ATHENS, GREECE - MAY 22: Tarik Biberovic, #13 of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul react during Semifinal A Olympiacos Piraeus vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as part of 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens at Telekom Center Athens on May 22, 2026 in Athens, Greece. (Photo by Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks aquired the 2023 draft rights to Tarik Biberović in their trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for forward Santi Aldama. According to a report from Marc Stein, the Mavericks will sign Biberović to a deal at some point today.
UPDATE: The trade to make him a Maverick is still pending, but league sources say Tarik Biberović has informed Fenerbahçe he’s leaving for the NBA.
After acquiring him from Memphis, Dallas is expected to sign Biberović to a two-year, $6 million deal with a team option in Year 2. https://t.co/Dx3BNoqq1i
Today was the deadline for Biberović to inform Fenerbahçe that he would be leaving the club, which results in a $2 million buyout that the Mavericks can only contribute $900,000 towards.
Reports have circulated for days, largely from European sources, that Biberović was leaving Fenerbahçe and would sign a two-year deal with $14 million over two years with a team option for year two. This reported 2 year, $6 million deal looks to be a fantastic gamble for the Dallas Mavericks.
Biberović is a 6’6” guard with a strong outside shot. According to various videos I’ve seen (one linked below), he’s improved his movement shooting a great deal. He brings strong positional size to a Dallas backcourt that could use the depth. He’s played with Fenerbahçe for 8 seasons, so one can assume he’s a seasoned professional at this point.
This is the kind of low-risk, high-reward gamble that Dallas Mavericks fans should be thrilled about. The Mavericks have somewhat limited options between draft capital and free agency options, so securing the rights to a fantastic European shooter is a fun dart throw.
Is he any good? I have no idea. His previous club is a consistent powerhouse, so playing at that level from an early age speaks to why he was drafted in the first place. Maybe he won’t get much time, or maybe he’ll be a key factor if Dallas makes a run for a play-in spot before the playoffs.
Why now? Why for Paul George, an aging but very expensive player? How is this bringing Boston closer to maximizing the prime years of Jayson Tatum and winning another ring?
"When I looked at our team and where the league was heading, looked at the way that we've finished the last couple years and at the unbelievable way we've played in the regular season in the last couple years, the path looked a little bit more challenging to me. I might be wrong. I'm not going to stand up here and be defensive about that, but the path looked a little bit more challenging, with 70% of our cap and such a high percent of our usage tied into two players (Brown and Tatum).
"The reality in this day and age at the NBA, and you could see it obviously with the last couple of champions ... you have to do a great job of building out depth that can hopefully replace the irreplaceable individual. And that's not an easy thing to do. And that's absolutely nothing against Jaylen. If you have Jaylen Brown on your team, you should feature him, you should use all those possessions and you should approach things that way. But I think the importance of depth and then obviously, we have to continue to work on ways to diversify our attack overall."
Stevens is not wrong on key underlying facts. Tatum and Brown are both on supermax contracts, and next season they would have taken up 70.4% of the team's salary cap, making it challenging to build out around them. Brown is up for a max contract extension on top of it, while it's possible Boston can trade George next season in the final year of his deal (once he picks up his $56.6 million player option, which he will). Both Tatum and Brown are high-usage players who are best with the ball in their hands. Recent champions have been built more around one elite star and depth (although the Spurs and Thunder challenge that). The draft picks coming back to Boston in this trade have real value.
All that doesn't explain the dismal return on this trade. More importantly, it doesn't open a path to competing for a title while Tatum, 28, is at his peak.
For the next two years, George makes essentially the same amount of money as Brown but, at age 36 and at this point in his career, is not nearly as good a player. Brown is coming off a career-best season when he was sixth in MVP voting and lifted the Celtics to the No. 2 seed in the East. George played in 37 games last season due to injury, and at this point in his career, when he plays, he looks like a good role player.
After two offseasons of cost-cutting, Chisholm said this trade was "not about the money at all," and he would spend to win. Stevens and Chisholm sold this as the right basketball move.
But it's hard to get there when this trade just made Philadelphia a legit contender to win the East, Detroit is only going to get better, Indiana will bounce back with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, and Boston got worse.
Stevens is going to try to build out a contender around Tatum, and maybe he can. But he already had a contender, a team that won a title, and he chose to move on from it for "optionality."
According to TVA Sports, the Montreal Canadiens have put pen to paper on a one-year, two-way deal with right-shot defenseman Reilly Walsh. The American-born 27-year-old blueliner was a third-round pick by the New Jersey Devils at the 2017 NHL draft (81st overall) but never really made it in the NHL, suiting up for only one game with the Devils, in which he collected an assist.
Once drafted, he went from the Chicago Steel in the USHL to Harvard in the NCAA, where he spent three seasons before turning pro and spending three seasons with the Devils’ AHL affiliate. He then spent one season with the Boston Bruins farm team in Providence before skating for the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, for a single campaign. In 304 AHL games, the 6-foot-185-pound blueliner put up 159 points and accumulated 121 penalty minutes.
After five seasons in the AHL, Walsh decided to head to the KHL for the 2025-26 season, where he suited up for the Kazakhstan-based Astana Barys. A team that only won 16 games last season, put up 54 points, and missed the playoffs by 15 points. As for Walsh himself, in 68 KHL games, he did put up 46 points, the fourth-highest total for a defenseman in the league behind Damir Sharipzyanov (67 points), Daniil Pylenkov (54 points), and Mitchell Miller (47 points).
This is a depth signing for the Habs and he will more than likely spend the year with the Laval Rocket, but his arrival will help make up for the fact that the AHL side will have to make do without Bryce Pickford for a while since the highly-touted prospect underwent shoulder surgery last week and will need to rehabilitate before starting his professional career.
George Moriarty, Detriot Al (Baseball), 1913. Creator: Harris & Ewing. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees, having existed for well over a century, have had more than their fair share of characters don their uniform. Some of them were stars like Yogi Berra, and some of them were role players like Billy Martin. It’s players like them that add some texture to the history of the team and of the game, reminding us that though we come to see the best of the best play, sometimes we stay for the interesting characters on the side. George Moriarty, known for combining an easygoing demeanor off the baseball diamond with a rough-and-tumble personality in the clubhouse, was one of those characters.
George Joseph Moriarty Born: July 7, 1885 (Chicago, IL) Died: April 8, 1964 (Miami, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1906-1908 (player)
George Moriarty was born in Chicago to a former semi-pro catcher, and dropped out of school at an early age to pursue baseball. He played in various semi-pro leagues around the city and even began his professional baseball career in 1901 at 16. He signed with the Davenport River Rats and the Rock Island Islanders in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He played in 110 games during the first of three seasons he would spend in the Three-I League. Moriarty was then moved to the Bloomington Blues in 1902 and, once again, to the Joliet Standards/Springfield Foot Trackers to play ball there in 1903. He hit .232 in 1902 and .222 in Joliet/Springfield. Moriarty took a job in Chicago toward the end of 1903, and in an exhibition game against the Cubs, Moriarty started a triple play at third base. The Cubs’ manager, Frank Selee, decided to give Moriarty a one-game tryout on the last day of the 1903 season.
On the day of the one-game tryout, those in the press box noted that Moriarty was nervous in his debut and went 0-for-5. Despite his poor performance at the plate, he managed to make another tryout with the Cubs in the spring of 1904.
The first four games for Moriarty in a Cubs uniform were strikingly bad, as he did not register a hit in 14 plate appearances, and his only time on base came on a walk. As a result, he was sent back to the minors, and after the Southern Association’s sale to Little Rock, he was sent to the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association.
Moriarty played 136 games and not only found his stride at the plate, batting .295 by season’s end, but he also began to earn his scrappy reputation. There were plenty of stories about the third baseman fighting those who gave him attitude with his bare hands while also continuing his excellent play on the field.
Moriarty led the league with 51 steals for Toledo in Class-A ball in 1905, and after that excellent year on the basepaths, he joined the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) when his contract was sold for the 1906 season. He played all over the field in his first season with New York at the age of 20, including second, third, left, and center field, finishing with a slash line of .234/.298/.340 in 65 games.
In 1907 with the Highlanders, Moriarty became a full-time utility player, registering 474 plate appearances while playing seven different positions. He also upped his play at the plate, moving from a .234 average to a .277 average, a .320 on-base percentage, and a .336 slugging percentage, all of which were better than the league average. His on-base and slugging percentages that year would remain career highs for the rest of his time on a baseball diamond.
Moriarty stayed in the same role in 1908 under managers Clark Griffith and Kid Elberfeld. He continued to get playing time, but his numbers dropped sharply, finishing at .236/.269/.276. Along with the drop in the individual numbers, the Highlanders finished dead last in the American League with a record of 51-103. They were 39.5 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers, and they finished 17 games behind the second-to-last place Washington Senators.
But for Moriarty, the end of the season resulted in some good news. The Highlanders had sold him to the top of the table: the Detroit Tigers.
Instead of being a utility player, Moriarty was made the team’s consistent third baseman. He helped the Tigers win another pennant in 1909, despite the team losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. And his time with the Tigers was when his reputation as a fighter grew from just a story here or there. He was willing to spar with anyone who stepped up.
Tigers legend Ty Cobb reportedly wanted to fight Moriarty, and, according to the Society for American Baseball Research, Moriarty promptly handed Cobb a baseball bat, saying he’d need it to even have a chance. Cobb did not take the challenge. But he was not the same player on the field as he was off of it, being known for his quiet and peaceful demeanor on the diamond.
Moriarty would play with Detroit for another five years from 1910 to 1915. His best year came in 1914 at the age of 29, when he played in 132 games and finished with a slash line of .254/.318/.323, the best of his time with the Tigers. He also remained a stalwart on defense, as he was throughout his career.
In the 1915 season, Moriarty played only 31 games, ultimately gave up his job at third base to 25-year-old Ossie Vitt, and spent the year assisting manager Hughie Jennings as a player-coach. The Tigers gave Moriarty his unconditional release that November.
The third baseman joined the Chicago White Sox in 1916 and, after going 1-for-5 as a pinch-hitter, Moriarty was released and was named manager of the Memphis Chickasaws in Memphis, TN. But after his managerial career in the minor leagues, he found his real calling in 1917 — umpiring.
Moriarty was a major league umpire from 1917 to 1940, with a break in 1927 and 1928 to take over as the Tigers’ manager after Ty Cobb. He finished after two seasons, when his contract expired, with a 150-157 record at the helm of the team. His Tigers finished fourth and sixth in the American League and eventually returned to umpiring, garnering plenty of stories along the way.
One of the most notable stories was when Moriarty came to the defense of future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg in the 1935 World Series, issuing numerous warnings to the Chicago Cubs bench to stop yelling antisemitic slurs at the Tigers slugger. When they did not listen and continued, he ejected three Cubs players, which ultimately resulted in a $200 fine from the league commissioner. That World Series was one of five he umpired (and was the crew chief for two of them), and he umpired the second-ever MLB All-Star Game in 1934 at the Polo Grounds, when the Giants’ Carl Hubbell famously struck out legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin all in a row.
Following his extensive major-league umpiring career, Moriarty worked as a scout, a writer, and in other roles, and spent the rest of his days in Miami, where he passed away on April 8, 1964, at the age of 79 due to kidney cancer. He was buried at Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Jun 18, 2026; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson speaks during a ceremony at New York City Hall after the championship parade. Brunson was the finals MVP. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
July 7, 1p.m. EST Update: According to the New York Post’s Jared Schwartz, Brunson has already undergone surgery, and it was on his left hand/wrist, not his right, as reported elsewhere. The recovery table, per Schwartz, is expected to be six to eight weeks.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is still less than a month removed from winning the NBA Finals, but he’s now getting ready for an offseason spent almost exclusively on the sidelines, according to SNY insider Ian Begley.
“SNY sources: Jalen Brunson will be recovering/rehabbing for at least two months following his surgery to repair injury in his right forearm/wrist area.
@KnicksFanTv reports that the procedure will happen on Tuesday. Brunson played through discomfort in the area during Finals run, per sources,“ Begley tweeted.
Knowing that Brunson dealt with an injury throughout the playoffs makes his run to the Finals even more impressive. This isn’t the first time Brunson has dealt with a wrist injury in his NBA career, but it appears the Knicks star will have to rehab once again.
The surgery will keep Brunson off of the court for the next two months, but the goal will be to have him ready for the start of the regular season. With the timeline for his recovery beginning today, this means he should be back to normal by the middle of September, which should mean he is ready for training camp towards the end of the month.
If there is a time to undergo a surgery like this, it’s now. Brunson will work every day during the offseason to get his body right, as the Knicks need him ready for action when training camp begins so that New York can prepare to win their second title in as many seasons.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 21, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers and superstar guard Donovan Mitchell have reportedly agreed to a new four-year $273 million contract extension according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
BREAKING: Cleveland Cavaliers All-NBA star Donovan Mitchell has agreed on a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker, CAA's Co-Head of Basketball, Austin Brown, tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/7gfOG4n5l1
Mitchell could have waited until next offseason for an extra year on the deal, along with an additional $80 million tacked on. Instead, Mitchell signed on the first possible day he was able to. The deal keeps Mitchell in town through the 2029-30 season, which is a year after the last pick is owed to the Utah Jazz for the initial trade that made him a Cavalier.
This is the second contract extension Mitchell has received from the Cavs, and a vote of confidence in Cleveland’s front office to remedy the roster issues for another run at a title this upcoming season. Mitchell was entering the final year of his deal, which will now be replaced by this extension. In all four seasons in Cleveland, Mitchell has been named an All-Star each season, achieved All-NBA status three times, and produced some of the best statistical seasons of his career.
The Cavs have yet to agree to terms with free agent James Harden, though the two sides are reportedly working through a revised deal that would lower his annual salary. Mitchell was an advocate of acquiring Harden at the trade deadline, to which the front office made happen at the expense of Darius Garland. There is no doubt that Mitchell has had at least some level of significant influence in front office decisions. There is another future Hall of Fame player he would also be interested in teaming up with.
According to Charania, Mitchell could also be open to playing alongside LeBron James should he return to Cleveland this summer. The Cavs are one of several teams interested in signing James, though Cleveland appears to be the front runner.
It’s a massive day on the diamond with 16 games, and I’ve got a trio of MLB same-game parlay predictions to cover you throughout the action on Tuesday, July 7.
My top MLB picks call for plenty of offense in the Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles matchup, and wrap up with the Minnesota Twins cashing in as home favorites (-118) against the Cleveland Guardians tonight.
Crow-Armstrong and Suzuki are also well-positioned to stay hot against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Shane Baz, who owns a pedestrian 4.47 xERA and xFIP.
With Athletics righty J.T. Ginn sporting a 4.88 xFIP and 1.55 WHIP across his past five starts, the Tigers are set to cash in at the dish again tonight and pull away for the lopsided win. This total is also too low, with the Athletics ranking fourth in ISO and seventh in wOBA against lefties.
Bradley has spun a tidy 2.24 xERA while holding opposing hitters to a 7.4% blast contact rate across his past three starts, so I like him to cruise through the Cleveland lineup tonight.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Suspension had been imposed after invasion of Ukraine
Decision on Russian anthem and flag still unclear
The International Olympic Committee has lifted the suspension on Russia that was imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, paving the way for the Russian team to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Only a handful of Russians were able to compete at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and this year’s Milano Cortina Winter Games as authorised neutral athletes, after an IOC vetting panel checked whether they had offered any public support for the war in Ukraine.
We are now 4 days away from the 2026 MLB Draft, where the Washington Nationals will have the 11th overall pick and are looking to add another key piece to their farm system and a potential building block towards long-term success. Yesterday, I completed my draft big board, which you can read here if you are interested, and I wanted to create a game where fans could get more engaged not only in who the Nationals will be picking, but also in everyone ahead of them as well.
Thus, I created the MLB Draft Prediction Game, a game where you predict the top 11 picks of the 2026 MLB Draft and gain points the more often you are correct. Correctly predicting who a team will draft is worth 5 points, predicting the position that they draft from is worth 2 points, and predicting if a team chooses a high school or college prospect is worth one point.
The added twist for Nats fans is that all points from correct predictions of the Nationals pick are worth three times as much, so correctly predicting who the Nationals will select is worth as much as predicting three other picks.
The overall winner is whoever accumulates the most points once the game has ended. The prize for the winner, if they want it, will be eternal glory, and a shoutout in our post-draft article here on Federal Baseball. Feel free to also copy your results after you submit and discuss your methods in the comments below. Check out the game below, and enjoy!
Jalen Brunsonwas playing through significant wrist pain during the Knicks’ 2026 championship run and will have surgery to repair a left wrist/forearm injury.
The Knicks have not released a timeline for recovery, but league sources say Brunson will be rehabbing/recovering for at least two months.
Brunson was dealing with the ailment during the postseason. He averaged 28 points and six assists in the postseason, which he capped off with a 45-point Game 5 to clinch the championship.
Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP for his role in helping the Knicks snap a 53-year title drought.
To know that he was doing all of this while battling a wrist injury makes it even more remarkable.
The AL East race is a bit tighter today following the Yankees 5-1 win at Tropicana Field last night over the Rays (52-36). Tampa Bay now leads New York by three games in the division as the teams prepare for the second game of this week’s four-game series.
New York opened the series with that win thanks in large part to their ace, Cam Schlittler. Schlittler worked eight innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight without and issuing no walks. The Yankees’ offense was limited to just three hits but each of the three was a home run. Jose Caballero cranked out a pair and Ben Rice added one of his own to account for the Yankees’ runs. Griffin Jax absorbed the loss for Tampa despite striking out 10 Yankees over five innings. The Rays managed only four hits and just a single run.
The win was New York’s second in their last ten games while Tampa Bay now has lost three straight.
The Yankees hand the ball tonight to Will Warren. Through 89.1 innings, Warren owns a 7-3 record and 3.73 ERA with 91 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP. Warren's most recent appearance was July 1 against Detroit. He allowed two runs over 5.1 innings in a 6-2 loss. Tampa Bay counters with left-hander Ian Seymour, who has quietly put together a strong first season in the Rays' rotation. Seymour is 5-1 with a 4.02 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts in 56 innings. Opponents have managed just 40 hits against him. Seymour's most recent outing came on July 2 at Kansas City where he allowed one run over six innings in a 5-2 win.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Rays
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: Tropicana Field
City: St. Petersburg, FL
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, YES, Rays.TV, TBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Rays
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (+101), Tampa Bay Rays (-122)
Spread: Rays -1.5 (+169), Yankees +1.5 (-207)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Rays vs. Yankees for July 7
Rays: Ian Seymour Season Totals: 56.0 IP, 5-1, 4.02 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 60K, 21 BB
Yankees: Will Warren Season Totals: 89.1 IP, 7-3, 3.73 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 91K, 29 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Yankees vs. Rays
Trent Grisham is 3-13 over his last 4 games since returning from the disabled list
Jose Caballero is 4-12 in July with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs
Paul Goldschmidt is without a hit in his last 8 games (0-26)
Ben Rice is 1-3 with 1 HR in his career against Ian Seymour
Cody Bellinger is 2-21 (.095) to start July after going 2-27 over his last 8 games in June
Bellinger is 3-3 including 1 HR and 1 2B in his career against Ian Seymour
Yandy Diaz is 3-7 in his career against Will Warren
Cedric Mullins is 5-21 in July
Chandler Simpson has hit in 9 straight games (12-33) and 13 of his last 14 (19-51)
Jonathan Aranda is 2-5 including 1 HR in his career against Will Warren
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Rays
The Yankees are 41-49 on the Run Line this season
The Rays are an MLB-best 53-35 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 38 times in Tampa’s 88 games this season (38-46-4)
The OVER has cashed 40 times in the Yankees’ 90 games this season (40-46-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Rays
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Rays and the Yankees:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 8.0
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA - MAY 12, 2026: AJ Gracia #29 of the University of Virginia Cavaliers hits double during the fourth inning of a game against the University of Richmond Spiders at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park on May 12, 2026 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
2026 MLB Draft Preview: AJ Gracia scouting report.
The 2026 is less than a week away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at University of Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia.
AJ Gracia is a 6’3”, 195 lb. lefthanded hitting outfielder at the University of Virginia. Coming out of high school in New Jersey in 2023, Gracia was in the back half of the BA top 500 draft list that year but went undrafted. He spent two years at Duke before transferring to Virginia when his coach at Duke took the Virginia job. Gracia turns 22 in October.
Gracia is a well-rounded hitter with quality pitch recognition and excellent contact rates. He rarely chases out of the strike zone — Baseball America calls him “hyper-selective” — and set a school record for walks at Duke in his sophomore season. He is strong and makes good contact with a swing that’s described as “uphill,” but his exit velocities aren’t as impressive as you’d like to see. He has above-average raw power that translate well into game power due to his contact ability. He’s also seen as being able to potentially add some power going forward.
Gracia played right field for Duke as a freshman, and has primarily been a center fielder the past two seasons. However, he’s not considered a particularly strong defender, and there’s a very good likelihood he ends up having to move to a corner outfield spot, though MLB Pipeline says his “excellent instincts and efficient routes” give him a chance to stick in center. His arm is underpowered for right field, so if he does have to move off out of center field, he will probably end up in left field. His speed and his arm both get 45 grades from BA and MLB Pipeline.
As a freshman, Gracia slashed .305/.440/.559 with 48 walks against 55 Ks in 278 plate appearances, with 14 homers. His sophomore season saw him slash .293/.449/.558 in 285 plate appearances, with 15 homers, 57 walks and 36 Ks. This year for Virginia — still in the ACC — he slashed .354/.489/.632 in 272 plate appearances, homering 14 times, drawing 47 walks and striking out 38 times.
In the June 8 Baseball America mock draft, Carlos Collazo has Condon going to the Astros at #17, though he’s mentioned as a possibility with a number of teams before then, beginning with the Orioles at #7. The BA staff draft on June 15 has Gracia going to the Marlins at #14. The BA mock draft 5.0 of June 29 has Gracia going to the Diamondbacks at #15, though he’s also mentioned with a half-dozen other teams ahead of them. The BA staff draft 4.0 on July 6 has Gracia going to the Cardinals at #13. Jonathan Mayo’s June 11 mock draft has Gracia going to the Astros at #17. Jim Callis’s June 18 mock draft has Gracia mocked to the Cardinals at #13. The June 25 Callis/Mayo mock has Gracia going to the D-Backs at #15. Jonathan Mayo’s July 2 mock draft has Gracia going to the Rockies at #10. Law’s June 10 mock draft Gracia going to the Cubs at #23. Law’s July 6 mock has Gracia going to the Mariners at #24. Kiley McDaniel’s June 18 mock draft does not have Gracia going in the first 40 picks.
Gracia seems likely to go somewhere in the teens, and could well be off the board when the Rangers pick. Texas would have to really like his contact ability and plate discipline, though the lack of upper end exit velocities doesn’t necessarily fit what they are looking for in a position player.
Gracia’s future likely hinges on his ability to generate more power going forward. If a team thinks that there’s more exit velocity they can tap into, or that will come as he fills out, he’s got value as a guy who would offer above-average OBPs and above-average power. If not, his defensive limitations and lack of speed make him limited as far as major league value is concerned.
Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Italy left fielder Dante Nori (16) hits a home run during the seventh inning against Brazil at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The trade deadline is a time of wonder and curiosity. Teams are on the lookout for ways to improve themselves when the options they have internally are no longer good enough. We have been blessed to have relative blockbusters go down in the past few trade deadlines, making the news exciting to cover. Talking about trades is always fun, which is why I included a post in The Feed.
You were kind enough to respond with a lot of great and thoughtful responses, so let’s talk about some of them.
It still is quite strange that Alex McFarlane remains in Reading. His season has been a successful transition from being a starter to a full-time reliever. The stuff he is showing is big league ready, followed up by results that match. And yet, at Double-A he remains. He has yet to throw the major league baseball that is used in Lehigh Valley, meaning there might have to be some kind of adjustment to the ball whenever he does get a promotion somewhere. Maybe he becomes the 2026 version of Orion Kerkering, maybe he just is getting ready for 2027.
Yet the idea of including him in the big league bullpen and expecting instant success might be a little far fetched. As mentioned, the actual baseball is going to be different in the two leagues, so adjustment must be accounted for. Then there is the natural adjustment pitchers go through in their jump to the majors. Put that all together with his being included in a pennant race and the ingredients are there for a less than successful move.
As far as the idea of trading Andrew Painter and Gage Wood for Aroldis Chapman and Sonny Gray, that’s something I just cannot get on board with. I’ve been pretty critical of Painter lately, not really impressed by his latest start in Lehigh Valley despite the on box score results he had. Chapman is a rental only and Painter does still possess tantalizing upside if he can figure out how to tap into it.
There is always a flaw in thinking that a team has an excess of anything – pitching, infield, whatever position it is on the field. We have seen in the past the Phillies believe they have a lot of something only to find themselves left empty handed when the time is near. Remember the Baby Aces?
However, yes, there are some infield prospects to move in potential deals. Escobar has been the biggest name the team has had based on past reputation, yet his season this year has been disappointing. Rincon has taken a leap a bit this year, but probably isn’t one that would lead any kind of trade, instead finding himself as more of a secondary piece than anything. In the outfield, Nori would probably have fetched something decent based somewhat on the improvement he showed in the WBC and at the beginning of the season, but a recent injury that the team has been quite mum about clouds any trade value he had.
Tomorrow will mark one month since Dante Nori was pulled from a game with a lower body injury. The report was he wouldn't need much more than the 7 days on the IL, but he hasn't been activated yet
Agreed that these are some of the names the Phillies could look to move in a deal, but a combination of injury and regression has hurt a few of them.
Alirio Ferrebus is a name that I would expect to come up quite a bit in trade talks. He has had an outstanding season, rocking a 132 wRC+ in Clearwater as a 20 year old catcher. There are some things to worry about in his profile (the whole “catcher” thing, swinging a lot), but he hits the ball hard and doesn’t strike out much at all. If he can improve as an actual catcher, that’s a valuable commodity to have so long as the bat continues to improve. Is that something that would lead a trade package? Obviously would depend on what it is the team is trading for. If we’re talking about an impact bat, then probably not. If a team is going to move that impact bat, they would probably want something more of a high upside arm (re: Gage Wood) or a similarly high upside bat that plays somewhere else on the diamond.
The issue that is continuing to become obvious is lack of those high upside players the team has that they would be willing to dangle in a trade. The injury to Aidan Miller, the slight regression of Andrew Painter and the big league promotion of Justin Crawford has left them with a system that has precious little other teams would covet in a deal. Maybe there is a pop-up prospect that teams would like to take (Juan Villavicencio, Ramon Marquez to name two), maybe there is someone other teams might feel they can do more with than what the Phillies have done.
They will get a deal done and when they do, we’ll probably sit back and say “That’s it?” when it happens. It’s usually the case. But, we can continue debating here in the comments until the deadline hits. Go Phillies.
The trade deadline is approaching, and the Kansas City Royals have decisions to make. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco use this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast to work through every angle of what should be one of the most consequential stretches in the organization’s near-term future.
The episode opens with a look at the recent homestand struggles, including a matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies, defensive inconsistency, and a bullpen that has not been able to stabilize for any sustained period. The coaching staff’s decision-making and lineup management draw comparison to how the Phillies have navigated their own challenges.
The injury report continues to be long and consequential. Kyle Isbel has suffered a setback, Vinnie Pasquantino heads to Omaha, and Maikel Garcia’s status is cloudier than a Kansas spring sky. Cole Ragans’ injury gives him a trifecta of surgeries that no pitcher should look to achieve.
On a more celebratory note, Bobby Witt Jr. and Michael Wacha earned All-Star selections, recognition that the hosts acknowledge with appropriate pride before turning the conversation back to what the trade value could look like if the front office decides to be aggressive sellers. The Lugo and Wacha trade conversation from previous episodes gets expanded here, with Salvador Perez’s potential trade value, injury concerns, and legacy also entering the discussion.
The talent pipeline evaluation is thorough. Jacob and Jeremy work through prospect valuations, FanGraphs future value grades, and specific names the organization should be targeting in return if they move established pieces. The hosts also examine the Minnesota Twins’ recent fire sale as a case study for what a bold deadline approach could look like, and whether the Royals’ front office has the appetite to follow that model.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 14: Nehomar Ochoa Jr. #45 of the Houston Astros looks on during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on Friday, March 14, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Trevor Gallagher/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Here is a look at the Astros prospects who were hot last week.
HITTERS:
Chase Call – Call has been a little boom or bust this year but when he’s hot, he’s hot. This week he hit .526 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs and 13 runs batted in. Call is hitting .237 this season with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 18 stolen bases through 61 games.
Josh Wakefield – Wakefield got off to a nice start but an injured derailed him a bit. He’s back now and had a nice week hitting .381 with 2 doubles, a home run and 6 runs batted in. He also stole 3 bases and had more walks than strikeouts. He has 32 stolen bases this year.
Waner Luciano – Luciano has been on a roll and he was great this week. In six games for the Woodpeckers, Luciano hit .348 with 2 doubles, 4 home runs and 10 runs batted in. He has a .843 OPS through 26 games in Single-A this season.
Nehomar Ochoa – Ochoa has put together a really strong season at just 20 years old. This week, Ochoa hit .455 with 4 doubles, a home run and 7 runs batted in. He’s hitting .283 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 28 stolen bases between 62 games this season.
Jack Moss – Moss was signed by the Astros this year after being released by the Reds earlier this year. The 24-year-old first baseman has been great since joining Asheville and had a nice week hitting .500 with 2 doubles, a home run and 9 runs batted in. He’s hitting .389 in Asheville.
PITCHERS:
Brett Gillis – Gillis has been on a roll for the Hooks and turned in another strong outing. He relieved Wesneski after a rehab start and went 5 innings allowing just 1 run. He has a 3.33 ERA this through 67.2 innings, allowing just 49 hits for the Hooks.
Kellan Oakes – Oakes got off to a great start this year but struggled a bit in Asheville. This week he had his best outing allowing 1 run over 6 innings. While he has a 4.75 ERA overall, he has racked up 58 strikeouts over 47.1 innings between Single-A and High-A.
Jackson Nezuh– Like some others on the list, Nezuh has really started to get it rolling. This week he went 7 innings allowing 1 run while striking out 5. He has a 4.18 ERA and allowed just 2 runs over his last 12 innings while striking out 14 for the Hooks.
Javier Perez– Perez has arguably been the best pitcher in the system this season. This week the right-hander tossed 5 scoreless innings with 9 strikeouts for the Woodpeckers. He has a 3.10 ERA with just 10 walks to 86 strikeouts over 72.2 innings this season.
Yeriel Santos – Santos has had a tough year but he had his best outing of the season this week. In his one start for Asheville, the right-hander tossed 6 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts.
CHC vs 
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DET
CLE vs 
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