Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Last things first, I thought maybe Javier Assad would coast to the finish line and become the 10th different Cub with a save. How is that stat even possible? Not just that 10 different guys have saves. But that there are only 14 total saves. If it were someone like the Rays with 32 total saves, it would feel different to me. But there just haven’t been many saves and two of them were of the three innings in a blowout variety.
Assad didn’t reach the finish line and didn’t become that lucky number 10. Then it was Tyler Ferguson who picked up some very large outs. At some point in time, I’m going to try to determine exactly who Tyler Ferguson is and why he is on my favorite team. I think maybe he is a visitor from the 70’s. Or maybe that’s just his hairdo. He’s definitely not the guy from a Saturday Night Live skit that used to wear an oversized hat. All joking aside, but he’s struck out eight of the 20 batters he’s faced so far. So the former sixth rounder is at least a little interesting.
Thus it was actually Ryan Rolison with the infamous one-batter save. I was starting to make a joke about matching a record for fewest batters faced in a save. Then I realized one of you really smart people was probably going to find someone who was summoned from the bullpen and picked someone off to close out a save without retiring a hitter. I mean it has to have happened, right? Kudos to Rolison who has been quite good. He’s 5-1 with a 1.97 ERA over 27 appearances and 32 innings and is part of the illustrious group of players who have started and finished games for this year’s Cub team.
Look, I see and I understand the reasons people get frustrated with Jed Hoyer. Ironically, one of the single biggest reasons to be frustrated with him this year is that NOW he went and splurged on some relievers after basically refusing to do it in the past. And he got Phil Maton, who has been one of the least effective Cub pitchers this season. Dodgers style thinking for one minute, Maton still has time to get healthy and record key outs in the postseason where it really matters most.
The point is, Jed has generally not been willing to pay relievers for past success. And when you see guys like Ferguson and Rolison having success, you can understand why. He gets a lot of mileage out of scrap heap relievers. Every single year. I also get that the game is more and more reliever intensive every year and that if we’re thinking like the Dodgers, it is those innings in the postseason where elite arms matter the most. It’s hard to reconcile. This strategy works. It has worked nearly every single year since the Cubs brought Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to town. Year in and year out they’ve consistently had a top 10 bullpen. The rub is that it’s never a top 5 pen. And sometimes it is those top 5 pens that win championships.
Amazingly, I’ve filled out 500-plus words talking almost exclusively about the bullpen and bullpen strategy. I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case. The Cub offense slugged five homers and scored nine runs in the first six innings of this game. This could have been an easy one. The Cubs were well on their way to checking off another item on their in season shopping list. Winning the season series from another Wild Card contender. They already got it from the Phillies and they needed a win in this one or the next one to get it from the Padres.
In the end all that matters is that they got it. They got the season series. They won their fourth straight. They completed their third non-overlapping and compact stretch of games at 10 over .500. They have two 10-0 stretches and one 14-4 stretch. It is absolutely frustrating how hot and cold this team runs. Three stretches of games that would run out to a 34-4 stretch if placed end-to-end. And just 14-35 in all of the not peak periods of the season. Cue national media pointing out at some time later in the season during a broadcast that no one wants to face this Cub team in the playoffs. I can’t imagine, even in my wildest dreams, this team winning a championship. But you better believe that I think this team could beat any team in the league in a series.
I know they don’t have that kind of bulldog starter that you want. I know that the flurry of no-name relievers is just not intimidating. But you know it happens when your hitters just all start hitting the ball in the general direction of a very good player and the other team finds a few holes. This team looks lost when they are out of their groove and like world beaters when they are in it. I would not fall over in shock if this team won a series from the Dodgers or Braves and I would totally get it if they play in a Wild Card series and don’t score a single run. That’s this team.
Anyway, it’s a shame that this piece wasn’t about two Dansby homers, a much needed Bregman homer, a Busch bomb and one more Pete Crow-Armstrong homer to finish an insanely productive month. Pete interrupted his newly deployed patience to launch another majestic shot to remind us how many weapons he has. He now reminds me of vintage peak Sammy. They didn’t want to walk him because of his tendency to get anxious and chase. They go after him. They’d pound pitch after pitch just out of the zone. He leaned to take them. And as he started working longer counts, every now and then, even a very good pitcher would just lose one in the zone. And then there was the hop and the trot. With Pete it is that long swing, tossing the bat away and then the electric tour of the bases. He’s so fun to watch play.
I’m going to get back to Jed again before wrapping. I see some of you talk about that man like he’s forced you to watch the original Ishtar on loop with the Barney soundtrack in the background. I get the things he isn’t. I see the perception that his career just follows the coattails of Theo Epstein. This team has won a lot of games on Jed’s watch. A ton of them when he was #2 and a not insignificant while he’s been #1. He’s made a lot of very good moves. Have some of them failed? Yeah. Some of them quite spectacularly.
Remember a few things. First, it used to suck to be a Cubs fan. Maybe that shouldn’t be part of the grading scale, but seriously do you remember waiting around and hoping that this would be the year that they’d catch lightning in a bottle and sniff the playoffs? I realize the expanded playoffs makes it easier, but this team is competitive nearly every year. Second, what did the championship core teach us? To win a modern championship, you have to pull together a special group of guys and THEN they have to get lucky along the way. That 2016 team, as great as it was, was on the ropes at one point in every round.
Am I disappointed that this era of Cub baseball has only produced one championship? Absolutely. Do I think it is the most amazing thing in my lifetime that I’m disappointed by ONLY one Cub championship over any period? There was basically no real expectation of anything before Theo and Jed came to town. Do I think he should get an infinite honeymoon period as a result? No. Also, I think they won a playoff series just last year. I’m not going to blame him for the abomination that is (checks notes) 13 pitchers on the injured list today. A whole damn pitching staff on the IL at once. And yeah, that number includes Shelby Miller who actually came that way.
Do I want to see them ask some questions as to if there are any non-bad luck causes of all of the injuries? Absolutely. I actually think the team has done a better than usual job of not carrying injured players this year. They’ve generally pulled the trigger. Along those lines, they seem to be erring on the side of caution. Are some of these IL stints preventive like the Dodgers have been doing for years? I don’t know the answer to that and I’m not making that excuse for them. This whole thing is definitely curious.
Also, Matthew Boyd, Shōta Imanaga and a whole lot of guys casual baseball fans have never heard of are coming soon to an MLB stadium near you and they just might beat whoever they’re playing. Jed was the man at the helm when virtually every one of them was brought here and they have tied for the fifth-most wins in baseball and look headed back to the playoffs.
Three Positives:
Game 86, June 30: Cubs 9, Padres 7 (48-38)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
THREE GOATS:
A quick couple of WPA notes. Carson Kelly just missed the top three. Also, looking at the shape of this game, the Cub offense poured it on early. Boyd took hits for giving away some of the lead and for departing with runners on base. Assad had a big, late lead when he gave up late runs. So WPA was quite a bit harder on Boyd. Only four Cubs even had negative WPA numbers in this game because despite the final score, the Cubs controlled this one more or less wire to wire.
WPA Play of the Game: Alex Bregman’s three-run homer with one out in the second extended the early lead to four. (.184)
Padres Play of the Game: Manny Machado’s homer with two outs and a runner on third in the fifth to get the game back to two. (.118)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 85 Winner: Seiya Suzuki (178 of 199 votes)
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Up Next: The Cubs can complete a three-game sweep of the Padres Wednesday afternoon. They have an off day Thursday and didn’t use much pen in this one. Colin Rea (5-5, 4.80) squares off with Walker Buehler (5-3, 3.81). Another tough matchup, but no tougher than some of the wins these Cubs pulled off this past weekend.
This is a plus series regardless, but it sure would be sweet to cap this one off.
There are no easy answers with this one.
Aaron Nola is perhaps the worst pitcher in baseball.
For a long time, Nola was a very good and, at times, great pitcher.
Only two players have ever started more games than Aaron Nola’s 302 games in a Phillies uniform: Steve Carlton (499) and Robin Roberts (472). His 1,963 strikeouts are 2nd-most in team history (Carlton, 3,031), and he is 7th all-time in innings pitched and WHIP.
He has been a postseason hero and will certainly be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame one day.
All of which makes his performance over the last two years so sad and difficult to reconcile.
Sure, Nola has always been frustrating. But there were far more outstanding outings than lackluster ones, until 2025.
In an injury-plagued season, Nola made 17 starts and put up a ghastly 6.01 ERA, by far the worst of his career. The thinking was Nola’s ankle sprain and fractured rib a season ago made it impossible to truly judge his performance. Hopes were high after he dominated in the World Baseball Classic in March.
But after Nola’s performance against Pittsburgh on Monday (4.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks) pushed his already awful ERA up to 6.04, he matched last season’s start total with nearly an identical ERA.
If it wasn’t clear what kind of pitcher Nola had become last year, his 2026 season should leave little doubt.
Aaron Nola is broken. No one seems to know how to fix him.
He’s already given up 19 HRs this season, including another two after being handed a 5-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Nola’s stuff was dancing all over the place in the first three innings, generating 23 swings and misses, the 2nd-most in his career. That’s an insane statistic when you consider he only recorded 13 outs in the game. In the 4th inning, Nola appeared to tire and began leaving his knee-buckling curveball out over the plate, forcing him to turn to his very hittable fastball as he fell behind in counts.
The Pirates know how to hit. And they bludgeoned him.
But again, none of this is new. Since the start of last year, Nola has been worse than Taijuan Walker was in his final two years with the Phillies.
Everyone can see Nola cannot get anyone out right now. But what can be done?
The mantra seems to be the Phillies will be forced to ride it out all season for two reasons: his contract, and the lack of options to replace him.
Both are valid arguments. But given the $300+ million payroll and World Series expectations, can the Phils afford to keep running Nola out there, even given those headwinds?
It’s clear adding another starting pitcher sooner rather than later in a trade is a must for Dave Dombrowski. Andrew Painter’s struggles further complicates the matter, and there is literally no one else in the minors who can be called upon. Some names to potentially watch as the trade deadline grows closer are the Royals’ Michael Wacha, Baltimore’s Trevor Rogers, the Mets’ Clay Holmes, the Reds’ Brady Singer, and the Royals’ Seth Lugo.
The Phils are unlikely to go shopping for a top-of-the-rotation starter like Tarik Skubal, Robbie Ray or even Sandy Alcantara, given their lack of quality prospects and the need to also supplement the roster with additional relievers and possibly a right-handed hitting outfielder.
Nola still has four years and $98 million due him after this season. They certainly will not release him in the same way they did Walker, who they finally bid adieu while in the last year of his contract. The Phillies are already spending $50 million to pay Walker, Adolis Garcia and Nick Castellanos to not play for them.
Should they acquire a decent starting pitcher over the next few weeks, the only option seems to be trying Nola in the bullpen. Perhaps allowing him to give max effort for one or two innings per outing will allow his fastball to play up a bit, or allow him to exclusive feature his secondary pitches more.
But the mission for these Phillies is clear. They have to win the World Series this season. And while their best chance of doing so is for Nola to figure it out, enough of a track record has been established over the last two years to make that prospect seem desperately optimistic.
Among 109 starting pitchers since the start of last season with at least 170 innings pitched, Nola’s 6.02 ERA is 2nd-worst. Only Anaheim’s Jack Kochanowicz is worse (6.58).
If this continues, the Phillies won’t have a choice. They’re going to have to take him out of the rotation, no matter what anyone else is telling you right now.
This team’s only mission is a World Series. You cannot be a contender and continue to run out a pitcher who has posted an ERA over 6.00 consistently for the better part of two seasons. It’s unfair to the rest of the roster.
There will come a moment when a very difficult decisions is going to be made.
Trying to pretend like it’s not does no one any good.
PHOENIX — San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman left the Giants’ loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks because of an abdominal strain that he suffered in the sixth inning.
The five-time Gold Glove winner is scheduled for an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
The 33-year-old Chapman charged in on a ground ball, fielded it cleanly with his bare hand and threw out Gabriel Moreno at first to end the sixth, but was in obvious pain as he gingerly walked to the dugout.
Chapman said his abdominal area had been bothering him some over the past several weeks, but the pain had been manageable until the incident.
“It’s been hot and cold where I’m trying to figure out what’s going on,” Chapman said. “I made that bare-handed play and that was the first time that one specific play made me cringe and go down a little bit, where I was actually in a lot of pain.”
He batted in the seventh and was retired on an infield pop out before leaving the game.
Chapman is batting .235 this season with seven homers and 42 RBIs.
Rick Rizzs Happy Totals: 13
Dan Wilson Tough One Tonights: 14
Run Differential: -17
wRC+: 91 (24th)
Rotation ERA-/FIP-: 97/82 (11th/2nd)
Bullpen ERA-/FIP-: 127/87 (25th/5th)
OAA: -6
BsR: -0.7 (22nd)
Mariners fWAR leader: Dominic Canzne & Logan Gilbert, 0.9
Beef Boy Bombs: 1
Josh Naylor SB: 3 for 4
Julio HR-SB: 2-7
Ty France Memorial HBP Counter: Randy Arozarena, 4
Luke Raley wOBA rank: 235 of 236 (May was 1 of 260)
Dominic Canzone Barrel%: 16.1% (15th)
J.P. Crawford Innings Played at 3B: 104
Colt Emerson OAA at SS: -1
Rob Refsnyder PA: 33
Piggyback starts: 1
Logan Gilbert Fastball%: 50.9%
Emerson Hancock ERA/xERA: 5.19/5.01
Bryce Miller K%-BB%: 38.1% (1st, min 20 IP (2nd place is 31.8%))
Gabe Speier Fastball Velocity: 96.2 mph
Relievers used: 11
Bullpen IP: 77.1 (28th)
Andés Muñoz saves/opportunities: 6/7
Kade Anderson K/BB: 10.7
Ryan Sloan K/BB: 11.5
Lazaro Montes HR: 12
You favorite June stat not listed here: In the comments
Playoff position: Hold 3rd WC (+1.5), 2nd in AL West (-0.5)
Current overall record and run differential: 44-43, +13
On this date in 2025: 44-40, +17
2024: 47-39, +6
2023: 38-42, +11
2022: 37-41, +2
Christmas ham: Gabe Speier, +0.97 WPA
Tender hamstrings: Josh Simpson, -0.56 WPA
BOSTON — Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was tossed for a second straight game after throwing his helmet toward Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli during a heated exchange that ended with the benches clearing and multiple ejections.
Cavalli struck out Contreras looking on a full-count pitch in the top of the fourth of what eventually became an 8-1 victory by the Nationals. The 27-year-old right-hander then shouted at Contreras as Contreras made his way back to the Boston dugout.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said he heard Cavalli yell “Sit down, boy” after fanning Contreras.
Asked what his specific words to Contreras were, Cavalli told reporters, “I don’t know. I just lose my head in it. I’m competitive. I just told him to sit down.”
The term “boy” has a racially charged history in the U.S.. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli’s word choice.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” Contreras said, later adding he plans to “let MLB handle that.”
Contreras, who hit a three-run homer off Washington’s Miles Mikolas and celebrated with a massive bat flip that he later apologized for, then approached Cavalli on the mound. The two jawed at each other as both dugouts emptied.
“He struck me on a good pitch, I was walking back to the dugout, and then he did what did, and the rest was history,” Contreras told reporters afterward, later adding, “He was like, instigating, and I snapped.”
Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez tried to hold Contreras back, but Contreras broke loose long enough to leap and throw his batting helmet in Cavalli’s direction.
Things settled down quickly after that, though the brief dustup ended with Contreras, Tracy, Boston outfielder Nate Eaton and Mikolas being ejected.
Cavalli pointed to an incident at the end of the top of the first when Contreras nearly ran into the pitcher as both exited the field as the spark that set things in motion.
“He’s just been doing stuff,” Cavalli said of Contreras. “In the first inning, he just runs past me and brushes me. It’s just something you don’t do in baseball. I think he knows that. I didn’t say anything. I just looked at him. And a few words were said after the strikeout. It’s part of the game. And he’s going to let everybody run out there and try and do whatever he does, throw a helmet and get himself tossed.”
Cavalli stayed in the game and allowed one run on one hit with 13 strikeouts over seven innings in what became an 8-1 romp.
“After everything that happened, the people that they chose that were going to leave the game, I just felt like the other pitcher should have been one of them too,” Tracy said. “That was my biggest complaint.”
The early exit was the second in as many nights for Contreras, the first time that’s happened to a Red Sox player in the club’s 126-year history. The 34-year-old Venezuela native — who acknowledged he is having a difficult time while his native country tries to recover from a pair of devastating earthquakes — was ejected in the second inning at the start of the series for mimicking an appeal call after striking out on a checked swing.
“I feel like everything is against me right now,” Contreras said. “I got ejected last night from nothing. I got ejected today even though I was walking back to the dugout.”
With summer baseball in full swing as the All-Star Break looms, the game's next generation is preparing for its moment in the limelight with July's MLB Draft, Futures Game and HBCU Swingman Classic. Amid the excitement, fans can look forward to a behind-the-scenes journey following six of baseball's top prospects and draft hopefuls with MLB Road to the Show, a new five-part docuseries streaming on Peacock.
The series, produced by MLB Network and narrated by content creator and YouTuber Dan Sarmiento, follows these players through Spring Training and right into the season. Fans can expect the series to highlight breakthrough performances, setbacks and personal milestones.
Get everything you need to know below with the series' featured players, full episode release schedule, and how to watch information.
MLB prospects
College players
Episode 1: Wednesday, July 1
Episode 2: Friday, July 10
Episode 3: Sunday, July 19
Episode 4: Sunday, July 26
Episode 5: Sunday, August 2
You'll be able to watch all five episodes of MLB Road to the Show on Peacock. You can also watch several clips from episodes on the NBC Sports YouTube channel.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Click here to see the full list of MLB games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club’s home television territory. For more information, visit Peacock’s Help Center.
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Junior Caminero knows the All-Star Home Run Derby doesn’t begin for a couple of weeks.
The Tampa Bay slugger is ready to go anyway.
Just hours after committing to participating in the event in Philadelphia on July 13, Caminero homered in his fifth straight game, a three-run shot off the Royals’ Noah Cameron. It was his eighth in the past seven games — something nobody in club history ever has accomplished — and it sent Tampa Bay to a 10-4 rout of Kansas City in the opener of their three-game series.
Asked to put Caminero’s hot streak in perspective, Rays manager Kevin Cash replied: “I don’t know if I can.”
“He’s really seeing the ball well,” Cash said, “and when he gets a ball to hit, he’s doing it.”
Caminero, the AL player of the week after launching seven homers and piling up 15 RBIs, put on a show last year in the Home Run Derby. With his multicolored bat sending social media ablaze, Caminero advanced to the final round before losing a close contest to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh. The final was 18-15 in a long-ball hitting showcase.
Caminero, who is set to turn 23, went on to hit 45 homers last season, finishing sixth in Major League Baseball.
He may beat that number with ease this season. Caminero already has 23 for the AL East-leading Rays.
“I’ve feel really comfortable the last two weeks,” he said. “I’m trying to be aggressive in the zone.”
The only other players in Tampa Bay history to have homered in five consecutive games are Jose Canseco in 1999, Carlos Pena in 2010 and Mike Zunino in 2021. Pena’s streak extended to six straight games, the franchise record.
Caminero will try to match that against Kansas City.
“I mean, thank God he’s on our team,” Rays pitcher Griffin Jax said with a smile. “The way he’s doing it with the power and the not chasing and the not whiffing is just so impressive.”
In an era of faster-paced games thanks in part to the implementation of a pitch clock, MLB has decided to eliminate a similar clock from its Home Run Derby this summer. Each hitter will have 20 swings in the first round of this year’s contest. The change coincides with a switch in broadcaster to Netflix.
Any player who homers on his 20th swing will keep on swinging until he doesn’t connect for home run. The top four hitters advance, with the distance of the longest homer being used as the tiebreaker if necessary.
The way he’s been swinging the bat, Caminero has a good shot at being there at the end.
“He gets a pitch to hit and he’s not missing,” Rays catcher Nick Fortes said. “I’ve never experienced it so I don’t know how to describe it.”
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Cincinnati Reds are +144 underdogs when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers (-150) tonight, with Shane Drohan looking to continue his impressive form.
My Reds vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks are targeting Drohan to pitch well, while Milwaukee will jump on the struggling Andrew Abbott.
Shane Drohan is throwing the baseball well for the Milwaukee Brewers. While his 5.03 FIP over his last two outings doesn't jump off the page, the underlying metrics suggest he's in line for another quality start. The left-hander has allowed just 0.96 home runs per nine innings during that span while limiting opponents to a 32.4% hard-hit rate over the last month.
As for Cincinnati Reds starter Andrew Abbott, he owns a 5.34 FIP across his last five outings while allowing 1.98 home runs per nine innings and a 41% hard-hit rate. Across Abbott's last two starts alone, he has an alarming 6.98 FIP.
Drohan holds the edge, and Milwaukee's 140 wRC+ over its last six games makes this a favorable matchup.
I'll play this pick up to -110.
COVERS INTEL: This Brewers lineup has a .227 ISO in the last week, compared to a .142 mark overall this season. That's a recipe for success against the home run prone Andrew Abbott. The Over offers value. I expect Milwaukee to do damage against Andrew Abbott, while Shane Drohan has been capable of allowing a few runs himself. A 4-2 or 5-3 type game before the starters exit is certainly on the table, but the bullpens could push this total even higher.
Milwaukee's relief corps owns a 5.22 xERA over the last week while walking an alarming 7.43 hitters per nine innings.
Cincinnati's bullpen hasn't been much better, posting a 7.96 FIP across its last 20 innings while allowing 2.70 home runs per nine. That's a dangerous combination against a Brewers lineup swinging the bats well.
I'll play this pick up to -140.
Conditions at American Family Field should be favorable for hitters tonight. Temperatures will remain warm, starting around 92°F before cooling into the mid-80s, while 13-15 mph winds could give well-hit balls a little extra carry. With virtually no chance of rain, the weather shouldn't interrupt play and may provide a slight boost to offense.
The Brewers have covered the run line in 30 of their last 50 home games for +15.70 units and a 27% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Reds vs. Brewers.
| Location | American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI |
| Date | Wednesday, July 1, 2026 |
| First pitch | 8:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Reds starting pitcher | Andrew Abbott (5-4, 3.90 ERA) |
| Brewers starting pitcher | Shane Drohan (3-2, 3.12 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
St. Louis Blues defensive prospects Luke Schairer, Nick Bogas, and Landon Nycz have been invited to Team USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster.
The camp, which will feature practices and games between players from the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden, will be held July 26-Aug. 1 at WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario. It’s the first evaluation step for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The American roster is headlined by players like Seattle Kraken’s Chase Reid, Nashville Predators’ Wyatt Cullen, Pittsburgh Penguins’ Will Horcoff, and San Jose Sharks’ Brady Knowling.
But also featured on the roster are a trio of Blues prospects.
Luke Schairer was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the third round, 75th overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft. Schairer is a 6-foot-3 right-handed defenseman set to play with the Peterborough Petes in the 2026-27 season. Schairer is a great skater who projects to be a shutdown defender with a solid NHL frame.
Landon Nycz, another defenseman, was drafted by the Blues one round later, in the fourth round, 107th overall. Nycz is a 6-foot-2, left-handed defender set to play his sophomore season with the University of Massachusetts next season. Nycz is also more of a defensive defenseman, but he was born in late 2007 and is entering his final year of world junior eligibility.
Blues Trade Away Two Third-Round Picks On Second Day of 2026 NHL DraftTeam had three selections, used two in trade to acquire Brandon Carlo from Toronto; focused more on defense, goaltending after picking two centers in first round on FridayThe final player invited to the camp is Nick Bogas. Bogas was taken in the fifth round, 139th overall, by the Blues in the 2026 NHL draft. Although he is listed at just six feet, Bogas is a physical defender who thrives on the defensive side of the puck.
At the moment, these three Blues prospects are the outside looking in for making the 2027 world junior roster, but strong camps could put them on the radar.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
It's free agency day where it's expected to be busy around the NHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs are no exception.
Keep it here for the latest chatter surrounding the Leafs for when free agency opens up at noon.
Maple Leafs Targets For 2026 NHL Free AgencyWith multiple moves completed already on the trade front by GM John Chayka, here are some targets for the Toronto Maple Leafs in this free agency period.2:15 p.m. ET: The Maple Leafs continue to add to their forward group, adding Colton Sissons to a two-year deal worth $4.25 million.
Colton Sissons 2 x $4.25
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026
Toronto
2 p.m. ET — According to multiple reports, the Toronto Maple Leafs have upgraded their goaltending situation.
ESPN's Kevin Weekes was the first to report Sergei Bobrovsky signing a three-year deal.
**Breaking News** 🚨 📰 @MapleLeafs have signed G Bobrovsky to a 3 Yr Contract . #HockeyXpic.twitter.com/KLPiMOcfu8
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) July 1, 2026
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added that Bobrovsky's contract is worth $7 million per year for the 37
3 x $7M https://t.co/Gvdpxp3rKZ
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026
In Bobrovsky, the Leafs get:
A two-time Stanley Cup Champion (2024, 2025): He anchored the Florida Panthers to back-to-back championships, solidifying his legacy as an elite big-game goaltender.
A two-time Vezina Trophy Winner (2012–13, 2016–17): Won both during his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets, making him one of only a handful of active goalies with multiple Vezina Trophies.
Bobrovsky was 27–23–1 and posted an .877 save percentage. The 38-year-old improves Toronto's goaltending. He's reunited with Anthony Stolarz. Both won a Cup together in Florida in 2024.
1:56 p.m. ET — Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggests that Bobrovski's arrival in Toronto is imminent.
I do believe the Sergei Bobrovsky to Toronto arrival is upon us
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026
1:35 p.m. ET — Perhaps a Zach Werenski trade will not be happening on July 1.'
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver and Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell all spoke in an effort to clear the air and talk things down.
Sounds like Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver, and CBJ GM Don Waddell spoke today in an effort to clear the air and calm things down. Werenski is comfortable going back to CBJ. Waddell could present him with a trade in the meantime, but that isn’t on the radar at this point.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026
Sounds like nothing is going to happen imminent, but if the Leafs make a big swing, things can change in an instant.
1:24 p.m. ET — After one season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Matias Maccelli has found a new home in the Metropolitan Division.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Maccelli is signing a one-year deal worth $2.25 million.
Islanders sign Matias Maccelli, one year x $2.25 M
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2026
The Maple Leafs elected to not qualify Maccelli on June 29, making him an unrestricted free agent. His qualifying offer was set at $4.1 million.
The 25-year-old Maccelli had 14 goals and 25 assists in 71 games last season. He spent stretches with the club as a healthy scratch.
The Leafs acquird Maccelli last summer from the Utah Mammoth for a third-round draft pick in 2027.
1:03 p.m. ET — Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports Jack Roslovic is signing with the Leafs.
Hearing Jack Roslovic to Toronto, still working terms
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026
According to TSN's Chris Johnston, Roslovic is joining Toronto on a two-year deal worth $4 million AAV.
Jack Roslovic is signing a two-year deal with the #leafs carrying a $4M AAV
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 1, 2026
The Maple Leafs were reportedly interested in adding Roslovic as a free agent last season but couldn't agree on salary and term. He ended up signing with the Edmonton Oilers.
He scored 21 goals and 15 assists in 69 games with the Oilers last season. The Leafs get someone who can put the puck in the net.
12:22 p.m. ET — Per TSN's Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs are engaging in talks with free agent forward Colton Sissons, but nothing is done yet.
Leafs and Sissons talking. Nothing is done yet. https://t.co/ErMDnWfg58
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026
The 32-year-old played in a bottom-six center role with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. His cap hit last season was $2,857,143.
11:04 a.m. ET — Just two days removed from the Toronto Maple Leafs tendering Nick Robertson a qualifying offer to retain his rights, comes word that the club has moved him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick
Maple Leafs Trade Nick Robertson To PenguinsThe Toronto Maple Leafs have traded 23-year-old left winger Nick Robertson to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a fourth-round pick.Robertson goes to Pittsburgh, where he will be reunited with former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.
The 24-year-old has 16 goals and 16 assists in 78 games with the Leafs in 2026.
The Maple Leafs are making a play to try to acquire defenseman Zach Werenski. TSN's Darren Dreger was a guest on First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo, saying chatter between the two clubs has NOT included forward Matthew Knies, who himself has been the subject of much trade speculation.
10:26 a.m. ET, Dreger clarified his comments on Werenski.
It’s been assumed Knies will be part of a package if Toronto lands Zach Werenski. See how things develop, but there’s a chance the Leafs won’t have to give up the power forward if this trade comes together.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026
There has been a lot of chatter surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and goaltender Sergei Bobrovski. The former Florida Panthers goalie is expected to hit the market at noon. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, a last-ditch effort from the Panthers to keep him fell apart after Bobrovski asked for $21 million over three years.
Is that the right price for Toronto? Time will tell.
Hockey Insider Frank Seravalli feels a union between the Leafs and Bobrovsky is inevitable. There was a picture going around a few weeks ago that showed Bobrovsky on the jumbotron at Scotiabank Arena. Seravalli was a guest on The Fan Morning Show on Wednesday and said the photo was real.
Deleted now but dont think this is AI lol pic.twitter.com/ZdfP21t01S
— LNG 🍉 (@NotLeafsNeedGod) June 22, 2026
"I've confirmed that was real," Seravalli said. "This Bobrovsky thing was a 'hey, get this ready in case he's coming and we can pitch him in person, it was one of those situations. This didn't mean in the moment that it was locked in, but there were planning to be pursuing him."
Updated regularly...
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Ariel Hukporti is leaving the Knicks to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Hukporti's contract will pay him $3.4 million with the Knicks' Eastern Conference rivals.
Acquired in a draft night trade with the Mavericks in 2024, Hukporti played just 25 games as a rookie but saw his role expand in his second season, playing 54 games while averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds.
The 7-footer provided some quality depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and also logged some key minutes during this year's championship run, averaging 10.8 minutes per game in the four-game sweep of the Sixers.
With Philadelphia, Hukporti will provide depth behind Joel Embiid and Adem Bona.
Not every trade or roster move needs to be a franchise-altering move to also be considered a smart move.
Tuesday’s Kaedan Korczak for Parker Wotherspoon trade is a good example of that for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It is not something you are likely to look back on and say, “that is a major turning point for the franchise.” But it is something that makes a great deal of sense, and I’m a little surprised at the mass confusion (and even some criticism) that it has received.
Wotherspoon ended up being an excellent signing for the Penguins, and one that worked out significantly better than anybody could have hoped for a year ago when it was completed. Wotherspoon shockingly filled out the left-side role on the top-pairing next to Erik Karlsson, was a strong complement to him, and had by far the best season of his career.
And now the Penguins trade him?
Well.
Yeah.
And I completely get it.
For as strong as Wotherspoon played and worked out during the 2025-26 season in his role, there are a few important factors to keep in mind.
The latter point is key for Korczak, because he is basically in the same situation coming from Vegas. He is a younger version of what Wotherspoon initially was for the Penguins.
From an underlying numbers perspective, Korczak has been wildly effective in his smaller, depth roles.
This isn’t to say that Korczak is one of the best defensemen in the league, or that he was even Vegas’ best defenseman. That’s not the point here. The point is he was given a specific role, even in sheltered minutes, and performed exceptionally well in that role. He’s probably earned a bigger opportunity and a bigger role to see what he does with it. Maybe he gets better and handles it well. Maybe he doesn’t and he remains as a highly effective depth defenseman. Either way, it’s a younger player onto the roster.
He is also four years younger than Wotherspoon and already signed long-term with some cost-certainty on what should be a favorable contract with a $3.25 million salary cap number. When you see what bottom-pairing defensemen are going to start going for, it’s going to look even better. Especially as the salary cap skyrockets in the coming seasons. A $3.25 million cap hit on a $104 million cap is the equivalent of a $2.95 million cap hit under the 2025-26 cap of $95.5 million. When the cap rises up to $113 million in 2027-28 it will be the equivalent of a $2.6 million cap number.
The Penguins needed to find a defense version of Egor Chinakhov. They needed to find some younger legs, especially on their back-end where most of their 2025-26 roster was either on the wrong side of 30, or rapidly approach it. This is a nice swing at that. And even if Korczak doesn’t blossom the same way here, it’s still a nice brick to have at the bottom of your lineup that you know can fill a specific role.
Kyle Dubas made mention after the draft of this potentially being a more methodical brick-by-brick process.
This is a brick.
It’s a smart brick with a little bit of upside at a fair cost.
I’m also not overly concerned about the left spot on the top-pairing on July 1, because a year ago at this time we also had no idea who the left spot on the top-pairing would be. If you had proposed it being Wotherspoon, even after he was signed, you probably would have been laughed at. There is a lot of time to fill that spot, and as long as Karlsson is on the roster I am confident the Hall of Famer will make it work. Just as he did with Wotherspoon.
First of all, happy Canada Day to our friends north of the border!
The trade and free agent rumors are hot and continue to be flying. Late last night it was revealed that Zach Werenski vetoed a trade to Dallas. Supposedly the Hurricanes are still trying to sign John Carlson.
Also, Alexander Nikishin’s name has been in everyone’s mouths.
Free agency officially starts at noon today.
The nice thing about all of this is that the Canes are not desperate and they don’t have to do anything if they choose not to. Worst case scenario might be to just keep the rights to Nikishin and let him think about taking a lesser salary than he wanted, or go back to Russia.
Although, I still would not be surprised to see Carolina do something big no one has talked about.
If you have thoughts, feel free to leave them in the comments of our “open thread”
Have a great day!
NHL free agency opened at noon ET on Wednesday, July 1, and a lot more could go on than just unrestricted free agents changing teams.
The unrestricted free agent pool includes two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky and defensemen John Carlson and Rasmus Andersson.
Players whose contracts run out in 2027 are free to sign extensions. Key players in that group are reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini.
Big-name restricted free agents such as Jason Robertson, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier also need new contracts for next season.
Trades might be the best way for a team to improve, with Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski, Connor Hellebuyck, Darnell Nurse and others reportedly in play.
Follow along for live updates and breaking news as NHL free agency opens:
He'll average $7 million in a three-year deal, according to multiple reports. Bobrovsky, 37, has won two Stanley Cups and two Vezina Trophies, but he's coming off his worst season. Still, he's an established goalie who can help the Maple Leafs as they try to come back from the end of their nine-year playoff run. He'll be reunited with Anthony Stolarz, his former backup in Florida.
The goalie hasn't been able to break through with the Sabres and will get a chance with the Oilers.
From TSN"s Darren Dreger:
Sounds like Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver, and CBJ GM Don Waddell spoke today in an effort to clear the air and calm things down. Werenski is comfortable going back to CBJ. Waddell could present him with a trade in the meantime, but that isn’t on the radar at this point.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026
He'll average $8.25 million in the deal, up from $8 million in his last contract. He adds a physical presence to the Sharks and he scored 10 goals last season with the Ducks.
He gets a one-year, $2 25 million contract. This is his third stint with the team and he'll add a veteran presence.
The rugged winger will average $2 million in the deal. He topped 100 penalty minutes in two of the last three seasons and had 192 hits last season.
He'll get two years with a $5 million cap hit. He bounced back from two subpar seasons to score 25 goals and 54 points with the Bruins last season.
He'll average $3.75 million over two years. The question is whether he's a backup or is the No. 1. The Jets are listening to offers on Connor Hellebuyck. By signing Skinner, who has been a No. 1 goalie (albeit up and down), the Jets don't need to get back a goalie if they trade the former Vezina Trophy winner and U.S. Olympian. Skinner went to the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton twice and was traded to Pittsburgh last season.
He'll average $8.5 million in the seven-year deal, per reports. Andersson was acquired from the Flames during the season and reached the Stanley Cup Final.
He'll average $5 million in the deal, per reports. He played a key role in the Panthers' two Stanley Cups and also played for Finland at the 2026 Olympics, winning bronze.
The forward will average $7.1 million in the deal.
He will average $2.2 million in the two-year deal. Ersson struggled in Philadelphia last season and was traded to Toronto and then Ottawa. He'll back up fellow Swedish goalie Linus Ullmark in Ottawa.
Korpisalo will take over the backup goalie role from retired Jonathan Quick. The Bruins receive minor league forward Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round pick. Korpisalo has one year left on his contract.
He could get five years with a $7 million average, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Marchment's late father, Bryan, played six seasons with the Sharks.
Zuccarello is getting a one-year deal with bonuses, according to multiple reports. Haula's deal is two years at $3.6 million a season. per reports. Haula adds to the Kings' center depth after Anze Kopitar's retirement. Zuccarello will help the Kings' power play. NHL insider Frank Seravalli also said the Kings are signing Corey Perry, who started last season in Los Angeles.
The Kraken, who acquired Samoskevich from the Panthers, signed the restricted free agent to a three-year deal with a $3.85 million cap hit.
He'll average $3.1 million, the team said. The Sabres acquired him from the Ducks last week.
The Devils captain will average $11,700,000 in the deal, making the team's highest-paid player when it kicks in during the 2027-28 season.
Vladar, who helped the Flyers get back to the playoffs and won a round, will average $5.5 million in the extension.
He'll average $9.125 million in the extension, which kicks in during 2027-28, according to his agent, Dan Milstein. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting with 62 points in 82 games.
Demidov extension breakdown:
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2026
27-28, $11.5 M SB, $1 M salary
28-29, $11.5 M SB, $1 M salary
29-30, $9.5 M SB, $1 M salary
30-31, $6.7 M SB, $1 M salary
31-32, $6.3 M SB, $1.2 M salary
32-33, $6.3 M SB, $1.2 M salary
33-34, $5.8 M SB, $1.7 M salary
34-35, $7.5 M salary
$57.6 M…
NHL free agency officially opened at noon ET on Wednesday, July 1.
He'll average $1.5 million in his six-year deal, per reports, to help with the Panthers' cap hit. Gudas' rights were acquired this week. He had won the Stanley Cup in 2024 before leaving for the Ducks.
The Maple Leafs will get a 2028 fourth-round pick. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas had drafted Robertson when he was in Toronto.
Bourque, a forward, and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin are headed to Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Bourque had 20 goals and 41 points last season. The Predators continue to load up on scoring depth after earlier adding Jack Drury, Ross Colton and Nils Hoglander. The Stars gain cap room with restricted free agent Jason Robertson still to sign.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reports that GM Steve Yzerman would like a top-six center and a winger in return for Larkin, who has five years left on his deal. Yzerman said after the draft that he would act in the best interest of the Red Wings and "I cannot make any guarantees or did not make any guarantees that that request could or would be met."
His deal will average $1.5875 million a year. He had 23 points and a career-best 92 penalty minutes in his second season in Ottawa.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the Blue Jackets had a verbal agreement on a trade with the Stars, but Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski vetoed it. Stars defenseman Thomas Harley would have been part of the return package, Friedman said.
Two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky is heading to free agency after the Panthers couldn't reach a deal and the team acquired two goalies. Here are the top NHL free agents:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL free agency 2026 live tracker: Latest signings, trades, news and rumors
