SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 20: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors looks on during the game on January 20, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With Stephen Curry reportedly taking a ’don’t-get-too-excited-so-you-don’t-get-hurt’ approach to the final chapters of his Golden State Warriors’ tenure, it makes sense to think about alternative options that are on the table for the 12-time All-Star.
One destination that has surprisingly circulated in online discussions is the Toronto Raptors.
But is it a good fit for both parties? We think so and here are three reasons why:
The Raptors have the assets
Even with the reported Kawhi Leonard trade package – which includes a 2031 and 2033 first-rounder – Toronto still owns a first-round pick for the next four years. Other popular options, like the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets, can’t say the same thing. The San Antonio Spurs do own a first-rounder through the next four seasons, but they can’t offer a better package without sacrificing their young (and special) talent on controllable contracts.
Is that something the Spurs want to do for a 38-year-old on an expiring contract?
At the moment, a realistic offer could include De’Aaron Fox, another piece to bring the salaries within reach, and draft picks. The issue with Fox’s contract is that he has four years remaining on his deal, with the last year paying the guard over $61 million.
Meanwhile, the most popular Raptors offer (at least through online discourse), consists of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and draft picks. Quickley is owed $32.5 million each season for the next three years, while Barrett’s value is attached to a nearly $30 million expiring contract.
The Raptors are the best fit
There isn’t another team that is best suited to absorb a version of Curry that is in the back end of his career. Last year, Toronto ranked fifth in defensive rating (112.1) and has seemingly added Leonard to its defensive attack. Surrounded by Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead and Allen Graves, Curry can focus on doing what he does best, and that’s being an otherworldly shooting threat. On defence, expect an endless amount of pre-switching from multiple positions, forcing opposing ball-handlers to have to deal with what they can get, while on a short clock.
Other than Leonard, there isn’t another player on the roster who truly demands the ball in their hands. While Barnes graduated to superstar status in the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he’s always been at his best as a jumbo-wing-bully-hub.
Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic’s offensive system is predicated on ball-movement and quick processing. Even with the offensive build-up that Brandon Ingram required to deploy his mid-range brilliance, Toronto still ranked third in assists (29.5) and potential assists (52.6) last season. A potential assist is defined by the NBA as ‘any pass to a teammate who shoots within one dribble of receiving the ball’. For comparison, the Warriors ranked sixth in assists (28.9) and first in potential assists (56.5). Theoretically, Curry would be walking into a system that emphasizes his elite skillset.
The Raptors offer the best narrative
While donning a Charlotte Hornets or Cavaliers jersey would most accurately tell a homecoming story, Curry ending up in Toronto would also lean into a ‘prodigal son’ narrative. The greatest-shooter-of-all-time spent several of his formative years in Canada, where his father Dell Curry, played for the Raptors.
In addition to experiencing the NBA world against the backdrop of the formerly known Air Canada Centre, Curry also played school ball in the Greater Toronto Area. His wife, Ayesha Curry, is famously noted for being born and growing up in a suburb of Toronto.
Russian retires from match against Kristina Liutova
Venus Williams and Katie Boulter beaten in Washington
Ekaterina Alexandrova collapsed on the court before retiring from her match against Kristina Liutova at the Memphis Classic due to heat-related illness.
Alexandrova, the tournament’s No 1 seed, was two points away from defeat to the 16-year-old Liutova, who was making her WTA Tour debut. The temperature was around 97F (36C) in Tennessee as the two Russians played out a gruelling first-round match lasting more than three hours.
People on boats in the water at The Thames at Ham, which was recently designated as London's first official river bathing water site on the River Thames. This was after campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming throughout the year at the site. The fourth heatwave of the year is set to peak on Wednesday with temperatures of up to 35C, as experts warn wildfires could be "exceptionally severe". The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber heat-health alert for the East Midlands, the East, South East and London.Picture date: Wednesday July 29, 2026. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images
Hickory was rained out.
Hub City starter Ismael Agreda allowed four runs in three innings, striking out four and walking two. Andrew Susac struck out one in a shutout inning. Case Matter allowed a pair of solo homers in two innings, striking out four.
Casey Cook homered. Gleider Figuereo had a hit and a walk. Maxton Martin had a double.
Frisco starter David Davalillo allowed a run in five innings of work, striking out two and walking two. Eric Loomis struck out five and walked one in two innings, allowing two runs. Joey Danielson struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Rehabbing Corey Seager homered, walked and struck out while playing shortstop. Dylan Dreiling homered. Sebastian Walcott was 2 for 4 with a double and a homer. Rafe Perich doubled. Arturo Disla had a pair of hits.
For Round Rock, rehabbing Chris Martin threw a scoreless inning. Emiliano Teodo struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning. Luis Curvelo struck out one in a scoreless inning.
John Taylor doubled. Cody Freeman had a hit. Aaron Zavala had a pair of doubles.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 28: Austin Wynns #38 of the Texas Rangers celebrates a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 4, Rays 1
The road trip is off to a good start.
Cal Quantrill went out there and outdueled Griffin Jax, who is a member of the Star Wars Name All Stars.
Quantrill had seven strikeouts in the game. Seven! That’s 18% of his season total.
He allowed just two hits in 5.1 innings! And just one walk!
Yeah, I have a hard time believing it, too.
The one time he got into trouble was in the bottom of the fourth inning, when he allowed a one out single to Jonathan Aranda, followed by a Junior Caminero double.
Cedric Mullins then swung at a pitch, very clearly hit catcher Austin Wynns’ glove, and ended up reaching on a catcher’s interference.
However…Mullins didn’t run to first on the play. If he had, he probably would have been safe, and a run would have scored, since you can simply take the result of the play rather than the catcher’s inference go-to-first result.
Still, that loaded the bases, and bad things seemed to likely to take place. Texas, which was up 2-0 at the time, seemed in great danger of losing the lead.
Chandler Simpson hit a comebacker, though, resulting in the always fun 1-2-3 GIDP, which ended the inning.
In case you are interested, that was the third catcher’s interference this season by a Ranger catcher.
The one run Quantrill allowed — and that the Rays scored — was the result of the one walk he issued, to Yandy Diaz. Diaz was the last batter he faced. Peyton Gray entered the game and, after a 1-3 groundout that saw Diaz advance to second, he gave up a single to Caminero.
Well, it should be scored a single, but officially it was scored a triple. Wyatt Langford went for the ball like he thought he could try to make a play on it, went into a slide, and didn’t come close to catching it, with the ball bounding past him and having to be tracked down by Evan Carter.
Still, Caminero was stranded, so no harm done, and Tyler Alexander, Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz each threw an inning to finish out the win with just the one Rays tally on the board.
The Rangers bats weren’t exactly beating up on the Rays pitchers, but they scraped together some runs somehow. A couple of sac flies, an RBI single, an Austin Wynns home run that was down the left field line and just deep enough to get out.
Wynns also had a couple of successful ABS challenges. Between those and the home run, he made up for the catcher’s interference.
Fun fact: per Statcast, the Rangers had a .129 xBA in the game. With 31 at bats in the game, that equates to 3.999 hits, on average.
Though we can probably round it up to 4.
The Rangers registered 7 hits in the game, exceeding their expected total, which is pleasant.
I thought it would be the Rangers’ lowest xBA in a game this season, but it is not.
The Rangers had a .107 xBA in this game, a 2-1 walkoff loss in Anaheim where Jake Burger’s home run accounted for the only run, and Reid Detmers struck out 14 batters and allowed just the Burger hit in eight innings of work. The Rangers had three hits in the game.
The Rangers had a .106 xBA in this game. It was also against the Angels, but at home, in an 11-1 loss, where Kyle Higashioka’s pinch hit eighth inning home run was the only Rangers run. The Rangers, weirdly, also struck out 14 times in this game, and also had just three hits. More weirdly, Alejandro Osuna recorded one hit in both this game and the Detmers 14 K game.
The Rangers did not lose this game, unlike those other two matches discussed above. So that’s a difference.
Cal Quantrill topped out at 95.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 93.7 mph. Peyton Gray reached 95.3 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander touched 93.2 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker maxed out at 93.5 mph. Jacob Latz hit 95.3 mph with his fastball.
Wyatt Langford had a double that was 107.0 mph off the bat. Joc Pederson had a 105.7 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 104.7 mph groundout.
Pasquantino was removed from the starting lineup in the ninth. He was replaced by Tyler Tolbert, who pinch-hit for him in the final inning. “Just soreness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said after Tuesday’s game. “Same spot, you know, in his hand where the surgery was. Just general soreness in his hand. We’ve got to get in there and check it out and see how he feels later tonight and tomorrow.” Pasquantino missed nearly a month with a right hamate fracture in the same hand. He underwent surgery and returned on July 9, just before the All-Star break.
Lugo felt his pitches weren’t getting to the right locations at Target Field. So he dove into some research and came out with a different game plan Tuesday. And it worked, for the most part. Lugo allowed one run across six innings while relying on his defense. The Royals turned five double plays against an aggressive Twins lineup. “I made a pretty significant adjustment to pitches I threw more than others today,” Lugo said. “You know, it worked out pretty good. Prefer to keep that information to myself, but pretty confident in what we decided to do today.”
What are they saying? “We’ve got to take it one day at a time, but he’s felt really good in his progression, especially with the hitting. … It’s been very gradual. It started on the tee, then flips, then BP, and then we have the Trajekt machine that he’s been amping up the intensity with regular machine work as well. So he’s felt stronger. They’ve been testing the strength of his hand. It’s gotten better and better. He doesn’t feel any of the symptoms that he had before. The real test will be in the game.” –manager Matt Quatraro
What else? This injury was an odd one, because Garcia only felt pain on certain swings and specifically on balls that he wasn’t squaring up well. That made it hard to assess and hard to rehab because he would feel healthy in the batting cage taking good swings. In games, though, it’s harder to predict what and where pitches are coming and what swing you’re going to take off each one. As Garcia began swinging again in his rehab process, he experimented with different bats and different machine work in the cages using the Trajekt machine.
“His back tightened up right after he came out of the game that he opened on Friday,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It hasn’t really relaxed that much. He got better this morning, and then it got worse during the day. And we just didn’t feel like we could go short. He’s not going to be able to pitch for a couple of days.” Way has posted a 3.86 ERA in 19 appearances. He has allowed four earned runs and recorded six strikeouts in his eight games (one start).
Last month, the group, along with Stand Up KC, delivered signatures to City Hall seeking to force a public vote on the city’s plan to contribute $600 million to fund the new $1.9 billion stadium. It’s unclear if it can stop the stadium, and Mayor Quinton Lucas has said that he’s anticipating construction to begin before a vote can derail it. The meeting ended about 15 minutes early. During a question-and-answer period, when presenters addressed prescreened questions from the crowd, a host announced they would end the meeting amid the ongoing outburst. Fran Marion, one of the protesters, said she showed up at the meeting to send a message about mismatched priorities. “We voted before. We told them no. You’re not hearing me, so let me come back and tell you again,” Marion said. “There’s more important things out here in Kansas City than a Royals Stadium.”
Power Ranking a year ago: 18 How they reacted: Acquired Randal Grichuk, Mike Yastrzemski, Bailey Falter, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek This year: Anyone need a lightly-used Michael Wacha?
Here’s the cautionary tale for about one-third of the league. Kansas City was nowhere near the division lead and 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot at last year’s deadline. While the Guardians sold and then got blazing hot, the Royals — fresh off a 2024 postseason appearance — added to their roster in moderation … then missed the playoffs by five games.
Going into Monday’s action, there were 10 teams — five in each league — that sat outside the playoff picture, but were within that same 3 1/2-game range of the last wild-card spot. (The Royals are not one of them.)
I feel confident guessing that all of them would prefer to avoid repeating the Royals’ 2025 outcome.
The biggest question about the clearly selling Royals is whether they’re willing to move 2026 All-Star pitcher Michael Wacha.
He is making $18M this season, could make up to $18M in 2027 and has a club option that could be as much as $18M in 2028. Even though he’s already 35 years old, it’s a desirable, controllable contract for what has been a consistently solid pitcher over the past half-decade.
But if the Royals move Wacha with two years remaining, are they also moving Seth Lugo, Vinnie Pasquantino, Daniel Lynch IV and Michael Massey with two years remaining?
They should completely shut down the Wacha chatter unless they’re prepared to really sell.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that the Royals aren’t the only team valuing their starting pitching trade chips highly.
Prices for pitching remain high: That’s what two “adding” teams have said six days out from the deadline. Asking prices to acquire starting pitchers — for the next few months or otherwise — remain sky high. It’s the norm for this time of year, which is mostly why everything happens so late. This year is no different. From pitchers like Brady Singer on cheap, expiring contracts to more controllable starters like the Los Angeles Angels duo of Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers, there’s not much of an opening for a deal that doesn’t involve a really good prospect going back. The one exception might be the pitchers with expensive expiring deals — such as Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman. Pick up their entire contract and the prospect return won’t hurt as much. The waiting game continues. Eventually those prices should drop.
Jul 5, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) singled in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers thought they had won the offseason with the massive contract they dished out to Kyle Tucker. The four-time All-Star saw plenty of success with both Houston and Chicago, but, just like Tanner Scott last year, year 1 as a Dodger has not been kind for the outfielder.
Tucker ended the first half with some of the worst numbers he’s put up in his career, as he limped into the All-Star break slashing just .244/.341/.375 with seven home runs and 47 RBI, with his walk rate and strikeout rate both below his career averages. He’s managed to turn things around recently, as he has four hits and two home runs his last four games, but fans were left wondering what went wrong with their prized free agent pickup.
Mike Petriello of MLB.com explains the struggles that Tucker experienced in the first half, and highlighted his weekend in Queens as a potential turnaround for his first year in Los Angeles.
If it really is just that worse swing decisions led to missing out on the best-value contact and those swing decisions are improving, then maybe what we saw in Queens over the weekend was the start of a turnaround. And maybe the early struggles will turn out to be no more than that, the umpteenth example of a player taking some time to find comfort in his new home.
Links
Kiké Hernández was activated off the injured list on Tuesday, and his fellow countryman Edwin Díaz will follow suit on Wednesday. Dave Roberts noted that the right-hander is all set to go for Wednesday’s matchup against his old ballclub in the Seattle Mariners, per Joaquin Ruiz of the Los Angeles Times.
“He’s checked all his boxes,” Roberts said. “So getting him back in the mix is going to be fun for all of us as well.”
The trade deadline is now less than a week away, and as I noted in my trade deadline post, I addressed the need for the Dodgers to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher. It looks like that need isn’t so urgent, as Jack Harris of the California Post reported that Will Smith has resumed baseball activities. The Dodgers are hopeful to have Smith fully healthy for the stretch run leading into the postseason.
On Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts announced that All-Star backstop Will Smith has begun baseball activities again, saying the catcher is finally “pain-free” from a neck injury that has sidelined him since early June.
“I’m excited to hear that he is starting some baseball activities,” Roberts said.
The 2026-27 season will see plenty of new faces in the Vancouver Canucks lineup. This includes some players who could be making their NHL debuts during the campaign. With this in mind, here is a look at three players who could be doing a rookie lap this season.
Sawyer Mynio
Sawyer Mynio has come a long way since he was drafted in 2023. The 21-year-old defenceman made the jump full-time to the Abbotsford Canucks last year, where he recorded 21 points in 58 games. With all the injuries in both Vancouver and Abbotsford, Mynio demonstrated that he could not just play big minutes, but also find ways to contribute on special teams.
With the Canucks defence core currently in a logjam, it may take some time before Mynio gets called up. That being said, injuries and trades can occur at any time, which could push the former WHLer into the lineup at a moment's notice. Based on the way the organization views Mynio and his relationship with Manny Malhotra, it will not be surprising if he makes his NHL debut at some point during the campaign.
Chase Wouters
The NHL door has opened for forward Chase Wouters. For the first time in his career, the 26-year-old signed an NHL contract as he agreed to a one-year, two-way extension this past off-season. Wouters has played his entire career with the AHL Canucks, which included captaining the team to a Calder Cup championship in 2025.
Wouters is the type of player every organization needs at the AHL level. He not only performs on the ice but is also often seen at community events. Ultimately, Wouters deserves at least one NHL game, as he has been a heart-and-soul player for Abbotsford since its inception.
Chase Wouters of the Abbotsford Canucks (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
Caleb Malhotra
While Caleb Malhotra is NCAA-bound, there is a chance he could play games for Vancouver this season. Once Boston University's campaign is complete, the 2026 third-overall pick could sign his entry-level contract and hit the ice with the Canucks. There is also a chance that Malhotra signs an AHL contract to potentially get some playoff games in at the AHL level.
The big question with Malhotra is how many seasons he wants to play in the NCAA before making the jump to the pro level. Vancouver will be eager to sign him at the end of the campaign, but from a development perspective, it may be best for the 18-year-old center to spend another year at Boston University. Unless Malhotra verbally commits to the NCAA for multiple years, there will be plenty of debate once his season ends over whether he should sign his entry-level contract at the end of the year.
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What did Mat Ishbia and the Suns pay Devin Booker to do? That’s the question Suns fans need to ask themselves. Instead, everyone has gotten hung up on what they think Mat Ishbia paid Devin Booker to be.
Fan sentiment is that Devin Booker needs to be a “superstar” because he got paid “superstar money”. He needs to make All-NBA teams, he needs to make All-Star teams, he needs to lead the Suns in scoring every night, and he needs to win every close game when it comes down to the wire, because that’s what Kobe did.
Mat Ishbia signed Devin Booker to the market-value supermax contract he had coming his way because the Suns and 29 other NBA front offices think that Devin Booker impacts winning. Mat Ishbia extended Devin Booker to build a title contender. He didn’t extend him so that Booker could win the scoring title (fingers crossed). Or make an All-NBA team (I hope, I hope, I hope). Or even play in an All-Star game (if he doesn’t, we riot). He extended Booker to build a team that can win, and win in the playoffs. The fine print didn’t specify that Booker had to be anything. Jordan Ott can use Booker however he sees fit.
An interesting conversation has come up in the Suns-related content sphere. Gil from the PHNX Suns stream posited whether or not there was “a world in which Jalen Green is the guy who’s averaging 24 plus, maybe around that 25 range.” He also asked whether there should be a “Passing of the Torch where Jalen is the guy who is maybe leading the team in scoring but Booker’s still getting go-to buckets down the stretch.” I have thoughts on that.
So did Ben Garcia from the Locked on Suns stream, who had the following to say about the idea of Booker stepping back in order for Green to grow:
“What if Jalen Green turns into a 25-point per game player and ascends past Devin Booker, and Devin Booker turns into the Big Shot Maker. That is stupid in my opinion because Jalen Green has never shot over 42% in a season.”
He went on to add, “Asking Devin Booker to take a step back, like that’s crazy. No one would ever tell a four or five-time All-Star to take a back seat to a guy who has never been an All-Star, never really contributed to winning.”
Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight.
Ben is caught up in what he thinks Devin Booker should be. It would be crazy to ask Devin Booker to take a back seat in any offense. That’s not what I think Gil meant. I think he meant the Suns would be better if Jalen Green were their leading scorer, and he’s right.
The Suns don’t need Devin Booker to be less involved in the offense; they need him to change the role he plays in the offense. Or the role he’s traditionally played. You don’t have to look any further than last year’s playoffs when Mike Brown asked Karl-Anthony Towns to take on a different role to see the proof of concept. If Jordan Ott did ask Booker to take on a different role in order to impact winning, he wouldn’t be the only coach who’s done so. Calipari at Kentucky asked Book to come off the bench. Kerr asked Book to be the glue guy to bring a collection of great talent into a cohesive team. Two championship-caliber coaches saw the value in Devin Booker’s greatest attribute behind the butter-smooth jumper. Devin Booker is an egoless (super)star who has the team-first mentality and the basketball IQ to adjust his game to suit the needs of the team.
The Suns don’t have to build the team around Devin Booker the way you have to build a team around LeBron or Luka. Teammates don’t have to be asked to fill a narrow role and sacrifice their game in order for Booker to get off his. This is important because the Suns have an optimization problem at the top of the payroll.
Jalen Green did not play as well for the Suns as he played on the Rockets. There are reasons for that. It’s the injury, it’s coming in late onto a team that had already gelled, but it’s also the role they asked Jalen Green to play. Jalen Green’s game didn’t blossom off of Booker’s gravity the way Brooks’ game did. My opinion is that’s because Jalen Green is a one, not a two. It is debatable where Jalen Green falls on the ladder of NBA ones, he hasn’t been an all-star yet, he’s certainly not a better one than Booker, but he was the leading scorer and shot-taker on a Rockets team that landed a two seed and won two play-off games. All four years on the Rockets, Jalen Green took the most shots on the team.
While Booker remains one of the more potent scorers in the league, the eye test tells that something is changing with Booker’s jumpshot. He doesn’t look as confident, he isn’t getting it off in traffic like he used to, he’s hunting fouls because he doesn’t trust it. Beyond the much-talked-about three-point shooting woes last year, Devin Booker put up his lowest field goal percentage since the 2017 season. The year before that, he also put up his lowest field goal percentage since the 2017 season. He covered up for it by putting up a career-high 8.1 free throw attempts a game. In the playoffs, the Thunder took him out of the game. I don’t care how good the Thunder were; when has there ever been a playoff series in which Devin Booker couldn’t get shots up?
Jalen Green, with all his flaws, has young legs. He can get into the lane at will. He can elevate above the crowd. He’s a three-level scorer with elite athleticism that’s tough to stop when the ball’s in his hand. At his best, he’s a score-first guy. The questionable shot selection, the limited playmaking, and the ball-stopping are all a part of his game, but the Suns need him to be aggressive.
This season’s puzzle is an optimization problem. How do you get the most out of Booker while still getting the most out of Green, Brooks, Bridges, and Gillespie? The Suns won’t win as many games as fans expect next season if they get the Jalen Green they had last season. He produced below his career averages in points and assists. Devin Booker is special with the ball in his hands, but so was CP3. CP3 didn’t have to be the leading scorer to be the best player on the floor. Neither does Devin Booker.
If the Suns need Jalen Green to be aggressive, they need Booker to be efficient. There’s hope that the addition of a fourth shot creator in Bridges will force defenses to be less aggressive in targeting Booker, but I’m not optimistic on that front. Running more plays for Booker is going to lead to more of the same from opposing defenses. More contested jumpers, more walk-up threes, more misses, fewer buckets. The Suns can run more plays through Jalen Green, and eventually, the rush-Booker-every-time-he-touches-the-ball game plan won’t make sense anymore. Devin Booker doesn’t need more shots; he needs better shots.
We all know Ishbia is a Michigan man so when I try to prognosticate on what vision he has for his Suns teams I go to the Detroit Pistons. Initially, my mind ran to the Bad Boy Pistons with Booker playing Zeke, but there was another championship Pistons team in 2004. Led by Chauncey Billups, but led in scoring by Rip Hamilton. As of the time I’m writing this, one of them is in the Naithsmith Hall of Fame, and the other isn’t. It wasn’t the leading scorer that got inducted.
Is Jalen Green the perfect fit next to Devin Booker? Maybe not, but unless something shocking happens, Jalen Green is who they have. If the Suns are serious about winning a playoff series this season, they’re going to need to get 25 points a game from Jalen Green because teams are no longer allowing Booker to go off on them. Will there be nights when Booker makes a run at a 50 spot? Of course, there will. But not in the playoffs. The Thunder showed us what’s going to happen in the playoffs. Adding Miles Bridges doesn’t change that. The rise of Jalen Green will.
Booker is one of the most adaptable superstars in NBA history. The Suns should consider what a different role would open up, not just in opportunities for his teammates, but in him finding more space to get his own shot off as well.
Is it time for Book to pass the torch and take up a different role on this team than he has on past teams? I don’t know if that’s what Ott has planned. I just know that if he asks. Book will do it.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 21: Myles Turner #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks sits on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum on January 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Part I of the series zoomed in on the possibility of Myles Turner returning as Milwaukee’s starting centre. This is certainly an option for Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins to mull over. But it comes with a cost. And when that cost is stunting the development of the player with arguably the most potential on the team—who you just received in exchange for your franchise’s GOAT—you better think twice. Instead, the Bucks might be best served bringing Turner off the bench.
Bench: The mentor
For all intents and purposes, Kel’el Ware is the centre of the Bucks’ universe (at least positionally) and for him to reach his ceiling he needs two things: freedom to own the role and mentorship. Benching Turner unlocks both. As a starter with consistent minutes, Ware can grow beyond the restraints that have capped him so far and reach the otherworldly heights his potential (and name) promises. But that’s not going to happen without the right voice in his ear—and that can’t come solely from coaches (there’s a reason I profiled possible veteran targets prior to the start of free agency).
Enter Turner. As one of the few veterans on this squad—he’s one of just three 30-year-olds—Turner’s value might be at its highest for this version of the Bucks in a leadership role, guiding Milwaukee’s young bigs the way only veterans who have been there and done that know how. That he’s a rim-protecting, floor-spacing big with similar measurables to Ware only makes this role all the more fitting.
While accepting a reduced role might be a tough pill to swallow, Turner knows a thing or two about the importance of mentorship—and working as a team, in the purest sense of the word. In his 2025 Players’ Tribune post, “It Took Me 10 Years to Write This,” Turner wrote effusively about nearly all of his Pacers teammates and the little things they did that contributed to winning. Veteran James Johnson was one of them:
[He] doesn’t really play but he stays impactful, with his veteran leadership and taking the young dudes under his wing. Like, what makes our team effective … it goes beyond elite stars, or elite depth, or even elite work ethic. We have elite role clarity. We have a team that’s a TEAM, and a group that’s a GROUP.
Turner clearly isn’t at the point Johnson was with that Pacers team, but if he truly believes those words he knows a move to the bench is the right one to make.
Mentorship aside, bringing Turner off the bench might just be the best way to maximise his all-around on-floor impact. Turner is at his best when paired with a playmaking guard who sets the table for him. This isn’t just conjecture, either, with Turner also highlighting Tyrese Halliburton’s transformative value to him in his Players’ Tribune post:
I felt like for the first time in my NBA career, I had both 1. a head coach who’s believing in me, and 2. a point guard who’s facilitating for me. And it’s like I was unleashed.
Right away, I went from 13 ppg to 18 ppg. 33% on threes to 37%. 51% from the field to 55%. And it wasn’t just the numbers — it was so much deeper than that. Like, I don’t know if this will make sense, but it’s the first time where I felt like I had “basketball free will.” I wasn’t just getting told what NOT to do. With Coach and Tyrese, things flowed toward what’s possible. They started to let me engage mentally, not just physically. And when I’m doing that … I feel like I’m who I want to be as a basketball player.
It was this connection that enabled Turner to convert at least 75% of his shots between 0-3 feet in the four seasons prior to coming to Milwaukee (per Basketball-Reference). With the Bucks—and without an elite playmaker—that dropped down to just 67%. It’s not surprising then that Turner’s overall scoring volume and efficiency nosedived without a true facilitator in Milwaukee; the percentage of two-point field goals he was assisted on reduced from 85% in his final season with the Pacers to 74% with the Bucks. For reference, Ware was at 68% last year—and he’s no shot creator. With these things in mind, Turner seems ideally suited to line up alongside up-and-coming dime-dropper Kasparas Jakučionis, who also figures to be utilised off the bench.
But, unlike Turner, Ware does score off the offensive glass, ranking tenth in the league in total points scored off putbacks (144), just short of Bucks killer Moussa Diabaté (150). Meanwhile, Turner had just 48—fewer than rookie wings VJ Edgecombe and Kon Knueppel. Considering Jenkins’ teams have historically prioritised second-chance points, this is yet another reason Ware should start.
In all, a move to the bench doesn’t mean Turner won’t be a significant part of the rotation. After all, the Bucks are still relatively thin up front, with only Turner, Ware, and Jericho Sims as true bigs. It wouldn’t be surprising to see iterations of this squad with two of those three sharing the court, either. But for the Bucks to truly start their climb back up the Eastern Conference standings, they need Turner to lead—and that might mean sitting down.
Bucks fans, what do you think about sending Myles Turner to the bench? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for Part III: Cut, coming tomorrow.
PHILADELPHIA , PA - APRIL 22: Pittsburgh Penguins teammates celebrate a goal during game three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburg Penguins on April 22nd, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins had a big season offensively last year. Their 293 goals ranked third in the NHL. They scored 201 of those goals at 5-on-5 play, second in the league – shooting 11.1% (that ranked second as well). Their power play converting 24.1% of the time, good for seventh.
This scoring outburst was done largely balanced and by committee – 13 players had double-digit goal seasons. Only four players had 20+ goals, and none more than Anthony Mantha’s 33. They had six players score between 15-19 goals, some of whom certainly would have gotten to 20+ with more games (Egor Chinakhov scored 18 goals in 43 games with the team, injuries and suspensions limited Evgeni Malkin to 19 in 56 games).
Ten players had tied or set career-best goal scoring years, including Mantha and Chinakhov but also for modest numbers like Avery Hayes and Elmer Soderblom scoring five times. Justin Brazeau, after scoring only 16 total goals in the first 95 games of his career prior to 2025-26 ended up beating that with 17 goals last season.
NHL.com included a blurb about the Pens’ shooting in their offseason recap:
Here's how the @penguins are shaping up ahead of the 2026-27 season! 🐧
The Penguins led the NHL in high-danger shots on goal (740) last season and have now finished no lower than sixth in that category during the puck and player tracking era (since 2021-22). Despite being limited to 60 games, forward Rickard Rakell led Pittsburgh and ranked highly at his position in high-danger shots on goal (90; 97th percentile). Another EDGE standout for the Penguins in terms of shot location was Karlsson, who ranked in the 94th percentile or higher among defensemen in high-danger shots on goal (14), midrange shots on goal (44), long-range shots on goal (81), midrange goals (six) and long-range goals (six; tied for fourth in the League). — Troy Perlowitz
The first sentence stood out as far as high danger shot generation being sixth or better for the last five years. That hasn’t always been reflected in total goals scored, the Pens numbers there have been:
2025-26: 3rd (293)
2024-25: 18th (242)
2023-24: 18th (253)
2022-23: 16th (261)
2021-22: 11th (269)
Last season was the first time that having a high number of chances led to being near the top of the league in goals. The formula was simple enough. The Penguins scored a lot of goals and on a high percentage of shots in large part due to generating so many scoring chances from the high danger area. Whether it was fresh, freeing concepts from new coach Dan Muse, sheer better luck, the addition of a nice finisher like Anthony Mantha (who went onto have a career-year), or as always a combination of many factors, it worked out. It’s no secret that things under Mike Sullivan got stale and goals fell each season from 2022 to 2025 before last year’s big turnaround.
That makes the question multi-faceted moving forward, can the Penguins once again generate some of the most chances in the league and will that lead to being at the top of the NHL for total goals? Maybe even improve on last season’s totals and hit 300 goals? It’s a big number, but if they can build off Muse’s first year that would be the number to track.
There’s some reason for optimism. Nick Robertson and Andrey Kuzmenko ought to continue the high amount of finishing. Both are known via their advanced stats for their ability to convert chances into the red light flashing behind the goalie. Losing Mantha will be a big hole to fill from his contributions last season, but the Pens did a pretty good job to make sure they could bring in some players with similar finishing ability.
It takes a lot of work and consistent scoring for a team to get near 300 goals, it’s only happened eight times in the last five seasons. That threshold gets a little easier now that the schedule is increasing from 82 to 84 games, and at this point it’s a barometer worth seeing if the Penguins could try to threaten again in 2026-27.
They have the playmakers able to create chances, and supporting players like Rakell, Kuzmenko and Robertson have shown the ability to finish. As has Chinakhov, whose metrics for shot speed and odd man rushes are virtually off the charts.
Under Dan Muse, and let’s face it since the days of Sidney Crosby (and of course Mario Lemieux before him), Pittsburgh has thrived as an uptempo offensive team and struggled when an ill-fitting coach like Kevin Constantine or Mike Johnston attempted to limit creativity by building in too much structure. You have to let the wild ponies run free to get the most out of them. This season, that would mean taking a run at the 300 goal mark and trying to do what the team did in 2025-26 by attempting to out-score their defensive and goaltending issues.
Shooting variances or a decrease in chance generation could easily derail the progress of results made in 2025-26 and don’t make progress a sure proposition, but it sure would make for a fun season of hockey if next year’s Penguin team can make a run at the 300 mark.
Angels star Mike Trout signs autographs before a game at Angel Stadium on May 18. (Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
The checklist to launch an independent minor league baseball team is long and daunting. Can you find a place to play? How do you find enough players, and make enough money to pay them? How can you persuade a community to support a home team?
Here’s a new one: If minor league baseball is all about affordability, how do you compete against a nearby major league team that might undercut you on pricing?
This astounding dilemma is brought to you by the Angels, and their combination of a consistent focus on affordability and a consistently bad team.
Zach Neto is the best player the Angels have drafted and developed since Mike Trout — that is, in the past 17 years — and the team is considering whether to trade Neto ahead of next week’s trade deadline. That might make the team better in the long run, but almost certainly not next year.
And, next year, the Angels will have competition for the Orange County baseball dollar, a few exits down Interstate 5. On Tuesday, the Irvine City Council approved a five-year agreement under which a yet-to-be-named minor league team would play at the sparkling ballpark within the city’s Great Park, starting next May.
“We might not, on certain days, be the cheapest ticket in town,” said Paul Freedman, co-founder of Innovation Baseball Partners, the company for which the Irvine team is the fourth in its portfolio of minor league teams, all based in California and all competing in the Pioneer League, where players are limited to no more than two years of professional experience.
No ticket prices have been announced for the Irvine team. Jamie Rosenberg, another IBP co-founder, told the Irvine City Council that the IBP team in Long Beach charges roughly $10 to $15 for general admission, with a $2 special every Tuesday.
“The idea is to make this an accessible, affordable entertainment option for the community,” Rosenberg said.
Angels pitcher Reid Detmers throws from the mound against the Houston Astros in front of a sparse crowd Tuesday at Angel Stadium. (Scott Strazzante / Associated Press)
On Tuesday, three hours after Rosenberg spoke, the Angelsplayed the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. On StubHub, you could buy a ticket for $2.
“I think Angel fans would hope the team gets better and maybe those prices would go up,” Freedman said, “but what we’re confident in is that we’re going to have a value experience.”
On Tuesday and every other day at Angel Stadium, the Angels proudly display a sign advertising a collection of what the team calls its “family value merchandise.” A T-shirt or a cap can be yours for $9.99, and a souvenir baseball with the team logo sells for $7.99.
“We really focus on a family of four,” Freedman said. “Can a family of four afford a night out?”
The Angels offer a family package — four tickets, four hot dogs, and four drinks — for $44.
You may remember what Angels owner Arte Moreno said in spring training: “The number one thing fans want is affordability.”
That infuriated Angels fans, of course, since their team has baseball’s longest playoff drought — 12 years, counting this one. Freedman says the fans of his teams want affordability too, but he cautioned against stretching the comparison too far.
For one, Trout plays in Anaheim. You can see a future Hall of Famer there all summer, and stars from around the league, and you can see the Yankees and Red Sox and Dodgers every year.
“We’re not ever going to replace the majesty of going to see the Dodgers with Shohei [Ohtani] playing,” Freedman said, “but we can create an environment that’s more fun.”
For two, whatever $2 tickets you might find in Anaheim put you in the vicinity of the top of a foul pole. All the tickets in Irvine put you right behind home plate, because there are barely 1,000 seats.
And, for fun, Freedman and his partners are planning to become the first American team to integrate elements of the Asian fan experience into the game presentation.
“We want to be doing things you haven’t seen in an American baseball game before,” he said, “and we want to put a fair price on that, one that is reasonable and allows us to operate our business.”
The traditional minor league team operates far from the shadow of a major league team. The Pioneer League, for instance, has teams in the California towns of Modesto and Marysville, and in Idaho Falls and Missoula, Mont.
The Irvine launch will be different and challenging — and, yes, fun. But success depends on paying customers, and nothing attracts customers like a trial offer.
Happy Wednesday, everyone! As expected, teams are in a tizzy about the Trade Deadline, especially as potential buyers like the Brewers and Yankees are losing key players to IL stints. Things are likely to heat up exponentially between now and the end of the weekend, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on everything going down. But in the meantime, we also have non-Trade Deadline news to offer, including speculation over who will be the AL MVP with Aaron Judge no longer in consideration after missing much of the season. Even the NL MVP race might be tighter than usual this season.
We also look at bobblehead drama, CBA negotiation drama, and an update on the Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal with new audio.
I love miniature things as much as the next gal, but I remember when real hats cost this much.
Rep your favorite MLB® teams with replicas of the authentic caps the players wear on-field. Display your pride anywhere with Mini 59FIFTY®s from New Era. https://t.co/TCfYjCTTmCpic.twitter.com/XPFGLoR37r
DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Catcher Hunter Goodman (15) of the Colorado Rockies and pitcher Brennan Bernardino (83) celebrate after the seventh inning during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline on August 3 is drawing ever closer. Over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies made clear which players are definitely available for trade, and it’s not a surprising list. Of course, anything is possible, and teams are likely still calling about other players mentioned.
The Rockies have let teams know that the following players are available for trade, per @BNightengale:
Antonio Senzatela Kyle Freeland Michael Lorenzen Tomoyuki Sugano Mickey Moniak Jake McCarthy Willi Castro pic.twitter.com/m9YaV1XzgU
So, last Friday, I asked the Purple Row community to play armchair general manager and chime in with their trade proposals and ideas of what could be done at the deadline. Ideas have also popped up in other article comment sections, such as our MLB Trade Deadline tracker articles. After combing through the comments, I’ve compiled some of the trades that stood out to me by themed categorie and credited those who submitted the deals.
Moving Brennan Bernardio for young pitching
Brennan Bernardino, the Rockies’ lone lefty in the bullpen, has been excellent this year. Southpaw relievers are always at a premium, and it may behoove the Rockies to move the 34-year-old despite three more years of control. A number of trades focused on getting young starting pitching for Bernardino’s services.
Bernardino to Baltimore for RHP Nestor German-Ozarkbear
The Rockies need to build up starting pitching depth, and this trade could bring in a nice piece. Nestor German ranks as the Baltimore Orioles No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline and has done well since being drafted in the 11th round in 2023. Pitching in Triple-A this season, he has a 3.91 ERA in 96.2 innings while striking out 103 batters against 34 walks. He has a well-rounded arsenal and pounds the zone with all of his pitches. I like the trade for Colorado because it gives them a young starter who is nearly ready to pitch in the big leagues and checks a lot of boxes for the new front office. The Rockies say yes, but the Orioles may be a bit more hesitant.
Bernardino back to Red Sox for RHP Kyson Witherspoon -sdcarp
The Boston Red Sox got scorching hot over the last few weeks and are suddenly positioned as buyers this season. They made the first big splash by acquiring Curtis Mead from Washington for starting pitcher Connelly Early, but could a reunion with Bernardino be of interest? Kyson Witherspoon was drafted 15th overall last season by Boston and is ranked as their No. 4 prospect. The 21-year-old has been finding his footing in High-A with a 5.01 ERA in 16 starts. He’s got a varied pitch mix that can generate swing and miss; he just needs to work on honing his command to reduce the walks. It’s another yes for the Rockies, but hard to see Boston overpaying more than they did in the Mead deal, especially for a reliever they are familiar with. It would need more pieces.
A deal for Emerson Hancock?
The Seattle Mariners have a plethora of starting pitchers and have made it clear that two of them are available for trade. It may be a little harder for them to move Luis Castillo, but Emerson Hancock is plenty enticing, and the M’s may try to sell high. Reports say that Seattle would like a right-handed bat and some bullpen help, but perhaps the Rockies could figure something out.
Hancock and a pitching prospect for McCarthy/Moniak, Fulford, Veen/Thompson-stork24
By acquiring Hancock, the Rockies acquire a starting pitcher that can immediately slot into the rotation, is just 27, and under team control through 2030. He’s having a solid year, but there may be things in the underlying metrics that are concern enough for the Mariners that they are comfortable moving him. As for the Rockies side of this, I think Jake McCarthy and Sterlin Thompson would be the players I include in an offer with Braxton Fulford. McCarthy and Thompson bring quality hit tools that are always beneficial, especially in Seattle, while building out some depth down the stretch. Fulford would essentially replace Mitch Garver as the backup catcher but that’s mostly a lateral move.
Unfortunately, I think the Mariners say no to this one because they already have enough left-handed bats, and the right-handed bats on their bench are not good. I think Willi Castro, Jordan Beck, Tyler Freeman, or Brenton Doyle would have to be included in a deal, and a decent reliever like Bernardino instead to swing a deal.
Trading with the Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are once again leading the way as the top team in the American League. They once again find themselves in a position to bolster their lead in the AL East, so perhaps a trade with the Rockies could fix what ails them.
Moniak and Castro to Rays for RHP Ty Johnson, RHP TJ Nichols, OF Brendan Summerhill, and 2B Émilian Pitre -mth0620
This a very interesting trade that I would be inclined to accept. Ty Johnson and TJ Nichols are ranked as the Rays’ No. 10 and No. 19 prospects, respectively, while Brendan Summerhill and Émilian Pitre are No. 23 and No. 27. Johnson is a starting pitcher that could be ready to debut in 2027, if not this season, while Nichols has struggled in Double-A this season but has a power fastball and some interesting secondary pitches. Meanwhile, Summerhill is comparable to McCarthy for the Rockies, while Pitre is a contact-heavy second baseman with speed and a solid glove capable of playing shortstop as well. This would give the Rockies a lot of great pieces that fit the mold of the players new front office values.
McCarthy for Santiago Suarez and Émilien Pitre -Ski to Coors
This is another trade with the Rays that I would easily accept. The highlight of this trade is Santiago Suarez, a right-handed pitcher who is the Rays’ No. 13 prospect. He dealt with a shoulder/triceps issue at the end of 2025, but he has been successful at every level so far. He has given up more runs in Double-A this season, posting a 5.18 ERA in 80 innings, but that’s small potatoes considering what he can do. His fastball can reach 97 mph, while his slider has wipeout movement and his curveball is likely his best offering. He’s also been working on his changeup this year. He pounds the zone and has allowed just nine walks over 17 starts. Plus, he just turned 21 back in January. It may be a lot to ask for both of these players in exchange for McCarthy, but one-for-one could be manageable.
Start spreading the news about Goodman?
Hunter Goodman is going to be one of the hot-button Trade Deadline issues this season. The catcher market is thin, the right-handed batter market is thin, and it’s not every day you can trade for a controllable catcher with 30-plus home runs. The asking price is understandably high, but a few of you offered up some ideas for a trade with the New York Yankees.
Goodman to Yankees for RHP Elmer Rodríguez and RHP Ben Hess -sdcarp
Ranked as the No. 3 prospect and top pitching prospect in the Yankees system, this is part of the high price the Rockies are asking for. Rodríguez made his big league debut this season but hasn’t quite stuck yet. In four starts, he has a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings. His main struggle was his command as he issued 11 walks against 10 strikeouts. There is plenty of upside for the 21-year-old, but he needs more refinement. Ben Hess comes in as the No. 6 prospect for the Yankees and has drawn comparisons to former MLB standout Lance Lynn. Big-bodied with a solid pitch mix, Hess also needs more refinement and has to stay durable. This is a strong start to a trade, but it needs at least two more players in the mix.
Goodman to Yankees for RHP Carlos Lagrange, LHP Pico Khon, LHP Xavier Rivas, old friend RHP Jake Bird, and two additional prospects (position players) who are not listed on MLB Pipeline. -Renee Dechert
Our own Renee Dechert proposed many trades for this article, but I wanted to highlight this major one. Carlos Lagrange comes in as the No.4 prospect for the Yankees with an electric fastball and a heavy reliance on his secondary pitches. His size and stuff on the mound are intimidating, but he needs a lot more polish because of the inconsistencies in his delivery that hurt his command. There is plenty to like, and his makeup reminds me of Chase Dollander. The two lefties, Pico Khon and Xavier Rivas, rank as the No. 11 and No. 25 prospects and make me pause a little bit more. Both are in the vein of other soft-tossing lefties that have struggled with the Rockies in recent years. Each is likely better suited for a reliever role, which is a role the Rockies desperately need to fill out more. If I’m the Rockies, I would try to swap out Rivas for a ranked position player prospect, drop Jake Bird in the deal, and split the new unranked prospects between a reliever and a position player. Again, a good starting point for a deal.
Wrapping up
There were several other trades that I won’t be able to dive into for this article. There were a couple of trades to send Tomoyuki Sugano to one of the Chicago teams. There were additional moves to send Moniak and McCarthy to various places, and there were general sentiments of trading anyone and everyone that can be available.
Overall, this was a solid exercise for the community. It’ll be interesting to see what deals the Rockies make over the next few days and to see how close any predictions actually are. I applauded you for the contributions and discussions about this topic and, if anything, many of these proposals are good starting points for a negotiation.
Well done Purple Rowers! You’ve earned your GM thinking caps.
It was another classic game in the PCL. The Albuquerque Isotopes put up eight runs in the top of the second and then found themselves leading 10-2 heading to the bottom of the third inning. The El Paso Chihuahuas responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to three. The Isotopes responded with two more in the fourth before giving up two runs in the seventh. They then put up a three-spot in the eighth to take a 15-9 lead that held. The Isotopes had 23 hits with only Charlie Condon going hitless.
Five players had at least three hits, including Jordan Beck, who had two home runs and five RBI, including a grand slam. Zac Veen had four hits, finishing a double shy of the cycle. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and allowed seven runs through three innings before giving way to Mason Green, who gave up two runs in three innings. The bullpen then shut it down the rest of the way, including Nick Frasso tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
Andy Perez enjoyed another solid day at the plate to help lead the Hartford Yard Goats to victory. Perez went 3-for-5 at the top of the lineup as teh Yard Goats had 10 total hits with only three hitters failing to get a hit. Braylen Wimmer had three RBI while GJ Hill had a double, the lone extra-base hit. The Yard Goats went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position and went 11-for-12 with stolen bases. Connor Staine started on the mound and went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
It was a tough offensive night for Spokane as they scored one run on a double play ball and had just five hits. Roldy Brito had a pair of hits to lead the Indians while Alan Espinal had a double. Jordy Vargas started on the hill and allowed three runs on three hits, including two home runs, in 4.1 innings of work. Things got out of hand in the seventh inning for Tyler Hampu as he was tagged for five runs on two hits with three walks in just a third of an inning.
Trailing 3-0 in the early goings, Fresno scored six runs over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to lead 6-3. Unfortunately, Ontario scored a run in the final three innings, capped off by two runs in the ninth to secure a walk-off victory. Ashly Andujar and Kyle Fossum each had two hits in the game to lead the way. Fossum had five RBI and had a grand slam in the game. Marcos Herrera started on the mound and went three innings, followed by Luke Hansel’s 4.1 innings of two-run ball. Yanzel Correra ended up giving up the two runs in the ninth without recording an out.
It was a tight-rope affair in Game Three of the ACL League Championship. The ACL Rockies took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. The ACL Reds answered back with a home run in the top of the fourth before the Rockies took back the lead with a run in the fifth. The Reds went ahead 3-2 with two runs in the sixth but the Rockies answered back, once again, with a run in the seventh to tie things up 3-3. The game continued into extra innings as they exchanged runs in the top of the 10th and the Reds took a 5-4 lead in the 11th. Ronny Ugarte singled in the tying run in the 11th, and the Rockies loaded the bases with one out. Eriel Dihigo then grounded a ball to shortstop, but the Reds were unable to turn the double play, allowing the winning run to score and give the Rockies their first ACL Championship since 2021.
Joelle Milholm addressed this topic on Monday here at Purple Row, but it’s always good to get more perspectives. Wesley Dixon settles on the fact that Cole Carrigg is playing so well that it wouldn’t make sense to block his development to let Doyle play. He could still have a place on the team, but it can’t be simply because of reputation, he has to earn it.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: A detailed view of bats belonging to Harrison Bader #9 of the San Francisco Giants is seen in the dugout prior to the start of the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park on May 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are less than one week away from the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Which means it’s time to fire off our best/worst trade deadline predictions for the San Francisco Giants.
Personally, I think they should be aggressive sellers. Trade everyone you can and throw in parts of the ballpark if that will get deals done. I never feel this way, I get quite attached to players and don’t want to see them go. And I do still feel that way about a lot of players on this year’s team, but I also would be very happy if they were traded to a functional organization with an interest in competitive baseball.
Do I think that they will be aggressive sellers? Not particularly. At least not in the way that I think they should. This team has been begging for a full rebuild for over a decade now but they have yet to commit to that, so I don’t really see that changing this year. I think we’ll see a few moves, such as Luis Arraez and maybe a pitcher or two.
But I’d be happy to be wrong.
What are your predictions for the Giants at the trade deadline?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants conclude this three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.
PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 7: Nelson Cruz #62 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a home run in the second inning during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners on March 7, 2005 at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away, there are a ton of rumors going around. This year, the Milwaukee Brewers happen to have their name in a number of the rumors given their status as one of the best teams in baseball.
As we sit here and dream about what a Brewers team with Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller, and CJ Abrams would look like, there have also been plenty of trades that make you think, “What if?”
What if the trade with the New York Mets back in July 2015 went through and the Brewers had a young Zack Wheeler in their rotation? What kind of impact would Wheeler have had on the rotation over the following years? Other pivotal guys like Domingo Santana, Josh Hader, and Adrian Houser would’ve never been on the team.
BREAKING: Mets acquire Carlos Gómez from Brewers in exchange for Zack Wheeler & Wilmer Flores. (via multiple reports) pic.twitter.com/C65gcMOMTe
What if the Brewers didn’t trade away David Fry to the Cleveland Guardians in March 2022 for J.C. Mejía? Mejía pitched in just 11 games over the course of two seasons for the Brewers, finishing with an 8.56 ERA. With that being said, at the time, the Brewers were running Omar Narváez and Victor Caratini as their catching duo. Had David Fry been on the team, would we have seen him blossom in a Brewers uniform, thus never needing to trade for William Contreras?
Everything happens for a reason, of course. But for how successful the Brewers have been over the last nine years, it’s fun to look back at some trades that could’ve desperately derailed how dominant the team has become today, even if those players who never became Brewers turned out to be All-Stars.
Today, we flip the calendar back 20 years, to the 2006 MLB Trade Deadline. The Brewers were involved in a significant trade that sent Nelson Cruz and Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, and Julian Cordero.
Cruz had bounced around a couple of different organizations at the time of this trade; however, all of them occurred while he was in the minor leagues. At the time, Cruz was sitting in the minors in the Brewers system, struggling to find playing time on a team that had outfielders like Lee, Brady Clark, Geoff Jenkins, and the young Corey Hart.
Before we dive too thick into the weeds, it’s important to remember that even though Cruz made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2005, he didn’t get consistent playing time and burst onto the scene until 2009, when he was nominated for his first All-Star Game. In 2008, Cruz played in 31 games for the Rangers and had a fantastic line, despite the small sample size. He batted .330 and got on base at a .421 clip, while smashing seven home runs and driving in 26, foreshadowing how great he was about to be in the Lone Star State.
After his first All-Star appearance, Cruz went on to have a season where he batted above .300 while crushing 22 home runs. He was on the Rangers through the 2013 season before signing with the Baltimore Orioles in the winter of 2014.
Given the time frame and how long he was on his rookie contract, it’s interesting to think back on how he would’ve impacted those late 2000s/early 2010s Brewers squads. In 2007, the Brewers just missed their first playoff appearance in 25 years after blowing an 8.5-game lead in mid-August. That was a lineup where their outfielders were definitely not the worst players on the team, as Hart posted a .295 batting average, slugging 24 home runs. Had they had Cruz in the lineup that season, what would that have looked like? Even on the Rangers, he was a bench bat, but had the Brewers had that tool at their disposal, perhaps things would look a little differently.
Skipping forward to 2009, the Brewers took a step back after a successful previous couple of seasons. Again, not included in this step back were the Brewers outfielders, as Ryan Braun had a monstrous season at the dish, while Hart continued to be consistent and Mike Cameron slightly improved from the year before. There’s no doubt that offense wasn’t the issue for the 2009 Brewers, but to have Cruz in the outfield to replace either Hart or Cameron, I’m sure, would’ve made a sizable difference.
Moving forward, 2010 was another season where they didn’t need a ton of outfield help either. Having Jim Edmonds on the bench, a young Carlos Gomez, and, of course, Braun and Hart on the corners.
All in all, having high-quality outfield bats was never a problem for the Brewers during this stretch. Having Cruz on the team would’ve only bogged down the lineup for a team trying to turn things around. The pitching staff was the main issue at the time.
So while we can reminisce on what Cruz would’ve looked like on those late 2000s and early 2010s teams, it would’ve most likely been the same outcome for the Crew in the end. Trades happen for one reason or another, and this one was just shedding weight at the deadline to beef up a run later down the road.
