Drake Baldwin leads off again, as Ronald Acuna gets a day off in the field, batting second and DHing. Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubon man the corner outfield spots around Michael Harris. Jim Jarvis returns to the starting lineup, batting ninth and playing shortstop.
Meanwhile, the Yankees lineup is as follows.
Join us as the teams face off in Yankee Stadium at 3:05 PM ET on BravesVision
Well, it seems to be that time again. Despite being the least lucrative of the four major North American sport leagues, the NHL appears to be committed to being the first such league to expand to 34 teams. Allan Walsh, an outspoken NHL player agent, has claimed that the NHL is committed to expanded to Houston and Atlanta.
The exact timeline of when this may happen is unclear, but there has been plenty of noise surrounding this for quite awhile. Really, the Seattle Kraken had hardly played a game before people were asking when the NHL would expand next. But today, I want to look at whether it’s really a good idea for the NHL to expand again.
Since the Post-Merger Expansion Era began in 1991, the NHL has seen 11 new franchises join the league. The first was the San Jose Sharks in 1991, and the most recent was the Seattle Kraken in 2021. Combined, this is how the expansion teams have fared in the 35 seasons played since the Sharks joined the league (with W-L-T-OTL record):
In all, post-merger expansion teams have not really been all that successful relative to the rest of the league, with only a few teams reaping benefits over the last 35 years. More often than not, expansion teams flounder and settle somewhere between perpetual bottom feeding and inescapable mediocrity. Will the Minnesota Wild ever make a Conference Finals again? Will the Seattle Kraken make the playoffs a second time? Will the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs again? Are the Winnipeg Jets entering another long playoff drought? Will the Ottawa Senators or Nashville Predators ever get back to consistent playoff appearances? What success do fans of expansion teams really have to look forward to?
Of the six current teams in the National Hockey League that play in states with no state income tax, five are post-1979 expansions: Tampa Bay, Nashville*, Florida, Vegas, and Seattle. The other, the Dallas Stars, moved from Minnesota to Texas in 1993, just six seasons prior to winning their one and only Stanley Cup.
*Tennessee only recently abolished the state income tax, while the other teams here have played their entire existences under no tax
Now, with Allan Walsh reporting that Houston and Atlanta will receive expansion teams in the near future, the NHL will gain one more no-tax state team in Houston while Atlanta will play under a flat-tax rate of 5.49%, which is on the high end for low to middle income earners but more of a medium ground for high-income earners such as professional athletes. In his Tweet, though, Walsh is also responding to a report that the NHL is valuing large television markets in their decision. With Houston and Atlanta being the largest television markets without an NHL team and both being among the 10 largest markets in the country, it certainly looks like a good idea to target them for expansion.
However, the fate of the Atlanta Thrashers should not be ignored. Atlanta struggled with attendance issues despite playing in one of the largest cities in the United States. Georgia does not have a strong presence in hockey, with their one of their only professional hockey teams being the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. They have been one of the worst teams in the ECHL since once making a Cup Final in 2006, and they have not made the second round of the ECHL playoffs since 2013, and they have broadly seen attendance decline since a high in 2005. Generally, it follows that Houston, whose AHL team saw significantly higher attendance prior to being moved in 2013, would have an easier time supporting a hockey team. Georgia has no top-level college hockey, it has no teams above ECHL level, and it already has a failed NHL franchise under its belt.
In an age of widespread streaming and sports cable channel issues, a more reliable marker of viability may be state hockey presence. Wisconsin strikes me as a better area for expansion, with Madison serving as a small market within driving distance of the larger Milwaukee market. This could follow the Buffalo Sabres model of popularity, which combines Buffalo with several smaller television markets throughout upstate and western New York to form a devoted fanbase. Madison to Milwaukee is a comparable distance to the Buffalo to Rochester drive.
While the NHL is not expanding as rapidly as they did in the 1990s, there are considerations for the effects expansion may have already had on the league.
Hockey fans can probably identify the issues that are difficult for teams to overcome in today’s NHL. It’s difficult to find good goaltending. It’s even harder to roll four good centers. 32 NHL teams losing another set of middle six forwards, second pairing defensemen, and backup goaltenders is only going to exacerbate those issues, and the gap between the average top-line player and fourth-liner is going to expand. I do not think this will be good for the quality of product on the ice, as fans are more interested by close, tense games than high-scoring blowouts.
An issue lingering in my mind over the past few weeks with Sunny Mehta and Braden Birch’s overhaul of the Utica Comets is the AHL’s Veteran Rule, which restricts AHL teams from having “too many” older players on the team to protect the AHL’s status as a developmental league. I think this cross-identity for the AHL as simultaneously a professional and developmental league may be serving to hold it back a bit in terms of quality of play, and eliminating the AHL’s Veteran Rule would prevent the loss of North American hockey talent to leagues such as the KHL, where 18 of the top 50 scorers in 2025-26 were North American. By boosting AHL teams, NHL clubs would have access to a higher level of talent in players who would be near the top of AHL scoring and could serve as better NHL call-up depth than the league currently has.
Expanding the ECHL’s veteran rule in turn could establish the league as a center for younger player development, giving it a better calling card for attendance. In this sense, I think to the Minor League Baseball system, where the AA league has emerged as a top player development league, while AAA baseball has morphed over time into more of a veteran holding league and last step for prospects. With leagues having distinct identities, AAA baseball attracts higher attendance and AA baseball is a center for developmental coaching. If the NHL, AHL, and ECHL took more steps to improve the quality of depth hockey in North America, I think they would be in a better place to support expansion to 34 teams. As of now, though, any expansions would be more likely to go the way of the Columbus Blue Jackets or Seattle Kraken than the way of the Vegas Golden Knights or Tampa Bay Lightning, as Houston and Atlanta will just be picking from whatever scraps have been left by the most recent expansions in a league with very little precious depth. And if one of them is allowed to draft years before the other like Vegas was before Seattle, the gap between them may be similar.
What do you think about the rumors of expansion? Do you think the league is ready? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
Nats first round pick Chris Hacopian will be making his minor league debut tomorrow. Interestingly, it will not be in Fredericksburg. Instead, the local kid will be skipping over Low-A and will join the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The old regime would always send draft picks to Low-A first, even if it were only for a few games, but that has changed.
After being drafted 11th overall last month, it will be exciting to see Hacopian get started. That Wilmington team was already loaded, and now they are getting another top prospect. The likes of Eli Willits, Ronny Cruz and Miguel Sime Jr. are some of the players currently in Wilmington. Now, Paul Toboni’s first draft pick will join them.
This assignment is interesting for a couple reasons. First is that it is another change from the new regime. Even when Dylan Crews was drafted second overall, he played 14 games in Fredericksburg. After that, he skipped High-A and went to Harrisburg. Playing for the Fred Nats was like a rite of passage for Nationals prospects.
Wilmington is known as a bad place to hit, and the old regime was hyper-aware of that. The new regime has been more willing to send guys to Wilmington and let them stay there. It is a pitchers park, but if you can hit, you can thrive there. We saw that with the likes of Ethan Petry, Devin Fitz-Gerald and now Eli Willits.
Hacopian will be the next big bat in Wilmington. Toboni and the front office must have felt that the infielders bat was just too advanced for Low-A. There is certainly evidence for that, as Hacopian was seen as one of the best college hitters in the class. He has walked more than he has struck out wherever he has played. Now, he will take on Wilmington.
Getting to see the 2026 draft picks will be fun for fans of the Nats farm system. So far, the only player who has debuted is 9th rounder Cashel Dugger, who has played a couple games in Low-A. Now, we will get to see Hacopian.
I would imagine that second rounder Chase Brunson is next in line to make his debut. There is a chance he also goes to Wilmington, but I think a quick stop in Low-A is more likely. 5th rounder Daniel Cuvet is another exciting bat to watch down the stretch.
The high school duo of Luke Williams and Cooper Harris are unlikely to debut this year. High school pitchers almost never pitch in their draft years and Williams is still too raw to throw straight in Low-A. We saw Eli Willits go straight to Low-A and shine, but he was uniquely polished.
It will be very interesting to see how Hacopian does in his pro debut. I think he will hold his own at the very least, but this is an aggressive assignment in a tough place to hit. If he does struggle, it would not be time to panic just yet. However, with how polished the bat is, the front office clearly thinks he has the hitting chops to succeed right away.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier this week, we asked you to grade how Royals General Manager J.J. Picollo’s trade deadline went:
Honestly, I’m a bit baffled by these results. Back when we asked how many players the Royals needed to trade away by the deadline, almost everyone agreed they needed to trade at least three, with five or more coming in just behind three to four. The Royals ended up trading only one player from the 40-man roster. And yet, 22% of respondents to this poll thought they managed at least a C at this trade deadline. 4% of you gave them a B! Please, I’m begging you, if you gave a B, I’d love for you to tell me why in a comment.
I’ve already written extensively about why I think this trade deadline is an F. So even the 54% majority of you who gave them a D are significantly higher on the Royals’ performance at the deadline than I am. To summarize my thoughts, it seems to me that the Royals made a massive mistake by not trading every expiring contract they have, including John Schreiber and Starling Marte. I also don’t think Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are going to be the difference between next year’s team being a contender and not, and whatever trade value they have now will likely be greatly diminished by this time next season.
It’s possible the Royals talked to all of those players and came away with the impression that none of them wanted to be traded and the team didn’t get offers large enough to override those preferences. And I have some sympathy for the players involved, certainly. But if I were offered a few hundred thousand to do my job somewhere else for a few months, I think I’d probably figure it out. These guys can, too.
Anyway, what’s done is done. And, frustratingly, it seems like we are going to be stuck watching these veterans play out the string on the current MLB roster before departing for other homes this offseason instead of getting a look at anyone else who might offer more now or in the future. I guess that means we have the offseason spending spree* and lockout to look forward to instead. How exciting.
*If the Royals want to even pretend like they’re going to compete next year, they’re going to have to throw a lot of cash at a lot of players just to fill out the roster.
These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.
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The red-hot Boston Red Sox enter Saturday’s matchup against the Athletics as a heavy -257 moneyline favorite, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.
With Jake Bennett in solid form, my Athletics vs. Red Sox predictions expect Boston to roll to another convincing win against a shaky Gage Jump.
Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, Aug 8.
The Athletics send Gage Jump to the mound at Fenway Park, and he’ll face a Boston Red Sox offense carrying a 158 wRC+ over the last week.
Jump is not in ideal form, posting a 4.55 xERA over his last two starts. While he has not allowed a homer during that span, the rookie has walked 9.31 BB/9, which is dangerous against a Red Sox lineup that is rolling.
Jake Bennett counters for Boston, and he continues to deal. The left-hander owns a 3.84 FIP over his previous two appearances while holding opponents to a 33.3% hard-hit rate and 2.6% barrel rate.
Boston should capitalize against Jump, while Bennett limits the damage.
I’ll play this pick up to -150.
COVERS INTEL: The Red Sox have thrived against left-handers, posting a 113 wRC+ this season. That's compared to a 94 mark vs righties. The total is set high at 9.5, and I’m predicting the Under. The Athletics are doing very little offensively right now, and Boston’s bullpen has been lights out. Over its last 26.1 innings, the Red Sox relief corps owns a 1.93 xERA while surrendering just 0.34 HR/9.
I expect Boston to do most of the scoring, but Oakland’s bullpen is not in complete collapse mode, posting a 4.41 FIP across the last week. If the A’s pen can limit damage once Jump departs, this game can stay under 10 runs.
I’ll play this pick up to -140.
Weather looks warm at Fenway Park today, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures holding in the mid-to-upper 80s through first pitch. Winds should be moderate early, then ease later, and rain chances remain relatively low. The warm air could slightly help carry, but conditions should not be a major factor.
The Boston Red Sox have covered the Run Line in 27 of their last 40 games (+19.65 Units / 41% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. Red Sox.
| Location | Fenway Park, Boston, MA |
| Date | Saturday, August 8, 2026 |
| First pitch | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
| A's starting pitcher | Gage Jump (4-7, 4.59 ERA) |
| Red Sox starting pitcher | Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Diamondbacks News
Diamondbacks Win Most Playoff-like Game of Season
The Diamondbacks took the series opener in tis final series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with playoff rankings for both teams still on the line.
Kelly’s Cramping Issue Resurfaces Versus Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly signaled to the dugout with two outs in the sixth inning after giving up a RBI single on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, asking to be taken out of the game. The team later confirmed it was due to cramping in Kelly’s right leg, making this the fourth straight season the issues have flared up.
Waldschmidt’s Wild Walk-off Night
After the Diamondbacks lost starter Merrill Kelly to yet another cramping issue, they then lost the hard-earned lead over the division rival Dodgers. That brought Ryan Waldschmidt to the plate in the ninth with a runner on and Edwin Diaz looking to close out the game and earn the save for the Dodgers. Waldschmidt had other ideas and launched his second home run of his young career.
Other Baseball News
PCA has Real Shot to Win NL MVP
The debate is far from settled and Shohei Ohtani is not exactly just giving up on the award either.
Inside the Trade: Why the Tigers Chose the Dodgers
The Tarik Skubal controversy won’t go away, but things are starting to make a bit more sense at least.
A’s Part with David Forst
The embattled GM is out ahead of the inaugural season in Las Vegas.
Catching Lightning in a Bottle: The Adley Rutschman Trade
No offense to Tarik Skubal, but Adley Rutschman going to the Boston Red Sox was the big blockbuster deal of the deadline.
Hunter Greene to Undergo Elbow Surgery
The Reds announced that right-hander Hunter Greene will undergo elbow surgery, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The extent of the procedure isn’t known just yet, but president of baseball ops Nick Krall tells the Reds beat that the surgery will pertain to Greene’s elbow ligament (via Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
The Mets carry a four-game win streak headed into the second game of the team's three-game road series against the the Pittsburgh Pirates.
First pitch on Saturday night is set for 6:40 p.m. on SNY.
METS | PIRATES |
|---|---|
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
| X | X |
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The Los Angeles Kings have announced that they will retire former captain Anze Kopitar’s number this upcoming season, and they will do it on February 24, 2027, when the Montreal Canadiens come to visit. On top of retiring Kopitar’s number 11, LA will also be unveiling a bronze statue of the most productive scorer in team history. The artwork will join those depicting Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Dustin Brown, which was unveiled in 2023. Kopitar’s number will be the eighth the franchise retires after Rob Blake (4), Marcel Dionne (16), Dave Taylor (18), Robitaille (20), Brown (23), Rogie Vachon (30) and Gretzky (99).
It’s no surprise that the Kings elected to retire his jersey with the Canadiens in town, as the newly retired forward revealed in an interview with Elliotte Friedman earlier this year that if he ever had to play for another team, it would have been the Habs. The former Kings’ captain explained that he enjoyed the city of Montreal and playing there. Kopitar hung up his skates as the Kings’ all-time scoring leader with 1,316 points in 1,521 games played. He surpassed LA legend Marcel Dionne on March 14, 2026, in a game against the New Jersey Devils.
The Dobson’s Daughter Is Already Ready To Rock Some Canadiens Gear
The Canadiens' Three Best Draft Picks Since The Start Of The Hughes-Gorton Regime
Could A Ville Koivunen-style Extension Work for Canadiens’ Bolduc?
The Slovenian centerman could very well have been a Canadiens had the Habs made a different choice at the 2005 draft. The 6-foot-3 and 225-pound pivot was picked 11th overall by Los Angeles. That year, the Canadiens had the fifth overall pick, and they used it to select franchise cornerstone Carey Price. That first-round was an excellent one since it also included Sidney Crosby, Bobby Ryan, Jack Johnson, Mark Staal, Tuukka Rask, and TJ Oshie.
Needless to say, the Canadiens’ center line wouldn’t have had a giant hole down the middle had they elected to go for Kopitar instead of Price, but the Habs’ fate in net would have been quite different. Although if they had picked Kopitar, they could have used the second-round pick, the 45th overall, they used on Guillaume Latendresse to select goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was only picked in the third round by which team? Well, the Kings, of course. Or they could have just stuck with Jose Theodore for much longer, since the Laval native was only 29 years old back then and had already won the Vezina and the Hart Trophy in 2001-02.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
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Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
Nezuh started for Sugar Land and went 3.2 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned. The offense got on the board in the 4th scoring 3 runs on a Spence RBI single, Guillemette sac fly and Delgado RBI single. In the 7th the offense scored 4 runs on an Alexander 2 run single, run on a wild pitch and a run on a Brooks sac fly. Santa struggled in relief allowing 3 runs in the bottom of the inning as the Isotopes tied it up. The game went to extra innings and in the 10th the Sugar Land offense blew it open. Delgado broke the tie driving in 3 runs on a bases clearing triple. A Dezenzo 2 run single, Spence 2 run double, Guillemette RBI single, Delgado RBI single, Whitcomb walk, and an Alexander walk extended the lead. The pen allowed a few more but held on for the 18-10 win.
Note: Delgado is hitting .382 for Sugar Land.
DeVos got the start for the Hooks and pitched well allowing one run on one hit while striking out 6 over 5 innings of work. The pen allowed a couple of runs as the Hooks went down 3-0. The offense got a run back in the 9th inning on a Nunez RBI single but that was it as they fell 3-1.
Note: DeVos has a 2.33 ERA in Double-A.
Ardines got the start for the Woodpeckers and went 4 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 7 in his Single-A debut. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 5th inning on a Hughes 2 run single. Baez pitched in relief allowing 1 run over 3 innings. The offense tied it up again in the 8th on a Luciano RBI double. The game was tied in the 9th but Salem walked it off on a bases loaded walk.
Note: Luciano is hitting .362 over his last 27 games.
Today’s minor league starters:
SL: Bryce Mayer – 7:35 CT
CC: Andrew Taylor – 7:05 CT
AV: Javier Perez – 5:30 CT
FV: TBD – 5:35 CT
Since Don Mattingly’s retirement after the 1995 season, the Yankees have generally filled the first base spot by bringing in an established veteran. First it was Tino Martinez, then it was Jason Giambi, before Mark Teixeira filled that role from 2009 through 2016. For five years after him, the position became a turnstile, with Greg Bird (the only homegrown player to man the position regularly in two decades), Chris Carter, Chase Headley, Luke Voit, Edwin Encarnación, and DJ LeMahieu tagging in, to mixed success. Finally, looking to improve the offense as the 2021 squad stumbled through the first half, the Yankees swung a deal with the Chicago Cubs, bringing in one of the legends that broke the 108-year curse: Anthony Rizzo.
Anthony Rizzo
Born: August 8, 1989 (Parkland, FL)
Yankees Tenure: 2021-2024
Born and raised in Parkland, Florida, Rizzo was selected out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He made a cup of coffee in rookie ball that season, before starting the 2008 campaign with Single-A Greenville. Baseball, however, quickly became of secondary importance, as that May, the 18-year-old Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He did not return to the playing field until the end of the summer, when the Red Sox front office permitted Rizzo — recently declared cancer-free — to take one plate appearance; he doubled.
He spent two more years in the Boston system before being traded, along with Casey Kelly, Reymond Fuentes, and Eric Patterson, to the San Diego Padres for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He made his major league debut on June 9, 2011, tripling in his second time at the plate.
Two days later, he recorded his first big league home run.
Those would be his only true highlights as a member of the Padres, however. He generally struggled in his first run in the Show, slashing .141/.281/.242 in 49 games. When San Diego traded for Yonder Alonso that December, Rizzo became expendable and was traded again, this time to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. Rather amusingly, both times Rizzo was traded as a youngster, Jed Hoyer was the general manager acquiring him (although in Chicago, Hoyer reported to President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, who had final say on the deal).
Rizzo started 2012 with Triple-A Iowa, as Bryan LaHair began the year as the team’s first baseman. He quickly proved ready for the limelight, however, and made his Cubs debut on June 26th. Over the next three and a half seasons, he established himself as one of the Senior Circuit’s premier first baseman, slashing .268/.361/.480, receiving two All-Star nods, and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at first base.
All of that would be a prelude to the highlight of his career, the 2016 season. His production was impressive in and of itself, as he slashed .292 /.385/.544, hit 32 homers and 43 doubles (the first Cubs left-handed hitter to do so!), and drove in 109 runs. And he piled on the regular season accolades, earning his first Gold Glove, his first and only Platinum Glove (to this day, the only first baseman to have won the award), his first and only Silver Slugger, and his first starting nod in the All-Star Game. More importantly, despite a slow start to the postseason, he went 17-for-50 with three homers, five doubles, and six walks between the NLCS and World Series. Thanks to Cleveland scoring once in the bottom of the tenth, his run in the top of the inning would prove to be the winning run, and rather fittingly, the player who had become the face of the Cubs would catch the final out of the 2016 World Series.
The Cubs never climbed the mountain again, but that was through no fault of Rizzo’s. From the start of the 2017 campaign until he was traded to the Yankees in July 2021, his 128 wRC+ ranked 28th in baseball among 92 qualified hitters, and his 14.0 fWAR ranked 34th; additionally, he won three Gold Gloves. Across that span, arguably only Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt were definitively better, with Joey Votto and Matt Olson also falling right around the same spot in the rankings as Rizzo.
Looking to shore up their infield defense and add another lefty bat in one swoop (remember, the 2019-2023 Yankees were notoriously heavy on right-handed bats), the Yankees spun a deal for Rizzo at the 2021 deadline, sending Kevin Alcántara and Alexander Vizcaíno to Chicago in order to steal him away from the Boston Red Sox. While Joey Gallo was the bigger name acquired at the time, Rizzo made an immediate impact, homering in his Yankee debut.
While the 2021 season ended in disappointing fashion, the Yankees saw enough in Rizzo — who slashed .249/.340/.428, provided great defense, and most importantly, slid right into a leadership role in the clubhouse — to make him a priority signing once the lockout ended that March (they did make a run on Freddie Freeman, but it was clear that Freeman preferred to either stay in Atlanta or head out to LA). Hitting behind Aaron Judge, Rizzo had his best season since 2019, with a 130 OPS+ and a career-high 32 homers in just 130 games. Unsurprisingly, he opted out of his contract, and equally unsurprisingly, he re-upped with the Yankees again, signing another two-year deal with a team option for 2025.
Rizzo’s career resurgence continued at the start of 2023, as through May 27th, he had a .303/.376/.507 slash line (149 wRC+) with 11 home runs in 52 games. Then, Fernando Tatís Jr. hip-checked Rizzo on a pickoff play, and while nobody knew until August 3rd, gave him a concussion. From that point on, the first baseman struggled, slashing just .174/.272/.227 with only one homer until he was finally shut down for the year in August.
The 2024 season wasn’t any better for Rizzo, as he struggled out of the gate, slashing .223/.289/.341 (82 wRC+) before breaking his arm in mid-June in a collision at first base. He returned to the lineup when rosters expanded on September 1st, and while he didn’t exactly light up the world, his 98 wRC+ gave the Yankees a definitive upgrade at first base over the rookie Ben Rice. Unfortunately, he was plunked on September 28th and fractured multiple fingers. After the Yankees managed to fake their way through the ALDS with Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti learning first base on the fly, Rizzo returned for the ALCS and World Series, during which he went 6-for-14 in the ALCS and 2-for-16 in the World Series.
The Yankees declined Rizzo’s team option for 2025, and while he tried to latch on with a team, he ultimately decided to retire, joining the Cubs in an ambassadorial role. Rather famously, while hanging in the bleachers during his first game as a fan, a home run was hit right at him.
At the end of the day, Rizzo will always be remembered as a Cub, not as a Yankee. Even so, despite his lackluster performance towards the end of his career, he nonetheless managed to worm his way into Yankee fans’ hearts. Even so, he is only the second most popular member of his family:
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Last night Nats fans saw something odd and unique. We saw the back end of the Nationals bullpen come in and lock down a game. The trio of Yovanny Cruz, Orlando Ribalta and Clayton Beeter were lights out last night. They did not allow a single hit in their three innings of work.
It was only one game, but for the first time all season I felt like the Nats had a back end of the bullpen that could bring real success. Cruz, Ribalta and Beeter all have filthy stuff and have the ability to get out of tight situations. We saw Cruz bail out Cade Cavalli last night with some help from Nasim Nunez.
That trio, at least last night, is what a back end of a bullpen is supposed to look like. All three of them throw in the upper 90’s, or triple digits in Cruz’s case. However, they also have elite secondary pitches to back up those heaters. Beeter and Cruz have electric sliders that just drop off the table. Meanwhile, Ribalta also has a good slider, but throws a nasty changeup as well.
Of the three, Yovanny Cruz has the best stuff in my opinion. The slider he throws is legitimately one of the nastiest I have ever seen. It is 90-93 but gets real slider movement instead of being a glorified cutter. The pitch he struck out Matt McLain with was just unfair.
For Cruz to reach his closer ceiling, his fastball needs to make some improvements. That is a weird thing to say about a guy who averages over 100, but it is true. Cruz’s fastball command has been less than impressive in his two outings. Even when he is in the zone with it though, it has not really been fooling anyone.
The pitch is 100, which helps him out. However, it is straight as an arrow and is not deceptive. In 2026, big league hitters can handle a straight 100 MPH pitch. Cruz has thrown 37 heaters at the big league level this season, and has not gotten a single whiff. If I were the Nats, I would heavily consider replacing his 4-seamer with a power sinker.
For now, Cruz is a good 7th inning guy with big stuff, but he still has room to grow. He can devastate right handed hitters with the slider, but lefties have given him more issues. I wonder if he should mix in that splitter a bit more often against them. However, to reach his ceiling, Cruz needs to refine that heater.
One pitcher who does not have any fastball issues is Orlando Ribalta. Despite averaging “only” 96.8 instead of 100, his heater is much more effective. Ribata gets a 28.7% whiff rate on his riding 4-seam fastball. A lot of times he uses his slider to get ahead of hitters before putting them away with the heater or changeup.
The other day I wrote about how Ribalta has quietly been a highly effective reliever for the Nats. He has not been perfect this season, but he has come through more often than not. Ribalta avoids hard contact, gets a decent amount of strikeouts and throws strikes. That is a good combination.
Lastly, let’s get to the closer Clayton Beeter. Honestly, Beeter is not a guy who fills me with a ton of confidence due to his erratic nature. However, when he is hitting his spots, he is a real weapon. That is what he did last night to close the show in routine fashion.
Beeter basically throws his fastball and slider the same amount. It is a very simple package with just two pitches. However, the offerings tunnel very well off each other and the slider works well against lefties and righties.
This season, batters are just hitting .108 off the slider. It is a pitch he can manipulate and use in all situations. Beeter’s slider is at least a 70 grade pitch and devastates hitters. When hitters get the heater, it can be an issue. However, he is throwing more sliders lately and hitters just are not picking it up.
The Nats do not exactly have the 2015 Royals bullpen now, but these three are a solid way to close out games. They will not get it done every time, but I think we will see more games like last night down the stretch. If you give these guys a couple runs to work with, we will not see games be blown like they were earlier in the season.
Games like last night are why Paul Toboni brought in the likes of Cruz. He can be a real fireman and clean up those first and third with nobody out jams. With the likes of Ben Grable also coming next year, this bullpen can go from a disaster to a solid unit without a ton of spending. That is how you build a sustainable bullpen, which the Nats have not had for a long time.
Preseason hoops begin in less than two months. And the Washington Wizards remain one standard contract short of the NBA limit.
The Wizards currently roster 14 players on standard deals. They have roughly $11.5 million in luxury tax space and own the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is valued at roughly $15 million.
Plenty of time remains between now and when rosters become official on opening night in late October. But as it stands, here are four players Washington could sign to its final roster spot.
The Wizards have held talks with free agent forward DeMar DeRozan in recent weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. Washington is one of four teams — alongside the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat — that have expressed interest in the 37-year-old.
The six-time NBA All-Star averaged 18.4 points across 77 games with the Sacramento Kings last season. His 26,711 career points rank 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
If Washington signs DeRozan, its already crowded rotation would welcome another proven veteran alongside Khris Middleton on the wing. Depth is a good problem to have, but it’s unclear whether DeRozan would immediately be part of the Wizards’ rotation.
Among teams with reported interest, it appears the Wizards could offer the most money. But if DeRozan prefers the destination with the best opportunity to win a championship next season, rival suitors make more sense.
While Washington has expressed interest, this appears a long-shot pairing.
Some may view this as an unexciting signing. But Gill provides stability for a team undergoing noteworthy changes — both in personnel and expectations.
The 33-year-old forward is the longest-tenured Wizard. A return would mark his seventh season in Washington, many of those years spent mentoring the team’s young players.
Gill averaged 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds across 55 appearances last season. He’s likely not the most skilled option, but his relationships within the organization and suitable contributions as a small-ball five could keep him around for another year, especially as the team’s 15th option who’s seldom asked to play meaningful minutes.
It’s no secret Washington needs guard depth after trading two guards — D’Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy — in deals that brought back a forward (Khris Middleton) and center (Deandre Ayton). Recent reports from Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto confirmed Washington’s interest in adding another point guard.
The Wizards’ current guard rotation includes Trae Young, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington. AJ Dybantsa, Will Riley and Bilal Coulibaly are capable of playing guard, but all three are better suited on the wing or at forward.
Vincent was linked to Washington in early July when Jake Fischer reported the team’s interest in the veteran guard. The 30-year-old averaged 4.4 points on 34.1% 3PT across 53 appearances with the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks last season.
Vincent has 60 playoff appearances under his belt and could serve as a capable depth guard if Washington signs him.
Williams, 26, is a shifty guard with impressive handles and tough shotmaking ability.
The Arizona product stands just 6-foot-1, but he can get to the hoop at will. And when he isn’t finishing contested layups, he’s breaking down defenses before spraying passes to open teammates.
Williams averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists on 47.2% FG last season. His 23.2% clip from 3-point range is one of the few blemishes on his otherwise skilled offensive game.
The Wizards need point guard depth. Williams is a younger option who could fill that hole for this season and possibly beyond.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country.
The Orioles entered trade deadline day earlier this week with a 2.5 game deficit to the third wild card spot in the American League. We have seen the myriad flaws of the team through the year and on a rational level understand the case not to push aggressively to make something happen this season.
I don’t think I was the only one hoping the Orioles would decide to just let it ride with the roster, maybe add a piece or two who will be able to help next year too while thinning out the mid-range prospect depth that has to be added to the 40-man roster so it’s not lost in the Rule 5 draft. Mike Elias had other ideas, trading away three players who figured to be a part of next year’s team, headlined by Adley Rutschman. This is still a tough one to stomach.
In our poll this week, I asked Orioles fans, clearly feeling raw in the aftermath of the Rutschman trade, when they think that our favorite baseball team will make it back into the postseason. These were the results:
Optimism often reigns in these polls, but it seems the post-Rutschman trade was not inspiring a lot of optimism for the near future. The 34% plurality for 2029 or later isn’t too strong, but we’re talking 59% who think the Orioles won’t make the postseason this year or next year either.
Three years out of the postseason in a row would be pretty bad! I think that Elias should be fired after this season if it gets to two years. It is not clear that the owner agrees.
While this poll was open, the Orioles made it as close as within half a game of the wild card spot. They’ve since lost their series finale to the Angels and their series opener against the Rangers, the team they’re now chasing for that third wild card. They can pull back ground if they can win the other two games this weekend. That’ll take them scoring some more runs, which they kind of… aren’t doing. The team has scored ten runs in six August games. Yikes.
Baseball Reference gives them a 10.4% chance of making the postseason. FanGraphs has them at 10.8%. They probably need to go 28-16 from here.
This week’s survey is sponsored by FanDuel.
Hi there!
As you know, Thomas Smith is away on vacation.
To keep this feature going, I’m going to post simply the WPA numbers and plays of the game, and a poll so you can vote on your choice for Player of the Game. Thomas will update the Rizzo Award standings when he returns.
Game 117, Aug. 7: Cubs 6, Royals 4
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
PCA just keeps making his MVP case, in so many different ways.
THREE GOATS:
Happ is in a serious slump, one of the worst of his career.
WPA Play of the Game: PCA’s single in the second that scored two runs, the second coming in on an error. (.176)
Royals Play of the Game: Isaac Collins’ RBI double in the first (.104).
Up next: Clay Holmes makes his Cubs debut, with Seth Lugo his Royals opponent.
The Cubs have won five straight and this trip would be a great time to keep stacking wins.
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The first-place Tampa Bay Rays are short road underdogs for the middle game of a weekend series against the sub-.500 Seattle Mariners.
Tampa Bay is on a four-game winning streak, all on the road, while Seattle has dropped three of the last four, all at home.
My Rays at Mariners predictions and MLB picks have Tampa winning as +101 road underdogs.
The Tampa Bay Rays are 14 games better than the Seattle Mariners on the season. Tampa has gone 45-24 (.652) against losing teams and is .500 on the road.
Seattle is 8-12, .400, since the All-Star Break, and this is just their fifth game since then against a winning team—they've won once.
So why are the M's favored? Not because of the pitching matchup. Tampa's Griffin Jax has a slightly better ERA (3.63) and WHIP (1.21) than Seattle's George Kirby and better metrics (strikeout rate, chase rate, whiff rate and run value).
The Rays as a dog is a no-brainer. I'd keep Tampa until -110.
COVERS INTEL: After throwing two curveballs all last year out of the bullpen, Jax has been throwing it more than 9% of the time as a starter. Opponents are hitting .154 against it, and the threat of it has also lowered the average against for his fastball and sinker by more than 40 points each. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Colt Emerson and Cole Young all have negative run value against the curve this year, so it's a bad matchup for Seattle.The Under isn't the obvious bet it should be, because they've lowered the cutoff to 6.5 runs. Seattle hasn't seen a totals cutoff of 8.5 or higher in seven games.
This is its sixth game with a total of 6.5 or lower. Only Cleveland (7 games) has more. It's their 87th below 8.5, most in MLB.
Tampa has been Under two straight and seven of 10. The Rays have the sixth-worst Over record in MLB while the Mariners have scored 0 or 1 in three of the last four games.
Getting plus odds for Under, even at such a low cutoff, is automatic.
Winds blowing in from centerfield will make it difficult to score runs tonight.
The Seattle Mariners have hit the Team Total Under in 29 of their last 45 games. The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the Team Total Under in 30 of 50. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Mariners.
| Location | T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA |
| Date | Saturday, August 8, 2026 |
| First pitch | 9:50 p.m. ET |
| TV | Rays.TV, Mariners.TV |
| Rays starting pitcher | Griffin Jax (6-9, 3.63 ERA) |
| Mariners starting pitcher | George Kirby (8-9, 3.76 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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