Worldwide Sports News

The Cincinnati Reds have a handful of significant pieces who have been out injured in various forms and fashions, and on Thursday afternoon manager Terry Francona gave updates on a trio of players who’ve featured so far in 2026.

Some of the news was rather good. Nick Lodolo, who’s been plagued by blisters on his throwing hand – potentially due to the grip used on his slider – will face hitters in live batting practice on Friday. That was relayed to the beats prior to Thursday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Similar good news was reported in the form of Brandon Williamson’s rehab start, which will begin on Saturday with AA Chattanooga. Williamson was shut down after just 6 games in late April after being sidelined all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, his 2026 problems coming from his shoulder. Getting him back to help fill some innings at season’s end would be paramount given that Chase Burns is heading towards an innings limit and Brady Singer is likely to be traded by the August 3rd deadline, and now he seems on track to help do just that.

The news wasn’t all good, however. Blake Dunn, who’s been out for a month after revealing pain in his throwing elbow, will go ahead and have surgery. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, they won’t know exactly how deep the surgery will have to go until they get in there, but that at least leaves on the table the potential for Tommy John surgery which, at this point of the year, would mean he’d be out for the bulk of 2027, too.

That all follows up the unfortunate news about Jose Franco from Tuesday’s doubleheader against Cleveland. Called up as the 27th man to provide length in the bullpen game, Franco exited with elbow discomfort. Given that he was the 27th man and not technically on the roster, any time spent on the injured list will be qualified at the AAA level instead of at the big league level, so he would be paid only as a AAA player while out instead of a big leaguer. If the injury were serious enough to require surgery and a lengthy rehab, that’s the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a guy who a) hasn’t banked a ton as a big leaguer yet and b) didn’t get a huge signing bonus up front when he turned pro.

Fortunately, it looks as if that won’t be too long of a stint. As Charlie Goldsmith reported yesterday, it’s a flexor mass problem that will sideline him, but ‘his elbow structurally looked good.’

The Rays were hoping to come away from their three-game series against the Rangers with a split-series win on Thursday afternoon after dropping one game to the Texas club on Tuesday night. To get the job done they had Shane McClanahan on the mound. The Rangers, meanwhile, were going the Opener route with a one-inning starter and then Marco Gonzalez lined up to take the bulk role.

Ezequiel Duran got a one-out walk in the first, but two outs followed to get the Rays out of the jam. In the home half, Yandy Diaz got a leadoff walk. Jonathan Aranda then grounded into a double play to eliminate the baserunner. It very briefly looked as if Junior Caminero hit a home run, but the call was challenged when it was called a flyout and the call on the field was upheld as an out.

The Rangers went 1-2-3 in the top of the second. Marco Gonzales came in to replace the Opener Cole Winn, and he got the Rays out in order.

McClanahan continues to cruise in the third, getting the Rangers three-up, three-down. In the home half with two outs, Hunter Feduccia doubled. Diaz then singled to bring Feduccia home and put the Rays on the board first.

Aranda singled and Caminero was intentionally walked, but no additional runs scored.

Duran was hit by a pitch to start the inning, then Brandon Nimmo walked. Shane McClanahan was then pulled from the game, though his injury if there was one was unclear. He appeared to have some neck discomfort and it seems like the team might have been aware because Casey Legumina was already warming and came in to replace him. With one out, a pinch-hitting Joc Pederson singled to score Duran and tie up the game. Pederson was then immediately swapped for a pinch-runner in Josh Smith, and with two outs, Legumina was swapped for Cam Booser. RIP if you’re keeping score the old-fashioned way. Booser got the final out of the inning. Victor Mesa Jr. got a one-out single in the home half, then Ben Williams singled. Taylor Walls walked to load the bases. Unfortunately Feduccia grounded into a double-play to end the inning.

With one out in the fifth, Alejandro Osuna singled. We got an update on McClanahan: mid-back tightness. So we’ll see how that pans out. Craig Kimbrel replaced Booser and then gave up an RBI double to Wyatt Lanford. With two outs, Nimmo walked and then stole second, but the Rays were able to get out of the inning with only the one extra run scoring. Peyton Gray replaced Gonzalez in the bottom of the inning and got the Rays out in order.

Steven Matz was the new Rays’ pitcher in the sixth and he mowed through the Rangers in order. In the bottom of the inning the Rays got their mojo back a little as Jonny DeLuca hit a solo home run with one out. Two outs followed but the Rays had come even.

With one out in the seventh, Osuna walked. He stole second after two outs, and the Rangers were not able to bring him home. Robby Ahlstrom was the new Rangers pitcher in the bottom of the inning and got the side out in order.

Garrett Cleavinger came in for the Rays in the eighth. After two outs, Josh Smith walked but Cleavinger got the final out to end the threat. With one out, Ben Peoples came in from the Rangers’ pen. After two outs, Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer to put the Rays in the lead.

DeLuca singled, then stole second, but the Rays were limited to just the one run for the inning. Thankfully it was a big one.

Bryan Baker came in for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Nicky Lopez. Langford got a two-out walk, but despite the nail-biter ending the Rays did pull off the third out to win the game and the series.

Final: Rays 3, Rangers 2

The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Tampa Bay Rays scored three runs.

Saving Nathan Eovaldi for Houston, the Rangers opted for a total bullpen game today with Cole Winn getting the opening inning. Winn got through his inning unscathed and handed things over to what amounted to a bulk pitcher today in Marco Gonzales, who I both forgot was a Ranger and had ever been one before he appeared on the mound today.

Gonzales was in and out of trouble and lucky to make it through three innings allowing just one run. That run, in the bottom of the third, gave the Rays a 1-0 lead which the Rangers tied a half inning later when pinch hitter Joc Pederson hit a ball that appeared destined for a threat-ending double play but turned into a run-scoring fielder’s choice error.

Pederson hit in that inning because Rays’ left-handed starter Shane McClanahan exited with an injury after three innings, rendering it a battle of the bullpens for both squads. That designation seemed to favor the Rays but it was the Rangers who took a lead in the middle innings when Texas sequenced into a run via an Alejandro Osuna single followed by a Wyatt Langford RBI double.

That was Texas’ only two hits of the game.

The Rays eventually tied the game on a solo home run by Jonny DeLuca off of Peyton Gray in the bottom of the sixth and then went ahead via a two-out solo home run by Cedric Mullins off of Ben Peoples in the bottom of the eighth.

If you’re wondering why the Rangers were making a trade for a reliever last evening, look no further than them turning to Ben Peoples in a tied game late that they could have stolen. But it’s not like the Rangers outplayed Tampa Bay and lost.

Avoiding getting swept in this series was crucial and the Rangers accomplished that in the first game. They could have snuck another victory today but their overall lack of big league quality down the lineup and in the bullpen was evident in as getaway as you can get.

Player of the Game: Langford is Texas’ best player and sure enough, he was the only guy to hit an extra base and the only guy to drive in a run today unless you are counting Pederson which I am not.

Up Next: In a familiar scene to one from a few days ago, the Rangers enter a series up a half game against the American League West opponent directly behind them. The Rangers will open that series in Houston with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound opposite RHP Hunter Brown for the Astros.

The Friday evening first pitch from formerly Minute Maid Park by way of Enron Field now named Daikin Park is scheduled for 7:15 pm CDT and you can find it on Apple TV.

Over the last 24 to 48 hours, there has been a lot of smoke around a Foster Griffin extension. Buster Olney reported that the Nats have been exploring the idea of extending Griffin. With the deadline just a few days away, it feels like there will either be a deal soon or the Nats All-Star southpaw will be shipped off.

The comparison to Seth Lugo is an interesting one. Like Griffin, Lugo is a pitcher with a deep mix, who relies on command and variety to throw hitters off. He also did not have a large history of starting, spending most of his career in the bullpen. Lugo received a 2-year deal worth $46 million. 

That $23 million AAV is pricey, and could certainly throw the Nats off. However, there is another Royals pitcher whose contract could also be a comparison point. Michael Wacha got a 3-year $51 million deal, which has aged very well. If I were the Nats, that would be a number worth paying.

With Griffin pushing for that Lugo number and the Nats looking at the Wacha deal, they could meet somewhere in the middle on something like a 3-year $57 million deal. Whether Toboni or Lerner would be willing to give out that kind of deal is unclear, but that is what I think the market would be around.

This morning, Barry Svrluga put out a good piece arguing for a Griffin extension. His argument was simple but effective. The Nats are not in the same place they were in the past when selling rentals was a no-brainer. This is a team whose window is opening and still has a chance to make the playoffs.

Griffin has been a huge part of that success. Losing him would pretty much erase the Nats playoff hopes. The Nats have won 17 of Griffin’s 21 starts. With Griffin and Cavalli on the mound, the Nats are a real force. However, things get really shaky after that. If Griffin is locked up and Connelly Early comes back, the Nats rotation would be in good shape.

However, the playoffs do remain fairly unlikely. If an extension cannot be reached, trading Griffin would be the smart play. His value is likely at its peak right now and just about every contender needs starting pitching.

While I think Griffin will be good for years to come, there is some risk for a guy with such a small track record. A lot of pitchers who come back from Asia have their best season in the first one back.

If you look at the ERA indicators, Griffin is due for some regression, and this is probably a career year. However, with his command and deep bag of pitches, I think he can be a mid rotation starter for years to come. That Wacha like deal is right in line with mid-rotation money.

Personally, I hope Griffin sticks around. Watching him pitch is such a blessing. Seeing a guy dominate without velocity is so much fun in this modern era. He is truly pitching out there, and playing chess with hitters all game.

When hitters face Griffin, they are in for mental and physical warfare. It always feels like Griffin is one step ahead of hitters. Hopefully, tomorrow is not the last time we get to see Griffin play chess on the field for the Nats.

It is time for the Lerner’s to put their money where their mouth is. For years, fans have been holding out hope that the Lerner’s were just waiting for the right moment to pounce and open their wallets. Well, based on how this season has gone, the time is now. A Foster Griffin extension would be a great first step in winning back the fanbase.

Astros GM Dana Brown has maintained that he intends to be a buyer at the deadline. Whether he is buying name brand or knockoff is a major question.

Houston is a conflicting situation. They have been ravaged by injuries for the third straight season. Owner Jim Crane has been watching the bottom line, leery of exceeding the luxury tax for a third straight season and incurring the penalties that come with it. The roster is top heavy, and not necessarily with as many top players as hoped at the beginning of the season. The outfield consists of a lot of guys who may benefit from playing at Sugar Land instead of Houston.

The Astros are also getting a generational MVP season from Yordan Alvarez that would be a baseball sin to waste. Jeremy Pena continues to play the role of ignitor at the top of the order. Isaac Paredes found hit bat on May 30th and hasn’t lost it since.

Jose Altuve is having a career-worst season. Christian Walker started hot, and has cooled off significantly.

The lineup legitimately needs two bats – outfield bats, ideally at least one of them being left-handed. At least one of them needs to be an impact bat of moderate value, the other at least a good avg/obp/speed type.

The starting pitching has been among the worst in baseball. Mike Burrows was the team’s big trade acquisition this offseason. He was brutally bad, and now he’s on the IL. Tatsuya Imai was their biggest free agent signing, and he’s been woefully inconsistent vacillating between looking like a top pitcher and looking like a disaster.

Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski have just returned from Tommy John surgery. Spencer Arrighetti has starred in his Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde role, sometimes looking fantastic and sometimes awful, and is now on IL. Cristian Javier just had his best outing of the season in relief, 5 shutout innings that lowered his ERA to *7.17*. You read that right.

Hunter Brown is the ace of the staff. A grade 2 shoulder strain cost him 2 months. He struggled with his command afterwards, though his most recent start indicated he may be past those struggled. Peter Lambert has become the most consistent starter on the team and he was DFA’d after Spring Training.

The team needs a starting pitcher, ideally 2. They need at least one number 2-3 type starter, someone they can depend on to start a playoff game. They could still use another back of the rotation inning eater type, because getting 5 innings from each starter a full turn through the rotation has been a Herculean task for this team this season.

The bullpen has dealt with injury to All-Star closer Josh Hader, and reliable setup man Bennett Sousa. Bryan Abreu underperformed badly to start the season, Bryan King is underperforming right now. Kai-Wei Teng has been shifted back and forth between the pen and rotation, and has worn down from such heavy usage. The team has preferred to keep AJ Blubaugh in a multi-inning reliever role rather than stretch him out so that he could start.

The Astros could really use a righthanded leverage reliever to balance their lefthanded tandem of Steven Okert and Sousa in front of Hader. This is especially important if the starting pitching is still inconsistent and the team is unwilling to pay the freight for starters.

Which brings us to the biggest issue facing Houston at the deadline. They say they are going to be buyers, but what are they really buying?

Will the Astros buy the brand name players they need to make their team strong enough to be a legitimate contender in a soft American League, or will they shop in the bargain bins hoping to make the playoffs and rely on the old mantra ‘anything can happen in the postseason’ for their chances of success?

This deadline will represent a strong seller’s market. Prices are sure to be sky high as there are limited sellers. Top prospects will be at a premium as the spectre of a long-term lockout looms over the deadline and the rest of the season.

Will the Astros have the stomach to pay the price for the kinds of players they really need to be real contenders? Last season, they refused to pay the freight for starting pitching, instead choosing to bank on players returning from injury and it backfired hard.

Prices will not be lower this year.

Will Crane require Brown to perform the wild gymnastics needed to keep the team under the luxury tax? In the past, Crane has shown a willingness to exceed the tax for a player he believed could help push the team over the top. He did so last season with the acquisition of Carlos Correa, who played markedly better in Houston after the deadline than he did in Minnesota before.

Houston has a track record of being innovative, creative and aggressive at the deadline in many of the deadlines during the Golden Age. Can they find a way to do so again?

The reality is if the Astros chose to sell, they could get absolute king’s ransoms for some players and reload in the offseason. Understandably, no one wants to sell when they are just a game out of the division lead, even if they did just get back to .500 for the first time yesterday since they were 6-6.

The team has to understand the kind of hauls they could get as sellers, and their buy has to match the impact. They have to buy the kind of impact players that will shift them from AL mediocrity to AL power.

They don’t need to be reckless with the cost, but they cannot fear the cost either. They can’t be afraid to move guys off the major league roster, and reallocate funds to greater positions of need. They can’t be afraid to utilize positional flexibility.

While there may be some good deals in the bargain bin at TJ Maxx, they can’t be afraid to go into Nordstrom either. They make the money, they can pay the bills.

Are they willing to push in hard enough to truly be contenders in the AL, or is just getting to the party good enough?

Getting to the party with no chance of winning isn’t what I want to see. It’s not what most fans want to see, based on the cross section of fans I see online and who connect with AREA 45 on Sportsradio 610 each night. They want to buy to win, or sell to reload. They don’t want to surrender assets for a ‘maybe we make it into the Wild Card’ type of deadline decisions.

Dana Brown is fighting for his job. He cannot be reckless, but he cannot be hesitant either.

It’s gut-check time. We are about to see what the Astros are willing to stomach in the name of winning and “the window” always being open.

It seems that Clay Holmes' tenure with the Mets is about to come to an end.

With four days until the Aug. 3 trade deadline, there are no talks ongoing between Holmes' camp and the Mets on a potential extension, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

This doesn't come as a surprise, since Holmes said last week that there hadn't been "a ton" of progress there.

SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes reported recently that there had been mutual interest between the two sides about an extension.

If an extension isn't agreed to, the expectation is that Holmes will be traded. That's because he has a $12 million player option for the 2027 season that he will almost certainly decline.

Holmes, 33, is one of the most sought-after starting pitchers on the trade market, with Tarik Skubal alone at the top.

The right-hander has been out since May 15 due to a broken fibula he suffered when he was struck by a line drive.

Holmes is set to throw a bullpen session on Friday, after which he and the team will determine next steps.

On Wednesday, interim manager Andy Green seemed to suggest that Holmes' next start could come elsewhere.

"We'll continue to evaluate that as we get closer to the deadline," Green said. "Obviously, anybody can count out and figure out what five days is from now, and it's Sunday before the deadline. So acknowledge that there's a decision to be made around that.

"We'll partner with him in making that decision. We'll have to wait until he gets past his bullpen, regardless, to make a declaration of what's next. So I think we've got a few days here to kind of let things play out."

If the Mets trade Holmes instead of extending him, it of course remains possible that they will sign him as a free agent after the season.

As of now, starting pitching options the Mets have under team control for next season include Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, and Sean Manaea. Kodai Senga is also under contract through 2027, but it's hard to envision him being in the mix for a role in the rotation going forward.

Other rotation options for New York next season could include Jonah Tong, Jack Wenninger, and Jonathan Santucci, who are all with Triple-A Syracuse.

Speaking recently, president of baseball operations David Stearns suggested the Mets are highly likely to supplement the rotation externally this offseason via free agency and/or the trade market.

Tuesday night’s win over the Seattle Mariners was the Dodgers’ 108th game of the season. That means the 2026 campaign is officially two-thirds complete. Let’s look how the team has done comparing the first 54 games of the season to the middle 54 games

The Dodgers had the same record in both 54-game stretches, even though they outscored opponents by two runs per game in the first 54 games and less than half that in the middle 54. The offense as a whole was mostly the same, scoring 279 runs in the first third of the season and 277 runs in the second third, with the same wRC+ in both sets.

Let’s delve into the offense first, beginning with the catchers.

Will Smith hasn’t played since June 5, so the bulk of the time behind the plate has been claimed by Dalton Rushing, in his first real extended run of consistent catching as a professional. The dropoff, especially offensively, is palpable, with 12 starts from Chuckie Robinson and Eliezer Alfonzo instead of Smith or Rushing.

Shohei Ohtani (.306/.385/.596) and Freddie Freeman (.340/.399/.529) paced the offense in the middle third of the season, with Ohtani finding his power after a relative down period in that regard over the first 54 games.

Corner outfield production was abysmal in the middle third from Kyle Tucker (.227/.315/.337) and Teoscar Hernández (.183/.244/.268), with Hernández missing a month with a hamstring strain. Max Muncy and Andy Pages stayed productive, and Tommy Edman’s return (.330/.403/.481) added another dimension to the offense.

Now, the pitching.

The Dodgers were without Tyler Glasnow after his productive first third of the season, and didn’t have Blake Snell at all. But Eric Lauer filled in quite nicely, making for a surprisingly stable six-man rotation, even with Shohei Ohtani’s knee inflammation keeping him off the mound since July 3.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was excellent in the middle portion of the season, averaging 6.85 innings per start.

The Dodgers used one true bullpen game in the first third of the season, and three such contests in the middle third. Lauer followed an opener on June 22 with six scoreless innings, so I counted that among the Dodgers’ quality starts total. On the season, they have 58 real quality starts (plus one relief appearance by Lauer), nine more than the next-best team.

Relief pitching is the biggest difference in the first third and second third of the season, with a walk rate over 40 percent higher in the middle 54 games compared to the first 54.

Will Klein and Kyle Hurt were load-bearing members of the bullpen in the first third of the season, combining for a 1.64 ERA with 10 walks in 38 1/3 innings. But in the middle third of the season they had a combined 6.62 ERA and a stunning 28 walks in 35 1/3 innings. Walks ate into Alex Vesia’s middle third as well though his overall numbers were otherwise mostly fine.

Brock Stewart has been a stabilizing force since returning from the injured list. Evan Phillips is back too after Tommy John surgery, but has allowed four home runs in his seven appearances.

The bullpen in the middle third also allowed a combined 28 runs and 11 home runs in 28 2/3 mop-up innings from Jonathan Hernández, Charlie Barnes, and Landon Knack.

Two thirds of the season are complete. The final 54 games start Thursday night against the Mariners.

The 2026 MLB trade deadline is set for Monday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. ET.

For the Detroit Tigers, the deadline has been an item of contention, as the team just cannot seem to position itself for a legitimate run toward the playoffs. After a brutal May that saw the Olde English D win just six of its 28 games, it has been a struggle to gain significant ground in the wild card race.

Coming into Thursday, the Tigers are 4.5 games out of the final American League wild card slot, with four teams (Houston, Minnesota, Seattle and Baltimore, respectively) ahead of them and Toronto just one game behind.

Most of the discussion surrounding Detroit’s deadline has focused on two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, whose services amount to a two-month rental (plus the postseason) if traded to another team. With Scott Boras representing him as well as some bad blood arising from the arbitration process, the Tigers seem extremely unlikely to resign him as a free agent, giving a sense of urgency in getting something of value before he departs the D.

Other names that have been tossed around include Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty. The franchise has not given any solid indication of whether it plans to buy or sell, but some tough decisions are rapidly approaching for the top brass.

While there has not been much activity as of yet, there should be plenty of action as the final hour approaches. Share your thoughts with the rest of the community in the comments section below.

The Colorado Rockies are likely fielding plenty of calls leading up to the MLB Trade Deadline on Monday, with a fair share presumably focusing on All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman. The Rockies have made no indication that Goodman is going to get moved, and the asking price is reportedly high, but it’s still wise to let the process play out until Monday afternoon and see if there is an offer they can’t refuse.

However, opposing clubs are already trying to find a way to reduce Goodman’s trade value by focusing on his defensive abilities behind the dish. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that interest in Goodman among potential suitors is “muted” because of concerns about his receiving abilities.

Sure, Goodman is a bat-first type of catcher, but is his defense truly a cause for concern, or is it just opposing clubs blowing smoke to save a prospect?

Framing

Defensively, Goodman has regressed in 2026, particularly in framing. After ranking 19th out of 57 qualified catchers in catcher framing runs, Goodman ranks 44th out of 61 catchers. However, this metric doesn’t seem quite as big a deal as MLB executives make it out to be in Rosenthal and Sammon’s article.

The fact of the matter is that with the advent of the ABS challenge system, pitch framing was a logical casualty. Catcher framing runs are down across the league as the skill is just a bit harder to utilize than in years past. Framing is still an important skill for catchers, but the opportunities to steal strikes have diminished. In 2025, four catchers had at least 10 catcher framing runs, with Patrick Bailey leading the league at 25. At this point in the 2026 season, the league leader is Toronto’s Brandon Valenzuela with 8 CFR.

Goodman’s -2 CFR isn’t all that bad at the end of the season, considering the league average is 0. There is also the fact that the Rockies have thrown the 10th highest percentage of pitches in the zone, and there isn’t much need for him to frame. If a team is letting framing be a factor in diminishing his perceived value, the argument doesn’t necessarily hold a lot of water.

Challenge King

The framing may be down, but Goodman has proven how well he knows the strike zone when he’s behind the plate thanks to the ABS challenge system.

His 56 ABS challenge wins rank third in all of baseball while his win rate of 67% is 13th. The most impactful challenge for a catcher comes with two strikes, and Goodman has overturned 17 pitches to get a strikeout, which ranks fourth.

As for his Net Overall For rating, which shows how much better a player is at successfully overturning ball/strike calls via the ABS challenge system than an average baseline, Goodman ranks second in all of baseball with 23.9. That ranks just behind Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (24.9) and ahead of Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson (15.6).

Since this system is in place, it puts less weight on the framing abilities and more emphasis on strike zone awareness. Walks are up across the league because catchers aren’t stealing as many strikes with framing, but the ABS challenges have been beneficial for both sides of the baseball. Goodman has proven to be one of the best in that department.

Blocking, pop time, and caught stealing

As for the other aspects of his catching game, Goodman has been perfectly adequate in most categories.

When it comes to blocking, his 0 blocks above average ranks slightly above the league average. He’s had the seventh-most block opportunities in the league, showing that he can hold his own just fine behind the plate. There is more to catching than just receiving and framing. It’s working behind the plate and having the spatial awareness to be athletic and get in front of a ball. He has only allowed four passed balls, which may be on the higher end among big league catchers, but in the grand scheme of things isn’t all that big of a deal.

As for pop time, Goodman’s 1.94 seconds to second base is right in line with the rest of the league, while his 1.71 seconds pop time to third base is near the bottom of catchers that have registered a throw to third. These factors put him around the middle of the pack in caught stealings above average. He has a fairly average arm strength but also a slower exchange time than most, which has resulted in a median 19% caught stealing rate.

The running game has been one of Goodman’s shortcomings as a catcher, but should it be all that worrisome that a team balks at the idea of acquiring him for a high-level pitching prospect?

The shortcomings and the fix

Teams are understandably hesitant to acquire a catcher mid-season because of the uncertainty of learning a pitching staff. There is obviously concern about how well Goodman can actually handle a pitching staff because Colorado is such an extreme venue. Can you accurately assess Goodman’s abilities to handle a pitching staff when the Rockies have sent out some of the worst statistical pitchers in baseball? Add in Coors Field and it’s hard to gauge his true abilities.

I’d argue that the onus of helping a new catcher learn a pitching staff is on the new team’s coaching staff. Goodman is a player eager to learn and develop and take on new challenges. There is no question that he could figure out how to work with new pitchers on the fly. Add in a good catching instructor and pitching coach and you’ve got an easy path to get over that concern.

Like most players at the big league level, it would only take a few minor adjustments to overcome any shortcomings Goodman has. Rosenthal and Sammon reported that a catching instructor indicated that fixing up any of Goodman’s receiving flaws would be relatively quick. He has the athleticism and arm strength, so that means technique is what would be addressed.

Cleaning up his technique could remedy his league-leading nine errors as a catcher, eight of which have come from trying to throw out runners stealing a base.

Conclusion

Goodman isn’t going to win a Gold Glove behind the dish any time soon. But it’s funny to see rival teams trying to diminish his value as if his defense is the reason they want to acquire him.

If a team wants a purely defensive catcher, then there are plenty of other options out there. But if they seek a premier power bat that is adequate behind the plate and won’t be a detriment, then Goodman is the player you want.

It’s simply smoke and mirrors to try and reduce the price to pay to obtain his services. The Rockies have all the trade leverage, so rather than make excuses to lower the price, teams have to see how willing they are to meet the demand at the midnight hour.

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The dog days of summer are in full effect here, with temperatures up to 110 F or more, almost every day. There may be occasional brief respites when a thunderstorm rolls through, but apart from a hint of ozone in the air, it just feels like you’re standing beside a shower. Mrs. SnakePit has already had her “We need to get out of this hellhole” rant – another marker on the journey through summer!

July results

When we checked in at the start of July, it was at the end of a fairly rough month. The team had gone 12-15 in June, and with a run differential of -32 for the month – the worst since May 2024 – they were probably lucky to have got a dozen wins out of it. The ERA wasn’t quite as bad as it was in the first month of the season: 4.90, compared to 5.09, but the offense lost its clutch completely. Arizona hit just .162 with runners in scoring position for June: that and the .259 SLG with RISP, were both the worst figures in the majors, and led to a sharp downturn in offensive production.

Throw in the bad news about the pitchers we hoped to have returning, and fans were definitely not happy about it…

You have to look back a long way to find the last time there was nobody above a “5”. There’s usually some renegade who feels willfully optimistic. In fact, this is the first time we had nobody in that category. The closest was August 2021, and even then we had one person vote “8”. For comparison, the average rating that point was 1.87, which is perilously close to an all-time low. The average confidence figure this month wasn’t nearly as bad, but still represents a sharp down-turn from the general optimism found at the start of June. From an average of 5.71, it dropped by more than two points to start July at 3.40. It’s the lowest figure in almost four years, since August 2022.

Below, you can see the breakdown for the past 12 polls’ results, followed by the line graph showing the trends over this and previous seasons.

August poll

The malaise rolled over into July, with the team dropping five of seven to start the month. But, wait! They then won four straight heading into the break, including their first sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles since late in the 2017 campaign. Series wins over the Cardinals and Athletics opened the second half, propelling the D-backs back into a wild-card spot. They then dropped the series against fellow playoff contenders in Washington, but bounced back to take two of three in Pittsburgh. The trade deadline is looming, but with so many teams still in contention, do you think Mike Hazen will be able to strengthen the team for the stretch run?

That may be a factor which affects your overall fan confidence as we enter August, and that’s what the poll below is for. And, of course, tell us in the comments why you feel that way, especially if your opinion has changed from last month. Here’s a link, for those on mobile.

The Atlanta Braves are back home to face the Washington Nationals after a series with the Mets that they likely wish to forget. The Braves are finishing up the month of July as one of the top offenses in MLB for the month, but it did not seem that way last series.

The Nationals have not slowed down offensively all season. For the season they lead all teams in runs scored. They have scored thirty-one more runs than the second highest scoring team. For the month of July, they are also in first in runs scored. Side note, it is a bit bizarre that this late into the season the two top offenses in terms of runs scored are the Nationals and Pirates.

The Braves are not far behind. Even after their low scoring series against the Mets, they have only scored three fewer runs than the Nationals this month. For the season they have scored the sixth most.

The Braves will have Grant Holmes taking the mound today. By now, it is well documented that the first time through the order he is elite, but the second time through the order he is one of the worst SPs in the league. Against a high-powered offense like the Nationals, that means the Braves are going to have to score some runs today.

Holmes faced the Nationals this season back in May. He went 5.0 innings and had one of his better performances of the year with ten strikeouts and surrendering two earned runs on six hits and two walks. Interestingly enough, in a game that looked like it should be a shootout on paper, the Braves lost 0-2. In this game Keibert Ruiz hit a double off Holmes, Daylen Lile had a triple off him, and Dylan Crews had a HR off of him.

For their careers, no Nationals player has faced Holmes in more than seven at-bats. The players to keep an eye on based on their past performance are the aforementioned Crews with a 1.833 OPS, James Wood with a 1.500 OPS, and Jorbit Vivas with a 1.850 OPS.

Jake Irvin is scheduled to pitch for the Nationals today. As odds would have it, he pitched in the same game Holmes did the last time he faced the Braves, and it was also the last game he pitched in at the MLB level. In that game he held the Braves to only one hit while striking out seven in 5.0 innings.

If there is a silver lining for the Braves having to face Irvin again it is that he may be a little rusty having not pitched since May. He also has not pitched more than 5.2 innings in any appearance this season. With the Nationals bullpen having the third worst ERA in MLB with a 5.03, the Braves have a shot to score some runs late in the game if Irvin has their number again.

A few of the Braves have relatively extensive histories of facing Irving. Michael Harris has faced him the most with twenty-two at-bats with a .318 average. Matt Olson has also seen success in his nineteen at-bats with an OPS of .812. Ozzie Albies has fifteen at-bats against Irvin but has struggled to an OPS of .435.

It should be noted that although Irvin had an excellent outing against the Braves the last time he faced the Braves, he has a 5.23 ERA on the season. The Braves still look good on paper to win this game, but they will need to score some runs considering the offense they are facing and Holmes being on the mound.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT.

Game Info

Game Time: Thursday, July 30th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Watch: ESPN

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

I will forgive you if you are feeling a bit testy about the A’s fortunes, current and future, at the moment. A season that was publicly billed as an expected contending year has seen the A’s fall off a cliff again despite being in an AL West whose standard is being set by the 55-53 Rangers.

The reality is as the season shifts, out of necessity, from “trying to compete” to the dreaded “let’s see what we have,” there are some glimmers you can seize on and be optimistic — as well as some continuing trends that are worrisome. Some examples to get the conversation rolling…

Hope: Starting pitchers with the stuff to dominate, regardless of how they have shown up in the big leagues so far, include Gage Jump, Luis Morales, and Jack Perkins. And just in past week or so we have seen a glimpse of what “could be” if, for a change, things roll right for the green and gold instead of “worst case scenario”.

Perkins’ Monday start was electric as he blanked the Red Sox through 5.2 IP on just 1 hit and 69 pitches. His changeup was filthy, and his assortment of fastballs, cutters, sweepers, and change baffled Boston’s hitters something fierce. Jump was similarly unhittable in his 6 shutout innings Tuesday and even Morales showed strong flashes of his old self pressed into “bulk” duty when Jeffrey Springs had to depart his last start after 1.1 IP.

Yes a lot has to go right with these 4, who may be joined by Jamie Arnold as soon as mid-2027, but the framework is there for a rotation with legitimate upside and actual FOTR arms. Jacob Lopez has pitched well twice in a row and Mason Barnett has looked improved as well.

Hopeless: The A’s continue to play like a team that repeats basic mistakes in process without intervention. It has been the hallmark of a Mark Kotsay led team since he took over in 2022 to become one of the losingest managers in MLB history to date.

Somehow, no one can convince Jacob Wilson to hunt only strikes and so he continues to bail pitchers out on a regular basis. It may not have made a difference in the result, but in a critical spot leading off the 9th Lawrence Butler hit what he thought was a walk-off HR, stood and admired it instead of busting out of the box, and watched it bang off the top of the wall.

Every team’s players make these kinds of mistakes or poor approaches — but they don’t all repeat them again and again without any successful intervention. It’s a 5 year pattern that is cause for legitimate concern.

Hope: The A’s offense may have underwhelmed this season but there is plenty of reason still to believe this is a solid position player core going forward. They just need to all get on the field at the same time. Sometime in 2027 you would figure Leo De Vries will join the fold, and it’s significant that this year the A’s have seen two players emerge that were not necessarily expected to be key contributors.

Those two are Zack Gelof and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, both excellent (and versatile) defensive players who have shown strong work at the plate in 2026. They join Tyler Soderstrom, whose bat has been as good as ever since a slow April, Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Jacob Wilson, hopefully a healthy and rejuvenated Brent Rooker and the talented-but-unproven Henry Bolte. Along with Lawrence Butler who should be hearing footsteps from MiLB breakout Devin Taylor.

Hopeless: The injuries have not only come fast and furious, some threaten to leave players reduced upon their return. You hate to see a catcher undergo knee surgery, the speed-reliant Denzel Clarke seems highly prone to hamstring injuries, Wilson’s different injuries keep piling up, and Kuroda-Grauer walks infrequently enough does he really need one less ball? (OK sorry.)

Your Hope/Hopeless additions? And analysis? Do tell…