Boxing legend Mike Tyson, boxer/influencer Jake Paul and music producer DJ Khaled announced Ohtani as the winner during the show. Ohtani was not in attendance.
Ohtani has played a key role in leading the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series championships.
He was the league's leading vote-getter but withdrew from the MLB All-Star Game this week due to inflammation and irritation in his left knee. The discomfort in the knee impacted his pitching mechanics, and he was recently pulled from a scheduled start for the Dodgers.
This season, he has 98 hits, 65 runs, 22 home runs and 58 RBIs in 88 games played. On the mound, he's produced an 8-2 record in 14 starts, allowing 55 hits, 21 runs (17 earned runs) and four home runs. He has struck out 95 and walked 26.
Before the Yankees took the field again for the second half, YES broadcasters Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill fielded some questions about the Bombers from The Post’s Steve Serby.
Q: The state of the Yankees?
Kay: I think they’re grinding, they’re battling, going through a lot of injuries. … I truly believe if they’re 100 percent healthy, they’re by far the best team in the American League. I think the league is really weak this year. I think when the Yankees have [Max] Fried and [Carlos] Rodón to go along with [Cam] Schlittler and [Gerrit] Cole, that’s their best starting rotation. Obviously they need [Aaron] Judge back and if they get [Giancarlo] Stanton back, I think it lengthens the lineup. Now are they gonna get all of them back? That’s anybody’s guess. If they don’t, then it’s a different story.
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O’Neill: Well if you’d have asked me a week ago going into Tampa Bay and the way Tampa Bay was playing, and the way the Yankees were playing, they could have played themselves out of the American League East, but they didn’t. They had a nice little run going up to the All-Star break, and so I think that you’re back on solid ground as far as looking to try to win the American League East.
Q: What would be the Yankees’ biggest concern?
O’Neill: You can nitpick and break everything down, it’s basically consistency. They go through these unbelievable times where they look like a great baseball team, and then all of a sudden they fall off a cliff. It’s kinda baffling at times.
Kay: Not getting Judge back. That’s the key to everything. People go, “Why don’t you have reinforcements?” There’s nobody that can be Judge. Judge is a once-in-a-generation player, so when you take him out of the equation it changes everything and I think you’ve seen that … he’s the most important person on any team in the American League.
Q: What did you think when they decided to run it back this season?
O’Neill: I didn’t have a problem with that because you had Cole coming back, you had Rodón coming back … you had a healthy Aaron Judge and a healthy coming out of spring training (Giancarlo) Stanton, so I thought you had enough pieces. … [Cody] Bellinger’s a complete player, [Trent] Grisham is back in the lineup and really solidifies everything in the outfield. He’s just capable of doing a lot of things that aren’t really seen in the scorecard to help this team. And you had some question marks — is [Jasson] Domínguez gonna be a future player? But Aaron Judge was Aaron Judge, and it all changed obviously with his injury.
Kay: I thought that was somewhat blown up because if anything, they ran it back from Aug. 1 on, I think they made a lot of their changes at the trade deadline. They traded for [Ryan] Weathers, and I knew that they were gonna get back Gerrit Cole who they didn’t have last year. Yeah for the most part they ran it back, but even if they totally ran it back, they won 94 games last year, the same amount as the Blue Jays, so that was the most in the American League, and they just had to play better against the Blue Jays.
YES broadcasters Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill said the Yankees can get to the World Series if Aaron Judge can come back healthy. E.H. Wallop/YES Network
Q: Whenever Judge returns, what are expectations for him?
O’Neill: I don’t know what has happened this day and age, but guys come back off of the IL, it’s not like a two-week play-in. I mean, I’ve seen Stanton do it year after year, come back and be effective immediately. I don’t know if it’s ’cause of the equipment, the machines or whatever, but it seems to be like they get back in the groove much easier. But Aaron Judge is not allowed to do anything upper body-wise. He is so big and strong that it might not hurt him, I don’t know. I just hope that he has a month or so to really get ready before the October games.
Kay: It’s all according to when he comes back. So if he comes back third week in August, middle of August, I think he’s got plenty of time to get himself right and get his swing down and go into the postseason like Aaron Judge. I think every time he steps onto the field, he has the potential to change the game. … He’s won two MVPs in a row, and now, the fact that he’s missed all these games and you see how it’s affected the Yankees, he could be the MVP again this year, without even playing.
Q: What moves might Brian Cashman make at the trade deadline?
Kay: Everything changes if Judge is back or not. If they know he’s coming back, I think they need a right-handed catcher, and I think they need a swing-and-miss arm in the bullpen. I really don’t think they need anything else other than that.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman likely will try to upgrade the bullpen before the trade deadline, according to Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
O’Neill: I think you’re always looking to upgrade a bullpen. The pitching is gonna be much more leaned on this year with Aaron Judge and Stanton out of the lineup. [David] Bednar’s been great, Tim Hill has had some struggles but I always trusted him ’cause he throws strikes. [Fernando] Cruz is a strikeout pitcher, and when Fried comes back one of the starters will go to the bullpen. I think late innings getting to Bednar is gonna be the one thing if one of the starting pitchers doesn’t fill that role that you’ll probably see something happen.
Q: Thoughts on Ryan Jeffers and Luis Arraez as potential targets.
Kay: Jeffers would be a good fit because he’s also worked with Tanner Swanson, the Yankee catching guru, so it’s not like he’d be coming in cold into the Yankee system. I don’t think the Mets and the Yankees will make a trade, but a guy like Luis Torrens could be somebody that could fit in. People talk about Hunter Goodman, but why would the Rockies trade him? He’s their best player, he’s young, they have control of him for a long time. They’re gonna have to get creative. Tampa Bay needs catching too. Maybe this best hope is that Austin Wells suddenly gets hot.
Q: Arraez?
Kay: He doesn’t fit the perfect Yankee player profile, he’s certainly not a home run hitter, he’s improved defensively a lot. I still think that they believe in Jazz Chisholm. I think with the things that they have to get, Luis Arraez would be lower on the list.
Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers could be a good trade deadline for the Yankees, according to Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill. AP
O’Neill: Jeffers has always been rumored because it seemed like a perfect fit, because he’s a right-handed kid who can hit. [Austin] Wells, coming into the year, nobody expected him to be where he was offensively. Does he have a big second half ahead of him? Arraez has always been a guy … I like average hitters in the lineup, you’re taking strikeouts away where you have so many strikeouts in the game today, if you have a few guys in your lineup that are consistently getting on base, putting the ball in play, I think it breaks up the monotony of hit a home run or strikeout.
Q: The difference this season in Ben Rice.
O’Neill: He’s made some adjustments as far as his stance this year, he kind of opened up a little bit which you don’t have to worry as much getting to the inside pitch. He’s a smart hitter. You just hope that this is a year where you look back and say this guy really became a star.
Q: What is Rice’s ceiling?
Kay: I think he’s such a smart player, he goes up there with a plan, he’s gotten stronger every single year, you can just see by the exit velocity and the balls that come off his bat. If he can have the next five years of hitting in front or hitting behind Judge, I think the sky’s the limit. He could be a perennial All-Star, he could be an MVP, and if he does it for 10 years, you could look at him and say, “Well maybe Cooperstown will call one year.”
Ben Rice hits an RBI single in the first inning of the AL’s win over the NL in the All-Star Game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Q: Thoughts on Cam Schlittler.
O’Neill: I’ve been kind of blown away with him ever since he got here. What he did in the minor leagues and what he’s become in the major leagues, I look forward to calling the game every time he pitches, his ability to throw hard, to control three different fastballs … he’s an ace. On any given night, you’re looking at double-figure strikeouts. He’s not afraid to throw strikes. That’s what I always appreciate, where guys are challenging hitters, and from Pitch 1, that’s what he does.
Kay: Without injury, I think he could be one of the best pitchers of his generation. He’s smart, he’s tough, he gets angry, he takes any perceived slight and turns it into an advantage for him. Nothing scares him — nothing. The only thing that stops him from being a generational type of ace is an injury.
Q: Come the playoffs, will Cole be stronger, fresher because of the time he missed?
Kay: I think that could be an advantage for him, for Fried and for Rodón. You worry about Schlittler’s innings, because he’s gonna pitch innings he’s never pitched before, but I think Gerrit Cole is still a work in progress. When you come back from that surgery, you don’t really get it right away, but he’s shown flashes of it where he throws 98, 99, so you know the elbow is fine. I think he can be a real factor in the playoffs, and Max Fried, maybe last year he got fatigued, he didn’t even miss a start, this year he’s gonna miss two months, so he’s gonna be really really fresh going into the playoffs, and the same thing with Rodón.
O’Neill: He could be. I think he’ll be sharper. I think that you’ve seen some games and some innings where he’s Gerrit Cole. And you’ve also seen some innings where he misses the location, it’s nothing to do with stuff and velocity. That’s all up since the injury. It’s just being sharp, and I think that every single time he takes the mound, he’s gonna get closer to where he was, and that’s a great thing for the Yankees. When he’s right, he’s as good as anybody in the game, and that’s the kind of pitcher you need in the playoffs.
Gerrit Cole will get stronger and better as the season goes on, according to Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill. Getty Images
Q: This Yankee team is built for the playoffs because of their starting pitching when healthy.
O’Neill: I agree. And especially when Max Fried gets back in there, you’re looking at guys that can be dominant. You’re not looking at guys that need to pitch perfect, low sinkerballers that have to throw complete perfect pitches to get outs. You’re looking at guys that have the type of stuff that can dominate certain lineups. And if you do that in the playoffs, it takes a lot of pressure off your offense because you’re gonna be in the game. But that being said, a pitch here or there, and next thing you know it’s 3-0 and you’re struggling. I think this is the best starting pitching on paper that the Yankees have had since the late ’90s.
Kay: I would say that every team in the American League wouldn’t want to mess with them … People talk about, “Well they should get Tarik Skubal,” or things like that. Obviously you never turn down Tarik Skubal. What a Tarik Skubal does is every single time he takes the mound in the playoffs, you got a legitimate chance to win. I think all four of those guys, the Yankees have a legitimate chance to shut down any lineup when they’re right. I don’t think anybody would want to face the Yankees ’cause there’s no break. They don’t ever have to do a bullpen game, they’ve got four legitimate starters and then if they even had to go five, you choose between [Will] Warren and Weathers.
And then Clarke Schmidt should be coming back maybe toward the end of August. This guy could be a weapon too, if not in the rotation, probably out of the bullpen. So if the Yankees can’t improve themselves at the trade deadline with relief pitchers, some of those starters are gonna go in the bullpen. Weathers has swing-and-miss stuff, Clarke Schmidt has swing-and-miss stuff as well.
Q: What’s happened to Anthony Volpe?
Kay: I really don’t know. He’s actually hitting better average-wise and on-base percentage-wise than he has any of his three years. The power’s not there, and I think one of the things that’s happened honestly, is he’s now in the crosshairs of Yankee fans. It’s strange — a local kid, comes up through the Yankee system, that’s usually the guy they want to see really do well. I think they’ve kind of turned on him. So every time he makes an error, anytime he makes an out, he hears it. I’ve seen them do that with Gary Sánchez as well.
Anthony Volpe’s future with the Yankees is an open question. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Maybe all of that put into the pot has contributed to him struggling a bit. The other thing that’s really happened is that when he was hurt and rehabbing, José Caballero established himself as a plus defender and a guy that can hit and steal bases.
Q: Do the Yankees believe he has a future with them?
Kay: I do. I don’t know if it’s at shortstop. … I don’t think they’ve given up on him by any stretch of the imagination. I hear the way [Aaron] Boone talks about him. Seems like he still has a lot of respect. I think everybody in the room likes him, he works really really hard. They think there’s something there.
O’Neill: I think that he’s kind of changing and evolving into the player that he should be, from where he was, and then he had the injuries. I’m sure he’s frustrated ’cause (José) Caballero looks very comfortable at shortstop and he adds a lot of enthusiasm to the lineup. That’s another thing that’s gonna be kind of played out here in the second half — is Anthony Volpe gonna be the future of the Yankees or is it gonna be another plan? That’s kind of a work in progress if you ask me.
Q: What’s happened with Wells?
O’Neill: I think it’s a confidence thing at this point. I think he’s been able to separate it offensively-defensively ’cause catching he’s been pretty solid. You just never expected to see the type of year he’s had offensively the first half. But it’s amazing how things could even out in a long season, so you’re looking at a guy that has the ability to have a big second half if his mind will allow him to, and that’s only gonna help this offense. You can kind of short-term-goal-it where you become successful again, he can really really help this lineup.
Austin Wells has struggled offensively for much of the Yankees’ season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Kay: Wow, I don’t know. I don’t think they know. He is really so committed to being a great catcher that sometimes you don’t take the extra batting practice, sometimes your mind is on the game you’re calling, not so much on the four at-bats you’re gonna have. Maybe it’s that. The guy came up as a hitter catcher and then he was gonna struggle defensively. He’s a really good defensive catcher, he does everything well, the pitchers trust the heck out of him, he puts together a good game plan, frames well, does a good job throwing out baserunners. But the offense has kind of disappeared. I don’t know what happened.
Q: Paul Goldschmidt at age 38.
O’Neill: Unbelievably solid. I think that he’s had a lot of roles on this team as far as coming into the season with really just a backup job to becoming a huge part of the offense and shouldering a lot of it too because he’s swung the bat well. Veteran leadership — he fills a lot of holes on this team and it’s allowed Rice to DH a lot and that’ll help him in the long haul.
Kay: What he did early, he kept this team afloat. I know one thing — they love him in that room.
Q: George Lombard Jr.?
O’Neill: It’s always exciting to hear about big prospects. Do they take off from their first dip in the major leagues or is it a process of a year or two? Teams need energy from young players. I don’t think that you have a great team with all veterans. And you don’t have a great team with all young people ’cause you really need a mix. The youth has the energy, the veterans have the leadership and the knowledge, and if you mix that together, then I think you have a really really good team. So I always look forward to when a young guy’s called up if he can add some spark to a lineup.
George Lombard Jr. is widely considered the Yankees’ top prospect right now, but it’s unknown if he will join the big club this season. Arthur Mansavage for New York Post
Kay: I don’t know if they want to risk Lombard coming up, because I think he’s defensive ready right now, the question is offensive ready.
Q: Jazz Chisholm Jr.?
O’Neill: Truthfully in my opinion, Jazz can really really be the wild card for this team. He has so much talent for what he can do on the field. If you could just keep him directed to what you’re able to do, and that’s hit home runs, that’s steal bases, that’s play defense. But every once in a while you get caught up in these other things going on — whose pants you have on, what bats you’re swinging. He has a lot of talent if it’s directed in the right way. The Yankees’ challenge is to let him know how important his presence is in playing every single out of every single game, how important it is to this team.
Q: How critical is Caballero?
O’Neill: I just like his emotion, his intensity. He rubs people the wrong way from other sides and that’s usually a good thing because it means that you’re engaged and you’re in the game. He and [Amed] Rosario to me add some intensity to the game, and I like that. I don’t think that you have everybody on the team that are wired the same. Some guys are even keel, some guys are emotional, some guys just take it as it comes. He’s a daring runner, he looks solid at shortstop and he puts together good at-bats in big situations.
Paul O’Neill says he likes the energy and fire José Caballero brings to the Yankees. AP
Q: This team has more speed than previous Yankees teams.
Kay: Yeah, they lead the American League in stolen bases. They’re built to be a home run team, but they can steal bases, they can create runs, they can put pressure on the defense. I don’t think they’ve had that much going into the postseason in recent years. When their bench is their bench, it matches up with any bench in baseball. When Caballero’s on base, he disrupts everything! EVERYTHING. When Chisholm’s on base, he disrupts the pitcher, and if you can get the pitcher to take a little of the attention away from the batter, that could lead to the home run that you’re looking for.
Q: David Bednar?
Kay: He’s got the guts, he’s got the courage, he doesn’t scare easily, and most importantly, he has stuff.
Q: [Brent] Headrick in the bullpen?
O’Neill: There’s certain guys that are kinda surprises year after year, I would definitely say that he is. He’s been solid against righties and lefties.
Q: Max Schuemann?
O’Neill: You’re not scared when a ball’s hit to him no matter where he is. The way the game is now you’re always trying to find somebody to play a position they’re not comfortable playing and he does a good job of that.
Q: Who can be an X-factor?
Kay: I think it could be [Ryan] McMahon. He’s hitting a lot better. He can run into one and hit a home run in a big spot, and the fact that he’s so good defensively, he tightens things up. A Max Fried start, you need a great third baseman, and he is a great defensive third baseman. You don’t need McMahon to do anything more than he ever did in Colorado.
Q: Other than Judge, who would you nominate as The Warrior on this Yankee team?
O’Neil: This team in my mind is gonna win with pitching, so I would probably say Schlittler, Cole, Fried … any of these starting pitchers that can absolutely dominate throughout the playoffs.
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Kay: I would say the guy that would run through a wall to win a game would be Cody Bellinger. He’s as good a left fielder as there is in baseball. He’s a plus-plus defender. When he’s right offensively, he hits lefties, he gets big hits, he’s an All-Star, he’s a tough, gritty player. To me, he approximates O’Neill as much as anybody.
Q: Is there any psychological component for the Yankees against the Dodgers this weekend?
Kay: I think it’s something for the fans, you like to test yourself out against the best, although the Dodgers are kinda banged up right now and they just got swept over the weekend. The important series this weekend is Tampa Bay against Boston.
O’Neill: I don’t think a weekend series in July tells you how you’re gonna play a team in the World Series. Everybody looks at that World Series where the Dodgers on paper look like they beat up the Yankees but the Yankees had a couple of games that they could’ve coulda won and it could’ve been a seven-game series. I never feel that the Yankees are truly overmatched by anyone. I would assume that the media will turn it up to be a big, big series, but Aaron Judge is not a part of it, Stanton’s not a part of it. Ohtani, who knows? He might not even be a part of it, won’t be pitching probably. It’s gonna be a different scenario if you meet them again in October.
Q: The pressure on Aaron Boone to win a championship.
O’Neill: Well I think that he understands that that goes along with New York with the Yankee logo, with the big city and the number of championships that have come before him. I don’t think he shies away from that. He does an unbelievable job at trying to protect his players as far as what he says about ’em, what the organization portrays about ’em, what the media … I think that he has everybody on a same page as far as they respect him as a manager.
I just always remember Joe Torre saying “I’m loyal to my players” until it comes down to winning playoff games and winning World Series games, and I think that there is a point where you gotta make tough decisions and put yourself in a position to win a huge playoff game rather than try not to hurt somebody’s feelings.
Q: Does Boone need to win a World Series to keep his job?
Kay: I don’t think he has to win it. I just think that Boone does the job that the organization wants him to do. He’s a great front face for the organization, he explains the decisions well, I think he handles the media well, and the players love him, would run through a wall for him. I know that Judge is a huge fan of Boone. I think something catastrophic would have to happen for them to not bring him back. I know Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner really like the job he’s doing.
Q: What would you tell these Yankees about the Canyon of Heroes?
O’Neill: It’s really hard to explain unless you go through it. You can’t tell me that anybody that was on those teams, late ’90s into 2000, it didn’t change our lives. And still to this day, people are celebrating that time every 10-year, 20-year, 30-year reunion (laughs), it goes farther and farther away, but people have the memories of it. And believe me, I still remember almost every single play and every single pitch. It’s something that comes along with winning in New York.
Q: Are you expecting the Yankees to win the AL East or get to the World Series?
O’Neill: This last week has really put them back on even ground as far as winning the East. I think this team’s gonna get better. Aaron Judge is the gigantic question mark on when and where. Stanton … the injuries that you could fill in on this team IF healthy, if they are who they’re supposed to be on the back of their card, this team could go as far as it wants.
Q: Can this team win a World Series?
Kay: I think this team can win a World Series if they’re healthy. And the most important bit of health, is the health that belongs to Aaron Judge. If he can come back the last week of August and give you 15 home runs before the end of the season, that would be an unbelievable boost to this team. When you ask me, “Could they win a World Series?” If they get all their injured players back, they most certainly can, and if they don’t get Judge back, it would be very difficult.
The All-Star Game is over and the true second half of the MLB season begins Thursday night, when the Mets visit the Phillies in a stand-alone game on ESPN in a matchup that probably seemed bigger when it was scheduled. Here’s a look at some of the top storylines the rest of the way as teams battle to get to October:
Judge-ment Day in the Bronx
Perhaps no development will be bigger in the second half than the status of Aaron Judge.
Out since June with a fractured right rib, Judge was expected to get imaging of the injury during the All-Star break, with the Yankees hoping it showed enough healing in the area for him to start working out.
There’s still no timeline for Judge’s return, other than general manager Brian Cashman saying: “The time frame that it would take to heal should allow him to be back with us this season.”
Aaron Judge, center, celebrates a Ben Rice two-run homer. AP Photo/Jason Behnken
That uncertainty could doom the Yankees.
They entered the break atop the AL wild-card race, but they talked extensively this spring about the importance of not just making the postseason, but of winning the AL East.
They came up a game short last season and then lost to the Blue Jays in the ALDS.
Their best chance of getting past the first-place Rays, who have a three-game lead on the Yankees (four in the loss column), is to get Judge back in the lineup.
They’ve proven to be as good as any team in the American League with him and simply mediocre without their superstar.
Three years ago, the Yankees missed the playoffs when Judge was affected by the torn ligament in his toe, and their lineup has mostly gone in the tank without him this time around, although they did sweep Washington heading into the break.
Getting Judge back isn’t the only thing the Yankees are waiting on, as they will try to upgrade the catching position and bullpen before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Besides that, there’s the George Lombard Jr. watch, which figures to move into high gear in the coming weeks, as the team’s top prospect comes back from a hand injury. The Yankees clearly need help at shortstop, where José Caballero and Anthony Volpe have underwhelmed.
Trade deadline
The Aug. 3 trade deadline is the next major date on the schedule and Tarik Skubal will be at the center of it — unless the Tigers, who played better heading into the break, opt against moving him and instead make a run at the postseason.
Back and healthy following elbow surgery, Skubal would be far and away the top trade target if Detroit decides to trade him.
He’s a free agent at the end of the season. While the Yankees and Dodgers appear to be long shots to acquire the left-hander, they can’t be ruled out. The Cubs, Braves and Rays are among the teams that could make a play for the Cy Young Award winner.
Whoever lands him will change their potential postseason fortunes immediately.
Skubal won’t be the only big-name player to keep an eye on, as Sonny Gray could go if the resurgent Red Sox don’t decide to keep him.
There’s also closer Mason Miller with the inconsistent Padres, as well as the top contact hitter of his generation, Luis Arraez, excelling again on a bad team with the Giants.
And that success has come even with high-priced free agent signing Kyle Tucker having a subpar season, Tyler Glasnow (back) appearing in just seven games and Blake Snell (elbow) only one. Both pitchers are expected back at some point next month, making a fearsome rotation even tougher.
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
And they’ve also been without Edwin Díaz (elbow), who is expected to return.
Then there’s the status of Shohei Ohtani, who has been dealing with left knee irritation and didn’t participate in the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
He had fluid drained from the knee before the break and manager Dave Roberts said he is expected to be the DH when the Dodgers open a series against the Yankees in The Bronx on Friday.
Who are these guys?
While teams like the Dodgers and Rangers were expected to be near or at the top of their divisions, you could be forgiven if you had to look twice to make sense of the standings at the break.
The Twins and Guardians, both seemingly playing for the future, are right in the mix for the postseason.
The other question: Are any of these AL teams really that good?
The competition has been underwhelming, with the majority of the best teams residing in the National League.
Still, there are surprises there, as well, as the Marlins enter the second half in a wild-card spot, with the Cardinals and Pirates right on their heels.
Meanwhile, teams like the Giants, Diamondbacks and Padres — and especially the Mets — have been colossal disappointments.
Can the upstarts in both leagues continue their strong performances all the way to the playoffs?
Much will depend on how some of them handle the trade deadline.
As Minnesota’s Joe Ryan said, he wants to remain with the Twins and give the front office a reason to not sell at the deadline, as they did a year ago.
Twins pitcher Joe Ryan (41) pitches during the fourth inning for the All-Star Game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Many of his contemporaries agree, and their play over the next two-plus weeks could determine how their organizations handle those decisions.
How bad will it get in Queens?
The Mets were the laughingstock of the sport in the first half, as even the most skeptical of observers couldn’t have predicted how badly their offseason makeover would go. It’s already cost Carlos Mendoza his job in the dugout, even though he was one of the least responsible for the disaster.
Despite Juan Soto saying this week he expects “a turnaround” this season at Citi Field, it’s just about inconceivable that will happen.
More likely is a sell-off of a few bullpen arms, like A.J. Minter and perhaps Luke Weaver. As things figure to get worse before they get better, all eyes will be on Stearns to see how he steers the team forward while key offseason acquisitions like Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Devin Williams continue to struggle with health, production — or both.
Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts as he takes his at bat in the first inning against the Washington Nationals. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Manager carousel
Alex Cora and Rob Thomson had excellent résumés and plenty of respect around the league, but both were fired when the Red Sox and Phillies, respectively, got off to poor starts. The moves made waves in both cities, but unlike with the Mets — who were already too far gone when Andy Green replaced Mendoza in the dugout — Boston and Philadelphia have both responded well to the changes.
In Boston, first-year manager Chad Tracy has the Red Sox back in the hunt, as they took a nine-game winning streak into the break and Don Mattingly, in his third stop, has the Phillies firmly in the wild-card mix, thanks in no small part to the return of Zack Wheeler.
Award season
Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski is having one of the best seasons on the mound in recent memory — not just with his results, but also his record-setting velocity. If that continues, the 24-year-old will run away with the NL Cy Young, but he didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game due to arm fatigue. If that remains an issue, it could open the door for someone like Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez.
In the American League, Judge has been unstoppable unless injuries get in the way. Since that’s happened again, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is currently the favorite, with Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero trailing.
Jun 18, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It’s another Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest night spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and cool off with us for a while. There’s no cover charge. We have a few good tables available. The show will start shorty. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you for your predictions of where the Cubs would finish the season. There was a pretty solid bell curve in the votes at 41 percent of you thought that the Cubs would get the first Wild Card and thus, home field advantage in the Wild Card round. Another thirty percent thought that they’d get a Wild Card spot but on the road and 18 percent of you think the Cubs will win the Division but not get a bye. I don’t know. I think if the Cubs catch the Brewers, they get a bye, but it’s certainly possible Milwaukee crashes to earth but the Braves take off, so I’m not going to disagree too strongly with that position.
Here’s the part with the music and the movies. You can do with it what you will. We’re here to please.
Tonight we’re featuring drummer Jeff Hamilton and the Jeff Hamilton Trio at the Jazz Port Townsend Festival in Washington in 2022. This is also a broadcast on KNKX Public Radio in Seattle-Tacoma.
Joining Hamilton are Tamir Hendelman and Jon Hamar on bass.
I haven’t had much time to watch films over the past week or so, but I wanted to give you something. So tonight we’re featuring Canadian director Guy Maddin’s six-minute silent film The Heart of the World (2000).
Maddin is one of the greatest iconoclastic and experimental filmmakers around. I’ll recommend his surrealist mockumentary My Winnipeg (2007) for the way it weaves a fictional history of the city of Winnipeg around a fictional history of his own family. What drew me to it in the first place is that he found an 86-year-old Ann Savage, the femme fatale of the all-time great 1945 film noirDetour, to play his mother. But what kept me in was the terrific black-and-white imagery as well as the bone-dry absurdist humor. Maybe I’ll write more about My Winnipeg another day.
But The Heart of the World is a rapid-fire, surrealist silent film shot in the style of the early Soviet filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein. The plot, such as it is, is about Anna, a scientist who studies the earth’s core, where a beating heart exists. Literally. Anna looks down a tube and there is a diseased heart at the center of the earth’s core.
Anna has two men in love with her. The first in Nikolai, a young mortician. The second is Osip, an actor playing Christ in a passion play and who stays in character the entire film. Nikolai tries to impress Anna with his embalming skills and Osip tries to impress her with all the suffering he does as Christ.
A third man, an industrialist, comes into Anna’s life, and he’s a caricature of how the Soviets portrayed rich capitalists. But that relationship is interrupted by the Earth suffering a fatal heart attack. Anna must then slide down to the earth’s core to prevent the end of the world.
So yeah, if that sounds nuts, it is. Maddin has the images going a mile a minute, all accompanied by the frenetic beat of the Time Forward! March by Soviet composer Georgy Svirdov.Maddin packs around 100 shots per minute into the six-minute film, which gives the film a feel like it’s a one-hour movie sped up into six minutes. The imagery, while absurd, is also fascinating. It’s at once familiar to anyone who has seen silent movies (especially Soviet silent films) but also fresh in the way Maddin throws it all in together into one big stew. In this way, The Heart of the World is both a a loving tribute to silent film and a silly parody. But in the end, Maddin reaffirms the power of cinema to change the world. Unless that’s just a joke too.
I could go on about The Heart of the World, but it would be better for you to just watch it and decide for yourself. At six minutes, it’s shorter and probably more enlightening than any podcast your listening to right now.
Here’s the whole short film.
Welcome back to whomever skips the music and movies.
I don’t think I have to tell any of you the Cubs are going to have to add pitching before the Trade Deadline. The Cubs have stayed afloat in the playoff hunt with all the pitching injuries they’ve had. But if they want to make some noise in the postseason, they will have to get some good, healthy arms.
Jon Heyman made a little noise by writing that the Braves, Rays and Cubs are expected to be the most aggressive teams going after Tarik Skubal. Now Heyman gave himself a little wiggle room there by saying “expected” and not claiming that he’s talked to Jed Hoyer about it, but it is one of the first indicators that the Cubs are interested in the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner. Heyman is probably repeating the scuttlebutt that the front office executives are passing around, but they generally have a good idea what the market for players is.
I’m not going to directly ask you about Skubal tonight because I’ve done that fairly recently. Three weeks ago, you weren’t so keen to give up a lot for a two-month rental in Skubal. But there is another pitcher who has been linked to the Cubs lately and that’s Twins right-hander Joe Ryan.
Ryan is a very good pitcher, but he certainly doesn’t have the track record of Skubal. He’s a two-time All-Star but he’s never gotten a single Cy Young Award vote, for example. You can argue that Ryan has been the better pitcher than Skubal this year, because he has been. Ryan has a 2.85 ERA and a 2.77 FIP compared to 3.09 ERA and 3.06 FIP. But it should be noted that Ryan had a similarly excellent first half of 2025 and then fell off a cliff after the All-Star Break. Skubal was also hurt for a part of this season. He struggled in his first three games off of the IL, giving up nine runs over 16.1 innings. But in his last three starts, he’s only allowed four runs over 16 innings, which is a 2.25 ERA. He’s also struck out 23 and walked just three in those 16 innings. In other words, it looks like the old Tarik Skubal is back.
Skubal is a hard-throwing lefty whose fastball averages around 97 miles per hour. He’s also got a sinker that also comes in around 96, an upper-80s slider and a change. All four of those pitches rate from above average to plus. The Cubs don’t have anyone on their staff with anything like Skubal’s arsenal.
Ryan, on the other hand, is a right-hander who gets by on movement rather than velocity. His fastball is a pretty average 93 mph, but it has very good movement and “rise.” Yes, I know pitches don’t really rise. It’s the illusion of rise. It’s what scouts call an “invisiball” because it’s so hard for hitters to get a read on it. It’s a plus pitch despite the lack of pure velocity.
But Ryan also has a splitter, a sinker and a sweeping slider, all of which are at least average or better. This year he also seems to have junked his changeup for a better knuckle-curve. All-in-all, Ryan may not be a Cy Young Award candidate in most years, but he’s a very good pitcher who could anchor almost any rotation in the majors.
All things being equal, I would still go with the pure stuff and track record of Skubal over Ryan. But there are two big factors that might push the discussion towards Ryan. For one, Skubal makes $32 million this year and Ryan only makes $6.2 million. You might say that’s Tom Ricketts’ money and I don’t care and I’d say I agree with you. But Ryan might leave more money in the payroll for a second player acquisition at the deadline that Skubal doesn’t.
But the other factor is that Skubal becomes a free agent at the end of this season and Ryan doesn’t become one until the end of next year. So a trade for Skubal is just for the final two months of the season and the playoffs. With Ryan, you get the end of this year and all of next. Yes, Ryan will be in line for a big raise next year, but he’s not getting $32 million like Skubal did.
Neither pitcher will be cheap in terms of the quality of players the Cubs would have to surrender to get them. Matt Shaw, Jefferson Rojas, Jaxon Wiggins, Kane Kepley and maybe even Josiah Hartshorn are the types of players that would have to headline a deal to get one of those two pitchers. In other words, at least one and maybe more of the Cubs top-four prospects or Matt Shaw would have to go in a deal. Before someone misunderstands me, no. The Cubs aren’t trading all five of those players for a pitcher. At least one of those five would have to go along with maybe two more solid prospects from farther down the rankings.
So tonight’s question is, all things being equal, which pitcher would you rather the Cubs have? Skubal or Ryan? That is, if both the Tigers and Twins would accept the same package for their pitcher, which deal would you pull the trigger on? I’ll let you vote “neither” if you want. Spoilsport.
Thank you for stopping by tonight. We’re so glad to see a friendly face. Get home safely. Call a ride if you need to. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
Jun 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) is congratulated by third baseman Kyle Karros (12) as he crosses the plate after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Usually, making predictions is a great way for us to make fools of ourselves. Even speculating on the future can do the job, as the Purple Row community will see as the staff revisits and updates our State of the Position series this week from preseason prognosticating to midseason reflection and projection.
That being said, making predictions is still fun.
With that in mind, what are your predictions for the post-All-Star portion of the 2026 season. While we’d love to hear all your predictions — big and small — here are four categories for a guide if you want them.
Category 1: What are your predictions for the final record?
Some will measure this in wins and others in losses. For my pick, I am hoping and believing the Rockies will finish with fewer than 100 losses — even if it’s just by one or two games. So maybe 63-99?
Category 2: What player will have the best second half?
It could be a pitcher or a position player. He could end the season with the Rockies or not. My prediction is that Kyle Karros continues to tear it up and finishes with 20 home runs and a batting average over .275.
Category 3: Who gets traded?
Same deal — this could be a position player or a pitcher. I am leaning toward Antonio Senzatela, who could be a valuable arm for a contender in exchange for some future bullpen arms.
Category 4: Outside-of-the-box predictions
What’s something wild that will happen in the second half? This could be a single-game performance, a final stat total or anything you can think of.
I think Jake McCarthy hits another inside-the-park home run, bringing his total on the year to three. I am also predicting Hunter Goodman finishes with 50 homers, making his Home Run Derby omission embarrassing for MLB.
What do you all think? Feel free to expand the categories!
Carson Wiggins has taken his first steps to Citi Field.
The Mets signed their top selection (27th overall) in this year’s draft on Wednesday in Queens, agreeing to a $3,466,500 signing bonus (the full slot value) with the 6-foot-5 flamethrower from Arkansas.
Wiggins, 21, has been touted by Mets officials as a potential “front-line” starter in the future, featuring a fastball that has touched 102 mph.
Carson Wiggins, who was the Mets’ top draft pick, poses for a photo during the 2026 Draft Combine at Arizona Grand Resort Phoenix on June 23, 2026 in Phoenix. MLB Photos via Getty Images
But the right-hander threw only 14 innings in college (3.21 ERA) after undergoing elbow surgery last year and missed his entire sophomore season with the Razorbacks.
After being selected by the Mets, Wiggins said he is done with his rehab and ready to pitch again.
MLB insider Buster Olney believes the Dodgers are only beginning to heat up with the postseason just a few months away. Getty Images
“I would definitely take the Dodgers. Look, they’re on a 101-win pace and think about what hasn’t gone well for them. Blake Snell hasn’t pitched. Tyler Glasnow is on the injured list. Kyle Tucker, who they spent so much money on in the offseason, he hasn’t played that well. And yet here they are, again,” Olney said.
“The team to beat. I think the best of the Dodgers is yet to come. After slow-playing these injuries, get Edwin Díaz and other guys back. They’re going to be a great team by the time we get to October.”
"The best of the Dodgers is yet to come. … [The Dodgers] are going to be a great team by the time we get to October."@Buster_ESPN and @MadDogUnleashed debate which team will win the World Series next pic.twitter.com/pJg49M2tBv
The Dodgers are chasing a third consecutive World Series championship in 2026. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Olney is right, a lot of things have gone wrong for the Dodgers in 2026.
Injuries appear to be a staple story for LA in recent seasons, but the Dodgers have pressed forward even without key roster pieces. The struggles of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki could have also derailed the starting rotation’s success, but the right-hander’s 5.33 ERA hasn’t prevented the Dodgers from taking an 11 ½-game lead in the National League West.
The Dodgers stand tall with the NL’s best record (61-36) heading into the second half of the season, when reinforcements are poised to return imminently.
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is expected to play in the team’s upcoming series against the Yankees. Getty Images
The Dodgers became the first team to win back-to-back championships in a quarter century but are looking to take the dynasty a step further by completing the three-peat. With the trade deadline only a few weeks away, the front office has the ability to make the roster even scarier by adding Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal.
While it’s no guarantee a trade happens, the fact the Dodgers can realistically acquire Skubal is simply infuriating for every other MLB team.
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Freddie Freeman appeared in his 10th All-Star Game on Tuesday.
At 36 years old, Freddie Freeman is coming off his 10th career All-Star selection.
In the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, the Dodgers first baseman batted third for the National League in what was his sixth straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.
Freddie Freeman appeared in his 10th All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Freeman has spent the last five seasons in LA, helping the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles over the past two years. The star cemented himself in Dodgers lore when he hit a walk-off home run against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
“I’ve always wanted to try and play until I’m 40 years old,” Freeman said at All-Star Media Day. “That would be three more years after this.”
Freddie Freeman previously admitted that the birth of his daughter changed his perspective on retirement. Laurence Kesterson/UPI/ShutterstockFreeman has played five seasons with the Dodgers, but his current contract expires at the end of the 2027 season. Getty Images
Freeman was reluctant to provide a set number as his Dodgers contract expires at the conclusion of the 2027 season.
“I’m not going to put a firm number on it,” Freeman said. “I would have to get another contract, so I’m only worried about this year. But 20 years in the big leagues would be kind of cool and special.”
While Freeman is closer to the end of his career rather than the start, he’s remained an elite player for the Dodgers. This season, Freeman is hitting .290 with 15 home runs, 49 RBIs and an .862 OPS. Defensively, the veteran ranks in the 82nd percentile in Outs Above Average with a plus-2 grade.
Beyond his talent, Freeman plays a leading role in the Dodgers’ clubhouse as a seasoned veteran. There are still questions about his Dodgers future, but the first baseman will certainly end up in Cooperstown.
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Shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts to his error during the ninth inning when the New York Mets played the Boston Red Sox.
The Mets are just two seasons removed from falling two wins short of the World Series, a little more than a year since they held the best record in baseball, and less than four months since being labeled contenders again.
But now the Mets (40-57) are on pace to finish in last place for the first time in 23 years, returning from the All-Star break after posting their worst first-half mark since 1995.
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Steve Cohen is spending roughly a half-billion dollars on a roster that ranks 26th in batting average (.234), 29th in on-base percentage (.303), 27th in slugging percentage (.381), 26th in quality starts (23) and tied for the second-most errors (65).
Coming off a home sweep by the Red Sox, the Mets resume their seasonlong slog Thursday at Philadelphia, beginning what is MLB’s toughest remaining schedule (.539 opponents win percentage) over the final 65 games.
Following a three-game set against the Phillies, the Mets will play three consecutive series against first-place teams (at Milwaukee, vs. Dodgers, vs. Atlanta), as part of 25 straight games against winning teams. The Mets will not face a team that is currently worse than one game under .500 until the final weekend of August.
“Continue to fight,” Francisco Lindor said after the final game before the break. “At the end of the day, that’s the only thing we can do. And we’re going to try to be better. We’re going to play as hard as we can in the second half, and hopefully we put ourselves in a much better position. Because right now, it’s not where we want to be.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts to his error during the ninth inning when the New York Mets played the Boston Red Sox. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“It’s not to the standard that we have here, and definitely not what we expected … We just have not played up to our potential.”
Whatever potential the Mets appeared to have in March doesn’t matter anymore, sitting 12 games back of the final wild-card spot and behind all but one team in the National League (Rockies).
“It’s a better team than that,” said interim manager Andy Green, who has gone 6-10 since replacing Carlos Mendoza, the first Mets manager to be fired in-season since 2008. “There’s too much talent in the room to be in this spot right now.”
Soon, the room will have even less talent.
After David Stearns whiffed on nearly every offseason move — including moving on from franchise fixtures such as Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Díaz, while bringing in Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. — the Mets president of baseball operations will attempt to recoup some of his losses by the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
The Mets’ first sell-off since 2023 began last month, when they traded David Peterson to the Cubs, and could end with several more players leaving Queens, including Peralta, Williams, Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán and others. Earlier this month, Cohen told The Post that he was “extremely worried” about the team’s future because of “regression in [their] farm system.”
There is nothing left to fear this season. It’s hard to imagine how it could get any worse.
Devin Williams (38) walks in a run during the ninth inning when the New York Mets played the Boston Red Sox. Robert Sabo for NY Post
But there is still time.
“We have to take a level of ownership of it ourselves,” Green said of the team’s record. “Every single person on this team has a level of responsibility to flip the script going into the second half.”
A native of Alpharetta, Georgia, Marcus Ward attended Kings Ridge Christian High School. A four-year letterman there, playing football as well as baseball, he was a First All-Region Team honoree this past spring, helping lead the Tigers to a 30-4 record and their second-consecutive Georgia High School Association Final Four.
At the plate, the 6’, 175-pound left-hander stands closed, holding his bat high, wrapping it behind his head almost parallel to the ground. He swings with a slight leg lift, shifting his weight forward with a whippy, long levered, planar swing that he is currently able to level out against pitches upstairs. He sprays the ball around the field with gap power, regularly posting exit velocities in the mid-80s in exhibition games and reaching as high as 99 MPH, but his slim, athletic frame is likely to fill in and add some natural muscle mass and power.
In the outfield, Ward has shown the ability to track balls well and take expeditious routes to them. He has a quick first step and his above-average speed gives him plenty of range. Once put outs are made, he has a strong and accurate arm, with throws from the outfield measured as high as 84 MPH.
An outfielder for the Tigers, Ward was drafted as a left-handed pitcher by the Mets. This may be a clerical error, or they may be interested in trying Ward out on the mound, where his fastball has been clocked as high as 89 MPH, complemented by a mid-70s slider, mid-60s curveball, and low-70s changeup.
Ward has a commitment to Western Carolina University.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 11: The Washington Nationals select Chris Hacopian eleventh overall during the 2026 MLB Draft at Pennsylvania Convention Center on July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It did not take long for the Nats to agree on a deal with 11th overall pick Chris Hacopian. The Nats signed the former Texas A&M and Maryland star to a $5.7 million deal. This is notable because it is about $430,000 under the $6.13 million slot value of the 11th pick.
The Nationals have signed first-round pick Chris Hacopian to an under-slot deal of $5.7 million, per a source.
Those savings will be important, especially for the Nats to sign their third and fourth round picks. High schoolers Luke Williams and Cooper Harris are likely to take over slot deals to buy them out of their college commitments. Hacopian taking a bit of a hair cut will help them get those two players.
Do not get it twisted though, Hacopian was not one of those picks where the Nats reached to get an underslot deal. Hacopian’s talent fit in this range, with Baseball America ranking him as the 11th best prospect in the draft and MLB Pipeline ranking him 14th.
Hacopian is arguably the best pure hitter in the entire draft. He makes a ton of contact while also hitting the ball very hard. The 21 year old also makes good swing decisions, and has walked more than he has struck out at every level. His bat is legit, and could reach an even higher level if he learns to elevate his hard contact more consistently.
With the 11th overall pick the Washington Nationals select Chris Hacopian!
We have already broken down Hacopian, and have a cool story about him coming tomorrow, but it is hard to overstate just how good of a hitter he is. Hacopian may not be the fastest or most athletic player around, but he is a true masher who also has great baseball instincts. Hopefully that baseball IQ can help him stick at second base.
As a cherry on top, Hacopian is from the area and grew up as a Nats fan. The Nationals posted a video after he signed where he walked onto the field, and seemed in awe of being down there. Hacopian has been a fan in the stands at Nationals Park many times. Now, he has achieved a dream of his, and is signing with his hometown team to make things even more special.
Hopefully we get more signings in the next few days. The deadline is on July 27th, but ideally we would have things resolved before then. I have my eyes peeled on three high schoolers the Nats drafted in the 15th, 16th and 17th rounds. It is likely at least one of them signs, but hopefully the Nats can land two of the three. Catcher Francisco Rivero seems like the easiest sign of the three.
Landing one of Anthony Murphy or Isaiah Galason would take this draft to the next level. I am not totally sure if the Nats have the funds to pull this off, but we will find out in the next couple weeks.
It is always good to get clarity on your first round pick very quickly, and that is exactly what happened here with Hacopian. Welcome home Chris! It would be awesome to have two DMV kids in the lineup one day with James Wood and Hacopian. That could be a reality sooner rather than later given how advanced Hacopian is offensively.
The Dodgers announced a new giveaway, and it’s bound to be one of the most popular from the 2026 season.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers revealed an Andy Pages and Kiké Hernandez bobblehead from World Series Game 7 labeled “The Catch.”
Fans will be able to get the iconic bobblehead on Sept. 6, when the Dodgers face the Nationals. The first 50,000 attendees at Dodger Stadium will receive the giveaway item.
The bobblehead you’ve all been waiting for. Get “The Catch” bobblehead on 9/6!
The collectible refers to Pages’ iconic grab of Ernie Clement’s deep fly ball in left-center field. With two outs and the tying run on-base for the Blue Jays, Pages collided with Hernandez but reached up to make the catch.
The play sent Game 7 into extra innings, with the Dodgers ultimately emerging victorious in the 11th frame at Rogers Centre.
Pages’ heroics were even more miraculous considering he had been benched for the final two games of the Fall Classic by manager Dave Roberts after hitting .078 in the playoffs. Despite the offensive struggles, Roberts deployed Pages as a defensive replacement late in Game 7.
That decision paid dividends as Pages emerged as a key contributor in keeping the Dodgers’ postseason hopes alive.
Flash forward to the summer of 2026, Pages is coming off his first career appearance in the All-Star Game. The 25-year-old is hitting .270 with 17 home runs, 66 RBIs and an .807 OPS this season.
His rise to Dodgers fame began long before “The Catch,” but Pages certainly cemented himself in franchise history with the title-saving play — a moment fans will now be able to take home.
Don’t plan on Willson Contreras leaving Boston anytime soon.
The Red Sox slugger, acquired in a trade with the Cardinals in December, affirmed his desire to stay in Boston for the long haul and not waive his no-trade clause while speaking with reporters Tuesday before the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
“The front office knows the answer [to my future]. I already spoke [to them] about it, but I don’t think I’m interested in going anywhere,” Contreras said. “I didn’t [directly] say, ‘Don’t ask me for a trade.’ But I told them I would trade something to stay here. That’s what I said.”
“I like Boston. I think it’s a great place to play, and it’s not easy to get traded again. So, I think I found my family here.”
Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox singles to right field during the sixth inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
Contreras, 34, has two years left on his contract after 2026 and said he’s excited to work with Boston’s young core.
“I like challenges. I like the team. I love my guys. I love my teammates and I don’t want to leave them,” Contreras added. “They’re great people, and that’s what I appreciate the most. And, like I said, every day they show up to the clubhouse, they’re willing to listen. They’re willing to learn, and that’s why I went ahead and said something [to the front office].”
While it seemed likely the Red Sox would be sellers at 32-46 just a few weeks ago, they won nine straight games entering the All-Star break and are 46-48, just a 1/2 game out of a playoff spot.
Trading Contreras may have been a strong possibility then, but it likely isn’t now. Especially with how valuable the slugger has been in 2026.
Boston Red Sox’s Willson Contreras gestures to the crowd during the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia AP Photo/Matt Rourke
The veteran is hitting .285 with 20 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .921 OPS, making his first American League All-Star team. On top of that, he nearly made the finals of the Home Run Derby on Monday, falling short in the semifinals by one blast.
Prior to joining the Red Sox, Contreras spent three seasons with the Cardinals, hitting 55 homers over 344 games.
Before that, he won a World Series in 2016 with the Cubs, spending seven years in the Windy City and hitting 117 homers with three National League All-Star nods.
Cooper Dossett was not only a well-known, high-profile high school prospect during his days playing at Har-Ber High School in Springdale, Arkansas, but he was a record-setting high school prospect; the right-hander set the Perfect Game national record by uncorking a throw from the outfield that was clocked at 100 MPH. A four-year letterman with the Wildcats, Dossett excelled on the mound as well as at the plate, with many scouts considering him one of the best overall players in the 2022 draft class from Arkansas and one of the best high school players nationally. Over the course of his Har-Ber career, he appeared in 79 games and hit .312/.432/.625 with 21 doubles, 2 triples, 10 home runs and 26 walks to 46 strikeouts while making 28 appearances on the mound and posting a 2.13 ERA in 98.2 innings, allowing 43 hits, walking 71, and striking out 188.
The two-way player had a strong commitment to the University of Arkansas and went undrafted in the 2022 MLB Draft, making his way to Fayetteville that fall. He appeared in two games out of the bullpen early in the season, but lost coach Van Horn’s confidence after allowing 4 runs in 1.2 innings and was not used again for the rest of the season during in-game situations. That’s summer, he pitched for the Green Bay Rockers of the Northwoods League to supplement his innings load, appearing in 13 games and posting a 4.83 ERA in 31.2 innings, allowing 29 hits, walking 18, and striking out 43.
In 2024, coach Van Horn gave Dossett a longer leash, but the right-hander failed to cash in on the opportunity, posting a 5.17 ERA in 15.2 innings over 14 relief appearances, allowing 7 hits, walking 7, and striking out 20. As if that were not bad enough, he injured his arm pitching in what ended up a 14-4 blowout loss against the Texas A&M Aggies on the final day of the regular season. He ended up tearing his UCL and requiring Tommy John surgery, which he got that fall. As a result of the recovery process, the right-hander missed the entire 2025 season. Draft eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft, Dossett did not hear his name called.
The right-hander returned to the mound this spring, his redshirt junior year. Appearing in 16 games, he posted a 6.88 ERA in 17.0 innings, allowing 12 hits, walking 12, and striking out 18. Following the end of the Razorbacks season, he played for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League.
The right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot utilizing a full over-the-head wind-up, short-arming the ball. He threw from a low-three-quarters arm slot earlier in his Razorbacks career, and the mechanical changes seem to have been made in an attempt to improve his control and arm health. He utilizes a three-pitch mix consisting of a four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, and the occasional changeup.
Dossett’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s and has been clocked as high as 96 MPH this summer in the MLB Draft League. While that is barely passable velocity for a right-hander, and has an pedestrian four-seam fastball spin rate, Dossett is able to get a seam-shifted wake effect on the pitch so that it produces well above-average induced vertical break numbers, topping out as high as an elite 21.3 inches.
The right-hander’s cutter sits in the high-80s-to-low-90s, topping out at 91 MPH this summer with average horizontal glove-side boring action. His curveball sits in the low-80s and has power 1-7 break thanks to an above-average spin rate hovering close to 3,000 RPM. His changeup sits in the low-80s and is very firm, little more than a change-of-pace pitch to set up something else rather than a legitimate competitive offering.
The American League All-Stars dominated the National League yet again on Tuesday, July 14, winning 4-0 and earning their 11th victory of the last 13 Midsummer Classics.
With that out of the way, attention turns to the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3. With less than a month away, the time has come for teams to decide whether they will buyers or sellers.
Some teams have obviously already fallen into one of those categories. The Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels are too far out of contention to be buying at this point, but each of those teams have great players that contenders would love to have for the remainder of the season.
Superstars such as Byron Buxton, back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and All-Star closer Mason Miller have all emerged as likely trade candidates. And of each them would instantly elevate any team they joined.
Here are our rankings of the top 10 MLB trade deadline targets:
Power ranking the ten best MLB trade deadline targets
Honorable mentions: 2B Luis Arraez, 3B Matt Chapman, RHP Casey Mize, SS CJ Abrams, RHP Sonny Gray, 1B Willson Contreras, LHP Josh Hader, RHP Jose Soriano, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Freddy Peralta
10. UTIL Casey Schmitt, Giants
Schmitt has burst onto the scene in 2026, offering solid offense and capable defense at a variety of positions. In just 2026 alone, the 27-year-old has played in the outfield and at every position on the infield. Couple that versatility in the field with 19 home runs and an OPS over .800 and that's a very solid player that any team would love to have.
Schmitt will enter his first year of arbitration in 2027, meaning he could be under team control for the next three years, albeit at likely increasing cost.
Even at 38 years old, Aroldis Chapman is showing that he can still be an incredibly valuable arm. Chapman is in the midst of his second consecutive All-Star season and has recorded a 2.20 ERA with 19 saves through the first half.
While Chapman's price tag is hefty, this is an arm that could be worth it for the postseason. Not only has Chapman won two World Series in his career, but he's boasted an outstanding 2.30 ERA in the playoffs since 2016.
Detmers' 4.38 ERA is not indicative of what he brings to the table. He is a great strikeout pitcher with a remarkable offspeed arsenal. His 3.35 FIP and 3.38 xERA point that he has been rather unlucky this year.
The biggest issue with a potential Detmers trade is the likely cost. Reports indicate that the Angels will be looking for a package similar to what the Tigers would get for Tarik Skubal, the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner. That price could drive several teams away.
That said, Detmers still has two years of arbitration left, meaning he could be a top of the rotation arm that costs a fraction of what Skubal does.
2026 stats: 3-6, 4.39 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 10.2 K/9
7. OF Jung Hoo Lee, Giants
A classic top-of-the-lineup bat, Lee offers remarkable contact skills, serviceable outfield defense, and low but enough pop to the gaps to be worth his price tag of $21 million/year over the next three seasons. He's currently experiencing his best season in the bigs and is entering his prime at 27 years old.
His high batting average and low strikeout rate make for a combination that any team could use to produce runs, and moving him out of Oracle Park could see his offensive numbers improve.
An underrated arm in the big leagues for years now, Ryan is on a rather team-friendly contract with potentially another year under team control. The draw is obvious. Only six qualified pitchers have a better strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 2.85 ERA is far and away the best of his career, and he's still just 30 years old.
Ryan is a front-line starter on a team known for having enormous fire sales at the deadline. Ryan isn't just a likely candidate to be traded, he's a candidate that will draw numerous suitors and a hefty haul.
2026 stats: 6-5, 2.85 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 10.4 K/9
5. SS Jeremy Peña, Astros
Although Peña can be inconsistent when it comes to pitch selection, his plus defense and solid power/speed combo makes him an enticing option for any team struggling to find offensive production at shortstop. That said, there is a chance that the Astros hold onto Peña.
The Astros are still holding onto hope that they can contend for a World Series title despite lacking the roster to do so. Their farm system is also atrocious, meaning a trade of this magnitude could do their future good. Will they actually pull the trigger though? That's yet to be seen.
Any time a team can find value behind the plate, it provides them with a massive advantage over their opponent. The New York Yankees are the first team that comes to mind when considering who could be interested in grabbing Jeffers' services. After all, their catchers have combined for -1.1 Wins Above Average, per Baseball Reference, good for 27th in MLB.
Jeffers' .538 slugging from behind home plate would give the Yankees' offense a massive boost almost immediately. Well, it would give any offense a huge boost immediately.
When healthy, Byron Buxton is one of the best center fielders in baseball, providing an immaculate power-speed combo and incredible defense at one of the sport's toughest positions. The three-time All-Star may be 32 years old and carry a history of injury problems, but he has played in atleast 100 games in two straight years and is on pace to do so again in 2026.
At just over $15 million a year and with team control through the 2028 season, Buxton would be an absolute steal if he can remain healthy through the rest of his contract.
It's hard to determine a definitive best player at any position, but Mason Miller might be as close to a unanimous selection as anyone. Undeniably one of the premier closers in baseball, Miller boasts electric stuff. His Baseball Savant page is littered with deep red. He's in the upper echelon of pitchers in every single countable stat with a fastball averaging more than 101 mph.
Of course, the question is whether or not the Padres are going to be willing to sell Miller. The Padres have said that they are unlikely to ship their All-Star closer elsewhere, but they have admitted to being open to the idea. That alone will be enough to get a myriad of calls as the deadline approaches.
What needs to be said about someone who has won back-to-back Cy Young Awards? While Skubal will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, he's done more than enough to prove how valuable he could be to a franchise looking to make a final push into the postseason. He's a pitcher that gives your team an indescribable advantage every time he steps onto the field.
While 2026 has seen Skubal deal with some injuries, he still boasts a remarkable 3.09 ERA and 3.06 FIP. He's also boasting the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career.
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