The Los Angeles Kings have hired Peter Laviolette to be their head coach, according to multiple reports.
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Laviolette has agreed to a three-year deal with the Kings, but the finances of the contract remain unknown.
This news comes just over a year after Laviolette was relieved of his duties as the New York Rangers’ head coach.
Laviolette coached the Rangers for two seasons from 2023 to 2025.
In Laviolette’s first season with the Blueshirts during the 2023-24 campaign, the team won the Presidents’ Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference Final.
However, the Rangers missed the playoffs the next season, finishing the year with a 39-36-7 record and 85 points, which ultimately cost Laviolette his job.
Laviolette spent the 2025-26 season without a coaching job, but he reportedly had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams over the past couple of weeks about their respective head coaching vacancies, including the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Now, the 61-year-old coach reunites with Artemi Panarin, who was traded from the Rangers to the Kings in February.
On top of his tenure with the Rangers, Laviolette has also served as head coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, "Sources: The Edmonton Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock."
He adds, "Amid allegations of invading players privacy, Babcock resigned in CBJ as Head Coach in 2023. Further investigation may be required."
In other words, the Oilers want to know if they can hire Babcock without issue, potentially to avoid any complications should they go down that road. Dreger notes, "If it’s determined an investigation is required to move forward, sources say the NHL would manage it. At this stage, the NHLPA has declined to comment."
And the drama never stops in Edmonton...
Babcock, 63, hasn’t coached in the NHL since resigning from the Columbus Blue Jackets before the 2023 season, following allegations that he improperly looked through players’ phones during meetings. One reported incident involved several minutes spent reviewing a player’s phone away from team facilities, raising significant concerns.
This wasn't the only questionable tactic Babcock employed in the latter years of his coaching career.
During Mitch Marner's rookie season in 2016-17, Babcock asked him to create a list of his teammates ranked by work ethic, from hardest-working to least hard-working. Marner reluctantly obliged, thinking he had no choice and that all responses would remain private. Babcock then told all the players who Marner had ranked at the bottom of the list. This left Marner devastated and in tears, and his teammates furious — Tyler Bozak reportedly stormed into Babcock's office and confronted him about it.
Many believe this is not a good person. Some wonder if he's even still a good coach.
That said, Babcock is experienced. He's won at the highest level, and coached 1,301 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, Red Wings, and Ducks, winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008. But he's not been in the NHL for years, and he's one of the most polarizing figures in hockey today.
The fact the Oilers are even looking into this won't be met with universal praise.
The Oilers are searching for a new head coach after firing Kris Knoblauch following a first-round playoff exit, and were reportedly denied permission to speak with Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. Peter Laviolette was just hired by the Los Angeles Kings, and other options appear to be limited.
Laviolette, 61, is replacing D.J. Smith, the interim coach after Jim Hiller was fired last season. The Kings are in transition next season after the retirement of captain Anze Kopitar.
Laviolette has coached nearly 1,600 regular-season games with six NHL teams, most recently the New York Rangers from 2023-25. He led the Rangers to the Presidents' Trophy and the Eastern Conference finals in his first season there but was fired in 2025 after they finished out of the playoffs.
He will be reunited with star forward Artemi Panarin, who was traded from the Rangers to the Kings last season. Panarin had a career-best 120 points in his first season under Laviolette.
Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and has also coached the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He took the Flyers (2010) and Predators (2017) to the Stanley Cup Final.
He has a career .589 points percentage in the regular season and is 88-82 in the playoffs.
Laviolette is the first coach hired by Kings general manager Ken Holland, who had kept on Hiller after taking the job in May 2025. The Kings made the playoffs after the switch to Smith but were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s not all that surprising that a former Villanova player hasn’t won NBA Finals MVP.
Main Line legends have plenty of championship hardware — from Herman “Red” Klotz in 1948 to the historic 1956 run with Paul “Pitchin’ Paul” Arizin and Larry Hennessy, and the 1967 squad featuring Wali Jones and Bill Melchionni.
More recently, Chris Ford (1981), John Celestand (2000), Kyle Lowry (2019), and Donte DiVincenzo (2021) have all come away with championship rings.
But historically, these Wildcats were more culture-setters and complementary pieces. The only real “what ifs” are are Arizin’s 1956 run (Finals MVP hadn’t been invented yet) and Lowry in 2019 — but let’s be real, Kawhi Leonard was an absolute unit for the Toronto Raptors and rightfully claimed the honor.
That is what makes Jalen Brunson’s current trajectory with the New York Knicks so unprecedented for a Wildcat.
As the 2026 NBA Finals head to Madison Square Garden with New York holding a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs, Brunson is the betting favorite to win the Bill Russell Trophy.
The recently crowned Eastern Conference Finals MVP is actively rewriting the script on what a Villanova guard can be. Alongside fellow Wildcats Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, Brunson is leading a charge few saw coming. Not even Brunson’s former coach Jay Wright thought the 29-year-old would be this good.
History is waiting at MSG, and Brunson is ready to claim a crown no Wildcat ever before him could.
The legacy Stacey King left behind with the Chicago Bulls as a player and broadcaster came pouring out in tributes during the 24 hours since the team announced the 59-year-old's death on Sunday, June 7. He was a constant link between the franchise's greatest years and its current generation of players, with achievements that helped establish the most famous Bull of them all.
Michael Jordan released a statement on Monday, June 8 in the wake of King's passing and emphasized King's role on his first three NBA championship teams with the Bulls (1991-93). King was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft by Chicago and played eight seasons in the NBA before a long career as a beloved color commentator on Bulls' television broadcasts.
"I'm deeply saddened to learn of Stacey's passing," Jordan said, according to ESPN 1000 in Chicago. "We shared some special years together as teammates, and he was part of a group that helped define an era of Chicago Bulls basketball. My thoughts are with Stacey's family, friends, and everyone whose lives he touched."
Stacey King cause of death
The official cause of King's death is unknown at this point.
The Bulls said on Sunday that service details honoring King's life and legacy will be announced at a later date.
“Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "His connection to Chicago, the Bulls and our fans spanned more than three decades – first as a player and later as the unmistakable voice that helped bring Bulls basketball into the homes of generations of fans. We will miss him deeply and remember the joy, energy, humor, candor and passion he brought to our organization, our broadcasts and our fans every day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
Boston, MA - April 19: Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic celebrates a 3-pointer in the third quarter. The Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
“Former All-Star center Nikola Vucevic is increasingly regarded as a certainty to switch teams this summer after a fractured right ring finger in March helped derail his brief stint as a Boston Celtic in the spring. He’ll be 36 in October but figures to draw some interest on the open market given that there is generally always a clamor for floor-spacing big men.”
Vucevic was acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Bulls for Anfernee Simons and the pick that ended up 38th in the draft.
Vucevic played 16 regular season games with the Celtics, averaging 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while coming off the bench in 15 of the 16 games. He missed 14 games from March 8th to April 3rd due to a fractured right ring finger.
In the playoffs, Vucevic played in six games, averaging 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds before a DNP-coach’s decision in Game 7, where the Celtics were eliminated by the 76ers. Vucevic played a big role in the Celtics Game 3 win in Philadelphia, where he played 31 minutes with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
PHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 9: Khaman Maluach #10 and Mark Williams #15 of the Phoenix Suns high five before the game against the New York Knicks on January 9, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I was at the Barclays Center when it happened last year. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the Phoenix Suns’ selection of Duke Center Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Shams Charania notification came in that Phoenix was acquiring Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams for the 29th pick and a 2029 first-rounder. It felt like a huge moment for the Suns and the future of their center position.
BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 29 pick tonight and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/a6eDDn5aE6
It was known when Phoenix selected Maluach that he was going to be a project. He started playing basketball as a teenager, and he’s one of the youngest players in the league. Pairing him with Williams, with whom he had a prior relationship as Williams went to Duke, made sense, especially with what center lineups looked like the previous two seasons with Jusuf Nurkic and Nick Richards manning the five and producing lackluster results.
In the first year of the two together, Williams played as the starter, while Maluach played third string behind him and Oso Ighodaro. When Williams missed time at the end of the year, Ighodaro started while Maluach played the backup five.
As Maluach now enters his second season and is widely viewed as the player with the most untapped potential on the roster to pair with Devin Booker, we’ve reached an inflection point in Williams’ tenure with the Suns.
Now a restricted free agent, if Phoenix feels Williams’ presence could disrupt Maluach’s growth, there should be concerns about what his future should be with the team, even if it means Phoenix gets rid of a player that they traded multiple first-rounders for. If the goal is to build another Finals caliber roster around Devin Booker, as team owner Matt Ishbia continues to say is the plan, acquisitions and signings can’t be made that block or prohibit the development of players with high-end potential.
Suns team owner Mat Ishbia said Devin Booker "is not getting traded" when asked about Booker's status.
With Maluach’s physical gifts (He’s 7’1” with a 7’7” wingspan) and willingness to shoot the three, Phoenix needs to ensure he has opportunities to grow if they view Maluach the way that many do, and if continuing to employ Williams hurts their vision for him, then serious conversations need to be had about whether they should resign him.
Playing the most games he did in his four-year career last season in his first with the Suns, Williams averaged 12 points and eight rebounds on 64% shooting from the field. Averaging just 24 minutes a game, Phoenix was very conservative with his minutes to help him avoid injuries.
While he played the most winning basketball of his career, he had just eight games with 20 or more points and only 13 games with two or more blocks this season. In 14 fewer games played and averaging nearly 15 minutes less per appearance, Maluach had eight games with at least two or more rejections. All of them came in the final 45 days of the regular season, as Williams missed significant time with a foot issue, demonstrating the growth he made throughout the season as a rim protector, and the value that he could provide when Williams wasn’t playing.
What Phoenix gave up to acquire Williams in 2025 shouldn’t matter for how they move in 2026. To accomplish their longterm goals, they need to move in the direction that they think gives them the best opportunity to surround Booker with top-end talent. If they believe keeping Williams disrupts that goal, then they shouldn’t resign him. The idea of what Maluach could be is too precious, considering the lack of assets Phoenix possesses.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 1: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during the game on April 1, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As a four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green has never been shy about sharing his perspective on what separates good teams from championship-caliber ones. So, with the San Antonio Spurs staring at a dreaded 2-0 deficit against the New York Knicks, the veteran forward shared his concerns with San Antonio’s mentality during the most recent episode of The Draymond Green Show.
👀 "Was [the Spurs'] job done beating OKC???" Draymond Green is asking what we're all thinking with the Knicks up 2-0 after starting the NBA Finals on the road in San Antonio! 🏀🏆 pic.twitter.com/JU0xTmkbsM
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) June 6, 2026
The Spurs advanced to the Finals after an emotional Game 7 victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Western Conference Finals MVP Victor Wembanyama was visibly overcome with emotion after the win, shedding tears following what was arguably the biggest victory of his career up to that point.
However, as Green pointed out, the inexperienced Spurs have looked a step behind to begin the Finals. They blew a fourth quarter lead in Game 1 last Wednesday, then followed that up with several critical mistakes in the final seconds of Game 2 on Friday.
The Knicks, by contrast, have looked hungry. A franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1973, playing in front of a city that has waited over five decades, they’ve carried that urgency into every game. They’ve now won 13 straight playoff games — the second-longest streak in NBA playoff history — with no signs of slowing down either.
Green may be onto something with the Spurs’ inexperience revealing itself on the biggest stage, and if they can’t rediscover that competitive edge starting in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, New York could be on the verge of celebrating very soon.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, June 8th:
NBA on ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson, who faced Golden State in the 2016 and 2017 NBA Finals as a member of the Cavaliers, detailed Cleveland’s brutal game plan for Curry on Friday night’s broadcast. While discussing a hard foul on New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during Game 2 of the 2026 Finals, Jefferson recalled his job against Curry a decade ago.
“When we played Steph Curry in the Finals, our job was to beat him up like that,” Jefferson said in the first quarter. “And it wasn’t anything dirty, but if you’re going to foul him, foul him in a physical nature.”
Yes, I get it. At this point, Warriors fans are bellowing: How would signing LeBron make the team younger and healthier? My answer: LeBron is old but actually remains quite durable; he registered 1,989 minutes this regular season, more than every Warrior except Brandin Podziemski. (More info: LeBron has averaged 2,195 minutes over the last five seasons.)
I’d argue, if you’re looking to unlock Wembanyama more, that the roll direction needs to tilt the other way more often. Second Spectrum has Wembanyama down as the empty side PnR screener nine times in this series; he’s rolled or popped to the empty side once. Surely there’s room for more, right?
Force a back-pedaling Karl-Anthony Towns (Finals MVP right now, in my opinion) or Mitchell Robinson to high-point and contest lobs consistently. See how aggressive the Knicks want to peel in their low man within that context.
The Warriors clearest path to signing James is with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth roughly $15 million per season), which would still mark a 70% pay cut for LeBron. A sign-and-trade could be a different path to paying James more, but that would require Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, or Kristaps Porzingis heading out in the deal.
Follow@unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
Jun 7, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) pitches against Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the first inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Sitting in the hot seats at the Rockies game on Sunday, I glanced around and was surprised at two things: more Brewers fans and more empty seats than I expected.
A summertime Sunday at Coors Field usually means jam-packed concourses and concession lines, but the crowd of 32,270 was pretty manageable. We had empty seats all around us on the third level above third base. With the temperature at 91 degrees at first pitch, the weather went from sunny to cloudy, and there were periods of a whipping wind and stagnant heat, but, overall, the weather wouldn’t be a reason not to go on Sunday.
A Dinger bobblehead giveaway to the first 15,000 fans was a big draw, and the theme package honored Denver’s new women’s soccer team — the Denver Summit FC — which is why I went. Both likely provided a bump to the total crowd number. Surrendering seven runs in the sixth inning and another four in the ninth probably emptied out the stands earlier than normal in the 12-4 loss.
While it’s still very early in the season, it seemed like a good time to check on the Rockies attendance numbers. Entering 2026, I was really interested to see whether a new front office would give fans enough hope to buy more tickets, or whether six straight losing seasons — including a historic 119-loss season last year — would continue to keep some fans away.
With 31 home games in the books, the Rockies finished the weekend ranked No. 18 in average attendance at 27,016 and season total of 837,514. With colder temperatures in April and May, the Rockies usually see bigger crowds as the summer rolls on, but that’s the case for a lot of teams. Right now, the Rockies are three spots below where they finished last year when they finished at No. 15 with 30,057 fans per game.
This season, the biggest turnout, of course, came at the home opener when 48,366 turned out to see the Rockies lose 10-1 to the Phillies. Coors Field has surpassed 40,000 two other times vs. the Dodgers this season. With the Cubs coming to town tomorrow and home games against the Dodgers, Red Sox and Cardinals still on the schedule, along with fireworks games on July 3 and 4 against the Giants, there are still some big draws on tap.
The lowest attendance of the season came on May 6 when a spring snowstorm hit Denver. Even though the snow stopped and the sun returned for a 41-degree first pitch temperature, only 11,155 came out to see the Rockies host the Mets.
Most recently, the June 5-7 weekend crowd hit at least 30,000 for each of the three games against the Brewers for a total of 93,939. It’s a number that many teams would be happy with, but one that is lower than average for the Colorado Rockies.
The first weekend series in June in 2025 saw 113,717 fans show up to see Colorado host the Mets. After 31 games in 2025, Coors Field had hosted 811,108 fans, lower than this season, but 2026 is also lower in the MLB rankings. The Rockies were 12-53 overall in 2025 and 6-25 at home.
There are countless factors, that impact attendance, including giveaways, weather, opponent and more. The question for the Rockies is how much the quality of the play and the chances for a victory weigh in.
This season, the Rockies are 24-42 and 12-19 at home. So, the team is better this year and attendance is slightly up in terms of total through 31 home games, but still lower in terms of average turnout per game.
As expected, the numbers are still nowhere near their highs when the Rockies made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017-2018.
Season
Record
Total Atten.
Total Rank
Ave. Game Att.
2026
24-42
837,514
18th
27,016
2025
43-119
2,404,613
16th
30,057
2024
61-101
2,540,295
15th
31,361
2023
59-103
2,607,935
13th
32,196
2022
68-94
2,597,428
10th
32,467
2021
74-87
1,938,645
9th
23,934
2020
26-34
—
2019
71-91
2,993,224
6th
36,954
2018
91-72
3,015,880
7th
37,233
2017
87-75
2,953,650
8th
36,465
2016
75-87
2,602,524
11th
32,130
2015
68-94
2,506,789
14th
30,948
2014
66-96
2,680,329
10th
33,090
2013
74-88
2,793,828
10th
34,492
2012
64-98
2,630,458
13th
32,475
2011
73-89
2,909,777
12th
35,923
2010
83-79
2,875,245
10th
35,497
2009
92-70
2,665,080
11th
32,902
2008
74-88
2,650,218
13th
32,719
2007
90-73
2,376,250
17th
28,979
As summer heats up and high-interest teams come to Denver, it will be interesting to see what happens to the game average and MLB ranking this season, especially as connected to the Rockies perfomance.
Have you been to a game this year? Do you plan on going to more? How much do the record and the new front office influence your decisions on buying tickets?
Let us know in the comments!
Personally, I have been to three games so far. The first was great as the Rockies beat Houston 9-1. However, the last two have been blowout losses — 9-1 and 12-4. I think I’ll wait a bit before going back again. I need to see some offense.
Yes, I know, it was supposed to be a “reader mailbag” episode. Yes, I know, it’s my own fault for surveying the same post as the mailbag episode, but I think I received a much more valuable return from you guys on what you want or are hoping for from the podcast moving forward. Therefore, I’m claiming this as a success anyway!
This week, we discussed the Cardinals’ 6-3 homestand, the return of NOOOOOOOOOT, Nolan Gorman’s continued struggles and what the future of the 3B spot might look like, Jordan Walker is continuing to prove this isn’t a fluke, and we finish with a discussion centered around USA Today’s Bob Nightengale’s report about JoJo Romero and Dustin May potentially being on the trade block later this season.
Sorry, Doublehotdog, I tried to talk less this week, but it didn’t work. I’ll keep trying going forward, but that thing about old dogs and new tricks. It’s going to take me a while to pare it down. Enjoy!
Next week, we will be joined by Memphis Redbirds PxP man Alex Coil, and Scoops with Danny Mac, Springfield contributor, Andy Carroll, to talk upper minors!
Below the videos, we are trying something new. Show transcripts will now be available upon release for those who would prefer to read the dialogue, rather than listen, and follow along in their own way!
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YouTube:
-Thanks for watching/listening
Show Transcript –
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (00:34) Welcome to the Viva El Birdos Podcast. As always, I am your host, Jake Wood, and I am joined this week by fellow writers Gabe Simonds and Scott Plaza. ⁓ This week we were supposed to do a reader mailbag, but because I am ADHD in a roundabout way, I ⁓ also included a ⁓ what’s the word I’m looking for? I asked your
opinion on what you thought of the podcast, and so you gave a lot more great candid responses to what you thought of the podcast rather than giving us questions and content to talk about, so that responsibility fell unto me, Scott, and Gabe to kind of determine what we were going to talk about tonight. And we’ll get into that in just a moment. But before we do, I do want to say a quick thank you to everybody who responded to ⁓ that little survey that I had put out. Thank you so much for your feedback. ⁓ as always, it’s very much appreciated and
Obviously, if you enjoy this show and enjoy what we do, please be sure to like and subscribe to this. Share it wherever possible. Like we really appreciate. Leave a comment. If you have any comments, thoughts, or suggestions for the show, please leave them in the comments. We really appreciate it. We really want to hear from you. You know, you guys ultimately drive the content and what we do here, so please reach out, let us know what you think. It’s always appreciated. Now that that bit of housekeeping is taken care of, ⁓ Gabe, Scott, how are you guys doing tonight?
Welcome back. It’s felt like a while since we’ve done this. You know, how how are how are you feeling? Let’s start with this real quick, just a quick, succinct thought on Blogger Day, what your thoughts were from Chaim Bloom, your overall interpretations of your first kind of face-to-face experience with him. Scott, I’ll let you lead us off.
Scott Plaza (02:18) ⁓ I’ll just say he’s a phenomenal speaker. ⁓ he took the time, rather, he appreciated, like you couldn’t tell whether he was annoyed by a question or not, because of the amount of effort and how much he explained what he was doing with his answers. So I just thought that was awesome. He was very very receptive to what we had to bring, and he stuck around for what, twenty minutes? It was while the game started, he was still, you know, kissing babies and shaking hands and stuff. So, it was very, very cool to do that. And unfortunately, that was the PCA game. But the Chaim Bloom experience is great.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (02:55) Yeah, you don’t get the title of president without kissing babies and shaking hands. Gabe, your thoughts from Chaim Bloom on on your experience with him?
Gabe (03:05) ⁓ it was definitely an interesting experience, and I was sort of impressed by how long some of his answers were. He’s very good at giving you an answer without necessarily telling you anything new. ⁓ and that was interestingly a criticism of Mozeliak back in the day. Whereas with Mo when he was at Blogger Day, I felt like he was a lot more straightforward. I don’t know, it was weird for me because I felt like Mo was the opposite of his persona, whereas Bloom was ⁓ just that he took so long on his answers. And this has been influenced ’cause I had to go to the bathroom for like twenty minutes of that. Honestly, God, I was like, I have to pee so bad, but he’s still talking ⁓ but you know. It was a Yeah, no, I wasn’t gonna go to the bathroom while everybody else was standing still, that’s for sure.
Scott Plaza (03:41) Ha ha.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (03:41) Ha.
Scott Plaza (03:48) Sacrifices.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (03:54) I felt the same way, but I was also kind of working through like a sinus infection, so I was trying so hard not to cough and like distort everyone’s audio at the same time. So I was sitting there, like trying to work, you know, like coughing without coughing, that kind of thing.
Gabe (04:04) Yeah.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (04:09) ⁓ I I I felt similarly. I was really ⁓ appreciative of the thoughtfulness and the ⁓ like extended thoughts he gave on any topic, and you know whether it be ranging from AI to whether or not barbecue sauce goes on a hot dog. He gave thoughtful, interesting responses to every topic that was given to him. Of course, we also gave some, you know, baseball-related questions to him, and he answered those as well as he possibly could. Obviously, whenever trades and when ⁓ extension talks came up, he gave the the quote unquote non-answer to those things because he really can’t answer them in those settings, and we understand that, of course.
Scott Plaza (04:50) Can we all promise not to waste time on those questions in the future, knowing that the response is gonna always be we can’t get into that?
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (04:57) Yeah, I think we can ask that, but I don’t know that anyone will ever follow through with that. There’s always gonna be the new upstart that, like me, was just too eager to ask the question. ⁓ but much like he talked about the team, let’s jump into it and talk about the team. The Cardinals finished off a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds today and went six and three overall on the homestand. ⁓ I just wanted to get your guys’ thoughts overall on the performance and maybe a little bit about how the roster is starting to take shape.
Scott Plaza (05:01) Yeah.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (05:27) We’re starting to see the Cardinals, you know, move pieces up and down and in and out and however you know, to make the puzzle come together. Gabe, I’ll start with you. Kind of your thoughts on the homestand overall between ⁓ Cincinnati, Texas, and the sweep of the Reds, and then kind of how the roster’s starting to come together for everything.
Gabe (05:46) Yeah, I mean it was obviously a very good homestand. I thought, you know, the Cubs series just had one bad game, and then the other two games were very promising. And the Rangers were all more or less fifty-fifty games, and two of them happened to go against the Cardinals. They felt like the Cardinals could’ve won any of ⁓ and you know, baseball just sometimes throws you like, you’re gonna lose this one. ⁓ and then the Reds series, ⁓ honestly, I was more like, Wow, the Reds are bad, more than wow, the Cards are good, because they kept giving us leads. ⁓ for free, which I appreciate so much, and if every team wants to do that, I’ll be happy to take it. But yeah, no, I was very happy that we spotted the Reds ’cause they’ve looked like a fraud team for a while and I’m I’m I’m I’m so happy that we beat them. So yeah, very good homestand, I’m happy.
Scott Plaza (06:36) Yeah, as as I’m as I’m looking into my fantasy baseball pickups, I’m like, who’s playing the Reds next? And it’s Walker Bueller tomorrow, so I’m trying to like, ⁓ but it’s Walker Bueller, like but the Reds are so bad right now, so I’m trying to figure that one out. But yeah, that’s that it’s interesting that they felt like they had to sweep to go seven and seven over this stretch. It felt better than that. ⁓ but Jake and I were talking about getting like the
brewer’s sweep, I guess, kind of gets outdone by what happened in the Cincinnati series. But how the roster’s coming together, ⁓ we haven’t. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but we haven’t really noticed a difference behind the plate, whether it’s been Crooks, Pages, or Herrera behind the plate. So I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I mean, we probably hoped for a little bit more out of Jimmy Crooks, but this gives a little bit more credence to look at what he was doing in the minor leagues. He’s not ready. It’s like okay, like we everybody was wanted something different to happen. Something different is happening and we haven’t seen anything different from that position just yet. ⁓ Velasquez doing his thing is super cool. And then ⁓ of course, with Noot coming up, we’ll talk about that here in a little bit, but
The roster’s coming together, and it’s gonna create some fun conversations through the rest of the summer for sure.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (07:45) Yeah, I’m glad you touched on the Jimmy Crooks part, and I’m I like not here to like, you know, toot my own horn or you know, but it’s still early. It’s still a very small sample. There’s still a relative opportunity for him to take off, but as you said, I do agree. It has not been a tangible difference that I think a lot of Cardinals fans were hoping for, like an immediate impact. ⁓ one player who did provide some immediate impact, you know, Lars Nootbar made his return Friday night, which I was there and a part of. And for lack of a better term, ⁓ he appeared not to have missed a step in doing so, Scott, your little hat tip, foot, not miss a step. Haha. Anyway, ⁓ what do you guys thought thoughts on Lars Newtbar’s return and the kind of the like added energy that he’s kind of brought back to the t not that the Cardinals necessarily were lacking in energy, but it seems like he just genuinely brings that next level of energy to ⁓ th this Cardinals team, this offense. So ⁓ Scott, I’ll start with you on this one first. Just, you know, how refreshing it is to have Nootbaar back and, you know, how much do you think this changes the dynamic of the offense? Obviously, we haven’t seen the full lineup together all at once yet, but ⁓ just your overall thoughts.
Scott Plaza (08:59) He’s back at just such an interesting time, just overall. ⁓ I I was talking with Jandy over on the Cardinals on My Time podcast, and we’re just like, how much Noot just like we were going back and forth of like I going into this season, I was like, let’s get him traded as quickly as possible, let’s get him healthy and then traded as quickly as possible. But then, my article today I was done with at noon yesterday, and then Noot came off the bench and hit a homer, so then I had to do a quick little spin for it for this morning. But the title was What Do the Cardinals Want from Lars Nootbaar? And I was like, well, it was originally like what do they want for Lars Nootbaar? But now it’s from. Like, do they want him to? Obviously, he’s at a 300 WRC plus. ⁓ he’s not gonna keep that up. ⁓
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (09:38) Is that good? (sarcasm)
Scott Plaza (09:40) Yeah, so apparently he’s better than Aaron Judge. So ⁓ keep him around forever. But no, it it’s it’s an interesting conversation of do they want him to be a run producer and keep this postseason dream alive as long as possible? Do they want him to keep up this stretch so they can trade him as long as possible? Do they want him to struggle so that they can keep the cycling going through the outfield and get bias up sooner? It is he’s just coming at a very interesting spot, but while he’s here every game I want them to win, so keep doing your thing, Noot.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (10:07) Absolutely. I mean, it’s been really fun. I mean, there’s no other way to really say it. It’s been fun, it’s been exciting, it’s been ⁓ everything you could have hoped for from a healthy Lars Nootbaar in return. ⁓ and it helped lessen, I think, the impact of ⁓ JJ Weatherholt taking those couple of days off because you had Noot to slide right back into the top of the lineup there. And I think that ⁓ you know, obviously having Weatherholt back in this last game today and then going forward, it’s just that added element that Cardinals can hopefully to get back to that identity that they had early in the season with ⁓ you know being able to grind out at bats, grind pitchers down, get them out early, get into what most teams like underbelly is of their of their bullpen between like the fifth to seventh inning. That’s usually ⁓ your best chance to get to a team nowadays. ⁓ hopefully, the Cardinals and kind of identity and how they want to work counts and and grind guys out.
That lends to more winning in the near future. One guy who has been struggling with doing that is Nolan Gorman. He has been absolutely going through it. ⁓ You know, one name that gets brought up consistently is Blaze Jordan, and he was not really thought to be a real option at third base, at least until Ramon Urias developed tennis elbow and his other elbow. That’s right. He has Giancarlo Stanton syndrome, where he has tennis elbow in both of his elbows. ⁓ and now the Cardinals appear to be more seriously considering Blaze at third base, at least in the immediate future. That’s from that, at least speculation coming from our friend Jeff Jones over at the Belleville News Democrat. Because after that diagnosis to Ramon Urias that Blaze Jordan was back at third base again, and now it seems as though Blaze is at least gonna get a longer look at third base, at least at AAA. I don’t know whether or not he will get run in the big leagues for that, but how much of a longer a leash do you think Gorman gets, and how long until a potential blaze promotion might occur? Gabe, I’m gonna ask you this. I’m gonna throw this one over to you.
Gabe (12:14) Okay. I would say the rest of the year, honestly, because I don’t think they really believe Blaze Jordan can play third base. We’re gonna give him more of a at least a try, but like the fact that when ⁓ Crooks got promoted, he didn’t play third base at all in the gap because they no longer ⁓ needed that DH spot to be used regularly. And I just think they can see the Cardinals clearly are trying for him not to be the third baseman, I think, and I know they’re starting to play him at third base because Urias is now hurt again. But I don’t know. I feel like they’re in a situation where they think Gorman is the best chance. He’s a very streaky hitter. I think they’re gonna hope that he hits one of his hot streaks, and you know, he can go on like, you know, four home runs in a couple weeks or something, which is certainly still possible, even though ’cause he struck out like six times in a row or something, and then he had a home run on a pitch that he didn’t even seem to get a good swing on, honestly. That’s just kind of a hitter he is. It’s weird. I I’m I I’m very skeptical about Blaze Jordan at third base. And I don’t see anybody else knocking on the door anytime soon, until you get to maybe Jesus Baez. But he’s kind of far away. So I think they’re gonna stick with Gorman unless they make a move at the deadline, for just like a you know, a soft like let’s just get this placeholder third baseman.
‘Cause we might make the playoffs, even though, and not give up like a big prospect.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (13:43) Scott, you’ve been kind of the resident Blaze Jordan honk. Like, how serious would you be about the idea of getting Blaze Jordan in here and at least giving him ⁓ some sort of opportunity while also acknowledging that, like, the chase rates are concerning what he’s doing at Triple A, but the overall profile, like he’s still hitting, he’s still making an impact. What what what w what would you do in this situation if you were Chaim Bloom or slash Oli Marmol?
Scott Plaza (14:09) My first take on minor league chase rates is, who cares? I’d rather those guys swing as much as possible. ⁓ I don’t want them down there walking. ⁓ they’re gonna hit. So go ahead and be aggressive with it. So if they swing out a pitch and it’s a good swing, I mean, we don’t see ⁓ all those swings off it, but if they make a good swing out of a pitch and they theoretically chased it, fine. Rather than taking those borderline pitches, I’m okay with that. ⁓ I love loved notice I said past tense, Nolan Gorman. ⁓ if he can’t get it done in the eighth spot, which was my tweet today, if he can’t get it done in the eighth spot, then it’s gotta be time to go. Which, whenever, does not go. ⁓ I’m with Gabe. I think it’s gonna be a year-long thing. But it’ll be interesting to see how the lineup works with Winn, Weatherholt, and Noot all together in the same lineup, which we haven’t seen yet. ⁓ but that does fit Gorman in the eighth spot, which, on paper, my gosh, look at our eight-hitter with thirty home run power. ⁓ Again, theoretically, he is currently hitting .199 after today’s game. But ⁓ Urias was here because the third base defense was supposed to be better. If Jordan could play somewhere similar to that, he would be up. I I I love him. ⁓ I I think he’s a professional hitter. ⁓ Right now, Ivan Herrera is the professional hitter taking the professional hitter spot. ⁓ so I think, unfortunately, I don’t want to say it, but Blaze Jordan has been my comparison to Luken Baker lately.
Gabe (15:33) Do you think they should go to ⁓ I just thought about Fermin or ⁓ Bryan Torres playing third base, but neither of them has the arm, but like in the near term, do you think that would be a smarter play?
Scott Plaza (15:44) Torres Arm I was kind of disgusted by watching him throw from left or from second base. I mean, left field, you’re just kinda like two hopping it to the cutoff man, which is fine, it got to the cutoff man, but for mean he’s deserved the playing time, so go for it, I think, right now.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (15:58) I think I would be fine with Fermin, at least in the like a temporary while Gorman is working through his extremes, ⁓ and he kinda seems like he’s caught in between a lot with between the fastball and the changeup, ⁓ I think that like Fermin at least would make a a small amount of sense to at least get a little bit of run there, ⁓ just because of his versatility and his ability to kind of I think his right handed bat would also help with kind of offsetting the platoon lefty righty at the back end of the lineup as well. Not that he’s necessarily like a roadblock in the ilk of Ivan Herrera is to left-handed pitching, but just a little bit obviously better than what Gorman has given you. ⁓ and again, while he’s working through that slump. ⁓ But speaking of slumps, a player who has managed to maneuver his way through two mini slumps this season is Jordan Walker, and I think it’s fairly safe to say at this point that Jordan Walker is becoming who we all thought that he was supposed to be initially, and we are all exasperatingly relieved by that outcome which you know I kind of also think has driven a lot of this like better than expected ⁓ team performance. Like, we didn’t see this coming into the season, we didn’t expect Jordan Walker to be on pace for like seven wins and potential MVP votes, but you know, we all had kind of like hoped and crossed our fingers and like you know were hoping that that was in there, but we didn’t necessarily expect it to happen this season. ⁓ Scott, I want to ask you, like, how much has Jordan Walker’s breakout changed the trajectory of kind of how you see this team ⁓ and how maybe more in the near immediate future they can be better than expected?
Scott Plaza (17:46) I think Chaim was kind of asked that question, like how does Jordan Walker performing well, like change your outlook on things? And he’s like, that’s just one less position to have to worry about, which lets you put time and resources either in development or in the trade or whether it’s free agency, to fill those other positions, be it left field, be it center, be it third ⁓ there’s potential to be creative when you have one less spot to worry about. or starting pitching, I guess I can’t forget about that. ⁓ but Jordan Walker changes a ton, and I think it’s we’ve always been like, Well, we gotta wait, we gotta wait, we gotta wait to see if it’s real. There’s ninety nine games to go. I think the three-hundred average might not be for real, but everything else, I think we can even buy into. He missed the low and away slider today, and then still had good at-bats before and after that.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (18:36) I think the low and away slider thing is just gonna be occasionally a part of his game. It just is. But you know, is he able to find a way to get impact ⁓ in other places throughout the game whenever that inevitable low and away slider chase comes? And it’s just like one of those things where it’s gonna be a part of it. ⁓ Gabe, what about you? Like, how does Jordan Walker breaking out change kind of how you project this team for the rest of the season?
Gabe (19:05) I mean, well, for one thing, it makes it sort of believable that the Cardinals could sneak into the playoffs, which I don’t think would have been believable without Jordan Walker doing what he’s doing. And I wonder if we would even notice the low and away slider chase if it wasn’t for the fact that we had like three years of seeing it be really bad. And it’s like it’s not like players don’t chase pitches all the time, and we just don’t think about it if they’re doing well normally. And ⁓ yeah, I mean
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (19:22) That’s true.
Gabe (19:31) Every time he’s slumped a couple of times, and every time it seems like people online are like, Well, it was nice for a month. That was nice for two months. It’s like, Okay, well, now he got back. He’s ending those slumps early. That’s the whole key to things. That’s to bring it back to Gorman, the reason why he is not a good hitter anymore is that his slumps just last forever, and right now, at least, he’s not making up for hot streaks. But yeah, but Jordan Walker, I just think ⁓ I don’t know that he’s like this good
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (19:38) Mm-hmm.
Scott Plaza (19:38) Yeah, exactly.
Gabe (20:01) That might I might need a year or two for that, but he’s certainly a great hitter, I think. I think I can buy into that pretty easily. ⁓ and I’m I’m on board the train for sure.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (20:11) Well, the reason Gabe why I asked you about this season is because Bob Nightingale over at USA Today wrote in his Sunday article column that if the Cardinals were to fall out of the wild card race, that ⁓ lefty reliever Jojo Romero and right-handed pitcher Dustin May are expected to be dealt at the deadline. ⁓ You know, you had kind of an obvious response to that whenever I first told you about that, Gabe. Yeah, like, well, I guess, should I ask, does this surprise you guys, or do you find it to be more of what you expected coming?
Scott Plaza (20:34) Make bleep up!
Gabe (20:36) Yeah, I think this would be news if he made the the made the report the Cardinals are planning to trade them even if they were in first place. That would be news. If they fall off the wild card race, they’re trading two guys who have expiring contracts. Yeah. Come on. That doesn’t mean, no mm, I’m trying not to say the word. But yeah. Yeah. ⁓ You guys should probably fill in the blanks on that one. ⁓ of of course they’re trading them if they’re out of the wildcard race. Come on.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (21:01) I’m not trying to get you in trouble, Gabe. ⁓
Gabe (21:13) Bob, why did you even report this news? We know this.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (21:17) Scott, your thoughts on the report.
Scott Plaza (21:19) Yeah, if there was first-place news. I think it’s notable ’cause I think it’s they’ll do it in the wild card race if they’re, you know, where they’re at or hovering as the third wild card spot. I think JoJo Romero for sure I think could be going regardless. Dustin May, I’ve hoped he’d been around for a two-year contract. I’ll keep beating that drum when they signed him. ⁓ Mutual options are not two-year contracts. We know that. So I think he’s gonna unfortunately ⁓ I’d I don’t know. I think he’s gonna go, but I’d like to see him around ⁓ if they could hammer out either an extension or, you know, offer him something around the qualifying offer, whatever that’s going to be for an extension at this point. But I think Jojo Romero is gonna be for sure, regardless of where they are in the wildcard race.
Gabe (22:07) I think he’s eligible. Give him a qualified offer.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (22:08) Yeah, he is.
Scott Plaza (22:09) Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (22:11) ⁓ obviously, he has the what is it a mutual option for twenty million dollars withstanding at this point, which is never picked up by both sides. I think it’s like twenty fourteen was the last time there was a mutual option that was picked up, if I remember correctly. And so it’s like it’s not something to really think about, I guess, unless he got hurt. which, you know, knock on wood, still is not occurring. The Cardinals are now ⁓ like, nine straight months without a starting pitcher injury at the Major League level, so take that for what it’s worth. ⁓ been incredible whatever Karl Kochan and the performance staff have done to get these guys ready and and ⁓ to for the rigors of a full season along with Oli Marmol and his staff and how they’re kind of ⁓ you know maneuvering this and and kind of planning it out has been very successful and and we’re seeing the healthy fruits of that labor. ⁓ I think that you guys summed it really well. I think that obviously if the Cardinals fall out of it, duh. Like they’re gonna trade those guys. But I also kind of am. I’m fifty-fifty on the Jojo Romero thing, and I’ll explain why. ⁓ It’s because of his extreme ground ball profile, like in his ground balls in his profile. I think he might wind up being more important to the Cardinals than he would be to another contending team, and I think that he might be one of those guys that’s just more valuable to you than he would be to another team, and what you might be able to acquire for him. So you might just continue with him in that role because he doesn’t necessarily elicit the swing and miss, the chase that you would think of when you think of a high-leverage arm. And so I’m kind of in the camp that I think that you keep JoJo and just ride it out with him this year, and if the Cardinals even wanted to extend him for another season, like that, I would be fine with that. ⁓ I don’t know that you’re gonna get some gigantic return for him. The underlying stats
Scott Plaza (24:12) I don’t think they I’ll I’ll jump in. I don’t think they’ve
been treating him like a closer and I don’t think anybody’s gonna expect t him to jump into that role, so
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (24:17) I’m not
No, no, I didn’t say closer, I said high-leverage reliever. I don’t think that anyone would, but because I think that there are a lot of contenders who don’t have nearly as good a defense behind them ⁓ that would cause them to be like, we gotta get Jojo for this spot. I think that he may be more like on a contending team profiles more as that’s quote unquote second lefty out of their pen, somebody who comes in in the fifth or sixth inning, and I don’t think that teams are gonna be like throwing you like a top ten prospect in return for that kind of a guy, and so I just I wonder what if the Cardinals would value trying to push for that wild card spot rather than the fifteen to twenty-ish prospect you might get out of a system that may not end up becoming anything for the Cardinals anyway.
Gabe (25:02) I think they however though they are perfectly capable of getting like a Mason Molina type prospect who suddenly looks like he might be somebody worth paying attention somebody worth paying attention to. And he was added with two other prospects for Phil Maton, who I don’t necessarily think will have a ton more value than JoJo would have. I mean, maybe I’m crazy, ’cause ⁓ Maton was just a guy we signed for two million and then he had a really good four months. And I would be surprised if he has significantly more value than Jojo will have, personally. So I think you can find some hidden gems in the ten to twenty to thirty range that can outperform whatever the normal production would be.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (25:45) The other element I’m like considering here is like, look at the left-handed relief options you have in-house if you trade away Jojo Romero, if the Cardinals are still in it, right? So like if that’s my whole thing. If they fall out of it, move Jojo. Like, get what you can for him. That makes a ton of sense. If you still think that you have an inkling of a chance to contend and you that’s the direction you want to go in that direction this season without giving up your farm to do so, I’m fine with that. I think that, you know, whatever type of experience you can get for your young players down the stretch and in a contention window is great. But I also think that, like the Cardinals being able to, if you move out JoJo Romero, Justin Bruihl slides into where JoJo Romero is. And I know that you guys are not entirely confident in that being in your primary left-handed relief lanes rather than being that quote-unquote second lefty.
Scott Plaza (26:30) Well, my argument is honest for that, though it was ⁓ Brycen Mautz instead. ⁓ if if there’s not gonna be a path to the rotation this year, ⁓ I know they want him to stay as a starter, but if they’re not going to win it all this year, ’cause a ⁓ yes, just get in. But this team is I I think, Gabe said it a couple weeks ago, like this is not a World Series winning team. And we all know, like, yes, anything can happen. But I would rather have Brycen Mautz get that major league experience, get something for Jojo that could be useful next year, because he won’t be useful to the Cardinals next year, whether they keep him or if they trade him. So trade him, get something like Mason Molina or whatever, and allow Brycen Mautz to step into that spot. And if it doesn’t work out, then I guess it didn’t work out. But ⁓ the if we’re playing for the wild card, I know the goal is always to win the World Series, but I don’t want to just play for the wild card. You know. Yeah.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (27:29)
To be fair, I’m right there with you, Scott. Like, you make a ton of sense. Gabe, I’ll let ya I’ll let you jump in here in just a second. Like, I’m with you. Like, if they decided to still go down that route, okay. But then you’re also telling me that, like you’re not genuinely pushing for the or at least you don’t genuinely believe that you are capable of even making it to the wild card round if you’re moving on from Jojo Romero. Like if that’s what you’re telling me, okay, like okay, I’m down with that. Like, if the idea is we’re still completely invested in twenty twenty eight, we’re not moving off of that, regardless of where we are right now, okay, I’m with you. But I think you could make the argument or the case that if the Cardinals wanted to continue to ⁓ push this season for something and
Scott Plaza (27:45) Mm-hmm. Right. It’s a balance.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (28:12) And kind of kick the can on Jojo down the road for another year, even. Like I would also find that to be an acceptable response. Gabe, go ahead with your thoughts.
Gabe (28:22) I think there’s somebody, multiple people listening, who are screaming out a name in addition to Mautz. Cooper Hjerpe. He’s probably not going back to start. I don’t think he has enough time to get enough innings to start. And I think he’s just playing his first ⁓ rehab game, right? Or is he about to? Something like that. And yeah, and I don’t think he has enough time to really like not enough time. He hasn’t built up enough innings to where he could realistically start the whole year.
Scott Plaza (28:28) Yeah, that’s what I said today, too.
He’s on the forty-man.
Mm-hmm. Hey, hey, pitching it,
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (28:40) Something
like that.
Gabe (28:50) And you wanna get a major league time at this point, he’s already twenty-five. He might be headed to the bullpen anyway. I think post-deadline certainly, he might be one of our lefties, maybe even before then, but probably not. Yeah.
Scott Plaza (29:00) I like it.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (29:01) Hey, I hear what you’re saying, but he also still hasn’t even pitched an inning in Triple A yet. ⁓ and so we know that pitchers who move up that level to Triple-A have an adjustment to the big league ball, and like if the Cardinals say they want to continue to contend and you want to move Jojo out for Hjerpe in, I just maybe think that’s maybe putting a little bit too much stress on his arm right away as he’s recovering from Tommy John. ⁓ I I like the thought, but I think that maybe that might be pushing him just a little bit too quickly for their liking. ⁓ The other name that I might bring up, just because of his command issues, but also has extreme swing and miss, and might play up in the bullpen, at least for the last two months, would be exactly
Quinn Matthews would be the name that I would maybe bring up in that situation because if you move Jojo, then you have an open 40-man spot. You put Quinn on who has to be put on this offseason, regardless. Maybe that’s a way that you do it a little bit early and give Quinn some big league exposure in a more controlled ⁓ environment, bringing him into the bullpen out of the bullpen where he could, you know, theoretically have more success and shorter spurts. I don’t know. It’s an open discussion, and I think it’s really gonna be a genuinely interesting discussion to have over the course of the next six to eight weeks. ⁓ I’m gonna try to not only have it be trade-related, but obviously, that’s I think what a lot of people like to lean into those types of conversation. ⁓ Let’s finish this off with this. The Cardinals are heading to the dumpster fire Mets and the Twins, who are surprisingly kind of .500, not really sure what they are at this point. You know, Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton are great, but outside of that, what the hell else do they really have going for them? Scott, what are your kind of thoughts as you look forward to this for this week?
Scott Plaza (30:53) My thoughts are towards the six-man rotation and who’s gonna get moved where to fit whose schedule. ⁓ I think Jeff Jones has said Hunter Dobbins has been staying on some sort of a schedule. So I think that’s gonna be the thought. Not then the Nightingale no crap piece. ⁓ My thought was then, well, that brings to Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante being kind of locks for the year-long rotation kind of idea. ⁓ So then with Hunter Dobbins just kinda sitting in for May. So I wanna see the six-man rotation fill out. ⁓ and I don’t want to get too excited about Dobbins, but again, it’s just something different that we haven’t seen all year. ⁓ so it’s always fun to check in on that.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (31:36) I believe that Jeff also reported that Dobbins is slated to start on Thursday, game three of that series against the Mets, and so he is effectively pushing Kyle Leahy either back or eventually out, I think, is kind of where it’s looking. I know that Oli has been staunch in his belief that Kyle Leahy can do this and fill this role, but we’re starting to see that experience leak a little oil. You know, Gabe, what are your thoughts on the week ahead and what you’re hoping to see from the Cardinals?
Scott Plaza (31:42) Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (32:06) Thank you.
Gabe (32:07) ⁓
Well, I think the Mets might be a bit harder than it sounds on paper because they got they gotta face Freddie Peralta, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean, and they’re just probably their three best starters ⁓ right now. I mean, they only got four people on roster resource, but I think the pitching, like whenever they have a tough lineup of pitchers, I’m always like a little scared, no matter how good the team is, because it’s all you, the offense doesn’t need to do much for the other team to possibly win. ⁓
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (32:36) And their offense has been bad.
Gabe (32:39) Yeah, I know, but I mean, that’s a tough line. I mean, I’m never gonna put like, we’re gonna dominate this series just because ⁓ they’re not a good team, because I always like to look at the pitching matchups and they might have the better pitcher in each game, which is ⁓ always a struggle. And I know we’re facing Joe Ryan against the Twins in the first game of that series. So I don’t know. We’ll see. Anything could happen. It’s baseball. ⁓ I’d I vastly preferred the pitching matchups in the Red Series. So we’ll see how this goes out.
Jake Wood (@woodbat28) (33:14) Well, yeah. Speaking of the Reds, I think that’s kind of the approach that the Cardinals should take over the next two series, which is to get the starter out quickly. Obviously, the Mets’ bullpen has not been all that great this year. The twins have relatively nobody in their bullpen either, so get those good starters out early and then just kind of get to where they are weakest at, which is in the bullpen. ⁓ we’re we’re kinda running up against it here on time. Thank you guys, Gabe Scott, for being here. ⁓ we’ll talk to you guys next week. ⁓ obviously, thank you so much for all of you for joining us for this episode of the Viva El Birdos podcast. Don’t forget to rate and review, and hit that subscribe button so you can be notified every Monday morning when a new episode is released. We will talk to you all next week when we are joined by Play by Play man for the Memphis Redbirds, Alex Coil, and Scoops with Danny Mac, writer for the Springfield Cardinals, Andy Carroll, when they join the show. Have a great weekend, and let’s go, Cards.
Only two teams in the NHL remain without a head coach going into the 2026-27 season. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are alone in that category, as the Los Angeles Kings have reportedly hired Peter Laviolette, signing a three-year deal.
For the Maple Leafs, that's the second name that has come off the board in terms of available head coaches.
On June 1, the Vancouver Canucks hired Manny Malhotra, who was linked to the Maple Leafs' gig for some time.
Laviolette was expected to be a finalist for the Leafs, as well as the Oilers, in their respective hiring processes. Toronto's list continues to shrink as the off-season strums along.
In the midst of Laviolette being hired by Los Angeles, TSN's Pierre LeBrun did provide an update on Toronto's search for a new head coach.
According to LeBrun, in-person interviews are beginning this week for the Leafs, marking the second phase of the search. The NHL insider believes that this second phase of the coaching search includes "about five candidates."
The latest name to emerge in Toronto's quest for a new head coach was Joe Pavelski, a retired star center for the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. On top of Elliotte Friedman's reporting on Pavelski, other reports have indicated that Leafs GM John Chayka and his staff may be looking into a hire of a candidate with slightly more experience.
"I still get the sense they're going to lean for someone with a little more experience than Pavelski has as an NHL head coach," Chris Johnston reported on The Chris Johnston Show.
"Doesn't mean he won't get the job, but I still view someone like Peter Laviolette as a prime candidate for this position with the Leafs," he added.
So, with clear reports that the Maple Leafs were interested in Laviolette becoming the 42nd head coach in franchise history, they'll have to pivot as they enter the second phase of their search.
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The Kings have been looking for coaches since their season ended, and it seems they have made their decision. During their hiring process, the Kings have spoken with various coaches to potentially fill the role; among them were Jay Woodcroft and Bruce Cassidy. There were also discussions about keeping D.J. Smith as their head coach, after he was named interim coach following the Kings' firing of Jim Hiller in March.
Peter Laviolette is bringing coaching experience to the LA Kings organization. Laviolette's playoff coaching experience can also benefit the Kings, who have recently struggled in the postseason, as he has won 1 Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Peter Laviolette With The Kings
While Laviolette did not coach last year, he remained one of the top options for teams seeking a new head coach. Laviolette was also receiving interest from the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Laviolette also reunites with former Ranger Artemi Panarin, whom he coached from 2023 to 2025.
Laviolette's coaching style differs from what the Kings have had over recent seasons, as he is more aggressive in his offensive approach while maintaining a strong, locked-down defensive structure.
Another aspect Laviolette brings that can positively impact the Kings is his special teams: in the 2023-24 NHL season, the Rangers ranked in the top 3 in both penalty kill and power play. With the Kings having one of the worst special teams in the 2025-26 season, this could be the exact system change they need heading into next season.
Overall, Peter Laviolette is a good option for the Kings new head coach, as the changes he brings to the Kings organization. His coaching style can help transform the negative areas the Kings need to work on next season while also helping reunite with former players.
Overall, Peter Laviolette brings a new style to the Kings organization that could fix many of the issues they had last season, and with a new offensive and special teams system, the Kings could look very different come the start of the 2026-27 NHL season.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 28: Former Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals' general manager John Schuerholz takes to the field as he prepares to throw out the first pitch prior in a game between the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 28, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The summer is here, and that means trade season will soon be upon us. The Royals are still deciding whether or not they will be buyers or sellers, but like most years, they will likely be sellers.
Sometimes the team makes a good trade that sets the team up for the future. It hurt to lose Zack Greinke, but getting back Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi, and Jeremy Jeffress set the Royals up for their World Series runs in 2014-15.
In those years, the Royals made a push to win-now, acquiring Johnny Cueto for three players (John Lamb, Brandon Finnegan, and Cody Reed), and Ben Zobrist for pitchers Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks.
And sometimes the team makes very under-the-radar moves that end up being huge. Acquiring Jeff Montgomery for Van Snider. Getting John Mayberry for Lance Clemons and Jim York. Amos Otis for Joe Foy. Jermaine Dye and Jaime Walker for Michael Tucker and Keith Lockhart.
Peter Laviolette is set to become the next Kings coach, bringing championship experience to LA.
The Los Angeles Kings are turning to one of the most experienced coaches in NHL history.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, the Kings have hired Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, ending a search that reportedly could have also led him to openings with the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs.
Peter Laviolette is set to become the next Kings coach, bringing championship experience to LA. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Instead, the 61-year-old will head to Los Angeles, bringing with him nearly three decades of coaching experience and one of the most accomplished resumes in the sport.
Over the years, Laviolette has served as head coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and now the Kings.
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) controls the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks AP
Now he inherits a Kings roster that has reached the postseason four consecutive years but has struggled to break through in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is betting that Laviolette’s championship pedigree and playoff experience can help push the franchise beyond its recent ceiling and back into Stanley Cup contention.
This story is still developing and will be updated.
The NCAA Transfer Portal opened on June 1 for college baseball and will close on June 30. Through the first week or so of the portal, there’s already plenty of talent. Below you’ll find the top 25 overall players who have entered their names so far, as of June 8.
While the portal is open, the season is still ongoing. The College World Series will get underway in Omaha on Friday, June 12.
For a full rundown of college baseball’s transfer portal, bookmark On3’s tracker with the latest entries and commitments. On3 also has the latest intel on players in the portal.
Bino Watters has been one of the ACC’s most productive hitters in his two seasons at Notre Dame. As a freshman in 2025, he hit .317 with nine home runs and a .984 OPS, driving in 39 runs with 26 strikeouts to 32 walks.
This season, Watters broke out even more. In 2026, he hit .362 with 10 homers and 51 RBI. He finished with a 1.057 OPS. He’s our top-ranked transfer at this point.
2026 was Nate Savoie’s first at Clemson, and he had quite the season. He hit .329 in 57 games with the Tigers, belting 16 home runs with 52 RBI in addition to a 1.009 OPS.
Savoie was also a star in 2025 at Loyola Marymount. In his two-year career, he’s hitting .316 with 36 home runs.
Landon Hood was one of the best pitchers in the country this season at Gonzaga. While he only made four starts, he tossed 54.1 innings as a key piece of the Gonzaga bullpen.
In 16 appearances, Hood posted a 2.48 ERA with 78 strikeouts to just 21 walks. He finished the season with five saves. He’s already committed to LSU.
Jackson Hotchkiss is one of the best power bats available in the college baseball transfer portal right now. He took an enormous step forward in 2026 after hitting .241 with six homers as a freshman in 2025.
This season, Hotchkiss hit .339 with 20 home runs and 47 RBI. He’s also stolen 16 bases through his two seasons.
Brody Trosclair is one of the most intriguing players available to this point. The lefthander just wrapped up his freshman season at Northwestern State, posting a 1.89 ERA in 10 appearances (four starts).
Trosclair tossed 38 innings in 2026, striking out 55 batters with just 11 walks. He earned First Team All-Southland Conference and Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year honors as a freshman.
Another intriguing left-hander, Cayden Suchy was the Big East Pitcher of the Year in 2026 at UConn. He made 14 starts and threw 82.1 innings, with one complete game.
Suchy posted a 2.84 ERA in 2026. He struck out 94 batters with just 23 walks on the season.
Hunter Ray made some real noise in 2026. The FDU outfielder was the NEC Player of the Year after finishing second in the country with 32 home runs.
Ray didn’t just hit for power, as he finished with a .345 average this season. He drove in 81 runs and also stole 24 bases, making him a well-rounded and coveted bat in college baseball’s portal.
Eli Stephens hit .267 in limited action as a freshman in 2025 at Mercer, but he broke out in 2026. The sophomore catcher hit .374 this season, belting 20 home runs with 64 RBI.
Stephens was a big part of Mercer’s success in 2026. He finished with an OPS of 1.224. He’s committed to Georgia Tech.
Jon Embury was one of the nation’s top catchers in 2026, finishing as a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award. He hit .364 this season with 17 home runs and 60 RBI.
Embury finished the season with a 1.084 OPS. He also hit 13 doubles. And Embury has already committed to Florida for 2027.
AJ Evasco has had two productive seasons at Kansas State. As a freshman in 2025, he hit .311 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI.
Evasco improved his average to .348 in 2026, while he hit eight homers and 51 RBI. So far across his two seasons, he’s a career .330 hitter with 19 homers, 103 RBI and a .949 OPS.
