The New York Rangers made a smaller signing during this offseason that could end up paying dividends.
On July 1, the Rangers signed Joe Veleno to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.
Coming into the 2018 NHL Draft, Veleno had strong offensive potential, which is why he was selected late in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings.
However, six years into his NHL career and about to play for his fourth NHL team, that offensive potential has still not been unlocked.
One Montreal analyst believes there’s promise for Veleno to make a real impact for the Rangers.
“Maybe this is that fresh start on a team that, in my opinion, is in more of a rebuilding than retooling mode,” Jon Goyens said via The Montreal Gazette. “I think he can find himself quickly. It’s still the NHL and people want to win … but they’re far removed from their Presidents’ (Trophy) of a couple years ago.
“I think he has the opportunity to start in the middle of the pack, a top-nine role. After that, it comes down to executing and being consistent. If he can do that, there have been many NHL players who have started their career at 26. He just happens to have a few hundred games under his belt.”
In his most recent stint with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2025-26 season, Veleno played a bottom-six role, with his expanded two-way game helping him gain trust with Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens coaching staff.
The 26-year-old forward served a role on the penalty kill, and his defensive reliability led to him playing 61 out of the 82 regular-season games.
Veleno is likely to slot in as the Rangers’ fourth-line center, and his newfound two-way game can help him earn a regular spot in the lineup.
If Veleno could also tap into his offensive potential to go along with his reliability in the defensive zone, the Rangers’ small signing would ultimately become their biggest offseason steal.
DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 1, 2026, in Toronto, Canada.
Haynes added that DeRozan “has been in conversations with Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray and is anxious for the opportunity to play for a contending team.”
DeMar DeRozan looks on during a timeout in the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on April 12, 2026. Getty Images
He now joins a Denver team looking to make another run at the Western Conference after reshaping its supporting cast around Jokic, who hopes DeRozan’s scoring and experience can help push the team back toward the top of a crowded Western Conference.
The Nuggets, who went 54-28 last season, haven’t made it past the conference semifinals since winning the NBA title in 2023.
DeMar DeRozan dribbles against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 1, 2026, in Toronto, Canada. Getty Images
Denver fell to the Timberwolves in six games during the first round last season.
The move also provides DeRozan another chance to chase the championship that has eluded him throughout his 17-year NBA career.
He has reached the conference finals just once, with the Raptors in 2016, and has played postseason basketball just twice since leaving Toronto after the 2017-18 season.
With 26,711 career points, DeRozan ranks No. 16 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and with another healthy season could make a push toward the top 10 in 2026-27.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 20: Ben Rice #22 and Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium on July 20, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country.
The New York Yankees are the New York Yankees. This statement means that getting into the dance isn’t enough outside extreme circumstances. And if we’re being honest, whatever their circumstances are, the Yankees should have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the American League.
The gap to the Rays makes it extremely plausible that the Yankees don’t win the AL East. Still, FanDuel has the Yankees as the likeliest World Series winner on the American League side, with +750 odds. Consequently, the Yankees show up as the favorites to win the Junior Circuit at +280 odds, just ahead of the Rays and Red Sox, in a trio of AL East clubs leading the pack
As the Yankees aim for their second AL pennant in the past three years, we asked, “What concerns you the most in this challenging effort?”
Virtually all the voters, 98 percent to be exact, acknowledged something that raised doubts heading into the playoffs, with the disappointment of last year lingering quite heavily. As much as we can talk about the grass always being greener and several opponents also sharing concerns, it’s important to understand your weaknesses heading into such a crucial period of the season.
In a way, this poll has many connecting points and is primarily attempting to assess one’s focal point of frustration. Part of the faltering offense is due to the key injuries (although the pitching staff still has notable absences); one can also connect it to the struggles of deadline acquisitions. Key injuries put a bigger strain on those very same key deadline acquisitions, and so on and so forth.
The injury to Max Fried is a heavy blow, but through adversity, this pitching staff has thrived all year long. It makes sense that the majority of voters would focus on the general failing of an offense that has scored three or fewer runs in 12 out of the Yankees’ last 21 games.
As contagious as a rolling offense is, a struggling one can carry the same effect. Your hitters who are performing well start to press because they feel they must carry the load all by themselves—we discussed the negative effects of this with a hitter like Ben Rice here, whose second-half struggles might undermine the narrative of his 2026 campaign. And the hitters who have been struggling all season, of whom there are far too many, seem to dig too deep a hole to climb out of.
We’d be remiss to write this article and not touch on the elephant in the room that is Aaron Judge and all that he represents to each of those options on the poll. Although this is a speculative theory, perhaps what led to such a discrepancy between votes for a faltering offense and key injuries was the optimism from a recent Judge update.
After an unsettling period of silence, Aaron Boone updated the media ahead of the series finale against the Orioles with news that Judge has hit off a tee two days in a row and appears to be slowly progressing toward a return. It makes sense that the Yankees will be conservative, eyeing October above all else with their prized superstar, but the optimism in his availability has increased.
The Yankees’ offensive struggles run deep enough that even with Judge potentially available in the playoffs, one could still share some concern about this lineup’s ability to deliver when it matters most. That being said, it’s as much of a game changer as one could ever wish for.
Speaking of optimism, if we want a bit of that in the near future, a repeat look against a Blue Jays staff in the span of a week—a couple of series against the Astros and Angels, whose pitching is questionable, all present opportunities for this offense to come alive. Or at least, more realistically, produce somewhat consistently, which would already be a plus.
The Nuggets also received a 2031 first-round pick, a second-round pick and Washington Wizards forward Julian Reese as part of a trade that came to fruition after Denver and Watson couldn't come to terms on a new contract. Watson was a restricted free agent this offseason coming off a career year on the wing for the Nuggets. He agreed to a new 4-year, $88-million contract with Cleveland in conjunction with the trade.
DeRozan will sign a 1-year, $3.9-million contract with the Nuggets, according to ESPN. The Kings waived DeRozan earlier this offseason. He had one year and $25 million remaining on that deal, but only $10 million was guaranteed at the time Sacramento cut ties with him.
DeMar DeRozan stats
DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds on 49.7% shooting over 77 games with the Sacramento Kings during the 2025-26 season.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 18: Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on August 18, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Jays arrive in Yankee Stadium today to take on the current top wildcard. As things currently stand, it’ll be the last team above .500 they play this season. From Tuesday on out they play, in descending order of current record, the Rangers (63-65), Guardians (62-66), Tigers (61-66), Reds (61-67), Orioles (2x) (61-67), Mariners (60-68), Royals (2x) (55-74), and A’s (49-79). The Tigers do have a positive run differential, but then that’s a product of when Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize played for them and, well. So for the final quarter of the season they aren’t exactly facing murderers’ row. I’m not saying they’ll grab the third wildcard, but I am saying that the rule book says someone has to and they’re the only team in the hunt that’s shown any recent evidence of wanting it. A good showing in the Bronx and the promise of an easier path forward than their rivals would set them up nicely.
The first step, though, is going to be a tough one. It’s Cam Schlittler (10-6, 2.19) today, up against Mason Fluharty opening for (probably) the just activated Spencer Arrighetti (7-5, 4.60).
Here are the lineups:
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
YANKEES
Brett Bateman – CF
Paul Goldschmidt – 1B
Nathan Lukes – RF
Amed Rosario – 3B
Alejandro Kirk – C
Heliot Ramos – LF
Jesus Sanchez – DH
Ben Rice – DH
Ernie Clement – SS
George Lombard – SS
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Trent Grisham – CF
Brandon Valenzuela – 1B
Spencer Jones – RF
Charles McAdoo – 2B
Jose Caballero – 2B
Myles Straw – LF
Ali Sanchez – C
S. Arrighetti – RHP
Cam Schlittler – RHP
Some minor roster news:
Josh Smith goes to the IL with hamstring inflammation and Brendan Cellucci is optioned. That opens spots for Spencer Arrighetti and Davis Schneider.
In other little bits of news, former Jay Jon Berti hung ‘em up today. Berti was an 18th round pick by the Jays back in 2011. It took him seven years to make his way up to the big club, and he only got a cup of coffee before being shipped off to Miami. To probably everyone’s surprise, he carved out a pretty solid career there, playing decent defence all over the field and stealing a bunch of bags, including a majors-leading 41 in 2022 when he was already 32 years old. All in all he hit .256/.333/.357 across eight seasons, posting 6.5 fWAR in 1731 PA. Happy trails, Jon.
Didi Gregorious also retired today, so if the league feels just a little less classy today it’s because there’s no longer an actual knight on the field.
Lastly, Dylan Cease is exhibiting a painting at the AGO. Personally, while it’s cool to have hobbies, I think it’s probably good for ol’ Dylan that baseball worked out as a day job. That said, if you’d like some Cease art merch, it will apparently be sold in support of the AGO’s charitable mission.
After having "a good day" throwing in New York on Thursday while the Yankees concluded their series in Baltimore with the Orioles, left-hander Max Fried will throw another side session on Saturday, manager Aaron Boone said prior to Friday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The session sets up a potential live batting practice for Fried, who was placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Aug. 14, with a bone bruise on his left elbow. In fact, after an initially grim outlook, it's still in play for the left-hander to return to the field following the minimum of 15 days which would be Aug. 29.
Fried has made just 15 starts this season after landing on the IL earlier in the year with the same injury and missing over two months. Still, when he's been on the mound, the 32-year-old, in his second year with the Yanks, has been fantastic once again with a 2.81 ERA in 86.1 IP and an opponent's batting average of .197 which would be a career-best.
New York enters Friday's division battle with a 72-55 record and second in the AL East, 4.0 GB of the Tampa Bay Rays.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers hits a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Globe Life Field on August 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 21, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Reid Detmers for the Angels.
Texas begins a three game series at home tonight against an Anaheim team that has a terrible record, but that won three of four at home against the Rangers last week and just took two of three in Houston. Reid Detmers goes for the Angels. Detmers has had one great start against the Rangers this year, when he struck out 14 in a game where the only Ranger hit was a Jake Burger homer, and MacKenzie Gore allowed just one run in six innings but the Rangers lost when Justin Foscue threw an inning ending double play ball away to allow the walkoff run to score in the ninth; one really good start, last week, when he and Gore each allowed just one run and then the Rangers scored three in the top of the tenth, resulting in all the Angels pitching coaches getting fired the next day; and one not-good start, when he allowed five runs in four innings going up against Nathan Eovaldi, only for Eovaldi, Peyton Gray and Tyler Alexander to allow the Angels to score five runs in the seventh to tie the game before Wyatt Langford hit a walkoff single in the ninth.
Hopefully the Rangers will break the trend of scoring just one run in regulation in games Detmers and Gore go up against each other. The lineup below is what is officially posted, though Jeff Wilson says that Wyatt Langford says he’s playing left field tonight, not DH, so maybe this will change. UPDATE — It has changed.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B DH
Seager — SS
Langford — DH LF
Nimmo — RF
Duran — LF 3B
Burger — 1B
Freeman — 3B 2B
Diaz — C
Carter — CF
7:15 p.m. Central start due to the game being on Apple TV. Rangers are -138 favorites.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 29: Jesús Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Miami Marlins during the second inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 29, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals begin a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. These teams squared off in St. Louis earlier this month with the Cardinals taking two out of three.
Jesus Luzardo will start for the Phillies. The lefty has been excellent in August with just three earned runs allowed in 21.2 innings.
Hunter Dobbins is expected to start for the Cardinals. He’s 3-3 with a 3.42 ERA and gave up three runs (one earned) in five innings when he faced the Phillies last time.
DeRozan will sign as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes. While the terms of the deal are not mentioned, because Denver is over the second apron all it can offer is the veteran minimum of $3.9 million.
DeRozan had been in talks with Miami, Denver and reportedly Washington, although the Wizards were always a long shot. DeRozan had been in touch with Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray and talked with the Nuggets' big three about coming on board, Haynes reported.
DeRozan, 37, will provide a needed scoring punch off the bench in Denver, a team that was even thinner after a sign-and-trade sent Peyton Watson to Cleveland. They also lost Sixth Man candidate Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason. DeRozan has been incredibly durable over his career, the 17-year NBA veteran has never played fewer than 60 games in a season, something important to Denver.
DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists per game in Sacramento last season. However, this offseason the Kings waived his partially guaranteed contract to save money.
This signing will give the Nuggets 14 guaranteed contracts, which is likely where they will leave it heading into training camp. While they may ultimately want to shed about $4 million in salary to get below the second apron, they have until next June to do so.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 19: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees is tagged out trying to stretch a single into a double in the second inning by Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 19, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. McMahon drove in a run on the play. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Ryan McMahon jammed his left thumb sliding into second base on Wednesday night, the Yankees seemed hopeful that the third baseman would be able to avoid the injured list. Alas, it seems that the team has decided to use an abundance of caution: prior to tonight’s game, the Bombers announced that they had placed McMahon on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain, recalling Max Schuemann from Triple-A Scranton to take his spot on the roster.
Ahead of yesterday’s game, reports indicated that initial X-rays had come back clean, although McMahon — who had injured the thumb in the second inning, but remained in the game until the eighth — indicated that it was “still sore” and remained “swollen.” He was set to undergo additional imaging upon the team’s return to New York today, and clearly, that didn’t go quite as well as hoped.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves: • Recalled INF/OF Max Schuemann (#30) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. • Placed INF Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 8/20) with a left thumb sprain.
With McMahon on the shelf, the Yankees have a number of options to man the hot corner, none of which are particularly exciting. The recently-recalled Schuemann has not played well in 40 games in the Majors so far this season, slashing just .194/.333/.361 slash line (94 OPS+) accruing -0.4 rWAR; against lefties, though, he has a .211/.333/.395 line. Amed Rosario has been better at the plate, even if he has struggled against southpaws this season, but has been an absolute butcher defensively. José Caballero has had an up-and-down season at the plate, although he has been hitting well since becoming a part-time player after George Lombard Jr.’s promotion at the beginning of August, slashing .227/.393/.500 in 29 plate appearances.
Chances are, in truth, the Yankees will use a combination of the three, depending on matchups, at least for the next few days; with Cody Bellinger currently on a rehab assignment with the RailRiders, Schuemann might well be back in Scranton before too long (though Spencer Jones could also be optioned if they prefer Schuemann’s versatility).
McMahon’s injury adds to what has been a brutal season for the Bombers, who have sent a whopping 16 players to the IL, including both key minor leaguers and players who began the year on the shelf: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Bellinger, Jasson Domínguez, Caballero, Austin Wells, George Lombard Jr., Anthony Volpe, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Angel Chivilli, Carlos Lagrange, and Kervin Castro.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 25: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors embrace after the game on December 25, 2025 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s time to turn up the Will Smith track as former Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson is going to Miami.
Three weeks ago I wrote in these pages that Miami was the landing spot outside the Bay that would make the most sense. Now it’s official. Shams Charania reported that Thompson is clearing waivers after a buyout from the Mavericks and signing with the Heat.
Klay is a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer with five All-Star selections, four championship banners, a shooting stroke that turned the Splash Bros into something far beyond Steph Curry’s brilliance. As a member of Dub Nation, I can honestly say that none of that ever looked right on a Dallas jersey. In his second and final year in Dallas, Thompson posted career lows across the board and shot 38.7% percent from three on a team that finished 26-56. Watching a Splash Brother play out a lost season for a tanking roster was absolutely brutal.
Thompson and the Mavericks navigated a buyout from his $17.5 million expiring salary after the four-time NBA champion made it clear to Dallas that he wanted to play for a contender. The Heat made one of the NBA's all-time greatest shooters their top free agent priority this… https://t.co/gn8JRm2EBj
And now Klay becomes yet another Warrior legend who finds himself out there on South Beach. Tim Hardaway ran Run TMC’s fast break in Oakland before he made an All-Star team wearing a Heat jersey. Andre Iguodala left Golden State and helped Miami reach the Bubble Finals against every projection. Andrew Wiggins, a guy this fanbase watched grow up in real time, has currently planted his flag down there too.
And this is honestly the best fit I could think of for Klay besides coming back home to the Bay Area. Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo both live in the paint, and putting them out there together means Miami needs spacing around them. I believe that Klay is a still a shooter defenses respect from thirty feet without needing the ball in his hands. That’s the job Thompson spent a decade perfecting in Golden State’s motion offense back when cutting and relocating was the whole assignment.
KLAY THOMPSON AND ANDREW WIGGINS REUNITED IN MIAMI🔥
Klay: “C’mon Wigs we in the finals. Man I appreciate you so much bro, you made my job so easy.”
And somewhere in the Bay, a fanbase gets to keep tabs on the younger Splash Brother chasing Ray Allen for third on the career threes list in a jersey that isn’t GSW but somehow doesn’t sting the way the others would have.
Four names deep now: Hardaway, Iguodala, Wiggins, Thompson. Miami keeps borrowing Golden State legends, and every time, they let them cook. How crazy would it be if Klay actually gets a fifth ring this season, passing up his old running mates Steph, Dray, and Iguodala?
DENVER, CO - MAY 30: Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger celebrates after the Colorado Rockies defeated the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
From one John Denver song blaring to another, the Guardians are in Denver to take on the Rockies.
The Rockies are 50-77 with a -122 run differential, 29th in team wRC+ at 91, 19th in baserunning runs above average at -1.4, 24th in defense at -31.4, last in pitching ERA at 6.13 (5.27 FIP) and 28th in bullpen ERA at 4.81 (4.35 FIP).
The Guardians are 62-66 with a -23 run differential, 26th in team wRC+ at 94, seventh in baserunning runs above average at 5.2, seventh in defense at -4, sixth in pitching ERA at 3.73 (3.95 FIP), and 11th in bullpen ERA at 3.89 (3.85 FIP).
The Rockies are bad at everything.
Matchups:
Game One, Friday 8:40PM ET: Tanner Gordon, RHP 6.26 ERA (5.91 FIP) vs. Joey Cantillo, LHP 3.80 ERA (3.88 FIP) Game Two, Saturday, 8:10PM ET: Gabriel Hughes, RHP 7.27 ERA (3.58 FIP) vs. Tanner Bibee, RHP 4.01 ERA (4.65 FIP) Game Three, Sunday, 3:10PM ET: Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP 4.70 ERA (5.51 FIP) vs. Foster Griffin, LHP 3.18 ERA (4.24 FIP)
The Rockies are led by TJ Rumfield 116 wRC+, Cole Carrigg 113 wRC+, Mickey Moniak 112 wRC+, Colton Riptrain 112 wRC+, Connor Norby 112 wRC, and Jake McCarthy 109 wRC+. One of those names is made up – guess which?
Well… this is another huge series. Have to find a way to win it and keep the good momentum going.
Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard were all on target as Arsenal began their title defence in style
Plenty of debutants in the cast tonight. Every single one of them will have been dreaming of something like this …
Mikel Arteta’s turn to talk pitchside to Sky. “The players need that desire to go again … I certainly have it … we have to create an opportunity … we don’t know what other clubs are going to do … we have to be the best version of ourselves … we have to deliver our game for 96 minutes every three days … if you are not capable of doing that, you are in trouble … we have to get better … we are trying to improve the team [in the transfer window] … but so far I am very happy.”
The NHL/NHPA European Player Media Tour is off and running in Munich, Germany, at the moment, with a select number of players speaking to journalists.
Among those players is Ottawa Senators star center Tim Stutzle.
Unsurprisingly, former Senators captain and now current Florida Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk was brought up during Stutzle's availability, fielding all sorts of questions about Tkachuk's departure.
"I feel like you’re always surprised over a big move like that," Stutzle told The Hockey News' David Alter during the NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour in Munich on Friday.
"Yeah, we’re going to miss him, but at the end of the day we have to focus on what’s ahead and what we have in Ottawa. We have a lot of guys who love being in Ottawa — and I’m sure he did too. It was just time for him to move on and we’ve got to accept that."
Tkachuk was the fourth overall pick of the Senators in the 2018 NHL draft. He went on to play eight seasons with the Senators, five of which he served as an assistant captain. In 572 games with the Senators, Tkachuk scored 213 goals and 473 points. No player on the Senators recorded more goals or points since Tkachuk made his debut.
Tkachuk was as important to the Senators franchise as any player had been in their history. Still, as the disappointing seasons mounted and the fans' frustration following the 2026 Olympics grew, it reached a point where the Senators and Tkachuk agreed it was time to move on.
The Senators would trade Tkachuk to Florida on June 21 in exchange for the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL draft, as well as a conditional first-round pick in the 2029 NHL draft and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL draft. The Senators then flipped the No. 9 pick to the San Jose Sharks for forward William Eklund and selected Jonas Lgerberg-Hoen with the No. 25 pick.
Teammates and fans were shocked by the move, but a select few, including Stutzle, were appreciative of what Tkachuk had done for the franchise.
"I want to thank 'Chucky' for what he’s done for me, for my teammates," said Stutzle. "He took me in when I was younger and did everything in a possible way to make me feel welcome and he was always a good teammate and obviously a really, really good player."
The Senators are hoping to remain a playoff team in the highly competitive Atlantic Division, but it won't be easy. They are hoping the additions of Eklund and Andre Burakovsky, and the promotions of some of their young prospects, will help them remain competitive, but losing their leader and one of the NHL's premier power forwards is a major blow.
As for the Panthers, they are hoping Tkachuk brings his physical nature, dominant net-front presence and goal-scoring abilities to a lineup that dealt with numerous injuries last season.
Time will tell how this deal works for both sides.
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Yunior Marte of the Richmond Flying Squirrels delivers a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on July 30, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
A busy and exciting day for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Let’s talk about what happened!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Just a small bit of news. AA Richmond placed utility player Jack Payton on the 7-Day IL, and replaced him with infielder Zane Zielinski, who was promoted from High-A Eugene.
AAA Sacramento (71-49)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 2-1 Box score
Holding a team to 1 run in a PCL game can only mean one thing: some damn fine pitching. And some damn fine pitching is exactly what transpired in Sacramento, as LHP Cesar Perdomo had far and away his best outing since getting promoted to AAA.
Perdomo ripped through a Rainiers lineup that featured MLB veterans like J.P. Crawford, Nolan Jones, Connor Joe, and Patrick Wisdom with ease, allowing just 3 baserunners — 2 singles and a walk — in 7 shutout innings. It was more cruise control than dominance, as he only struck out 4 batters and threw just 57 of 96 pitches for strikes, but there’s a lot to be said for inducing weak contact against quality hitters in offensively-inclined ballparks.
Perdomo, a 24-year old from Venezuela, has hit some bumps in the road following a midseason promotion which came after a spectacular AA debut. In 8 starts with the River Cats, he has just a 5.31 ERA and a 5.29 FIP, and after striking out 11.1 batters per 9 innings with Richmond, has just 6.9 Ks per 9 with Sacramento. But this outing — which came after giving up just 2 runs in 6.2 innings his last time out — is a reminder of what he’s capable of as the adjustments start to take place.
San Francisco has a quartet of upper Minors pitchers that they figured to have difficult Rule 5 decisions regarding. They already made one of those decisions this week, when they added LHP Matt Wilkinson to the roster for his MLB debut. A 3rd AAA southpaw, Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) starts tonight, as the Giants continue to gather data on he and Perdomo for a decision. The 4th is in AA … we’ll get to him in a minute.
Despite only scoring 2 runs, Sacramento also had a great offensive performance, which came courtesy of — who else — designated hitter Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL). Davidson had yet another sensational game, hitting 2-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, and a strikeout.
BO VOYAGE ✈️
Davidson goes 451 feet for his first home homer, the second-longest by a River Cat this season! pic.twitter.com/PC8CnYbfTt
Davidson once again proved that his AAA breakout wasn’t just due to playing in Las Vegas … his double in this game left the bat at 107 mph, while his home run was a mesmerizing 110.6 mph, and traveled 451 feet. That’s Rafael Devers territory!
Even more so than the average prospect, Davidson has developed a trend of really struggling at new levels, and then positively flipping the switch. Let’s see how that has played out in AAA since his summer promotion:
First 22 games: 17-86, 0 home runs, 3 doubles, 10 walks, 21 strikeouts Next 8 games: 19-33, 5 home runs, 5 doubles, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts
My goodness, Bo! Suddenly he’s hitting .303, with a .878 OPS and a 128 wRC+.
Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hasn’t had quite as dramatic of splits, but he has also had a AAA introduction that has been a tale of two stories, as he started hot and has since cooled down. He hit 0-4 with 2 strikeouts in this game, lowering his OPS to .859 and his wRC+ to 126. Still a fantastic debut with Sacramento!
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) hit 2-4 with a stolen base, while center fielder Grant McCray went 1-4 with a double. Interestingly, Marcelo Mayer didn’t play for the 2nd day in a row, after leaving Tuesday’s game early. It would seem there’s some ailment of sorts there.
In the Sacramento recap, I teased another Rule 5 pitcher decision. Well, you’ve arrived at that pitcher: RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL). Marte arrived with the Giants in the Mike Yastrzemski trade just over a year ago, and he came with a solid reputation. That reputation has grown emphatically this year, with a truly electric season.
Thursday was just the latest in a long line of data points. Marte was dominant in this game, tossing 6 shutout innings with just 3 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 7 Baysox hitters. He threw 56 of 87 pitches for strikes, was regularly ahead in the count, and was never in any sort of trouble.
There have been a few hiccups in his AA debut, but on the whole, it’s been a nearly seamless transition for the Dominican, who turned 23 earlier this month. In fact, following a midseason promotion, Marte has improved most of his numbers from his time in High-A: his ERA has admittedly gone up (3.74 to 3.92), but his FIP has gone down (4.05 to 3.98), his xFIP has gone down (4.87 to 4.04), his walks have gone down (4.0 per 9 to 3.1), and his strikeouts have gone up (8.5 per 9 to 10.1).
The biggest issue for Marte since moving to AA has been giving up too many hits and too many homers, but he’s made huge strides on that front. Check out the splits:
First 7 games: 31.1 innings, 41 hits, 6 home runs Next 6 games: 33 innings, 23 hits, 2 home runs
Huge growth! While the Giants will certainly continue to develop Marte as a starter, he has all the skills to be a reliever in the Majors sooner rather than later, which is likely what will make him an intriguing option in the Rule 5 Draft, should the Giants leave him unprotected (and should there be a draft).
LHP Dale Stanavich and RHP Marques Johnson rounded out the shutout with a pair of strikeouts each, the former in 1.1 innings and the latter in 1.2. Stanavich, a recently-turned 27-year old, has a 4.73 ERA and a 4.91 FIP with Richmond; Johnson, a just-turned 26-year old, has a 3.95 ERA and a 3.68 FIP in AA, but struggled in AAA during an extended stint there.
It was a poor offensive game, with the Squirrels doing just enough to support the shutout. Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) and designated hitter Jean Carlos Sió (No. 44 CPL) had the best days, with Cohen hitting 2-4 with a strikeout, while Sió went 2-2 with a walk and a caught stealing. Both players have had their fair share of bumps in the road following midseason promotions, with Cohen sporting a .753 OPS and a 100 wRC+ through 30 games, while Sió has a .729 OPS and an 89 WRC+ through 57 games.
High-A Eugene (71-45)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 10-7 Box score
Down in High-A, the Giants sneakily have another interesting Rule 5 decision: that of LHP Henry LaLane. The 6’7 LaLane isn’t a prototypical Rule 5 protection: he started this year in Low-A, and currently has a 3.26 ERA and a 4.59 FIP in High-A. But LaLane, who came over in the Heliot Ramos trade, is a deeply intriguing prospect who the Giants would be heartbroken to lose. In the most recent Baseball America rankings, LaLane came in as the No. 7 prospect in the Giants system, ahead of RHP Ramon Marquez, and behind only RHP Jackson Flora and LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) in pitcher rankings.
Still and all, it seems a little unlikely that LaLane would be selected given his relative inexperience. That, combined with the likelihood that the Rule 5 Draft never actually occurs, has me leaning towards the Giants leaving him unprotected. But it’s certainly going to be a discussion they (and we!) debate over.
Anyway, LaLane made his 3rd appearance since being traded to the Giants and it didn’t go all that well, as he struggled with command. LaLane made it through just 4 innings, and gave up 3 hits, 3 walks, 2 hit batters, 5 runs, and 4 earned runs, while striking out 4 batters. Yet even in a rough start, you can tell how dynamic of a pitcher he is, and how much potential he has to make high-quality hitters look silly.
Someone else who has that ability is RHP Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 22 CPL), who had an excellent game, striking out 2 batters in a perfect inning. If Maldonado — who has a 3.03 ERA but a 6.08 FIP — can harness his control as he did in this game, he will take off. He has 42 strikeouts this year, in just 29.2 innings … but 38 walks.
A fantastic game in the batter’s box for Eugene, with 15 hits on the day. The excitement came from the debut of second baseman Dalton Wentz, who became the 2nd Giants player from the 2026 draft to make his professional debut.
Wentz, a 21-year old switch-hitter from Wake Forest, was taken in the 16th round but given a slot bonus in line with a late 4th-round pick. He was also drafted as a third baseman, so it was interesting that he played second in this one, especially since they used a first baseman, Hayden Jatczak, at third base.
Either way, Wentz is now officially a pro, and that’s exciting. He only hit 1-5 with 2 strikeouts in this game, but hey … he’s got a professional batting average! He’ll be fun to follow over the rest of the season.
Welcome to Eugene, Dalton Wentz 👏👏
Wentz recorded his first professional hit last night in his Emeralds debut, helping the Ems secure a 10-7 victory over Vancouver. ⚾️💚#RootedHere#GoEmspic.twitter.com/wEcFOSUmF6
Center fielder Damian Bravo had an awesome game, hitting 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout, while homering for the 2nd straight game. This was only the 3rd game in High-A this year for Bravo, last year’s 15th-round pick. But he’s certainly hitting the ground running at the level.
Designated hitter Zander Darby continued his all-or-nothing season, hitting 2-5 with a home run and 2 strikeouts. Darby is up to 17 dingers on the year, but has a 31.5% strikeout rate … the total package is an .835 OPS and a 118 wRC+ for the 2024 12th-rounder. A lot to love if the 23-year old lefty can get his strikeouts in check at some point.
Right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) continues to obliterate the Northwest League since a recent promotion, as he hit 2-4 with a double and a walk, though he was also caught stealing. Last year’s 7th-round pick, who doesn’t turn 23 until the offseason, has completely taken his game up a level since getting promoted … he’s improved his batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, isolated slugging, walk rate, and strikeout rate while with Eugene, and has a .979 OPS and a 149 wRC+ through 11 games. Impressive!
There are certainly things for Maldonado to work on — he had just a 100 wRC+ in Low-A San Jose — but his power numbers are truly impressive. Injuries have limited him to just 386 plate appearances this year, but he has 37 extra-base hits. His .229 isolated slugging across the 2 levels (plus a brief and mostly-powerless rehab stint in the ACL) is tied for 8th out of 84 Giants prospects with at least 100 plate appearances this year.
Really nice games for shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), catcher Onil Perez, and left fielder Jose Ramos. Level hit 2-4 with a walk, though he committed 2 errors, and the 19-year old switch-hitter has an .844 OPS and a 123 wRC+ through 56 games with Eugene. Perez went 3-4, raising the 23-year old righty’s OPS to .736 and his wRC+ to 95 in 34 High-A games this year. And Ramos hit 2-3 with a walk, bringing the 23-year old righty up to an .802 OPS and a 136 wRC+ in 20 games at the level.
Low-A San Jose (67-50)
San Jose Giants beat the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 9-5 Box score
A pretty uninteresting game for the Baby Giants but hey, they won!
The big news is bad news: third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) left the game early. Hernández didn’t seem to be in a large amount of pain, but didn’t seem to be moving perfectly, either. Hopefully it’s just a small ailment.
Ultimately it wasn’t a great day for the young stars of the team, as Hernández was 0-3 before his early exit, while shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) went 1-5 with a stolen base and 2 strikeouts.
A trio of hitters had nice games: second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) replaced Hernández and hit 2-2 with his Minor League-leading 39th double, bringing last year’s 4th-round pick up to an .809 OPS and a 100 wRC+; left fielder Oliver Tejada hit 1-2 with a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, boosting the 19-year old’s OPS to .651 and his wRC+ to 66, as he chases the success he had in the Complex League earlier in the year; and right fielder Broedy Poppell went 2-4 with a double and 3 runs batted in, giving last year’s 13th-round pick a .718 OPS and an 85 wRC+.
Not a very good pitching game. 24-year old LHP Ricardo Estrada pitched decently as the piggybacking starter, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 1 earned run in 5 innings, while striking out 3. Estrada has had a fairly consistent if nondescript season, and has given up 2 or fewer earned runs in 11 of his last 12 outings (though, unfortunately, the one outlier there was when he gave up 9 runs in 1 inning). Estrada has just a 4.32 ERA and a 5.89 FIP on the season, and his spot on the domestic reserve would seem to be in question.
RHP Chen-Hsun Lee had a funny game. He pitched a scoreless, no-hit inning with 2 strikeouts … but walked 3 batters. Lee, a 2023 international signing out of Taiwan who is healthy for the 1st time, has had a funny time in San Jose since getting promoted … in 14 innings he’s allowed just 7 hits and 0 earned runs, with 14 strikeouts. But he’s walked 10 batters and ceded 5 unearned runs. Go figure!
Dominican Summer League Black
DSL Giants Black beat DSL Brewers Gold 8-7 Box score
The Giants Black squad kicked off the postseason pool play with a win, which is critical.
A handful of good games, mostly on offense. First baseman Alessandro Duran only hit 1-4 with 3 strikeouts, but his hit was a home run. Duran, a 21-year old from Venezuela, finished his 4th DSL season with an .845 OPS and a 115 wRC+.
Center fielder Djean Macares hit 1-3 with a double, a walk, and an outfield assist, while shortstop Joniel Hernandez went 1-3 with a double, a hit by pitch, and 2 strikeouts. Macares, an 18-year old from Aruba who is in his 2nd season, finished the year with an .828 OPS and a 121 wRC+. Hernandez, a 17-year old from Cuba whom the Giants acquired in the Robbie Ray deal, finished his debut season with a .978 OPS and a 132 wRC+. Both players should be playing in the states next year.
Right fielder Vinicius Dos Santos, a 19-year old from Brazil, hit 2-3 and stole 3 basis. The righty really struggled in the batter’s box this year, but stole 22 bases.
Not much on the mound. The best outing came courtesy of RHP Abraham Utrera, a 21-year old from Venezuela. He gave up just 1 baserunner (a hit by pitch) in 1.2 scoreless innings, with a strikeout. Utrera had an intriguing 2nd season. He only had a 4.33 ERA, but he had a 3.34 FIP, and struck out 58 batters in just 35.1 innings
Home run tracker
24 — Bo Davidson — [5 in AAA; 19 in AA] 17 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 12 — Damian Bravo — [2 in High-A; 10 in Low-A] 3 — Alessandro Duran — [DSL]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Tacoma (SP: Joe Whitman) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT at Chesapeake (SP: Miguel Mendez) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Vancouver (SP: Niko Mazza) San Jose: 6:45 p.m. PT at Lake Elsinore (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
