Category: Baseball

Giants know recent freefall forced front office's hand with Tyler Rogers trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — For seven seasons, Tyler Rogers stuck to routines. Given that he would go out to the mound every night with the slowest fastball in baseball, perhaps that’s how he felt it had to be. 

Rogers thrived on consistency, and in recent years, other Giants tried to pick up on that. When Ryan Walker broke through, he joined Rogers — and later his twin brother — in preparing for the late innings. Every night at Oracle Park, before the bottom of the third inning, Walker and Rogers would emerge from the dugout and make the long walk out to the bullpen. There they would sit and wait for a chance to help get their teammates to the 27th out. 

“He’s a man of habit,” Walker said of Rogers on Wednesday. “You can see why he’s so consistent on the mound.”

That routine meant that the two right-handers were still in the clubhouse early in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss when word broke that the Giants were shaking things up. They were sitting at their lockers and watching the game when Rogers joked that he had packed more than usual for the upcoming trip to New York and Pittsburgh. 

“You never know …” he said. 

A few moments later, he was pulled into an office. 

Rogers and Walker will be back on the same field Friday night, but in different bullpens. The Giants traded their longest-tenured reliever to the New York Mets at the start of Wednesday’s game in exchange for reliever Jose Butto and prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It was Buster Posey’s first big move since he did the complete opposite and swung for the fences with Rafael Devers, and it signaled that a full sale may be on the way. 

“It sucks. We lost the last six in a row and haven’t given Buster and the front office any reason to add,” third baseman Matt Chapman said. “We kind of did it to ourselves. It sucks. Obviously you can tell that everybody is pretty upset. It’s not how we saw this thing going.”

The Giants imagined Rogers, who is tied with Sergio Romo for the most holds in franchise history, pitching the eighth in a postseason game. Even in late June and early July, as they struggled, that was the goal. 

But they came home last week and lost all six on a homestand for the first time since 1896. They have dropped 12 of 14 and they are under .500 for the first time all season. The latest loss left them six games out of an MLB playoff spot. 

It has been a stunning fall. In a quiet clubhouse Wednesday, players felt they had left Posey with no choice.

“It’s not the position you want to be in, but I don’t blame Buster for doing something like that,” right-hander Logan Webb said. 

Webb and Rogers live near each other in Arizona and are close friends. They are two of the three Giants remaining from Bruce Bochy’s final year, and they have developed into leaders of the rotation and bullpen, respectively. Webb smiled Wednesday and said he always teases Rogers for being 10 days behind him in service time.

Webb didn’t know about the big trade until after he finished his 5 2/3 innings. He got back to the clubhouse and saw weird looks on the faces of Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander and wondered what they were about to tell him. He soon found out that a key piece was leaving.

“He saved me a lot of times,” Webb said. “He has saved the Giants a lot of times. He has been one of the best relievers in baseball for seven seasons now. The Mets got a good one.”

"The Mets got a good one."

Logan Webb discusses losing one of his "best friends" after Tyler Rogers was traded to New York pic.twitter.com/dtdnycRUT5

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 30, 2025

They followed that up by trading for St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, the kind of all-in move the Giants hoped to make. Instead, they will spend Wednesday night and Thursday morning trying to see how well they can do in what has become a market very friendly to sellers.

Dealing Ray would be the biggest potential move, but there have been no hints that’s coming. Verlander, though, is on an expiring deal, along with others like Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores. Dealing a few veterans would clear some payroll, bring in a few lottery ticket prospects, and open up opportunities for players who are more likely to contribute to San Francisco’s 2026 roster. 

As they informed teams that Rogers was available, the Giants also did the same with closer Camilo Doval, who struck out three in what might end up being his final appearance in orange and black. They have set the bar high in negotiations, but given how crazy the reliever market has gotten this week, they might get what they’re seeking. The Rogers deal was an example of that, and the industry consensus was that Posey and the front office did very well.  

As players packed up in a somber clubhouse, some expressed hope that this was not the start of something bigger, but it was hard to believe that would end up being the case. 

“I don’t know what to expect,” Chapman said. “But when you trade one of your best arms in the bullpen, I think that kind of shows where we’re headed.”

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Twins closer Jhoan Duran could be the most impactful reliever moved ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline, and the Mets and Yankees are among the teams in the mix, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

According to Heyman, the Phillies, Red Sox, and Mariners are also interested in obtaining Duran.

The Dodgers are also involved in the Duran sweepstakes, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Duran, 27, is earning just $4.125 million this season and is under club control and arbitration-eligible in 2026 and 2027 -- meaning the cost to acquire him will likely be relatively massive.

This season for the Twins, Duran has a 2.01 ERA (2.49 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 49.1 innings over 49 appearances.

In his first four MLB seasons, all with Minnesota, he has a 2.47 ERA (2.77 FIP) and 1.10 WHIP with 11.2 strikeouts per nine in 233.2 innings (223 games).

Duran features a four-seam fastball that has averaged 100.2 mph this season and also utilizes a high-octane splitter along with a curve and lesser-used sweeper.

For the Mets, Duran would give them potentially the best 1-2 late-inning punch in baseball and a hedge in the event Edwin Diaz opts out after the season and signs elsewhere.

For the Yankees, Duran would be a lockdown ninth-inning answer during a season where Devin Williams lost his closer job early on.

How Giants' bullpen will move forward after losing Tyler Rogers in trade to Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – For the past few days, Giants manager Bob Melvin had been pushing for hopes of adding at the MLB trade deadline during an ugly losing streak that had his team looking more like sellers than buyers — all just six weeks after turning the baseball world on its head with the acquisition of star slugger Rafael Devers. 

Before the Giants (54-55) eventually dropped their sixth straight game Wednesday, putting them below .500 for the first time this season, those hopes were crushed. Melvin lost his most reliable reliever early in the Giants’ 2-1 extra-innings loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates when Tyler Rogers was traded to the New York Mets. 

“We put the front office in a tough spot, too, and they have to look at the future and the now,” Melvin said after the game. “I think this might be a combination where we have some depth in the bullpen, and got something back that obviously they liked.” 

The three players the Giants received in return for Rogers were prospects Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell, as well as reliever José Butto. Gilbert, an outfielder and former first-round draft pick, was playing for Triple-A Syracuse, as was Tidwell, a right-handed pitcher who made his MLB debut earlier this season. 

Instant help should come from Butto, possibly as soon as Friday when the Giants ironically travel to New York for a three-game series against the Mets. Wednesday’s loss was an example of how much Butto could be needed right away. 

Rogers wasn’t an option, nor was 2025 MLB All-Star Randy Rodriguez, who didn’t pitch all series after throwing back-to-back games against the Mets on Saturday and Sunday. The three pitchers Melvin went to after a stellar outing from Logan Webb were Spencer Bivens, Matt Gage and Tristan Beck in high-leverage situations often reserved for Rogers and Rodriguez.

By the time Melvin met with the media, he hadn’t spoken to the front office yet. He admitted he needs to do more research on Butto, saying “he’s a good arm.” 

“I know he was in their bullpen, and we replace a guy in our bullpen with somebody we brought back,” Melvin said.

Butto, 27, is a right-handed reliever who has enjoyed a strong season thus far. He has appeared in a career-high 34 games and has a 3.64 ERA with one save in 47 innings. His 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings are a career low, making his money in the infield. Butto has a career-high 49.6 ground ball percentage this season. 

The Mets used Butto against right-handed hitters and lefties alike. He has faced 28 more righties than lefties in 2025, with 28 strikeouts and nine walks against them. Butto has struck out 13 lefties this season, but also walked 13 as well. 

Losing Rogers hurts in the clubhouse and in the bullpen. Even though the Giants added a reliever in his departure, his absence should affect multiple arms. 

“We just back it up a little bit,” Melvin says. “Randy’s probably a little bit later in the game, depending on where it gets leveraged. [Ryan Walker] has obviously pitched late in games. We’ll get Erik [Miller] back at some point. Both lefties have done a good job for us. We have some depth there.” 

Other bullpen arms could be on the move ahead of Thursday’s deadline, too. The Giants have made closer Camilo Doval available on the trade market, league sources told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic. 

“Everything’s possible, but we just deal with whatever is given to us,” Melvin said. 

The business side of baseball reared its ugly head Wednesday a little more than a month after rolling out the red carpet for a major addition. Rogers has been in the Giants organization since 2013 and made his debut at nearly 29 years old in 2019. Only two other pitchers in the majors have made more appearances than him since then.

He arguably should have been an All-Star this season, currently leading the bigs in games pitched (53) and has a 1.80 ERA.

Whenever Rogers wound up, he almost touched the dirt with his submarine delivery and consistently made baseball’s best hitters look like fools of themselves in the batter’s box. He’ll be missed in more ways than one, and the Giants have to brace for more hurt while doing everything in their power to right the ship starting Friday, possibly even against their friend and now former teammate.

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Giants' winless six-game homestand amplified by stunning 19th-century MLB stat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants continue burrowing beyond rock bottom, but that’s not the only excavating being done.

You’d have to dig deep into the annals of 19th century MLB history to find the last time San Francisco had a worse homestand than the one that concluded with the Giants’ 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wedensday.

San Francisco went 0-6 against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates, marking only the second time in franchise history the Giants have gone winless on a homestand of at least six games.

The only other time it happened was in April 1896.

Giants finish an 0-6 homestand after getting swept by the last-place Pirates. The only other time the Giants went winless on a homestand of 6+ games came in April 1896 when they lost 3 to the Phillies and 3 to the Boston Beaneaters, according to the Elias Sports Bureau

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) July 30, 2025

Over the course of the last 129 years of baseball, the Giants never managed to stoop to this level of dispair, but San Francisco’s recent woes snowballed into two-series disaster that now forever lives on in infamy.

The Giants have been in a freefall over the last six weeks, posting MLB’s worst record (13-24) since June 17 — the day San Francisco acquired star slugger Rafael Devers.

Horrendous offensive production has been the common denominator during the Giants’ pitiful slide in recent weeks and the team’s latest homestand followed suit as San Francisco only has mustered 12 total runs during its six-game losing streak.

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José Butto emotionally exits Mets bullpen after hearing news of Giants trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The MLB trade deadline can be tough on players who are dealt, and new Giants reliever José Butto showcased that perfectly after the New York Mets sent him to San Francisco during Wednesday’s game at Petco Park.

Butto was traded to the Giants, along with top-12 prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert, in exchange for Tyler Rogers in the middle of New York’s game against the San Diego Padres. The emotions of his forthcoming departure were written all over his face, as the reliever took some time away from the dugout before returning later in the inning.

Buttó returned to the bullpen later in the inning pic.twitter.com/FfJXkkDbs0

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2025

Butto signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2017 and made his MLB debut with the team in 2022. Since then, the right-hander has posted an 11-9 record and 3.45 ERA with 163 strikeouts in 74 appearances.

In 2025, Butto has a 3.64 ERA with 41 strikeouts. He now goes from the second-place Mets, who are 62-47 and currently hold the second NL wild-card spot, to the Giants, who dropped below .500 for the first time this season after Wednesday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates and are six games out of the wild-card race.

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A closer look at the Hall of Fame chances for 8 current, former Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

This year’s class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was a fulfilling one for Phillies fans. Beloved slugger Dick Allen, one of the best hitters in the Era of the Pitcher, was finally voted in posthumously, and Billy Wagner became one of the few closers to make it to the Hall.

There haven’t been many players who played a majority of their careers in Philadelphia in Cooperstown. In fact, before Allen, you have to go all the way back to Richie Ashburn’s induction in 1995. Such is the existence for the losingest franchise ever.

However, in the more recent history of the Phillies, and the current roster, there are several players who have Hall of Fame possibilities. And in the wake of Hall of Fame weekend, and as he head toward Phillies Wall of Fame and Alumni festivities this weekend, it’s a fine time to examine eight current and former Phils and Hall of Fame chances.

Bobby Abreu

Abreu definitely produced offensively during his career. Seven seasons with 40-plus doubles, nearly 2,500 hits, 400 stolen bases, 1,453 runs scored, and a lifetime OPS of .870. His problem is that he was never among the best for multiple seasons running. The Hall is reserved for the best of the best. Abreu played 18 seasons, but he was named to just two All-Star teams. One Silver Slugger, one Gold Glove, zero top-10 finishes in MVP voting. The cumulative numbers look good, but when you put them up against fellow players, they just don’t measure up. He appeared on 19.5% of Hall of Fame ballots in 2025, his 6^th year of eligibility.

Hall Watch (out of 5 stars): 1.5 stars

Cole Hamels

Hamels has an interesting argument. 163 career wins doesn’t sound like a Hall of Fame number, but from the start of his career in 2006 to 2018, he has 156 wins, which ranks 7^th in baseball, just behind Max Scherzer (159) and Felix Hernandez (164), and third in Ks behind Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

He was named to four All-Star teams, finished in the top-10 in Cy Young Voting four times, and we all remember how unhittable he was during the 2008 playoffs. Coming up big in the postseason carries some extra weight. But in the end, I’m not sure he separated himself enough. 2026 is his first year on the ballot, the returns should be interesting.

Hall Watch: 2 stars

Bryce Harper

Where do you start when listing the accolades for Harper? Two MVP awards, 8 All-Star games, four Silver Sluggers, 351 home runs… and he’s three months shy of 33 years old! He has hit 767 extra-base hits in his career to date. That ranks 24^th of all players prior to their 33^rd birthday. More than Barry Bonds, more than Ted Williams, more than Mike Trout.

34 players have won two or more MVPs; 23 of the other 28 eligible players are in the Hall of Fame. The outliers? Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Roger Maris, and Dale Murphy. Harper already has more career home runs than Maris, and is 47 shy of Murphy. I shouldn’t have to explain the other three.

Harper has been in the harsh media spotlight since well before his MLB career began, and he has excelled throughout. All that’s really missing from his career to this point is a World Series ring.

Hall Watch: 4.5 stars

Ryan Howard

From 2006-to-2011, Howard was a player you could describe as an SWYD All-Star: when he’s up to bat, Stop What You’re Doing. Homework, dinner, taking out the trash, it can wait. Howard’s up. And often, he rewarded your patience. He was the most feared power hitter in the game during that span, averaging – averaging! – 43.7 homers and 132.7 RBI over that 6-year romp. For context, in the last 105 seasons, only seven players aside from Howard had THREE seasons with 43 HR and 132 RBI. Ruth, Sosa, Gehrig, Griffey, A-Rod, Manny Ramirez, and Jimmy Foxx.

Howard won the 2006 NL MVP, then finished fifth, second, third, tenth, and tenth again in MVP voting. The issue with Howard’s unreal run is that, frankly, that was it. He tore his Achilles to end the 2011 NLDS against the Cardinals, and never fully got back to super status. Many players have shooting-star careers like Howard, very few of them shine so brightly during their meteoric flight to alert Hall voters.

Sandy Koufax’s best seasons were the final five of his career, and in those five seasons, he was untouchable. 3 Cy Youngs, an MVP, and two World Series titles. The best pitcher in the game, during the Era of the Pitcher. Outside of those seasons, however, he was a below-average pitcher for eight seasons. But what he did at his best superseded all of that mediocrity.

While Howard’s best was great, it wasn’t great for long enough.

Hall Watch: 2.5 stars

Jimmy Rollins

On to another cornerstone from the 2008 roster, and the player that ignited the team whenever it seemed they needed it. The Phillies hit king (2,306 of his 2,455 career knocks) has 500+ doubles and 400+ stolen bases, one of 12 players all-time to reach those milestones. Nine of them are in Cooperstown. Four Gold Gloves, and the 2007 NL MVP, a season he put the team on his back down the stretch.

But J-Roll made just three All-Star teams. One Silver Slugger. For his career, his OPS+ was 95, which is below league average for his position. Rollins’ career, while made up for several great Moments, didn’t have many great seasons.

Hall Watch: 2 stars

Kyle Schwarber

Before signing with the Phillies prior to the 2022 season, Schwarber wasn’t a player you’d consider as anything approaching a Hall-of-Famer. But the last three-plus seasons have been a reinvention for the slugger. To count how many players with more homers than Schwarber’s had as a Phillie (168) since the start  of 2022, you’d need just two fingers: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. He has nearly reached SWYD status.

This blistering run has more than doubled his career home run total to 321 and counting. At the age of 32, his next 4-5 seasons will go a long way toward determining his candidacy for the Hall. Currently with just three All-Star nods and a Silver Slugger, a career home run figure would likely need to be in the high 400s for Cooperstown to come calling.

Hall Watch: 3 stars (with a bullet)

Chase Utley

Utley was arm-in-arm with Howard during the Phillies’ Golden Era of 2007-2011, and, you could argue, was more valuable overall than The Big Piece. His bWAR in that span (34.7) was second only to Albert Pujols. He always gave it his all, and was a fan favorite as a result.

But he was sorely lacking in one area during those years, and several others in his career: availability. Utley’s hair-on-fire playing style took a severe toll on him, and just as an example, he missed 145 games from 2007-2011. That’s nearly an entire season sitting out.

Also similar to Howard, his injuries caused his late-career production to suffer greatly. From 2009 until his final season of 2018, he topped 140 games in a season just once. Had his knees not betrayed him, who knows? So far, the Hall of voters have given him some love (39.8% in 2025), but he has a ways to go.

Hall Watch: 3.5 Stars

Zack Wheeler

The final candidate here could reap the benefits of voters changing their calculus on what determines Cooperstown worthiness for career starting pitchers.

Wheeler, 35, stands at 112 career wins. But in this era of starters going just 5-6 innings, bullpens notoriously blow what could have been several sure wins for the starter. The 3-time All-Star, like Schwarber, is another player whose career has undergone a resurgent second act in his Phillies Era.

Here are his ranks among Starters (min. 125 GS) since the start of the 2021 season:

• 2.89 ERA (1^st)
• WHIP (1^st)
• 64 wins (T-2^nd)
• 1,018 strikeouts (2^nd)
• .601 opponents’ OPS (2^nd)
• .211 opponents’ average (3^rd)

The one thing noticeably lacking from his resume is a Cy Young, and he has been mind-numbingly close, finishing second to Corbin Burnes in 2021 and Chris Sale last season. (Can someone kidnap Paul Skenes for a couple weeks?)

Wheeler has said on the record that he will play until his current Phillies contract expires, at the end of the ’27 season. If healthy, he could earn another 25-30 wins. Could 150 career wins be a magic number? 140? We shall see.

Hall Watch: 3.5 Stars

A closer look at the Hall of Fame chances for 8 current, former Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

This year’s class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was a fulfilling one for Phillies fans. Beloved slugger Dick Allen, one of the best hitters in the Era of the Pitcher, was finally voted in posthumously, and Billy Wagner became one of the few closers to make it to the Hall.

There haven’t been many players who played a majority of their careers in Philadelphia in Cooperstown. In fact, before Allen, you have to go all the way back to Richie Ashburn’s induction in 1995. Such is the existence for the losingest franchise ever.

However, in the more recent history of the Phillies, and the current roster, there are several players who have Hall of Fame possibilities. And in the wake of Hall of Fame weekend, and as he head toward Phillies Wall of Fame and Alumni festivities this weekend, it’s a fine time to examine eight current and former Phils and Hall of Fame chances.

Bobby Abreu

Abreu definitely produced offensively during his career. Seven seasons with 40-plus doubles, nearly 2,500 hits, 400 stolen bases, 1,453 runs scored, and a lifetime OPS of .870. His problem is that he was never among the best for multiple seasons running. The Hall is reserved for the best of the best. Abreu played 18 seasons, but he was named to just two All-Star teams. One Silver Slugger, one Gold Glove, zero top-10 finishes in MVP voting. The cumulative numbers look good, but when you put them up against fellow players, they just don’t measure up. He appeared on 19.5% of Hall of Fame ballots in 2025, his 6^th year of eligibility.

Hall Watch (out of 5 stars): 1.5 stars

Cole Hamels

Hamels has an interesting argument. 163 career wins doesn’t sound like a Hall of Fame number, but from the start of his career in 2006 to 2018, he has 156 wins, which ranks 7^th in baseball, just behind Max Scherzer (159) and Felix Hernandez (164), and third in Ks behind Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

He was named to four All-Star teams, finished in the top-10 in Cy Young Voting four times, and we all remember how unhittable he was during the 2008 playoffs. Coming up big in the postseason carries some extra weight. But in the end, I’m not sure he separated himself enough. 2026 is his first year on the ballot, the returns should be interesting.

Hall Watch: 2 stars

Bryce Harper

Where do you start when listing the accolades for Harper? Two MVP awards, 8 All-Star games, four Silver Sluggers, 351 home runs… and he’s three months shy of 33 years old! He has hit 767 extra-base hits in his career to date. That ranks 24^th of all players prior to their 33^rd birthday. More than Barry Bonds, more than Ted Williams, more than Mike Trout.

34 players have won two or more MVPs; 23 of the other 28 eligible players are in the Hall of Fame. The outliers? Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Roger Maris, and Dale Murphy. Harper already has more career home runs than Maris, and is 47 shy of Murphy. I shouldn’t have to explain the other three.

Harper has been in the harsh media spotlight since well before his MLB career began, and he has excelled throughout. All that’s really missing from his career to this point is a World Series ring.

Hall Watch: 4.5 stars

Ryan Howard

From 2006-to-2011, Howard was a player you could describe as an SWYD All-Star: when he’s up to bat, Stop What You’re Doing. Homework, dinner, taking out the trash, it can wait. Howard’s up. And often, he rewarded your patience. He was the most feared power hitter in the game during that span, averaging – averaging! – 43.7 homers and 132.7 RBI over that 6-year romp. For context, in the last 105 seasons, only seven players aside from Howard had THREE seasons with 43 HR and 132 RBI. Ruth, Sosa, Gehrig, Griffey, A-Rod, Manny Ramirez, and Jimmy Foxx.

Howard won the 2006 NL MVP, then finished fifth, second, third, tenth, and tenth again in MVP voting. The issue with Howard’s unreal run is that, frankly, that was it. He tore his Achilles to end the 2011 NLDS against the Cardinals, and never fully got back to super status. Many players have shooting-star careers like Howard, very few of them shine so brightly during their meteoric flight to alert Hall voters.

Sandy Koufax’s best seasons were the final five of his career, and in those five seasons, he was untouchable. 3 Cy Youngs, an MVP, and two World Series titles. The best pitcher in the game, during the Era of the Pitcher. Outside of those seasons, however, he was a below-average pitcher for eight seasons. But what he did at his best superseded all of that mediocrity.

While Howard’s best was great, it wasn’t great for long enough.

Hall Watch: 2.5 stars

Jimmy Rollins

On to another cornerstone from the 2008 roster, and the player that ignited the team whenever it seemed they needed it. The Phillies hit king (2,306 of his 2,455 career knocks) has 500+ doubles and 400+ stolen bases, one of 12 players all-time to reach those milestones. Nine of them are in Cooperstown. Four Gold Gloves, and the 2007 NL MVP, a season he put the team on his back down the stretch.

But J-Roll made just three All-Star teams. One Silver Slugger. For his career, his OPS+ was 95, which is below league average for his position. Rollins’ career, while made up for several great Moments, didn’t have many great seasons.

Hall Watch: 2 stars

Kyle Schwarber

Before signing with the Phillies prior to the 2022 season, Schwarber wasn’t a player you’d consider as anything approaching a Hall-of-Famer. But the last three-plus seasons have been a reinvention for the slugger. To count how many players with more homers than Schwarber’s had as a Phillie (168) since the start  of 2022, you’d need just two fingers: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. He has nearly reached SWYD status.

This blistering run has more than doubled his career home run total to 321 and counting. At the age of 32, his next 4-5 seasons will go a long way toward determining his candidacy for the Hall. Currently with just three All-Star nods and a Silver Slugger, a career home run figure would likely need to be in the high 400s for Cooperstown to come calling.

Hall Watch: 3 stars (with a bullet)

Chase Utley

Utley was arm-in-arm with Howard during the Phillies’ Golden Era of 2007-2011, and, you could argue, was more valuable overall than The Big Piece. His bWAR in that span (34.7) was second only to Albert Pujols. He always gave it his all, and was a fan favorite as a result.

But he was sorely lacking in one area during those years, and several others in his career: availability. Utley’s hair-on-fire playing style took a severe toll on him, and just as an example, he missed 145 games from 2007-2011. That’s nearly an entire season sitting out.

Also similar to Howard, his injuries caused his late-career production to suffer greatly. From 2009 until his final season of 2018, he topped 140 games in a season just once. Had his knees not betrayed him, who knows? So far, the Hall of voters have given him some love (39.8% in 2025), but he has a ways to go.

Hall Watch: 3.5 Stars

Zack Wheeler

The final candidate here could reap the benefits of voters changing their calculus on what determines Cooperstown worthiness for career starting pitchers.

Wheeler, 35, stands at 112 career wins. But in this era of starters going just 5-6 innings, bullpens notoriously blow what could have been several sure wins for the starter. The 3-time All-Star, like Schwarber, is another player whose career has undergone a resurgent second act in his Phillies Era.

Here are his ranks among Starters (min. 125 GS) since the start of the 2021 season:

• 2.89 ERA (1^st)
• WHIP (1^st)
• 64 wins (T-2^nd)
• 1,018 strikeouts (2^nd)
• .601 opponents’ OPS (2^nd)
• .211 opponents’ average (3^rd)

The one thing noticeably lacking from his resume is a Cy Young, and he has been mind-numbingly close, finishing second to Corbin Burnes in 2021 and Chris Sale last season. (Can someone kidnap Paul Skenes for a couple weeks?)

Wheeler has said on the record that he will play until his current Phillies contract expires, at the end of the ’27 season. If healthy, he could earn another 25-30 wins. Could 150 career wins be a magic number? 140? We shall see.

Hall Watch: 3.5 Stars

What we learned as Giants' losing streak hits six with Pirates completing sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Buster Posey’s plan at his first MLB trade deadline as the Giants’ president of baseball operations was revealed in the middle of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings when he dealt former teammate Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets in exchange for three players. 

The reliever had been the heart of the bullpen since making his MLB debut in 2019. But Posey was put in a bind with the way the Giants had been playing as of late.

A fielder’s choice where the ghost runner to start the inning scored from third base was the Giants’ demise this time, handing them their sixth straight loss while getting swept by the last-place Pirates. The Giants (54-55) now are below .500 for the first time this season.

Logan Webb’s recent struggles were wiped away, keeping Pirates hitters off-balance and racking up strikeouts. The only trouble Webb ran into was the fifth inning when he allowed his only run of the day. Webb finished with 11 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, walking four and giving up five hits. 

As it often happens, Webb didn’t receive the help he needed or deserved. Now, more moves and more hugs for teammates could be in store for the Giants ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ loss to end an ugly 0-6 homestand.

Webb’s Gem

July hadn’t been kind to the Giants’ staff ace. Webb allowed six earned runs in his previous start and came into Wednesday with a 7.36 ERA for the month. He saved his best for last, doing all he could to get the reeling Giants out of a rut.

11 Ks for Webby today 🔥 pic.twitter.com/K5CtHbnyh5

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 30, 2025

When Oneil Cruz tossed his bat and helmet in disgust after looking silly striking out on a Webb changeup to end the top of the first inning, it was clear what kind of day it was going to be for the Giants’ All-Star, as well as the Pirates’ offense. Webb struck out eight batters through the first three innings after having only five strikeouts in his previous two starts.

He was up to 10 strikeouts after four innings, but finally ran into trouble in the fifth, right after the Giants’ bats came to play. The Pirates began the fifth with back-to-back hard hits to the outfield, giving them their third and fourth hits of the day, as well as their first run. But Webb avoided real trouble when he snagged a grounder right at him with the bases loaded, got the out at home and pumped his fist at catcher Patrick Bailey throwing out Nick Gonzales at first base for a double play to end the inning.

Webb was pulled with two outs in the sixth inning and a runner at second base after throwing a season-high 109 pitches. His 11 strikeouts fell one short of his career high. 

Not Enough Help

While Webb was dealing, the Giants’ offense continued to struggle the first time through the order. San Francisco was hitless in the first three innings, going nine up and nine down. Dating back to the last out of the fourth inning in Tuesday night’s loss, 25 consecutive Giants had been retired. 

Leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos put an end to that to begin the bottom half of the fourth inning, smacking a sharp line drive to left field. The flood gates slightly cracked, and the Giants took advantage. Willy Adames continued his red-hot July with a hard-hit liner of his own to left, and Dominic Smith scored Ramos on a ground ball to right field.

Runs for Webby 👏 pic.twitter.com/OKqw4vxjQk

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 30, 2025

But the Giants then went ice-cold at the plate. Half of their six hits came in the fourth inning, and they didn’t score again. They didn’t have another hit until Mike Yastrzemski’s drag bunt in the eighth inning. The Giants had 11 hits in the first game of the series, and then just eight in the next two games combined. 

The Struggle Is Real 

Timing is everything, and Rafael Devers had the perfect opportunity to shift the Giants’ thinking at the trade deadline just as they began selling. With Yastrzemski 90 feet away at third base and the score tied 1-1, Devers could have ended his hitless streak and played hero in front of the home fans. He instead flew out to left field, stranding Yastrzemski at third. 

Devers now is hitless in his last 17 at-bats. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Wednesday, finishing the Giants’ three-game series against the Pirates 0-for-10 with four strikeouts. His dip at the plate extends further than a three-game series. 

The slugger was batting .272 with a .905 OPS when the Giants acquired him from the Boston Red Sox. Devers finished July hitting .230 for the month (20-for-87) and is batting .216 (40-for-185) since June 1.

Yes, the trade deadline is Thursday. And yes, there still are two months of the regular season left. Devers will have to figure something out at the plate if the Giants have any chance of turning things around.

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With Aaron Judge on the 10-day IL, the Yankees have made a move to improve their outfield depth, trading for White Sox outfielder Austin Slater, per SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino.

In exchange, the Yankees are sending right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl to Chicago. Ziehl, a fourth-round pick in 2024, was ranked as the Yankees' No. 18 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He has pitched to a 4.15 ERA this season across three levels of the Yankees' system, topping out at Double-A Somerset.

Slater, 32, can play all three outfield positions and hits lefties well, slashing .270/.362/.436 with 30 homers in 1,006 plate appearances, including a .522 slugging percentage against lefties this season.

A nine-year pro, Slater -- who is set to be a free agent at the end of this year -- spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons with the San Francisco Giants, and he's also spent some time with the Reds and Orioles.

General manager Brian Cashman continues to add, with the club recently acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon and infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario. Per Martino, the Yankees are still working on acquiring relievers ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. deadline.