The Islanders' best forwards are locked up for five more seasons at cap hits that are half of Leo Carlsson's new contract, whether that's in Philadelphia or Anaheim.
One massive takeaway from this summer is that the Islanders plan on retooling around Matthew Schaefer, leaving room for the plethora of young prospects they've accumulated and really starting to turn over the roster in 2027.
With that uncertainty, teams called about New York's top forwards. Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche's job is to listen, but that's all he did before he said no.
Then, Carlsson signed his offer sheet, and already solid-looking contracts turned into absolute steals.
Two bona fide top-of-the-lineup stars locked up through their primes at a very inexpensive cap hit? It makes no sense to move on from them in any way.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman confirmed that teams called on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Monday morning, but made it clear, the Islanders aren't moving those guys.
"Horvat's 31, Barzal's 29. They've both got five years left. You're not getting Bo Horvat at 5x$8.5 anymore. You're not getting Barzal at 5x$9+ right now.
And I think they [Darche & Islanders] look at it like 'If we lose these guys, those are going to open up huge holes to fill. And we're not getting guys at those numbers.'"
Darche stated on July 1, the team's going to have over $40 million in cap space next summer. That's before trading away any other contracts, including Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall.
Darche has positioned the Islanders to be in an incredibly flexible spot to build around Schaefer and the future, all while, as Friedman stated in his podcast, the Islanders become a destination.
Players, just like Brayden Schenn this past deadline, want to play for the Islanders to get to play with Schaefer.
Having Barzal and Horvat on team-friendly deals for the next half-decade?
Looking for today's best MLB picks? Our baseball experts have you covered.
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Neil Parker's expert pick: Mets moneyline
Price: 46¢ (+117) at Polymarket
The Atlanta Braves have dropped to 29th in wOBA and 27th in xwOBA through 21 games without star Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring), while the New York Mets comfortably sit 16th and eighth in the two metrics. Atlanta starter Reynaldo Lopez also sports a 4.60 xFIP across his seven 2026 starts that’s well above his 3.34 ERA, so statistical corrections looms.
It’s just the opposite with New York righty Freddy Peralta, too. He’s held opposing hitters to the sixth-lowest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 75 innings to pave the way for a respectable 3.78 xERA that’s way below his 4.81 ERA. Peralta also has statistical correction coming to his unsustainably low 68.7% strand rate.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
How to watch: SNY, BravesVision
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Dodgers -1.5
Price: 54¢ (-115) at Polymarket
A perfect storm has formed for the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight with the Colorado Rockies coming to town. Los Angeles has demolished left-handed pitching over the past two weeks, leading MLB in OPS, and now gets a crack at Kyle Freeland, who's completely fallen apart with a 7.25 ERA through 15 starts.
Dodgers hitters have also crushed him for a .918 OPS across 200 combined at-bats. Eric Lauer has helped LA go a perfect 5-0 in his starts, while the Dodgers have won 10 straight home games against Colorado and are 13-1 in their last 14 following a loss, which is the situation tonight after losing to the Padres yesterday.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, 31, left a remarkable legacy on the city of Milwaukee. 13 seasons, 10 All-Star Games, two MVP awards, an NBA title, and a partridge in a pear tree.
However, that didn't stop Bucks president Josh Glessing from trading their legend away to the Miami Heat this offseason. Albeit, the Bucks did endure an underwhelming season and saw themselves miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. That said, to trade away your franchise cornerstone, the man who gave everything he had to give your team everything they've earned, is a hard task regardless.
Rumors had been swirling about Giannis' departure for most of the season as well. It was only a matter of time, but that doesn't make the reality of the situation any less heartbreaking. And to boot, Antetokounmpo just posted a sorrowful video to social media thanking everyone involved during his time in Wisconsin.
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) July 6, 2026
What does Antetokounmpo say in his goodbye video?
In his video, Antetokounmpo stresses that he does not want the city of Milwaukee or the state of Wisconsin to remember him for the wins, the losses, the championships, or the basketball.
"I try to be like them," he says.
He describes the city as "blue collar." He continues, "It's people who work hard every day. And give all their hard-earned money just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks ... I hope that I was able to represent them the best that I could."
Antetokounmpo then goes on to describe Milwaukee as his home. "This is a place that I had my kids. My mom is here. My father is here. My brothers played here. It made me the man that I am today."
"No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family."
Other social media posts for Antetokounmpo's farewell
Statements from the Milwaukee Bucks on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Miami Heat:
Bucks owners Wes Edens, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and Jamie Dinan: “From delivering a championship to transforming our franchise, Giannis' impact on the Milwaukee Bucks is lasting and…
You came to Milwaukee 13 years ago as a kid from Sepolia with an impossible dream. Over the past 13 years we have witnessed you grow into one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, the greatest Buck of all time, and the driving force behind an era of Bucks basketball… pic.twitter.com/6oDA0APFwh
Connor Hellebuyck is not coming to the Colorado Avalanche.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news if anyone actually thought this "rumor" had any real traction. But there is one place where a Hellebuyck-to-Colorado blockbuster makes perfect sense: NHL 27, which launches worldwide on September 11 for PlayStation, Xbox, and other major platforms.
There, you can take over as Avalanche GM and rig the entire league to your heart's content. Turn off the salary cap. Let the CPU clean up the mess if you're too chicken to live with the consequences of your own trades. Heck, you can even disable the human element altogether, sparing yourself those morale meetings that somehow make Franchise Mode feel longer than an actual NHL season—all powered by Frostbite, an engine built for first-person shooters like Battlefield, not sports games.
Back in the real world, though, the Avalanche have exactly zero reason to chase Hellebuyck.
Colorado's goaltending situation is already set.
The Avalanche allowed just 197 goals during the regular season, the fewest in the NHL, earning Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood the William M. Jennings Trophy. It wasn't a fluke, either. Colorado built one of the league's deepest goaltending tandems, and both netminders rewarded that faith.
Wedgewood, who spent most of his career as a backup before arriving in Colorado, was nothing short of sensational. He finished the season 31-6-6 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage—numbers that led the league. Had he made more starts, there's a legitimate argument he would've been in the Vezina Trophy conversation. Instead, Colorado's rotation, along with the handful of games he missed because of injury, likely cost him that opportunity.
Blackwood, meanwhile, quietly proved why the Avalanche were comfortable handing him a significant role. He went 23-10-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, but those numbers don't fully capture his value. During the regular season, he recorded back-to-back shutouts, becoming just the seventh goaltender in Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history to accomplish the feat, joining Patrick Roy, Darcy Kuemper, Pavel Francouz, David Aebischer, Clint Malarchuk, and Justus Annunen. He also came up big in the postseason, turning aside wave after wave of chances in Colorado's Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final and giving the Avalanche every opportunity to extend the series.
That's why the Hellebuyck speculation never made much sense.
Yes, Hellebuyck is arguably the best goaltender on the planet. If every general manager in the NHL could magically add him to their roster without giving up assets or worrying about the salary cap, they probably would.
That's not the world the Avalanche operate in.
Colorado is already paying Blackwood to be its starter while also having one of the league’s strongest goaltending tandems in Wedgewood. Any trade for Hellebuyck would almost certainly require a franchise-altering package of assets—think a player like Nathan MacKinnon or Martin Nečas—along with additional pieces, all while creating a massive salary-cap headache. In the end, the Avalanche would be sacrificing elite talent and financial flexibility to solve a problem they simply don’t have to begin with.
Rumors are part of the offseason. Fans love building fantasy rosters, and social media has never met a blockbuster trade it didn't like.
But fantasy and reality are two different things.
If you want to see Connor Hellebuyck wearing burgundy and blue, fire up NHL 27 when it releases and make it happen yourself.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 17: Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni (R) introduces Washington Nationals Manager Blake Butera (L) with his jersey during a press conference at Nationals Park on November 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Butera became the eighth manager in Nationals team history and the youngest manager in Major League Baseball since 1972. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A year ago today, the trajectory of the Washington Nationals changed drastically. Manager Davey Martinez and President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo were fired on July 6th, 2025. The duo had led the Nats to a World Series title in 2019, but in the midst of a disappointing season, it was clear that they were no longer the right men to lead the franchise forward.
After the World Series in 2019, the Nats quickly aged out of contention, and the lack of depth on the farm meant that there were no replacements. In 2021, Mike Rizzo decided to sell off veteran pieces and lead the franchise into a rebuild. With a World Series ring only a couple years prior, Rizzo and Martinez were allowed to lead the Nats into this new era.
In 2022, the reality of the rebuild set in. This would be an even longer process than expected. That meant 23 year old future Hall of Famer Juan Soto had to be traded. The move was a painful one, but it turned out to be the best decision Mike Rizzo made in the rebuild. He got three cornerstone pieces in James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.
However, Rizzo’s lack of success in the draft and Martinez’s archaic coaching staff meant the fruits of that trade could not be fully realized. By 2025, the Nats were stuck. They had nice pieces, but there was a clear disconnect between the coaching staff and the players, and the roster was far too top heavy. With the Nats sitting at 37-53, the Lerner family made the big decision to fire Rizzo and Martinez.
A year later, that decision is looking very wise. Right now, the Nats are above .500 with a 46-45 record. Under Paul Toboni and Blake Butera, the organization has quickly modernized and embraced analytics in a way that they had not in the past. A big story this spring was how much new technology the Nats had. Between the trajekt machine, weighted bats and more, the Nats were finally embracing 2020’s baseball.
There is now a Trajekt, pulse bands, plyo walls, TVs in the ‘pen, TruMedia, weighted bats and… did you leave anything out?
“Dude, I might [have]. We have so much stuff, it’s insane.”
As you can see with the record, this new approach is paying immediate dividends. The Nats did not improve their record by going out and signing big name free agents. In fact, the Nats barely spent any money at all. Toboni’s three biggest free agent signings were Miles Mikolas, Zack Littell and Foster Griffin.
The Nats biggest offseason move was actually to sell one of their core pieces away. After an offseason of speculation, MacKenzie Gore was shipped off to Texas for a five prospect haul. So far, that move is looking good, with Devin Fitz-Gerald becoming a top 100 prospect, and Gore failing to take the next step.
I am not going to sit here and say that Toboni’s trade history has been perfect. He has made a few moves that look dicey right now, such as the Harry Ford for Jose A. Ferrer swap and the Jake Bennett for Luis Perales deal. Toboni has also struggled to build a competent bullpen, much like Mike Rizzo had for the past few seasons.
However, it would be difficult to argue that the Toboni impact has been negative. He has made good moves like the Gore deal, the Foster Griffin signing and the Curtis Mead trade. His biggest impact though has been putting a development system in place that is helping improve players on the roster.
Right now, the Nationals have scored the most runs in all of baseball. Just about every player on the offensive side of the ball has improved. Already productive players like James Wood and CJ Abrams have taken the next step. However, the biggest success stories have been among guys who had previously been written off.
I thought I knew who Luis Garcia Jr. was. My perception of him has changed drastically in the past month though. He is swinging the bat harder, hitting the ball harder and hitting it in the air more often. That has led to an insane hot streak where he has 10 homers in his last 15 games. Garcia has already set a career high with 19 home runs.
If not for Junior Caminero, Luis Garcia Jr. would be the hottest hitter in baseball. 10 home runs in his last 15 games! pic.twitter.com/wkHDtnvDZ6
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 5, 2026
Keibert Ruiz’s turnaround is a great example of what a new coaching staff can do. His career looked to be dead and buried after last season. He was awful on both sides of the ball, and had injury issues. Ruiz’s long term contract looked like an absolute albatross. With the help of catching coach Bobby Wilson and the rest of the Nats staff, Ruiz is having a career year.
He is hitting .285 with a .788 OPS while playing well above average defense. Despite not producing the last couple years, we knew that Ruiz had some offensive upside. The defensive turnaround has been nothing short of miraculous and the changes happened seemingly overnight. That is great work by the new coaching staff, but also a real indictment on the old staff.
By the end of his tenure with the Nats, Davey Martinez seemed stubborn and standoffish. He would rather go down with the ship than make any changes to his coaching staff. That stubbornness came to a head during his famous “never on coaching” rant.
A year after his firing, it sure seems like coaching does matter. Players like Ruiz, Garcia and Mead have been totally unlocked by this coaching staff. There is still room to grow, but for the first time in a while, you can really see coaches making players better. That is what they are here to do after all.
Blake Butera embodies the development first mentality that the Nats have. This should not come as a shock given the fact that the 33 year old worked in player development for the Rays prior to taking this job. He has given some great quotes about the importance of pre-game work and about how players are still not finished products when they get to the big leagues. This coaching staff is trying to make every player better, even grizzled veterans like Miles Mikolas.
Long pregame message from Nats manager Blake Butera about the defense, which leads MLB in errors. They were practicing on the field over five hours before today’s game.
Said they need to let their athleticism take over and stop being afraid to make mistakes. pic.twitter.com/Bx1Jr0r5ES
The dedication to improving players is my favorite part of this new regime, and it is the biggest change. They are clearly working very hard to make these guys better, and they are seeing the fruits of their labor.
This is not just happening on the major league side either. We have seen some big breakouts on the farm as well. Seaver King had a disastrous first pro season, but after going in the lab with the new braintrust, he looks like a different player. He is hitting the ball harder, chasing less and whiffing less.
A year after the firings of Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez, the Nationals are in a much better position. Sure, a lot of the main pieces contributing to this team were brought in by the old regime, but it is the new regime that is unlocking them.
The Chicago Cubs battered San Diego to the tune of a 23-3 score that would have seemed more appropriate for an old Bears-Chargers matchup.
Then, in their very next game, they lost to St. Louis 17-1.
The Cubs have been a tough team to figure out this season. By May 9 they already had two separate 10-game winning streaks and were 15 games over .500. Then a week later they began a 10-game losing streak. Chicago now is 10 games over .500 but trails the Milwaukee Brewers by six games atop the NL Central.
Dansby Swanson hit three home runs with eight RBIs as the Cubs produced their most runs at home since 1977. San Diego catcher Rodolfo Duran pitched the final two innings, allowing eight runs.
After a day off, Chicago looked like a completely different team, when David Peterson allowed 10 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Cardinals.
Perhaps it simply was a case of Chicago facing two opponents heading in different directions. The blowout loss was part of an eight-game losing streak for the Padres. Meanwhile, the Cardinals took two of three at Wrigley Field and have won five of their last seven overall.
The Cubs have been one of baseball’s better offensive teams despite a quiet season from new addition Alex Bregman. Pete Crow-Armstrong has 19 homers, 23 steals and a .910 OPS.
Trivia time
Crow-Armstrong is tied for the major league lead in homers plus stolen bases with 42. Which player is he tied with, and who led the majors in that stat last year?
Late dramatics
The Cubs lead the majors with 10 walk-off victories this season, and the crosstown White Sox are second with seven. But two of the biggest walk-off wins came against Chicago.
Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Cleveland a 6-5 victory over the White Sox. Then Kahlil Watson hit a game-winning RBI single the following night in the 10th for a 4-3 triumph.
The first-place White Sox have been one of the game’s biggest stories this year, but even after Chicago took the last two games of the four-game set, Cleveland only is a game behind in the AL Central.
Performance of the week
Eury Pérez pitched seven perfect innings, then was pulled by Miami manager Clayton McCullough. The move nearly blew up in McCullough’s face, but the Marlins held on to beat the Athletics 9-8 after almost squandering an 8-0 lead.
Part of McCullough’s explanation was that he was thinking long term, with the Marlins hoping to play beyond the regular season. And it probably is time for the rest of baseball to take Miami seriously as a playoff contender. The Marlins are percentage points behind St. Louis for the third wild card, and they have the second-best run differential in the NL East.
Pérez has allowed two runs in 17 innings since returning from a leg injury.
Comeback of the week
The Houston Astros rallied from a 7-2 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-8. Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win it. That snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Rays, who now lead the New York Yankees by four games atop the AL East.
Houston is 45-47 but just 2 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West and one game out of a wild card.
Trivia answer
Bobby Witt Jr. has 12 home runs and 30 steals.
Last year’s leader was Juan Soto (43 homers, 38 steals).
KANSAS CITY – Cristopher Sanchez’ second-to-last audition to win the starting assignment for the National League in next week’s All-Star Game did not go well Monday afternoon.
In fact, it was pretty awful.
The left-hander was rocked for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Phillies were hammered, 15-1, by the lowly Kansas City Royals for the second day in a row at Kauffman Stadium.
As bad as the results were for Sanchez, things might have gone differently for him and the Phillies had one of the team’s gnawing concerns not reared its head.
You hear a lot about the bullpen, the back-end of the starting rotation and the lack of a strong right-handed hitting outfielder as being the Phillies’ biggest flaws.
But Trea Turner’s defense at shortstop is a significant deficiency that the club cannot hide from.
Turner, who entered the game as the lowest-ranked shortstop in the majors with minus-8 defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs, threw away a potential inning-ending double-play ball that opened the door for the Royals to score six first-inning runs against Sanchez. Turner was charged with an error, his 12th, allowing the runners to advance. But since a double play can’t be assumed, all the runs against Sanchez in that inning were ruled earned. His ERA jumped from 2.00 to 2.44 in the course of one inning.
Now, Sanchez should not be let off the hook here. He clearly did not do a good job limiting the damage. He allowed four straight hits, including a three-run homer, after Turner’s error. But not getting that inning-ending double play was a game-changer.
Sanchez will make his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday in Detroit. He’s probably still in the driver’s seat to make the start next Tuesday night in Philadelphia. But, recently, some of the luster of his run to the All-Star Game has been stripped away. He has allowed 14 runs in 8 1/3 innings in two of his last three starts.
Monday’s start was the shortest by Sanchez in over a year. He exited after two innings against the Mets on April 22 of last season, but that was due to forearm soreness. The 12 hits allowed by Sanchez matched a season and career high. His sinking fastball averaged 94.8 mph, down a tick from its 95.2 season average. His signature changeup produced six swings and misses, but there were times when it was up in the zone. He gave up three home runs, all on changeups.
As for Turner, the day started off promising. He opened the game with a double off the center field wall and scored on a double by Alec Bohm as the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Phils looked to have some momentum going but everything changed in the bottom of the first inning.
Kansas City lefty Noah Cameron pitched five innings and, despite walking five, did not allow another run after the first. He used a six-pitch mix and a fastball that averaged just 92.7 mph to hold the Phillies at bay.
Phillies hitters were just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and they left 15 men on base. The Phils were out-hit, 22-10. Yes, the Royals feasted on the bullpen, as well.
Turner led the Phillies with three hits, but his 12th error loomed large. Turner is in the fourth year of an 11-year contract that runs through 2033. He made 40 errors his first two seasons with the Phils. His defense improved last season and he made just eight. Now, the defense is an issue again. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said in the past that the club has not considered moving Turner to the outfield. The team might have to think about it before long because it’s getting difficult to hide from this gnawing concern.
Australian No 1 off the pace in 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 defeat
Fate sealed after throwing away 5-2 lead in second set
On a sweltering day when a series of spectators required medical attention at Wimbledon, Australia’s challenge also wilted in the heat.
Alex de Minaur, who walked on to No 1 Court with a first grand slam semi-final, at the least, very much in his sights, was left dejected after losing to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the fourth round.
KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 30: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron (65) as seen before a MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals on June 30, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This afternoon the 36-54 Royals will play their last home game against the 50-40 Phillies before the All-Star break next week. After this game, the Royals will travel to New York and then Baltimore to finish out this disappointing first half of a season.
Noah Cameron takes the bump for the Royals. He was last seen getting shelled by the Rays and hasn’t really been all that good for a month. The lineup is, well, it’s certainly a lineup of baseball players.
The Phillies will start lefty Cristopher Sánchez, who is tied with human flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski for the MLB pitcher lead in fWAR and is a Cy Young candidate.
In other words, it doesn’t look good for the Royals today as the try to take the series.
The game starts at 1:10pm US Central time. You can watch on Royals.TV or listen on 96.5 The Fan/the Royals Radio Network.
Apr 24, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts after making a basket during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The 2026 NBA Free Agency season kicked off last week. The Rockets signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marcus Smart. They also re-signed Tari Eason and traded away Dorian Finney-Smith. We want you to grade the new Rockets signings only. So that doesn’t include the Eason re-up or the Finney-Smith trade, as they received no players back in those transactions. So grade the new Rockets pickups.
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 04: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros is congratulated by Jose Altuve #27 after hitting a two run home run in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Park on July 04, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first question surrounding the Houston Astros has finally been answered.
After another frustrating April and a sluggish start that had some fans calling for a rebuild and others wondering whether this would finally be the year the Astros became sellers at the trade deadline, Houston has done what it seemingly does every season.
It reminded everyone never to count them out.
By taking two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays, the team with the best record in the American League, the Astros made one thing abundantly clear.
They’re buyers.
And they should be.
The American League doesn’t have a dominant team. The playoff picture remains wide open, and Houston has positioned itself squarely in the middle of the race despite enduring months of injuries and inconsistent play. When you have one of the league’s premier players in Yordan Alvarez putting together an MVP-caliber season, you don’t waste that opportunity by standing pat.
You add.
The only question now is where.
If Astros GM Dana Brown can make only one significant addition before the trade deadline, should it be another starting pitcher or an impact bat for the outfield?
There’s a legitimate case for either move.
On the pitching side, the Astros have reason for optimism. Cristian Javier is back and, while he’s currently working out of the bullpen, it’s difficult to imagine him staying there if his arm continues to respond well. Lance McCullers Jr. is making rehab starts in Sugar Land and appears to be nearing another return. Ronel Blanco is also progressing through his recovery and could provide meaningful innings during the second half.
If even two of those three pitchers return and perform near their previous levels, Houston’s rotation suddenly looks much deeper than it did just a few weeks ago.
The outfield, however, is another story.
It has become a revolving door of role players and short-term solutions. Every few weeks another name is inserted into the lineup in hopes of finding a spark, but the overall production has remained largely unchanged.
LaMonte Wade Jr. is simply the latest attempt to patch the position, but he’s unlikely to be the long-term answer.
Cam Smith continues to show why the organization believes he’s part of its future. His athleticism, power potential, and maturity are all evident, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll become an impact player.
But that future doesn’t necessarily have to be now.
Asking a young player to consistently help anchor a playoff lineup is an enormous burden. There will be flashes of brilliance, but there will also be growing pains. That’s simply part of the development process.
Which is why, if I’m sitting in Dana Brown’s chair, my priority is finding another proven bat.
Not because pitching isn’t important.
Because the Astros already have reinforcements on the way.
The lineup doesn’t.
Houston needs another hitter who can lengthen the order, provide additional protection for Yordan Alvarez, and force opposing pitchers to navigate a dangerous lineup from top to bottom. One established offensive player changes the complexion of this team far more than adding another arm to a rotation that could soon receive multiple internal upgrades.
That’s not to suggest the Astros shouldn’t explore pitching. Every contender is looking for more pitching this time of year.
But if they’re forced to choose one major acquisition, I believe the bigger need is in the outfield.
The Astros have survived the toughest part of their season. They’ve weathered injuries, slumps, and a slow start while keeping themselves firmly in the playoff race. Now it’s time to capitalize on that perseverance.
The right addition won’t simply help them reach October.
It could put them in position to make another deep postseason run.
So now the question shifts to Astros fans.
If Dana Brown only has one major move left before the trade deadline, which direction should he go?
Would you rather add another frontline arm?
Or would you find the impact bat this lineup has been searching for all season?
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ranger Suarez was unable to pitch in the 2024 All-Star Game because of back stiffness, and there is a chance the Boston Red Sox left-hander will miss the July 14 event in Philadelphia because of a groin injury.
Suarez, named an American League All-Star, left a 7-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels because of left-adductor tightness, an injury he said he suffered on a pitch to Jo Adell with two outs in the third inning.
Suarez probably aggravated the injury when he jumped for Adell’s chopper over the mound, a ball that went for an infield single. Interim manager Chad Tracy and a team trainer came to the mound, where Suarez threw one warmup pitch to test the leg before immediately heading for the visiting dugout.
“With that pitch that I threw, I felt a big pinch around the groin area,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “I tried to throw another pitch, but I still felt it, so I came out.”
Suarez, who signed a five-year, $130-million free-agent deal with the Red Sox last winter, said he could not recall suffering a similar injury. He underwent treatment during the game but said the injury “felt the same” by the time he spoke to reporters 2 1/2 hours later.
Is the injured list a possibility?
“Yeah, it’s only been two hours,” said Suarez, who is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA this season. “The training staff wants to see how I feel tomorrow and the next day, and then we’ll make a decision on where we go from there.”
Tracy said the team will wait to see how Suarez feels in the next day or two before sending him out for an MRI test.
“Any time you see adductor, groin tightness, you’re always concerned,” Tracy said. “Sometimes things like this will pop up, then you check the next day, and they get better quickly. It’s hard to say right now until we see how he feels coming out of it.”
If Suarez goes on the injured list, Red Sox teammate Sonny Gray, who was not named to the All-Star team despite his 10-1 record and 2.61 ERA, could be added to the AL club.
“Right now, I’m not thinking about that,” Suarez said. “For me, the most important thing is to be as healthy as possible for the second half. I’m not thinking about anything other than that.”
The 2026 NHL Offseason has been one for the books, with the cap ceiling rising and many teams and players taking advantage. With ever-increasing cap hits, trades, offer sheets, and more, the Colorado Avalanche are among the few teams that did their work before free agency opened and right as it began. A report has revealed that the Avalanche had bigger plans for their team.
Despite just re-signing Brett Kulak and signing Jordan Schwartz, along with some depth players to fill out their lineup, the Avalanche were suspected of being in on a major player. One that would have shaken up their roster and, potentially, the prospects they selected at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The “Lumberyard” Was Almost Broken Up For A Hart Winner
Elliotte Friedman, on the latest and last episode of the season of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, talked about every team and some notes and rumors he heard about them. For the Colorado Avalanche, it was about their goaltending situation and their attempt to make a major swing for Winnipeg Jets goaltender and Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck.
“I had a couple of teams say to me they wondered if Colorado took a shot at Connor Hellebuyck…. I don’t know how that could work. I don’t know what they could offer… There were a couple of teams that suspected the Avalanche kind of considered it.”
Hellebuyck was a name leading up to the NHL Draft who was often talked about being moved, and if he was, it had to be for the right price. One team that came close was the Buffalo Sabres. Initially, reports indicated that the Sabers offered the fourth overall pick, starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a player believed to be Jack Quinn, and at least one additional asset.
The major issue for the Avalanche is that they could not offer a package close to what the Sabers did, especially when the Sabers dangled the fourth overall pick in front of them. One of Scott Wedgewood or Mackenzie Blackwood goes, along with multiple draft picks and prospects, but would that have been enough to entice a divisional rival to send them their best player?
Could Talks Pick Back Up For Another Chance?
The biggest issue for the Avalanche is whether they really want another chance at a top goaltender like Hellebuyck, and whether they have the cap space. An $8.5 million cap hit for a top goaltender isn't too crazy given the rising salary cap, but it's how the Avalanche would make room to fit him.
If the package revolves around picks and prospects, along with Blackwood's $5.25 cap hit, another player or two needs to either be sent beforehand or included in the same package. Likely one of Artturi Lehkonen, Nicolas Roy, or a defenseman like Kulak, Josh Manson, or Sam Malinski.
The other issue is that all of those players mentioned have some form of trade protection, and there's a good chance they don’t want to leave a Stanley Cup contender like the Avalanche or move to Winnipeg, Canada, a completely different country.
The only players the Avalanche can move without protection are Roy, Parker Kelly, Fyodor Svechkov, Zachary L’Heureux, Cale Makar, and Noah Juulsen, either with low cap hits or someone like Makar, which they would never even think of.
So either you get a player who can make the difference on the cap and is willing to move to Winnipeg, or you trade away your entire depth for a goaltender and are back to where you were a couple of seasons ago. A really impressive top six with no forward and defensive depth, but now you have an elite starting goaltender, would you make that trade?
As much as having Hellebuyck would have been a fantastic addition, the Avalanche are in a weird transition phase and need to look inward at who they have on their roster now and going forward, as the main core is starting to get older.
That's why the additions of Svechkov, L’Heureux and all the draft picks they made instead of trading make sense; they need to test the waters on these younger players while maintaining a competitive high-end roster, which, if the trade with the Jets were to happen, was going to force the Avalanche into an all-in-now mode, with no bright side into the future.
Connor Ungar hasn't played an NHL game, but there's a decent chance he'll be called the future of the Edmonton Oilers before the first week of training camp is over.
That's the beauty of September. One preseason game against a split squad with a post-game interview where a young player sounds mature beyond his years gets the conversation going about whether the organization has found something it didn't even know it had.
Ungar is the safest bet because goaltending has dominated conversations in Edmonton for years. Nobody enjoys talking about backups and tandems when things are going well, but one strong night from a young goalie has a way of making everyone think five years into the future. Before long, somebody is wondering if he should stay with the club, somebody else is comparing him to Stuart Skinner's first camp, and the idea keeps growing until the next preseason game comes along.
Mike Babcock probably won't have much time before his turn arrives either. The first practice where he gets after a player, blows the whistle a little longer than expected or stops a drill to make a point will be dissected from every possible angle, not because anyone knows exactly what happened, but because everybody already has an opinion about him. Some people will watch the clip and see the demanding coach the Oilers wanted after another disappointing spring. Others will watch the exact same video and decide history is repeating itself. Training camp will give everyone new evidence for the argument they were already making.
There will also be a line that catches everyone's attention for a couple of exhibition games. Maybe it's because they spend the whole night on the forecheck. Maybe they score a pair of greasy goals. Maybe they simply play with more energy than everyone else on the ice. It doesn't really matter who the three players are because the conversation is almost always the same. Fans start talking about the fourth line as though it has finally been solved for good, even though coaches usually spend the first two months of the regular season moving those spots around.
One rough exhibition game from Trent Frederick and somebody will decide nothing has changed. Evan Bouchard will miss the net on a power play, and people will question his contract... again. Connor Murphy will make one good enough defensive play, and there will be people wondering how Chicago ever let him get away. Every established player enters camp with headlines attached to him, and it rarely takes more than a period or two before someone decides they were proven right
Then there's the annual search for Connor McDavid's winger.
Somebody will practice beside McDavid, and the line combinations will get pencilled in for opening night. It doesn't matter that coaches use training camp to experiment or that preseason games are designed to answer questions rather than settle them. Once a player looks comfortable beside No. 97, people start imagining what eighty-two games might look like.
None of these conversations are particularly new, but that's part of what makes training camp entertaining. Fans are looking for reasons to believe the roster has improved, coaches are trying to learn something about their players, and somewhere in the middle, those two things become difficult to separate.
Restricted free agent Quinten Post is signing a three-year, $30 million contract offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
The Golden State Warriors have until 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday to match the offer. However, that seems highly unlikely given the considerable contract from Memphis.
Warriors center Quinten Post signed a three-year, $30 million offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies. Getty Images
Post is coming off a 2025-26 campaign where he averaged 7.7 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 33.6% from the field. The big man played a depth role for the Warriors, which leaves Golden State in a tricky situation.
The team can match the Grizzlies’ offer, which would be a massive overpay. Or they can let Post walk, which would leave a glaring hole on the roster.
The Golden State Warriors have until 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday to match the offer. Getty Images
Post was the 52nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and spent the last two seasons as a rotation player for the Warriors. Now, he’ll get the chance to have a starting role with the Grizzlies if the Warriors don’t match the offer by the deadline.
Golden State has already agreed to bring back center Kristaps Porzingis and forward Al Horford, which gives them limited financial flexibility to sign Post. The Warriors are also one of the reported six finalists in the LeBron James sweepstakes.
Thus, it seems certain Post will join No. 3 overall pick Cam Boozer in Memphis as the Grizzlies look to rebuild the franchise with fresh faces. The team traded star guard Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, signals the organization’s desire to revamp the roster.
