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Orioles vs. Rays discussion

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 16: Christian Encarnacion-Strand #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates a two RBI double in the top of the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on August 16, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Orioles will play the fourth and final game of the series tonight in Tampa Bay. Wrap-around weekend series are rare these days. So are four-game sweeps of first place teams. Baltimore can’t control its schedule, but it can dictate the results on the field tonight.

The O’s won a pair of one-run games before thumping the Rays 10-2 on Sunday. They’ll look to finish the job this evening against Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.09 ERA).

Tyler O’Neill will play right field and bat leadoff against the lefty. He’ll be followed by designated hitter Pete Alonso and second baseman Jackson Holliday. Coby Mayo will bat cleanup and play first base.

Gunnar Henderson will look to ride a recent hot streak from the five hole. Christian Encarnacion-Strand will handle the hot corner, and Jeremiah Jackson will play left field. Christian Franklin will play center field and bat ninth. Carlos Narváez will hit eighth and catch Brandon Young.

Young (9-3, 3.33 ERA) is looking for his 10th win of the season. The majority of Baltimore’s high-leverage relievers should be available following yesterday’s blowout win.

Orioles lineup

  1. T O’Neill (R) RF
  2. P Alonso (R) DH
  3. J Holliday (L) 2B
  4. C Mayo (R) 1B
  5. G Henderson (L) SS
  6. C Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B
  7. J Jackson (R) LF
  8. C Narváez (R) C
  9. C Franklin (R) CF

Starter: RHP Brandon Young (9-3, 3.33 ERA)

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Za’Darius Smith free agency update: Could spurn Browns for former coach

Aug 4, 2024; Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) points during practice at the Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Uh, oh. Here we go again, perhaps.

Sunday afternoon, we covered a report that former Cleveland Browns DE Za’Darius Smith was expected to rejoin the team after a visit to Berea. Smith seemed a bit confused by that report, as he commented on social media that he had another workout lined up with another team before deleting that comment.

DE Jared Verse talked on Monday about the potential addition of Smith and getting to pick the veteran’s brain.

Previously, the Browns brought in another former defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, and seemed interested in signing him before the former first overall pick returned to the Houston Texans instead.

Could things be repeating themselves, this time with a bit of Kevin Stefanski revenge added to it?

Stefanski was fired in Cleveland following the 2025 season and quickly hired as the Atlanta Falcons head coach during the cycle that brought Todd Monken in to coach the Browns. According to Mary Kay Cabot, who had the initial report that Smith would sign back in Ohio, the team thought they had a deal done:

As noted, Smith could help fill a big need for the Falcons and rejoin Stefanski instead of rejoining Cleveland, where he played for Stefanski for almost two years before being traded.

In his 11 years in the NFL, Smith compiled 343 tackles, 176 QB hits, 87 tackles for loss, and 70.5 sacks.

Do you want Smith to return to the Browns? Would his joining Stefanski instead of Cleveland bother you even more than Clowney choosing the Texans?

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Buss family reportedly to sell remaining shares of Lakers to new owners

It's truly the end of an era.

The Buss family has agreed to sell its remaining 17.8% of the Lakers to the team's incoming owners, Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and since confirmed by multiple sources.

When the Buss family first sold its majority stake to Mark Walter last year, the family retained that 17.8%, enough for Jeanie Buss to remain on as Governor for the next five years, something written into the sales agreement. Now, without the ownership stake required by the league, Buss will no longer serve that role. Most likely, Iger will fill that role, he has been the face of the new ownership, although it could be Kushner.

There are six Buss family members in the trust — Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss, Johnny Buss, Janie Buss, Joey Buss, and Jesse Buss (all children of the late owner Jerry Buss) — and four of them had to vote to ask for this. The other five Buss family members approached Jeanie, asking to sell the remaining stake, reports Yaron Weitzman (who wrote a book on the Lakers). The family released this statement to ESPN.

"We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction. We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can."

This is the real end of an era. Jerry Buss bought the Lakers — along with the Fabulous Forum, where the team played through the Showtime era, as well as the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL — in 1979. Jerry Buss was an innovative owner who realized long before others that the league was selling an entertainment product. That led to innovations like a dance team, the Laker Girls, as well as in-arena music during the games and breaks, and much more.

As everything around the league changed and evolved, the Buss family ownership of the Lakers did not — and the team thrived under their ownership. The team won 11 championships under 46 years of Buss ownership, appeared in many more NBA Finals, and evolved into an iconic brand, the biggest one in the sport.

They did that because of all the stars who came through under their watch: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, up through LeBron James.

After all that stability, the Lakers have now been sold twice in 14 months. First to Mark Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, as Walter is staring down a federal and SEC investigation into potential fraud tied to insurance companies in his holdings — as well as the sports teams he owns and their valuations — he reportedly needed to pay down debt. Selling the Lakers may have been how he got that cash.

One thing to watch out for: Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka recently got a contract extension and isn't going anywhere soon, but Jeanie Buss was his friend and protector within the organization. With her gone, his safety net is gone.

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Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals – Rhett Lowder vs. Andre Pallante

St. Louis Cardinals v Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds lost to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier on Monday, and surprisingly it was not due to the work of lefty Kent Emanuel.

The 34 year old journeyman was effectively plucked out of independent league ball to make this start, as the Reds got him, sent him to AAA Louisville to start once, and then rolled him out there today. He more than rewarded them by lasting 5.0 IP and allowing just 2 ER, and instead it was (once again) the putrid Cincinnati offense that backed him by scoring just a lone run in a 2-1 loss.

That means the Reds have scored 1, 1, 4, 0, 1, 9 (!), 0, 4, 1, 2, 3 runs in their last 10 contests. Good luck winning with that!

It’ll be Rhett Lowder who’ll next try to get the opponent to score -1 runs so the Reds can try to win zero to negative one, as he’ll start the evening half of Monday’s doubleheader against the Birds. Veteran Andre Pallante will start for St. Louis, with first pitch set for 6:40 PM ET.

Here’s how the Reds will line up to start Game 2 of the day:

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Igor Shesterkin Still Considered Among NHL’s Top Goaltenders Despite Rangers’ Struggles

Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Despite the New York Rangers’ struggles over the past two seasons, Igor Shesterkin is still widely considered to be one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL.

Shesterkin ranked No. 3 on NHL Network’s top 10 goalies list heading into the 2026-27 season. 

The only two goaltenders to be ranked ahead of Shesterkin are Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck. 

The other goaltenders on this list include Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, Logan Thompson, Jake Oettinger, Dan Vldar, Jesper Wallstedt, and Jakub Dobeš. 

This past season, the 31-year-old goaltender recorded a 25-19-6 record, a .912 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals against average. 

“I could play way better, for sure,” Shesterkin said of his 2025-26 performance. “I was a little bit shocked when I checked my numbers. I was a little bit upset about it, but still it was top-four, top-five (in save percentage). I cannot say that’s pretty good, but still.”

During the 2024-25 season, Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with the Rangers, making him the highest paid goalie in the NHL, which still stands today.

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Yankees to activate Carlos Rodón Tuesday night against Orioles

DETROIT, MI - JUNE 22: New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón (55) pitches in the first inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the New York Yankees on Monday June 22, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Yankees announced today that Carlos Rodón will make his return from the injured list tomorrow night. Out since June 28th with left elbow inflammation, the left-hander will start in the first game of this week’s three-game set with the Orioles.

Rodón made two rehab starts in the lead-up to his return, looking particularly sharp in his most recent outing, striking out seven and allowing two hits in 4.1 shutout innings for Somerset on August 13th. He was limited to 58 pitches in that start, so expect him to be on a fairly restrictive pitch count tomorrow night.

The Yankees desperately need offensive reinforcements, but they’ll take anything they can get right now. Rodón’s return should further deepen what’s been the best pitching staff in the league, though how the roster shakes out remains to be seen. The most obvious candidate to be bumped out of the rotation is Will Warren, who has been outpitched over the course of the summer by his mid-rotation mate Ryan Weathers. Warren would’ve been on full rest for tomorrow night, so perhaps he could be involved in a piggyback sort of setup as the Yankees try to slowly increase Rodón’s pitch count.

Rodón had a 3.30 ERA in nine starts and 46 innings before hitting the shelf in June. His season had already been abbreviated by offseason elbow surgery, his season debut not coming until May 10th in Milwaukee. Though injuries have ensured this hasn’t been the kind of campaign Rodón envisioned, he’s been effective when healthy and would give the Yankees a downright super rotation if he can pitch as he did earlier year.

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Mets Notes: David Stearns on Kodai Senga's success as reliever, Jorge Polanco's outlook at first base

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns discussed several topics ahead of Monday's game against the Padres...

Senga's new role as a high-leverage reliever

Stearns spoke on Kodai Senga, who has served as the team's closer in the place of the injured Devin Williams. This August, Senga has not allowed a single run across five outings, each lasting one full inning, and has picked up the first three saves of his career in the process.

"Kodai has done a great job," said Stearns. "He's adjusted very well, and it's not just in the performance, it's also in how he's getting ready for those performances. It's not the easiest transition to make."

However, it appears that Stearns isn't yet convinced to hand Senga the closer role moving forward, both when Williams returns from injury and looking ahead to next season.

"I'm excited for [Senga] that he's doing this right now. From a future perspective, we'll [look at that] later," Stearns stated.

No expectation for Polanco to play first base

Looking ahead to 2027, Stearns was asked whether he wants to see Jorge Polanco play first base between now and the end of the season, with an eye on finding a solution at that problem position for the Mets defense.

"I don't think we need to see that," he replied. "The most important thing is getting [Polanco] on a path to be physically in a much better place in 2027 than he has been this season."

Polanco has played in just 36 of the Mets' 125 games this season, and was sidelined from April 18 to July 7 with left Achilles bursitis, as well as a wrist injury.

Pushing the limits of the young starting pitchers

Stearns has been encouraged by the strong performances of New York's trio of rookie starters: Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton. 

He explained that he wants to see each of them continue to challenge themselves to push deep into ballgames ahead of the season's end.

"We don't, frankly, have innings limits or innings guides," said Stearns. "It's more about continuing to evaluate how each individual pitcher is feeling, how they're recovering, and at this point we're in a good spot with all of them.

"They're solidifying themselves as pitchers at the major-league level, and that's important for us going forward."

Stearns' approach to prospect integration and development

Finally, following a whirlwind trade deadline which saw the Mets bolster their prospect ranks with the acquisition of infielders Jefferson Rojas and Sammy Stafura (among others), Stearns outlined his vision for what a successful Mets farm system looks like. 

"So much of it is making them feel welcome, putting them in the best position to succeed, and allowing their talents to speak for themselves. It's important to get to know the player and the person, trying to be patient, allowing our coaches and player development staff to get quality time with them."

Stearns is proud of the performances of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, who are setting the standard for what successful prospect promotion to the big leagues looks like.

"I think we have gotten development at the major-league level in terms of seeing progress from young players, and it's very encouraging for us to see them perform," Stearns concluded.

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Canadiens Young Forward Ready To Break Out

The Montreal Canadiens have many promising young players. Among them is forward Zachary Bolduc, as the 23-year-old has had a nice start to his NHL career.

Bolduc has shown promise early on during his NHL career. During the 2024-25 season with the St. Louis Blues, he recorded 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points in 72 games. He followed that up by posting 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games during his first season with Montreal in 2025-26. 

Overall, in his first two full NHL seasons, Bolduc has shown that he can provide solid secondary offensive production and grit. Yet, it would not be surprising if he takes another step forward this campaign.

Bolduc has the tools to emerge as a top-six winger, and the Canadiens have a spot to fight for on their second line. With that, it would be huge if the 2021 first-round pick sees an increase in offensive production this campaign.

It is going to be very interesting to see what kind of season Bolduc can have for the Habs in 2026-27. There is a lot to like about his game, and it would be great for Montreal if he breaks out and becomes a true top-six forward. 

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Oneil Cruz set to return to Pirates after serious hand injury

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (15) reacts as he round the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Chicago Cubs Saturday evening at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co

After missing the past two months and stints on both the 10 and 60-day IL, Oneil Cruz is back.

The Pirates activated Cruz to the 26-man roster on Monday following a fractured left hand injury.

Cruz hasn’t played since he suffered the injury on June 7 in Atlanta and missed 58 games during the heart of summer. 

He appeared in six minor league games between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis over the last two weeks before returning to Pittsburgh for final evaluation.

The Pirates also activated reliever Yohan Ramirez off the paternity list and optioned left-handed starter/reliever Hunter Barco and outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A. 

Cruz is not in the lineup as the Pirates begin the first of three games against the Detroit Tigers to begin the back half of a six-game home stand. 

Left-handed Framber Valdez will start for Detroit, but Cruz is batting .312 with a .361 on-base percentage and .506 slugging in 77 at-bats against lefties this season.

In 64 games, Cruz is slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS. He was on pace for his first 30/30 season with 14 home runs and 21 steals before the halfway point.

Inconsistency and struggles against lefties plagued Cruz in 2025, while the injury ripped apart what has been his best season in the majors.

His 44 RBIs still rank fourth on the team, and the offense has significantly missed his power and speed either leading off or in the middle of the lineup. 

It may be a little too late for the Pirates, who are 61-65 and sit 6.5 games out of the final wild card.

The Pirates are looking up at the Cardinals, Marlins, and Diamondbacks as the Phillies and Padres (67-58) are tied for the last two NL playoff seeds.

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Rockies DFA Michael Lorenzen, recall TJ Shook

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 15: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies looks on prior to the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, August 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Today, the Colorado Rockies announced that the have designated for assignment RHP Michael Lorenzen and recalled RHP TJ Shook.

Lorenzen, 34, joined the Rockies as a free-agent signing for the 2026 season on a one-year, $8 million deal. The contract includes a $9 million club option for the 2027 season.

However, he has struggled since joining the team. He currently has a 7.08 ERA in 115.2 IP. Despite his diverse pitch arsenal, Lorenzen has been unable to adjust since joining the Rockies. He also had a 4.59 FIP and a 1.88 WHIP.

Earlier today, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer confirmed that Tanner Gordon will take Lorenzen’s place in the rotation, according to Christian Saez.

In a second roster move, the Rockies have recalled TJ Shook from Triple-A Albuquerque. This season, Shook has a 3.02 ERA in 42.7 IP. This includes an 8.50 K/9. Current, players facing Shook have an OPS of .737.

He was first promoted in June 2026 after being selected by the Rockies in the Minor League Phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft from the New York Mets.

The Rockies have 37 players on the 40-man roster.

Purple Row will continue to follow this developing story.

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Jeanie Buss’ siblings got the last laugh in family’s sale of the Lakers

EL SEGUNDO, CA - AUGUST 10: Jim Buss and his sister Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a news conference where Dwight Howard was introduced as the newest member of the team at the Toyota Sports Center on August 10, 2012 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers acquired Howard from Orlando Magic in a four-team trade. In addition Lakers will receive Chris Duhon and Earl Clark from the Magic. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It turns out burning bridges with all of your siblings might come back to haunt you.

On Monday, the Buss Family Trust agreed to sell its remaining nearly 18% of the Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, a surprising final twist in the family’s ownership of the team. Whatever Hollywood-esque storyline you can come up with about how this played out probably won’t live up to the finale that played out.

According to reporting from Dave McMenamin of ESPN, an emergency meeting of the siblings was called last week where Jeanie tried one last power play.

While this could be connecting dots that aren’t there, the four-year timeframe would align with Jeanie’s agreement with Mark Walter to remain governor for at least five years. The initial word from Bob Iger was that the new owners intended to honor that agreement.

However, Jeanie’s fraught history with her siblings came back to bite her as there was a reason for the emergency meeting. As it turns out, the family executed the tag-along clause, which allows minority owners to join the sale if a majority owner sells.

The other Buss siblings took the chance to cash in on the sale and, in the process, oust Jeanie as governor.

What an incredible bit of drama. I’d say to bring back “Winning Time” so that we could eventually see this play out on screen, but this feels like something straight out of “Succession” anyway.

Truly, it couldn’t be scripted any better.

Jeanie thought she had the final say by siding with Mark Walter on the sale, securing her spot as team governor and firing the last members of her family from the team over the last year. As it turns out, the dominoes had already started falling, as Walter had his own issues with the federal government that may have prompted the sale, leading us to this point.

Imagine the siblings’ realization when it dawned on them that they could not only pocket another couple hundred million dollars but also force Jeanie out in the process.

It’s a show that’d win all the awards in Hollywood.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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MLB wild card standings today: Who would complete playoff field?

The MLB playoff picture is starting to tighten, and the wild card races remain the easiest place for the standings to change in a hurry.

With division leaders trying to create separation and bubble teams fighting to stay above the cut line, the American League and National League wild-card standings carry major postseason implications every day. A single series can swing a team from holding a playoff spot to looking up at the field, especially with several contenders clustered closely together in the race for October.

With weeks still left on the schedule, there is plenty of room for movement among teams currently in playoff position, teams just outside the field and clubs trying to turn a late-season push into a playoff berth.

Here's the latest MLB wild card standings and playoff picture, including teams on each side of the postseason cut line, heading into prime-time action on Monday, Aug. 17.

MORE: Five series that could impact MLB playoff race, including a Chicago showdown

MLB playoff picture: Who would make playoffs if season ended today?

American League playoff field

National League playoff field

Current matchups in American League

  • Orioles at Astros; Red Sox at Yankees
  • Rays and White Sox would have byes to AL division series

Current matchups in National League

  • Padres at Dodgers; Phillies at Cubs
  • Brewers and Braves would have byes to NL division series

American League wild card standings

Top three wild card teams make the postseason:

  • New York Yankees — 69-55 (+8 games)
  • Boston Red Sox — 66-58 (+5 games)
  • Baltimore Orioles — 61-63 (—)
  • Texas Rangers — 61-64 (½ game back)
  • Toronto Blue Jays — 61-65 (1 game back)
  • Detroit Tigers — 60-64 (1 game back)
  • Minnesota Twins — 60-65 (1½ games back)
  • Cleveland Guardians — 60-65 (1½ games back)
  • Seattle Mariners — 59-66 (2½ games back)

National League wild card standings

Top three wild card teams make the postseason:

MLB wild card tiebreaker rules

Ties between two teams, per MLB.com:

  1. Head-to-head record
  2. Intradivision record
  3. Intraleague record
  4. Last half of intraleague games: These are the records from intraleague games after the All-Star break.
  5. Last half of intraleague games plus one: Previous intraleague game on the schedule before All-Star break is used and process is repeated until tie is resolved.

When do MLB playoffs start?

  • Wild-card series: Tuesday, Sept. 29 through Thursday, Oct. 1
  • Division series: Saturday, Oct. 3 through Saturday, Oct. 10
  • Championship series: Sunday, Oct. 11 through Tuesday, Oct. 20
  • World Series: Friday, Oct. 23 through Saturday, Oct. 31

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB wild card standings today: Who would complete playoff field?

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Expert Names 2 Flyers Prospects Under Pressure Heading Into Next Season

With how controversial their drafting has been, and with how little they have added externally this offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers are relying almost solely on internal development to take the next step in their rebuild.

That, in turn, places a lot of pressure on the young players the Flyers already have. Matvei Michkov, for example, is heading into a contract year, and expectations for Tyson Foerster will be greater after signing an eight-year contract extension earlier this offseason that will carry a $7.1 million cap hit once it kicks in.

Elsewhere in the system, though, the Flyers will hope for (and need) development from their less-established prospects.

Recent trade acquisition David Jiricek is now playing for this third organization since being drafted by Columbus in 2022, and while he is the favorite to secure an NHL job with the Flyers this season, that could change with even a minor slip-up in preseason or training camp.

Kareem Elshafey of EliteProspects put together his list of 10 former first-round picks who are under the most pressure to perform next season, and Jiricek made the cut as the only defenseman of the group.

"There’s a reason why he was drafted so high – he’s a right-handed defender with size, offensive ability, and can defend in tight spaces well. However, the shortfalls in his game have been such a hindrance that it has caused those features to become irrelevant for the most part. His much-discussed skating deficiencies aren’t exaggerated and are the source of lots of issues Jiricek has," Elshafey said of Jiricek.

Flyers Have Interesting Trade Target to Consider in Former Sharks 1st-Round PickFlyers Have Interesting Trade Target to Consider in Former Sharks 1st-Round PickThe Philadelphia Flyers must consider trying to tempt the San Jose Sharks into parting ways with prospect Filip Bystedt.

"In space, he’s vulnerable to getting beat by opposing skaters because of the concerns regarding his acceleration, lateral quickness, and transitions in and out of pivots. It shrinks the margin of error dramatically, as one wrong step or decision isn’t something he can easily recover from. Similarly, his defensive sense and decision-making have only compounded the problems in his own zone." 

Now, Elshafey did note that Jiricek, despite being only 22 years old, can't keep bouncing around teams hoping for an opportunity based on his talent forever, but the Flyers have done well with this kind of thing before.

Ryan Poehling was a directionless former first-round pick before becoming a legitimately good bottom-six center in Philadelphia, and the Flyers were able to flip him and a draft pick for Trevor Zegras, who scored a career-high 67 points last season after becoming an outcast in Anaheim.

Jamie Drysdale was hurtling towards bust territory even after the Flyers traded for him, but steady, large gains year over year have made him one of the better two-way defenders in the NHL.

Sean Walker was a throw-in in the Ivan Provorov trade, but the Flyers turned him into a machine before eventually flipping him for a first-round pick at the 2024 NHL trade deadline.

Dan Vladar was an unproven, injury=prone backup before last year, and now he is considered a top-10 goalie in the NHL by national media. Travis Sanheim would be a St. Louis Blue if it weren't for Torey Krug. The list goes on.

Will Flyers Afford Jiricek Same Time, Patience As Drysdale?Will Flyers Afford Jiricek Same Time, Patience As Drysdale?The Philadelphia Flyers have only one path to getting the most out of David Jiricek: doing the same thing they did with Jamie Drysdale.

Another Flyer on Elshafey's list is center prospect Jett Luchanko, who finds his way here under very different circumstances.

The 2024 first-round pick was widely considered a reach when he was drafted 13th overall two years ago due to his perceived lack of offensive ability and the availability of other options, namely Konsta Helenius and Zeev Buium, on the draft board.

Luchanko is likely to be a full-time NHLer at some point, but the arrow is pointing more towards bottom-six forward than top-six forward, and the young speedster is running out of time to show that this trend will shift.

"There are flashes of playmaking, and to a much lesser extent goal-scoring, but those plays are largely built on his skating, meaning there’s not a whole bunch of variety in how he creates plays or space. Though Luchanko made the Flyers roster out of camp just a few months after being selected, it was clear that he wasn’t quite ready for that. The same thing happened the following season, and since then, he’s been just fine in the OHL and in a depth role at the World Juniors," Elshafey said of Luchanko.

"It would be a surprise if Luchanko didn’t become an everyday NHLer in some role due to his skating and never-ending motor, but whether he can produce enough offence to become a top-six forward is an entirely different question. Realizing that upside hinges on how much he can expand his offensive arsenal, and he’ll have to take steps in that direction this season."

The Flyers do not expect to have Luchanko back in the NHL again unless, or until, he proves that he is one of their 12 best forwards. Meaning, he isn't going to stick on the roster as an extra who will rotate in on occasion.

The 19-year-old is turning pro this season and is more than likely going to spend the year with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Exclusive Q&A: Flyers GM Danny Briere on Matthew Schaefer's Calder, Top Prospects, and Free AgencyExclusive Q&A: Flyers GM Danny Briere on Matthew Schaefer's Calder, Top Prospects, and Free AgencyIn an interview with The Hockey News, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere discusses his top prospects, former players, free agency, and more.

In 2025, Luchanko managed three assists in nine regular season games with the Phantoms, then added six assists in seven Calder Cup playoff games.

But, between those 16 AHL games, eight NHL regular season games, and an NHL playoff game, Luchanko has yet to score a goal, and that is the de facto biggest weakness in his game right now.

If he couldn't do it against players his age or younger at the junior level, it's unlikely Luchanko will flip a switch and do it against bigger, stronger, better, and more experienced players in the NHL, but time will have the final say.

Both Jiricek and Luchanko have clear paths to making a massive impact for the Flyers in the long run, but what happens next will ultimately be decided by them.

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MLB Power Rankings: Brewers make statement against Dodgers, Joshua Báez is here

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we highlight the Brewers’ series win over the Dodgers, Joshua Báez’s historic debut, the suddenly slumping Red Sox, the ridiculous AL playoff picture, what’s up with Paul Skenes, and much more.

As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.

Let’s get into it!

⇒ Check out this week’s waiver wire recommendations in fantasy baseball

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, August 17

1) Milwaukee Brewers

Last week: 1

The Brewers were our top team last week, but they only reinforced that position by taking three out of four from the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The highlights included a comeback win against Edwín Diaz on Thursday and Jacob Misiorowski striking out both Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman to escape a bases-loaded jam on Saturday.

2) Tampa Bay Rays

Last week: 2

After going 9-0 for their best roadtrip in franchise history, the Rays made their triumphant return home only to drop the first three games of their series against the Orioles. Of course that happened. Still, the Rays remain in strong position in the AL East as they welcome Shane McClanahan back from the injured list on Monday.

3) Atlanta Braves ⬆️

Last week: 4

Braves fans wanted more than Tyler Mahle to strengthen their rotation at the deadline, but he’s been an impact addition so far with just one run allowed and an 18/2 K/BB ratio in 12 innings across his first two starts. The Braves actually own the best rotation ERA (2.92) in the NL since the All-Star break. Only the Yankees (2.69 ERA) have been better in MLB.

4) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬇️

Last week: 3

Kyle Tucker went 0-for-19 during the Dodgers’ homestand against the Brewers and Royals, which now gives him a shocking .558 OPS at home this season compared to an .840 OPS on the road. With the boos raining down, Dave Roberts had Tucker on the bench on Saturday. Back in the lineup on Sunday, Tucker whiffed on this fly ball he really should have caught in the ninth inning. All will be forgiven if Tucker ends up being a postseason hero, but he appears to be in his own head right now.

5) Chicago Cubs

Last week: 5

The Cubs dropped two out of three to the Cardinals over the weekend. In addition to Edward Cabrera getting knocked around in his return from the IL on Sunday, they lost Dansby Swanson due to an oblique strain.

6) New York Yankees

Last week: 6

After being held to two runs over their previous three games, the Yankees managed to pull out Sunday’s finale against the Blue Jays. Still, the state of the offense remains problematic. The Yankees are last in the majors in batting average (.202) and runs scored (77) since the All-Star break. There’s at least some reason for optimism, though, as Cody Bellinger is closing in on a rehab assignment and Aaron Judge is starting to do some light baseball activities.

7) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️

Last week: 9

If you build it, Kyle Schwarber will mash a home run. In something that wasn’t scripted but simply the fate of the universe, Schwarber homered to lead off the Field of Dreams Game last Thursday.

8) San Diego Padres ⬆️

Last week: 11

With their superstars performing like superstars, the Padres lead the majors in batting average (.276) and OPS (.803) since the All-Star break. They are 19-10 during that time

9) Boston Red Sox ⬇️

Last week: 7

Baseball gonna baseball. Coming off an insane 27-3 stretch, the Red Sox have dropped seven out of their last nine games. A letdown was inevitable, but it’s fair to question if this offense has what it takes.

10) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 10

Yes, yes, the White Sox swept the Tigers this weekend, but let’s not kid ourselves, the real story from the past week is the "Pope Hats." The original plan was for only 2,500 hats to be available for the fan giveaway in honor of noted White Sox fan Pope Leo, but they ended up handing out 40,000 of them.

We often see viral moments of fans fighting, which is why this “Peace Be With You” greeting among fans was so dang refreshing.

Let's try this with Eagles and Cowboys fans soon. What could go wrong?

11) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬇️

Last week: 8

Brandon Pfaadt has been nothing short of incredible since being recalled from Triple-A in late June, posting a ridiculous 1.15 ERA and 30/7 K/BB ratio across in his nine starts. The Diamondbacks are 8-1 in those starts, the latest being seven scoreless frames against the Braves as he outdueled Chris Sale.

12) Houston Astros

Last week: 12

The Astros lost two out of three to the Mariners this weekend, but Friday’s walk-off victory was as dramatic as it gets.

13) Baltimore Orioles ⬆️

Last week: 20

After taking the first three games of their series against the Rays, the Orioles somehow begin the week in playoff position. The American League is ridiculous, and maybe not in a good way.

My favorite quote of the week belongs to Pete Alonso, who got his first-ever start out of the leadoff spot on Friday.

May we all strive to be “Schwarber adjacent.”

14) Miami Marlins

Last week: 14

Much like the Orioles, the Marlins are hanging around in the playoff race despite being more in the category of a “seller” at the deadline. Eury Pérez is a major reason they’ve hung around, with back-to-back scoreless outings under his belt. The 23-year-old owns a sterling 1.80 ERA over 10 starts since returning from the IL.

15) St. Louis Cardinals ⬆️

Last week: 16

Will Joshua Báez’s MLB debut ever be topped? What would it take? A perfect game for a pitcher? Either way, the bar has officially been set.

With Báez complementing an emerging Jordan Walker and NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner JJ Wetherholt, the future looks bright in St. Louis.

16) Texas Rangers ⬇️

Last week: 13

The Rangers just blew a massive opportunity by losing five out of seven while making stops in Anaheim and Sacramento. Despite that, they are a half-game behind the Orioles for the final Wild Card spot. Redemption is possible this week with the Nationals and Angels on the schedule. Most importantly for the Rangers, they have to hope that Jacob deGrom is healthy after he left Thursday’s start early due to triceps fatigue.

17) Toronto Blue Jays ⬆️

Last week: 24

While the Blue Jays dropped Sunday’s finale to the Yankees, they’ve somehow played themselves back into the fray in the AL Wild Card race. Their schedule the rest of the way is quite favorable, so they can’t be ruled out.

18) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️

Last week: 21

My “Paul Skenes is fine” t-shirt has a lot of being asking if Paul Skenes is fine. After Skenes topped out at just 96.5 mph with his heater last Tuesday against the Marlins, the Pirates have pushed his next start back to Wednesday.

The situation with Skenes has taken up a lot of oxygen over the past week, but how about some appreciation for what Braxton Ashcraft pulled off against the Marlins last Thursday? A complete game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts on just 85 pitches. What the heck? Since pitch tracking first began in 1988, Ashcraft is the first pitcher to throw nine innings with 10 strikeouts on 85 or fewer pitches.

19) Detroit Tigers ⬇️

Last week: 15

It’s foolish to say the Tigers are done — points feverishly at everything going on in the AL — but it’s not looking good after getting swept by the White Sox and losing Riley Greene in the process.

20) Minnesota Twins ⬇️

Last week: 18

Similar to the Tigers, the Twins are also coming off a weekend sweep and find themselves at 4-10 this month.

21) Cleveland Guardians ⬇️

Last week: 19

The Guardians continue to go in the wrong direction, as they’ve now lost 17 out of their last 23 games. On the bright side, on Saturday we saw Cleveland became the third AL team (and 11th MLB franchise) to reach 10,000 wins in franchise history.

22) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 23

Cal Raleigh has had a devil of a time this season — and that's putting it lightly — but his solo homer proved to the the difference in the Mariners’ win over the Astros on Sunday Night Baseball.

Nothing like the Crawford Boxes to function as a confidence-booster. What’s done is done, but Raleigh has a chance to change the conversation during the stretch run.

23) Cincinnati Reds ⬇️

Last week: 22

Hunter Greene ended up needing Tommy John surgery last week, so he can be ruled out for the entire 2027 campaign. Chase Burns has emerged as a legitimate ace this season, but it’s a demoralizing loss for this franchise.

24) Washington Nationals ⬇️

Last week: 17

The biggest news for the Nationals in recent days is C.J. Abrams’ pending move to second base. It was inevitable, as Abrams has graded out among the worst defensive shortstops in the majors. Skilled defender Nasim Nuñez will take over shortstop duties for now, but the Nationals surely hope he’s merely keeping the position warm for top prospect Eli Willits. As for Abrams, it will be interesting to see what this means for him moving forward. He’s still a tremendous hitter, and has two years of team control remaining. He’s no stranger to trade rumors, so now teams will at least get a chance to see how he fares at second base down the stretch.

25) New York Mets

Last week: 25

If the Mets were in the American League, they’d have the third spot in Wild Card race. That’s a lie, but you probably thought about checking, didn’t you?

The Mets have won 9 out of 12 and are overflowing in good vibes at the moment. Even Kodai Senga is suddenly thriving.

26) San Francisco Giants

Last week: 26

If you love a good baseball nickname, get excited. The Giants are calling up the man they call “Tugboat” as they look toward who could help the 2027 club. Acquired from the Guardians in the Patrick Bailey trade earlier this year, Matt Wilkinson is a bit of a throwback as a soft-tossing left-hander. Who knows if it will work in the majors, but the Giants want to figure out whether he’s worth protecting in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.

Here’s hoping Wilkinson is successful, mostly because it would be pretty sweet to see some Tugboats accumulating in McCovey Cove.

27) Kansas City Royals

Last week: 27

Craig Kimbrel has seen some things in his illustrious career, so the look of sheer awe on his face from this diving Tyler Tolbert catch is something to behold.

28) Colorado Rockies ⬆️

Last week: 29

I asked in last week’s Power Rankings when Zac Veen would get his chance in the majors. Well, here he is. Veen has already slugged a couple of homers in four games, but he also showed off his speed on Sunday.

29) Athletics ⬇️

Last week: 28

Would you believe that another key member of the Athletics' lineup is injured? Tyler Soderstrom landed back on the IL on Sunday as he deals with lingering discomfort in his hip. With the A’s out of it, one wonders if he could be shut down for the remainder of the year.

30) Angels

Last week: 30

Ben Joyce casually throwing 104.5 mph while closing out games for the Angels, no big whoop.