ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 12: Asa Newell #14 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during a game at State Farm Arena on October 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Asa Newell is coming into Year 2 of his career, and there’s a good chance that he’ll have a bigger role when looking at the frontcourt. In his rookie season, Newell was fighting for minutes with players such as Mouhamed Gueye and Jonathan Kuminga, but with the former currently rehabbing from injury and the latter on a different team, it opens up the door for more playing opportunities.
Newell showed growth throughout his rookie season, and that was thanks to the College Park Skyhawks, where he spent most of his time. When he was with the Hawks, he was usually at the five, where he struggled defensively, but he was able to work on that when he went to the Skyhawks during his stints.
At Media Day, Newell shared the things that he worked on during the summer, and his defense was one of them.
“My defense. I’ve been working on that all summer, trying to move my feet. Also my dribbling, I feel like where I came from, from college into year one, I just been a gym rat. My shooting ability, too. Those three are the main keys,” Newell said.
The Hawks mostly want Newell at the four with a center beside him, but he still has the ability to interchange if he has to. This season specifically, he should be seeing a lot of minutes when Jalen Johnson is off the floor.
The one thing that will help Newell get consistent minutes this season is not only his defense but also his shooting. That was an area where he definitely grew during his rookie season, as he shot 38.7% from the 3-point line and had a nice feel on the perimeter. When the Hawks needed more offense on the floor and Newell was available, Quin Snyder put him in the game over Gueye, who was better defensively.
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for Newell when Gueye does return from his rehab, and whether he can lose minutes during that time. That’s why it may be crucial for him to get off to a fast start to the season.
Again, defense will be the No. 1 key for Newell if he wants to see an increase in minutes this season. Throughout the preseason, he’s had his ups and downs on that side of the floor, but he’s been able to maintain some consistency on offense at times.
Coming into his second year, the Hawks definitely want to see improvements from Newell across the board, and he could be on the way to being a solid rotational player for the Hawks this season.
Jimmy Butler cannot wait for the start of the next calendar year.
The Warriors will begin their 2026-2027 NBA season in just a few days, but Butler will not take part in the early portion of the campaign as he recovers from his torn ACL. Butler injured his knee in January, missed the rest of the season, and the Warriors missed the playoffs as a result.
The Warriors were right in the mix until Butler got hurt, but his injury depleted their star power and depth. Speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Butler said he felt that he let his superstar teammate Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ core down by getting hurt, with the team eager to win another ring for Curry before he retires.
“I really felt like I let Steph down,” Butler told Slater. “I let Draymond [Green] down. I let Steve [Kerr] down. Because they took a chance. If you don’t know me and you haven’t been around me, you don’t know what I’m about because of the things that you may read and hear. But they said, ‘F— all of that s—. This motherf—er knows how to win.’ They took a chance, and I felt I let them down.”
Butler’s addition to the team has proven valuable, given how his first season in Golden State went. The Warriors acquired Butler in a trade in February 2025 and went 23-8 the rest of the regular season to sneak into the playoffs.
From there, they beat the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round, and if it weren’t for Curry injuring his hamstring, the internal belief was that they could have beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves and advanced to the Western Conference finals. Butler’s value is evident, with Kerr echoing that sentiment to Slater.
“He’s such an alpha,” Kerr told Slater. “Everyone feels so confident when he’s on the floor. He’s also a total wiseass. The humor, the dynamic that exists with him in the locker room. There’s just a sense of swagger that you have when Jimmy’s on your team. So, it felt like we lost that instantly.”
Butler, drafted No. 30 overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2011 NBA Draft, has accomplished a lot in his career, including earning six All-Star selections, five NBA All-Defensive team selections and five All-NBA selections. The only thing he is missing is an NBA title and wants to do everything in his power to help Golden State reach that goal again.
“I just want to help those guys win another [title], man,” Butler told Slater. “And get me one. I felt I let them down. Now, as I’m going through this rehab process, as I’m starting to move and run and jump, I’m like, oh s—, I could still do it. And that’s why I say y’all motherf—ers going to be real shocked if y’all think I’m going to come back and be some bum a– player.”
Butler is 37 years old, though, and while he believes he can still play at a high level when he returns, there may be doubts about whether he will still be an effective player. But he is not letting the doubters affect him, instead staying focused on making up for lost time.
“I don’t give a f—, honestly,” Butler told Slater. “I bet y’all not going to leave me. I bet no team going to be like, ‘Oh, no, don’t guard that guy.’ They’re not going to do that. I bet whenever I step on the floor, they’re going to send more than one body. I bet you’re still going to foul me. So what are we talking about here?”
Kirill Marchenko delivered the kind of night the Maple Leafs envisioned when they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets just before the season. The 26-year-old scored three times, including a highlight-reel between-the-legs power-play goal, in his 300th NHL game. It was not enough.
The Buffalo Sabres erased a 4-2 deficit with two third-period goals and Owen Power finished it 3:14 into overtime, beating Sergei Bobrovsky for a 5-4 Toronto Maple Leafs loss at Scotiabank Arena. Jack Quinn added two goals and two assists. The Leafs (3-3-2) outshot Buffalo 15-8 in the first period and held a two-goal lead late in the second, yet managed only four shots in the third while the Sabres generated 11. Final shot totals were 34-30 in Buffalo’s favour. Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 34; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves on 30.
The result left familiar questions about defensive structure, third-period execution, and how the coaching staff can bungle the usage of their No. 1 overall draft pick from the 2026 Draft.
Marchenko’s arrival finally looks the part
Marchenko’s first goal came 13:10 into the opening period on the power play. John Tavares worked the puck from the slot; Marchenko slid it between his own legs and lifted it past Luukkonen. He added a second at 11:13 of the second on a feed from Tavares and completed the hat trick at 16:51 with a one-timer set up by Colton Sissons and Easton Cowan. It was Marchenko’s fifth career hat trick and his first multi-goal game in a Leafs jersey after scoring once in his first seven games following the trade that sent Matthew Knies the other way.
Coach Jim Hiller called the goals “big time” and noted the “dynamism” the Leafs had been waiting on.
“You can’t be that talented and not score,” Hiller said. “So it’s going to come like we saw tonight.”
Marchenko himself described the goals as pure skill and pointed to his long reach. He framed the night as a lesson rather than a celebration.
“You either win, or you have a lesson to learn and get better,” he said. “I think it was a good lesson for us. I think we give up lots of chances, 5-on-5… We still give up a little too much in the third.”
The between-the-legs finish generated the most immediate reaction of the night. As replays of the goal were shown at Scotiabank Arena, the crowd gasped in amazement each time they saw Marchenko put his stick between the legs to score. The sequence also underscored why the organization prioritized him over Knies in the pre-season deal. Early-season shot metrics with Marchenko on the ice had already looked stronger than those without him in several accounts; Thursday provided the finishing touch that had been missing.
Third-period passiveness and the missing shutdown presence
The Leafs led 4-2 with less than four minutes remaining in the second. From roughly the 11-minute mark of the third onward, Hiller said, Buffalo simply started coming and Toronto had no answer.
“We made some mistakes. In those moments, I know it’s hard when you’re on your heels. You just have to be able to have a little poise and somebody to make a play… We just couldn’t make two plays in a row.”
Hiller added that the team has looked more passive in its own zone over the last three or four games than it did earlier in the season. Auston Matthews offered a slightly different view of the process. He thought the Leafs took care of the puck for the most part in the third and that the goals against stemmed from a point shot with traffic and a miscommunication on a three-on-two or three-on-three.
He’s literally in the locker room too, so it’s a big loss for us, definitely,” Marchenko said.
The Leafs dominated the shot share through 40 minutes, including a 66 percent dominance over Buffalo in th second period. The Sabres dominated in the third period with a 78 percent shot share according to NaturalStatTrick.com. Toronto controlled the early share of shots and scoring chances; the third period reversed it. Face-off percentage favoured the Leafs (roughly 56 percent), and they went 1-for-3 on the power play while Buffalo was 0-for-2. Those edges were not enough once Buffalo pushed.
Matthews said the team has to keep playing and that lines will be shuffled, but the concern is obvious. Tavares has been a stabilizing presence and, at times this season, a mentor figure for the younger forwards. His early exit coincided with the period in which Toronto lost its structure.
Tavares started the game on the left wing, a role he had not been slotted in since the 2022-2023 regular season.
McKenna’s limited minutes and the long-term view
Gavin McKenna, the 2026 first-overall pick, played 6:36 and did not see the ice after the midway point of the second period. Hiller said it was his decision. McKenna sat through penalties, the coach did not get him back out before the intermission, and by the third Hiller was unwilling to insert an 18-year-old after such a long layoff.
“I’ll talk to him for sure… I haven’t talked to him yet.”
"That was my decision... I probably should have gotten him out there early in the third."
Jim Hiller addresses Gavin McKenna's ice time in the Maple Leafs' OT loss to the Sabres. pic.twitter.com/sLOJJUeIGx
Hiller described McKenna’s game to that point as “okay” and “fine,” and said he has not seen a pattern of the teenager taking things too personally.
“He’s usually ready to go. There’s been other times I haven’t played him as much… and you know, he’s responded.” Matthews reinforced the message that the group has McKenna’s back and that a night like this can make him hungrier.
The ice-time decision and explantion was puzzling. In the broader context of an 18-year-old getting his first regular NHL minutes, the episode is one data point. Hiller’s stated comfort with McKenna’s maturity and the plan to speak with him directly suggest the organization is treating it as a manageable moment rather than a larger issue.
As a coach, do you talk to him about that?
“Yeah, yeah. I'll talk to him for sure. Yeah, but I haven't talked to him yet.”
This type of mistake so early puts the confidence of the head coach into question. How do you forget about one of your more talented players. When Tavares got hurt, it should have been an easy call. The Leafs looked tired on this night, having just flown home from Utah the day before. Perhaps you could use the young energy.
McKenna, despite being requested, was not made available for comment due to a team decision. His thoughts on this won’t be known until Saturday when the club host the New York Islanders.
What the night revealed
The Leafs have the talent offensively and it’s certainly been their strength. But they have issues on the back end. Outside of Darren Raddysh, the rest of the defense looked tired and slow and couldn’t lock it down when needed. Toronto has offense. Scoring four goals should be enough to win the game. And given McKenna was on the bench to watch most of it, just forgetting about putting the player out there is inexcusable unless he was covering for some other undisclosed reason.
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The Philadelphia Flyers are already off to the worst, and worsening, start in franchise history, stumbling to an 0-6-3 record through their first nine games, and with one more loss to add to the streak, head coach Rick Tocchet will make an unenviable piece of NHL history.
Ten-game losing streaks aren't something Tocchet has never experienced before. Back in the 2017-18 season with the Arizona Coyotes, Tocchet guided the club to an 0-9-1 start through their first 10 games, and they finished the season 29-41-12.
Nine other groups also achieved the feat over the years; Arizona under Andre Tourigny did it again in 2021, and San Jose, under David Quinn, was the most recent team to start a season winless through 10 games, going 0-9-1 back in 2023.
San Jose's reward for a grim 19-54-9 season was Macklin Celebrini in the 2024 draft, but that's besides the point here.
On Saturday night, the Flyers will host the 6-2-0 Ottawa Senators, and with a 10th consecutive loss, Rick Tocchet would become the only coach in NHL history to lose 10 or more games to start a season twice.
The Flyers' previous franchise-long six-game slide to start a season has already been shattered, so the Flyers by extension would be the latest franchise to continue that slide into the double-digits.
Arizona, as mentioned above, has started a season with 10 straight losses twice, as have the Sharks. The only other franchises to have done so in the history of the NHL would be the Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
You'll notice that several of those franchises no longer exist, a testament to how truly unprecedented the Flyers' losing streak is.
Further to that point, a 10-game losing streak has only happened four times since the start of the 2000s, and only three times since 2002.
Any way we slice it, the Flyers and Tocchet are on the verge of cementing themselves in the historically bad section of NHL history, barring a major turnaround that sees them scrap away a win against a vastly superior opponent on Saturday night.
Multiple reports over the last week have indicated that Tocchet's job with the Flyers is safe, but many coaches, over the years, have been dismissed for less, and it's a situation worth monitoring, especially if things continue to get worse before they get better.
What we don’t know: What the future holds, in what could be a turbulent winter for the Dodgers and for all of Major League Baseball.
Here are four things we don’t know about the Dodgers, but well worth keeping an eye on:
Shohei Ohtani
Just three short months ago, we wondered whether Ohtani would win his fifth most valuable player award and his first Cy Young Award. Has the time come for the Dodgers to consider curtailing his pitching?
As the Dodgers trudged through the playoffs, we endured daily drama over where in the lineup Ohtani would bat (first, second, fourth, fifth or sixth) and what he could produce despite playing through multiple injuries.
We’ll soon get a better understanding of those injuries, and whether rest, rehabilitation and/or surgery might be recommended for each one. We’ll also get a better sense of what the future might hold for Ohtani as a two-way player, and for his potential to perform at an elite level on both sides of the ball.
Ohtani said he plans to resume pitching next year. He is 32. He just completed his 14th professional season.
Ohtani has pitched more than 132 innings once since 2016, when he was 22 and playing for the Nippon Ham Fighters.
In his three seasons with the Dodgers, this was the first that did not involve rehabilitation from elbow surgery. He started 14 games before a knee injury prevented him from pitching any more this season.
Payroll
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks off the field during Game 1 of the NLDS. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Major league owners are poised to shut down the sport this winter, in pursuit of a salary cap designed to restrain the Dodgers, since they won’t restrain themselves.
The owners’ initial proposal set a salary cap of $245 million next year. The Dodgers already have $347 million committed to 14 players next year, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
Under a cap, the owners have promised a transition period to account for existing commitments, and an actual negotiated cap could be higher.
Even if the players do not agree to a cap — and they insist they won’t — whatever economic system that would emerge from collective bargaining would be almost certain to make it painful for the Dodgers to spend so freely.
Whatever the case, the Dodgers could face the kind of difficult roster choices they often have papered over with money this decade. Two closers for $141 million? Good luck with that.
And would they be able to fit soon-to-be free agent Tarik Skubal into their payroll? Skubal might well sign before the lockout is expected to start in December, but there is nothing agent Scott Boras loves more than pitching a marquee free agent to a new owner. The two other Southern California teams — the Angels and San Diego Padres — both have one.
Age
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, left, and general manager Brandon Gomes have decisions to make about their aging roster. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)
When Andrew Friedman made his name as the general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, he did it in large part by taking advantage of one market inefficiency within the American League East: He beat up on the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees because they were stuck with rosters crowded with aging stars on big contracts. The Rays couldn’t have done that even if Friedman had wanted to.
He didn’t want to do it too much in Los Angeles, because it compromises roster flexibility. But, after seven National League West titles and no World Series championships, ownership went all in: Mookie Betts (12 years, $365 million), Freddie Freeman (six years, $162 million), Ohtani (10 years, $700 million), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12 years, $325 million), Tyler Glasnow (five years, $137 million), Blake Snell (five years, $182 million), Will Smith (10 years, $140 million) and Kyle Tucker (four years, $240 million).
It worked: three rings in six years. Now the bill comes due.
The Dodgers fielded the oldest group of position players in the major leagues this season. Ohtani and Betts are under contract through their age-39 seasons; Smith will be 38 when his deal’s up, Yamamoto and Max Muncy 37, Snell 36, Glasnow 35.
Something to watch this winter: Freeman is 37, signed through next year. He would like to play until 40 and finish his career here. That would take a two-year extension. Would the Dodgers say no?
Ownership
Mark Walter’s insurance empire is under investigation by federal authorities — and the subject of discussions with state regulators — over allegations the businesses he controls failed to properly follow laws designed to protect investors.
Walter’s company has denied wrongdoing, and neither Walter nor his businesses have been charged with a crime. He is, however, a defendant in multiple civil lawsuits in which insurance policyholders claim he and several of his companies committed fraud and breach of contract.
Walter may need more than $20 billion to satisfy regulators by recapitalizing insurance companies. He abruptly sold the Lakers in August, in a deal that valued the team — not just Walter’s controlling interest — at $12.5 billion. He and fellow Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly also sold a small stake in English soccer club Chelsea FC last month for about $1.27 billion, the Financial Times reported. It is uncertain how Walter would provide the rest of the money for recapitalization.
“Regarding the Los Angeles Dodgers, to be clear, the team is not being sold,” Walter’s holdings company said in a statement last month.
It is uncertain whether a resolution with insurance regulators would satisfy the Department of Justice, which reports to President Trump. In July, when the Dodgers visited the White House, Walter presented Trump with an official World Series championship ring with his name engraved on it. He also sold the Lakers to former Disney chief Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law.
Major League Baseball is monitoring the situation and could conduct its own review after the state and federal matters are concluded.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 15: Daniel Espino #41 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches in the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game three of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“He was the prototype for what they wanted us to be…They showed us a video of him striking out 15 people in Akron…they’re like ‘this is what we want you guys pitching like’.” – Parker Messick
“He’s, like, one of the best people ever…I saw him in Spring Training of ‘22, and I was like this is the best pitcher I’ve ever seen.” – Tanner Bibee
Mason Horodyski of News 5 Clevelandhas been along for the ride with the Guardians this season, and within this season-long journey, he, along with many others, including the esteemed Zack Meisel, have helped capture the sights and sounds of the odyssey of Daniel Espino. Many of the quotes you will see are from Mason’s social media pages.
On April 23, 2022, Daniel Espino struck out 14 batters in five innings in Double-A Akron. Just six days later, Espino made what would be his final appearance of the season. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d go over three years before doing that again. Espino hit the injured list, initially with patellar tendinitis, but a sore shoulder created a longer, more drawn out complication. On May 2, 2023, the meteoric rise of a former first rounder and baseball’s fastest rising pitching prospect was struck down in an instant. Espino underwent right shoulder anterior capsule surgery, and his life changed forever. Espino would undergo another surgery on the same pitching shoulder to the same capsule, as well as his labrum, the following May, and the once burgeoning future ace of Cleveland was staring down the barrel of his career possibly ending.
On September 20, 2025, after 1,241 days, multiple surgeries, and an intensive rehabilitation process, Daniel Espino took the mound in a game once again. Espino pitched two-thirds of an inning in Columbus, notching his first strikeout in over three years, and the tears were visible from the moment he walked off the mound.
An emotional Daniel Espino walks off the mound after his first live action since April 29, 2022. pic.twitter.com/XoC2OuCxGX
Coming into Spring Training, there was palpable hype surrounding Espino. It was the first time in four years that he’d be entering a Spring camp healthy, working on actual development rather than focusing on just rehabilitation. It culminated in a pair of outings, and his second outing generated a lot of buzz. Espino ran his esteemed fastball, once capable of touching 101, up to 98, striking out three Padres. That ended Espino’s Spring Training outings, but the sense of positivity and proximity stirred.
For much of the early portion of 2026, Espino was on a very strict workload. He never pitched more frequently than every third day in Columbus. When June came around, Espino was pitching well. His command was touch and go, largely due to the inconsistent workload his injury history had forced upon him, but Espino went from touching 98 mph in Spring Training to sitting 98 in Triple-A. On June 12, Codi Heuer was sent down to Triple-A, and the single most significant debut since Francisco Lindor was about to happen; Daniel Espino finally got his call. On June 17, Espino made his debut against the Brewers, relieving a struggling Gavin Williams. He faced Garrett Mitchell, and in five pitches, Espino struck him out with a fastball. 99.5 mph. Espino then faced Cooper Pratt, and Pratt met the same fate, also via the fastball. 100.3 mph. After getting David Hamilton to fly out and as Espino walked off the mound, the camera panned to Espino’s emotional mother, cheering for her son.
Espino was asked about his reaction to finding out about his promotion.
“Crying. I was crying a lot. It’s been…” Espino had to pause, noticeably choked up, “…it’s been emotional days.”
Espino lost his father, Danilo, in 2023 to prostate cancer, and if you ask Espino, every bit of positive attitude and perseverance he displayed during his battle back to the mound came from the heart and strength his father showed during his battle with cancer.
Espino’s first trip around the majors was mostly successful. The only blip came in Houston when he surrendered his first home run. It’s also notably the first time in his career he had pitched on just one day’s rest. Even still, Espino was still largely on a strict protocol as the Guardians continued to both preserve and track the health of that right shoulder. On July 3, Espino was sent back to Columbus in favor of fellow rookie Franco Aleman. Espino, now with a taste of MLB on his tongue, went back to Columbus and dominated. From July 5 to September 1, Espino posted a 2.00 ERA across 18 innings, and in August, he ran a 31.7% strikeout rate. On September 3, as rosters expanded, Espino was recalled, and immediately the workload thickened.
Espino was asked to go multiple innings in a couple of his outings, and he even opened a few times. In his first appearance back, Espino tossed two scoreless frames in the 7th and 8th innings against the Tigers in a game Cleveland won via walk-off from Travis Bazzana. Cleveland, now in the thick of a division chase, was calling on Espino in all kinds of roles. Stephen Vogt and co. wanted to see how Espino could handle the different situations, including opening for Joey Cantillo in a must-win game in Boston where the Guardians blanked the Red Sox, 1-0, and then turning around the next day and pitching in Kansas City, his first back-to-back ever. Espino passed both tests with flying colors. Of course he did, it’s Daniel Espino.
Cleveland’s medical and training staff are as good as it gets, and Espino will tell anyone who listens about just how important they were in his recovery. They, along with the hard work from Espino himself, something that his coaches and teammates will tell anyone who listens about, saw Espino make Cleveland’s ALDS roster against the White Sox. His role was unknown, but his success as an opener for Joey Cantillo made the decision for him to start Game 3, with Cleveland down 0-2, an easy one for Stephen Vogt.
“You bet on the person in times like this,” Vogt stated, “and obviously we’ve seen his stuff, but what Daniel’s been through, there’s nothing that’s gonna rattle him or shake him.”
Espino pitched in Game 1, relieving Parker Messick with a runner on in the 5th inning. Espino induced a crucial double play to keep the deficit at 2-0. Espino surrendered a run in his Game 3 opening, but the bats picked him up this time, and Cleveland went on to win the final three games of that series, advancing to the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Enter Game 1 against Tampa Bay, and the bullpen trust tree of Stephen Vogt thus far this postseason consisted of getting the ball to Tim Herrin, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and ultimately, Cade Smith. However, a looming seven game series meant Vogt had to extend a branch down from that tree for the sake of his best arms, and Daniel Espino grabbed on. After Foster Griffin surrendered two defense-aided runs in the 1st inning, he got through the next three frames strongly, but with the top of the Rays lineup looming, Vogt wasn’t going to let Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero see Griffin again. Vogt brought in Espino for the 5th inning to face Tampa’s terrifying trio. This fireman role had largely belonged to Colin Holderman, but wrist surgery took Holderman out of Vogt’s dealing deck for the entirety of the Postseason, and someone had to step up.
Espino toed the rubber to face former Cleveland first baseman Yandy Diaz. First pitch fastball, 97.9 mph above the zone. Diaz swings and misses. Second pitch fastball, 98.3 mph up and in the zone, fouled off. Third pitch fastball, 99.1, swing and a miss, strike three. Aranda was up next, and he worked a 3-2 count, but a 90.1 mph slider from Espino had Aranda looking foolish, and he struck out as well. Then came Junior Caminero, the infamous former Guardians prospect, destined for a top-5 AL MVP finish. Espino wasn’t phased at all. A first pitch curveball missed badly, so Espino and catcher Patrick Bailey adjusted.
No changeup, no curveball…you know the rest.
Espino rifled off four fastballs, each one higher than the last, all 98+ mph, and Caminero stood no chance, striking out to end a pivotal inning. This was the first time that trio had struck out consecutively all season, and of course it was against Daniel Espino.
Stephen Vogt has a newfound fireman, and it happens to be the guy with the best fastball on the team. Espino, after years of uncertainty, finally made it to the big leagues, and after months of preservation and experimentation, has found his role and is thriving just in time for the biggest games of his life.
Game 3 found Espino in a familiar spot. After Petey freakin’ Halpin gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead with the bat flip heard ‘round the world, Vogt pulled Gavin Williams and went to Espino for the 6th inning, again for Diaz, Aranda, and Caminero. Espino induced a weak flyout from Diaz, touching 101 on the out pitch. He didn’t throw a fastball under 100 the rest of the inning. Espino overpowered Aranda into an 0-2 count and induced a foul pop-out. It was once again his time with Caminero. In three pitches, Espino announced himself firmly to the national stage, blowing fastballs of 100.6, 100.6, and 100.3 past Caminero, each fastball higher than the last, with Caminero striking out swinging at a ball by his eyes.
Espino mean mugged his way off the mound, bridging his scoreless frame into scoreless outings from Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and ultimately Cade Smith. The Guardians now have a 2-1 lead in an ALCS few people gave them a chance of winning, but that’s exactly how this team wants it, and those are the odds Daniel Espino has been proving wrong for four years now. Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis marvels at Espino, both as a pitcher and person.
“He’s a man that has a tremendous amount of faith,” said Willis to Horodyski. “…He’s stepped up to every challenge, and we’re seeing it evolve right now. It’s not only a blessing but it’s really exciting to watch, and hopefully we’ll be watching it for a number of years.”
Despite setback after setback, Daniel Espino has become exactly what every Guardians fan dreamed he could be: a valuable piece to this team’s future and in October. Parker Messick called him “the prototype”, and he will serve as that in every possible way for this organization. Espino’s recovery path has proven to be foundational for fellow multi-arm surgery prospects in Justin Campbell and Jacob Zibin, but the human being that Daniel Espino is and how he handled adversity will serve as the blueprint for his teammates, present and future. As Espino settles into his new role, the Guardians find themselves two wins away from where The Prototype’s big league career began: on a mound in Milwaukee.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Aaron Ashby #26 and William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after advancing to the World Series by winning Game Four of the National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, October 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are no more. For the first time in three years, some other team is going to win the World Series.
The Brewers completed an emphatic four-game sweep of the two-time defending champions last night, rallying back from a 4-0 deficit to stun the Dodgers in L.A. one last time, a 6-4 decision that punched the Brewers’ ticket to the World Series for the first time since 1982.
The Brewers had been one of only three teams with a longer World Series drought than the Orioles (1983). Now that list is down to two: the Pirates, who last made it there in 1979, and the Mariners, who have never gotten to a World Series since the birth of the franchise in 1977.
Congratulations to the Brewers, a truly well-rounded team who had the best record in baseball during the regular season and have continued to prove their dominance in the playoffs. They can really hit, especially in the clutch. They play defense. They play good fundamental baseball. Their bullpen is sensational. And they’ve got the presumed NL Cy Young winner, Jacob Misiorowski, atop their rotation. It really feels like this year is the best chance they’ve ever had to finally win their first championship.
As for the Dodgers, I don’t think anyone will be shedding a tear over their elimination. Probably not even Dodgers fans. When you win two World Series in a row, you don’t get to complain when you can’t get a third. Although maybe I would feel differently if it were the Orioles in that situation. I’d love the opportunity to find out!
Meanwhile, in the ALCS, the pesky Cleveland Guardians took a 2-1 series lead over the favored Rays with another splendidly pitched effort. I will admit that I fully expected the Rays to run away with this series, considering the 13-game difference in their regular season records and the fact that Cleveland barely edged out a morass of mediocre teams in the final weeks of the season. But the Guardians got hot at the right time, going 9-2 in their final 11 games before rallying back from a 2-0 deficit against the White Sox in the Wild Card Series.
Can the Guardians pull off the upset? I wouldn’t hate that. I don’t have any particular disdain for the Rays (and their roster full of former Orioles), but those Cleveland fans have suffered for nearly 80 years without a championship, so it’d be nice if they can keep that dream alive for another round. Game 4 is scheduled for tonight at 8 PM ET, but the dicey weather forecast in Cleveland could put that in jeopardy.
In this case, all of the scout’s insights on O’s prospects are basically, “The Orioles screwed this guy up” and “This guy needs a change of scenery.” Not exactly encouraging!
Kudos to Rich Dubroff for answering this succinctly in two paragraphs, as opposed to the novella-length response I would’ve had to this question.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: second baseman Jonathan Schoop (35), pinch-running specialist Mike Dimmel (72), and the late left-hander Don Hood (b. 1949, d. 2023).
Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the Orioles’ most recent World Series title. On this date in 1983, the O’s blanked the Phillies in Game 5 of the Fall Classic, 5-0, to win their third championship in franchise history. The Orioles had only five hits in the game — three by Eddie Murray and two by Rick Dempsey — but two of Eddie’s hits were dingers, as was one by Dempsey, the World Series MVP. Orioles starter Scott McGregor took care of the rest, tossing a five-hit shutout, which ended with Cal Ripken Jr. memorably squeezing Garry Maddox’s line drive to shortstop to kick off the celebration.
On this date in 1971, the Orioles stayed alive in the World Series with a dramatic, walkoff win in extras in Game 6 in Baltimore. Trailing 2-0 in the late innings, the O’s tied the game on a Don Buford solo homer in the sixth and a Davey Johnson RBI single in the seventh. After Dave McNally — pitching in relief — escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th, the Orioles walked it off in the bottom half, as Frank Robinson walked, hustled to third on a single, and aggressively rushed home on a Brooks Robinson sac fly to win the game, tearing his hamstring in the process.
The Orioles also played World Series games on this date in 1969 and 1979. We don’t need to get into those.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 01: Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves is tagged out by Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on October 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Halfway to Halloween. Halfway to the World Series matchup being decided.
Happy birthday to Rodney Scott, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1971 – In the World Series, Brooks Robinson drives in Frank Robinson in the 10th inning of Game 6 to give Baltimore a Series-tying 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente does all he can to win the game single-handed. Stranded after his 1st-inning triple to the wall in left center, his 3rd-inning solo shot puts Pittsburgh up, 2-0. All of Clemente’s offensive contributions notwithstanding, the reason the game reaches extra innings is his defensive gem in the bottom of the ninth, a no-look, one-hop strike from Memorial Stadium‘s right field corner, 310 feet away, to catcher Manny Sanguillen, preventing the runner at first, running on contact on Don Buford‘s two-out double, from even attempting to score. By extending the game, Clemente’s throw will force Baltimore’s best player, Frank Robinson, to win this game with his legs, challenging the arm of centerfielder Vic Davalillo on two consecutive plays. In doing so, Robinson tears his left hamstring and aggravates an already damaged right Achilles tendon, and other stories as well.
1923 – Soon after Babe Ruth receives his World Series winner’s share of $6,160.46, insurance agent Harry Heilmann, who beat Ruth for the batting title by ten points, sells him a $50,000 life insurance policy. Beneficiaries are Mrs. Ruth and adopted daughter Dorothy.
2011 – The Cardinals complete their very unlikely run to the World Series by beating the Brewers, 12-6, in Game 6 of the NLCS at Miller Park. Series MVP David Freese opens the scoring with a three-run homer off Shaun Marcum in the 1st, but the Brewers once again manage to chase the Cards’ starter early, scoring four runs off Edwin Jackson in two innings.
2017 – The Yankees notch their first win in the ALCS by defeating the Astros, 8-1, in Game 3 at home. Three-run homers by Todd Frazier and Aaron Judge help New York build an 8-0 lead by the end of the fourth, and they cruise from there as CC Sabathia is the winner over Charlie Morton.
1492 – Christopher Columbus‘ fleet anchors at “Fernandina” (Long Island, Bahamas).
1577 – Francis Drake sights land in the Philippines after crossing the Pacific Ocean aboard the “Golden Hind”.
1901 – Booker T. Washington and his family are invited to dine at the White House with Teddy and Edith Roosevelt, prompting condemnation from the South.
1909 – In his fourth title defense, Jack Johnson knocks out Stanley Ketchel in the 12th round at Mission Street Arena, Colma, California, to retain his heavyweight boxing crown.
1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis begins as US President John F. Kennedy is shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.
1968 – Americans Tommie Smith (gold, 19.83, WR) and John Carlos (bronze) famously give the Black Power salute on the 200 m medal podium during the Mexico City Olympics to protest racism and injustice against African Americans.
1985 – Intel introduces the 32-bit 80386 microprocessor chip.
2023 – Model of a Star Wars X-wing Starfighter used in a “Star Wars” film sells for over $3 million from the collection of Hollywood model maker Greg Jein.
Sep 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the helmet used by the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. You can now call them, for the first time ever, your NL Champion Milwaukee Brewers! How about that series? We’ll have plenty of time to discuss things as we await an AL Champion, with the World Series set to begin in Milwaukee on Friday, October 23.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
DALLAS, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 22: Santi Aldama #7 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball as Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks defends during the first half at American Airlines Center on November 22, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I just want to put this out there right up front. Something about the way the Dallas Mavericks are handling Santi Aldama’s recovery from an undisclosed(?) injury is telling me we should be more patient than we think we must with the player and more skeptical than we usually are about anything the team says about his status as the season approaches.
Something smells awfully funny here. Even under the Masai Ujiri/Gina Miller administration (campaign slogan: “You can trust us this time. We promise.”), this team will find a way to remain somewhere on the spectrum between coy and disingenuous about injuries like these, and that “undisclosed” designation is our first clue.
What exactly is not being disclosed here? Everyone knows about the knee issues that limited Aldama to 43 games last season. Everyone knows about the arthroscopic stem cell shot procedure he underwent in March to try to relieve prolonged pain in that knee. Did Aldama injure something else after arriving in Dallas? Is the knee issue still nagging, six months after the procedure? Either way, the outlook is murky at best.
The Dallas Morning News reported recently that “it appears they’ll take the same [patient] approach with Aldama [as they are with Dereck Lively II’s recovery timeline].” He did not suit up for either of the two preseason games in Macao, China, and it seems less and less likely that Aldama will be ready to go when the regular season starts.
The Mavericks sent AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick via Golden State, and two future second-round picks to Memphis for Aldama. The deal was folded into a six-team trade that became official on July 8.
Big question
Which brings us to the biggest question surrounding Aldama’s arrival in Dallas for the upcoming season. With such a vague recovery timeline in place, when can Aldama realistically be expected to be a meaningful contributor for the Mavericks, and what role does he fill when that time comes?
The question lurking behind the question is, did the Mavericks trade for someone destined to become the second broken seven-footer taking up a roster space, or is this actually going to work? The fact that so much is being kept under wraps does not portend well at this point. Again, we’re going on seven months with this knee issue at this point.
Aldama brings shooting and size, the ability to stretch the floor and be a weapon along the perimeter. He scored 14 points per game last year in the 43 games he managed before the knee issues flared up. He shot nearly 48% from the floor and 35% from 3-point range. He can be dangerous, but will it pan out in any sort of meaningful way for the Mavericks? It’s hard to say when the team won’r say anything about him.
Best case scenario
The dream season for Aldama is only missing the first five games of the year, taking the next step offensively and getting more than seven rebounds per game this year. He played in a career-best 77 games in 2022-23, his second year in the league, so getting to 70 this year would be amazing. Forcing his way into the lineup for around 25 minutes a night would be ideal, too. Under those circumstances, Aldama would maximize his potential without being exposed as a potential liability against bigger, more physical frontcourts.
“Lineup versatility: He gives us a different dimension if we want to go with it,” first-year Mavericks head coach Dusty May said of Aldama. “An elite shooting lineup. But Santi’s not just a shooter. He can really close out. He’s learned to play against perimeter guys — shotmaking, driving, getting to the paint. That will be one of the many pieces we have to put together if we’re going to be really good.”
Worst case scenario
The worst case for Aldama is if the knee injury is something larger than the Mavericks have disclosed and it limits him from playing in half the games this season. He’s a role player on the rise, but only if he gets in enough games to make an impact. If he doesn’t, sure, that leaves more minutes for Morez Johnson Jr., but it makes the Mavericks’ second unit more one-dimensional. It limits the threat from beyond the arc, which is something this team drastically needs to be better at this season. Adding one or two shooters in Kyrie Irving and Sergio de Larrea is nice — much needed. But building a roster with shooting depth is really what the doctor ordered.
Season goal
Can Aldama make himself an indispensable part of the Mavericks’ rotation? Can he continue the upward statistical trajectory his career arc has assumed through his first five years? Can he space the floor and be a part of the equation that keeps opposing defenses from sticking two defenders on Cooper Flagg? These are the things we want to see. He has the ability to be more than just “a guy.” But he’s also a guy who could easily get relegated to the role of “a guy” if things swing a certain way this season.
If he can inch closer to 40% from 3-point range and score at a rate similar to what he did across his 43 games last year with the Memphis Grizzlies, he’ll be a meaningful contributor. If not, he’ll make it easier for the team to avoid picking up his option next season.
Overall
Everything hinges on Aldama’s health, and it’s an uncomfortable place to be as the regular season approaches. Truly, any outcome is on the table for what is essentially a one-year rental with a team option for a second year. You can squint and see whatever you want with this relationship: a chance to step into a meaningful, much-needed role on a team with a chance to improve vastly in Flagg’s second year, or someone who needs two months to get right before settling into a diminished role on a new team.
Hope for the best, sure, but this team’s recent history has also taught fans to prepare for the worst.
SAN ANTONIO - MARCH 10: Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs wears his "Los Spurs" jersey as part of the NBA's first-ever, fully integrated Hispanic marketing campaign, Noche Latina (Latin Night), during the game against the New York Knicks on March 10, 2010 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per a Spurs press release:
“The San Antonio Spurs announced the launch of @LosSpurs, a dedicated Spanish-language Instagram account for the organization. The platform will serve as a digital space catered to Spanish-speaking Spurs fans, with curated content, storytelling and fan engagement efforts. Fans are encouraged to follow the @LosSpurs account to catch the latest news from the team, view exclusive content in collaboration with the Spurs main social accounts and receive information on watch parties, giveaways and more.”
The San Antonio Spurs have made concerted efforts to take the NBA to global heights. They invest time, resources, and energy into efforts in Mexico — everything from basketball camps to community initiatives. And a large percentage of their fanbase back here in San Antonio identify as “crazy Hispanic Fans.”
Said Jordan Mandelkorn, vice president of marketing, creative and retail for Spurs Sports & Entertainment,
“Our Spanish-speaking fans are a big part of what makes the Spurs family so special, and we want them to feel connected to the team in the language they call their own. Los Spurs gives us a new way to celebrate their passion, share stories that resonate with them and bring fans across San Antonio, Mexico and beyond closer to the Silver & Black.”
The team’s @LesSpurs account, launched in 2025 to cater to French-speaking fans, is the most followed French NBA team account in the league.
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DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 4: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes a shot on goal against Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche in the third period at Ball Arena on March 4, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (3-3-1, 7 points, 5th place Metropolitan Division) @ Colorado Avalanche (4-2-1, 9 points, 3rd place Central Division)
When: 9 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally televised game on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and ALT, KTVD, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The road trip picks up the pace with a game tomorrow night in Vegas, followed by a trip to Utah for Monday night. After that, the Pens return home for the next three games (starting with a visit by Florida to Pittsburgh on Thursday Oct 22).
Opponent Track: This is the third game in four days for the Avs, after a back-to-back with Dallas. Colorado won the first leg of that Tuesday night in Dallas, then fell in a shootout at home. After today comes a two-day break and a trip east to play in Philadelphia on Monday.
Season Series: This is the first of two matchups, the two teams will meet in Pittsburgh on January 12th.
Hidden Stat: Pittsburgh has points in four of its last six trips to Ball Arena (3-2-1), per Pens PR.
Getting to know the Avalanche
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J Hughes
Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley
DEFENSEMEN
Devon Toews / Cale Makar
Brett Kulak / Sam Malinski
Josh Manson / Brent Burns
Noah Juulsen
Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood
Potential scratches: Nicolas Roy (lower body injury), Zachary L’Hereux (upper body injury)
Injured Reserve: Logan O’Connor
The Avalanche played an 11 forward/7 defense lineup last game due to a pair of injuries up front. They do have the cap and roster space to call-up an AHL forward if they want or need to if those injuries linger.
Interesting to see the changes made by Colorado in recent years. They’ve lost a few pieces, most notably Mikko Rantanen. However, as a win-now type of team, they’ve loaded up to grab Nelson and Necas, re-acquire Kadri, fill out the depth with Schwartz, Kulak, Burns and Roy.
Overall, the team only has eight players remaining from their 2022 Cup team (MacKinnon, Kadri, Makar, Toews Landeskog, O’Connor, Lehkonen, Manson). A lot of those players are the foundation to build a contender on, now the question becomes whether they’ve built up enough around it to win again in the primes of MacKinnon+Makar. To draw a Penguin parallel, this period for Colorado now isn’t dissimilar to the 2010-15 era for Crosby and the Penguins where they failed to replicate championship aspirations following the first title. Is there a second championship act still to go for this core?
One potentially sore spot for that: the Pens’ late glow-up was enhanced by a wave of rising young players (Murray, Guentzel, Rust, Dumoulin, Maatta, Sheary). Colorado doesn’t have that in their organization, only three U-25 players have dressed in the NHL so far this season, and none in particularly key roles. The Avs have deviated and gone the other direction by going very veteran and adding older players ala Nelson, Kadri and Burns, and spending big future assets in some of those cases to get them. Doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong but a curious way to hold up this Avalanche team to where Pittsburgh was at a similar time in the contending lifecycle.
MacKinnon has been a force this season to average almost two points per game, while also dropping the gloves for two fights. MacKinnon’s never won an Art Ross scoring championship (such is the curse of the age of McDavid) but did take the Rocket Richard trophy last year with an NHL-high 53 goals.
Makar missed a game earlier in the week due to the birth of his twins. New dad strength hasn’t been instant, he was held without a point in his return on Wednesday against the Stars.
Until watching a game last week, I completely forgot that the Avs added Schwartz over the summer as a free agent. The 34-year old had been mired in Seattle since that franchise’s inception in 2021, the 2019 Cup winner with St. Louis could be an important depth player for Colorado.
Colorado’s power play is 16th this season, hitting at an even 20.0%. The Avalanche only have three 5v4 goals (and two more scored in 5v3 situations), and they’ve already given up three goals to shorthanded teams. That could be an X-factor for the Pens, where they’ve only given up two goals this season while shorthanded and scored one of their own while down a player.
Even strength has been the area where the Avs have done a ton of damage, already scoring 26 5v5 goals in just seven games. (By comparison, the Pens rank eighth in this category with 18).
Key to the game: Fast start
Colorado, as expected, looks very strong early in the season. Their 31 goals scored in seven games is the second highest-scoring team per game behind Edmonton. Their 58.8% expected goal share at 5v5 is among the highest in the NHL. They are a strong team that can be dominant.
The Penguins only need to look back about seven months to see how to handle all that. The Pens beat Colorado 7-2 in Denver on March 16th in their last trip to the Mile High City. A key: Pittsburgh scored four goals in the first 14 minutes of the game. Before the Avs knew what hit them, the game was out of reach.
It might be a little much to ask for history to repeat itself there, but the lesson to take is trying to stay ahead of the game. Falling behind would be a make an uphill climb even steeper. That’s why a lot of attention will be on Pittsburgh’s top two lines tonight, they need to make an impact and set the tone in this game. If they can do that starting early in the game, you’d have to like the Pens’ chances. If not, it could be a long night.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Andrei Kuzmenko – Ben Kindel – Nick Robertson
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Elmer Soderblom
DEFENSEMEN
Declan Carlile / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kaeden Korczak
Spencer Stastney / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Hendrix Lapierre, Ville Koivunen and Ryan Johnson
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk
There were some line changes yesterday in practice, Nick Robertson worked his way up to play on Kindel’s line and it looks like Soderblom will be playing for just the third time this season. Koivunen is the odd man out and it could be a second game as a healthy scratch in a row for Lapierre.
The Pens have a goalie decision on their hands with tonight’s game as well as tomorrow night’s tilt in Las Vegas. You’d figure one goalie will play in each night and against a tough team no matter what, the timing of using them has not yet been disclosed.
High-energy practice
The Penguins weren’t pleased after their 5-3 loss to Chicago. They got some work in yesterday to prep for the weekend.
The Penguins did some small-area competition to end a productive practice session.
"Coming off a day off after a game that we're not thrilled with, I fully expected the energy level to be high, and they came in and delivered that," Dan Muse said. pic.twitter.com/DkXPD0lSPX
The Penguins have scored 12 goals in the second period through seven games. Only the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Utah Mammoth have more goals in the middle frame so far this season:
Second Period Goals
Team GP 2nd PD GF
Colorado 6 16
Carolina 8 14
Utah 7 13
Pittsburgh 7 12
Vegas 8 12
In addition, four of Tommy Novak’s five points and three of Declan Carlile’s four points this season have come in the second period.
Over the last six games, the Pens have only scored three goals in the first period, conceding six. They’ve also had problems in the third period with a 4-10 combined score in the last six games. However, that middle period has been a big boon for them with a 12-5 scoring edge on the season.
Bath’s co-owner and ‘wily old fox’ on the need for Champions Cup change and the future of the Prem
It doesn’t feel like 16 years since Bruce Craig first shared his vision for Bath Rugby with the Guardian. Back then there were plenty wondering if his extravagant ambitions would be realised and even he describes it as “a long haul” at times. “It has been a lot more difficult than I anticipated. Anyone would have wanted it to happen a lot quicker than it actually has. But anything worthwhile is difficult and takes a long time.”
It has also taught him loads about the inner workings of professional rugby. “I’m not the new young buck on the block I was a few years ago, I’m the old wily fox now.” These days he compares it to a “four-dimensional” puzzle, even for the wealthiest owners. “When you come from business into rugby you probably think there would be a lot of crossovers. But it’s different. In business … it’s a lot easier to get the outcomes.”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 12: Liam Doyle #12 of the St. Louis Cardinals on the National League Team pitches during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, it’s been a few weeks since games have ended and I think it’s time to be done debating about whether or not, or how, the Cardinal 2026 was, or was not, a success. Each will have their own point of view and each has had their say. Many various takes, for sure. One of the things I find myself most hopeful about is the apparent strength of the minor league pipeline. It made me curious about … when did it really start getting better? So, I went back to the 2023 trade deadline to see how recent transactions ended up impacting the longer-term view.
To walk back a little bit in time, here was Baseball America’s top 15 prospects for the Cardinals coming into 2023:
Jordan Walker
TinkHence
Masyn Winn
Mathewe Liberatore
Cooper Hjerpe
Alec Burleson
Ivan Herrera
Michael McGreevy
Jonaten Mejia
Zach Thompson
Leo Baez
Brycen Mautz
Pete Hansen
Interesting. Not a bad group. By and large, they were right on with 11 of them. Not so much Mejia, Thompson or Hansen. Hence and Thompson are injury related and Hansen really is the start of the rest of the list of guys that haven’t (and mostly won’t) make it. Fangraphs had the overall system ranking middling at #15. I can’t find BA’s rank that year or I’d use it.
The 2023 Trades
2023, if you haven’t blocked that nightmare out, was a shocking reversal of fortunes for the Cardinals. They went from pretty good in 2022 to awful in 2023. Many things went wrong. Little went right. That year’s trade deadline was the first capitulation we’d seen from long-term GM/POBO John Mozeliak. Mo’s stated goal was to bolster the farm system. Let’s look at how that turned out.
Jordan Hicks was traded for Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein.
Paul DeJong was traded for Matt Svanson.
Genesis Cabrera was traded for Sammy Hernandez.
Jack Flaherty was traded for Cesar Prieto, Drew Rom, Zack Showalter.
Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton for Thomas Saggese, Tekoah Roby and John King.
Rather than pick apart any one player, let’s see how that played out organization wide. First, FA’s post-deadline update reduced the Cardinal’s farm system rank from 15 to 17. Part of this is the result of Walker, Burleson and Liberatore graduating the list, but the net-net is the trades weren’t viewed as bolstering the system as much just partially offsetting losses, but otherwise continuing a pattern of slow decline.
Now, three (plus) years later, only one of those acquired players remains a Cardinal prospect – TK Roby. Saggese and Prieto have graduated from the prospect list but not found footing in MLB. King was a useful low leverage lefty before being moved on. Rom, Kloffenstein, Thompson and Robberse all fell under the sorcerer’s spell and succumbed to injury. Svanson had a remarkably good year in 2025 and a remarkably bad year in 2026, so appears to be a fungible reliever, until proven otherwise. What is Hernandez?
The 2024 Trades
Unlike 2023, the 2024 trade deadline offered the Cardinals the siren song of a potential wild card birth and so they moved pieces off and on the major league roster for a final run for a team that ultimately finished with 83 wins. They really did nothing to improve their longer-term organizational outlook. Actually it did. It made the outlook worse.
In a three-team trade, the Cardinals sent away Tommy Edman and prospect Oliver Gonzalez (who, still at 19 years old, carries a 20 grade for command and a 70 grade for FB), receiving back Tommy Pham and Erik Fedde. Other players were involved from the White Sox and Dodgers side, but no impact to the Cardinals (other than facilitating a trade that did not work out well at all).
In a more traditional deal, Dylan Carlson was dealt to Tampa for Shawn Armstrong.
Fangraphs took a dim view of this and re-ranked the overall Cardinal system down from 17th to 21st in MLB. The pattern of slow decline accelerated as they moved toward the bottom. The Cardinals didn’t have a ton of promotions from AAA that year, so I take from this re-rank that FG had a very dim view of the 2024 Cardinal draft, as well. This isn’t a draft recap, but in retrospect, it appears that only one player from that draft may be impactful (a guy named Wetherholt). Reminder that they did not have a second-round draft pick due to a free agent signing.
The 2025 trades
In looking at this, what I realize is that the first meaningful moves toward rebuilding the prospect pipeline began to happen in July, 2025. Along with the 2025 draft (too soon to evaluate):
Ryan Helseley was traded for Jesus Baez, Nate Dohn and Frank Ellisalt.
Steven Matz was traded to Boston for Blaze Jordan.
Phil Maton was traded to Texas for Mason Molina.
In some combination of draft, IFA and trade acquisitions, the 2025 changes resulted in Fangraphs re-ranking the Cardinal MiLB pipeline from 21st the year prior to 2nd in late 2025. Quite a jump. Then we had the 2025-2026 off-season which saw:
Sonny Gray traded to Boston for Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts.
Willson Contreras was traded to Boston for Hunter Dobbins, Blake Aita, Yoiker Fajardo
Nolan Arenado was traded to Arizona for Jack Martinez.
In a 3-way trade, Brendan Donovan was sent to Seattle and the Cardinals received Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tai Peete, Colton Ledbetter and a Comp-B pick in the 2026 draft (which became Andrew Williamson).
The 2026 trades
2026 ended up being a fairly quiet year for in-season trades, but was a return to the 2023 priority of enhancing the prospect base.
Dustin May and JoJo Romero were dealt to Milwaukee for Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias.
Lars Nootbaar was dealt to Arizona for Daniel Eagen, Sandro Santana and ultimately (PTBNL) Brian Curley.
The net of these last transactions and graduations (of which there were many) has moved the Cardinals from #2 to #4 on the Fangraphs system rankings, which isn’t concerning given that JJ Wetherholt was among the players falling off the prospect list. What this tells me is that even though a player like Wetherholt fell off, the Cardinals were able to acquire enough new talent via trades and draft to maintain a place among the elite systems, even with Wetherholt graduating.
What can we take from all this?
What can we learn from this series of deals? Well, I suppose one could conclude that Boston and Arizona liked the Cardinals MLB roster better than StL did, and StL liked the Red Sox and Dbacks farm systems better than Boston and Arizona did.
We can observe that the vast majority of talent acquired was of the pitching variety. The later trades (particular this trade deadline) we start to see a shift towards acquiring position players such as Arias and Ragsdale. We can also observe that most of acquired players do not require 40-man protection yet. These are not random outcomes. It was planned this way.
For the most part, I take this whole sequence of trades as confirmation that the talent portion of the rebuild didn’t really begin until the middle of 2025 and gained steam with the POBO transition that occurred later that year. Certainly, the rebuild of the front office, particularly the player develop org began a year or so earlier. But not the talent. My own personal assessment is that the Cardinals have really only accomplished rebuilding the pitching side of the roster and have yet to fully address the position player side. They aren’t without talent or prospects, but I’m not sure they have enough.
Hence, all the questions around Catcher, Thirdbase, Centerfield, etc. I think it possible that they believe the young group of position players they already have, plus the few that are coming might be enough, but I tend to doubt it. Along with teams can’t have enough pitching, they also can’t have enough position players who can hit and they don’t yet have that abundance like they appear to possess on the pitching side. The current situation leaves them too vulnerable to one or two key position prospects flaming out and ruining the whole transition. I believe they will want more and suspect they will have to deal off the MLB roster to get there, as they did on the pitching side.
