ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 26: Petey Halpin #0 of the Cleveland Guardians misses the catch on a ball hit by Nick Fortes #40 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the middle of their worst stretch of the season, the Guardians will now play Terry Francona’s Cincinnati Reds. What could possibly go wrong?
The Reds are last in team wRC+ at 89 wRC+ (it could be worse, Guardians’ fans, we could still employ Reds’ hitting coach Chris Valaika), 17th in baserunning runs above average at -1.4, 19th in Defense at -20.9, 23rd in starting pitcher ERA at 4.46 (4.62 FIP), and 25th in bullpen ERA at 4.64 (5.13 FIP).
The Guardians are 25th in team wRC+ at 93 wRC+, 7th in baserunning runs above average at 5.2, 10th in Defense at -6.5, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.75 (3.97 FIP), and seventh in bullpen ERA at 3.75 (3.76 FIP).
The Reds are a terrible baseball team by every metric. Of course, the Guardians will face their best pitcher in Chase Burns tonight, so will need to win 1-0. In 10 innings. And Slade Cecconi is on the mound.
Matchups: Monday, 7:10PM ET: Slade Cecconi, RHP 4.60 ERA (4.48 FIP) vs. Chase Burns, RHP 2.42 ERA (3.34 FIP) Tuesday, 7:10PM ET: Gavin Williams, RHP 3.78 ERA (3.65 FIP) vs. Brady Singer, RHP 4.53 ERA (5.21 FIP) Wednesday, 7:10PM ET: Joey Cantillo, LHP 4.02 ERA (4.04 FIP) vs. Rhett Lowder, RHP 6.04 ERA (4.37 FIP)
The Reds are led by Elly De La Cruz at 130 wRC+, JJ Bleday 117 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe 116 wRC+, Sal Stewart 111 wRC+ and Dane Myers 101 wRC+. The Guardians are led by Chase DeLauter 126 wRC+, Austin Hedges 115 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 109 wRC+, Jose Ramirez 106 wRC+ and Brayan Rocchio 106 wRC+.
Well, tonight could be rough but the Guardians SHOULD be able to win a couple games in this series. Hopefully, the games will allow Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez to get back in a rhythm and the Guardians will acquire an actual lefty masher in a trade while we watch them.
Although he was eligible for a contract extension as of July 1, young Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov says no such talks have taken place just yet, and won't for a few more weeks at least.
In a recent interview with RG Media, Michkov, 21, was quizzed on his contract status, but the Russian winger had few updates to offer in the way of a potential extension.
"No, there haven't been any talks yet. I don't know. My main task is to focus on next season. And whatever happens, happens. As God wills, so it will be," Michkov told RG.
As for offseason communication with head coach Rick Tocchet? "No talks yet. When everything starts, then we'll talk."
The Flyers' main training camp opens on Thursday, Sept. 17, following the Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers and their youngsters at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa., and from there, we can deduce that Michkov and his camp will be more willing to start talks with the Flyers.
Of course, Michkov has spent most of his summer training back home in Russia, and recently scored a Michigan and hat trick in the Match of the Year charity game for Artemi Panarin's team.
The 2023 No. 6 overall pick was reported to be expected back in the area in early August, which gives him a week or two to wrap up his current training and make the trip back to North America.
Michkov is also aware of the hefty contract the Flyers just handed out to teammate Trevor Zegras, who became the highest-paid player on the team after avoiding arbitration.
"I congratulated Trevor on his new contract. He's staying for four more years. I think it's a good signing for Philadelphia, because he's a strong player. You could say the whole team is now basically built around him," Michkov said of Zegras and his new four-year, $36.5 million contract.
Michkov has one year left on his entry-level contract with the Flyers at a $950k cap hit, with potential for $3.3 million in performance bonuses.
Jun 24, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (19) celebrates after hitting a double in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey just had one of the better moments of a disappointing season on Sunday, hitting a go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers. Here’s a clip in case you missed it:
The 28-year-old has put together a really nice bounce-back season, hitting .274/.312/.440 while playing above-average defense at second base. He has also been healthier this year, already surpassing his 2025 plate appearance total. Overall he has been worth 1.5 fWAR and is on pace for the best season of his career.
As I’m sure you are aware, the Royals have had an extremely disappointing season. Even after Sunday’s victory, they are 45-62 and sit 11.5 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox. Despite this, I expect the Royals to try and actually compete next year instead of resetting for a future year. The fact that they don’t seem interested in moving either Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha reinforces that belief.
Although Massey will still be under team control and could help the Royals next year, I think this trade deadline is the time to move him. I will admit that I’ve always been a bit of a Massey skeptic; if I was running the Royals I probably would have just cut bait after his difficult 2025 season. He’s been better than I’ve expected this year and I’m happy that he’s put together a positive season. Still, I think this is the right time to see if the Royals can get a good return for Massey, and these are the three biggest reasons why I think that is the case.
This is likely Massey’s ceiling
The second baseman is having a good season, but when I look at his overall numbers and career trajectory, I think we are witnessing the realistic peak of what Massey has to offer. He is hitting 4% above league-average, which is exactly the mark he was at in his previous best season of 2024. Nothing in his .304 BABIP and .166 ISO look particularly flukey; he might be able to tap into a little more power, his career high is .190. Players can grow, change and prove us wrong, but I think this is what Massey at the peak of his hitting powers is going to look like.
The left-handed hitter does not draw very many walks which does limit how effective he can be as a hitter. His 5.7% BB% is the second-lowest mark among Royals hitters with at least 200 plate appearances, only better than Salvador Perez. His free-swinging tendencies seem unlikely to change at this point in his career. Massey has also posted the best defensive numbers of his career this year, which is great to see but hard to project happening again moving forward.
Massey still has some significant downside potential in his game. He has battled back injuries in the past, which can be a chronic problem for some players. His offensive game also craters if he struggles to make solid contact; Massey had a 57 wRC+ last season. I think 2025 will end up being the worst season of Massey’s career, but the downside of him being a below-average hitter is very much present. I think we are seeing the best of what Massey has to offer, and he’s not likely to make you look foolish by developing into an All-Star second baseman if you move on from him.
Massey is more than a rental
Traditionally, losing MLB teams will trade players in the final year of their contract to teams that are still chasing postseason success. More and more teams, including the Royals, are putting a major emphasis on team control and how many years someone is under contract to determine trade value. We don’t know for sure, but I wonder if the Royals were unimpressed with offers that teams put forward for Lugo last offseason, since he was a rental player at the time, which led to them choosing to re-sign him to a two-year extension.
After this season, Massey is under team control for two more years. He will not be eligible to be a free agent until after the 2028 season is completed. Even if a front office is worried about the possibility of the 2027 season being shortened or lost, Massey still offers more than just a rental because of his remaining team control. He is also still arbitration-eligible, so while his contract will increase, it’s likely to not be as expensive as signing him as a free agent would be.
Massey could have the same season that he is having now in 2028, but the Royals are likely to get more in return if they are willing to trade him now.
Nick Loftin is a good in-house replacement
I have missed watching Maikel Garcia play baseball, but one of the positives is that Nick Loftin has gotten a chance to have regular at-bats. Loftin is hitting .249/.331/.407, which is also good for a 104 wRC+. He gets there a different way than Massey; the right-handed hitter is willing to take a walk. Loftin has a 9.3 walk rate, and he also has a lower strikeout rate than Massey, although both are good at making contact. I think Loftin’s approach at the plate is more sustainable and likely to repeat itself moving forward. I think Loftin is more likely to start hitting for more power than Massey is to draw walks, which makes his ceiling in my mind a tad higher. He is also a right-handed hitter, which the team has been short on at various times.
The 27-year-old has two more years of team control compared to Massey, so the Royals aren’t in danger of needing to find another second baseman if they decide to move on from Massey. Loftin admittedly looks more natural at third base than he has at second base this year; his small sample size second base defensive numbers are dragging his overall defensive numbers down significantly. I think Loftin has looked fine at second base previously and am willing to take the gamble that if you made him the full-time second baseman he would be okay there, but that admittedly could be an issue.
I would also be willing to hear arguments that the Royals should trade Loftin if they really believe in Massey. I felt like the team just needed one of them to do well this season; the fact that both are above-average hitters right now is one of the few success stories this season. If the Royals can trade one, and my preference would be Massey, to get some pieces that will help the team not have one of the worst bullpens in team history next year, then I think that is a trade worth making.
NEW YORK — The Atlanta Braves activated outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list on Monday after the 2023 National League MVP missed almost seven weeks with a left hamstring strain.
Acuña is expected to be available for Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets.
The five-time All-Star is hitting .251 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and 15 steals. His season has been shortened by two hamstring injuries. He missed 15 games in May with the same injury.
When Acuña was placed on the injured list on June 9, the Braves topped the majors with a 45-23 record and led the NL East by eight games over Philadelphia. Atlanta struggled in June without Acuña but has rebounded following the All-Star break and at 62-43 leads the second-place Phillies by 5 1/2 games.
Acuña also has suffered two serious knee injuries in his career. He sustained a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in May 2024 and tore his right ACL midway through the 2021 season.
Though Acuña split time in his rehabilitation stint at designated hitter and in the outfield, Braves manager Walt Weiss recently said he expects Acuña will play primarily in right field, his normal position.
The Braves optioned outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett.
It hasn’t been the earth-shattering offseason that some Houston Rockets fans wanted. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been consequential.
Marcus Smart is a significant addition. There’s some hope (isn’t there? Some?) that Bogdan Bogdanovic has a bounce-back year. Bruce Thornton looks like he could crack the rotation.
There’s also a returning Fred VanVleet (optimism levels may vary) and Steven Adams, plus the potential for internal development from young players. So, the Rockets have plenty of opportunity to improve on their 2025-26 win total.
According to the results of the latest SB Nation Reacts poll, you mostly agreed.
Rockets expected to improve by fans
So, there it is.
A sturdy 55% of you think the Rockets will get better. A solid 27% think they’ll stagnate, and 18% of you are not invited to my birthday party.
If there’s any valid reason why this team could worsen, it would be the competition rising. The Utah Jazz will be ready to compete. The Minnesota Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball. Even the Los Angeles Lakers might look more cohesive after dropping LeBron James and signing Walker Kessler:
Although they’ll miss Smart very badly.
Likely, the Rockets’ front office isn’t even thinking about regular season wins. They’ve been there and done that at this point. The more meaningful bar for success in 2026-27 will be playoff performance. The Rockets need to win a series, or there will likely be major consequences.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The subject is the upcoming season. You expect the Rockets to get better, and it’s a reasonable expectation. They ought to have better health luck by virtue of sheer probability, and they’ve made some sneaky additions:
Even if they didn’t rock your world.
Want to put your money where your mouth is? Find your way to FanDuel, who are kind enough to sponsor these polls. You can bet on the Rockets’ regular season win total, and lots of other stuff if you’re so inclined.
“This is 2026," the Milwaukee Bucks forward said in a July 26 post on X. "People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content.”
Kuzma, 31, added that he believes many people are "auditioning," and not "building," implying they are putting on an act in public.
“A mayor playing president. A founder playing operator. A content creator playing one-on-one thinking he’s a pro. A 25yr old with a ring light playing economist. Everyone auditioning. Nobody building,” his post said. "Were raising a generation that learning the reward isn’t in doing the thing it’s in looking like you did the thing. The clip is the career. The pose is the product. The soundbite is the substitute for a life’s work."
He added: "Don't fall for distractions."
The mayor's office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for a comment on Kuzma's remarks.
NYC mayor calls on federal government to arrest Netanyahu
Mamdani earlier this month told the The New York Times the city's legal department was looking at options for Netanyahu's arrest in NYC ahead of his expected attendance at the United Nations in September.
However, with no clear legal path to force an arrest, Mamdani called on the federal government to take action. "As I've said, I agree with the [International Criminal Court] that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC," Mamdani said last week.
Netanyahu responds to Mamdani
Netanyahu said that he still plans to visit New York City for the United Nations' General Assembly, despite Mamdani's comments.
The Israeli prime minister accused Mamdani of "fomenting hate" and said Mamdani is "supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers: Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone."
Kuzma, meanwhile, didn't stop with his post, responding to those criticizing his opinion.
LOL, I'm supporting a Zionist genocide because I'm pointing out an opinion of someone cosplaying, and you all just fall for it, lol. Got you. Yeah, I'm a terrible human. Makes total sense.
Despite a recent injection of much needed talent, the Rainiers dropped their weekly series to a paltry Reno team that’s struggled nearly as much as the Rainiers have this season. The bevy of injuries the Mariners’ big league roster has had to endure this season has severely hampered the Rainiers’ ability to compete at the level they’d like to, and the constant up-and-down for what seems like half their pitching staff is surely not helping things much, either. The prospect promotions make this team a worthwhile watch, but it’s definitely been a tough year on large.
Michael Arroyo continues to be one of the most impressive hitters this system has seen in many, many years. Finally free from the confines of DSP, Arroyo has taken little time to adjust to the elevated level of Triple-A and is already raking, running an OPS north of .930 through his first 15 games. There’s truly nothing he can’t do at the plate; elite contact ability, above-average power, excellent barrel control, and good batted ball distributions indicate he should be one of the better bats this system has produced in the Dipoto era. He’s done nothing but rake throughout his time in the minors, and with a glaring need for a bat of both his handedness and caliber, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see him debut in the bigs sometime later this season.
Not to be outdone by Arroyo, Lazaro Montes has followed suit and has begun clobbering baseballs in the PCL. Stinging the ball with consistency and showing off his tremendous in-game power, Montes popped his third Triple-A homer this week and raised his OPS up to .879 at the level, and excellent mark that’s risen considerably the past week or so. Both he and Arroyo have mashed their way through the minor leagues and look like potential cornerstone players for this franchise; neither comes without their warts, but with definitive big league skills and tremendous youth on their side, the tandem possesses considerable value to this team and makes them a hard inclusion into any would-be trades this upcoming deadline.
Arkansas Travelers
The Travs wound up splitting the series against Wichita this week, an undoubtedly disappointing result given the poor state of Wichita’s roster and a healthy injection of talent via Everett this past week. This roster is plenty good enough to be competing with the best teams in the league, but they’ve struggled to secure wins in games that aren’t pitched by Kade Anderson or Ryan Sloan and lack depth in the starting rotation. The lineup should be incredibly good for the final two months and could easily out hit their opponents on a nightly basis, but they’ll have to get things turned around relatively quick if they want a look at postseason play.
Kade Anderson was unreal tonight. Everything was working in his first start since July 3rd. Final line: 5IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 7K, 11 whiffs, 56 pitches, 43 strikes.
It would be remiss to not mention the heartbreak of Friday night’s near-perfect game. Led by Kade Anderson’s five flawless innings with seven punchouts on just 56 pitches, the bullpen managed to keep the good times rolling all the way up until the 27th out, where a tough play at third base ultimately crashed the party and led to an errant throw. A dominant showing regardless, but a brutal finish to a potentially legendary night.
Jonny Farmelo has taken to the Texas League well and has fit right in at the top of the Arkansas lineup. Having already popped two homers and making a solid amount of contact, Farmelo has an OPS eclipsing the 1.000 mark through his first six games and is conquering the tough confines of his home ballpark thus far. The K% is understandably elevated right now, but with the jump in pure stuff and minuscule sample size, it’s hard to read into anything too deliberately right now. He’s an immense talent that will be among the top five in this system by season’s end.
Everett AquaSox
The Frogs dropped this one by a score of 4-2 this week, now featuring a new-look lineup with some of the stalwarts from the 66ers getting the bump up to Hi-A. Despite the loss this week, the AquaSox remain tied for first atop the Northwest League in the second half and have presently positioned themselves for a spot in the championship series against Eugene at the end of the season. There’s still a ton of season left, but it’s been a great bounce back in the second half for this squad.
Replacing the aforementioned Farmelo in centerfield, Korbyn Dickerson has made mincemeat of Hi-A thus far and is clobbering the baseball through his first five games at the level. Already with two homers and an OPS over 1.300, Dickerson has looked plenty comfortable at the plate in his first taste of the Northwest League and remains one of the more interesting prospects in the “middle tier” of this system. He’s got the tools to really pop and turn into a potential big league regular down the line.
Luke Stevenson continued his hot hitting and turned in another stellar week at the plate with his refined approach. Collecting seven hits across four games that included four doubles, Stevenson raised his monthly slash to .365/.444/.730 and has looked like a completely different player offensively. His lengthy rut saw his passivity at the plate bite him in the butt, leading to too many two-strike counts that left him unable to do real damage at the plate and elevated his strikeout rate considerably. Now looking for contact a bit more aggressively, he’s now getting to loads more power and has simultaneously lowered his K% this month, an excellent sign for the future of his game. A strong finish to this season would be a massive sign for Stevenson who’s already had a very strong introductory season to pro ball.
Inland Empire 66ers
The woeful ways of the 66ers continued this week, with Inland Empire dropping all but one game on the series against a Stockton team that entered play 10 games below .500. It’s just been that kind of year for the 66ers; the Mariners’ top picks last season all ended up debuting elsewhere, and with the most recent class yet to make their way to affiliate ball, the state of the team is in pretty rough shape right now. Hopefully the collection of bats the M’s took a few weeks ago can buoy this team and make them a fun watch to close the year out.
Likely more a victim of roster construction than anything else, Grant Jay seemed like the odd man out on the promotion lists this week and deserves some praise for a strong debut season. The hulking slugger has immense raw power and is slugging his way to an .863 OPS on the year, firmly the best mark left on the team. He profiles best as a corner outfielder with a massive arm, but he’ll have to reduce his whiff as he climbs up the minor league ladder; the power makes it work, but a K% a shade under 35% in A-ball just isn’t going to cut it.
ACL Mariners
The Baby M’s wrapped up their season this past week, falling one run short of an ACL crown to the Reds in the championship game. It was a fantastic season for the M’s this season that saw plenty of promise emerge from some of their best prospects, and though we’re yet to see those guys get a promotion up to IE just yet, it seems likely at least a few names from this squad will earn their way up to affiliate ball in the next week or so. Hopefully Yorger Bautista and Nick Becker can light up the California League and continue their excellent play through the end of the year.
DSL Mariners
This team is one of the more exciting things to come out of this season down on the farm. With an absolutely stacked lineup and two superstar performers leading the way, this wave of talent could provide some much needed depth to this system and ultimately produce multiple big leaguers down the line. It’s obviously far too early to make any definite conclusions about any of these players, but the production has been outstanding to see nonetheless.
Jun 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington looks on during batting practice before the game against the Houston Astros at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
With the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline just a week away, questions abound about whether or not the Pittsburgh Pirates will be buyers or sellers. The Bucs currently sit at 54-52 and are just a single game out of the Wild Card spot.
There have been rumors that Oneil Cruz is on the market, making the Bucs sellers, but a Ben Cherington quote from Sunday actually leads one to believe that the Bucs are buying. Here’s what BCGM had to say:
“We’re at a point in the season now where it’s a pretty good foundation. We know a lot about the team. It’s hard to imagine that much would happen in the next week to eight days that would really shift it in one way or another,”
“I think we’re pretty well into it by now. So, I think it’s pretty clear what we’re going to try to do, and I don’t expect that an outcome day to day between now and then is going to change it much.”
“We have the resources to win games and be playing baseball in October. We have to go do our jobs, and I don’t think anything’s changed. We believe this team is capable of doing that. We gotta continue to do the work to actually make that a reality.”
So from the sounds of that, it seems like Cherington is ready to buy for the Bucs playoff chances as we head into this last week before the deadline. The Bucs could certainly use more bullpen help. Another bat could make a difference with all of the injuries the Bucs have had, but the most important piece heading down the stretch is another arm.
So what do you think about Cherington’s comments, BD? Are the Pirates going to be buyers in this last week? Or is that simply lip service by the Bucs GM? Has he painted himself in a corner here? What happens now if the Bucs don’t make major moves?
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 19: Sons of Dell Curry, Stephen and Seth Curry watch the jersey retirement celebration with family during halftime of a basketball game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center on March 19, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors are in flux for the first time in over a decade after their failed attempt to land LeBron James. It effectively means the team is running back the same trio of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green — while hoping that rookie Yaxel Landeborg, and the return of Moses Moody can be enough of an addition to do something for them. Butler is currently out with a torn ACL, but he should be ready to go before the playoffs. Now the team that seemingly always has the answers is left without one, left simply hoping that their biggest competition around the back-end of the playoff cut managed to get worse this offseason.
As a result, the Warriors are little more than a middling team in a Western Conference that boasts the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. That’s before we even talk about the juggernauts the East is building in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Miami. Golden State ranked No. 23 out of 30 teams in our way-too-early NBA power rankings following LeBron to the Sixers. As a result, there’s speculation on whether Golden State could actually look to part ways with Steph Curry, accepting that they might not be in the position to assemble a real contender around Curry — while also understanding that if they want to rebuild into a contender, it will take assets they currently don’t possess.
Enter the Charlotte Hornets, who are in a bizarre, unique circumstance to make the sentimental value play for Curry, a Charlotte native who has pounded the drum at Panthers games, was in attendance for his dad’s jersey retirement, and fondly remembers hanging out with Muggsy Bogues in the Hornets locker room at their peak. The refrain of “Bring Steph Home” has been a yearly meme for Hornets fans, more or less ever since Charlotte missed out on drafting Curry in 2009 as the Bobcats — always said tongue-in-cheek, as if Steph would ever want to leave the Warriors to come back to North Carolina.
Maybe now that is becoming a real possibility. Not only is there talk about the Warriors potentially facing a Steph reckoning, but the Hornets represent one of the few teams that have the assets, and might be foolish enough to give them to add a 38-year-old star to a young, building roster. Couple all this with the fact that Steph has mentioned Charlotte off-hand as a potential landing spot for him other than Golden State over the years, and it’s stoked the flames of the rumor mill.
The question now is how much sense this really makes for anyone involved.
Why it makes sense for the Warriors to trade Steph
It never, ever works to be the team left holding the bag. Ideally you’d want to keep Curry, form another championship run, and have him sail off into the sunset as a winner, but that doesn’t feel like it’s in the cards right now. They made their play for LeBron, it didn’t work, so they’re left on a bit of an island right now.
The Warriors could still be really good if Jimmy Butler can get healthy in time for the playoffs this year, but they’re still a significant step behind the competition in the West. As painful as it might be, this could be a really great opportunity to bid Curry farewell, get some draft picks back, and not take on any bad salary with Charlotte still holding a mammoth trade exception they can use to absorb Curry’s contract.
Why it doesn’t make sense for the Warriors to trade Steph
At what point is it all worth it? Trading Curry and blowing up the roster is a PR nightmare, and fans don’t often want to hear about the draft capital they’d get in the future. Would two firsts and several second-round picks get it done? Would the Warriors need three firsts to entice them enough? The return would need to warrant the marketing hit the team would take, and at some point future capital just isn’t worth it, especially if you’re concerned that Charlotte is on the upswing and those picks won’t be lottery protected.
Truthfully, Charlotte won’t trade either Brandon Miller or Kon Knueppel to get this deal done. There is no planet in which the franchise parts ways with either of its two remaining star players, even to get Steph Curry. They will be playing the draft pick game, and that’s a hard sell when it means losing a Hall of Fame player like Steph.
Why it makes sense for the Hornets to trade for Steph
Curry is an ideal schematic fit for what Charles Lee and the Hornets are trying to do. This team wants to shoot threes, grab rebounds, and basically do nothing else. The potential lineup the Hornets could bring with Steph is simply comical when it comes to their potential from beyond the arc.
Steph Curry / Kon Knueppel/ Brandon Miller/ Naz Reid/ Hannes Steinbach
That’s FOUR starters who can all shoot, with Reid being a glue guy in the paint. Then you factor in the bench with Coby White and Christian Anderson Jr. being three-point specialists, with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate as the requisite rebounders.
The addition of Steph basically just heightens what the Hornets do, but takes it to an entirely new level. Perhaps more importantly, it also solves the biggest problem Charlotte has right now: Public perception. The team took a mammoth hit by trading away LaMelo Ball, appearing to some fans like they don’t care to compete. I’m on the record saying I think it was ultimately a smart move that will be addition by subtraction, but that doesn’t make it inherently easier to swallow the loss of a star like Ball.
Bringing Steph Curry to Charlotte changes all that. You bring such a beloved player to Charlotte, who literally grew up in the Hornets locker room of the early-90s with his dad Dell, the same Dell Curry who now calls games for the Hornets on TV — the narrative writes itself.
Why it doesn’t make sense for the Hornets to trade for Steph
What precisely is this team trying to achieve? Moreover, what can it achieve in the Eastern Conference right now? Sure, adding Curry might be enough to get them over the hump from play-in team to playoff team — but is that really worth mortgaging a future they went through considerable pain to attain?
The biggest arrow in Charlotte’s quiver is the amount of draft capital they have in upcoming years. The 2025 NBA Draft was a home run that landed the Hornets a future cornerstone in Knueppel, but valuable role players in Kalkbrenner and Sion James. If that’s indicative of the team’s scouting potential, then giving up future assets to acquire Curry right now is a mistimed move, rather than waiting for some of these aging stars to wear out in the East, then strike in a few years when teams are rebuilding.
It also raises questions about the leadership structure of this team. One of the main reasons Coby White re-signed with Charlotte was getting a bigger role at the point, and the assumption is that removing Ball’s presence on the roster would allow for Miller and Knueppel to assume leadership roles. That all goes out the window if you bring in Steph, who would immediately make the Hornets his team.
While it might be a great basketball fit, it’s a bad organizational fit at this juncture.
What happens when the dust settles?
It would take something mammoth for the Warriors to actually part ways with Steph Curry. There have been too many years of shared emotions, too much bonding between Curry and Steve Kerr to let all this get washed out because Golden State couldn’t land LeBron James.
The smartest move would be the wait, play out the first part of the season, then see who comes available at the trade deadline who could potentially take the Warriors from a fringe playoff team and push them even further. Someone is going to blow things up once more, and the best position would be to ride Curry/Butler/Green until the wheels really fall off.
There’s always a little wiggle room though, and if there’s one team desperate enough to swing for the fences it’s the Charlotte Hornets. Never say never.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 26: Jo Adell #7 of the Los Angeles Angels trots around the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the fourth inning at Oracle Park on July 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Angels are reportedly open for business, so let’s talk about a frequently mentioned potential Guardians’ trade target: Jo Adell.
Adell’s role is clear – he is a strictly platoon hitter put on the earth to mash lefty pitching. This season, despite having a 92 wRC+ overall, the 27 year-old right handed hitter has a 164 wRC+ against lefties. For his career, he has a 118 wRC+ against lefties including a .505 slugging percentage, including a 152 wRC+ against LHP from 2024-2026. He’s a below average fielder in the corner outfield positions, but not unplayable out there.
The Red Sox just traded a promising starting pitching prospect in Connelly Early for a right-handed hitter in Curtis Mead… so the price for lefty mashers is high. Now, Mead is under control through 2031 and Adell is only under control through 2027, so the price to acquire Adell should be significantly lower. The Guardians should be able to get Adell without touching a top five prospect in their system. The system is still deep enough to get the Angels an arm or a bat in prospect capital or even both that would make moving Adell the sensible move. And, under the new GM, the Angels may be willing to be senisble! Immediately, the Guardians could then let go of David Fry and get Adell AB’s in left, right and at DH against LHP.
The news this morning is that the Guardians are pursuing hitters, with some potential interest in a reunion with Lane Thomas who is currently on a heater with the Royals. I would much prefer they get a younger version of Thomas’s lefty mashing in Adell and let Stephen Vogt do his best platooning/pinch-hitting to get Adell the maximum amount of at-bats against the southpaws teams keep leveraging against Cleveland.
Let me know what you think about Adell in the comments below!
The Baltimore Orioles (51-55, 4th in the AL East) open a three-game series tonight at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers (50-56, 4th in the AL Central). Both clubs enter the matchup below .500 and in search of a winning streak to help propel them to a postseason berth. Baltimore sits 11.5 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East, while Detroit trails the White Sox by six games in the AL Central. The O’s are 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with the Tigers sitting a game further behind.
The Orioles lost their weekend series against the Braves dropping a tough 3-2 decision in 11 innings yesterday. Baltimore's pitching staff was special the last two games of the series, but yesterday that was not enough as the O’s managed a mere six hits. Pete Alonso had two of the six including his 22nd home run of the season. The loss left Baltimore 2-3 over its last five games. Detroit also takes the field tonight looking to bounce back after a loss. Michael Massey’s two-run, two out home run in the top of the eighth was the difference in a 5-4 win for the Kansas City Royals. Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler each has a pair of hits for the Tigers in the losing effort. The Tigers did win two of the three games in the series and are 6-4 in their last ten games.
Baltimore hands the ball tonight to right-hander Kyle Bradish (7-9, 3.49 ERA). His most recent start came on July 22 at Boston, where he led the O’s to a 5-1 victory allowing just one run on four hits over six innings while striking out four. Bradish has had a strong July, posting a 2.21 ERA across three starts while surrendering only five earned runs in 20.1 innings. Detroit counters with right-hander Keider Montero (7-5, 3.14 ERA), who has quietly put together an excellent season. Last Wednesday, Montero allowed but one run on three hits over 5.1 innings as the Tigers took out the Cubs, 5-1. Like Bradish, Montero has had a strong July in which he has posted a 1.96 ERA across 18.1 innings.
Lets dive into the game and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Orioles vs. Tigers
Date: Monday, July 27, 2026
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: Comerica Park
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, MASN, Tigers.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Orioles vs. Tigers
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Baltimore Orioles (-101), Detroit Tigers (-120),
Spread: Orioles -1.5 (+161), Tigers +1.5 (-197)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Orioles vs. Tigers for July 27
Colton Cowser is 4-5 in his career with 2HRs against Keider Montero
Jackson Holliday has struck out 3 times in 4 ABs against Montero
Gleyber Torres is 4-8 and has walked 3 times in his career against Kyle Bradish
Pete Alonso was 4-13 over the weekend against the Braves
Gunnar Henderson was 1-13 against the Braves
Gleyber Torres is 4-21 (.190) since being activated off the disabled list6 games ago
Riley Greene was 3-15 against the Royals over the weekend
Spencer Torkelson is hitting .157 in July (11-70)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Orioles vs. Tigers
The Orioles are 54-52 on the Run Line this season
The Tigers are 53-53 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 54 times in Baltimore’s 106 games this season (54-49-3)
The OVER has cashed 43 times in Detroit’s 106 games this season (43-58-5)
Expert picks & predictions: Orioles vs. Tigers
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Tigers:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Tigers on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 8.5.
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ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 21: Wyatt Langford #36 of the Texas Rangers hits a home run during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Field on July 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kai Kanzer/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for July 27, 2026 against the Seattle Mariners: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and George Kirby for the Mariners.
The Rangers play the finale of both the series against the Mariners and their seven game homestand in a rare Monday matinee game today. If the Rangers win, they go to 2.5 up on Seattle in the division, and will have won the series and have a winning homestand. If the Rangers lose, they will be just 0.5 up on Seattle in the division, and will have split the series and have a losing homestand.
So let’s try to win this one.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Langford — LF
Duran — SS
Nimmo — RF
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Lopez — 2B
Smith — 3B
Diaz — C
1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +111 underdogs.
Jul 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor (28) is doused with water by left fielder Juan Soto (22) after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
MONDAY
Freddy Peralta made his 85th start at American Family Field in Milwaukee, marking the third-most all-time at the ballpark behind Ben Sheets (113) and Yovani Gallardo (108).
The homecoming didn’t quite go as planned, as Peralta surrendered five or more earned runs for the fourth time this season. That’s already the most such games Peralta has had in any season of his career.
Jacob Misiorowski fired 26 pitches at 100+ mph against the Mets. That’s the second-most 100+ mph pitches the Mets have seen from a single pitcher in a single game in the Statcast era (since 2015), trailing only Hunter Greene’s 30 in Cincinnati on September 7, 2025.
TUESDAY
Zac Thornton has now thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings, the most by a Mets rookie since Steven Matz’s 19 from May 20-May 31, 2016, a streak that began against the Brewers. (credit: Jolly Olive)
After returning from the IL on Monday, Luis Robert Jr. wasted no time showing off his talents, crushing a homer with an exit velocity of 112.2 mph and a Statcast-projected distance of 451 feet. That’s the Mets’ hardest-hit homer of the season, and tied for their longest with Brett Baty’s homer off Jake Irvin in Washington on May 18.
The Mets earned just their second regular-season win at American Family Field since September 21, 2022, having gone through a 1-10 stretch at the ballpark. Their other win also came via a shutout started by a left-handed pitcher, when David Peterson went seven scoreless to save the bullpen during Game 160 on September 29, 2024.
WEDNESDAY
Logan Henderson generated nine whiffs against the Mets via his changeup. That’s the most whiffs the Mets have had on an opposing pitcher’s changeup since whiffing nine times facing Cristopher Sánchez’s changeup on September 15, 2024.
FRIDAY
Francisco Alvarez hit his 60th career home run, tying John Milner for the fourth-most by a Met before their 25th birthday behind Darryl Strawberry (108), David Wright (97), and Ed Kranepool (62).
Roki Sasaki racked up 21 whiffs against the Mets. Only three other pitchers have recorded 21+ whiffs in a game against the Mets this season. Two of them are fellow Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (23 on April 14) and Shohei Ohtani (22 on April 15), while the other is Logan Gilbert (21 on June 2).
SATURDAY
Nolan McLean posted his fifth consecutive quality start, the most by a Met since David Peterson (5) from July 3-August 1, 2025, and the most by a Met right-hander since Kodai Senga (8) from August 7-September 20, 2023. It was also McLean’s seventh consecutive start in which he completed at least six innings, the longest such streak by a Met since Sean Manaea (8) from August 16-September 21, 2024.
McLean registered eight whiffs via his curveball. No Met right-hander has recorded that many whiffs on pitches classified as curveballs since Noah Syndergaard on August 19, 2015, in Baltimore.
Freddie Freeman seventh-inning single marked his 250th career hit vs. the Mets, ranking ninth all-time behind Pete Rose (396), Lou Brock (289), Jimmy Rollins (281), Chipper Jones (265), Tony Gwynn (263), Willie Davis (256), Andre Dawson (256), and Larry Bowa (254). Freeman would record his 251st and 252nd hits against the Mets on Sunday.
Freeman also recorded his 75th career multi-hit game against the Mets, the sixth-most all-time behind Pete Rose (113), Jimmy Rollins (84), Tony Gwynn (81), Chipper Jones (81), and Lou Brock (78). Freeman would record his 76th multi-hit performance against the Mets the next day.
SUNDAY
Tyrone Taylor hit a three-run homer in the sixth, while Marcus Semien hit a three-run homer in the seventh. It’s the first time the Mets hit multiple three-run homers or grand slams in the same game since August 29, 2025, when Brandon Nimmo and Luis Torrens each hit three-run shots in a 19-9 rout over the Marlins at Citi Field. It was the first time the Mets hit a three-run homer or grand slam in back-to-back innings since April 28, 2025 in Washington, when Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run homer in the sixth and a grand slam in the seventh.
Only two Mets have hit multiple three-run homers this season. One is Juan Soto, who has two three-run shots out of 21 homers overall. The other is Tyrone Taylor, who has three three-run shots out of just eight homers overall.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Zac Thornton ranks second on the Mets’ all-time strikeout leaderboard among pitchers with his homophonic first name:
Jul 24, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) waits for a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The MLB 2026 trade deadline of Monday, August 3 at 4:00 p.m. MDT is fast approaching.
Rumors suggest that in addition to trading Seth Halvorsen to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Colorado Rockies plan to be very active this year. Here’s what Bob Nightengale wrote yesterday:
The Colorado Rockies will be popular at the trade deadline. They are letting teams know that pitchers Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano are available, as well as position players Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro.
Historically, we’ve limited trade-deadline discussion threads to just prior to the deadline, but this is a new front office that appears to be in the mood to deal, so we thought we’d try a daily thread this year in the week leading up to the deadline.
As the day progresses, we’ll keep this tracker updated with the most pertinent rumors and the biggest deals that come to fruition. We’ll also post a new thread daily through Monday.
The Colorado Rockies have an off-day, but there will (hopefully!) be plenty of action off the field.
Robbie Ray pitches against the Angels on Saturday | | Getty Images
As many of you know, my dad lives in San Francisco and I visit him often.
Thus I was in San Francisco this past weekend while the Cubs were in Pittsburgh, and I took the opportunity to go to the Giants/Angels game Saturday at Oracle Park. Mainly just because I love baseball — and I must love it a lot to go see two of the worst teams in baseball play — but also to check out Robbie Ray, who started for the Giants on Saturday and who is almost certainly on the trade market.
Ray is 34 and has had an up-and-down career. He threw pretty well for the Diamondbacks for a number of years, then was traded to the Blue Jays during the pandemic season in 2020. Staying in Toronto in 2021, he had a breakout season and won the AL Cy Young Award.
That got him a multi-year deal with the Mariners, where he had one decent year and then got hurt. He had Tommy John surgery and made only one start in 2023, then was traded to the Giants where he made just seven starts in 2024.
Returned to health, Ray had a good year in 2025 and is doing that again this year. And he’s been really good over his last six starts: 1.06 ERA, 1.177 WHIP, only one home run in 43.1 innings.
Ray threw six shutout innings against the Angels Saturday and it looked effortless. Okay, so Angels, they’re not very good. Mike Trout was the only Angel who did anything much against Ray, two singles and a walk.
Ray’s ERA away from Oracle Park is 4.35, which is a bit scary until you notice that it’s skewed by one really bad start at Chase Field (nine earned runs in 4.1 innings). In his nine other road starts he has a 3.07 ERA, so I think he’d be just fine pitching for the Cubs.
Ray is a pending free agent who is making $25 million this year. That would leave somewhere around $8 million or so remaining on his deal. The Cubs can afford to take that on, and if they did they’d likely not have to send much of a prospect to the Giants in return.
I asked Josh to help me out here because I have no idea what the Giants would ask for, or could get, for two months of Robbie Ray. He suggested Will Sanders and Angel Cepeda, and sure, I’d do that.
