Category: Baseball

With Curtis Mead hitting the IL with a potentially season-ending broken wrist, he’s joining a small group of hitters who played only a single game for the Boston Red Sox. Granted, Mead is expected to return for the 2027 season (if not later this year, possibly). But with Marcelo Mayer, Franklin Arias, and other trade options all available this winter, plus a looming lockout, it’s always possible this is it for Mead and future plans send him to another city. 39 position players are on the one-game wonder list for the Red Sox. The below isn’t a complete list, but here are some highlights.

2026

Amazingly, Mead isn’t even the first one-game player of the 2026 season for the Red Sox. That would be be Brett Harris. Remember him? Acquired from the Athletics back on July 1. He had a very memorable 0-2 game. He might yet play in another, but for now, he’s on the list.

2020

He was a two-time All-Star. He was a catcher and first baseman. He hit 108 home runs in his career. He’s Jonathan Lucroy! Lucroy finished fourth in NL MVP voting back in 2014 but by the time he arrived on the Red Sox for his one game he was a shell of that player.

2018

Tony Renda received a World Series ring for his one game of work. A 27-year-old, he appeared in only one game and didn’t even get a plate appearance. But he did score a run. The rest of his career was 32 games with the Reds in 2016.

2010

Do you remember Angel Sánchez? He spent time with the Royals, Red Sox, Astros, and White Sox between 2006 and 2013. He actually pulled off being a one-game wonder twice: once with each color Sox.

2006

Another catcher, Corky Miller appeared for Boston in one game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The starting pitcher for the Sox that day? Jason Johnson. He went 0-4 with a strikeout.

2004

One of the many guys on the roster during the World Series year, Earl Snyder went 1-4. He also appeared for Cleveland in 2002 for 18 games. He signed with Tampa just long enough to have Baseball Reference use that picture for his profile.

1999

Steve Lomasney was born in Melrose and drafted out of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School in 1995 (5th round), a local kid. Also in that round? Doug Mientkiewicz. Lomasney’s one game with the Red Sox — the final game of the 1999 season — was the only MLB game he would ever play. He’s nearly a real life Moonlight Graham, though he got to the plate twice, striking out both times.

1981

After 1999 we have to go all the way to 1981 for the next guy: John Lickert, who played one game on September 18, 1981 against the Yankees. He came in to catch the ninth inning replacing a pinch hitter. Jerry Remy played that day too.

1972

Vic Correll (another catcher) got his major league start as a one-off. He’d go on to play 409 games with the Braves and Reds. Correll would go 2-4 with a run and an RBI!

1952

Hal Bevan played in 1 game in 1952 for Boston, 8 for the Philadelphia A’s, 3 for the Royals in 1955, and 3 more for the Reds in 1961.

1920

Ray Grimes would go 1-4 with a walk before playing 147 games for the Cubs the following year. He had 432 more games after starting his career in Boston.

1901

The first ever to do it for Boston (the Americans at the time), Jack Slattery was a catcher and first baseman from Boston. Born in 1878 he’d go 1-3 with a walk and an RBI. The Americans roster that day against the Milwaukee Brewers featured Hall of Famer Jimmy Collins and, of course, was played at the Huntington Avenue Grounds before Fenway Park was even a dream.

18. Ethan Bagwell – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2024 6th round pick (#191 overall)

In a farm system full of intriguing young arms, Bagwell continues to fly under the radar despite putting up excellent numbers to begin his career.

Last season, Bagwell made a total of 10 starts with Augusta after dealing with an injury that sidelined him for a majority of the first half of the year. In those starts, he tossed 50 innings of 2.88 ERA ball while holding opponents to a .198 average. While the baseline numbers were solid, Bagwell’s strikeout numbers left something to be desired as he only managed 30 strikeouts in those 50 frames.

In 2026, however, Bagwell has seen his strikeout rate jump while also keeping his impressive walk rate in check as well.

Bagwell made 13 starts for Augusta before being promoted to Rome, where he made his first high-A start on July 1 in which he tossed six scoreless innings, striking out six and walking one in the process.

In 17 starts between Augusta and Rome, Bagwell is currently sporting a 2.72 ERA to go along with an FIP of 3.45. His strikeout rate is up to 24.7 percent, while his walk rate has climbed but is still at a manageable 7.3% on the year.

Overall, Bagwell has had great success, primarily with his fastball which has solid late life to it and works well, especially up in the zone. Bagwell currently carries a chase rate of 34.71 percent — which places him in the 89th percentile amongst all minor league arms.

As for the rest of this season, Bagwell will likely remain with Rome to conclude the 2026 campaign. He will most likely open up 2027 with Columbus — assuming the rest of the season continues on the current trajectory — with his sights set on Gwinnett or even the big league club later on in the season.

17. Isaiah Drake – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2023 5th round pick (#162 overall)

Isaiah Drake has faced an up-and-down path to becoming one of the system’s top prospects, but has gained momentum with two successive seasons of offensive success thanks to his ability to adapt his game to the professional level. Coming in as a young-for-his-class prep pick in the 2023 MLB draft Drake was a highly-touted player, but one who came with immense risk and talent that was expected to tap into. Drake has the athletic prowess to be a player who can hit for average to above-average power, but came into professional ball as a slap hitter and has struggled at times to shed that moniker. Drake has spent the last three seasons overhauling his approach and his swing and it has led to improved results, including a career-high 12 home runs in only 68 games this season. Drake’s been limited due to injury and hasn’t played since late June, but was on the path to continue his upward trajectory thanks to the improvements in his power output. During his approach and swing transition Drake suffered through a stretch of awful baseball in which he still wasn’t hitting for power and was striking out 35% of the time in A-ball, but this did not last long. Still, these early troubles soured many on Drake and he has spent the last two seasons rebuilding the diminished hype. He cut his strikeouts down to 22% in 2025 while improving his power output, and even with his ballooning home runs totals has managed a 25.6% strikeout rate in High-A this season. He is still young for the level and hitting at an above average clip, and though his hit tool is still his biggest question Drake has shown the ability to impact the game at all levels and has displayed an aptitude for learning and adjusting.

Drake’s calling card on the field is his speed, and it leads to great results on both sides of the ball. He is a problem on the basepaths and stole 46 bases at a 78% clip in 2025. He is a clear center fielder with the potential to be above average at the position, though he has played all around the outfield and displayed great instincts and route running. His swing changes have made all of the difference for him on the offensive side of the ball. He shortened his path to the ball and is doing a better job of keeping his front side closed, and instead of shooting line drives and ground balls the other way he has improved his pull rates and his fly ball rates. He is a bit aggressive on breaking balls out of the zone and does chase and strikeout too often, though he is still working to improve what was a far more aggressive and detrimental approach a couple of seasons ago. Drake is not likely to reach a superstar ceiling, but as a pure athlete he is one of the best in the entire system and the sky is the limit for him. He is slowly but surely closing the holes in his game that have limited him in the past and seems to be on the path to getting to the big leagues at a normal pace. He has the chance to be a do-it-all outfielder who fits as a regular in a big league lineup, though there is a best case scenario that sees him as an all-star type player.

16. Owen Carey – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2024 15th round pick (#461 overall)

While Eric Hartman is garnering most of the attention among the loaded Rome outfield — and rightfully so, given how historic his season has been thus far — Carey has more than held his own in high-A.

Carey made his system debut in 2025, playing in 117 games with Augusta, posting a slash line of .258/.330/.345 to go along with four homers and 63 RBI. He also flashed his speed, swiping 17 bases in that span as well.

In 2026, Carey had a brief stint with the FCL squad before jumping straight up to high-A Rome, where he has spent the bulk of his season. Across 183 at-bats with the Emperors, Carey has continued to demonstrate an above-average feel for the strike zone, while also seeing his gap-to-gap power increase as well.

In 48 games, which admittedly is a smaller sample size comparatively speaking, Carey has posted a line of .268/.333/.459. He has also hit six homers and driven in 34 runs as well.

Carey will most likely never be more than a 10-15 homer type of guy, but his decision-making when it comes to balls and strikes could lend itself to a touch more power on occasion.

Currently, Carey is carrying a Z-swing % — which calculates how often a batter swings at pitches in the strike zone — of 77.48 percent, which places him in the elite 95th percentile in the MiLB. It’s that type of swing decisions and judgement at the plate that should allow Carey to develop into at least an average bat with the potential for a little bit of pop as well.

As for the rest of this season, it’s highly likely that Carey will remain with Rome to finish out the season with his sights set on Columbus for 2027. The Braves will likely take it slower with Carey to make sure he isn’t rushed and they don’t ruin his sense of discipline at the plate by pushing him along too quickly.

15. Luke Sinnard – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2024 3rd round pick (#99 overall)

Standing at a mammoth 6’7” and weighing over 250 pounds, Luke Sinnard is every bit imposing on the mound as you can imagine. He was drafted as a surprisingly polished pitcher out of the University of Indiana with an intriguing pitch mix. He burst onto the scene in 2025 with seven overwhelming starts for the Augusta GreenJackets where he had a 0.92 ERA before he was promoted to Rome to finish out the season. Luke was then sent to the Arizona Fall League, seemingly to get more innings as he missed some time because of injury. All he did was have one of the lowest ERA’s amongst in the league and created a lot of buzz heading into the offseason.

2026 hasn’t treated Luke great as he has missed a lot of time due to injury abdominal strain during Spring Training, and then again in June. On the season he’s made a total of seven starts, including a rehab start, and has shoved – a 2.16 ERA, .193 batting average against, 0.92 WHIP, with a 11.88 K/9, and 2.16 BB/9 rate. He gets it done by leveraging a five pitch mix that he uses surprisingly equally. He has a four-seam fastball that sits between 93-95 MPH, a two-seam fastball that’s between 92-94, a very tight slider with -.4” horizontal break and 6” vertical break, curveball with very good depth, and a low spinning splitter. He’s capable of throwing all of them in the zone, which gives him considerable upside. The only question remains – can he withstand a full season? So far across two seasons he has compiled a total of 97.1 innings so with his recent return from the injured list hopefully he can finally put the injuries behind him.

14. Carter Beck – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2026 PPI pick (#26 overall)

To say Carter Beck was one of, if not the biggest, surprises of the first round of the MLB Draft earlier this month would not be an overreaction.

A centerfielder with the Indiana State Sycamores, Beck posted an OPS of 1.083 across 57 games for the Sycamores, which competes in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). Beck tallied 16 homers, 17 doubles and drove in 59 runs while also swiping an even dozen bases in his final season for Indiana State.

Beck was taken as sort of an under slot type of guy in order for the Braves to have money left to sign some high-potential prep arms later in the draft.

However, that’s not to say Beck can’t live up to his high draft selection, as he possesses an incredibly tantalizing toolset that could catapult him up this list once he gets in some professional reps.

The biggest question mark for Beck is: how will he fare against professional pitching, which is a significant step above what he faced in the MVC? He has the tools to jump up our rankings, but until we see how he performs as a pro, there are too many question marks to rank him higher at the moment.

Defensively, Beck has the potential to stay in centerfield, as he has the athleticism to stick and is very gritty and not afraid to try and make the tough plays.

It will be interesting to see where Beck starts his pro career once he’s assigned. He will most likely begin with Augusta with a chance to fast-track to Rome given his age (21) and college experience, if all goes according to plan.

13. Luis Guanipa – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2023 International Free Agent

Luis Guanipa hits the mark in every way except one, and the glaring flaw in his profile is the one that has kept him for being one of the best prospects in all of baseball. After being the Braves biggest international signee in 2023 there was a ton of pressure on Guanipa to perform, and in his time with the DSL and the Complex League Braves he lived up to the billing. When he got to A-ball as a 19-year old it came with a fair amount of buzz, but things quickly fell off for him after that. Two issues arose. One — Guanipa couldn’t stay healthy. He played only 35 games in Augusta in 2025, and his performance was up-and-down at best with his power production not nearly meeting expectations. Then there was his approach, which has been a sore spot in his profile since that he hasn’t done a whole lot to address. 2026 has fortunately been a major resurgence for Guanipa. His power is through the roof and he is finally pulling the ball in the air, showing some of the elite traits that made him a borderline top 100 talent a couple of seasons ago. He has elite contact ability and can adjust to reach any pitch in the strike zone, and overall his OPS has jumped from 97 in 2025 to 117 this season.

Guanipa’s contact ability is impressive. He has elite bat speed and does a great job of adjusting to hit pitches throughout the zone, and it is rare for him to be beat anywhere in the strike zone. He can get to fastballs up and breaking balls away, and has shown the ability to take pitches out away from him and smoke them the opposite way for singles and doubles. If a pitcher makes a mistake and comes in on Guanipa he can get his bat around as well as anyone, and will turn and mash balls down the left field line for home runs. After having seven home runs in his previous three seasons Guanipa has 11 in 88 games, and there is even more raw power for him to tap into with him hitting 25 at his peak not being out of the question. Injuries previously limited his impact on the basepaths, but in 2026 he is an incredible 36-for-41 on stolen base attempts. In the field he has the potential to be a plus center fielder and always finds a way to get to balls in the gap. There are two offensive problems that limit Guanipa from being a sure-fire top prospect in this system. He has done a ton of work to his swing since joining the professional ranks, but his tendency to fly open and swing off balance limits his impact on pitches away from his body. It also makes him susceptible to swinging over pitches and hitting ground balls, though he has mitigated that in 2026. He still needs to be hitting the ball in the air more to make the most of his power, but the biggest issue is that he just can’t lay off of anything outside of the zone. Guanipa is an outlier free-swinger and it is noticeably negatively impacting his game. He is a good enough contact hitter to avoid ballooning his strikeout totals, but he is often making weak contact on bad pitches and does not draw enough walks to hold a high on base percentage. He has an extremely high swing rate on pitches in the strike zone and goes into few deep counts, with many of the bad chases in his profile coming in favorable spots or with a couple of strikes to spare. Guanipa has the ceiling to be an impact player, but the swing decisions he makes are hard to work around and will keep him from even being an MLB-quality starter if they don’t improve. Guanipa has top 100 pure talent and is certainly trending upwards, but without a major reset to his approach he is always going to leave some of that talent on the table.

Hickory was rained out.

Hub City starter Ismael Agreda allowed four runs in three innings, striking out four and walking two. Andrew Susac struck out one in a shutout inning. Case Matter allowed a pair of solo homers in two innings, striking out four.

Casey Cook homered. Gleider Figuereo had a hit and a walk. Maxton Martin had a double.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter David Davalillo allowed a run in five innings of work, striking out two and walking two. Eric Loomis struck out five and walked one in two innings, allowing two runs. Joey Danielson struck out one in a scoreless inning.

Rehabbing Corey Seager homered, walked and struck out while playing shortstop. Dylan Dreiling homered. Sebastian Walcott was 2 for 4 with a double and a homer. Rafe Perich doubled. Arturo Disla had a pair of hits.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, rehabbing Chris Martin threw a scoreless inning. Emiliano Teodo struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning. Luis Curvelo struck out one in a scoreless inning.

John Taylor doubled. Cody Freeman had a hit. Aaron Zavala had a pair of doubles.

Round Rock box score

DSL Rangers Red box score

DSL Rangers Blue box score

Rangers 4, Rays 1

• The road trip is off to a good start.
• Cal Quantrill went out there and outdueled Griffin Jax, who is a member of the Star Wars Name All Stars.
• Quantrill had seven strikeouts in the game. Seven! That’s 18% of his season total.
• He allowed just two hits in 5.1 innings! And just one walk!
• Yeah, I have a hard time believing it, too.
• The one time he got into trouble was in the bottom of the fourth inning, when he allowed a one out single to Jonathan Aranda, followed by a Junior Caminero double.
• Cedric Mullins then swung at a pitch, very clearly hit catcher Austin Wynns’ glove, and ended up reaching on a catcher’s interference.
• However…Mullins didn’t run to first on the play. If he had, he probably would have been safe, and a run would have scored, since you can simply take the result of the play rather than the catcher’s inference go-to-first result.
• Still, that loaded the bases, and bad things seemed to likely to take place. Texas, which was up 2-0 at the time, seemed in great danger of losing the lead.
• Chandler Simpson hit a comebacker, though, resulting in the always fun 1-2-3 GIDP, which ended the inning.
• In case you are interested, that was the third catcher’s interference this season by a Ranger catcher.
• The one run Quantrill allowed — and that the Rays scored — was the result of the one walk he issued, to Yandy Diaz. Diaz was the last batter he faced. Peyton Gray entered the game and, after a 1-3 groundout that saw Diaz advance to second, he gave up a single to Caminero.
• Well, it should be scored a single, but officially it was scored a triple. Wyatt Langford went for the ball like he thought he could try to make a play on it, went into a slide, and didn’t come close to catching it, with the ball bounding past him and having to be tracked down by Evan Carter.
• Still, Caminero was stranded, so no harm done, and Tyler Alexander, Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz each threw an inning to finish out the win with just the one Rays tally on the board.
• The Rangers bats weren’t exactly beating up on the Rays pitchers, but they scraped together some runs somehow. A couple of sac flies, an RBI single, an Austin Wynns home run that was down the left field line and just deep enough to get out.
• Wynns also had a couple of successful ABS challenges. Between those and the home run, he made up for the catcher’s interference.
• Fun fact: per Statcast, the Rangers had a .129 xBA in the game. With 31 at bats in the game, that equates to 3.999 hits, on average.
• Though we can probably round it up to 4.
• The Rangers registered 7 hits in the game, exceeding their expected total, which is pleasant.
• I thought it would be the Rangers’ lowest xBA in a game this season, but it is not.
• The Rangers had a .107 xBA in this game, a 2-1 walkoff loss in Anaheim where Jake Burger’s home run accounted for the only run, and Reid Detmers struck out 14 batters and allowed just the Burger hit in eight innings of work. The Rangers had three hits in the game.
• The Rangers had a .106 xBA in this game. It was also against the Angels, but at home, in an 11-1 loss, where Kyle Higashioka’s pinch hit eighth inning home run was the only Rangers run. The Rangers, weirdly, also struck out 14 times in this game, and also had just three hits. More weirdly, Alejandro Osuna recorded one hit in both this game and the Detmers 14 K game.
• The Rangers did not lose this game, unlike those other two matches discussed above. So that’s a difference.
• Cal Quantrill topped out at 95.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 93.7 mph. Peyton Gray reached 95.3 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander touched 93.2 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker maxed out at 93.5 mph. Jacob Latz hit 95.3 mph with his fastball.
• Wyatt Langford had a double that was 107.0 mph off the bat. Joc Pederson had a 105.7 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 104.7 mph groundout.
• One down, five to go.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino exited Monday’s loss early with a sore right hand.

Pasquantino was removed from the starting lineup in the ninth. He was replaced by Tyler Tolbert, who pinch-hit for him in the final inning. “Just soreness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said after Tuesday’s game. “Same spot, you know, in his hand where the surgery was. Just general soreness in his hand. We’ve got to get in there and check it out and see how he feels later tonight and tomorrow.” Pasquantino missed nearly a month with a right hamate fracture in the same hand. He underwent surgery and returned on July 9, just before the All-Star break.

Royals starter Seth Lugo spun another solid start against the Twins, even if the Royals lost late.

Lugo felt his pitches weren’t getting to the right locations at Target Field. So he dove into some research and came out with a different game plan Tuesday. And it worked, for the most part. Lugo allowed one run across six innings while relying on his defense. The Royals turned five double plays against an aggressive Twins lineup. “I made a pretty significant adjustment to pitches I threw more than others today,” Lugo said. “You know, it worked out pretty good. Prefer to keep that information to myself, but pretty confident in what we decided to do today.”

Kansas City’s Opening Day third baseman Maikel Garcia began a rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and MLB.com’s Anne Rogers has more on the situation.

What are they saying?
“We’ve got to take it one day at a time, but he’s felt really good in his progression, especially with the hitting. … It’s been very gradual. It started on the tee, then flips, then BP, and then we have the Trajekt machine that he’s been amping up the intensity with regular machine work as well. So he’s felt stronger. They’ve been testing the strength of his hand. It’s gotten better and better. He doesn’t feel any of the symptoms that he had before. The real test will be in the game.” –manager Matt Quatraro

What else?
This injury was an odd one, because Garcia only felt pain on certain swings and specifically on balls that he wasn’t squaring up well. That made it hard to assess and hard to rehab because he would feel healthy in the batting cage taking good swings. In games, though, it’s harder to predict what and where pitches are coming and what swing you’re going to take off each one. As Garcia began swinging again in his rehab process, he experimented with different bats and different machine work in the cages using the Trajekt machine.

The Royals placed reliever Beck Way on the injured list Tuesday.

“His back tightened up right after he came out of the game that he opened on Friday,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It hasn’t really relaxed that much. He got better this morning, and then it got worse during the day. And we just didn’t feel like we could go short. He’s not going to be able to pitch for a couple of days.” Way has posted a 3.86 ERA in 19 appearances. He has allowed four earned runs and recorded six strikeouts in his eight games (one start).

Protesters’ heckling and chants cause a zoning meeting to end early regarding redevelopment plans for a downtown Royals stadium.

Last month, the group, along with Stand Up KC, delivered signatures to City Hall seeking to force a public vote on the city’s plan to contribute $600 million to fund the new $1.9 billion stadium. It’s unclear if it can stop the stadium, and Mayor Quinton Lucas has said that he’s anticipating construction to begin before a vote can derail it. The meeting ended about 15 minutes early. During a question-and-answer period, when presenters addressed prescreened questions from the crowd, a host announced they would end the meeting amid the ongoing outburst. Fran Marion, one of the protesters, said she showed up at the meeting to send a message about mismatched priorities. “We voted before. We told them no. You’re not hearing me, so let me come back and tell you again,” Marion said. “There’s more important things out here in Kansas City than a Royals Stadium.”

The Royals come in 27th in The Athletic’s latest power rankings.

Power Ranking a year ago: 18
How they reacted: Acquired Randal Grichuk, Mike Yastrzemski, Bailey Falter, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek
This year: Anyone need a lightly-used Michael Wacha?

Here’s the cautionary tale for about one-third of the league. Kansas City was nowhere near the division lead and 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot at last year’s deadline. While the Guardians sold and then got blazing hot, the Royals — fresh off a 2024 postseason appearance — added to their roster in moderation … then missed the playoffs by five games.

Going into Monday’s action, there were 10 teams — five in each league — that sat outside the playoff picture, but were within that same 3 1/2-game range of the last wild-card spot. (The Royals are not one of them.)

I feel confident guessing that all of them would prefer to avoid repeating the Royals’ 2025 outcome.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller thinks the biggest misstep the Royals could make this coming trade deadline is having a tweener approach.

The biggest question about the clearly selling Royals is whether they’re willing to move 2026 All-Star pitcher Michael Wacha.

He is making $18M this season, could make up to $18M in 2027 and has a club option that could be as much as $18M in 2028. Even though he’s already 35 years old, it’s a desirable, controllable contract for what has been a consistently solid pitcher over the past half-decade.

But if the Royals move Wacha with two years remaining, are they also moving Seth Lugo, Vinnie Pasquantino, Daniel Lynch IV and Michael Massey with two years remaining?

They should completely shut down the Wacha chatter unless they’re prepared to really sell.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that the Royals aren’t the only team valuing their starting pitching trade chips highly.

Prices for pitching remain high: That’s what two “adding” teams have said six days out from the deadline. Asking prices to acquire starting pitchers — for the next few months or otherwise — remain sky high. It’s the norm for this time of year, which is mostly why everything happens so late. This year is no different. From pitchers like Brady Singer on cheap, expiring contracts to more controllable starters like the Los Angeles Angels duo of Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers, there’s not much of an opening for a deal that doesn’t involve a really good prospect going back. The one exception might be the pitchers with expensive expiring deals — such as Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman. Pick up their entire contract and the prospect return won’t hurt as much. The waiting game continues. Eventually those prices should drop.

Bleacher Report ranks Lane Thomas as the 10th-most likely player traded at the trade deadline.

ESPN’s Buster Olney looks at 12 deadline buyers “desperate” to make a deal, and it looks like there are plenty of teams in need of starting pitching.

Tune in for a new ESPN podcast series, “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,” recounting the events involving Ippei Mizuhara’s dismissal and eventual arrest.

New Boston Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead is set to miss time after suffering a wrist injury in his second at-bat with the team.

Popular trade candidate Casey Schmitt lands on the 10-day IL with a torn left meniscus.

Who are some notable prospects who could be on the move ahead of next week’s trade deadline?

The Detroit Tigers can’t stave off a Tarik Skubal trade off anymore, thanks to their recent skid.

CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder makes the case against teams calling pitches from the dugout.

Will matching a batter’s swing plane to a pitcher be the next step in lineup construction?

FIFA member federations now have a Sept. 19 deadline in a deal to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The Cleveland Browns make Denzel Ward the league’s highest-paid defensive back.

The World Cup energy is pushing former athletes back onto the pitch.

Where did cyclospora even come from? That is just one of a mountain of questions.

Eric Dorfman, president of The Linda Hall Library, is trying to bring science to all Kansas Citians.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s first samurai film heads stateside after positive response on film festival scene.

Minnesota’s ground-breaking law banning prediction markets halted by federal judge, citing “irreparable harm” if law came into effect.

The federal government bans foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns ahead of a visit from Chinese leader Xi Jinping,

Lab-grown meat is now a reality. But will it be a viable alternative to displace existing animal agriculture?

Today’s song of the day is Too Young To Die by Buffalo Traffic Jam.

The Dodgers thought they had won the offseason with the massive contract they dished out to Kyle Tucker. The four-time All-Star saw plenty of success with both Houston and Chicago, but, just like Tanner Scott last year, year 1 as a Dodger has not been kind for the outfielder.

Tucker ended the first half with some of the worst numbers he’s put up in his career, as he limped into the All-Star break slashing just .244/.341/.375 with seven home runs and 47 RBI, with his walk rate and strikeout rate both below his career averages. He’s managed to turn things around recently, as he has four hits and two home runs his last four games, but fans were left wondering what went wrong with their prized free agent pickup.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com explains the struggles that Tucker experienced in the first half, and highlighted his weekend in Queens as a potential turnaround for his first year in Los Angeles.

If it really is just that worse swing decisions led to missing out on the best-value contact and those swing decisions are improving, then maybe what we saw in Queens over the weekend was the start of a turnaround. And maybe the early struggles will turn out to be no more than that, the umpteenth example of a player taking some time to find comfort in his new home.

Links

Kiké Hernández was activated off the injured list on Tuesday, and his fellow countryman Edwin Díaz will follow suit on Wednesday. Dave Roberts noted that the right-hander is all set to go for Wednesday’s matchup against his old ballclub in the Seattle Mariners, per Joaquin Ruiz of the Los Angeles Times.

“He’s checked all his boxes,” Roberts said. “So getting him back in the mix is going to be fun for all of us as well.”

The trade deadline is now less than a week away, and as I noted in my trade deadline post, I addressed the need for the Dodgers to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher. It looks like that need isn’t so urgent, as Jack Harris of the California Post reported that Will Smith has resumed baseball activities. The Dodgers are hopeful to have Smith fully healthy for the stretch run leading into the postseason.

On Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts announced that All-Star backstop Will Smith has begun baseball activities again, saying the catcher is finally “pain-free” from a neck injury that has sidelined him since early June.

“I’m excited to hear that he is starting some baseball activities,” Roberts said.

With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away, there are a ton of rumors going around. This year, the Milwaukee Brewers happen to have their name in a number of the rumors given their status as one of the best teams in baseball.

As we sit here and dream about what a Brewers team with Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller, and CJ Abrams would look like, there have also been plenty of trades that make you think, “What if?”

What if the trade with the New York Mets back in July 2015 went through and the Brewers had a young Zack Wheeler in their rotation? What kind of impact would Wheeler have had on the rotation over the following years? Other pivotal guys like Domingo Santana, Josh Hader, and Adrian Houser would’ve never been on the team.

What if the Brewers didn’t trade away David Fry to the Cleveland Guardians in March 2022 for J.C. Mejía? Mejía pitched in just 11 games over the course of two seasons for the Brewers, finishing with an 8.56 ERA. With that being said, at the time, the Brewers were running Omar Narváez and Victor Caratini as their catching duo. Had David Fry been on the team, would we have seen him blossom in a Brewers uniform, thus never needing to trade for William Contreras?

Everything happens for a reason, of course. But for how successful the Brewers have been over the last nine years, it’s fun to look back at some trades that could’ve desperately derailed how dominant the team has become today, even if those players who never became Brewers turned out to be All-Stars.

Today, we flip the calendar back 20 years, to the 2006 MLB Trade Deadline. The Brewers were involved in a significant trade that sent Nelson Cruz and Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, and Julian Cordero.

Cruz had bounced around a couple of different organizations at the time of this trade; however, all of them occurred while he was in the minor leagues. At the time, Cruz was sitting in the minors in the Brewers system, struggling to find playing time on a team that had outfielders like Lee, Brady Clark, Geoff Jenkins, and the young Corey Hart.

Before we dive too thick into the weeds, it’s important to remember that even though Cruz made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2005, he didn’t get consistent playing time and burst onto the scene until 2009, when he was nominated for his first All-Star Game. In 2008, Cruz played in 31 games for the Rangers and had a fantastic line, despite the small sample size. He batted .330 and got on base at a .421 clip, while smashing seven home runs and driving in 26, foreshadowing how great he was about to be in the Lone Star State.

After his first All-Star appearance, Cruz went on to have a season where he batted above .300 while crushing 22 home runs. He was on the Rangers through the 2013 season before signing with the Baltimore Orioles in the winter of 2014.

Given the time frame and how long he was on his rookie contract, it’s interesting to think back on how he would’ve impacted those late 2000s/early 2010s Brewers squads. In 2007, the Brewers just missed their first playoff appearance in 25 years after blowing an 8.5-game lead in mid-August. That was a lineup where their outfielders were definitely not the worst players on the team, as Hart posted a .295 batting average, slugging 24 home runs. Had they had Cruz in the lineup that season, what would that have looked like? Even on the Rangers, he was a bench bat, but had the Brewers had that tool at their disposal, perhaps things would look a little differently.

Skipping forward to 2009, the Brewers took a step back after a successful previous couple of seasons. Again, not included in this step back were the Brewers outfielders, as Ryan Braun had a monstrous season at the dish, while Hart continued to be consistent and Mike Cameron slightly improved from the year before. There’s no doubt that offense wasn’t the issue for the 2009 Brewers, but to have Cruz in the outfield to replace either Hart or Cameron, I’m sure, would’ve made a sizable difference.

Moving forward, 2010 was another season where they didn’t need a ton of outfield help either. Having Jim Edmonds on the bench, a young Carlos Gomez, and, of course, Braun and Hart on the corners.

All in all, having high-quality outfield bats was never a problem for the Brewers during this stretch. Having Cruz on the team would’ve only bogged down the lineup for a team trying to turn things around. The pitching staff was the main issue at the time.

So while we can reminisce on what Cruz would’ve looked like on those late 2000s and early 2010s teams, it would’ve most likely been the same outcome for the Crew in the end. Trades happen for one reason or another, and this one was just shedding weight at the deadline to beef up a run later down the road.

What’s a trade you think about often?

Good morning, baseball fans!

We are less than one week away from the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Which means it’s time to fire off our best/worst trade deadline predictions for the San Francisco Giants.

Personally, I think they should be aggressive sellers. Trade everyone you can and throw in parts of the ballpark if that will get deals done. I never feel this way, I get quite attached to players and don’t want to see them go. And I do still feel that way about a lot of players on this year’s team, but I also would be very happy if they were traded to a functional organization with an interest in competitive baseball.

Do I think that they will be aggressive sellers? Not particularly. At least not in the way that I think they should. This team has been begging for a full rebuild for over a decade now but they have yet to commit to that, so I don’t really see that changing this year. I think we’ll see a few moves, such as Luis Arraez and maybe a pitcher or two.

But I’d be happy to be wrong.

What are your predictions for the Giants at the trade deadline?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants conclude this three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline on August 3 is drawing ever closer. Over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies made clear which players are definitely available for trade, and it’s not a surprising list. Of course, anything is possible, and teams are likely still calling about other players mentioned.

So, last Friday, I asked the Purple Row community to play armchair general manager and chime in with their trade proposals and ideas of what could be done at the deadline. Ideas have also popped up in other article comment sections, such as our MLB Trade Deadline tracker articles. After combing through the comments, I’ve compiled some of the trades that stood out to me by themed categorie and credited those who submitted the deals.

Moving Brennan Bernardio for young pitching

Brennan Bernardino, the Rockies’ lone lefty in the bullpen, has been excellent this year. Southpaw relievers are always at a premium, and it may behoove the Rockies to move the 34-year-old despite three more years of control. A number of trades focused on getting young starting pitching for Bernardino’s services.

Bernardino to Baltimore for RHP Nestor German-Ozarkbear

The Rockies need to build up starting pitching depth, and this trade could bring in a nice piece. Nestor German ranks as the Baltimore Orioles No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline and has done well since being drafted in the 11th round in 2023. Pitching in Triple-A this season, he has a 3.91 ERA in 96.2 innings while striking out 103 batters against 34 walks. He has a well-rounded arsenal and pounds the zone with all of his pitches. I like the trade for Colorado because it gives them a young starter who is nearly ready to pitch in the big leagues and checks a lot of boxes for the new front office. The Rockies say yes, but the Orioles may be a bit more hesitant.

Bernardino back to Red Sox for RHP Kyson Witherspoon -sdcarp

The Boston Red Sox got scorching hot over the last few weeks and are suddenly positioned as buyers this season. They made the first big splash by acquiring Curtis Mead from Washington for starting pitcher Connelly Early, but could a reunion with Bernardino be of interest? Kyson Witherspoon was drafted 15th overall last season by Boston and is ranked as their No. 4 prospect. The 21-year-old has been finding his footing in High-A with a 5.01 ERA in 16 starts. He’s got a varied pitch mix that can generate swing and miss; he just needs to work on honing his command to reduce the walks. It’s another yes for the Rockies, but hard to see Boston overpaying more than they did in the Mead deal, especially for a reliever they are familiar with. It would need more pieces.

A deal for Emerson Hancock?

The Seattle Mariners have a plethora of starting pitchers and have made it clear that two of them are available for trade. It may be a little harder for them to move Luis Castillo, but Emerson Hancock is plenty enticing, and the M’s may try to sell high. Reports say that Seattle would like a right-handed bat and some bullpen help, but perhaps the Rockies could figure something out.

Hancock and a pitching prospect for McCarthy/Moniak, Fulford, Veen/Thompson-stork24

By acquiring Hancock, the Rockies acquire a starting pitcher that can immediately slot into the rotation, is just 27, and under team control through 2030. He’s having a solid year, but there may be things in the underlying metrics that are concern enough for the Mariners that they are comfortable moving him. As for the Rockies side of this, I think Jake McCarthy and Sterlin Thompson would be the players I include in an offer with Braxton Fulford. McCarthy and Thompson bring quality hit tools that are always beneficial, especially in Seattle, while building out some depth down the stretch. Fulford would essentially replace Mitch Garver as the backup catcher but that’s mostly a lateral move.

Unfortunately, I think the Mariners say no to this one because they already have enough left-handed bats, and the right-handed bats on their bench are not good. I think Willi Castro, Jordan Beck, Tyler Freeman, or Brenton Doyle would have to be included in a deal, and a decent reliever like Bernardino instead to swing a deal.

Trading with the Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are once again leading the way as the top team in the American League. They once again find themselves in a position to bolster their lead in the AL East, so perhaps a trade with the Rockies could fix what ails them.

Moniak and Castro to Rays for RHP Ty Johnson, RHP TJ Nichols, OF Brendan Summerhill, and 2B Émilian Pitre -mth0620

This a very interesting trade that I would be inclined to accept. Ty Johnson and TJ Nichols are ranked as the Rays’ No. 10 and No. 19 prospects, respectively, while Brendan Summerhill and Émilian Pitre are No. 23 and No. 27. Johnson is a starting pitcher that could be ready to debut in 2027, if not this season, while Nichols has struggled in Double-A this season but has a power fastball and some interesting secondary pitches. Meanwhile, Summerhill is comparable to McCarthy for the Rockies, while Pitre is a contact-heavy second baseman with speed and a solid glove capable of playing shortstop as well. This would give the Rockies a lot of great pieces that fit the mold of the players new front office values.

McCarthy for Santiago Suarez and Émilien Pitre -Ski to Coors

This is another trade with the Rays that I would easily accept. The highlight of this trade is Santiago Suarez, a right-handed pitcher who is the Rays’ No. 13 prospect. He dealt with a shoulder/triceps issue at the end of 2025, but he has been successful at every level so far. He has given up more runs in Double-A this season, posting a 5.18 ERA in 80 innings, but that’s small potatoes considering what he can do. His fastball can reach 97 mph, while his slider has wipeout movement and his curveball is likely his best offering. He’s also been working on his changeup this year. He pounds the zone and has allowed just nine walks over 17 starts. Plus, he just turned 21 back in January. It may be a lot to ask for both of these players in exchange for McCarthy, but one-for-one could be manageable.

Start spreading the news about Goodman?

Hunter Goodman is going to be one of the hot-button Trade Deadline issues this season. The catcher market is thin, the right-handed batter market is thin, and it’s not every day you can trade for a controllable catcher with 30-plus home runs. The asking price is understandably high, but a few of you offered up some ideas for a trade with the New York Yankees.

Goodman to Yankees for RHP Elmer Rodríguez and RHP Ben Hess -sdcarp

Ranked as the No. 3 prospect and top pitching prospect in the Yankees system, this is part of the high price the Rockies are asking for. Rodríguez made his big league debut this season but hasn’t quite stuck yet. In four starts, he has a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings. His main struggle was his command as he issued 11 walks against 10 strikeouts. There is plenty of upside for the 21-year-old, but he needs more refinement. Ben Hess comes in as the No. 6 prospect for the Yankees and has drawn comparisons to former MLB standout Lance Lynn. Big-bodied with a solid pitch mix, Hess also needs more refinement and has to stay durable. This is a strong start to a trade, but it needs at least two more players in the mix.

Goodman to Yankees for RHP Carlos Lagrange, LHP Pico Khon, LHP Xavier Rivas, old friend RHP Jake Bird, and two additional prospects (position players) who are not listed on MLB Pipeline. -Renee Dechert

Our own Renee Dechert proposed many trades for this article, but I wanted to highlight this major one. Carlos Lagrange comes in as the No.4 prospect for the Yankees with an electric fastball and a heavy reliance on his secondary pitches. His size and stuff on the mound are intimidating, but he needs a lot more polish because of the inconsistencies in his delivery that hurt his command. There is plenty to like, and his makeup reminds me of Chase Dollander. The two lefties, Pico Khon and Xavier Rivas, rank as the No. 11 and No. 25 prospects and make me pause a little bit more. Both are in the vein of other soft-tossing lefties that have struggled with the Rockies in recent years. Each is likely better suited for a reliever role, which is a role the Rockies desperately need to fill out more. If I’m the Rockies, I would try to swap out Rivas for a ranked position player prospect, drop Jake Bird in the deal, and split the new unranked prospects between a reliever and a position player. Again, a good starting point for a deal.

Wrapping up

There were several other trades that I won’t be able to dive into for this article. There were a couple of trades to send Tomoyuki Sugano to one of the Chicago teams. There were additional moves to send Moniak and McCarthy to various places, and there were general sentiments of trading anyone and everyone that can be available.

Overall, this was a solid exercise for the community. It’ll be interesting to see what deals the Rockies make over the next few days and to see how close any predictions actually are. I applauded you for the contributions and discussions about this topic and, if anything, many of these proposals are good starting points for a negotiation.

Well done Purple Rowers! You’ve earned your GM thinking caps.

On the farm

Triple-A:Albuquerque Isotopes 15, El Paso Chihuahuas 9

It was another classic game in the PCL. The Albuquerque Isotopes put up eight runs in the top of the second and then found themselves leading 10-2 heading to the bottom of the third inning. The El Paso Chihuahuas responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to three. The Isotopes responded with two more in the fourth before giving up two runs in the seventh. They then put up a three-spot in the eighth to take a 15-9 lead that held. The Isotopes had 23 hits with only Charlie Condon going hitless.

Five players had at least three hits, including Jordan Beck, who had two home runs and five RBI, including a grand slam. Zac Veen had four hits, finishing a double shy of the cycle. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and allowed seven runs through three innings before giving way to Mason Green, who gave up two runs in three innings. The bullpen then shut it down the rest of the way, including Nick Frasso tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Double-A:Hartford Yard Goats 8, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3

Andy Perez enjoyed another solid day at the plate to help lead the Hartford Yard Goats to victory. Perez went 3-for-5 at the top of the lineup as teh Yard Goats had 10 total hits with only three hitters failing to get a hit. Braylen Wimmer had three RBI while GJ Hill had a double, the lone extra-base hit. The Yard Goats went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position and went 11-for-12 with stolen bases. Connor Staine started on the mound and went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

High-A:Vancouver Canadians 8, Spokane Indians 1

It was a tough offensive night for Spokane as they scored one run on a double play ball and had just five hits. Roldy Brito had a pair of hits to lead the Indians while Alan Espinal had a double. Jordy Vargas started on the hill and allowed three runs on three hits, including two home runs, in 4.1 innings of work. Things got out of hand in the seventh inning for Tyler Hampu as he was tagged for five runs on two hits with three walks in just a third of an inning.

Low-A:Ontario Tower Buzzers 7, Fresno Grizzlies 6

Trailing 3-0 in the early goings, Fresno scored six runs over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to lead 6-3. Unfortunately, Ontario scored a run in the final three innings, capped off by two runs in the ninth to secure a walk-off victory. Ashly Andujar and Kyle Fossum each had two hits in the game to lead the way. Fossum had five RBI and had a grand slam in the game. Marcos Herrera started on the mound and went three innings, followed by Luke Hansel’s 4.1 innings of two-run ball. Yanzel Correra ended up giving up the two runs in the ninth without recording an out.

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies 6, ACL Reds 5 (F/11)

It was a tight-rope affair in Game Three of the ACL League Championship. The ACL Rockies took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. The ACL Reds answered back with a home run in the top of the fourth before the Rockies took back the lead with a run in the fifth. The Reds went ahead 3-2 with two runs in the sixth but the Rockies answered back, once again, with a run in the seventh to tie things up 3-3. The game continued into extra innings as they exchanged runs in the top of the 10th and the Reds took a 5-4 lead in the 11th. Ronny Ugarte singled in the tying run in the 11th, and the Rockies loaded the bases with one out. Eriel Dihigo then grounded a ball to shortstop, but the Reds were unable to turn the double play, allowing the winning run to score and give the Rockies their first ACL Championship since 2021.

Rockies React survey: It’s the final (trade deadline) countdown!

Affected by Altitude Episode 219: The Deadline Approaches | Rocky Mountain Rooftop

This week, Evan Lang and I discuss the Seth Halvorsen trade before diving into what the Rockies will do leading up to next Monday.

Rockies Shouldn’t Automatically Give Brenton Doyle Center Field Back |Rockies on SI

Joelle Milholm addressed this topic on Monday here at Purple Row, but it’s always good to get more perspectives. Wesley Dixon settles on the fact that Cole Carrigg is playing so well that it wouldn’t make sense to block his development to let Doyle play. He could still have a place on the team, but it can’t be simply because of reputation, he has to earn it.

How Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman’s defense could impact his trade value | The Athletic ($)

Teams are trying to reduce Goodman’s value by nitpicking his defense.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! As expected, teams are in a tizzy about the Trade Deadline, especially as potential buyers like the Brewers and Yankees are losing key players to IL stints. Things are likely to heat up exponentially between now and the end of the weekend, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on everything going down. But in the meantime, we also have non-Trade Deadline news to offer, including speculation over who will be the AL MVP with Aaron Judge no longer in consideration after missing much of the season. Even the NL MVP race might be tighter than usual this season.

We also look at bobblehead drama, CBA negotiation drama, and an update on the Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal with new audio.

So let’s get right into it.

• Dan Szymborski makes some theoretical trades ahead of the upcoming deadline.
• The Dodgers are sure to be buyers at the deadline, so let’s take a look at what prospects they might have on offer. Story by Eric Longenhagen.
• The Brewers trade deadline goals might be changing as Jake Bauers hits the IL with his return timeline TBD. (MLB)
• Mark Feinsand answers some burning Trade Deadline questions.
• Tim Capurso assesses which GMs are under the most pressure heading into the Deadline.
• Karl Rasmussen looks at some outfielders the Yankees might target with Cody Bellinger on the IL.
• Ken Rosenthal shares how the Tigers’ recent slide might make them more willing to listen on Tarik Skubal this week. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Juan Soto, bullpen arm? (Here’s a direct link to the Bluesky post for those on Apple News)

• Jay Jaffe looks at how some polarizing honorees resulted in a somewhat sparse crowd for this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
• David Laurila looks at how Caleb Durbin’s comeback has helped turn the season around for the Red Sox.
• An updated look at some Trade Deadline rumors. (MLB)
• Tim Stebbins looks at how a hit-by-pitch turned into a grand slam for the Guardians.
• Zach Meisel looks at why some players are still worried about gambling safeguards after last season’s Clase scandal. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jimmy Traina has some burning questions about MLB bobblehead giveaways.
• Curtis Mead has a broken wrist, according to X-rays, a disappointing end to his debut game. (ESPN)
• Evan Drellich looks at how “50-50” is causing some tension and confusion between MLB and MLBPA in CBA negotiations. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• I love miniature things as much as the next gal, but I remember when real hats cost this much.

• Davy Andrews explains how a 12-game losing streak have forced the Marlins to become potential sellers.
• Kiri Oler shares who will be managing the WPBL teams this upcoming season.
• How a wily squirrel stole the focus at a Tigers’ game this week. Story by Cody Stavenhagen. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jason Foster looks at the frontrunners for MVP and the runaway leader in the AL probably won’t surprise you.
• On that note, Tom Verducci explains how Yordan Alvarez could win two types of Triple Crowns.
• Ryan Phillips offers some potential (realistic) trades for Mason Miller.
• New audio sheds some new insights into the case against Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter. (ESPN)
• How this season is proving MLB wrong when they claim there is no competitive balance. Story by Ken Rosenthal. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• When your bestie gets clipped…

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

The checklist to launch an independent minor league baseball team is long and daunting. Can you find a place to play? How do you find enough players, and make enough money to pay them? How can you persuade a community to support a home team?

Here’s a new one: If minor league baseball is all about affordability, how do you compete against a nearby major league team that might undercut you on pricing?

This astounding dilemma is brought to you by the Angels, and their combination of a consistent focus on affordability and a consistently bad team.

Zach Neto is the best player the Angels have drafted and developed since Mike Trout — that is, in the past 17 years — and the team is considering whether to trade Neto ahead of next week’s trade deadline. That might make the team better in the long run, but almost certainly not next year.

Read more:Shaikin: Cultural exchange: In Irvine, a new minor league team with Asian fanfare (and fan fare)

And, next year, the Angels will have competition for the Orange County baseball dollar, a few exits down Interstate 5. On Tuesday, the Irvine City Council approved a five-year agreement under which a yet-to-be-named minor league team would play at the sparkling ballpark within the city’s Great Park, starting next May.

“We might not, on certain days, be the cheapest ticket in town,” said Paul Freedman, co-founder of Innovation Baseball Partners, the company for which the Irvine team is the fourth in its portfolio of minor league teams, all based in California and all competing in the Pioneer League, where players are limited to no more than two years of professional experience.

No ticket prices have been announced for the Irvine team. Jamie Rosenberg, another IBP co-founder, told the Irvine City Council that the IBP team in Long Beach charges roughly $10 to $15 for general admission, with a $2 special every Tuesday.

“The idea is to make this an accessible, affordable entertainment option for the community,” Rosenberg said.

On Tuesday, three hours after Rosenberg spoke, the Angelsplayed the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. On StubHub, you could buy a ticket for $2.

“I think Angel fans would hope the team gets better and maybe those prices would go up,” Freedman said, “but what we’re confident in is that we’re going to have a value experience.”

On Tuesday and every other day at Angel Stadium, the Angels proudly display a sign advertising a collection of what the team calls its “family value merchandise.” A T-shirt or a cap can be yours for $9.99, and a souvenir baseball with the team logo sells for $7.99.

“We really focus on a family of four,” Freedman said. “Can a family of four afford a night out?”

The Angels offer a family package — four tickets, four hot dogs, and four drinks — for $44.

You may remember what Angels owner Arte Moreno said in spring training: “The number one thing fans want is affordability.”

Read more:Shaikin: As Angels fans urge Arte Moreno to sell the team, the least he can do is try to win

That infuriated Angels fans, of course, since their team has baseball’s longest playoff drought — 12 years, counting this one. Freedman says the fans of his teams want affordability too, but he cautioned against stretching the comparison too far.

For one, Trout plays in Anaheim. You can see a future Hall of Famer there all summer, and stars from around the league, and you can see the Yankees and Red Sox and Dodgers every year.

“We’re not ever going to replace the majesty of going to see the Dodgers with Shohei [Ohtani] playing,” Freedman said, “but we can create an environment that’s more fun.”

For two, whatever $2 tickets you might find in Anaheim put you in the vicinity of the top of a foul pole. All the tickets in Irvine put you right behind home plate, because there are barely 1,000 seats.

Read more:Plaschke: Memo to Arte Moreno: Sell your fallen Angels

And, for fun, Freedman and his partners are planning to become the first American team to integrate elements of the Asian fan experience into the game presentation.

“We want to be doing things you haven’t seen in an American baseball game before,” he said, “and we want to put a fair price on that, one that is reasonable and allows us to operate our business.”

The traditional minor league team operates far from the shadow of a major league team. The Pioneer League, for instance, has teams in the California towns of Modesto and Marysville, and in Idaho Falls and Missoula, Mont.

The Irvine launch will be different and challenging — and, yes, fun. But success depends on paying customers, and nothing attracts customers like a trial offer.

Read more:Shaikin: 'One person can begin change.' For the Angels, a long-overdue new hope

And it just so happens that major league owners could still be locking out players by the time the Irvine team opens play next May.

“It would be terrible for the game,” Freedman said.

“As a baseball fan, it would break my heart. But it could be good for business.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

1910
Patsy Dougherty was a very good hitter (.284 career), but had one talent in particular: Breaking up no-hitters.

On this day, Dougherty led off the eighth inning with a single, the first hit Tigers hurler Ed Summers had allowed all game. It was the fourth and final time Dougherty would break up a no-no, with three of those times coming with the White Sox. (Dougherty retired after the 1911 season, with 17.8 career WAR, 9.8 in Chicago.)

Summers, however, ended up throwing the first one-hitter ever at Comiskey Park, in winning, 1-0.

1942
The White Sox staged the first twi-night doubleheader in club history, as they swept the Yankees. The first win, 6-5, ended on a Sam West walk-off single with two outs in the 11th inning. The nightcap ended 7-5, powered by three hits apiece for Taffy Wright and Joe Kuhel. Comiskey Park hosted 27,555 fans for the wartime promotion, which became a regular attraction over the next several decades. 

1951
In New York, the White Sox dropped a doubleheader to the Yankees, 8-3 and 2-0. The defeats dropped the upstart Sox to 54-44 and 6 1⁄2 games back of first. But what stands out decades later is that 70,972 attended the games, the fifth-biggest regular season crowd the White Sox ever played in front of on the road and the largest-ever to see them at Yankees Stadium.

1962
In another doubleheader versus the Yankees, Sox outfielder/first baseman Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell hit three home runs and knocked home five runs in the split. Maxwell had a curious history of doing his best hitting on a Sunday. 

When acquired from the Tigers, 25 of Maxwell’s 70 career homers were hit on Sundays. Of his 10 in 1962, five came on Sunday. On July 8, Maxwell had six hits in a doubleheader against Cleveland, and on August 19, Maxwell hit a grand slam and knocked in six against Detroit.

Yes … both of those games were on Sunday.

1963
Facing the Senators in Washington, White Sox pitcher Joe Horlen took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Only leading 1-0 and under incredible pressure, Horlen not only lost the no-hitter but the game, 2-1.

With one out in the ninth, Chuck Hinton grounded a roller up the middle for a hit that Horlen wasn’t able to get a glove on. One out later, Don Lock belted a curveball for a two-run homer to win it. 

Horlen looked ready to cry on the postgame show, talking with announcer Jack Brickhouse of WGN-TV. 

1977
It wasn’t the first time Nancy Faust had played Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)” on the organ during a game, but her rousing renditions during Chicago’s 11-8 win over the Royals to put the White Sox up 4 ½ games in the AL West is where 45,919 fans at Comiskey Park that night remember it all beginning.

The White Sox knocked Royals starter Andy Hassler out of the box during a six-run third inning (cue Nancy) and capped the frame with a two-run clout to right field by Chet Lemon (cue Nancy). K.C. battled back to tie and go up, 8-6, in the seventh — but the White Sox answered with four runs to put the game away.

The weekend of of wins (taking three of four from K.C.) led to even more boisterousness, including Nancy-led home-run curtain calls that infuriated the Royals.

1982
A 7-3 loss to Boston dropped the White Sox to 49-49, their low mark of the season. As a result, pitching coach Ron Schueler was fired. (Don’t weep for Ron, he doesn’t drift too far away … scroll down.) The dismissal may have been cosmetic; by year’s end, the hitting WAR (19.7) was nearly equal that of the pitching (19.1), indicating one particular aspect of the game wasn’t a White Sox weakness.

The club finished six games out, in third place, at 87-75; still a disappointment given the franchise-record 8-0 start to the season.

1989
At the time it was an unpopular deal, but in the long term it worked out very well for the White Sox: GM Larry Himes sent All-Star outfielder/DH Harold Baines and infielder Fred Manrique to the Rangers for infielder Scott Fletcher, outfielder Sammy Sosa and pitching prospect Wilson Álvarez. Fans hated to lose Baines but the Sox weren’t going anywhere, and he was expendable. 

Fletcher and the pre-steroid Sosa played important roles in the franchise’s revival in 1990, and Álvarez would become a very solid starter beginning in 1993. He also fired a no-hitter in August 1991 at Baltimore, winning 7-0 in only his second big-league (and first White Sox) start.

1998
It was a small move at the time that would turn out to have major implications: GM Ron Schueler shipped out inconsistent relief pitcher Matt Karchner for the Cubs 1997 First Round (No. 10 overall) draft pick, pitcher Jon Garland. It took time, but Garland realized his potential in 2005, when he helped lead the club to the World Series title with 18 wins and an All-Star appearance. In seven years with the White Sox, Garland had 18.4 WAR, won 92 games and had double-figure wins in six of those seasons.

2000
With the White Sox badly in need of pitching at the trade deadline due to injuries to starters Cal Eldred and James Baldwin, GM Ron Schueler went off in another direction, acquiring catcher Charles Johnson and DH Harold Baines. It was Baines’ third stint with the Sox, and while he and Johnson helped offensively, it did nothing to lighten the load on the pitching staff. 

That staff, even in a division-winning season, suffered additional arm injuries to starters Jim Parque and Mike Sirotka and relief pitchers Bobby Howry and Kelly Wunsch. The Sox would pay for Schueler’s mistake the following season because the staff was decimated, many coming off surgeries.

It should be noted, in Schueler’s defense, that some of the pitchers the Sox were rumored to be interested in trading for, like veterans Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling, said they would not accept a trade to Chicago.

2006
In a 13-11 win in Baltimore, A.J. Pierzynski tapped out four singles and a homer for a perfect, 5-for-5 game. The 97° temperature at first pitch didn’t seem to bother the backstop at all, as he drove in the first run of the game with a single in the top of the first and proceeded single again in the third, sixth and eighth and homered in back-to-back fashion with Jermaine Dye to lead off the fourth. Pierzynski’s first three singles all drove Jim Thome home with runs, and with the solo homer it gave A.J. four RBIs on the day.

The top of the ninth ended with Pierzynski on deck, leaving him just shy of a shot at becoming a 6-for-6 player. He’d again have five hits in a game with the White Sox, six years later in 2012.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/12-15)

ROCHESTER 6, SYRACUSE 5 (BOX)

Ronny Mauricio scored the game’s first run on a sac fly in the top of the first to give Syracuse a 1-0 lead, but the Red Wings came roaring back, putting up a five spot in the second. Tobias Myers set the table for the big inning, directly allowing three runs and putting two more on base that eventually came home when Matt Seelinger relieved him. All in all, Myers threw 37 pitches and lasted only 1.2 innings. The bullpen after him was actually solid, allowing just one more run, but the offense couldn’t exactly find their footing. The bats plated two runs in the third on a Nick Morabito homer and another two in the seventh on a Mauricio homer, but couldn’t eek out that tying run.

·  RF-CF Nick Morabito: 2-4, 3 R, HR (10), 2 RBI, BB, SB (33)

·  LF Mike Tauchman: 0-5, K

·  2B Ronny Mauricio: 2-3, R, HR (12), 3 RBI

·  3B Christopher Morel: 1-4, 2B

·  1B Ryan Clifford: 0-3, BB, 2 K

·  DH Christian Arroyo: 2-4, K, SB (7)

·  CF Cristian Pache: 0-3, K

·  PH-RF MJ Melendez: 0-1

·  C Hayden Senger: 0-3, K

·  PH Ji Hwan Bae: 0-1

·  SS Zack Short: 0-2, R, BB, K

·  PH Ben Rortvedt: 0-1

·  RHP Tobias Myers: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP, L (1-1)

·  RHP Matt Seelinger: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Matt Turner: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Nate Lavender: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, BLK

ROSTER ALERT: LHP Jonathan Santucci assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets placed RHP Joey Gerber on the 7-day injured list.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Kevin Herget assigned to Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets placed RHP Guillo Zuñiga on the 7-day injured list.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/9-18)

POSTPONED (RAIN)

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Noah Hall assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies activated SS D’Andre Smith from the 7-day injured list.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released SS Jaylen Palmer.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released C Onix Vega.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released SS Nick Lucky.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released SS Diego Mosquera.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/14-16)

WINSTON-SALEM 10, BROOKLYN 6 (BOX)

Early on, the Cyclones kept pace with the Dash, but when they plated five in the fourth, it was a hole too deep for Brooklyn to dig out of. Down 7-0, the Cyclones scored a pair of runs in the fourth and another two in the eighth, and two more in the ninth to make it much closer than it had been earlier, but because Winston-Salem continued adding runs on, it simply was not enough.

·  2B Yonatan Henriquez: 0-4, 2 R, HBP, E (7)

·  REHAB ALERT 3B Jacob Reimer: 1-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, 2 K

·  REHAB ALERT DH Andy Ibáñez: 3-4, R, BB, K

·  CF Trey Snyder: 2-5, 2B, RBI

·  LF Randy Guzman: 1-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K

·  1B Ronald Hernandez: 1-5, RBI, K

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-4, K

·  SS Antonio Jimenez: 1-4, R, K

·  RF JT Benson: 1-4, K

·  LHP Daviel Hurtado: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 3 K, L (4-2)

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP

·  RHP Josh Blum: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Cristofer Gomez: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

ROSTER ALERT: SS Trey Snyder assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Emilio Obispo assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Joel Díaz assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Randy Guzman assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: C Chase Meggers assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: SS Antonio Jimenez assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies sent 3B Jacob Reimer on a rehab assignment to Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones transferred SS Kevin Villavicencio to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones transferred 3B AJ Salgado to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones released OF Sam Biller.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/12-18)

ST. LUCIE 14, DUNEDIN 6 (BOX)

St. Lucie hammered out 14 runs on 15 hits, 7 walks and a HBP, the third game in a row where the team scored at least 11 runs. The team kept the pressure on all game, with the some of the newest Mets all making their presences felt: Kooper Schulte got on base twice, Aiden Robbins had a multi-hit game with a double, Ryan Tayman logged an impressive four hits with a homer, and not to be outdone, John Smith III had a multi-hit game with not just one, but two homers! Some old friends had strong games too, such as Elian Pena hitting his fifth homer of the season, and Marco Vargas logging three hits. On the mound, Clay Holmes and Austin Warren both made rehab appearances, the former throwing four scoreless innings and the latter throwing one.

·  SS Elian Peña: 1-5, 2 R, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB

·  REHAB ALERT 1B Cole Mathis: 0-3, RBI, K

·  PH-1B Julio Zayas: 0-0, R, RBI, 2 BB

·  REHAB ALERT 2B Marco Vargas: 3-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB, K

·  CF Aiden Robbins: 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI, K

·  DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 1-4, 2 R, BB, K

·  RF John Smith III: 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR (1, 2), 3 RBI, K

·  C Ryan Tayman: 4-5, 3 R, 2B, HR (1), 2 RBI

·  LF Wyatt Vincent: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, 2 K

·  3B Kooper Schulte: 1-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K, HBP

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Clay Holmes: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Austin Warren: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (1-0)

·  RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Luis Alvarez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: C Yovanny Rodriguez assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: OF John Smith III assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Wyatt Vincent assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Kuhio Aloy assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: SS Vladi Gomez assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: SS Dylan Carey assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: C Ryan Tayman assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: SS Kooper Schulte assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Bohan Adderley assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Aiden Robbins assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent RHP Clay Holmes on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent RHP Austin Warren on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred SS Jeremy Rodriguez to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred C Francisco Toledo to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred LHP Luis Sotillo to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released SS Sam Robertson.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released C Jack Scanlon.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released 1B Jackson Hauge.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released 2B Taylor Darden.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Ryan Tayman

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Tobias Myers

Looks like Kyle Schwarber ate some of the diarrhea lettuce, which is bad. Team needs as many runs as they can get, so hopefully it’s a one game thing.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• When Zack Wheeler and Jhoan Duran have off nights, the team suffers. They can’t have too many more of them ($).
• Bryce Harper gave an interview, saying everyone knows what the Phillies need at the deadline and that he believes they’ll get them.
• I know you like mock trades being made for the Phillies, so here are three that would make them better at the deadline.

MLB news:

• The choice of what to do with Tarik Skubal is pretty clear. The Tigers have to move on and make the deal if it’s there ($).
• There are some questions asked of Ralph in this mailbag that include the Phillies, including one that asks if they should rebuild ($).
• Casey Schmitt, a major piece the Giants could have traded this deadline, is going to miss time with a torn meniscus.
• Curtis Mead, recently traded to the Red Sox, will miss time with a broken wrist. That’s tough news for Boston.

The Detroit Tigers evened up their home series with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night with an authoritative 14-0 thumping of the visitors. Javy Baez returned to the lineup, and along with Kevin McGonigle, Eduardo Valencia and Gleyber Torres provided a much-needed spark on offense, while Troy Melton threw seven shutout innings to give the home team its overwhelming victory.

Once again, in what could be his final game in a Tigers uniform, left-hander Tarik Skubal will take the mound on Wednesday afternoon looking to close the home stand with a series win. The 29-year-old has allowed two runs or fewer in his last five starts, posting a 1.48 ERA and 1.76 FIP stretching across 30 1/3 innings on 19 hits (two home runs) and five walks while striking out 44 — with a pair of hit batters mixed in there.

Opposite him for the O’s is fellow southpaw Trevor Rogers, who has recorded quality starts in six of his last seven games and his last three straight; he missed out on seven straight QSs by falling an inning short of the minimum in a game that he threw five shutout innings. Over that stretch, the 28-year-old put up a 1.44 ERA and 2.45 FIP spanning across 43 2/3 frames of work, surrendering 31 hits (one home run) and 12 walks while striking out 39 batters.

Rogers faced the Tigers earlier this season on May 24 in the second game of a doubleheader, coughing up four runs on four hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out a pair in 4 2/3 innings to earn his sixth loss of the season in a 4-1 final at Camden Yards.

Take a look below for more data on the two Wednesday starters.

Detroit Tigers (51-57) vs. Baltimore Orioles (52-56)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Camden Chat
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 109: LHP Tarik Skubal (7-5, 2.70 ERA) vs. LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.17 ERA)

SKUBAL

ROGERS