Category: Sports News

The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.

What I said in March

First base was one of the bigger question marks heading into the 2026 season. After Michael Toglia and Warming Bernabel were jettisoned from the organization, the Rockies spent the offseason stocking up on some talent to hold open tryouts in spring training.

Here is what I wrote about the position in March:

The Rockies hoped to raise the floor of competition at several positions in spring training, and that’s what has happened at first base. It seemed like a foregone conclusion early that [Blaine] Crim and [Troy]Johnston would hold the fort until [Charlie] Condon was ready, but the addition of [TJ] Rumfield has made it an even more compelling race.

As spring training unfolded, the competition was as intriguing as I had expected it to be, albeit with a few wrinkles. Crim sustained an oblique injury early in camp that caused him to start the year in Triple-A Albuquerque. He played well enough once healthy, but was eventually designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, and was released not long after to pursue an opportunity in the KBO.

Meanwhile, Johnston and Edouard Julien made the Opening Day roster but serve mostly in the outfield and second base, respectively. This left the matter of first base in the hands of two rookies as the season drew closer. Despite the incredible play of Condon, he was sent to Triple-A to continue developing, while Rumfield was granted the opportunity to start at first base.

And boy, what a fantastic decision that turned out to be for the Rockies.

A Rookie of the Year candidate

The Rockies were trying to figure out how best to utilize the roster over the first month of the season. While Rumfield would play nearly every day at first base, he would also split some of his time as the designated hitter to allow Johnston or Julien to start at first base. On occasion, the Rockies even used Willi Castro at the position for the first time in his career.

Despite mixing up the role a bit, Rumfield proved he was more than capable as a big league hitter over his first month of play. In his first 32 games, Rumfield slashed .263/.331/.412 with three home runs, six doubles, and 16 RBI. The early returns were promising, and it turned out that Rumfield was just getting started.

He put the pedal to the metal in May as he gave the Rockies no choice but to leave him at first base every day. In 25 games, he batted .310/.400/.483 with four home runs and 12 RBI. For his efforts, he was named the National League Rookie of the Month, the ninth player to win the award in Rockies history.

For an encore, Rumfield decided to one-up himself and proceeded to slash .316/.400/.589 with five home runs, nine doubles, and 17 RBI in June to earn NL Rookie of the Month honors again. In the 34-year history of the Rockies, Rumfield is the first player to win multiple Rookie of the Month awards in a season, let alone in back-to-back months. He also became just the second player in franchise history to hit 10 home runs before the All-Star break in his debut season, and just the fourth to have 10 home runs and at least 50 hits, and now owns the franchise record for most hits by a rookie before the All-Star break with 99.

Rumfield continues to check every box as the player the Rockies hoped he could be. Defensively, he is one of the best in the league at first base. Offensively, he is one of the best contact bats in the league while maintaining an elite eye at the plate. He could stand to tap into his power more often and hit the ball harder, but overall, he has solidified the position in a way that hasn’t been done since Todd Helton retired.

There is an argument to be made that he should have been an All-Star, considering he batted .296/.380/.475 heading into the All-Star break and is among the rookie leaders, if not the leader, in most offensive categories. However, one thing is clear: Rumfield deserves more recognition as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate.

Rumfield has shown no indications that he won’t be able to replicate his success in the second half of the season and it will be entertaining to see where he ends up in the awards voting when all is said and done.

How long until Condon?

Rumfield’s performance provided the Rockies with something they hadn’t had in previous years: development time. The major flaw of 2025 was that prospects were rushed to the big leagues out of desperation, a trend the new front office wasn’t going to repeat.

As great as it would have been to see Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) win a spot out of spring training, it was apparent he needed to get more time for development in the minors. Condon hit the ground running in his first couple of games to start the 2026 season, but then suffered a bit of a slump that lasted about a month. Condon was showing excellent plate discipline, but the hits weren’t coming and the power was nowhere to be seen. Adjustments needed to be made and he was ready for it.

He hit four home runs through his first 10 games of the season, but then didn’t hit his fifth until his 42nd game on May 23. That seemed to finally open the floodgates as Condon tapped into his power on the regular, slugging 16 home runs over the next month and a half. Entering the All-Star break, Condon was slashing .289/.414/.584 with 20 home runs and 60 RBI with 87 strikeouts and 53 walks. He was named the starting first baseman in the Futures Game.

It’s only a matter of time until Condon gets the call to the big leagues, and the Rockies have gotten out in front of the position problem. When drafted in 2024, the Rockies seemed to have settled on Condon as a first baseman because that was a position of need.

However, the new front office values versatility and creating opportunities for players to earn a spot, meaning Condon would need to continue learning other positions. He has nearly split his time evenly between first base and right field with Albuquerque this season, growing ever more comfortable at both positions. So far, he has proven he is more than capable of handling either spot at the big league level should the opportunity arise, which could be soon.

The farm depth

Beyond Condon, first base continues to be a thin spot in the system, but there are still intriguing options in the pipeline.

Aidan Longwell has continued his progression through the system after being a 17th-round draft pick in 2023. Starting the year in Double-A Hartford, Longwell has embraced the challenge in the difficult offensive environment and hit a respectable .243/.301/.421 with 10 home runs in 79 games so far.

Also in Double-A is Jack O’Dowd, who has rapidly ascended to the Yard Goats since signing as a free agent in January. While he has mainly served as a DH this season, O’Dowd has gotten reps at first base as well as catcher. It’s hard to ignore a .344/.419/.660 batting line with 18 home runs across three levels.

In High-A Spokane, Tanner Thach represents the most notable piece in the lower levels of the minors. Drafted in the eighth round in 2025, Thach impressed in his brief sample size with Low-A Fresno. He began the 2026 season in Fresno once again and crushed opposing pitchers to the tune of a .339/.414/.541 slash with 11 home runs and 70 RBI over 73 games. He has struggled in his 11 games since moving up to Spokane, but there is plenty of time for him to get comfortable and get the bat swinging hot once again.

Conclusion

The purpose of the 2026 season for the Rockies was to assess needs, improve talent, and get answers for the near future. First base was a riddle that the team hasn’t quite been able to solve for 13 years, but now the future feels a bit brighter thanks to TJ Rumfield. He has solidified the position with a style of play that harkens back to the days of Todd Helton and could be a legitimate piece to plug into a new core of the Rockies moving forward.

Add in the bright future of Charlie Condon and the possibilities of other solid depth pieces and you have a position of weakness turning into a position of strength. While the quantity of first basemen isn’t large, the quality of those first basemen has improved, and that’s a crucial factor for the rebuilding Rockies.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Good morning Birdland,

The All-Star break is over, and the Orioles got right back into the action with a 3-2 win on Friday night in Houston. It wasn’t the most dominant performance you’ll ever see. The six pitchers that O’s manager Craig Albernaz deployed really had to battle, and the offense was rather quiet until the eighth inning. But it all added up to the team’s fifth straight win, which kept them within two games of the AL’s final wild card spot.

The pitching staff had to tip toe around danger all night, walking nine Astros and giving them seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. But they managed to wiggle out of those predicaments time and time again, including a key first-inning double play. Cam Sanders came out of the bullpen to make his Orioles debut with the bases loaded and just one out. He got a huge strikeout and a ground out to escape unscathed. Hopefully Grant Wolfram bought him dinner, or at least gave him a big hug for that.

Through the first seven innings of the night, the Orioles scored just one run on three hits. That changed in the eighth, when Adley Rutschman led off with a double and then came in to score on a go-ahead homer from Taylor Ward. The O’s outfielder now has five homers between June and July after hitting just two long balls through the end of May. He’s not going to match his 36 home runs from 2025, but the O’s would love to see him get hot and flirt with the 20 mark by season’s end.

This series continues today with a first pitch of 4:10. Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.48 ERA) will look to stay hot. He has a 0.82 ERA this month, even better than his 2.05 ERA from June. The Orioles have won each of the lefty’s last four starts.

Links

Orioles Acquire Rudy Martin Jr. From Royals | MLB Trade Rumors
Martin is 30 years old, has never appeared in the majors, and has spent most of this season in Double-A. This trade earns him his first ever spot on a 40-man roster. That’s pretty cool for him! How much does it actually help the Orioles? Eh, let’s try to stay positive here.

Sanders’ bases-loaded escape in O’s debut makes comeback win possible | MLB.com
You look at the stuff Sanders has, and you can understand why the Orioles were interested in adding him. Of course, his top level stats as a major leaguer have not been good, and this isn’t some kid here. He’s 29. But the Orioles need bullpen help wherever they can find it, and for now Sanders is an interesting as any other option.

The 4 factors that will decide the Orioles’ second-half fate | The Baltimore Banner
I recall that Coby Mayo recently said something like “This team is just one good streak away.” Right now, they might just be in the midst of that streak. It sure has helped. Extending it by another week would be cool too.

Because You Asked – Endgame | Roch Kubatko
Featuring a theoretical lineup and rotation made up entirely of…Muppets! And that’s not in the derogatory, British way. No. The actual Muppets.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Ryan Helsley turns 32 today. Signed to be the team’s closer this past offseason, he is on his second IL stint of the season with elbow issues. That contract came with a player option for 2027, which at this point seems likely to be picked up.
• The late Rudy May (b. 1944, d. 2024) was born on this day. The southpaw played 16 season in the majors, which included a two-season run in Baltimore from 1976-77.

This day in O’s history

1959 – In the nightcap of a double-header, Orioles catcher Joe Ginsberg ties an American League record by allowing four passed balls while receiving knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm. The Orioles lose the game 2-0 to the Tigers.

2001 – The second game of a double-header between the Orioles and Rangers is postponed when a train carrying toxic substances derails in Baltimore.

2002 – Melvin Mora ties a major league record by being hit by a pitch three times in one game. Despite this, the Orioles lose 5-4 to the Blue Jays.

2015 – Chris Tillman allows a single to the first batter of the game, and then walks one other later in the first inning. But from there he retires 23 consecutive Tigers and combines with Zach Britton for a one-hitter as the O’s win 3-0.

Good morning, baseball fans!

It’s another weekend of San Francisco Giants baseball. Normally on the weekends I like to pick the player of the week and the highlight of the week. However, most of the Giants have not played any baseball games this week due to the All-Star Game. So it’s kind of hard to pick those things without any games being played.

Instead, I thought it would be a good time to do a temp check, since it’s been a few weeks (if not longer) since we’ve weighed in on how we’re feeling about this season on the whole.

I can’t say that anything has changed, from my perspective. I’m mildly surprised that they managed to keep themselves from falling down to last place in the division. Not that picking up three of four against the Colorado Rockies means much, but they did manage to keep themselves from being overtaken by them. For now. I feel like there’s still plenty of time for that.

At this point in the season, playoffs are off the table entirely and I would expect a fire sale at the trade deadline if we were talking about a rational and well-operated franchise. But we are not.

Instead, I think I’m adopting the outlook I had in the disastrous second-half of the 2016 season when it seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong, and they kept finding new and demoralizing ways to lose. Sometimes you can find a lot of fun in the suffering. And goodness knows there’s very little that is fun about this team to me right now, so I guess I’ll find it where I can.

I’m still absolutely furious at the organization for never actually handling the Pride Night situation, then telling us to stick to sports, and then being terrible at that too.

I think Buster Posey needs to go, if he wants to salvage any of his reputation within the fanbase and the larger baseball world. But I don’t think that is going to happen. Despite it seeming like a glaring conflict of interest for an owner of the team to also be the president of baseball operations, I think that’s exactly what the ownership group wants. Which means I can only assume that this is the on-field product they want too. I hope they’re enjoying it, at least, even if I’m not.

But that’s enough from me. How are you all feeling about this season thus far? What are you hoping to see the team do at the trade deadline? What are you still looking forward to in a seemingly lost season?

What time do the Giants play this weekend?

The Giants continue this weekend road series against the Seattle Mariners, with both Saturday and Sunday’s games scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Today’s Reflections

I wondered what articles would be out there on the Internet today, thinking it would be rather limited or of one voice.

Turns out there’s quite the variety, shown by the number of sections below. Therefore, it becomes difficult choosing who or what to talk about. But let’s start where there’s major interest.

It’s not a surprise, but Matt Shaw is most likely to be the hottest commodity for the Cubs when it comes time to make big trades. I like his game and I like the improvement that he has shown this season before he got hurt. However, he is blocked in the infield for the future, so he at best is an alternative for the outfield in 2027. But if he is the big kicker to make a big trade, the Cubs have to be willing to let him go.

An article below mentions Shaw for Tanner Bibee of Cleveland. Bibee has struggled often this season, but his last outing against the hot Marlins shows the type of pitcher he can be. And he would be under team control through the 2029 season with a team option for 2030. He’s not a TOR guy, but he would be a big boost to the rotation. Straight up for Shaw? Um, that would leave a lot of available pieces for the Cubs to use in other trades, and there’s only a small handful of very good pitchers out there to trade Shaw straight up, so that type of deal could work out very well. I would have to think Cleveland would want more, though.

Ben Brown and Shota Imanaga were the top two of the Cubs’ rotation, and trade talk looked heavily into either a TOR pitcher or rotational depth to complement them. But it is unknown when Brown will return, and if he does, how long will it take for him to return to the rotation. Smaller pieces, like Michael Wacha mentioned below for example, should be the type of targets the Cubs should look at. Yes, ideally the Cubs would acquire a TOR guy for the playoffs. But they have to get there first. Colin Rea has been extremely solid for the Cubs, but they can’t depend on him as a No. 2 for the playoffs, and he needs help getting the team there.

And that’s just among the first section of articles! There more PCA stories, Second-Half stories, next-year stories, post-Draft stories, a surprise 2016 World Series twist that could’ve changed Cubs history — just go look, okay? 🙂

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Trade and Roster Talk:

• Ken Rosenthal, Patrick Mooney, Katie Woo and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Blockbuster summer? Why buying and selling at MLB’s trade deadline is more complicated than ever. “Officials from teams throughout the league are tempering expectations of major deals at this season’s deadline.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): If Cubs Are Willing to Trade Matt Shaw, What Framework Will They Look For? “He’s under team control for years and could be part of Chicago’s future, but Matt Shaw might also be the type of player who brings back the pitching help the Cubs desperately need.”
• Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): Cubs should solve overlooked need with trade deadline reunion for former slugging prospect. “Why not bring some 2016 mojo back to town?”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs next reunion for pitching staff may have just been cut loose by the Athletics. “This is the well the Cubs will remain at for the next week or two.”
• Conor Liguori (Sporting News): Cubs’ biggest trade deadline need revealed amid Ben Brown problem. “Chicago’s front office has plenty of work to do.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Farewell Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, Jake Woodford, and Kyle Wright (UPDATE: Welcome Back, Jake!). “These are reclamation swings for a reason, and although each did pitch for the Cubs at Triple-A in recent weeks, it looks like that time may be over.”

PCA- Mania Revs Up:

• Joey Ricotta (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs Can’t Afford to Waste Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Historic Season. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is having an MVP-caliber season for the Cubs and is on pace for consecutive 30-30 years. With free agents looming, Chicago can’t afford to waste this championship window.”
• Matt Snyder (CBSSports.com): Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong pinpointed a problem and then turned into one of the best players in baseball. “Crow-Armstrong is walking more, chasing less and has become Shohei Ohtani’s biggest MVP challenger.”
• Casey McAleer (Da Windy City): Pete Crow-Armstrong was the Cubs first half MVP. “The Gold Glove winner became the heartbeat of Chicago and could be the player who leads the Cubs back to the top of the NL Central.”
• Sam Householder (Windy City Gridiron): Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of us. “Cubs star PCA is a Chicago Bears fan and still watches a Hall of Famers highlights.”

Second-Half Stories:

• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Cubs Second-Half Projections: What ZiPS Expects From the Core Nine. “Although the next 2.5 weeks are arguably the most important 2.5 weeks left in the regular season, there’s still a lot more baseball to be played after that.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Jacob Misiorowski shades Cubs while identifying Brewers biggest NL Central threat. “Wait…what did he say?”
• LaMond Pope (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago baseball report: Season resumes with Cubs chasing Brewers — and White Sox exceeding expectations. “Despite all of their injuries, the Cubs open the second half in playoff position.”
• Troy Andracki (Bleacher Nation): Five Cubs Storylines to Watch in the Second Half. “The All-Star Break is a perfect time to catch your breath — to contextualize the season that has already transpired and think about what’s to come.”
• Ryan Gilbert (SI.com): NL Central Division Odds: Can Brewers Keep Pulling Away From Cubs? “Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers are NL Central favorites at the All-Star break.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Finalize Starting Pitchers as They Look to Set Second Half Tone vs. Twins. “The Chicago Cubs will not go with David Peterson or Javier Assad in their first series after the break.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): At Least Alex Bregman Has Nowhere To Go But Up. “Alex Bregman struggled in the first half at the plate, starting his expensive contract with the Cubs on an off-key note. Better days should be ahead, so long as he makes the proper adjustments.”

Minors and Post-Draft Articles:

• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Owen Ayers promotion could be early clue for Cubs offseason need hiding in plain sight. “He’s now a part of the conversation.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs loaded up on pitchers in the MLB draft. Here are the arms they’re excited about. “The Cubs added pitching to their system with Cade Townsend, Carson Jasa and several other arms.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Two More Undrafted Free Agent Signings for the Chicago Cubs: John Alkire II, Grant Gray. “Coming out of their pitching–heavy draft, the Chicago Cubs immediately went on a signing spree of positional undrafted free agents.”

Assorted Stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ 2027 schedule features season-opener at home ahead of All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. “The Cubs’ schedule for the 2027 campaign was released Thursday, featuring a second consecutive Opening Day in late March at Wrigley Field ahead of the Friendly Confines’ first All-Star Game since 1990 in mid July.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): ‘It’s going to be crazy’: PCA pumped for Wrigley to host ASG, HR Derby in ’27. “Pete Crow-Armstrong has seen what the atmosphere is like at Wrigley Field for a weekday game in the middle of summer.”

2016 Reunion:

• Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib): Theo Epstein reveals 2016 World Series twist that could’ve changed Cubs history. “A TV network nearly ruined Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: 10-year reunion of Chicago Cubs’ 2016 champions is a reminder the saga is still in progress. “Not that long ago, Chicago Cubs fans dreamed of a dynasty.”
• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): As Cubs celebrate their World Series anniversary, let’s raise a glass to Joe Maddon. “”The Chicago Cubs are the big leagues of the big league,” Maddon said, reflecting on his tenure and the team’s championship window.”

Food For Thought:

Born and raised in Dallas, Stevie Ray Vaughan began playing guitar at age 7, inspired by older brother Jimmie. By age 12 he was playing in garage bands, and within a few years he joined semi-professional bands that occasionally landed gigs in local nightclubs. At 17 he dropped out of high school to concentrate on playing music. In 1970 Stevie was playing in a nine-piece horn band and then formed his first blues band, Blackbird, a year later. Blackbird moved to Austin and after a few more stints in various bands Vaughan joined Paul Ray and the Cobras in 1975. The Cobras were Austin’s Band of the Year in 1976. After paying his dues as a sideman Stevie formed Triple Threat Revue in 1977. Triple Threat also featured bassist W.C. Clark, and vocalist Lou Ann Barton. Barton left the band in 1979 and the group became Double Trouble, the name inspired by the Otis Rush song. Double Trouble featured Jack Newhouse on bass, Chris Layton on drums and Vaughan became the band’s lead singer. In 1981 Tommy Shannon joined on bass and the power trio was set.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

The Atlanta Braves opened up the second half of the 2026 season on a high note, defeating the Texas Rangers 15-1. Chris Sale got the start and was magnificent, going seven innings and allowing just two hits. He also recorded his 2,700th career strikeout. 

Offensively, things went well as the Atlanta lineup tallied 19 hits. Even Victor Mederos got in on the fun and singled. 

The series continues this afternoon at 4:10 ET behind Owen Murphy.

More Braves News:

The rehab assignments of Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim were transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett. 

MLB News:

The St. Louis Cardinals placed left-hander JoJo Romero on the 15-day injured list with appendicitis. The move is retroactive to July 14.

The New York Mets announced the passing of All-Star Ron Hunt at age 85.

From the Feed:

Cast your vote for Braves Player of the Game here!

Walt Weiss provided an unfortunate update on Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider.

PHILADELPHIA — The MLB All-Star Game had not been as close to Boston as this season since Washington D.C. hosted in 2018, which was also known as a year to remember for Red Sox Nation.

Given the uncertainty of when Fenway Park will next host and the America 250 historical angle of this year’s Midsummer Classic, I decided to make the trip down I-95 to take in the festivities for the first time. Not at the game, but at FanFest and a watch party across from Citizens Bank Park.

Here are the Red Sox-related takeaways from the Philadelphia visit:n

1. JERSEY WATCH

There were plenty of Red Sox fans strolling around the South Philadelphia Sports Complex before Tuesday’s contest, which is understandable given the relatively close proximity between the two cities.

The best Red Sox spotted jerseys in the wild?

• Red Nomar Garciaparra Jersey
• Navy Dustin Pedroia Jersey
• 2008 All-Star Game (Old Yankee Stadium), believe it was David Ortiz?

2. ANDREW MILLER IS STILL REALLY TALL

Boston’s former reliever, most notably traded for Eduardo Rodriguez at the 2014 trade deadline, made the trip with the MLBPA, strolling around the block four hours before first pitch. You’ll always remember his extension in his delivery, but he certainly stuck out at six-foot-seven.

3. THE RED SOX RETURN TO HOME RUN DERBY

Willson Contreras knows how to work a crowd and perform while doing it. The Red Sox have seen it all year long in his first season with the team. A whole new audience got that during the Home Run Derby when he slugged 21 total homers, including a 490-foot titantic blast, that left him just short of a trip to the finals.

Given that the Red Sox hadn’t produced any derby participants since David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez in 2011, Boston’s return to the event came in refreshing fashion thanks to the team’s undisputed first-half MVP.

Oh, and he did all of that with a suspension to finish serving Friday.

4. LET CHAPMAN CLOSE!

Aroldis Chapman got the ball for the ninth inning to lock down the American League’s shutout win, though he did not get the final out. AL and Blue Jays manager John Schneider came to get Chapman with two outs in the ninth to get Rays reliever Bryan Baker into the game to give another pitcher a chance to participate as an All-Star.

I get the gesture and respect it, but just let Chapman finish it.

As Major League Baseball trade deadlines go, this might be the Jaguars-Cardinals Super Bowl of the genre.

With at least 21 teams in contention, the uncertainty of a looming lockout and a tepid pool of tentatively available players, the annual trade bonanza is more like celebrating America 250 with a pack of damp Sparklers.

Alas, the trade deadline industrial complex must be filled, even as the pool of available players will recede and fill with every three-game sweep, and every calamitous injury. With that, here are the top 25 potentially targetable talents, based on their possible impact, the likelihood of their availability and the fit of their contracts:

MLB All-Star Game winners and losers: Philly showed out. Phillies? Not so much.

A day off after having a game will never cease to bother me. Coming out of the All-Star break, you’d think MLB would want one of their top franchises on the broadcast as much as possible, but maybe that’s just me being sensical.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Brad Keller is out for the year, which puts the onus to improve on what the team already has. What can they do about it now ($)?
• There is a good preview here of what the team needs at the trade deadline, what they have to offer and who they might be able to nab ($).
• If Aaron Nola is just decent, that goes a long way in helping the Phillies win.

MLB news:

• There are several companies positioning themselves for the upcoming World Series and playoff broadcast rights.
• These twelve questions about teams might come to define the upcoming trade deadline ($).
• Let’s get together and grab those juicy trade rumors that are popping up. I’m not yet sure if this deadline will actually be spicy or a dud.

NEW YORK — Turns out the Dodgers have something to do before the trade deadline. 

They have to find another catcher.

Because Will Smith is completely shut down.

He’s not hitting, he’s not catching, he’s not throwing — he’s not doing anything for at least a week, manager Dave Roberts said Friday.

A three-time All-Star, Smith has already missed five weeks due to an inflamed disk in his neck.

Can the Dodgers count on Smith returning this season? Or do they not know?

“We don’t know,” manager Dave Roberts said, “but we are certainly counting on it.”

They don’t know if Smith will be back, and they almost certainly won’t know by the Aug. 3 trade deadline, which is a little more than two weeks away.

Smith is borderline irreplaceable, as there aren’t many catchers with his offensive profile. His continued absence has placed the Dodgers in a difficult position, as they can’t go into the playoffs with Dalton Rushing as their only viable catcher.

But if president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman trades for a catcher the caliber of, say, Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, what do they do if Smith returns as expected? Even if Smith doesn’t come back this season, or comes back in a diminished capacity, what would happen next year? Rutschman would still be under team control.

Ben Rortvedt could be a more practical option.

The same Ben Rortvedt who caught games for them in the postseason last year. The same Ben Rortvedt whom they designated for assignment before this season.

Rortvedt, 28, is playing for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse. 

He’s familiar with the Dodgers’ pitchers. He wouldn’t cost much to acquire. 

But Rortvedt is extremely limited offensively. He batted .190 for the Dodgers in 18 games last year and is hitting .210 for Syracuse. Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts better keep hitting if Rortvedt ends up in the Dodgers’ lineup.

The Dodgers are hoping it doesn’t come to that — and for what it’s worth, they don’t think it will.

Roberts said shutting down Smith represented a change in the medical staff’s approach to treating him rather than a worsening of his condition.

“Early on, [we were] trying to get him ready, moving around, doing some baseball stuff,” Roberts said. “But he hasn’t been able to get over the hump.”

Because his physical activity was leading to flareups, the Dodgers wanted to see how he would respond to doing nothing for several days.

Roberts was encouraged by the early report he received from head trainer Thomas Albert.

“He said that Will doesn’t feel any pain,” Roberts said. “Now with that, I think we’re in a much better spot.”

Which doesn’t mean Smith is expected back anytime soon. 

“It’s going to be a slow ramp-up,” Roberts said.

In other words, don’t expect Smith back until the end of next month, at the earliest.

“I don’t really know what that really looks like right now,” Roberts said. “So it’s hard to say.”

Just as it’s hard to say how much the Dodgers would be affected if Smith is unavailable in October.

Smith’s even temperament has served him well in critical moments, including in the postseason. His 11th-inning home run provided the Dodgers with the deciding run against the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series. Another one of his homers counted as the go-ahead run in the Dodgers’ Game 2 victory.

He has five career walk-off homers. 

In the regular season, he has a career OPS of .928 when hitting in the seventh inning or later with the Dodgers tied, ahead by one run or behind with the tying run at least on deck.

His career OPS: .826.

Once again, the Dodgers are looking at Smith to come up big for them in an important situation. Only this time, their ask is modest. They just need him back on the field. But they can’t count on that at this point, and that makes it necessary for them to start making plans to play their most important games without him.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 7-6 vs. Worcester Red Sox

SS George Lombard Jr. 2-3, HR, BB, RBI, K, throwing error — Welcome back, George! Last played at Triple-A on June 16th, when he suffered the finger sprain
LF Duke Ellis 0-0
C J.C. Escarra 1-4, SB
CF Spencer Jones 1-4, 2B, RBI
2B Marco Luciano 2-4, 2B, K
DH Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, 2 K
LF-SS Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, K, GIDP, picked off
3B Tyler Hardman 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K
RF Kenedy Corona 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, K — big three-run bomb

Max Fried 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, HR, WP — rehab start, first appearance on the mound since May 13th in Baltimore (for more on Fried, including comments from the man himself, check out Scott’s article)
Yerry De los Santos 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K (Win)
Kyle Carr 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, pickoff
Kervin Castro 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (save) — nice conclusion

Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 7-2 at Portland Sea Dogs

LF Jackson Castillo 1-3, BB, RBI, K, HBP
CF Jace Avina 2-5, 2 2B, RBI, SB
RF DJ Gladney 0-4, 2 K, HBP
3B Coby Morales 0-3, 2 BB, K, SB
DH Miguel Palma 1-4, BB, K
2B Connor McGinnis 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, K, GIDP, SB — drove in first three runs of the game, first with a two-run hit and then a solo shot
C Manuel Palencia 1-5, K
1B Josh Moylan 1-4
SS Owen Cobb 1-2, 2 BB, 2 SB

Jack Cebert 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K, 2 HBP — 85 pitches, pretty good!
Geoffrey Gilbert 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Michael Arias 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, balk (win)
Matt Keating 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Tony Rossi 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: L, 0-4 at Brooklyn Cyclones — shut out on two hits

3B Roderick Arias 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB, fielding error
SS Core Jackson 0-3, BB, K
C Eric Genther 0-3, SB, HBP
1B Kyle West 0-4, K
CF Wilson Rodriguez 0-3, BB, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-4
DH Josue Gonzalez 0-3, K
RF Camden Troyer 0-3, 2 K
LF Luis Durango 2-3, K, SB, CS — hey look, it’s the offense!

Bryce Cunningham 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 4 K (loss)
Brady Kirtner 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K
Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
Jack Sokol 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 8-5 vs. Bradenton Marauders

SS Jackson Lovich 1-5, HR, RBI, K — 432 feet and 111.2 mph off the bat
2B Hans Montero 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, 2 SB — put Tarpons ahead in fourth with RBI knock
C Luis Puello 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, K, CS
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, 2 RBI, SF
LF Willy Montero 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K — 10th homer, 406 feet; three-run shot in the first
CF Brando Mayea 1-4, K
1B David McCann 0-3, RBI, 2 K, SF
DH Engelth Urena 2-4, 2B, K
RF Gabriel Lara 1-4, K, SB, outfield assist

Justin West 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 3 K (win)
Jose Martinez 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K — fanned five of six batters faced
Jose M. Rodriguez 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K (save)

Florida Complex League Yankees:Suspended in the top of the fifth, trailing 4-5 vs. FCL Tigers

3B Richard Matic 0-1, K, HBP
SS Dax Kilby 0-1, BB, K — first rehab game since May 28th, when the 2025 first-rounder suffered a setback
2B Diego Flores 0-0
LF Wilberson De Pena 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, K — just keeps raking
C Queni Pineda 1-2, 3B, K
CF Jose Castro 0-2, RBI, CS
DH Francisco Vilorio 2-2, 2B
2B-SS Dexters Peralta 0-2, K
RF Estivenzon Montero 1-2, 2B, RBI, K
1B Justin Capellan 0-2, K, fielding error

Chalniel Arias 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, balk — season debut, hadn’t pitched since 2024 due to injury
Mack Estrada 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, pickoff error
Jorge Luna 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jerson Alejandro 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP

Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 7-9 at DSL Bombers — Civil War!

CF Isaias Castillo 0-4, BB, 2 K, SB
PH Emmanuel Orozco 0-1, K
SS Stiven Marinez 2-4, BB, SB
RF Yostin Pena 2-4, BB, RBI, picked off
2B Juan Torres 1-3, BB, throwing error
C Juan Martinez 0-4, K, GIDP, throwing error
PH Jose Peralta 0-1
DH Cesar Lopez 2-4
PH Eliezer Adames 0-1, K
1B Edgar Jimenez 4-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI — a valiant effort
3B Adrian Feliz 1-4, BB, RBI, SB
LF Kendry Diaz 3-5, 2 RBI

Jhon Beltre 2.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 5 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, fielding error
Yunior Jerez 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HR (loss)
Varis Villarreal 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HR, WP
Brandon Rodriguez 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 WP — best DSL pitching line yesterday!

Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 9-7 vs. DSL Yankees

CF Ruben Castillo 0-3, 2 K
LF Sebsatian Pinto 0-2
2B Dariel Santana 0-2, 3 BB, 2 SB
DH Alessandro Rodriguez 1-2, 3 BB, K, SB — Bombers drew 10 walks on the day
3B Carlos Bello 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K — two-run shot put Bombers ahead in seventh, 6-5
C Kenneth Melendez 0-5, 2 K, catcher interference error
RF David Carrera 0-1, 3 BB, outfield assist
1B Poly Ojeda 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, K — big multi-homer game!
SS Germayhoni Beltre 2-4, 2B, SB
LF-CF Alfiery Matos 1-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 SB

Argenis Veloz 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, WP, pickoff
Sebastian Castillo 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR, WP
Brandy Luis 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, balk (win)