Worldwide Sports News

With less than one month until the trade deadline, the silly season of rumors are starting to swirl and while some of those “extrapolations” are purely for the views, this report by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic hypothesizes that if the Boston Red Sox decide to sell, starting pitcher Sonny Gray would be an “intriguing match” for the Atlanta Braves.

Gray, who is now 36, has seemingly been an omnipresent player in trade or free agency wishes for a large contingent of Braves fans for years given that he lives in Nashville and attended Vanderbilt University. But, for whatever reasons, the pairing has yet to occur.

Rosenthal and Sammon reason that a match of Gray and the Braves is viable because Gray holds a full no-trade clause which could limit Boston’s options if – and this a big if – they decide to sell. Another favorable line-item for a Gray deal is that he would be owed approximately $6M should he be trade since Grays previous employer, the St. Louis Cardinals, are covering half of his salary this season.

The important context of their report is that this was sourced information, as noted below.

The Atlanta Braves are one of several rotation-needy teams expressing interest in Boston Red Sox starter Sonny Gray, according to people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to speak freely on the topic.

The Athletic’s duo do float the plausibility that Atlanta could make a play for Tarik Skubal, the pending free agent starter of the Detroit Tigers, but that isn’t based on intel.

In the same report, they double-down on their prior reporting that the Kansas City Royals are not going to trade starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. If the Royals, despite their record, hold on to those two pitchers – the starting pitching market will be reduced significantly for all buyers.

For early June, this is a notable rumor, but take this with a grain of salt. A big grain of salt.

The Detroit Tigers are on a roll as the All-Star break approaches, notching their fifth win of July and seventh in the last eight games after securing a 6-2 win over the Athletics on Tuesday night. Troy Melton set a new career high in strikeouts with nine while allowing just an unearned run over just over five frames of work, while home runs by Jack Rogers and Spencer Torkelson paced the Motor City Kitties on offense.

Taking the mound in the series finale for the Tigers is left-hander Framber Valdez, who has struggled to keep runners from crossing the plate over his last two appearances. After a four-game stretch that saw him post a 2.45 ERA and 4.03 FIP across 22 innings, the 32-year-old surrendered nine runs on 18 hits (two home runs) — but just two walks — over 11 frames with a loss to show for it.

For the Athletics, right-hander Jack Perkins will climb the hill for his seventh start of the 2026 campaign. The 26-year-old has struggled since moving to the rotation, posting an 8.10 ERA, 5.44 FIP and 1.69 WHIP over those 26 2/3 frames of work, giving up seven home runs while striking out 34 to 14 walks.

As a reliever, Perkins’ ERA was still a bloated 5.46, but his FIP sat at a tidy 2.62 and his WHIP at 1.21 over 28 innings. Maybe the starting gig is not the best use of the second-year hurler’s talents.

Here is how Valdez and Perkins match up on Thursday evening as Detroit looks for its second sweep in the past three series.

Detroit Tigers (42-50) vs. Athletics (41-51)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Athletics Nation
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 93: LHP Framber Valdez (4-6, 4.29 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Perkins (2-4, 6.75 ERA)

VALDEZ

PERKINS

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/7-7)

GAME ONE: SYRACUSE 9, NORFOLK 3 / 7 (BOX)

Game one of their doubleheader was a drubbing, as the Mets went up in the top of the first and held the lead throughout. Christian Arroyo and Cristian Pache drove in those runs in the first, on an RBI double and single respectively. Christopher Morel made it 4-0 in the third with a two run home run. Norfolk scored two of their three runs in the bottom of the third, but a five run fifth (with runs scored on a throwing error, Ryan Clifford single and Morel double) put the game out of reach.

Interestingly, Zach Thornton threw two perfect innings and was pulled from the game. He will be a name to keep an eye on over the next few days.

• CF Nick Morabito: 1-2, 3 BB, SB (28)
• 2B Ji Hwan Bae: 1-3, R, 2 BB, SB (29)
• 1B Christian Arroyo: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
• RF Cristian Pache: 1-5, R, RBI, K, SB (14)
• LF Ryan Clifford: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, 3 K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 0-2, R, 2 BB
• DH Christopher Morel: 2-3, R, 2B, HR (1), 5 RBI, BB
• C Hayden Senger: 1-4, K
• SS Zack Short: 1-4, R, K
• LHP Zach Thornton: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• REHAB ALERT: RHP Dedniel Núñez: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Daniel Duarte: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (3-2)
• RHP Ryan Lambert: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP

GAME TWO: NORFOLK 3, SYRACUSE 2 / 7 (BOX)

Game two was much less fun for the Mets, as they lost the game late. They opened the game with a two spot, again, this time with Ryan Clifford hitting a two run homer. Norfolk scored one in the bottom of the first, and that 2-1 score held until the sixth inning, when Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two run double to put Norfolk ahead 3-2, the eventual final score.

• RF Ji Hwan Bae: 0-2, R, BB, 2 SB (30, 31)
• CF Nick Morabito: 0-2, BB, 2 K
• LF MJ Melendez: 0-3, K
• DH Ryan Clifford: 1-3, R, HR (15), 2 RBI
• 2B Yonny Hernández: 1-3
• C Ben Rortvedt: 0-3, K
• SS Vidal Bruján: 0-3, K
• 1B Christopher Morel: 0-3
• 3B Zack Short: 0-1, BB, K
• RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• LHP Joe Jacques: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Joey Gerber: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, H (2)
• LHP Matt Turner: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, BS (1), L (1-1)
• LHP Nate Lavender: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/3-11)

HARTFORD 13, BINGHAMTON 4 (BOX)

Well, as you can imagine, a 13-4 game was not very competitive from a Binghamton point of view. Hartford scored six runs in the second inning, which was really all they needed since Binghamton just put together four runs in the game. Binghamton actually had a fair amount of hits (11), but left ten men on base and simply could not keep up with the offensive onslaught from Hartford.

Luis Robert Jr. did go 2-4 in a rehab assignment, as he inches closer back to a crowded outfield in Queens, with Juan Soto playing at an MVP level alongside the two highly performing rookies in A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge.

• REHAB ALERT: CF Luis Robert Jr.: 2-4, R, K
• PH-2B Nick Roselli: 0-1, K
• RF-CF Jose Ramos: 1-5, R, HR (13), 2 RBI, 2 K
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 2-4, R, HR (15), RBI, BB
• 1B JT Schwartz: 3-5, R, 2B, K
• DH-C Kevin Parada: 0-5, K
• C-LF Vincent Perozo: 2-4, RBI
• SS-P Wyatt Young: 0-4
• 2B-SS Nick Lucky: 0-4, K, E (1)
• LF-RF Jaylen Palmer: 1-2, 2 BB
• LHP Max Green: 2.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, L (0-1), E (2)
• RHP Zach Peek: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP
• LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP
• RHP Danis Correa: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Wyatt Young: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/7-9)

WILMINGTON 4, BROOKLYN 1 (BOX)

Brooklyn scored the first run of the game on a John Bay RBI single in the first, and were promptly shut out from there. They scattered eight hits across the game, but went just 2-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. The one run did not hold, obviously, as starter Jose Chirinos surrendered two runs, and reliever Hunter Hodges surrendered two runs as well.

• SS Mitch Voit: 1-5, K
• CF Yonatan Henriquez: 1-4, 2B, 3 K
• C Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, R, BB, K
• 1B Corey Collins: 2-4, 2B, 2 K, E (4)
• RF John Bay: 1-4, RBI, K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 2-4, SB (3)
• 2B Jamari Baylor: 0-3, BB, SB (3)
• 3B Colin Houck: 0-4, 3 K
• LF Trace Willhoite: 1-3, K
• RHP Jose Chirinos: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, L (1-4)
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP
• RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Josh Blum: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/4-11)

JUPITER 5, ST. LUCIE 4 (BOX)

Jupiter and St. Lucie went back and forth from the jump in this one. Jupiter ran out to a 2-0 lead in the first, only for the Mets to score two in the second, by way of a Branny De Oleo single and Jeremy Rodriguez ground out. A Trey Snyder single in the third made it 3-2, and a throwing error on a Snyder stolen base in the sixth made it 4-2 Mets. Jupiter came roaring back in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs and taking a 5-4 lead, which they held onto.

• SS Antonio Jimenez: 2-3, R, 2B, BB, K, SB (13), E (2)
• DH Elian Peña: 0-4
• CF Trey Snyder: 3-4, R, RBI, 2 SB (11, 12)
• 1B Julio Zayas: 0-3, BB, 2 K, E (8)
• C Chase Meggers: 0-4, R, 2 K
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 1-4, R, RBI, 3 K
• RF Simon Juan: 0-3, BB
• 2B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-4, RBI
• LF Taylor Darden: 0-2, BB, SB (3)
• PH Jackson Hauge: 0-1
• LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 WP
• RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Joel Díaz: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (1)
• RHP Joel Lara: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, BS (1), L (0-2)
• RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Rookie: FCL Mets (20-25)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Christopher Morel

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Max Green

Hello, friends.

The Orioles have just passed a grim milestone. They now have a worse record than the team did through the same number of games last year. Even as pessimistic as I was about these jokers, I did not imagine this was a likely outcome. Here they are anyway. Last year’s Orioles were 43-50. The 2026 Orioles are now 42-51. What a disappointment. Check out Alex Church’s recap of last night’s game for more of the not-so-lovely totals on how they finally reached this point.

They made it interesting last night. Whatever else can be said about them, you’ve got to give them that. After Dean Kremer gave up four home runs and then Rico Garcia and Grant Wolfram combined to give up five runs between them to put the Orioles in a 9-3 hole, they didn’t go quietly. It’s just that it was too little, too late.

Perhaps that will be what is said about them for this season overall. Pretty much anything that you could cling to that maybe the O’s aren’t falling out of this thing has been obliterated within the last week or so. In addition to falling below last year’s pace, the third wild card team is now above .500, they are five games out of that picture, and the O’s are in last place in the division.

This thing is all but over. They can’t do it. To be sure, mathematical oblivion is a long way off. Other times this season, they’ve stabilized after bad stretches and they might do so again. It’s just that the Orioles have never managed to come back to where they should be. It’s going to be hard to do that as long as they can’t win more than three games in a row.

The Orioles have too many problems to solve and even if they solve some of them, there’s still the hole they’ve dug for themselves. In addition to just needing to have a good enough record by season’s end, the Orioles also need to have a good enough record to convince Mike Elias not to do any selling ahead of the trade deadline. Perhaps even to get him to buy to help solve some of those problems not only for the remainder of this season but for next year as well.

It is not fun that this is the case. There are not any good immediate solutions and any solutions beyond 2026 will require some pain. That could mean players you like being traded. It could mean more upheaval in the front office or on the coaching staff. I am sticking to my opinion that if the Orioles don’t make the playoffs, Elias should be removed at season’s end. There is no point to making a change sooner, barring truly horrendous behavior coming to light. Overseeing an underachieving roster doesn’t count for that. The cake is baked. It’s a crummy cake. Maybe next year’s will be better, if there is a different baker.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

Thoughts on Kremer’s splitter, Cowser’s defense, and more (School of Roch)
The praise for Kremer’s splitter is kind of tragic considering he went on to give up multiple homers on the splitter in last night’s game.

Breaking down the prospects who make the Orioles 2025 draft class its most encouraging in years (The Baltimore Banner)
You can certainly lament Caden Bodine being traded for Shane Baz, but even without him, there are plenty of early success stories for last year’s Orioles draft class. It’s much better to have it be like this than what the 2024 high picks were doing this time a year ago!

Each team’s best draft pick in the last ten years (MLB.com)
The fact that Gunnar Henderson rates the best here is extremely unsatisfying in the face of how his batting performance has tailed off so hard. After last night’s loss, he’s sitting at a .690 OPS. It’s not the only reason that the Orioles are where they are. It is a big reason.

Phil Regan, manager when Cal broke streak record, dies at 89 (The Baltimore Sun)
I think in 1995 I might have asked my dad nearly daily, “What if Phil Regan doesn’t play Cal today?” I don’t know why I was fixated on the idea that he might not do it, but that’s my main Regan memory. Condolences to his loved ones.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

One lone former Oriole has a birthday today: Happy 77th to Steve Luebber, who made seven appearances for the 1981 Orioles.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: sewing machine inventor Elias Howe (1819), composer Ottorino Respighi (1879), actor Tom Hanks (1956), The White Stripes musician Jack White (1975), and Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar (1987).

On this day in history…

In 1540, England’s Henry VIII annulled his marriage to Anne of Cleves, the fourth of his six wives. Queen for about six months, Anne survived the longest of Henry’s wives by living for another 17 years.

In 1762, Catherine, later known as Catherine the Great, seized power in Russia following a coup against her husband, Peter III. She went on to reign for 34 years.

In 1868, the 14th amendment to the US Constitution was formally ratified. Its plain text enshrines birthright citizenship for the United States: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

In 1943, the Allied powers of World War II initiated Operation Husky, an amphibious invasion of the island of Sicily. A bit more than a month later, the island was fully captured, with the Italian mainland set as the next target.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on July 9. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!

In part one of this five-part trade deadline primer, I looked at the Brewers’ roster and determined what their primary needs are. While things could certainly shift over the next 25 days (look no further than yesterday’s Brandon Woodruff news, or the injury to David Hamilton, which put the Brewers’ infield in a bit of flux), I identified relief pitching as the roster’s biggest area of need, and the area that I felt the team was most realistically likely to address.

Today, we’ll start doing the work of looking around the league to see which relief pitchers might be available. Remember, the landscape this year is strange; there are a lot of bad teams, which means that there are a lot of teams that feel they might have a real shot with a hot week or two between now and the deadline. So I’m going to break this into two parts: first, which targets are available on teams that definitely look like they’re out of it? Second, which targets could become available if things don’t go well over the next three-and-a-half weeks?

I also mentioned that the Brewers’ need in this area was for a high-leverage reliever, so I’m going to be aiming high here. Matt Arnold and David Stearns before him have shown a proclivity for acquiring less splashy relievers at the deadline, but I’m specifically looking for players who could push Aaron Ashby for the number-three role in the bullpen behind Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe.

Targets from teams who look out of it

As I mentioned, there are a bunch of teams where it’s hard to say with certainty whether they are or are not out of it at this point. But I’ll do my best to first identify some targets from teams who are far enough back that, at this point, they should probably sell.

The problem is that these teams are bad, so it’s harder to find good players on them. Honestly, I had trouble identifying targets worth acquiring from the six teams that should be declared, with certainty, out of it: the Reds, Mets, Giants, Rockies, Royals, and Angels.

There are a few interesting names, though, and let’s start in New York. Luke Weaver is having an excellent season — at the start of play Wednesday, he has a 1.89 ERA and 2.54 FIP in 38 innings pitched — and has a track record of success in the postseason. The question here is money. While the Brewers could probably afford the prorated bit of his 2026 salary, they probably don’t want to be on the hook for the $12.5 million he’s owed in 2027.

Money is also a barrier to a Devin Williams reunion. Williams has had a rough go since leaving the Brewers, and that reflects in his 4.85 ERA this season. But Williams’ FIP this year is way lower, at 3.25, and he’s striking out 13 batters per nine innings, so there are some reasons for optimism. However, his walks — which were always a bit of an issue, even when he was unhittable — are higher than they’ve ever been, and that’s an issue. But bringing it back around: Williams is owed $12 million in 2027 and 2028, plus there is $15 million in deferred money in his contract. That’s way too much for the Brewers to pay a reliever who might not even be good, and even if the Mets covered some of it, I think it’d still be too much. I’d cross this one off the list.

Sticking with the Mets for a moment, some lower-profile trade candidates include a couple of old guys in 38-year-old Brooks Raley and 36-year-old Huascar Brazobán. I’m skeptical of Raley’s numbers — they seem flukey — and while Brazobán’s feel a little less flukey, he’s not striking a ton of guys out, and he’s walking a lot. I’d stay away from both.

Another high-profile trade target this deadline could be the Kansas City’s Daniel Lynch IV. The Royals’ bullpen has been a major disappointment, but Lynch has been good. He holds a 2.41 ERA and 3.23 FIP, and while he isn’t a big strikeout guy, he’s done a good job keeping the ball in the ballpark, and he hasn’t been giving up many hits. The scary thing here is that Lynch is having a way better season in this, his sixth year, than he ever has before, so I don’t have a lot of confidence.

If you were looking for a reclamation project on the Royals — and the Brewers shouldn’t really be looking for reclamation projects right now, to be clear — you could check in on Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm. Erceg, who was drafted as a position player by the Brewers in 2016, was really good the past couple of years, throws hard, and gets a lot of ground balls, but this season has been a disaster; he hasn’t been able to strike anyone out, he’s been walking everyone, and he was stripped of the closer job. Strahm has been one of the league’s more reliable relievers over the past three years, but he’s been terrible in 2026, and there’s not a lot in the data to give much confidence that he’ll get better.

Lastly, there are a couple of Rockies relievers who are having good seasons. Antonio Senzatela has essentially been a starter for his whole career, but after back-to-back rocky (get it) seasons in 2024 and 2025, he’s been moved to the bullpen. It’s worked out quite well: Senzatela has a 2.93 ERA (169 ERA+) and 3.36 FIP in 46 innings, and with his background as a starter, he’s capable of pitching multiple innings (those 46 innings are across 27 relief appearances). He’s never been a strikeout pitcher whatsoever, but he’s seen a slight uptick in his numbers with the move to the ‘pen.

The other guy is Jimmy Herget, who has put together back-to-back good seasons in the Rockies’ bullpen — not an easy task. Last season, Herget had a 2.48 ERA and 3.32 FIP in 59 appearances, and this season he’s at a 3.52 ERA and 3.34 FIP in 23 outings. Herget isn’t a hard thrower and actually throws way more breaking balls than fastballs; an intriguing type of player, particularly in the thin air of Denver.

There are no targets that I’d advocate a move from any of the Reds, Giants, or Angels. Cincinnati’s Brock Burke and Tejay Antone have gotten pretty good results this season, but there is enough reason to be dubious that I’d avoid them. Los Angeles has a couple of dudes — Ryan Zeferjahn and Chase Silseth — who would intrigue me as long-term projects, but for now both walk way too many batters to be trusted in any sort of leverage situation.

Targets from teams who might sell

Here’s where things get good, for the most part. These are players from teams that sit roughly four or five games back of the Wild Card — they’re not out of it, but they’re all under .500 and could fall out of it with a bad couple of weeks. The big-time, headlining relief options that could be available at the deadline all come from these teams.

We’ll start with the biggest name: Aroldis Chapman. Boston is 41-48, but in the terrible American League, they’re just four games back in the Wild Card. It feels like a good season for Boston to sell, but we’ll see. Chapman, in any case, has still got it; he was the best reliever in baseball last season, and this year he’s pitched to a 2.36 ERA/2.44 FIP and is still striking out nearly 12 batters per nine innings. He doesn’t throw quite as hard as he used to, but even at age 38, he’s still averaging 97.5 mph on his fastball.

The hangups with Chapman: first, there’s the fact that he’s not exactly an easy guy to root for, given his history of domestic violence issues. Second, the money isn’t small. Chapman has a $13 million salary in 2026, and while Milwaukee could probably handle the prorated amount, he’s also got a conditional option for another $13 million in 2027 that reportedly vests if he surpasses 40 innings — which he will do if he is healthy enough to get traded before the deadline.

I’d like to also address two more top-line closers from teams in this category: San Diego’s Mason Miller and Toronto’s Louis Varland. Both teams have been disappointing this year, but both closers have been absolutely lights out. Here’s the issue, though: if San Diego trades Miller, they’ll want to recoup something close to the value they gave up for him last season — which was a top-five overall prospect. Miller still has three years of control, so his value is enormous, but I don’t think the Brewers would trade Jesús Made for him, especially given that they’ve got a good closer. Varland is under control for even longer — he’s not a free agent until 2031 — and the Blue Jays, even if they decide to sell this year, will expect to compete next year, and they’ll want him then. I don’t think either Miller or Varland gets traded.

San Diego and Toronto both have other players who could be available, though. A player who will certainly be moved if San Diego is out of it is lefty Adrián Morejón. By his standards, his 3.52 ERA this season (119 ERA+) isn’t very good. But the underlying numbers are strong: he’s got a 2.47 FIP and a 4.91 K:BB ratio. He’s also coming off a two-year run of being a solid reliever for a good team with postseason experience. The fact that he’s left-handed also would make him a desirable target for the Brewers, whose top two relievers are both right-handed. Morejón is still only 27, but he’s been in the big leagues since he was 19, so he becomes a free agent after the season, which should make him relatively attainable. From a financial perspective and fit perspective, Morejón would be one of the targets that would make the most sense for Milwaukee, but every team wants another good lefty reliever.

Another Padre, Wandy Peralta, has a lot of experience and a 3.05 ERA over the past seven years. He’s always managed to outperform his FIP, which for his long career is a whole 1.35 runs higher than his ERA, but it’s still somewhat concerning, and Peralta’s strikeout numbers have gone from “not very good” (career 7.3 per nine) to “alarming” (5.8 per nine this year). I’d stay away.

The Toronto reliever who makes sense in a vacuum is Tyler Rogers, who has been awesome this season and has put together an underrated career. But money is a problem here: Rogers signed a three-year, $37 million contract before the season that includes a vesting option for a fourth year at an additional $11 million. If that option vests, Rogers will be 38 in the last year of the contract, and this is the kind of big money deal that the Brewers have taken pains to avoid. Maybe a wealthy team will get desperate, but I’d expect Rogers to stay with Toronto as well.

A lesser but still prime target from Boston is Garrett Whitlock. Whitlock, who is 30, was excellent in 2025 and has been basically just as good in 2026, with a 2.40 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 10.2 K/9, and just 1.8 BB/9 in 30 innings pitched. He doesn’t throw all that hard, but he’s got a ton of extension — a trait the Brewers like. Whitlock is under control for two more seasons, but that’s via not-all-that-cheap $8.25 million and $10.5 million options (in 2027 and 2028, respectively).

Baltimore’s Yennier Cano is another big target. He’s got two more years of control after this season, and aside from a blip in 2025, he’s been quite good for four years running. Cano doesn’t throw as hard as some of these other guys, and his strikeout numbers aren’t great for a reliever, but he’s an extreme groundball pitcher (99th percentile) who keeps walks down and, this year at least, isn’t allowing home runs.

There are two players on the Diamondbacks who I’d be interested in as well: Jonathan Loáisiga and Juan Morillo. Loáisiga is another groundball guy, one who throws harder than Cano and is a free agent after the season, so if Arizona decides to sell, he’d be an obvious one to go. Morillo is much less likely to get traded; he’s by no means a proven quantity, as he just debuted last season, but he has five more years of control and is one of the hardest throwers in the league. Both pitchers have performed well this season.

A few names to keep an eye on who are not as proven as those above but could still conceivably help:

• I’m skeptical, but Arizona’s Taylor Clarke (a former minor leaguer in Milwaukee’s system) has put up pretty good numbers for two years in a row, and he’s a free agent after the season.
• Sticking with the Diamondbacks, 26-year-old Brandyn Garcia is another hard-throwing groundball pitcher who has been good in a small sample. He’s also got a lot of control, like his teammate Morillo.
• Another San Diego pitcher with a solid ERA but who I’d stay away from: Yuki Matsui. Too many walks.
• One more intriguing Boston pitcher: Tyron Guerrero is 35 and has almost no MLB track record — before this season, he hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2019 — but he’s having a good season and throws as hard as almost anyone in the league. He’s also a big extension guy and a groundball machine, traits that the Brewers tend to value. The samples are tiny, though, and there’s not a lot in his history that makes you trust him.
• A former almost-Brewer, Grant Wolfram, has a 4.15 ERA for Baltimore this season. That’s bad, but his FIP in 26 innings is just 1.81, and he’s got 29 strikeouts to only four walks. He’s not really a leverage arm, but he could help bolster things if Milwaukee wanted to go that way.
• In a near-opposite case, Kyle Finnegan has just a 2.18 ERA for the Tigers this season, but he’s got just 6.8 K/9 compared to 5.4 BB/9 in 39 games and has a 4.69 FIP. Stay away!
• One Tiger that intrigues me but also has red flags: Will Vest. He’s hurt at the moment with what has been described as a “non-ligament-related” elbow injury, so it’s a question whether he’ll even be healthy enough to pitch (and given what happened with Shelby Miller last year, the Brewers might be wary of pitchers with health questions). Vest also has a 6.08 ERA this year… but his FIP is just 3.42, and he’d been quite good every year from 2023-25, which is a long run for a reliever in today’s game.

Conclusions

We’ll have to wait and see on the Padres, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, and Orioles — a couple of good weeks, and any of them could be right there in the Wild Card hunt. But of all the options that seem like they could be realistically available, here’s how I’d rank them:

1. Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox
2. Adrián Morejón, Padres
3. Luke Weaver, Mets
4. Yennier Cano, Orioles
5. Jonathan Loáisiga, Diamondbacks
6. Garrett Whitlock, Red Sox
7. Jimmy Herget, Rockies
8. Antonio Senzatela, Rockies

I think it’s at least reasonable that the guys I’ve listed above will be traded, and while a few (Chapman, Weaver, Whitlock) would require some real financial support from the ownership level, I don’t think any of them are unrealistic from a cost perspective.

Anyone else I’ve mentioned in this article falls into one of three categories:

• I don’t think they’d be a meaningful upgrade (Strahm, Raley, Peralta, etc.)
• They make too much money (Williams, Rogers)
• I don’t think they’ll be traded (Miller, Varland, Morillo, etc.)

What do you think? Anyone I’ve missed?

With the MLB Draft upon us, how about we rewind the clock five years and take a look back at the Yankees’ 2021 draft class? Major League Baseball’s draft is unique among the major professional sports. Many of the players selected never make it to the team that drafted them, whether they choose not to sign, are traded away before reaching the majors, or simply fizzle out somewhere along the development ladder.

For the Yankees, the 2021 class featured several early selections who ultimately had little direct impact on the organization. However, the class also produced two late-round gems who have since become important pieces of the major league roster.

The Yankees made 20 selections in the 2021 MLB Draft and signed all but two of them. Nineteenth-round pick Dominic Keegan honored his commitment to Vanderbilt, while 20th-round selection Sean Hard chose Boston College instead. Of the 18 players who signed, seven are still with the organization.

Among those seven, two names stand well above the rest: eighth-round pick Will Warren and 12th-round selection Ben Rice. Both of those selections came outside the first five rounds, making this class the opposite of top heavy.

Warren has developed into everything the Yankees could have hoped for from a pitcher selected outside the first five rounds. He has already logged 278.1 major league innings, including 33 starts last season and another 18 already this year, establishing himself as a valuable member of New York’s rotation, even if it has come at the back end.

Rice has not only become the Yankees’ best selection from this draft, but arguably one of the biggest steals of the entire 2021 draft. Players selected after the 10th round rarely reach the major leagues, let alone develop into All-Stars in just their second full season. The Yankees selected Rice out of Dartmouth in the 12th round, and just a few years later he has become one of the organization’s biggest success stories. Here’s hoping Rice puts on a show in the Home Run Derby and keeps his breakout campaign rolling.

The other five players from this class still with the organization are second-round pick Brendan Beck (No. 55 overall), third-round selection Brock Selvidge (No. 92), fifth-round pick Tyler Hardman (No. 153), 13th-round selection Zach Messinger (No. 393), and 15th-round pick Danny Watson (No. 453). Beck got his first cup of coffee in the majors earlier this season, though his most recent start was one he’d probably like to forget. Hardman, Messinger, and Watson are all currently with Triple-A Scranton, while Selvidge is on the injured list at Double-A Somerset.

The Yankees have also used seven members of the 2021 draft class as trade chips to acquire major league talent. Those players include first-round pick Trey Sweeney, fourth-round selection Cooper Bowman, sixth-round pick Richard Fitts, seventh-rounder Robert Ahlstrom, ninth-round pick Chandler Champlain, 10th-round selection Benjamin Cowles, and 11th-rounder Jack Neely.

Collectively, those prospects helped the Yankees acquire Frankie Montas, Lou Trivino, Alex Verdugo, José Trevino, Andrew Benintendi, Jorbit Vivas, Victor González, and Mark Leiter Jr. I’ll admit, a few of those names made me shiver as I typed them. Most of those trades could probably be called pushes, with neither side clearly winning the deal. The obvious exception is the José Trevino trade. Trevino made an All-Star team, won a Gold Glove in pinstripes, and became a fan favorite, before eventually getting traded for Fernando Cruz. For all that, we thank Ahlstrom for his sacrifice.

That leaves four members of the class who are no longer with the organization through other means. Fourteenth-round pick Sean Hermann was selected by the Mariners in the Minor League Rule 5 Draft. Sixteenth-rounder Cole Ayers was released by the Yankees in March 2026, while 17th-round selection Grant Richardson was released during the 2025 season, and 18th-round pick Bailey Dees was released in April of 2026.

Not every draft class is a home run. Five years later, the Yankees’ 2021 class looks like a slightly above-average group, even if it got there through the unconventional route of developing later-round talent. Any draft that produces a reliable major league starter, an All-Star hitter, and several additional pieces that helped patch holes on the major league roster should ultimately be viewed as a success. Another five years from now the narrative might change, but for now, well done 2021.

Is it just me, or is it taking much longer than usual for all of the Home Run Derby participants to be announced? The contest is four days away and we still don’t know all eight players that will take the field Monday night. Maybe it’s because MLB is awaiting word from a pair of hometown sluggers…

On to the links.

Phillies News:

• Don Mattingly told ESPN’s Buster Olney that he is interested in managing the Phillies beyond this season.
• ICYMI, the Phillies activated Brad Keller off of the injured list yesterday and recalled Alan Rangel while placing Lou Trivino on the IL and optioning Seth Johnson to Triple-A.
• You’ve already heard from Zack Wheeler’s agent after his All-Star snub, now you can hear from the man himself after he tossed an angry gem. ($)
• While we’re on the subject, here’s an ode to a pitcher scorned.
• An inside look at the massive undertaking that the Citizens Bank Park clubhouse staff is in the midst of as they prepare the stadium for All-Star weekend.

MLB News:

• Justin Verlander, shortly after being named the commissioner’s pick for an American League All-Star selection, announced that he intends to retire at the end of this season.
• We know at least two more participants in the Home Run Derby, as Jac Caglianone of the Royals and Willson Contreras of the Red Sox announced their participation.
• Domingo Acvedo, a right-hander pitching for the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, has tested positive for PEDs and was handed an 80-game suspension.
• The MLB single season strikeout record is once again in jeopardy, but the four players currently on pace to surpass it are not too concerned about the dubious honor. ($)