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It was a busy day for the Phillies affiliates, with two doubleheaders thanks to Tuesday’s rainouts. And happily, most of those games ended up as wins for the good guys.

Buffalo 1, Lehigh Valley 0

The IronPigs pitchers allowed nine hits in the first game of their doubleheader, but just a single run. That run was scored in the first, giving the home team a full nine frames to catch up/ Unfortunately, they could not, as the Lehigh Valley batters were shut out. Dylan Moore had a pair of hits, making up half of his team’s total. The IronPigs also worked five walks, but to little avail. Starter Chuck King allowed the Bisons to scatter seven hits across his five innings of work, but walked only one batter. Kirby Snead pitched a pair of scoreless innings.

Lehigh Valley 5, Buffalo 3

The IronPig bats came alive in the second half of the doubleheader, though it took some time: they scored one run in the third, and four in the fifth. Felix Reyes and Christian Cairo had a pair of hits each. Kameron Misner reached base three times, with had a hit and a pair of walks, Otto Kemp did the same. Drake Fellows had a somewhat shaky performance, allowing five hits and three runs, along with five walks, in five innings. But he did enough to get the win; Michael Mercado got the save after two scoreless innings,

Reading 7, Binghamton 2

This one got off to a weird start, with the Rumble Ponies scoring on, of all things, a balk. But it ended in happier territory. Seven of the nine Fightin Phils starters had hits, with Wuilfredo Antunez leading the way on 2 for 3 batting. Reading scored three different ways in the sixth: by base hit, by wild pitch, and by bases loaded walk.

Luke Russo had the start, going 4 innings with two hits, one run, three walks and 4 Ks. Four Phils relievers would take the mound after him, allowing only one hit between them; Wen-Hui Pan got the win.

Jersey Shore 2, Hudson Valley 1

This was an abridged affair, as a rainout from this past Tuesday made a doubleheader last night. The BlueClaws thus ended up scoring the winning run in the eighth, which, here, was extra innings. Nathan Humphreys homered in the fifth, and Daunte Stuart drove in the winning run with a double. Starter Cody Bowker struck out 6 across 3.2 innings of work, though he allowed nearly as many hits; he walked none.

Jersey Shore 6, Hudson Valley 4

The finish to this one was even more dramatic than the one from the first half of the doubleheader. The Threshers came into the seventh, and final, inning down by two; they scored four. Devin Saltiban had two of the club’s six hits, and Luis Caicuto drove in two runs with a double. Griffin Burkholder had a rough night, striking out in all three of his at-bats, though he did work a walk as well. Cade Obermueller had the start and went three difficult innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, with four walks to go along with his four strikeouts.

Jupiter 9, Clearwater 0

The Threshers took another shark-themed club; the Hammerheads got the better of them. But despite the lopsided score, there was reason to be happy: 2026 draftee Caden Bogenpohl made his debut and smacked a double in his first at-bat; an auspicious beginning. Only two other Threshers had hits, however. Four Threshers took to the mound, and all allowed runs, three allowing multiple. Yordanis Guerra (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K) took the loss.

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Full Slate Friday has arrived, which means the weekend is officially here.

I have put together my thoughts for every matchup on tonight's slate, so without further ado, here are my MLB moneyline predictions for every game on the board.

See what teams need to be on your MLB picks on Friday, July 31!

MLB moneyline picks for July 31

Matchup	Pick
Yankees vs  Cubs	-144
Pirates vs Reds	+117
Phillies vs Orioles	-111
Cardinals vs Blue Jays	+160
Diamondbacks vs Guardians	-130
White Sox vs Rays	-135
Marlins vs Mets	+117
Nationals vs Braves	+108
Rangers vs Astros	+115
Royals vs Rockies	-104
Brewers vs Angels	-156
Tigers vs Athletics	-133
Giants vs Padres	+135
Red Sox vs Dodgers	-115
Twins vs Mariners	+160

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of July 31.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 31

Yankees vs Cubs: Cubs (-144)

Cubs win probability: 59%

If you've been following these daily moneyline articles, first off, thank you. Second, you know I'm usually not a fan of laying juice on moneylines. That said, I want no part of the Yankees right now. The way they've played over the last few days has been flat-out pathetic, from the mental mistakes to the sloppy baseball.

Plus, Will Warren has a 7.50 ERA over his last five starts, and the offense has a 67 wRC+. 

Give me the Cubs.

Pirates vs Reds: Reds (+117)

Reds win probability: 46%

Phillies vs Orioles: Orioles (-111)

Orioles win probability: 52%

The Phillies have been an ice-cold mess over the past week, posting just an 87 wRC+, .299 wOBA, and .672 OPS over their last six games. The Orioles have not been much better offensively during that stretch, but Brandon Young has quietly been pitching really well. Across his last three starts, he owns a 2.21 ERA, 2.91 xERA, and 1.03 WHIP.

In a matchup between two cold offenses, I'll gladly back the pitcher who has been throwing the ball better.

Give me the Birds.

Cardinals vs Blue Jays: Cardinals (+160)

Cardinals win probability: 38%

Diamondbacks vs Guardians: Guardians (-130)

Guardians win probability: 56%

With Mitch Bratt posting a 7.11 ERA, 2.13 WHIP, and a 14% walk rate over his last three starts, I want no part of backing the Diamondbacks tonight. On the other side, Tanner Bibee has started to turn things around, posting a 2.89 ERA across his last three outings.

The Guardians offense has been dormant, while Arizona has finally started to come back down to earth after its scorching two week stretch at the plate.

I'll simply side with the hotter arm in this one.

White Sox vs Rays: Rays (-135)

Rays win probability: 57%

It is hard for me to look at what Nick Martinez has done over his last three starts and want to fade him. During that stretch, he owns a 0.69 ERA, 1.64 xERA, and 0.85 WHIP.

The White Sox have also looked shaky this past week against the Yankees, and now they hand the ball to Eric Fedde, who owns a 5.40 ERA on the road this season.

Give me the Rays.

Marlins vs Mets: Marlins (+117)

Marlins win probability: 46%

Nationals vs Braves: Nationals (+108)

Nationals win probability: 48%

We're getting plus money with one of the hottest offenses in baseball and one of its best arms on the mound. On the other side is Bryce Elder, who owns a 5.97 xERA and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts.

The Braves offense has also cooled off considerably, posting just a 72 wRC+, .274 wOBA, and .610 OPS over its last six games.

I'll gladly take the hotter lineup at plus money.

Give me the most electrifying offense in baseball.

Rangers vs Astros: Rangers (+115)

Rangers win probability: 46%

Hunter Brown has looked better over his last three starts, but I think Nathan Eovaldi is in the better spot tonight. The Rangers offense has been on an absolute tear over its last 21 games. Sure, the strikeout rate is a bit elevated, but they're also carrying a 120 wRC+, .342 wOBA, and .782 OPS during that stretch.

The Astros have been swinging it well too, but I have more concerns with their bullpen, and I'm not convinced Brown has completely turned the corner.

Royals vs Rockies: Royals (-104)

Royals win probability: 50%

Real quick and easy here: Tomoyuki Sugano is on the mound for the Rockies, and their offense is completely frozen.

That's really all I need.

If you want a little more, Michael Wacha has been very solid in his recent starts, while the Royals offense has continued to generate plenty of hard contact. This feels like a great spot for Kansas City to do some damage at Coors.

Brewers vs Angels: Brewers (-156)

Brewers win probability: 61%

Pay the juice. The Brewers are worth it.

Shane Drohan's underlying metrics over his last five starts have been outstanding, posting a 3.00 xERA while walking just 4.84% of opposing hitters. He also draws a favorable matchup against an Angels lineup that owns just an 89 wRC+, .297 wOBA, and .651 OPS over its last 12 games.

On the other side, Ryan Johnson enters with a 7.34 ERA on the season, and this Brewers offense has been mashing all year. With the way Milwaukee has been swinging the bats, this feels like another spot where they put up runs.

Pay the juice.

Tigers vs Athletics: Tigers (-135)

Tigers win probability: 57%

The Tigers are not my favorite team to back because of their inconsistency, but this feels like a spot where I have to side with the Kitties. The Athletics have gone ice cold, and Jeffrey Springs has been getting shelled, posting an 8.86 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, and allowing a 10.67% barrel rate over his last five starts.

On the other side, Casey Mize has been nails, recording a 2.20 ERA, 2.66 xERA, and 0.84 WHIP across his last five outings.

It is Tigers or nothing for me in this one.

Giants vs Padres: Giants (+135)

Giants win probability: 42%

Death. Taxes. Fade Germán Márquez.

Márquez has been a disaster at home this season, posting a 7.36 ERA, 5.83 xERA, and 1.77 WHIP. Luckily for us, the Giants offense has started to find its groove, owning a 114 wRC+, .329 wOBA, and .741 OPS over its last 21 games.

There is simply no chance I'm laying juice against a lineup this hot with Germán Márquez on the mound.

Red Sox vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-115)

Dodgers win probability: 54%

I completely understand that Ranger Suárez and the Red Sox have been rolling and continue to find ways to win, but getting the Dodgers at just -115 is a price I am not passing up.

Especially with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.

What?!

Give me the Dodgers.

Twins vs Mariners: Twins (+160)

Twins win probability: 38%

Sure, the Twins are coming off a massive walk-off win yesterday, but nothing is going to convince me to lay -163 with this Mariners team.

I know Zebby Matthews has struggled on the road this season, sporting a 7.58 ERA away from home. But Bryce Miller has not been much better over his last three starts, and Seattle's offense has been ice cold for weeks.

At this price, I'll happily grab the heavy underdog.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Hot stove season is well underway. Milwaukee has already made a few trades this year, acquiring pitchers Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon (though McCullers has already been released), infielder Braden Shewmake (also released), and reliever Joel Kuhnel.

And the Brewers certainly aren’t done yet. While they haven’t yet made the splashy move that’s been speculated over the last several weeks, there’s certainly the chance they do so this weekend.

Follow along below as rumors and news from around the league emerge.

7/31, 9:12 a.m.: Potential Brewer target Casey Mize, a right-hander on the Tigers, has been scratched from his start scheduled for Friday night. His next start is now scheduled for Tuesday, meaning he may have already pitched in his last game for Detroit.

7/31, 9:06 a.m.: Brewers reportedly among the teams showing strong interest in Mets reliever Luke Weaver.

Team News

Diamondbacks have more options to handle closer-by-committee than in the recent pasthttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/options-handle-closer-by-committee

How Diamondbacks’ 2025 trade deadline played out 1 year laterhttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/how-2025-trade-deadline-played-out

5 Rental Relievers for Diamondbacks to Target at the Trade Deadlinehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/5-rental-relievers-diamondbacks-target-trade-deadline

5 Potential Rental Bat Targets for the Diamondbacks at Trade Deadlinehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/5-realistic-rental-bat-targets-diamondbacks-trade-deadline

Other Baseball

Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/latest-chatter-on-tarik-skubal.html

Padres, Diamondbacks Scouting Freddy Peralta
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/padres-diamondbacks-scouting-freddy-peralta.html

2026 MLB trade deadline rumors, news, live updates: Tarik Skubal trade loom; Curtis Mead fractures wrist after trade to Red Sox

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/live/2026-mlb-trade-deadline-rumors-news-live-updates-tarik-skubal-mason-miller-cj-abrams-joe-ryan-buyers-sellers-182640023.html

Twins’ Kody Clemens blasts walk-off grand slam vs. Royals https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49491240/twins-kody-clemens-blasts-walk-grand-slam-vs-royals

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-31

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/July_31

The average bear will have 42 teeth.

Each adult bear will have a total of 42 teeth. This includes 4 prominent and curved canine teeth, 12 incisors, 16 premolars, and 10 molars. The claws on the bears’ feet are relatively shorter than their teeth.

s are born without kneecaps. 

Turns out, babies are as soft and delicate as they look. Babies may have more bones than the average fully-grown human, but they definitely won’t be doing any stunts anytime soon. Babies are born with a cartilaginous structure in their knees that will eventually develop into kneecaps by the time they are four years old. 

The most commonly used letter in the English alphabets is E.

The second most common letters are T, A, I, N, and O. The least used letter in the English alphabets is the letter Q. 

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (54-50) won 8-2 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Whitcomb RBI single. Alexander started for Sugar Land and went 4 innings allowing 1 run. Sugar Land took the lead in the 6th inning on an Alexander 2 run home run. They got 2 more runs in the 7th on a Delgado RBI groundout and Loperfido RBI single. In the 8th inning, Brooks added 3 runs on a 3 run home run to extend the lead. The pen was solid as they closed out the 8-2 win.

Note: Loperfido is hitting .284 in Triple-A.

• Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, SB
• Shay Whitcomb, LF: 1-for-4, RBI, SB
• CJ Alexander, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Jake Meyers, CF: 1-for-4, R
• Trenton Brooks, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Edwin Diaz, SS: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB
• Matt Thaiss, C: 1-for-3, R, BB

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB,  K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (46-53) won 16-4 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on an error. In the third inning, Janek connected on a solo home run. Gillis got the start and went 4 innings allowing 1 run with 4 strikeouts. The Hooks extended the lead in the 5th inning on a Schiavone RBI double and Encarnacion walk. They blew things open in the 6th scoring 7 runs on a Schiavone RBI single, Encarnacion 2 run single and Call grand slam. They continued to score runs in the 7th on a Janek 2 run home run and a run on an error. Janek capped off an incredible night with a 2 run double in the 8th. The pen allowed a couple of runs but the offense did more than enough as the Hooks won 16-4.

Note: Gillis has a 3.59 ERA this season.

• Walker Janek, DH: 4-for-5, 4 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, BB, SB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Trevor Austin, 1B: 1-for-4, R, 2 BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-5, R, 3 RBI, BB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 1-for-5, R
• Chase Call, LF: 2-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-5, R
• Kenni Gomez, CF: 3-for-4, 4 R, 2B, BB, SB
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 1-for-5, R

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (33-65)

Game One – lost 16-12 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board on a Moss walk in the first. In the second inning they scored 4 runs on a Frey 2 run single, Huezo RBI double and Moss RBI double. They got 2 more in the third inning on a Nunez solo home run and Neyens solo home run. Cruz got the start and allowed 5 runs before being relieved by Carr who allowed another 6 runs. Wells pitched in relief and allowed 5 runs. The offense got a few runs back including a 2 run double from Huezo in the 7th but the comeback fell short as Asheville fell 16-12.

Note: Neyens has a .829 OPS in High-A.

• Caden Powell, LF: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-2, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB
• Ethan Frey, CF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Kyle Walker, SS: 1-for-4, BB
• Freuddy Batista, C: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB

• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Game Two – lost 6-1 (BOX SCORE)

Oakes got the start for Asheville but struggled allowing 6 runs, 3 earned, over 3 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the third inning on a Huezo RBI groundout. The bullpen tossed 4 scoreless innings but the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 6-1.

Note: Huezo has a .884 OPS in High-A.

• Justin Thomas, LF: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 0-for-3, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-3

• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Garrett Apker, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Max Martin, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (50-47) won 11-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got the offense going early scoring 5 runs in the first inning on a Flores walk, Sierra 2 run double and Newman 2 run single. They got another run in the 2nd inning on a Ramirez sac fly. Beck got the start and was solid allowing 2 runs over 5 innings of work. In the 6th, Ramirez added another sac fly. The offense scored 2 runs in the 7th on an error and Newman RBI double and in the 8th, Sierra connected on a 2 run home run. Shoemaker closed it out tossing 4 scoreless innings.

Note: Flores has a .821 OPS this season.

• Waner Luciano, DH: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB, SB
• German Ramirez, SS: 0-for-3, 2 RBI
• Kevin Alvarez, LF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, C: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
• Juan Sierra, RF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
• DJ Newman, CF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2B

• Jagger Beck, RHP: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ryan Weiss – 7:05 CT

CC: Nolan DeVos – 7:05 CT

AV: Andrew Taylor – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

If you’re a baseball history buff, you probably recognize the name Hank Bauer. While he was never the team’s main star, he had a very good career on some very good Yankees teams, winning seven World Series titles. However, so much about him gets overlooked if you just know that about him. Hank Bauer had quite the life in baseball.

Henry Albert “Hank” Bauer
Born: July 31, 1922 (East St. Louis, IL)
Died: February 9, 2007 (Lenexa, KS)
Yankees Tenure: 1948-59

Bauer was born in 1922 to immigrants from Austria-Hungary. It’s theoretically possible that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had some sort of butterfly effect that led to Bauer eventually playing for the Yankees. Hank was the youngest of nine children and had a bit of a hard scrabble life growing up. His father lost a leg in an accident, requiring the children to help bring in some income.

As for baseball, Hank followed his older brother Herman into the sport. Herman was signed by the White Sox and was a well-rated prospect, who got Hank a minor league tryout. The Oshkosh Giants signed Bauer out of that tryout, and he had a brief run with them in 1941.

However, Bauer’s run with Oshkosh was cut short, for reasons you might be able to deduce from the date. The United States entered World War II in December 1941, and Bauer enlisted in the Marine Corps soon after. In his time in the military, Bauer suffered a shrapnel injury and also battled malaria while serving in the Pacific Theater. However, his brother Herman suffered an even worse fate, as he was killed in action during the Normandy Landing in 1944.

Due to his wounds and injuries, Bauer had assumed his baseball career was over, but Yankee scout Danny Menendez remembered Bauer from before the war, signed him and got him a tryout with the Quincy Gems. There in 1946, five years after his last minor league game, Bauer returned to pro baseball. From there, he quickly made his way through the Yankees’ minor league system. By the end of 1948, the Yankees called him up for a September cup of coffee. The next year, the Yankees had some injury problems in the outfield, leading new manager Casey Stengel to give some chances to young players, including Bauer. He made the most of his opportunity with a solid season, locking down a place in the Yankees’ lineup for years to come.

In 1949, Bauer became a reliable bat for a Yankees team that won five World Series titles in a row starting that season. Over those years, Bauer steadily got better, posting his best career hitting seasons in the final years of that five-peat: a 132 OPS+ in 1952, and a 131 in ‘53. He also emerged as a favorite of Stengel as well as a leader in the clubhouse.

Throughout all that, Bauer also had some big moments. In 1951, his three-run triple in the sixth inning of Game 6 gave the Yankees the lead for good, as they won that game to clinch the series. Later that game, he made a sliding catch for the final out of the series, as the Giants threatened a comeback.

Later in his career, Bauer recorded a hit in 17-straight World Series games over the course of the 1956-58 series. In the ‘58 Series, he put up a 1.032 OPS with four home runs in a seven-game victory over the Braves. Were it not for Bob Turley’s heroics on the mound, Bauer could’ve been named MVP of that series.

Bauer was also known as someone who didn’t take much crap. Whitey Ford described one incident where after he came in worse for wear after a night out, Bauer pinned him against the wall and said that Ford was “messing with (Bauer’s) money.” Bauer was also one of the notable participants of the “Copacabana Incident.” While the outfielder always said he played no part in the brawl that happened that night, one person sued him claiming that Bauer had punched him. The charges didn’t stick, and Bauer was later proven correct decades after the fact.

Despite his World Series hit streak, Bauer had begun to fall off by the end of the 1950s. In 1959, he rated as a below average hitter for the first time since his 1948 big league cameo. The Yankees decided to move on, and Bauer was included in a trade with the Kansas City Athletics that brought a certain Roger Maris to the Bronx.

Bauer spent two seasons as a player in KC. In the second of those, the, uh, “eccentric” Charlie Finley named Bauer the team’s manager partway through the season. He led the team through the 1962 season before being let go, but the A’s were a mess at that time, as the Maris trade was hardly the only one they made that massively benefitted the Yankees.

After his departure from the A’s, Bauer joined the Baltimore Orioles coaching staff. Following a disappointing 1963 season, Baltimore elevated Bauer to the manager. In his first two years, Bauer led the O’s to 90+ win seasons, but third place finishes in the AL. Following the addition of Frank Robinson in 1966, Baltimore won the pennant and then swept the Dodgers in the World Series.

Injuries hampered the Orioles over the next couple seasons and Bauer was eventually let go in favor of Earl Weaver in 1968. Bauer took up the helm of the A’s again next year — with the team now in Oakland — but Finley fired him after a late season slump. Although Bauer managed in the Mets’ minor league system after that, he eventually gave that up after no other big league team was willing to give him a shot.

Bauer eventually rejoined the Yankees as a scout, but otherwise left baseball and settled down back in Kansas. He occasionally returned for Old-Timers’ Days at Yankee Stadium and lived in The Sunflower State until he passed away from lung cancer in 2007.

While he was a very good player for a long time, Hank Bauer wasn’t on a Hall of Fame level. However, he still had quite the life in baseball regardless.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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The New York Mets have become the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market operator.

Key Takeaways

• The Mets named Novig their exclusive prediction market partner in the club's first deal of its kind.
  
  
• The partnership includes in-stadium branding at Citi Field, broadcast integrations, and social media activations.
  
  
• The agreement follows Novig's designation as an MLB authorized prediction market and reflects the growing presence of prediction markets in professional sports.

The Mets announced on Thursday a multi-year partnership with Novig, making the operator the club's exclusive official prediction market partner.

"Our mission is to build the home for sports trading," Jacob Fortinsky, CEO and cofounder of Novig, said. "Partnering with one of baseball's most iconic franchises allows us to bring that vision directly to fans in one of the greatest sports markets in the world.”

The partnership, which comes amid a Mets season of mixed results, will see Novig integrated across the ballclub’s home park in Flushing through Citi Field signage and branded in-game activations, as well as via the club’s broadcast and social media channels.

MLB previously made prediction market news thanks to a partnership with Polymarket announced back in March, following the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer’s similar deals within the prediction market space.

"We're proud to be the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market company, giving our fans a new and engaging way to connect with the game," said Lew Sherr, president of business operations for the Mets. "Innovation is a defining characteristic of our business, and this partnership is another example of our commitment to staying at the forefront of the evolving sports landscape. It reflects our broader goal of delivering unique experiences for our fans and continuing to attract industry-leading partners who want to grow alongside the Mets."

Teams embrace prediction markets

While the Mets have become the first ballclub to join in on the prediction market frenzy, they’re far from the first team across the major North American sports to form partnerships across a rapidly evolving landscape.

The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers previously announced partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, respectively. The NBA, meanwhile, has strayed from entering the marketplace, though Miami Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo announced he would join Kalshi as a shareholder in February.

As for the Mets partnership, the news follows Novig's recent designation as an MLB authorized prediction market, per the release, thus establishing “participation in MLB's integrity program, which includes collaboration on comprehensive market monitoring, reporting protocols, and restricting markets that present an integrity risk to MLB.”

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We made it everyone. Happy Friday!

The club wrapped up its series with the Boston Red Sox last night with another close loss. It was a competitive series and if some things had gone a bit differently they could have been the ones to take three of four instead of being the ones losing three of four. The club now sits at 45-64 and are getting dangerously close to the Angels at the bottom of the division. If there should be one goal the rest of the year it should be to finish in fourth place.

Now that Boston’s left town the club will bring in an AL Central foe as the Detroit Tigers arrive in Sacramento for a three-game weekend series, the final one before the trade deadline. While Detroit started the year poorly they fought back and got into the playoff race briefly, thanks in part to sweeping our A’s right before the All-Star break. Alas, a tough week has dropped them to seven games under .500 and quashed any notion they had they could leapfrog half a dozen teams for a playoff spot, so they’ll enter Monday’s deadline as sellers.

With that development comes the addition of one of the best arms on the market in Tarik Skubal. The reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner is now officially on the table in trade talks with many in the business convinced that the left-hander is all but certain to be traded. He wasn’t lined up to pitch against the A’s either way during this series in Sacramento but monitoring the situation all weekend should cause some off-field drama in the other dugout. Skubal isn’t the only one likely to be traded but the entire baseball world is holding their breath to see where he ends up.

As for our weekend series, we have our starting pitching matchups all set. Tonight’s series opener features lefty Jeffrey Springs making possibly his last appearance for the A’s before Monday’s trade deadline. He’s had a tough season and his most recent start was cut short thanks to a tight hip but that seemed to be a precaution and he’s healthy enough for tonight’s start. Would a big outing make it more likely he finds himself on the move, or nothing will affect that equation now? Springs will be opposed by former #1 overall pick Casey Mize, who is himself having a fantastic year and will come into this one with a 2.70 ERA. Like Skubal he could find himself on the move over the next couple of days.

Saturday we’ll see a rematch from a couple weeks ago as rookie right-hander Jack Perkins goes up against the veteran Framber Valdez. Perkins made a “bulk” outing against the Tigers and it delivered mixed results. He’s gotten two traditional starts since then and looked much better so the hope is he can continue this mini roll he’s on right now. The A’s meanwhile will be looking for some revenge against Valdez after he quieted A’s bats for three hits and one run in a loss.

And then we wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon with Gage Jump getting the ball for the Athletics while the Tigers will send their own young arm to the bump in Keider Montero. Jump has had a solid start to his career overall but July has not been kind to the lefty. He seemingly righted the ship his last time out when he fired six shutout innings against the Red Sox on Monday and the A’s would gladly take more of the same. Montero meanwhile got a bit roughed up in his last start, allowing nine hits and four runs against the Orioles. This should be a good contest and a glimpse into the future for both clubs.

First pitch is at 6:40. Have a great weekend A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Late Collapse Costs A’s Chance at Series Split
• Red Sox Edge A’s 4-2 in Extra-inning Heartbreaker
• A’s Squeak by Red Sox 4-3
• Grand Slam Sinks A’s Against Red Sox
• Parity (Mediocrity) Could Make For An Interesting Trade Deadline
• Sources: A’s star Langeliers may miss rest of ‘26
• A’s Lose Finale (And Series) To Twins 11-8
• A’s Prevail 2-0 in Tightly Contested Pitching Duel
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• A’s place rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on injured list with ruptured testicle
• Another ‘step in the right direction’ for Lopez in hunt to regain rookie form
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
• What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?
• A’s Add Next Wave of Prospects in 2026 Draft
• Athletics Get Hitting Help by Claiming Hot Bat off Waivers

MLB News and Interest:

• Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal
• Mets trade Minter to Twins, bringing son of fan favorite to Queens in return (source)
• Rays starter Shane McClanahan exits game due to back tightness
• Reds Getting Significant Interest In Hunter Greene
• Trade rumors: Skubal, Peralta, Greene, Goodman, Angels, more
• Padres, Diamondbacks Scouting Freddy Peralta
• Injury-hampered Orioles trade for Tigers catcher Jake Rogers
• They may not headline the Deadline, but these are 6 sneaky good trade options
• Florida collector pulls 1-of-1 Ohtani card, sells it for $11M
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Any chance he’ll get a quick cup of coffee with the big league team in September?

Good news, sounds like no tear down is imminent:

Oof:

Oof:

Unlike so many contenders, including the Miami Marlin team they beat Thursday night, the Mets had known the gist of their trade deadline plans for weeks. They had been sellers for as long as almost anyone, with plenty of time to evaluate exactly what they might want in exchange for the many players they made clear they'd be willing to trade.

But with less than 72 hours remaining until the deadline, they had not traded any of them -- in large part because no one else was trading anyone yet, either. A few minutes after A.J. Minter tossed his towel in the laundry bin and left the Mets’ clubhouse in street clothes late Thursday night, though, he became the first domino to tumble.

The Mets traded Minter to the Minnesota Twins for minor league infielders Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani -- son of Benny -- in a ceremonious start to what should be a busy few days.

Despite knowing his team’s fate for weeks, and a stated willingness to make deals earlier, the market offered no reason for David Stearns to hurry. The only deals that preceded Minter’s were the Angels’ surprising trade of catcher Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Rangers and the Tigers’ less surprising trade of catcher Jake Rogers to the Orioles. 

The relief market, like the market at large, should start to move now.

Whether the Mets’ deadline pace accelerates will likely depend on how willing they are to budge on their early standards for returns: Multiple members of contending front offices said the Mets have established noticeably high asking prices for their pitchers, particularly Freddy Peralta.

Selling teams often set prices high early and move them to fit the market as the deadline nears. Buying teams accusing those sellers of asking for the world is effectively a trade deadline tradition -- so in some ways, everyone is running the usual plays.

As of Friday morning, members of the Mets and front offices in touch with them believed the Mets will eventually trade all their other players on expiring contracts -- Peralta, Clay Holmes, Brooks Raley, and Tyrone Taylor. Of their players still under contract beyond this year, Luke Weaver seemed the likeliest to go. No one asked expected a deal to include Francisco Lindor.

Scouts from the White Sox, Padres, and others spent Thursday evening at Citi Field. Those teams have starting pitching needs, though the man who started for the Mets Thursday night, Nolan McLean, is one of the few players they have said is not for sale. 

Peralta is scheduled to start here Friday night, and manager Andy Green said the Mets still plan for him to do so. While starting him could risk injury, or waste bullets he might prefer to save for his next team, a person familiar with the right-hander's thinking said he is preparing to pitch Friday, in accordance with the Mets’ plans.

But the chances of Peralta actually taking the mound for the Mets then are not exactly 100 percent: A trade could materialize before then, and if it doesn’t, the Mets could still decide to hold him out to avoid injury or out of respect for suitors who would rather he make as many starts for them as possible.

Holmes is in a similar situation, having navigated a successful rehab outing earlier this week that left the veteran feeling ready to make his next outing in the majors. He will throw a bullpen Friday afternoon, at which point Green said the Mets will have more clarity about if or when they use Holmes next.

Holmes would be on turn to return from the injured list and start for the Mets on Sunday if he is not traded by then, though because he will likely draw an even wider market and larger return than Peralta, the Mets have little incentive to risk injury by starting him before a deal materializes.

As for what the Mets are hunting in exchange, Stearns has said publicly that they must be open-minded to the best talent available, whatever that is. Agbayani and Amick have different offensive profiles. MLB Pipeline ranked both among the Twins’ top 30 prospects -- Amick 21st and Agbayani 29th.

“I don’t think it makes sense for us to zoom in on a particular skill set or a particular player profile and say, that’s the type of player we need to acquire,” Stearns said in his meeting with the media earlier this homestand. 

“We see all over the big leagues that there are players who can impact winning in very different ways, and we have to recognize that in our evaluation of whatever deals may or may not be in front of us. We see different types of prospects traded in different deadlines. It’s very difficult to predict exactly the type of player that’s going to be traded, the type of player that’s going to be available at a deadline.”

That Stearns pointed to “prospects” in that answer might offer more specific insight. Multiple Mets decision makers have suggested their focus will be on acquiring the best prospects they can in these deals -- as they tried to in the Minter deal -- rather than the kind of big-leaguer-for-big-leaguer deals that similarly situated teams sometimes make to get a head start on their offseason priorities. But they also alluded to the need to be “creative,” which might be a relative term in the context of Stearns’ reputation for dealmaking discipline. 

The Minter deal qualified as a classic deadline swap. The Mets should have plenty more of those to come.

There’s been plenty of discourse around what the Brewers will do at the trade deadline over the last several weeks, so here’s a place to centralize that conversation.

Who would you like to see the Brewers add? Will Matt Arnold make a splash? What area of need should the Brewers address? Tarik Skubal? Casey Mize? CJ Abrams? Someone else? This space is open for all discussion on anything deadline!