On July 1, the Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Cole Smith to a three-year, $9 million contract. With this move, the Blackhawks have added more experience and depth to their forward group.
While Smith may not be the biggest signing of the summer, he could end up being a very solid addition to the Blackhawks' roster. The 31-year-old should fit nicely in Chicago's bottom six due to his high-energy style of play and grit.
Smith should also provide value because of his strong defensive play. Because of this, he should now be a key contributor to the Blackhawks' penalty kill. This element of his game should benefit the Blackhawks nicely as they look for better results in 2026-26. This is especially so when noting that they lost top penalty-killing forward Ilya Mikheyev to the Tampa Bay Lightning in free agency this off-season.
Smith appeared in 63 games last season split between the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, where he recorded eight goals, 12 points, and 173 hits. He also had three goals, six points, and 24 penalty minutes in 22 playoff games this spring for the Golden Knights.
Smith's best offensive NHL season was in 2023-24, when he posted career highs with nine goals, 14 assists, and 23 points in 80 games with the Predators. If he can produce offense like this in a bottom-six role and maintain his hard-nosed style of play, he could end up being a nice pickup for Chicago.
Being transactional was a thing that JJ Picollo said this organization wanted to be when he took over the operations side as POBO/GM. We now have almost four years of trades to see if at least that part of transacting is going well as we near the 2026 trade deadline. I am not going to go through every swap he has made, Josh Taylor for Adalberto Mondesi is not worth rehashing, but I would like to walk through all of the consequential ones.
There have been two standout successes in the trades. Let’s start there and work our way down.
Aroldis Chapman for Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera
Aroldis Chapman was traded away at the deadline in 2023, so the Royals gave up 3 months of a good reliever in a season that was already over for them. They got back a pitcher who nearly won the Cy Young 15 months later and was a big reason they were in the playoffs in 2024. Ragans injury issues have colored this a bit, but getting 8+ WAR out of a rental reliever is very good and he still might come back and be good at some point to accummulate some more. Roni Cabrera is also of interest here. He is about to turn 21, so still young, and he is having an okay year in single-A ball. He may still end up on the big league team at some point though it is likely to be closer to 2030 if it happens. This is a very good trade that still has a chance to be spectacular if Cole can get healthy and stay that way or Cabrera turns into a solid everyday guy at some point in the future.
Freddy Ferminfor Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek
I know people like Freddy Fermin and he was nice to have around for a couple of solid seasons. He was also a backup catcher who was over 30 when the Royals traded him. It just was not that much to give up, especially with Carter Jensen coming along. They got back two legitimate young starters for a backup catcher. Bergert is hurt because he pitches baseballs for a living and that is what happens to those types of people. He will be back at some point, and I assume be decent or better again. Stephen Kolek has made 15 starts for the Royals so far and looks like the type of guy you want in the 4th spot in the rotation with possibly some upside for more. Solid trade, no notes.
David Sandlin for John Schreiber
This is not one that will go down in history as some huge deal, but Schreiber has been a consistent and mostly useful part of the bullpen for almost three years now and this bullpen has been desperate for good innings through portions of that time. David Sandlin has just gotten to the MLB ranks with the White Sox recently and also been sent back down because it has not gone well. He is a 25-year-old starter who is still walking way too many batters though his AAA numbers this season are okay. I think the Royals will not regret this move and having Schreber has been worth it. Not amazing, but a moderate win to this point.
Angel Zerpa for Isaac Collins and Nick Mears
This has to be considered better for the Royals than the Brewers so far, but not in a good way really. Isaac Collins and Nick Mears are both sitting on 0.0 fWAR, so that is not what the Royals were trying to get. However, Angel Zerpa is out with TJ after just 12 bad innings for Milwaukee. The verdict is not out yet. I still think this was the right trade and will end up better for the Royals, though it could also just end up being a disappointment for both sides. I do want to say that I love this style of move from JJ though. This is what I want transactional to look like in a lot of ways.
Mason Barnett, Will Klein, and Jared Dickey for Lucas Erceg
The Royals definitely gave up some value here. Mason Barnett and Will Klein have been useful bullpen arms the last two seasons. Barnett is a middle reliever with limited upside, not actually good enough to worry about losing so far. Klein has been very good over almost 50 innings for the Dodgers between last year and this, so maybe realizing the potential we saw by finally bringing down the walk rate. Jared Dickey is putting up a mediocre AAA season. Meanwhile, Lucas Erceg has been a massively important part of the bullpen for the Royals. This year he has struggled, but for a year plus, including helping getting to and through a round of the playoffs, he was the fireman or closer. Kansas City has so far gotten the better end and I think it was the right deal.
Walter Pennington for Michael Lorenzen
Not a flashy trade. It was a useful one though. Pennington briefly made it to the big leagues, 18 total innings, but did not stick and is now a free agent. The Royals did not really give up anything or so it seems anyway. Lorenzen was a capable 5th starter for basically a season worth of work. Picollo deserves a golf clap here.
Michael A. Taylor for Steven Cruz and Evan Sisk
Michael A. Taylor was very much Kyle Isbel before Kyle Isbel. He was older and he was fine. Trading a year of Taylor for Cruz and Sisk made sense with what the team had and needed. Sisk did nothing for the Kansas City part of the Royals organization except help get Bailey Falter I guess. That might actually be a negative. Steven Cruz has been bad at times and good at others and overall kind of meh. I guess the Royals kind of lost this trade? I don’t feel all that bad about it. Sort of a draw in my mind. What are you supposed to get for an aging center fielder who is not very good at hitting?
Whit Merrifield for Max Castillo and Samad Taylor
This organization waited way too long to trade Merrifield and by the time he did move, the value was not super high. Thus, they got back little. Max Castillo basically did nothing for the Royals, or anyone else, after the trade. Samad Taylor played briefly for the Royals at replacement level and then was traded to Seattle for a player to be named later. That player, once named, was Nataneal Garabitos who seems to be gone from affiliated ball at this point. JJ did not win this trade. Again, it is kind of a got what you could and that wasn’t much, so it did not work out really. Hard to get super mad at it, but also disappointing.
Jonathan Bowlan for Matt Strahm
Now we are into the legitimately bad territory. This looked like it made sense going into this year. Unfortunately, you traded a bullpen arm for a more established bullpen arm and then the pitcher you traded outperforms the one you acquired, that is bad. Strahm is more expensive and older and you have fewer years of control. This could turn around a bit as Strahm has been better as of late and could be traded before the deadline. Bowlan has also not been some revelation in Philadelphia. He has been pretty good. This is looking like one where JJ is going to take an L.
Cayden Wallace and 39th draft pick for Hunter Harvey
Hunter Harvey was really good for the Royals he just wasn’t available the vast majority of the time. Only 16 innings across parts of two seasons is not worth trading for no matter how good those innings are. Cayden Wallace is still in AA for Washington, though playing well this year so far. A sandwich pick like that has value. This was not good for KC.
Brady Singer for Joey Wiemer and Jonathan India
Again, the thought process here made a lot of sense. The Royals had starters, they did not have a leadoff hitter. India just played very badly or was hurt. Joey Wiemer never really did anything of consequence. Giving up a consistent starter and getting back below replacement level production is objectively bad. Is this mostly bad luck? Possibly, but it was bad nonetheless.
Now to answer the question. I think JJ Picollo has been a bit above average on trades since taking over that duty for the Royals. The wins outweigh the losses and even some of the losses are bad in hindsight more than in real time. There are only three I just don’t think you can argue anything other than JJ lost the trade. Seven are either clear wins or the Royals are at least ahead for now. So, if you ignore all the players for cash and other minutiae, I think the record on trades is positive for this Royals leadership team. Hopefully over the next few weeks they bank a few more wins.
Jun 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) waves to the crowd during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox have been the beneficiary of superb starting pitching in 2026.
Ranger Suarez has a 3.15 ERA and was just named to the group’s lone 2026 MLB All-Star. Sonny Gray should and probably will be joining him, but can take solace in the fact that he has a 2.61 ERA. Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, and Jake Bennett, three rookies who have exceeded any and all expectations placed upon them, are rocking respective 3.39, 3.34, and 3.10 ERAs.
If you’ve been paying attention, though, you would know that the club’s current five-man rotation isn’t going to last much longer…
I’ve decided to take a look at each of the five men who are currently pitching their balls off for the hometown club and figure out what their next steps are — with several approaching uncharted waters, others currently dealing with injuries, and one likely to be the most coveted arm at the trade deadline.
SONNY GRAY
Gray has been absolutely phenomenal, as he is currently riding a streak of seven consecutive quality starts and hasn’t allowed more than three runs since April 14 against the Minnesota Twins.
GOOD!
Gray is also going to be the most coveted arm on the trading block.
NOT GOOD!
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan included him at No. 11 on their list of players most likely to be moved at the trade deadline, though they admitted: “Gray’s restructured contract after his trade from St. Louis to Boston includes a $10 million buyout on a $30 million mutual option for 2027. Considering mutual options don’t get picked up, that is a pricey deadline acquisition, leaving Boston somewhat hamstrung unless it’s willing to pay down a significant portion and convince Gray to accept a deal.”
RANGER SUAREZ
Suarez is sticking around, though he might soon be spending time on the injured list, having left his start against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The Red Sox have already started to prepare for his potential absence, activating Patrick Sandoval from the injured list on Monday — with the expectation that he’ll start on Thursday.
CONNELLY EARLY
Early is already on the injured list, and will get a second opinion this week will be with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas.
JAKE BENNETT
Bennett is the most interesting case on the list, as he has been phenomenal since getting the call to the big leagues but just hit a career-high in innings pitched, as he is sitting at 80.0 across his time with Triple-A Worcester and Boston — recently surpassing the 75.1 he finished with in 2025.
Bennett is just two years removed from suffering an elbow injury that required him to undergo Tommy John surgery in mid-September 2023.
If they view him as a long-term option, they might want to make some difficult decisions.
PAYTON TOLLE
Tolle, too, is hovering around a career-high in innings pitched — with the flamethrowing left-hander sitting at 89.1 in 2025 after finishing with 91.2 in 2026.
Boston probably isn’t rushing to shut him down, but perhaps they start working in extra rest days in order to help him last the entire season.
The scoreboard photo above brought this idea back to me. This is how the “AMERICAN” side of the board looked on Monday, June 29, the first day of the Cubs series against the Padres last week.
If you are reading this article on a computer, you can probably see the difference between “LOS ANGELES (NL)” and “LOS ANGELES (AL)”. But if you’re on your phone — or, more importantly, sitting 400+ feet away from the board at Wrigley Field, you probably can’t tell which L.A. team was playing at the A’s, and which one was at the Mariners.
I’m a bit closer to the board than most at Wrigley from my perch in the left field bleachers and even I had to enlarge that photo before I figured out that the Dodgers were playing in West Sacramento and the Angels were at Seattle.
And as you can see, there’s already a team name there (“ATHLETICS”). The Cubs, as the home team at Wrigley, also have their team name on the board. In fact, this is how the bottom left of the board looked in early June when the Cubs hosted the A’s:
Most websites and apps now show MLB teams with their team names instead of the cities. Here, for example, is the top of the scoreboard page on the MLB app for today’s games:
So get with the program, Cubs. Next time the board is painted, replace city names with team names. It’s cleaner looking, will clearly identify the Los Angeles (and New York) teams and matches what most fans see in other places.
Oh, and one more thing. What on Earth is this?
And by “this,” I mean — why is there a serif on the “1” indicating the starting pitcher? At no other place on the board do any of the number “1”s have a serif. This was added when the board was re-painted a year ago. It looks like a mistake to me. While you’re changing to team names, Cubs, get rid of that serif.
Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers have a doubleheader on deck Tuesday, as they’ll begin with game one with Jacob Misiorowski starting opposite the Cardinals’ Matt Svanson.
Of course, in order to call Lara up, the Brewers had to make a corresponding move. That leaves outfielder Blake Perkins as the odd man out, as he’s sent to Triple-A Nashville. Perkins, 29, is having a rough season after providing 3.3 bWAR over the last three seasons as a depth piece of Milwaukee’s outfield. While he’s still been worth 0.2 bWAR this year, that’s almost entirely due to his above-average defense — he’s hitting just .157/.250/.258 with a homer and 11 RBIs over 101 plate appearances. Given Lara’s defensive prowess, it seems like a similar thought process to the Cooper Pratt-for-Luis Rengifo swap in mid-June — the hitting can’t be much worse, and the defense should be on par (or even better).
The Brewers also announced Robert Gasser as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader, and he’s slated to start game two tonight.
The Brewers have also not made a move for David Hamilton, who exited Monday night’s game with a reported hamstring injury. It seems likely he’ll be facing an IL stint, but we’ll await word on the severity and any official move. Outfielder Greg Jones and right-handed reliever Easton McGee are reportedly on hand in St. Louis as members of the taxi squad, per Todd Rosiak.
Greg Jones and Easton McGee on hand in STL currently as members of the taxi squad.
Misiorowski, who was named an All-Star over the weekend, will make his 18th start today, as he’s pitched to a 1.47 ERA, 1.97 FIP, and 156 strikeouts over 104 innings this year. He got roughed up a bit against the Reds last week, allowing five runs (though just one was earned) on five hits, striking out 10 over five innings in his fourth loss of the season.
Svanson gets the ball for the Cardinals in what will be his first career start. After a solid 1.7 bWAR season with a 1.94 ERA and 2.72 FIP over 39 appearances (60 1/3 innings) last year, he’s struggled to a 6.69 ERA and 4.49 FIP over 34 appearances (37 2/3 innings) this season. As you can see from those numbers, he does have the ability to go a couple of innings, which is likely what we’ll see here. With Hunter Dobbins designated as the 27th man and slated to start game two for St. Louis, it seems possible (likely even) that right-hander Michael McGreevy will get the bulk of this game, unless St. Louis opts to save him for tomorrow, as they haven’t yet announced a starter for that one.
Lara isn’t featured in the lineup for the first game today, with a nearly identical lineup to Monday night’s game — the only change is Joey Ortiz starting at third base and batting ninth in place of the injured Hamilton.
First pitch is set for 1:15 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 05: Cleveland Guardians center fielder Kahlil Watson (31) makes a diving catch during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians on July 5, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It is time for the Guardians to re-assert themselves as the dominant team in the AL Central when it comes to the Twins.
The Guardians are 47-44 with a -9 run differential, 23rd in MLB with a 93 wRC+, eighth in baserunning runs above average at 3.7, eighth in Defense at -2.2, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.80 (4.10 FIP) and tenth in bullpen ERA at 3.80 (3.84 FIP).
The Twins are 44-47 with a -17 run differential, fifth in MLB with a 106 wRC+, 27th in baserunning runs above average at -4.7, 26th in Defense at -27.5, 18th in starting pitcher ERA 4.43 (4.21 FIP) and 30th in bullpen ERA at 5.28 (4.63 FIP).
Put the ball in play and get into the pen as soon as possible! Byron Buxton tweaked his hip last weekend, so he MAY not play in a game or two, or he may be back. We will see.
Matchups: Game One, Tuesday 7:40PM ET: Taj Bradley, RHP 3.86 ERA (3.92 FIP) vs. Joey Cantillo, LHP Game Two, Wednesday 7:40PM ET: Connor Prielipp, LHP 4.96 ERA (3.63 FIP) vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP Game Three, Thursday 1:40PM ET: Mike Parades, RHP 4.60 ERA (6.08 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams, RHP
The Twins are led on offense by Ryan Jeffers 165 wRC+, Byron Buxton 146 wRC+, Trevor Larnach 136 wRC+, Kody Clemens 118 wRC+, Ryan Kreidler 114 wRC+, Alex Jackson 109 wRC+, Brooks Lee 104 wRC+, and Josh Bell 104 wRC+.
The Guardians are led by Austin Hedges 114 wRC+,Chase DeLauter 114 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 112 wRC+, Brayan Rocchio 114 wRC+ and David Fry 104 wRC+.
Kinda need Kahlil Watson to rebound from a tough end to the White Sox series and Cooper Ingle to find his footing a bit to have a good shot at winning this series.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 01: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes #30 pitches the ball during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburg Pirates on July 1st, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Second place is still a long shot but it could happen! It’s a fair question to ask, too. While there was a lot to be encouraged about from this last homestand when it comes to the Atlanta Braves finally and eventually breaking out of extended run of bad form, it’s clear that they’re not quite out of the funk just yet. The offense is back to hitting bombs and putting up crooked numbers but that’s coincided with the bullpen finally starting to show some cracks. Now granted, the bullpen is still in strong form but you know it’s a bit wobbly when Raisel Iglesias finally blew a save.
All that has led to this point: The divisional lead is now down to three games in the final week of action before the All-Star break. While the Phillies have finally slowed down a bit from the furious pace that they have been on for a while now (and getting demolished in a three game series by the Royals is, um, something), they’ve still been one game better (5-5) than the Braves (4-6) over their past 10 games, so they’re still gaining ground. The Phillies have the Reds and Tigers to finish things off while the Braves have the Pirates and Cardinals. Atlanta will likely still be in first place by the time the break rolls around but they will certainly have to earn it in order to remain on top heading into the second half of the season.
July 7-9: Pittsburgh Pirates
Current Record: 46-45 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 83-79
Well, the Braves can’t escape Paul Skenes this time! Hot off the heels of a wacky and wild ending to a four-game series against the Mets, the Braves will now have to take on Skenes in Pittsburgh with no rest for the weary after a late night in Atlanta. The good news is that, well, Skenes has hit the skids a bit. As this piece from Kiri Oler from FanGraphs notes, Skenes has a 5.36 ERA over his past nine starts and hasn’t exactly looked like the dominant force that helped propel him to the All-MLB First Team and an NL Cy Young Award as well.
Skenes gave up eight runs (seven earned) in his most recent start against the Phillies and that was after he gave up four runs in five innings to the Reds. His last really dominant performance was back on May 12 when he struck out 10 batters over eight shutout innings against the Rockies. Ever since then, he’s found it tough to navigate the waters and this could actually be an opportunity for a newly-resurgent Braves offense to continue moving in the right direction if Skenes continues to struggle.
Maybe seeing the Pirates again could be a tonic for the Braves since the last time these two locked horns, the Braves were busy dusting off a sweep at Pittsburgh’s expense. I’m very skeptical that we’ll see another sweep here and if we do, Atlanta’s pitching staff will have bounced back as well since the Pirates have actually been hitting the ball pretty well lately. Ever since the sweep in early-June, Pittsburgh has been hitting .285/.351/.482 at the plate with a 126 team wRC+ and a .362 team wOBA. Their offense essentially went in the opposite direction of Atlanta’s after that sweep and a lot of that has to do with guys like Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, Tyler Calihan and Endy Rodriguez going on a tear at the plate since then. Konnor Griffin has also been getting it done as well.
It’s not exactly encouraging considering how the pitching has fared lately but also, the Pirates won’t have a super-imposing run of starters going for this one either. On top of Paul Skenes struggling, Wednesday’s starter Jared Jones hasn’t been the model of consistency for Pittsburgh so far and the last time the Braves saw Mitch Keller, they bombed him for six runs over 4.2 innings. We could be in for some more high-scoring, topsy-turvy games based on how both teams have been performing as of late.
Tuesday, July 7 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision, GrayTV) Wednesday, July 8 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Thursday, July 9 at 12:35 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
July 10-12: St. Louis Cardinals
Current Record: 47-41 Projected Record: 83-79
Similar to how the season series with the Giants ended up being structured, the Braves and the Cardinals are going to end up getting their hostilities out of the way over the course of a two-week span. Things didn’t go particularly well for the Braves against the Giants so hopefully things will be different for the Braves as they travel to St. Louis to finish their season series against the Cardinals.
The Cardinals may have been struggling before they ran into a Braves team that was struggling more than they were but it appears that they’ve shaken it off. St. Louis walked into Wrigley Field the day after putting 11 runs on the Braves and proceeded to drop 17 on the Cubs to open the series. They then won the series the next day as they put a screeching halt to the heater that the Cubs had been on (Chicago beat San Diego 23-3 they day before they got beat 17-1! The 2026 Cubs, man.). I am sure that Chip Caray had a hootin’-and-hollerin’ time throughout that Atlanta-Chicago road trip.
St. Louis is now in the midst of a five (5!) game series with the Brewers and one that could have St. Louis getting closer to their divisional rivals in the standings with the break ahead. The Cardinals did drop the first game and now a doubleheader awaits them on Tuesday, so we’ll see if they can get back into the swing of things in that series or if the Brewers can continue to hold them at bay.
Due to the demands of the five-game series (including the doubleheader today), St. Louis’s pitching schedule is all up in the air so it’s really tough to figure who’s going to be pitching this weekend against the Braves. Dustin May is an option for the weekend and he’ll surely be looking to get a measure of revenge for what happened to him on a muggy night in Atlanta. No matter who the Cardinals have pitching, it’ll be imperative for the Braves to figure out a way to keep Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt from tipping the scales. Nathan Church was also an absolute pain to deal with when the Braves were in Atlanta, so keeping that particular trio quiet will be conducive to any type of success that the Braves will hope to have to close out the first half of the season.
Friday, July 10 at 8:15 p.m. ET (Apple TV) Saturday, July 11 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Sunday, July 12 at 2:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
According to TVA Sports, the Montreal Canadiens have put pen to paper on a one-year, two-way deal with right-shot defenseman Reilly Walsh. The American-born 27-year-old blueliner was a third-round pick by the New Jersey Devils at the 2017 NHL draft (81st overall) but never really made it in the NHL, suiting up for only one game with the Devils, in which he collected an assist.
Once drafted, he went from the Chicago Steel in the USHL to Harvard in the NCAA, where he spent three seasons before turning pro and spending three seasons with the Devils’ AHL affiliate. He then spent one season with the Boston Bruins farm team in Providence before skating for the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, for a single campaign. In 304 AHL games, the 6-foot-185-pound blueliner put up 159 points and accumulated 121 penalty minutes.
After five seasons in the AHL, Walsh decided to head to the KHL for the 2025-26 season, where he suited up for the Kazakhstan-based Astana Barys. A team that only won 16 games last season, put up 54 points, and missed the playoffs by 15 points. As for Walsh himself, in 68 KHL games, he did put up 46 points, the fourth-highest total for a defenseman in the league behind Damir Sharipzyanov (67 points), Daniil Pylenkov (54 points), and Mitchell Miller (47 points).
This is a depth signing for the Habs and he will more than likely spend the year with the Laval Rocket, but his arrival will help make up for the fact that the AHL side will have to make do without Bryce Pickford for a while since the highly-touted prospect underwent shoulder surgery last week and will need to rehabilitate before starting his professional career.
George Moriarty, Detriot Al (Baseball), 1913. Creator: Harris & Ewing. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees, having existed for well over a century, have had more than their fair share of characters don their uniform. Some of them were stars like Yogi Berra, and some of them were role players like Billy Martin. It’s players like them that add some texture to the history of the team and of the game, reminding us that though we come to see the best of the best play, sometimes we stay for the interesting characters on the side. George Moriarty, known for combining an easygoing demeanor off the baseball diamond with a rough-and-tumble personality in the clubhouse, was one of those characters.
George Joseph Moriarty Born: July 7, 1885 (Chicago, IL) Died: April 8, 1964 (Miami, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1906-1908 (player)
George Moriarty was born in Chicago to a former semi-pro catcher, and dropped out of school at an early age to pursue baseball. He played in various semi-pro leagues around the city and even began his professional baseball career in 1901 at 16. He signed with the Davenport River Rats and the Rock Island Islanders in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He played in 110 games during the first of three seasons he would spend in the Three-I League. Moriarty was then moved to the Bloomington Blues in 1902 and, once again, to the Joliet Standards/Springfield Foot Trackers to play ball there in 1903. He hit .232 in 1902 and .222 in Joliet/Springfield. Moriarty took a job in Chicago toward the end of 1903, and in an exhibition game against the Cubs, Moriarty started a triple play at third base. The Cubs’ manager, Frank Selee, decided to give Moriarty a one-game tryout on the last day of the 1903 season.
On the day of the one-game tryout, those in the press box noted that Moriarty was nervous in his debut and went 0-for-5. Despite his poor performance at the plate, he managed to make another tryout with the Cubs in the spring of 1904.
The first four games for Moriarty in a Cubs uniform were strikingly bad, as he did not register a hit in 14 plate appearances, and his only time on base came on a walk. As a result, he was sent back to the minors, and after the Southern Association’s sale to Little Rock, he was sent to the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association.
Moriarty played 136 games and not only found his stride at the plate, batting .295 by season’s end, but he also began to earn his scrappy reputation. There were plenty of stories about the third baseman fighting those who gave him attitude with his bare hands while also continuing his excellent play on the field.
Moriarty led the league with 51 steals for Toledo in Class-A ball in 1905, and after that excellent year on the basepaths, he joined the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) when his contract was sold for the 1906 season. He played all over the field in his first season with New York at the age of 20, including second, third, left, and center field, finishing with a slash line of .234/.298/.340 in 65 games.
In 1907 with the Highlanders, Moriarty became a full-time utility player, registering 474 plate appearances while playing seven different positions. He also upped his play at the plate, moving from a .234 average to a .277 average, a .320 on-base percentage, and a .336 slugging percentage, all of which were better than the league average. His on-base and slugging percentages that year would remain career highs for the rest of his time on a baseball diamond.
Moriarty stayed in the same role in 1908 under managers Clark Griffith and Kid Elberfeld. He continued to get playing time, but his numbers dropped sharply, finishing at .236/.269/.276. Along with the drop in the individual numbers, the Highlanders finished dead last in the American League with a record of 51-103. They were 39.5 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers, and they finished 17 games behind the second-to-last place Washington Senators.
But for Moriarty, the end of the season resulted in some good news. The Highlanders had sold him to the top of the table: the Detroit Tigers.
Instead of being a utility player, Moriarty was made the team’s consistent third baseman. He helped the Tigers win another pennant in 1909, despite the team losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. And his time with the Tigers was when his reputation as a fighter grew from just a story here or there. He was willing to spar with anyone who stepped up.
Tigers legend Ty Cobb reportedly wanted to fight Moriarty, and, according to the Society for American Baseball Research, Moriarty promptly handed Cobb a baseball bat, saying he’d need it to even have a chance. Cobb did not take the challenge. But he was not the same player on the field as he was off of it, being known for his quiet and peaceful demeanor on the diamond.
Moriarty would play with Detroit for another five years from 1910 to 1915. His best year came in 1914 at the age of 29, when he played in 132 games and finished with a slash line of .254/.318/.323, the best of his time with the Tigers. He also remained a stalwart on defense, as he was throughout his career.
In the 1915 season, Moriarty played only 31 games, ultimately gave up his job at third base to 25-year-old Ossie Vitt, and spent the year assisting manager Hughie Jennings as a player-coach. The Tigers gave Moriarty his unconditional release that November.
The third baseman joined the Chicago White Sox in 1916 and, after going 1-for-5 as a pinch-hitter, Moriarty was released and was named manager of the Memphis Chickasaws in Memphis, TN. But after his managerial career in the minor leagues, he found his real calling in 1917 — umpiring.
Moriarty was a major league umpire from 1917 to 1940, with a break in 1927 and 1928 to take over as the Tigers’ manager after Ty Cobb. He finished after two seasons, when his contract expired, with a 150-157 record at the helm of the team. His Tigers finished fourth and sixth in the American League and eventually returned to umpiring, garnering plenty of stories along the way.
One of the most notable stories was when Moriarty came to the defense of future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg in the 1935 World Series, issuing numerous warnings to the Chicago Cubs bench to stop yelling antisemitic slurs at the Tigers slugger. When they did not listen and continued, he ejected three Cubs players, which ultimately resulted in a $200 fine from the league commissioner. That World Series was one of five he umpired (and was the crew chief for two of them), and he umpired the second-ever MLB All-Star Game in 1934 at the Polo Grounds, when the Giants’ Carl Hubbell famously struck out legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin all in a row.
Following his extensive major-league umpiring career, Moriarty worked as a scout, a writer, and in other roles, and spent the rest of his days in Miami, where he passed away on April 8, 1964, at the age of 79 due to kidney cancer. He was buried at Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
It’s a massive day on the diamond with 16 games, and I’ve got a trio of MLB same-game parlay predictions to cover you throughout the action on Tuesday, July 7.
My top MLB picks call for plenty of offense in the Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles matchup, and wrap up with the Minnesota Twins cashing in as home favorites (-118) against the Cleveland Guardians tonight.
Crow-Armstrong and Suzuki are also well-positioned to stay hot against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Shane Baz, who owns a pedestrian 4.47 xERA and xFIP.
With Athletics righty J.T. Ginn sporting a 4.88 xFIP and 1.55 WHIP across his past five starts, the Tigers are set to cash in at the dish again tonight and pull away for the lopsided win. This total is also too low, with the Athletics ranking fourth in ISO and seventh in wOBA against lefties.
Bradley has spun a tidy 2.24 xERA while holding opposing hitters to a 7.4% blast contact rate across his past three starts, so I like him to cruise through the Cleveland lineup tonight.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Suspension had been imposed after invasion of Ukraine
Decision on Russian anthem and flag still unclear
The International Olympic Committee has lifted the suspension on Russia that was imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, paving the way for the Russian team to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Only a handful of Russians were able to compete at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and this year’s Milano Cortina Winter Games as authorised neutral athletes, after an IOC vetting panel checked whether they had offered any public support for the war in Ukraine.
We are now 4 days away from the 2026 MLB Draft, where the Washington Nationals will have the 11th overall pick and are looking to add another key piece to their farm system and a potential building block towards long-term success. Yesterday, I completed my draft big board, which you can read here if you are interested, and I wanted to create a game where fans could get more engaged not only in who the Nationals will be picking, but also in everyone ahead of them as well.
Thus, I created the MLB Draft Prediction Game, a game where you predict the top 11 picks of the 2026 MLB Draft and gain points the more often you are correct. Correctly predicting who a team will draft is worth 5 points, predicting the position that they draft from is worth 2 points, and predicting if a team chooses a high school or college prospect is worth one point.
The added twist for Nats fans is that all points from correct predictions of the Nationals pick are worth three times as much, so correctly predicting who the Nationals will select is worth as much as predicting three other picks.
The overall winner is whoever accumulates the most points once the game has ended. The prize for the winner, if they want it, will be eternal glory, and a shoutout in our post-draft article here on Federal Baseball. Feel free to also copy your results after you submit and discuss your methods in the comments below. Check out the game below, and enjoy!
The AL East race is a bit tighter today following the Yankees 5-1 win at Tropicana Field last night over the Rays (52-36). Tampa Bay now leads New York by three games in the division as the teams prepare for the second game of this week’s four-game series.
New York opened the series with that win thanks in large part to their ace, Cam Schlittler. Schlittler worked eight innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight without and issuing no walks. The Yankees’ offense was limited to just three hits but each of the three was a home run. Jose Caballero cranked out a pair and Ben Rice added one of his own to account for the Yankees’ runs. Griffin Jax absorbed the loss for Tampa despite striking out 10 Yankees over five innings. The Rays managed only four hits and just a single run.
The win was New York’s second in their last ten games while Tampa Bay now has lost three straight.
The Yankees hand the ball tonight to Will Warren. Through 89.1 innings, Warren owns a 7-3 record and 3.73 ERA with 91 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP. Warren's most recent appearance was July 1 against Detroit. He allowed two runs over 5.1 innings in a 6-2 loss. Tampa Bay counters with left-hander Ian Seymour, who has quietly put together a strong first season in the Rays' rotation. Seymour is 5-1 with a 4.02 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts in 56 innings. Opponents have managed just 40 hits against him. Seymour's most recent outing came on July 2 at Kansas City where he allowed one run over six innings in a 5-2 win.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Rays
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: Tropicana Field
City: St. Petersburg, FL
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, YES, Rays.TV, TBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Rays
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (+101), Tampa Bay Rays (-122)
Spread: Rays -1.5 (+169), Yankees +1.5 (-207)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Rays vs. Yankees for July 7
Rays: Ian Seymour Season Totals: 56.0 IP, 5-1, 4.02 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 60K, 21 BB
Yankees: Will Warren Season Totals: 89.1 IP, 7-3, 3.73 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 91K, 29 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Yankees vs. Rays
Trent Grisham is 3-13 over his last 4 games since returning from the disabled list
Jose Caballero is 4-12 in July with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs
Paul Goldschmidt is without a hit in his last 8 games (0-26)
Ben Rice is 1-3 with 1 HR in his career against Ian Seymour
Cody Bellinger is 2-21 (.095) to start July after going 2-27 over his last 8 games in June
Bellinger is 3-3 including 1 HR and 1 2B in his career against Ian Seymour
Yandy Diaz is 3-7 in his career against Will Warren
Cedric Mullins is 5-21 in July
Chandler Simpson has hit in 9 straight games (12-33) and 13 of his last 14 (19-51)
Jonathan Aranda is 2-5 including 1 HR in his career against Will Warren
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Rays
The Yankees are 41-49 on the Run Line this season
The Rays are an MLB-best 53-35 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 38 times in Tampa’s 88 games this season (38-46-4)
The OVER has cashed 40 times in the Yankees’ 90 games this season (40-46-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Rays
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Rays and the Yankees:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 8.0
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
ALLENTOWN, PA - MARCH 28: Quinnipiac Bobcats Forward Jeremy Wilmer (16) controls the puck during the first period of the NCAA DI Men's Hockey Eastern Regional Tournament game between the UConn Huskies and the Quinnipiac Bobcats on March 28, 2025, at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Devils GM Sunny Mehta and Comets GM Braden Birch have begun revamping the AHL franchise. Here’s a look at some of the early summer roster changes.
Out With the Old
Utica’s goal leader last season, Angus Crookshank, was shipped off to the Florida Panthers in the Jacob Markstrom trade. Defenseman Calen Addison and forward Dylan Wendt were not tendered qualifying offers and walked to free agency. Lastly, UFA forwards Jonathan Gruden, Nathan Legare, and Mike Hardman were not brought back as of the writing of this article. That does not mean none of them will return. Free agent center Ryan Schmelzer signed a new AHL one-year contract on July 2nd according to the Comets website, a move that hasn’t been confirmed on Puckpedia as of Monday. Forward Jack Malone and netminder Jeremy Brodeur re-upped with new AHL deals on July 3rd and RFA goaltender Jakub Malek signed a two-year, two-way extension on July 6th.
In With the New
Diminutive winger Ben Steeves joined the roster as a piece of the Jacob Markstrom swap. Steeves was an offensive force for the Charlotte Checkers last season, scoring 23 goals and potting 45 points in 72 games and easily replaces Crookshank’s production. Steeves signed a one-year, two way contract with the Devils yesterday, so could be a candidate for a call-up to New Jersey at any point during the seaason.
A flurry of trades and signings in and around the draft and the beginning of free agency brought in some players who will be fighting for a spot in New Jersey, but may spend some time in Utica. Amadeus Lombardi is a 23-year-old center, who can play wing, and is looking to make the jump into the NHL after being a nearly point per game player for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL the past two seasons. Sunny Mehta specifically mentioned Lombardi at his press conference as not only “depth”, but a “bet” as a player who’s shown promise of being ready for the next level.
Another depth “bet”, 28-year-old 6’6” winger Riley Tufte has been one of the AHL’s most prolific goal scorers, finishing tied for third in the league last season with 32 twine touchers in only 64 games. Tufte provides a different element to Lombardi as a large, netmouth presence with a scoring touch and will be an interesting player to watch in camp.
Lastly, left-handed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachanok is a 25-year-old, 6’1” puck mover, who will be competing with trade acquisition Declan Chisholm for a roster spot. Kolyachanok is an intriguing player. An analytics darling in small sample sizes at the NHL level, Kolyachanok has bounced around the Coyotes, Penguins, Stars, Bruins and their AHL affiliates in his short career.
Other players were signed to AHL contracts. Former teammate of Shane LaChance at Boston University, Jeremy Wilmer finished his collegiate career with Quinnipiac, and despite a season-ending injury his senior year, the undrafted, crafty winger put up 41 points in 38 games in his last full NCAA season. Center/winger Gabe Klassen put up 17 goals and 36 points in 59 games for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins last year. Former Red Wings 3rd round draft pick, Zach Gallant also signed an AHL deal. A highly physical energy forward, Gallant has split time between the AHL and ECHL after a stint with the U Sports McGill’s hockey program.
The Comets also signed 24-year-old defender Eamon Powell. A former fourth round pick of the Tampa Bay Lighting, Powell, known for his edgework and aggressive style, put up 7 points in 23 games for the Charlotte Checkers last season after five years at Boston College.
Another AHL signing, goaltender Seth Eisele has been one of the better netminders in the ECHL, finishing last season with a 18-7-1 record, 2.37 GAA and .919 SV% in 29 games for the South Carolina Stingrays. The 26-year-old will likely be competing with recently re-upped Jeremy Brodeur for platooning time between Utica and Adirondack and takes Tyler Brennan’s place down the goalie depth chart without the use of a NHL roster spot.
If there are themes in most of these moves, they seem to be the targeting analytical darlings and players who have excelled at the lower level and may be ready for the next step up, whether it be star AHLers, who may be ready for the NHL, or star ECHL and NCAA players, who may be ready for the AHL. It’s a fresh approach compared to the middling state Utica has been mired in for years. We will soon know how it plays out.
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 10: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces the 19th pick of the 2020 MLB Draft is Pete Crow-Armstrong by the New York Mets during the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft at MLB Network on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Saturday, July 11, Major League Baseball will host its 61st annual Rule 4 draft, better known as the first-year player draft. Thanks to their 83-79 record during the 2025 season, the Mets were lined up to make the 17th overall pick. Since the Mets exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax threshold by more than $40 million, their first-round selection will drop 10 places to 27 instead.
Because the Mets signed Bo Bichette, a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer over the off-season, the team forfeited its second-highest pick in the draft, meaning they will not be making a pick in the second round. Their next pick will instead be in the third round, the 92nd selection overall. Following that, they will be making the 120th overall pick in the fourth round, 152nd pick in the fifth round, 181st pick in the sixth round, 210th pick in the seventh round, 240th pick in the eighth round, 270th pick in the ninth round, 300th pick in the tenth round, and a selection every thirty picks in rounds 11-20.
The Mets have a $6,730,900 bonus pool to work with in the 2026 MLB Draft, the third lowest behind the Blue Jays and their $5,543,100 pool and the Dodgers and their $3,951,900 pool. In entirety, all 30 teams have been allotted $358,662,500 by Major League Baseball, an increase from $350,357,700 last season, as pick values have increased by 2.5 percent, reflecting MLB revenue increases.
The Mets’ first-round selection, the 27th overall pick, has an MLB-assigned slot value of $3,466,500. Their third-round selection, the 92nd overall pick, has an $859,900 slot value. Their fourth-round selection, the 120th overall pick, has a $645,100. Their fifth-round selection, the 152nd overall pick, $472,500 slot value. Their sixth-round selection, the 181st overall pick, has a $364,600 slot value. Their seventh-round selection, the 210th overall pick, has a $287,800 slot value. Their eighth-round selection, the 240th overall pick, has a $232,100 slot value. Their ninth-round selection, the 270th overall pick, has a $207,200 slot value. Their tenth-round selection, the 300th overall pick, has a $195,200 slot value.
In order to be eligible to be selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, a player must meet the criteria applicable to them:
Be a resident of, or have attended an educational institution in, the United States, Canada, or a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico. Players from other countries are not subject to the draft and can be signed by any team unless they have attended an educational institution in the aforementioned areas.
Have never signed a major or minor league contract.
High school players are eligible only after graduation, and if they have not attended college.
Players at four-year colleges and universities are eligible three years after first enrolling in such an institution, or after their 21st birthdays (whichever occurs first).
Junior and community college players are eligible to be drafted at any time.
CHC vs 
ATH vs 
DET
CLE vs 
MIN
