This is one of the strangest and also weakest drafts in recent memory. Just as the impacts of the COVID draft and season have finally worked their way out of the system, the draft is now confronted by a staggeringly mediocre pool of prospects and the new reality that this is likely the last draft of its kind, as the new CBA is likely to significantly alter the way the draft functions, in many meaningful, impactful ways.
Introduction
It’s that time of year again. It’s that time when all teams turn their eyes momentarily from the various storylines surrounding division standings, all-star antics, and likely trade deadline scenarios and instead affix their attention on the newest crop of potential all-stars and epic busts. This year, the MLB draft will be held over a two-day window. The draft will begin on Saturday, 11 July at 10:00 MST, with rounds 1-4. The second day goes by much faster and will encompass rounds 5-20. The viewing schedule for the draft this year is as convoluted as MLB’s many various broadcasting deals for regular season games. It’s mind-boggling that MLB hasn’t figured out yet that this does not help their draft ratings. Nor is MLB’s draft ever going to rival the NFL draft. So maybe, just maybe, they could stop trying to pretend it can. Anyway…
Here is the broadcast schedule for this year’s draft: Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
4:30-7:45 p.m. ET – Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB TV, MLB+)
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB TV, MLB+)
For at least one final season, the draft is largely defined by the draft pool, as determined and allotted by draft position. Arizona picks at #15 in the first round. The Diamondbacks were originally positioned to pick at No. 10 but slipped five spots during the Draft Lottery. Leading up to the draft, notable prospects linked to Arizona in expert mock drafts include Virginia outfielder A.J. Garcia and highly-touted high school infielder Tyler Bell.
Here is the final draft pool and selection order, along with the bonuses allowed for each of the first round picks. Bonus pool overages only apply to the first 10 rounds. If the team has any money remaining from that pool, the team is free to spend it on rounds 11-20.
Additionally, the Diamondbacks have the 31st pick in the draft, thanks to their inclusion in Competitive Balance Round A.
31. $3,118,300
The Diamondbacks then join the standard order of selections for the second round.
53. $1,848,200
Finally, after Competitive Balance Round B and the Free Agent Compensation picks are made, Arizona will select in rounds 3-20.
88. $915,100 116. $670,900 There are three more Free Agent Compensation picks between rounds four and five. 148. $491,700 177. $377,000 206. $297,100 236. $237,800 266. $209,500 296. $196,500
Conclusion
The Diamondbacks are on the cusp of adding 11 new names to the farm system. There are a number of outside considerations for this draft that will impact the team’s ability to find some true impact talent. We’ll be taking a look at some of that over the next few days. Stay tuned for the next segment where we discuss the pitching side of things.
Phoenix Suns General Manager Brian Gregory is keeping his right-hand man around for the foreseeable future, as Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein is finalizing a new extension to keep him working with the team on the business and basketball side, according to ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania.
Phoenix Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein is finalizing a new extension, further cementing the partnership with owner Mat Ishbia to shape business and basketball operations of both franchises, sources tell ESPN.
With the extension being announced, Suns Governor Mat Ishbia gave Bartelstein high praise in a statement he gave to ESPN.
“From day one, I knew Josh was the right person to help build the culture and organization that I envisioned in Phoenix – on and off the court. He is my trusted partner in every aspect of our basketball (Suns and Mercury) operations and business side as well. His knowledge of basketball, care for our players, and the strong relationships he has across the NBA and WNBA have been invaluable in building our success and will continue to shape our future. His leadership has elevated our entire organization.
“He is one of the best CEO’s in all of sports, and happens to be one of the youngest too, and I’m excited to keep working next to Josh as we continue to build on our success.”
A former college basketball player at the University of Michigan, Bartelstein, who’s been with the Suns since 2023, played a major part in the team trading for Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic in his first year working with the team. With his father Mark being Beal’s agent, much was made about the relationship Josh had with his father to negotiate the trade, along with his buyout last offseason.
However, after a season in which the team surprised many by increasing its win total by 9 games and making the playoffs after missing them the season before, Ishbia and company rewarded Bartelstein with an extension. The Phoenix Suns have already had a busy offseason by resigning many of their free agents, trading for Miles Bridges, signing Luke Kennard and Pat Spencer, making a deal to draft Koa Peat with the 30th pick, and now extending Bartelstein.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 05: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run in the third inning during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Sunday, July 5, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup has given opposing pitchers nightmares all season, but that still doesn’t excuse the Washington staff after allowing 23 runs in just 3 games, resulting in a series loss. The Phillies and Marlins remain red-hot, and the National League Wild Card race isn’t getting any weaker, making this upcoming series against the Astros, and the rest of the month of July for that matter, all the more important.
Houston is sitting on the bubble of a playoff spot and has been playing some much better baseball after a few dreadful stretches during the first half of the season. They still find themself 2 games under .500 and 3rd in an inconsistent American League West, but one series could change the landscape of the entire division.
Game 1 – Monday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (2-7, 5.44 ERA)
HOU: RHP Mike Burrows (4-8, 5.58 ERA)
This is where the conversation surrounding Mikolas continues to get controversial. A dazzling month of May and portion of June had him looking like a potentially impactful piece in the patchwork Washington rotation, but 2 of his last 3 starts have seen him allow 5 or more runs. He enters this next appearance with a full week of rest, and the Nats will hope that the veteran can get himself back on track.
On the flip side, Burrows had just 2 outings in June where he allowed less than 4 runs, with one of those coming in a 1-inning relief spot. The righty has yet to put together a stretch of starts that has looked anything close to adequate, making him the perfect starter for the Nationals to jump on early and set the tone in this weekday series.
Game 2 – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-1, 3.05 ERA)
HOU: RHP Tatsuya Imai (5-4, 6.14 ERA)
It’s odd for a starter who has yet to work into the 6th inning to be labeled as a “rotation savior”, but that’s essentially what Alvarez has been for the Nats. He rarely gives up any substantial amount of runs, and while it won’t always look the prettiest, the results speak for themselves. The southpaw has also seen an uptick in his whiff rates as of late, making him one of the more important arms on the roster as it stands.
The transition to MLB has been rocky at best for Imai, who signed a large contract with Houston over the offseason as one of the premier Japanese pitching talents to come overseas in recent years. He’s forcing whiffs, but hitters are rarely chasing his pitches and squaring up anything and everything that’s in the zone. The Washington power bats could have a field day on Tuesday night, and elevating the baseball is once again an ideal way to succeed.
Game 3 – Wednesday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (9-2, 2.87 ERA)
HOU: RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-4, 3.81 ERA)
Griffin has remained steady into the month of July, and I don’t think it’s crazy to say that the lefty is making a case for being one of the most productive arms in the entire National League. He’s lowered his ERA to a sub-2.90 mark, and his WHIP is teetering on dipping below 1.00. One of the biggest breakout arms in MLB, Griffin’s next start could be a crucial one, depending on how the first two games of the series go.
The Nats will hope to see the June Arrighetti rather than his initial July form on Wednesday evening. The righty was tagged for 25 runs in 25.0 innings across 5 June appearances, but settled down and allowed just 1 run and 2 hits over 6.0 innings against Tampa Bay to open his month of July. The matchup heavily favors Washington, but it will be a battle of finesse pitchers in the series finale.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 5: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 5, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today included in his Sunday Notebook four potential Astros trade targets:
Today, former MLB GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic gave us four targets of his own, 3 new ones and one that was also included by Nightengale in Mickey Moniak:
From former MLB GM Jim Bowden:
The Astros are searching for a left-handed hitting outfielder with pop to better balance their lineup. There are not a lot of players available who fit that profile, but a few significant ones they should target include Jarren Duran, Kerry Carpenter, Ryan O’Hearn and maybe even Mickey Moniak.
Best fit: Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
Duran needs a change of scenery and would thrive in the Astros’ strong clubhouse environment.
Jarren Duran
Duran, 29, is having the worst season of his career, clearly impacted by the mass of trade rumors that surrounded him all offseason and the tumult around the Red Sox to this point in the year. Duran this season is batting just .197 with a .259 OBP and .620 OPS.
It should be noted that his previous 2 season, he combined to post a 14.9 WAR, has led the AL in triples both seasons, led the AL in doubles in 2024 (in which he finished 8th in AL MVP).
Duran, between 2023 and 2025, batted .273 with a .339 OBP, .812 OPS and 122 OPS+. He also stole 82 bases during that time, with a season high of 34. It stands to reason he is a terrific ‘buy low’ candidate, but clearly there is risk involved, if his production doesn’t return this season.
He has played all 3 outfield positions, but has primarily played LF and CF, at near equal rates. He grades much better defensively in LF than he does in CF.
Duran is on a 1 year, $7.7M contract, and has 2 years of arbitration eligibility remaining.
Kerry Carpenter
Carpenter, 28, is traditionally a low average, low on-base, higher OPS guy because of his power. He is batting .234 this season with a .306 OBP and .790 OPS. Carpenter has 13 HR and 36 RBI in 67 games (192 AB).
For his career he is a .263 batter with a .319 career OBP and .823 OPS. He will provide power, but his other numbers seem to go against what the Astros have shown a desire to add to the lineup, which is the ability to get on base and control the strike zone.
Carpenter is primarily a RF, but has experience in LF as well.
Carpenter is on a 1 year, $3.275M contract, and has 2 years of arbitration eligibility remaining.
Ryan O’Hearn
O’Hearn, 32, is having a solid offensive season in his first year in Pittsburgh, batting .284 with a .344 OBP and .807 OPS. He has 13 HR and 51 RBI in 285 AB to date this season.
O’Hearn has primarily been a 1B, but has experience in both corner OF spots. He is a below average defender at all 3 positions.
Over his most recent 3.5 seasons (going back to 2023), O’Hearn has batted .278 with a .343 OBP, .795 OPS and 119 OPS+. He has been the most consistent offensive player of the bunch, but the worst defender.
O’Hearn is in the first year of a 2 year, $29M deal, and will make $15M next season.
Mickey Moniak
Moniak, 28, is a former 1st round pick in 2016 drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was brought up at age 22 the first time, and again at age 23 for a brief time as well, and struggled badly. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels at the deadline in 2022 for Noah Syndergaard.
2023 finally led to a breakthrough season for Moniak, who hit .280 with 14 HR and 45 RBI after being called up May 12. He posted an .802 OPS, but only a .307 OBP because he walked just 9 times in 323 PA.
In 2024 he would regress, batting just .214 with a .266 OBP and .686 OPS. The Angels released him March 25, 2025.
The next day, he signed a 1 year, $1.25M deal with the Colorado Rockies. His first year in Denver, Moniak hit .270 with a career-best 24 HR and 68 RBI. He again posted a strong OPS (.824) despite a weak OBP (.306).
So far this season, Moniak is batting .282 with a .333 OBP and .945 OPS with 15 HR and 37 RBI in 55 games.
Moniak is not known as a strong defender, with limited range and a weaker arm. He would likely be a left fielder on the Astros.
Moniak is signed to a 1 year, $4M contract and still has one more season of arbitration eligibility.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a pretty active this off-season, as they have brought in new some players and lost others.
When looking at the Penguins' current roster, it is clear that they should not be done making moves yet. One specific area that they should be looking to improve this summer is the left side of their defense.
The Penguins traded Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights and lost Ryan Shea to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency this summer. With this, it is clear that they could use another left-shot defenseman before the new season is here.
A few left-shot defensemen who are still on the free agent market include Logan Stanley, Carson Soucy, Mike Reilly, and former Penguin Matt Grzelcyk. While none of these players would necessarily be major additions, signing one of them would help Pittsburgh's depth.
There are also some left-shot defensemen who have come up in the rumor mill this summer as trade candidate. Morgan Rielly, Alexander Nikishin, and Mason Lohrei are a few examples.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins bring in another left-shot defenseman this summer, but it is something that they should consider after losing two solid blueliners in Shea and Wotherspoon.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Simon Nemec to a five-year contract worth $36.25 million on Monday.
Nemec will count $7.25 million against the salary cap through the 2030-31 NHL season. Calgary acquired his rights and winger Maxim Tsyplakov from New Jersey last month for a second-round pick this year, two conditional first-rounders and prospect Etienne Morin.
“I just felt like the return that we got from Calgary was just kind of too good to pass up," Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said on a video call with reporters last week. "They kind of stepped up with their offer to get him, and I just thought it was ultimately the right thing for the organization to move on.”
Nemec skated in 159 combined games in the league since the Devils took him with the second pick in the 2022 draft, averaging roughly 19 minutes of ice time. Mehta denied that Nemec asked for a trade and said after a candid conversation that he felt it best for the 22-year-old Slovak to get a fresh start elsewhere.
“He just wants a path," Mehta said. “He wants a path to develop and a path to grow into the role that he foresees for himself.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 23: Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on June 23, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After dropping the series to the Baltimore Orioles at home over the weekend, the last place Cincinnati Reds fell to just 41-48 on the season. To wrap the first half of their schedule prior to the All Star break, all they get to do is host the red hot Philadelphia Phillies (who are 20 games over .500 since their dismal 8-18 start) and the mighty Chicago Cubs who, like the Phils, are 10 games over .500 on the season.
It’s looking obvious that the Reds should be sellers ahead on the August 3rd trade deadline even if they haven’t figured that out themselves.
As we opined over a month ago (when the Reds were in last place and looked like sellers), selling wasn’t even going to be easy for them this year. The short term pieces they brought in had underperformed or were already not valued, and longer-term pieces simply had been too hurt or playing poorly to be doing anything other than selling low on.
Has any of that really changed? Let’s take a look at who might be Cincinnati’s biggest, best trade chip for this particular trade deadline.
Off-limits
RHP Chase Burns, IF Sal Stewart
Unless the Castellinis and their consortium are literally selling everything – every player, the entire franchise, all of it – you don’t even listen if someone calls about these two young All Stars. They are the new cornerstones around whom you build.
Only if you are bowled completely over
SS Elly De La Cruz, LHP Andrew Abbott
Notice how I didn’t include Elly above?
You certainly don’t shop him, as news of that would leak and there’d be an insant maelstrom out of which you would not emerge. But if someone comes in with the Bartolo Colon offer, or the Juan Soto Washington Edition offer, or the Mark Teixeira deal on Atlanta’s end, maybe it’s time to consider it.
The insane talent is still obviously there, yes, but you can make a pretty decent argument that he has plateaud just slightly below superstar status. The ability to run has also been taken away from him, either by caution due to the quad and hamstring injuries or by design from the Reds powers that be. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for 2027 and no longer cheap, but just about every team out there probably already has a ‘what would it take to get Elly from the Reds’ in their trade deadline playbook.
Also, do you really think the Reds will be good between now and when Elly walks in 3.5 years? Or, rather, between now and when they’re forced to sell him before he walks?
It’s a somewhat similar story to former All Star Andrew Abbott, who shrugged off a bad April to look exactly like the All Star he was last year again. He’s got 3.5 years of team control, too, and is the classic case of ‘Baseball Refernce bWAR loves him, and FanGraphs fWAR thinks he’s pedestrian.‘
If there’s a BBRef-worshipping franchise out there who comes calling for a starting pitcher, maybe it’s not a bad time to consider cashing in on Abbott for the same reasons.
It’s not the right time
RHP Hunter Greene, IF/OF Matt McLain, OF Noelvi Marte, RHP Rhett Lowder
Greene is precisely the kind of pitcher the Reds should want to be pitching for them the rest of the year. He just missed half a season due to surgery on a right elbow that already had Tommy John under their watch, and he’s controlled long-term. Moving him now would be selling incredibly low, and on top of that he needs to build up innings over the last half of 2026 to be fully ready to return to form in 2027.
Once he does that, then you maybe consider moving him as a cornerstone type arm, not as a dice-roll after surgery that nobody will overpay to acquire.
McLain likely has minimal, if any value right now since he’s been bad or hurt since midway through 2023. Still, he’s a former 1st round pick of two different franchises whose managers have constantly adored him, so someone would probably take a flier on him with multiple years of team control still remaining. However, I think his defense and versatility mean you hold on and give him him another shot in 2027 – ideally under the tutelage of a whole different hitting coach all winter long.
In Noelvi Marte, you still have something of a wild card. Injuries, suspensions, massive positional moves, and he’s still just 24 and oozing talent. You continue to roll the dice on him (especially if you begin a rebuild that doesn’t immediately prioritize winning) and hope he figures it out.
Lowder is something of the Marte version of the pitching staff. You simply wait to see more with him, as there were legitimate reasons (and still are) why he was valued so highly by so many so recently.
Can you even give them away?
IF Eugenio Suarez, RHP Emilio Pagan, OF TJ Friedl, C Jose Trevino
There is a lot (by Reds standards) of money tied to these four this year. Almost $35 million, in fact, and that’s given the Reds a combined -1.5 bWAR. Injuries certainly haven’t helped, but this foursome has been an epic failure so far in 2026.
Someone would probably take Suarez off the Reds hands on a bet he does have a hot streak in him somewhere, but they certainly wouldn’t a) give up anything of value to do that or b) do so without the Reds eating money. TJ Friedl might have a taker somewhere who thinks they can fix him – he does have an option left and has team control for two years – but it’d be such a sell-low that the return would be near nil.
The other two? Well, Pagan’s contract literally has a kicker that pays him more if he’s traded, and Trevino’s got almost zero trade value with that money tied to him despite being a pretty OK backup catcher (when not hurt all the time).
You can’t even give him away
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
Hayes, whose back was a problem when the Reds acquired him from Pittsburgh last year and has been partially behind him being the worst hitter on the planet in 2026, has no trade value. Not with more than $30 million guaranteed to him going forward.
The Reds are stuck with him until they release him.
Do you actually want to give him away?
RHP Brady Singer
Singer has been better lately than he was during a brutal two-month start to the year, but he’s still not been great. What he has been, though, is perpetually reliable, and that’s something the Reds might actually need for the last half of the year.
If they dealt Abbott, or Nick Lodolo, who actually soaks up innings on this roster? Is it worth keeping Singer around at the prorated portion of his salary so that someone can actually go 5 IP every fifth day, especially once Chase Burns gets inevitably shut down?
Do you really trust Chase Petty, or Julian Aguiar to step right in and get through 6 IP every week?
You can make the case that Singer will have a small market, and that’s probably true. What I’m saying here, though, is that if the Reds move him and make a larger move to deal another established starter, Nick Krall is going to need a Zack Littell-esque move to literally have a body out there who can get enough outs to get through the end of the year. It’ll be hard to find one more apt at that for cheaper than what they’ve already got in Singer.
The bullpen
There are some pieces here that good teams will want. Good teams needing only fringe additions in the middle of their bullpen won’t be sending over future superstar talent to acquire them, but they’ll send enough to make the moves.
This is the Brock Burke, Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Johnson category. If the Reds eat a million here or there with this trio, they’ll be able to get legitimate wild card pieces who are years away. You do this as soon as you can if you are Krall, and you look immediately at where the current Reds bullpen ranks and realize it won’t fall any further down the rankings if you just bring back Connor Phillips, Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey, etc.
(That’s a long-term problem to fix. Get what you can from what few pillars there are there right now.)
Sam Moll is controllable again in 2027, so perhaps you keep him around. Someone will need to be a reliever on the Reds in 2027. Still, if someone comes calling for him, might as well move him, too.
The obvious movers
1B Nathaniel Lowe, C Tyler Stephenson
Lowe was released by the Washington Nationals mid-August last year and Boston brought him in for a successful month and a half that mimicked his work for years in Texas. Still, nobody wanted Lowe this offseason and he came to the Reds on a minor league deal and has, ever since, looked more or less like the typical Lowe. There’s just a very light market for that right now, though someone will likely send at least some cash to move him on.
Stephenson might have suitors, especially if any of the typical catching injuries pop up to a key player at an opportune time. He’s a free agent at season’s end, so the Reds may as well move him for what they can. If they want him back on a 1-year deal this winter, he’ll be a free agent and they’ve got his phone number after 11 years in the organization, after all.
The legitimately OK pieces
OF JJ Bleday, IF/OF Spencer Steer, LHP Nick Lodolo
Here’s why we wrote the article. It took us over 1600 words to talk about how little the Reds should legitimately shop this trade deadline, but we made it to this trio – JJ Bleday, Spencer Steer, and Nick Lodolo.
They’re a trio that each come with team control beyond 2026 – 2027 for Lodolo, 2027 and 2028 for Bleday and Steer. Each has their own solid pedigree, too.
Lodolo was twice drafted in the 1st round and was a consensus Top 100 prospect, and his 2025 season established an ability to be a front-line starter.
Bleday was a Top 5 pick, posted a 20 homer season back with the A’s, and was the NL Player of the Month in May when he was the best hitter on the planet.
Steer finished 6th in Rookie of the Year voting, played in the Futures Game the year before, and has a streak of 20+ homer seasons sitting at three right now with 14 already this year, has a 20/25 season under his belt, and he plays all over defensively (even if it’s mediocre)
Nobody is trading for Bleday or Steer to come in and be the best position player on their team, but each would likely be given a significant complementary role for just about any team (especially with Steer’s defense and Bleday’s bat vs RHP). That paired with team control has a good bit of value, even if Bleday’s is dented by his uncermonious exit from the A’s organization.
It’s Lodolo, though, who has the chance to be the buy-low steal of this trade deadline, and that’s my pick for the most apt combination of biggest and best trade chip right now. He just poured in his best start of the year over the weekend, and the blister issues that dogged him early finally look like they’re in the past. He also has a reptuation as being ‘injury prone’ because yes, he has missed a lot of time over the years, but none of those has been a structural injury to a key part of his prized left arm.
There are a lot of miles left on Nick Lodolo, and while he might not get a fraction of the haul that Tarik Skubal will net the Tigers this deadline, you can make the claim (especially while pointing at 2025) that he’s got every bit the next-best upside of any arm on the block. So, there could be some decent bidding on him despite the totality of his 2026 stats looking pedestrian by his standards.
The Reds could certainly wait on him, hope he pitches like we know he can during the season’s second half, and shop him this winter. But that wouldn’t be during a playoff chase for teams, and demand – while broader – might not be as intensely focused.
If Lodolo continues to round back into form over the next four weeks, he’s the single best chip the Reds should move as sellers this trade deadline.
College basketball journeyman Kerr Kriisa, who played for four teams in six years, has been indicted by the FBI on multiple counts of wire fraud that occurred during his time in West Virginia.
The charges, which were unrelated to sports gambling or actions on the court, are laid out in court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. They include five counts of wire fraud that saw Kriisa texting people, often under the alias "Irene" asking for money for multiple "emergencies."
Kriisa, who played for Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Cincinnati in his college career, "allegedly carried out a scheme to obtain nearly $2.2 million from multiple victims using false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communications," per the DOJ's release on his arrest. Among the alleged attempted scams, Kriisa — who was most recently playing basketball in his home country of Estonia — allegedly tried to ask for money to help his mother who was sick with cancer and asked for money to save his family's farm.
Kriisa averaged 8.8 points per game, including 11 points per game at West Virginia in the 2023-24 season.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 27: New York Yankees centerfielder Trent Grisham (12) is congratulated by teammates after scoring during a MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals on May 27, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The last two weeks have been downright depressing in Yankeeland; that much is obvious. Pretty much every facet of the game has been agonizing to watch, and even though several of these games have been winnable towards the end, only one of them have ended in the win column over the last 10 games. While injuries are a big factor, it’s also just maddening regression from the 26 guys on the roster. If you removed the contributions of Aaron Judge and Max Fried from the team’s first two months, they’d still probably have the best record in the AL through mid-June. Their struggles are much more predicated on the guys on the roster stumbling over themselves.
The team is doing a lot less of a lot of things right now. They aren’t slugging. They aren’t making basic defensive plays. The rotation has only put up a zero twice to start the game in the last nine games. Some of this can be explained, though. The slugging drop-off makes sense with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined, along with a slump by Ben Rice. The defensive miscues make more sense with how players are being played out of position out of necessity. The rotation is experiencing natural regression from a strong start and is without Max Fried or Carlos Rodón.
Something that can’t be as easily explained is the other big part of a formidable Yankees offense vanishing, their ability to draw walks. That and hitting the long ball carry a whole lot of weight for an offense that’s usually among the game’s elite. Since mid-June, the team has gone from one of the best at taking the free pass to one of the worst:
Walk Rate: Through June 16th: 11.3 percent (first in MLB) Since June 17th: 7.1 percent (26th)
Sure, Judge and Trent Grisham are big reasons why the team has the league’s best walk rate, but even with their absence, the team should still be pretty good at it. Even if you remove their plate appearances from the sample, something that would not be a clear representative of the data, they drop to sixth in walk rate through mid-June at 10.3 percent.
The raw numbers tell the story of a team that, overall, is walking less across the board, but maybe not as much as you’d think given the drop off.
BB% since June 17, change from pre-June 17th: Ryan McMahon: 7.8 percent to 11.8 percent (+4.0) José Caballero: 5.6 percent to 7.3 percent (+1.7) Amed Rosario: 6.2 percent to 7.3 percent (+1.1) Cody Bellinger: 13.5 percent to 13.4 percent (-0.1) Anthony Volpe: 12.6 percent to 12.3 percent (-0.3) Jasson Domínguez: 4.9 percent to 2.9 percent (-2.0) Ben Rice: 13.3 percent to 8.5 percent (-4.8) Paul Goldschmidt: 8.3 percent to 3.4 percent (-4.9) Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 11.5 percent to 5.5 percent (-6.0) Spencer Jones*: 13.2 percent to 6.8 percent (-6.4) Austin Wells*: 13.6 percent to 0.0 percent (-13.6)
The asterisks for Jones and Wells are for their inconsistent playing time, but I want to key in on Wells, whose descent offensively has been both bewildering and incredibly tragic for both his psyche and the organization. Even when he was objectively bad the first few months of the season, he showed improved plate discipline. He was striking out less and walking more. Through May 30th, Wells had a 13.5 BB%, but has since not drawn a single walk in 45 plate appearances. You really have to wonder at this point if those headaches he had is something closer to an Anthony Rizzo situation with how far he’s even dropped off from his pre-IL stint’s plate discipline.
The three players who’ve improved their walk rates are McMahon, Caballero, and Rosario, but the latter two are still decently below average in that regard (MLB average is 9.0 percent). Bellinger and Volpe are still well above average themselves, but the problems start after them.
Rice’s decline is pretty stunning. You would expect a guy like him to actually walk more with Judge out as the premier threat, but teams are just not scared of him right now. Maybe how mortal he’s looked lately is contributing to it? It could also be that his chase rate has ballooned from 23.3 percent to nearly 30 percent. Goldschmidt and Chisholm don’t necessarily come to mind when you think about walks, but both were drawing them at a decent rate before a recent fall-off. Goldy’s faced a ton of lefties of late, likely prompting more aggressive swing decisions, while Chisholm’s is harder to quantify.
Looking deeper, the decrease in walk rate is inversely correlated with a spike in strikeout rate. They were striking out more than league average before this recent stretch, but it’s been even more so:
Strikeout Rate: Through June 16th: 22.8 percent (20th in MLB) Since June 17th: 26.6 percent (27th)
K-BB% is more of a pitcher’s stat, but to give you some context, we’ll use it on the offense. Through mid-June, pitchers against the Yankees had an 11.5 K-BB%, which is like Jeffrey Springs. Since then? It’s 19.5 percent, which is similar to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That’s self-explanatory.
The more contact-oriented hitters on the team are making less contact, especially Bellinger, who’s up to a 22.4 K% over the last three weeks. He’s never been someone afraid to chase to spoil a two-strike offering or serve a single to left field, but this isn’t helping. His chase and whiff rates are both up five percent in the last three weeks.
You’d think with Judge and Grisham out, the Yankees would be seeing a lot more pitches in the strike zone. After all, there’s a lot less firepower to be worried about, right? I guess not.
Batting Zone%: Through June 16th: 41.5 percent Since June 17th: 41.7 percent
Negligible. This isn’t, though:
Chase%: Through June 16th: 30.3 percent (sixth lowest in MLB) Since June 17th: 35.5 percent (fifth highest)
That’s probably what it drills down to. They’re pressing. They feel the pressure of the situation and are flailing at more pitches, being more aggressive. The team’s overall swing percentage has increased from 44.6 percent to 48.4 percent, going from one of the most passive teams to one of the most aggressive. Aggressiveness on hittable pitches is good. That’s a major reason why the offense shook off a slump in the first two weeks, as they started swinging at hittable pitches more. This time, they’re eating out of the pitcher’s hands. It’s not a winning formula.
It also doesn’t help that the pitching staff has them trailing before they can even pick up the bat. Here’s some stats from the last nine games:
The Yankees have not scored first once
The rotation allowed a run in the first seven times
They trailed before coming to bat five times
They’ve allowed 4+ runs in the first three innings five times
The only two times the game was scoreless after one inning were on June 28th against Boston and July 1st against Detroit. In those games, the offense was dead silent for eight innings, trailed 2-0 after eight, forced extra innings, and lost in extras despite both being very winnable.
All told, nobody is contributing and that blows, but what the team could really use right now as they head into a do-or-die four-game set at Tropicana Field is to breathe, be more selective, and take the advice of Passion Pit:
The NHL Players’ Association announced on Sunday that 15 players have filed for salary arbitration. The list includes Senators winger Xavier Bourgault, who made his NHL debut this season at age 23.
Bourgault appeared in two games for Ottawa, but had a fine AHL season in Belleville with 25 goals, 32 assists and 57 points. In his four years as a pro, those are all career highs as Bourgault found some magic playing on a line with Arthur Kaliyev and Phillip Daoust.
Goalie Leevi Merilainen was also arbitration-eligible, but he agreed to a one-year, one-way deal with the Sens last week. He's ready to be an insurance policy if Samuel Ersson doesn't work out.
Sens area scout Beau Moyer describes what he likes about Senators first-round pick Jaxon Cover (Senators YouTube).
Bourgault, on the other hand, isn't likely to be in Ottawa's plans this fall, at least to start the season, nor will he get a one-way contract. But he and his agent must believe that, as an RFA, he can get a little more guaranteed AHL money by taking the arbitration route.
Bourgault was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, 22nd overall, in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Senators in 2024, along with Jake Chiasson, in exchange for Roby Jarventie and a 2025 fourth-round pick (David Lewandowski).
Here's the full list of NHL players who filed for arbitration:
Bourgault, Xavier (Ottawa Senators)
Dach, Kirby (Montreal Canadiens)
Drysdale, Jamie (Philadelphia Flyers)
Greaves, Jet (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Jefferies, Alex (New York Islanders)
Krebs, Peyton (Buffalo Sabres)
McMichael, Connor (St. Louis Blues)
Perfetti, Cole (Winnipeg Jets)
Robertson, Jason (Dallas Stars)
Robertson, Nick (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Schmid, Akira (Florida Panthers)
Schneider, Braden (New York Rangers)
Seeley, Ronan (Carolina Hurricanes)
Sillinger, Cole (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Zegras, Trevor (Philadelphia Flyers)
The rules say that once you file for arbitration, you're no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet with another club.
These players can still avoid arbitration if they sign a deal with their team before their hearing. Hearings are scheduled to be held from July 20 to Aug. 1. Last year, every player headed toward arbitration signed with their teams before their hearings.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
And after upping his physicality last season for Illinois, becoming a weapon on the boards and brick wall on defense, the Brooklyn Nets signed him to an Exhibit-10 contract to give him a chance to show what he can do.
His first Summer League game came in a narrow loss to the Sacramento Kings, where he put up six points on 2-for-5 shooting from three-point range. But that’s not all he did. Humrichous showcased that same physicality he utilized last season, snagging two boards, two steals and one block.
Just a day later, after building up some confidence, he decided he’d carry the offensive load for the Nets to help them secure a 20-point blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Humrichous racked up 15 points after knocking down 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. That’s a lot of triples. In his entire career at Illinois, Humrichous hit five threes in only three games.
But yet again, he offered more on the court than just three-pointers, snagging eight rebounds and tallying two steals.
And to make his night even better, one of Humrichous’ five threes was a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter.
If all of his summer league performances look like this, Illinois fans could see Humrichous earn some real minutes for the Nets in the regular season.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers wait for a free throw during the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 25, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s understandable if you took the holiday weekend off of LeBron Watch.
Unfortunately, the latest seems to suggest James could be nearing a reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst seemingly confirmed that the Cavs are the favorites on Pardon My Take Monday.
“I’ve talked to people in Philly, and I’m like what do you think? ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ – everybody I talked to is like ‘we’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ – nobody seems like they have optimism,” – @WindhorstESPN on the latest with LeBron James 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/aGcO0GiPFo
“I can’t take that off the table,” Windhorst said when asked about the idea of ending a championship drought in Philly being alluring to James.
Longtime NBA Insider Marc Stein’s opinion was slightly different.
“The teams that are in this as we speak, still believe they’re in this,” – @TheSteinLine with an update on what he’s hearing about LeBron Watch. pic.twitter.com/TpEbvyn54x
So, the Sixers are still in it, but how much optimism you want to have is up to you.
Over the weekend, James was photographed after playing a round of golf with Cavs assistant GM Brandon Weems and friends in Akron. It’s worth noting that LeBron frequently goes back to his hometown in the offseason and Weems is one of his best friends.
Again, you choose to read those tea leaves however you’d like.
If he ultimately chooses Cleveland, it truly feels sentimentality-based. From a basketball standpoint, James would likely be tasked with guarding the opponent’s top perimeter threat every night while sharing the floor with Donovan Mitchell and old friend James Harden. Harden’s heliocentric nature also feels like a clunky fit with LeBron offensively.
Meanwhile, the Sixers and Timberwolves might present his best chance to win. He’d slide in at the power forward on either roster and immediately make them a legitimate contender in their respective conference. The Golden State Warriors are also still in the mix, but it seems like that might be contingent on them acquiring Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards, something that doesn’t seem likely as of now.
A reunion with the Miami Heat — and partnering up with Giannis Antetokounmpo — also can’t be ruled out. Nor can the idea of James playing alongside Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets.
As the moratorium ends and deals are officially announced this afternoon, we await LeBron’s decision. Only fitting for The King to take over one more NBA offseason before he hangs it up.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 25: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets warms up before the first inning at Citi Field on June 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At the time that I am writing this, it appears that top prospect Owen Murphy is being called up, but its unclear when he will be deployed, though presumably he will either start today’s game or tomorrow’s. The scheduled starter has been Reynaldo Lopez for today’s game. Lopez is coming off his best start in a while, against the Cardinals. We’ll either be hoping for Reynaldo to build on that success, or perhaps more interestingly, a successful MLB debut from the Braves’ former first round pick Owen Murphy.
For New York, Freddy Peralta will start today’s game, as the series will be decided between an Atlanta win or a 2-2 split. After being one of the jewels of the offseason last offseason, being traded from Milwaukee, Peralta has not lived up to expectations in Flushing. He’s been nothing more than solid on performance and worse on run prevention, with a 4.81 ERA and a 4.16 xFIP. His velocity is perhaps down a tick and his pitch shapes have moved a touch toward his arm-side, but the big change has been his extension dropping from very good to average and his arm angle dropping 6 degrees. The Braves’ offense has been good this series, a much needed change from the last month of play, so let’s hope that continues against Peralta and the Braves can seal a nice 4-game series win over their disappointing rivals in New York.
The 2026 MLB Draft starts this upcoming Saturday at noon, Chicago time. The Cubs have the 23rd pick of the first round. Rounds 1 through 4 will happen on Saturday and rounds 5 through 20 will be on Sunday. So yeah, they’re compressing the usual three days of the draft down to two days this year.
Before we look ahead to whom is available and whom the Cubs might take, it might be a good idea to look back at the Cubs’ last five drafts. These are the five drafts conducted by current Cubs scouting director Dan Kantrovitz. I don’t think there’s much use in going over earlier drafts conducted by different scouting directors.
It’s clear that Kantrovitz has a preference for college over high school players, at least in the first round. All five of his first-round picks have been from a four-year college. He is willing to grab a high school player after the first round and is willing to pay an over slot bonus to sign ones he likes. James Triantos, Drew Gray, Jackson Ferris, Nazier Mulé, Zyhir Hope, Kaleb Wing and Josiah Hartshorn are all types of raw talents out of high school that the Cubs took a chance on, but not in the first round.
Kantrovitz has also shown a willingness to gamble on higher-ceiling players who fell to the Cubs because of health questions. While Kantrovitz’s first first-rounder in Wicks was more of a safe, low-ceiling guy, Cade Horton was a bold pick of a pitcher who had barely pitched in college because of Tommy John surgery. Ethan Conrad was another player whom the Cubs would never have been able to get with the 17th pick had he been healthy.
I also think that the Cubs under Kantrovitz tend to pick more hitters than pitchers, with the exception of that wacky 2022 draft. Kantrovitz will claim that’s just how the talent falls.
You’ll also note that a lot of these players have been traded already. That’s a good sign that other teams want what the Cubs have been picking in the draft.
So let’s review the five Cubs drafts under Dan Kantovitz. The round is listed first, followed by the number of the overall pick in the draft in parenthesis. Also, just because I didn’t list someone in “others of note,” that doesn’t mean they’re not a prospect. There’s only so many of them I can list, especially for the more recent drafts when lots of players still show promise.
2021 Draft
1 (21) LHP Jordan Wicks Kansas State
2 (56) SS James Triantos James Madison HS (VA)
3 (93) LHP Drew Gray IMG Academy (FL)
4 (123) OF Christian Franklin Arkansas
5 (154) SS Liam Spence Tennessee
Others of note: RHP Riley Martin (6th round), 3B BJ Murray (15th)
In Kantrovitz’s first draft, he went with someone considered a safe, low-ceiling college player in Wicks. Wicks certainly hasn’t become that back-end starter they hoped for, but he is a major leaguer (for now) and may still end up as a kind of spot starter/bullpen arm.
Triantos has struggled to find a position and is blocked in Iowa. He’s having a good year there at 23, but has only developed fringy power. He’ll probably play in the majors somewhere. It may not be in Chicago.
Gray has struggled to stay healthy and he’s out for the season. Franklin was dealt to Washington in the Michael Soroka trade and is struggling in Triple-A. Spence was released after the 2024 season.
Martin, a fifth-year senior who signed for a $1000 bonus, has the highest bWAR of any 2021 Cubs draftees. Murray is leading the International League in hitting at age 26 this year. There may be a major league future for him yet, but time is running out.
2022 Draft
1 (7) RHP Cade Horton Oklahoma
2 (47) LHP Jackson Ferris IMG Academy
3 (86) SS Christopher Paciolla Temecula Valley (CA)
4 (113) RHP Nazier Mulé Passiac County Technical (NJ)
This is the draft that Kantrovitz went wild and took 16 pitchers out of 20 picks. Kantrovitz took a chance on Horton, who hadn’t pitched much in college because of Tommy John surgery. It looked like a brilliant move until Horton went down with elbow surgery again this year. If he bounces back like he did from the last surgery, it could still turn out to be a fantastic pick, because Horton finished second in Rookie of the Year balloting last year.
Ferris proved useful to the Cubs as part of the Michael Busch trade. Paciolla was a bust and has been released. Mulé throws 100 miles per hour but has struggled with control. He has improved slightly this year. Birdsell would probably be in the Cubs starting rotation right now as a back-of-the-rotation guy were he not also recovering from Tommy John surgery.
McGwire missed all of last year with injuries, but this year he looks like a future major league pitcher. McCullough looked like a 10th-round steal out of a Division II school who has missed most of the past 2 1/2 seasons with injuries. But he’s just returning to the mound now and is a decent prospect who could be a back-end starter or a bulk reliever.
2023 Draft
1 (13) SS Matt Shaw Maryland
2 (68) RHP Jaxon Wiggins Arkansas
3 (86) SS Josh Rivera Florida
4 (113) RHP Will Sanders South Carolina
5 (149) C Michael Carico Davidson College
Others of note: OF Alfonsin Rosario (6th round), 1B Jonathon Long (9th round), OF Zyhir Hope (11th round)
I don’t think I need to tell you much about Shaw. Probably not Wiggins either, other than he’s rehabbing his way back to Iowa and should probably feature in the Cubs pitching staff next year. Rivera was traded to the Blue Jays for Nate Pearson and is currently in Triple-A. Sanders is Iowa’s best starter this year, which isn’t saying much, but he does appear on most prospect lists and could be in the Cubs rotation next year. Or this year if the injuries get even worse. The Cubs have pretty much given up on Carico as a catcher and he’s now a 1B/DH, where his bat just isn’t special.
Long is a tantalizing prospect at the moment who could be a major league starter somewhere. It would help if he proves able to handle left field.
Rosario was traded to Cleveland for Eli Morgan. Hope was part of the Michael Busch trade and is now a top prospect.
2024 Draft
1 (14) 3B Cam Smith Florida State
2 (54) 3B Cole Mathis College of Charleston
3 (90) SS Ronny Cruz Miami Christian (FL)
4 (120) SS Ty Southisene Basic HS (NV)
5 (150) C Ariel Armas San Diego
Others of note: C Owen Ayers (19th round)
You know what happened to Cam Smith. You probably also know what happened to Mathis, who was just dealt to the Mets for David Peterson. Cruz was dealt with Franklin for Soroka last year. He’s struggling a bit in High-A, but he’s also 19 and in High-A, so that’s not really a bad sign.
Southisene is having a breakout season in South Bend, putting up high batting and on-base averages, but no power. He could be a Tommy La Stella or Nick Madrigal-type player with speed. Armas is one of the best defensive catchers in all of the minors. It’s up in the air if he can hit enough to hold a backup catcher’s job.
Ayers is the real steal of this draft and is having a breakout year. Beyond the .318 batting average and 21 home runs in South Bend and Knoxville combined, he’s reportedly making great strides as a handler of a pitching staff. He already has a cannon for an arm. Ayers may always be a bat-over-defense catcher, but he’s starting to look like the Cubs’ catcher of the future.
Either in spite of or because of the Cubs trading away their first three picks, this is starting to look like a very good draft. The Cubs may not benefit from it as much as they would have hoped by trading the first three picks away, but at least they’ve gotten something out of each pick.
2025 Draft
1 (17) OF Ethan Conrad Wake Forest
2 (59) OF Kane Kepley North Carolina
3 (90) RHP Dominick Reid Abilene Christian
4 (121) RHP Kaleb Wing Scotts Valley HS (CA)
5 (151) OF Kade Snell Alabama
Others of note: OF Josiah Hartshorn Orange Lutheran (CA)
It’s obviously too early to say much about this draft class other than Hartshorn is looking like a very wise pick in the sixth round. Conrad is another one of those players that Kantrovitz tried to get a bargain with by taking an injured player. As Conrad has just started playing in Mesa, it’s too early to judge the wisdom of that. Kepley is also looking like a good pick with a .438 OBP and 40 steals so far in South Bend.
The Islanders' best forwards are locked up for five more seasons at cap hits that are half of Leo Carlsson's new contract, whether that's in Philadelphia or Anaheim.
One massive takeaway from this summer is that the Islanders plan on retooling around Matthew Schaefer, leaving room for the plethora of young prospects they've accumulated and really starting to turn over the roster in 2027.
With that uncertainty, teams called about New York's top forwards. Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche's job is to listen, but that's all he did before he said no.
Then, Carlsson signed his offer sheet, and already solid-looking contracts turned into absolute steals.
Two bona fide top-of-the-lineup stars locked up through their primes at a very inexpensive cap hit? It makes no sense to move on from them in any way.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman confirmed that teams called on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Monday morning, but made it clear, the Islanders aren't moving those guys.
"Horvat's 31, Barzal's 29. They've both got five years left. You're not getting Bo Horvat at 5x$8.5 anymore. You're not getting Barzal at 5x$9+ right now.
And I think they [Darche & Islanders] look at it like 'If we lose these guys, those are going to open up huge holes to fill. And we're not getting guys at those numbers.'"
Darche stated on July 1, the team's going to have over $40 million in cap space next summer. That's before trading away any other contracts, including Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall.
Darche has positioned the Islanders to be in an incredibly flexible spot to build around Schaefer and the future, all while, as Friedman stated in his podcast, the Islanders become a destination.
Players, just like Brayden Schenn this past deadline, want to play for the Islanders to get to play with Schaefer.
Having Barzal and Horvat on team-friendly deals for the next half-decade?
