Trey Gibson had the start today and pitched well despite taking the a loss. He allowed a run on a walk and a triple, but covered four innings and allowed just the one run. The game remained 1-0 until the seventh inning, when three runs came in against Hans Crouse before Crouse had retired a single hitter. On the other hand, Yaramil Hiraldo, Nick Raquet, Yaqui Rivera and Enoli Paredes all had scoreless outings.
Norfolk had just two hits on the day, a single apiece from Silas Ardoin and Enrique Bradfield Jr.
Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Baysox stormed back with four late runs, their second comeback win of the weekend
Brandon Butterworth got the scoring going for Chesapeake with a home run in the fourth. In the seventh, Willy Vasquez knocked in a two-run double. In the bottom of the eighth, Thomas Sosa hit a two-run homer, scoring himself and Aron Estrada.
Luis de León pitched well, with 4.2 one-run innings where he struck out five. He was followed by Zane Barnhart, who allowed two runs in under an inning. Micah Ashman threw 1.2 scoreless, Christian Heberholz allowed one run, and Jeisson Cabrera got the save.
High-A: Frederick Keys 17, Greenville Drive (BOS) 6
A day after scoring 12 runs on 20 hits on in Greenville, Frederick blasted six home runs in a 17-run, 25-hit donnybrook. This was a lot of hits. RJ Austin went 4-for-6. Ike Irish 4-for-7 with two home runs and six RBI. Creed Willems, in High-A rehabbing, finished 3-for-6 with a homer. Wehiwa Aloy went 4-for-5. I’ll put it this way: the top six Keys hitters each had two or more hits, and three each had four.
Starter J.T. Quinn gave up four runs in 2.2 innings on a three-run home run. Following Quinn, the bullpen pitched a solid 6.1 one-run innings. That comprised Todd Kniebbe, Riley Cooper, Cohen Achen, Trent Turzenski, Chandler Marsh, and Braeden Sloan.
Low-A: Salem RidgeYaks (BOS) 4, Delmarva Shorebirds 2
Starting pitcher Dalton Neuschwander got jumped on early, allowing three runs on a first-inning home run. He’d pitch into the fourth and allow one run after that.
The Shorebirds got two runs back in the second inning on a Junior Aybar RBI single and a double steal!
It was a three-hit day for Perez and a two-hit day for Mejía. DJ Layton hit a double. Jordan Sanchez, Andrés Nolaya, Elvin García, Miguel Rodríguez and Aybar each had a one-hit day.
The pitchers who followed Neuschwander kept it together: Adrian Heredia threw 2.1 scoreless innings. Brendan Parks threw 1.1 scoreless, and Zac Lampton each threw an inning-plus without letting in a run.
CORAL GABLES - MAY 09: Louisville outfielder Zion Rose (32) bats in the fifth inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Louisville Cardinals on May 9, 2026, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, FL. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“It stinks for everybody to be out there in that situation,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You never want to be in that spot (late in the game), but that’s the spot we put ourselves in. And you know, with seven more games before an off-day, you’ve got to get a position player out there to keep people fresh to pitch tomorrow.”
There will be interest in relievers John Schreiber, Daniel Lynch IV and Alex Lange, too. But the most intriguing part of this Deadline will be what the Royals decide to do with their two veteran starters, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, the latter of whom is probably the Royals’ best trade chip this year. But trading them away is not so simple.
“Those [are] two guys we’re going to count on,” Picollo said. “We already have needs in our rotation. We’ll be open-minded to anything. But we have to be very, very pointed in what we want to get out of any one of those two. And also, they made a commitment to us. I think that’s important to the morale of the team. Where you have two guys that have done what they’ve done in their careers, and they want to be here.
“With that being said, teams want to talk about them — it’s never going to hurt to at least listen. I think those guys understand that.”
“You know, every day I hear somebody tell me about that,” Perez said of the record. “So it’s hard not to think about it. I don’t try to think about it when I’m hitting. I don’t like to put too much pressure on myself, you know.
“I try to see the ball and hit the ball. When it happens, I’m happy. Hopefully, I can do that quick.”
“He said he didn’t feel great playing catch, but then as he got on the mound, he felt better,” manager Matt Quatraro said Sunday morning. “The first couple of innings were pretty good. In the third inning, he felt more aggressive discomfort. They thought it was best to get him out of there.”
“I’m grateful to be here, with an organization that cares about their players, cares about their development, cares about the team,” Rose said. “A city that backs their team. I’m excited to get going.”
“I hate losing and I hate losing against people,” Rose said. “And I feel like, in this game, everything is a competition.
“It’s so great because it’s a team game, but in the box it’s one on one. So it’s me versus the pitcher. You know, I could care less who’s up there (pitching), and that’s the great part about it.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 12: Liam Doyle #12 of the St. Louis Cardinals on the National League Team pitches during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, I’m only going to cover the Memphis Redbirds and the starting pitching prospects at Springfield. On Thursday, the relievers at Springfield and the lower minors, but not the rookie leagues. I gave the update on the rookie leagues earlier this month. But there really aren’t that many interesting rookie league pitchers so it wouldn’t have added a ton to this post.
The problem Quinn Mathews is currently facing is that he has not managed to string many starts together where he seemed to have control. He walked four guys in his first start this season, and then over a period of three consecutive starts, the best he did all year was 5 walks. But you could only find one three-start period where he did that. His next highest was 6 walks over 3 games. Same thing. You were more likely to look at his last three starts and see 9 or 10 walks than 5 or 6.
Good news however: his most recent three starts involved just 3 total walks, for a BB% of 4.4%. I’m not sure what kind of sample the Cardinals are looking for, I kind of think they’d walk better control over a longer period than just three starts. But he might get called up next week. It is important to note that might actually have more to do with the no off-days in the schedule than them actually thinking he’s ready. But that’s his big thing right now: if only he walked less, he’d be in St. Louis already.
Speaking of inconsistency, Hence has not managed to find a rhythm this year at all. His ERA is updated, but his other stats will get worse because he threw 0.1 IP with a BB and HR allowed yesterday. Moved to the bullpen for what I would have assumed were innings concerns, there are now performance concerns. He seems to be facing an entirely different problem than he has in the past, when it was pretty much purely injury concerns. The good/bad news is that something has changed in his delivery or mechanics. And that’s good news because you change mechanics or delivery back to what it was before. The bad news is that if he never finds it again, he doesn’t have a future MLB career. He’s still just 23.
Tekoah Roby, RHP – 24 (VEB’s #11 prospect)
Acquired: Traded with Thomas Saggese and John King for Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton
Stats: N/A
Roby underwent Tommy John surgery in the middle of last season and is not likely to pitch this season.
I feel like Mathews has gotten plenty of headlines about how much he has struggled with control, but Mautz is really getting much attention and he’s been worse. He has a good ERA, somehow, but every other stat is not good. He isn’t striking out a lot of hitters and he’s walking a ton of them. The Cardinals are clearly avoiding calling up Mautz – they’ve had chances and they went with journeymen – and looking at these stats, I understand why.
So obviously rehab appearances are not about stats, but I would call these numbers concerning. My first instinct is that he’s still not healthy. He could just as easily be rusty. Certainly if his whole rehab goes like this, I would imagine he’s shut down again.
Hunter Dobbins, RHP – 26
Acquired: Traded with Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aitia for Willson Contreras
Last season, Dobbins threw just 78.2 IP all year. This year, he’s already at 84 innings. With over two months left to play, I think it’s pretty clear the Cardinals aren’t going to seriously restrict his innings, but I also think they’re trying to do minor stuff here and there to keep his innings lower than his full potential. Because he’s made 18 appearances across both the majors and minors, he’s one start behind all the MLB guys, and he’s thrown 24 less innings than McGreevy, 14 less innings than both May and Pallante, and 4 less innings than Kyle Leahy – who has also made 18 starts, but is making his 19th start tonight. He did throw 125 innings in 2024, so I assume the Cardinals hope he’ll reach that at least.
Pete Hansen, LHP – 25
Acquired: 3rd round pick, 97 overall in 2022 draft
I’ll give Pete this: he’s hanging in there. I haven’t really been a believer of his, because he’s always been okay while never being the young guy. He’s never been old for his level necessarily, just a guy posting okay stats at AA at 24-years-old is not going to get my attention. But he’s mostly maintaining his production at each stop. He struck out 21.1% of people in Springfield, so far it’s even gone up a bit. He’s been worse because of the walks, but as you can see with Mautz and Mathews, it’s apparently hard to not walk guys in Memphis and 8.5% is perfectly respectable. While his stats remain okay, this is probably the first time I can squint and see him with an MLB career.
Sem Robberse, RHP – 24(VEB’s #13 prospect in 2025)
Acquired: Traded with Adam Kloffenstein for Jordan Hicks
See, now this, this is the kind of performance I want to see in rehab. Who cares about the ERA in 9 IP? He has not walked a single batter and almost everything is being hit on the ground. Great sign. He only threw 14.2 IP last season, so I’m not sure how much they’re going to ramp him up cause obviously it’s going to be pretty easy to beat 14.2 IP with any kind of health.
The Cardinals traded two months of Phil Maton and one of the pieces they got back, who had made 7 appearances in High A at the time of the time, is in AAA less than a year later. Here’s some more fun news: Mason Molina was originally drafted by the Brewers, who traded him to the Rangers for Grant Anderson, a perfectly cromulent but whatever reliever. Molina will probably have to get groundballs at some point to be a starter though – not a lot, but he’d allow too many homers with anything lower than 30%.
Not really stats that make you think he belongs in the big leagues, actually I would describe those stats as good enough for exactly the role he has now – bullpen shuttle reliever.
Hancel Rincon, RHP – 24
Acquired: Internatonal amateur free agent signing of the Dominican Republic in 2019
That’s about as clear-cut of a multi-inning reliever as you’ll get. His three starts were not actually starts, at least not 5 IP starts. He has walked give guys in his two most recent appearances so I don’t think he’s close to getting called up.
Love ended up with not particularly impressive numbers in Springfield despite a fantastic start. The Cardinals promoted him anyway and I guess it shouldn’t be a shock that he has struggled. I was kind of hoping he was going to be an effective reliever, but given his age, it does appear to be a true longshot, despite him being on the door step to the big leagues.
I got to tell you, sharing the pitching stats are a real bummer. I’m pretty sure the offensive environment is a little bit crazy, so understand that a decent or even seemingly below average looking line is actually fine. But that is not an argument that these are good stats. These are an improvement over his performance last season in AAA, although it’s mostly just because he’s getting a lot of groundballs.
Well bad news: Winquest got rocked yesterday. I updated the ERA, not the other stats. And the other stats will get worse, mainly because he allowed a homer and didn’t strike anybody out. Good news though is that the K/BB ratio certainly suggests he’s very close to being MLB ready.
Murphy is a good example of how an injury can derail a career. Murphy had 11 good starts in AA – albeit a little over 3 innings per start – and then he essentially missed his the rest of that season and the next season (which was mostly spent on rehab appearances). So the Cardinals grabbed him up and ploppped him in the bullpen. And there might be something here with his GB rate being so high.
We probably should have expected some growing pains with Doyle. It was known he needed to work on his secondaries. And sometimes that leads to games like yesterday, when he walked 5 guys and struck out just 3 guys. Yesterday’s stats are not reflected in his FIP or xFIP, so those will be worse when you read this. But he is still missing quite a few bats, balls are maybe falling more often than they would in the majors, and I really don’t think the Cardinals care about Doyle’s specific stats.
Jurrangelo Cjintje, RHP – 23 (VEB’s #5 prospect)
Acquired: Traded with Tai Peete in 3-team trade for Brendan Donovan
Yes, I am aware Cjinjte is now in Memphis. He made his first start for Memphis yesterday, and wasn’t very good, allowing 6 ER in 3.2 IP and more walks than strikeouts. This is really not surprising because his stats at Springfield weren’t very good. So interesting move to promote him. I think the Cardinals are not looking at the same stats we are, or at least he’s doing something they are encouraged by that isn’t necessarily reflected in the stats themselves.
Brandon Clarke, LHP – 22 (VEB’s #9 prospect)
Acquired: Traded with Richard Fitts and Patrick Galle for Sonny Gray
You would have legitimately no clue that Clarke actually pitched pretty poorly on Saturday, because the attention was rightfully on the fact that he threw 103 mph. But he walked two and struck out 1 of the 7 batters he faced while giving up two runs. It also speaks to the fact that rehab appearances don’t really matter. When the Cardinals deem him ready for Springfield, that’s when I’m going to care that he’s walking more than he’s striking out.
As good as Hjerpe’s stats are so far…. he is not beating the reliever allegations with them. I’ve pitched it before, but certainly someone who is striking out 44% of batters could probably be an MLB reliever right now. I wouldn’t promote him right now, but I definitely would like to see him get innings in September. I don’t think this is a giving up on starting move – he didn’t throw an inning last season, so I don’t think the Cardinals are going to have him throw more than a few innings per start anyway. If the Cardinals are still in contention, try using him as a lefty weapon out of the bullpen. That’s just my hope.
Chen-Wei Lin, RHP – 24 (VEB’s #11 prospect in 2025)
Acquired: International amateur free agent signing out of Taiwan in 2023
While these are certainly not what I wuld call good stats, he is striking out 27% of batters while having a greater than 50% GB rate. There’s a starter toolkit here and considering injuries restricted him to 50.1 IP, it’s good to see he has been healthy.
I know Chaim Bloom has a reputation for taking things slow with pitchers, but there are kind of lot of pitchers in this system that were seemingly promoted aggressively and who don’t have particularly great stats at that aggressive placement. Davis made 8 total starts last year and missed a lot of bats and missed the strike zone a good amount. If they repeated Davis in High A, I’m sure they were confident he would have good stats, so they wanted to push him. I just kind of get the feeling that the Cardinals don’t want their starters to be too dominant because then they aren’t being challenged enough.
Blake Aitia, RHP – 23
Acquired: Traded with Yhoiker Fajardo and Hunter Dobbins for Willson Contreras
Davis is followed by another pitcher who honestly proves my point more. It does not feel like Aita gets promoted in an organization that promotes its pitchers too slow. It could be an entirely AAA to majors reputation that Bloom got here. It feels like pitchers are promoted aggressively honestly.
Thompson is currently in Springfield, hence why he isn’t in the Memphis section. Props to Randy Flores on picking this guy up in the 17th round, regardless of how far he ends up making it, Thompson looks more like a potential MLBer than the vast, vast, vast majority of 17th rounders ever do and that alone makes it a good pick.
And that’s where I’m going to stop. It felt kind of awkward, because I reached the end of Memphis and noticed that covering all of Springfield would actually make this a fairly long post, but I didn’t want to ignore Springfield completely, so today you get the starters, and on Thursday, you get the relievers plus the lower minors. Covering all the bullpen pitchers really adds up. Thankfully, I can pretty much ignore the bullpen guys in the lower minors. So I will get the pitching section finished on Thursday.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 19: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves hits a solo home run during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Truist Park on July 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Colin Hubbard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Drake Baldwin and Austin Riley both delivered in big ways as the Braves once again beat the Rangers in a big series and Sunday win. While there were a few pitching concerns, the bats showed they are more than capable of producing wins. That is certainly a great sign for Atlanta, especially with the return of Ronald Acuna Jr. drawing near. If the offense is ready to be among the best in the game again, that will certainly make winning a bit easier.
There was some clarification on the plan for Spencer Schwellenbach. He currently is in Florida throwing bullpen sessions and working his way toward live BP.
The salary cap proposal was coming anyway. The Dodgers did play through wildfire smoke at Yankee Stadium last Friday. No locusts, at least not yet.
But no one foretold that the star to whom the Dodgers agreed last winter to pay an average of $60 million each year would be, well, average.
Over the first half of the season, Tucker’s OPS+ was 100, making him a player defined by that metric as “league average.”
He is batting .240, 30 points below his career average. He is on pace for full-season career lows in home runs (11) and OPS (.702).
His WAR is 0.9, below the 1.3 of Tyler Glasnow. By that metric, Tucker has contributed less to the Dodgers’ success this season than Glasnow, who has pitched in seven of the team’s first 100 games.
Hardly anyone outside Los Angeles has noticed, and hardly anyone in Los Angeles has gotten all worked up about it.
“I appreciate that our fan base, compared to some others, gives a lot more grace to players,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I know he sees that as well.”
Here is what Tucker’s trials have cost the Dodgers: Absolutely nothing.
He had two hits, both singles, in 13 at-bats as his team won the weekend series against the New York Yankees. The Dodgers remain the owners of the best record in the major leagues.
Tucker’s four-year contract, lucrative as it is, was not accompanied by a withering spotlight. He does not need to lift his team into the postseason, a burden often borne by marquee free agents signed to put their team over the top.
With the Dodgers?
Shohei Ohtani is the face of baseball. Freddie Freeman’s son walked around the All-Star Game in a T-shirt that read “My Dad Has 2,500 Hits.”
Mookie Betts last played here as a World Series-winning, Gold Glove-winning right fielder; he returned as a World Series-winning, Gold Glove-caliber shortstop.
“I think it certainly helps being around a lot of other guys who have high expectations,” Roberts said.
Neither rain nor smoke nor heat can keep the Dodgers from their appointed October rounds. They need Tucker to prosper then.
Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker singles during the second inning against the New York Yankees on Friday. (Caleb Bowlin / Getty Images)
“Obviously, we all want to play well all year,” Betts said. “It’s not like we’re kicking the can and nobody cares. Even then, we’d love to be ready in October.
“It’s really just about playing. You never know. You could have a great October and get one hit, and it could be the biggest hit.”
Said Tucker: “Everyone here is very talented. Everyone is here to help each other out. Everyone here just wants to get back to another World Series, and win it. So I’m trying to do my part and just play baseball.”
He insists he is not weighted down by the external expectations that accompany his contract.
“I think that’s the beauty of it, the thing that’s refreshing,” Betts said. “I don’t think he cares about any of that. He just wants to play well and do his thing and help the boys.
“I don’t think he really cares about the expectations.”
You may think “$60 million” when he comes to the plate. He does not.
“I try, regardless of what my situation is,” Tucker said. “Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve just got to try and do better.”
His strikeouts are up significantly this season. His bat speed is down slightly. His hard contact rate is down significantly.
He’s working on fixing his swing. He’s been working on it. He’ll keep working on it.
Roberts said the quality of Tucker’s at-bats have looked better over the past couple weeks, even if the results may not show it.
“The thing that I’ve appreciated since Day 1 is, he hasn’t run from his struggles,” Roberts said. “He’s owned it.”
Tucker made the All-Star Game in each of the four years preceding this one. The Dodgers are betting his level of performance will at least approach that in the second half.
Betts said he does not see anything specific to worry about with Tucker.
“I don’t see anything at all,” Betts said. “He’s a competitor. He’s already come through a bunch during the year. It’s not like he’s not doing anything.
“He’s not hitting .330 with 30 [home runs], like we all would dream we were doing, right? But, as a team, we’re doing OK.”
For now, the Dodgers are. Their true season starts in a little more than two months.
From Tucker, the accountability is appreciated. Production would be better.
1907 – Chicago’sCarl Lundgren and New York’sChristy Mathewson are stingy today with the Cubs twirler allowing just four hits while the Cubs scratch three off Matty as the Giants win, 1-0. Joe Tinker is hitless against Matty, the only time this year that Mathewson shuts down his nemesis.
1938 – Johnny Mize of the Cardinals has three home runs in a game for the second time this season, in a game against the Giants.
1958 – Jim Bunning of the Tigers pitches a 3-0 no-hitter over the Red Sox and fans 12. Only two walks and a hit batsman mar Bunning’s performance as he wins his sixth game in seven decisions.
1962 – Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Co. overpower Roberto Clemente‘s Pirates with a devastating aerial assault. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle writes: “Chuck Hiller led off with a single. Mays then hit a line drive, 420-foot home run for 2-0. With two down in the third, McCovey belted a memorable shot over the left-field scoreboard. It was one of the few ever ripped into that area by a lefthander in the more than half a century existence of ivy-cloaked Forbes Field. The McCovey smash stood up for the victory. The Bucs started to move in the fourth, when Bill Mazeroski singled home Clemente, who also contributed a dazzling throw from right field to cut down the sliding McCovey at the plate in the sixth.”
1969 – San Francisco’sGaylord Perry connects for his first hit of the year, and his first major league homer, to beat the Dodgers, 7-3. Last year, Alvin Dark had remarked to sportswriter Harry Jupiter about Perry’s hitting, “They’ll put a man on the moon before he hits a home run.” Perry’s homer comes about 20 minutes after the clubhouse receives word that Neil Armstrong has set foot on the moon.
2004 – At Wrigley Field, Albert Pujols goes 5 for 5, including three home runs and five RBIs, as the Cardinals beat Central Division rivals the Cubs, 11-8. The Redbird first baseman’s first career three-homer game helps St. Louis to erase a six-run deficit.
2012 – Chipper Jones becomes the all-time leader for RBIs by a player who was primarily a third baseman with a two-run single in the 8th inning; he was tied with George Brett at 1,598; Mike Schmidt continues to hold the record for RBI collected when actually playing at the hot corner.
1749 – Earl of Chesterfield says “Idleness is only refuge of weak minds.”
1793 – Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completes the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico.
1801 – Elisha Brown Jr presses a 1,235-pound cheese ball at his farm.
1921 – Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson becomes the first woman to preside over the floor of US House of Representatives.
1964 – First surfin’ record to go to No.1-Jan & Dean’s “Surf City.”
1965 – Columbia records releases the Bob Dylan single “Like a Rolling Stone.”
1968 – Iron Butterfly’s “In-a-gadda-da-vida” becomes first heavy metal song to hit charts; it comes in at No. 117.
1968 – Judy Garland headlines concert also featuring Count Basie and Jackie Wilson at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; her last US concert
1969 – NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar module, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, lands on the surface of the Moon. Seven hours later, Armstrong becomes the first person to step on the moon at 10:56 pm EDT, and Aldrin joins him shortly after. Michael Collins remains in orbit in the command module.
1975 – Bruce Springteen and the E Street Band kick off the Born to Run Tour at the Palace Theatre in Providence, Rhode Island; Steven Van Zandt debuts as a full-fledged member of the group.
The Syracuse Mets slipped back to .500 in the second half, falling short in a sloppy slobbernocker that saw both teams log 9 hits and slug 2 home runs apiece. Coming into the ninth, Syracuse was still losing, but the score was a much more palatable 4-3. In the ninth, Ben Simon and Guillo Zuniga combined to allow 4 runs on 3 hits and a pair of walks. Not what you want to see, especially in the ninth.
Jonathan Santucci pitched a lot better than his final line suggests. He gave up 6 hits and a pair of walks over 5.2 innings, allowing just one extra base hit, but every hit seemed to come at a bad time, hence the four earned runs. On the bright side, the left-hander struck out a career-high 13 batters, the second time in three July starts that he reached double-digit strikeouts (he struck out 10 Baysox batters on July 5th). Nick Lorusso added two more hits to a very quiet solid season and Jose Ramos hit a double, but the Binghamton offense continues to not get it done.
Early on, things didn’t look too bleak for Brooklyn. Frank Camarillo had allowed three runs over three innings, yes, but the offense had kept pace, with Daiverson Gutierrez driving a run in with an RBI double in the second and Corey Collins doing the same with a single in the third. Calvin Ziegler came in to pitch the fourth, and all hell broke loose from thereon in. His inning began with a runner reaching base via catcher’s interference and that really set the tone for things. The former top prospect then walked a batter, threw a wild pitch, walked another batter, threw another wild pitch, walked the next two batters, and then allowed a triple, allowing four runs to score all without recording a single out. By and large, the relievers following him weren’t any better, with Tanner Witt and his 1.1 innings of scoreless relief being the only stretch of success for the Brooklyn bullpen.
St. Lucie jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first, and continued adding on. The pitching, meanwhile, was cooking, with Ethan Lanthier, Tyler McLoughlin, and Jonathan Jimenez combining to throw five scoreless innings. The bullpen finally gave in in the later innings, with Luis Alvarez allowing a run in the sixth and him and Ernesto Mercedes combining to allow five more in the seventh, but Mercedes threw a clean eighth and Miguel Mejias locked down the ninth, preventing further damage. Trey Snyder had himself an exceptional game, going 4-5 with a triple and a homer, and may be working himself back into top prospect consideration.
· REHAB ALERT SS Marco Vargas: 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (1)
Jul 19, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Dylan Beavers (12) and center fielder Colton Cowser (17) and right fielder Leody Taveras (30) celebrate after the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Three weeks ago, if you had told me that the Orioles/Red Sox series in mid-July would be a crucially important one for both teams, I’d have looked at you like you had three heads. “Important for what, draft positioning?” I’d have replied derisively, then laughed at my own joke. I’d have said you were crazy, and that you clearly weren’t paying attention to baseball, and that maybe you should find another hobby, like canasta. Oh man, would I have been obnoxious.
The point here is that I’m kind of a jerk. But the bigger point here is that the Orioles and Red Sox have both pulled off incredible turnarounds for seasons that once appeared to be dead and buried. At the start of July, the O’s were nine games under .500. The Red Sox were 10 under. Both teams were getting lambasted by their home fans, who had nothing to look forward to but the inevitable trade deadline sell-off. It was a shambling footrace to the bottom of the AL East for the two massively disappointing clubs.
Well. Would you look at them now?
The O’s and Red Sox are now the hottest teams in baseball, carrying the league’s two longest winning streaks. The Orioles have ripped off seven victories in a row, a streak they extended yesterday by completing a three-game sweep of the Astros in Houston. The Birds are 10-3 in July and have been getting incredible performances in particular from their starting rotation, which has a 2.40 ERA during the streak. The O’s are even winning without meaningful contributions from their star hitters, as Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson were a combined 1-for-22 in the Astros series and Adley Rutschman is 2-for-15 during the winning streak. That’s arguably a cause for even more optimism, because if and when those star players heat up, the Orioles will have more weapons at their disposal.
And yet the Orioles’ hot stretch pales in comparison to that of the Red Sox, who have strung together an incomprehensible 13-game winning streak. The Sox swept three consecutive series on the road to end the first half, then opened the second half by sweeping the division-leading Rays in four games. It’s Boston’s longest winning streak since 1948! Interim manager Chad Tracy, who inherited a woeful club from the fired Alex Cora in April and initially did little to improve its fortunes, suddenly seems to have the magic touch. Absolutely everything is clicking right now for the Sox, who had come-from-behind wins in three of their games against Tampa Bay. The Sox, like the Orioles, have delivered some stellar pitching. Only twice during their 13-game streak have they allowed more than two runs.
The Red Sox surge has vaulted them into playoff position, currently holding the third and final AL wild card spot. The Orioles, now within two games of .500, are just two games back of Boston. The O’s leapfrogged the Astros in the wild card race, and also pulled into a tie with the Twins and a game back of the Mariners.
Which brings us to the, yes, crucially important series that begins tonight at Fenway Park. If the Orioles can manage to slow down the sizzling hot Sox and maybe even win the series, they’ll chip away further at their wild card deficit and make a big statement that maybe they’re for real after all. But if Boston’s surge continues and the Orioles lose the series — or worse, get swept — the O’s will again be left scrambling to stay relevant in the postseason chase as the clock ticks down toward the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Everything is on the line for the Orioles and Red Sox these next three nights, and I never thought it would come to this. Sorry for calling you crazy.
Brandon Young, a Texas native, just loves pitching in Houston. I’m already circling Aug. 10-12, 2027 on my calendar for his next masterpiece at Daikin Park.
Tough break for Cam Sanders, who was demoted despite retiring all five batters he faced and earning both a win and a save in his first two games as an Oriole. But I suppose it’s a good thing the O’s had Huff on hand yesterday, considering that both of their regular catchers ended up injured.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with five former Orioles: catchers Pedro Severino (33) and Charles Johnson (55), infielder Alexi Casilla (42), outfielder Jake Fox (44), and left-hander Mark Lee (62).
On this date in 1983, Orioles leadoff man “Disco” Dan Ford almost single-handedly defeated the Mariners, hitting three solo home runs to lead the Birds’ 4-2 victory in Seattle. It was a weird offensive performance for the Orioles, who had 10 hits that were split between just three hitters: four apiece by Ford and Cal Ripken Jr., and two for Rick Dempsey. The rest of the lineup was 0-for-21.
In 2021, the Orioles’ game against the Rays was broadcast entirely by women for the first time in baseball history. MASN’s own Melanie Newman was the play-by-play announcer, joined by analyst Sarah Langs, on-field reporter Alanna Rizzo, and pregame/postgame hosts Heidi Watney and Lauren Gardner. That was cool! What’s way less cool is that it’s never happened again since then.
And on this day in 2023, the Orioles took over sole possession of first place for the first time that season by defeating the Rays, 4-3, in 10 innings. Colton Cowser’s sac fly in the top of the 10th brought in the go-ahead run, and closer Félix Bautista worked both a scoreless ninth and 10th to seal the victory. The Rays had started the season 13-0 and at one point held a six-game lead over the Orioles, but the 2023 Orioles were simply too good to be contained. It marked the latest date in a season that the O’s had been in first place since 2016.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 19: Alan Rangel #57 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 19, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers are in town today, but Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch in the three game set. Seems like the Dodgers are playing coy with an injury here.
Jul 17, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) celebrates after driving in the winning run during the tenth inning against the Miami Marlins at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Off Day
Tuesday: Off Day (AL All-Stars 4, NL All-Stars 0)
Wednesday: Off Day
Thursday: Off Day
Friday: Brewers 2, Marlins 1
Saturday: Brewers 8, Marlins 6
Sunday: Brewers 3, Marlins 1
Division Standings
Brewers: 62-37
Cubs: 56-43 (6.0 GB)
Cardinals: 51-47 (10.5 GB)
Pirates: 52-48 (10.5 GB)
Reds: 45-53 (16.5 GB)
Last Week
Brewers: 3-0
Cubs: 2-1
Cardinals: 1-2
Pirates: 2-1
Reds: 2-1
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
There was a lot of solid pitching from the staff. Logan Henderson only allowed one run over five innings on Friday, striking out four. Shane Drohan allowed three runs in his start, but also recorded a career-high nine strikeouts. Robert Gasser also allowed just a single run in five innings on Sunday. Chad Patrick pitched three innings out of the bullpen, striking out four. Aaron Ashby, Trevor Megill, and Abner Uribe also had two scoreless innings each out of the bullpen. Craig Yoho also earned his first career win in Friday’s game with a scoreless inning.
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
Garrett Mitchell remained hot coming out of the All-Star Break with another strong series, this one against the Marlins. He went 5-for-12 over the weekend with three RBI. The biggest hit came on Friday, when he hit the walk-off single in the 10th inning to end the Brewers’ three-game losing streak.
Honorable mentions go to Joey Ortiz, whose home run on Friday tied the game and sent it into extra innings. He went 2-for-8 in the series with three walks, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Also, William Contreras only had one hit over the weekend, but it was a walk-off home run on Sunday afternoon.
Following his DFA last week, the Brewers traded Easton McGee to the Royals for cash on Tuesday.
The Brewers made another trade with the Astros on Wednesday as the trade deadline gets closer. They acquired RHP Lance McCullers Jr., LHP Colton Gordon, and cash from the Astros. They sent OF Jadyn Fielder to Astros for their side of the deal. Gordon was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, and McCullers Jr. joined the Brewers in the bullpen. McCullers Jr. has not made his Brewers debut yet. The Brewers also moved Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster space.
Greg Jones cleared waivers on Thursday following his DFA. He was outrighted to Nashville, but elected to become a free agent.
Jared Koenig was optioned to Triple-A Nashville when McCullers Jr. was activated Friday. Koenig has struggled since his return from the IL and will get some work down there.
On Saturday, the Brewers placed Sal Frelick on the 10-day IL with a shoulder strain. The severity is not known right now, and he will get an MRI to determine next steps. The only indication so far from manager Pat Murphy is he “won’t be able to go anytime soon”. Blake Perkins was recalled to fill Frelick’s roster spot.
Brandon Woodruff is officially done for the season after he decided to undergo another shoulder surgery to repair the capsule in his right shoulder. His last shoulder surgery kept him out 20 months, and the timeline on this one will be similar. Though 2027 is a possibility, he likely won’t be ready until 2028.
Kyle Harrison underwent a precautionary MRI during the All-Star Break, and the results were “all good”. He threw a bullpen session on Saturday and is on track to return shortly after the minimum IL stint on July 24.
DL Hall threw 15 pitches in a scoreless inning for High-A Wisconsin on Sunday. He allowed one hit and struck out one, and was pleased with his performance.
David Hamilton and Brandon Lockridge are both scheduled to begin rehab assignments on Tuesday at Triple-A Nashville.
The Detroit Tigers failed to complete the sweep of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon, falling short by a run in a 3-2 defeat in Anaheim. Casey Mize was knocked out early after getting hit on the left wrist with a 108 mph comebacker and the offense wasted all of its gas the night before.
Next up on the schedule are the Chicago Cubs, who host the Motor City Kitties for a three-game series starting on Monday at Wrigley Field. Right-hander Jack Flaherty will get the start in the opener looking to continue his superb performance since the calendar flipped from May to June.
Over his last six starts, the 30-year-old veteran has posted an impressive 2.12 ERA along with a sterling 2.46 FIP over 29 2/3 innings of work, striking out 34 against 10 walks while allowing just one home run over that stretch. Flaherty has averaged just a hair under five frames per outing over that stretch, but despite his limited efficiency, he is still getting the job done as the Tigers have won in four of those appearances.
For the Cubbies, fellow righty Jameson Taillon takes the mound amidst what is turning out to be his worst season in the big leagues. The 34-year-old was shelved in early June with a left hamstring injury and will be making his first start off the injured list against Detroit.
Prior to his leg trouble, Taillon had thrown the third of his three quality starts in 2026 against the Athletics, allowing a pair of runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out six with a wild pitch over 6 1/3 innings, but still took the loss in a 2-1 defeat. He then lasted just one inning against the San Francisco Giants, allowing a run on two hits and two walks while striking out two before being removed from the game with his injury.
Take a look at how the two matchup for the series opener on Monday night.
Detroit Tigers (46-53) vs. Chicago Cubs (56-43)
Time (ET): 8:05 p.m. Place: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois SB Nation Site:Bleed Cubbie Blue Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 100: RHP Jack Flaherty (3-8, 4.48 ERA) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.19 ERA)
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 5-4 vs. Worcester Red Sox
SS George Lombard Jr. 2-5, 2B, K, CS — first full game at Triple-A since coming back from injury (here’s the double) C J.C. Escarra 3-4, 2 2B, HR, BB, 2 RBI — walk-off homer, now up to a 1.057 OPS in 13 games at Triple-A CF Spencer Jones 1-3, 2B, BB, K — in comparison, .952 OPS in 51 games (for those curious) 2B Marco Luciano 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — two-run bomb put Scranton up in the sixth RF Yanquiel Fernández 0-4, 2 K 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, HR, RBI, SB — 10th dinger of the season, tied game in the second 1B Tyler Hardman 0-4, K, GIDP DH Ernesto Martínez Jr. 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, SB — no-contact day LF Duke Ellis 1-4, 2 K, SB
Alexander Cornielle 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, HBP — get ready to see a whole bunch of different names! Eric Reyzelman 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Chris Kean 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K — there’s a reason they didn’t want to lose him when he exercised his opt-out Danny Watson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Will Brian 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 0 K — blew lead, but maybe he was just setting the stage for Escarra! Good teammate if you ask me Zach Messinger 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K Yovanny Cruz 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (win) — gassed ’em on 19 pitches with four of at least 99.5, and seven swings and misses
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 1-2 at Portland Sea Dogs — both sides got five hits, Portland just had the extra run
LF Jackson Castillo 1-4, K CF Jace Avina 0-4 3B Coby Morales 2-4, HR, RBI, K — solo shot in the ninth to chip away, 16th homer of 2026 RF DJ Gladney 1-4, 2 K, SB 2B Connor McGinnis 0-2, 2 BB, K C Miguel Palma 1-4, 2B — grounded out with tying run on first to end it 1B Josh Moylan 0-2, BB, 2 K DH Tomas Frick 0-3, 2 K SS Owen Cobb 0-3, K
Ben Hess 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 7 K, WP (loss) — nice work on 77 pitches, hard-luck loss after giving up an RBI triple in his last frame Ben Grable 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K — showing why he got the Futures Game nod Geoffrey Gilbert 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: W, 14-2 (7) and W, 5-2 (7) at Brooklyn Cyclones — doubleheader sweep!
Game 1
3B Roderick Arias 3-3, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 5 RBI, throwing error — put Renegades ahead with double in the third and later cleared the bases with his fourth-inning triple, finished a dinger shy of the cycle in maybe best day as a pro SS Core Jackson 0-5, RBI, K, GIDP DH Eric Genther 1-4, BB, RBI, K 1B Kyle West 1-5, 2B, 2 K CF Wilson Rodriguez 2-4 2B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-3, 2 BB, K, GIDP C Josue González 0-1, 3 BB, K RF Luis Durango 1-1, 2 BB, sacrifice LF Robbie Burnett 2-2, 2B, 2 BB, 5 RBI — getting five ribbies from both the leadoff and No. 9 hitter is very funny
Luis Serna 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 6 K Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (win) Andrew Landry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Brandon Decker 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 7-2 vs. Bradenton Marauders
3B Jackson Lovich 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K — 18th homer in 72 games, 434 feet off the batter’s eye in center 1B Hans Montero 2-4, 2B, HBP, 3 SB, CS — up to 30-for-35 on steals in 82 games LF Luis Puello 1-4, 2B, RBI, K SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, K, 2 SB RF Willy Montero 2-4, RBI, K, SB 2B Luis Escudero 1-2, BB, CS 2B Christofer Reyes 0-1, RBI CF Brando Mayea 1-4, 2 K DH Gregory Bozzo 1-2, 2 BB C Ediel Rivera 1-3, HR, RBI, HBP, passed ball
Sabier Marte 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR Josh Tiedemann 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (win) — one batter faced, one win, hell yeah Jordarlin Mendoza 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, pickoff error Jose Ledesma 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, fielding error Matthew Tippie 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Parker Seay 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
🚨Jackson Lovich hits a 3-Run BLAST (18) into the batters eye!!
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 18: Wilyer Abreu #52 and Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox celebrate after taking the lead against the Tampa Bay Rays in the bottom of the seventh inning at Fenway Park on July 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello and happy Monday, folks. Feels weird to not have a World Cup game ready to go on deck now, doesn’t it?
But you know what we do have on deck? A Red Sox game. They play Baltimore at Fenway tonight, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EST. A win would bring our boys to 14 straight wins, which is tantalizingly close to the longest win streak in the franchise’s history (!!!!!!), dating back to when the 1946 Sox won 15 games in a row.
My question to you, dear reader, is simple: Who the hell are these guys and what have they done with the 2026 Red Sox? I ask that tongue-in-cheek-ly, yes, but seriously! What the hell is happening?! I love it, don’t get me wrong, but this is insane!
What do you chalk this incredible run up to? A matter of the bats simply producing? Is it the manager? The new guys who have stepped up? Something else? A little bit of all of those things? Let me know below.
At some point during the next couple weeks, the phone is going to ring in Detroit and the Tigers are going to be tempted. They are ultimately going to have to weigh keeping Tarik Skubal over acquiring the wealth of prospects that will be thrown at them.
The two-time Cy Young winner is the biggest name hanging over the 2026 MLB trade deadline, and he is a long way from the only one. Contenders are hunting for pitching. Teams sliding out of the race are fielding calls on their veterans. And a dozen front offices are stuck in the middle and have not decided whether they are buyers or sellers.
The clock officially stops Aug. 3. Until then, the calls and text messages will fly, fans will dream and players will wonder where they will finish up the 2026 season.
Here is when the deadline hits, exactly how it works and which names could be on the move before it does.
Monday Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET. That is the hard cutoff that teams have for their trades to be finalized.
This is a change from the past. The league now sets the deadline inside a window, anywhere from July 28 to Aug. 3, so it can dodge scheduling headaches year to year. In 2026, it landed on the last possible day.
How does MLB trade deadline work?
Since 2019, there has been one deadline and only one. Before that, teams could keep dealing into August as long as a player first cleared what were called trade waivers. That whole system is gone.
Once the 6 p.m., Aug. 3 deadline passes, no team can make a trade, until after the season ends. The only way a player switches teams after that is through outright waivers, where one club exposes him and another claims him off the wire. It's not a trade, it's a waiver.
A player has to be in an organization by Aug. 31 to be eligible for that team's postseason roster. So even with the trade window shut, a club can still add a waiver claim or call up a prospect and have him ready for October.
The sellers are more difficult to figure out with a cluster in the standings. Some are already sorted out like the Giants, Mets, Rockies and Royals.
The muddled middle is where it gets interesting. The .500 teams have to decide in the next two weeks whether this is a year to push or a year to punt. That group is where the deadline usually gets interesting.
Skubal is the headliner still on the board. Detroit's ace is a free agent after 2026, which turns every Tigers loss into a referendum on whether they cash in on him now or bet on October. The Tigers went into Sunday's games six games back in the American League Central and 3½ out of the wild card.
Beyond Skubal, the reported names are impressive. Starters Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray, Sandy Alcantara and Kevin Gausman have surfaced in rumors. So have relievers such as Mason Miller, Aroldis Chapman and Ryan Helsley. On the position side, Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Luis Arraez and Ketel Marte have been rumored to be on the trading block.
The problem with this year's MLB trade deadline is that almost nobody wants to sell.
Twenty-three of the 30 teams came out of the All-Star break within four games of a playoff spot, which means most of the league still believes it has a reason to buy. That also leaves a short list of sellers. Those teams that are willing to deal now will set the price for everyone else as we barrel toward the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline on Aug. 3.
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal sits atop every contender's wish list, with pitching nearly always the top need of those who are looking to make a long run in October. Still, the Tigers have said they aren't sure if they will trade him.
The long stare down to the deadline is already beginning.
Here is where the 30 teams stand as the deals start to come, who is buying, who is finally selling and who is stuck in the middle:
Why there are barely any sellers right now
The standing are a cluster. With three wild cards in each league and almost two dozen teams still alive, the clubs that would normally be dumping veterans by late July are instead telling themselves they can make a run.
That scarcity flips the leverage. The few teams that are ready to sell get to name their price, and contenders desperate for pitching may have to overpay in prospects to land a starter or high-leverage reliever. It's a seller's market with almost no sellers.
The clear buyers
Seven contenders are already out there shopping and not hiding it.
Philadelphia Phillies: They need a right-handed outfielder and bullpen help. They also could use a starter.
Chicago Cubs:They are hunting pitching; they need both starters and relievers.
Milwaukee Brewers: Already landed Lance McCullers Jr. from Houston but still need more rotation depth.
New York Yankees: They are after a catcher and a late-inning reliever with Mason Miller atop their wish list.
Tampa Bay Rays: Yes, the Rays are hunting. They are looking for bats, catching and have been named as one of the teams pushing for Skubal.
The clear sellers
It's a short list, and one name on it would have been a shock in March.
New York Mets: They collapsed early and are ready to shed some of the $328 million payroll. Freddy Peralta, bullpen arms and some position players are up for discussion.
Colorado Rockies: They are usually here in July, and they still have very little to offer beyond a piece like Hunter Goodman.
Los Angeles Angels: With the worst record in baseball, they are ready to do business. Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Kirby Yates could all be headed for contenders.
Athletics: Moving veterans like catcher Jonah Heim while keeping their young core is their smart move.
Washington Nationals: A first-year front office is building for another season. They will move their veterans if they can.
San Francisco Giants: They are probably selling. Or they should be. Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray have been floated out there, if Buster Posey follows through.
The teams still deciding
Hovering around .500 and genuinely undecided, these teams are one bad week away from punting and one hot week from going all in.
Arizona Diamondbacks: They are leaning toward buying if Corbin Burnes' rehab stays on track.
St. Louis Cardinals: They are leaning toward buying if they can add pitching without gutting the farm system.
Seattle Mariners: They are also leaning toward buying, adding rotation and bullpen depth.
Texas Rangers: They are leaning toward buying. They need a rotation spot after injuries.
Boston Red Sox: Currently riding an improbable 13-game winning streak, Boston is leaning towards buying after getting hot this summer. They need middle infield help.
Houston Astros: They are leaning toward buying. They are a hot team and looking to add rotation and bullpen depth.
Miami Marlins: They are leaning toward buying. They are a hot team right now and could add pitching and bullpen depth.
Pittsburgh Pirates: They are kind of buying? Riding one of the best offenses in baseball at the break, they will add if it doesn't increase payroll.
San Diego Padres: This is a tossup. A.J. Preller is unpredictable and short on trade chips.
Toronto Blue Jays: Another tossup with Toronto still at the bottom of the American League East.
Cleveland Guardians: A tossup as well. They need offense but are unlikely to add any payroll.
Kansas City Royals: They still haven't decided but have to be close to selling. Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo or Lane Thomas could bring them back some prospects.
Cincinnati Reds: They are a tossup but have a win-now core of rentals they can flip quickly if they slip.
Minnesota Twins: They are leaning toward selling. They have historically been passive and they are sliding.
Baltimore Orioles: They are leaning toward selling. They are under .500 and have a brutal schedule ahead.
Chicago White Sox: This team is young and likelier to hold than make a splash.
And then there are the Tigers and Tarik Skubal
Everyone has been waiting for this decision since the 2025 deadline. They will dictate the market. The Tigers own the arm everyone wants in Skubal, the two-time reigning Cy Young winner and a free agent after the 2026 season, and they are sitting at under 20 percent playoff odds.
That leaves Scott Harris with the call of the summer. Cash in the best starter in baseball now, or keep him for a long-shot run and risk losing him for nothing in the winter. The Brewers, Rays, Braves and Orioles are already lining up to try and get him.
Whatever the Tigers decide will set the market for everyone behind them and we are all waiting.
