Category: Baseball

The Marlins are willing to move players, including their best hitter. Let’s talk about Otto Lopez.

You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France, Tyler Soderstrom, Heriberto Hernandez, Kyle Stowers and Alec Burleson. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers.

Lopez is a right-handed hitter who is almost 28 years old and having the best season of his life with a 131 wRC+ as a good shortstop, putting up 4.4 fWAR so far. For his career, he has a 103 wRC+ with a 14.8/6.2 K/BB%. Weirdly for his career, he has a 77 wRC+ against LHP and 113 wRC+ vs RHP. He has figured southpaws out this season to the tune of a 156 wRC+ and I do think that is probably something he can continue to do well (reverse splits are very rare so his early struggles against lefties were probably just small sample size).

Lopez is a good defender at second (15 DRS, 22 OAA) and short (14 DRS, 5 OAA). He has also stolen 47 of 61 bases over the past three seasons, so he is a threat there. He is under team control through 2029.

Lopez is a great trade target. I think he Will offer good defense and above average hitting for the length of his arbitration years. But, the Marlins are only making him available because 1. He is having a late breakout year, and 2. He is almost 29. Both of those are reasons to not want to pay a premium return to acquire Lopez… which is why I remain skeptical he gets moved.

Lopez probably requires the equivalent of two top 100 prospects. Like… are the Guardians wiling to trade Travis Bazzana and Braylon Doughty and potentially toss in Daniel Espino to get Lopez? I would say (rightly) not. And if the Marlins can’t secure that kind of return, I don’t know why they would trade Lopez.

But, hey, if the Marlins can be made to consider a more reasonable return based on Lopez’s career numbers, I am offering Genao and their choice of a dominant minor league arm not named Braylon Doughty. And, hey, another lotto ticket of their choice. Lopez would move Bazzana to DH until Bazzana can learn outfield. It looks like Bazzana can handle DHing, so that would work.

As you can probably tell, I find this deal unlikely. But I love Otto and would love to be wrong. Do us a favor and give us, Lopez, Peter B!

Let me know what you think about Lopez in the comments below

The Connelly Early for Curtis Mead trade between the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals is still pretty wild. Mead now has a left wrist fracture, which probably takes him out of the lineup for at least a month and completely ruins the best argument for this trade for Boston, a better short term push to make the playoffs.

The Washington Nationals are looking like a real problem organizationally. Their farm system now ranks fourth on Baseball America’s recent farm system rankings and there is a massive trend under the Paul Toboni front office for making players better.

If we look at their major league team, several players have taken significant steps. The aforementioned Curtis Mead had bounced around the Rays and White Sox without getting significant major league playing time. With the Nationals in 2026, Mead produced a 133 OPS+ and was traded for Connelly Early, who carries a mid-rotation projection with over five seasons of club control.

James Wood turning into one of the best hitters in the sport isn’t an impressive win given his prospect status but it has happened. CJ Abrams on the other-hand has broken out from being a solid hitter to a potential star with a 153 OPS+.

The real wins, however, look to be from everyone else. Luis Garcia jr is having the best season of his career. They made Keibert Ruiz useful again. On the pitching side, Foster Griffin signed a one-year deal from the NPB and became an all-star. Cade Cavalli took a step forward.

That’s a lot of good things happening under a regime that was hired less than a year ago. The Washington Nationals are looking like a real problem.

Clay Holmes

It’s potentially a really bad fit given the Phillies infield defense but Clay Holmes feels like a really good target for what the Phillies are looking for in a back-end starter that could be useful in October.

Since joining the New York Mets, Holmes has carried a 3.26 ERA in the 218.1 innings he’s pitched for them, mostly as a starter. He is a different pitcher from his days as a high leverage arm for the Yankees, adding a kick-change that has worked very well to left handed hitters. He traded in his slider for a curveball and more cutters to right handed hitters.

He is a classic sinker-ball starter that relies on his defense to make plays behind him as a starter. He limits barrels but has not generated the same swing-and-miss. It is a weird bet but he is a big upgrade over the Brian Keller bullpen games the Phillies are currently running.

The big bet here will come in October if the Phillies make it there. We know what Holmes is like as a reliever; he threw two ticks harder than he does now, which led to less damage and more strikeouts. He did that without the plus changeup as a Yankees reliever either.

While Holmes is coming off injury and there is some risk because he hasn’t pitched in the majors since the middle of May, it still feels like a good bet to make with the cost being viewed as a rental since he will almost certainly opt-out when the season ends.

Logan O’Hoppe

The Angels traded Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers, who then optioned O’Hoppe to AAA.

The results are in on the Brandon Marsh for Logan O’Hoppe swap in 2022. The Phillies fleeced them, getting a strong-side platoon corner outfielder, who has played an ok center field for stretches, for a catcher in O’Hoppe that is not good enough defensively to catch or good enough offensively to play first base.

Since Marsh joined the Phillies, he’s been worth 10.0 bWAR and was recently named an all-star earlier this month. O’Hoppe has just 2.6 bWAR over that same span and has been trending poorly over the last two seasons. There is just not much else to say when discussing the trade. The Phillies pretty obviously got the better end of the deal and Marsh has been their best outfielder since the day he joined.

After a long week, we are entering the final day of our top 30 roll out. As always it has been an absolute pleasure for us to put together this list, even though it was one of the hardest ones we’ve done in quite some time. There has been another massive infusion of talent to the organization both in international free agency, and through the 2026 MLB draft. We aim to update the list once again at the end of the season after hopefully getting our eyes on the new draft class. All that being said, we hope you have enjoyed our midseason top 30 and be on the look out for a couple more articles coming out this weekend that build off of the influx of talent that the Braves have had over the past two years.

6. John Gil – SS

How he got to the Braves: 2023 International Free Agent

After putting together a strong 2025 where he hit .252/.348/.366 across 107 games, where he showed a fantastic eye at the plate with a 12.4% walk rate, and just 14.5% strikeout rate, along with 54 stolen bases. He showed really strong decision in his swing decisions as he showed the ability to not just recognize spin, but also not expand his zone outside of the strike zone. He entered 2026 on nuclear watch because of how advanced his approach, at the age of 19, along with his physical maturity and loud tools.

It hasn’t gone quite as John himself was expecting, as he’s hit just .241/.346/.371. John’s BABIP falls below the average mark sitting at .288 despite the double plus speed he possesses which indicates a level of unluckiness. John has shown more power, as he’s hit a career high 11 home runs, while still leading the league in stolen bases. His walk rate as actually increased, now sitting at 13% for the season, and his swing and contact rates have remained relatively consistent to what we’ve seen in the past. He’s also cut his GB% to 39.8% (down from 46% in 2025), while increasing his LD% from 17.5% to 25%. The biggest change in his profile has been he’s been slightly more pull dominant than he was last year, but that also came with a new career high in ISO. While he may not have put up the numbers we hoped for in 2026, his profile remains unchanged.

Gil is a player that has the tools and talent to be a major outlier at his position. Gil possesses the ability to hit for good power while also getting on base at a high clip where he can showcase his double-plus speed. Gil has played a majority of the season as shortstop, but has also played a lot of second base as well. As of right now the added swing-and-miss is an outlier, so as we head into the close of 2026, he will remain one of the highest upside positional prospects the Braves have in their organization.

5. Cam Caminiti – LHP

How he got to the Braves: 2024 1st round pick (#24 overall)

After re-classifying, Cam Caminiti was eligible for the 2024 MLB draft as a 17 year old after. He was surprisingly available for the Braves to select at #24 overall and the Braves didn’t balk at the opportunity – drafting and signing him for $3.5, buying him out of his commitment to LSU. He made a single start for the Augusta GreenJackets before being shut down for the season.

In 2025, his debut was highly anticipated but delayed with his season not beginning until May. The results weren’t great, as he struggled out of the gate – allowing 11 earned runs across just 13.2 innings pitched but it didn’t take long to turn things around as the calendar hit June, and he immediately turned in his best performance with five innings of one hit ball. He would go on to finish the season appearing in 17 games across two levels, the FCL and Low-A Augusta, where he pitched to a combined 3.09 ERA with an 11.57 K/9 and 3.60 BB/9 rate. He did all this while being just a two pitch pitcher as the Braves used the season to work on his fastball command, and to introduce a sweeper. By the end of the season Cam showed the ability to command his fastball, especially at the top of the zone, and was landing his sweeper to both sides of the plate against both LHB, and RHB showing a massive step progression in year 1, and leaving us all wondering how the next season would go.

Fast forward to this year, and at the time of this article dropping, Cam had already put together 17 games and when you look at the number, a 4.11 ERA, 2.16 batting average against, 9.27 K/9, and 4.23 BB/9 you wonder how a prospect of his ability regressed in his second full season as a professional but the numbers show a fraction of how the actual season has gone. After being just a two pitch pitcher last year, Cam Caminiti has leveraged 6-7 pitches this season as the Braves along with Cam figure out the pitch mix that best suites his ability. He has utilized that strong four-seam, and sweeper, but has added a two-seam, cutter, changeup, and added his curveball back into the mix. The Braves have also worked on his mechanics, a lot, this year, out of the stretch as he’s had some issues with maintaining them as the game goes along. So when you factor in all of that, along with the fact that he is the same age as both Briggs McKenzie (2025), and a few months younger than Jensen Hirschkorn (2026) the numbers on the mound make a bit more sense.

Cam’s upside remains unchanged from his original drafting year. He’s shown flashes of true top of the rotation talent as he’s navigated a very physically demanding year. 2027 looks to be a huge year for Cam especially if he’s able to improve his conditioning a bit more where he’s not struggling with his mechanics out of the stretch as the game goes on. He’s shown enormous potential on the mound and looks every bit worth the price tag associated with him from 2024.

4. Briggs McKenzie – LHP

How he got to the Braves: 2025 4th round pick (#127 overall)

Taken in the fourth round of the 2025 thanks to the some of the cost savings from going under-slot in the first three rounds, the Braves saw enough out of Briggs McKenzie in high school to offer him $3M to buy him out of his commitment to LSU. He was one of the highest rated prep pitchers in the draft thanks to his ability to spinning his super high RPM curveball. He pairs that well with a fastball that has shown really strong arm side run, though he had not shown the ability to hold his velocity with his fastball – often sitting closer to the 91 MPH mark in high school. Still, the Braves saw more than enough from him, and his 6’2” frame, to give him the bonus and bet on their player development system to get the most out of him.

The returns to the McKenzie selection were seen extremely early in 2026 as he came out of the gates swinging. Briggs made three appearances in the FCL where he had a 0.79 ERA, but more impressively a minimal 1.59 BB/9 rate, and ridiculous 62% GB%. He was sent to the Augusta GreenJackets where he made a singular start where he was dominant – striking out eight over five innings of work while allowing just one hit. The Braves promoted him to High-A Rome where he made three appearances before finding himself on the IL after his June 25th start and has yet to make another appearance. But what we saw, was a teenager that was able to locate his fastball at the top of the zone with regularly, while also showing a +sweeper, and good changeup. His four-seam was sitting between 93-94 MPH, up from the original 91-92 that we saw from him during games in high school. His sweeper showed fantastic movement with nearly 18” of horizontal break, and 8” of vertical break, while also throwing a good changeup. While the sample has been small, 7 total games, there is a lot to get excited about Briggs who appears to be a player that can move quite quickly through the system. He and Cam Caminiti have formed a formidable high upside duo of left handed pitching found at the top of the Braves system.

3. Tate Southisene – SS

How he got to the Braves: 2025 1st round pick (#22 overall)

Atlanta got mixed reactions to picking Tate Southisene 22nd overall in 2025, but one year out they seem like geniuses to all but a very select few. Southisene has been about as good as a player can be coming straight out of high school. He was shaky in short professional debut, but hit the ground running in Augusta this spring and posted a 152 wRC+ across 51 games. Southisene then earned himself a call up to Rome in June and continued mashing, with a 121 wRC+ and four home runs in 38 games. Southisene has maintained a walk rate above 15% at both levels and is age-relative perfomance is in the elite tier of prospects, and the Braves saw enough to make a daring call in late July. Southisene got the quick bump to Double-A Columbus, where he could continue to start full time and get tested by pitchers with better command. Unfortunately this is where our hero meets his first real challenge. Southisene got just two plate appearances in Columbus before getting hit on the wrist, and he is now on the injured list for an unknown period of time. Regardless of what happens for the rest of the season this is a successful year for Southisene, but this has opened up the first chance for his development to be delayed. Southisene has overall been an elite performer in 2026. He’s the only player age 20 or under in minor league baseball who has 10+ home runs and 45+ stolen bases, and one of only three of any age in the minor leagues to reach that number. He makes contact at a high rate and doesn’t ever swing out of the strike zone, though that doesn’t necessarily mean his approach is perfect just yet.

There were concerns about Southisene’s swing coming out of high school and many questioned if it would limit his hit tool at the professional level. The Braves had him work to make his load and swing simpler, and after some early season adjustments those changes have seemed to pay dividends. He has shown the ability to be an above average hitter both for on base and for power, and there is even more power in the tank for him. At this stage Southisene still doesn’t pull the ball in the air very often, which is a common trait for young players and especially those who could rely on their speed to get on base in high school. That’s limited some of the impact he has made, yet he is still producing above league-average power numbers. Southisene’s ability to lay off of pitches out of the zone is impressive, though if there is any knock against him it might be that he is a bit too selective. He watches too many good pitches go by and could benefit from attacking fastballs more often with the intent to do damage on the pull side, but too patient is a better problem to have than a guy who cannot recognize spin or the edges of the zone. The biggest question for Southisene is whether he can actually stick at shortstop. He primarily played second base in Augusta beside Alex Lodise, but upon being promoted he has played all but four of his games in the field at shortstop. His foot speed and instincts are good enough to play the position, but his arm is fringe for shortstop and he may have to slide to second base or center field at the next level. Southisene has the bat to still make an impact even if shortstop is not his ultimate defensive home, but there is still plenty of time for him to improve in that regard. Overall the Braves seem to have a gem of an up-the-middle prospect with the ability to impact the game in multiple ways on the offensive end and a game mature enough to get him to Double-A as a teenager.

2. AJ Gracia – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2026 1st round pick (#9 overall)

The Braves added AJ Gracia to their system, leveraging the philosophy of going under-slot in the first two rounds to add more high end prep talent to the organization. But Gracia isn’t your typical “safe” college player, as he also shows massive potential. AJ’s talent was on display in 2025 when he was the most south after transfers after putting together an extremely strong .293/.449/.558 slash line at the University of Duke. The Virginia Cavaliers were able to add him to their roster in 2026 and he took off, showing improvements in nearly every facet of his game and hitting an even more robust .354/.489/.632 across 56 games.

It’s easy to see what the Braves saw in AJ Gracia, even without factoring in the cost savings. As is, he’s a very polished hitter who does not strike out a lot (12.6%), while having a great eye at the plate (20% BB%). AJ has shown the ability to not expand his zone, while also showing an advanced ability to recognize spin and lay off breaking pithes that start in-zone, but fall out of the zone. While he doesn’t possess supreme bat speed, or exit velocities, he’s able to generate lots of back spin with his swing which makes the ball jump off of his bat. Not only was he a safe pick at ninth overall, he also provides significant upside that merits the selection.

AJ projects as a middle of the order bat with a skillset and approach that should allow him to advance quickly through the minor leagues. His existing approach is advanced for a college hitter adjusting to minor league baseball so the expectations are rather significant to begin with. By as early as the end of 2027, it would not be surprising if Gracia is pushing for a spot in the upper minors with the thoughts of a potential 2028 MLB push.

1. Eric Hartman – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2024 20th round pick (#611 overall)

Outside of the Hartman family, even the rosiest of expectations didn’t foresee this sort of rise from Eric Hartman. Hartman was certainly a player to watch coming into 2026 due to a great debut, but he has blown everyone in baseball away with his performance in High-A — a performance made especially shocking due to how little Hartman was known prior to this. Hartman was a 20th round pick, and while his professional debut in 2025 was successful, injuries kept him from reaching his full potential and swing-and-miss issues were problematic for him at times. He was a prospect with helium coming into 2026, but exploded onto the scene in a hurry and has been the best player in the Braves system this season. Hartman has always been a player who had a high pulled fly ball rate and enough power to make him worth fearing, but he added strength this offseason and improved himself from an average power hitter to a plus one seemingly overnight. Hartman has 22 home runs in 90 games with Rome this season, and he’s not just a one-tool power hitter. Hartman has shown the speed to play center field and has stolen 36 bases on the season, becoming the first 20-20 hitter in the system since Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2017. Hartman has already passed Acuna’s home run numbers for that season and is on pace to beat the stolen base numbers by a fair margin as well, though with the increased run environment across minor league baseball and the rule changes to make stealing bases easier that’s not a one-to-one comparison that is fair to make. Still it goes to show just how rare what Hartman has done this season truly is, and he has made himself a consensus top 100 prospect after just a few months.

Hartman has had a brilliant season and it has bumped his grades across the board. He is making more contact in the zone, and when he does make contact the ball jumps off of his bat. He has a knack for finding the barrel to all parts of the field and in all parts of the strike zone, and if you come at him in the strike zone he is going to open up and look to do damage on the pull side. His mindset is primed for the modern baseball game, and when you consider the Braves home park he could also benefit from a short porch in right field. His hit tool isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however, as he is aggressive out of the strike zone and especially tends to go after breaking balls below the zone. This is a problem that has been around for him dating back to last season, though he has improved and for someone who swings as often as he does in the strike zone his chase rates are relatively low. He has to get a better eye for spin and learn to spit on those pitches at his shins, but it’s important to realize how green Hartman still is. Hartman was incredibly raw coming out of the Canadian prep ranks and was expected to take years to develop if he ever did at all. The improvements he has made in such a short time show an immense aptitude for the game of baseball, and there is every reason to believe he will continue to improve both his skill and his understanding of the game. He has improved significantly as a defender, from a fringe center fielder to one who is solidly average, and he’s a high-IQ baserunner who beyond stealing bases can take an extra base with ease on base hits. Hartman’s approach needs a bit of work, but his attack mentality to lift pitches on his pull side is what makes him great and the Braves won’t want him falling too complacent. Hartman is one of the best stories in recent memory, with the biggest breakout I’ve seen from any hitter in this system, and the arrow is still pointing up for him moving into the latter half of the year.

Congratulations to Emiliano Teodo, who has been named the #18 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving a little under one-quarter of the vote.

Our list so far:

1 — Sebastian Walcott

2 — Caden Scarborough

3 — Malcolm Moore

4 — A.J. Russell

5 — Yolfran Castillo

6 — Rafe Perich

7 — Dylan Dreiling

8 — Josh Owens

9 — Jose Corniell

10 — Dalton Pence

11 — David Davalillo

12 — Yeison Morrobel

13 — Hector Osorio

14 — Cam Cauley

15 — Seong-Jun Kim

16 — Winston Santos

17 — Paulino Santana

18 — Emiliano Teodo

Moving on…

Who is the #19 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

Nobody gets to fire two managers in two years.

Jeff Passan went on the radio on Tuesday and placed the blame for the Mariners season at the feet of manager Dan Wilson. Passan heavily implied Wilson should be replaced, using logic I’ve seen plenty throughout the season: This roster is far too talented to be playing this poorly.

And, no, it’s not.

Let’s just look at some projections. There are plenty of models out there, and you should consider them all, but I use Steamer because it’s 1) easily accessible through FanGraphs, 2) the most conservative on this iteration of the Mariners, and 3) disturbingly accurate at projecting their full-season fWAR. Here we can see how Steamer compares to the Mariners actual fWAR since 2016.

Now, WAR are not wins (we’ll get there), but projected WAR are still quite good at projecting the actual standings. In fact, at just about any point in the season, if you want to know how well a team will play the rest of the year, you’re about as well off trusting preseason projections as their performance to date. That’s why things like FanGraphs playoff odds can look skeptical of surges and collapses, and why the Mariners still have good odds to make the playoffs.

This makes projections an essential reference for assessing a team, pre-, mid- and post-season. Yes, I appreciate “um actually the forecast clearly states” sounds like the thing I say before getting shoved into a locker. But if you’re demanding someone get fired from a baseball team on the internet, well, I suppose I’ll find you in the locker with me.

We can see a few things from this plot. First, there’s a nice linear relationship between projected WAR and the final standings, but there’s clearly some variance. Lots of things determine how many games a team wins beyond their talent on Opening Day. Teams can play above, at, or below their talent level. They can get good, neutral, or poor luck. They can run up against injuries and schedules and umpires and God. Perhaps coaches matter, too.

We can also see the Mariners tend to get out of their seasons what they put in. In Jerry Dipoto’s tenure, the roster has either met or exceeded expectations every single season. They’ve been exceptionally predictable, a metronome set to 54 beats per minute — the perfect tempo for a dirge.

Let’s look at this another way. I created some buckets for preseason WAR and found the end-of-season outcomes for each. The table below shows the median win total, as well as the high- and low results:

From 2023 and to 2025, the Mariners began the season with the expectations of a “good” team. These teams typically win about 54% of their games and finish 12th in the majors overall. It’s the minimum threshold to enter a season with playoff expectations, generally as the Wild Card. That’s pretty much exactly what they got in those years.

This year, however, the Mariners took a tepid step forward, dipping a toe into great (on paper). This bucket contains a broad range of projected WAR, and the Mariners 43.5 WAR was at the very bottom end, bearing closer resemblance to “good” than “elite.” Maybe we could call this “very good.” Regardless, it’s fair to say this roster was a bit more than those of the past, and also not quite.

Even still, plenty of teams even at this level wind up with less than great results. If we look back up at the plot above, the 2026 Mariners are still within a typical range of outcomes given the quality of their roster. What’s happening this year isn’t weird or uncommon, even if it is disappointing. 

Now, from this perspective, I could see why some would point the finger at the coaching staff. It’s weird for this team to underperform. I also appreciate why some fans are willing to excoriate specifically Wilson. His predecessor, Scott Servais, was fired for delivering exactly what his rosters deserved, and Wilson was hired in his place with no managerial experience. The choice was seen as the latest evidence that the org is addicted to its memberberries and prioritizes image over substance. And in his time as manager, Wilson hasn’t made himself easy to like. He’s boring in press conferences, unwilling or unable to say… anything. He doesn’t explain his decisions, he doesn’t take accountability or say who should. He’s about as vacant publicly as his Funko Pop, the only difference being the one in the dugout comes with string-activated “ums” and “ahs” and “tough ones.”

But that Wilson is limiting this team doesn’t quite satisfy as a scapegoat. If we’re saying that coaching staffs matter, and perhaps they do, well, just last year Wilson led the Mariners to 90 wins and a deep playoff run. The year before, Wilson took over with roughly six weeks left in the season — having no managerial experience — and went 21-13, or a 100-win pace. Up until this latest slump, Wilson held the best record in team history, and one of the five best records among active managers overall. If the manager matters, and we’re dinging Wilson for this stretch, then we’re also giving him credit as one of the best managers in the majors before it. Maybe Wilson doesn’t do as well in the Cool Xiennial Podcasto Sphere as someone like Tony Vitello, and maybe his face isn’t nearly as red John Schneider’s. But he seems to be a kind, humble guy, sufficient in the minor art of field managing, and liked enough in the locker room for multiple players to say they want to play in Seattle forever. Ignore him or hate him, I don’t think you can blame him.

So who can you blame?

Well, there is a fairly obvious culprit for the Mariners struggles this year. As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Mariners entered 2025 with the best projected duo in the majors in Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez. They are the sole reason this roster has expectations at all. Unfortunately, they’re on pace to post nearly 10 wins less than projected. It doesn’t quite work like this in reality, but it’s worth pointing out those 10 wins are roughly the difference between the Mariners current 78-win pace and the 88-win pace Steamer had them at in the preseason. No, I’m not “blaming” them. Injuries happen. Slumps happen. The season isn’t over. Et cetera. But if you take the two best players away from any team, they probably aren’t going to do as well as they should. It’s not a mystery.

If you insist on blaming anyone, I think it’s most appropriate to point the finger at the front office. Or rather, I think it’s most appropriate to point the finger at their plan. The team has been pretty direct in saying their goal is to win, roughly, 54% of their games over a long period of time. And as I’ve laid out above, they’ve done exactly that, on paper and on the field. 

It’s a fine plan, to be clear. The justification is it allows them to hoard prospects, playing time, and ohhhhh if you insist a bit of cash in the outlook. By not committing to any one season, they spread their risk over a longer competitive window, allowing them to make targeted, timely maneuvers while growing a roster from within. The 2025 Mariners serve as proof of concept for this strategy. The team can absolutely win a World Series this way.

But 2026 is an inverse to that proof of concept. The governor they place on annual talent realistically caps them at 90 wins year over year. That’s a tenuous playoff position on its own, and any underperformance threatens to sink them out of contention. Sure, spreading risk over time helps avoid a scenario where a chock-full basket of eggs shatters into oblivion. And yes, there is no projected WAR threshold that might clear disaster on its own. But the closer you build a roster to a coin flip, the more likely you’ll be disappointed in its face.

That’s why I’m not willing to extend much grace despite the step forward in the projections. Like, hey, good on the Mariners for making legitimate progress on paper. I am one of the few people in the world admin-pilled enough to give them credit for something like theoretical wins. But they’re the ones setting the terms at 30,000 feet, and the view from up there isn’t particularly flattering. The Mariners are pacing for a 40% playoff rate, 20% division rate, and 0% World Series rate — and that’s if we start the clock in year seven of Jerry Dipoto’s tenure.

It’s worth looking at where the Mariners rank since 2022, when they started playing for real:

The relative strengths of the Mariners have been starting pitching and (gasp!) hitting. These are without a doubt the most valuable facets of the game, and good on them for their performance in these areas. It’s genuinely impressive that they’ve achieved this mostly through their farm system, and that alone makes them one of the best front offices in the majors.

But their weaknesses have been (and continue to be) the nooks and crannies of the roster. They can’t run the bases. They can’t field. They can’t maintain narrow deficits in the middle innings. Their teams tend to be lopsided and weirdly distributed. These have been consistent issues for years. Batting slumps and bullpen lumps get the headlines when the team struggles, but the Mariners issues historically are the little things — the things that can’t be found in three-team deals, shuffling value at the margins.

And that’s why I find it a bit rich that the team fired assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes last week. Yes, absolutely, the Mariners are losing right now because they’ve struggled to hit. But they finished last year second in the majors by wRC+ (113) with Magallanes in dugout. Every team slumps at the plate. The difference is the great teams have something else going for them, to keep them in games and avoid greatness-tanking skids.

There is a sort of competence in what the Mariners have done. They told us what their goal was, and they’ve achieved it with frustrating levels of precision. My first game was 2003. The two decades of Mariners baseball that followed were not fun. I didn’t take solace in the fact that the powers that be were earnestly trying to win World Series. I would have preferred this a million times over. Ticket sales suggest others do, too. It’s the most successful the Mariners have been in my lifetime. It’s good baseball.

But it’s worth thinking about where we’re at. In August 2024, the Mariners saw fit to fire a manager because they weren’t satisfied with the results of the team. Not quite two years later, there’s been another firing in the dugout and clamoring for more. Maybe it’s time for the good to get going.

According to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, the Giants front office tried to negotiate a trade for Robbie Ray before his scheduled start on Thursday against the Padres. But no Kyle Harrison type deal materialized at the 11th hour, and the veteran southpaw suited up and took the mound with San Francisco stitched across his chest for likely the last time. 

For some, this was like tearing a Han Solo, Battle of Hoth collectible action figure out of its original packaging in the midst of an eBay bidding war. There was no benefit for the Giants, or for Ray, to have him pitch against the Padres. His value around the league was already high, especially after posting a 1.67 ERA over his last 9 appearances. Other than grabbing headlines with a no-hitter or perfect game, there wasn’t anything Ray could’ve done to really raise his trade value to contending teams. The risk far out-weighed the rewards. 

Luckily, his arm didn’t explode. And there will be some fans that will buy a Robbie Ray Giants jersey on the official MLB shop after his coming trade (heavily discounted, of course), because, amongst the fog of distractions, the veteran took the mound anyway, arm-combustion be damned. As Tony Vitello put it in his pregame presser: “There is the field of speculation, and the field of competing.” The future isn’t guaranteed. Legacies are made in the present. Throwing a baseball isn’t a risk, it’s what got him in this position in the first place. 

Right before he strode out onto the field in the 1st, Ray paused on the top step of the dugout and took one long final pull on his signature pre-start cigarillo. He shook out his mane of black hair, pulled the brim of his hat low over his eyes and growled so the whole team could hear: “I’m not a show pony. I’m a workhorse,” before trotting out onto the field. 

Ray didn’t throw a no-hitter, nor did he take a line-drive to his throwing elbow. The game went down without incident and as expected considering the 34 year old’s performance over the last two months: 6 innings pitched in which he allowed 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 6. He’s now 6-0 over his last ten games, his slightly lowered 1.65 ERA is the third lowest in the Majors since the beginning of June. 

The outing reflected Ray’s shifting approach on the mound. No longer is a grunt-and-heave type power arm, brazenly reliant on strikeouts bagged by his rising four-seamer and hard slider. Ray still grunts, but the heave part has become a little more nuanced. His 35% four-seam usage is the lowest point of his career. What’s filled in the gaps is a change-up and sinker. Those new adaptations, along with his somewhat goofy knuckle curve, were on full-display in San Diego. Of the 86 pitches thrown, only two of them were sliders. 

While his strikeouts have fallen (his 21% K-percentage is the lowest it’s been in his entire career), so has his hard-hit rate. Being okay pitching to contact, thanks in part to new pitch-types and heavier options like the sinker and change, has given him another exit route through tough innings. He’s more dynamic and harder for opposing hitters to pin down and box-in.

We saw this in the 2nd inning when the Padres threatened to load the bases with no outs.  A wayward four-seam hit Ty France to lead off the frame, then Jackson Merrill followed with an excuse-me bloop single off one of the only sliders thrown. With two on, Ray found himself in a 3-2 count to Luis Campusano. The inning had all the trappings of a Robbie Ray classic: one which would drag on and on, with many deep counts and four-seamers fouled away and away as Ray’s pitch count rises, effectively sinking his chances of pitching through the 5th. 

That didn’t happen here. While Ray didn’t use one of his newer offerings, the fact that he had shown Camusano three change-ups and had established his sinker in the zone earlier in the at-bat gave his signature four-seam more of a bite. The Padres’ catcher couldn’t just sit on the pitch. Perhaps if Campusano didn’t have to worry about covering the outside of the plate because of the sinker, or covering the possibility of another change-up, he could’ve turned on the straight fastball and launched it into the bricks of the Western Metal Supply building. Instead, it  jammed him and rolled into an inning-changing double play. 

Xander Bogaerts still punched in the run anyway by rolling a single away from a shifted infield — but it’d be all the Padres get. A run, but on one pitch. And on one more after that, Ray was out of the inning thanks to Christian Koss’s fine barehanded play on a Jake Croeneworth bunt attempt.

16 pitches in total. That proved to be Ray’s most laborious inning until his final inning of work in the 6th when he threw 20. Knowing that the inning would be his last, Ray wanted to end things as a Giant on his terms. After Luis Rengifo reached second with a one-out double — San Diego’s first and only extra base hit of the night — he shifted into another gear. He worked his way back from a 3-0 count to Manny Machado and got him to swing-through a challenge sinker over the heart of the plate. He then got Ty France helplessly digging after a 1-2 change-up in the dirt.

Runner stranded. Inning over. Outing over. Time as a Giant — most likely over. 

Ray was able to take home the win thanks to his battery mate Daniel Susac. After launching his first two career home runs in San Francisco, Susac clearly didn’t want to lose the feeling. A dinger is a dangerous drug. He probably took the red bat he used with him on the plane (“No, no, no, this isn’t a bomb,” he explained to the TSA agent. “It drops them.”), buckling it into the seat next to him, ordering it a complimentary beverage (club soda, please) on the brief flight down to San Diego. They probably spent some quality time together after checking-in at the hotel. A nice dinner in the Gaslamp followed by a moonlit walk along Harbor Drive, talking about everything, and nothing. 

By the time the 2nd inning rolled around and Susac’s spot in the order had come up, lefty starter JP Sears didn’t have a chance. A bond had been formed: Danny Susac and his red wooden bat were ready to take on the world. Sears recognized this and understood resistance was futile. “Here, destroy this 93 MPH fastball,” he said, and Susac and his red wooden bat obliged.

That two-run homer was really the only clear offensive statement the Giants could muster in a frustrating game for the line-up.

Opportunities to blow the game open were ripe for the picking, and would ultimately rot on the vine.At least two runners would reach base in 7 of 9 innings. The line-up were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving 11 runners stranded. 

It wasn’t completely their fault. The game started with Fernando Tatis Jr. rather annoyingly robbing Rafael Devers of a 3-run homer, which is, rather spookily, something he had done before…in San Diego…in the 1st inning…with JP Sears pitching.

Devers had to settle for a sacrifice fly — which became a theme. 

After Susac recouped the difference of the Tatis robbery, his sacrifice fly in the 5th was the only other run San Francisco would score. The kid had just 5 RBIs in all of April, 6 in May, and 3 in June — he’s got 7 in the last two games, and three home runs in his last 5 plate appearances.

Four runs were plenty with Ray on the mound.

And I guess, no matter how you think teams should manage trade-chip arms before the deadline, or who had the final decision, one should respect what Ray did: He pitched, and he pitched well, because that’s what he’s paid to do, and he just might like doing it too.  

Other guys (*cough* Blake Snell *cough cough*) wouldn’t have.

It was a busy day for the Phillies affiliates, with two doubleheaders thanks to Tuesday’s rainouts. And happily, most of those games ended up as wins for the good guys.

Buffalo 1, Lehigh Valley 0

The IronPigs pitchers allowed nine hits in the first game of their doubleheader, but just a single run. That run was scored in the first, giving the home team a full nine frames to catch up/ Unfortunately, they could not, as the Lehigh Valley batters were shut out. Dylan Moore had a pair of hits, making up half of his team’s total. The IronPigs also worked five walks, but to little avail. Starter Chuck King allowed the Bisons to scatter seven hits across his five innings of work, but walked only one batter. Kirby Snead pitched a pair of scoreless innings.

Lehigh Valley 5, Buffalo 3

The IronPig bats came alive in the second half of the doubleheader, though it took some time: they scored one run in the third, and four in the fifth. Felix Reyes and Christian Cairo had a pair of hits each. Kameron Misner reached base three times, with had a hit and a pair of walks, Otto Kemp did the same. Drake Fellows had a somewhat shaky performance, allowing five hits and three runs, along with five walks, in five innings. But he did enough to get the win; Michael Mercado got the save after two scoreless innings,

Reading 7, Binghamton 2

This one got off to a weird start, with the Rumble Ponies scoring on, of all things, a balk. But it ended in happier territory. Seven of the nine Fightin Phils starters had hits, with Wuilfredo Antunez leading the way on 2 for 3 batting. Reading scored three different ways in the sixth: by base hit, by wild pitch, and by bases loaded walk.

Luke Russo had the start, going 4 innings with two hits, one run, three walks and 4 Ks. Four Phils relievers would take the mound after him, allowing only one hit between them; Wen-Hui Pan got the win.

Jersey Shore 2, Hudson Valley 1

This was an abridged affair, as a rainout from this past Tuesday made a doubleheader last night. The BlueClaws thus ended up scoring the winning run in the eighth, which, here, was extra innings. Nathan Humphreys homered in the fifth, and Daunte Stuart drove in the winning run with a double. Starter Cody Bowker struck out 6 across 3.2 innings of work, though he allowed nearly as many hits; he walked none.

Jersey Shore 6, Hudson Valley 4

The finish to this one was even more dramatic than the one from the first half of the doubleheader. The Threshers came into the seventh, and final, inning down by two; they scored four. Devin Saltiban had two of the club’s six hits, and Luis Caicuto drove in two runs with a double. Griffin Burkholder had a rough night, striking out in all three of his at-bats, though he did work a walk as well. Cade Obermueller had the start and went three difficult innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, with four walks to go along with his four strikeouts.

Jupiter 9, Clearwater 0

The Threshers took another shark-themed club; the Hammerheads got the better of them. But despite the lopsided score, there was reason to be happy: 2026 draftee Caden Bogenpohl made his debut and smacked a double in his first at-bat; an auspicious beginning. Only two other Threshers had hits, however. Four Threshers took to the mound, and all allowed runs, three allowing multiple. Yordanis Guerra (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K) took the loss.

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Full Slate Friday has arrived, which means the weekend is officially here.

I have put together my thoughts for every matchup on tonight's slate, so without further ado, here are my MLB moneyline predictions for every game on the board.

See what teams need to be on your MLB picks on Friday, July 31!

MLB moneyline picks for July 31

Matchup	Pick
Yankees vs  Cubs	-144
Pirates vs Reds	+117
Phillies vs Orioles	-111
Cardinals vs Blue Jays	+160
Diamondbacks vs Guardians	-130
White Sox vs Rays	-135
Marlins vs Mets	+117
Nationals vs Braves	+108
Rangers vs Astros	+115
Royals vs Rockies	-104
Brewers vs Angels	-156
Tigers vs Athletics	-133
Giants vs Padres	+135
Red Sox vs Dodgers	-115
Twins vs Mariners	+160

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of July 31.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 31

Yankees vs Cubs: Cubs (-144)

Cubs win probability: 59%

If you've been following these daily moneyline articles, first off, thank you. Second, you know I'm usually not a fan of laying juice on moneylines. That said, I want no part of the Yankees right now. The way they've played over the last few days has been flat-out pathetic, from the mental mistakes to the sloppy baseball.

Plus, Will Warren has a 7.50 ERA over his last five starts, and the offense has a 67 wRC+. 

Give me the Cubs.

Pirates vs Reds: Reds (+117)

Reds win probability: 46%

Phillies vs Orioles: Orioles (-111)

Orioles win probability: 52%

The Phillies have been an ice-cold mess over the past week, posting just an 87 wRC+, .299 wOBA, and .672 OPS over their last six games. The Orioles have not been much better offensively during that stretch, but Brandon Young has quietly been pitching really well. Across his last three starts, he owns a 2.21 ERA, 2.91 xERA, and 1.03 WHIP.

In a matchup between two cold offenses, I'll gladly back the pitcher who has been throwing the ball better.

Give me the Birds.

Cardinals vs Blue Jays: Cardinals (+160)

Cardinals win probability: 38%

Diamondbacks vs Guardians: Guardians (-130)

Guardians win probability: 56%

With Mitch Bratt posting a 7.11 ERA, 2.13 WHIP, and a 14% walk rate over his last three starts, I want no part of backing the Diamondbacks tonight. On the other side, Tanner Bibee has started to turn things around, posting a 2.89 ERA across his last three outings.

The Guardians offense has been dormant, while Arizona has finally started to come back down to earth after its scorching two week stretch at the plate.

I'll simply side with the hotter arm in this one.

White Sox vs Rays: Rays (-135)

Rays win probability: 57%

It is hard for me to look at what Nick Martinez has done over his last three starts and want to fade him. During that stretch, he owns a 0.69 ERA, 1.64 xERA, and 0.85 WHIP.

The White Sox have also looked shaky this past week against the Yankees, and now they hand the ball to Eric Fedde, who owns a 5.40 ERA on the road this season.

Give me the Rays.

Marlins vs Mets: Marlins (+117)

Marlins win probability: 46%

Nationals vs Braves: Nationals (+108)

Nationals win probability: 48%

We're getting plus money with one of the hottest offenses in baseball and one of its best arms on the mound. On the other side is Bryce Elder, who owns a 5.97 xERA and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts.

The Braves offense has also cooled off considerably, posting just a 72 wRC+, .274 wOBA, and .610 OPS over its last six games.

I'll gladly take the hotter lineup at plus money.

Give me the most electrifying offense in baseball.

Rangers vs Astros: Rangers (+115)

Rangers win probability: 46%

Hunter Brown has looked better over his last three starts, but I think Nathan Eovaldi is in the better spot tonight. The Rangers offense has been on an absolute tear over its last 21 games. Sure, the strikeout rate is a bit elevated, but they're also carrying a 120 wRC+, .342 wOBA, and .782 OPS during that stretch.

The Astros have been swinging it well too, but I have more concerns with their bullpen, and I'm not convinced Brown has completely turned the corner.

Royals vs Rockies: Royals (-104)

Royals win probability: 50%

Real quick and easy here: Tomoyuki Sugano is on the mound for the Rockies, and their offense is completely frozen.

That's really all I need.

If you want a little more, Michael Wacha has been very solid in his recent starts, while the Royals offense has continued to generate plenty of hard contact. This feels like a great spot for Kansas City to do some damage at Coors.

Brewers vs Angels: Brewers (-156)

Brewers win probability: 61%

Pay the juice. The Brewers are worth it.

Shane Drohan's underlying metrics over his last five starts have been outstanding, posting a 3.00 xERA while walking just 4.84% of opposing hitters. He also draws a favorable matchup against an Angels lineup that owns just an 89 wRC+, .297 wOBA, and .651 OPS over its last 12 games.

On the other side, Ryan Johnson enters with a 7.34 ERA on the season, and this Brewers offense has been mashing all year. With the way Milwaukee has been swinging the bats, this feels like another spot where they put up runs.

Pay the juice.

Tigers vs Athletics: Tigers (-135)

Tigers win probability: 57%

The Tigers are not my favorite team to back because of their inconsistency, but this feels like a spot where I have to side with the Kitties. The Athletics have gone ice cold, and Jeffrey Springs has been getting shelled, posting an 8.86 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, and allowing a 10.67% barrel rate over his last five starts.

On the other side, Casey Mize has been nails, recording a 2.20 ERA, 2.66 xERA, and 0.84 WHIP across his last five outings.

It is Tigers or nothing for me in this one.

Giants vs Padres: Giants (+135)

Giants win probability: 42%

Death. Taxes. Fade Germán Márquez.

Márquez has been a disaster at home this season, posting a 7.36 ERA, 5.83 xERA, and 1.77 WHIP. Luckily for us, the Giants offense has started to find its groove, owning a 114 wRC+, .329 wOBA, and .741 OPS over its last 21 games.

There is simply no chance I'm laying juice against a lineup this hot with Germán Márquez on the mound.

Red Sox vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-115)

Dodgers win probability: 54%

I completely understand that Ranger Suárez and the Red Sox have been rolling and continue to find ways to win, but getting the Dodgers at just -115 is a price I am not passing up.

Especially with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.

What?!

Give me the Dodgers.

Twins vs Mariners: Twins (+160)

Twins win probability: 38%

Sure, the Twins are coming off a massive walk-off win yesterday, but nothing is going to convince me to lay -163 with this Mariners team.

I know Zebby Matthews has struggled on the road this season, sporting a 7.58 ERA away from home. But Bryce Miller has not been much better over his last three starts, and Seattle's offense has been ice cold for weeks.

At this price, I'll happily grab the heavy underdog.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Hot stove season is well underway. Milwaukee has already made a few trades this year, acquiring pitchers Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon (though McCullers has already been released), infielder Braden Shewmake (also released), and reliever Joel Kuhnel.

And the Brewers certainly aren’t done yet. While they haven’t yet made the splashy move that’s been speculated over the last several weeks, there’s certainly the chance they do so this weekend.

Follow along below as rumors and news from around the league emerge.

8/3, 2:51 p.m.: The Brewers have sent outfield prospects Alexander Frias (team No. 11, per MLB Pipeline) and Josiah Ragsdale (team No. 13) to St. Louis in the deal.

8/3, 2:43 p.m.: The Brewers remain interested in right-hander Clay Holmes, along with several other teams.

8/3, 2:17 p.m.: The Brewers have acquired RHP Dustin May and LHP JoJo Romero in a trade with the Cardinals. The return is unknown at this time.

8/3, 1:40 p.m.: The Brewers have still done nothing.

8/3, 10:26 a.m.: The Brewers are pursuing right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes of the Mets, per multiple sources. Holmes is expected to be dealt by the 5 p.m. CT trade deadline.

8/3, 10:26 a.m.: The Braves have traded for Old Friend Brent Suter, giving them an additional left-handed arm. Infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. was sent to the Angels in the return.

8/3, 9:54 a.m.: Several deals went down over the last 12-plus hours, including a few potential Brewers targets. First, the rival Cubs picked up right-hander Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Blue Jays, sending a pair of prospects back to Toronto. The White Sox added some bullpen help in the form of Huascar Brazobán from the Mets, and the Phillies added another bullpen arm from New York in Brooks Raley. The Phillies also added infielder Luis Arraez and right-hander Caleb Kilian in a swap with the Giants, and in what’s been the biggest deal of the day thus far, the Blue Jays added right-handed starter José Soriano, who was originally slated to face Milwaukee on Saturday. The former Angel netted a return of three prospects, including No. 43 prospect shortstop Arjun Nimmala.

8/2, 12:58 p.m.: Former Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, who the team traded to the Mets over the offseason, was once again traded, this time heading to the Rays. Peralta was a rumored target for Milwaukee to reunite with at the deadline, but just about every contending team was looking for pitching help, even if “pitching help” in this case means the near-5.00 ERA of Peralta.

8/1, 10:35 p.m.: The Dodgers got the prized player of this year’s deadline in the form of Tarik Skubal, as the Tigers sent the big left-hander to Los Angeles in exchange for a trio of prospects, though most in the industry will likely tell you it was a major underpay by L.A. Regardless of what you think, this means the Brewers will almost certainly need to make some sort of needle-moving trade at the deadline to keep themselves close to the mighty Dodgers with the postseason just two months away.

8/1, 8:48 a.m.: The Brewers made their first move of the deadline, as they sent outfielder Blake Perkins and right-hander Craig Yoho to the Cleveland Guardians, with catcher Bo Naylor and right-hander Codi Heuer coming to Milwaukee in the return. Both Naylor and Heuer have been assigned to Triple-A Nashville, meaning the team will be looking for outside help to fill the two remaining active roster spots — outfielder Brandon Lockridge is expected to be the position player piece, as he’s just about ready to return from a rehab assignment. Brewer catcher Gary Sánchez is also expected to be on the trade block, as the Crew now has four catchers on the 40-man roster (Naylor, Sánchez, William Contreras, and Jeferson Quero).

7/31, 9:12 a.m.: Potential Brewer target Casey Mize, a right-hander on the Tigers, has been scratched from his start scheduled for Friday night. His next start is now scheduled for Tuesday, meaning he may have already pitched in his last game for Detroit.

7/31, 9:06 a.m.: Brewers reportedly among the teams showing strong interest in Mets reliever Luke Weaver.

Team News

Diamondbacks have more options to handle closer-by-committee than in the recent pasthttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/options-handle-closer-by-committee

How Diamondbacks’ 2025 trade deadline played out 1 year laterhttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/how-2025-trade-deadline-played-out

5 Rental Relievers for Diamondbacks to Target at the Trade Deadlinehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/5-rental-relievers-diamondbacks-target-trade-deadline

5 Potential Rental Bat Targets for the Diamondbacks at Trade Deadlinehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/5-realistic-rental-bat-targets-diamondbacks-trade-deadline

Other Baseball

Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/latest-chatter-on-tarik-skubal.html

Padres, Diamondbacks Scouting Freddy Peralta
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/padres-diamondbacks-scouting-freddy-peralta.html

2026 MLB trade deadline rumors, news, live updates: Tarik Skubal trade loom; Curtis Mead fractures wrist after trade to Red Sox

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/live/2026-mlb-trade-deadline-rumors-news-live-updates-tarik-skubal-mason-miller-cj-abrams-joe-ryan-buyers-sellers-182640023.html

Twins’ Kody Clemens blasts walk-off grand slam vs. Royals https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49491240/twins-kody-clemens-blasts-walk-grand-slam-vs-royals

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-31

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/July_31

The average bear will have 42 teeth.

Each adult bear will have a total of 42 teeth. This includes 4 prominent and curved canine teeth, 12 incisors, 16 premolars, and 10 molars. The claws on the bears’ feet are relatively shorter than their teeth.

s are born without kneecaps. 

Turns out, babies are as soft and delicate as they look. Babies may have more bones than the average fully-grown human, but they definitely won’t be doing any stunts anytime soon. Babies are born with a cartilaginous structure in their knees that will eventually develop into kneecaps by the time they are four years old. 

The most commonly used letter in the English alphabets is E.

The second most common letters are T, A, I, N, and O. The least used letter in the English alphabets is the letter Q. 

If you’re a baseball history buff, you probably recognize the name Hank Bauer. While he was never the team’s main star, he had a very good career on some very good Yankees teams, winning seven World Series titles. However, so much about him gets overlooked if you just know that about him. Hank Bauer had quite the life in baseball.

Henry Albert “Hank” Bauer
Born: July 31, 1922 (East St. Louis, IL)
Died: February 9, 2007 (Lenexa, KS)
Yankees Tenure: 1948-59

Bauer was born in 1922 to immigrants from Austria-Hungary. It’s theoretically possible that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had some sort of butterfly effect that led to Bauer eventually playing for the Yankees. Hank was the youngest of nine children and had a bit of a hard scrabble life growing up. His father lost a leg in an accident, requiring the children to help bring in some income.

As for baseball, Hank followed his older brother Herman into the sport. Herman was signed by the White Sox and was a well-rated prospect, who got Hank a minor league tryout. The Oshkosh Giants signed Bauer out of that tryout, and he had a brief run with them in 1941.

However, Bauer’s run with Oshkosh was cut short, for reasons you might be able to deduce from the date. The United States entered World War II in December 1941, and Bauer enlisted in the Marine Corps soon after. In his time in the military, Bauer suffered a shrapnel injury and also battled malaria while serving in the Pacific Theater. However, his brother Herman suffered an even worse fate, as he was killed in action during the Normandy Landing in 1944.

Due to his wounds and injuries, Bauer had assumed his baseball career was over, but Yankee scout Danny Menendez remembered Bauer from before the war, signed him and got him a tryout with the Quincy Gems. There in 1946, five years after his last minor league game, Bauer returned to pro baseball. From there, he quickly made his way through the Yankees’ minor league system. By the end of 1948, the Yankees called him up for a September cup of coffee. The next year, the Yankees had some injury problems in the outfield, leading new manager Casey Stengel to give some chances to young players, including Bauer. He made the most of his opportunity with a solid season, locking down a place in the Yankees’ lineup for years to come.

In 1949, Bauer became a reliable bat for a Yankees team that won five World Series titles in a row starting that season. Over those years, Bauer steadily got better, posting his best career hitting seasons in the final years of that five-peat: a 132 OPS+ in 1952, and a 131 in ‘53. He also emerged as a favorite of Stengel as well as a leader in the clubhouse.

Throughout all that, Bauer also had some big moments. In 1951, his three-run triple in the sixth inning of Game 6 gave the Yankees the lead for good, as they won that game to clinch the series. Later that game, he made a sliding catch for the final out of the series, as the Giants threatened a comeback.

Later in his career, Bauer recorded a hit in 17-straight World Series games over the course of the 1956-58 series. In the ‘58 Series, he put up a 1.032 OPS with four home runs in a seven-game victory over the Braves. Were it not for Bob Turley’s heroics on the mound, Bauer could’ve been named MVP of that series.

Bauer was also known as someone who didn’t take much crap. Whitey Ford described one incident where after he came in worse for wear after a night out, Bauer pinned him against the wall and said that Ford was “messing with (Bauer’s) money.” Bauer was also one of the notable participants of the “Copacabana Incident.” While the outfielder always said he played no part in the brawl that happened that night, one person sued him claiming that Bauer had punched him. The charges didn’t stick, and Bauer was later proven correct decades after the fact.

Despite his World Series hit streak, Bauer had begun to fall off by the end of the 1950s. In 1959, he rated as a below average hitter for the first time since his 1948 big league cameo. The Yankees decided to move on, and Bauer was included in a trade with the Kansas City Athletics that brought a certain Roger Maris to the Bronx.

Bauer spent two seasons as a player in KC. In the second of those, the, uh, “eccentric” Charlie Finley named Bauer the team’s manager partway through the season. He led the team through the 1962 season before being let go, but the A’s were a mess at that time, as the Maris trade was hardly the only one they made that massively benefitted the Yankees.

After his departure from the A’s, Bauer joined the Baltimore Orioles coaching staff. Following a disappointing 1963 season, Baltimore elevated Bauer to the manager. In his first two years, Bauer led the O’s to 90+ win seasons, but third place finishes in the AL. Following the addition of Frank Robinson in 1966, Baltimore won the pennant and then swept the Dodgers in the World Series.

Injuries hampered the Orioles over the next couple seasons and Bauer was eventually let go in favor of Earl Weaver in 1968. Bauer took up the helm of the A’s again next year — with the team now in Oakland — but Finley fired him after a late season slump. Although Bauer managed in the Mets’ minor league system after that, he eventually gave that up after no other big league team was willing to give him a shot.

Bauer eventually rejoined the Yankees as a scout, but otherwise left baseball and settled down back in Kansas. He occasionally returned for Old-Timers’ Days at Yankee Stadium and lived in The Sunflower State until he passed away from lung cancer in 2007.

While he was a very good player for a long time, Hank Bauer wasn’t on a Hall of Fame level. However, he still had quite the life in baseball regardless.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (54-50) won 8-2 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Whitcomb RBI single. Alexander started for Sugar Land and went 4 innings allowing 1 run. Sugar Land took the lead in the 6th inning on an Alexander 2 run home run. They got 2 more runs in the 7th on a Delgado RBI groundout and Loperfido RBI single. In the 8th inning, Brooks added 3 runs on a 3 run home run to extend the lead. The pen was solid as they closed out the 8-2 win.

Note: Loperfido is hitting .284 in Triple-A.

• Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, SB
• Shay Whitcomb, LF: 1-for-4, RBI, SB
• CJ Alexander, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Jake Meyers, CF: 1-for-4, R
• Trenton Brooks, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Edwin Diaz, SS: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB
• Matt Thaiss, C: 1-for-3, R, BB

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB,  K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (46-53) won 16-4 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on an error. In the third inning, Janek connected on a solo home run. Gillis got the start and went 4 innings allowing 1 run with 4 strikeouts. The Hooks extended the lead in the 5th inning on a Schiavone RBI double and Encarnacion walk. They blew things open in the 6th scoring 7 runs on a Schiavone RBI single, Encarnacion 2 run single and Call grand slam. They continued to score runs in the 7th on a Janek 2 run home run and a run on an error. Janek capped off an incredible night with a 2 run double in the 8th. The pen allowed a couple of runs but the offense did more than enough as the Hooks won 16-4.

Note: Gillis has a 3.59 ERA this season.

• Walker Janek, DH: 4-for-5, 4 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, BB, SB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Trevor Austin, 1B: 1-for-4, R, 2 BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-5, R, 3 RBI, BB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 1-for-5, R
• Chase Call, LF: 2-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-5, R
• Kenni Gomez, CF: 3-for-4, 4 R, 2B, BB, SB
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 1-for-5, R

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (33-65)

Game One – lost 16-12 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board on a Moss walk in the first. In the second inning they scored 4 runs on a Frey 2 run single, Huezo RBI double and Moss RBI double. They got 2 more in the third inning on a Nunez solo home run and Neyens solo home run. Cruz got the start and allowed 5 runs before being relieved by Carr who allowed another 6 runs. Wells pitched in relief and allowed 5 runs. The offense got a few runs back including a 2 run double from Huezo in the 7th but the comeback fell short as Asheville fell 16-12.

Note: Neyens has a .829 OPS in High-A.

• Caden Powell, LF: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-2, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB
• Ethan Frey, CF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Kyle Walker, SS: 1-for-4, BB
• Freuddy Batista, C: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB

• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Game Two – lost 6-1 (BOX SCORE)

Oakes got the start for Asheville but struggled allowing 6 runs, 3 earned, over 3 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the third inning on a Huezo RBI groundout. The bullpen tossed 4 scoreless innings but the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 6-1.

Note: Huezo has a .884 OPS in High-A.

• Justin Thomas, LF: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 0-for-3, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-3

• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Garrett Apker, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Max Martin, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (50-47) won 11-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got the offense going early scoring 5 runs in the first inning on a Flores walk, Sierra 2 run double and Newman 2 run single. They got another run in the 2nd inning on a Ramirez sac fly. Beck got the start and was solid allowing 2 runs over 5 innings of work. In the 6th, Ramirez added another sac fly. The offense scored 2 runs in the 7th on an error and Newman RBI double and in the 8th, Sierra connected on a 2 run home run. Shoemaker closed it out tossing 4 scoreless innings.

Note: Flores has a .821 OPS this season.

• Waner Luciano, DH: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB, SB
• German Ramirez, SS: 0-for-3, 2 RBI
• Kevin Alvarez, LF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, C: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
• Juan Sierra, RF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
• DJ Newman, CF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2B

• Jagger Beck, RHP: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ryan Weiss – 7:05 CT

CC: Nolan DeVos – 7:05 CT

AV: Andrew Taylor – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

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The New York Mets have become the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market operator.

Key Takeaways

• The Mets named Novig their exclusive prediction market partner in the club's first deal of its kind.
  
  
• The partnership includes in-stadium branding at Citi Field, broadcast integrations, and social media activations.
  
  
• The agreement follows Novig's designation as an MLB authorized prediction market and reflects the growing presence of prediction markets in professional sports.

The Mets announced on Thursday a multi-year partnership with Novig, making the operator the club's exclusive official prediction market partner.

"Our mission is to build the home for sports trading," Jacob Fortinsky, CEO and cofounder of Novig, said. "Partnering with one of baseball's most iconic franchises allows us to bring that vision directly to fans in one of the greatest sports markets in the world.”

The partnership, which comes amid a Mets season of mixed results, will see Novig integrated across the ballclub’s home park in Flushing through Citi Field signage and branded in-game activations, as well as via the club’s broadcast and social media channels.

MLB previously made prediction market news thanks to a partnership with Polymarket announced back in March, following the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer’s similar deals within the prediction market space.

"We're proud to be the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market company, giving our fans a new and engaging way to connect with the game," said Lew Sherr, president of business operations for the Mets. "Innovation is a defining characteristic of our business, and this partnership is another example of our commitment to staying at the forefront of the evolving sports landscape. It reflects our broader goal of delivering unique experiences for our fans and continuing to attract industry-leading partners who want to grow alongside the Mets."

Teams embrace prediction markets

While the Mets have become the first ballclub to join in on the prediction market frenzy, they’re far from the first team across the major North American sports to form partnerships across a rapidly evolving landscape.

The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers previously announced partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, respectively. The NBA, meanwhile, has strayed from entering the marketplace, though Miami Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo announced he would join Kalshi as a shareholder in February.

As for the Mets partnership, the news follows Novig's recent designation as an MLB authorized prediction market, per the release, thus establishing “participation in MLB's integrity program, which includes collaboration on comprehensive market monitoring, reporting protocols, and restricting markets that present an integrity risk to MLB.”

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

We made it everyone. Happy Friday!

The club wrapped up its series with the Boston Red Sox last night with another close loss. It was a competitive series and if some things had gone a bit differently they could have been the ones to take three of four instead of being the ones losing three of four. The club now sits at 45-64 and are getting dangerously close to the Angels at the bottom of the division. If there should be one goal the rest of the year it should be to finish in fourth place.

Now that Boston’s left town the club will bring in an AL Central foe as the Detroit Tigers arrive in Sacramento for a three-game weekend series, the final one before the trade deadline. While Detroit started the year poorly they fought back and got into the playoff race briefly, thanks in part to sweeping our A’s right before the All-Star break. Alas, a tough week has dropped them to seven games under .500 and quashed any notion they had they could leapfrog half a dozen teams for a playoff spot, so they’ll enter Monday’s deadline as sellers.

With that development comes the addition of one of the best arms on the market in Tarik Skubal. The reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner is now officially on the table in trade talks with many in the business convinced that the left-hander is all but certain to be traded. He wasn’t lined up to pitch against the A’s either way during this series in Sacramento but monitoring the situation all weekend should cause some off-field drama in the other dugout. Skubal isn’t the only one likely to be traded but the entire baseball world is holding their breath to see where he ends up.

As for our weekend series, we have our starting pitching matchups all set. Tonight’s series opener features lefty Jeffrey Springs making possibly his last appearance for the A’s before Monday’s trade deadline. He’s had a tough season and his most recent start was cut short thanks to a tight hip but that seemed to be a precaution and he’s healthy enough for tonight’s start. Would a big outing make it more likely he finds himself on the move, or nothing will affect that equation now? Springs will be opposed by former #1 overall pick Casey Mize, who is himself having a fantastic year and will come into this one with a 2.70 ERA. Like Skubal he could find himself on the move over the next couple of days.

Saturday we’ll see a rematch from a couple weeks ago as rookie right-hander Jack Perkins goes up against the veteran Framber Valdez. Perkins made a “bulk” outing against the Tigers and it delivered mixed results. He’s gotten two traditional starts since then and looked much better so the hope is he can continue this mini roll he’s on right now. The A’s meanwhile will be looking for some revenge against Valdez after he quieted A’s bats for three hits and one run in a loss.

And then we wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon with Gage Jump getting the ball for the Athletics while the Tigers will send their own young arm to the bump in Keider Montero. Jump has had a solid start to his career overall but July has not been kind to the lefty. He seemingly righted the ship his last time out when he fired six shutout innings against the Red Sox on Monday and the A’s would gladly take more of the same. Montero meanwhile got a bit roughed up in his last start, allowing nine hits and four runs against the Orioles. This should be a good contest and a glimpse into the future for both clubs.

First pitch is at 6:40. Have a great weekend A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Late Collapse Costs A’s Chance at Series Split
• Red Sox Edge A’s 4-2 in Extra-inning Heartbreaker
• A’s Squeak by Red Sox 4-3
• Grand Slam Sinks A’s Against Red Sox
• Parity (Mediocrity) Could Make For An Interesting Trade Deadline
• Sources: A’s star Langeliers may miss rest of ‘26
• A’s Lose Finale (And Series) To Twins 11-8
• A’s Prevail 2-0 in Tightly Contested Pitching Duel
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• A’s place rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on injured list with ruptured testicle
• Another ‘step in the right direction’ for Lopez in hunt to regain rookie form
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
• What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?
• A’s Add Next Wave of Prospects in 2026 Draft
• Athletics Get Hitting Help by Claiming Hot Bat off Waivers

MLB News and Interest:

• Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal
• Mets trade Minter to Twins, bringing son of fan favorite to Queens in return (source)
• Rays starter Shane McClanahan exits game due to back tightness
• Reds Getting Significant Interest In Hunter Greene
• Trade rumors: Skubal, Peralta, Greene, Goodman, Angels, more
• Padres, Diamondbacks Scouting Freddy Peralta
• Injury-hampered Orioles trade for Tigers catcher Jake Rogers
• They may not headline the Deadline, but these are 6 sneaky good trade options
• Florida collector pulls 1-of-1 Ohtani card, sells it for $11M
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Any chance he’ll get a quick cup of coffee with the big league team in September?

Good news, sounds like no tear down is imminent:

Oof:

Oof: