Programming note: The American Century Championship’s final round will air locally Sunday, July 13, on NBC Bay Area (KNTV) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.
Steph Curry might not be able to do this again if he tried.
The Warriors superstar is known for making some incredible trick shots, but he did something he wasn’t even attempting to do while shooting hoops backwards during the American Century Championship on Saturday in South Lake Tahoe.
It’s hard for Curry to shock himself, but even he couldn’t believe he wedged the ball far left of the hoop set up at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort’s golf course.
The crowd went wild for the chance occurrence, which was more impressive than if Curry actually had made the shot.
BOSTON — Red Sox right-hander Hunter Dobbins said on Saturday his season is over after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee a night earlier.
Covering first base in the second inning of Boston’s 5-4 walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, the 25-year-old Dobbins stepped awkwardly and limped after recording an out by making a catch on a throw from first baseman Abraham Toro.
Dobbins took one warmup toss before manager Alex Cora stopped him from attempting any more.
Dobbins said he tore the same ACL playing high school football.
The Red Sox placed him on the 15-day injured list Saturday and recalled right-hander Richard Fitts.
SAN FRANCISCO — Heliot Ramos was never a pitcher when he was growing up, but if he had the skill set to be a two-way player, he knows which direction he would choose.
“If I was him,” he said of Shohei Ohtani, “I would hit.”
Ramos pointed out that Ohtani seems to be the same guy every night at the plate. Even his outs look hard, and he’s a threat to go deep every time he digs into the dirt. As a pitcher, Ramos said, you can have the occasional bad day. Saturday did not qualify for Ohtani.
The game’s best player had his longest start since coming back from right elbow surgery, allowing just one hit in three innings to get the Dodgers going in a game they would win 2-1. Ohtani already has made an impact on this rivalry as a hitter, but Saturday was his first time facing the Giants as a pitcher for the Dodgers, and he certainly embraced the moment. Ohtani struck out the side in the first inning, hitting 100 mph.
“He was attacking everybody, he has a good fastball,” Ramos said. “He looked pretty good today.”
The problem for the Giants was not that Ohtani dominated. They kind of figured that was coming, but their hope was that they could at least get his pitch count up and get him out of the game relatively early. Instead, Ohtani got through the first two innings on 23 pitches, which allowed him to go out for the third for the first time since his surgery.
The bigger problem was that the Giants then did just about nothing against righty Emmet Sheehan, who took over in the fourth. Their lone run came in the eighth, when they had the bases loaded with one out. Rafael Devers hit a sacrifice fly but Matt Chapman grounded out.
That wasted a strong performance by Landen Roupp, who got shelled at Dodger Stadium last month. Roupp never even pulled up the video of that game to review what went wrong. He was ready to move on, and on Saturday he allowed two runs over six.
“I just had full control of everything,” he said. “Last outing there at Dodger Stadium, I just didn’t have a feel for anything. Today that was different and I was able to get through six.”
Roupp was on the mound well after Ohtani walked off, but that didn’t mean he was done with him. He got Ohtani to roll over twice on curveballs early in the game and then struck him out with a nasty sinker in the fifth, two innings after Ohtani had finished pitching.
“I didn’t want to go back to [the curveball] because I figured he was looking for it,” Roupp said. “I stayed hard there and put a pitch at the top of the zone and got the call.”
Roupp finished the first half with a 3.27 ERA. He has given the Giants a reliable third option, and he said he’s looking forward to getting back home to North Carolina next week and doing some hunting.
Ohtani is also headed to the South, but he’ll be in Atlanta at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. Through two games of this series, he has shown every bit of why he’s a perennial All-Star. A day after hitting a ball into McCovey Cove, he struck out four Giants.
“It was crazy,” Roupp said. “Going into today, I was kind of shocked he was still leading off just because you have to throw your pregame bullpen, but he does it so well.”
American-born Russian winger Nikolai Kovalenko, 25, has signed a
two-year contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL
club announced on social media on Saturday.
Kovalenko was born in Raleigh, N.C. while his father, Andrei
Kovalenko, played for the Carolina
Hurricanes. He grew up in Moscow and Yaroslavl, and played in 304
KHL regular-season and playoff games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Ak Bars
Kazan and Torpedo between 2017 and 2024, recording 157 points.
At the end of the 2023-24 KHL season, Kovalenko, who had already
signed a two-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche, was assigned
to the AHL’s
Colorado Eagles. He made his NHL debut in that year's playoffs when he was called up to play in two games for
the Avalanche.
Kovalenko split the 2024-25 season with Colorado and the San
Jose Sharks, recording 20 points and 16 penalty minutes in 57
games. Midway through the season, he was involved in a trade that saw
goaltenders Alexandar Georgiev and Mackenzie Blackwood head in
opposite directions.
CSKA,
colloquially known in North America as the Red Army team, is a
perennial powerhouse in Russia, but
after back-to-back Gagarin Cup titles in 2022 and 2023, has been
knocked out in the first round of the playoffs each of the past two
years.
The American League Division odds are offering some enticing odds on the New York Yankees following the Toronto Blue Jays 11-1 run, while the Boston Red Sox are gaining steam with seven consecutive wins and Tampa Bay, the opposite of the three at 3-8 over the last 11.
Per BetMGM, they have the Yankees at -125 compared to -135 to -140 at most markets, while almost every book has the Blue Jays priced around +165, the Rays at +1000, and the Red Sox floating around +1200 .The Orioles, respectively, are out of the race at +13000 unless you believe in miracles.
Let's take a look at the race and why the Yankees are the best bet. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
AL East Division Champions: New York Yankees (-125)
The Blue Jays tightened up the race in the AL East, but after losing to the White Sox on Wednesday, Toronto's 10-game winning streak is over and the All-Star break certainly won't help with momentum.
In sports, teams that go on massive winning streaks, especially double-digit winning streak, don't always perform up to standards over the next few games or series — so I expect Toronto to have its struggles soon is what I am saying.
For the Yankees, as of July 12, two days before the All-Star break, the New York offense leads the MLB in homers (149), walks (372), OBP (.339), SLG (.458), and OPS (.797), while the pitching staff has permitted the fewest hits (694), lowest OBA (.224), and rank top 10 in WHIP (1.21), and strikeouts (846).
New York also hasn't been fully healthy and get some weapons back for the second half of the year — including starting pitcher Luis Gil (AL ROY in 2024), relievers Fernando Cruz (54 Ks tO 14 BB, 3.00 ERA over 33.0 IP) and Mark Leiter Jr. (4.46 ERA, 46 Ks, 42 hits over 34.1 IP), plus infielder Oswaldo Cabrera (.282 BA, 20 hits, 8 RBI in May).
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
When it comes to scheduling, the Boston Red Sox have the toughest strength of schedule remaining per tankathon (.519), Baltimore is fourth (.514), then Toronto, New York, and Tampa Bay all rank 13th through 15th — so not much difference in terms of opponent strength for the top three AL East contenders.
However, the Yankees will have a daunting task with a 10-game road trip near the end of September. The first three of that road trip are at Boston, then three at Minnesota, before four more in Baltimore — at least seven of the 10 come against divisional opponents.
On the bright side, New York has 10 games against the White Sox (7) and Marlins (3) remaining. For the Blue Jays, they have two long road trips in the second half of their season that span seven and eight games. Toronto visits the Orioles and Tigers for eight games, four apiece, then four at the Rays and three at the Royals in September.
I would say the Blue Jays have the slimmest edge in scheduling for the second half of the year, but Toronto and New York still play six times and the Yankees want revenge. New York won two of the first three games, then got swept by the Blue Jays in a four-game series.
This was +110 to +115 on BetMGM when we recorded the video playing for this article and -115 when I tweeted it yesterday, but over the last two days, the odds are now -125 to -140. I'd go to -150, so shop around.
Pick: Yankees to win AL East (1u)
Vaughn Dalzell’s MLB Futures Card
2 units: Aaron Judge to lead MLB in home runs (+130) 2 units: Cam Smith to win AL Rookie of the Year (+150) 2 units: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (-110)
1 unit: Shohei Ohtani to win NL MVP (-110) 1 unit: Bobby Witt to win AL MVP (+450) 1 unit: Elly De La Cruz to win NL MVP (+2000) 1 unit: Garrett Crochet to win AL CY Young (+450) 1 unit: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (+300) 1 unit: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (+100) 1 unit: Byron Buxton to win AL Comeback Player of the Year (+430) 1 unit: New York Yankees to win AL East (-115)
0.5 unit: Dodgers to win 117-plus games (+650) 0.5 unit: Paul Skenes to lead MLB in wins (+1400) 0.5 unit: Garrett Crochet to lead MLB in wins (+2200) 0.5 unit: Juan Soto to lead the MLB in homers (+2800) 0.5 unit: Yordan Alvarez to lead the MLB in homers (+2000) 0.5 unit: Roman Anthony to win AL Rookie of the Year (+1200) 0.5 unit: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (+1100)
0.25 unit: Aaron Judge to bat .400 by the All-Star break (+800) 0.25 unit: Aaron Judge to bat .400 for the season (+5500) 0.25 unit: Oneil Cruz to lead MLB in stolen bases (+15000)
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The Yankees were never going to be able to find a like-for-like replacement for Juan Soto in the outfield after the slugger swapped Queens for The Bronx this offseason. But former MVP Cody Bellinger has carried plenty of the load.
After a three-homer night against his former employers, the Chicago Cubs, on Friday night, the outfielder now has 16 long balls on the season with 54 RBI and a solid .285/.340/.498 slash line for a .838 OPS (131 OPS+ and 131 wRC+). Could Bellinger find himself as an eleventh-hour addition to the American League roster for the All-Star Game? The Yankee and AL skipper said he didn’t know but had been lobbying for the outfielder’s inclusion.
“I tried to make my case for him the last couple days,” Aaron Boone said before Saturday’s matinee. “Even before [Friday] night’s exclamation point, felt like he was worthy. You never know, obviously there’s been a lot of changes [to the roster] over the last few days of people in for each other. I really don’t know.”
The Yankees are already sending four to Tuesday's game, starter Aaron Judge and reserves Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Carlos Rodon, with Max Fried going, but not on the roster after dropping out.
After a terrible slump in May, Bellinger's left-handed swing has looked pure as he's batting .406 with a 1.162 OPS during his 16-game hitting streak.
“Feels great,” he said after a Yankee Stadium curtain call in Friday’s win. “That was a cool moment.”
Bellinger, who arrived as a part of the Cubs' salary dump of his $27.5 million contract for the 2025 season, was looking to continue a career resurgence after his Dodger career fell apart in his final two years in Los Angeles. His NL Rookie of the Year season in 2017 and NL MVP in 2019 seemed like distant memories when he posted a .193 average and .611 OPS over his final 239 games.
After modest success during two seasons in the Second City, his time in New York is off to a fine start, and the added pressure of Soto’s departure and the weight of the pinstripes isn’t affecting the son of a former Yankee.
“Chill,” was the first word Boone used to describe the outfielder on the eve of his 30th birthday.
“He’s a grinder, he’s a gamer,” the skipper continued. “He’s a really good athlete. His speed and the way he moves, and just being able to do really everything on the baseball field, really stand out, which is not surprising for a former MVP. He does a lot of things really well on the diamond.”
That athleticism has been very apparent in the outfield with his four outs above average (91st percentile) and four fielding run value (84th percentile), and a 28.4 feet per second sprint speed (79th percentile) on the bases. Off the field, his addition to the clubhouse has been just as good.
“He’s a really good teammate, the right kind of pro that you want, there’s a lunch pail element to him,” the skipper said. “There’s a blue-collar way about him, but he’s also very laid back and easy to be around, too.”
May 31, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) in the dugout during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Yanks resilient amid roller coaster streaks
Friday night's 11-0 drubbing pulled them to 2.0 games back in the AL East as the Yanks pushed the winning streak to five games, which of course followed a six-game losing skid that saw them fall from the top spot in the division. What has it been like for Boone and the club to ride that roller coaster?
“Feels like for the most part we’ve played good baseball, the two six-game losing streaks really kinda put a damper on that,” the manager said. “In and around that, I feel like we’ve been solid.”
Boone praised his clubhouse for being “so good at dealing with the day-to-day and the struggles, the highs and the lows” to make sure they stay on the right track with the right “mindset and focus.”
The response: The current five-game streak equals the club’s high-water mark for consecutive wins this year, which they did twice previously. And despite a spate of injuries to starting pitchers – Gerrit Cole lost for the year in spring training, Luis Gil still waiting to make his season debut, and Clarke Schmidt lost to Tommy John this mont – they are they sit at 53-41 (.564), they still have the fourth best record in the AL heading into the break.
“Dealt with some attrition, obviously, with some guys going down,” Boone continued. “But the one thing, we’re sitting here, 90-plus games in with a long way to go, we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to be the team we want to be.
“We’re not a finished product yet. We have lofty goals and aspirations, and that remains the same. Hopefully, over these final couple of months, we put ourselves in a position to be in the playoffs and play a consistent band of baseball, that’s what we’re working towards.”
Gil inching closer and closer
Last year's Rookie of the Year is getting closer to his 2025 season debut.
Boone said Gil will begin his minor league rehab assignment on Sunday at Double-A Somerset.
The right-hander faced live batters before in late June and "looked really good" in what was an "important" step, the skipper said at the time.
"I think he was 95, 96 (mph)," Boone said June 21 about Gil's fastball velocity. "It looked every bit of that. Just the metrics on the four-seam was really good, too. And I thought he was in control of himself, too. So, free and easy. I thought he executed some really good changeups."
Gil has been on the 60-day injured list since March 24 with a right lat strain. He pitched to a 3.50 ERA and 1.193 WHIP in 151.2 IP over 29 regular-season starts for the Yankees last year.
The San Jose Sharks acquired Ryan Reaves from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Henry Thrun. While the move was a bit perplexing to both fan bases at first, especially for Sharks fans, it helped clear an obvious logjam and added some needed toughness to the forward group.
There isn’t much upside offensively for Reaves, as he’s posted a total of 137 points over the course of 16 seasons, but both the organization and the player know what he brings to the table.
The 38-year-old winger has one more year on his current contract, which has a cap hit of $1.35 million. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2023-24 season, and things certainly didn’t go as either he or the team had hoped.
According to Reaves, he never gelled with the coaching staff, and constantly moving in and out of the lineup on a consistent basis never allowed him to get momentum going for his game. Despite the issues, Reaves still referred to the Maple Leafs as “a first-class organization.”
Reaves, who found out about the move “two minutes before a signing,” said that he asked Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving for a change of scenery. “The way things ended in Toronto, it wasn’t exactly how I wanted,” Reaves said. “It was time to move on. I’m happy that Treliving out in Toronto found a spot for me, and I couldn’t be more happy in San Jose.”
Fans in San Jose don’t have the fondest memories of Reaves, who spent a few years with the Vegas Golden Knights half of a decade ago, which led to some intense and memorable playoff moments.
When asked about his history with his new organization, Reaves joked: “What history?” He then continued, adding, “I think it’s definitely good that there was a little buffer in between to let that cool off a little. There [have been] a few teams over the years that I would’ve said I never would’ve gone to just because of the rivalries that were going on, Chicago when I played in St. Louis. Then, probably San Jose from our days in Vegas.”
Coming into a young team looking to move out of a rebuild, Reaves knows exactly why general manager Mike Grier brought him into the fold. “They definitely didn’t sign me for my goal scoring.” Instead, Reaves will be tasked with the responsibility of protecting the Sharks’ young stars, specifically Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and possibly Michael Misa if he makes it to the NHL this season. ”I know my role, and I know what I need to bring to this team.”
Reaves’ game focuses squarely on physicality, and even if he’s not an everyday player, he can also add some veteran leadership. With the departure of Marc-Edouard Vlasic this summer, Reaves has instantly become the oldest player in the Sharks organization. Over the years, he’s played with some of the top players in the NHL, including Sidney Crosby, Artemi Panarin, and, of course, Toronto’s former “core four”. As a result, even as a fourth-line enforcer, Reaves will bring a wealth of knowledge he can share with the Sharks’ young stars.
Entering this season, Reaves has played a total of 912 career NHL games. With 88 games remaining until he hits the milestone of 1000 games played, he won’t hit that benchmark this season with the Sharks. Regardless, he’s confident he can play all 82 games this season if he’s asked to do so, but Father Time is slowly catching up with him. “I don’t know if any 38-year-old hockey player is 100% but it’s good enough to get on the ice, get up and down, and play the way I need to, play physical and fight when I need to.”
At this stage of his career, the main thing Reaves wants is to be wanted. “I go where anybody wants me and anybody who wants me,” he said. “I’m excited to do whatever I can for that team and organization.”
Reaves doesn’t bring much offensive or even defensive value to the Sharks. He has one job with the San Jose Sharks, and that’s to protect his younger teammates through his physical play. He’s not the type of player who will be in the lineup on a nightly basis, more than likely, but if he’s going to win over the fans in the Bay Area, he’ll need to make an impact whenever he’s given an opportunity to do so.
If Reaves wants to hit the 1000-game mark, he needs to have an impressive run with the Sharks and show teams around the league that he still has what it takes to make an impact. As a result, he’ll be an interesting player to keep an eye on when the season gets underway this fall.
SAN FRANCISCO — After Friday night’s thrilling win, both Logan Webb and Willy Adames mentioned that there was a bit too much Los Angeles Dodger blue in the seats at Oracle Park. A day later, it was even worse, particularly in the bleachers, and this time the visitors were the ones who got to celebrate.
The Giants lost 2-1, managing just three hits in a game that was over after two hours and 11 minutes. This series is tied, with MLB All-Stars Robbie Ray and Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to pitch the first-half finale on Sunday.
The Giants trailed all afternoon, and had just one hit off Shohei Ohtani and “bulk innings” pitcher Emmet Sheehan through seven innings. Sheehan, a young right-hander, made his first career start against the Giants and always has dominated them, but they knocked him out in the eighth with a walk and two singles.
Lefty Alex Vesia entered with the bases loaded, and Rafael Devers cut the deficit in half with a deep sacrifice fly.
With the tying run on third, Matt Chapman grounded out. The Giants went down quietly in the ninth as the Dodgers snapped their seven-game losing streak.
Roupp’s Revenge
The Dodgers crushed Landen Roupp at Dodger Stadium last month, scoring six runs and knocking him out in the second inning. On Saturday, Roupp found all the right answers.
The second-year righty allowed just two runs — one earned — over six innings while throwing a career-high 104 pitches. Roupp was flawless against his pitching counterpart, Ohtani, getting two soft grounders and then freezing him with a sinker in the fifth inning. He also struck out Mookie Betts twice and Freddie Freeman once.
A good day for Landen Roupp, who got roughed up at Dodger Stadium last month. He allowed two runs — one earned — in six innings and struck out eight while throwing a career-high 104 pitches. Roupp posted a 3.27 ERA in the first half, which ranks 13th in the National League. pic.twitter.com/4El5jUz8lb
The first run against Roupp came in the second, after Michael Conforto reached on an infield single and alertly took third when Adames made a throwing error on another infield single. Conforto, who is having an all-time Revenge Series, scored on a grounder.
The Dodgers tacked on a more traditional run in the sixth as Roupp got into triple-digits with his pitch count. After a Conforto single and walk of Andy Pages, Hyeseong Kim singled to left.
The Trio
Roupp had some short starts early on, so despite taking the ball every fifth day, he has not qualified for MLB leaderboards throughout the first half. He came close to getting there in recent starts, and with the six innings Saturday, he finally crossed the threshold, which is one inning for every game your team has played.
That means the Giants have three of the top 15 in the NL in ERA at the break. Robbie Ray is fifth, Webb is eighth and Roupp is 13th. They’re the only team in the NL with three qualified starters in the top 15 in ERA. The Phillies (Zack Wheeler and Christopher Sanchez) and Mets (David Peterson and Clay Holmes) are the only other teams with multiple pitchers in that mix.
The Sho
There’s nobody who gets more love from MLB’s social media channels than Ohtani, but it’s honestly probably not enough. What he did Saturday was remarkable if you step back and really think about it.
Ohtani took Webb into McCovey Cove on Friday, and a few hours later he took the mound against the Giants for the first time as a Dodger and struck out the side in the first, hitting 100 mph. Ohtani was making his fifth start as a Dodger and he completed three innings for the first time. They have been using him as an opener, and on Saturday he allowed just one hit — a Mike Yastrzemski single — and struck out four. His final pitch was a 99 mph fastball.
Earlier this week, projected 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna committed to Penn State University. He is undoubtedly a massive pickup for the school, as he dominated the Western Hockey League (WHL) over the last few seasons. This past campaign with the Medicine Hat Tigers was his best, though, as he had 41 goals and 129 points in 56 regular-season games and 38 points in 16 playoff games.
With how wonderfully McKenna has played at the junior level, many believe he will be a superstar at the NHL level. Because of this, next year’s draft lottery should have just as much hype as it did during Connor Bedard’s draft year in 2023.
Because of this, let’s look at five teams who could have a real shot of winning next year’s draft lottery and selecting McKenna.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Could the Pittsburgh Penguins get their next face of the franchise in McKenna next year? It certainly should not be ruled out. They finished last season with a 34-36-12 record and did not address their major roster needs this off-season.
The Penguins are rebuilding and currently sport one of the weakest rosters in the NHL. Players like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson are also among the league’s top trade candidates, so there is a possibility that the Penguins could get worse before the season is here.
The Penguins also desperately need a young star talent like McKenna, especially with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the later stages of their careers. It will be interesting to see if they end up being the lucky club that lands him.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks finished at the very bottom of the NHL standings for the second year in a row this past campaign. Thus, they stand out as a potential landing spot for McKenna.
The Sharks made some nice moves this off-season, bringing in Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, Alex Nedeljkovic, Adam Gaudette and Philipp Kurashev. With this and the club having several young players on the rise, it would not be particularly surprising if the Sharks are a bit more competitive next season. However, they likely still have more work to do before they significantly climb up the NHL standings.
If the Sharks won the draft lottery and picked McKenna, he would only make their excellent prospect pool even better. A trio of McKenna, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith would be incredible for a Sharks team on the rise to build around.
Chicago Blackhawks
After bringing in several new players in free agency last year, the Chicago Blackhawks elected not to be big spenders this time around. The Blackhawks will instead be looking for their talented young players to take big steps forward in 2025-26.
While it is completely understandable that the Blackhawks have had a quiet off-season, it also seems likely that they will once again be in the bottom portion of the NHL standings in 2025-26. With this, they certainly stand out as a potential landing spot for McKenna at next year’s draft.
McKenna landing in Chicago would also make for a fun story, as he is a cousin-by-marriage to Bedard. However, more importantly, McKenna would give Bedard another elite talent to work with as the Blackhawks look to take that next step.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers have made some interesting additions this off-season, as they have brought in Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak and Dan Vladar. While they have added to their group, they still have work to do before they compete for a playoff spot and could be a lottery team next year.
While they signed a solid backup in Vladar, goaltending is still the biggest question mark on the Flyers’ roster right now. They do not have a proven starting goaltender, and this could make them near the bottom of the NHL standings again next season.
There is no question that adding McKenna would be significant for the Flyers, as he would provide them with another top youngster to build their core around. Could you imagine the Flyers having McKenna and Matvei Michkov on their roster? That duo would make some real magic together.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken brought in some new players this summer, including Mason Marchment, Ryan Lindgren and Frederick Gaudreau. While adding to their depth was certainly important for the Kraken, it is hard to predict that these moves will be enough for the Kraken to move up in the standings next season.
When looking at the Kraken’s roster, it is clear that they still do not have a game-changing forward that all playoff teams need. However, winning next year’s draft lottery and picking McKenna would help change things on that front. There might not be a team out there that needs a player like McKenna more than Seattle right now.
Honorable Mentions
Two other teams who could have a real shot at getting McKenna are the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators. Both of these teams performed below expectations last season and are wild cards heading into 2025-26.
The possibility of a bounce-back season for the Bruins is there, especially if Jeremy Swayman regains his elite form, and top defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm stay healthy. However, after trading away several former core players at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, there are certainly questions surrounding the Original Six club.
As for the Predators, they will need players like Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos to heat back up offensively if they hope to improve next season. They will also need Juuse Saros to regain his elite form, as the Predators are not an easy team to beat when the star goalie is on his A-game. Yet, if things go south for Nashville again, they could be the team that gets McKenna.
FA Cup winners feel hard done by after being banned from Europa League due to a breach of multi-club ownership rules
As an emotional Steve Parish said, it felt like “winning the lottery and going to the counter and you don’t get the prize”. Confirmation from Uefa on Friday of Crystal Palace’s demotion from the Europa League to Conference League had been expected since European football’s governing body delayed its decision to await the outcome of Lyon’s appeal against being relegated to Ligue 2.
That did not make it any easier for Parish, who has proudly overseen Palace’s rise from the brink of extinction in 2010 to a first major trophy. When the final whistle blew at Wembley to seal Palace’s FA Cup final victory against Manchester City eight weeks ago, Parish was greeted by a massive bear hug from John Textor, who at that stage was Palace’s largest shareholder, but had spectacularly fallen out with the chair over not being allowed more of an influence.
Draymond Green and LeBron James are continuing to enjoy their offseason.
The two NBA stars were seen at Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny’s concert Friday night in San Juan. Both James and Green were on stage with Bad Bunny, along with several others.
LeBron James with Draymond Green at Bad Bunny’s concert in Puerto Rico
The Grammy Award-winning artist opened his Puerto Rico residency Friday for his “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” album.
Several videos circulated of James and Green dancing and singing along, and the artist even brought James out to the crowd as the arena roared.
While there has been speculation about James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers after the superstar exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, with the Warriors reportedly among the teams considered another trade offer to acquire the four-time NBA MVP, it’s clear that James is living in the present this offseason. And he’s doing so with one of his best friends.
The Mets rank only a smidge above MLB average in runs per game, and don’t get us started about hitting with runners in scoring position, a season-long bugaboo that has ruined multiple games.
That’s why adding a dynamic offensive player at the trade deadline could be an impact move for David Stearnswith reverberations all the way into October.
And it’s why the Mets should at least consider exploring a deal for Jarren Duran of the Red Sox, despite what likely would be enormous prospect cost given that he has three-plus seasons of club control remaining.
Who knows if Boston would actually trade an outfielder whose breakout 2024 season featured 83 extra-base hits and an eighth-place finish in the AL MVP voting?
The Sox were supposed to fade after trading Rafael Devers earlier this season, but actually hold a Wild Card spot entering play Friday. They do have a logjam of young, lefty-hitting outfielders, though.
Whether a potential deal is fanciful or not, Duran’s name has been rampant in the public trade speculation that’s part of the run-up to the deadline.
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the Mets dealing for Duran, the MVP of last year’s MLB All-Star Game...
Jul 16, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; American League left fielder Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox (16) hits a two run home run in the fifth inning during the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
PROS
Duran, who turns 29 in September, led the majors in doubles (48) and triples (14) last season while also smacking 21 homers and stealing 34 bases in 41 tries. That points to quite an appealing skill set, no? It’s easy to imagine Duran whirling around the bases at Citi Field after Juan Sotosmacks a liner into the gap.
His 8.7 WAR (according to Baseball Reference) was fifth-best in the majors in 2024, behind only Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, and Gunnar Henderson. Heady company.
Duran also posts nearly every day. He appeared in 160 games last year and in 95 of 96 Red Sox tilts so far this season as a mainstay on one of five MLB teams averaging at least five runs per game. Taking the field daily seems to be something Mets fans appreciate about both Pete Alonsoand Francisco Lindor, so they’d presumably like it from Duran, too.
Here’s an additional slab of red meat to those fed up with the Mets' woes with runners in scoring position: Duran is batting .298 in such situations this season, tops among Boston regulars. Alonso (.337) is the only Met with a better mark, and no one else is even close.
New York, in case you forgot, is near the bottom of the majors when it comes to batting average with runners in scoring position this season. They went 2-for-19 (.105) with RISP when they were swept in a doubleheader by Baltimore on Thursday.
They could also use an offensive boost from center field, perhaps the only position on the diamond where they can pursue an upgrade, unless they pick the unlikely route of moving on from all their young third basemen. Mets center fielders entered play on Friday with just four homers (25th in MLB) and a .611 OPS (24th).
CONS
Even with a player of Duran’s talent, there are some pitfalls here. Is he really the 2024 Duran or is his 2025 – not as eye-popping so far – closer to the real Jarren? He’s batting .257 (down 28 points) with a .745 OPS (down 89 points). He leads the majors in triples with 10 and also has eight homers.
Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) rounds the bases en route to a triple during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field / Ken Blaze - Imagn Images
There’s also the question of his defensive position. Last year, Duran appeared in 105 games in center and 83 in left; this year, he’s logged 91 games in left and six in center, where the Red Sox seem committed instead to Ceddanne Rafaela, an elite defensive player. Is a player who has already been moved by another team good enough with the glove to play center field for the Mets? Hmmm.
Then there’s the talent cost. Since Duran is arbitration-eligible in 2026 and won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season, this is no rental, where fringy prospects might lure a team looking to move on from their player. The Red Sox will command a haul if they deal Duran, and there figures to be plenty of market competition from teams such as the Padres, which could make the price soar.
That’s not ideal for a team that has said over and over how much it wants to supercharge its farm system.
VERDICT
Duran would obviously lengthen the Mets' lineup, even if he’s closer to this season than last as a player. He’s an enticing, vibrant player with game-breaking tools.
But this feels like a pass for the current Mets. It’s more of a long-term, shakeup move than simply adding deadline oomph. Stearns has been adamant about improving the team defense and it’s fair to wonder whether Duran accomplishes that if he’s their center fielder. And Soto’s not going anywhere in right field; neither is Brandon Nimmo in left.
And the Red Sox, rightfully so, could use the top end of the Mets’ prospect rankings like a want list, checking off names such as Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Nolan McLean in talks. Even if you’re no prospect hugger, some combo from those ranks is a steep cost.
If the Mets decide they need to address center field, looking elsewhere for a less-pricey player (Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins, a free-agent-to-be?) might be the move.
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Mets Notes
After homering in Friday's win, Juan Soto is hitting .328/.473/.687 with 14 home runs, five doubles, 29 RBI, 35 runs scored, and 35 walks over his last 39 games
Francisco Lindor, who hit a three-run homer Friday, is 12-for-35 (.343) with six extra-base hits and 11 RBI with a 1.125 OPS in his last nine games
Frankie Montas makes his fourth start and looks to find his rhythm. The right-hander has surrendered 10 runs on 15 hits over 14.2 innings for a 6.14 ERA and 1.295 WHIP
Royals starter Michael Lorenzen has pitched to a 4.61 ERA and 1.304 WHIP in 99.2 innings over 18 starts this year with 85 strikeouts to 29 walks. The righty leads the AL in wild pitches with 10, equaling his total from his previous 381 innings
METS
ROYALS
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Former Bakersfield Condors goaltender Collin Delia has signed a one-year deal in Sweden with Brynas IF, it was announced Friday.
A product of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Delia spent the entire 2024-25 season with the Condors, putting up a record of 12-11-5 along with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Across a total of 181 career AHL regular season appearances, Delia has gone 88-72-25 while posting a 2.95 GAA and a .901 SP.
Having turned pro in 2017, Delia has also appeared in a decent amount of NHL games, getting into a combined 52 with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks. In that time, he posted a stat line of 19-18-7, a GAA of 3.51 and a .897 SP.
With Delia heading over to the SHL, this will be his first time playing professionally overseas. Having not appeared in an NHL game since the 2022-23 season, Delia is likely hoping to prove himself once again. If he has a strong season with Brynas, Delia could attract interest from NHL teams looking to bolster their goaltending depth.
