develop a plan that creates jobs and brings new investment to
our community. This is a responsible public-private partnership built around clear commitments. The Spurs and
our development partners are investing more than $2 billion and covering every dollar of cost overruns.
The City’s contribution comes from visitor-based revenue, collected at the Texas State level, that is legally
restricted to venues and tourism-related projects. It cannot be redirected to streets, schools, public safety or other
general services.
That is not a burden placed on local families. It is a way to keep visitor dollars in San Antonio, leverage billions in
private investment and create new revenue that can support the services our community depends on.
We have already seen what Spurs basketball means to our economy. During the 2026 playoffs, visitors filled hotel
rooms, restaurants welcomed more customers and downtown came alive. An economic analysis estimated $164
million in net spending to the City of San Antonio and $3.4 million in City tax revenue, including $1.4 million toward the general fund.
We want that momentum rooted in our downtown for decades.
The people who will build this project live here. Our neighbors will benefit from it. Local entrepreneurs will
welcome new customers. Young people will see new career paths. Small businesses will have more opportunities
to grow. That is money staying in San Antonio. That is opportunity people can feel.
The $75 million community benefits program funded by the Spurs and managed by the City and County will
support workforce development, future generations and small businesses. Local hiring and vendor goals will help
ensure that the people who call San Antonio home share in the project’s success.
Our responsibility is to honor the legacy that brought us here while building the next chapter with care. San Antonio does not wait for someone else to dream for us. We build our own future.
The vote has taken place. The commitments have been made. The work is underway.
Now I ask you to join us in building something worthy of San Antonio so that we can shape the next chapter of our legacy together.”

There has been some confusion in social media as to the difference between county money, city money, and the commitment made by the Spurs and their partners. A few sources have pointed out that city money is coming from an added hotel tax and does not involve an added tax to local residents. The nuances have been part of the ongoing debate. If you live within the city limits and end up with an opportunity to vote, you can attend town halls and Q&A sessions in the weeks before to get up to speed on specifics. Last year, the Spurs hosted many forums and discussions as did local city council members.


Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Phillies news: Luis Arraez, defense, George Lombard, Jr.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 04: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts to a play during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

It’s amazing what happens to a lineup when people aren’t constantly getting struck out with men on base and less than one out. I know the defense is going to be wonky, but the addition of Luis Arraez to the lineup is going to be great.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

Trade deadline part six: A review

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 04: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning at American Family Field on August 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We’ve finally reached the end of trade deadline season, and after five weekly articles previewing what might happen, we now know: the Brewers tried but failed to acquire Tarik Skubal, and instead settled for two trades that netted Dustin May, JoJo Romero, and Antonio Senzatela. (A smaller trade earlier in the week shored up catching depth, with Bo Naylor heading to Triple-A Nashville.)

First, on Skubal

There has been an inherent disappointment with the Brewers around the league’s punditry because they did not acquire Tarik Skubal. By all accounts, they pushed extremely hard, but the Tigers chose to go with the Dodgers’ offer, and there’s not really much the Brewers can do about that. If they were willing to include Luis Peña, as reports suggest, the only thing they could’ve done to up the ante would’ve been to include Jesús Made. Trading the game’s top prospect for a two-month rental that probably wouldn’t even make you the favorite in the National League would’ve been insanity for a small-market team like the Brewers.

If you’ll allow me to rant a little, this disappointment—which in many cases feels like blame or rage from people who did not want the Dodgers to get Skubal—drives me nuts. I am extremely tired of national writers who pay no mind what it’s like to be a long-term fan of a small-market club telling me that it is my team’s fault for ruining baseball. Let’s dissect the Skubal scenario for a minute.

The Tigers wanted a controllable pitcher who was in or close to the big leagues. For the Brewers, this likely meant Logan Henderson. Obviously, Henderson is not Tarik Skubal. But… Henderson has a better ERA than Skubal this season. He has a better WHIP. He has struck out more batters per nine innings. He has nowhere near enough innings to qualify, but if he did, Henderson would be ninth in the majors in ERA this season, nestled comfortably in between Cristopher Sánchez and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. [Note that stats in this article are current as of Tuesday morning.]

Logan Henderson is really good. In the majors. Right now. Henderson is not Skubal, but this season he’s producing at a level that’s about 80% of Skubal… so if you give that back in a trade, is that not like four steps forward, three steps back? There were no other real options for the Brewers to build a trade like this around. Kyle Harrison is a good young pitcher but the same concept applies to him. Brandon Sproat has been a mess this season, and I can’t imagine the Tigers would’ve gone for that. Jacob Misiorowski is obviously not going to be included. Tyson Hardin, the top Brewers prospect at Triple-A Nashville, isn’t in the same league.

The Dodgers can afford to give away a guy like River Ryan because they have Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Justin Wrobleski.

All of this ignores the other obvious factors at play. Like how the Dodgers don’t need their prospects to work out because they can just buy starters when they need them. Or how they got Zyhir Hope, the centerpiece of the Skubal trade, because when 29 other teams would’ve promoted Michael Busch to play first base, the Dodgers instead signed Freddie Freeman as a free agent and traded Busch to the Cubs for younger prospects… including Hope. They don’t have to worry about Hope making it to the big leagues because if they have a hole, they’ll just fill it with the next Kyle Tucker that comes along.

Yes, the Brewers could maybe push their payroll a little further. They could’ve done the incredibly irresponsible thing of offering Made. But the Brewers, the team in the smallest market in the league, has made the postseason in eight of the last nine years. Shouldn’t that give the front office a little bit of the benefit of the doubt? Haven’t they proven that whatever approach they have taken works? That maybe the fact that they are risk averse isn’t a flaw but is in fact central to their unprecedented success?

There will come a time when Matt Arnold will need to go for it. But the Brewers simply cannot afford to be reckless with their assets. The “bites of the apple” approach might be infuriating sometimes, but there’s no denying that they’ve set themselves up for success. The team is still very young. There’s no reason to think they won’t be good again next season and the season after. At a certain point, Arnold not making a huge move will be a true mistake, but I don’t think this trade deadline was that time.

Ignore all of the pundits who say the Brewers failed by not acquiring Skubal. They are the same pundits who’ve predicted the team’s downfall over and over again, only for the team’s win total to keep rising.

The Brewers are better

With all that said and the context understood, let’s look at what the Brewers actually did.

If I were to put forth an optimistic take about Dustin May, it would be this: if, when the season ends in a couple months, we look back and see May as the second-best pitcher traded at the trade deadline, I would not be shocked. Would I predict that? No. Does that say more about the market than May? Yes.

But everyone raves about May’s stuff, and he’s gone through stretches where he looked great this season. In a 12-start stretch between April 10th and June 15th, May had a 2.54 ERA, 2.68 FIP in 74 1/3 innings. This included a game when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Brewers (but ultimately lost, 2-1) and a complete-game, one-hit, one-walk, nine-strikeout shutout of the Padres. May’s overall numbers on the season are somewhat mediocre—his 4.38 ERA translates to just a 91 ERA+, for instance. But the underlying numbers are strong: May’s 3.14 FIP is well over a run better than his ERA, and if you merely lop off the two duds he started the season with, May has a 3.54 ERA and 2.91 FIP in 19 starts.

There will always be injury questions with May. With 109 innings pitched, he’s already approach his career high (132 1/3) despite debuting eight years ago, in 2019. He had a brief bout of back tightness in June during a start against the Royals in which he got lit up; he skipped his next turn in the rotation but never went on the IL. But he is healthy right now, and there’s some real upside.

In the bullpen, the Brewers did not get the lights-out reliever they coveted, and given the relatively small price the Pirates paid for Luke Weaver, one wonders if David Stearns and the Mets were ignoring the Brewers’ calls. They did, however, get two players who can help. Romero is on the injured list after an emergency appendectomy but should be back in the big leagues within a few weeks. He is having mixed success this season, but he was lights out in 2025 to the tune of a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances. He’s also left-handed, which, along with DL Hall’s return, can take some of the pressure and usage off of Aaron Ashby.

Senzatela was a career-long starter until this season; he got off to an incredible start and has been roughed up of late, but while he posted a 1.30 ERA in his first 17 appearances and an 8.15 ERA in his next 17, is FIP is nearly identical: 3.30 in the first half, 3.49 in the second. Senzatela’s home vs. road splits also tell the story of a guy who will be happy to get out of Coors Field: this season, he’s got a 4.81 ERA in 16 games in Colorado and a 2.57 ERA in 18 games on the road.

All three players will help. Adding May to the mix will keep some pressure off of Misiorowski, Harrison, and Henderson, and the bullpen adds a couple of pieces that should give Pat Murphy and Chris Hook a couple more options that they can really count on.

What went out

The trades were not without cost. The prospects sent out for Senzatela were marginal (left-handed pitcher Mark Manfredi and shortstop Juan Martinez), but the Brewers gave up (and gave up on) Craig Yoho and parted with longtime depth piece Blake Perkins to acquire Naylor, who probably won’t even play in the majors this season. (The other player the Brewers acquired in that trade, Codi Heuer, was shuttled along to the Orioles for cash on deadline day.)

But the big headlines came in what the Brewers sent the Cardinals—a longtime foe—for May and Romero. Center fielder Josiah Ragsdale has enjoyed a big breakout season and is killing the ball at Double-A Biloxi, but, as they say, you have to give up something to get something. However, if you’d told me before the deadline that Ragsdale was included in a trade for May and Romero, I’d have assumed he was the better prospect.

That wasn’t the case here, as the highly-regarded 18-year-old Alexander Frias was the other piece sent out. Like Jackson Chourio and Jesús Made before him, Frias put up eye-popping numbers (and batted-ball metrics) in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League before making it to low-A Wilson as an 18-year-old; Frias hit .316/.411/.400 in 27 games in the Dominican Republic, then hit .441/.518/.678 in 32 games with one of the Brewers’ teams in Arizona. He was promoted to the Carolina League in July, and in 28 games hit just .236 but he showed patience and flashed pop, with four homers, four doubles, and two triples, good for a .328 OBP and .418 slugging percentage.

Frias’s batted ball metrics were high enough for some prospect observers to rate him very highly. FanGraphs was the most optimistic: they had Frias as the #43 overall prospect on their big board, behind only Made and Luis Peña on the Brewers. Keith Law also included Frias in his midseason update at #69, again behind just Made and Peña among Brewer prospects.

That feeling on Frias is far from universal. MLB Pipeline had Frias as the Brewers’ #11 prospect, and while Baseball America did give Frias the #100 spot on their midseason update, that was behind eight other Brewers, though three of those have graduated or are about to (Made, Peña, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Logan Henderson, Josh Adamczewski, Braylon Payne, and Jett Williams).

The reality here is that the Brewers—the team with the most knowledge on Frias—were probably lower on him than the public consensus. And while he drew early comparisons to Chourio and Made, that’s a bit overblown; those two players were both considered five-tool prospects, while Frias is viewed as a future corner outfielder who isn’t likely to have speed as a killer tool in his arsenal. There’s a world where Frias turns into a deadly power hitter, and another where he’s a top-10 overall prospect by the end of next season, but the risk factor here was clearly higher than it was with Chourio and Made (who both, for what it’s worth, put up better offensive stats at the same age as Frias did).

What they didn’t do

Of course, adding pitchers, whether that’s May or Skubal, doesn’t change the fact that the Brewers have the fewest home runs in baseball and an offense that, at times (like right now!), can look awful. The paths to any sort of meaningful offensive upgrade were challenging; the best offensive players to move at the deadline didn’t really have positional fit on the Brewers. Luis García is a left-handed first baseman, duplicative of Jake Bauers. The Brewers wouldn’t have made an offer for Curtis Mead (who unfortunately broke his wrist in his first game with the Red Sox) that included a controllable, promising big-league pitcher (Connelly Early) like Boston did. Adley Rutschman didn’t make sense for Milwaukee and the cost was enormous.

The increasingly large elephant in the room is Christian Yelich’s poor performance as the designated hitter. The Brewers are surely hoping that Yelich can turn things around, given that they still owe him another $48 million over two years after this season, but at this point, his performance and Murphy’s insistence to keep him at or near the top of the lineup is actively hurting the ball club. Over his last 38 games, since June 12, Yelich is batting an appalling .182/.285/.318 with three home runs.

Bringing in a right-handed platoon option—or a right handed batter that would move Andrew Vaughn into a platoon situation at DH—could’ve really helped the team, even if Yelich has been slightly better against left-handed pitchers than righties this season (that bucks a career-long trend, so I don’t really trust those numbers). Jo Adell, Heliot Ramos, and George Springer (who did not move) are all right-handed batters who would’ve interested me as a way to get a little more power into the Brewers’ lineup, and to mitigate the presence of the apparently rapidly deteriorating Yelich.

Another offensive question without an apparent solution is that of William Contreras, who, like Yelich, has been alarmingly bad lately. Contreras’s OPS is down to a career-low .722 (not counting his partial rookie season in 2021), and it is trending in the wrong direction: since a season peak in late June, Contreras has hit an absolutely abysmal .165/.227/.257 over his last 29 games.

The Brewers did not have much of an avenue to improve on Contreras—they’re not going to bench him, and the reality of the situation is that they’re not going to bench Yelich, either. Now that the Brewers have chosen not to make any offensive changes at the trade deadline, they have no choice but to hope that Yelich, Contreras, and Chourio (.240/.304/.351 since June 21) find a way to turn things around. They simply cannot afford not to get contributions from any of these three players; that the Brewers went 15-10 in July with all three players mired in deep slumps is a minor miracle (and a testament to the excellent months had by Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz, and Cooper Pratt).

Moving forward

The Brewers wanted to take a Prince Fielder-style swing at this deadline, but the Dodgers, as they do, stepped in and walked away with the top prize. After missing on Skubal, there wasn’t anyone else even close to that league for the Brewers to pivot to, but they did reasonably well to shore up their pitching staff.

The rest of the job will need to be done by players who were already on the team. The simple fact is, the Brewers even with Skubal wouldn’t have been a favorite to beat the Dodgers in a postseason series (which is a solid argument for why they shouldn’t have gone all in for him in the first place). That the Brewers’ two biggest potential postseason rivals—the Dodgers and Cubs (who added Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Braxton Garrett, and Ryan Zeferjahn)—were two of the teams that did the most at this deadline is not encouraging, but Milwaukee should take heart in the fact that they’ve still got the league’s best record and a healthy cushion in the division. The offense needs to improve, no doubt. But this team is really good, and there’s no reason to say they couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle at the right time come the postseason.

Chicago Cubs history unpacked — August 5

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Tim Federowicz, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1921 – KDKA radio station provides its listeners with the first-ever broadcast of a major league game. Harold Arlin becomes baseball’s first play-by-play announcer as he details the action as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Phillies at Forbes Field, 8-5, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

Today in Cubs history:

Cubs Birthdays:Tim Federowicz*, Tony Jacobs, Rube Novotney.

Today in history:

  • 1864 – Battle of Mobile Bay won by the Union Navy, led by Rear Admiral David Farragut with the cry “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
  • 1926 – Harry Houdini stays in a coffin underwater for 1½ hours before escaping.
  • 1932 – Clyde Barrow and two associates kill Sheriff C.G. Maxwell and his deputy, Eugene C. Moore, in the first instance of the Barrow gang killing a lawman.
  • 1936 – American athlete Jesse Owens wins the 200 m in a world record time of 20.7 seconds, his third gold medal of the Berlin Olympics.
  • 1992 – Four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, previously acquitted on charges of beating Rodney King, are indicted on federal civil rights charges.
  • 2012 – Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt wins the 100 m at the London Olympics in 9.63 seconds, breaking the record he set in the 2008 Olympics.

Today in music history:

  • 1966 – The Beatles release their “Revolver” album in the UK,
  • 1967 – Bobby Gentry releases her hit “Ode to Billie Joe”.
  • 1972 – The Moody Blues reissue their 1967 single “Nights in White Satin,” and it reaches #2 on the US charts, higher than the initial release..
  • 1974 – Joan Jett forms her rock group, The Runaways, in the United States.
  • 2021 – Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (80) announces he will be unable to accompany the band on its 2021 U.S. tour based on medical advice, with American Steve Jordan tapped to fill in.

*pictured.

Orioles news: Still digesting the Rutschman trade

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 11: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles catches against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

I’ve just double-checked, wondering if perhaps Monday’s events were just a fever dream, and I can confirm: yes, the Orioles really did trade Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox.

It still stings. And don’t just take my word for it. The clubhouse reaction from Orioles players yesterday reflected just how much the Rutschman trade has affected his longtime teammates and friends. Trevor Rogers described it as “a shock.” Jackson Holliday said, “he’s going to be very missed around here.” Gunnar Henderson was too worked up to even put it into words, telling reporters, “I’m not going to be able to talk about it today.”

The impact of Adley’s departure was best described by Colton Cowser, who was with Rutschman when he received the call that he’d been traded. “Just from a human side of it, obviously, it was tough. I was pretty emotional yesterday,” he said. “Definitely some sadness there, and all I could do was give him a hug and tell him I’m here for him and I love him.” (I’m not crying. You’re crying.)

I attended last night’s game and I couldn’t help sensing a bit of a funereal atmosphere, as if fans were saying goodbye not just to Adley the individual, but also to the era of Orioles baseball that he represented. Rutschman’s much-hyped arrival in 2022 ushered in an (all too brief) renaissance of the club’s fortunes, a return to glory fueled by young, exciting, homegrown players. When the O’s peaked to a 101-win season and AL East title in 2023, Adley was the poster child for their success, the affable All-Star and team leader who seemed destined to guide the Orioles to perennial contention for his long and illustrious Baltimore career.

It didn’t turn out that way. The O’s stumbled into mediocrity during the 2024 season and have really never recovered. Many of the homegrown prospects have failed to develop in the majors, or have regressed after having initial success. Rutschman himself is part of that group, having battled injuries and offensive struggles for the last three years. And now the Adley Era is officially over for the Orioles. He’s moved on to greener pastures, while the O’s are left to face the harsh reality that the total organizational rebuild they underwent for the last seven years has fizzled out, with not even one playoff game win to show for it. It sucks.

That’s not to say that the Orioles are necessarily doomed. They’ve still got plenty of talented players on the roster and intriguing prospects on the farm who could help the team in the not-too-distant future. But after witnessing the disappointing, anticlimactic end to the Adley Era, it’s hard to feel particularly optimistic about the state of the Orioles or the people who are making the decisions right now.

Links

More from Elias on yesterday’s trade deadline activity and impact on Orioles – School of Roch

Considering that Mike Elias is the architect of this wholly disappointing Orioles team, it’s hard to stomach his comments about how he’s trying to “make the right moves by the franchise.” Why start now?

After a whirlwind day, Adley Rutschman reflects on the ‘unbelievable amount of love’ he felt in Baltimore – The Baltimore Banner

In his farewell to Baltimore, Adley has some nice things to say about the Orioles and their fans. Warning: this article features a photo of Rutschman in his Red Sox uniform. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go throw up.

Orioles defeat Angels behind a strong Cade Povich spot start, 3-1 – Camden Chat

The Orioles won their first game of the post-Adley era last night, and Andrea SK has the details. Sure, the Orioles just barely beat the worst team in baseball, and were out-hit 11-4, and were dominated by former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez and his 7.98 ERA. But a win is a win, I suppose.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with two former O’s right-handers: John Wasdin (54) and the late Nelson Briles (b. 1943, d. 2005).

On this date in 1994, Orioles righty (and current MASN analyst) Ben McDonald pitched a one-hit shutout against his future team, the Brewers. McDonald threw 145 pitches (!) in tossing his sixth — and final — career shutout.

And on this day in 2019, Jonathan Villar hit for the cycle, becoming the fifth player in O’s history to do so. Villar tripled in the third, doubled in the fifth, homered in the sixth, and singled off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. Sadly, the Orioles still lost the game, 9-6, largely because they coughed up five home runs to the Yankees. It was the Orioles’ 10th straight game in which they gave up multiple home runs, setting a dubious major league record.

That was a rough year for the Orioles, but at least the rebuild was all worth it in the end, right? …Right?

Random Orioles game of the day

For today’s date, the random number generator spat out the number 2025. Well, OK then. So much for reminiscing about some old Orioles teams. Way back on Aug. 5, 2025, the Orioles got shut out in Philadelphia, 5-0. Starter Dean Kremer gave up four runs, including a Max Kepler homer, while the O’s offense — which days earlier had traded away Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins, and Ramón Urías — was utterly stymied by Taijuan Walker and three Phillies relievers. They managed only five hits, all singles.

Mets Daily Prospect Report, 8/5/26: The all-new, new-look Mets minors! (Take Two)

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 14: Mitch Voit (55) of the New York Mets singles to center field in the sixth inning during a spring training game against the Houston Astros on March 14, 2026 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/14-19)

COLUMBUS 15, SYRACUSE 7 (BOX)

Jonah Tong was initially scheduled to start this ballgame but he was pushed back so that he would start later in the week. Dakota Hawkins got the start instead, and I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he wasn’t as prepared as he would’ve otherwise been or something, because he got shelled. The right-hander recorded just two outs and allowed 6 runs to score- with two additional runners scoring after he was lifted from the game. Down 8-0 before even coming up to the plate, Syracuse predictably lost this one. The offense made sure this one wasn’t a complete embarrassment- Christopher Morel hit another homer, his fourth homer in five at-bats, and Nick Lorusso hit one in his first at-bat with Syracuse- but even scoring 7 runs in total, the Mets were at no point really in this one. Let’s focus on silver linings though: Brian Metoyer threw 1.1 scoreless innings and struck out all 4 batters he faced in his first Triple-A outing, inching that much closer to being the final 40th round draft pick to make their MLB debut and Mike Tauchman improbably threw not just one but two scoreless innings.

·  2B Vidal Bruján: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, E (7)

·  CF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, BB

·  3B Christopher Morel: 1-5, R, HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 K

·  SS Ronny Mauricio: 0-5, 2 K, E (8)

·  DH-P Mike Tauchman: 0-4, R

·  1B Nick Lorusso: 1-4, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 K

·  RF Jose Ramos: 2-4, R, 3B, K

·  C Hayden Senger: 2-4, R, 2B, RBI, K

·  LF D’Andre Smith: 2-3, R, HBP

·  RHP Dakota Hawkins: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, L (0-1)

·  RHP Ofreidy Gómez: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Zach Franklin: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Dan Hammer: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  LHP Mike Tauchman: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Brian Metoyer assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: SS D’Andre Smith assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: CF Jose Ramos assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: 3B Nick Lorusso assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Dakota Hawkins assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets released LHP Brandon Waddell.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets released 3B Jose Rojas.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/12-22)

BINGHAMTON 6, HARTFORD 3 (BOX)

So, remember yesterday where I said that Mitch Voit was not going to be able to sustain his   .500/.593/909 batting line over the course of the rest of the season? Well, maybe I was wrong about that, as the infielder logged another two doubles en route to a 3-4 evening which raised his line to .538/.613/.962 in 7 games with the Rumble Ponies. Voit drove in two of Binghamton’s runs, with Marco Vargas and a returning Jacob Reimer driving in another two apiece.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 3-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, SB (4)

·  DH Marco Vargas: 2-3, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB

·  2B Émilien Pitre: 2-4

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 1-4, 2 RBI, K

·  C Chris Suero: 0-3, K, HBP, E (12)

·  1B Billy Amick: 0-4, 3 K

·  CF John Bay: 0-4, 2 K

·  LF Corey Collins: 0-3, R, BB

·  RF JT Benson: 1-4, R, K

·  RHP Channing Austin: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HBP

·  RHP Cristofer Gomez: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, W (1-0)

·  RHP Zach Peek: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, H (4)

·  RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (1)

·  RHP Garrett Stratton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (1)

ROSTER ALERT: OF JT Benson assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Bryce Jenkins assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Yohairo Cuevas assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Cristofer Gomez assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed RHP Danis Correa on the 7-day injured list.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies activated 3B Jacob Reimer from the 7-day injured list.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies transferred C Vincent Perozo to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released SS Wyatt Young.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released RHP Jordan Geber.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released OF Matt Rudick.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released 1B JT Schwartz.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/18-18)

BROOKLYN 7, WILMINGTON 1 (BOX)

For a while, it looked like the Cyclones might throw their third no-hitter in franchise history, as Nicolas Carreno blanked the Blue Rocks for 5.1 no-hit innings and Parker Carlson did the same for another 1.1. In the bottom of the eighth, Luis Rodriguez led off the inning with a walk- Wilmington’s fifth- subsequently allowed a hit to end the no-hitter, and a few batters later, a run to end the shutout. These things happen, what can you do? The left-hander limited the damage to just a run and his replacement, Juan Arnaud, threw a scoreless ninth so no big deal ultimately. With the win, the Cyclones are back to .500 for the second half and could conceivably end the week in first place if they do well in the rest of this series against the first place Blue Rocks.

·  CF Aidan Smith: 2-4, R, BB, K, SB (15)

·  LF Trey Snyder: 2-5, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 K

·  1B Cole Mathis: 0-4, BB, 2 K

·  DH Randy Guzman: 1-5, R, RBI, K

·  2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, CS (8)

·  RF John Spikerman: 1-4, RBI, 2 K

·  C Ronald Hernandez: 0-4, RBI

·  3B Jamari Baylor: 1-3, R, HR (3), RBI, BB, K, E (2)

·  SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB (4, 5)

·  RHP Nicolas Carreno: 5.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 8 K, W (1-1)

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

ROSTER ALERT: 1B Carter Dierdorf assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Elwis Mijares assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Joe Scarborough assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones activated 3B Cole Mathis from the 7-day injured list.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Frank Camarillo on the 7-day injured list.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones transferred SS Colin Houck to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones transferred 3B Trace Willhoite to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones released RHP Tanner Witt.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones released 3B AJ Salgado.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/13-21)

POSTPONED (RAIN)

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Candido Cuevas assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: 1B Reed Stallman assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Dillon Stiltner assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Camden Lohman assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred SS Branny De Oleo to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released RHP Franyel Diaz.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released RHP Luis Alvarez.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released RHP Omar Victorino.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Mitch Voit

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Dakota Hawkins

Yankees prospects: Four draft picks debut for Tampa Tarpons

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 8-3 vs. Rochester Red Wings

C J.C. Escarra 2-3, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI — went yard in three-run fifth
2B Marco Luciano 2-5, 2B, GIDP
SS Oswaldo Cabrera 2-5, RBI
RF Yanquiel Fernández 2-4, RBI, K
3B Tyler Hardman 2-4, 2B, RBI
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-3, BB
DH Christian Bethancourt 1-4, K
CF Duke Ellis 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, 2 SB — second-straight season with 40 steals in the Yanks’ organization
LF Kenedy Corona 1-4, RBI, K

Brendan Beck 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K, WP (win) — 22 whiffs and a new season-high with a dozen punchouts
Zach Messinger 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
Brian Hendry 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K
Rafael Montero 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 3-17 at Akron Rubber — they’ve had better matinees

CF Jace Avina 2-4, BB, RBI, K
DH DJ Gladney 2-5, 2B, 2 K
C Omar Alfonzo 1-5, 2 K, passed ball, throwing error — first hit with the organization
SS Roderick Arias 1-5, RBI, 2 K, CS, fielding error — bumpy Double-A debut outside of the ground-ball RBI single in his first at-bat
2B Connor McGinnis 1-4, BB, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo 0-2, 3 BB
3B Coby Morales 1-5, 2B, K
1B Josh Moylan 1-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 throwing errors — Patriots committed five errors on the day
RF Luis Durango 0-2, 2 BB, outfield assist

Cade Smith 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 5 K (loss)
Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 2 K
Hueston Morrill 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HBP, WP, throwing error — Somerset allowed seven runs each in the sixth and seventh, yuck
Matt Keating 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
Michael Arias 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, HBP — un-good, as they say
Kelly Austin 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K — Cy Young for him!

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 6-12 at Greenville Drive

SS Core Jackson 2-4, 2B, BB, K, fielding error — returned from IL
CF Jackson Lovich 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 K
DH Eric Genther 1-4, 2B, BB, K
1B Kyle West 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, SB, missed catch error — 18th dinger of season
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-5, 2 K, 2 GIDP
RF Willy Montero 1-3, BB, RBI, K, SB
LF Robbie Burnett 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB
C Josue Gonzalez 0-3, 3 K, HBP, passed ball — tough day
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-3, BB, K, SB — High-A debut

Franyer Herrera 3.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R (6 ER), 4 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP (loss)
Andrew Landry 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, throwing error
Jackson Fristoe 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K
Thomas Balboni Jr. 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, HR
Jack Sokol 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 2-5 at Clearwater Threshers

SS Dax Kilby 0-2, 2 BB
RF Wilberson De Pena 0-4, K, outfield assist
CF Yostin Pena 2-4, 2 K, SB
LF Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II 1-4, RBI, K, SB — singled for first pro hit in debut for 2026 fourth-rounder, 110.1 mph off the bat (also two other bits of contact at 107.9 mph or better)
C Bear Harrison 1-4, 3B, K — tripled 106.1 mph off the bat for first pro hit in debut for 2026 fifth-rounder
3B Hans Montero 1-4, 2B, RBI, K
1B Tyce Armstrong 0-4, 2 K — pro debut for 2026 19th-rounder
2B Blake Cyr 1-3 — singled for first pro hit in debut for 2026 18th-rounder
DH Luis Puello 0-2, BB, K

Sabier Marte 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, HBP (loss)
Rafael Arias 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, HBP — got K’s for all four outs in Low-A debut
Josh Tiedemann 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR
Austin Breedlove 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, WP
Jose Martinez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K — struck out the side

Florida Complex League Yankees: Season over

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 15-6 (8) at DSL Rockies

CF Isaias Castillo 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, K, HBP
LF Luis Cruz 1-4, 2 BB, RBI, GIDP
SS Stiven Marinez 4-5, 3 RBI, 2 SB, CS
SS Emmanuel Orozco 0-1
2B Juan Torres 2-4, BB, 4 RBI, SB, HBP — two-run single was crowning blow in seven-run second
DH Juan Martinez 2-5
PH-DH Jose Peralta 0-1, K
C Cesar Lopez 0-4, BB, RBI, SB, HBP — stole home on front end of double steal
1B Stalen Ramirez 1-3, 2 BB, K, HBP
1B John Rosillo 0-0
RF Alfiery Matos 2-5, RBI, 2 SB
3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-3, 2 BB

Dalvin Taveras 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, HR, 2 HBP (win)
Freddy Lopez 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, WP
Emanuel Vargas 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Dominican Summer League Bombers: suspended in the ninth inning tied 4-4 vs. DSL Colorado

CF Ruben Castillo 1-4, 2B, GIDP, HBP, SB, CS
SS Dariel Santana 0-5, 3 K, throwing error
DH Alessandro Rodriguez 2-3, 2B, BB, K
2B Carlos Bello 0-3, 2 K
RF David Carrera 1-3, HR, BB, RBI, K — tied game with solo shot in eighth; probably why this wasn’t just called at a 4-3 Colorado final!
C Kenneth Melendez 0-4, RBI, 2 K, throwing error
3B Germayhoni Beltre 1-4, 2 SB
LF Richard Meran 1-3, 2B, BB, K, SB
1B Alfred Ciriaco 0-4, 2 K

Higor Requena 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, HBP, 2 WP
Junior Tavera 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 WP
Andre Avila 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

DitD & Open Post – 8/5/26: Mushy Middle Edition

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 26: Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings battle for position during the first period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“Lenni Hämeenaho showed some promise last season, but he could benefit from big minutes with an improved Utica Comets team.” [Devils on the Rush]

“The longer Quinn Hughes goes without an extension with the Minnesota Wild, the more it benefits the New Jersey Devils. As one source told New Jersey Hockey Now, ‘It’s not over.’ Obvious? Yes. Significant? Also, yes.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]

Hockey Links

“It’s pretty straightforward to identify teams that will probably land in the mushy middle this coming season. But the more interesting question is which teams might find themselves stuck here over the medium-term future for the next three to four seasons. I went through every NHL team’s roster, cap situation, prospect pool and more to identify clubs likely destined for this reality.” [The Athletic ($)]

“With the bulk of the off-season movement behind us, and an 84-game regular season starting next month, I thought it’d be fun to take stock of the Metro Division as a whole. I’m going to go team-by-team and share some thoughts on whether I’m buying or selling stock – there is no standing pat! – heading into the 2026-27 campaign.” [Infernal Access ($)]

A look at the top goaltenders left in free agency: [Daily Faceoff]

“The Blue Jackets are the fifth NHL club — joining the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues — to simulcast their TV broadcasts over radio. For the past several seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ radio crew has called road games from a studio in Toronto. Will more NHL teams de-emphasize radio-specific broadcasts in the years to come?” [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Morning Skate: Rankings

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 27: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins during the first period at Amalie Arena on March 27, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Welcome to another summer edition of the Morning Skate, folks!

As we move through the first week of August, we know that hockey is the foremost thing on your mind, so thanks for stopping by.

We’re a month and 16 days away from the B’s first preseason game, so we’ll do our best to fill that space accordingly.

The second-best wing in the league?

The NHL Network’s annual offseason rankings of the best centers, wings, defensemen, goalies, hot dog toppings, pizza styles, and paint colors always generate plenty of discussion/argument, mainly because we have nothing better to do in August.

The network recently released its list of the best wings in the league, with our very own David Pastrnak coming in at the #2 spot.

The only player ranked ahead of Pastrnak? Nikita Kucherov, which…yeah, fair enough.

It’s become so routine by this point that it’s easy to take for granted just how good Pastrnak has been for the Bruins for the past several years.

He’s produced at a more than a point per game pace for the past eight seasons and has recorded 100+ points four seasons in a row, no small feat when you consider the debacle of a season we all sat through two years ago.

I’m not sure what the point of all of this is other than to make it a Pastrnak appreciation post, which we can all get on board with — except that guy we all know who insists that actually Pastrnak isn’t good and the Bruins should trade him for someone with more grit.

(I’m sure he’ll show up in the comments.)

If you want to argue some more, NHL Network will release its defensemen, goalies, and centers lists over the next three Sundays.

Radio waves

Aaron Portzline, who does a terrific job covering the Columbus Blue Jackets for The Athletic, had an interesting piece this week on the slow death of NHL radio broadcasts.

The piece may be behind a paywall, but the impetus for it was the Blue Jackets’ recent decision to scrap their radio broadcast and replace it with the audio from the TV broadcast — something four other NHL teams have also done in recent years.

Hockey is one of the harder sports to listen to on the radio, and calling a game for a radio audience is a tough task.

Baseball, for example, lends itself well to radio with the pace of play, relatively contained action, etc.

Hockey and basketball, to name a couple of sports, are different in that there is near-constant motion, limited reset opportunities (unlike the breaks between each batter in baseball or each down in football), and a lot of relevant stuff that happens away from the main action.

To me, it seems like you’re doing radio listeners a disservice by handing them audio of a TV feed.

TV play-by-play people are describing the action with the awareness that the viewer can see what they’re talking about, which is very different from someone who only has access to audio.

Bruins fans have been blessed with good to great radio teams for the better part of three decades, so hopefully there’s no change in that regard.

But a question for those who consume a lot of their hockey on the radio: do you notice a difference in the dedicated broadcast vs. simulcast setup?


Other than that, we have the Red Sox suddenly going for it, upheaval at FIFA (good), and the sudden realization in Boston that the sun is starting to set before 8 PM again.

What else is on tap for today?

Touted prospect George Lombard Jr. homers for the Yankees in a big major league debut

NEW YORK — George Lombard Jr. saw a sweeper over the middle of the plate, sent the 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence and made his highly anticipated big league debut even more memorable.

A few hours later, Lombard was exchanging memorabilia with the fans who caught the first home run ball of his career.

After being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier in the day, Lombard gave the Yankees a two-run lead in Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals by hitting a 392-foot solo shot off Hunter Dobbins in the fifth inning.

Lombard rounded the bases as his parents cheered and hugged in the stands. His father, George Lombard Sr., is the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers and a former major league player himself.

“It was really cool,” the younger Lombard said. “Being a close game, it was a big run. So it was probably a moment, a swing, a day I won’t forget.”

The 21-year-old Lombard became the first Yankees shortstop to homer in his major league debut. After the game, the touted prospect met in the hallway outside the clubhouse with the fans who caught the ball. He signed hats and traded a bat for the souvenir ball while posing for pictures.

Lombard was the 14th player in franchise history to hit a home run in his big league debut and first since Jasson Domínguez went deep in his initial plate appearance against Justin Verlander in Houston on Sept. 1, 2023. The group also includes injured captain Aaron Judge (2016) and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra (1946).

At 21 years, 63 days old, Lombard became the sixth-youngest Yankees player since 1985 to make his debut and the second-youngest shortstop in that span. Derek Jeter debuted May 29, 1995, in Seattle at 20 years, 337 days.

Lombard also started inning-ending double plays in the second and fifth.

“Obviously, a great first night for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The home run was great. The defense was tremendous.”

In the second, Lombard ranged to his right to field Blaze Jordan’s grounder and made an off-balance throw to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. In the fifth, Lombard ranged to his left, fielded Nathan Church’s grounder behind second base, stepped on the bag and made a clean throw to first baseman Ben Rice.

“It’s one of those plays that you practice,” Lombard said. “I’ve made that play countless times in practice. Just getting to the game and it’s your body kind of takes over.”

Lombard wasn't the only player to make his Yankees debut Tuesday night. Newly acquired outfielder Heliot Ramos went 0 for 4 but made a nice catch in left field with two runners aboard in the sixth. Ramos was obtained from the San Francisco Giants before Monday’s trade deadline.

To make room for Lombard and Ramos, shortstop Anthony Volpe and Domínguez were optioned to Triple-A, where Volpe is expected to see time at second base.

On Monday, general manager Brian Cashman implied the Tigers and Orioles asked for Lombard in potential deals for Tarik Skubal and Adley Rutschman, who were acquired by the Dodgers and Red Sox, respectively.

Lombard, a first-round draft pick by New York in 2023, began this season by hitting .312 in 20 games with Double-A Somerset. After getting promoted to Triple-A, he batted .268 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 56 games.

Lombard’s time in Triple-A was interrupted by a left finger injury that sidelined him for nearly a month. He batted .377 in 14 games after returning and went 4 for 5 with three RBIs in a 13-3 win over Iowa on Sunday.

Ramos joined the Yankees after hitting .264 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games for the Giants.

“When I first found out about the news I started shaking a little bit because obviously I didn’t know anything else,” Ramos said Tuesday afternoon. “But then I realized, I’m like, man, I’m going to be a New York Yankee. Like, that’s crazy.”

Ramos is expected to get the bulk of his playing time in left field, where he started 64 games for the Giants this season. He did not make any errors in 111 chances after leading National League left fielders with nine errors last year.

Besides adding Lombard and Ramos to the roster, the Yankees promoted Yerry de los Santos from the minors to replace Angel Chivilli in the bullpen.

Chivilli was optioned to Triple-A after allowing three homers in the eighth inning Monday, including Alec Burleson’s third of the game. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 15 appearances for the Yankees, who acquired him from Colorado in January.

In five appearances for the Yankees, de los Santos has a 1.04 ERA.

Surprising Skater At The CN Sports Complex

In the last few years, the Montreal Canadiens training complex in Brossard, the CN Sports Complex, has been quite busy in the summer. It used to be that players wouldn’t be in town until the season was nearly here, but for the last two seasons, Ivan Demidov has stayed in town training hard, and last week he was joined by many of his teammates before Habs fans even began suffering from hockey withdrawal.

This summer, the Russian sensation has been joined by prospect Alexander Zharavosky for a good long while, Lane Hutson dropped in during the Canadiens’ development camp, and goalie Jakub Dobes is already back in town getting ready to enter his first camp as the Canadiens’ top-choice goaltender. On Tuesday morning, though, Demidov had an unusual guest: Utah Mammoth centerman Logan Cooley, who was apparently invited by the Russian winger himself.

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No, that doesn’t mean the Canadiens are acquiring Cooley; other NHL players have always been welcomed to use the Habs’ training facility in the summer. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang did it last season; Vegas Golden Knights’ Raphael Lavoie did it last week, and former Habs Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno still regularly use the training facility, but seeing Cooley on the ice with Demidov did get some fans dreaming of what could be.

Turns out the pivot is in town because he was attending the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday night, and according to Patrick Guillet, he will be doing a photo shoot for an advertising campaign before heading home. It’s not the first time Cooley skates with a member of the Canadiens’ organization; after all, he is Habs prospect LJ Mooney’s cousin and they both train together in the summer.

Cooley's view last night. Photo credit: Logan Cooley Instagram account
Cooley's view last night. Photo credit: Logan Cooley Instagram account

Cooley was drafted third overall at the 2022 draft, two spots after the Canadiens had claimed Juraj Slafkovsky first overall, and he has developed very well since. In his rookie season, he put up 44 points in 82 games; he followed that up with a 65-point season in his sophomore year, and he had 43 points in just 54 games last season, a 65-point pace over a full 82-game campaign. He’s exactly the kind of player the Canadiens would like to land to unlock Demidov’s full potential, but that’s not happening; Bill Armstrong signed him to an eight-year deal with a $10 million cap hit last October.


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VOTE: Do you consider Jabari Smith Jr. a Rockets draft bust?

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 01: Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 01, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.

There’s been a couple lists making their rounds on social media discussing some of the biggest NBA Draft busts of the last 20 years. One of the names that stood out to me was Jabari Smith Jr.

Smith fell to third overall with the Rockets in the 2022 NBA Draft after the Orlando Magic ran a feint and took Paolo Banchero first overall, and then infamously, Smith had not a single play run for him during the Stephen Silas years in Houston. He’s been more involved since Ime Udoka came over, with Smith’s defensive effort and versatility earning him some top minutes for Udoka, but he’s still carrying career averages of just 13.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1 block per game. That being said, he’s coming off of the best season of his career, averaging 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1 block. He had a career-high 36.3 percent shooting from deep.

Do you consider Smith a draft bust being that he was regarded as possibly the best player in the draft coming into it in 2022?


Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.

Who won the NBA offseason? Grading all 30 teams for signings, deals and draft

The biggest moves of the NBA offseason, by and large, have been completed.

There are still a few key free agents and moves that need to be made, yes, but the calendar is settling into something of a summer lull. And, not surprisingly, this offseason did not lack monumental moves.

None were bigger than trades that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat and Jaylen Brown to the 76ers. Joining Brown in Philadelphia, no less, is LeBron James, who will be joining his fourth different team in his 24th NBA season. There’s plenty to sort through.

Here are grades for every NBA team’s offseason:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics

Mitchell Robinson is a solid addition. He’ll bolster the low-post defense and will provide a spark without demanding the ball on offense. Can he be dependably available as a starter? That remains to be seen. The bigger problem here was the team’s move to ship Jaylen Brown.

While there were some inefficiencies to Brown’s game, Paul George, at this stage of his career, is not an upgrade. Over the long run, if the Celtics didn’t want to pay Brown, it does make some sense to move him. But does this get Boston any closer to the Knicks, 76ers or the other top teams in the league? The answer is pretty clearly no.

■ Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets

It stings any time an in-city rival wins a championship. It must’ve really stung when all of New York City erupted when the Knicks snapped a 53-year drought to do so. The Nets, however, still appear a ways away from legitimate contention, even with the trade that brought Julius Randle over from the Timberwolves.

No. 6 overall pick, point guard Mikel Brown Jr., flashed in Summer League play and could be the creator and shot-making combo point guard the Nets have been seeking for some time. Keon Ellis was a decent addition, but the Nets clearly still need a star to threaten in the East. That, or they need their crop of young guards – Brooklyn has five who are 20 years old – to develop.

■ Grade: C+

New York Knicks

It’s tough to be too harsh when they just snapped a 53-year title drought, but New York’s avoidance of the second apron did force the front office to make some tough choices. Namely, the Knicks did not make a push to retain backup center Mitchell Robinson. Though New York replaced him with Andre Drummond, Robinson going to the rival Celtics will sting.

Re-signing Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Mohamed Diawara retains this core in place and puts the Knicks in a legitimate spot to repeat.

■ Grade: B

Philadelphia 76ers

No team was more aggressive in reshaping its good (though not great) roster than the 76ers. It became clear after the Knicks unceremoniously swept Philadelphia in the conference semifinals that changes were needed. Bob Myers and Mike Gansey turned Paul George’s cumbersome contract into Jaylen Brown, and luring LeBron James suddenly gives the Sixers a potent Starting Five.

It was also smaller, low-cost moves like adding Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that help round out the roster. Even first-round rookie Labaron Philon Jr. presented significant value at No. 22. Philadelphia should be considered one of the short favorites to win the East. Now this veteran roster just needs to stay healthy.

■ Grade: A

Toronto Raptors

This assessment is wholly incomplete with the conclusion of the Kawhi Leonard investigation hanging in the balance. If Leonard does end up with the Raptors and if he avoids significant discipline, then the trade is a stellar, win-now move. If Toronto is forced to eat any suspension or – even worse – if Leonard’s contract is somehow voided, then Toronto will have waited around for nothing, and its offseason will have been wasted.

■ Grade: B+ (assuming Leonard trade is executed)

Central Division

Chicago Bulls

No incoming rookie shined brighter than No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, who starred in Summer League with both his perimeter shooting and dominant play down low. Wilson will need some time, but he looks like he could blossom into a legitimate star. He’s also built, with length and fluid athleticism, for the modern NBA.

Elsewhere, low-cost addition of center Nic Claxton Jr. shores up the center spot, and veteran two-guard Norman Powell rounds up the roster quite nicely. The Bulls may not be ready to compete in the East, but they have clear momentum for the future, especially with the solid coaching hire of Tiago Splitter.

■ Grade: A-

Cleveland Cavaliers

It should be no surprise that the Cavs are mostly running it back; the team’s front office more or less hinted at that. Losing out on LeBron James does sting, and forward Mario Hezonja should be considered more of a flyer than anything. James Harden remains unsigned, but that seems mostly because he’s trying to give Cleveland some flexibility in case it should be in position to land another starter.

Could either Jonathan Kuminga or Peyton Watson be available in sign-and-trades? That would certainly boost Cleveland’s grade.

■ Grade: C-

Detroit Pistons

The Jalen Duren contract situation is still lingering over the Pistons – and it may for a while longer. Duren is a restricted free agent, and recent precedent has shown that it’s in the best interest of teams to wait, as the market dries up, further driving a player’s price down.

John Collins was a solid addition, and Detroit needed it after it traded away backup center Isaiah Stewart. Isaiah Joe brings much-needed perimeter shooting. Still, the Pistons need to figure out the future of Duren – and determine what a fair price for him is, after he disappeared in the postseason. Either way, Detroit could probably still use another secondary shot creator.

■ Grade: B-

Indiana Pacers

As they have been since star point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the 2025 NBA Finals, the Pacers have been in something of a holding pattern. Indiana, like most teams, clearly does not want to creep over apron thresholds, so the offseason was mostly quiet.

The big losses were during the draft lottery, when the No. 5 selection was conveyed to the Clippers in the Ivica Zubac trade. Signings Larry Nance Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. are role players, so this is all about Haliburton returning to full health and Zubac being a force down low.

■ Grade: C

Milwaukee Bucks

Any time you lose the greatest player in franchise history, it’s going to be a difficult offseason. It became painfully obvious, however that the Bucks were eventually going to lose Giannis Antetokounmpo. That said, Milwaukee was able to recoup some decent young assets from the Heat. Whether the Bucks extend Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. remains to be seen, but Kel’el Ware has potential and No. 10 overall draft pick Brayden Burries flashed in Summer League, so he could be a nice piece for the future.

■ Grade: B-

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

One of the surprise teams last season, the Hawks focused on adding depth at key positions – and depth with a championship pedigree. The Hawks retain their starting five, but added Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder.

No. 8 overall selection Kingston Flemings gives the Hawks yet another complementary guard, one who can slash to the rim with explosion. Depth was an issue in the postseason, as the bench often underwhelmed. That should no longer be the case.

■ Grade: B+

Charlotte Hornets

These moves were all about resetting culture and establishing a more efficient style of play. Trading away LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are significant departures, but Ball was a high-volume, shoot-first point guard and Bridges’ off-court issues hung over the franchise for some time.

Naz Reid is a solid piece, and the doubling down on Coby White reaffirms Charlotte’s emphasis on perimeter shooting. The Hornets were a surprise in 2025-26. Now it’s up to Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Reid to carry that culture forward.

■ Grade: B

Miami Heat

Losing out on LeBron James certainly stings, but the Heat finally landed the star they had been chasing. And Giannis Antetokounmpo was unquestionably the premier player available this offseason. He’s dynamic in transition and, alongside captain Bam Adebayo, Miami suddenly boasts a dominant defensive frontcourt.

The Heat may still be active in the buyout market if Klay Thompson becomes available, and Bradley Beal is another low-cost option, as shooting continues to be a priority. Second round rookie Ryan Conwell flashed in Summer League and he could find some minutes. Either way, Miami was never competing with its previous roster build. Now with Antetokounmpo, the Heat should be far more interesting in the East.

■ Grade: A-

Orlando Magic

The best move here was probably the coaching change. Former Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney takes over a team whose defensive identity helped lock down opponents. But the lack of consistent perimeter shooting was unsustainable. Despite that, the Magic are essentially running it back.

And while Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are still young and can develop further, adding Nikola Vučević won’t nearly be enough to solve the offense. Sweeney should bring new ideas, but most of the East got significantly better while Orlando still faces big questions.

■ Grade: C-

Washington Wizards

Landing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was the big move in an otherwise uninspiring offseason. AJ Dybantsa does indeed look like he could become a consistent scorer and franchise player, but the $212 million contract Washington gave to Trae Young is a risk. The team also has to determine whether it will pay Anthony Davis.

Either way, the additions of Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton (who is returning after a brief stint with the Mavericks) won’t elevate the franchise all that much. Now it’s about the availabilities of Young and Davis and the continued development of Dybantsa, Alexandre Sarr, Kyshawn George and the other young Wizards.

■ Grade: C+

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets looked old and slow in their first round loss against the Timberwolves, and tight cap constraints have limited Denver’s ability to improve. The Nuggets did re-sign forward Spencer Jones, who emerged late last season, but it put the Nuggets over the second apron after the Thunder shrewdly signed him to an offer sheet.

Now, Denver faces a tough reality: it may have to trade away a key veteran – someone like Aaron Gordon, perhaps – if it wants to re-sign Peyton Watson, a promising, two-way forward who is only 23. Watson is a restricted free agent, but teams know the dire salary cap situation facing Denver. So if the Nuggets are forced to deal Watson in a sign-and-trade, they’re operating from a position of low leverage. This is the problem when stuck in the second apron.

■ Grade: D+

Minnesota Timberwolves

This was all about providing another ball-handling and shot-creating outlet for Anthony Edwards. The biggest hurdle facing Minnesota has been how teams in the playoffs forced Edwards to be stellar. Put another way: his supporting cast failed to deliver consistent scoring.

Now with Donte DiVincenzo set to miss most (if not all of the 2026-27 season), the Timberwolves are wagering that LaMelo Ball can be that outlet to relieve pressure off of Edwards. Naz Reid is a more significant loss than Julius Randle, who was dealt mostly to clear cap space, but the re-signing of Ayo Dosunmu and emergence of Jayden McDaniels hint to bigger roles.

■ Grade: B

Oklahoma City Thunder

It’s tough to doubt Sam Presti, but the Thunder had to make a few tough decisions. They did retain center Isaiah Hartenstein, a key part of their identity. Oklahoma City also aced the draft by adding 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara at No. 12 and the much-needed shooting of Bennett Stirtz at No. 16 – both of which shore up weaknesses (and also are direct moves to compete against the Spurs).

But the Thunder had to clear cap space by unloading Luguentz Dort (to the Hawks), Aaron Wiggins (Hawks) and Isaiah Joe (Pistons). They are significant losses. But no team has been better at developing its homegrown talent than the Thunder, who still have promising, young players from previous draft classes.

Presti even made a sly move that forced the Nuggets into the second apron when the Thunder extended an offer sheet with Denver forward Spencer Jones. The Nuggets matched it and now face massive limitations and tax penalties.

■ Grade: B+

Portland Trail Blazers

They were the only team to fail to make a single pick in a draft loaded with talent, so the big move was the trade for two-time All-Star Ja Morant. Pairing him next to Damian Lillard masks some of Morant’s shooting inadequacies. Morant is still 26 years old and comes relatively cheap, so if he can be reliably available, this could be a sneaky good move. There’s just a lot of uncertainty.

Micah Nori is well respected as a coach, but his one-year contract is unconventional. Possible relocation is looming over the franchise, but Portland has a glut of guards between Lillard, Morant, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, which may suggest more moves to come.

■ Grade: C+

Utah Jazz

Considering they were unlikely to pay Walker Kessler, Danny Ainge and the Jazz did recoup some serious draft capital in the sign-and-trade that shipped him to the Lakers. Jaxon Hayes is a low-cost option, but Utah didn’t really need to do too much to the roster, after its midseason trade for Jaren Jackson Jr.

Landing Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 overall pick suddenly gives the Jazz a very interesting roster, one that could potentially surprise next season. Utah was always rebuilding for the future. The time to compete has now arrived.

■ Grade: A-

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors

Regrettably, there’s nothing worse in the NBA than a team without a clear direction. The Warriors are caught in the middle of rebuilding for the future but retaining a bunch of aging veterans, none bigger than Stephen Curry. And now that Golden State lost out on the Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James sweepstakes, this franchise is deep in purgatory.

The Warriors are the only team in the league to fail to add a player either in a trade or free agency. No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who was named Summer League MVP, is a solid, plug-and-play rookie and he somewhat saves the offseason. Either way, Curry deserves far better.

■ Grade: F

Los Angeles Clippers

The mandate was clear for the Clippers: after entering last season as the oldest team in NBA history, they needed to get younger. Los Angeles has done that, but the lingering uncertainty of the Kawhi Leonard trade to the Raptors is hanging over the franchise. The problem with this, too, is that if the trade falls through for whatever reason, it’s so late in the offseason that the Clippers will have to scramble to save face.

The main addition from that trade, Brandon Ingram, will get the chance to lead, but No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler is a balanced play maker at guard and could blossom into a star.

■ Grade: C+ (assuming Leonard trade is executed)

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers, frankly, are a tricky team to project simply because there are so many new pieces to factor in. This is a completely different roster, though it is one that is now built around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton are solid, role playing additions, but for this offseason to be considered a success, the Lakers will need center Walker Kessler to justify the first-round draft picks and $130 million contract the team gave him in the sign-and-trade.

Center was a position of need, and Dončić tends to do well with a rim-running big. But is Los Angeles any closer to legitimately competing for a championship? That’s unclear, and it will likely take a decent chunk of season for all the new players to assimilate, anyway.

■ Grade: C

Phoenix Suns

The big move was the one that shipped Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale for Miles Bridges, who should immediately enter the starting lineup and provide some scoring and rebounding at the power forward slot. During his introductory press conference, Bridges took accountability for his off-court past, so he’ll have to follow through.

It was an otherwise quiet offseason for Phoenix, which took Koa Peat at No. 30 in the draft. Peat might need more time to develop, but the key for the Suns will be if they can get more out of center Mark Williams, who was fine, if unspectacular, last season.

■ Grade: C

Sacramento Kings

The Kings tied for the worst record in the Western Conference and still have not addressed some of their bloated contracts. They did waive DeMar DeRozan, but have yet to figure out whether they can move or buy out Zach LaVine. It’s also unclear, after he was a name frequently thrown around in recent trade cycles, whether Domantas Sabonis figures to be a long-term fixture on this team.

The saving grace here is rookie No. 7 overall selection Darius Acuff Jr., who is a promising player at a position of need, albeit one with defensive weaknesses. Sacramento feels like a team without a clear direction. The Kings need to figure that out quickly.

■ Grade: D

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks

It may take some years, but the Mavericks are retooling. Hiring Dusty May away from Michigan is an interesting choice; May doesn’t have any experience coaching in the pros, though he should be able to bring out improvements in Cooper Flagg’s game.

With the addition of Santi Aldama, the Mavericks now have superb height. Dallas will try to revive the career of 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and No. 9 overall pick Morez Johnson Jr. may have been a reach, though he did play for May during the Wolverines’ NCAA title run. Kyrie Irving should return, so he’ll provide much needed-play making, easing pressure off of Flagg. This entire offseason was all about building around the 19 year old NBA Rookie of the Year.

■ Grade: B

Houston Rockets

It appears the Rockets believed that a healthy Fred VanVleet would’ve solved their offensive issues. Kevin Durant was tasked with far too much shot creation, and the team could never find a capable replacement to initiate offense. VanVleet, 32, should return from his torn ACL, but Houston didn’t do enough to shore up the point guard position.

The Rockets may be banking on Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson to refine their play-making skills, but there was also some awkward tension in the locker room. If left unresolved, it could implode Houston’s chances.

■ Grade: C-

Memphis Grizzlies

With a couple of key moves, the Grizzlies looked to change the guard. Memphis finally found a trade partner for Ja Morant, and No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer is a polished, plug-and-play forward who embodies a winning culture. Alongside Zach Edey, Boozer won’t face as much pressure to be a rim protector.

Memphis otherwise aced the draft with Karim Lopez at No. 21 and Richie Saunders at No. 32, and the move to get backup center Isaiah Stewart further bolstered the frontcourt. The Grizzlies are young, but are clearly emphasizing efficiency. It’s a nice change for a franchise that needed a reset.

■ Grade: B+

New Orleans Pelicans

This was a 26-win team that won just one of its last 10 games in the season. And yet, the Pelicans barely made any moves. Granted, New Orleans did suffer some key injuries, so the full return of Dejounte Murray could stabilize the team’s performance. But the Pelicans didn’t have a first-round pick after their 2025 trade for Derik Queen, and the lone signing was for reserve guard Kobe Bufkin.

Plenty of teams are interested in forward Trey Murphy III, and New Orleans is insisting on getting what it deems fair value. That’s commendable, but it’s also a risk, if Murphy’s value does decline. Either way, while the Pelicans do have some nice young pieces, questions about roster construction and availability won’t go away.

■ Grade: D

San Antonio Spurs

When San Antonio was at its best last season, it was knocking down perimeter shots and using Victor Wembanyama and its speedy guards to attack the paint. When the Spurs were at their worst, they fell in love with the 3.

Adding Tobias Harris gives the Spurs another capable shooter so he will certainly help. The key for San Antonio, though, is encouraging the continued development of its very young stars.

■ Grade: B-

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who won the NBA offseason? Grading all 30 teams for signings, deals and draft