According to PuckPedia.com, the deal is worth $1.35 million per season.
The Leafs plucked Stecher off the waiver wire from the Edmonton Oilers on November 15, as they looked for a right-shot defenseman in the wake of some injuries. One of those was injuries was to Brandon Carlo.
Stecher logged 16:44 of 5-on-5 ice time in 58 games with the Leafs, where he scored three goals and added 11 assists. Despite the Leafs missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, the veteran defenseman enjoyed his time in Toronto and was not shy about expressing his desire to stay beyond the season.
Ironically enough, it was the departure of Carlo's services that opened the door for Stecher again. The Leafs moved Carlo to the St. Louis Blues over the weekend for a pair of third-round picks at the 2026 NHL Draft.
Stecther's deal is one-way, but is just $125,000 above the NHL's burial amount from a salary-cap calculation perspective. Meaning, if he doesn't start on the main roster, the cap charge is negligible.
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SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 06, 2025: Cam Cauley #24 of the Texas Rangers in the field during the ninth inning of a spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Surprise Stadium on March 06, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Texas Rangers are calling up Cam Cauley from AAA Round Rock, per multiple reports. Or, I guess I should say, have already called him up, as the beats say that he is on the field with the team right now. He is not on the 40 man roster currently. There’s an open 40 man roster spot right now, though with the Rangers also signing Chris Paddack, per reports, there will need to be a second 40 man roster spot opened up once that signing happens.
Cauley, 23, was the Rangers’ 3rd round pick out of Mont Belvieu, Texas, in 2021. He was not really getting much attention until last season, when he slashed .253/.325/.448 in 490 plate appearances for Frisco while playing the up-the-middle positions (other than catcher). His performance had him discussed as a possible candidate to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft, and then a possible candidate to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft when he was not added to the 40 man roster. He ultimately was not picked, and thus stayed with the Rangers.
Cauley had an impressive spring training, and has been at Round Rock all year. He’s slashed .262/.363/.407 in 343 plate appearances over 74 games for the Express while splitting his time between second base, third base, shortstop, and center field. He is presumably coming up to give the Rangers a versatile right handed bench bat who can fill in at numerous positions and get some starts against lefties. He’s also a late game pinch running option, having gone 29 for 29 on the basepaths this season, and 168 for 190 on stolen base attempts as a professional.
I think Cauley is going to be filling the role the team anticipated Cody Freeman might fill this year, as a high-energy versatile young guy off the bench, at least for the time being.
In regards to who goes to make room for Cauley, the possibilities would seem to be either Jarred Kelenic being designated for assignment or Brandon Nimmo going on the injured list. Kelenic has gotten limited playing time this year, and doesn’t really have a path to much playing time, though his pinch running appearance yesterday which ended in his scoring from second on a wild pitch was quite memorable. Nimmo, meanwhile, crashed into the wall in right field when making a catch on what was the final play of the game, and was shaken up a little bit. He was being reevaluated today.
UPDATE — Per the DMN, Jarred Kelenic is expected to be designated for assignment to make room for Cauley.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ first visit to West Sacramento puts forward the battle between one of the greatest left-handed sluggers in baseball and Shohei Ohtani. Obviously, we’re kidding, but the numbers that Nick Kurtz is currently putting up are no joke, nearly single-handedly carrying the Athletics’ offense into a fight for the AL West, whose current leader has a.500 record, easily the worst among all first-place teams. Kurtz’s efforts with the A’s are even more important with Brent Rooker currently sidelined on the IL, not that he’s been particularly productive when on the field this season.
The American League’s leader in both runs scored (59) and runs batted in (56)—the type of achievement usually reserved for the likes of Ohtani and Aaron Judge—Kurtz is not fazed by facing a left-handed starter such as he’ll tonight in Eric Lauer. Although the production for the A’s star first baseman naturally takes a hit against lefties, he has hit six of his 19 home runs against them, good enough for an .836 OPS. Ohtani has a similar OPS against left-handed pitchers, coming in at .826, and will also face one tonight in Gage Jump, who has been magnificent since joining the A’s rotation a little over a month ago.
It is quite reasonable that the Dodgers will find an A’s team with lowered morale, given their recent inability to take advantage of a soft schedule and really cement their case to at least fight for the AL West crown. Across their last 10 games, the A’s played strictly against last-place teams and only achieved a 4-6 record against the Angels and Giants, failing to win any of the three series they were involved in. Meanwhile, the Dodgers defend their undefeated record in Lauer’s outings, having won each of the five games this veteran lefty has pitched in.
Maccelli is coming off a three-year contract that was signed in July 2023 with the Arizona Coyotes. He earned $3.425 million against the salary cap on that deal, and if the Maple Leafs wanted to qualify him, it would cost $4.11 million.
This past season was Maccelli's first in Toronto. He was acquired from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick. He scored 14 goals and 39 points for the Leafs with 14:34 of average ice time. He recorded 10 goals and 30 points in the final 50 games of the campaign.
Maccelli's best season in the NHL came in 2023-24 in the Coyotes' final year of existence. Featuring in all 82 games, Maccelli scored 17 goals and 57 points for Arizona, while averaging 16:14 of ice time. He hasn't come close to those numbers since.
Plenty of other RFAs around the NHL could also not be given a qualifying offer ahead of Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline. But at the time of the report that Maccelli won't be receiving a qualifying offer, he becomes the youngest free agent available on the market at 25 years old.
For the Maple Leafs' roster, this clears up some more room in terms of the team's depth on the wing. With Robertson coming back, as well as youngsters Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna expected to have roles in the NHL next year, on top of Matthew Knies, William Nylander and others, there wasn't much room.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 20: Geraldo Perdomo #2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pavin Smith #26, Nolan Arenado #28 and Ketel Marte #4 talk during a pitching change during the fifth inning of the MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Chase Field on June 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona is just 10-15 here in June and have lost 6 of 8. But they’re 6-0 against the Giants this season with a +22 run differential. It hasn’t been a fair matchup, but if the Giants really are on a minor upswing (12-12 in June), then this should be a competitive series.
The Diamondbacks were 31-24 after sweeping the Giants in Arizona just about a month ago, and were 10th in runs scored and 16th in team ERA (far lower in both categories if you go to the analytics). Corbin Carroll (158 wRC+), Nolan Arenado (123), Ildemaro Vargas (122), and Ketel Marte (120) led the charge with the bats while they got by on the pitching side thanks to Michael Soroka (1.6 fWAR, 2.87 FIP) and Eduardo Rodriguez (1.1 fWAR, 3.73 FIP). But that sweep is when the seasons started to reverse for both teams.
Arizona is 10-18 since the sweep while the Giants are 13-14. While Michael Soroka’s great Comeback Player of the Year-type season was continuing apace (4 starts, 2.57 ERA/3.10 FIP, +0.5 fWAR) until 10 days ago when he found himself on the IL. Eduardo Rodriguez has sort of soft-landed from being above average to average with a 2.20 ERA over his last 5 starts (28.2 IP) betrayed by a 4.81 FIP (5.33 xERA). Meanwhile, Ryne Nelson, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen are a combined -1.5 fWAR over this stretch with a combined 7.08 ERA in 89 innings (16 starts combined). Simply put: three of the worst starters in the sport, making Arizona’s rotation one of the worst since they last swept the Giants.
But it’s not just the pitching that has lost its rattle. The Diamondbacks’ lineup has scored the second-fewest runs in MLB over the past 30 days (95), trailing only the Guards (91). Their offensive leaders through May 27th have all declined: Corbin Carroll (117 wRC+) and Ketel Marte (106) are still above average, but certainly not hitting at elite levels. Nolan Arenado (36) and Ildemaro Vargas (1 wRC+) have fallen off a cliff.
The Giants were looking like a lineup that had finally gotten on a roll, but for all their big wins, their 133 runs scored since May 28th is just 15th in MLB. Analytically, they’ve still been the best offense (126 wRC+ — 1st) and compared to Arizona’s putrid performance (80 wRC+), an absolute juggernaut. The only Giants (min 5 PA) who haven’t been better than league average over the last 30 days: Willy Adames (93 wRC+), Daniel Susac (47), Drew Cavanaugh (42), Eric Haase (28), and Buddy Kennedy (-53 and who was traded to the Mariners).
So, the Giants have this series locked up, right?
Well, you know, as dominant as Logan Webb and Robbie Ray have been, the rest of the Giants are still really easy to hit. Over the past 30 days, they’re 13-14 with a 4.51 team ERA. That’s 21st in MLB. Their +1.7 fWAR is 20th. Remarkably, the Giants have been one of the worst groundball teams in the sport, with a 40.2% groundball rate (19th). Now, on the season ,they’re holding firm at 44.4% (5th in MLB), and that’s where they want to be. It’s just interesting to note that they haven’t been getting as many groundballs this past month. To show you just how much of a groundball franchise they’ve been: the groundball/flyball data started being recorded in 2002, but since that time, the Giants have had a pitching staff with a groundball rate below 42% just twice: 2020 (38.8%) and 2008 (39.2%). So, hopefully, this is just a blip created by Logan Webb being on the IL.
Who: San Francisco Giants (35-48) at Arizona Diamondbacks (41-42) Where: Chase Field | Phoenix, Arizona When: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 6:40pm PT National broadcasts: None
Geraldo Perdomo: Last year’s breakout (7.1 fWAR) had a .672 OPS through the last sweep of the Giants, but since then, he’s hit .286/.397/.408 (.805 OPS) in 28 games. He and his teammates spent the weekend being swept by the Rays, but he had a great series, going 6-for-11 with a double and a homer. He’s been sluggish at home, though (.659 OPS) and he’s just 5-for-22 against the Giants in 2026.
Paul Sewald & Kevin Ginkel: Arizona’s bullpen has been bad here in June (5.00 ERA in 81 IP, +0.1 fWAR), though not nearly as bad as the Giants’ has been (5.95 ERA in 78.2 IP, -0.4 fWAR). And that’s because their closer and primary setup dude have performed as well as any pitcher in either role possibly could. Ginkel is 2-0 with a pair of holds this month, but his 2.16 ERA is exposed by a 5.98 FIP. Still, he’s managed to perform in leverage spots, with a +0.34 Win Probability Added. Sewald picked up two saves in that sweep of the Giants but he was a little rickety: a 3.72 ERA / 3.93 FIP; but, in June, he’s 1-0 with 4 saves and, despite a 4.70 ERA, a solid 3.23 FIP and +0.35 WPA. These guys are get-to-able if the Giants’ hitters are on their game, but right now they’re both pitching very well.
LuJames Groover: He was drafted in 2023 and is known for his plate discipline (.392 OBP in the minors), but look, all I care about is that his name is LuJames Groover, because that’s a cool name, but it also makes me think of MacGruber.
Giants
Bryce Eldridge: A potentially great hitter against a bad pitching staff? Yes, please.
Heliot Ramos: A middle of the order slugger combing back from injury against a bad pitching staff? Thank you!
Landen Roupp: He’s 0-6 with a 5.12 ERA (3.08 FIP) in his last 10 starts (51 IP). The Giants are 0-10 in those starts.
Prediction time
Since I haven’t mentioned them yet, I will predict that Pavin Smith and Tommy Troy will annoy the Giants at least once in this three game series.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 18: David Fry #6 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. #15 in the first inning during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We are nearing an inflection point for the Guardians and David Fry.
Since June 1st, 2024, David Fry has an 81 wRC+ with a .266 xwOBA in 544 plate appearances. He has a 28.7/8.8 K/BB% and a .158 ISO. He has also not been particularly better against LHP with an 84 wRC+ againast southpaws during that time period. Primarily, he swings and misses WAY too often in the zone with a 77% contact rate in zone (he had been running zone-contact north of 85% during his breakout in 2024). His hard-hit rate is only in the 35% range during that time. He simply looks like a solidly below average hitter who can be put in a corner outfield spot, at first base, or as an emergency catcher or third baseman, but not offer any plus defensive value in any of those spots.
In a day of frustration the other day, I wrote that the Guardians should give Kody Huff a chance over Gabriel Arias at third base in Jose’s absence. I don’t think I was correct on this idea. Huff may or may not be able to play third base at an acceptable level, but it’s probably not worth losing Arias’s steady defensive value there while Jose is out. But, it’s in Fry’s case where I think we can see Huff coming into play. With the ability to play third if needed, first whenever wanted, and catcher any time, Huff could bring his .947 OPS against LHP in the minors to bear on major league games and give the Guardians a shot at improving on what Fry has done.
The biggest issue with moving on from Fry, of course, is that the outfield is, now, entirely left-handed. The Guardians will hate that. But, again, Fry is not doing anything against lefties. Going with Ingle, Kwan, Watson, DeLauter and Schneemann out there for a while is doable, then Angel Martinez should return in August and the team can be opportunistic in looking for a right-handed outfield bat.
The Rangers will be throwing some left-handed arms at Cleveland this weekend. It feels like a make or break moment for David Fry to do something as he is 2-35 over his last month of games. He needs to find a way to crush pitches in the zone and show there’s reason to keep him as a short-side of the platoon outfielder. He seems like a great guy and we know he has plenty of raw power… I’m rooting hard for him to turn it around.
Mar 21, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) waits for a face-off against the New York Islanders during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Vancouver Canucks added veteran depth by acquiring Brendan Gallagher in a trade with Montreal on Monday, with NHL teams busy revamping their rosters two days before the free-agency period opens.
As part of the deal, Montreal acquired future considerations and agreed to retain 50% of the $6.5 million the 34-year-old is scheduled to make in the final season of his contract.
Gallagher is a respected leader and valuable role player in spending 14 seasons in Montreal. He topped 20 goals five times, including a career-best 33 in 2018-19.
His playing time, however, began diminishing, with Gallagher appearing in just three playoff games in Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference final before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina.
“We love the way he completes and leads by example,” Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson said of Gallagher, who is from Edmonton and played junior hockey in Vancouver. “Bringing in veterans like Brendan will help us set the standard for our younger guys to follow.”
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes, meantime, thanked Gallagher for his contributions in Montreal.
“Brendan will always hold a special place in the hearts of Canadiens fans. He represented the team with such tremendous determination, passion and inspiring courage,” Hughes said. “He is the very definition of a warrior, always putting the team’s success ahead of his own individual accolades.”
Canucks deal Hoglander to Nashville
It was the second trade of the day for the rebuilding Canucks after finishing last in the standings. Vancouver acquired a 2029 third-round pick in a deal that sent winger Nils Hoglander to Nashville.
The Predators continued revamping under new general manager Chris MacFarland. Hoglander has six years of NHL experience and missed a majority of last season after having ankle surgery, and finished with two goals and three assists in 38 games.
“He is a 25-year-old experienced winger who is known for his relentless, high-energy style of play, bringing a consistent motor to the lineup night after night,” MacFarland said. “We believe the player can come in and have a key role.”
Sabres re-sign Malenstyn to 6-year deal
The Buffalo Sabres re-signed checking-line forward Beck Malenstyn to a six-year, $17.5 million contract, retaining the player two days before he was eligible to hit the free agent market.
The average salary of $2.9 million more than doubles the $1.35 million Malenstyn made in each of his first two seasons in Buffalo. And it represents the value the 28-year-old brought to the team in a secondary role.
Last season, Malenstyn set a Sabres’ single-season record with 282 hits and finished second on the team with 75 blocked shots. He scored a career-high seven goals as part of a 14-point season.
The sixth-year NHL player spent his first four seasons in Washington and was acquired by Buffalo in a trade that sent a second-round pick to the Capitals at the 2024 draft.
Sharks re-sign Kesselring to 3-year deal
The San Jose Sharks signed newly acquired defenseman Michael Kesselring to a three-year, $13.5 million contract.
The 26-year-old was a pending restricted free agent, and was acquired by San Jose in a trade with Buffalo two weeks ago.
As part of the deal, the teams swapped first-round draft picks with the Sabres moving up seven spots in the order to No. 20 on Friday night.
The 6-foot-5 defenseman completed his fourth NHL season, and first in Buffalo. After topping 20 points with Arizona and Utah in each of his previous two seasons, Kesselring was limited by a nagging lower body injury and finished with two assists in 34 games last season.
In other moves
— Utah acquired forward Joshua Roy in a trade that sent defenseman Maksymilian Szuber to Montreal, in an exchange of minor leaguers.
— Colorado re-signed forward Taylor Makar to a two-year deal. He made his NHL debut by appearing in 12 games last season, and the 25-year-old is the younger brother of Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Jasson Dominguez #24 of the New York Yankees hits a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s official: the Yankees offense is in a slump. They have hit a new low this season, getting swept in four putrid games at Fenway by the last place Red Sox. The bats got no-hit through five innings in each of the final three games, not managing a hit until the eighth in the finale. As such, we have to go back to the last time they won a game to find a worthy candidate for At-Bat of the Week. It was certainly a deserving nominee, as Jasson Domínguez hit a home run from the right side off none other than Tarik Skubal.
We join Domínguez with two outs in the sixth inning last Wednesday at Comerica Park. The score is tied, 2-2, a pair of Paul Goldschmidt home runs in the first and third negated by the Tigers scoring in the second and fourth. Skubal has struck out the first two batters in the frame, but a Ben Rice single keeps the inning alive.
Skubal has already struck Domínguez out twice in his previous two ABs, both times throwing one high fastball and three changeups low and away. As such, you have to imagine that Domínguez is hunting the changeup in this encounter. He doesn’t get it from Skubal first pitch, who starts this AB with a 97 mph four-seamer up and in.
This is probably the best pitch Jasson has gotten to hit to this point, and it almost seems like it surprises him, the bat never leaving his shoulder on a very hittable pitch.
When Skubal is at his best, he establishes that fastball up and in to righties, which makes the low and away changeup all the more deadly.
This is such an unfair sequence from Skubal for the first two pitches of an AB. Look at the way he tunnels the changeup off the first-pitch four-seamer that landed for a called strike. Out of the hand, the change looks exactly like the pitch Domínguez just took, so it is no surprise to see him fooled into chasing and whiffing early over the top of the off-speed.
Just like that, Jasson finds him self in the hole, 0-2, facing one of the best strikeout artists of his generation. Now that Skubal has gotten Jasson to swing over the top of a changeup down and away, setting the hitter’s eye level down, he has the situation perfectly set up for a fastball above the zone.
Jasson fires an impressive swing to foul this pitch away. It’s excellent execution from Skubal, the 98 mph four-seamer close enough to the zone that the hitter has to swing but elevated in a spot that makes it really hard for Jasson to put it in play.
Now that Skubal has seen a willingness from Jasson to expand against the elevated heater, the obvious pitch here is another fastball just a little higher than the previous one.
It’s classic climbing the ladder from Skubal, this four-seamer in the same spot laterally over the plate but elevated a few inches higher than the one that preceded it. Therefore, it is a good take from Jasson, who we can see initially starts his swing before recognizing that this pitch is too high.
Skubal likely senses that Domínguez can still be tempted into chasing a high fastball with a little better execution, because he throws his third straight four-seamer up and away.
This one catches a lot more of the plate than the last two. Domínguez has clearly adapted a two-strike approach by this point, letting the ball travel before fighting it off with a late but still well-balanced swing.
Now that Skubal has shown Domínguez three straight four-seamers up and away, he looks to steal a strikeout looking by attempting to front-door a sinker. To the hitter, it should look like four-seamer in off the plate. Many might give up early on that pitch, only for the sinker’s 10 inches more arm-side movement to carry it back to the corner.
Skubal can’t quite execute to his spot, sailing this sinker a bit high. This pitch starts as a ball out of Skubal’s hand and doesn’t drop enough on its path toward home, making for a pretty straightforward take from Domínguez.
Four straight heaters should have sufficiently sped up Domínguez’s bat to make the changeup a killer option.
Had Skubal executed to the corner, I think this AB would have ended here. However, this pitch catches a fat chunk of the zone, so despite being early with his swing, Domínguez is able to foul it off to stay alive. Jasson likely wishes he could have this pitch back – the first real mistake he has seen – but that is the effect of all the prior fastballs to speed up his bat.
Hanging that changeup scares Skubal off the pitch temporarily, and he goes back to the strategy of trying to throw the elevated heater by Domínguez.
Skubal doesn’t quite finish this pitch and it stays up and away for ball three. Good eye from Domínguez to halt his swing.
Jasson has done an admirable job grinding back from 0-2 to a full count. Four of the last five fastballs he has seen have been high and out of the zone, so he’s getting a good sense of where Skubal’s misses are. What’s more, I had the sense watching this entire AB unfold that Jasson never moved away from sitting on a changeup in a hittable zone just from the way he was fouling off those high fastballs. He knows that pitch is probably his best shot at doing damage as he’s just not catching up to the heater.
Domínguez’s patience is rewarded, Skubal throwing his second mistake changeup of the encounter. Unlike the one he fouled off two pitches ago, Jasson doesn’t miss this time. He wins the nine-pitch battle, barreling the pitch over the wall in left for the go-ahead two-run home run, an impressive place to go yard as a righty in Comerica Park.
Here’s the full AB:
This encounter was the epitome of a “good AB” as Aaron Boone is wont to say. Domínguez quickly fell behind 0-2 but didn’t panic, making sure to foul off close pitches to stay alive. He didn’t expand the zone when Skubal tried to get him to chase, eventually battling back to work the count full. And finally, when his hard work was paid off by a mistake in the zone, he did not miss it and punished it to the fullest, which is the only way you are going to beat a starter of Skubal’s quality.
Domínguez’s improvement batting from the right hand side is a serious developmental win for the 23-year-old. Last year, Domínguez batted .204 with a 32.7-percent strikeout rate and 63 wRC+ from the right side vs. a .274 average, 24.9-percent strikeout rate, and 116 wRC+ batting lefty. This year, those splits have flipped, with Domínguez now batting .270 with a 23.1-percent strikeout rate and 105 wRC+ from the right side vs. just a .182 average, 21.3-percent strikeout rate, and 69 wRC+ batting lefty. He has now experienced success from both sides of the plate in separate years, the question now is whether he can combine those on a consistent basis.
The Florida Panthers are bringing a familiar, beard-covered face back to the franchise.
On Monday, the Panthers acquired the rights to unrestricted free agent Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the rights to A.J. Greer, also a UFA.
We have acquired the rights to Radko Gudas from Anaheim in exchange for the rights to A.J. Greer.
Both players will become free agents on July 1, but the trade allows the Panthers and Ducks to negotiate extensions with their new players for the next two days.
Gudas, 36, previously played for the Panthers from 2020-2023 before signing a three-year deal with the Ducks, who also named the veteran blueliner their captain.
Now he and his family will return to South Florida, a place they were very happy during his time with the Panthers.
It’s believed that Gudas and Florida will come to an agreement on a deal that is lower than the $4 million average annual value he earned while in Anaheim.
We’ll see how things play out between now and Wednesday.
Photo caption: Jun 2, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas (7) takes questions during media day in advance of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 06: Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field on June 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a rough series in Tampa, Arizona comes home to hopefully get right again against the flailing Giants.
To say that Arizona had a rough go of things while in Tampa is putting things mildly. After a dreadful road trip, Arizona limps home with a record one game below .500 . They remain third in the NL West, but that doesn’t tell the story of their postseason aspirations, as even the Padres (the second place team) are now 10.5 games out of first as the Dodgers are finally putting the daylight between themselves and the division in the manner that most expected them to. No, their path to October baseball runs through the Wild Card, and they remain three games back in that race, trying to charge down the St. Louis Cardinals while also dealing with the four teams between them and the Red Birds from Missouri.
This series is going to force Mike Hazen and his advisors to make some difficult decisions. Continuing to kick the can down the road is not really much of an option anymore. The fallout from those upcoming decisions could go a very long way towards dictating Mike Hazen’s trade deadline strategy. If Arizona wants to have any realistic hope of achieving playoff baseball this year, they need to leave this series at or above .500. They also need to get there without losing any more players to injury.
Game 1
Tyler Mahle, RHP, 1-7, 5.49 ERA, 61 SO vs. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, 6-2, 2.27 ERA, 70 SO
Eduardo Rodriguez has been every bit the pitcher they thought they were signing back in 2024. Quite frankly, he has been Arizona’s best starting pitcher this season. Without his return to form, Arizona would likely already been sharing basement space with the Colorado Rockies in the standings. On the other side of things, Mahle is having himself a season to forget. Mahle’s win-loss record is not as indicative of his 12 starts as one might hope. In fact, it makes him look better than he has been. Sporting an ERA+ of 72, Mahle has never struggled this hard at any point in his professional career. The 31-year-old journeyman is coming to the point of pitching for his place on the 26-man roster. This would be an excellent game for the Diamondbacks to make a statement, having the lefty hitters pile on to put a dagger into the heart of the Giants from the outing. The sooner they can swat Mahle out of the game, the sooner thay can burn down the bullpen. Of course, that will mean Arizona will have to finally start having better performances hitting with RISP and taking walks, as Mahle still averages over five innings per outing, despite his struggles.
Game 2
Landen Roupp, RHP, 5-7, 4.07 ERA, 95 SO vs. TBD
Despite some very pedestrian, essentially league average, results, Roupp is averaging a bit over six innings per start. This ability to pitch later into games is another reason for Arizona to do their best to get into the bullpen early in the first game against Mahle. Roupp is 0-2 in his last five starts. In the two losses, he was blown up. In the three no decisions, he held the opposition to two runs or fewer. Roupp does a fair job of limiting the free passes, so Arizona is going to need to be patient. Attacking early plays into Roupp’s ability to go deep. Making him work increases the chances of Arizona finding a crack to exploit. It will also continue to put pressure on San Francisco’s beleaguered bullpen.
To counter, Arizona will be turning to the ageless wonder, TBD. In this case, TBD is looking more and more like Brandon Pfaadt. Jose Cabrera remains in the rotation already. Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake are ineligible to return to the 26-man roster unless another injury move is made. Brandon Pfaadt did not pitch during the series in Tampa. How long Pfaadt will be allowed to go (assuming it is him) remains to be seen, as he was only throwing around 50 pitches for a while there in Reno. It could be that Arizona tosses a bullpen game, or potentially uses Pfaadt as an opener before going to the bullpen. There are a lot of moving pieces involved here and the speculation is running rampant while Arizona is (at least currently) playing this decision close to their chest.
Game 3
Trevor McDonald, RHP, 2-6, 4.94 ERA, 45 SO vs. Zac Gallen, RHP, 3-7, 6.15 ERA, 52 SO
Trevor McDonald, like the recently faced Drew Rasmussen, is stingy with the free pass. He isn’t much of a strikeout pitcher, but he simply doesn’t give away at-bats. When he is hitting his spots, it makes him 2023 Merrill Kelly dangerous. When he is missing his spots, he looks like present-day Merrill Kelly. There is a reason McDonald is sporting an ERA+ of 80. Arizona needs to ambush McDonald and put their foot down on the gas. If they can get to him early, Zac Gallen might be nearly irrelevant. On that note, the Diamondbacks will be sending struggling former ace Zac Gallen to the mound. In his last outing, he was mostly adequate against the Rays. He gave up a terrible first inning before settling in and cruising through the next five, albeit without the strikeouts. If that version of Gallen shows up, Arizona should be in a good place for this game. If the Zac Gallen of many other outings this season shows up, this game could become ugly for both teams.
Players to Watch
At this point, there really is no primary player to watch. The questions greatly outweigh the answers right now. The players struggling, if they continue to struggle, will continue to weigh the team down. On the other hand, if Zac Gallen builds off his last outing and if the team can salvage the second game of the series, then this team continues to keep the playoff conversations alive. The Giants are having a terrible season and find themselves in much the same place as Arizona, needing to start looking at alternatives for future seasons.
The one exception to this might be Max Kepler. How long will the recently reinstated Kepler be given to make an impact. Even at his height, he was essentially an older version of Pavin Smith, who is already creating issues for Arizona. Kepler only has five plate appearances so far, so it is obviously early days. But it is hard to imagine that his leash is especially long. Look for him to either make an impact soon or to be sent to the DFA rejects heap.
Conclusion
This series presents Arizona with a great chance for a palate cleanser. They get to leave the AL East leading Rays in the rearview. They get to sleep in their own beds. They get to face one of the worst teams in the game right now. If Arizona takes two of three, they exit this series back at .500. If they can manage to dig deep and find their mojo in game two, they have a very good chance of sweeping this series, putting them back at two games over even as they prepare to host the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. It will be important for Arizona to come out of this series on a high note as their next three series are against the Brewers in Phoenix and then the Padres and Dodgers, both in California.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 5: Washington Nationals mascot Screech waves the flag during home opener action at Nationals Park. (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
As everyone expected, there was a sweep at Fenway Park across the four games between the Red Sox and Yankees. The Sox are now 36-46, 12.5 games out of first place in the AL East, 4.5 games out of a Wild Card, tied in the loss column with the Orioles, one behind in losses against the Blue Jays. Boston is just 3 wins behind the Orioles and Jays. Those Jays have also lost 6 straight. Yes, the Yankees and Rays are the class of the East right now, but it’s back to essentially a pack of three battling for third. Facing “Red Sox Front Office – South” in the Washington Nationals is the next test. These Nationals can hit. And the Red Sox can pitch.
The Nats have allowed 5.22 runs per game on average, third highest in baseball behind only the Rockies and Athletics. That’s a cumulative 4.69 ERA among their pitchers. The Sox have allowed just 3.94 runs per game, fifth best in MLB with an ERA of 3.70.
Miles Miklolas is having, probably, his worst season. Even his FIP is approaching five-and-a-half. His numbers are slightly inflated from an 11-run outing in April but he’s also allowed 6 runs twice and 5 runs once. In June he’s been erratic in both runs and innings: 6 runs (6.0 innings) against the Marlins, 0 runs (4.2 innings) against the Giants, 0 runs (7.0 innings) against the Mariners, 5 runs (6 innings after an opener), and 2 runs (3.1 innings) against the Phillies. Ranger Suarez is rolling again. The Sox should have won his start in Colorado. Over his last four starts he’s allowed just 4 earned runs.
Cade Cavalli has cut his home run rate and boosted his strike outs since 2025. A righty, he’s been…pretty ok for the Nationals? He’s been on a good run in June: three 5.0 inning starts and one 6.0 outing with a 2.2 innings, 2 run performance mixed in. He was hit around for 6 runs (3 earned) once and 4 earned runs twice. He missed almost all of 2022-2024 and was up for just 48 innings in 2025. But the Nationals might have something here in the 27-year-old. Connelly Early started the sweep of the Yankees with a 6.0 inning / 2 run outing. He struck out a season-high 9 batters.
Andrew Alvarez is a 27-year-old southpaw from Anaheim, home of the Los Angeles Angels. He hasn’t gone more than 4.2 innings this season but was operating out of the ‘pen through May, although in 3.0-4.0 inning outings. Alvarez has the hard matchup in several ways going against Payton Tolle. Tolle took a no-hitter deep enough to get many people thinking about it. He didn’t allow a run to the Yankees over 7.0 innings. This Nationals team has power bats and he’s not getting an extra day of rest. It’ll be the next chance for Tolle to prove he’s going to be really special.
Nasim Nuñez is leading baseball with 32 steals.
Shortstop CJ Abrams is hitting .275/.358/.507 with 17 homers and 13 steals of his own.
James Wood is leading MLB in runs with 72. And walks with 64. And strikeouts with 121.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Monday, June 29: Miles Mikolas (5.24 ERA / 5.31 FIP) vs. Ranger Suarez (2.83 ERA / 2.67 FIP)
Tuesday, June 30: Cade Cavalli (4.00 ERA / 3.53 FIP) vs. Connelly Early (3.59 ERA / 4.72 FIP)
Wednesday, July 1: Andrew Alvarez (3.44 ERA / 2.74 FIP) vs. Payton “72 Ounce” Tolle (2.78 ERA / 3.18 FIP)
The NBA rumors are flying and speculation is swirling with the start to the league's free agency period. There's just one catch.
At the moment, only a few teams actually have an abundance of salary cap space to spend on free agents this year. Instead, blockbuster trade discussions and contract extension negotiations (and the subsequent fallout from them) are dominating the lead up to NBA free agency in 2026.
Draymond Green could be positioning the Golden State Warriors to get LeBron James and moves involving stars like Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard and Ja Morant are among those anticipated in the coming days. The NBA's negotiating window for free agents officially opens on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET and a wave of transactions are expected to follow.
Here's a ranking of the eight NBA teams most likely to shape free agency this year:
The Warriors' interest in LeBron James, and a report that they could also be eyeing reuniting James with former Lakers' teammate Anthony Davis, have quickly turned Golden State into the team that can make the biggest splash this offseason. The potential of teaming Steph Curry and Draymond Green with James is there if James is willing to accept less money than he's used to making.
The future of Jaylen Brown now hovers over the Celtics offseason after he was so publicly dangled in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks. The team is still reportedly exploring moving him. Can he and the franchise reconcile at this point? Many front offices around the league are watching closely to see if they can pounce on a potential ending. GM Brad Stevens previously said Boston is also in the market for reinforcements inside this offseason.
The Lakers will either convince LeBron James to stay or be one of the few teams in the league with a significant amount of cap space to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Either way, their next move will be fascinating. Los Angeles is likely in the market for a center, despite DeAndre Ayton's decision to opt in to his contract for the 2026-27 season.
The Clippers are reportedly interested in trading Kawhi Leonard as part of a pivot to get younger, though his desire for a new contract could limit potential suitors. They also could have cap space to operate with this offseason. The franchise is still awaiting the results of an NBA investigation into its agreement with Leonard and possible collective bargaining agreement violations related to Leonard's endorsement deal with Aspiration.
The Pistons followed a tremendous regular season with a playoff run that highlighted how limited they are offensively outside of star Cade Cunningham. Surrounding him with a better supporting cast appears to be a priority after Detroit offloaded Isaiah Stewart's contract and traded for Isaiah Joe. The Pistons reportedly covet Tyler Herro, who was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Raptors are one of the teams in the running for Leonard after winning a title with him in 2019 and they've been mentioned in speculation related to several possible trades this offseason. Toronto has a collection of players, draft picks and contracts, most notably, RJ Barrett, to put together a package for any stars that come available. The Raptors' motivation to compete with the Knicks and Cavaliers in the East could prompt a major move.
The Trail Blazers have a new owner who is used to winning with his NHL team and has money available to spend under the NBA salary cap. They've been mentioned as a team interested in making a major deal after the franchise's first playoff appearance in five years. Portland can use the contracts of Jerami Grant, draft picks and several players from their young nucleus, and it seems to be in the mix for Brown.
The Nets could be one of the few teams with actual cap space to spend after already acquiring Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves via trade. Michael Porter Jr. is on an expiring contract worth $40.8 million this season and could be an attractive trade option in exchange for Jaylen Brown, or up until the trade deadline. The Nets could also sign him to a contract extension after he had a career year in Brooklyn last season.
Former NBA stars Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been indicted in connection with an alleged illegal sports betting and bribery scheme.
Beasley and Davis are facing charges alongside four alleged co-conspirators, identified as William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Monday.
Prosecutors claimed Beasley agreed to alter his performance during multiple games while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2023 to 2024 and accepted bribes from his co-defendants, who used that “non-public information” to place bets based on his performance “with the intention of profiting off the scheme.”
“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.
Malik Beasley, 29, is accused of accepting bribes and agreeing to alter his performance during games while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, prosecutors said (Getty)
The group is accused of attempting to “unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars” through this “illegal betting ring,” according to James Barnacle Jr., the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office.
“As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators,” he said.
Prosecutors said “several” defendants were arrested Monday and will be arraigned at an unspecified later date.
“Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public,” Nocella added.
The indictment listed multiple examples of Milwaukee Bucks games that were influenced by this alleged scheme, including a match against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024.
Ed Davis, 37, was charged alongside Beasley and four other co-conspirators, according to prosecutors (Getty)
Prosecutors alleged Beasley told Davis he planned to underperform during that game in exchange for a bribe payment, and that this information was passed along to the other co-defendants, allowing them to place “fraudulent wagers,” many of which were “successful.”
Other impacted Bucks games included a match against the Charlotte Hornets on February 27, 2024, and another against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, 2024, according to the indictment.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said the organization is “in the process of reviewing the federal indictment unsealed today involving Malik Beasley and Ed Davis.”
“Beasley last played in the NBA during the 2024-25 season and Davis last played in the league during the 2021-22 season. We will continue to investigate this matter and cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” Bass told The Independent.
The Independent has contacted Beasley’s attorney for comment. The Independent was unable to immediately identify attorneys for Davis, Brown, Gorodetsky, Plascencia and Zamorano.
“We’ll review the indictment and vigorously the charges and maintain Malik’s innocence,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told The Athletic.
Beasley joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 following stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. The 29-year-old moved to the Detroit Pistons for the 2024-2025 season, and earlier this year, he signed with the Santurce Crabbers, a Puerto Rican team co-owned by music star Bad Bunny.
Davis, 37, most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2021-2022 season. He and Bealsey were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020 and 2021.
With 13 games on the docket, it’s a busy night on the diamond Monday, June 29, and I’ve got a trio of MLB same-game parlay predictions to cover you throughout the action.
My top MLB picks begin with the Detroit Tigers upsetting the New York Yankees and wrap up with a high-scoring game in the nightcap between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The New York Yankees are in a 3-8 freefall while averaging just 2.6 runs per game and ranking 29th in both wOBA and xwOBA.
They draw Detroit Tigers righty Casey Mize on Tuesday, and he’s quietly turned in an excellent 3.14 xERA with 0.62 HR/9, so I’m expecting New York to be in tough offensively again tonight.
Of course, the Tigers are also beginning to pick it up at the plate with a fifth-ranked wOBA and sixth-ranked xwOBA while averaging 5.0 runs per game in June.
Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson rounds out the SGP, and he’s hit the Over in this market in six of the past nine games and sports an above-average .343 wOBA against lefties for the season.
Finally, Chicago outfielder Ian Happ has teed off on righties this season to the tune of a .380 wOBA and .263 ISO, and he’s racked up 13 runs, 12 hits and six RBI across his past 15 games.
Giants vs Diamondbacks SGP: Runs in bunches at Chase
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez has statistical correction coming. His 2.27 ERA is miles below his 4.79 xERA, and the southpaw’s .251 BABIP and 86.9% strand rate are also way better than the respective .327 and 71.4% marks he posted during his first two seasons with the team.
I’m also expecting the San Francisco Giants to give Tyler Mahle a long enough leash to finish the fifth inning and record at least 15 outs for the ninth consecutive start, because their bullpen ranks 26th in ERA and 29th in xFIP across the past 30 days.
This is also perfect for the Over because he’s been beaten around on the highway the past two years with a 6.28 ERA while allowing a healthy .367 wOBA.
Arizona star Corbin Carroll rounds out the SGP, and he’s registered a hit in 14 of the past 19 games, and his .226 batting average against right-handed pitchers is way below the .250 mark he posted over the past two years.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ARID, NBCSBA
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 8-25, +3.0 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It may be old news, but in case you have not heard, the White Sox (43-39) are a good baseball team in 2026. They head to Baltimore tonight holding a share of first place in the AL Central. Meanwhile, the Orioles (39-46) have been less than good at best. Their goal is to climb back into both the race in the AL East (currently 11 games behind the Rays) and the Wild Card (three games behind the final spot).
Chicago arrives after taking two of three from Kansas City over the weekend, whereas Baltimore dropped two of three at home to Washington. The White Sox’ weekend series against the Royals featured both an offensive explosion and a frustrating finish. The high point came Friday when the White Sox smacked Kansas City 22-1. Their offense failed them Saturday but their pitching carried the day in a 2-1 victory. They could not finish off the sweep yesterday, however, falling 5-4. Don’t blame Miguel Vargas for the loss, though. The Chicago slugger homered, doubled, walked twice, and scored a run.
As noted, Baltimore's weekend against the Nationals was disappointing. The Orioles opened the series with a solid 3-1 victory Friday behind a strong performance on the mound led by Trevor Rogers. The pitching was not as sharp the rest of the weekend and the bats never arrived at the party as the O’s lost 4-3 on Saturday and 6-4 in the series finale yesterday. A positive to be drawn from yesterday’s game was the return of Adley Rutschman to the lineup. He is back not a moment too soon as the Orioles have lost four of their last five games and are searching for positives and momentum.
Tonight, the White Sox will give the ball to right-hander Sean Burke, who has quietly been one of the more consistent starters in the American League this year. Burke enters at 5-4 with a 3.71 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 87.1 innings. Over his last seven outings, Burke has posted a 3.23 ERA while holding opponents to a .216 average.
Baltimore counters with right-hander Shane Baz, who is 4-8 with a 4.31 ERA and 81 strikeouts across 94 innings. Baz took the loss in his most recent appearance, surrendering five runs in a 5-1 defeat to the Angels on June 24. That start aside, recent trends have been encouraging, as Baz has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: White Sox vs. Orioles
Date: Monday, June 29, 2026
Time: 6:35PM EST
Site: Camden Yards
City: Baltimore, MD
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, CSN, MASN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: White Sox vs. Orioles
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Chicago White Sox (+114), Baltimore Orioles (-137)
Spread: White Sox +1.5 (-179), Orioles -1.5 (+148)
Total: 9.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: White Sox vs. Orioles for June 29
White Sox: Sean Burke Season Totals: 87.1 IP, 5-4, 3.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 87K, 30 BB
Gunnar Henderson has just one hit – a single – in his last 18 ABs
Pete Alonso is 5-14 with 4 runs scored and 5 RBIs over his last 4 games
Taylor Ward was 3-13 over the weekend against the Nationals
Miguel Vargas has hit safely in 6 straight games (10-23) including 3 HRs and 8 RBIs
Andrew Benintendi picked up at least 1 hit in each of the weekend games against the Royals (4-11)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: White Sox vs. Orioles
The White Sox are 47-35 on the Run Line this season
The Orioles are 42-43 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 47 times in Baltimore’s 85 games this season (47-35-3)
The OVER has cashed 47 times in Chicago’s 82 games this season (47-33-2)
Expert picks & predictions: White Sox vs. Orioles
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the White Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the White Sox on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Sox on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.5
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