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41 Years Ago

On August 29, 1985, the Blue Jays traded three minor leaguers—Matt Williams (not that Matt Williams), Jeff Mays, and Greg Ferlanda—to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Cliff Johnson.

At the time of the trade, the Blue Jays were in first place, 4.5 games ahead of the second-place Yankees, but they were platooning Al Oliver and Jeff Burroughs at designated hitter. The results weren’t ideal, though Burroughs (the right-handed half) was hitting .261/.375/.422, which wasn’t bad. Oliver, however, was hitting just .257/.298/.376, yet the Jays decided to replace Burroughs, not Oliver. After the trade, Burroughs was used only as a pinch hitter for the remainder of the season.

The Jays didn’t give up much for Johnson. Of the three prospects, only Williams made it to the majors, pitching just five games for the Rangers in the final month of the 1985 season before fading into obscurity. The Jays already knew Johnson well; he had played for them in 1983 and 1984, departing as a free agent after the 1984 season.

Although Johnson didn’t hit much for the Jays in the final month—just .274/.343/.315, with only one extra-base hit (a home run) in 24 games—the team still made it to the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Royals in seven games. In that series, Cliff hit an impressive .368/.400/.474.

The Jays utilized platoons at several positions during that era:

• Catcher: Ernie Whitt and Buck Martinez (I wonder what happened to him).
• Third base: Rance Mulliniks and Garth Iorg.
• And, of course, designated hitter.

The Jays won three of the first five games of the series. Beginning with game six, however, the Royals developed a strategy to neutralize Toronto’s platoons: they would start a right-hander and then bring in a lefty early (Bud Black in game 6 and Charlie Leibrandt in game 7). The Jays would counter by swapping their left-handed platoon hitters for their right-handed counterparts. Later in the game, the Royals would turn to their right-handed closer, Dan Quisenberry.

Quisenberry, an excellent closer and a right-handed submarine pitcher, struggled more against left-handed batters than right-handers. With the Jays’ lefties out of the lineup, he faced fewer challenges. Notably, Quisenberry had blown saves in the second and fourth games of the series.

The Royals’ plan proved effective in the short series.

However, that’s not the main reason I wanted to reflect on the trade’s anniversary.

As mentioned, Johnson played for the Jays in 1984, then signed with the Rangers as a free agent in the offseason. Back in the 1980s, free agent compensation worked very differently than it does today. In the early ’80s, MLB owners wanted to compensate teams that lost star players to free agency—and, more importantly, slow the pace of salary inflation. Free-agent compensation was a major issue in the 1981 player strike, as players wanted to maintain salary growth.

The result was a complicated system. Baseball Reference explains it best:

The compromise that was reached following the strike was to set up a free agent compensation draft, through which a team losing a top-notch free agent would get to pick a player from a pool of players made available by the other Major League teams. Free agents were divided into three classes, based on playing time and performance over the previous two seasons: in descending order, these were Type A, Type B and Type C. Only losing a Type A player would activate the compensation draft; Type B players would continue to be compensated with draft choices, and Type C’s would not trigger any compensation.

All teams could protect 26 players in their organization from the draft, except for teams who signed a Type A free agent that year, who would protect 24 players. Teams could opt out of the right to sign Type A free agents and, therefore, not have to place any names into the pool. As a result, the team losing a player could be sure to pick a player who would help immediately if that was their wish (although some lower-level prospects would also be available). The draft occurred once a year, in January or February, between the end of the free agent signing season and the opening of spring training.

Cliff Johnson was considered a Type A free agent, so the Blue Jays were able to select reliever Tom Henke from the Rangers as compensation. Henke became the best closer in team history (though Duane Ward might disagree), saving 217 games for Toronto over eight seasons. The Jays got a remarkable return for ‘renting’ Johnson for just five months. Without that deal, there would be no Henke—and without Henke, would the Jays have won the 1992 World Series?

28 Years Ago

Dave Stieb earned his final MLB victory—his 176th overall, with 175 coming as a Blue Jay.

Stieb ‘retired’ in 1993 at age 35, after pitching four games with the White Sox, who had signed him as a free agent. Stieb earned his World Series ring in 1992, though his performance that season was underwhelming—a 5.04 ERA in 96.1 innings. His last strong campaign came in 1990, when he posted a 2.93 ERA over 33 starts and 208.2 innings at age 32. The heavy workload earlier in his career caught up with him in his early thirties.

In 1998, Stieb returned to spring training as a pitching instructor and threw so well—better than before his four-year hiatus—that players took notice and spoke with the coaches. One thing led to another, and he began the season in the minors (where he posted a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts), earning a call-up in June.

Stieb appeared in 19 games, making three starts. He went 1-2 with two saves and a 4.83 ERA. In 50.1 innings, he allowed 58 hits, 17 walks, and 27 strikeouts. At the end of the season, at age 41, he retired for good. He and Roy Halladay remain 1 and 1a atop the list of best starting pitchers in Jays’ history—my view on who comes first changes all the time.

Stieb’s final win came in a 14-7 victory over the Twins. The Jays scored in every inning except the second. Stieb pitched five innings, allowing seven hits, four earned runs, two walks, and recording four strikeouts.

The San Francisco Giants provided the bread in their final series sandwich against the Diamondbacks. Their win on Thursday and their 7-2 win in game 2 Saturday night were somewhat rare well-rounded performances that got the whole team involved. Whole team, whole wheat,with some dubious mystery meat encased in the middle. …Or possibly Italian? Who am I kidding, the bread is a sourdough. Classic, versatile, tangy. 

You know who was tangy Saturday night? Yunior Marte.

Brought over from Kansas City in the Mike Yastrzemski trade, Marte started his 2026 season in Eugene, got promoted up to Double-A Richmond in June, and then got the call to the bigs. If that kind of accelerated rise was in anyway disorienting for the 23 year old, Marte didn’t let on. Comfortable — that’d be a good adjective to describe his demeanor in his Major League debut. He got Corbin Carroll to line into an unassisted double play to erase his walk of Lars Nootbar — accounting for his first outs recorded as a big leaguer. He celebrated by pumping his fist when his four-seam fastball clipped the bat of James McCann and nestled into Andrew Knizner’s glove for his first career strikeout. He did it again two batters later against Ryan Waldschmidt. 

Having thrown 76 pitches and faced the Arizona order twice, it was determined his day was done with two outs recorded in the 5th. If he carried any frustrations from the outing, Marte didn’t show it — he beamed up at his family seated in the crowd as he walked back to the dugout.  

The one run he allowed came in the 3rd, and he’d be forgiven if he felt frustrated by it. A weird drag bunt infield single thing from Ildemaro Vargas had the right-side of the infield all flustered. Marte couldn’t beat Vargas in a footrace to the bag. Bryce Eldridge may have been better off just covering first, letting second baseman Osleivis Basabe field the ball. Then McCray couldn’t reel in a flare off the bat of Nootbar that allowed Vargas, running on pitch with two outs, to tie the game at one. The play wasn’t routine, the left fielder had to travel and go into a slide to get under the ball, but he did get there. Once McCray had done the hard part he biffed the easier bit of seeing the baseball into his glove. The RBI knock went into the books against Marte as an “earned” run (in name only), and a double for Nootbar that Kruk rightly pointed out is “a hit you get when you’re hot.”

Under duress, Marte managed the stress in the 3rd without forfeiting the lead, handing the ball to a chain of five relievers who allowed just one run while striking out 6 D-Backs hitters over the final 4.1 innings. Special mention to Carson Seymour who really bucked the trend and kept things from getting out of hand in the later frames. With one run already in against Jason Foley in the 7th, Seymour stranded the tying run by getting the Giant-killer-du-jour, Nootbar, to chase a gutsy 3-2 slider in the dirt. An inning later he’d strand another runner at third with a strikeout of Max Kepler.  

On some nights, that single run allowed by Foley might’ve proved costly. Earlier in the day the Giants offense was held to a measly run — not so in game two. San Francisco scored 7 on the backs of some standout run production from the heart of the line-up. Jung Hoo Lee, batting clean-up, came up with a clutch RBI single in the 7th. Rafael Devers, swinging out of the two-spot, went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs. Right behind him, Eldridge came up with a quartet of hits (a couple didn’t leave the infield but they still count) and a quartet of runs batted in, a first for a Giants rookie since Buster Posey did it back in 2010. 

Eldridge’s first hit, first rib-eye, came in the 1st after lead-off man Jonah Cox worked a walk against LHP Mitch Bratt and stole 180 feet of ground. 

The lead-off tandem of Cox and Drew Gilbert were never retired in 5 plate appearances. Cox reached base twice before being pinch-hit for, and stole three bags, becoming the first Giant to do so since Tyler Fitzgerald in 2024. Gilbert took over in the 5th and walked thrice, setting up crucial scoring opportunities that bore fruit — he scored all three times. 

In the 5th, the bottom of the order set the table for the top in what would be a decisive three-run rally. Honestly, it was a rally the Giants usually experience from the other side. McCray started it with a single, followed by a sac bunt and two walks that really exacerbated the situation, loading the bases with less than two outs and the guys a pitcher doesn’t want coming up coming up. Devers and Eldridge both delivered: Back-to-back RBI singles by the big boys. 

They’d do it again in the 8th, pushing the lead to five — which should still count as a save situation if you’re pitching out of this Giants bullpen.  So Dylan Smith, I officially award you a save. Nicely done. 

That’s it, no game on Sunday — the season series against the Diamondbacks is mercifully over with a 2-2 weekend split. 3-10 overall. 

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The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox finish off their four-game set at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, where I’m taking the visitors to walk away with the win.

I’ll explain why Ranger Suarez will lead Boston to victory in my Red Sox vs. Yankees predictions and free MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 30.

Who will win Red Sox vs Yankees today: Red Sox (52%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

A mismatch on the mound gives the Boston Red Sox the edge today.

Ranger Suarez doesn’t have eye-popping numbers, but his underlying figures are impressive as he ranks in the 91st percentile in pitching run value.

New York Yankees starter Will Warren sits at the opposite end of the spectrum, ranking in the 4th percentile in pitching run value with a subpar 4.62 xERA (25th percentile), plus a 5.89 ERA over his last four outings.

Both teams have elite bullpens, so it’ll depend on which starter has the better showing, and Suarez is the easy pick.

Back Boston up to 55%.

COVERS INTEL: Since Aaron Judge left the lineup on May 31, the Yankees rank 28th in the majors in batting average (.224) and 26th in wOBA (.292) vs. left-handed pitching.

Red Sox vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (54%)

The line is a touch too high here with Suarez on the mound against an inconsistent Yankees offense that’s averaged just 3.88 runs over the last 16 games.

Boston (2.94) and New York (3.04) also own the top two bullpen ERAs in the majors.

The Under has cashed in four of the last six meetings between these clubs, and it’s 5-0-1 in their last six meetings at Yankee Stadium.

I’m playing the Under up to 56%.

Red Sox vs Yankees home run prediction: Willson Contreras (16%)

Willson Contreras has done damage vs. right-handed pitching this season with 19 dingers and a .513 SLG — placing him in the Top 25 in both categories across the majors.

His advanced profile is just as impressive, with the Red Sox slugger ranking in the top percentile in batting run value, 90th percentile in barrel rate, and 96th percentile in bat speed.

Nine of Contreras’ 23 home runs have come against the sinker, which Warren throws about 27% of the time.

Play this up to 18%.

Red Sox vs Yankees weather

Weather won’t be a major factor as Yankee Stadium will see temperatures in the mid-80s and light winds pushing out to left field this afternoon.

Red Sox vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Red Sox 52% | Yankees 49%
• Run line: Red Sox -1.5 (39%) | Yankees +1.5 (62%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (46%) | Under 8.5 (54%)

Red Sox vs Yankees trend

The Yankees have hit the team total Under in 33 of their last 46 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Yankees.

How to watch Red Sox vs Yankees and game info

Red Sox vs Yankees latest injuries

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The Yankees split a day-night doubleheader against the Red Sox on Saturday, losing the day portion in shutout fashion before winning the nightcap with a wave of singles sprayed across the field. That meant that effectively the day was as good as a day off for them in the standings, so Tampa Bay had the opportunity to move up a half-game if they were on their A-game down in the Trop.

Tampa Bay Rays (81-54) 7, San Diego Padres (72-64) 6

Nick Martinez has been a surprising find for the Rays’ rotation this year, pitching arguably the best he’s ever been at the start of the season with back-to-back sub-2 ERA months. He came back down to Earth in June allowing three or more runs in all but one start, and since then he’s been a bit more vulnerable. His latest start against the Padres continued that mortal stretch, lasting six innings with three runs crossing the board on seven hits to raise his ERA just a hair under three at 2.99.

He exited with his team down a run, but Junior Caminero bailed his starter out and gave him a no-decision when he launched a solo home run to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Garrett Cleavinger was the first man out of the ‘pen for Tampa Bay and he didn’t have it, letting the first three batters reach base before striking out the final man he faced. Kevin Kelly was the next man out, and Manny Machado greeted him with a single to right to score a pair. Then with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Machado on the corners, the Padres pulled off a delayed double steal to bring Tatis home and manufacture a third run.

Suddenly down a handful, the Rays answered right back. Bradgley Rodriguez entered the game and promptly walked the first batter before a trio of singles tied the game right back up. Adrian Morejon was called on to put out the fire and got two outs as he worked around Caminero intentionally walking him, but Chandler Simpson slapped one to the left side past the drawn-up third baseman to drive home the winning run. Kelly worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning to hand the baton over to Bryan Baker, who stranded Machado at first base to end it.

Other Games

Chicago White Sox (72-63) 3, Minnesota Twins (64-72) 2: Despite getting just three hits in this game, the White Sox managed to make them all count (and they got some help from the Twins’ defense). The Pale Hose worked two walks to start the game before Andrew Benintendi smacked a single to get them on the scoreboard first, but the Twins answered back with a sac fly in the bottom of the first and an RBI groundout in the second. Benintendi was again the catalyst for the Sox’ second run, leading off the fourth with a double and scoring after the Twins fumbled the last out of the inning, and the third was entirely on his shoulders as he lifted a solo shot in the sixth inning.

AL Wild Card Rock Fight

Houston Astros (68-68) 2, New York Mets (61-75) 6: The Astros got in the board in the first inning thanks to an error extending Jeremy Peña’s leadoff double into a triple setting up a Yordan Alvarez sac fly, but that was all they’d get against Nolan McLean. The Mets starter tossed seven strong innings with just the unearned run marring his line, and a three-spot in the fifth capped off by Jared Young’s two-run triple would be enough for the Metropolitans to outlast Houston.

Texas Rangers (66-70) 3, Milwaukee Brewers (85-51) 5: The Rangers faced a tall task facing the team with the best record in baseball, and they did themselves no favors falling behind 3-0 after two innings with homers from Jackson Chourio and William Contreras. Brandon Nimmo launched a two-run shot in the eighth inning to bring Texas within striking distance, but Anthony Senzatela and Trevor Megill closed the door on any further comeback.

Cleveland Guardians (68-68) 3, Kansas City Royals (62-75) 8: Angel Martínez got Cleveland on the board first with a two-run shot in the second, and that lead lasted until the fifth when it swung all the way in Kansas City’s favor. Isaac Collins doubled in a pair to tie the game, the Royals put up a four-spot in the sixth to claim the lead themselves, and Josh Rojas padded it with a two-run homer in the eighth. Martínez was the only offense for Cleveland as he knocked in their third and last run in the ninth, but no other Guardians could keep it going.

Baltimore Orioles (67-69) 5, Athletics (53-83) 3: Three Athletics errors made the difference for Baltimore, as they scored two unearned runs off of them to eke out a win. Leody Taveras was the engine for the O’s in this one, going 2-for-3 with three runs driven in on a pair of doubles, and a quintet of Baltimore relievers held the lead as Shane Baz tossed 5.2 innings of two-run ball.

Toronto Blue Jays (67-70) 4, Seattle Mariners (64-72) 3: Cal Raleigh has looked more like the MVP runner-up that he was this past week, with five of his last eight hits all leaving the yard including a solo shot in this game. The Mariners went up 3-0 on a Taylor Ward two-run single in the fourth inning but the Blue Jays flipped the script by scoring four unanswered, including two in the fifth inning when Eduard Bazardo fired off a wild pitch that walked in a run but also allowed Brett Bateman to fly all the way home from second. Bazardo could’ve potentially tagged the runner out at the plate, but he was seemingly unaware that Bateman was coming in and that mistake proved costly.

The wait is over. Roman Anthony, who hit .280 with 2 homers, 2 doubles, and 4 walks in an 8-game rehab stint, will be activated in time for today’s game against the Yankees. For some reason, though, the front office has decided to yoke Trevor Story to him. Story, who hit just .171 and appeared to be struggling more than ever with swing decisions, will be activated along with him. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)

The corresponding roster moves have not yet been announced. But Willson Contreras has a message he wants to get out regarding whoever it is who will be sent down to make room for Anthony and Story: “I think it’s really important for us to get those guys back. We need them,” he said.“It’s also important to recognize the job or the work that the whole lineup has been putting in for the last three months. I think those are tough decisions to make. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but we do have to recognize the job that the guys are doing for this team, and we couldn’t have done what we’ve done without them.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Anthony, in particular, should provide exactly what the lineup needs, as working counts and getting on base has been more of a struggle for the Sox lineup lately. “Not counting pinch hitters, Sox leadoff hitters are 2 for 18 without a run scored over the last five games.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Of course offense wasn’t the issue in last night’s loss to the Yankees. The bigger culprit was the fact that Brayan Bello had his worst relief appearance of the season by far. “Bad. I think I didn’t give the team the opportunity to win the game tonight,” he said. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

The loss in last night’s double-header finale moved the record between the Red Sox and Yankees this year to an even 6-6. Today’s game, then, will be the tie-breaker between the two teams should they end the season with the same record. “Well, you want to win that [tiebreaker],” said Chad Tracy. “Come out [Sunday] and put your best foot forward and try to push hard to win that game, obviously.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

Regardless of what happens with the tie-breakers, though, this series feels like a mere warmup to an inevitable October clash. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to an end today, which means it’s time to share our favorite highlights of the week!

As I mentioned in last week’s highlight of the week, hitting a Splash Hit will always make you a contender for highlight of the week, and Rafael Devers got in on the action during this week’s series against the Cincinnati Reds, hitting Splash Hit # 111!

What was your favorite highlight of the week?

What time do the Giants play today?

They do not play today, after yesterday’s double-header they’re hitting the road for a make-up game against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.

Today’s Reflections

Obviously, since there is a special section for writers’ opinions regarding the state of the Cubs’ bullpen, that is the immediate issue. The return of some players from the IL, and the definitely adequate performance of the current bullpen up until the last week, had given the Cubs, and their followers, a false sense of security. No one expected a physical (and mental) breakdown all at once this week.

Friday’s game was a bizarre example. I did a completely random bit of research — I just glanced at box scores and just started with the beginning of the White Sox series (again, randomly). He didn’t pitch a lot, but when he did, he pitched in either the sixth or seventh, and pitched very well. But while those weren’t extremely high-leverage situations, it seemed like it was something he should have been able to handle. Looking at his season, he had been very erratic through July. Something clicked when the calendar turned to August, where he had not allowed a run in 11 appearances.

David Peterson pitched adequately, allowing two runs over five innings, despite six hits and three walks. He gave the Cubs a point to build on for a win. This seemed to be a good situation to have a door-slammer enter the game. The move certainly didn’t work, obviously. I don’t have a list of relievers who were available, so I’m just guessing. Obviously, Aaron Civale was available, but he gave up two runs himself, so he wasn’t the door-slammer. Chris Rea hadn’t pitched since the 21st. Ryan Rolison, Caleb Thielbar, Daniel Palencia, Ryan Zeferjahn all have had shaky recent performances. Thornton seemed like the right guy, but now he’s joined the “shaky” list.

Anyway. The Cubs did score eight runs Friday. Michael Busch and Pedro Ramirez only had one hit, but they were for two- and three-run home runs, respectively. Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-5 with two RBI doubles, and Alex Bregman added an RBI double. Most of the offense came after being down as much as 9-3.

Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Friday’s Game Stories:

• Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/28/26): Reds 10, Cubs 8 – Bullpen Blasted Again. “Trent Thornton became the latest member of the North Siders’ bullpen to implode when he gave up five in the top of the 6th inning.”

• Cole Bair (Bleacher Nation): Brutal Loss, Bullpen Blues, Starting Pitching, Hartshorn Heater, and Other Cubs Bullets. “Even with the benefit of a sleep since yesterday’s miserable loss to the Reds, I’m still very bothered by what unfolded.”

• Sean Sears (Yardbarker): Cubs Bullpen Implosion Continues in Dramatic 10-8 Loss to Cincinnati Reds. “The Chicago Cubs bullpen is struggling, and it’s starting to cost them games.”

Maybe THE Story of Friday’s Game:

• Johnny Flores, Jr. (The Athletic {$}): Umpire’s ABS nightmare: Bill Miller has 8 pitches challenged, each one overturned. “It’s nearly impossible to 0-for-8 in a major-league baseball game, but that’s what happened to an umpire on Friday at Wrigley Field.”

A Few Uplifting Stories About the State of the Cubs Bullpen:

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Is the Cubs’ bullpen a concern? Even if so, the team sees a path forward. “Perhaps it’s too early to suggest the Cubs are in full-blown crisis mode with their bullpen. But the Cubs are 2-5 in their last seven, and the bullpen has been a prominent concern in many of those losses.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs’ bullpen problems persist as furious rally falls short. “The Cubs’ trio of starting pitchers — Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd — combined for a 0.45 ERA (one run allowed in 20 innings combined), but Chicago still lost two out of three in the desert. That was largely due to the 9.53 ERA posted by the bullpen in Arizona.”
• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ key relievers might be regressing to mean at worst time. “After David Peterson at least gave the Cubs a chance to win, Trent Thornton all but removed it, allowing five runs in the sixth inning of a 10-8 loss to the Reds.”
• Tyler Courtney (Last Word On Sports): Can the Cubs Bullpen Hold Up for a Postseason Run? “Early on in the year, things were rough. Eventually, they settled down, but recently it has been streaky.”

Assorted Stories:

• Andrew Carter (Chicago Tribune {$}): One Wrigleyville corner hangs on to its roots and ballhawks as Chicago Cubs mark 150th anniversary. “The Chicago Cubs are celebrating their 150th year, 110 at Wrigley, where the land beyond left field remains old-school.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs Injury Update: Dansby Swanson recovery, What’s next for Shelby Miller, Edward Cabrera. “Dansby Swanson has resumed baseball activity and returns on track to return to the Chicago Cubs before the playoffs.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Hoping More Sinkers, Sliders Will Get Ryan Zeferjahn Right. “The hope was that he’d see a bump in performance by moving to a real organization. Instead, he’s gone the opposite direction as his fastball suddenly became very hittable.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Pete Crow-Armstrong Hasn’t Been an Elite Defender Lately. “This is so mean. You’re gonna hate me for this. Nitpicking nonsense. But you know what? It needs to be said. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been merely good in center field lately.”
• Zachary Draves (ClutchPoints): Edward Cabrera’s expected role once he returns to Cubs. “Edward Cabrera will be sent into the bullpen as he makes his return to the Chicago Cubs right before the playoffs.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs need to line up playoff rotation this way to maximize October chances. “The rotation is coming into focus.”
• Danny Shapiro (Chicago Cubs On SI): Justin Steele on Why the Cubs Have the Best Clubhouse for Collecting. “A hobby shop across the street from the Cubs’ iconic Wrigley Field has given the team quick access to rip cards.”

Food For Thought:

Through the early 1980s Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played the Texas club circuit, becoming one of the most popular bands in the area. In 1982 the band played the Montreux Jazz Festival and their performance caught the attention of David Bowie and Jackson Browne. After Double Trouble’s performance, Bowie asked Vaughan to play on his forthcoming album, Let’s Dance, which, with Stevie’s lead guitar on six of the eight songs, became Bowie’s best selling record to date. After an after-hours jam in the artists’ bar Jackson Browne offered the group free recording time at his Downtown Studio in Los Angeles. Shortly afterward, legendary producerJohn Hammond landed Vaughan and Double Trouble a record contract with Epic, and the band recorded its debut album in two days over the Thanksgiving weekend at Downtown Studios.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Earlier this week, we asked where you think Kyle Freeland will pitch in 2027. He is in the final year of his contract, and currently on the injured list with a pinched nerve in his neck. While it was unlikely that he would hit 170 innings to vest his 2027 option, his future is even murkier now.

But the majority fans believe that the Denver kid will return to his hometown team in 2027:

The next-highest faction believe he’ll pitch for another MLB team, while 12% believe he’ll retire and only 5% believe he’ll pitch overseas.

Freeland should be eligible to come off the IL next weekend, so he could be able to make four or five more starts with the Rockies.

Do you agree with the results? Let us know in the comments!

To Read: Rockpiles

• Monday: How bad is the 2026 Colorado Rockies defense? | Renee Dechert
• Tuesday: Tomoyuki Sugano discusses his time with the Colorado Rockies | Sam Bradfield
• Wednesday: Is the platoon system still working for the Rockies? | Skyler Timmins
• Thursday: Hunter Goodman is the face of the Rockies franchise | Cory Cohen
• Friday: Eric Young Sr. reflects on his WPBL managing experience | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday: What the Rockies’ outfield defense is actually made of | James Riggenbach

To Read: PuRPs

Full Stream | Jeff Aberle

• Nos. 3-1
• Top 30 Summary
• The state of the Colorado Rockies farm system, August 2026

To Read: News

• Roster News: Rockies recall Ryan Ritter, place Kyle Karros back on IL | Renee Dechert
• Roster News: Rockies place Freeland on 15-day IL and select contract of Blake Adams | Sam Bradfield & Renee Dechert
• Weekly Pebble Report: Andrew Baker Found His Pitch — and a New Home | Eli Whitney

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Triple-A: Durham Bulls (TBR) 4, Norfolk Tides 0

Starting pitcher Michael Forret started off shaky but finished strong. He walked the bases loaded in the first and escaped with just a sacrifice fly. After a double and another walk in the second, he gave up another sac fly to make the score 2-0. Heston Kjerstad made a throwing error on the same play, which allowed a third run to score. After that, Forret settled in. He pitched three more scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. His final line: 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K.

There wasn’t much to speak of, offensively. The Tides had just four hits, and Kjerstad had three. Jeremiah Jackson had the fourth.

Box Score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 9, Harrisburg Senators (WAS) 8

It took a five-run bottom of the ninth for the Senators to make this a close game. Relief pitcher Brock Moore allowed all five runs and couldn’t finish the inning. That was after starter Patrick Reilly allowed one run in four innings. Reilly gave up a solo home run in the fourth. He had two walks and seven strikeouts.

The Baysox played a lot of longball last night. Victor Figueroa, Wehiwa Aloy, and Thomas Sosa all hit two-run homers. Dom Keegan hit a solo. Aron Estrada did not homer, but he was on base for two of them. Figueroa was on base four times with three hits and a walk. Vance Honeycutt was hitless but did take a walk.

Box Score

High-A: Frederick Keys 8, Asheville Tourists (HOU) 7

Through four innings, the Keys had a 5-0 lead. Boston Bateman started and had an outstanding four innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk, and struck out seven. He threw 77 pitches. Twine Palmer relieved him and gave up all seven Tourists runs over 2.2 innings.

Enddy Azocar continues to rack up the hits. He singled and scored in the first inning, knocked in by Yasmil Bucce. In the fourth inning, he singled again to drive in a run, then scored himself on a single from Braylin Tavera.

Tavera and Bucce both walked in the seventh, and both scored on a Braylon Whitaker triple. That tied the game. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, then walked off with a sac fly. They had loaded the bases on a single by Jordan Sanchez and walks to Bucce and Whitaker. Leandro Arias hit the walk off.

Box Score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Fredericksburg Nationals 6

The Shorebirds have won two in a row! Collin McKinney, this year’s ninth-round pick, pitched three scoreless innings with one hit and three strikeouts. Relief pitcher Francisco Morao allowed five runs in 1.1 innings.

Stiven Martinez, Jhomnardo Reyes , Jimmy Anderson, and Carlos Sanchez all had two-hit games. Ty Head doubled and Eric Booth, Jr s v reached with a single and a walk. The game was tied 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth when Sanchez tripled in Anderson, who had been HBP.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

• Norfolk @ Durham, 1:05. Starter: Cade Povich
• Chesapeake @ Harrisburg, 1:00. Starter: Sebastian Gongora
• Frederick vs Asheville, Doubleheader, 2:05. G1 Starter: Christian Rodriguez; G2 Starter: Carson Dorsey
• Delmarva vs. Fredericksburg, 2:05. Starter: KK Clark

• Listen to Sportsound commentary from Pittodrie
• Aberdeen 0-0 Rangers - unmarked Happe can't convert early opportunity
• Dundee v Hibernian (15:00)
• St Mirren v Motherwell (15:00)

Scottish Premiership: Rangers turning up the pressure at Pittodrie

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Sunday’s MLB slate offers plenty of value across the board, with several plus-money underdogs joining a handful of dependable favorites in matchups featuring clear offensive, pitching, and bullpen edges.

Read on for my MLB moneyline predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 30.

MLB moneyline picks for August 30

Matchup	Pick
MIA vs WSH	49%
COL vs ATL	68%
BOS vs NYY	50%
SEA vs TOR	49%
KC vs CLE	39%
LAD vs DET	56%
SD vs TB	62%
CWS vs MIN	49%
TEX vs MIL	39%
PIT vs STL	51%
HOU vs NYM	47%
BAL vs ATH	43%
PHI vs LAA	64%
CIN vs CHC	45%

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-30.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for August 30

Unless specifically noted in the text, all stats are from the past seven days and can be found on Fangraphs. 

Marlins vs Nationals: Nationals (49%)

Nationals win probability: 49%

I’m grabbing the Nationals at plus-money behind Andrew Alvarez. Washington holds the offensive edge over Miami (98 wRC+, .178 ISO vs. 87 wRC+, .106 ISO). Miami’s bullpen is laboring with a 4.72 SIERA and a weak 5.9% K-BB%, giving the Nats the late-game hammer at home.

Rockies vs Braves: Braves (68%)

Braves win probability: 68%

Atlanta owns the clear offensive advantage with Tyler Mahle hosting Mason Adams. The Braves' bats are producing (112 wRC+, .336 wOBA) compared to Colorado's miserable road splits. While Atlanta's bullpen has command issues, Colorado's pitching staff lacks the straight heat to exploit them over nine innings.

Red Sox vs Yankees: Yankees (50%)

Yankees win probability: 50%

I like the Yankees at this pick'em price behind Will Warren. New York’s power profile (114 wRC+, .181 ISO) across the last seven days significantly outpaces Boston’s quiet bats (91 wRC+, .133 ISO). Ranger Suárez faces a stiff road test, and New York's bullpen (4.14 SIERA, 11.4% K-BB%) provides enough late-inning support to edge this rivalry. 

Mariners vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (49%)

Blue Jays win probability: 49%

I'm backing Toronto as a home underdog behind Max Scherzer. The Blue Jays' offense is rolling with a 113 wRC+ and .331 wOBA, while Seattle continues to strike out in bunches (94 wRC+, 27.1% K%). Even against Logan Gilbert, Toronto’s superior contact and run creation make them live at a solid price. 

Royals vs Guardians: Royals (39%)

Royals win probability: 39%

 At this lopsided price, I have to take Kansas City behind Seth Lugo. The Royals enter as a top-five offense over the last week (123 wRC+, .351 wOBA, .168 ISO). Cleveland’s bullpen is lockdown (2.20 SIERA), but their lineup has zero pop (.085 ISO), making KC’s price far too generous.

Dodgers vs Tigers: Dodgers (56%)

Dodgers win probability: 56%

Tyler Glasnow gets an ideal matchup against a Detroit offense in a deep freeze (38 wRC+, .226 wOBA, 25.4% K%). Framber Valdez can keep Detroit afloat early, but the Dodgers hold a massive late-inning pitching edge, anchored by a bullpen dealing with a 3.34 SIERA and 18.1% K-BB% in their last two weeks. 

Padres vs Rays: Rays (62%)

Rays win probability: 62%

Drew Rasmussen and the Rays hold the upper hand against a slumping Padres lineup (83 wRC+, .285 wOBA). Over the last 14 days, Tampa Bay pairs disciplined contact with an airtight bullpen boasting an MLB-best 0.77 WHIP and 3.07 SIERA. Robbie Ray’s shaky command tilts the late-inning leverage squarely toward the Rays.

White Sox vs Twins: White Sox (49%)

White Sox win probability: 49%

I’m taking Chicago at plus-money. The Pale Hose offense is surging at the top of the league over the past week (141 wRC+, .372 wOBA, 13.3% BB%). Zebby Matthews faces a tough assignment, especially with Minnesota’s bullpen in shambles (4.56 SIERA, 2.16 WHIP, 10.26 ERA). There is value on the road dog today. 

Rangers vs Brewers: Rangers (39%)

Rangers win probability: 39%

Kumar Rocker offers Texas substantial upside at a heavy-underdog price. The Rangers' bats match Milwaukee stride-for-stride in current form (122 wRC+, .212 ISO vs. 124 wRC+, .120 ISO). With both bullpens performing well, getting this price for an offense generating elite extra-base power is a beautiful thing. 

Pirates vs Cardinals: Cardinals (51%)

Cardinals win probability: 51%

Matthew Liberatore catches the coldest lineup in baseball. Pittsburgh is generating virtually nothing at the plate (34 wRC+, .225 wOBA, 30.3% K%). Even with Braxton Ashcraft throwing well, the Pirates cannot score enough to justify backing them at a near pick'em price, leaving the Cards with the clear edge at home.

Astros vs Mets: Astros (47%)

Astros win probability: 47%

Houston is mispriced as an underdog behind Ethan Pecko. While their surface bullpen ERA looks ugly, their underlying 2.94 SIERA and 22.8% K-BB% scream positive regression. Facing a Mets lineup slumping at 86 wRC+, Houston possesses the late-game pitching advantage to steal this on the road.

Orioles vs Athletics: Athletics (43%)

Athletics win probability: 43%

The Athletics offer tremendous home-dog value behind Jeffrey Springs. The A's lineup has quietly outperformed Baltimore over the past week (115 wRC+, .348 wOBA vs. 97 wRC+, .305 wOBA). Facing Chris Bassitt, the A's have more than enough offensive firepower to exploit Baltimore's staff and cash a strong plus-money play. 

Phillies vs Angels: Phillies (64%)

Phillies win probability: 46%

Zack Wheeler provides an overwhelming starting pitching advantage against Yusei Kikuchi and a weak Angels lineup (81 wRC+, .284 wOBA). Philadelphia pairs starting reliability with a lockdown bullpen (3.16 SIERA, 19.4% K-BB%, 0.85 WHIP). The Phillies control this matchup from the first pitch through to the final out. 

Reds vs Cubs: Reds (45%)

Reds win probability: 45%

In a battle of this past week's top-three offenses (Cubs 135 wRC+, Reds 129 wRC+), Chase Burns provides the higher strikeout ceiling against Shota Imanaga. Chicago's bullpen has been prone to the long ball (2.33 HR/9, 4.14 SIERA), giving Cincinnati’s powerful lineup (.212 ISO) tremendous value to cash at plus-money.

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