Category: Sports News

Hickory was rained out.

Hub City starter Ismael Agreda allowed four runs in three innings, striking out four and walking two. Andrew Susac struck out one in a shutout inning. Case Matter allowed a pair of solo homers in two innings, striking out four.

Casey Cook homered. Gleider Figuereo had a hit and a walk. Maxton Martin had a double.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter David Davalillo allowed a run in five innings of work, striking out two and walking two. Eric Loomis struck out five and walked one in two innings, allowing two runs. Joey Danielson struck out one in a scoreless inning.

Rehabbing Corey Seager homered, walked and struck out while playing shortstop. Dylan Dreiling homered. Sebastian Walcott was 2 for 4 with a double and a homer. Rafe Perich doubled. Arturo Disla had a pair of hits.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, rehabbing Chris Martin threw a scoreless inning. Emiliano Teodo struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning. Luis Curvelo struck out one in a scoreless inning.

John Taylor doubled. Cody Freeman had a hit. Aaron Zavala had a pair of doubles.

Round Rock box score

DSL Rangers Red box score

DSL Rangers Blue box score

Rangers 4, Rays 1

• The road trip is off to a good start.
• Cal Quantrill went out there and outdueled Griffin Jax, who is a member of the Star Wars Name All Stars.
• Quantrill had seven strikeouts in the game. Seven! That’s 18% of his season total.
• He allowed just two hits in 5.1 innings! And just one walk!
• Yeah, I have a hard time believing it, too.
• The one time he got into trouble was in the bottom of the fourth inning, when he allowed a one out single to Jonathan Aranda, followed by a Junior Caminero double.
• Cedric Mullins then swung at a pitch, very clearly hit catcher Austin Wynns’ glove, and ended up reaching on a catcher’s interference.
• However…Mullins didn’t run to first on the play. If he had, he probably would have been safe, and a run would have scored, since you can simply take the result of the play rather than the catcher’s inference go-to-first result.
• Still, that loaded the bases, and bad things seemed to likely to take place. Texas, which was up 2-0 at the time, seemed in great danger of losing the lead.
• Chandler Simpson hit a comebacker, though, resulting in the always fun 1-2-3 GIDP, which ended the inning.
• In case you are interested, that was the third catcher’s interference this season by a Ranger catcher.
• The one run Quantrill allowed — and that the Rays scored — was the result of the one walk he issued, to Yandy Diaz. Diaz was the last batter he faced. Peyton Gray entered the game and, after a 1-3 groundout that saw Diaz advance to second, he gave up a single to Caminero.
• Well, it should be scored a single, but officially it was scored a triple. Wyatt Langford went for the ball like he thought he could try to make a play on it, went into a slide, and didn’t come close to catching it, with the ball bounding past him and having to be tracked down by Evan Carter.
• Still, Caminero was stranded, so no harm done, and Tyler Alexander, Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz each threw an inning to finish out the win with just the one Rays tally on the board.
• The Rangers bats weren’t exactly beating up on the Rays pitchers, but they scraped together some runs somehow. A couple of sac flies, an RBI single, an Austin Wynns home run that was down the left field line and just deep enough to get out.
• Wynns also had a couple of successful ABS challenges. Between those and the home run, he made up for the catcher’s interference.
• Fun fact: per Statcast, the Rangers had a .129 xBA in the game. With 31 at bats in the game, that equates to 3.999 hits, on average.
• Though we can probably round it up to 4.
• The Rangers registered 7 hits in the game, exceeding their expected total, which is pleasant.
• I thought it would be the Rangers’ lowest xBA in a game this season, but it is not.
• The Rangers had a .107 xBA in this game, a 2-1 walkoff loss in Anaheim where Jake Burger’s home run accounted for the only run, and Reid Detmers struck out 14 batters and allowed just the Burger hit in eight innings of work. The Rangers had three hits in the game.
• The Rangers had a .106 xBA in this game. It was also against the Angels, but at home, in an 11-1 loss, where Kyle Higashioka’s pinch hit eighth inning home run was the only Rangers run. The Rangers, weirdly, also struck out 14 times in this game, and also had just three hits. More weirdly, Alejandro Osuna recorded one hit in both this game and the Detmers 14 K game.
• The Rangers did not lose this game, unlike those other two matches discussed above. So that’s a difference.
• Cal Quantrill topped out at 95.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 93.7 mph. Peyton Gray reached 95.3 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander touched 93.2 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker maxed out at 93.5 mph. Jacob Latz hit 95.3 mph with his fastball.
• Wyatt Langford had a double that was 107.0 mph off the bat. Joc Pederson had a 105.7 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 104.7 mph groundout.
• One down, five to go.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino exited Monday’s loss early with a sore right hand.

Pasquantino was removed from the starting lineup in the ninth. He was replaced by Tyler Tolbert, who pinch-hit for him in the final inning. “Just soreness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said after Tuesday’s game. “Same spot, you know, in his hand where the surgery was. Just general soreness in his hand. We’ve got to get in there and check it out and see how he feels later tonight and tomorrow.” Pasquantino missed nearly a month with a right hamate fracture in the same hand. He underwent surgery and returned on July 9, just before the All-Star break.

Royals starter Seth Lugo spun another solid start against the Twins, even if the Royals lost late.

Lugo felt his pitches weren’t getting to the right locations at Target Field. So he dove into some research and came out with a different game plan Tuesday. And it worked, for the most part. Lugo allowed one run across six innings while relying on his defense. The Royals turned five double plays against an aggressive Twins lineup. “I made a pretty significant adjustment to pitches I threw more than others today,” Lugo said. “You know, it worked out pretty good. Prefer to keep that information to myself, but pretty confident in what we decided to do today.”

Kansas City’s Opening Day third baseman Maikel Garcia began a rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and MLB.com’s Anne Rogers has more on the situation.

What are they saying?
“We’ve got to take it one day at a time, but he’s felt really good in his progression, especially with the hitting. … It’s been very gradual. It started on the tee, then flips, then BP, and then we have the Trajekt machine that he’s been amping up the intensity with regular machine work as well. So he’s felt stronger. They’ve been testing the strength of his hand. It’s gotten better and better. He doesn’t feel any of the symptoms that he had before. The real test will be in the game.” –manager Matt Quatraro

What else?
This injury was an odd one, because Garcia only felt pain on certain swings and specifically on balls that he wasn’t squaring up well. That made it hard to assess and hard to rehab because he would feel healthy in the batting cage taking good swings. In games, though, it’s harder to predict what and where pitches are coming and what swing you’re going to take off each one. As Garcia began swinging again in his rehab process, he experimented with different bats and different machine work in the cages using the Trajekt machine.

The Royals placed reliever Beck Way on the injured list Tuesday.

“His back tightened up right after he came out of the game that he opened on Friday,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It hasn’t really relaxed that much. He got better this morning, and then it got worse during the day. And we just didn’t feel like we could go short. He’s not going to be able to pitch for a couple of days.” Way has posted a 3.86 ERA in 19 appearances. He has allowed four earned runs and recorded six strikeouts in his eight games (one start).

Protesters’ heckling and chants cause a zoning meeting to end early regarding redevelopment plans for a downtown Royals stadium.

Last month, the group, along with Stand Up KC, delivered signatures to City Hall seeking to force a public vote on the city’s plan to contribute $600 million to fund the new $1.9 billion stadium. It’s unclear if it can stop the stadium, and Mayor Quinton Lucas has said that he’s anticipating construction to begin before a vote can derail it. The meeting ended about 15 minutes early. During a question-and-answer period, when presenters addressed prescreened questions from the crowd, a host announced they would end the meeting amid the ongoing outburst. Fran Marion, one of the protesters, said she showed up at the meeting to send a message about mismatched priorities. “We voted before. We told them no. You’re not hearing me, so let me come back and tell you again,” Marion said. “There’s more important things out here in Kansas City than a Royals Stadium.”

The Royals come in 27th in The Athletic’s latest power rankings.

Power Ranking a year ago: 18
How they reacted: Acquired Randal Grichuk, Mike Yastrzemski, Bailey Falter, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek
This year: Anyone need a lightly-used Michael Wacha?

Here’s the cautionary tale for about one-third of the league. Kansas City was nowhere near the division lead and 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot at last year’s deadline. While the Guardians sold and then got blazing hot, the Royals — fresh off a 2024 postseason appearance — added to their roster in moderation … then missed the playoffs by five games.

Going into Monday’s action, there were 10 teams — five in each league — that sat outside the playoff picture, but were within that same 3 1/2-game range of the last wild-card spot. (The Royals are not one of them.)

I feel confident guessing that all of them would prefer to avoid repeating the Royals’ 2025 outcome.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller thinks the biggest misstep the Royals could make this coming trade deadline is having a tweener approach.

The biggest question about the clearly selling Royals is whether they’re willing to move 2026 All-Star pitcher Michael Wacha.

He is making $18M this season, could make up to $18M in 2027 and has a club option that could be as much as $18M in 2028. Even though he’s already 35 years old, it’s a desirable, controllable contract for what has been a consistently solid pitcher over the past half-decade.

But if the Royals move Wacha with two years remaining, are they also moving Seth Lugo, Vinnie Pasquantino, Daniel Lynch IV and Michael Massey with two years remaining?

They should completely shut down the Wacha chatter unless they’re prepared to really sell.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that the Royals aren’t the only team valuing their starting pitching trade chips highly.

Prices for pitching remain high: That’s what two “adding” teams have said six days out from the deadline. Asking prices to acquire starting pitchers — for the next few months or otherwise — remain sky high. It’s the norm for this time of year, which is mostly why everything happens so late. This year is no different. From pitchers like Brady Singer on cheap, expiring contracts to more controllable starters like the Los Angeles Angels duo of Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers, there’s not much of an opening for a deal that doesn’t involve a really good prospect going back. The one exception might be the pitchers with expensive expiring deals — such as Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman. Pick up their entire contract and the prospect return won’t hurt as much. The waiting game continues. Eventually those prices should drop.

Bleacher Report ranks Lane Thomas as the 10th-most likely player traded at the trade deadline.

ESPN’s Buster Olney looks at 12 deadline buyers “desperate” to make a deal, and it looks like there are plenty of teams in need of starting pitching.

Tune in for a new ESPN podcast series, “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,” recounting the events involving Ippei Mizuhara’s dismissal and eventual arrest.

New Boston Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead is set to miss time after suffering a wrist injury in his second at-bat with the team.

Popular trade candidate Casey Schmitt lands on the 10-day IL with a torn left meniscus.

Who are some notable prospects who could be on the move ahead of next week’s trade deadline?

The Detroit Tigers can’t stave off a Tarik Skubal trade off anymore, thanks to their recent skid.

CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder makes the case against teams calling pitches from the dugout.

Will matching a batter’s swing plane to a pitcher be the next step in lineup construction?

FIFA member federations now have a Sept. 19 deadline in a deal to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The Cleveland Browns make Denzel Ward the league’s highest-paid defensive back.

The World Cup energy is pushing former athletes back onto the pitch.

Where did cyclospora even come from? That is just one of a mountain of questions.

Eric Dorfman, president of The Linda Hall Library, is trying to bring science to all Kansas Citians.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s first samurai film heads stateside after positive response on film festival scene.

Minnesota’s ground-breaking law banning prediction markets halted by federal judge, citing “irreparable harm” if law came into effect.

The federal government bans foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns ahead of a visit from Chinese leader Xi Jinping,

Lab-grown meat is now a reality. But will it be a viable alternative to displace existing animal agriculture?

Today’s song of the day is Too Young To Die by Buffalo Traffic Jam.

The Dodgers thought they had won the offseason with the massive contract they dished out to Kyle Tucker. The four-time All-Star saw plenty of success with both Houston and Chicago, but, just like Tanner Scott last year, year 1 as a Dodger has not been kind for the outfielder.

Tucker ended the first half with some of the worst numbers he’s put up in his career, as he limped into the All-Star break slashing just .244/.341/.375 with seven home runs and 47 RBI, with his walk rate and strikeout rate both below his career averages. He’s managed to turn things around recently, as he has four hits and two home runs his last four games, but fans were left wondering what went wrong with their prized free agent pickup.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com explains the struggles that Tucker experienced in the first half, and highlighted his weekend in Queens as a potential turnaround for his first year in Los Angeles.

If it really is just that worse swing decisions led to missing out on the best-value contact and those swing decisions are improving, then maybe what we saw in Queens over the weekend was the start of a turnaround. And maybe the early struggles will turn out to be no more than that, the umpteenth example of a player taking some time to find comfort in his new home.

Links

Kiké Hernández was activated off the injured list on Tuesday, and his fellow countryman Edwin Díaz will follow suit on Wednesday. Dave Roberts noted that the right-hander is all set to go for Wednesday’s matchup against his old ballclub in the Seattle Mariners, per Joaquin Ruiz of the Los Angeles Times.

“He’s checked all his boxes,” Roberts said. “So getting him back in the mix is going to be fun for all of us as well.”

The trade deadline is now less than a week away, and as I noted in my trade deadline post, I addressed the need for the Dodgers to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher. It looks like that need isn’t so urgent, as Jack Harris of the California Post reported that Will Smith has resumed baseball activities. The Dodgers are hopeful to have Smith fully healthy for the stretch run leading into the postseason.

On Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts announced that All-Star backstop Will Smith has begun baseball activities again, saying the catcher is finally “pain-free” from a neck injury that has sidelined him since early June.

“I’m excited to hear that he is starting some baseball activities,” Roberts said.

With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away, there are a ton of rumors going around. This year, the Milwaukee Brewers happen to have their name in a number of the rumors given their status as one of the best teams in baseball.

As we sit here and dream about what a Brewers team with Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller, and CJ Abrams would look like, there have also been plenty of trades that make you think, “What if?”

What if the trade with the New York Mets back in July 2015 went through and the Brewers had a young Zack Wheeler in their rotation? What kind of impact would Wheeler have had on the rotation over the following years? Other pivotal guys like Domingo Santana, Josh Hader, and Adrian Houser would’ve never been on the team.

What if the Brewers didn’t trade away David Fry to the Cleveland Guardians in March 2022 for J.C. Mejía? Mejía pitched in just 11 games over the course of two seasons for the Brewers, finishing with an 8.56 ERA. With that being said, at the time, the Brewers were running Omar Narváez and Victor Caratini as their catching duo. Had David Fry been on the team, would we have seen him blossom in a Brewers uniform, thus never needing to trade for William Contreras?

Everything happens for a reason, of course. But for how successful the Brewers have been over the last nine years, it’s fun to look back at some trades that could’ve desperately derailed how dominant the team has become today, even if those players who never became Brewers turned out to be All-Stars.

Today, we flip the calendar back 20 years, to the 2006 MLB Trade Deadline. The Brewers were involved in a significant trade that sent Nelson Cruz and Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, and Julian Cordero.

Cruz had bounced around a couple of different organizations at the time of this trade; however, all of them occurred while he was in the minor leagues. At the time, Cruz was sitting in the minors in the Brewers system, struggling to find playing time on a team that had outfielders like Lee, Brady Clark, Geoff Jenkins, and the young Corey Hart.

Before we dive too thick into the weeds, it’s important to remember that even though Cruz made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2005, he didn’t get consistent playing time and burst onto the scene until 2009, when he was nominated for his first All-Star Game. In 2008, Cruz played in 31 games for the Rangers and had a fantastic line, despite the small sample size. He batted .330 and got on base at a .421 clip, while smashing seven home runs and driving in 26, foreshadowing how great he was about to be in the Lone Star State.

After his first All-Star appearance, Cruz went on to have a season where he batted above .300 while crushing 22 home runs. He was on the Rangers through the 2013 season before signing with the Baltimore Orioles in the winter of 2014.

Given the time frame and how long he was on his rookie contract, it’s interesting to think back on how he would’ve impacted those late 2000s/early 2010s Brewers squads. In 2007, the Brewers just missed their first playoff appearance in 25 years after blowing an 8.5-game lead in mid-August. That was a lineup where their outfielders were definitely not the worst players on the team, as Hart posted a .295 batting average, slugging 24 home runs. Had they had Cruz in the lineup that season, what would that have looked like? Even on the Rangers, he was a bench bat, but had the Brewers had that tool at their disposal, perhaps things would look a little differently.

Skipping forward to 2009, the Brewers took a step back after a successful previous couple of seasons. Again, not included in this step back were the Brewers outfielders, as Ryan Braun had a monstrous season at the dish, while Hart continued to be consistent and Mike Cameron slightly improved from the year before. There’s no doubt that offense wasn’t the issue for the 2009 Brewers, but to have Cruz in the outfield to replace either Hart or Cameron, I’m sure, would’ve made a sizable difference.

Moving forward, 2010 was another season where they didn’t need a ton of outfield help either. Having Jim Edmonds on the bench, a young Carlos Gomez, and, of course, Braun and Hart on the corners.

All in all, having high-quality outfield bats was never a problem for the Brewers during this stretch. Having Cruz on the team would’ve only bogged down the lineup for a team trying to turn things around. The pitching staff was the main issue at the time.

So while we can reminisce on what Cruz would’ve looked like on those late 2000s and early 2010s teams, it would’ve most likely been the same outcome for the Crew in the end. Trades happen for one reason or another, and this one was just shedding weight at the deadline to beef up a run later down the road.

What’s a trade you think about often?

Good morning, baseball fans!

We are less than one week away from the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Which means it’s time to fire off our best/worst trade deadline predictions for the San Francisco Giants.

Personally, I think they should be aggressive sellers. Trade everyone you can and throw in parts of the ballpark if that will get deals done. I never feel this way, I get quite attached to players and don’t want to see them go. And I do still feel that way about a lot of players on this year’s team, but I also would be very happy if they were traded to a functional organization with an interest in competitive baseball.

Do I think that they will be aggressive sellers? Not particularly. At least not in the way that I think they should. This team has been begging for a full rebuild for over a decade now but they have yet to commit to that, so I don’t really see that changing this year. I think we’ll see a few moves, such as Luis Arraez and maybe a pitcher or two.

But I’d be happy to be wrong.

What are your predictions for the Giants at the trade deadline?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants conclude this three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline on August 3 is drawing ever closer. Over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies made clear which players are definitely available for trade, and it’s not a surprising list. Of course, anything is possible, and teams are likely still calling about other players mentioned.

So, last Friday, I asked the Purple Row community to play armchair general manager and chime in with their trade proposals and ideas of what could be done at the deadline. Ideas have also popped up in other article comment sections, such as our MLB Trade Deadline tracker articles. After combing through the comments, I’ve compiled some of the trades that stood out to me by themed categorie and credited those who submitted the deals.

Moving Brennan Bernardio for young pitching

Brennan Bernardino, the Rockies’ lone lefty in the bullpen, has been excellent this year. Southpaw relievers are always at a premium, and it may behoove the Rockies to move the 34-year-old despite three more years of control. A number of trades focused on getting young starting pitching for Bernardino’s services.

Bernardino to Baltimore for RHP Nestor German-Ozarkbear

The Rockies need to build up starting pitching depth, and this trade could bring in a nice piece. Nestor German ranks as the Baltimore Orioles No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline and has done well since being drafted in the 11th round in 2023. Pitching in Triple-A this season, he has a 3.91 ERA in 96.2 innings while striking out 103 batters against 34 walks. He has a well-rounded arsenal and pounds the zone with all of his pitches. I like the trade for Colorado because it gives them a young starter who is nearly ready to pitch in the big leagues and checks a lot of boxes for the new front office. The Rockies say yes, but the Orioles may be a bit more hesitant.

Bernardino back to Red Sox for RHP Kyson Witherspoon -sdcarp

The Boston Red Sox got scorching hot over the last few weeks and are suddenly positioned as buyers this season. They made the first big splash by acquiring Curtis Mead from Washington for starting pitcher Connelly Early, but could a reunion with Bernardino be of interest? Kyson Witherspoon was drafted 15th overall last season by Boston and is ranked as their No. 4 prospect. The 21-year-old has been finding his footing in High-A with a 5.01 ERA in 16 starts. He’s got a varied pitch mix that can generate swing and miss; he just needs to work on honing his command to reduce the walks. It’s another yes for the Rockies, but hard to see Boston overpaying more than they did in the Mead deal, especially for a reliever they are familiar with. It would need more pieces.

A deal for Emerson Hancock?

The Seattle Mariners have a plethora of starting pitchers and have made it clear that two of them are available for trade. It may be a little harder for them to move Luis Castillo, but Emerson Hancock is plenty enticing, and the M’s may try to sell high. Reports say that Seattle would like a right-handed bat and some bullpen help, but perhaps the Rockies could figure something out.

Hancock and a pitching prospect for McCarthy/Moniak, Fulford, Veen/Thompson-stork24

By acquiring Hancock, the Rockies acquire a starting pitcher that can immediately slot into the rotation, is just 27, and under team control through 2030. He’s having a solid year, but there may be things in the underlying metrics that are concern enough for the Mariners that they are comfortable moving him. As for the Rockies side of this, I think Jake McCarthy and Sterlin Thompson would be the players I include in an offer with Braxton Fulford. McCarthy and Thompson bring quality hit tools that are always beneficial, especially in Seattle, while building out some depth down the stretch. Fulford would essentially replace Mitch Garver as the backup catcher but that’s mostly a lateral move.

Unfortunately, I think the Mariners say no to this one because they already have enough left-handed bats, and the right-handed bats on their bench are not good. I think Willi Castro, Jordan Beck, Tyler Freeman, or Brenton Doyle would have to be included in a deal, and a decent reliever like Bernardino instead to swing a deal.

Trading with the Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are once again leading the way as the top team in the American League. They once again find themselves in a position to bolster their lead in the AL East, so perhaps a trade with the Rockies could fix what ails them.

Moniak and Castro to Rays for RHP Ty Johnson, RHP TJ Nichols, OF Brendan Summerhill, and 2B Émilian Pitre -mth0620

This a very interesting trade that I would be inclined to accept. Ty Johnson and TJ Nichols are ranked as the Rays’ No. 10 and No. 19 prospects, respectively, while Brendan Summerhill and Émilian Pitre are No. 23 and No. 27. Johnson is a starting pitcher that could be ready to debut in 2027, if not this season, while Nichols has struggled in Double-A this season but has a power fastball and some interesting secondary pitches. Meanwhile, Summerhill is comparable to McCarthy for the Rockies, while Pitre is a contact-heavy second baseman with speed and a solid glove capable of playing shortstop as well. This would give the Rockies a lot of great pieces that fit the mold of the players new front office values.

McCarthy for Santiago Suarez and Émilien Pitre -Ski to Coors

This is another trade with the Rays that I would easily accept. The highlight of this trade is Santiago Suarez, a right-handed pitcher who is the Rays’ No. 13 prospect. He dealt with a shoulder/triceps issue at the end of 2025, but he has been successful at every level so far. He has given up more runs in Double-A this season, posting a 5.18 ERA in 80 innings, but that’s small potatoes considering what he can do. His fastball can reach 97 mph, while his slider has wipeout movement and his curveball is likely his best offering. He’s also been working on his changeup this year. He pounds the zone and has allowed just nine walks over 17 starts. Plus, he just turned 21 back in January. It may be a lot to ask for both of these players in exchange for McCarthy, but one-for-one could be manageable.

Start spreading the news about Goodman?

Hunter Goodman is going to be one of the hot-button Trade Deadline issues this season. The catcher market is thin, the right-handed batter market is thin, and it’s not every day you can trade for a controllable catcher with 30-plus home runs. The asking price is understandably high, but a few of you offered up some ideas for a trade with the New York Yankees.

Goodman to Yankees for RHP Elmer Rodríguez and RHP Ben Hess -sdcarp

Ranked as the No. 3 prospect and top pitching prospect in the Yankees system, this is part of the high price the Rockies are asking for. Rodríguez made his big league debut this season but hasn’t quite stuck yet. In four starts, he has a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings. His main struggle was his command as he issued 11 walks against 10 strikeouts. There is plenty of upside for the 21-year-old, but he needs more refinement. Ben Hess comes in as the No. 6 prospect for the Yankees and has drawn comparisons to former MLB standout Lance Lynn. Big-bodied with a solid pitch mix, Hess also needs more refinement and has to stay durable. This is a strong start to a trade, but it needs at least two more players in the mix.

Goodman to Yankees for RHP Carlos Lagrange, LHP Pico Khon, LHP Xavier Rivas, old friend RHP Jake Bird, and two additional prospects (position players) who are not listed on MLB Pipeline. -Renee Dechert

Our own Renee Dechert proposed many trades for this article, but I wanted to highlight this major one. Carlos Lagrange comes in as the No.4 prospect for the Yankees with an electric fastball and a heavy reliance on his secondary pitches. His size and stuff on the mound are intimidating, but he needs a lot more polish because of the inconsistencies in his delivery that hurt his command. There is plenty to like, and his makeup reminds me of Chase Dollander. The two lefties, Pico Khon and Xavier Rivas, rank as the No. 11 and No. 25 prospects and make me pause a little bit more. Both are in the vein of other soft-tossing lefties that have struggled with the Rockies in recent years. Each is likely better suited for a reliever role, which is a role the Rockies desperately need to fill out more. If I’m the Rockies, I would try to swap out Rivas for a ranked position player prospect, drop Jake Bird in the deal, and split the new unranked prospects between a reliever and a position player. Again, a good starting point for a deal.

Wrapping up

There were several other trades that I won’t be able to dive into for this article. There were a couple of trades to send Tomoyuki Sugano to one of the Chicago teams. There were additional moves to send Moniak and McCarthy to various places, and there were general sentiments of trading anyone and everyone that can be available.

Overall, this was a solid exercise for the community. It’ll be interesting to see what deals the Rockies make over the next few days and to see how close any predictions actually are. I applauded you for the contributions and discussions about this topic and, if anything, many of these proposals are good starting points for a negotiation.

Well done Purple Rowers! You’ve earned your GM thinking caps.

On the farm

Triple-A:Albuquerque Isotopes 15, El Paso Chihuahuas 9

It was another classic game in the PCL. The Albuquerque Isotopes put up eight runs in the top of the second and then found themselves leading 10-2 heading to the bottom of the third inning. The El Paso Chihuahuas responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to three. The Isotopes responded with two more in the fourth before giving up two runs in the seventh. They then put up a three-spot in the eighth to take a 15-9 lead that held. The Isotopes had 23 hits with only Charlie Condon going hitless.

Five players had at least three hits, including Jordan Beck, who had two home runs and five RBI, including a grand slam. Zac Veen had four hits, finishing a double shy of the cycle. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and allowed seven runs through three innings before giving way to Mason Green, who gave up two runs in three innings. The bullpen then shut it down the rest of the way, including Nick Frasso tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Double-A:Hartford Yard Goats 8, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3

Andy Perez enjoyed another solid day at the plate to help lead the Hartford Yard Goats to victory. Perez went 3-for-5 at the top of the lineup as teh Yard Goats had 10 total hits with only three hitters failing to get a hit. Braylen Wimmer had three RBI while GJ Hill had a double, the lone extra-base hit. The Yard Goats went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position and went 11-for-12 with stolen bases. Connor Staine started on the mound and went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

High-A:Vancouver Canadians 8, Spokane Indians 1

It was a tough offensive night for Spokane as they scored one run on a double play ball and had just five hits. Roldy Brito had a pair of hits to lead the Indians while Alan Espinal had a double. Jordy Vargas started on the hill and allowed three runs on three hits, including two home runs, in 4.1 innings of work. Things got out of hand in the seventh inning for Tyler Hampu as he was tagged for five runs on two hits with three walks in just a third of an inning.

Low-A:Ontario Tower Buzzers 7, Fresno Grizzlies 6

Trailing 3-0 in the early goings, Fresno scored six runs over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to lead 6-3. Unfortunately, Ontario scored a run in the final three innings, capped off by two runs in the ninth to secure a walk-off victory. Ashly Andujar and Kyle Fossum each had two hits in the game to lead the way. Fossum had five RBI and had a grand slam in the game. Marcos Herrera started on the mound and went three innings, followed by Luke Hansel’s 4.1 innings of two-run ball. Yanzel Correra ended up giving up the two runs in the ninth without recording an out.

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies 6, ACL Reds 5 (F/11)

It was a tight-rope affair in Game Three of the ACL League Championship. The ACL Rockies took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. The ACL Reds answered back with a home run in the top of the fourth before the Rockies took back the lead with a run in the fifth. The Reds went ahead 3-2 with two runs in the sixth but the Rockies answered back, once again, with a run in the seventh to tie things up 3-3. The game continued into extra innings as they exchanged runs in the top of the 10th and the Reds took a 5-4 lead in the 11th. Ronny Ugarte singled in the tying run in the 11th, and the Rockies loaded the bases with one out. Eriel Dihigo then grounded a ball to shortstop, but the Reds were unable to turn the double play, allowing the winning run to score and give the Rockies their first ACL Championship since 2021.

Rockies React survey: It’s the final (trade deadline) countdown!

Affected by Altitude Episode 219: The Deadline Approaches | Rocky Mountain Rooftop

This week, Evan Lang and I discuss the Seth Halvorsen trade before diving into what the Rockies will do leading up to next Monday.

Rockies Shouldn’t Automatically Give Brenton Doyle Center Field Back |Rockies on SI

Joelle Milholm addressed this topic on Monday here at Purple Row, but it’s always good to get more perspectives. Wesley Dixon settles on the fact that Cole Carrigg is playing so well that it wouldn’t make sense to block his development to let Doyle play. He could still have a place on the team, but it can’t be simply because of reputation, he has to earn it.

How Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman’s defense could impact his trade value | The Athletic ($)

Teams are trying to reduce Goodman’s value by nitpicking his defense.

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Happy Wednesday, everyone! As expected, teams are in a tizzy about the Trade Deadline, especially as potential buyers like the Brewers and Yankees are losing key players to IL stints. Things are likely to heat up exponentially between now and the end of the weekend, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on everything going down. But in the meantime, we also have non-Trade Deadline news to offer, including speculation over who will be the AL MVP with Aaron Judge no longer in consideration after missing much of the season. Even the NL MVP race might be tighter than usual this season.

We also look at bobblehead drama, CBA negotiation drama, and an update on the Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal with new audio.

So let’s get right into it.

• Dan Szymborski makes some theoretical trades ahead of the upcoming deadline.
• The Dodgers are sure to be buyers at the deadline, so let’s take a look at what prospects they might have on offer. Story by Eric Longenhagen.
• The Brewers trade deadline goals might be changing as Jake Bauers hits the IL with his return timeline TBD. (MLB)
• Mark Feinsand answers some burning Trade Deadline questions.
• Tim Capurso assesses which GMs are under the most pressure heading into the Deadline.
• Karl Rasmussen looks at some outfielders the Yankees might target with Cody Bellinger on the IL.
• Ken Rosenthal shares how the Tigers’ recent slide might make them more willing to listen on Tarik Skubal this week. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Juan Soto, bullpen arm? (Here’s a direct link to the Bluesky post for those on Apple News)

• Jay Jaffe looks at how some polarizing honorees resulted in a somewhat sparse crowd for this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
• David Laurila looks at how Caleb Durbin’s comeback has helped turn the season around for the Red Sox.
• An updated look at some Trade Deadline rumors. (MLB)
• Tim Stebbins looks at how a hit-by-pitch turned into a grand slam for the Guardians.
• Zach Meisel looks at why some players are still worried about gambling safeguards after last season’s Clase scandal. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jimmy Traina has some burning questions about MLB bobblehead giveaways.
• Curtis Mead has a broken wrist, according to X-rays, a disappointing end to his debut game. (ESPN)
• Evan Drellich looks at how “50-50” is causing some tension and confusion between MLB and MLBPA in CBA negotiations. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• I love miniature things as much as the next gal, but I remember when real hats cost this much.

• Davy Andrews explains how a 12-game losing streak have forced the Marlins to become potential sellers.
• Kiri Oler shares who will be managing the WPBL teams this upcoming season.
• How a wily squirrel stole the focus at a Tigers’ game this week. Story by Cody Stavenhagen. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jason Foster looks at the frontrunners for MVP and the runaway leader in the AL probably won’t surprise you.
• On that note, Tom Verducci explains how Yordan Alvarez could win two types of Triple Crowns.
• Ryan Phillips offers some potential (realistic) trades for Mason Miller.
• New audio sheds some new insights into the case against Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter. (ESPN)
• How this season is proving MLB wrong when they claim there is no competitive balance. Story by Ken Rosenthal. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• When your bestie gets clipped…

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.