New Lakers center Walker Kessler, left, proposed to 2025 Miss America Abbie Stockard on July 4. (Getty Images)
Once again, Walker Kessler sat hunched forward, ears and eyes intently locked onto the person whose words would change his life.
This wasn’t his bewildering 2022 NBA draft day experience captured on video that began with him hearing commissioner Adam Silver announce he had been chosen by the Memphis Grizzlies only to learn moments later that he had been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, only to learn two weeks after that he’d been dealt to the Utah Jazz.
No, this time it was about the love of his life, Abbie Stockard. Glued to a screen, Kessler reacted to the words, “Your new Miss America is ... Alabama!” as if he’d been electrocuted. He jumped from his chair and put his hands over his mouth, speechless as Stockard was crowned.
Nineteen months later, Kessler — now the Lakers center — found his voice while on a Fourth of July outing at Lake Martin, Ala., and asked Stockard to marry him. She said yes.
The Lakers obtained the 7-foot-2 Kessler from the Jazz on July 1 in exchange for 2031 and 2033 first-round picks and 2028 and 2030 pick swaps, bringing to L.A. a strong defensive presence to accompany offensive-first star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Kessler, 24, agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract, not a bad nest egg for newlyweds. The Instagram story of the two sharing their engagement was captioned: “The future Kessler’s. Let’s get y’all married!!!”
Kessler’s mother, Andrea, played matchmaker two years ago, taking a photo of Stockard during an Auburn basketball game and sending it to her son. He messaged her on Instagram.
Stockard was on the dance team at Auburn, where she studied pediatric nursing. Now she is a former Miss America engaged to the Lakers’ newest star.
“I get to marry Walker Kessler — my best friend!,” she wrote on social media. “Our story is truly one that only the Lord could have written. So many things I once thought were coincidences were really His perfect plan unfolding, and our story is greater than anything I could have imagined.
“There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with, doing life together and cheering each other on!”
In 201 games with the Jazz, Kessler averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks across 25.3 minutes. He played only five games last season while recovering from a shoulder injury.
From the moment LeBron James confirmed he would not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, the entire NBA ecosystem lost its collective mind.
This is what happens when the league’s all-time leading scorer, even at this stage of his career, suddenly becomes available. It doesn’t matter that he is no longer 28-year-old LeBron. It doesn’t matter that he is not going to spend 82 games dragging a flawed roster uphill with one hand while solving everyone’s spacing problems with the other. It doesn’t even matter that the league has changed around him or that the next generation has already started taking over the room. LeBron is still LeBron, which means the second he hit the open market, every contender, near-contender, dreamer, faker, and front office with a pulse started asking the same question.
Could we talk ourselves into this?
LeBron leaving Los Angeles did not exactly come out of nowhere. The writing was on the wall the moment Rob Pelinka completed the Luka Doncic trade in 2025. That move effectively marked the beginning of the next Lakers era, and no matter how much everyone tried to dress it up with polite quotes and organizational fluff, the truth was obvious. Once Luka arrived, the Lakers stopped being LeBron’s team. Austin Reaves inking a massive $185 million deal only reinforced the point. The franchise had picked its future. LeBron was still great, still marketable, still one of the smartest basketball players who has ever lived, but he was no longer the center of gravity in Los Angeles.
For most of the season, the conventional wisdom was that if LeBron left the Lakers, two destinations made the most sense. Golden State had the bromance angle: LeBron and Steph Curry, the two defining players of the 2010s, finally joining forces for one last ride in California. It would have been shamelessly sentimental and probably irresistible from a ratings standpoint, the NBA equivalent of getting Pacino and De Niro back together. The other obvious option was Cleveland, the full-circle ending, the place where it began and the place where LeBron could close the book in front of the fans who have lived every chapter of his career more intensely than anyone else.
But the NBA moves fast, and this offseason turned into a blender. Giannis Antetokounmpo landing in Miami suddenly made South Beach more than just a nostalgia trip. Boston’s head-scratching decision to ship Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia transformed the Sixers into a fascinating, dangerous, high-volatility contender. The landscape shifted so dramatically that what once looked like a simple retirement-tour decision became a full-blown feeding frenzy. Suddenly this was no longer just about where LeBron wanted to say goodbye. This became about which team could convince him that he still had one more meaningful title chase left.
Then Rich Paul grabbed a whiteboard.
On his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, Paul sent the speculation machine into hyperdrive by openly breaking down potential LeBron destinations, and while there were plenty of names scattered across the board, five teams found themselves in the center of the conversation: Cleveland, Miami, Denver, Philadelphia… and Minnesota.
Yes, Minnesota.
Cleveland has to be treated seriously because it is Cleveland. We do not need to rehash the entire quarter-century relationship between LeBron and the Cavaliers. Everyone knows the story. The hometown kid. The impossible expectations. The departure. The return. The 2016 title. The block. The parade. If LeBron wants the cleanest storybook ending, Cleveland is sitting there with the lights already dimmed and the montage music cued up. But before anyone files the Cavaliers away as the inevitable choice, it is worth paying close attention to what Paul said about the Knicks. He suggested that if New York had not just won the NBA title, LeBron becoming a Knick would have been a lock.
That is revealing. If the emotional pull of Cleveland were truly the priority, the Knicks would not have been framed that way. If this were only about sentimentality, the Cavaliers would already have the contract inked. Instead, Paul’s comments make it clear that LeBron is still thinking about basketball stakes, competitive opportunity, and legacy architecture. Cleveland can offer a beautiful ending, but the roster fit is not nearly as clean. The Cavaliers are talented, but they needed seven games to survive Toronto, a team that has only become more dangerous after adding Kawhi Leonard. Then Cleveland got absolutely trounced by the Knicks. Adding LeBron would make them better, obviously, but would it really put them over New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Detroit, Boston, Toronto, and whoever comes out of the West? That is much less clear.
Miami has the glamour and the history, and the Giannis acquisition certainly changes the equation. LeBron returning to South Beach with Giannis already in place would be a headline factory. But the Heat gutted so much of the roster to land Antetokounmpo that the depth question becomes impossible to ignore. In today’s NBA, depth is not a luxury. It is oxygen. You cannot survive four rounds with two stars and a rotating cast of guys you hope can hit corner threes every other night. The Knicks are still the Knicks. Philadelphia is suddenly loaded. Detroit remains formidable. Toronto got better. Boston, even weakened, is not disappearing. Miami with Giannis and LeBron would be fascinating, but it is not hard to imagine that roster running out of bodies before it ever gets close to the finish line.
Denver is the basketball nerd answer if you want to create the highest-IQ frontcourt pairing in league history. LeBron next to Nikola Jokic would be absurd from a passing and processing standpoint. Every possession would feel like two grandmasters playing chess while everyone else is still trying to remember how the horsey moves. But the fit has one glaring problem: Denver’s biggest weakness is defense, and defense is no longer LeBron’s calling card at this stage of his career. The Nuggets would score, but could they stop anyone? This is still the same Denver team that was embarrassingly bounced in the first round by a battered Minnesota squad missing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo. In a West that still includes San Antonio and Oklahoma City, it is hard to view Denver as the best path to another title, even with LeBron.
That leaves the two teams that make the most basketball sense if LeBron wants to compete without simply jumping onto the easiest possible bandwagon. The first is Philadelphia. The Sixers became instantly more dangerous by adding Jaylen Brown, and a lineup featuring Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, LeBron, and Joel Embiid looks terrifying on a graphic. The East is also the easier road, which matters when you are trying to reach the Finals for an 11th time and your odometer has more miles on it than any player in history. But every Philadelphia argument eventually reaches the same uncomfortable checkpoint: Joel Embiid’s health. Do you really want to pin the final chapter of LeBron’s career on Embiid being upright, mobile, and available for two straight months of playoff basketball? That is a massive gamble. Without Embiid anchoring the middle, that roster becomes much easier to question against New York, let alone against Wembanyama or an Oklahoma City front line featuring Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. And Philadelphia fans, passionate as they are, can turn on a bad situation faster than almost any fan base in sports. We saw how quickly the mood shifted from the joy of beating Boston to the wreckage of getting demolished by New York. That is not exactly a soft landing for the grand finale.
Which brings us to the Timberwolves.
The basketball fit is almost too obvious, which is probably why people are having such a hard time taking it seriously. We are conditioned not to put LeBron James and Minnesota in the same sentence unless the sentence is, “LeBron James is not going to Minnesota.” The franchise does not have the cachet of the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Bulls, or Heat. It does not have the warm-weather advantage. It does not have the glamour. It does not have the institutional championship pedigree of San Antonio. The Wolves are an expansion franchise that spent most of its existence wandering through the NBA’s basement with a flashlight and a half-eaten granola bar.
But if you strip away the brand name and actually look at the basketball, the Wolves are tailor-made for LeBron.
They have Anthony Edwards, a top-five player with everything you could want from a modern superstar other than the fully hardened championship killer instinct that comes only from time, scars, and being around people who know exactly what that climb requires. LeBron could help teach him that. The two became fast friends during the 2024 Paris Olympics, and if LeBron wants a young running mate who can keep the basketball world engaged and give the documentary crew more material than they know what to do with, it does not get much better than Ant. Edwards is charismatic, fearless, hilarious, explosive, and still young enough to absorb lessons from someone who has lived every possible version of NBA pressure.
They have LaMelo Ball, newly acquired and wildly talented, a gifted passer who spent years in a losing environment in Charlotte and could benefit enormously from LeBron’s knowledge. LaMelo’s creativity is undeniable, but he has never been in a situation where winning was the daily expectation. LeBron could help shepherd him into that world. He could show him what matters, what does not, when to take risks, when to control the game, and how to translate flash into winning. That kind of mentorship is not some throwaway subplot. It could be franchise-altering.
They have Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, which matters because LeBron’s defense has slipped with age and Minnesota is better equipped than almost anyone to cover that up. McDaniels can take the toughest perimeter assignment. Gobert can clean up the paint. The Wolves would not need LeBron to be 2013 LeBron defensively. They would need him to be smart, positioned correctly, engaged when it matters, and surrounded by elite defensive infrastructure. That is a much more realistic ask.
A starting five of LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, LeBron James, and Rudy Gobert would be the best starting five in the league. It has creation, size, defense, playmaking, athleticism, experience, and multiple ways to win. LeBron would not be asked to carry the offense every night. He would not be asked to save the franchise by himself. Edwards would remain the alpha dog. Ball would handle a major share of the playmaking. McDaniels and Gobert would provide the defensive backbone. LeBron would be the championship brain, the stabilizer, the veteran leader, the guy who walks into the huddle during a 12-2 run and stops everyone from lighting themselves on fire.
That is exactly what Minnesota has been missing.
And the beauty of this scenario is that it would not be ring chasing in the cheap sense. Joining Oklahoma City, New York, or San Antonio would feel like attaching himself to a finished product. Joining Minnesota would be different. The Wolves are talented enough to win, but they have not won. They have come close, they have made deep runs, and they have repeatedly been just flawed enough to fall short. LeBron would not be coasting into a dynasty. He would be trying to finish the job for a franchise that has never finished it before.
The situation would be akin to Tom Brady going to Tampa Bay. At the time, it felt strange. The greatest quarterback ever leaving the most finely tuned NFL machine of the century to join the Buccaneers, a historically strange franchise wearing digital-clock-number uniforms, seemed off. But Brady looked at the football situation and saw what everyone else took too long to appreciate. Tampa Bay had the receivers, the defense, the coach, and the infrastructure. It simply needed the right quarterback to turn a talented roster into a champion. Brady took the risk, went to a franchise without the same pedigree, and immediately changed its history.
Minnesota’s situation is not identical, but the parallel is sitting right there. The Wolves have the talent. They have the superstar. They have the defense. They have the playmaker. They have the front office. They have an ownership group that includes Alex Rodriguez, a fellow athlete-turned-billionaire who gives LeBron at least one familiar type of power-broker in the room. They have a title-hungry market in the Twin Cities, a place carrying the longest championship drought in North American sports among cities with four major men’s teams. What they do not have is pedigree. What they do not have is the final piece of belief, poise, and championship authority.
LeBron could be that.
Would he actually choose Minnesota? Probably not. Even writing it still feels strange. There are decades of NBA logic telling us that players like LeBron do not pick franchises like the Timberwolves unless something has gone wrong in the simulation. But if LeBron truly means what he says, if the contract is secondary, if weather and market size are secondary, if this is really about basketball fit, meaningful competition, and one last chance to chase a championship the right way, then there is not a better option on the board.
Not Cleveland, if sentimentality is not the top priority.
Not Miami, if depth matters.
Not Denver, if defense matters.
Not Philadelphia, if Embiid’s health is the deciding variable.
Minnesota has the cleanest fit, the clearest role, the highest upside without pure coattail riding, and the most legacy-enhancing challenge available.
You can write on the whiteboard all day. You can circle teams, draw arrows, make columns, debate history, market size, weather, branding, and legacy. But if LeBron James is asking the right basketball questions, the math is pretty clear.
The answer is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now we wait to see whether common sense actually wins.
However, any teams involved in the highly-touted sweepstakes for James have reportedly been kept “in the dark” and haven’t heard from the superstar or his camp, according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst.
James’ free agency has dominated the news of the offseason ever since he informed the Lakers he would be leaving the franchise after eight seasons, the longest consecutive tenure of his NBA career.
LeBron James is testing the free agent market this summer and his decision will have league-altering implications. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
Rich Paul, his agent, revealed James is open to joining a contender on the league minimum salary as he searches for happiness in the twilight of his career.
James’ next destination could be the place where he retires — making the free agency decision all the more crucial.
There are reportedly six teams around the league that believe they are in the running to land James, but based on the latest report, there hasn’t been any communication with any finalists.
As six teams are preparing to make final pitches to LeBron James, it appears James has gone silent on the matter. Getty Images
The Philadelphia Sixers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be the superstar’s suitors.
The free agency process for James has been a mysterious and thrilling one. Last week, Paul discussed the contenders in the James sweepstakes on his podcast “Game Over” with Max Kellerman, which included a total of 10 teams written on a whiteboard.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 03: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays hugs Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays after beating the Seattle Mariners 2-0 at T-Mobile Park on July 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I just can’t wait until the end of the season to do the final analysis of the San Francisco Giants/Farhan Zaidi opting not to sign Kevin Gausman to an extension after the 2021 season. With the trade deadline less than a month away now and Robbie Ray almost certainly on the move, it’s begging to be written right now.
The history of the Giants getting burned by long-term pitching contracts is pretty spectacular. I don’t know what moron opted to sign Barry Zito to that 7-year deal after the 2003 season, and if it was Larry Baer, it just goes to show what an untouchable and blessed man he is. But after that, extensions for Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain didn’t provide value in the actual extension years. The Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto deals were similarly hailed as massive failures that doomed the franchise. So, that’s a pretty good sampling of failure, which ignores the context of all the success.
That’s pretty much what happened with Gausman. The Giants ignored the context of success or that the player wanted to remain in San Francisco or that he worked well with a burgeoning young pitcher already in the fold in Logan Webb. A couple of years later, Farhan Zaidi would be able to show his work and convince ownership that signing Webb to an extension in a similar AAV range as Gausman would be good for the team and they acquiesced… but they’ve still bothered to let their disgruntlement echo through the halls of Oracle Park and into the curious ears of beat writers and pundits. It is known that the Giants don’t favor, value, or want pitchers signed to big, long-term deals. It’s why they were willing to let Madison Bumgarner walk after his deal.
When you’re the sole team in a country as the Blue Jays are in Canada, it’s not a big deal.
This isn’t to say that the Giants totally have the wrong idea and high value, high payroll teams like the Blue Jays do, but before we look at Kevin Gausman and his Blue Jays teammates, let’s finish this analysis. Kevin Gausman left the Giants and signed a 5-year, $110 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays that started in 2022. Rather than re-sign him, the Giants went with Carlos Rodón, Alex Cobb, and Robbie Ray. Here’s how the plan has worked out over the past almost-five seasons:
Now, the total amount for the Giants’ side of the equation is based on two assumptions: that the Giants, owing Alex Cobb $10 milion for 2024, saved about $3.333 million the rest of the season after trading him away to the Guardians before he’d finished his rehab; and, that in trading Robbie Ray with approximately two months to go in 2026, they will have paid Robbie Ray $16.7 million and gotten half a win above replacement out of him (yes, this is envisioning a trade before his next start).
So, if all this holds, the Giants’ missed it by… an awful lot. From a straight money perspective, they were off by just about $2 million, and for most wagon circling front office lovers out there that might be more than enough to still bother to affirm the previous regime’s “genius,” but the substantive part of the analysis — that wins above replacement total — is a big whiff. The Giants were so afraid of committing long-term to a pitcher out of fear of injuries or ineffectiveness that they wound up acquiring THREE pitchers with injury histories and 2/3 of them saw their production hampered by injuries. This was some penny wise, pound foolish nonsense and I’m glad we all got to experience it. Farhan Zaidi, encouraged by ownership, attempted to recreate Kevin Gausman in the aggregate so that the Giants could have a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation, and the team failed.
Anyway, this post’s headline is a reference to the penultimate episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, which was about Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beaming down to a planet that was about to be obliterated by its star going supernova after getting signs of life. Upon beaming down, they discover that the entire civilization has devised a time travel technology that will allow every single person to escape into their planet’s past to live out their lifespans and not have to be lost to the supernova.
It’s a good enough episode that if it had been the series finale it would’ve been a good one to go out on — certainly better than the actual finale, the genuinely awful and misogynistic “Turnabout Intruder” — but as a talking point for the 2026 San Francisco Giants it carries exactly this weight: as nice as it is to escape into the past to avoid a terrible future, the punishing nature of the major league schedule and the cruel passage of time prevents that from happening.
We’ll never know if re-signing Gausman would’ve worked out as well as it did for the Blue Jays and if that working out would’ve meant a couple more winning seasons interspersed in the last 5 seasons, and as nice as it would be to escape into that past or that reality, the supernova is here and the Giants must once again ask if the rules they’ve self-imposed that have brought them into its path were of any use. Hmm, why bother wondering. Powerful, successful people have made these rules. They can’t fail, they can only be failed.
But I can’t be totally critical. Since 2020, when the Blue Jays kicked off this latest competitive window, their pitching staff (with or without Gausman) hasn’t been as valuable as the Giants, trailing the orange and black 82.2 to 94.1 Sure, they have a better record over this same span (514-446 to 494-465) and four postseason appearances including a World Series loss, but the Giants have had the better pitching — or, at least, Logan Webb along with their aggregate approach has mostly worked.
Not this year, of course. This year has been an unmitigated disaster. Not much the Giants have done has worked.
That’s sort of what’s happened with the Blue Jays. They’ve done all the things a big market/high-spending team is supposed to do: build through the draft and international signings, developing talent through the farm system, retaining the most valuable farm players with long-term deals and supplementing the roster with free agents. They signed Vladimir Guerrero to a 14-year, $500 million deal last April. Gausman was brought in to be the #2 behind Alek Manoah, and when that didn’t work out, he’s managed to be the steadiest pitcher behind whoever was considered “the ace,” ascending to that role in the 2025 World Series year. This year, he’s part of a three-headed monster with Trey Yesavage (drafted) and Dylan Cease (free agent).
Still, with all that talent at the top of the rotation, Toronto’s pitching staff is a lot closer to middle of the pack (13th in fWAR). Compounding problems is that their lineup just hasn’t clicked. Their 92 wRC+ is just 23rd. They are second to last in runs scored (356), making them the lowest-scoring team in the American League. The cause? Well, they let Bo Bichette go and 36-year old George Springer won’t replicate 35-year old George Springer’s 32 home run season of 2025. The team’s power dropoff is precipitous and their team batting line compared to last year — keeping in mind that the 2025 squad is the type of lineup the Giants seem to want — is stark:
Walking less, striking out more, hitting for less power, making less contact — a bad recipe that makes a bad lineup, which is just what Toronto has had. Since getting back to 39-39 a few weeks ago, they’ve gone 3-9 thanks to averaging just 3 runs per game. They’ve been shutout in 3 of their last 5 games including 2 straight. They were 3-7 on their last homestand.
This team still has playoff aspirations. The Giants do not.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (37-52) vs Toronto Blue Jays (42-48) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 6:45pm PT, Wednesday at 12:45pm PT National broadcasts: Peacock (Sunday)
Projected starters Monday: Landen Roupp (RHP 5-8, 4.55 ERA) vs. Kevin Gausman (RHP 4-7, 4.19 ERA) Tuesday: TBD vs. Trevor McDonald (RHP 3-6, 4.42 ERA) Wednesday: Logan Webb (RHP 5-6, 3.66 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (RHP 5-4, 2.79 ERA)
Blue Jays to watch
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Vlad Guerrero has yet to homer at home this season! That has no bearing on this series, necessarily, but it’s an interesting factoid. He has just 4 all season anyway and a very bad .698 OPS to boot. Baseball Savant took a look at Vladito’s power drought and found some reasons to think he’s due for a turnaround in-season. You’d like to think that the slump would linger a little longer, though. He’s played at Oracle Park just twice in his career (2019 & 2024) and the two homers he’s hit came in 2019. He was 1-for-13 in the 2024 series.
Tyler Rogers: Why didn’t I make the whole series preview about the Tyler Rogers’ return? Well, because he’s got two more years left on his deal. Instead, Buster Posey will get to watch the funky submariner attack Giants hitters and see if the organization’s familiarity with him gives any of the hitters an edge. Rogers has allowed 0 homers in 42 appearances (40.2 IP). Toronto’s closer, Louis Varland (18 saves, 2.2 fWAR) has allowed just 1 in 47 IP.
Ernie Clement: I am not the only one who remembers how he absolutely obliterated the Giants at Oracle Park back in that 2024 series. Total annihilation. He was 5-for-11 with 2 homers and 7 RBI. Both of his homers were 3-run homers, one off of Ryan Walker and another off of Logan Webb, both of whom he’ll face in this series. But! He’s just 13-for-55 in his last 16 games (.236/.276/.273) with only 2 extra base hits (doubles) and a single RBI.
Giants to watch
Logan Webb: Can the Giants’ ace get back on track after a disastrous start in Coors Field or have the wheels come off the season and now it’s all about turning to next season?
Rafael Devers: He has 24 career homers against Toronto across 108 games and 449 plate appearances. A career .927 OPS hitter in the matchup. His two homers yesterday gave him 18 on the season which ties him with Manny Machado, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and CJ Abrams — good company. Half of them have come since June 15th… the day I published a post assessing Devers’ present and projecting his future. I didn’t think he’d be much better than around the league average. Since that post went up, he’s hit .306/.386/.790 (70 PA), an 11.4 BB%, and 20 K% — far, far better than the league. Is he reading my posts???
Heliot Ramos: He’s got a couple of homers in 7 games off the IL with a 6.9 BB% and surprising 17.2 K%. Whether or not the Giants trade him is irrelevant. He’s an easy Giant to root for and if he’s back on track, really fun to watch.
Prediction time
Kevin Gausman will strike out some Giant at least twice. Tyler Rogers will get a pair of strikeouts in at least one appearance. Jung Hoo Lee will hit a home run.
The Rainiers dropped the series to a poor Reno team, unable to best the Arizona affiliate that’s struggled for much of the 2026 season. There’s reason for optimism for the Rainiers and they should have a reasonable chance of rectifying their losing ways over the next month or so, but they’ve really struggled up to this point and will need to get things turned around quickly if they want any hope of sneaking into the PCL playoffs.
He’s largely flown under the radar for the past few years, but lefty reliever Peyton Alford has been incredibly consistent during his time in the Mariner system. Primarily a fastball-breaking ball pitcher, Alford has posted excellent K-rates across all six of his seasons as a professional and makes him a strong candidate to debut in the big leagues at some point this season. He’s older (28) for a prospect, but given his reliability and lengthy track record of success, he’s a name to know as a bullpen candidate for the stretch run.
Arkansas Travelers
The Travelers, who dropped last week’s slate by a score of 4-2, will be losing two of their best hitters after to promotion in the coming days. Top sluggers Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo have reportedly earned their way up to Tacoma this week and will make their Triple-A debuts at just 21 years of age, a well deserved move that puts them on the doorstep of a big league debut. Montes (25 HR, .919 OPS) has seemingly optimized his “Three True Outcomes” approach while Arroyo (.820 OPS) has steadily improved his numbers after a slower start to the year. Two of the top five prospects in this system, Tacoma will get some much needed prospect power in their lineup that’s really struggled to put together consistent production.
Outstanding start by Kade Anderson. Final line: 6IP, 3H, 2R, 0BB, 9K, 20 whiffs, 74 pitches, 51 strikes.
Reclaiming the lead on the minor league strikeout leaderboard, Kade Anderson was again lights out on the mound this past week. Now sitting with a ridiculous 108/10 K/BB ratio, Anderson’s elite command and deceptive stuff have arguably made him the best pitcher in all of minor league baseball, baffling hitters with four pitches he can place anywhere he wants at any given time. The Mariner brass have made it clear they have little desire to move Anderson up to the hitter-friendly PCL despite his dominance against Texas League competition, so both he and Ryan Sloan (who was also excellent this week) seem like locks to hold down this rotation for the foreseeable future, giving the Travs a great shot at staying competitive through the summer. The offense will need some people to fill the hole left by Montes and Arroyo, but with a nasty bullpen and elite rotation, expect the Travelers to be just fine through the dog days of summer.
Everett AquaSox
It was a clean sweep for the Frogs this week, punctuating a dominant week over the Angels’ affiliate with an 11-6 victory in Sunday afternoon’s contest. The bats have really come alive in recent days and should give this club a great chance at a playoff spot; Spokane’s currently on a nine game winning streak and looks unreal right now, but Everett’s managed to keep pace and sits just one game back with plenty of season left to play.
It’s been a rough handful of weeks for stud catching prospect Luke Stevenson, but he had a great week against the Tri-Cities and has hopefully escaped his slump. Launching two homers (one being a grand slam off of Tyler Bremner) and reaching base in half of his plate appearances, Stevenson showed off just how good he can be when he’s got things going right offensively. The power is the key for him; he both walks and whiffs at extremely high clips and needs consistent pop to make his offensive output tenable. Now showing off extra base thump for the first time six weeks, Stevenson is a bat to monitor in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
Jonny Farmelo has been truly unconscious at the plate for the better part of two months now and could be a candidate to replace Lazaro Montes in Arkansas’ outfield. Collecting 11 hits across five games this week, Farmelo has raised his season OPS up to .877 and cut his strikeout rate down to 25%, both excellent progressions that bode well for his seemingly inevitable jump up to the Texas League. Healthy for the first time in his career, Farmelo’s combination of speed and power make him one of the most exciting prospects in this entire system; a 20 homer season is certainly on the table, and he’s got a very real shot at pushing his stolen base total up beyond 40 if he continues to be aggressive on the basepaths. Look for Farmelo to take his talents to Arkansas in the coming weeks. He’s earned it.
Inland Empire 66ers
IE split yet again this week and largely remain in a state of limbo in the standings. Yet to break through and truly get hot for an extended period of time, the 66ers have been stagnant for the majority of this season and lack star power up and down their roster. They’ll likely get an injection of talent after this weekend’s draft, but until those reinforcements make their way to the Cal League, it seems unlikely a marked change is on the horizon.
Anderson Guevara strikes out 3 over 2 perfect innings. 66ers pitchers strike out 16 batters in the 5-0 shutout. pic.twitter.com/H3aMLRkJp2
Despite the general struggles of the team overall, there’s a handful of bullpen arms that have earned some praise for their strong 2026 campaigns. Anthony Karoly, Anderson Guevara, Connor Wilford, and Cole Cheatham each have produced in the opportunities they’ve been given, with Guevara in particular carrying a large load for the 66ers ‘pen. Relief prospects in A-ball are always hard to evaluate and are closer to lottery tickets than anything else, but having arms that are producing at every level of the minor leagues is important for the overall health of the system and affords them some peace of mind as they construct waves of prospect talent for the coming years. Watch out for these guys over the coming seasons; the M’s turned some arms not wholly dissimilar from them into Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez at last year’s trade deadline and radically changed the outlook of the team for the next half decade.
ACL Mariners
The electric tandem of Nick Becker and Yorger Bautista continued to rake in the ACL and look to be heating up rather rapidly. Becker, who’s had a great stretch at the plate that’s lasted nearly two months at this point, stole another two bags and collected five hits across four games, smacking a pair of doubles in Friday night’s contest. Bautista, who had a four-hit game in that same game, launched his seventh homer of the season and continues to flash some elite power potential. Both players will need to prove they can hit enough to make their offensive profiles work as they climb through the minor leagues, but with steady improvements being made as the season progresses, the two teenagers have given evaluators enough to overlook the present bat-to-ball issues and dream on the gaudy potential if it all clicks. Both immensely talented, it seems closer to a coin flip if we see these two in A-ball this year; they’re producing, but slow playing bats with contact problems may prove to be a prudent decision.
DSL Mariners
This is easily the best lineup the DSL squad has had in years. Juan Rijo, Gregory Pio, Gabriel Guanchez, Jarvis Gomez, Fabian Gonzalez, and Elias Perez all have an OPS north of .900, and there’s plenty of others that have consistently helped with the run production all season. With a strong crop of talent this season and one of the best tandems of talent incoming next season, the DSL squad has found new life after several years of ineptitude and disappointment.
The Cubs had a successful homestand, going 4-2, though they had some real ups and downs in scoring runs, first crushing the Padres and then being crushed by the Cardinals. They outscored San Diego 35-12 in sweeping them, then got outscored by the Cardinals 24-7, though managed to win the final game against St. Louis.
That said, let’s see who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Dansby Swanson had himself a week in just three games
Over the six-game homestand, Swanson batted .409/.409/1.136 (9-for-22) with a double, five home runs, 11 RBI and eight runs scored.
The thing is, that split up in this way: 8-for-13 against the Padres with all five of the homers, then 1-for-9 against the Cardinals. It’s a weird way to have a possible Player of the Week performance. We’ll find out whether Dansby gets that honor later today.
Pete Crow-Armstrong gets an All-Star nod and has another fine week
PCA is another candidate for Player of the Week, which would be his third this year (along with his NL Player of the Month for June award).
Over the six games, he batted .474/.615/.842 (9-for-19) with a double, two home runs, five walks, six runs scored and three stolen bases. That gives him 19 home runs and 23 steals for the year, on pace for about 35 homers and 40 steals. His .383 OBP ranks ninth in the NL, his .527 SLG ranks eighth, and his .910 OPS is fifth.
Alex Bregman has shown signs of coming out of his season-long slump
Bregman batted .261/.393/.478 (6-for-23) over the week with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and five walks. Even with his batting drought, he continues to draw tons of walks. His season OBP of .340 is decent enough, and over his last 23 games it’s .377.
Peterson’s first start, against the Brewers in Milwaukee, was pretty good.
His second, Friday against the Cardinals, was… I don’t really have words for how bad it was. He would get ahead of hitters and not put them away. He’d get two easy outs in an inning and then get pounded.
Maybe it’s the Cardinals. Peterson has a 19.64 ERA (16 earned runs in 7.1 innings) vs. St. Louis this year and a 5.40 ERA (42 earned runs in 70 innings) against everyone else. Okay, 5.40 isn’t great but it’s a lot better than 19.64.
Peterson is scheduled to start Thursday against the Orioles in Baltimore. Do better, David.
Ian Happ is slumping again
Happ had kept his OPS in the .800 area for a while, which is a good range.
Now it’s at .768 after he hit .143/.217/.190 (3-for-23) over the six games with seven strikeouts.
The good news for Happ is that three games this week will be in Cincinnati, where he loves to hit. In 63 career games at GABP, Happ has batted .291/.393/.619 (65-for-223) with 18 home runs. The 1.012 OPS is by far his best at any ballpark, including Wrigley Field.
Hopefully three games there will help send Happ into the All-Star break on a high note.
Nico Hoerner just can’t seem to turn the corner
Nico again had a mediocre week, batting .227/.280/.273 (5-for-22) with one extra-base hit (a double). He hasn’t stolen a base since June 2.
He continues to play solid defense. Here’s hoping the All-Star break will get Nico back on track.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 03: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets celebrates hitting a two-run home run in the third inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 3, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
MONDAY
The Mets committed their 19th error in 12 games, the most errors they’ve committed in a 12-game span since committing 20 from August 20-September 2, 2014.
TUESDAY
Within the first three innings, the Mets recorded five outs on balls with an exit velocity of 101 mph or higher. That’s the most outs the Mets have recorded on balls hit that hard in the first three innings of a game in the Statcast era (since 2015). The only team to record more outs on balls hit that hard in the first three innings of a game since 2015 was the Dodgers (6) against the Padres on April 4, 2017. (credit: SNY broadcast)
Nolan McLean racked up seven strikeouts for the 14th time in his first 25 big league games. The only other pitchers to debut since 2015 and post that many seven-strikeout performances in their first 25 outings are Paul Skenes (17), Jacob Misiorowski (15), and Chase Burns (15).
WEDNESDAY
Francisco Lindor has hit a solo homer in three of his past four games at Rogers Centre in Toronto, dating back to a ninth-inning, no-hitter-ending homer on September 11, 2024 against Bowden Francis (see Saturday’s entries for more on that game). All three homers came on fastballs between 91.9 mph and 93.0 mph.
With his 10th homer of the season, Benge is already just the fourth Mets rookie to record 10 homers, 10 doubles, and 10 steals, joining: Darryl Strawberry (1983), Gregg Jefferies (1989), and Ty Wigginton (2003).
Benge racked up multiple extra-base hits in the same game for the fifth time this season. The only other rookie with that many multi-XBH games this season is Sal Stewart, who has eight.
FRIDAY
Juan Soto hit the 71st opposite-field home run (as categorized by Statcast) of his career. Since 2018, Soto’s rookie season, the only player with more opposite-field homers is Aaron Judge, who fittingly has 99. Soto and Judge are the only players in MLB with more than 60 opposite-field homers during that span. (credit: SNY Broadcast)
In just a year and a half, Soto already has 13 opposite-field homers with the Mets, which rank second for the club from the left side since 2015 behind only Michael Conforto (31).
The Mets allowed three home runs with a projected distance of 410 feet or more, their most in a game since July 14, 2024, when Jose Quintana allowed a trio of 410+ foot homers to the Rockies at Citi Field (see Saturday’s entries for more on that game, as well). The Mets have now accomplished the unfortunate feat three times at Truist Park in Atlanta (tied with Coors Field for their most in any opposing ballpark), with Matt Olson hitting a combined four homers of 410+ feet in those games.
SATURDAY
Mark Vientos hit his 65th career home run before turning 27 years old, moving him into a tie with José Reyes for 11th place among Mets for homers before their 27th birthday.
Sean Manaea threw 108 pitches, his second-most in a game as a Met behind only a 109-pitch outing in Toronto on September 11, 2024.
The Mets allowed five home runs in a game for the first time since July 14, 2024, against the Rockies at Citi Field.
The Mets allowed four or more home runs in back-to-back games for just the sixth time in franchise history, and the first since May 24-25, 2022, in San Francisco.
The Mets allowed nine home runs in a two-game span for the sixth time in franchise history, and the first since September 17-18, 2020, when they allowed 10 in a two-game span (allowing four homers in Philadelphia, and six at Citi Field the following day to the Braves).
The Mets allowed 14 or more runs for the third time this season, tied for second-most in the majors. The Nationals are the only team in MLB to have allowed 14+ runs more times (4) this season. The only other seasons in Mets history where they have allowed 14+ runs on at least three occasions through their first 90 games were 1962 (5), 2012 (3), and 2020 (4).
On the nation’s 250th birthday, the Braves celebrated by winning their250th home game vs. the Mets since moving to Atlanta in 1966. (credit: FOX Broadcast)
SUNDAY
Luke Weaver recorded his 23rd consecutive scoreless outing, tied with Aaron Loup for the fifth-longest streak by a pitcher in franchise history behind Mark Guthrie (33), A.J. Minter (25), Francisco Rodríguez (24), and John Franco (24).
Bo Bichette recorded his sixth three-hit game since May 18, tied for fourth-most in the majors during that span behind Yordan Alvarez, Otto Lopez, and James Wood, who each have seven.
The Mets have now allowed nine grand slams this season. No other team in MLB has allowed more than five. Since 2024, the Mets have now allowed 11 grand slams in the eighth inning or later. No other team has allowed more than seven during that span.
Mark Vientos initiated his 23rd ABS challenge of the season, and his second unsuccessful one in as many days. Vientos is one of only four batters in MLB to have initiated that many challenges (along with Sal Stewart, Gary Sanchez, and Bryce Harper), and his 19.7% challenge rate (out of called strikes with a challenge available to use) ranks first among players with a minimum of 50 plate appearances.
The Mets scored and allowed nine runs in a game for the first time since August 29, 2025, a 19-9 win against the Marlins at Citi Field.
The Mets scored and allowed five runs in two halves of a single inning for just the eighth time in franchise history, and the first since September 3, 2019, during the ninth inning of a heartbreaking walk-off loss in Washington.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Juan Soto became the third player to earn an All-Star selection with both the Mets and the Yankees, joining David Cone and Carlos Beltrán.
Rui Hachimura, one of the top free agents still available, was hoping for a raise from the $18.3 million he made last season, coming off an impressive playoff run with the Lakers (17.5 points per game, shooting 56.9% from 3). That market was not out there, and with the Lakers’ rash of moves this offseason, he was the man standing without a chair when the music stopped.
So he is jumping across town. Hachimura has agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with the LA Clippers, a move broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. The Clippers have a team option on the second year, reports Law Murray of The Athletic. The Clippers and Hachimura's agent (Darren Matsubara of THE•TEAM) reached a deal early in free agency and had hoped to work out a sign-and-trade with the Lakers, but no deal could be agreed to, Charania added.
Hachimura is a solid pickup for the Clippers, adding a 6'8" forward who scored 11.5 points a game and shot 44.7% from 3-point range last season and has shown the last couple of years that he can step up in the playoffs.
With Kawhi Leonard headed to Toronto, Hachimura could start next to Brandon Ingram as the forwards, with Darius Garland and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler as the guards.
The Clippers can make this signing with the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, which will hard-cap them at the first apron of the luxury tax, or they can just use cap space. Either way, it likely limits what the Clippers could offer to someone like Peyton Watson, if they wanted to go after the Nuggets' restricted free agent.
The Atlanta Braves send Reynaldo Lopez to the mound tonight, and he's been quite reliable. The right-hander owns a 2.26 FIP over his last six outings. While just two of those were starts, he hasn't allowed a single home run during that span.
Lopez typically serves as an opener, tossing 3-4 innings, but the Braves' bullpen has been solid lately, posting a 3.92 xERA over the last week.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets send Freddy Peralta to the bump. The righty has a 5.08 FIP across his last five appearances, and he's allowed 1.54 HR/9 in the last month.
That's a dangerous statistic against a Braves offense that just scored 23 runs across the last two games of this series while carrying a .205 ISO over the last six games.
Atlanta will stay hot at the dish, while Lopez and the bullpen will keep the Mets at bay.
Mets vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 runs (+114)
The Mets may have scored 10 runs on Sunday, but they're still struggling offensively. NY has posted just 99 wRC+ over their last six contests while carrying a .179 ISO.
Lopez has limited opponents to a 32.9% hard-hit rate over the last month, and the Braves pen has allowed just a 38% hard-hit rate during that span.
This feels like a game where the Braves will do most of the scoring given their recent offensive consistency, but Atlanta's pitching can limit the Mets.
A 6-2, 5-3 scoreline feels possible.
I'll play this pick up to -110.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 33-29, +2.97 units
Over/Under bets: 34-27, +1.40 units
Mets vs Braves weather
Rain is possible at first pitch, with a 49 percent chance of precipitation at 7 p.m. ET before conditions clear up as the game progresses. Wind stays light all night, topping out around 4.7 mph, so it shouldn't meaningfully affect fly balls or scoring. The bigger factor is the early rain chance, which could cause a brief delay but is unlikely to impact the full game.
Mets vs Braves odds
Moneyline: Mets +117 | Braves -122
Run line: Mets +1.5 (-170) | Braves -1.5 (+163)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-122) | Under 8.5 (+117)
Mets vs Braves trend
The Atlanta Braves have hit the Game Total Under in 26 of their last 45 home games (+9.50 Units / 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Braves.
How to watch Mets vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Date
Monday, July 6, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
SNY, BravesVision
Mets starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta (5-7, 4.82 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Reynaldo Lopez (4-1, 3.31 ERA)
Mets vs Braves latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Matt Seelinger practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Earlier today, the Mets made a small trade, acquiring right-hander Matt Seelinger from the Tigers for cash considerations. Seelinger, who was pitching for Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, will likely report to Syracuse.
Seelinger is a Long Island native who pitched for Farmingdale State College from 2014-2017 before being drafted in the 28th round of the 2017 MLB draft. The righty has yet to pitch in the majors, though has put up solid numbers in Triple-A this year. He currently owns a 3.89 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP for the Toledo Mud Hens this year, with 49 strikeouts and 19 walks in 39 1/3 innings pitched. Last season, he started in Double-A for the Tigers’ organization, where he pitched to a 1.89 ERA in 11 games before being promoted to Triple-A for the first time in his career. There, he posted a 3.30 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, with 55 strikeouts and 22 walks in 46 1/3 innings.
Seelinger reportedly had an upward mobility clause in his contract with Detroit, which meant Detroit had to either promote him or trade him to an interested party. This could mean that he’ll be joining the Mets’ bullpen soon, or at the very least will be added to the 40-man roster. With the club expected to be sellers at the deadline, they could part with several relievers, opening the door for Seelinger to make his major league debut with the club later this year. Time will tell, but at the very least Seelinger will now be pitching closer to home. He previously pitched for the Long Island Ducks in 2024 as part of his journey.
It's been the summer of additions for the Toronto Maple Leafs and GM John Chayka this off-season. Since Chayka was hired as the Leafs' GM in early May, he's made an abundance of moves to improve his hockey club.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, on the final episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast this season, reported that the Maple Leafs could have their eyes on another noteworthy transaction.
"I think Toronto is still hopeful to add another difference-maker," Friedman said. He admitted that any move Toronto may be considering could be made later, as the organization has until September for training camp to make an off-season move.
Nonetheless, Friedman believes that there could be a substantial move coming at some point for the Maple Leafs.
"I don't think they're done swinging," he said. "I think if there's something out there that they could do that they see as impactful, they will do it."
Any impactful move that Toronto makes would likely need to include a roster player or two heading out the other way. That's because the Maple Leafs are currently over the salary cap, according to puckpedia.com.
Indeed, to deal with that overage, Toronto can send down a couple of players to bury their salary cap hit. But the reality is, the Leafs are in a tough spot to simply add anyone notable without money going out the other way in some sort of roster transaction.
The one trade was on July 1 with the Lightning again, this time to acquire Nick Paul, with Hildeby among other assets being shipped out. On the same day, Chayka signed Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons and Brandon Duhaime.
Not to mention drafting Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in 2026, who is expected to crack the NHL roster for next season.
Among these names, what else could Chayka have up his sleeve?
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Lakers starting forward Rui Hachimura has signed a 2-year, $28M deal with the LA Clippers.
The Lakers are losing one of their main forwards to their crosstown rival.
Rui Hachimura will sign with the Clippers in free agency, adding to the long list of players who have departed the Lakers as part of their roster reconstruction.
Hachimura agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers, ESPN first reported.
Lakers starting forward Rui Hachimura has signed a 2-year, $28M deal with the LA Clippers. Getty Images
There’s a team option for the second year.
The report added that Hachimira and camp came to an understanding with the Clippers early in free agency and waited for the Lakers’ offseason moves to take place before pursuing a sign-and-trade, but that didn’t come to fruition, with Hachimura agreeing to a deal without the Lakers’ involvement.
Hachimura addressed his departure from the Lakers on social media.
“Thank you Lakers Nation for the past three years,” he said. “We had some great moments and I will always remember the memories we made together.”
Hachimura is expected to fill the starting power forward spot for the Clippers after they traded Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. Getty Images
The Lakers relinquished Hachimura’s cap hold and the free agency rights that would’ve allowed them to go over the salary cap to resign him to make their additions.
Hachimura’s return to the Lakers after 3 ½ seasons with the franchise was viewed as “unlikely,” a source told The California Post over the weekend, though it wasn’t clear where he would play next.
But the 6-foot-8 forward will get to stay in his preferred destination of LA with the move to the Clippers.
Hachimura was a key part of Los Angeles’ success in the postseason when they upset the Rockets in 6 games. Anadolu via Getty Images
Hachimura averaged 12.3 points (51.6% shooting) and 4.3 rebounds in his 228 regular season games (146 starts) with the Lakers after they acquired him from the Wizards in February 2023 for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.
The Lakers re-signed Hachimura to a three-year, $51 million deal when he was a free agent during the 2023 offseason.
He significantly improved his 3-point shooting after coming to L.A., making 41.5% of his 3s during his Lakers tenure after shooting 35.6% on 3s with the Wizards.
Hachimura, who was the No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft, shot 44.3% on 3s during 2025–26, which was the league’s fifth-best mark.
He consistently stepped up during the postseason, averaging 13.4 points on 52.6% shooting (50.7% on 3s) in 36 playoff games with the Lakers.
Hachimura averaged a career-high 17.5 points (54.9% shooting, 56.9% on 3s) and four rebounds in the Lakers’ 10 playoff games this past spring.
With Hachimura’s departure, the Lakers will lose every starter who helped them take a 3–0 lead in their first round playoff series against the Rockets: James, Ayton, Smart, Kennard and Hachimura.
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While Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach elected to file for arbitration before the 5 PM deadline on Sunday, defenseman Arber Xhekaj chose not to. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenseman is therefore still eligible to receive an offer sheet from another team.
The rugged defenseman’s last contract was a two-year pact with a $1.3 million cap hit, and his situation hasn’t improved much since he signed it in 2024 with GM Kent Hughes. He was in the lineup for 65 games last season, picking up a goal and three assists for a total of four points, was assessed 116 penalty minutes and led the team in hits with 178, eight more than Zachary Bolduc.
While Xhekaj brings a physical element to the game that no other defenseman on the Habs roster can match, bench boss Martin St-Louis struggles to trust him on the ice, and his average ice time was an all-time low last season at just 11:25, a decrease for the second consecutive season. In 2022-23, he averaged 15:16 of action; in 2023-24, 15:56; and in 2024-25, 14:47. In the playoffs, he was only used in 13 games and averaged 8:06 of action. In his last game, against the Buffalo Sabres, he was on the ice for only 1:52.
Taking all this into account, it’s hardly surprising that the supersized defenseman elected not to go to arbitration. He doesn’t have much leverage, and, in truth, he might be better off receiving an offer sheet from another team. At this stage, it feels like his career would be best served by moving on to a team that will use him regularly.
However, the Canadiens would have the option to match any offer or settle for the compensation and let the defenseman walk. However, if the offer sheet had a cap hit below $1,544,424, there would be no compensation. If it were between $1,544,425 and $2,340,037, it would be a third-round pick. Such a low offer sheet is hardly ever seen in the NHL, however, and only 17 teams still have their third-round pick, making it possible for them to make such an offer.
In 2024, when he signed his last contract, a deal was reached on July 30, and it does look like the hulking defenseman may need to be patient once again this season. Aside from Dach, no player from the Canadiens’ organization has filed, meaning that AHL players Brett Berard, Sean Farrell, Jared Davidson, Hunter McKown and Maksymilian Szuber chose to go without. As for Zach Bolduc, he doesn't have arbitration rights.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 09: Willie Randolph smiles during the New York Yankees Old Timers' Day prior to the game the game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on August 9, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When you think about the people who helped define the New York Yankees, there is a long list of names worthy of respect. The organization is filled with all-time great players, managers, scouts, and executives whose legends have never faded. A little farther down that list is another name. Never the traditional statistical darling chasing records or historic milestones, but always steady, was Willie Randolph.
Willie Larry Randolph Born: July 6, 1954 (Holly Hill, SC) Yankees Tenure: 1976-88 (player); 1994-2004 (coach)
Randolph was born in South Carolina but was only there briefly. While still a baby, his parents moved from rural farm life to Brownsville in Brooklyn. It was there that Randolph came of age and attended Tilden High School in Flatbush. The school also produced NBA star, and fellow Hall of Fame snub, World B. Free, as well as civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton. A slick fielder with a promising bat and good speed, Randolph made a name for himself in New York from an early age.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were impressed enough by Randolph’s skill set that they selected him in the seventh round of the 1972 MLB Draft straight out of high school. After signing, Randolph began his professional career at just 17 years old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. After getting a chance to cut his teeth, the Pirates moved the young right-hander to second base before the 1973 season and assigned him to Class A Charleston.
Playing in Charleston as one of the youngest players in the league, Randolph led the club in hits, doubles, triples, home runs, walks, and defensive assists. That performance earned him a promotion to Double-A Thetford Mines, where he again spent just one season before proving he was ready for the next level.
Once he reached Triple-A Charleston, Randolph had his true breakout season, slashing .339/.405/.479. That performance earned him a call to the majors at the end of July. In a brief debut, Randolph appeared in 30 games, collected his first 10 hits, and stole his first base. It was a successful introduction to the majors, and little did he know the coming offseason would define the rest of his career.
On December 11, 1975, Randolph was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with Ken Brett and Dock Ellis, to the New York Yankees for Doc Medich. The trade may truly be one of the most one-sided deals in Yankees history. The Pirates got one decent season from Medich, while Ellis had an even better year. The Yankees, meanwhile, found their second baseman for the next 13 seasons.
Randolph became the Yankees’ Opening Day second baseman in 1976, beginning a run of 13 consecutive Opening Day starts at the position. Technically still a rookie, Randolph made an immediate impression by earning an All-Star selection and setting what would remain his career high in stolen bases during his first full season.
The Yankees entered 1977 with high expectations and Reggie Jackson now in the fold. Randolph was moved to the top of the lineup and flourished. He earned his second straight All-Star selection, and the Yankees returned to the World Series to face the Dodgers. Despite struggling overall in the Fall Classic, Randolph played a key role in New York’s Game 1 victory. The Yankees ultimately claimed the series in six games.
The 1978 season was about as close to an adult Disney movie as baseball has ever produced. The Yankees stormed back from a 14½-game deficit to catch the Red Sox, and Randolph quietly did his part with another steady campaign. Unfortunately, a cruel twist of fate struck at the end of the season when an injury forced him to miss both the one-game playoff against Boston and the Yankees’ second straight World Series victory over the Dodgers.
Still just 24 years old, Randolph returned from injury to post another solid season in 1979. Then came the best year of his career in 1980. Randolph led the American League in walks, the only time he led the league in any offensive category, while slashing .294/.427/.407 and setting a career high with seven home runs. The performance earned him his third All-Star selection.
The 1980s proved to be a difficult decade for the Yankees. The franchise lacked stability, and every season without a World Series title only added to the frustration. One steady constant, however, was Randolph. His professionalism and consistency earned him one of the organization’s highest honors when he was named Yankees co-captain, sharing the role with Ron Guidry from 1986 until leaving the club after the 1988 season.
In 13 years as a player with the Yankees, Randolph collected 1,731 hits on a .275 average. He also stole 251 bases for the club and scored 1,027 runs. Randolph also ranks 53rd all-time among all Major League players with a 15.3 dWAR.
When Randolph reached free agency, he became something of a journeyman. He spent a year and change with the Dodgers before being traded north to the Athletics. That short stint in Oakland allowed him to be on the fifth pennant-winning team of his career, as the A’s won their third in a row before suffering an upset at the hands of the Reds in the World Series (Willie hit .304 in his last taste of October). Randolph signed with the Brewers for the 1991 season before finishing his playing career with the Mets in 1992.
It would not take long for Randolph to find his way back home. He rejoined the Yankees organization in the front office in 1993 before becoming Buck Showalter’s third-base coach in 1994, and more often than not, he was the infield coach as well. Randolph held these roles until becoming Joe Torre’s bench coach in 2004. During his Yankees coaching tenure, Randolph added four more World Series rings to the two he had won as a player.
The Mets hired Randolph as their manager before the 2005 season. In true Mets fashion, they enjoyed early success — notably winning the 2006 NL East and coming one Carlos Beltrán swing short of a pennant — before later collapsing down the stretch in 2007. They were one game under .500 in June 2008 when they infamously fired him in the middle of the night at roughly 3 a.m. ET during a West Coast road trip. (Even without Randolph, they collapsed again late in 2008.) Randolph finished his managerial career with a 302-253 record, as he never got another chance.
Over the decade that followed, Randolph coached in various capacities for the Brewers, Orioles, and Team USA. He also worked for several broadcasting companies and, this year, the now 72-year-old joined the YES Network studio show.
Outside of baseball, Randolph leads the Willie Randolph Foundation, which works to increase baseball opportunities for underserved boys and girls throughout the New York metropolitan area. He has also supported the Eluna Network, the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, and fundraising efforts for the Diabetes Research Institute.
In 2015, the Yankees honored Randolph’s excellent career as a player and coach with a plaque in Monument Park.
In a world that often focuses on the negative, it is hard to find much to criticize about Willie Randolph. Perhaps the greatest player in the Hall of Really Good, Randolph was a tremendous defender, a steady presence, and an outstanding representative of what it meant to wear Yankee pinstripes. Fans of other organizations have their own versions, but I’m glad Willie was ours.
Happy birthday, Willie!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Trevor Condon #9 bats during the 2026 Draft Combine at Chase Field on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
2026 MLB Draft Preview: Andrew Williamson scouting report.
The 2026 is less than a week away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Georgia high school outfielder Trevor Condon.
Trevor Condon is a 5’11”, 175 lb. lefthanded hitting, righthanded throwing outfielder out of Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia. Condon turned 18 in early January. he is committed to the University of Tennessee.
Condon has a quality hit tool, though most reports mention his unorthodox swing. However, the BP write-up on Condon indicates that he’s reduced the amount of pre-contact motion he has in the box this spring, with his previous timing mechanism giving concerns about how well his swing would translate to the professional level. He gets good reports on his swing decisions and his contact ability. He is seen as having the potential for average power, with impressive bat speed and good strength. However, he hasn’t shown the ability in-game to pull the ball in the air, and his swing doesn’t generate a lot of loft.
Condon is a true centerfielder, someone who will be able to handle the position as a professional, with a good arm. His speed is his best tool, with both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline putting a 70 grade on it. MLB Pipeline says he generates comparisons to Pete Crow-Armstrong and Drew Gilbert, while BA invokes Slade Caldwell and Slater de Brun as recent comps. He is a high energy guy who Pipeline describes as “playing with constant intensity.”
Condon hasn’t really been linked to the Rangers, from what I have seen. The most recent BA staff draft has him going to the Rangers at #16, but the staff draft is based on who the individuals making the picks would select — it explicitly states at the beginning that it is not a mock draft.
Condon is a high schooler out of Georgia, and at one time that seemed to be the Rangers’ preferred part of the draft pool to swim in. However, while he’s fast and a quality defender, he’s not exactly one of those “toolshed” guys the Rangers seemed to target back then, being someone who is hit over power, with a ceiling on how much power he’s expected to generate in the future.
The Rangers had been heavily college-focused with their premium picks until last year, when they took high school infielder Gavin Fien with their first round pick. They’ve been mentioned in connection with both college and prep players this year, though Jared Grindlinger seems to be the prep player who gets linked to the Rangers the most as of late. Nonetheless, Condon is projected to go around where the Rangers are picking, and the defense, speed and hit tool give him a relatively high ceiling for a high school player.
COVERS INTEL: The Braves have posted 
